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Team Gandhi Vs. Team Annie
Posted by: | October 22, 2021
| 2 Comments
| Personal

Some people, including Gandhi, said “Live each day like today is the last”. But, I don’t agree with that. I don’t think that philosophy applies to common folks like us. It applies if you’re trying to cure cancer or compete in the Olympics. They are the people with special missions, and every single day counts for them. But, I’m just a little guy (and I’m proud of it). I live my life as if I will live 120 years. I enjoy my slow and boring life. I like to daydream about my next 10-20 years (Driving Porsche and traveling to the Southern states for good food). I like the fact that I have a lot of unfinished personal projects.

I like to go to bed, thinking about what to eat the next day. My life is fuller because I believe the Sun will come out tomorrow. Yes, like the Broadway musical Annie. Annie presents the philosophy that opposes Gandhi’s teaching head-on. Annie has a valid philosophy that we still quote her to this date.

So, there you have it. Team Gandhi vs. Team Annie. Which team would you join?

Here are key factors to consider.

  • Team Gandhi – You die tonight. Hunger strike. Assassinated.
  • Team Annie – There is tomorrow. Cute dog. Lives happily ever after.

“Hunger” is a funny word – “Hunger!” “Hunger!” it sounds like something Tarzan would say to a lion.

I guess we don’t have to pick a team. We can meet in the middle; we shall enjoy life and try not to be lazy.

I don’t have a point to make in this blog post. Gandhi and Annie popped into my head, and I wanted to share this video. This is the best version of “Tomorrow”. Andrea McArdle is the best Annie. Even if you don’t like Broadway musicals, you must watch this once.

Please take care. I will talk to you soon.

Calendar shopping season
Posted by: | October 16, 2021
| No Comments
| Personal

Shop early. Good calendars will sell out.

I am a calendar person. A calendar on the wall says who you are. Even if you have a free calendar from your dentist, that calendar will say something about you. The calendar can be a part of the furniture that adds an extra attitude to your house. A calendar can make a big statement about you. Imagine visiting your boss’s house and there is a Mother Teresa calendar on the wall. But what if it was a porn actress calendar instead? Looking at the calendar pictures every day can affect your soul. Some people hang pictures of Jesus Christ or Malcolm-X for a similar reason.

I need a new calendar in the kitchen every year. I find it functional to have it in that corner (picture below). So, I buy a calendar every year for that spot. That corner of the kitchen is too empty to begin with. It’s begging for a calendar.

My kitchen (October 2021)

I also have a calendar in the living room, but I don’t need a calendar to check dates. So, I hang an old calendar I bought at Costco (Nov 2013). I like that calendar so much that I still use it after several years. I flip the calendar every month, but it’s always 2014. I don’t need a new calendar there.

Living room calendar (by LANG) from Costco. 8th year on the wall.

Now is the time to shop for calendars. Good calendars will sell out fast. And, if they sell out, I doubt they will reprint calendars in December and January. Costco had some beautiful Lang calendars in the past. Costco may stock calendars around October and November, or maybe not. It’s hard to tell, especially because of the pandemic.

File Photo: Kirkland Signature Beef Dinner Franks
Posted by: | October 14, 2021
| 2 Comments
| File Photo

Kirkland Signature Beef Dinner Franks.

These are the Costco hotdog weiners you get from the food court.

I am doing well. I am super busy for the next 2 weeks. I have taken a personal job (side hustle) that I am working every waking moment (working 2 jobs). Then we will get into the busy holiday season.

I will make time for the blog, but I may be slow. I am well. I will keep in touch.

Kirkland Signature Beef Dinner Franks, Costco Hot dog weiners
Costco Shopping – October 7, 2021
Posted by: | October 7, 2021
| 2 Comments
| Costco Blog

22nd Costco Shopping in 2021 – $149.86 / $2,512.66 this year

Costo hasn’t brought back the onion crank at the food court yet. So, tonight I brought my own chopped onion to Costco. The hot dog was brilliant.

Since this blog, I heard they brought back the onion cranks.

There was no full-scale Christmas display at Costco. This is highly unusual in October. I only saw some Christmas items, but not even close to what we normally see. Also, Kirkland Signature shampoos weren’t there. In fact, Costco took down their shampoo from the website.

I picked up a bag of salted peanuts by mistake when I wanted an unsalted one. Salted peanuts are tasty, but I don’t want too much salt in my body. This bag of peanuts had an expiration date of March 2022. I wonder if they will be good for that long (6 months from now).

