Monthly Archives: October 2022

Homemade Pizza

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Last night, we did something for the first time as a family. In fact, it was the first time Sid and I did it in our marriage. Heck, it was the first time we did it in our entire relationship.

We made homemade pizza.

We made these delicious-looking pizzas on Monday night.

For a couple months now, I have had the itch to make pizza. When my sister gave me a pizza stone set for my birthday, it sealed the deal. We were making pie on Monday night!

My sister got me this pizza stone set for my birthday.

I have great memories making pizza as a kid. My mom would let us spread the sauce, sprinkle the cheese, and place the toppings. She would also bust out the muffin pan for a unique pizza experience. If you have never made pizza cupcakes, you are missing out.

So I am glad we finally took advantage of making homemade pizza. Of course the kids were extremely overeager to help. It took patience and acceptance that the kitchen was going to get really messy.

Sid forming the dough in one of the pans we used.

Sloan didn’t do too bad. Beau was pretty tough to handle as he wanted to do everything that his big sister did. But they all played valuable roles when it came to making the pizza.

Sloan working hard to form her pizza dough.

We completely winged it. We had our pizza dough and we experimented from there. My biggest obstacle was getting my dough to expand to fit the pan. I would stretch it out and then it would fall back into a lump. I ended up using a lot of flour.

We made three pizzas and a cheesy bread.

It took more time to cook our pizza than anticipated. We chalk this up to making our crust too thick. Next time we will use less dough for a thinner consistency.

Beau smiling because it is time to eat pizza!

Final verdict? I really enjoyed my thick, doughy pie. Sid and the kids? Not so much. But you better believe we will be transforming our kitchen back into a pizzeria soon. If anyone has pizza baking tips, please share. Don’t Blink.

My Birthday Gifts

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This past weekend, we celebrated my birthday. As in the past, Sidney once again gave me perfect, practical gifts. If you are looking to purchase presents for your significant other for an upcoming special occasion, perhaps you might want to take my wife’s lead with the following two gift ideas…

Lap Desk – Nearly two years ago, Sidney gave me my first lap desk for Christmas. I loved it. I used the thing on a daily basis for journaling, bill paying, card writing, and much more. However, it met its demise earlier this fall when Beau jumped up and down on its surface, cracking the poor thing. It was technically still usable but dodging all the fractures proved difficult. Thanks so Sidney, I now have a new and improved lap desk. The cushion is much comfier and it includes a handle for easy transport. This version also has a mounted clip to secure documents. In the 48 hours I have had my new lap desk in my possession, I have used it multiple times.

This is what my new lap desk looks like.

Reading Light – I like to read in bed and a lot of nights I will go to sleep after Sidney. In order to actually see the words I want to read, I have to either turn on a night light in our room or use my phone’s flashlight to illuminate the pages. This can understandably prove distracting to someone who is trying to sleep. That dilemma ended this weekend as Sid gave me a reading light. The device attaches to the cover of the book and projects enough light on the page for easy readability while preventing any overflow onto the person who is trying to sleep.

A look at my reading light in action.

Simple. Effective. Practical. Thanks again, Sidney, for knowing me so well! Don’t Blink.

Here Is 36

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As I advance in age, I have attempted to soften the blow of each passing year by naming it. For example, last birthday I coined it my “Presidential Year” as I turned 35 and was legally eligible to run for President of the United States. This year, I have gone completely nerdy and themed turning 36 as my “6 (Squared)Year.” Talk about riveting excitement, right?

That’s the thing. It is hard to spin 36 as anything but just a normal year. There is no milestone associated with it nor anything that makes it flashy or sexy. Perhaps the only thing it has going for it is that it is still several years away from 40.

Today I turned 36 and Sid once again made my favorite birthday cake—Candy Bar Cake.

So as I enter into a new year with little fanfare, I still embrace it with a full heart. I feel blessed and I am grateful to God for another year on Earth. Turning 36 isn’t a given, so I am thankful to reach this age, especially with full mental/physical capabilities and no major ailments. A birthday is time to be appreciative of the bigger picture.

And that bigger picture is what I have focused on for my past several birthday posts—sorry if these get really repetitive. But why not? I used to fret about turning a year older but that negative obsession ceased once I entered my thirties. With a loving family of my own, a strong faith, and a satisfying career, you grow to feel content and not worry about an extra candle gracing the cake.

Speaking of cake, I ate some today. I also played flag football, attended the Whitworth football game, and scarfed down pizza. I may have enjoyed a beer, too. Not a bad day, right?

This trip around the sun will kick off with a bang. I have a couple of big opportunities with work and a development or two on the home front. Better hold on tight, 36 is ready to make an impression. Don’t Blink.

