Monthly Archives: October 2023

Birthday Gifts From Wife 2023

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As she always does, my wife spoiled me on my birthday. Besides baking me a cake, hanging birthday banners, and getting our house ready for my party, she also gave me gifts. Here is what I received this year…

Twizzler Bites – My favorite candy is Twizzler Bites. I went on a cleanse prior to my birthday and the one thing I craved throughout the entire diet was licorice. Thankfully my wife satisfied my craving with a pack of these.

I had been craving Twizzler Bites.

Stamps – My wife took note when I designated stamps as my Recommended Gift For the 2021 Holiday Season. She purchased me a book of classic American flag stamps and I will surely use them with love and creativity.

Every one of these stamps will be used…hopefully more on family/friends than on bills.

Charging Pad – Most nights Sidney beats me to bed. When I go into our dark room to go to sleep, I plug in my phone. However, because of the blackout conditions, I find myself struggling to insert the USB connector into the charging port. It might have resulted in me uttering some choice words of frustration. Sidney decided to eliminate this little issue by gifting me a charging pad. I no longer have to connect anything, I just have to rest my phone on the pad and it charges!

This charging pad will come in handy during the middle of the night.

Comfy Pullover – With the beautiful autumn we enjoy in this part of the country, a light layer to throw on before heading outside is just what you need. This Goodfellow pullover from Target is extremely comfortable and it is also blue…my favorite color! Sid picked this out for me with our upcoming family portrait shoot quickly approaching.

This is a good layer garment.

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Thoughtful. Functional. Personal. Thanks, Sidney, for getting me presents that fit all those categories. Next birthday is yours! Don’t Blink.

Our Birthday Photo Tradition Continues

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Throughout the history of Don’t Blink, I have chronicled a special birthday tradition that Sid and I take part in. Every Oct. 8, I grab my birthday cake (or, in the case of 2016, birthday brownies) and pose for a photo with my wife. We have done this since 2014.

Because the last time I updated my blogging audience about this tradition was in 2021 and because this year was my TENTH birthday that I have spent with Sid, I thought the time was appropriate for a refresh. Please see below for our tradition in action…

2024

After dinner at a BBQ restaurant, we returned home to make an attempt at eating cake on full stomachs…we succeeded! After three delicious years of candy bar cakes, what you see us holding is a red velvet cake from WinCo.

2023

In 2023, we celebrated my birthday in our brand new house for the first time. It will undoubtedly be the first of many birthday photos between these walls. The candy bar cake made its third straight appearance.

Sidney and I spent my birthday for the first time in our new house.


2022

We returned to my parents’ house to celebrate my second consecutive birthday in their north Spokane home. Speaking of streaks, it was also the second straight year with a candy bar cake.

In 2022, we once again spent my birthday at my parents’ house.

2021

In 2021 we celebrated my first my birthday together at my parents’ house. I felt like a kid again!

Our tradition continued with my most recent birthday.

2020

This was the first birthday we spent together in Spokane and it was also my first birthday with Beau. My mom made her famous ice cream pie.

In 2020, we spent our first Oct. 8 together in Spokane.

2019

Little did we know how things would change in just a couple months. I would soon accept a job at Washington State University and Sid would give birth to Beau followed by a NICU stay. This was the first ever store-bought cake (thanks, Publix!) we had for one of my birthday celebrations.

A look at our birthday photo from 2019.

2018

Sidney made a homemade lasagna for this birthday and her parents dined over with us. Definitely one of the more mellow birthdays.

The photo may be blurry but my memories of that birthday were not.

2017

My first birthday as a daddy! We look surprisingly well-rested in this photo.

We have the glow of new parents!

2016

Hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc on my birthday plans in 2016. We couldn’t even get to a grocery store to buy cake mix because the conditions were so bad. We pivoted and settled for brownies as that was the only thing we had in the cupboard.

Thanks to Hurricane Matthew, we swapped a birthday cake for brownies.

2015

Sidney found out that I grew up eating ice cream cakes on my birthday. She reached out to my mom for her recipe and made one for me just like I remembered from home.

Sidney made me an ice cream pie on my birthday in 2015.

2014

Look how young we look! This was the first birthday we spent together and my first introduction to Sid’s delicious candy bar cake.

Who are those young kids?! Our first birthday spent together in 2014.

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This tradition is not meant to end soon. As long as there is cake (or brownies), there will be a birthday photo of Sid and I. Don’t Blink.

Defining My Legacy At 37

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You came here to see what I have coined my 37th year, huh? Oh, you don’t know what I am talking about? As I revealed last year, upon entering my late-30s it became apparent that my birthdays aren’t as exciting anymore. To cope with this, I have tried to spice them up by naming each year. When I turned 35 I called it my “Presidential Year” since I became eligible to run for the United States Presidency. Last year, I labeled my 36th year as my “6 (Squared) Year” because I am nerdy like that.

