BenSpark Family Adventures

Photo-A-Day #02706 I was in Target today and saw a new flavor for gruns. These are vitamins in a gummy form. Usually it is a cherry flavor but they partnered with Popsicle and now have the Firecracker flavor. I misread the price and ended up buying these to try them out. See if the vitamins are any good. In the background I have a USB-C hub because I got a new computer at work and it has less inputs than it used to have. I was having trouble using two screens at work and also having other important things connected. Now I am all set. This is pretty useful overall. I can get back to using the setup that works best for me. It looks like no one ate any more of the pretzels through the day. So I can have a few later.

Photo-A-Day #02705 Today at The Philly Pretzel Factory we had an order for a large rivet tray for 2:!5pm. I made it and got it all ready but no one came to pick it up. I called the customer at 2:45 and they told me that they ordered it for tomorrow at 1:30pm. That was really far off from what I had for info. I let the boss know and updated the slip. So, with no one to take it I took it in to work. We are going to start making pizzas, too and Tim had me make one as an example. Tim has been making Mushroom melts so we had mushroom and pepperoni and so I used that. I have an idea for a future pizza and I'll see about making it next week.

Photo-A-Day #02684 I worked at the Pretzel Factory again today and later int he afternoon before I left for the day we got an online order for a large party tray of mini hot dogs. We made them up and got things ready. Then my boss noticed that the order was for Sunday. We already had 72 of these things baking. So, I ended up taking a whole giant bucket of them to bring home for dinner. I also had a bag of them so we ate dinner and ended up with a still full bucket of these little guys. Crazy.

Photo-A-Day #02683 When I came in to work today the owner was making some pretzel bagels. He had picked up some Everything seasoning and added it to these. I brought a couple of them home for Allison to try. I thought about them a little and suggested that if we prepared this the same way that we prepared our cinnamon rivets we could essentially make donuts. So we tried it. My boss actually had a donut cinnamon sugar because the cinnamon sugar that they normally used was missing. It had not been ordered. They came out really good. Tonight we watched The Outsiders as a family. We've been reading the book, Allison and Eva saw the musical, I listened to the audiobook and Andy is studying the book at school. I had never seen the movie before. Eva watched it with Aviva and Andy saw the Drive-In theater scene and trailer at school. 

Photo-A-Day #02677 Today at The Pretzel Factory they were twisting pretzels while I was there. When it came time to clean the Stringer they were finishing up and there as a a good pile of dough. I asked if I could try my hand at making something. I tried to make a mortar board for a graduation. It came out looking like a fat stingray.

Photo-A-Day #02670 I brought a mess of pretzels in to work tonight. I also brought in one of each of the dips. Yesterday I was saying that I had to try them out and today I gave each a shot. A small amount on this pretzel so that I can speak better of the flavors that I actually like and can recommend to people. I brought them in for my cousins, Shaun. We also shared them with everyone who is upstairs in the building. There are still a ton left for him to take home.

Photo-A-Day #02669 This is our Dip Zone at The Pretzel Factory. I try and make sure that it is always filled with all the correct items. We needed to make a bunch of them each day and I like to organize them in the walk-in when I have some time. There are many flavors. I have not tried them all because they are very sweet. I do recommend the Salted Caramel one and Cinnamon is good. I like all the mustards, too.

Photo-A-Day #02647 Work this week for The Pretzel Factory has been interesting. Last week I worked mornings so I twisted pretzels and cleaned the stringer. This week I did clean the stringer once but doing a closing shift. This means cleaning the whole place at the end of the shift. I'm starting to get everything down. I've learned that there are two ways of doing things. This place is run by a husband and wife. The husband does things a specific way that is more loosey goosey and the wife wants things a very particular way. Since I'm being trained mostly by the husband I find myself being re-trained by the wife.  I'm fine with either way, whatever way they want it done is the way I'm going to do it. So, with that being said I'm making sure to do things the wife's way since if I do it her way I'll get no complaints. I know that much is true.  I photo graphed my work shirt and pants since I only have two work shirts and I work 3 days in a row. This means ...

Photo-A-Day #02646 Had a regular day at work with my new schedule. I'm doing 1:30-6:30pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. that means closing up and that means taking pretzels home. I can't be eating these and there are only so many that the family can eat. Allison took two bags to school and I tossed the rivets into the compost. Eva took a few for her friends as well.  Today at the end of work we had a bunch of stuff that had been baked and Tim, my boss, had me take a bunch home. I was planning on having one of the pepperoni pretzel items, it was baked almost right before we left for the night. I had it in the bag of all the big pretzels. On the way to the car I saw a UPS driver eyeing me and my big bags of pretzels. I asked him if he wanted one. I said, take whatever you'd like and he saw the pepperoni and grabbed that. I had not specified that I had wanted that but it is probably for the best since that has a lot of carbs. He was very grateful and happy so that is good.

  Photo-A-Day #02638 Today I started a part time job at the Philly Pretzel Factory. They just opened up a week ago and I went in then and talked with the owner and asked about them needing help. He did and I waited a while and didn't hear so I went back and talked with his wife and filled out an application. I got a call to come in the next day and I did and the owner gave me my hat and shirt and said I could come in the next day, Friday which was their grand opening. I did say, are you sure you want to be training me during a grand opening? So he rethought that and had me come in today. I worked from 7am to 3pm. I learned how to prep the place, twist up pretzels the factory way, baked many pretzels, got trained a bit on the register and even helped the owner change out the wax seal on the bathroom toilet. He needed someone to help lift it. It was a good day and I am back tomorrow and Wednesday. Next week I'll be working afternoons into closing.

