Category Archives: Uncategorized

A Bold Statement in Downtown Spokane

Posted on by
Reply

Much in the same way that playing professional sports can be over-romanticized, so can being a professional marketer. Similar to the life of a major leaguer not always being about grand slams and perfect games, my role as a marketing director isn’t always about placing giant billboards in Times Square or running commercials during the Super Bowl (although I have done that 😉). An average major leaguer is typically more focused on doing the little things right like not making an error or laying down a sacrifice bunt. As a marketer for a university, I also take the low key approach of mastering the fundamentals and doing my best to be strategic as our marketing efforts are pushed in less prominent but more targeted placements.

However, just like any average MLB player will have his day in the sun to show off, that opportunity is also afforded to your typical marketing director as well.

And let me tell you, I am pretty proud of what I get to currently show off in downtown Spokane…

Our marketing team recently worked hard to take over the south and north entrances at River Park Square. This photo shows the south side from across the street.

Last week our EWU brand showcase was installed on Spokane’s signature shopping center and entertainment complex. River Park Square is a gorgeous building that attracts people from across the region looking to shop at high end stores, catch a movie, dine at one of its many restaurants, or just hang out in a brightly-lit energetic space. Located smack-dab in downtown Spokane flanking the streets of Spokane Falls Blvd. and Main, it holds the same iconic notoriety and prestige as Riverfront Park.

Thanks to the talents of our EWU marketing team, we created an engaging design that incorporates our students, current branding, and recent honors.

It also has some very impactful and attractive advertising space.

I have said before that at EWU we have a digital-first mindset when it comes to our marketing strategy. However, we will always invest in powerful out-of-home opportunities that are impactful and help us reach key audiences. With this philosophy in mind, we took over River Park Square’s north and south main entrances with Eagle Red!

A look at the left side of the south entrance. We used one of our nursing students or this portion.

With a lot of real estate available via the building’s gorgeous glass windows, we designed a concept that utilized bold visuals of our students, key storytelling concepts of our region’s polytechnic brand positioning, and our most recent slate of honors/awards. With the brilliant photography of Chris Thompson combined with the thoughtful design work of Ryan Gaard, we created something that looked great on paper and even better when it was installed on River Park Square itself.

We used a biology student to fill the right hand side of the south entrance,

The combination of student photos, our brand promise, and recent awards packs a strong message in a high-traffic area. Our timing is strategic with June and July very busy months in downtown Spokane. Later this month, hundreds of thousands of people—many of them prospective students and their parents—will flock to the streets for Hoopfest. EWU will be ready for them.

We also took over the north entrance as well. Although we didn’t have as much real estate as the south side, we still made the space count. We used a dental hygiene student for this placement.

And we are ready for you, too. If you do live in the Inland Northwest region, you have about three weeks to see it. Our advertising will run through July 8.

A look from the right side of the EWU River Park Square north entrance placement.

This latest activation by my marketing team was met with pride from Eag Nation and admiration from counterparts and competitors at other higher ed institutions. Of course, none of it would be possible without the confidence and funding from President Shari McMahan. What an opportunity she has given us! As we continue to tell EWU’s story in the most effective way possible, we are committed and driven to prove that President McMahan’s investment in marketing is just what our institution needs. Don’t Blink.

St. Mary 2025-26: It Takes a Community

Posted on by
Reply

I know I am a few years late using this phrase, but Sloan and Beau understood the assignment! Today they concluded the 2025-26 school year and are now on summer break.

The 2025-26 St. Mary Catholic School year came to a close this morning. Students, staff, and Fr. Jeff huddled together for this photo after mass (photo courtesy of Paolo Davila de Muela).

This recently completed school year, our sixth at St. Mary Catholic School, was a success. Not because our kids were perfect (they weren’t), not because Sloan was immune from drama (she wasn’t), and not because Beau was a perfect angel (don’t make me laugh), but because there was obvious growth—from both an academic, social, and spiritual standpoint.

