Hot chocolate bombs | Don't Blink

It is the last Thursday Rundown of November! Next Thursday is Thanksgiving so please forgive me as I watch football and eat pumpkin pie instead of tapping away on these keys. If it is any consolation, I will try and make this rundown good enough to hold you off until the next one publishes in two weeks…

Turkey Bingo – One of the most entertaining Catholic staples is turkey bingo. As I have written about before, many parishes will host November bingo gatherings with turkeys up for grabs. Our version at St. Mary (hosted by my Knight’s Of Columbus council) was held this past Sunday. Even though we didn’t win, we had a great time with friends. We will try to avenge our defeat this weekend when we attend the turkey bingo event at my parents’ parish 😂.

Our crew playing Turkey Bingo at St. Mary in the Spokane Valley.

It’s Peecan Pie, Not Pecaaan Pie – As we approach pie season, just a friendly reminder on how to correctly pronounce “pecan.” To use phonics that I think describe it better than the photo below, it is PEE-CAN, not PEE-CON. Of course, I write this in jest. I hope readers pronounce words the way they prefer. However, “pecan” is a funny story because I changed the way I pronounce it based on the relationship with my wife. She explained that “pecan” should be pronounced the way it sounds and not the western way I had employed for 25 years. I agreed with her 😉.

I took a screenshot of this the moment I saw it on social media.

Hot Chocolate Bombs – On this date four years ago, I tried a hot chocolate bomb for the first time. Although they were a TikTok fad and I had a fun time “activating” the “bomb,” the taste was disappointing. Even though I like hot chocolate that isn’t overly chocolately, the bomb produced a cup of cocoa that lacked in flavor. After I let the disappointment run its course, I wrote a detailed blog post nine days later about my experience.

The hot chocolate bombs I bought in 2020 at the Garland Mercantile.

Tropicana Bottle Change – There is a viral uproar over Tropicana changing the design of its orange juice bottle. The brand switched out its carafe distinctive bottle shape and crown bottle cap with something much more generic. Feedback from fans of the old bottle is that the carafe design seemed to convey the notion of fresh squeezed orange juice a sense of uniqueness. Tropicana responded by saying the new design is more eco-friendly and that it is easier to pour. Okay, I thought, both sides have good points. But then I learned something that tilted my support to the everyday fan: the new bottle contains less juice (four ounces) than the old bottle. Nothing gets me angrier than shrinkflation disguised as a re-design!

The old Tropicana bottle (left) vs. the new Tropicana bottle (right).

Hot Frosty – Netflix has gone all-in on Christmas movies while shamelessly duplicating Hallmark’s sappy formula. It’s recent foray into the holiday space is “Hot Frosty,” a film that reached #1 on Netflix’s top movies. A brief synopsis? A snowman comes to life and becomes the love interest of a young widow. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy watching a super corny Christmas movie with my wife, but “Hot Frosty” was just too unrealistic, elementary, and cringy for me.