Love & Hate – Campfire Mule

The leaves are falling and temperatures are dropping. Fall is upon us and that can be a good thing… and also bad thing. Let’s start with items the Sip Advisor loves from the season:

Nature’s Beauty

There is something magical about the change from summer to fall and all the unique colours we get to experience with leaves and sunsets. The Sipplings have realized this phenomenon and it’s neat seeing a shifting world through their eyes.

Chilling Out

For those that find the heat of the summer to be a bit much, fall can come as a massive relief. Sure, the sun still comes out often, but it’s no longer blazingly hot. Yes, the fans and air conditioning units can enjoy some rest and be packed away.

Nature

Birthday Bashes

The fall brings many birthdays to the Sip Advisor headquarters, most notably, myself and Girl Sip’s big days. Our birthdays fall right on the cusp of the new season and that’s something Girl Sip finds to be very special about her.

Off-Season Over

The end of each hockey season can allow folks to recharge the batteries and watch something else for a change. But it doesn’t take long for us fanatics to pine for the return of our favourite sport. I want nothing more than for hockey to knock baseball off the local sports radio station and the start of a new campaign, with hope at its highest, is exciting.

Sweet Stuff

The preparation for Halloween starts before summer has even set and that brings all the little treats you love. Mini chocolate bars are awesome… that is, until you’ve eaten so many mini bars they add up to more than any full-size bar and you feel ashamed. Oh well, you can always get back into shape after coming out of your hibernation in the spring.

Halloween Candy

Premiere Party

Things have changed with streaming services rolling out shows throughout the year, but September used to bring the return of all the hit shows you love. This still happens with the major networks, but I’ll admit the concept has lost some of its luster.

Cozy Up

After a summer of many activities and the need to be doing things outdoors all day, every day, fall can be applauded for forcing you to return inside, snuggling up on the couch to watch the many movies and TV shows you neglected the previous season.

While fall can provide a nice change of pace, it isn’t all good. Here are some things the Sip Advisor hates about the season:

Enjoy it While it Lasts

While watching leaves change colours and fall to the ground may have its own majesty, once the rain gets to them, they become disgusting hazards. I’ve slipped on wet leaves many times and they just kind of look gross covering streets and sidewalks.

Fall Reality

Rain, Rain Go Away

Speaking of the wet stuff, there is a lot of it in my part of the world. Combine that with increasingly shorter days and a steep drop in temperatures and it can be a pretty dark and dreary time.

Schedule Fills Up

While summer brings a hiatus to school and other activities for the Sipplings, the fall brings all these things back with a vengeance. It’s not long before carefree days are filled with so much that the Sip Advisor ends up living in his car for large portions of each day and when not in the car, I’m at arenas, fields, gyms and pools.

Pumpkin Spice Everything

I am not a pumpkin spice fan at all. In fact, I view pumpkin pie – the Thanksgiving dessert of choice – as one of the grossest on the planet, it reminding me of something someone regurgitated. I’m so anti-pumpkin that I don’t even really enjoy it in alcohol.

Pumpkin Spice

Layer Up

While you are more confident in how to dress during the summer and winter, fall can bring many different weather patterns, sometimes within the same day. Thus, you have to dress in layers and add or remove them accordingly, which is just a headache.

Fall Back

One of the stupidest traditions on the annual calendar is Daylight Savings Time. I can’t wait for this to be removed from existence and hope one of the anti-Daylight Savings Time campaigns is eventually successful.

Planning Problems

The end of summer also brings on the reality of a new year approaching. At work, you have to turn your mind to what vacation time you’ll need to book off for the next year, while you may also start thinking about personal and professional goals, as part of your future planning. I’m just not ready for any of that.

Fall Layers

Scheduling Scraps

As mentioned above, both Girl Sip and myself have late September birthdays. This can make scheduling our celebrations quite difficult, as you never know what the weather will be like. We’ve attempted to have Girl Sip’s birthdays in parks before – especially during Covid times – only to have to hunker down under a picnic shelter as it poured rain.

Winter is Coming

Lastly, fall means that we’re all one step closer to winter, which aside from a few things to look forward to, can be one of the most depressing times of the year. But we’ll examine that more in a future Love & Hate article.

