The Retro Dad

You know how some people have comfort foods — mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, grilled cheese? Mine’s always been pizza. Any kind. Any time. I’ve had it in fine restaurants, school cafeterias, and gas stations that should’ve been condemned — and I’ve loved every bite. I eat more convenience store pizza than I probably should admit in public. But here’s the thing — it’s not bad. Some of it’s actually pretty good. We’ve come a long way since the days when “gas station pizza” meant a sad, chewy triangle under a heat lamp. These days, you can grab a slice at a mini-mart that’ll surprise you. Casey’s, for example — they’ve somehow turned “convenience store pizza” into an art form. But if I’m being honest, it’s hard for me to think of pizza that’s truly bad. In my entire life, I can’t remember ever putting down a slice and saying, “Nope, can’t eat this.” Sure, I’ve had better slices than others, and some I wouldn’t waste money on again. But to have a slice so bad I couldn’t eat it? Hasn’t ha...

This is a long overdue update/revisiting of my post:  RIP Hostess Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts , one of my highest viewed blog posts of all time. Hostess Raspberry Filled Powdered Donuts were discontinued around 2013 following Hostess's bankruptcy and restructuring.  Despite some nostalgic demand, Hostess has not announced plans to reintroduce them. Fans have expressed their longing for these treats on various platforms, sharing fond memories and lamenting their absence from store shelves.  While no plans for their return seem to be on the horizon, I saw something at the store the other day that stopped me in my tracks for a few seconds.. Glazed Cinnamon Rolls are back, but not from Hostess When I first saw Glazed Cinnamon Rolls on the shelves again in this great retro packaging, I got excited thinking Hostess had brought them back. Then it hit me — Hostess doesn’t even own Wonder anymore. If Wonder still holds the rights to these Cinnamon Rolls, could the...

There was nothing quite like being a kid in the ‘70s and ‘80s and walking into a corner convenience store with a pocketful of change. The smell of bubble gum, the faint hum of a soda cooler, and the sound of the door chime — it was pure magic. You could spend 50 cents and walk out feeling like a king with a treasure trove of sugar. Here are my top five favorite candies from back in the day — the ones that made every trip to the store worth it. 🍫 1. Ice Cubes Every trip to the store wasn’t complete without grabbing a handful of Ice Cubes — those little foil-wrapped squares of creamy chocolate bliss. They came in those shiny silver or gold wrappers, and once you unwrapped one, it was game over. The texture was unbelievably smooth, almost buttery, and they melted the instant they hit your tongue. You didn’t chew Ice Cubes. You savored them. Recently, I stumbled across them again at a German market — the same brand, the same foil, the same melt-in-your-mouth magic. It was like time trave...

So just when I think I’m out… they pull me back in. McDonald’s is once again running their Monopoly game — something they haven’t done in ten years! And just like that, I’m back in line at the golden arches. Back in the day, I was going to eat breakfast at McDonald’s most mornings anyway. But when the Monopoly game rolled around? Oh, that changed everything. I’d head straight inside, grab one of those big paper game boards printed on the back of the placemats, and start peeling those little stickers off my Egg McMuffin wrappers, hash brown sleeves, and drink cups like a man on a mission. No, I never hit the million-dollar jackpot (still waiting, Ronald), but I did rack up my fair share of free burgers, fries, cookies, and pies. There was something electric about it — that mix of caffeine, breakfast grease, and the faint hope you might pull Park Place. It became a whole vibe I looked forward to every year. And really, what’s not to love? You’re entertained, there...

Going to the movies back in the ’70s and ’80s was an experience like no other. The smell of popcorn filled the theater, the screen seemed enormous, and the sticky floors crunched beneath your sneakers. But for me, no movie trip was complete without candy. From the convenience store on the way to the theater or straight from the lobby, these little treats were the icing on the cinematic cake. Here are my top five favorite movie candies from back in the day that still bring back those feel-good memories: 🍫 1. Milk Duds The king of chewy movie candy! These little caramel bites smothered in chocolate had staying power—a good-size box could last you through a long stretch of the movie. They weren’t just for nibbling on their own either; toss a few into your popcorn and let them soften a bit, and you got that perfect sweet-and-salty combo before it was even a thing. Milk Duds were simple, delicious, and made the theater experience just that much more magical. 🍬 2. Hot Tamales Before spicy ...

