Monthly Archives: July 2025

Velocity Thursday Rundown

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Thank you for visiting Don’t Blink on this last day of July. I hope your month has been exciting and your summer refreshing. Let’s jump into my latest five topics.

Pro Soccer – This past weekend, I took the kids to ONE Stadium in downtown for the Spokane Velocity soccer match. The Velocity compete in the United Soccer League (USL) and have quickly found a fan base in our soccer-crazed city. Beau and Sloan had a blast. They went on the field for pregame introductions, made cheer signs, ate stadium food, and watched a very closely contested soccer match on a beautiful evening. Unfortunately, the Velocity fell to Sacramento Republic FC, 1-0. Special thanks to the Spokane County Library District. Because the kids reached their mid-summer goal of 300 minutes of reading, they were each given a free ticket voucher from SCLD for the match.

We had a really nice time at the Spokane Velocity game!

Southern Style Snowballs – A story in the Spokesman-Review last week caught my eye. It was about a guy from Louisiana who worked with his young son to create Southern Style Snowballs, a Spokane business that serves shaved ice treats from a truck. His recipe is New Orleans-inspired and that piqued the interest of my very Southern wife 😉. So, last Friday we went to the Spokane Valley Farmers Market where Southern Style Snowballs was a registered vendor. Sloan chose a blue raspberry snowball, Beau opted for blue raspberry, Sidney selected fuzzy navel, and I sampled them all. Although I wouldn’t say it was better than the shave ice I had in Hawaii, the treats offered by Southern Style Snowballs were still above and beyond anything you can find here in Spokane.

I took this photo of the back of the Southern Style Snowballs truck at the Spokane Valley Farmers Market.

Nice Ride – I am not a big car guy but I know some of my readers are. You might be interested to know that my brother-in-law recently acquired a 1966 Chevelle. He was nice enough to take me for a spin in it this past Sunday. Let me tell you, when you ride in that thing you get a lot of looks! We hadn’t even exited the car at the gas station before someone was already asking us questions about the year, speed, history of it. Anyway, the joy ride was a lot of fun—it might have been the fastest I have ever gone in an automobile.

My brother-in-law’s 1966 Chevelle. This is after we parked it at the gas station.

Ugly Hands – On this date nine years ago, I wrote about a less than becoming body feature of mine—my hands! For most of my life, they have been plagued with bulging callouses. However, I can report almost a decade later that those callouses aren’t as pronounced as they once were. I still exercise every week day but whether my workouts aren’t that intense or the equipment at my current gym is more forgiving, my hands don’t scare away 3-year-old anymore 😂.

I have always had calloused hands but they are starting to get better.

Rigged – Thought I would end with this Family Circus strip from yesterday. If you have a young kid, you know how they turn any game of chance into a racket. Beau will challenge me to rock-paper-scissors or ask me to call a coin in the air (the worst!) and he will very non-discreetly rig it. When it comes to what the boy is doing in the comic, if this was Beau, he would simply transfer the object from his left hand to his right hand if I correctly guessed his left hand. Hard to get a fair shake with kids these days.

This “Family Circus” strip is from July 30 and as a father of young children I can relate!

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With that, let’s put a fork in the final July rundown of 2025. This weekend I have Seattle in my future and I hope you embark on an adventure as well. Don’t Blink.

Happy Gilmore 2

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It has been well over a year since I last felt the need to write about a Netflix comedy. And when I last did in May 2024, it was for less than flattering reasons. Yep, “Unfrosted” was horrendous.

Thankfully, after 14 months since I panned Seinfeld’s Pop-Tart film, I have something positive to blog about in the realm of Netflix comedies. I watched “Happy Gilmore 2” over the weekend and when I turned off the TV I didn’t necessarily feel like I lost two hours of my life.

“Happy Gilmore 2” wasn’t perfect but I did enjoy it.

As a pre-teen, I watched “Happy Gilmore” with my friends over and over. I can actually close my eyes and find myself in the basement of my best friend’s house watching the film late at night.  “Happy Gilmore” would continue to elicit laughs from me as it lived on via cable TV for years and years. Even if the infamous line of “the price is wrong, b!@#$” was censored, I would always watch.

