Hey Napoleon, are there ninjas even in the restroom?

Why do other states have such big budgets to spend on clever advertising? Gosh!

Never question a whim (you take the fun right out of it)

What goes on in the mind of a college student? This is what I often wonder as I ponder the mystery of my own brain on November 1, 1999. What shaped the inner workings of my thoughts to make me think that not going to a free Waterdeep concert with The Normals would be a good idea? These bands' albums have since come to mean so much to me that when I remember my chance to see them live--a chance I probably gave up to do something silly like homework (I was a first-semester freshman)--I can only sigh and shake my head at this, the biggest musical regret of my life. I console myself with the thought that we will all be in Heaven, and that that will be free as well.

First ya make a roux

On Monday night I made gumbo on my own for the first time and decided to give Tony Chachere's Instant Roux a try. There are so many interesting and mysterious mixes in the Lousiana, Mexican and Asian sections of Wal-Mart. I am always tempted by them and simultaneously skeptical and disapproving. A mix can't be as good as the old time-tested methods, can it? I tell myself not to become dependent on them; they're just for this season of life while I work full time. I'm sure if I were married with lots of children I would have much more time for cooking.

But Tony lured me in (look how cute he was), and I followed the recipe on the back of the container. It didn't call for any okra, however, and that is essential to good gumbo. Fortunately this was proportioned just right to add about half a bag of frozen okra. I thought it all turned out rather well. Next time I will probably add more onion and celery. It made a lot--–so much that I had to split it between two pots halfway through. Now we have hot gumbo for lunch instead of cold lunchmeat sandwiches.