Check out our November newsletter!
Bolton Bulletin The November 2025
Tomball 990 Village Square, Suite G1100 Tomball, TX 77375 (281) 351-7897
The Woodlands 2441 High Timbers Dr., Suite 400
The Woodlands, TX 77380 BoltonLaw.com
From Second Date to Family Feasts
Rob’s Love of Grilling Built More Than Just Meals
Rob loves to grill. In fact, for our second date, he asked if I would come over and let him make me dinner. What kinds of foods did I like grilled? “How about salmon?” I suggested. Rob came back with, “Did I like it cooked directly on the grill or on a plank? If I liked plank, did I prefer cedar or pecan? What sides did I like?” I remember thinking he was making it more complicated than it needed to be. Except that when I ate it, everything was amazing. I thought it was sweet that he had put so much time and thought into preparing a meal for us. I think I fell in love with him just a little as I watched him fuss over every aspect of that meal. Once I knew Rob had that talent, I put it to good use. When I brought him to my nephew’s wedding, I rented an Airbnb with a big deck. The night before the wedding, everyone who was not at the rehearsal dinner came over and Rob produced a feast. That was how he met most of my extended family. Once every quarter, I host social events for the members of our Bolton Law family and their guests. I have tried a number of different gatherings, but the
most popular tends to be a pool party at my house. Before we were even engaged, I asked Rob to take over producing the main course. He didn’t skip a beat.
I have mixed feelings about National Men Make Dinner Day on the first Thursday of November. I love that it encourages men to roll up their sleeves and take charge in the kitchen, but I also find it surprising that one day a year would be singled out to recognize something that should just be part of life. From my observations, more men are taking responsibility for family meals than ever before. For many families it is a shared responsibility. When caring for the daily physical needs of the family is a shared responsibility, both parents tend to be more involved in all the responsibilities of the household, as well as more aware of the family schedule. Cooking isn’t just time at the stove. It involves planning, shopping, considering health, preferences, and timing. It’s a huge emotional and logistical effort. Men who step into that role frequently carry more of the “invisible work” that keeps a family running smoothly. I’ve always cared about family dinners. Even when I was very busy at work, I’d go home to make and eat dinner with my kids. During dinner, we would catch up. I would hear about their lives; we would talk about their frustrations and aspirations. A lot of time, as I was quickly putting something together and throwing it in the oven, one of my children would be leaning against the counter, talking to me, getting a little time of their own. When dinner was over, I would go back to work if I needed to, but my children always knew I would be there for dinner, and I would be focusing just on them. Watching more men become involved in meal prep today makes me feel like societal expectations are balancing out more. Families are richer, relationships are stronger, and both parents are more connected to their children’s day-to-day lives. I still laugh thinking about my second date with Rob. Now we are married and my grown children who live nearby come over for dinner every Sunday night. Sometimes I cook, sometimes we will try a new restaurant, but more often than not, the evening features Rob at the grill, trying out a new cooking technique and carefully weighing everyone’s reactions. That attention and care are all about building family, showing love, and taking responsibility together. In my experience, every household that shares that kind of effort has stronger connections and happier, healthier relationships.
-Ruby Bolton
BoltonLaw.com | 1
Before Smartphones, There Was Water
GETTING OUT OF BED LONG BEFORE THE SNOOZE BUTTON
Members of Generation Z may find it difficult to believe that people used plug-in alarm clocks to help them get up on time in the morning. However, that seemingly archaic means of timekeeping has nothing on how people managed wake-up time before cellphones and even electricity, as we use it today, became staples of daily life. In the 4th century BCE, the Greek philosopher Plato created a method to ensure students at his academy, which once counted Aristotle among its pupils, woke up at the correct time each day. To perfect a foolproof system, he turned to a surprising tool: water. He constructed a set of clocks that operated using two basins. One basin would slowly empty into the other throughout the night; when the second basin was full, rattling pebbles or whistling air awakened students from their slumber. Known as klepsydra (or “water thief”) clocks, these timekeepers were astonishingly accurate. About a century later, Greek inventor Ctesibius of Alexandria expanded on Plato’s design by incorporating mechanics that produced sounds not unlike those of the more modern cuckoo clock. Ctesibius’s version remained popular until the pendulum clock emerged in the 1650s.