Sloan and Beau pose for a photo inside St. Mary Catholic Church (Spokane Valley) during 2026 Catholic Schools Week. They weren’t perfect this school year but they did experience growth.

Sloan wrote book reports, learned multiplication and division, played basketball, joined the chess club, read her Catholic School Week essay at mass, and continued to forge close relationships with her very tight-knit class.

Sloan had a good third grade year.

Beau learned the basics of reading, tackled homework for the first time, endeared himself to his classmates, took a turn as star student of the week, and masterfully read the responsorial psalm at a recent school mass.

It was awesome to see Beau make strides in reading this year.

But the thing that makes St. Mary such a special school is that it is never about the individual performance of any one student—it is about the community as a whole.

And trust me, what I just wrote isn’t a hollow statement. I observed firsthand the pride and care that exists within the walls of St. Mary as I served on the 2025-26 School Advisory Council (SAC) with select school staff members and a handful of other parents. We discussed issues facing the school, opportunities for improvement, and proactive ideas to implement. The genuine desire to continually advance the school is inspiring and I was so impressed by the staff members who would stay long after the school day concluded to attend these meetings. Mrs. Kathy Olsen, Mrs. Devon Rapp, Mrs. Sharon Lonergan, and Mr. Kevin Schultz—you are all AMAZING!

I am heartened by how the St. Mary staff members support Sloan and Beau.

Don’t think I forgot about the individual who chairs SAC. Principal Stephen Hart did a fabulous job leaning into the expertise of each person on the committee—staff member and parent alike—to uncover the best ideas and guidance.

I snapped this photo of Mr. Stephen Hart when he opened the doors of St. Mary Catholic School (Spokane Valley) to begin the 2025-26 school year. Today he closed those doors on a successful year.

But let me make an overall assessment of Mr. Hart and his impact at St. Mary: It isn’t an accident that the school is devotedly Catholic, enrollment keeps climbing, test scores are superb, and that BIG plans are on the horizon. Stephen’s leadership has transformed the school community over the past three years and we couldn’t be in better hands.

And to think that Mr. Hart could still be in the public school system if a certain person didn’t make a somewhat unconventional hire at the end of the 2022-23 school year…

Today, Fr. Jeff Lewis said his last school mass at St. Mary (Spokane Valley). The kids got a photo with him afterwards.

As we say goodbye to Fr. Jeff Lewis as he leaves for his new assignment in Walla Walla, there is no doubt that his work with the school will be part of his outstanding and expansive legacy at St. Mary. Aside from his slam dunk principal hire, he made consistent/legendary visits to the classrooms, presided over beautiful school masses, and did whatever humanely possible to assist with fundraising. He worked great with Mr. Hart and always did what was in the best interest of the school. We will miss him dearly.

Fr. Jeff Lewis receives the gifts from Sloan during a St. Mary School mass. He always did an incredible job with the students.

Finally, my admiration for what we have going at St. Mary doesn’t just extend to the students, staff, principal, or even Fr. Jeff. I am also continually impressed with my fellow parents. Make no mistake about it, at any private school the moms, dads, and guardians can have an oversized influence—for better or worse. Of course, no matter where you go, any school will probably have a mix of both…St. Mary is no different. But I believe the positivity overwhelmingly outweighs the negativity and some of that evidence can be found in the parents of the third grade and kindergarten classes.

Beau poses with his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Kristen Mead, this morning. Mrs. Mead is not only a St. Mary teacher but a St. Mary parent as well. In fact, she is one of the third grade parents in Sloan’s class.

Some of the moms and dads in Sloan’s class (and their kids) have been around since we started her in Pre-K3 six years ago. The students in the third grade class are extremely close and that bond extends to us parents as well. I am constantly amazed at how supportive they are not just of the school but of my kids (Beau, too). I watch as many of these parents invest heavily in both their time and money to bolster St. Mary Catholic School…it blows me away.

