A local geek-run coffee shop just texted me a special deal on their Iced Red Wedding Latte and it just sounds so oddly unique that I feel the need to try it.

Not that I actually expect to score any, but I have officially registered through Ticketmaster for the chance to get in an early queue to buy tickets to Olivia Rodrigo’s concert at United Center in Chicago next March 19.

I found a new hot snack at Aldi today. They’re called Kronchis and the packaging promises “Spicy • Limey • Crunchy • Corn Snack.”

A major brouhaha is erupting out of this situation in which actors Ashton Kutcher and Mika Kunis, along with Debra Jo Rupp and Kurtwood Smith, wrote character letters in support of former costar Danny Masterson during the sentencing phase of his multiple rape conviction trial.

I was talking to my buddy today about weird U.S. state facts. Mostly like about how each state has its own official weird this or that. Illinois' state exercise is cycling. Arizona's official neckwear is a bolo tie. That sort of oddball crap.

Aw man! I completely forgot that I pre-ordered a book from one of my favorite authors Clay McLeod Chapman. Until, that is, it arrived today at my doorstop from Amazon. 

Well this is a new one…

And the Chicago Bears start their season with a 20-38 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Nathan tried out that Simpsons filter in TikTok after he saw mine.

HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT!

Sorry. Please allow me a moment to compose myself.

Nathan wants to start a sweat jar for me. Yeah, I swear. I know it.

Kids, this is why AI cannot be trusted. Check out how they think I’d look as a Simpsons character…

My fantasy football league at work held their draft tonight. It’s yet another year of me proving I have no idea what I’m doing.

And just like that… three months have passed, summer is (almost) over, and our community pool is closed.

It doesn’t happen often, but once in a while, I find myself with the time and creativity to put a little extra effort into my toy photography.

I hate when I find things the origin of which I know not.

A busy and fast-paced month, indeed. But a productive one. Let’s review.

I didn’t commit to as many books in August as I normally would or that I would need to read to make my annual goal (five per month) if not for the fact that I was already way ahead. 

That blue moon tonight was pretty spectacular. Not particularly huge but bright as all get out.

It’s amazing to think that for a good few years, I was going nuts about purchasing tapes. Now? Not so much.

As I posted on Saturday, Nathan and I went out to Spirit Halloween and American Science & Surplus checking out Halloween costumes and decorations and the like. He's been struggling trying to figure out what to dress as this Halloween so I thought we could take a look at what was available.

Today, we took advantage of the $4 tickets being offered for National Cinema Day and went to see Jurassic Park on the big screen in THREE DIMENSIONS!!!!

Nothing good can come of Nathan and I being set free in Spirit Halloween and American Science & Surplus.

Another free trial we received with the purchase of our Rogue is three months of Sirius/XM satellite radio. We've gotten this with each of our Hyundai Sonatas as well and we use it. It's actually kinda nice to have a reliable radio-esque signal no matter where we are in our car. 

With the purchase of our Rogue, we also received a free trial of a mobile hotspot in our car via AT&T. And, man, does AT&T wanna sell me on it. I get emails every few days reminding me to activate the trial.

Katie and I started back at the gym yesterday. We both had some time to burn in the morning so we spent it burning our muscles.

I'm not sure if you know, but Katie and I have named every car we've ever owned. This act even predates us as a couple. Katie has had The Smurfmobile (a really old blue Dodge Colt that Katie had as a teenager), the Silver Bullet (a silver Dodge Stratus), and Finn (a white Hyundai Sonata, named for Finn from Star Wars: The Force Awakens and his Stormtrooper uniform). I have had Red Ranger (a red Ford Ranger) alternately named Aragorn after the character in The Lord of the Rings who was a ranger as well as Grayson (my gray Hyundai Sonata).

The quarterly coffee exchange is in full swing for me at work and my gift of coffee beans arrived today from my buddy Dolan.

When I logged in to Typepad tonight to check on some posts and I saw a weird spike in my daily page view stats…

As I said before, we knew what we wanted in a new car. Make, model, package, year, even the color. We knew the VIN, for god’s sake. We also knew what we wanted to spend each month on financing.

I got Grayson from the shop after work today and went straight from there to a used car buyback place that shall remain nameless. I wanted to see their offer.

My Hyundai Sonata is on its last legs.

I remember writing something similar 12 years ago when my beloved red Ranger was rendered effectively dead and we sold it to buy Grayson, my Sonata. 

This past weekend, my mom brought me my old Fisher Price Little People castle. At least I think it was my old one from when my brother and I grew up. Actually, on second thought, I think my mom re-purchased some Fisher Price swag when our kids were born so they'd have some fun stuff to play with at hers and my dad's house. 

Nathan starts fifth grade tomorrow.

Fifth. Grade.

Where the hell did the last 11 years go??