It's Spark Pizza, and I'm willing to wait for it.

How Spark started

Spark comes from Tony and Carolyn Scott, the couple behind Woodblock, also in Redmond. Before they opened, they took their kitchen team to New York and Italy to eat at some of the world's best pizza places. Their chef de cuisine, Kyle Cole, then tested 15 different doughs before landing on the one they still use.

What they ended up with is its own thing: a cross between Neapolitan and New York style, with a puffy, blistered edge and a crisp bottom instead of a floppy one.

And it's not just me. The Italian ranking site 50 Top Pizza put Spark on its list of the best pizzerias in the United States three years running: No. 48 in 2022, No. 31 in 2023, and No. 33 in 2024. In 2022, it was the only place in Washington on the list.

What I order

Two things, and I almost never stray.

The Detroit-style pepperoni. A thick, square pie with crispy, caramelized cheese edges, sauce on top, and pepperoni that curls into little cups. Detroit style is my favorite kind of pizza, and this is the best version of it I've found around here.

The New York style, on Sundays only. Spark makes New York-style pies only on Sundays, and only a limited number. It's a thinner, crispier slice you can fold, which is the whole point of New York pizza.

The Detroit-style pies are limited too, so if you have your heart set on one, don't show up at dinner time and hope.

The Sunday line

Here's the part nobody tells you. On Sundays there's always a wait. If you get there 30 to 45 minutes before they open, you're usually fine. Show up right at opening, and you're rolling the dice on whether the New York pies are already spoken for.

Yes, that means standing outside a pizza place in Redmond before noon on a Sunday. I've made my peace with it.

Dress for the weather

Spark is outdoor seating only. Before that scares you off in a Pacific Northwest winter, they have heaters and clear walls that help keep the heat in on the cold days. It still helps to dress for the weather, so bring a jacket.

If you go

Spark Pizza is at 8110 164th Ave NE in Redmond. Check their hours before you go, especially on Sunday, and plan to arrive early.

I'll see you in line.

A reminder to check on your Dodgers friends and family today. They're going through something they're not used to: October ending early. I've set up a small support station at my desk for any coworkers who need a moment.

I'm not happy about it.

One bad year

Let's get the obvious part out of the way. 2026 was bad. The M's went from a 90-win division title to a losing record, finished third, and missed the playoffs in a year when Houston won the West at 81-81. We finished five games back. Jerry Dipoto said they were the worst defensive team in baseball and led the league in throwing errors. Nobody's defending that.

But it wasn't just effort and attitude. Injuries hit this team all year. J.P. Crawford and Bryce Miller opened the season on the injured list, Randy Arozarena missed time in June, and Brendan Donovan played only 39 games. The bullpen lost Gabe Speier and Matt Brash for stretches, which piled innings on everyone else until they were worn out by August. John Stanton pointed to a couple of fluke concussions and injuries from collisions too. Jerry made the fair point that plenty of teams still playing dealt with more injuries than we did. But when you're also not hitting and not catching the ball, every missing piece hurts more.

And one year ago, Dan took this team to Game 7 of the ALCS. Jerry himself pointed out that 11 months ago we were seven outs away from the World Series, with roughly the same group of players. That's the closest the Mariners have ever been. Over his three seasons, Dan went 187-171. You don't forget that because one summer went sideways.

We've seen this movie before

The Mariners keep a list of every manager in team history on their website, and if you scroll it, a pattern jumps out. Since Lou Piniella left after 2002, the club has gone through Bob Melvin, Mike Hargrove, John McLaren, Jim Riggleman, Don Wakamatsu, Daren Brown, Eric Wedge, Lloyd McClendon, Scott Servais, and now Dan Wilson.

Whoever gets hired this winter will be the third Mariners manager in four seasons. Swapping the guy in the dugout is the move this franchise reaches for first, and it has rarely fixed anything.

So what about Jerry?

Here's the part I keep coming back to. If the problem is that we need a new direction, Jerry Dipoto sets it. He's heading into his 12th year with the Mariners and in that time he's hired three managers and made the playoffs twice.

To his credit, he didn't dodge it. He said the standard was on him first, that he did an ineffective job of holding everyone accountable, and that if he didn't have a job today, it would be justified. He also said he has full autonomy. Nobody above him is tying his hands.

One reporter pointed out that when Jerry took over 11 years ago, he inherited a team that went 76-86. This year, 76-86.

