Once Again, I Can Sit At The Elitist Kids’ Table

Dear Mensa,

I renewed my membership today with the anticipation that you will offer me many entertaining NYC-based events and fun, non-threatening opportunities to meet interesting, non-stalker people under the age of 65.  I have no real reason to expect this, given my first encounters with your organization years ago, but I’m a lot more desperate to make new friends this time.  Also, your newsletter appears to be less racist, so I am hoping this reflects some kind of change for the better.

Thank you,

Sara

A Very Merry Un-Unbirthday To Meeeee

I haven’t had a proper birthday party in years–I think the last “real” party I had was the one in first or second grade where my classmates came over for the afternoon and we made t-shirts and ate cake and took pictures of ourselves sitting in the aluminum canoe, which was somehow beached in the backyard instead of being near the pond.  But because birthdays are a terrific excuse to eat rich and unhealthy food, and eating is my number-one hobby, last night I made nearly five dozen chocolate cupcakes to share with my coworkers.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, And Thyme. And Garam Masala. And Zatar. And…

I have a problem. I have a lot of spices. Over time, and thanks to my very, very diverse cooking experiments, I have acquired about 75+ different spice products (not counting the salt, honey, and pepper collections), and I purchase an average of one new spice per week. Right now, the various bottles, jars, bags, and cartons live in a large cardboard box, but it’s a terrifically cumbersome and unattractive arrangement. If you have discovered an inventive and serviceable way to store your own spice collection, please share the wisdom. Those little tin containers with magnets on the bottom sure are cute, but I don’t think I have enough real estate on my refrigerator for all those adorable little cans.