NJ renters question: I live in what used to be a private residence in a garage apartment. The main house is also rented. The landlady lives in Vermont. My jerkass neighbor and his snowplow have moved away. So now I'm looking at potentially paying $75 a pop for snowplow service, or going in with the new neighbor on a snowblower. I'm not seeing anything in the NJ tenant rights about grounds maintenance, but people are telling me that we should charge the cost of the snow plowing or the blower to the landlady. My new neighbor is all "oh, lots of rentals require the tenant to front the yard maintenance costs! It's totally normal!".

I can't be buying snowblowers and road salt on top of root canals and car repairs on my non-profit salary. I'll show up to work three hours late from shoveling by hand if needs be.

Thoughts? Hard facts?

Juliebird, it ought to be specified in your lease.

My fave grilled cheese I make is shredded extra sharp cheddar with thinly sliced tart apple with like a sourdough or country wheat bread with lots of butter. Shredding the cheese is the secret to making it meltier!

Dang, I hate when I make a joke that's meant to be overtly dumb (and therefore funny), and people only see the dumb part and end up thinking I'm a moron.

(A friend posted a photo on FB of a $2 bill she found cleaning out her dad's stuff, and said "From 1953." Another friend commented, "It's still legal tender." And I commented, "Yeah, and since it's from 1953, it today's dollars, that's like $100!" Legal tender commenter replied, "No, it's still only $2."

I KNOW THAT DAMN IT.)

(I mean, okay, that wasn't the funniest joke EVAR, but come on. These are people who know I'm not stupid.) (And apparently they now know I'm not funny.)

No, that was Legal Tender commenter being tone deaf. You're still good, Steph.

Though you're reminding me of the time that I was misquoted in the paper - I said something had been happening for millennia, the paper said it had been happening for a millennium. People tried to make me feel better by telling me that most people wouldn't know the difference. I remained pissed because I realized that the people who did know the difference would think that I didn't.

So anyway, I get why you're peeved. Again, him, not you.

Two dozen mini pies made. I'm not thrilled with how they came out, but they are made. Found my good torch, a black tablecloth, and double-sided tape. So that's a good start.

Boxes on the front porch shoved against the wall. That's probably all the rain prep I'm actually gonna do.

I should make ganache more often.

Chocolate mini pies?? Or is the ganache for something else? Either way: Yum.

I want to live the kind of life that involves making ganache more often.

S'more pies - graham cracker crust, ganache filling, marshmallows on top. I made 'em in cupcake liners because trying to picture cutting into an actual pie topped with toasted marshmallow made me anxious. The first twelve I moved from the muffin tin into a cupcake carrier, and I couldn't quite manage that without deforming them all at least a little. I'm leaving the second doze in the covered muffin tin. My co-workers can try to get them out themselves.

Making ganache in the microwave works really well and is so very easy, I feel like I am failing to live up to my potential by not having ganache available all the time. Although if I did have ganaches available all teh time I would inevitably end up just eating it with a spoon, so maybe it's better if I don't go down that road.