I am getting quite a few lovely message from people in response to an announcement that I quit my admin job. It is supernice to get them.

I really appreciate the school cafeteria's attempts at expanding the vegetarian options on the menu. As soon as a new carrot loaf appears, I try it out. Cabbage loaf, lentil loaf, rice-and-egg loaf, I'm all over it. Cheese and potato crepes--bring 'em on. I even occasionally re-order these items, if the spinach crepes or zucchini pancakes with tzatziki sauce are sold out. But today they served up something I won't order again, despite my generally uncritical approach to foodstuffs*, and I suspect You will agree that it was not the cook's most insightful moment: cabbage rolls stuffed with pearl barley and mushrooms (so far it sounds quite reasonable, no? even, potentially, gustatorily interesting?) in a cheesy cream sauce.

What?

I am worried. It is possible that whoever thought of combining boiled cabbage with a heavy creamy-sort-of-cheese sauce had just had a stroke. To the kitchen, medics!

* when it comes to taste. Not, some of You will quickly point out, when it comes to ingredients. I do favour high-protein meat-free products, preferably accompanied by complex carbohydrates, no sugar, a spatter of caffeine.....

Man. Of the several term papers I have received from students this week:

1. Three were very good.
2. One was mediocre, but appropriate.
3. One had no reference list at all.
4. One had a reference list but no indication that most of the text was copied verbatim from the sources on that list.
5. One listed 3 textbooks as references, despite instructions stating "Do not use textbooks as references."
6. One had most of the references mostly right.
7. One had more footnotes than references.