So I was both excited and a little nervous when it was announced that “Happy Gilmore 2” was in production. Would it do the original justice? Would it be one of Sandler’s redeeming Netflix projects or one of his bombs? Would it be watchable?

In my opinion, “Happy Gilmore 2” hit the mark. Was it a perfect film? Nope. But what I think made it a worthy sequel was solid performances from the stars of the original. Adam Sandler (Happy), Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin), and Ben Stiller (Hal L.) didn’t mail it in. They dug deep and pulled out the redeeming qualities of their respective characters from 30 years ago and brought them to life once again. Credit the writers for developing their characters accordingly and setting them up for success. The personalities, mannerisms, quirks, and inside jokes of those characters from “Happy Gilmore” were resurrected and amplified for the sequel.

I thought “Happy Gilmore 2” did a terrific job of capitalizing on what made the stars (Sandler, McDonald, Stiller) from the original so iconic.

If the characters of Happy, Shooter, and Hal L. weren’t so spot-on for “Happy Gilmore 2,” it wouldn’t have mattered that an astonishing 70+ people made cameos. But since the foundation was rock steady, the appearances of athletes, influencers, washed up actors, musicians, and more made the movie a lot of fun. I am sure all of us looked up the cast after the movie to keep track of everyone who made cameos. And, if you are like me, I am sure you saw a couple names who appeared in the movie who you didn’t immediately recognize (I am talking about you, Eminem). From the Sandler shoo-ins like Dan Patrick and Rob Schneider to the complete randoms like Kelsey Plum and Guy Fieri, the movie kept you on your toes each time someone new came on screen.

Another part of the film done to perfection was the nostalgia factor. Beyond the performances of the cast, everything from the score to the “happy place” scenes to the flashbacks were done in a way that made the original so charming. The distinctive “Happy Gilmore” instrumental was strategically placed, the dreamy “happy place” scenes were on-point, and the flashbacks gave honor to the original while effectively showing its age as the picture quality was so different. Extra points for the flashback scenes that weren’t in the original movie but were made in modern time using cutting edge technology to show Sandler and other characters exactly as they looked 30 years ago.

Finally, and probably most importantly, the movie was damn funny. The jokes were paced well and took wide aim. There were laugh out loud moments and then instances where Sidney and I simply looked at each other and smiled. My favorite scenes included the gold jacket dinner, Happy’s first couple rounds after he returned to the tour, and the cemetery brawl. 

But as I mentioned, the movie wasn’t perfect. I didn’t care much for Happy’s wild sons nor his extensive alcoholism. Speaking of alcohol, it might have just been me, but I didn’t find the running gag of Happy pounding booze via the camouflage of everyday objects to be that funny. Also, I think John Daly would have served just fine as a cameo instead of an actual role.

However, the part that I felt did some damage to the watchability of the film was the showdown with Maxi Golf. At that point, “Happy Gilmore 2” became way too gimmicky and unbelievable. In fact, I found it cringeworthy. The movie would have been better without such a drawn-out competition that bordered on complete fantasy and made me embarrassed for the PGA superstars who took part in it.

All that said, “Happy Gilmore 2” was saved because it ended on a strong note. With his children taken care of, the ending scene was sentimental. All the deceased characters are shown in the sky and the credits roll as Sandler walks along a country road after his electric vehicle won’t start. I wouldn’t say a tear rolled down my eye but I thought it was a fitting way to end the film.

Go ahead, indulge yourself and watch “Happy Gilmore 2.” I think it appeals to many different audiences. For someone like me, it is the nostalgia. For a younger crowd, the cameos will engage them. For my dad and father-in-law, the roles played by past and present golfers will keep them interested. Trust me, the price was right on this one. Don’t Blink.

Hulk Hogan: Pop Culture Icon, Brother!

