The last time I saw the inside of a gym was exactly a month ago. On March 14, the after I arrived from Myrtle Beach, I worked out at an Anytime Fitness in Spokane. Later that weekend, Governor Inslee issued a stay home order and all gyms in the state closed.

It has been hard adjusting to no gym access. After doing something consistently on a daily basis for 20 years, it stings a little to no longer have the option. Yes, I am making the best of it by finding alternative ways to exercise but it still isn’t the same. Working out at a gym isn’t solely a physical experience; it is a social one too.

My calluses have healed, my muscle mass has decreased, and my gym towels remain folded and unused. There is no way of telling when I will be able to pump iron or run on the treadmill again. But if I find myself dwelling on not having a gym to go to, I remind myself that most people in this country have to deal with actual devastating COVID-19 impacts like job loss, financial hardship, and/or serious health issues.

OR, I think about what hurts more personally than not going to the gym…

Not seeing my family.

Yesterday was the one-month mark since I last saw my wife, toddler, and newborn. I said goodbye to my trio on March 13 and have missed them every day since. This virus has pushed back when I will see them again from this Thursday to the beginning of next month. For a family guy like myself, being away from them pains me much more than the loss of any physical strength.

But I am blessed that this is the greatest hardship I have had to endure in relation to this terrible pandemic and am so thankful for the modern marvel of FaceTime. We will be together soon.

As most of us now have 30 days under our belts of strict social distancing, it is a thoughtful exercise to look back and realize all that we have taken for granted––both big and small. Although we might not come out of this physically stronger, let’s hope we do at least mentally. Don’t Blink.

Although Easter itself is always glorious, celebrating it yesterday was bittersweet. I did not get to spend the day with my wife and babies, a tough pill to swallow on the holiest day of the year. However, I did have the distinct pleasure of marking the day with my parents and siblings (and their families), something I had not done in six years. Under the circumstances, it was a terrific day.

Thank you to my mother-in-law for snapping this photo of Sloan decorating eggs yesterday.

My parents and I watched Easter Sunday mass from Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, the mother church of the Diocese of Spokane. In his homily, Bishop Thomas Daly preached that the empty churches caused by COVID-19 will strengthen our faith community even more, helping us realize how important parish life is. As the mass ended, Fr. Darrin Connall recognized the sadness that the candidates who had hoped to be welcomed into the Church this past weekend must be feeling. It made me a little emotional as I thought about their disappointment and then contrasted it with how lucky Sidney was to be confirmed at the start of the Lenten season.

Bishop Daly was the presider at Easter Sunday mass from Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral in Spokane.

After mass, we ate a sweet and savory brunch. Besides the banana bread and caramel bread, my mom made an Easter Italian pie called pizzagaina. To those who are unfamiliar with this delicacy, visualize a flaky crust filled with ham and macaroni and cheese.

A look at my Easter brunch with the pizzagaina on the left.

My brother and his fiancée, Carrie, came over in the early afternoon. We spent a couple hours chatting in the living room and munching on candy. At around 3 p.m., my sister and her family arrived. Just so we could get it all over with, we converged on the front yard to take some pictures.

This photo with my siblings was part of our front yard photo shoot.

After the photoshoot, we moved from the front yard to the back yard. My brother and Carrie had set up an Easter egg hunt for my sister’s youngest children, Mikayla and Johnny. They scooped up plastic eggs and placed them into their overflowing baskets.

Johnny and Mik during yesterday’s Easter egg hunt.

Once the eggcitement from the hunt dissipated, we had our Easter meal. The menu included ham, salad, fruit, corn casserole, scalloped potatoes, and rolls. Despite all the candy and sweet bread I had ate earlier, I still managed to have a healthy appetite for this delicious dinner. We gave thanks for our salvation and enjoyed the delicious food coupled with great discussion.

This Easter meal was delicious.

We finished up in time to go outside and watch the Easter Bunny ride by in a pickup truck. With the neighborhood Easter egg hunt canceled, those in the community still wanted to do something for the children. Although odd-looking, it was nice for Mikayla and Johnny to see yet another strangely costumed rabbit ride by.

The Easter Bunny drove by in the back of a truck yesterday.