Love & Hate: Campfire Mule

Campfire Mule

  • 1.5 oz Smoked Bourbon or Whiskey
  • Top with Ginger Beer
  • Splash of Lemon Juice
  • Dash of Maple Syrup
  • Garnish with a Marshmallow

What do you love or hate about fall? If you’re gonna call it autumn, though, don’t even bother commenting!

Love & Hate – Tiramisu Martini

Your belly is full, but there’s always room for dessert. We finish off my likes and dislikes of a full meal with some of the sweets the Sip Advisor loves:

Cheesecake

Even as a kid who refused to have any type of cheese, I made an exception for cheesecake. A memorable serving was the massive piece Mrs. Sip and I took back to our hotel room from New York City’s famous Carnegie Deli, following a very late night meal.

Cookies

I’ve made it very clear that I f*ckin’ love cookies. Me and Cookie Monster could have practically been separated at birth and I may look better if I was blue and fuzzy and had googly eyes. My passion for all things cookie has been inherited by the Sipplings, who often go hunting for the treats without permission.

Cheesecake

Ice Cream/Ice Cream Sandwich

While I don’t eat ice cream regularly, the odd serving is appreciated, particularly if it’s topped with all sorts of other goodies. A future Love & Hate article will delve into just which toppings are on the Sip Advisor’s preferred list. Given my love of cookies, I’m also quite fond of ice cream sandwiches.

Donuts

Another dessert I don’t abide in as often as I did as a youngster. Still, I enjoy donuts, both in simple (glazed) and advanced forms (covered with all sorts of different toppings). Donut Holes can also offer a nice little treat, without having to spend as many calories as you would on the bigger pastries.

Pie

There are a number of pie flavours that I really enjoy: apple, cherry, strawberry-rhubarb, etc. This may be the best way to get your daily dose of fruit, while still enjoying a sweet treat. Pie is on my list of the best things eaten cold that aren’t traditionally served that way.

Ice Cream Sandwich

Milkshake

When I was a teenager, Pa Sip used to make milkshakes regularly. Mrs. Sip even made me a couple in the early days of us dating when I think she was trying to fatten me up. How did that plan work out!?

Chocolate/Chocolate Bars

A top notch sweet is anything chocolate. I prefer milk chocolate most, but have dabbled in the darker depths of the cocoa world on occasion. Among my favourite chocolate bars to indulge in are Snickers, Twix, Oh Henry, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and Wunderbar.

Milkshake

That ended up being a fairly long list. I also recently tried a Kouign Amann (think the most decadent croissant ever) that rocked my world! Do I hate as many desserts as I like? Let’s take a look:

Tiramisu

I don’t get the appeal of this cake. Worse yet, it’s everywhere, like some kind of infestation. For the annual Dine Out Vancouver, the dessert is on almost every place’s menu in some fashion. I also attended a birthday once that offered two Tiramisu cakes and no other options.

Crème Brûlée

Mrs. Sip loves her some crème brûlée. The Sip Advisor, being undisputably the wiser of our couple, doesn’t at all. I guess I’ve never really been one for custards. While it’s neat how they achieve the hardened sugar topping, using a mini blow torch, I’m still unwilling to eat the dessert.

Creme Brulee

Flan

This menu item doesn’t even have a tantalizing name. Whoever invented it knew it was incredibly boring, so gave it an equally lame name. Much like I’m not into custards, very few puddings turn my crank.

Rice Pudding

This is like the worst version of rice, with rice crackers being a possible exception. I won’t fully describe what Rice Pudding resembles to me, but given that connection, I find it very hard to stomach a serving. Although, I’ll giggle like a youngster as Mrs. Sip eats it.

Fortune Cookie

As a kid, I liked fortune cookies. As an adult, I find them to be totally lackluster, so I’m happy to let the Sipplings have my servings. And what’s with those little notes inside… they don’t taste very good at all! 🙂

Fortune Cookie

Fruit Plate

Fruit is not a dessert. Full stop!

Jell-O

I get why kids like Jell-O, with all the neat colours and that they can kind of play with their food. Jell-O shots are awful too, as they’re hard to consume. We used to go to an all-you-can-eat sushi place that only offered Jell-O as a dessert option. I’ll just take the cheque, please!