I appreciate the honesty. I really do. But if the guy at the top says the standard was his responsibility, and he makes every call, and the guy in the dugout is the one who loses his job, that doesn't add up for me. Dan is gone, and so are bench coach Manny Acta, infield coach Perry Hill, hitting coach Kevin Seitzer, and first-base coach Eric Young Jr. The front office that built the roster is all coming back.

Jerry even admitted they didn't do an exhaustive search when they hired Dan, because Dan's interview had basically been 35 years with the organization. When asked why this search will be different, he said, "Perhaps because of that." So the last manager hire wasn't done the right way, and the manager is the one paying for it.

I'm not saying Jerry has to go tomorrow. He built the team that got us to Game 7, and John Stanton makes a fair point that most of a front office's work happens below the waterline, in scouting and the farm system. But if we're doing accountability, it has to go up the chain too, not just down it.

Spend the money

A lot of fans are saying the payroll needs to go up, and I'm with them. Stanton says the Mariners are a mid-market team that has raised payroll each of the last five years. He also said he doesn't want to pay free agents in their 30s for what they did in the past, and would rather draft, develop, and trade.

He's not wrong that a ten-year deal for a 32-year-old can turn ugly. But there's a lot of room between a ten-year mega deal and doing nothing. Developing young players matters. Colt Emerson, Cole Young, and the rest of the kids are a big part of what's next, and I want to watch them grow. But young teams also need guys who've been through a pennant race and a long October. That experience doesn't come out of the farm system. You have to pay for it.

Stanton also said this is the Mariners' 50th season and we still haven't been to a World Series. I agree with him. That's exactly why it's time to spend like it.

Randy and J.P.

Which brings me to Randy Arozarena and J.P. Crawford. Both are free agents this winter, and from everything I'm hearing, we could lose both.

Start with Randy, because his case is easy. He hit .281 with an .865 OPS, hit 26 home runs, drove in 79 runs, stole 26, led the American League with 113 runs scored, and made his third All-Star team. Baseball-Reference has him at 5.7 WAR, the best of his career by a mile. On a team that went 76-86, he was the guy who kept showing up.

Here's what gets me. In the same press conference, Jerry talked about how hard it is for this team to find a right-handed bat who can come into Seattle and produce. Then he said Randy did exactly that, and may have just had the best season of his career. He's right, and the numbers back him up. Jerry even admitted that losing Randy leaves a void that isn't small, especially in left field.

So the guy who solved the problem you can't solve is the guy you're letting walk?

J.P. is a tougher case, and I'll be honest. He had an off year: .221 with a .687 OPS and 14 home runs in 116 games. But you can't look at those numbers without the context. He needed a cortisone shot in his shoulder in spring and opened the season on the injured list. Then he went back on the IL twice more over the summer with hand and wrist injuries. On top of that, he got moved over to third base for stretches after Colt Emerson came up. Three IL stints and a new position is not a recipe for a big year. The year before, when he played 157 games, he was worth 3.6 WAR.

He's also the longest tenured Mariner in that clubhouse. When you just told everyone the problem was culture and accountability, letting your longest-tenured veteran walk without even an offer is a strange way to fix it. A shorter deal could make sense for both sides.

Make the fair offers. If they say no, fine. But make them.

Thank you, Dan. You managed it to the best October it has ever had, and you deserved better than announcing your own exit at a podium. Stanton says he wants to keep you in the organization, and I hope you stay. And Jerry, you've got a manager to hire, a payroll to fight for, and two free agents to call. No pressure. Spring training is only a few months away.

For a couple of years it lived in a back room at Matt Evans Tech, tucked behind the gadget reviews and the app updates. That worked for a while. But a post about a slice of pizza in Portland always looked a little lost sitting next to one about a Chrome extension, and I kept feeling like I had to apologize for one of them.

So Unplugged has its own address now: unpluggedblog.com.

A fresh coat of paint

The whole place has been redesigned. Warm paper instead of a dark screen, a proper serif for reading, and a lot more room to breathe. If you prefer the lights low, there's a dark theme in the footer, and it's a warm one, not the usual black.

There's also a new logo. Just the word, lowercase, drawn to feel like the top of a notebook page.

Four things, and whatever else comes along

Everything here now sits under one of four topics: Travels, Words, Pizza and Baseball. Each has its own color and its own page, so if you're only here for the Mariners suffering, you can go straight to it.

