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Good Friday Eve Thursday Rundown

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Greetings on this blessed Holy Thursday. I hope your preparations for Easter are going well and that you have a few moments for five random topics…

Plates – Growing up in my parents’ house, I definitely didn’t eat off a silver platter. Rather, I ate off plastic plates decorated with sloppy drawings and scribbles. On this date 11 years ago, I published one of my all-time favorite blog posts. I wrote about our annual childhood family tradition of adoring our dinner plates with our art. Every year, my mom would give us a circular piece of paper. We would draw whatever we wanted on it and then she would send the papers to a factory. A couple months later, our drawings would come back in plate-form. We ate off those plates every night growing up. And guess what? My own family now eats off them every night, too. When I got married and had kids, my mom gave me the plates I created as a child and we have put them to good use.

We would draw designs on a circular piece of paper and then my mom would send them off and they would come back in plate-form.

Fruity Pebbles Clearance – I live for deals like these. I spotted this bargain on “Berry Pebbles” this past weekend at Grocery Outlet. Just 17 cents? Does that even cover the cost of the box? Sure, the “sell by” date might be at the end of this month but it is cereal—it will be good for another year. Of course you can just eat these with milk and a spoon like most normal people, but what a neat opportunity to make colorful and unique rice krispie treats. As you probably guessed, I did buy a couple boxes.

A box of “Fruity Pebbles” costs less than a gum ball.

Spring Sports – Our family calendar just filled up. On Monday, spring sports started for both our kids. Sloan attended her first soccer practice and Beau reported to his first t-ball practice. There will be something going on pretty much every week night for the next 6-7 weeks so we are settling into the grind. Although things will be hectic, thanks be to God that our children have the opportunity to play sports and have fun with other kids.

Beau is ready for some t-ball. He had his first practice on Monday.

Easter Commercialism – Do you plan to take your children to an Easter egg hunt this weekend? If so, do some research on how the hunt will be conducted. Three years ago, I called out certain events that don’t reward children like they should. Hopefully the candy will be superb at whatever hunt you do attend. More than seven years ago, I counted down my top 5 favorite Easter candies. Finally, watch out for sketchy-looking Easter Bunnies. I still maintain my position from 10 years ago that Easter Bunnies are just plain weird.

I love an Easter basket filled with delicious candy.

The Chosen – As we journey deeper into Holy Week and with Easter right on the horizon, you might be looking for something to watch that pairs well with this sacred time. Trust me, you can’t go wrong with “The Chosen.” You can read my blog post from three years ago that delves into what makes this Jesus series so outstanding but for the sake of the limited space I have in this Thursday Rundown, I will say this: give it a try. Jonathan Roumie’s portrayal of Jesus is superb and many of the scenes are beyond profound. I am navigating season four right now and it is the same great stuff.

I recommend that you watch “The Chosen.”

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Although I have alluded to Easter this whole post, let’s keep in mind that tomorrow is Good Friday. Before we celebrate His resurrection, we must come to terms with his crucifixion. Thank you for reading! Don’t Blink.

Beyond Perfect

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At Eastern Washington University, we partner with the area’s high school sports conference—the Greater Spokane League (GSL)—to ensure that our local prep student-athletes are given the best experience possible. This partnership hits close to home because I am a former GSL athlete myself.

I attended Mead High School of the Greater Spokane League.

Toward the end of each athletic season, the league hosts the GSL Scholar-Athlete Luncheon. At this event, a male and female athlete from each member school are honored for their outstanding performance on the field and in the classroom. Because of EWU’s support of the GSL, I attended yesterday’s luncheon with Jens Larson, our associate vice president for enrollment management.

It was a distinct joy to attend this event. Jens and I enjoyed front row seats as the selected student-athletes from each school were honored together on stage. I was blown away by the exploits of all the young people recognized. Each one boasted a resume that put my own high school accomplishments to shame.

