How many food choices do students have in school cafeterias these days?

I really don't know because it's been a while since I've eaten in a school cafeteria, but I saw a report recently that said schools offer quite a variety. The report also said officials are trying to find a way to provide healthier choices since much of the food may be prepackaged and chock full of things like fat, salt and sugar.

The idea of so many choices, and many of them apparently unhealthy, prompted some memories about my days in public schools, and the countless meals I had in the cafeteria.

I am kind of an expert on this for two reasons: I love to eat and cook, and my mother was a cook in the school's cafeteria where I chowed down for 12 years.

Here's what happened on a typical day in the cafeteria.

After six months of "semi-retirement," I will be enjoying my first day of full retirement from the News-Post -- except for writing the weekly column -- as you read "Down the River" today!

After 13 years at the N-P, I will no longer be known as a reporter/photographer/advertising rep.

Keep reading before you say, "Yeah, right!"

At the end of last July and the first part of August, after a full week of actual vacation, I semi- retired. That has grown into a joke as the days, weeks and past six months quickly passed.

Back then, my agreement with "Boss Charlie" Boothe was to write the column each week and just the feature stories "I wanted to write." The problem was, I wanted to write all the feature stories I heard about or had folks calling and asking me to write "their" special story. I kept receiving telephone calls from people who would start by saying, "I know you're semi-retired, but would you write one more story?"