Musing, blogging, reflecting, affirming, complaining, documenting
There’s a store called Treasure Hunt Bin Megastore that buys “truckloads of overstock & returns from big box retailers such as Amazon, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s & Costco.” All items are put out in bins and sold for a set price, which changes each day: We decided to check out the place today, which … Read more
This taste test was run by the Sensory Service Center (SSC) at N.C. State University, on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, was a “home usage test,” and I was paid with a $20 Amazon gift card. This is the first SSC taste test I’ve participated in that’s been a “take home test.” I loved doing it … Read more
I used to attend the opera with my friend Mary Rossini, which started off when she wanted a date but was hard-pressed to find any straight men who enjoyed the opera. Before we went, I usually created a mind map of the synopsis, which we liked to hold in our laps and do “air checks” … Read more
The biggest difference between a taste test and a focus group is that for taste tests, you’re typically doing it alone, just tasting a product (or products) and answering a bunch of (usually multiple choice) questions about the product(s), and it’s a 20- to 30-minute commitment. For focus groups, you are with a group of … Read more
This focus group was run by the Sensory Service Center at N.C. State University, on Saturday, March 25, 2023 from 1:30 – 4 p.m., and I was paid with a $75 Amazon gift card. Pre-meeting We were instructed to take a picture of any mozzarella cheese that was currently in our refrigerator, for which I … Read more
This focus group was run by L&E Opinions, ran on Thursday, March 16, 2023 from 9 – 11 a.m., at The Casso hotel, and I was paid with a $150 Amazon gift card. I’m in the L&E Opinion’s database as an interested focus group participant, and I’ve participated in many of their taste tests and … Read more
The invitation on March 6, 2023 The NCSU Sensory Service Center has a new INDOOR* taste test opportunity. This test will occur on Thursday, March 9th from 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM inside of Schaub Hall on the NC State main campus. The test will take about 30 minutes to complete. If you qualify and … Read more
A work colleague of mine started a spreadsheet in which any of our (~60) team members can tell us about their pets. With 28 people sharing so far, it’s 6 pages long and contains 68 pets, which averages out to about 2.42857 pets per person. Although Bob and I are currently without pets, my heart … Read more
Where does the time go? According to the Steve Miller Band, “Time keeps on slippin’ slippin’ slippin’… into the future.” I hear parents comment all the time about how fast their kids are growing up. Newsflash: You’re “growing up fast,” too. And all of a sudden, you’re on your way to the senior center for … Read more
I spent a good portion of my day updating Bob’s movies website to add a page for 2022. For every movie he watches, he notes its title, year released, the day he watched it, the provider he watched it on, a 10-word summary and a 6-word review of it, a rating, and usually a note … Read more