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Even though his health had been failing and 300-pound professional wrestlers don’t have the longest life expectancies, I was still a little shocked when my brother sent me the RIP text for Hulk Hogan. Truth be told, the Hulkster played a role throughout my entire life from a pop culture perspective so, as corny as it sounds, it seemed like a little piece of me died as well.

As a kid, I was a major WWF geek. Man, I lived and breathed it. I had the action figures, the toy ring, and even the bedspread. And, of course, Hulk Hogan was the GOAT. Even though I was more of an Ultimate Warrior fan at the time, it wasn’t lost on me that Hogan was the most popular wrestler in the business.

There you have it, Hulk Hogan front and center on my bedspread.

I watched “Suburban Commando” on repeat with my friends, thought “Mr. Nanny” was pretty cool, and watched all the episodes of “Thunder In Paradise.”

Around that time, my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Randy did something really nice. They encountered Hulk Hogan at the Toronto Airport and got his autograph for me! Despite urging my parents to search their house from top to bottom to find the small notepad that contained the autograph, I can’t show you actual proof but hopefully you can trust me.

Hulk Hogan was a legend and I followed him closely.

After losing interest in professional wrestling (my parents were so happy), I became obsessed again as a 12-year-old (my parents were so disappointed) with the Monday Night Wars. Hogan single-handedly lit the match and poured gasoline on the WWF vs. WCW battle when he turned into a heel and became Hollywood Hogan. In large part due to Hogan, I saved up money and bought an NWO shirt.

Right around the time WWF turned into WWE, I grew out of professional wrestling. But that was hardly the end of my connection to Hogan. I became a huge “Rocky” fan which meant I saw the Hulk’s portrayal of Thunderlips more than a few times. But despite the many movies and shows I watched that Hogan starred in, nothing came close to the hours I devoted to “Hogan Knows Best.” My sister and I bonded over the show as we watched it the summer I left for college and that ensuing summer as well.

I read his autobiography (which used the word “brother” a lot 😂) and watched all the random appearances he would make on different shows. Over the past few years, I would stop scrolling on social media when a clip of Hogan telling old wrestling stories would pop up. He was very active on the interview/podcast circuit and when you combined that with his storytelling skills, you had some pretty addicting content for a nostalgic 38-year-old dude like myself.

May we pray for the repose of Terry Bollea’s soul. As I sign off on this post, I leave you with my all-time favorite clip of Hulk Hogan. If only all of us could be as passionate/outrageous. Don’t Blink.

Liars Thursday Rundown

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How is your tan looking? Believe it or not, we actually received a little rain here in Spokane this week, a rarity in this area for July. But I don’t mean to rain on the parade that is my Thursday Rundown so let’s get started with the five topics…

Dilly Bar – When I was a kid, on special occasions my parents would take my siblings and me to Dairy Queen for a Dilly Bar. With Sloan spending the night with a friend, I decided to let Beau taste the magic as I bought him a cherry Dilly Bar. But you know what was a little disappointing? They don’t make Dilly Bars in the actual restaurant anymore. Instead they are made in a DQ factory, packaged, and sent to locations across the country. Beau didn’t seem to mind one bit.

Beau with his first Dilly Bar. They come pre-packaged now!

Foam Party – This past Saturday, we went to the Jacked Up Big Show at Harmon Park in the Hillyard area of Spokane. In addition to vendors, cars, and food there was something that really stood out. As we approached the park, we saw a substance that looked like elephant toothpaste filling the sky. The kids ran to investigate and discovered that it was foam! “Cannons” shot the foam out and it accumulated on the ground for people to frolick in. Those who went in the foam emerged soaked. I let Beau and Sloan get close but I drew the line at full immersion. What a sight it was!

A look at the foam madness at Harmon Park in Hillyard.

Big Brother 27 – It is a murder mystery extravaganza this year in the Big Brother house! The theme doesn’t bother me too much but I don’t know how I feel about the show making last season’s three-person eviction nomination format permanent. Oh well. This is the 15th season that Sid and I have watched together and Sloan is watching too. Big Brother legend Rachel is a houseguest this year and I am rooting for her. None of the other houseguests have endeared themselves to me yet and I always like when returning players do well. Usually the cards are stacked against them upon entering the house so it is fascinating to watch their skill as they navigate the game.

