My Domino’s Year in Review 2018
Celebrating a Year of Sharing the Joy of Domino’s
Welcome one and all to the third annual edition of My Domino’s Year in Review. For the uninitiated, this is the time each year where we go back and celebrate each time I ordered from the number one pizza chain in the world. Haven’t read the 2016 and 2017 version, like some kind of weird loser who isn’t “up on it” or “with it” or “mad litty”? Well then, please, take some time and catch up.
Now that you’re caught up, let’s get started.
Like in 2017, I took detailed notes each time I ordered Domino’s in 2018. What came out of this was a clear trend, a takeaway we can point to with the pointy end of a pepperoni handmade pan pizza. A realization that sticks with you like the cheese sticks to a fresh piece of cheesy bread. A nugget that resembles a delicious Domino’s Classic Hot Buffalo Specialty Chicken…uh….nugget.
Friends. Relationships. Sharing Domino’s with others.
Yes, this was the year that my obsession with the greatest and most tech forward pizza company known to man spread to others in my circle. Domino’s emerged from the late night and early morning and was seen in the light of day. Domino’s was shared at the office and at birthday parties. It was ordered in 4 different states…although it was unfortunately only consumed in 3 (I’ll explain, but you can probably guess why).
That doesn’t mean Domino’s wasn’t consumed in its traditional fashion, after a “Friend Night” at a “Bar” and between the hours of 11 PM and 3 AM. It just means that it came to be appreciated for what it was. It is no longer ashamed. Long live Domino’s, may it continue to be shared, and may 2018 be just the first of many years that we gather together to break bread with not bread, but thin crust pizza topped with sausage and banana peppers.
Alas, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Here it is, the long awaited accounting of My 2018 Domino’s Year in Review.
Tuesday, January 9th
An early start and a sign of things to come, we ordered Domino’s for lunch at my colleague Ashley’s baby shower. My manager at the time, fearless leader of our communications and marketing group, had decided it was an appropriate lunchtime meal.
As we went downstairs to gather the order, he confided in me that while he had first thought of Domino’s as a bit of a joke, or a late night junk food, he was a recent convert. He had begun to realize that it was actually quite good, that it could indeed be enjoyed appropriately in the light of day. He was the first of a number of folks who would come to that conclusion this year, and I welcomed him into the Circle of Domino’s with the same enthusiasm with which I have welcomed innumerable Domino’s Delivery Individuals who have brought me my orders over the years.
Thursday, January 25th
After spending almost 6 years at my previous job, I left this year. For my last day, a number of my colleagues and friends joined together for a happy hour that lasted for quite some time, certainly past dinner, as we recounted memories and talked about what might come next.
After returning home, it seemed only right to cap it off with an order from Domino’s. However, I made a rookie mistake with this order. I decided to deviate from some of the more traditional toppings, to try a combination of chicken and Italian sausage on the late night pizza pie.
Thankfully, it was just my wife Sara and I that evening, because that order was weird. I probably won’t be doing that again.
Saturday, February 10th
Now I know what you’re thinking, I’m setting quite the pace here. Just about 6 weeks into the new year, and already 3 orders?
The truth is, I had to return to form. After the strange second order, I needed to get back to the basics, the classics, hand tossed pepperoni and cheese with hot buffalo specialty chicken. This order got me back on track.
Friday, March 9th
It had been a month since my last order, an appropriate amount of time, and I was ready to reengage. We had been to a friend’s birthday party at a tiki bar, before heading back to his house where he had built his own tiki bar. Lots of tiki going on here.
It was a wonderful time, but the thing about tiki drinks is that they have a whole lot of juice in them, and they oddly energize you while they make you feel all kinds of funny. You might be a little buzzed, sure, but you’re also just about ready to run a marathon. Or, you know, decide that midnight is a good time to start binge watching a new Netflix show while waiting for and then eating Domino’s.
Unsurprisingly, I went for the latter.
Saturday, April 7th
This year, Sara and I went to Minnesota to visit some good friends that live up there. While it was a wonderful time overall, there was unfortunately one very dark happening.
After a long day of taking in various sights around Minneapolis, hanging with friends in interesting bars and chic apartments, and even taking in a comedy show, we made our way back to our lovely Air Bnb. It was there that the night began to take a turn.