A few other things are new:

• An archive with every entry, newest first
• Search, right above the posts
• Asides, for the short thoughts that don't need a headline

What to expect

A new home deserves someone actually living in it. The plan from here is to publish once or twice a week: a blog post, and an aside for the smaller stuff. Some weeks that will be a trip, some weeks a ballgame, and some weeks just a really good slice.

What this means for Matt Evans Tech

Nothing is going away. I still write about technology at mattevanstech.com, and I still like doing it. The two sites just stopped sharing a house. Tech stays there. Life, travel, baseball and pizza live here.

If you were already following along

Old links to Unplugged posts will bring you to the right place automatically. If you read by RSS, there's one thing to do: Unplugged has its own feed now at unpluggedblog.com/rss.xml, and the Matt Evans Tech feed no longer carries these posts.

Thanks for reading. Go put the kettle on.

Last Sunday, September 27, Rick Rizzs called his final Mariners game. The M's beat the Angels 7-3 at T-Mobile Park, which feels about right. After 41 seasons in Seattle and 52 years in professional baseball, Rick got to sign off with a win.

I never met Rick. But I've been a fan of his since I was a kid, and that doesn't feel like a contradiction. When someone's voice is in your house a few nights a week for most of your life, you start to feel like you know them.

Growing up, Rick was part of Mariners baseball whether I was watching or listening. For years he worked both the TV and radio broadcasts, before moving to radio full time. Either way, if the Mariners were on, there was a good chance Rick was the one telling me what was happening.

I loved listening to him on the radio most. Radio is where a broadcaster really earns it. There's no picture to fall back on, so the voice has to carry everything: the count, the runners, the tension, the crowd. Rick made you see it.

Holy smokes

Every great broadcaster has a call you can hear in your head, and Rick had a few. "Goodbye, baseball!" on a home run. And my favorite, "Holy smokes!" Nobody else could say it the way he did. When you heard it, you knew something big just happened, and you knew he was as excited about it as you were.

What I always appreciated was how inspirational his calls felt. Rick never sounded like he was going through the motions. Even in a rough stretch, he found something to be hopeful about. That held true right to the end. This season was one of the more disappointing ones in recent memory, and the Mariners were eliminated from the playoffs the Thursday before his farewell weekend. Rick stayed encouraging anyway. That's just who he was in the booth.

He loved this team, and it showed

You could hear how much Rick loved the Mariners in the way he called games. A big hit didn't just get described, it got celebrated. A tough loss didn't get buried, he'd find the bright spot and point you toward tomorrow. That's not something you can fake for 41 seasons.

His career backs it up. Rick joined the Mariners in 1983 alongside the late Dave Niehaus. In 1992 he left to become the lead voice of the Detroit Tigers, replacing Ernie Harwell, which is about as big a job as there is in baseball broadcasting. Three seasons later, he came back to Seattle and stayed for the next 31 years. That tells you where his heart was.

The other thing I've noticed over the years: I have never heard a bad word about Rick. Not one. Every story is about how kind he is, how much he loves baseball, and how he treats everyone the same, from players to fans calling in. His Rick's Locker program has given new gloves and bats to kids who need them. When the team set up a "Holy Smokes" hotline for fans to leave farewell messages, listening to them brought him to tears. That's the guy everyone describes.

A Mariners Hall of Famer

I love that the Mariners are putting Rick in the team's Hall of Fame. John Stanton announced it on August 8 during the 50th Season Celebration at T-Mobile Park, and Rick got emotional on the field. He'll be inducted in 2027 as the 12th member.

The best part is the company he'll keep. Rick and Dave Niehaus will be the only two members of the Mariners Hall of Fame who never wore a uniform. Partners in the booth for 25 years, together again on the wall. It's hard to think of a better ending than that.

Thank you, Rick

Next season is going to sound different. Opening Day will come, the Mariners will take the field, and for the first time in a long time, Rick won't be the one calling it. That's going to take some getting used to.

But the good news is Rick isn't going far, and the calls aren't going anywhere either. They're stuck in the heads of a few generations of Mariners fans, mine included.

So thank you, Rick. For the calls, the optimism, and for loving this team out loud for 41 seasons. Holy smokes, what a run.

Which brings me to this week in Chicago.

Friday night the White Sox beat the Royals 22-1. I had to read it twice. They hung a 10-run third inning on Kansas City and just kept going from there, finishing with 23 hits and five home runs and a final score that looks like a typo. It was the most runs they've scored in a game since 1970 and the second-biggest margin in franchise history. On a random Friday, against a division opponent, at home.