The third grade class is close and it extends from the students to the parents as well. It was extremely special that Sloan and her classmates made their First Communion/Confirmation together this year.

Then we have the parents in Beau’s class. Sid and I have had the chance to get to know many of them better over this school year (hello birthday party circuit! 😂) and I am really impressed by their energy and passion. There are parents in that class who are going to spearhead some major projects that will keep the school’s current momentum for years to come. But aside from the big picture, my heart is warmed by how quickly the parents in Beau’s class volunteer and lift each other up. Oh, and the way they showed up at this year’s school auction was the stuff of legends.

Beau’s kindergarten class has a lot of energy…both the students and the parents.

The summer is now upon us and I hope the entire school community is looking forward to some well-deserved rest and relaxation. As Fr. Jeff said in his final St. Mary School homily this morning, it would serve us all well to enter into friendship with Jesus over the break. When the 2026-27 school year starts on Aug. 31, things will look a little different with Fr. Curtis Seidel overseeing the school and some new teachers roaming the halls. But as I have alluded to throughout this post, the foundation for saint-making has been set and the sky…I mean Heaven…is the limit 🙏🏻. Thanks be to God. Don’t Blink.

A Decade of Marriage

Posted on by
Reply

And just like that it has been 10 years. With kids they say the days are long but the years are short. Perhaps for spouses it should be the years are long but the decades are short? Hmm…I don’t necessarily remember any of the past 10 years dragging on so maybe that’s a bad example. So let me just say this: the past 120 months have flown by.

It was a beautiful feeling walking back up the aisle with Sidney after we were married. Hard to believe that was 10 years ago!

I don’t think that could be anything but a good sign.

No joke, it does feel like yesterday that we said “I do” on a hot Myrtle Beach day inside St. Andrew Catholic Church. But even though the time has seemingly flown by, it hasn’t zipped by so fast that Sid and I couldn’t learn things along the way that have enriched our marriage.

In honor of our 10th anniversary, I wanted to share the 10 bedrocks of our marriage that have kept us happy, united, and in love…

Happy 10th anniversary, Sid! I have about 10 reasons for why our marriage has been rock solid. (photo courtesy of Nicole Lynn).

Sacramental Marriage – We got off to the best start possible by marrying inside the Church. By entering into the sacrament of holy matrimony we offered our union to God and have benefited from his abundant graces.

Strong Couples – By complete luck of the draw, we were born to parents who have inspiring, loving marriages. We admired the love our parents had for each other growing up and are even more inspired and touched by them today. The best examples we could ask for!

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work – Framing Sid and me as a team helps solidify our bond. We are truly teammates in marriage and in everything else we do. There is nothing that brings me more joy than when we work together to accomplish something, whether it be as partners in trivia or giving a retreat.

Have Kids They Said… – Anyone who is a parent could probably fill in the second half of the expression I started with. But all jokes aside (…it would be fun, they said), having Sloan and Beau solidified our marital bond even more and made life so much richer.

Just Between Us – Marriage is fun when you can be goofy and weird with your spouse. Sidney and I have inside jokes and quirks that no one else besides us would find funny or endearing. For example, very early on in our relationship, we went back-and-forth on whether we should buy a certain couch. We eventually made the purchase but not before we shook hands on it. Since then, whenever we have purchased something as big as a house or as small as the water filter we bought last week, we still shake hands like used car salesmen.

Traditions – Throughout our decade of marriage we have built so many traditions—both big and small. And while Sid might roll her eyes at some of the really small traditions I insist we do, it has been a joy to practice traditions our own families passed down while also establishing totally original ones.

Trust Above All – It is impossible to overstate the importance of trust in a marriage. Thankfully Sid and I have it. Going through some early health issues with Sloan and Beau battled really helped establish our trust with each other. In ensuing years, that bond of trust just strengthened even more.

