Why I Oughta...

Woot, woot.  Spring has sprung in our New Old Backyard/Garden .  Or at least...signs of Spring have sprung.  Last fall, I planted 30 bulbs near the fence line on the southside of our property .  15 Yellow Triumph Tulips.  And 15 Orange Darwin Hybrid Tulips.  And on a recent walk around the yard, we discovered these tips emerging from the soil.  Above, you can see a close up a two of them.  And down below, you can see many more of them.   I didn't count them, but it didn't seem like 30 bulbs had broken through.  What is interesting to me is that the tips are coming up red.  They almost appear like peony shoots , don't they?  I've documented tulips (and other bulbs) emerging from the ground for the past few Springs.  Here's a look at them from 2017 that I posted in late February .  These mature bulbs are way further past the new ones in this post.  And here's the photo from 2016 .  Both of those were at Equation Boy/Man's house.  And speaking of

Back in the fall, I posted a very similar photo of a Benet Academy ticket stub .  That one was for a fall football game that we went to as a family.  Both to watch the game, but also because one of the girls was dancing at halftime with the Avions (the dance group). The ticket you see above is from a recent basketball game that we attended to cheer on the Redwings .  And, once again, watch one of the girls dance at halftime with the Avions.  We had a lot of fun, despite it being a not-so-spectacular game.  First, Benet couldn't buy a bucket.  And neither could the other team.  I think the score at half was like 12 to 15 or something.  Also, it was a make-up game.  The game was originally scheduled to be in January, but because of a heavy snow storm on a Friday, they cancelled the game.  Because of that, the crowd turnout was pretty paltry.   I think there might have been something else going on at the school, so that might explain the not-so-great student turnout.  Also, I

If you've followed along, you know that I adore Ted's Montana Grill .  But now, with this coaster featuring an anonymous quote, I've now enshrined Ted's with three coasters in the [ Coaster Collection ] here on the blog.  I picked this photo up on a recent visit to the Bolingbrook Ted's.  The first Ted's coaster was this one (the second ever in the collection) from March of 2015.  The second Ted's one was from December of 2015 featuring a John Wayne quote .  With three, Ted's comes in a strong second place - only behind Disney World - which has seven coasters in the collection. 

This happened a while back, but I just came across it again in Google Photos.  It is Businessolver - a benefits administration company based in West Des Moines, Iowa - showing up on a Times Square billboard.  Since it is Thursday, let's call this #TBT (but it is really more like a #latergram if it is anything...)  They're an Edelman client (I've tagged this post #client for full disclosure.) and we did this in the early winter.  Posting this here in my online diary to remember that time we were involved in a Times Square billboard.  (Hey kids reading this from the future if this post is still up:  these were a *thing* that brands used to do.)

Earlier this Winter, the girls and I sent along a SASE and our little donation to the Save our Monarchs Foundation and a few weeks later, we received two packets of the seeds you see above.  We're going to give Milkweed a shot this Spring.  This isn't the first time I've posted about Milkweed seeds here on the blog.  Back two years ago, we scored some Milkweed seeds at a parade that I posted here .   By now, you know that the Monarch Butterfly population is in severe decline and milkweed seeds are one of the keys to their survival.  Planting Milkweed is something that we - as a family - can do to help the Monarchs.  Once the weather warms up, I'll work with the girls to find a sunny spot and plant the seeds and watch them (hopefully) sprout in the early Summer.  

Here comes #24 in the [ Coaster Collection ] here on the blog.  This one from Pint Brothers Alehouse, located inside the Marriott Denver Tech Center.  The last one I added was the Arlo Hotel in NYC and the full collection is here .   There's a trend here:  the most recent coasters are all from hotel stays.  This isn't a hotel exactly, but is a restaurant *inside* of a hotel.  Full coaster collection here .  And the first coaster ever posted - which wasn't part of a collection per se, is this Illini/Coors Light coaster that featured the 'new' Illini branding with the curved angles on the inside of the Block I.  For the record, the "collection" is just a digital artifact here on the blog.  I don't actually *have* the coasters.  I horde too much stuff to start to pick up coasters and bring them home. 

I walked outside my hotel in San Francisco recently and spotted this potted plant in the vestibule.  And a lightbulb went on inside my head:  we have this same plant up in our bathroom.  And unlike many of its brethren, it is not just surviving the winter being inside, but it is thriving.  Here's our version: Those tallest shoots?  They're brand new growth.  And there's more emerging from the soil.  I asked Nat if she knew what it was and she did.  It is a ZZ plant.  And turns out, it is quite a houseplant.  From Gardening Know How, they lead with this : If ever there was the perfect plant for the ultimate brown thumb, the easy ZZ plant is it. This virtually indestructible houseplant can take months and months of neglect and low light and still look amazing. Sounds perfect for us.  It is not in a window, nor does it get any southern exposure/light.  At work, we give potted bamboo to new employees, but now I'm wondering if we should be swapping out to t