MargeGunderson

Me too. I prefer having a stable bill rather than a few months of a very large bill. I was so happy to be able to use the "budget plan" as our gas company calls it, after several years of unpredictable (and high) oil bills.

I'd be surprised if many did. One of the drawbacks to opting out is that the university can't acknowledge that you are a student there, so if a prospective employer called to verify that you graduated, the Registar can't confirm your attendance. You as the student would have to give the Registrar permission to release that information to a specific individual or organization. So, unless you really need to opt out (think presidential children, for example) it's more hassle than it's worth.

Yes, it is. Under FERPA (federal law on student privacy) students can opt-out of inclusion in directories, yearbooks, etc. "Celebrity" students often do this. That doesn't mean the student doesn't have a school email address; just that isn't included in any directory. (I worked with student records at a couple of universities.)

It's starting to feel like fall, so I made one of my favorite pasta dishes. It is crumbled sweet Italian sausage, portobello mushrooms and rigatoni in a pumpkin sage sauce. I had some asparagus in the fridge so I tossed that in too. I can't wait until it cools down and I can make all of my fall favorites.

It's a beast, true. Sometimes the counter space problem is all about how it is arranged. I had an apartment that technically had a fair amount of counter space but it was so chopped up that it was basically useless.

Oh, it is ON now! We'll see who's talking trash on October 3rd.

Iowa is honoring him at their game on Saturday by putting #9 decals on their helmets. Nice to see so many Big10 fans/rivals. I will root against you all when playing the Hawkeyes, but come bowl season and its Big10 all the way (even Ohio State).

I'm a Patriots fan (20 years) and I'm sick of it too. Between this and no more Vince Wilfork I have mixed feelings about the season.

And now I wish I had Chex mix.....

No personal experience with a roaster oven, but what about a deluxe toaster oven? I got a Breville Smart Oven Pro that I use all of the time to bake. It was expensive, but totally worth it. Now I can bake french fries when it's 90 degrees outside!

Why did I look? Now I'm sad. Raisins are Satan's candy.

I just finished the book that focused on Clara/Peter and agreed it was boring. I don't like them either. I just started the new book - fingers crossed!

Have you looked at the review on The Sweet Home website? (sorry no link, stupid iPad. It's thesweethome.com) That's the website I go to for reviews these days - they do their own tests and look at reviews on Amazon, Consumer Reports, etc. I refer to that site a lot these days. I bought an LG model earlier this year from Best Buy for around $125 that I'm happy with. I needed a small one due to space constraints but still wanted decent power (1000 watts) and it was the only model that fit the bill. So far so good!

I think the list of things Priscilla isn't aware of is very long, and sad.

I've learned more about drugs here today than at my job, and I work for a biopharmaceutical! I'm intrigued by the Ativan for flying, as I hate flying and am afraid that one day I will be the cause of an emergency landing. I'm on Amitriptyline (Elavil) for migraines and to help with insomnia. I've been on it for several years, and if I miss a dose I can't sleep.

Does anyone have recommendations for good true crime websites? I used to read Crime Library on my lunch hour but since its demise I haven't found a replacement.

I'm re-reading all of Louis Penny's Chief Inspector Gamache books. The series has become one of my favorites. I highly recommend them to mystery lovers.

ALenore, are you willing to share your baguette recipe? That's on my list of things to make the fall, along with kouing aman. I made pasta with red & green peppers, tomatoes, mini meatballs and a cream/Parmesan sauce.

Kanye is a visionary designer! Who else has the foresight to create a clothing line for the inevitable zombie apocalypse?

I second the recommendation of Justified (Amazon Prime). I'll also add Leverage (Netflix) which is highly underrated.

Quof - I'll send cake, no basil necessary. I've got too much already! Alenore - here's the recipe I use: How Sweet It Is' Crockpot Brown Sugar + Roasted Garlic Pulled Pot Roast Sandwiches. It's not very sweet at all. Next time I make it I'm going to cut down a little on the beer (I think it's a tad too juicy as is) and put a bunch of sliced onions in the bottom of the crock. It's delicious on a crusty roll with sharp cheddar and a bit of horseradish. Annzeepark914 - here are the links to the Porchetta Pork Chops and the Spanish Roasted Potato Salad. Both are very good and easy to make. I can't believe I made so much yesterday. Much of it is in the freezer now. Except for the banana cream pie, which will be gone by tomorrow. If it has bananas it's good for breakfast, right?

I have got to find a way to use "mommy's little spite poodle" in conversation. That may be my favorite insult from PTV ever.ETA - dibs on it for my band's name

A lot of cooking today - coffee muffins, banana cream pie, lemon coconut bundt cake, and brown sugar roasted garlic pot roast. Still on the docket: porchetta pork chops, Spanish roasted potatoes and roasted green beans.

I can sympathize! My manager is a delightful combination of bully and incompetent. Her manager lets her get away with it despite complaints and people refusing to work with my manager. I wish I had good advice for you, but I haven't found an effective strategy that works. It has helped my morale to know that other people see her bad behavior too. For a long time I thought I was being too sensitive but then people started to comment on it, and it was a relief that I wasn't crazy. I hope you have colleagues that you can commiserate with. My manager's manager just left, leaving my manager with few (if any) allies. There's a betting pool for how long before she's fired. My money is on December!

I took the vocab quiz (fun!) and thanks to the Duggars the first definition that came to mind for visage was countenance. Duggars - unintentionally improving the vocabulary of others!