Monthly Archives: February 2023

Hearts On Fire Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

It is once again Friday Eve. By this time I hope you are over the disappointment of Groundhog Day and ready to give the next six (make that five) weeks of winter everything you have. I am ready to give this Thursday Rundown everything that I have…

NICU Memories – These past few days, as I will for the next several, cause me to reflect on the events that transpired three years ago at this time. I am talking about Beau’s stint in the NICU at McLeod Children’s Hospital. For 10 days, Sid and I made daily trips from Myrtle Beach to Florence to be with our little guy as he got better. It was an experience that will undoubtedly always remain with us. The blog post I wrote on the saga was ranked the #1 all-time best in the history of Don’t Blink. Thanks Be to God for his many blessings during a trying time.

By the time this photo was taken, Beau was steadily improving and we were all so relieved.

Guys Night – Up until this point, I haven’t had the opportunity to do too many things with just Beau and me. Now that he is 3, I know this will start to change. Last Friday night I had so much fun taking him to the local high school to watch basketball. We visited East Valley High School to watch the girls and boys teams play. Beau had fun watching the action, listening to the band, and eating/drinking concession stand fare. He also enjoyed the intense attention he received from the high school girls who enamored by him. At the end of the game, one particular student came up to me and gave me her number and offered her babysitting services!

I had a great time with Beau at the East Valley vs. Shadle Park basketball games.

Bag Limit – I have written about Washington state’s plastic bag tax before and what I saw on Monday night made me laugh. When I was checking out at Walmart, noticed that there is now a prompt on the screen that sets a plastic bag limit of 99. I asked myself, are people really coming into the store and buying copious amounts of plastic bags? They are extremely high quality and useful but I don’t know if I would buy them to bulk. Needless to say, I don’t think the plastic bag reduction efforts went according to plan in this state.

Do you notice the red bag limit notice or are you too busy deciphering the groceries I bought?

Hearts on Fire Men’s Conference – Last Saturday, I was blessed to spend the day at the Spokane Diocese Hearts on Fire Catholic Men’s Conference. Held at St. Thomas More in North Spokane, the event was comprised of mass with Bishop Thomas Daly, music, confession, adoration, reciting of the rosary, small group sessions, testimonials, meals, fellowship, and more. The speakers brought in for the conference were Deacon Bob Rice and Deacon James Thruman. The best part was meeting new Catholic brothers and just being in the general presence of so many devoted men.

I photo I took of St. Thomas More Parish in North Spokane upon walking into the Hearts on Fire Men’s Conference sponsored by the Diocese of Spokane.

Birthday Dinner – Although sickness derailed Sid’s birthday dinner date night, we made up for it this past weekend. My parents watched the kids for the night and we went out to Airway Heights. We ate dinner at Spokane Tribe Casino and Sid tried her luck at the slots. We then drove a couple minutes to Northern Quest where Sid continued to play and we both drank a lot of soda.

Sid and I ate dinner at Three Peaks inside Spokane Tribe Casino. I had the Cougar Gold mac and cheese.

——————————

That will wrap up another Thursday Rundown. Thanks for your time this evening and enjoy your weekend. Don’t Blink.

My Weekly Drive

Posted on by
Reply

Today I did something I do about every week…I drove to Pullman. My hybrid schedule generously allows me to work from home four days per week. On that other day I make the 90-mile drive to Washington State University’s flagship campus to work from my office.

The drive is about an hour and 45 minutes one way so that equates to a roughly 3.5-hour roundtrip. So how do I pass the time?…

By driving, duh!

Okay, that was a bad joke. In all honesty, I do a lot while cruising my Ford Escape down U.S. 195. In fact, I thought I would share what occupies me as I drive through the wheat fields of the Palouse. In no particular order, here are 10 things I do…

Relax – If the weather is decent, the ride is therapeutic. I take advantage of the peace and quiet and enjoy the time in my warm car.

Try Not to Die – Conversely, road conditions can make the trip not so fun. I have battled snow, rain, fog, and ice during the past several months—sometimes individually and sometimes all at once. In these situations, you just have to go slow and concentrate on the task at hand.