A photo I took at yesterday’s GSL Scholarship-Athlete Luncheon. Up on stage are the Rogers High School recipients and athletic director.

One particular student stood out. In addition to all the athletic honors and extracurricular activities of Lewis & Clark High School recipient Michael Mann, there was something else about him that made me pay close attention. He had earned a 4.2 GPA.

In high school (and in college), I allowed myself to become obsessed with my grade point average. At the time, I put way too much weight on one’s GPA and basically thought it was the be-all and end-all. I went to bed each night thinking 4.0 and I did whatever I could to achieve it. I did reach my goal in high school but fell a tenth of a point short in college.

Again, I admit that my motivation was bit misplaced when it came to my quest for a perfect GPA. I think I could have focused on other areas and goals that would have made me a more complete student. But after yesterday’s luncheon, there is something that I am glad about: my high school didn’t offer a GPA above 4.0.

My guess is that Mike’s 4.2 GPA is due to the fact that he earned multiple “A+” grades. Just another example of that incredible student doing incredible things. If the option was available to earn an “A+” that would boost my GPA, I think I would have stressed myself out even more to obtain it. And you know what? I think I would have failed.

If my memory is correct, I barely made a standard “A” in multiple courses I took in high school. In some of those classes, such as art history (😂), my obsessive effort to go beyond just squeaking by would have resulted in failure. Earning a 4.0 was hard enough for me and anything above that would have been impossible. I am glad I wasn’t reaching for something that would have been out of my bandwidth.

To Mike and all the other students honored yesterday, you impress me. Attending Tuesday’s event cemented the fact that we are in good hands with our youth. I know big things are in store for LC’s 4.2 man. Don’t Blink.

A Different Flying Experience

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You would have thought I developed a fear of flying. Why? I went nearly a year and a half without stepping foot on a plane. But my streak of staying grounded recently ended and I experienced something for the first time.

The airport itself and TSA didn’t change a bit. Same hustle and bustle, overpriced food, and stress of moving kids through the security line. But what did change was the airline we flew. For the first time (at least in my adult life), we flew Southwest.

Sloan on a Southwest Airlines flight.

I have come to realize that not all airlines are created equal. You just have to step on a Spirit Airlines flight to figure that out. But for the most part, I have flown Alaska, American, and Delta over the past 20 years. Those three airline giants have a standardized way of doing things and their policies/protocols are similar. Southwest contrasted greatly from the trio.

Beau preparing to board a Southwest flight.

The three main differences I experienced for the first time included…

– Free checked bags. I am not kidding! Although this is going away soon, we had the pleasure of flying Southwest while the perk was still in place. And you just aren’t allowed to check one free bag, you are welcome to check TWO free bags. For a family of four, that is a cost savings of $480 roundtrip (when you factor in a $30 per bag fee charged by most airlines). How refreshing this was!

– No assigned seating. This one was a little weird. In the same way that you buy a general admission ticket at a sports event, Southwest’s seating plan is entirely open. This means that whenever you board, you choose whatever seat you want—or whatever seat is available. Finding an open seat was never an issue for my family because we boarded early in the process since Beau is under 6 years old. Still, it is a little unnerving to know that your seat isn’t assigned and awkward “May I sit here?” conversations may be necessary with strangers.

– Fewer amenities. Perhaps Southwest makes up for lost revenue incurred from free checked bags in other ways. For example, the planes don’t come equipped with screens to watch movies and shows. You must use your own device to tap into their entertainment options. You also won’t receive complimentary ear buds nor will you be subjected to the over-the-top safety production videos championed by the other guys. But have no fear, free soft drinks and snacks do come with your plane ticket.

Sloan on another leg of a Southwest Airlines flight.

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Based on the above differences, I would fly Southwest again. However, this past trip we did face a lot of other issues. To me, Southwest is kind of the Aldi of airlines. Have you flown Southwest before? What is your opinion? Don’t Blink.

