Reba & Pancho's

I have to make plug for a local restaurant that is simply awesome! In Lewisburg, PA there is a small restaurant called Reba & Pancho's. I have eaten supper there twice (2 anniversaries) and the food is great. Somehow, they get avocados that are always perfectly ripe. There is a salad that has a dressing made primarily from avocado that is amazing. We went there for lunch today, and there is nothing that you could complain about. Everything just tastes good. My wife had the avocado sandwich, which was awesome. I had gnocchi, which was awesome. We all shared fries (even they were awesome).

So, if you are ever in Lewisburg, PA, be sure to eat at Reba & Pancho's.

On another note, GO RED WINGS! Game two against the Av's today and I'm making chili.

Staples customer service

I had hoped it was a one-time deal. The first time I shopped at my local Staples, I asked a question. Apparently, that was a major mistake. I wanted a router that would work with my DSL modem. As this was my first time with DSL, I wanted to make sure that what I bought would work. So, I asked somebody at the store. That was a big mistake. Rather than a "Yes, sir. That router will work fine with you DSL modem and Windows 98 machine," (for a fan of technology, I just can't afford to keep up) I got one the most snarky responses I've heard in public that was more berrating than helpful.

Fast forward about two years. I'm looking for a snazzy green laser pointer to use in a classroom activity (green because it's cooler than red). After the second person I ask actually shows me that there is only a picture of what they have available instead of the actual products, I go back to ask if any one of them is a green laser. There is no real product information, just a description of the cases. Here is the response I got this time (mostly verbatim): "I don't product test every item in the store!"

Maybe my questions aren't stupid enough and the salespeople are confused and feel the need to resort to general snarkiness. That is the problem with living in a small town. I just don't have many options when it comes to choosing where I shop. I like to touch and feel the products and am leery to buy technology online.

Open warning to Staples: This is strike two.

At least my clover is growing!

Baby!

Baby #2 arrived Tuesday night. He was 7 pounds, 11 ounces and 20 inches long. Anyone who sees him says he looks just like me. Apparently I look like a squishy-faced little old man. Who knew? Since then I think I've gotten about 8 hours of sleep, total, but he's worth it. I'm not sure how I'll do when I return to school on Wednesday. Running on no sleep is one thing at home, another thing at work. I'll cope.

Playoff hockey is here and I'm liking the 2 game lead Detroit has in its series. I do wish there were more hockey coverage on TV. A few years ago there were a lot more games on. Now we're lucky to have one national game a week. I'd say I'm excited about the NFL draft, but honestly, it's not exciting. The beginning of the season is exciting. Seeing people play is exciting. But actually televising the draft? We need more hockey on TV.

Contractions!

Well, the contractions started on Friday. There were no contractions with baby #1, so this is new territory. I've had my stopwatch out and ready for each announcement of a new contraction (longest time gap so far is 13 hours). Since the last baby was induced, we missed out on the drive to the hospital and all that hullabaloo. Hopefully it will be different this time. I think everything is ready, and I don't want to hear any complaints from my students about having to watch The Elegant Universe. I figure that is more enjoyable than endless worksheets for five days.

Speaking of the students, testing is over! That was a rough week and I didn't even have to take any tests. Now I try not to think about them until the results come out in August. My focus now is reminding the kids that the school year doesn't end until June. At least I have 8th grade and I can say that I am getting them ready for next year.

Word to the wise: Do not take money out of retirement to buy a house. No matter how much people say it makes sense. Tax bracket bump-ups, penalties, and a decrease in deductions make for an unhappy April.