Google just rolled out a fresh version of their iconic ‘G’ logo. At first glance, it’s the same multicolored letter we all know and love, but now it’s got a brighter, more modern gradient. For a company that’s been around forever 'in internet years', even small changes like this get people talking. What’s interesting is that it sort of harks back to the Google logos of the past. There’s something about seeing those old colors pop in a slightly updated way that makes you stop and think, “Oh yeah, I remember that.” It’s a little retro, a little modern, and definitely Google. I’ve put a side-by-side comparison below so you can see for yourself. On the left is the last logo, the one we’ve all gotten used to over the years. On the right is the new gradient version — subtle changes, but enough to notice if you’re paying attention. It makes me wonder: do we really need all these tiny tweaks, or is it just fun to play around with nostalgia and branding? Either way, it’s kind of fun to ...

🗞️ The Morning Paper I Can’t Forget Not long ago, I was visiting friends in Washington, D.C. — the kind of people who still have The Washington Post delivered to their doorstep every morning. One lazy weekend morning, I grabbed their freshly folded paper, stepped onto the porch with a cup of coffee, and cracked it open. For a moment, it felt like I’d stepped back in time. The sound of rustling pages, the faint smell of ink, sunlight hitting that slightly off-white paper — it was pure nostalgia. My soul slowed down. The world felt quieter, simpler. Real. 🗞️ How It All Started: My Love Affair With Newspapers Back in the ’70s and ’80s, that’s where it began — a lifelong love affair with newspapers. At first, I was just chasing the comic strips. Spider-Man, Alley Oop, Ziggy, Family Circus — those were my early morning smiles before school. Then it evolved. I’d scan the movie listings, hoping to convince my parents to drop me off at the theater with friends. Once I started mowing lawns an...

Every once in a while, a random pop culture memory sneaks back into your head and refuses to leave. For me, that’s been the case with an Energizer battery promotion from the mid-1980s. If you were around a TV back then, you probably remember the loud, brash Australian guy who would yell at the camera with unfiltered energy and finish every commercial with a booming, “Oi!” That guy was Jacko — real name Mark Jackson — a former Australian football player turned accidental pitchman. His signature line was burned into our brains: “It'll surprise ya! The New Energizer! Lasts longer than all the rest! Oi!” It wasn’t slick, it wasn’t polished — but it was unforgettable. I distinctly remember catching him on The Arsenio Hall Show one night at the peak of his American fame. He had about five minutes of U.S. stardom thanks to those commercials, and he squeezed every ounce of energy out of it. On Arsenio, he went absolutely wild, shouting “oi oi oi oi” over and over with so much m...

This week, Cracker Barrel learned the hard way that you don’t mess with nostalgia. Their “simplified” new logo, stripped of its warmth and personality, sparked immediate backlash. The company quickly backpedaled and promised to restore the original. It’s not the first time we’ve seen this. Pizza Hut once ditched its iconic red-roof logo in favor of a bland, computer-generated look that nobody loved. Now, they’ve wisely leaned back into their retro design, the same way Burger King brought back its classic “bun sandwiching the name” logo. In my opinion, that’s one of the most clever and timeless fast-food logos ever created. These brands eventually realize that what customers are loyal to isn’t just food, but the memories and emotions tied to those logos. I understand the need for evolution—subtle updates like what Wendy’s or KFC have done over the decades make sense. But the current obsession with oversimplification feels like laziness disguised as “modernization.” When did ...

