dooley had long been self-sufficient , and with the shop essentially on autopilot through mrs. milligan , professor simple was almost always on the road , occasionally doing some free-lance research for a few of his old friends in academia , but more often pursuing rumors of an elusive big foot or mischievous leprechauns or reptilian lake-monsters , and cooking or washing dishes at diners for minimum wage and leftovers in-between his adventures .