Welcome to the first Thursday Rundown of 2023. I actually have quite a few topics to choose from so I will make sure to select the five most insignificant, food-related ones I have at my disposal. Let’s go…

Arcade Prize Modernization – Last week we went to one of our favorite pizza parlors for dinner. One of the reasons why it is at top of our list is because it has an arcade for the kids. During our latest visit, we noticed the prize redemption area was gone and it was replaced by a prize kiosk. That’s right, no longer do you trade in your tickets to an actual person who rewards you with a prize from beneath a glass counter. You now engage with a machine. Upon feeding the kiosk your card with “tickets” loaded on it, you open up the machine’s door. From there, prizes are lined up according to the amount of tickets you won. Crazy, right?

And to think that I thought it was cool back in the day when you placed your tickets in a basket and it would automatically count how many you had. This prize kiosk is at Market Street Pizza.

Fruity Pebbles Oatmeal – As a little boy, I loved oatmeal. In fact, there is a story about a 3-year-old Brent waking his dad up at 5 a.m. demanding oatmeal. That was bad enough, but I happened to pull this stunt when we were at Seaside, Oregon, on vacation and there was no oatmeal in sight. I think my dad had to take me to a restaurant to satisfy my craving. I say all of that so you can understand why I recently bought Fruity Pebbles oatmeal at a very discounted price. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. The Fruity Pebbles were stale (hence why they were probably discounted) and even if they were fresh I don’t think they would have meshed well with the oatmeal.

Fruity Pebbles Oatmeal was disgusting.

Another Perfect Ornament – During my final Thursday Rundown of 2022, I shared a special ornament that we added to our tree. I have one final sentimental tree decoration to show off. Beau brought this home from daycare. It contains a ribbon inside that is Beau’s current height. Will we take it out at least once during all future Christmas seasons? I think so!

This ornament will be treasured for years to come.

Barnes & Noble Mystery Books – No, I am not talking about the mystery genre of books. Rather, I am talking about a gimmick I noticed that Barnes & Noble was offering during the holiday shopping season. The idea is that you purchase a wrapped book with only the genre revealed. The title and author are only brought to light after you purchase the book and tear open the wrapping paper. I don’t mind the idea, but the sticker price of $16.99 was a little too much of a gamble for me, especially if I was gifting it to someone. If I want the thrill of reading a random book, I will just go to the library, shut my eyes, and grab something from the shelf.

Not a gamble I am willing to take.

Sriracha Game – I like Sriracha. In fact, I like it enough to possibly wear a Sriracha t-shirt. But a Sriracha card game? That might be pushing it. Board and card games have made an incredible resurgence to the point that it is starting to get a little out of control. Every brand seems to have a game these days and I have extremely little interest in playing any of them.

I will pass on the Sriracha game.

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That will shut the door on tonight’s Thursday Rundown. I hope 2023 is off to a wonderful start for you and your family. Be sure to enjoy the first Friday of the year tomorrow. Don’t Blink.