Plan the Day – I go through my schedule for the day and plan how I will best utilize my time during my lone weekly appearance on the WSU Pullman campus.

Faith-Building – I listen to EWTN and the Catholic Channel a lot. I usually start my drive with Gus Lloyd and on the way home at night I listen to old Mother Angelica episodes.

The News – Besides the Catholic-related content, there is a point during my drive to Pullman that I choose one of the major cable news radio stations and become informed of the daily news. This is always a great supplement to my newspaper subscription and healthy diet of news I get online.

Amped Up – It is important to be awake and alert at the wheel. For this reason, I crack open an energy drink whenever I make the drive. Because I am not a regular consumer of caffeine, the Rockstar I drink on these mornings not only provides me with enough energy for the drive to Pullman but it sticks around for my return trip to Spokane as well.

Scenery – Some people might think the drive from Spokane to Pullman is a bore, but every now and then you see some beautiful landscapes. I have seen both spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Seeing such gorgeous colors hit differently early in the morning or going home after a long (but productive) day.

I took this photo on my way back to Spokane after working in Pullman on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

Rehearse – If I have a presentation coming up, the drive is the perfect time to rehearse portions of it. In the past, I have been able to really drill down certain speeches while behind the wheel.

Tunes – Trust me, I use my satellite radio for musical purposes too. However, I do use it sparingly. On my way to campus, I listen to music from the time I hit Colfax to the moment I park my car. Those 20 minutes allow me to have my own little jam session.

Ring, Ring – When I am about 15 miles out of Spokane on my return trip, I will make some phone calls. I alert my wife that I am almost home and I will also try to get in touch with a family member (mom, dad, sibling) just to say “hey.” It makes the last leg of the trip breeze by.

——————–

I thank God and St. Christopher for the many safe travels I have had between Spokane and Pullman. I also thank SiriusXM for the entertainment factor. Don’t Blink.

Beau’s PJ Masks-themed Birthday Party

Posted on by
Reply

PJ Masks, we’re the PJ Masks!
PJ Masks, we’re the PJ Masks!

For Beau’s third birthday, we had a PJ Masks-themed party.

It didn’t take much soul searching from Beau to decide on a theme for his birthday party. Our new 3-year-old wanted a Catboy, Owlette, and Gecko-themed affair.

It goes without saying that a PJ Masks party needed PJ Masks balloons.

As I mentioned in his birthday blog post, Beau loves PJ Masks. He has watched the five seasons available on Disney+ enough times to drive Sid and I absolutely bonkers. Although we might have PJ Mask fatigue, we could make an exception for Beau’s special day.

Sid had everything set up so nicely before family members started to arrive.

Sid was the top party planner/decorator. She purchased all the PJ Masks decorations from Party City. She then used it to turn our dining room into a scene right out of Tarabiscoville.

A look at Sid’s party table once our guests arrived.

Beau’s bash was a family party so grandma, papa, Aunt Miranda, Uncle Jay, and best friends/cousins Mik and Johnny all came over.

Beau opening gifts as we relax in the living room.

Of course it would not be a PJ Mask party without a PJ Mask cake and we had that covered.

Sidney topping the cake with PJ Masks figurines.

It goes without saying that Sunday night was the right time to fight crime as everyone had a fabulous time. What a fitting way to begin Beau’s next trip around the sun. Don’t Blink.

Make it 3, Beau

Posted on by
1

Today is the day that Beau turns 3. But before we look forward to this next year, let’s see how Beau did on the goals we set for him as a 2-year-old…

Goal: Develop his speech
Achieved?: ✔ Beau’s vocabulary and pronunciation exploded as a 2-year-old.

Goal: Practice diplomacy with his sister
Achieved?: 🙈 Debatable…

Goal: Stay out of the ER
Achieved?: ❌ We were on track until Thanksgiving.

Today Beau is 3 years old! (photo courtesy of Nicole Lynn Photos)

So in terms of goals, it was a mixed bag for Beau. But specific benchmarks aside, it was still a year of resounding growth. His cognitive skills increased dramatically, he developed friendships with other children, and he started daycare. His mischievous side that became apparent as a 1-year-old didn’t go anywhere as a 2-year-old but his affectionate side fortunately stuck around too.