Baklava

I guess I’m not really into international desserts. I find baklava to be dry, boring and uninspiring. Sure, the pastry has an incredible history, but that’s not enough to convince the Sip Advisor to steer away from the cookies and cakes of the world.

Love & Hate: Tiramisu Martini

Tiramisu Martini

  • Rim glass with Chocolate Syrup
  • 2 oz Vanilla Vodka
  • 1 oz Amaretto
  • 1 oz Kahlua
  • Splash of Half and Half
  • Sprinkle with Cocoa Powder

I wondered if drinking a Tiramisu would be any better than eating it. I did like this martini, but I also cheated a bit with the ingredients, using my Stoli Salted Karamel Vodka and Kahlua Vanilla to make it for my tastes. Well, that completes our full meal. I hope you enjoyed the feast!

Sip Trips #231: Staying Local

February was a very rare month for the Sip Family, where we didn’t travel anywhere. We remained local for the duration, but still got up to some shenanigans. Here’s how the month transpired:

With Girl Sip on a solo sleepover with Ma and Pa Sip and Mrs. Sip out for a girl’s night, Boy Sip and I spent some time together. After going to the Museum of Surrey and checking out their cool Lego exhibit, Boy Sip got to choose where we enjoyed dinner and he picked White Spot. While there, I had the Legendary Burger with Caesar Salad and a Spot Size Nat’s Pale Ale at happy hour. Boy Sip was happy to have his Pirate Pak Dippin’ Chicken, complete with vanilla milkshake and ice cream for dessert.

Ice Cream

Later on in February, Mrs. Sip and I began our early Valentine’s Day celebrations by attending the Township 7 Vineyards Love is Blind Wine Tasting for the third time in four years. I got one out of four right this year and the server said she saw where I was coming from with another of my answers, as it was a blended wine they offered. Ticket prices were $36 each and included some nibbles, both savoury and sweet, to go along with the wines.

The next night, we dropped into a Chocolate & Beer Pairing, hosted by Steel & Oak Brewing with Origins Chocolates Bar. Tickets were $30 each (total for two tickets, with taxes, came to $69, which I hope was entirely intentional!) and included four beer and chocolate combos. The set was comprised of Weekend Plans Passionfruit Lime Ale with Mission Chocolate (Dark Chocolate with Lime), First Press Cold Brew Coffee Stout with Tanzania Latte Chocolate, Anvil Imperial Stout with Peruvian Dark Milk Chocolate and Smoked Honey Doppelbock with Mirzam Papa New Guinea Dark Chocolate. We had fun at the event, with Mrs. Sip picking up a couple chocolate bars for the road.

In between our Valentine’s events, we had a dinner at Stefanos Greek Restaurant for friends who are moving away. Mrs. Sip and I shared a pitcher of Red Sangria as our beverage and I ate the Chicken Souvlaki platter. The food and company was good here, but our server disappeared at the end of the meal, despite an empty restaurant. This was annoying for Mrs. Sip and I, as we wanted to pay the bill and get home to bail out Ma and Pa Sip, who were with the Sipplings.

Valentine's Day

For Valentine’s Day treats for Mrs. Sip and myself, I bought bottles of Empress Elderflower Rose Gin and Smirnoff Tamarind Vodka, as they were on sale at BC Liquor Stores this month. I have since tried a couple recipes for the gin from the Empress website and used the vodka in a Caesar, with all drinks being good.

Our big event of the month was Girl Sip’s first ringette tournament out in Port Coquitlam. She played three games over the Family Day long weekend and we managed to visit Boardwalk Brewing during one of the breaks. There, I tried the Curious Creatures Parade of the Western Winds West Coast IPA. I also took home tall can four-packs of Boardwalk’s Mojo Mojito NEIPA and Belgian Waffle Belgian Strong from Odin Brewing.

Following the final game of the tournament, we returned home and went for dinner at Cockney Kings. Our group split an appetizer portion of Calamari, as well as the Haddock Family Pack, which includes five pieces of fish, two plates of fries and a large coleslaw. To pair with my meal, I had a pint of Okanagan Springs Pale Ale.