Strong Support – Throughout the past 10 years, we have each gone through our own issues. But thankfully we always had each other squarely in our corners during those tough times. Especially during periods of loss, this support we have been able to give each other has powered us through and boosted our marriage even more.

Sacrifice – A marriage rooted in both small and large sacrifice is bound to succeed. From Sid sacrificing her sleep to iron my clothes or me re-arranging my work schedule so I can cover Sid’s shift to pick up the kids, these small sacrifices go a long way. But I don’t skirt the fact that my wife is the one who has made the real major sacrifices in our marriage. Her willingness to leave the only home she has ever known to move out west so I could advance my career will always define the true meaning of sacrifice.

Keeping It Fresh and Exciting – Get your minds out of the gutter, people! I am talking about our strategic asks of my parents to watch the kids so we can go on date nights, our Friday evenings of sharing dessert/watching true crime, and our effort to always have something on the calendar to look forward to. In fact, Sid and I have something pretty special planned to celebrate our milestone anniversary later this month.

Words don’t describe how lucky I am to be married to this woman. I love you, Sid!

—————–

So now we turn our sights to the second decade of marriage. Here’s to the next 10 years of sacrificing for each other, working as an undefeated team, trusting each other like heck, building more traditions, and turning to God for his grace. I love you, Sid!! Don’t Blink.

 

Past Anniversary Blog Post Entries

Ninth Anniversary
Eighth Anniversary
Seventh Anniversary
Sixth Anniversary
Fifth Anniversary
Fourth Anniversary
Third Anniversary
Second Anniversary
First Anniversary

Life’s Tough, Get A Helmet

Posted on by
Reply

One of the best Spokane events for families happened last Friday. Healthy Kids Day is a YMCA national initiative to improve the health of children. The initiative is celebrated locally at the Spokane Valley YMCA the first Friday of each June. We attended in 2023 and 2024 but missed out last year. However, the Resers returned for the 2026 event this past Friday. Continue reading →

AI Backlash

Posted on by
Reply

I feel AI is at an interesting point right now. The technology continues to improve but its public perception can’t outpace a rising cascade of detractors.

Surprisingly, the demographic that usually champions emerging innovation is actually the group that is starting to lash out.

Young people aren’t happy.

Enthusiasm for AI is starting to wane.

Multiple times this graduation season, high profile leaders have been booed for mentioning AI advancements at commencement ceremonies. Of course, the jeers can be attributed to the obvious: AI is taking entry level jobs from the graduating students sitting in the seats at those ceremonies. I would be mad too.

But it seems like young and old people alike are starting to get more irritated instead of awed by AI’s capabilities. Even as AI learns more, those of us who are non-robots are being inundated with generative AI content that doesn’t even try to mask its origin.

It goes beyond em-dashes, buzz words, and formatting. AI-produced work is no longer the exception—it’s the rule—and perhaps that is why a lot of the stuff people are feeding to ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini/etc. is being immediately labeled as slop. It is all just so similar and at times too perfect.

I oversee a team that is split right down the middle. Some are AI experts and strategically use it in their work while others are very knowledgeable about it but prefer to use their own generative talents to complete work. But I think what I can say about my team is that they know a personal touch is still very much necessary to make work shine.

Relying on AI to write all emails, spit out 20-page plans, and write your LinkedIn posts is no longer the way to go. People see right through it and they are no longer saying, “Hey, that person is so innovative.”

Rather, their thinking is, “Hey, that person is so lazy.”

My philosophy with AI is still the same: We need to know it inside-and-out but we should utilize it more as an idea generator as opposed to a project-completer. The creativity of a human brain still trumps the learned knowledge of a robot brain. Don’t Blink.