Holy Week 2025: Getting Back Up

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Holy Week started yesterday with Palm Sunday. It is always interesting attending the mass because you are presented with two different gospel readings that convey two very different attitudes. The first reading describes Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem as people hold up palms and shout “Hosana” as he passes by on donkey. The second gospel reading is always a passion account that details the same people who cheered Jesus now exclaiming “crucify him!”

During yesterday’s mass at St. Mary Catholic Church in Spokane Valley, I was touched by some simple yet profound words from Fr. Jeff Lewis during his homily. He mentioned that in the same way that Jesus fell three times while carrying the cross, Christians also sometimes fall. But, just like Jesus did, we must get back up when we do.

Sloan holding the palm she folded into a palm yesterday. Fr. Jeff Lewis delivered a very profound Palm Sunday homily.

Talk about setting the stage for the next several days to come.

How has Lent treated you? Did it have some bumps? Maybe some unexpected turns? I will you this: it has been one of the more unique and challenging Lents I have journeyed through.

But if you did find yourself taking a fall or two since Lent started back in early March, there isn’t a better time to get up than now. Holy Week is the most significant period on the calendar and I believe that any Lent can be redeemed over the course of these seven sacred days.

As we continue to reflect on the passion of Christ that culminates in his crucifixion, let’s bounce back. I am going to do my best to be holy this week. During this home stretch to Easter Sunday, let’s devote all energy we have to exiting the desert in the best possible position so we may truly appreciate and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Don’t Blink.

Braces

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My “sentence” was from my 7th grade year in middle school until the middle of my freshman year of high school. This two-year period brought plenty of awkwardness, many inconveniences, and some pain but by the end of it, I was completely rehabilitated. Or at least my teeth were.

I am of course talking about braces.

Much gratitude to my parents for investing in the smiles of all three Reser kids. They shelled out the monthly payments so we could all wear braces and achieve straight smiles.

Of course at the time you never quite appreciate it. I remember pretty vividly getting my braces on and the several days of soreness that followed. I tried to keep a low profile when I wore them. Every single time I got my bands changed, I only got white. That lasted until the very last time I got them changed. I told my orthodontic hygienist that I wanted my usual but when she finished, she told me to go look in the mirror. After only getting white for two years, it was pretty wild what I saw: Christmas colors!

As you could probably guess, I followed the “rules” when it came to my braces. I didn’t eat popcorn, I very rarely drank soda, and I never entertained the preposterous idea of eating caramel.

Still, even though I took my braces seriously and did what was recommended by my orthodontist, it wasn’t always easy. As a lifelong battler of gum disease, having braces only irritated them more. Visits to the dentist were never fun when I had braces because of the special way they had to clean your teeth.

Despite all that, I persevered. Getting my braces off was one of the most liberating feelings in my life. The confidence I felt was pretty special.

Sadly, 23 years after I got my braces off, one of my bottom front teeth has shifted. So much for that perfectly straight smile. I never got a built-in retainer as my orthodontist gave me ones I could remove. I continued to wear my retainers at night through college but then ceased doing so. My teeth held straight for many years after that but in the past couple years I have experienced the shift. Oh well, it could be worse.

Even though my smile might not be perfect anymore, I am still grateful to my mom and dad for their investment. It at least paid off in the respect that my smile was attractive enough for someone to marry me. Don’t Blink.

Breakfast For Lunch Thursday Rundown

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Happy April! I hope your month is off to a great start. The second quarter of 2025 is underway so either stay on track or get back on it depending where you are at. Let’s begin with the Thursday rundown.

Spa Date – For our daughter’s birthday party, we opened up Sloan’s Salon for an afternoon. A week later, Sloan had the chance to get pampered at a real salon. Our dear friend, Fidela, took Sloan on a “girl’s afternoon” to the Coeur d’Alene Resort Spa. In addition to getting manicures, they also walked the pier, ate lunch, and visited the toy store. It was such a generous and special way for Fidela to celebrate Sloan. And she did all this while pregnant! Which reminds me, please pray for Fidela that she continues to have a safe pregnancy and pray for her unborn baby.