Fish and Chips

The following weekend, the Sip Advisor enjoyed a guy’s night out. The day began with drinks at Original Joe’s in Vancouver. I had two $5 happy hour glasses of OJ’s Red Ale, along with some Spicy Chicken Bites, which were good, but the serving of BBQ Ranch dip was waaaaaaaayyyyyy too small. Prior to heading to our Vancouver Canucks game, our crew also had a Pickleback Shot.

Over the course of the hockey game, I had a large Container Manifest Hazy Pale Ale and four Spiced Rum & Cokes. The team delivered a massive come from behind win in overtime to maintain first overall in the NHL, so all Canucks fans left happy.

Following the contest, a buddy and I had a nightcap at Browns Socialhouse, where I had a pint of Social IPA, to go along with my Sesame Ginger Gyoza. All in all, the day was a ton of fun and much needed for the ol’ Sip Advisor.

Hockey Drinking

Mrs. Sip and I were back at Rogers Arena just a few days later and despite trying to go to another restaurant, found ourselves back at Original Joe’s. This time, I ordered the daily special of Teriyaki Chicken Wings. My drink this time around ended up being the OJ’s Blonde Lager (tank size), as both the OJ’s Red Ale and a Winter Ale I was offered were out. The Lager ended up being served to me on the house, so I can’t complain.

We ended the month, on a rare Leap Day, by having dinner at Browns Socialhouse. Mrs. Sip was given a $10 gift card the original owner wasn’t going to use by its expiry date, so took the Sipplings with us to the eatery. I had the Szechuan Beef Noodle Bowl, with a pint of Social IPA. So… yeah, we basically had a $100 meal to spend someone else’s $10 rebate.

That wraps an eventful homebase February. March will be very different, as the Sip Advisor does his first long haul road trip. Over Spring Break, the whole crew will be heading to Escondido, California, for a couple weeks of fun in the sun!

Cocktail Corner – Peanut Butter & Jealous

Thankfully, the only thing the Sip Advisor is allergic to is bee stings, and I believe that’s a mild allergy, if anything. It would really suck to have a serious allergy, one that forced you to avoid some of the best things life has to offer. Here are the worst allergies a person could possibly have, as far as this liquor pusher is concerned:

#5: Dairy

Given I don’t like cheese (unless it’s melted on pizza or nachos, etc.) and don’t drink milk as much as I did as a youngster, I think I’d be relatively okay with this allergy. That said, replacements for dairy, such as soy, are absolutely terrible. Plus, while I don’t consume it regularly, not being able to enjoy the odd serving of ice cream would be downright tragic.

complain-allergies

#4: Seafood

Had I remained the picky eater I was as a child, this one probably wouldn’t bother me that much. Now that I’ve acquired a taste for lobster, crab and all things shellfish, I selfishly wouldn’t want to lose the ability to eat these creatures. Living right on the Pacific Ocean, it would be heart-breaking to miss out on some of the freshest fish available.

#3: Chocolate

Chocolate is one of the five basic food groups, as far as the Sip Advisor is concerned. A day doesn’t go by where I don’t have at least a nibble of the sweet stuff. My German blood simply won’t allow it. I can’t imagine a world where having some chocolate would put me at risk of breaking out in hives or worse. What’s the point of living through that?

allergic-to-all

#2: Gluten

While some debate how serious gluten allergies are, all I know is there’s gluten in beer and that’s enough to make me fearful of any allergy to the stuff. Sure, there are some gluten-free brews out there (along with a growing list of products designed for those sensitive to the substance), but the market is fairly small and I can’t put my faith into them.

#1: Peanut

Without peanuts, say goodbye to the best chocolate bars on store shelves. You’d also have to be cautious around non-peanut products that could potentially be produced in a factory where contamination might occur. What scares me about peanut allergies (and allergies in general), is how they can develop later in life and how severe the consequences can be.

Cocktail Corner: Peanut Butter & Jealous

Peanut Butter & Jealous

  • 1.5 oz Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey
  • 0.75 oz Raspberry Liqueur
  • Top with Half and Half
  • Garnish with Peanut Butter Cups

A bonus entry would have to be pet dander. While Mrs. Sip and I don’t own any pets, not being able to ever get cuddly with kitties and puppies would make me very sad.