A Happy Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Happy Friday Eve, my friends! I hope your June is off to a fabulous start and that life is good. Let’s jump right into my latest Thursday Rundown…

250th Anniversary Kickoff – I love a good patriotic event and I also find incredible significance in America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. So when I learned that the City of Spokane Valley was hosting “Celebrating America’s 250th: Picnic in the Park,” it took no arm twisting to get me there. Even though he had a soccer match right before it, I hauled Beau with me to Balfour Park where a military band played, Revolutionary-era groups convened, and the American flag flew. Make no mistake about it, I plan to celebrate all summer long.

Beau hanging with some colonial men at the “Celebrating America’s 250th: Picnic in the Park” event at Balfour Park in Spokane Valley,

Free Ice Cream – I have gone on record stating that the best perk about working for Eastern Washington University is the free bus pass. Well, I can now identify my second favorite perk. On Tuesday an ice cream truck pulled up near our building and distributed free ice cream to everyone—students and staff alike! It was a tough decision between the ice cream Oreo sandwich or the Reese’s ice cream bar but I went with the latter. Nothing like taking a random break at 11 a.m. on a Tuesday for a free sweet treat.

I pose with my colleagues in EWU University Relations on June 1, 2026. We were surprised when the ice cream truck pulled up near our office and started handing out free treats. Ryan Gaard is on the left and Emily Ausere is on the right. Both are very talented designers.

Happy First Birthday, Neteyam! – Over the weekend, we attended our godson’s 1st birthday party. Sid, the kids, and I were honored to be the only non-family members invited to Neteyam’s bash that took place at the delicious Outlaw BBQ. It is hard to describe how cute and good-natured Neteyam is. We told his mom and our good friend, Fidela, that this was one of our favorite ages for our own kids. Speaking of Fidela, she celebrated her third wedding anniversary with Dylan yesterday…congrats!

Fidela, Beau, Neteyam, and Sidney pose for a photo at our godson’s birthday party held at Outlaw BBQ.

Happy Anniversary, Miranda and Jay! – While we are on the subject of anniversaries, I want to give a very special shout out to my sister and brother-in-law. Today they celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. The ceremony took place in Hillyard on a hot day. It was nice to celebrate with so many of our extended family members and the pasta at the reception venue that day was on-point.

Miranda and Jay are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary today.

Top Cheeses – Today is National Cheese Day and 1.5 years ago I celebrated its cousin’s national day (National Cheese Lover’s Day) by counting down my top five favorite cheeses. Because I feel nice tonight, I am going to save you a click if you wish and just give you my list. In order from #5 to my all-time favorite cheese, here you go: parmesan cheese, queso, blue cheese, Cougar Gold, pepper jack.

Parmesan cheese is one of my top five favorite cheeses.

———————

Another Thursday Rundown in the books! Fair warning, there will be no rundown next week but there will be a blog post. Adding to the unusual blogging week is the fact that I hope to post an end-of-school-year entry on that Friday as well—but we shall see. Until then, have a fantastic weekend. Don’t Blink.

Staying Or Leaving?

Posted on by
Reply

Our alumni director, Kelsey Hatch-Brecek, has started a fun tradition within our University Relations department. Upon walking into our suite of offices, a whiteboard presents a “topic of the day.” Each person is encouraged to use the dry erase marker to indicate a preference. Yesterday, the topic was a good one:

You’re at a gas station and the pump says “SEE CASHIER.” Are you staying or leaving?

This was the “Topic of the Day” I walked into yesterday. I was the second person to answer and my response is on the left 😉.

Now I realize some people might interpret the question differently so let me convey the way I approached it…

Imagine yourself driving to the gas station. You pull up to a pump, exit your car, and pull out your card. With card in-hand, you begin to insert it only to realize the message on the screen is flashing “SEE CASHIER”. Or you do make it to the point where you are able to insert your card only to receive the “SEE CASHIER” prompt once your card is read.

Basing my decision on the scenarios I just listed above, my course of action is a no-brainer…

I am staying.

