Homesick Buster

When I get homesick, there is nothing like playing this silly game to get my mind off. It's a simple game of eliminating the numbers and the UFOs that keep appearing from the right and moving to the left of the display. I used to play this with an actual calculator on the way home from my high school. I remember I got quite good at this game. It's too bad that they no longer sell these in Japan. But when I found that it was available in the iTunes store for 99 cents by the name of the Digit Invader, I was elated! I think there are a few versions of this game available online now.

All my friends had a Casio calculator. It was cool to have this back then

This game is addictive. When you take down the numbers that would add to 10, you get a UFO. So you want to keep shooting them down like, 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, and so on and so forth. When you get good enough, you would be able to wait long enough for a specific digit to appear and shoot that in order to get a UFO. But you don't want to wait too long, because once the other digits reach the left of the screen, you are dead. The game was created by Casio way before today's fancy video games. I just love the simplicity.

I felt like such a grown-up when I played it as a child

By the way, my very first video game I played was the Pong. I love that game, too. I first played it at the Princess Kaiulani Hotel in Waikiki, HI. I was probably about 8 years old. I had never seen a video game before, and I was so thrilled I kept asking my mother for a quarter. I remember those days very fondly. 

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Ahmad Tea for Every Occasion

Flavors to suit your every mood 

Nice velvety interior

Fun to open this jewelry box

I am not a tea snob by any means, but when I find something I like, I can get a bit obsessive. My old time favorite is the apple tea from Fauchon which is quite expensive for daily consumption. Then, I met the Ahmad tea. Their apple tea is quite good, retaining the refined flavor of the black tea with a fragrant apple smell. All of their fruit black teas are excellent. This tea chest contains Green tea, Jasmine tea, Peach tea, Black Currant tea, Strawberry tea, Earl grey, English breakfast, and English tea No.1 which is their special blend that is slightly different from their English breakfast. I liked their tea so much, I recommended this tea chest to my sister, too. 

English Tea No.1 

Saffron rock candy sticks

These saffron rock candy sticks are fabulous! I found them at a local Persian grocery store. What a brilliant idea to perfume your favorite cup of tea! Even a non-snob can feel like a snob when you have a sip of tea like this. 

Saffron floating in the tea

Is it time for a tea break yet? Why, but of course!

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Mosquito Treatment Starts....

Our dog's favorite toys. From left to right, Sock Monkey, Broccoli Man, and Puppy Friend

We had the first mosquito treatment of this year in the yard. It is only March, but we do see those pesky bugs flying around already. This means our dog needs to stay indoor until the grass gets dried. Time to play indoor with his toys!! He knows them all by name. When we tell him to get a specific toy, he gets it. He's a smart boy!

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Sweet and Savory

Prosciutto and brie with green apple slices

This snack needs a few pieces of green leaves to add the freshness to the dish. I wanted to use arugula, but dandelion leaves worked fine, too.

Used only for special dishes.... It tastes so good by itself

Melt your brie before assembling 

When you combine the tartness of the green apple and sweetness of the honey with a good savory piece of prosciutto, something magical happens! The black sage honey from the Savannah Bee Company enhances the flavor of the prosciutto, and it becomes the perfect binder between that and the green apple.

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