This year? Drum roll please…

It is my “Legacy Year.” This one might be a little bit of a stretch for some of you. The number “37” is very important at the University of Montana where I attended college and later worked in the athletic department. The #37 football jersey, since 1987, is presented to a student-athlete from Montana who epitomizes the spirit of the state. The graduating football player who wore the #37 jersey passes it on to a new student-athlete who hails from Montana and is an undeniably a hard-nosed and dedicated player. The #37 tradition is summarized as the “Grizzly Legacy.” So, to make a long story short, this is my legacy year.

Today I celebrate my 37th birthday.

Ha! You still with me? Well, enough about what I am calling this year, I am just blessed to still be on this earth. Reaching 37 is anything but a given and I am so thankful to have a vibrant and happy life that is filled with so many special family members and friends.

When I look back on my 36th year I find myself reflecting on some major milestone moments but I will save all that stuff for my 2023 recap in late December. I believe a birthday should be more about looking forward, regardless of how uncomfortable an additional candle on the birthday cake can make us feel.

As I have grown older and wiser (my wife might disagree about the latter), I have learned to accept and celebrate these annual “promotions” to a new age. To me, it just symbolizes another year to make an impact and grow as a person. When you begin a new trip around the sun it must be accepted as an opportunity.

Today has been great. I attended mass, celebrated with my Young Adult Catholic group, partied with my family (parents, siblings, etc.), and spent quality time with my wife and kids. I messed around and drank a couple beers and ate some cake, too. How do you beat that?

I am looking forward to life as a 37-year-old. If Day #1 is any indication of how this newest age of mine is going to go, I think I am in for a real treat. Don’t Blink.

Past Birthday Posts
Turning 36
Turning 35
Turning 34
Turning 33
Turning 32
Turning 31
Turning 30

Pastime Throwback Thursday

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It’s Boo Season! A grand month is here indeed as I hope your October is off to a great start. I have some topics to write about so let’s get started…

Grandpa Throwback – Last week I came across some photos of my grandpa doing what he loved more than anything…managing his restaurant. The Pastime Café was in my mom’s family for more than 80 years and my grandpa personally owned and operated it for 43 years. It was without a doubt the best (and most authentic) Italian food in Walla Walla and I have a treasure trove of memories from eating there and going on Sunday “runs” to the restaurant with grandpa when he would let us fill a brown sack with candy bars from the front counter.

My grandpa, Frank Fazzari, smokes a cigar inside the Pastime Cafe.

Scarywood – Every fall, Silverwood transforms its theme park into Scarywood. Up until this year I had never had the chance to go. That all changed this past Friday when the daughter of my friend Shauna, Elli, who works at Silverwood, scored us opening weekend passes. I am a big fan of haunted houses and Scarywood offered FOUR of them. Of course we went through each one. Although the zombie-themed haunt and the cannibal-themed haunt were both pretty good, my favorite was the 3-D clown funhouse (Chuckle’s 3D Sideshow). If you like a good scare, Scarywood is your jam.

In addition to the haunted houses Scarywood has cast members creeping around the whole park waiting to scare you. Here I am with one of them.

World Teachers’ Day – Although she might be “retired” now, I want to wish a happy World Teachers’ Day to the best educator I know…my wife! Sidney devoted six school years to the profession and was incredible at her craft. I also want to wish extend my best wishes on this day to the teachers of my children, Ms. Lunsford (Sloan’s first grade teacher) and Mrs. Shaurette (Beau’s Pre-K3 teacher), along with the rest of the St. Mary Catholic School staff.

Whether my wife was Miss Mathis or Mrs. Reser, she was a great teacher!

Current Energy Drink of Choice – Over the years I have updated this blog with the energy drink I was consuming at the time. I have switched from Xyience to Joker to Coke’s option to many others. But at this stage in my life I am very much content with Rockstar. It is cheap, the flavor variety is vast, and it packs 240MG of caffeine. As someone who doesn’t consume caffeine besides my once-per-week energy drink, it definitely gets the job done.

I am a big fan of Rockstar energy drinks.

Conceal Your Valuables – This meme shared by my friend Lindsi could also be from an account titled the Dad TruthBomb. Taking my kids to/from school and to their activities has definitely turned the inside of my car into a mini disaster zone. Sometimes grabbing a stray blanket or coat is the perfect way to cover up anything of value.

So true.

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Thanks for spending a few minutes on Don’t Blink. I am looking forward to the weekend and hoping the Cougs can improve to 5-0. Don’t Blink.

The Swift Season

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It is more than a month into the NFL season and I have not watched a game. In fact, I was perfectly content to not only miss all the live action but also refrain from following the division races from afar (except maybe for an occasional Seahawks score 😉). However, although my streak of not watching a minute of NFL competition during the 2023 season is still intact, I am no longer agnostic about the major storyline driving it.

Thank you, Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift has taken the NFL by storm

(I don’t know if that is sarcastic or not).

Because of the massive, unprecedented appeal of every little thing that Swift does, it goes without saying that the ultra-powerful microscope focuses keenly on her dating life. The fact that she is now dating Kansas City Chiefs Travis Kelce has sent the media bonkers and thrusted even more attention on the ever-popular NFL. It is mania.

Whether the more traditional NFL fan likes it or not, this season is The Swift Season. Not only did NBC show Swift in her box a staggering 17 times during the Chiefs-Jets Sunday night game, the NFL also took it upon itself to update its Instagram bio to “Chiefs are 2-0 as swifties.” I’m not kidding.