The family gathering concluded with my mom’s famous ice cream cake. Another specialty that I had not enjoyed for years, this particular version with Cold Stone cake batter ice cream was even better than what I remembered. We all sat around the living room and continued to talk until it was time for us to prepare for Monday.

My mom’s ice cream cake was even better than I remembered it.

Easter Sunday might be over but the season of Easter has just started. I look forward to the weeks to come as we continue to celebrate our resurrected Lord. Don’t Blink.

Easter 2019
Easter 2018

I hope everyone has managed to stay healthy throughout this week. As we approach Easter, I wish you nothing but peace and good health. Let’s begin with the Thursday Rundown…

Gratitude – I wanted to start this Rundown off by just thanking my wife. Tomorrow marks four weeks since I left my family to head west and she has done such a superb job with Sloan and Beau while finishing up her teaching. I miss them so much and can’t wait to see them.

A couple of recent photos of my babies courtesy of my mother-in-law.

Out of Practice – I used to be a good Scrabble player. However, I wasn’t able to shake off the dust as seamlessly as I would have liked this past Sunday when my mom challenged me to a game. The two of us and my dad sat around the dining room table like old times to engage in a quarantine-approved friendly competition. Whether it was my time away from the game or the consistent practice my mom undertakes from her strict Words With Friends regimen, I found myself in second place, coming up about 70 points short.

A look at our Scrabble board from Sunday’s game.

Taffer on Restaurants – This morning I caught an interview with Jon Taffer. He was on Fox News to discuss not necessarily the current grim state of restaurants but what the industry will look like once they can finally open for full service again. Taffer says restaurant capacity will go down dramatically because they will have to account for social distancing mandates. Thus, a restaurant that usually serves 50 tables during lunch might only serve 25. This leads to not only a diminished revenue but also fewer employees. Another implication he mentioned is that customers will now dine at restaurants on how “safe” they perceive them to be. It will no longer be about “who has the best burger” but who is implementing social distancing measures the best. As a way to be transparent, Taffer said restaurants should consider putting online cameras in their kitchens just so potential customers can see that it is a safe and clean establishment.

I caught an interview with Jon Taffer his morning about the outlook for restaurants.

Free Cone Day Postponed – Ben & Jerry’s was supposed to hold its Free Cone Day this week but obviously it did not happen. I know it is not the same, but I thought I would mark the celebration by looking back five years ago to when I completely took advantage of the promotion. I waddled to four different Ben & Jerry’s stores in Myrtle Beach and snatched a free cone from each one. Yep, you better believe I was proud of myself.

Enjoying Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day in 2015 (one of four stops).

Twinkie Story – Earlier this week, I was notified that the Twinkie celebrated its 90th birthday. When I saw the notification come across, I was surprised to learn that the Twinkie was originally filled with banana cream. This led me to conduct my own history lesson on Wikipedia. It turns out that the treat transitioned to vanilla cream during World War II because of banana rationing. I don’t have any good personal Twinkie stories other than they are a big deal at University of Montana football games. Whenever the Griz score a touchdown, a dedicated group of season ticket holders in a certain section of Washington-Grizzly Stadium throw Twinkies to fans…it has become quite a tradition.

Timehop taught me that Twinkies were originally filled with banana cream.

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As we conclude this week and look toward the weekend, let’s remember the light that awaits us on Sunday. Happy Easter. Don’t Blink.

In last night’s blog post about current social media engagement tactics, I omitted 10 UNPOPULAR OPINIONS. At the time I explained my decision by acting as if it was beneath me. In reality, I laid off so I could devote tonight’s entire post to it.

I have an unpopular opinion about Disney World.

1. Disney World is overrated – Would have made a bolder statement if my wife didn’t like it so much.

2. There is no better time to wake up than 4 a.m. – Early bird truly gets the worm.

3. I am not a dog fan – One word: CATS

4.  Star Wars? Lord of the Rings? Star Trek? No, no, and no – Let me reemphasize…NO, NO, AND NO.

5. Sour candy is the worst candy – Would rather suck on a clove of garlic than a Warhead.

6. Following all the rules when you have braces is the only way to go – For two and a half years I had no soda, no caramel, or no popcorn.