This photo was taken before Rachel was introduced as part of the cast, but I hope she has a long run in Big Brother 27.

Amy Bradley Is Missing – I recently finished the “Amy Bradley Is Missing” documentary on Netflix. The three-part series tells the story of a 20-something woman who went missing on a cruise ship while vacationing with her family. The show stood out to me because I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise just a few months ago and found the provisions and culture interesting. I won’t say much about the documentary except for this: the alleged sightings of Amy post-disappearance—especially the photos that turned up—chilled me to the bone.

I found this documentary to be chilling.

LIARS – Call me a teen, but I recently read both “We Were Liars” and “Family Of Liars” by E. Lockhart. Sidney influenced me to read both books and I really enjoyed them. Despite the young adult genre, I appreciated the quick read nature of both books and Lockhart’s unique writing style. Now that I have finished the books, I can watch the “We Were Liars” TV series on Netflix. Full disclosure, Sid was encouraging me to “hurry up” with reading the books so she could watch the show with me  

Both of the “Liars” books were good and I am looking forward to watching the show.

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Based on the TV and book options I gave you in this rundown, perhaps you might find yourself escaping the sun this weekend to do some binge watching or reading. Speaking of “reading,” thank you for reading this post. Whether you stay indoors or outdoors, I hope your weekend is awesome. Don’t Blink.

Changing My Attitude On Outdoor Movies

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This summer, we have done something I have not been keen to do in the past. Despite the increased opportunities popping up each year, I have resisted the minimal effort it would take to attend such an event.

However, I finally shunned my own reservations and conceded to the desires of my kids. Earlier this month, we attended an outdoor movie.

Hanging with Beau and Sloan after the sun went down at Balfour Park on July 11, 2025. We were there to watch “Moana 2.”

Okay, you are probably thinking what is your deal with watching a movie under the stars on a gorgeous summer evening? Well, for the past several years I thought the whole thing was too romanticized compared to the actual experience we would receive. I basically found myself caught up in trivial BS that kids probably don’t care about: dull screen projection, soft audio, and oversaturated movies.

So what changed this year? Well, going on our cruise in April opened my eyes to the magic and relaxation that can be enjoyed from watching a movie in the open air. Sitting on the deck watching movies from the hot tub is a pleasant memory I have from our voyage.

Beau being goofy prior to the start of “Moana 2” at Balfour Park. A Kiwanis volunteer is up at the front quizzing the kids with trivia questions.

But I wasn’t convinced that watching a new release movie on the beautiful ship would be the equivalent of watching a 2010 Disney movie on a blow up screen in a local park. After all, the screen on our cruise ship was so crisp and high res that you could probably see it clearly from space. However, I could admit that based on my experience on the Freedom of the Seas, I knew a pleasant experience was at least possible.

How can an outdoor movie not be pleasant when the scenery is like this? This photo is of Beau sitting in his chair at Balfour Park on July 11, 2025.

Thus, earlier this month, at the urging of Sloan, we went to Balfour Park in Spokane Valley to watch “Moana 2.” The showing was part of the Outdoor Movies in the Park series sponsored by Spokane Valley Parks & Rec and Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley. A couple of my hesitations were realized. With the movie start time of “sunset,” the first 20 minutes of the film was hard to see due to partial daylight. Also, as someone who doesn’t care to watch movies twice, I wasn’t too excited about watching “Moana 2” after we recently saw it in theaters this past Thanksgiving.

But you know what? I could see past those two quibbles because everything else was quite enjoyable. A local credit union was on-hand to pass out swag. A makeshift concession stand was distributing soda and popcorn. Event organizers conducted trivia beforehand with children earning pop-sicles for correct answers. And, hey, the volume of the film was perfect!

Not going to lie, the outdoor movie series at Balfour Park is really relaxing. Thanks to Spokane Valley Parks & Rec and Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley for organizing.

