We have been blessed with such a gorgeous September in the Inland Northwest and the sunshine will continue through the weekend. Mid-70s are forecasted throughout the next few days, something I don’t mind at all for early autumn. Let’s get started with tonight’s rundown…

Best (or worst?) Bottled Water Name – This past weekend I was handed a bottle of Bigfoot Pee. Don’t worry, it’s not actual urine from sasquatch—it’s spring water. Sourced from the mountain springs of Oregon, it did have a purer taste than what I usually enjoy from my tap. The kind gentleman who gave me the bottle at his Bigfoot Pee booth at ValleyFest told me I would never go back to drinking “regular water” again. Although that prediction held for maybe an hour, Bigfoot Pee did capture my curiosity.

Would you drink a water called “Bigfoot Pee”? I did.

Snack Creativity – I have written before about the pressure that exists on parents who sign up to bring snacks at the conclusion of a child’s sporting event. From what I have experienced over the past four years as a youth sports parents, the offerings continue to get more and more bougee. Sid and I have evolved a bit from the old days of Goldfish crackers and a Capri Sun but we haven’t embraced full course meals in happy meal-like boxes either. This past Saturday, we were on snack duty for Sloan’s game. We purchased granola bars, trail mix, applesauce, and a small sports drink to place in brown paper lunch sacks. Sloan wanted to add something a little extra. She took the time to write the names of her teammates and draw a soccer scene on each bag. Our daughter was proud of her “special touch” and was beaming later that evening when her coach e-mailed to say he was impressed by Sloan’s extra effort and creativity.

Sloan organizing the team snacks prior to her soccer match.

Pass Through the Pillars – Tuesday was an awesome day at work for me on several levels. One thing that really stood out was the opportunity to participate in Eastern Washington University’s Pass Through the Pillars tradition. The day before the first day of fall quarter, first-year students walk through EWU’s iconic Herculean Pillars to ceremoniously begin their college careers. Faculty, staff, and community members line the path and give high-fives to the new students. It was a thrill to slap skin with these brand new Eagles and offer encouragement as they embark on a big journey. Wishing all new students the best!

It was cool to be part of the Pass Through the Pillars tradition at Eastern Washington University.

All About Beau – Thank goodness my wife took the lead on Beau’s latest homework assignment. As a way to develop community in the classroom and to express personality, each child in Mrs. Hoard’s St. Mary Catholic School pre-k4 class completed a “Read All About Me” sheet (or at least their parents did). Not only did Sid fill in all the required fields, she also used her coloring skills to make it look really nice. Word on the street is that Beau is really proud to see it attached to his classroom wall.

Take a look at Beau’s “All About Me” sheet.

National Pancake Day…Again? – Sometimes the gimmicky “National Day of _________” celebrations get so out of control that they show up TWICE in a single calendar year. Such is the case with National Pancake Day. I have traditionally celebrated this “special” day on February 13 but it turns out that date is reserved for IHOP’s National Pancake Day. Anyway, I guess today is just the generic National Pancake Day. Regardless, I am such a huge pancake fan (read my ode to hotcakes) that I can recognize both dates. Best way to cook pancakes? By undercooking them of course! I prefer “doughy” pancakes where the batter is slightly runny. If I didn’t tell you in February, let me tell you now…happy National Pancake Day!

After looking at this photo, does anyone question my love of pancakes anymore?!

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Time to stick the fork in another Thursday Rundown. I hope to watch the “Mr. McMahon” Netflix docuseries over the next several days but we will see what happens. Have a great weekend. Don’t Blink.