7. Wearing a pocket watch made me feel cool in middle school – No wonder I didn’t have a girlfriend.

9. Will Ferrell is not funny – Probably the only comedian who consistently puts me in a bad mood.

10. I find bowling boring – Well, a beer or two can make it a little more tolerable.

Don’t Blink.

With so many events canceled and the normal rigors of everyday life wiped out, the social media sphere has changed drastically. Despite heightened anxiety for many of us, it seems like the sentiment on social media does not mirror the daily challenges we are facing. Instead, Twitter and Instagram are now havens for people looking to escape, not the usual black holes of spite and drama.

I am seeing more posts about snack cakes and fewer posts promoting body shaming; more about feel-good movies, less about personal attacks; higher abundance of nostalgia, lower doses of cursing the current situation. It is a weird, but refreshing, vibe on social media right now.

The more relaxed attitude on social media has led to the rise of many fun engagement posts that allow us to focus on the lighter side of life while we battle a dark fact of life in the non-virtual world. I thought tonight I would recap five social media “challenges” that have brought a smile to my face.

You Can Only Keep Three – Whenever you place candy bars or Little Deb snacks on a tic-tac-toe board, you know you are going to have to make some tough decisions. I conducted my own draft (#3, #7. #1) and many of my followers did as well, leading me to question the sanity of some of my friends…because who really likes honey buns?

This generated a lot of debate!

Album Fun – Besides my blog, there isn’t much to post on my Facebook wall these days. I have no sports, my family is still in South Carolina, and I haven’t been in much of a selfie mood lately. Thankfully, I was challenged on Facebook to reveal the 10 albums that have influenced my taste in music over the years. Today was my fourth day of participation as I revealed the impact of U2’s Joshua Tree in my early teen years.

Over the course of 10 days I am listing some of the albums that had an influence on me.

This or That – Instagram Story is full of interactive content right now! A particular popular theme is “This or That.” You are given a list of dueling choices (such as restaurants, stores, music stars, etc.) and you indicate your top preference by placing an emoji or sticker by it. These get pretty specific, such as the bars that defined your time in college!

Who hasn’t done a This or That challenge on Instagram Story?

Tiger King Fun – I can’t stop laughing at people using Tiger King characters to describe cities, universities, teams, and more. The stars of the wildly popular Netflix documentary are all very colorful, making them prime candidates to portray the charisma of other things. The one done on Montana had me rolling on the floor.

You can explain a lot by using Tiger King characters.

Fill in the Blank – I have taken the bait on tweets that ask you to quote it and fill in the prompts with your own preferences. They are easy to do, the subjects are fun, and you can let your personality shine a bit. Hey, it was either this or the 10 Unpopular Opinions list!

I enjoyed the opportunity Twitter gave me to discuss Major League ballparks.

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Many times, social media can increase stress. However, currently, I think it can help relieve it. So what are you waiting for? Hop online and have some fun. Don’t Blink.

As I sit here and look at the week ahead, I can’t help but anticipate the challenges that will transpire over the next several days. According to Jerome Adams, our surgeon general, this week will be the overall toughest for our country during the coronavirus crisis. He has gone as far as to say it will be on the same level as Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

Unfortunately, there will be a lot of suffering this week. The demands on healthcare professionals will reach new heights. Thousands will die. Millions will be impacted. Many of us will be tested like never before.

A challenging week is on the horizon.

As we face these ensuing grim days, it will happen during a time that is near and dear to many of our hearts: Holy Week.

Despite the precarious state of our world, many of us celebrated Palm Sunday today, albeit in front of a computer screen. We reflected on Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem but also on his Passion, the latter rooted in extreme suffering and darkness. As we journey through Holy Week, we will meditate on this pain AND experience in realtime the COVID-19 pain. What a challenge it will be.

But at the end of Holy Week is Easter, a time of redemption and victory. In his same warning to the country about the virus hardships that lie ahead over the next week, Adams stated that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Of course this light won’t coincide exactly with Easter Sunday but it will shine eventually. During these challenging times, I choose to use the promise of Holy Week to help me hold out hope that we will eventually triumph over this pandemic. Don’t Blink.