The network cameras will be fixated on Taylor Swift at every Chiefs game she attends.

Yes, I think things are a little extreme. Am I surprised? Well, not with the way our society has reacted to the Taylor-Kelce relationship but perhaps a bit with Swift’s incredible ascension to the most popular person on the planet.

I was already blown away by Swift’s clout six years ago. In that blog post where I outlined my complicated history of following the performer, I never thought her star would continue to rise to reach the level it is at today.

By all means I wish Taylor and Travis well. I do hope that the NFL sets standards for its coverage, and, more generally, that “Swifties” can follow their beloved chart topper in a healthy, non-idolistic way. For those cranky football fans who are mad that the world’s most famous celebrity has entered the NFL narrative, they can shake it off. Don’t Blink.

Grocery Store Pumpkin Patches

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Back in my childhood, I remember becoming really excited when a certain something happened in early October. I would feel some type of way when we would pull into the parking lot of our local Albertson’s and see scores of bright orange pumpkins lining the front middle of the store between the two entrances. It mattered to me because, one, it meant Halloween was near, and, two, it was just a welcome sight because it was out of the norm.

When I was a kid, it was always a welcome sight to see the pumpkins outside of the grocery store. On Sunday, my kids played in the Safeway pumpkin patch.

Although most years we were also privileged enough to visit a pumpkin patch at Green Bluff, we always purchased our carving pumpkins at the grocery store. The hunt was always on to find that perfect gourd that was among all the other pumpkins sprawled out on the pavement. Oh, how I loved it.

These days, grocery stores still sell pumpkins outside their front doors but a couple things are different. First, why would these places even consider waiting until the actual month of the holiday to roll out their pumpkins? Now, much like the irrational rush to push Christmas products months in advance, the supermarket pumpkin patches pop up weeks before October arrives.

Second, the variety of pumpkin has exploded from the orange ones to a cornucopia of all shapes, sizes, and colors. White pumpkins, green pumpkins, multi-colored pumpkins, wart-covered pumpkins, and everything else you can think of abound in these displays. To each their own, I guess?

Beau holds a white pumpkin at the Safeway pumpkin patch. They come in all different colors these days.

I let Sloan and Beau play in the Safeway “pumpkin patch” the other day. Except for them trying to pick up pumpkins way too big for them, it was innocent and cheap fun. In fact, it is the perfect way to allow one parent to run inside and do the shopping in peace while the other parent monitors the children frolicking among the squashes, cardboard boxes, and imported hay bales.

Nothing like some cheap entertainment at a makeshift grocery store pumpkin patch.

Grocery store pumpkin patches are pretty cool. Although I would be content with the displays opening in October and the selection being solely orange, I can deal with their evolving nature. Don’t Blink.

HomeGoods Lukewarm Top 5

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As a kid living in north Spokane, our house was right next to a Shopko. We spent a lot of time there. Long story short: it shuttered several years ago and last week a new business finally opened its doors in the old space.

No, it wasn’t Spirit Halloween. 😂

Rather, it was a HomeGoods. The national chain arrived in north Spokane and immediately attracted countless shoppers…including me. Well, I don’t know if you could classify me as a shopper. You see, I was just really intrigued to go back inside the old Shopko building to see what it now looked like.

I visited this HomeGoods in north Spokane on Saturday.

Despite my lack of desire to buy a single item in the store, I did take some photos of items I would buy if a knife was held against my throat. To be completely honest, Hobby Lobby is 10X better than HomeGoods (but I digress)…

It was a family affair at HomeGoods as my brother, his wife, my sister, Sloan, and Sid (not pictured) all went together.

Pumpkin Spice Popcorn – You can find basically any food in pumpkin spice form so why not popcorn? Although I think it is a little weird, I would definitely still give it a try if I was willing to part with the $6.99.

If push came to shove, I would try this pumpkin spice popcorn.

Wifi Whiteboard – I have seen these at Airbnb and other places and actually appreciate them. But now is not the time for me to purchase one thanks to the eager hands of two young children who will mess with anything written in dry erase marker.

I think these whiteboards are pretty nifty.

Air Freshener – Coming from a guy who once ranked his top 5 favorite Glade air fresheners, I thought these boujee options were kind of interesting. I mean who doesn’t get excited about a “Snuggle Sweater” scent?

Some of these air freshener scents are pretty out there.

Pumpkin Pecan Hand Soap – Several years ago I offered a business plan that centered on some pretty wild hand soap scents. I think the “pumpkin pecan” scent gives my own ideas a run for their money.

What a combination!

Pint Glasses – I enjoy putting the few current pint glasses I own in the freezer to get them ice cold before pouring a beer into them. This set of four glasses was heavy duty, cost the same price as the popcorn, and could hold 20 ounces…wait, does that still make it a pint glass?

Raise your glass if you are in need of some new ones.

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I apologize for my lack of enthusiasm for HomeGoods. If there is something about the store I am overlooking, please let me know. If you do, I might send some pumpkin spice popcorn your way. Don’t Blink.