Although Plato often gets credit for creating aquatic-
based alarms, some variation of the klepsydra concept allegedly dates back to at least the 16th century BCE. Archaeologists uncovered a tomb inscription detailing how an Egyptian
court official of the era devised a similar system. Regardless of its definitive inventor, the water clock roused people long before phone apps, proving that nature often provides solutions to problems centuries before human technology catches up.
While the water clock was undoubtedly an imaginative masterstroke, it is still reasonable to argue that the “snooze” button remains the most critical time-related creation known to man.
Ice Cream in Your Pocket?
YOU CAN’T EVEN MAKE UP THESE STRANGE FOOD RULES
Finger-Licking Fun … or Else!
When it comes to state laws about food, specific provisions on the books from past years may leave a funny taste in your mouth, and potentially get you in a heap of trouble if you break them. This fact is especially true in parts of the South, where your lunch order may need to come with a side of legal advice. Cones and Captured Horses If you want to stay on the good side of law enforcement in Alabama, always remember that ice cream cones are for licking, not sticking in your back pocket. While it’s pretty safe to assume the thought of engaging in the latter activity hasn’t crossed a single mind in 2025, there was a time when horse thieves would stick ice cream in their pockets to attract equine abductees. Considering that we rarely share the highway with horses these days and most people would prefer not to turn the seat of their pants into a sundae, it’s a safe bet this charge won’t fill up courtrooms for the foreseeable future.
On the subject of making a mess with food items, eating chicken with your hands can be a sticky thrill and is the only way to partake in poultry eating
without running a-fowl of the law in Gainesville, Georgia. If you want to enjoy tasty chicken in that city, stock up on wet wipes and skip the knife and fork, as eating it with utensils is a crime. Although the ordinance banning knives
and forks when consuming chicken was meant as a joke
by the local police department, chucking the rule may draw some disapproving clucks when dining in the place affectionately known by locals and city officials as “the Poultry
Capital of the World,” especially during its renowned Spring Chicken Festival. Perhaps only a good lawyer can help determine whether
the law also applies to vegan “chik’n” options.
2 | (281) 351-7897
Dividing Homes, Not Hearts
TAKE A BREAK
Co-Parent Like a Pro After Separation
Divorce or separation is often stressful, but it should never be used to draw battle lines for your children. Dissolving a marriage or partnership can be as logistically challenging as it is emotionally draining, especially when developing a positive and effective co-parenting situation. Here are a few suggestions for creating and sustaining clear communication and responsibilities when you and your former spouse/partner no longer live or parent under the same roof. The Key Steps Toward Stability First and foremost, all co-parenting arrangements need a consistent plan for success. A written co-parenting plan should include the custody agreement, travel and/or relocation considerations, financial responsibilities for both parties, schedules (e.g., school pick-up/drop-off times and who is responsible for fulfilling these commitments), and details regarding the child’s education and health care needs. A document of this nature helps solidify both parties’ involvement and holds each accountable for what they’ve agreed to do on the child’s behalf. Additionally, it helps prevent disagreements or misunderstandings that could lead to arguing in front of the child/children, a scenario to avoid as much as possible. While a divorce may present logistical obstacles for one or both parents, it is critical to work toward maintaining the child’s existing friendships and activities, even if they require spending more time with one spouse over the other. For example, if your child’s best friend lives closer to your ex-spouse, accommodating the continuation of this close relationship will help your child maintain a sense of normalcy. The Risks of Reticent Relationships When the end of a marriage or relationship results in a breakdown in communication or cooperation, these fractured ties can have a potentially devastating impact on your child. Common effects of unhealthy co-parenting on children include reduced performance at school, lowered self-esteem, and difficulties in maintaining healthy relationships with others. If communication has devolved into acrimony or has resulted in either side failing to fulfill their parental duties, seeking counseling from a trained professional is one way to help steer the ship in the best possible direction for your child’s health and peace of mind.