Let me start off by crossing my fingers that all my readers have a decent April. I know this is going to be a tense and difficult month for many. Please know that you have my prayers. Here we go with my latest Thursday Rundown…

Sister Birthday Celebration – As I mentioned on Tuesday, after many years, I finally had the opportunity to celebrate a birthday with one of my siblings. Miranda’s special day was last Saturday and we had a nice family gathering as my mom made my sister’s favorite meal, chicken enchiladas. I posed for a picture with my sister and couldn’t resist comparing it to a similar one taken about 30 years ago.

Before and after.

Tiger King – Like the rest of the country, I watched the Netflix documentary “Tiger King.” The only difference is that while most people seemed to watch it all in a day, I was a little more restrained and finished it off in a week. There is no doubt why the series is so popular…shock value and big cats breed viewership. I had several jaw dropping moments while watching but what was most obvious to me is that adults can be extremely immature.

Tiger King was pretty wild.

Six Years Ago – On this date in 2014, I announced that I had accepted a position with Coastal Carolina University and was moving to Myrtle Beach. Most of my social media followers thought it was an April Fools’ joke. Looking back on that day, I never paused to think what my future would be like in six years. Life is crazy and you never know the ramifications (in this case all positive) a single decision can make.

Looking back at my Instagram post from April 2, 2014.

Visiting the Rock – During these days of teleworking, I use my lunch hour to run the track at my old high school. Today I decided to venture off a bit and I visited a “monument” from my glory years. When I was a junior at Mead High School, our head football coach, Sean Carty, introduced a tradition called Rock of the Week. He hauled a huge boulder from his property, painted it gold, and placed it at the entrance to the athletics fields. Prior to games and practices, we would touch it to signify our personal commitment to give 100%. Each week during the season, a player would be named the “Rock of the Week” for exemplifying what it means to always give a complete effort. The rock meant something to me since I was given the honor during my junior and senior years. Well, today I went to make sure it was still there and I wasn’t disappointed. Although the gold shade might be a little different, the boulder is still in its same old spot 15 years later.

I posed with the Rock in 2004 (left). The photo on the right is from today.

Old Library – I can’t get enough of old pictures like this. Especially with our current reality, I find some of these images of a simpler time rather refreshing. Ah, how I yearn for the days when I could go to the library. This particular library in Cincinnati looks really impressive. I hope they took all the books out before they demolished it.

I really liked this old image from a now-demolished library.

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Thank you for your time tonight. To echo what I said at the start of this blog post, try to stay strong and I will be thinking of you. Don’t Blink.

Due to the current state of the world, April Fools’ Day was pretty much canceled this year. In my opinion, that might be the one good thing that has come from this awful virus. I dislike April Fools and I think you have to be pretty strategic if you want to pull off something tasteful.

With April Fools Day enthusiasm at an all-time low, it has opened the door for another “holiday” with enthusiasm at perhaps an all-time high. Today is National Walking Day.

In 2018, I joined my parents, Sidney, Sloan, and my brother on a walk around the neighborhood.

At least in the state of Washington, “going for a walk” is pretty much the only activity that is permitted outside the house besides essential grocery store trips. The state government has recognized the need for citizens to get some fresh air and has allowed the people to walk.

In my parents’ neighborhood, this freedom has been embraced. My mom and dad have a huge living room window that peers out at the busiest street in their residential community. From the moment I sit down for work in the morning to the second the sun goes down in the evening, I observe a constant stream of people walking by. The foot traffic is never ending and diverse: individuals, couples, families, pet owners, and groups of friends are seemingly wearing out the pavement in front of the house.

How can this be a bad thing? As long as social distancing is being practiced, I applaud people for taking the initiative to engage in a permitted activity that promotes socialization and exercise.

In my experience, going for a walk is extremely therapeutic. The activity is non-strenuous enough that you can have a clear train of thought throughout the entire stroll. Scenery is also a big plus and is something that you can control. Personally, I have always preferred neighborhood walks because you can scope out how people are maintaining their lawns and there is no shortage of social interactions with those neighbors outside. Most importantly, during these times of isolation, nothing beats the opportunity to bask in fresh air. After being cooped up in your house for so many hours straight, there is no better motivation than to lace up those sneakers and hit the pavement.

Seriously, if you are going stir crazy, take a walk. In these times it might be the best stress reliever there is…and that’s no joke. Don’t Blink.