Past Birthday Posts
Turning 35
Turning 34
Turning 33
Turning 32
Turning 31
Turning 30

Profanity Thursday Rundown

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Are you still riding the beautiful sunshine into October like we are? Autumn sure is gorgeous in Spokane and we are making sure to appreciate it. Speaking of things to appreciate, here is the latest Thursday Rundown…

F@#$ – The book that made me laugh the most this week was “Daddy Said A Word* I Never Heard.” It chronicles a young girl who observes her dad in various situations reacting with expletives. However, the profanity is expressed with Swedish furniture words. The young girl eventually goes to school and uses some of her father’s colorful language in the classroom. The teacher makes a phone call home and the dad has to re-evaluate what he says in the presence of his daughter. I must say that the book is creative and hilarious, but it also packs an important lesson that all parents should heed.

This book was creative, fun, and packed a relevant message for parents. I recommend “Daddy Said A Word I Never Heard.”

Latest Movies – Sidney and I found time to watch a couple films this week. We started with the much-hyped “Hocus Pocus 2.” Let me put it this way: In a blog post this week, I called the original movie “overrated.” The sequel is half as good as “Hocus Pocus.” Take that as you will. We also watched “Meet Cute,” a time travel movie on Peacock that stars Pete Davidson and Kaley Cuoco. I have been critical of Davidson in the past, but I thought his performance in this film was pretty solid. The movie had an eccentric vibe, which I didn’t mind, but I don’t think it did enough to differentiate itself from the countless other “Groundhog Day”-esque that exist in cinema. I wouldn’t recommend either film.

I wouldn’t recommend “Hocus Pocus 2” or “Meet Cute.”

National Noodle Day – Today we celebrate National Noodle Day, a day I don’t know what we would do without. Yes, I am kidding. But I am not joking about my genuine love for noodles. Whether ramen, pasta, chow mein, or its many other forms, I could easily exist on a noodle-exclusive diet. In honor of today, I share a photo of something that Sid picked up at Fred Meyer back in July 2021. Called Trio Italiano, it was a pasta with three different types of noodles—rotini, penne, and shells. It made for delicious buttered noodles!

This wasn’t your normal package of noodles.

Go Mariners – Big congrats to the Seattle Mariners for overcoming the most depressing streak in major men’s North American spots! A 21-year playoff drought was snapped this past weekend as the M’s clinched a Wild Card spot. Part of me feels overjoyed and another part of me feels really old. I vividly remember the last time Seattle played in the postseason more than two decades ago. Dang, how fast time goes. Even though I am no longer the diehard Mariners fan I was growing up, I wish the ball club the best of luck in the playoffs. I wouldn’t mind a World Series appearance.

Congratulations to the Mariners for ending their playoff drought!

DIVA – Tie-dye pajamas…oversized unicorn…sleep mask…yep, that’s a diva! But we love Sloan for it and this image earns Don’t Blink Picture of the Week.

She takes after her mom.

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Okay, let’s wrap this up. I am looking forward to the best weekend of the year (any guesses why?). Don’t Blink.

Re-Visiting the Bag Ban

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At the start of this month a year ago, the state of Washington imposed a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags. The plastic grocery bags we all grew up with were “sacked” and a new, heavier duty reusable plastic bag was introduced. What’s not to love, right?

Well, the new bags came with a price. If you go to Walmart, Rosauers, Target, or any other retailer, you must pay 8 cents for a bag. If you scoff at forking out some extra coins for what used to be free, you are more than welcome to use your own tote bags or simply carry your items in your hands. In fact, that is what the state wants. In the name of a healthier environment, Washington prefers that you are disgusted about the bag fee and refuse to pay for them.

Almost a year to the date, I wrote a blog post that examined the ban and new bag fee. I wrote this: It will be interesting to see how this ban is embraced statewide. I wonder where our family will stand a year from now. Will we be bringing our own tote bags into Safeway? Or will we be hanging onto the original eight bags we bought at the end of last week?

This photo was taken a year ago when I brought the new 8-cent bags home for the first time.

It turns out that the answer to both those questions I asked in October 2021 is a big, fat NO.

Although Sidney has tote bags, she doesn’t use them anymore. And those eight bags we purchased the initial week of the ban? We used them the first day we brought them home. Whether for diaper disposal, lunch packing, or toy holder, we utilized them in the exact same ways we used their flimsier cousins.

As it turns out, the ban and bag fee did little to change our habits. When we go to the grocery store, we don’t blink at the bag fee. We just use as many bags necessary to corral our groceries and happily pay the designated toll. Besides, the new bags are larger and sturdier than the ones used pre-October 2021 so we rarely use more than six bags when we go grocery shopping. That adds a whopping 56 cents to our bill.

In my opinion, I actually think it is a bargain! As I have already said multiple times, these bags are considerably better than their predecessors. Put me down for TWENTY bags per visit if you want. I assure you, we will gladly use them for other purposes once we unpack our groceries at home.