Fidela spoiled Sloan with a special spa afternoon.

Free Concessions – My former place of employment has made a big splash this week. The Coastal Carolina University athletic department recently announced it will offer FREE concessions items during the 2025 football season. We are talking free hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, and soda. Dubbed the CCU Kickoff Meal Deal, fans will be able to order four free items at a time and will be allowed to go through the line as many times as desired. Perhaps the timing of this announcement was the most ingenious part of the whole thing. Because CCU announced the promotion on March 31, people speculated that it could be an April Fool’s joke. Nope, it is totally legit—but the speculation added to the buzz.

When I started working at CCU, Brooks Stadium still had green grass and a fraction of its current capacity. It also didn’t offer free concessions. It will be interesting to see how it all works out.

Breakfast For Lunch – On Tuesday, our EWU marketing and communications team hosted a potluck during the lunch hour. Everyone was told to bring their favorite breakfast item. Let me tell you, my colleagues went all out and brought some delicious fare. As for me? Even though I have felt extremely burned by recent modifications, I couldn’t help but bring Costco muffins to the party.

Can you see my muffins? This was before most of the other food arrived. That’s my boss, Eric Limburg, flipping chocolate chip pancakes.

To Catch A Killer – While browsing Netflix for a movie to watch on Sunday, Sidney and I selected “To Catch A Killer.” The film is from 2023 and it stars Shailene Woodley, who I like, as a Baltimore police officer. When a mass shooter murders scores of people at multiple events, an FBI special agent leans on Woodley for her insight. When Sid and I talked about the movie during dinner the following night, I told her I didn’t really like it. She asked why. I told her I didn’t really know. But as she pressed me, I mentioned it was really dark, a little hokey, and just not very clever.

Although I like Shailene Woodley, I wouldn’t recommend “To Catch A Killer.”

Keep Scrolling – Many of you know that I try to end these rundowns on a humorous note and tonight I have the opportunity to do so. My friend, Lindsi, shared this four years ago but it still makes me laugh because it 100% resonates with me. Whenever I submit an online application that requires my birth date, I find the “year” field defaulting to something like 2007. Alas, this requires me to scroll back quite a bit to find my respective birth year. It is funny and concerning at the same time, but, believe it or not, sometimes I feel a pinch of pride mixed in that I have lived to this point.

This “Price Is Right” meme resonated with me.

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This is going to be a record April for the Resers so I have to sign off for now. Hope you have a great weekend and thanks for reading! Don’t Blink.

Toweling Off…I Mean On

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Back in high school, there was a coach from a rival basketball team with a peculiar signature “look.” Whenever he coached, he would always droop a white towel—one that was meant for players to wipe sweat from their faces at timeouts—over his shoulder. Mind you, this was during the days when coaches actually wore suits so this particular “accessory” always stood out.

To grab another memory from my prep years, our PE teacher in weight training required us to bring our own towel to class. This was mandated so we could use it to place on equipment while performing reps and to also deflect our own perspiration while exercising.

I think both of these influences—although the latter one more so—had an impact on me after I graduated from high school. Why so? Because since the nearly 20 years since I left Mead High School, I have always brought with me a towel to the gym that I constantly droop over my shoulder while I work out.

I always bring a towel with me to the gym to use while exercising

However, to be fair, the towels I use aren’t the athletic ones the high school basketball coach would use. Rather, my towels are pretty much whatever I can get my hands on. Some are hand drying towels, some are car wash towels, and others are promo items I picked up from events. So you might ask the following question: Do they do the trick?

My response would be, what trick? If you meant do they keep me cool and keep sweat at bay, I would say kind of. While they do help whisk away sweat while doing cardio, my weight lifting routine doesn’t leave me soaked and thus a towel isn’t absolutely necessary for that purpose.