We wanted to order Domino’s, but I could not for the life of me get the app to recognize my location, find the local Domino’s store, and take my order. Frustrated, we used the phone to actually call in our order, something straight out of 2005!
It was late. We had done so much that day. We were tired. Calling in our order meant no expectant, app driven Domino’s Pizza Tracker at our fingertips. It meant it would be difficult for us to know…when was the pizza coming…we were getting…so sleepy.
In 2017 I managed to avoid missing any Domino’s deliveries due to falling asleep before they arrived. In 2018, I relapsed. It was a mistake I made once, and shall try dearly to avoid making again. Ever. Again.
Saturday, April 28th
We had to redeem ourselves, and we did, but this time we made a different mistake. You see, if you order too close to 2 AM, when Domino’s closes, you’re going to get lumped in with the last deliveries of the night. This means it will take longer to get your order than it normally would.
It is understandable, but it is difficult to endure. I was able to stay up and obtained the pizza but Sara, trusting me to be strong, was not. Before she retired to bed she exclaimed in frustration something I will never forget.
“Well you know what, they can suck my big mozzarella stick!”
There are many moments in my life where I know I have chosen the right woman, the love of my life, to be with. That moment surely shines with some of the very brightest.
Friday, May 4th
This order wasn’t too notable, except for that it was the second weekend in a row. We wondered if we were ordering Domino’s, perhaps, a bit too much. We decided we’d take a bit of a break.
Friday, June 8th
Again, a month had passed, and Sara was off with some of her good friends in Austin, Texas for a girls’ weekend. How proud I was when she texted me to share that the group had requested, ordered, and enjoyed Domino’s together. So proud in fact, that I was inspired.
Saturday, June 9th
And thus, in what can only be called a Boys Weekend Night at Home, I ordered Domino’s the very next night. One of my best buds Tim and I ate Domino’s over the kitchen counter, communed together and laughed.
The next day I found almost an entire pizza’s worth of crumbs under the counter. It was worth it.
Friday, June 15th
As is evident, when it rains it pours. Sara was back in town, Timbo was over, and at this point we had earned a free pizza via the Domino’s Piece of the Pie Rewards program. Timmy, Sara, and I recounted our adventures from the previous weekend and munched on some delicious — and free — Domino’s.
Saturday, July 22nd
About a month later, Sara and I had moved into a new house. While not yet ready for a full on housewarming, we wanted to invite some folks over to check out the new digs and share a few cold ones.
After a while, those cold ones led to a deep desire for some hot slices of pizza. This was notable not only because we were again sharing with friends, but because it was my pal Rob who even suggested we order the Domino’s. It had become part of the expectation of a night with the Quags family. Even as they made fun of me for making one of the pies we ordered a banana pepper and mushroom pizza, I was proud of the friends I had.
Friday, October 5th
Maybe my proudest moment of the Domino’s year, though, came when we shared it with our friends on one of their 30th birthdays. We had traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina in secret, part of an elaborate plan to surprise our friend Jes for her 30th.
Her husband Andrew told her they were going on a trip for her birthday, but that it would be just them. How surprised she was when she entered into the hotel suite to see all of us in wait, and how wonderful it was for myself when we determined that the best way to feed the group would be a massive order from Domino’s. Not only did we enjoy the pizza that night, but we even had leftovers we consumed the next day before venturing out into the city. Just another wonderful example of the communion that Domino’s had begun to represent.
Friday, November 16th
Last but not least, in celebration of Sara’s birthday we decided to go out dancing. It’s not something that we do often, but it seemed appropriate this year. But of course, after burning all of those calories on the dance floor, you’ve got to make it up to your body somehow! How would we do so? The answer was clear, and the Domino’s was delicious.
So there you have it. Another year and another wonderful period of growth with Domino’s. Memorable moments shared around the country with friends who are near and dear to our hearts. Sure, mistakes were made at times, but the warm blend of cheese, bread, and sauce moved to become more than just a meal, a late night luxury, or a leftover slice of goodness, heated up by the toaster oven.
No, it is more than that. It’s community. Friendship. Joy. It’s love.
Get the door, it’s happiness.