Love & Hate – Chocolate Obsession

The Sip Advisor is a certified chocoholic. But, not everything that glitters is gold. In recognition of Valentine’s Day, I decided to look at some of the chocolate-based products I love and hate – or at least dislike, as hate seems too strong a word here. First, here are some of my favourites:

Snickers

When I have a Snickers, I feel like I’m having a complete meal. Between the peanuts, nougat, caramel and chocolate, there’s a lot to like. As one of their old slogans says, “it’s so satisfying”. Now, I just need someone to make me Snickers Salad, which consists of Snickers bars, Granny Smith apples and whipped topping, an apparent essential dish of potlucks and parties in the U.S. Upper Midwest.

Twix

As a cookie aficionado, how could I not fall in love with a chocolate bar that boasts a cookie crunch with each bite. Add in a delicious layer of caramel and you have yourself one hell of a combo. Mrs. Sip and I have been lucky to try some of the limited edition Twix offerings over the years, with Salted Caramel and Cookie Dough being particularly memorable.

Twix

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

I have always enjoyed peanut butter cups, with the rare crunchy version being my favourite. I have also liked many of the recent Big Cup releases the Reese’s company has come out with, such as Potato Chip and Caramel. No matter what holiday is on the horizon, you can bet the Sip Advisor is tracking down the Reese’s offering for it, whether it be hearts for Valentine’s Day, eggs for Easter, pumpkins/ghosts/bats for Halloween or trees for Christmas.

Some honourable mentions include Oh Henry!, Wunderbar, Take 5 and Butterfinger. Now that I have your salivary glands watering, it’s time to reel you back in and down to earth with some not-so-pleasant chocolate bars. Here are a few the Sip Advisor dislikes:

Milk Duds

Whenever I have a Milk Dud, I immediately regret the experience, as I try to choke down the little ball of chocolate-coated caramel. Mrs. Sip loves adding Milk Duds to popcorn and often leaves me to pick this addition up for her – typically as we’re rushing to attend our show. Perhaps that has fostered the anger I have towards the product.

Milk Duds

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate

These are so plain, boring and unappealing, one wonders how the company ever lasted as long as it has, with this as their core offering. As seen above, the Sip Advisor likes complex, ingredient-rich chocolate bars and this doesn’t jive with that. Same goes for Hershey Kisses, which despite their cute shape, don’t bring much to the taste game.

Whoppers/Maltesers

Another Mrs. Sip favourite that I don’t particularly appreciate in the same way. I think I overdosed on these malt balls one Easter, when in the form of Robin Eggs. Since then, I haven’t looked at the product the same and prefer not to have them around. Still, I’m an upstanding person and will let the Sipplings make their own choice regarding them.

Narrowly avoiding entry on this list and my venomous treatment are creations such as Nestle Crunch, 3 Musketeers and coconut-based bars like Almond Joy/Mounds/Bounty. Looking at the items above, apparently, I don’t like chocolate in ball form.

Love & Hate: Chocolate Obsession

Chocolate Obsession

  • Decorate glass with Chocolate Syrup
  • 1 oz Coffee Liqueur (I used Kahlua Vanilla)
  • 1 oz Irish Cream (I used Bailey’s Red Velvet)
  • 1 oz Raspberry Vodka/Liqueur (I used Tumbleweed Raspberry Moonshine)
  • Top with Milk
  • Garnish with Chocolate Sprinkles

I’ll admit, putting together a list of chocolate bars I don’t like was difficult, as I’m pretty lenient when it comes to treats. I’d say the ones listed aren’t horrible, but they would be my last resorts to feed any chocolate craving.

Snack Time #42 – Oreo Thins Salted Caramel Cookies

On our recent trip across the border, Mrs. Sip found this Oreo Cookies release. I can confirm, the Oreo Thins Salted Caramel Cookies did not last long in our snack cupboard, as they we very tasty and you didn’t feel so guilty about eating them.

Mrs. Sip and I were discussing Oreo Thins the other day and we thought it was funny that when you’re a kid, Oreos are all about the filling. When you get older, you are looking to snack without doing too much damage to the body, so the Thins are a perfect option.

Oreo Thins Salted Caramel Cookies.jpg

We found the Salted Caramel Cookies at Target, but I assume they are available at a number of grocery chains. Other Thins flavours include Chocolate, Mint, Lemon, and the one Mrs. Sip was hoping to get her hands on, but they were sold out, Coconut.