Instead, I use a towel at each gym session for two other more obscure reasons. The first is that it helps me mark my territory. I can indicate that I am using a piece of equipment by sprawling the towel on whatever I am using. But when you use the gym at 3:30 a.m. like I do, let’s just say marking your territory isn’t always necessary when you are often the only one using the facility.

The more prominent reason for my dedicated towel use is what my wife terms “my OCD.” I simply like the comfort and familiarity of a towel drooped over my shoulder or in my hand at all times. I guess you can liken it to how a toddler becomes attached to a blanket. After exercising that way for 25 years, it has grown on me. I feel out of place and awkward when I don’t have a towel at the gym. If I somehow forgot to bring a towel with me, I will turn around and go home to retrieve one if I haven’t arrived at the gym yet.

So at the end of the day, I am very similar to the high school basketball coach. At one time we probably had functional reasons for our respective towels, but eventually they became more of a personal comfort than a practical necessity. Don’t Blink.

Subway: Just Not Worth It

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Back in the early 2010s, Subway was my favorite fast food restaurant. I would hit up a specific location in Missoula for a $5 footlong on a weekly basis. But the chain eventually hit tough times and prices went up. By the time the early 2020s rolled around, it wasn’t uncommon to pay $12 for a Subway footlong.

Way back in 2013 when Subway was a great value.

As you can imagine, our family stopped going to Subway.

But then we started receiving a sheet of coupons each week in the mail. It was a mailer sent by a group of Subway restaurants in the Spokane area for discounted sandwiches within its restaurants. Lucky for us, one of the participating Subways is located within walking distance from our house. The best coupon on the sheet for a family of four was an offer of three footlong sandwiches for $19.99.

This coupon came in handy a lot for us.

Although not equivalent to the $5 footlong price of the early 2010s, it did equal out to $6.66 per sandwich. Sid and I could each get our own and we would split the third sandwich between Sloan and Beau.

Nothing wrong with a dinner under $20, right?

The other day, Beau and I walked to get the mail. When I opened our box, the trusty sheet of Subway coupons was waiting for us. I grabbed the deals and started walking home while Beau led on his scooter. I looked down at the sheet and despite the formatting and layout of the mailer looking the exact same as it has for the past couple years, something else was obviously different: the prices.

A look at the difference in prices between the March 2025 coupon sheet and the April 2025 coupon sheet.

The coupon price for a 6” sub was a $1 more. Same for the coupon price of a single footlong. But price hikes for the other specials were either triple or quadruple those increases. For example, the original coupon price for two footlongs ($13.99) had jumped three bucks to $16.99. And the coupon price for the three footlongs we used for picnics, Saturday nights, and last-minute dinners?…

From $19.99 to $23.99!

The price jump was rather disappointing.

I have said before that I understand price hikes, especially in our country’s current economic climate. But I also believe that increases should occur in a controlled and transparent manner. The 20% price increase—even though it is technically still a discount—seems too severe. Again, I get the times we were in, but some type of a note either on the previous month’s coupon sheet or this month’s coupon sheet recognizing the increases would have gone a long way with me.

I know it is “just” a $4 difference. But psychologically, it is too much for me to handle. Like I said, I felt good about paying under $20 for dinner but now the same amount of food is priced much closer to $25. But even more problematic is the fact that a Subway sandwich sold at a unit price of $8 (with the new coupon price applied) simply isn’t worth the money—the sub simply isn’t good enough. #SorryNotSorry.

I think I am going to take a break from eating Subway sandwiches.

Again, call me a cheapskate, but for the time being this is a deal breaker for me. Don’t Blink.

Ancestry Thursday Rundown

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And just like that, March will soon give way to April. But on this April Fools’ Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve, let’s reflect on some random topics…

Sloan’s Cake – You all know the drill, when our family celebrates a birthday, I always showoff the cake in the following Thursday Rundown. Sloan specifically requested a cake that was teal and pink so we made it happen. We trusted the skilled and talented bakers at Rosauers to turn Sloan’s wish into reality.

