3.5 Stars is the Sweet Spot

A couple of months ago, Tara told me about this viral TikTok video where some filmmaker claims the best Chinese food comes from restaurants with average reviews. Apparently, 3.5 stars is the sweet spot. I was skeptical at first. It stands to reason that a restaurant with 5-star reviews would have superior cuisine, right? Bigger … Continue reading 3.5 Stars is the Sweet Spot

Oh, there’s no plate like ham for the holidays.

Just like that, our first Wisconsin Christmas is a wrap! The one thing I wanted more than anything else was a white Christmas. Elliott came barreling in with cold so fierce by Friday morning, there was no way any of that snow already on the ground was melting. The result? That perfectly picturesque Hallmark white … Continue reading Oh, there’s no plate like ham for the holidays.

Anything But Elliott

Have you ever scrolled through your phone and come across a photo you don't remember taking? This happened to me last weekend. Tara and I were kicking back at the Tipsy Cow and I was scrolling through my Immersive Van Gogh exhibit pics when I came across this gem from the night before. We'd been … Continue reading Anything But Elliott

Came for the art, stayed for the acid trip.

When I first learned about the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit a couple of years ago, I was immediately intrigued. It's not that I have any particular affinity for the troubled painter (though I'm pretty sure I had a Starry Night print hanging in my living room in a former life), but I thought the combination … Continue reading Came for the art, stayed for the acid trip.

Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky.

Sometimes, southern Wisconsin really reminds me of the Pacific Northwest. It's been one week since we've had even a glimpse of the sun. That lone jellyfish cloud in a sea of blue sky last Thursday was the last time I spotted any sort of bright glowing orb (Christmas lights and lava lamps notwithstanding). Not only … Continue reading Smoke on the water, a fire in the sky.

Jellyfish Clouds Mean Snow

I was video chatting with my supervisor a few days ago, trying to troubleshoot a blog scheduling error. I'd uploaded a blog to the TobacCo website and scheduled it to post next month, but it went live immediately. Even though, on the website, the post date showed January 11, 2023. Our blog module at work … Continue reading Jellyfish Clouds Mean Snow

Shaped Like a Mitten? Consider Me Smitten!

I was clearing out old LinkedIn messages recently and came across one from a former coworker named Jason. He reached out to me last February because he was considering a cross-country move and knew I embodied that whole "rolling stone gathers no moss" mentality. During the course of our conversation, he asked, Do you have … Continue reading Shaped Like a Mitten? Consider Me Smitten!

Blogging Buddies, Boilers, & Brothers

Say what you will about Janesville — and I've said plenty, mostly unflattering ("Chainsville," anyone?) — this city of 65,000ish half an hour from Fort Atkinson does boast one pretty big draw: cheap gas. We're not talking two or three cents cheaper, either. Gas prices in Janesville are always dramatically lower than anywhere else in … Continue reading Blogging Buddies, Boilers, & Brothers