I think it was that they were subletters, and not roommates, per se, that bugged me on that one.

So, a sublettor is like a poor relation in an Austen novel, there on sufferance and not to be considered one of the real residents?

Sorry, I don't mean that as nasty as it maybe sounds. But I've been a sublettor before and was under the misapprehension that paying my monthly rent meant I lived there, fair and square.

Speaking of which, unopened green pepper Jalapeno Tabasco? one year past "best by" date. Would anyone here open it and use it anyway? Kept in a dark pantry since the "best by" date.

Unopened tabasco should last approximately forever, I'd say. Opened, it may dry out and get crusty but is probably still no health hazard if you're in a pinch. (Um, not that I would know.)

Unopened tabasco should last approximately forever, I'd say. Opened, it may dry out and get crusty but is probably still no health hazard if you're in a pinch. (Um, not that I would know.)

Isn't it made of salt, peppers, and vinegar? Aren't they all pretty much in and of themselves preservatives?

Eat it.

I have seen Louisiana hot sauce turn color, though I don't know how that affected it. Jon threw it out. I likely would have at least tried a bit of it.

I don't think it'll hurt you to use it. It might not taste quite right. But if it's unopened it's probably fine.

Happy Chanukah! I just lit candles and opened my first present, which is a Le Creuset French oven.

I actually met with my advisor today. An hour and a half later than he'd said, which made it half an hour before I had to leave, though. So, didn't really discuss as much as I wanted.

Did you then bonk him over the head with your Le Creuset French oven, Hil?

Heh. Didn't open the present until after the meeting.

He was meeting with some of his undergrad students until 2, then was supposed to meet with me at 2. The undergrads were freaking out because their final is on Monday, so they stayed until 2:30. (I didn't really mind that.) Then he had to go move his car. Then he had to talk with the department head about something that was supposed to take just a minute and ended up taking about 20 minutes. Which meant I didn't meet with him until about 3:40, and I had to leave at 4.

I'm used to this by now -- pretty much whenever we have a scheduled meeting, he has about twenty "just a minute" things to do beforehand that end up taking at least an hour.

Le Creuset, awesome!

Advisor, NSM.

So KBD sent me his list. And it's booooring. He wants a Zune accessory pack. Or a phone case. Or a sports watch. Feh.

The first four ingredients are distilled vinegar, jalapeño pepper, water and salt.

I will try some soon.

It's interesting seeing jalapeño peppers listed as "mild." When I was a kid they were the hot ones for us Minnesotans.

Oh my how far have we come.