Rosauers baked and decorated Sloan’s 8th birthday cake.

Pope Francis Recovery – Thanks be to God, Pope Francis has been released from the hospital. Over the past couple days, details have emerged regarding how close he was to death. With these reports, there is no doubt in my mind that God still wants Pope Francis on this earth to preside over the Church. I admire the Pope’s medical team and the faithful who feverishly prayed for him.

It is important that we continue to pray for Pope Francis.

Flipside – Did you ever play Bop-It when you were a kid? We had one that we played over and over. For Sloan’s birthday, she received a gift from one of her friends that reminded me of Bop-It. Called Flipside, the object is to match the colored blocks to the lights. It has caught on like wildfire in my family. Sloan, Beau, and even Sid can’t get enough of it. In fact, Sloan is so smitten with the game that she has played it on the car ride to school this whole week. Overall, I am happy for the kids to have a handheld they can engage with that isn’t a smart device.

Sloan playing Flipside in bed.

National Scrabble Day – I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to mark National Scrabble Day. Scrabble was my family’s favorite game growing up as we played many intense, competitive rounds. When we moved back to Spokane five years ago, I was delighted to dust off the board and play a game with everyone for old times’ sake. Another fond memory I have of Scrabble is from the sixth grade. My teacher, Mr. Jared Hoadley, took our class to a neighboring rival elementary school to play its sixth grade class in a Scrabble tournament. We might have mobile apps like Words With Friends and Wordle, but the ultimate word game will always be Scrabble!

A look at our Scrabble board from my homecoming game five years ago.

23andMe Tough Times – An item in the news cycle this week is the bankruptcy of personal genomics giant 23andMe. The industry has fallen on tough times and it has specifically impacted 23andMe in a negative way. I find it a shame because these companies truly provide fascinating and accurate information. Nearly seven years ago I opted for the competition and submitted my sample to AncestryDNA. I learned a lot about my heritage. The test was actually a birthday gift from my mom who spent $99 on it. Let me tell you, it has been a gift that continues to give. To this day, I still receive emails notifying me about new matches when relatives (both near and distant) submit their own tests. My wife took a 23andMe test in 2019.

My Ancestry DNA test confirmed a lot of what I already knew about my heritage.

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Thanks for your time this evening. Enjoy your last weekend in March and we will be in touch next week. Don’t Blink.

Like Vs. Love

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Earlier this Lent, I attended daily mass presided by my diocese’s bishop. On this particular day, the gospel reading was Matthew 5:43-48. This is the passage where Jesus teaches to love thy enemies (But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you).

Our Young Adult Catholic group surrounds Catholic Diocese of Spokane Bishop Thomas Daly (center, with hands in pockets). He preached a “like vs. love” homily on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at St. Thomas More in north Spokane.

Bishop Thomas Daly followed with an interesting homily. He advised those of us in attendance that we didn’t need to like everyone, but we did need to love everyone. Bishop Daly mentioned there were certain people long ago who made his job as president of a Catholic high school quite difficult. These individuals put Bishop Daly through the ringer and made him question their motivations for working in a Catholic school. As you can imagine, these people wouldn’t have been the easiest folks to like.

However, just because you don’t prefer to spend every moment of your free time around certain people doesn’t mean you ought not to love them.

And this is where Bishop Daly dropped the differentiator and defined what “love” means in the context that Jesus preached it. In its simplest terms, “to love” your brothers and sisters in Christ is to hope the best for them. It means, just like Jesus said, that you pray for them. You don’t wish ill will, you don’t secretly hope for their failure. Despite how difficult it might be to get along with someone, you still need to be a positive advocate for their general welfare and pray that they might have a close relationship with Christ.

As we mark the three-week mark of Lent today, it is important to love all, especially those who make it hard to do so. Don’t Blink.