And, overall, the aspect that made the cruise ship movies so fun was present at Balfour park: watching a movie under the night sky on a pleasant evening.

Beau and Sloan enjoy “Monsters, Inc.” at Balfour Park on July 18. The outdoor movie series is sponsored by Spokane Valley Parks & Rec along with the Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley.

We set up our chairs and simply enjoyed some relaxation after a hectic week. You can’t beat a Spokane July evening and we soaked it all in as we ate licorice and Cheez-Its while watching Moana save the day. In fact, we had such a good time that we ended up returning to Balfour Park last Friday for “Monsters, Inc.”

We had such a fun time at the outdoor movie at Balfour Park on July 11 that we went again the next week. This time Sid came along and we arrived super early to have a picnic dinner prior to showtime.

What I ended up realizing was that attending an outdoor movie was much like attending a Minor League Baseball game. Although baseball is the advertised attraction, you don’t necessarily go to watch the sport played to perfection nor is your night ruined if the home team loses. Rather, you go for the promotions, stadium food, mascot, and—most importantly—the community. Sure, these outdoor movies aren’t shown on a flawless screen and I wish the films were more to my liking, but the community experience more than made up for it. Thank you to Spokane Valley Parks & Rec and Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley for sponsoring Outdoor Movies in the Park! Don’t Blink.

Wishing Your Spouse “Happy Birthday” On Social Media

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Not too long ago, I stumbled upon a TikTok video. It featured a dude ripping people who wish their spouses “happy birthday” on social media (watch it here). His demeanor was very smug as he argued there is no need to wish your wife/husband a “happy birthday” online when they are probably sitting right next to you as the post is drafted. Callng people who do this “insecure,” his overarching point was DON’T POST ON SOCIAL, JUST TELL THEM FACE-TO-FACE.

This TikToker would hate me. I wish Sidney a happy birthday every year on social media and I just don’t do it on Facebook either; I publish a birthday post on all my social platforms. Furthermore, I even dedicate an entire blog post to my wife on her special day.

I always wish my wife a “happy birthday” on all my social platforms.

Do I publish these posts because I am insecure? Well, I guess that might be a possibility, but it would be subconsciously. Believe it or not, I do have stronger, overt reasons for publishing happy birthday posts for Sidney. If you allow me, let me just point out three brief ones…

Wishing my wife a happy birthday notifies a lot of other people that it is her birthday. Of course not everyone is going to care but some definitely will—and that will allow them to reach out when otherwise they never would have because they never would have known. Sure, Facebook does have a feature that lists the birthdays of friends but many people never look at it. These days on social media, I find out about birthdays of friends because others issue them a birthday greeting and the algorithm decides to put it in my feed.

Extending a birthday wish to my wife on social media also allows me to be more creative. If I only wished her happy birthday face-to-face, I wouldn’t be able to use photos/video like social media permits me to. That means I couldn’t post a collage of photos from the past year or include the glamour shot I specifically asked the photographer to take during our family portraits in the fall. Wishing Sidney a happy birthday face-to-face is cool but I also enjoy a full multimedia experience as well.

Finally, I appreciate the memories that are documented via social media birthday wishes. Say what you will about someone’s digital footprint, but I actually do value the staying power of social media birthday posts. I use an app called Timehop that enables me each January 28 to rewind and view each birthday post I published for Sidney from the past 10+ years. I like taking that trip down memory lane and I think my kids will also find it kind of cool one of these days, too. There is just something neat about watching our ages and appearances change throughout the years.

So yes, I am not embarrassed to admit that I do publish social media birthday posts for my wife. And you know what? I don’t even think I am that insecure ever. Now believe it or not, this TikToker even added in his video that wishing your children a happy birthday on social media is even more asinine than your spouse, but that is a rebuttal for another day…stay tuned. Don’t Blink.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Thursday Rundown

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Well, how is your summer going? It doesn’t get any better in Spokane than July and we are certainly living it up. Let’s get started with my latest Thursday Rundown…

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza – Apparently all the cool kids are playing Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. It is a sequence-based card game that challenges players to think fast when a card is turned face-up on the pile. Sloan has played the game all summer at daycare and is pretty good. Me? I had a hard enough time getting the basic taco-cat-goat-cheese-pizza order down, let alone remembering what to do with the special cards. Even with my lack of skill, I still had a blast playing it with my family.