SLOW COOKER BRISKET
Ingredients
• 1 (1-oz) envelope onion soup mix • 1 tbsp brown sugar • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper • 1 3-lb piece of beef brisket (flat cut)
• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces • 1 lb baby golden potatoes • 3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 large sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges • 2 1/2 cups beef stock • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs • 8 whole garlic cloves • 2 bay leaves
Directions 1. In a small bowl, combine soup mix, sugar, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle over brisket. 2. Place meat, fat cap side down, into an 8-qt slow cooker. 3. Top brisket with thyme, garlic, bay leaves, carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion. 4. Whisk stock, Worcestershire sauce, and cornstarch until fully dissolved. Add to slow cooker. 5. Cover and cook on high for 5–6 hours until tender. 6. Remove to a cutting board, fat side up. Remove thyme and bay leaves. 7. Thinly slice brisket against the grain. 8. Serve with vegetables, drizzled with gravy from the slow cooker.
Inspired by ThePioneerWoman.com
BoltonLaw.com | 3
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
(281) 351-7897 BoltonLaw.com 2441 High Timbers Dr., Suite 400 The Woodlands, TX 77380
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Marriages Thrive on Shared Responsibility
1 2
What Snooze Button? The Ingenious Ways People Used to Wake Up
Who Knew Eating Could Get You in Legal Trouble?
3
Slow Cooker Brisket
Divorce Isn’t Easy, but Co-Parenting Can Be
The Chocolate Event That Had Kids Crying, Not Smiling
4
When AI Marketing Goes Horribly Wrong Willy’s Ruined Chocolate Experience
Never fail to deliver on a promise of chocolate to children.
(in some instances) a single jellybean served in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. The scenery was cheap, while the actors struggled to perform through hastily provided scripts. One character, The Unknown, was a masked and frighteningly attired figure that prompted youngsters to recoil and cry in fear. Perhaps most disturbingly, there was no chocolate to be found. Naturally, people called the police amid demands for refunds, and the lackluster affair was shut down. Subsequent revelations that creators used AI to generate the online marketing images and that the $44 event was not an officially sanctioned “Wonka” undertaking also brought into question House of Illuminati owner Billy Coull’s background, including his history of publishing AI-generated books on conspiracy theories and taboo subjects. Although Coull’s fraudulent and exploitative marketing scheme was reprehensible, it’s far from his worst transgression. Around the time House of Illuminati was shuttered in late 2024, he was forced to register as a sex offender after it was revealed he had followed up his “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” fiasco by sending unwanted explicit messages and images to an unidentified woman.
House of Illuminati, a London-based event company, learned this lesson the hard way when it hosted what angry parents and disappointed kids in Glasgow considered one of the biggest scams in children’s entertainment history. The disastrous day went from offering scant amounts of lemonade and jellybeans to prompting cries of terror and calls to Scottish police, and artificial intelligence was at least partially to blame. In early 2024, social media feeds in the U.K. were abuzz with vibrant images promoting “Willy’s Chocolate Experience,” an immersive event boasting chocolate fountains, costumed characters, and “a day of pure imagination and wonder.” Naturally, people assumed the event was a tie-in with the then-recently released film “Wonka” and a nod to the imaginary world created by the classic 1971 movie “Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.” Unfortunately, what attendees experienced when “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” arrived that February was far from a fairy tale. Instead of rivers of sweets, they were treated to half-filled cups of lemonade and
4 | (281) 351-7897
Published by Newsletter Pro • newsletterpro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator