Pizza

That's it? A one-word title? About pizza?!?!? Who in the world would write a blog post about pizza? Well, it's Eric's Planet, so my guess would be...Eric. And that's me.

We have a pizza chain out here in my area (and maybe it's all over the place—I don't know) called "PizzaRev." At PizzaRev, you "craft" your own pizza, meaning that you direct the employees to put your choice of ingredients on the dough as you walk along the assembly line. They offer several kinds of dough, a multitude of different sauces and cheeses, and all kinds of meats and veggies. You name it, they have it. (Well, almost. Ask them about cheddar cheese next time you're there. But more on that in a bit.) Last year, PizzaRev started a promotion where their normally $8.25 pizzas were only $6.00 on Tuesdays. Considering what you get, that's quite a deal. And selected people around this planet have made good use of it. So much so that most of the staff at our local PizzaRev not only know one of those people by name, but know how to correctly spell the name of that person whenever they show up. We won't say who we're talking about here...

I had always heard that pizza was actually invented here in the U.S. by Italian immigrants when they arrived in the 1800s. However, as Diana learned during her trip to Italy last year, you can get quite a tasty pizza when in Rome, so the "created in America" aspect is debatable. But Diana learned that they do pizza quite well over there. When I asked her if she had tried pizza in Italy, and, if so, what she thought of it, she said, "best pizza ever!"

PizzaRev offers several different kinds of dough—their Signature Thin (which is Roman style), Double Dough for a thicker crust, and a gluten-free dough for those who are sensitive to gluten. Personally, I'd like to see a whole wheat dough, but that's just me. Some years back I created a chicken pesto pizza with a whole wheat crust that was usually a hit when I brought it to potlucks at work or family gatherings. When you bring home an empty tray, you know they liked it.

Believe it or not, there is a downside to pizza. It's fairly obvious, but too much pizza makes too much...Eric (or anyone else for that matter). Because I prefer thin crust and like lots of veggies on mine (except mushrooms), I don't worry so much if I only eat it once a week. For me, it's always been about the toppings, not about the crust. Less dough, more toppings. Depending on the toppings, an individual-sized pizza is actually better and healthier than a cheeseburger and fries. Wait—did I actually write that? Yes, I did because I mean it. While I do like pepperoni and sausage, those meats tend to be loaded with fat, sodium, nitrates, and who knows what else. Chicken on pizza has become a favorite of mine. Crumbled lean ground beef is good, too. Just spare me the mushrooms.

Before I have to go put more change into the parking meter, let me address the cheddar cheese issue that I mentioned before. As the entire world knows, I do like a good cheeseburger. A very basic one, but a good one. So why not combine a cheeseburger and a pizza? Eric's Signature Cheeseburger Pizza™ would start with a good whole wheat dough slathered with a good tomato sauce, topped with extra sharp cheddar cheese and crumbled ground beef. Add some spinach and black olives on top and that's it! PizzaRev has all of those ingredients except for the extra sharp cheddar cheese. I've asked them about it, but so far it appears not too likely to become a part of the regular offerings. So it looks like I'll have to craft my own pizza in my own kitchen to pull this one off. But as I like to say, my kitchen is my laboratory...

When all is said and done, at the end of the day, it is what it is and other cheesy sayings, you can never go wrong with pizza. Be it a slice or an entire pie, pizza is one food that knows no bounds in terms of what can be done with it.

It's time to pick up an old habit: giving blood

For the first time in more than five years, I found myself being tapped for a pint of the red stuff. This afternoon, I pulled into the library parking lot so I could go in and terrorize the internet for awhile. I happened to look across the lot and saw the familiar United Blood Services bus parked there. Normally they announce when and where it will be, but I hadn't seen a notice about today. I thought for a moment as to whether I should try and donate a pint of blood, then decided to go for it. While I did feel a bit woozy afterward, I think I made the right choice.

Back in the '80s when I worked at Statham Transducer Division in Oxnard, they had the United Blood Services (UBS) bloodmobiles stop by every so often. I was a relatively healthy young guy of about 30 at the time, so there was no reason for me not to donate a pint. While I've never had a problem with needles, I wasn't sure what to expect by making a donation. Turns out that it was relatively painless, there are some nice looking young ladies taking good care of you, and you get lots of treats when you're finished. Sounds like a win-win to me.

I made regular donations every eight weeks for a number of years. Somewhere I have my one-gallon and (I think) two-gallon pins. All that blood...I was a lean, mean donating machine.

Then along came diabetes.

Initially, I continued my donations because the medications that I took were on the OK list at UBS. But once I began taking insulin shots, I hesitated making donations. One time, though, I went ahead and went to a donation center and was told that even we insulin-shooting diabetics could still donate depending on what kind of insulin we took. Certain types of insulin that were derived from bovine sources were not OK (because of mad cow disease) and anyone using them could not donate blood or platelets. In my case, since I was taking Humilog® and Lantus®, I was OK. I donated a couple of pints but then just dropped off the map. Over time (and still) I have my days where I struggle just to keep up with basic things that I need to do. When you're not feeling your best and are honest about it during your pre-donation screening, they usually won't allow you to donate. That's for your own good.

Getting back to donating blood was one of the things I missed doing—not for my own benefit, but for the tremendous amount of good it does for others. One pint of blood can be used in so many different ways. If you're able to do so, I highly recommend that you call your local blood bank and make an appointment.

This is a donation that you make quite literally from the heart.

A new year has arrived...will it be better than last year?

It seems that even during 2016, a lot of people were lamenting that it was the worst year in a long time, if not ever. True, the world lost a lot of noteworthy people, right down to December 31. The economy is still sluggish, a lot of people are still out of work, and the world is still battling wars and various other sources of turmoil on a seemingly increasing level.

In the closing days of 2016, many people were glad to see that year come to an end and thought and wished and hoped and prayed that 2017 would bring us good luck, prosperity, fulfilled dreams, and so forth. Of course that could happen, but it's too early in the year to tell. All that has happened as of January 2 in any year is hardly an indicator of what is to come in the remaining 363 days of the year.

For me, of course, getting back to work is tops on my list. Unfortunately, the longer one is out of work, the less likely most employers will consider that person for a position. Why that is just baffles me. There are many good people out there eager to work, but can't seem to click with an employer and receive an invitation to join the ranks of the employed despite the fact that they have plenty to offer. All because they haven't worked in "too long." Ridiculous if you ask me. Do they think they'll have to teach us how to tie our shoes again? I have years of experience and skills that have been honed along the way. Stop the nonsense and show me to my desk, please.

But I'd better not pout and better not cry about things I can do nothing about. Just keep praying and trying. Something will work out.

As for world events and such, we'll just take it day by day and see what happens during 2017. It's pretty safe to say that we will lose a few noteworthy people because we always do. Some of us will lose a friend or relative. Others will lose jobs or have some other bad luck come their way. Sad as it is, that seems to be the way of the world.

Let's hope that it won't be on the level of 2016, though.