Beau was a little slower at “Taco Cat Goat Cheese” than the rest of us so Sid played a special 1-on-1 game with him.

Picture of the Week – How could you have anything but an ear-to-ear grin when you are at the pool on a hot summer day? I guess the answer is when your mom is photobombing you. Last Saturday, my family went to the Northside Aquatics Center in Spokane County. We had a great time at the sparkling facility as I raced Sloan on the water slides and Beau continued to impress us with his comfort in the water after his timidity last summer. Except for Sid, this photo definitely doesn’t convey the enthusiasm the kids exhibited for most of the afternoon.

I love this photo of Sid photobombing Beau and Sloan at the Northside Aquatics Center.

Dog Theme – Throughout the years, I have chronicled the clever birthday party themes (here and here) my sister has pulled off for her kids. Another opportunity came up this past weekend when my sister and brother-in-law hosted my nephew’s 8th birthday party. The family recently adopted a yellow lab they are in love with so it was natural that my nephew, John, would want a dog-themed party. Below is a photo of some of the “doggy treats” offered at the party. You have doggy poo (no-bake cookies), dog toys (oranges), puppy piddle (lemonade), puppy chow (muddy buddies), pup-corn (popcorn), and more. Happy birthday to John who celebrates his actual special day today!

This was the birthday dog-themed spread at John’s party.

That Makes Sense – Last week I mentioned that a brother from my Knights of Columbus council recently passed away. Rob Heacock had many hobbies and areas of expertise, including that of a Lewis and Clark historian. He wrote a book that documented the various campsites of the explorers and how to access them. In the introduction of the book (I now own a copy), he encouraged those looking to discover the campsites with the following advice: There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. In a moving eulogy, his son referenced his dad’s quote as well. So, whenever you want to mail something in because it is starting to rain or it might be too hot, just remember the words of Rob.

Rob Heacock was a talented, smart, and kind man. He was fond of saying, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” I will miss Rob.

Jalapeno Chips Mania – I am a BIG fan of jalapeno chips. The heat and flavor just do it for me! On this date six years ago, I had the pleasure of blind taste testing three different brands of jalapeno chips. This experiment was made possible by my sister-in-law who purchased the goods and then conducted an extremely regimented and scientifically-acceptable taste test. The winner? Hands down it was Tim’s Cascade Jalapeno Chips. Thick, crunchy, flavorful, and HOT, no one does the jalapeno chip better than Tim’s. In fact, I would argue that no one does the potato chip better than Tim’s. The thickness and texture should always win over any potato chip fan. It is just a shame that Tim’s only distributes its products in the Pacific Northwest.

The best chip is the Tim’s Cascade jalapeno chip.

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Hope you continue to rack up those summer memories. Mid-July is a great time so take advantage of it! I look forward to touching base next week. Don’t Blink

Godparents to Neteyam

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Earlier this month, a very special thing happened: Sid and I became godparents again.

Neteyam is baptized by Fr. Jeff Lewis at St. Mary Catholic Church in Spokane Valley. Neteyam’s dad, Dylan, holds him while Sid and I look on (photo courtesy of Dylan/Fidela/family).

On July 6, 2025, Neteyam Perry was baptized at St. Mary Catholic Church by Fr. Jeff Lewis during the 9 a.m. mass. We stood next to our dear friends, Dylan and Fidela Perry, as their son was washed of original sin. We accepted the role of godparents and vowed to serve as strong Christian role models to Neteyam for however long we are on this earth.

Me, Sidney, Fr. Jeff Lewis, Fidela, Neteyam, and Dylan pose for a photo in the St. Mary sanctuary after the baptism on July 6, 2025. Thanks be to God! (Photo courtesy of Dylan/Fidela/Family).

