I really looked forward my new subscription to a cooking magazine. I may not be a great cook, but I approach cooking with a lot of enthusiasm and welcome new recipes.

A couple of month went by and I still hadn’t received a copy of the magazine, but the mail brought a very official looking letter from the magazine. I wondered if something had happened to the subscription. Yes, the letter was about the subscription – in fact, it was a renewal notice. Now, this renewal notice was sent out before even one copy of the magazine had been received.

I did not greet this renewal notice with a great deal of enthusiasm. I find it very disquieting when publications send renewal notices months in advance, though in this case it was a year in advance.

Yes, it did offer me a sizeable discount if I renewed. However, I called the magazine and cancelled the subscription. It’s difficult enough to keep track of magazine subscriptions that are about to expire. Never mind one a year down the road.

So no new recipes for me.