"Before Katrina, Modine Gunch was Everywoman who fought with pantyhose until they went out of style, shoved dirty dishes into the oven when her mother-in-law was coming up the walk, shudderingly oversaw school science projects involving roaches, and insisted that a dish that didn't survive the dishwasher didn't deserve to live. Her family's adventures have tickled the funnybones of New Orleans Magazine readers for 25 years and have appeared in two books: Never heave your bosom in a front-hook bra and Never sleep with a fat man in July. But in 2005, home was where the levees broke. The Gunch family's houses, strung comfortably close together along one block, were among those washed away. So the Gunches found out that they were double-wide and their FEMA trailers weren't; 'Don't come knockin' if this trailer's rockin' meant somebody was stretched out in the vibrating recliner; and the talent God gave Modine was for cleaning out putrid refrigerators. But five years later, the Gunches are still standing--when they're not second-lining"--Publisher description.

Modine Gunch is Everywoman who thanks God for indoor plumbing because the bathroom is the only place to get away from the kids and who is tempted to clean the kitchen floor with a garden hose. The "Modine Gunch" column appears monthly in New Orleans Magazine. Over 30 illustrations.

Humorous essays discuss carsickness, bad hair days, high heels, Halloween, Thanksgiving, directions, Christmas, shaving, Mardi Gras, and spring

This is a power house of a story equally packed with action and emotion. Often people's lives reflect the weather, such as hurricanes, and As The Tortilla Burns is such a story. It isn't all sweet and harmonious like invented stories, but tastes of disappointment, obstacles and bewilderment, of madness and dreams like the lives of real people who no longer lie to themselves, learning invaluable lessons about life. With blessings, angels, empathy and compassion she finds herself on a journey to the depths of her soul and with the will and courage to survive, she leaves behind everything she once held dear in a harrowing true story of discovery and transformation.

At 5:02 A.M. on August 29, 2005, Power Went Out in the Superdome. Not long after, wind ripped giant white rubber sheets off the roof and sent huge shards of debris flying toward Uptown. Rivulets of rainwater began finding their way down through the ceiling, dripping and pouring into the stands, the mezzanine, and the football field. Without ventilation, the air began to get gamy with the smell of sweat and garbage. The bathrooms stopped working. Many people slept; others waited, mostly in silence.

From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together

Explore the secret world of Haitian zombies, voodoo, folklore and magic.