For Dylan and Fidela to give us the opportunity to be Neteyam’s godparents is a nod to our friendship as well as the trust they have in us. In just about four years we have gone from not knowing them to serving in one of the most important roles one couple can bestow upon another. We met through our Young Adult Catholic group and shortly after that we found out we were neighbors. The rest is history!

Sidney and I with Dylan and Fidela at their wedding on June 3, 2023.

But even after we moved to a different neighborhood, our bond remained strong. We celebrate the Fourth of July each year, make annual memories at a favorite Hibachi restaurant, watch “The Chosen” together, and try to help one another out whenever we can. We have an epic group chat and we think similarly on many issues. Fidela and Sidney share a love for Taylor Swift while Dylan and I bond over “King of the Hill” 😂.

Sidney holds Neteyam at his baptism. Sid and Fidela share a bond over Taylor Swift (Photo courtesy of Dylan/Fidela/Family).

It has been such a blessed several years getting to know Dylan and Fidela. But with all that said, what brought us together at the beginning and what continues to be the glue of our friendship is our faith. And there couldn’t have been a more profound way to underscore our shared commonality than the honor of serving as Neteyam’s godparents. For Dylan and Fidela to trust us with such a responsibility is humbling.

The four of us plus Neteyam at the baptism on July 6.

In an age where the selection of godparents can sometimes be an afterthought, I know (or at least think) that Dylan and Fidela probably made a deliberate choice influenced by prayer. So, besides the “humbling” aspect of being selected that I mentioned above, there is just a bit of pressure as well. Sid and I are far from perfect—in fact, we are sinners. But thanks to God’s grace, we know we can pull this off.

Hanging with our godson after his baptism. What an honor and blessing (photo courtesy of Dylan/Fidela/Family).

Make no mistake about it, baptism is an effective and necessary sacrament. To watch Fr. Jeff pour water over my godson’s head and anoint him with the sacred Chrism oil on July 6 was pretty awesome. With Neteyam now officially part of the Church community, it is time for Sid and me to serve in our role as godparents to him. Please pray for us. Don’t Blink.

How Our National Mac And Cheese Day Was Spoiled

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How could it be? On this special day of macaroni and cheese, how could I spew out anything less than the cheesiest and gooiest of compliments for the dish I love more than anything else?

I have always been a HUGE macaroni and cheese fan.

After all, not everyone is called upon to judge a mac and cheese cookoff. Nor does everyone write about their “favorite macaroni and cheese spinoffs.” Most people who are neutral about noodles and cheese wouldn’t dream up a hand soap based off it. And lukewarm mac and cheese connoisseurs wouldn’t find it imperative to point out five different toppings that truly enhance the dish.

While Sidney usually orders true adult meals when we go to a restaurant, I will often order macaroni and cheese. This was the Cougar Gold mac and cheese that I ordered off the menu at Three Peaks inside the Spokane Tribe Casino.

To be fair, this post doesn’t take aim at macaroni and cheese itself. Rather, it calls into question a certain brand that all but ruined National Macaroni and Cheese Day for my family on its eve. That’s right, I have an unfortunate story that took place just last night!

This buffalo chicken mac and cheese from Mac Daddy’s was some of the best I ever had. I thought this blog post gave me an excuse to share it again. Okay, now it is time to share some less than appetizing photos of mac and cheese.

I decided I wanted to prepare my family a truly gourmet Sunday evening dinner, so I reached for two boxes of macaroni and cheese 😂. Don’t worry, I did take it up a notch by upgrading to “Deluxe Shells and Cheese,” a form of the dish that for 50 cents more will get you a package of Velveeta-type cheese instead of the powder stuff.

This particular shells and cheese experience was packaged by WinCo. I have lauded this western grocery store chain in the past, but unfortunately last night was the first time I had a really negative experience with one of its products.