Photo-A-Day #02634 Yesterday I went by the Philly Pretzel Factory and filled out an application. I had been in there a week ago and gave the owner my name and number but wanted to follow up. He called me and asked me to come in this morning to chat and he hired me to work part time. I'm going to have to use a lot of self control not to eat pretzels on every shift. I start training on Monday.

  Photo-A-Day 2.0 #02290 Today after work I took a quick nap and then we headed to Cape Cod for the Easter weekend. Allison drove and I stayed awake. When we got there we had some lunch and took a quick walk around the neighborhood. I took another nap before work and then we enjoyed some Paul’s pizza for dinner. After dinner I got set up for work on the sunporch for the night ahead. Andy was excited to play our new game One Hit Heroes. So Andy, Allison and Eva gave the game a shot. I have not looked at anything with the game yet so I am not sure what was happening but I’ll give the instructions a look over tonight so that we can play tomorrow.

  Photo-A-Day 2.0 #02213 Not. There is no reason to be in this almost entirely empty building. I was here early, too because I needed to get a walk in. I’ve been real good about getting 10,000 steps a day and with the way the weather has been and how cold it has been I’ve walked inside. Mostly I walk at the mall but on the weekends I get out and walk around a 98% empty building. Another reason that we should not be here. It makes no sense to keep the building open for less than 10 people.

  Photo-A-Day 2.0 #02062 So, I now have a Titan key. This allows m to do more at work, more work. Also, with my group we are down another person and that means, more work for me. So, for the time being I’ll be very busy at work. And then tonight it was me and one other person until they told me they were leaving at 11pm. So then it was just me all the rest of the night. More Work. Which is great because I just got a salary increase worth pennies. Woo Hoo!

Photo-A-Day 2.0 #02047 But forced to Work. I got a new shirt a few weeks ago and it has become my work at the office shirt. It is no secret that I dislike having to go to the office to do something that I can 100% do at home. I had been wearing another shirt every time I came to the office and even wore it two days in a row simply to see if anyone would noticed. But when you are in the office with maybe 4 other people not much gets said. The building is completely empty except for my group of 4 people on the second floor and about 6 people on the 4th floor with my cousin Shaun. We’re losing one of the people in our group and I have been trying to convince Shaun to come to my group. But he is not. He should, but is not. You might notice that I haven’t shaved in a while. I’m trying to grow out the beard and hair a bit for the Granite State Comicon. I’m doing two costumes this time, one with Eva and one on my own. The one on my own is a guy from the TV show Supernatural. He wears a hat, h...

  Photo-A-Day 2.0 #01648 We’ve been down the Cape for the past week. I decided that I would work from here this weekend to see how it would be. I’ve been working from home for a few years now and haven’t done work from the Cape before because I had to be on the phone with people and I did not want to disturb anyone in the house. Now that I don’t take phone calls I don’t have to worry about my voice carrying and keeping anyone up. So, I am working here on the sunporch at The Cape. The sunporch is also a big gathering spot for the whole family. So, after dinner while I set up for work Dad and Andy and Tara and Erik and Mom hung out here. They were playing Rummy while I was working. Later on we were joined by cousin Dylan and Auntie Shelby. I had to explain what I do for work. Of course, I don’t have to do a ton of work overnight so I have a few things to keep me awake and entertained. I do love that whenever I am actually typing I’m asked if I am working.

  Photo-A-Day 2.0 #01417 This wall art is a bit different than what I have on my walls but I am not in my own office. I’m in the office at work tonight. I am lucky that I only have to do this once a month. It makes me realize how much I miss my home setup for working. Having everything right where I need it is very important. When I go to the office I have to move a bunch of stuff around to get a working area for myself. I no longer have a desk to go to and as a group I go to a different building from where I used to have a desk. So, I sit at someone else’s desk and use my laptop and their monitor. I think the only useful thing is the second monitor but that’s about it.

  Photo-A-Day 2.0 #01369 I was working with my boss tonight when my computer suddenly crashed out completely. I thought that I was going to have to go to the office this week and get a new one. But, luckily it came back up to work once again. I have no idea how or why but it did. No early night for me. I’ve been getting better and better all week but still having some difficulty with any exertion. Still having coughing fits after things like laughing or exertion. Just hoping that everyone feels better soon. Andy has been coughing and sick for the better part of two weeks. He’s been negative for COVID with every test, too. But, today he was sluggish and had a low grade fever tonight. He’s going to stay out of school tomorrow. Let’s hope that he feels better in the morning.

  Photo-A-Day 2.0 #01272 Every couple of weeks I need to head to the office to work there instead of being home. I wasn’t a fan of this at first, but I’ve only had to go in twice in June so that has been nice. Now with the weather outside being nicer I look forward to the view I get from the windows of the office building. I don’t get a chance to go for a walk but at least I can enjoy the view. Had my annual review tonight. First one in a very long time that has me excited for work. I have been enjoying the new position and who knows, I may even get a raise this year. We’ll see.

  Photo-A-Day 2.0 #01244 I am in the office tonight. I’m at our Fall River Facility because that is where my new group goes. I like the building very much because it has a fantastic view and is much nice than our Lowderbrook facility. However, there is no real great way to get here. Luckily, I have to only go in a couple of times a month. So it isn’t a huge sacrifice. I’m also working an modified time tonight so that I an cover for an hour tomorrow morning because of the holiday.