Better treat for my neighbors

This will sound condescending, but…

When I lived in a government-subsidized apartment, there were a lot of kids in the neighborhood, but I had zero trick-or-treaters in 8 years. They all went to rich neighborhoods for better candies. Then, I moved to an above-average neighborhood.

Now, on every Halloween, my street gets packed with strange cars and SUVs, each car carrying several kids from the poor side of the town. I get 60 to 120 kids every year. The number is unpredictable.

That’s why I bought 2 kinds of chocolates at Costco. I will hand out small chocolates to the trick-or-treaters. But, when I see my neighbors’ kids. I will let them pick a full-sized bar of chocolate from the box of Hershey’s. I feel bad doing this, for I am from the poor side of the town. But, what can I do?

* Hershey’s full-size chocolates were on sale ($5 off).

Costco Bratwurst – Kirkland Signature Brats (sausages)
Posted by: | September 29, 2021
| No Comments
| Costco Blog, Costco Product Review, Food, Household, Pet

Vacuum, Freeze, Enjoy (#vacuumfreezeenjoy)

I bought Kirkland Signature Brats (Bratwurst) on June 9, 2021. I paid the regular price of $8.49 for 14 links (2 packages of 7 each). I vacuum-packed and froze them for long-term storage. It took me 3 months to finish all 14 links by myself. And I can tell you that these sausages are a delight. I like them, and I will buy them again.

Kirkland Signature Bratwurst, brats, Costco

I made gumbo with these brats. In that gumbo, I also put in an equal amount of Costco chicken breast meat. I don’t live in the South, so I don’t know how the homemade gumbo should look and taste like. I blindly followed the generic recipe, and I enjoyed my gumbo a lot. It was very good. But people from the South may look at the picture of my Gumbo and say, “What the heck is this?”. What can I say… that would be my imaginary gumbo that came to life. 🙂 I also made the collard greens from scratch (picture).

I also fried some brats in a frying pan. For these, I put olive oil and several basic seasonings (no salt). I put it on low heat with the cover on. I purposely didn’t follow the cooking instruction on the package. While cooking, I turned over the brats only once, so my pictures would come out pretty. Don’t worry, I cooked them all the way through. I am not that clueless.


Below are the official care and cooking instructions from the bottom of the package. The instruction is there for people who never cooked before. You may ignore it if you know what you’re doing.

Care Instruction for Costco Bratwurst

  • Once opened, use within 5 days
  • Freeze up to 30 days
  • Keep refrigerated

Cooking Instructions for Kirkland Signature Brats

  • Grill – Heat gas grill to medium-low (if charcoal, allow it to burn until white ash has formed on the embers). Place links on grill. Use tongs to turn often. Grill bratwurst for 20 to 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F
  • Stovetop – Spray skillet with cooking spray. Add brats. Cook over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes, turning links with tongs often. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1/2 cup of water to skillet. Cover skillet and simmer for 12 to 14 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
  • Broil – Place links on broiler rack or foil-lined baking pan 7 to 9 inches below heat. Turn links with tongs every 3 minutes. Broil for 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown or until internal temperature reaches 165°F

Costco Combination Pizza and Onion Connection Theory
Posted by: | September 24, 2021
| No Comments
| Costco Blog

Costco doesn’t have Combination Pizza anymore. The last time I enjoyed a slice of combo pizza was right before the pandemic (Feb 19, 2020). The following year was a blur. I guess the food court was shut down(?). I don’t remember. I didn’t go to Costco because people were yelling and freaking out at Costco.

When we came to our senses, we realized that there was no more combination pizza.

Currently, there is a petition to bring back combination pizza. They want 7500 digital signatures and they will meet that number. But, I believe the combination pizza will come back regardless, but when they are ready. I have a theory.

Below is my theory. I can be wrong :


Costco’s combo pizza disappeared because of the pandemic. If there was no pandemic, Costco will not abandon our beloved combination pizza. I believe it because Costco took away the onion dispensers in the food court. It can be a safety-related reason or a supply-chain-related issue. Whatever the reason is, the onion dispensers are gone because of the pandemic.

Now – to make a combination pizza, they need various chopped vegetables, including the onion.

I believe there is an onion connection. I don’t know what’s going on, but at this moment, the pandemic and the onions don’t mix in the Costco food court.

I believe the combination pizza will come back when the onion dispensers are back in the food court. You must believe.

My God, I need to get a life.

Talk to you later.