It never fails. The kids grow up and move away to college, and then when they come home to visit they are dismayed to find that their old room is now the laundry room, or the craft room, or maybe a gym.

Or you go away on a deployment or other business trip for an extended period of time, and come back to find that your office was not, in fact, kept in a pristine condition while you were gone, but instead got used to store old newspapers and oily rags or something, or the boss’s insect collection, or it’s just where they decided to keep all the mice.

I was somewhat lucky while I was gone, since my military office was maintained by our rear-detachment troops and was still used for its intended purpose, just with fewer people.

My civilian job office, though, had a thorough going-through and they determined that my mini-fridge was not allowed (“fire hazard”, they said).

Now I have to keep my stuff in the common break room fridge, who no one cleans and anyone can “borrow” an item to round out their lunch.

It may be time to invest in some Carolina Reaper peppers.