The river fountains are back for the summer! They made their debut on Memorial Day, and I can't believe it took me this long to make it downtown to see them. As always, they did not disappoint. The first whoosh started across the river and one by one the fountains sprayed their water into the river for their 10 minute show. This is my favorite summertime sight in downtown Dayton.
I don’t follow platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, Snapchat, or YouTube Shorts, so I’m usually out of the loop when it comes to trends and viral content. As the younger generations say, “OK, Boomer.”
Last weekend, after Owen’s birthday party, after the sweet grandchildren had been fed, bathed, and tucked into bed, the parents and grandparents had a chance to relax after the whirlwind of kid commotion. Andrew, Patrick, and Todd each poured a glass of Scotch to toast Owen turning four years old. Jennifer and I opted for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
Then Jen asked Andrew, “Do we have any frozen jalapeños?”
What an odd request.
According to social media, and confirmed by my son and daughter-in-law, Sauvignon Blanc with frozen jalapeño slices is one of this summer’s trendy drinks. Hello, Spicy Sauvy B.
Well, alrighty then. I’m always willing to try something once. I was pleasantly surprised, but I also wanted to know why it worked.
Research time.
One of Sauvignon Blanc’s defining characteristics is its herbaceous flavor profile. Think freshly cut grass, along with notes of green pepper, basil, and tarragon. The frozen jalapeños don’t introduce a completely new flavor profile as much as they enhance the qualities already present in the wine.
The initial peppery aroma was strong and overshadowed the wine’s grapefruity notes. With the first sip, the jalapeño flavor was noticeable but subtle. A few sips later, a slight warmth appeared, and surprisingly, it worked. The longer the jalapeños sat in the wine, the spicier it became, but it never crossed the line into being too hot to enjoy.
Verdict: I’d drink it again, occasionally. One glass was enjoyable, but if I were reaching for a second, I’d go back to Sauvignon Blanc without the jalapeños.
Like the Olympic Games, the World Cup brings people together through a shared global experience that transcends cultural and political boundaries. Captivating billions of viewers worldwide, it extends far beyond sport, serving as a powerful platform for international diplomacy, cultural exchange, and human connection.
The tournament unites the world in countless ways. It fosters national pride, giving millions an opportunity to celebrate and express their identities. Fans wear their jerseys, sing their national anthems, and wave their flags with pride. Just as importantly, the World Cup creates moments of collective experience, whether people are packed into a stadium, gathered around a television, or watching from a town square halfway across the globe.
Football has a unique ability to connect people long before they share a language, culture, or common history. Through a simple game, strangers become supporters, communities come together, and differences give way to a sense of shared humanity.
The World Cup’s greatest contributions are not measured on a scoreboard. They are found in the connections it creates, the common ground it reveals, and the lasting sense of unity it inspires.
When we were in Cleveland last weekend the US Men's Team had its first match against Paraguay. After a long day of birthday party preparation, my sons, dressed in their USA jerseys, headed to a bar to watch the game which ended in a 4-1 victory for the US. The bar was packed cheering for the home team and when my boys returned home, their joy with the victory brought back so many memories of the years we spent on the sidelines and in the stands watching them play soccer.
A little over four years ago, Andrew and Jen shared the exciting news that they were expecting a baby. To announce their pregnancy, they gave me a bottle of wine with a custom label that read, “Pairs well with becoming a Grandma.”
This past weekend, we celebrated Owen’s 4th birthday with a Spider-Man themed party filled with Spidey goodies, superhero fun, and even a special visit from Spider-Man himself. It’s hard to believe how quickly four years have flown by!
I spy with my big brown eyes
A pancake that’s just my size!
Friday night, after the grandkids went to bed, it was time to make the macaroni and cheese for Owen's birthday party on Saturday.
Jennifer had given me two boxes of pasta for the dish. The recipe called for 6 ounces of pasta, and each box contained 16 ounces. That meant I needed to increase the recipe by roughly 2 1/2 times. So I sat at the kitchen counter with the recipe in front of me, using my handy-dandy free Post-it note pad from Wittenberg University to calculate the amounts I would need for one batch of cheese sauce.
I planned to make the pasta and cheese sauce twice because Jen didn't have a pan large enough to cook two boxes of pasta at once or make a single batch of cheese sauce that was five times the original recipe.
As she watched me work through the calculations, finding common denominators and calculating all the totals, she said, "You know, you could take a picture of the recipe and have ChatGPT do the calculating for you."
I smiled.
I'm old school. Doing the math myself reassures me that my brain still works. I'm not a fan of AI. I like to keep things real.
