Well, at least they warn you
On the day of my department orientation, one of the lecturers told us that we would pretty much be taken out back and shot if our cell phones ever, ever ring in class or anywhere else in the department. At the very least, we will be verbally attacked and publicly humiliated in front of all of our peers.
Now, this is a system I can agree with. After the horrific experience during Camelot at the Shakespearean Festival this summer, I'm through with mercy. And, of course, some girl's cell phone went off right after the lecturer finished saying that, but the lecturer cut her a break since it was orientation. I was disappointed, though. I had my torch out and everything.
My point is that so far the Brits seem very good about warning people regarding the painful and bloody consequences of their choices. I just didn't realize that this extended so far as to apply to expiration dates on food. Turns out, it does.
Last week I bought 1.38 Liters of milk. And no, I have no idea why it's that size, so don't ask. I used it every morning on my cereal (including yesterday) and things were going great. The "use by" date on the label was October 7th. This morning, it being October 8th, I thought, "Hey, I'd better finish up that milk today, since it's going to go bad soon." I went downstairs, got myself a bowl of Sultana Bran Flakes, and proceeded to pour what could only be called yogurt all over them. Seems they're not kidding when they slap those labels on there. You have until the stroke of midnight, and then BAM! My landlady did say that it's unusual for my milk to have gone bad quickly, and that usually you have a bit more leeway.
Only I'm not going to wait around for THAT to happen again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go put my bread in the freezer.
I'm Steph, a librarian and mom of 3 (not sure how that happened). Let's chat books, food, Sumptuous Literary Adaptations, poop, knitting and maybe some crazy Mormon Feminism.
12 comments:
I gave my students the same lecture about cellphones. A few of them have rung during class, but never the same one twice. I figure, one time: you forgot, two times: you get shot.
As for the milk...ewwwww! I am so sensitive to sour milk. I'm forever sniffing and then going, "Does this smell bad to you?" Ugh.
Eww, so sorry. I did that once with milk in the fridge at work. And TexTot just found a sippy with milk in it in the dishwasher that was probably a day old. I'm keeping an eye on her.
I actually just wrote a whole post about milk, but I'm waiting to post it since few people have seen or commented on my last post, and I want to feel popular before posting again. So: COMING SOON: CICADA'S TAKE ON MILK.
See?!?!? This is why milk is jsut GROSS and ought to be avoided. Speaking of gross milk stories, did you hear there are scary, scary women selling their BREASTMILK on EBay? They flashfreeze it and sell it and ship it off. Modern-day wet-nursing. Ewwwwww!
Yogurt is really good on granola. Maybe you could try that with your old milk.
Waste not, want not!
FYI
1.38 liters is also the exact capacity of the main container body of the Rice Cooking Pot, U.S. patent number 5277326.
The correlation is pretty clear.
For more info, click here.
I make my students take "The Cell Phone Promise." I see it once and confiscate it until the end of the period...at which time they come put up their right hand and say, "I swear that I won't use my cell phone in class unless I have Miss Harris' permission." Time 2...if there is a time 2 (so far nobody has had one...which is just proof of how powerful the promise is) they get to get it back from the principal...and a phone call home. Oh how I love cell phones.
p.s. disgusting about your milk
You know, I would really be keeping my bread in the freezer in England, anyway. When I studied there a few years ago, I had a hard time keeping my bread from going moldy. Seems that when people like the Brits are so keen to be organic, they sacrifice preservatives (and shelf-life). What crazy Euro-hippies (and I'm kidding. Don't shoot).
Nice on the cell phones. I think we should implement that policy here, as well.
And I think it should *definitely* apply in computer labs and libraries and stuff. Because I swear, if I have to listen to one more loud-mouthed cretin discussing dating relationships or food prices or whatever the trash it is that is so all-fired important that they have to interrupt my precious, precious time at the computer where I am desperately trying to figure out why it is that header 5 comes before header 1, which is sometimes followed by header 3 but sometimes not, and whether I can't understand what the paper says because it's technical jargon or because it's not actually an English construction, someone is going to be forcefed a cell phone.
Brozy, I love you. :)
Nemesis, sorry to hear about the milk situation, gross! Do you get those funny-shaped milk containers? The ones that are all flat on the sides?? Strange, huh?
About the cell-phone policy, one of my favorite Ballroom Dance teachers had my favorite policy about it. If your cellphone goes off in class, you owe the teacher cookies. Slightly undercooked, extra salt. I LOVED that policy and think it should be cookies for the whole class. But then, enforcing it could be a problem....
Hass, you go right ahead and shoot those kids. No one will judge you.
Texmom, you are awesome. I love that your baby is drinking curdled milk. :-)
Cicada and Amyjane, you guys have problems. You have my pity.
Daltongirl--Eeeeew.
Dp--Thanks for that. Now I want some rice, dangit.
Camie--GOOD. You're making the world a better place.
Le--I hear you on the organic thing. It's kind of cool to have the option, but yes, I will be doing the freezing. Where did you study?
Brozy--You have my permission to shoot those people, too. Rules is rules. And good luck with the formatting, dearest!
Jessica--Yep, flat sides and everything. And I probably would like kind of silly, handing out cookie-making instructions in the library. But mmmm . . . cookies . . .
I studied at University of London, in (where else?) London! I know you are far from the city, but it is a cool place to be. Never a dull moment.
I am truly jealous of you to be there whilst I while away my time in boring Oregon (not Boring, Oregon, just that Oregon is boring, compared to England).
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