OUT OF MEMORY: Refrigerator at 100 percent capacity

fridge: allocation failed for leftovers/lasagna (size: 9x13 in)
fridge: usage 100% (14 containers, 9 unlabeled)
fridge: oldest object: leftovers/??? (age unknown, lid bulging)
fridge: garbage collector has not run in 23 days
FATAL: out of memory. new leftovers rejected.

Impact

Lasagna held on the counter for 40 minutes during triage. Two containers were opened and immediately closed again.

Root cause

Leftovers allocated nightly and never freed. Without labels, nobody could tell which objects were still reachable.

Resolution

Full garbage collection. Nine containers freed. Lasagna admitted.

Action items

• Label every container with what it is and the date. Masking tape and a marker are enough.
• Most cooked leftovers are good for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Freeze whatever you will not eat by then.
• Schedule garbage collection for the night before trash day.

# This is a blameless postmortem. The kitchen is a system. Systems fail. Cooks learn.