I would be interested to know about metrics related to the ban. There is no doubt that it has cut down plastic bag consumption to some degree. I know not everyone purchases them like they are going out of style. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the purge isn’t as significant as hoped.

In the end, I like to think the adjustments made last year resulted in a win-win for everyone involved. A step was taken to reduce the use of plastic bags but those who wanted to continue using them were given a superior alternative at a cheap price. Go Washington! Don’t Blink.

Beau Being Beau

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Tomorrow, Beau will turn 2 ⅔ years old. Remember, you use specific ages like this up until they turn 3. As we celebrate this milestone, and so I can remember the cute quirks he had at this age for years to come, I have five quick current Beau-isms to share.

Tonight’s blog post is all about Beau and his eccentricities. This photo was taken this morning as he was enjoying his bowl of Trix.

Shut Eyes and Disappear. These days, if Beau is in trouble (and believe it or not, it happens), he has a predictable response. I will approach him and his little eyes will shut so hard. I am not talking his eyelids gently closing, I mean his eyeball sockets transforming into little slits. For some reason he thinks that “out of sight, out of mind” is going to work on me.

Hot Milk. Have we regressed? Beau’s current favorite drink is “hot milk.” He demands that we heat up his sippy cup of milk in the microwave. The worst part? If it isn’t heated to his desired temperature he will act like an outraged restaurant customer and send it back to the kitchen. He conveys this by throwing his sippy cup at us and yelling “MORE.” We give my mom a hard time that she started this trend by microwaving Beau’s milk when Sid and I were in Hawaii.

Tummy Time. For the past couple weeks, Beau has needed me to fall asleep. There was one evening when he was having a tough time falling asleep. I took him out to the living room, laid my back down on the couch, and let him rest on my chest. This was successful in calming him and now he asks for it nightly by saying “daddy’s tummy.” I will be out of town next week so Sid and I had to put our feet down. Last night we ignored his constant requests he made from his crib for “daddy’s tummy.”

Mr. Roboto. Beau loves robots. Anything on our 12 streaming services that features a robot he will watch. If he sees a robot toy or a depiction of a robot he will immediately gravitate toward it. He will even classify non-robots as robots. I have a Gold’s Gym shirt that features the classic logo of the silhouette bodybuilder holding a weight bar. Whenever I come home from the gym wearing it, he points and says, “ROBOT.” I wish I still had my 2-XL to give him.

He’s a sucker. Beau’s favorite candy is a Dum Dum. He will consume a half dozen in a sitting if we aren’t watching. The most peculiar thing? He doesn’t really suck them. Instead, he gnaws at them which makes fingers on a chalkboard sound more pleasant. Our ears, his teeth.

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Well, if this blog post serves its intended purpose, hopefully Beau can look back on it when he is 16 ⅔ years old with a smile. I just wonder if he will still like Dum Dums? Don’t Blink.

The Most Overrated Parts of October

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October has arrived. Thank goodness, I love this month! Yes, it is my birthday month but there are so many other reasons why I enjoy it. As I am sure you are not surprised, I actually blogged about my fandom of October. However, I don’t think it is all tricks and treats. Here is a list of my five overrated aspects of October…

I love October, but there are a few things about it that I don’t particularly care for.

Pumpkin Spice – I am a big fan of pumpkin pie but the pumpkin spice-flavored explosion over the past several years is out of control. I don’t want a pumpkin latte, pumpkin-scented hand soap, or pumpkin-flavored ice cream. Oh well, I suppose it isn’t something to get too worked up about.

Hocus Pocus – I prefer scary Halloween movies so perhaps that automatically puts me at odds with “Hocus Pocus.” But I just can’t understand the mania for this film. I guess it conveys an authentic Halloween spirit but I don’t think it is worthy of marathons, cult worship, and classroom party viewings. With that said, I did honor my wife’s request to watch “Hocus Pocus 2” with her on Saturday night.

Candy Corn – I scorn candy corn. Not going to apologize for my dislike of a chalky, weird-tasting confection. If I lived in a neighborhood where I hated all my neighbors, I would pass out candy corn on Halloween. Unless we are talking about candy corn-flavored M&M’s, I want nothing to do with the treat.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – No. Just…no. Roasting pumpkin seeds is actually a family tradition that my parents introduced but I could never jump on the bandwagon. I don’t know what I hated most…the smell of the seeds being cooked or their actual taste. I much rather plant the pumpkin seeds from my jack-o-lantern instead of consume them.

Christmas Commercialism – Wait, what? This is an October-themed blog post. Unfortunately, the commercialization of Christmas is now a big deal in October. Before trick-or-treaters even hit the streets, we are inundated with gift catalogues, Costco holiday displays, and even Christmas music in stores. Come on!

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Now that I have released all of my October negativity, I will return to enjoying the month that I love. I hope your October is glorious. Don’t Blink.