Then, like they couldn't stand to be left out, the Cubs beat the Padres 23-3 over at Wrigley. Dansby Swanson hit a grand slam and drove in more runs than any Cub has in a single game since Sammy Sosa was doing it back in 2002. Twenty years, and it gets broken on a Wednesday afternoon.

Add it up, and that's 45 runs from two Chicago teams, both at home, both against teams that presumably showed up thinking they'd play a normal game of baseball. And somewhere in the back of my head is the thought that the Mariners have to go into that city eventually. Either side of town, I'm not picky about which one does me in. I just know Guaranteed Rate Field and Wrigley both apparently had the "runs" cheat code switched on this week, and I would love for someone to turn it off before we visit.

Now, the reasonable part of my brain knows this is a snapshot, not a trend. A 10-run inning usually means a bullpen fell apart and a few balls found grass at the worst possible time, and it snowballs. It happens to everybody. The Royals and Padres are good teams that caught a buzzsaw on the wrong night, and none of it necessarily says anything about how a series would actually go.

The problem is that the White Sox have quietly turned their home park into one of the best in the league this year, and the Cubs are, well, the Cubs. Neither of these is some fluke roster stumbling into a big number. When a bad team does this, you laugh. When a good team does it, you start pricing out therapy.

Anyway, congrats to Chicago. Genuinely. Watching a team put up 22 is a great time as long as it isn't happening to yours. I'll be over here hoping the Mariners' next trip lands on a night when both bullpens show up, and the wind is blowing in. Go M's. And please, keep it under double digits.

The honest version: I've been prioritizing my health. It's not the most exciting blog content, but it's real, and it's been where my energy has gone. I'm getting there, and that matters more than keeping up a posting streak.

That said, the brain never really stops, so I've also been quietly heads-down on some tech projects.

We Dumped the VW. We Have No Regrets.

If you've been around here long enough, you know about the VW Taos. If you don't, consider yourself lucky. That car was a character. Not in a charming way.

So we did what any reasonable person would do: sold it before it could break our spirits any further, and picked up a Ford Mustang Mach-E.

We love this car.

And in what I can only describe as peak timing, we made the switch right before gas prices decided to go on their little adventure upward. The Mach-E runs on electricity, which means I now drive past gas stations with a level of smugness I'm not entirely proud of but also refuse to suppress.

Winter: A Review. One Star.

I want to say something nice about winter. I really do. Presque Isle Winter Nights is genuinely lovely — the lights, the quiet, the whole vibe. I appreciate it. I do.

But this year? This year broke me a little.

There's a specific kind of tired that comes from months of grey skies and cold that settles into your bones, and I hit that wall hard. I've started casually browsing what it would cost to just... live somewhere with the sun. Somewhere that doesn't require a ten-minute car warm-up before you can feel your fingers again.

I'm not making any announcements. I'm just saying the thought has crossed my mind. Frequently. While wearing three layers indoors.

Warmer weather, please get here. I'm rooting for you.

More Soon

That's the quick version of where I've been. There's more to share, and I'm glad to be writing here again.

The backpack rides on top of the suitcase, which means one hand free for coffee. That alone might be worth it. Now I just need to book a trip so I can actually use them.

As a certified pizza lover (and an unapologetic fan of Detroit-style in particular), I’m hooked on their 8x10 pies. The crispy, caramelized edges, the fluffy yet substantial crust, and the sauce on top make for the perfect combination of textures and flavors. It’s technically shareable, but let’s be real: I never share mine.

Starting your meal with the Sourdough Garlic Parm Breadsticks is an absolute must. They’re warm, garlicky, and have just the right amount of chew, making them the perfect prelude to any pizza. And to drink, East Glisan offers RC Cola, a retro classic that adds a nostalgic touch to the experience. There’s something about sipping this old-school soda that pairs perfectly with the vibe of the place.

Located on NE Glisan Street in the heart of Montavilla, East Glisan is a cozy, intimate lounge with a small bar and limited seating. It’s not designed for large parties, but it’s the perfect spot for a laid-back evening with great food. The atmosphere is enhanced by their choice of entertainment, with classic TV shows like the original Star Trek and The Twilight Zone playing on their screens. The nostalgic charm of the lounge creates a unique and welcoming ambiance that makes every visit memorable.