No company comes out with more intriguing flavours than Oreo. Every time Ma Sip is in the U.S., she finds a new variation or holiday limited edition to bring home. Recent discoveries have included Jelly Donut, Apple Pie and even Mystery.

For more Snack Time articles, please visit our main page…

Snack Time #38 – Trophy Foods Olympic Mix

The Sip Advisor is a big fan of trail mix – so long as they contain more than just healthy ingredients – and this version from Trophy Foods may be my absolute favourite. What sets it apart from other products, you ask?

Well, the Olympic Mix is comprised of peanuts, almonds, raisins and Smarties… so far, so good. What puts this collection over the top is the salt that sticks to the raisins and provides a heightened and delicious sweet and salty contrast.

Trophy Olympic Mix

I will admit that Mrs. Sip and I typically add exactly three extra packs of Smarties to the mix to make sure there’s enough chocolate coverage for the entire bag. The results are glorious and provide a great after work snack for moi.

Available at Safeway grocery stores, the 1kg package can be found for a reasonable price. Sometimes you even get lucky and the mix is on sale and that’s when you know someone, somewhere really likes you.

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Snack Time #21 – Ritter Sport Cocoa Creme

When Cousin Sip joined Mrs. Sip and I for our weekly dinner, she supplied dessert in the form of a trio of new Ritter Sport releases. I will focus on one of those treats.

The Cocoa Creme variation was my favourite of the bunch. It seems Ritter Sport knows what they have on their hands, asking: “Better than ice cream? Yes: cocoa creme!”

Ritter Sport Cocoa Creme.png

Made with crispy chocolate flakes and creamy filling, Ritter Sport go on to say the Cocoa Creme product “makes everyone twice as happy!” The limited edition bar is only available for a short time.

The other varieties Cousin Sip brought over were the Honig & Crisp (honey with crispy flakes) and Johannisbeer Streusel (red currant yogurt and crumble).

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Snack Time #18 – Twizzlers Pull ‘N’ Peel Watermelon

What do you get when you combine two of the Sip Advisor’s favourite things into one nice, neat package? A very happy Sip Advisor! Thankfully, we found this Twizzlers product at the Hershey World store inside the New York New York resort in Las Vegas.

The Twizzlers Pull ‘N’ Peel Watermelon release instantly caught my eye and knowing what a fiend I am for the fruit, Mrs. Sip promptly added them to our growing basket. I’m curious about some of the other flavours we came across in the store, such as Chocolate, Fruit Punch and their Filled Twists line.

Twizzlers Pull ‘N_ Peel Watermelon

Let me be clear, the Sip Advisor is a bigtime Twizzlers fan. No Red Vines for this guy and I just can’t comprehend someone liking the competition. Can anyone try to provide me with an argument for why Red Vines should even share shelf space with the amazing Twizzlers?

I’m not sure how easy it is to find this product elsewhere, but we did spot them at one of the pharmacy stores that line the Las Vegas Strip. We will also be gifting a pack of Key Lime Twizzlers to Ma Sip for Mother’s Day, proving again how great a son I am!

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Snack Time #3: Trader Joe’s Extraordinary Bark

Mrs. Sip and I picked up this little treat prior to the Christmas season, thinking it would serve as a good hosting gift or even to put out ourselves when friends stopped by for a drink and visit. Somehow, it managed to survive into January, where we devoured it this week.

The Trader Joe’s Extraordinary Bark is comprised of a dark chocolate bark with layers of mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups, pretzels, caramel popcorn and crushed almonds. The Sip Advisor would have loved for it to be all milk chocolate, but that’s a personal preference.

trader-joes-extraordinary-bark

The bar was good to feed four people for dessert and like many items at Trader Joe’s, was not very expensive at all. My favourite part of the confection was the salty pretzel pieces, which always work so nicely with any type of chocolate. The peanut butter cups were also solid.

The Extraordinary Bark is only available during the holiday season, so if you come across it, give it a whirl before it disappears. Fear not, though, as Trader Joe’s also carries a Springtide Bark, featuring dark chocolate bark, milk chocolate gems and a white chocolate drizzle.

For more Snack Time articles, please visit our main page…