If you grew up in the ‘70s, ‘80s, or ‘90s, get ready to feel like a kid again—because McDonald’s just pulled off the ultimate nostalgia play. The McDonaldland Adult Happy Meal is here, and the second I got one in my hands I was transported straight back to Saturday morning cartoons, Ronald, Grimace, and playground memories. I didn’t plan on writing about McDonald’s this week. Honestly, I’ve been doing my best to avoid fast food altogether. Now in my 50’s, I’m focused on getting my health back on track—but then McDonald’s dangled something in front of me that I couldn’t resist: a McDonaldland Adult Happy Meal. Hook, line, and sinker—I was back in line like I was 10 years old again. I am a sucker for this kind of throwback retro goodness. They had me at 'McDonaldland' and the psychedelic retro commercial that came out not too long ago. Just the idea of revisiting that colorful, whimsical world of Grimace, Hamburglar, and all the rest was enough to get me to pull into the drive-th...

The Timeless Egg McMuffin: Why It Still Wins My Mornings.. What is it about the Egg McMuffin? I’ve written about this sandwich many times over the years. It's probably my favorite breakfast sandwich of all time. While my preferences have shifted here and there—depending on the season, my mood, or what else is on the menu—I keep coming back to the classic Egg McMuffin. Right now? It’s the total package. A Sandwich Built on Nostalgia Part of the magic is nostalgia. I have vivid memories of going to McDonald's with my dad early in the morning. He’d sip his coffee and read the paper, and I’d be scarfing down an Egg McMuffin with a chocolate milk or orange juice. Then it was off to the McDonaldland playground before school. Those moments—small, routine, but full of comfort—are baked into every bite I take now. That kind of memory adds flavor nothing else can. Built to Last (and Built Well) But nostalgia aside, let’s be honest: the Egg McMuffin still slaps. It's nearl...

I woke up feeling something today — but I couldn’t name it. It wasn’t happiness. It wasn’t sadness. It wasn’t peace or panic. Just… off. My legs felt like stretched-out rubber bands. Probably from all the water I drank the day before trying to stay cool in this brutal 110° heat. It was one of those nights where I got up three, maybe four times — never really sinking into deep sleep. But honestly, it wasn’t just physical. I tried to talk to a close friend in the morning like I usually do, but the responses were short and distant. One-word replies. When someone you care about seems off, your mind starts asking questions. Did I do something? Are they okay? What’s going on? They later told me it might be hormones, maybe just a mood — and I get that. We all have those mornings. But I’ll be honest: it left me feeling a little alone. And when that feeling creeps in, it can either derail your day — or realign it. That’s when I reminded myself of something I’ve come to believe strongly: vibrati...

Before I ever heard the phrase “inner child,” I was already comforting mine—with donuts. Before therapy, there were donuts. Not the trendy, over-the-top Instagram creations stacked with cereal or drizzled in matcha. I’m talking about the kind behind foggy glass at a gas station counter, or sitting in a cardboard box on the passenger seat next to you. A cream-filled, chocolate-iced long john. An apple fritter the size of your hand. The kind you grabbed on the way to school, before a shift at work, or after church when the world still felt blurry and too big. Long before anyone asked how I was really doing, I had a ritual. I would sit in my car, sip strong coffee, and quietly enjoy a donut as the sun came up—countless times across the years. There was something sacred about it: the stillness, the sky slowly warming, the first bite of sugar and dough cutting through the noise of a long day ahead. I still do it sometimes, even now. Not out of habit, but reverence. Some people heal on a cou...

I’ve been thinking lately about something kind of uncomfortable. Not in a tragic way, but in that quiet, creeping kind of way that makes you question how you’ve been moving through your days. Do I actually like doing stuff? Like… anything? That sounds ridiculous on the surface, I know. Of course I do. I like food, I like laughing, I like a good sunset, and when I really think about it, I can name some hobbies and interests. But I’ve started to realize that there’s a difference between liking the idea of something and liking the actual doing of it. Take drawing, for example. I’ve always considered myself someone who draws. It’s part of who I am. But lately, I catch myself putting it off. Or getting frustrated halfway through. Or feeling like I should be filming it, posting it, making it count somehow. So do I like drawing—or do I like having drawn? Same with social stuff. Do I like being around people? Or do I just like feeling like I’m not completely isolated? And then there's the ...