East Glisan Pizza & Lounge opens at 5 PM, and there’s often a line, so arriving early is a smart move if you want a seat. Whether you’re coming alone to savor every bite in peace or bringing along fellow pizza lovers, this spot delivers an unforgettable experience. From the mouthwatering pizzas to the retro vibes, East Glisan has a special kind of magic that keeps you coming back for more. Treat yourself to a visit—you won’t regret it.

I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to share your opinions, ask questions, or join the discussion below. Just remember to follow the comment rules to keep this space fun, respectful, and valuable for everyone.

Think of this blog as your favorite non-tech podcast, but in written form and without the awkward ad breaks for meal kits or mattresses. Whether I’m gushing over the latest binge-worthy series on Apple TV+ or waxing poetic about a pizza place so good it makes me question every bad delivery choice I’ve ever made, this is where I share the passions that keep me smiling.

What’s This Blog About?

In a nutshell: everything but technology.

Okay, fine—there might be some technology because, let’s face it, I live in a tech-saturated world. But the emphasis here is on stepping back, unplugging, and enjoying life’s simpler pleasures. This is the place where I get to explore a variety of interests and hopefully inspire you to do the same. From food finds and book recommendations to movie reviews and the occasional deep dive into why pineapple on pizza might not be such a crime, there’s a little something for everyone.

Right now, the comment section isn’t quite up and running (I’m working on it—promise!), but I’d love to hear from you. Catch me on Threads, Bluesky, or Mastodon if you want to chat about anything you read here. Let’s start a conversation about what’s fun, fascinating, and worth celebrating in this beautifully chaotic world.

I wanted a space that feels different from the usual hustle of tech-heavy chatter. Sometimes it’s refreshing to step away from tech and talk about the good stuff—like that life-changing slice of pizza or the tv show that kept me up all night.

This blog is as much for me as it is for anyone who stumbles across it. Even if I’m the only one reading these posts, I’ll still be here, happily rambling away. But I hope you’ll stick around, join in, and help make Unplugged a little community of curious minds.

So grab a coffee (or tea, if you’re fancy like that), settle in, and let’s dive into all the things that make life fun. Welcome to Unplugged—let’s see where this adventure takes us!

In Washington, we were hit by a bomb cyclone, and I initially mistook it for a mere indication of strong winds. However, I was thoroughly mistaken, as this storm was one of the most powerful I’ve experienced or, at the very least, can recall. In August I moved to Issaquah which is on the eastside. We are aboutb15 miles from Seattle but closer to the foothills. And the bomb cyclone slammed into Issaquah which very powerful winds. Bringing down massive trees into people homes.

We’re grateful that our apartment community was spared significant damage. While some branches and smaller trees fell, reaching our home requires traversing a road lined with trees. On Wednesday morning, after waking up, we ventured out to find the extent of the destruction. Roads were blocked by trees, and downed power lines littered the landscape. We had lost power on Tuesday night around 5 pm as the storm approached. As I write this post on Saturday at 1:40 pm, we still lack power. On Friday, when the power briefly returned, we had a small hope, but only half of our apartment was illuminated. However, this respite was short-lived as power crews began repairs to our grid. Power was gone again.

We were not prepared for the storm. I had anticipated a power outage for a day or so, expecting to be able to leave safely. However, that was clearly not the case. We did not have water and our dog’s food was gone too as it need to be kept in the freezer. We were eventually able to get out and get food and water. Thursday night we got a hotel room so we could get some sleep and take a warm shower.

As we weren’t prepared for the storm, neither was PSE, our power company. They brought in crews from other areas, but the damage to the power grid was extensive. What made it even more frustrating was the communication and reporting system. It was a complete failure, and they blamed it on an upgrade made this fall. The notification system sent me a message informing me that my power was out and asking me to text Status back for an update. After sending them a message, they informed me that my phone number wasn’t registered with their system.

The outage map was constantly changing and never provided accurate information, such as the time of my power outage or whether crews were on-site. In contrast, PSE simply issued generic PR messages stating that most customers should expect power restoration by Saturday at 2 p.m. PSE is a prominent power company in Washington, serving multiple counties and cities. However, the statement was later revised, indicating that some customers would receive power on Saturday, some on Sunday, and more on Monday.

My power was later restored while I was writing this blog but as I am there are still thousands in the dark. In writing this blog I’m hoping that PSE will take this message seriously and make changes to their systems and protocols.