And trust me, I have been tested a lot lately. I don’t know what it is about the gas stations I frequent, but it almost seems like I get a “SEE CASHIER” screen as often as the ice cream machine is out-of-order at McDonald’s.

If the gas pump says “SEE CASHIER” I am trying another pump at the same gas station.

My first reaction upon receiving this extremely inconvenient message is to begrudgingly get back into my car and drive the 10 feet to the next pump at the same station. This has worked in the past but other times the same infuriating message is flashing on that pump as well. Rather than following the adage of “the third time’s the charm” I usually—and never happily—walk inside to SEE CASHIER 😉.

From that point, I give the cashier a specific amount of money I want to fill my gas tank with. I know some stations will allow you to fill up by putting a hold on your account for some larger amount, but I am always skeptical. Instead, I just use my best experience and math skills to give an amount that will get me as close to “full” as possible without going over. Price Is Right at the gas station, everyone 😂.

I can provide my reasoning for “staying” with three straight-forward points…

1. I have no desire to pull into a second gas station and then re-enter traffic all over again

2. Usually I have already targeted the specific gas station I am at because it has the lowest prices and I don’t want to pay more

3. Often I pull into a gas station when I am literally beyond empty so I don’t want to take the chance of driving to another gas station and running completely out of fuel while on my way 😂

Are you staying or leaving? Don’t Blink.

Beau’s Long Awaited Spring 2026 Soccer Season

Posted on by
Reply

The spring soccer season came to a close for Beau this past weekend. Although the Blue Sharks dropped their final match (but we aren’t supposed to keep score so who knows, right?), it marked an eight-week period of growth and improvement for our little footballer. 

Beau had a positive spring soccer season.

I was excited for Beau to play this season just because of his own enthusiasm to put back on the soccer cleats. Since the fall season ended, he would ask me at least once per week when he would get to play again. Needless to say, when we gave him the choice of either baseball or soccer this spring, he didn’t hesitate with his decision. Even when we asked him if he wanted to play on a t-ball team with the boys from his class, he didn’t waver.

Beau chases the ball on the soccer court at Balfour Park in Spokane Valley.

I don’t know where his soccer passion comes from. Although I did play soccer through sixth grade, the sport was unfairly looked down upon in my family—and there is no soccer history in Sid’s family. But nonetheless, we don’t call our son Beaunaldo for nothing.

Even though my dad isn’t a soccer fan, he has been nothing but supportive and helpful with Beau.

It has been a joy watching Beau play this year. I am very realistic about the athletic abilities of my kids and the genes they were given, but Beau was actually the standout player on his team this year. He led the Blue Sharks in goals and was designated as the “fastest player on the team” when he beat his teammates in a race at the final practice of the season. He had the game of his life when he scored four goals during the second-to-last game of the year.

Beau chases the ball in pursuit of another goal during the last game of the season.

Even though Beau is finished playing organized soccer until this upcoming fall, his excitement for the sport continues. He can’t get enough of watching Ronaldo highlights and he is beyond stoked for the World Cup this month. He loves soccer influencers and we have to remind him that he isn’t allowed to kick the ball in the house.

Beau huddles with his team for the last time during the Spring 2026 SYSA soccer season.

Although it will be nice to have Saturdays back again, I admired the way Beau gave 100% this soccer season and will miss watching him play over the next few months. Don’t Blink.

Hello, June

Posted on by
Reply

June 1 looks different this year than it did in 2025.

On this date 365 days ago, we had completed most of our out-of-town fun for the summer. We went on a cruise in April and visited Disney World in May. By the time the first “real” month of the summer arrived, I was content that most of our summer days would be spent in Spokane.

After all, we had our fun.

With June’s arrival this year, things are the opposite. Our summer schedule is more packed and we have a couple trips to look forward to.

June is here! It is officially ice cream truck season. 