Beau was a very active 2-year-old but he remained very affectionate as well.

Beau’s personality and preferences became more pronounced over the past year. He watched a million episodes of “PJ Masks.” He always asked for warm milk in the morning and never turned down a sucker. In terms of real food, he ate chicken nugget after chicken nugget. Play-Doh and balls proved to occupy him…at least for a little bit. He aspired to do everything that his sister and cousins did. He continued to obsess over his grandma.

Beau knows what he likes.

What is in store for Beau as a 3-year-old? He will eventually enter pre-school and go to St. Mary with his sister. Visiting his family in South Carolina will occur at some point. He will experience a WSU football game in the fall. We are crossing our fingers that his attention span improves. Hopefully his tendency to climb into bed with Sid and I in the middle of the night is reversed.

I love this little dude so much.

But what we hope most for Beau as a 3-year-old is that he continues to crush the fourth goal we set for him a year ago: to embrace his loving and carefree spirit ✔. If Beau continues to master that, we can be more understanding about the occasional spat with his sister or that pesky emergency room visit. Don’t Blink.

Pez Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Happy Groundhog Day! I actually watched the movie with Bill Murray probably five years ago so I could understand all the “Groundhog Day” references. I wasn’t too impressed. Speaking of not being impressed, I am sure you will feel that way after reading tonight’s Thursday Rundown…

Sid’s Birthday Recap – Sidney turned 31 this past Saturday. For the second year in a row we celebrated with a Rosauers birthday cake. The day didn’t go exactly according to plan as sickness prevented Sid and I from going out to dinner that night. It was all good, we moved our birthday lunch celebration with the kids to a birthday dinner celebration and ordered Olive Garden takeout. Among other things that we gave Sid for her birthday, she was most excited about her Ulta gift card.

This was Sidney’s birthday cake from this past weekend, courtesy of Rosauers.

Valentine’s Month – I thought about waiting to share this photo on Valentine’s Day but I couldn’t resist. This picture of Beau was taken at daycare last week. I think even those of us who dislike Valentine’s Day can warm up to the holiday after seeing this little guy clutching his heart.

I couldn’t wait until the 14th to use this Valentine-themed photo of Beau.

The Pez Outlaw – I watched this Netflix documentary earlier this week with mixed feelings. I am not a fan of the over-the-top, dramatic filmmaking style utilized in “The Pez Outlaw.” However, I was fascinated by the audacity of Steve Glew and sympathetic to Pez USA. For anyone working in marketing and/or licensing, you should definitely watch this. If you are simply a person looking to be entertained, you will also probably be intrigued by “The Pez Outlaw.”

How could any company allow Steve Glaw to get away with what he was trying to do? (Picture: Gravitas Ventures)

Right on Red – The state of Washington is considering a ban on making right turns on red lights. Washington would be the only state with such legislation and it could become law by 2024! As a motorist, I have found myself with great anxiety at a certain major intersection in Spokane that I navigate twice a day as I take Sloan to/from school. It is an intersection where I take a right on red and I spend most of my energy making sure that no traffic is coming from the left. Because my attention is mostly focused there, checking to see if a pedestrian is going across the crosswalk turns into an afterthought. What a monster I am! I would support this ban.

I am fine with a ban on making right turns on red lights (photo courtesy of WUSA)

Bash on February – Although I think this installment of The Family Circus uses faulty logic, I still agree that if any month had to have fewer than 30 days, February would be my nominee. With that said, and correct me if I am wrong, summer wouldn’t be shortened in any way if July had one less day, it would just mean that it would start one day earlier in the calendar. Am I right?

If it wasn’t for February being my son’s birthday month, I would dock it even more days and just end it on Feb. 25.

———————–

It was Sidney’s birthday last weekend and it will be Beau’s birthday this weekend. Hope your February is off to a good start and hopefully I can publish some decent blog posts throughout the course of this shortest month. Don’t Blink.