I heated a pot of water to boiling. Next, I grabbed the first box of mac and cheese and poured the noodles into the pot. No problem. Then I opened up the second box and also dumped its contents into the pot…sort of. Most of the pasta did splash into the water but a bottom corner of the box was still packed with noodles. At first I didn’t think much of it, the pasta just must be packaged very close together and might be a little stuck. After shaking and tapping the bottom of the box, the pasta still remained lodged inside. I then reached inside and tried to free the pasta with my hand. It wouldn’t budge. 

I glanced into the box and saw something truly horrible. Carefully, I ripped the top half of the cardboard to reveal the content of the bottom half to confirm what I saw…

Pasta packed with mold and cardboard!

When I ripped apart the box, this is what I came face-to-face with. This box of WinCo macaroni and cheese had moldy pasta in it.

My first thought? I can’t believe I touched that with my hand. My wife’s first thought? You need to dispose of that pasta in the pot right now. She was right, even though (or at least I hope) most of the moldy pasta was still in the box, some of it surely slid into the pot, thus contaminating the entire box of mold-free pasta I poured in first.

It is important to note that the macaroni and cheese wasn’t expired….it was just moldy.

Don’t worry, we were still able to eat macaroni and cheese. We had a Great Value box that I quickly prepared after disposing of the WinCo product. Sid’s theory was that the WinCo box got wet in the warehouse and created perfect conditions for the mold to grow. You see, the corner of the box was in slightly rough shape when I purchased it, a red flag that I sadly overlooked, but solid evidence for Sid’s theory.

This morning I called WinCo and told them what happened. The lady asked me if I still had the product. Nope, I replied, I wasn’t too keen on allowing moldy food to take up space in our pantry. I did tell her I had photos, though. Those were immediately sent to an email address she provided me with. WinCo will reimburse me for the box of rotten macaroni and cheese…so there is that.

If you celebrate tonight, I hope your mac and cheese doesn’t look like this.

Based on the fact that we still ate macaroni and cheese last night, this incident hasn’t put a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended) when it comes to one of my favorite foods. However, I do hope WinCo removes any remaining boxes of “Deluxe Shells and Cheese” from its shelves. In this case, deluxe was simply disgusting. Don’t Blink.

Count Your Lucky Stars Today, President Trump

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I won’t go as far to say that it was a JFK or 9/11 moment, but here we are at the one-year mark of the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump and it seems just like yesterday. I was inside the pool area of a YMCA celebrating my nephew’s birthday when news started circulating that shots were fired at a Trump rally. From the initial photos I saw and the chatter I heard, I thought it was a minor incident that involved a BB gun or air rifle.

Boy, was I wrong.

The day Trump was shot will be one of those days that people will always remember.

My family moved from the pool into the YMCA lobby where we watched live coverage of what was unfolding in Butler, Pennsylvania. It quickly became apparent that things were much more serious than I originally thought. This wasn’t a BB gun. Although President Trump escaped death by millimeters, someone else—Corey Comperatore—did not. That night I couldn’t sleep and ended up penning this blog post during the wee morning hours.

My dread wasn’t politically induced. It could have been Joe Biden or Kamala Harris helplessly under the scope of an AR-15 and I would have felt the same sickness in my stomach. No one should be a sitting duck just waiting to get decapitated in front of a live crowd and millions watching at home.

This morning, the most prominent thought going through my mind is how different this world would be today if President Trump hadn’t so slightly moved his head. And trust me, I am not entertaining this thought in the context of whether we would be better off or not. Rather, I am just conceptualizing the million things that would be different from what they are today. Who would be in the White House? Where would Donald Trump be buried? What would be done today to mark the anniversary of Trump’s death? How many views would a presidential candidate getting his head blown off have on YouTube?

Thankfully, we don’t know the answers to these questions. But sadly, political violence is still a very real thing. President Trump would once again be targeted for assassination that summer and even more alarmingly were the recent shootings in Minnesota. State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were murdered while State Senator John Hoffman and his wife were shot but survived. You don’t need to take it from a blogger that this is wrong.

May an incident such as what took place in Butler never occur again and heaven forbid that a gunman should ever succeed. It is my hope that President Trump will remain safe during his term along with every future successor and aspiring successor as well. Don’t Blink.