In fact, one of those trips will take place this month. Buckle up, it is going to be a busy June…

Aside from the vacation planned later this month, we have a lot more going on. Our calendar over the next four weeks is marked with some community events, a milestone anniversary, last day of school for the kids, EWU commencement, Catholic Summer Camp, a Father’s Day celebration, and Hoopfest. A lot of memories are waiting to be made.

Beyond the craziness, it is important to recognize the significance of June. It marks the final month of the first half of the year. Once we reach June 30, it will be the halfway mark of 2026. Take that anecdote as you will.

Happy June, everyone! Here’s to good weather, a satisfying conclusion to the school year, visits from the ice cream truck, and long nights of front porch sitting. Don’t Blink.

Closed Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Thursday always seems to come sooner when preceded by a Monday holiday. Tonight’s Thursday Rundown will be my last of the month so let’s send May out with a bang…

Fr. Jeff’s 15th Ordination Anniversary – Our family priest marked his 15th anniversary of his ordination this week. That’s right, Fr. Jeff Lewis has now been part of the priesthood for a decade and a half. We have enjoyed celebrating Fr. Jeff’s ordination anniversary (here and here) over the years and this latest one was bittersweet as he will leave St. Mary next month for an assignment in Walla Walla.

Fr. Jeff Lewis celebrated his 15th ordination anniversary on May 26. We celebrated the milestone with him at our young family group meeting.

Family Faith Night – Speaking of Fr. Jeff, he was in attendance with us last night at the final St. Mary Family Faith Night of the year. The theme centered on different Catholic religious orders, a topic that was of great interest to me. It is a gift from God that priests and others are able to live out their vocations under special spiritual missions. Once again, the evening was a complete masterpiece thanks to the organization, thought, and creativity of Marie Bricher.

Beau yells something at Fr. Jeff Lewis as we “try” to listen to Marie Bricher during the last Family Faith Night of the school year on May 27, 2026. The topic/theme centered on different Catholic religious orders.

Flight 509 – I felt for the Spokane business community when Flight 509 announced its closure on Tuesday night. The entertainment center is closing after just two years in business. Those owners poured a lot of money, time, and effort into making Flight 509 a clean and fun place with all the bells and whistles. It truly had everything from laser tag to a ropes course to bumper cars to bowling lanes to robots who delivered pizza. Even the adults felt at home with a swanky bar and large TVs. The kids did receive Flight 509 gift cards for Christmas so we will be making one final trip before the business closes its doors to the public on June 13.

Flight 509 was fun. Photos are from our first ever visit and from when we found free passes in a geocache. I thought Flight 509 did excellent community outreach. It is sad to see them close.

Hard Mt. Dew – Normally I wouldn’t purchase something like this, but I wanted to enjoy a fun beverage with my brother before we headed to the Ron White show this past Saturday. On my way to his house, I stopped at a convenient store and couldn’t help but reach into the cooler for two of the Hard Mt. Dew Baja Blasts. When I handed one of the cans to Glen with a mile-wide grin, he knew he had no choice but to indulge with me. It tasted pleasant and tropical but much to my dismay it contained no caffeine. That was a head scratcher to me. How could any Mt. Dew beverage—alcoholic or virgin—not have any caffeine? Anyway, it was definitely a change from the rare light beer I drink every now and then.

Cheers! Glen and I hold the Hard Mt. Dews we drank before the Ron White show.

National Hamburger Day – Today is a big day in Americana as it is National Hamburger Day. I wrote my ode to the burger two years ago on this date that I felt served as my mic drop when it comes to our nation’s favorite food. But if you are still hungry for more, I once wrote about my top five favorite hamburger toppings, the freshest hamburger I ever ate, and one of the most unique hamburgers I ever ordered. Hope you celebrate with a burger tonight!

I love a good burger. Happy National Hamburger Day!

—————

Hope everyone has a great weekend. June will be here on Monday as it will kickoff what promises to be a very busy and memorable month for Sid and me. Don’t Blink.