Category Archives: Uncategorized

Returning to the Breakfast Table

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One of my blog posts didn’t age well. Or, at the very least, it proves that I should practice what I preach.

Ten years ago I wrote a post urging my readers to go out for breakfast. I highlighted the joys of sitting down at a restaurant and ordering the most important meal of the day.

I took this photo of Sidney with our food on the table at the Southern House of Pancakes in Myrtle Beach in 2016. This photo was included in that blog post from 10 years ago about the benefits of going out for breakfast.

However, before this past weekend, it had been over a year since we went to a restaurant for breakfast. And, if you want to be real technical, it had been even longer than that (I can’t even remember how long) since we ate brunch at a true greasy spoon.

Thank goodness that deplorable streak came to an end on Sunday. After mass, we took the latest engaged couple we mentored out for breakfast. Victor and Helen chose a place on Sprague called Jenny’s. We entered the diner smack in the middle of the church rush. Thankfully, we waited all but 10 minutes until we were seated.

We ate at Jenny’s Cafe in Spokane Valley on Sprague this past Sunday.

Man, it all came back at that moment. The hustle and bustle, the aroma of coffee, the comfy booths, the worn menus, the sun shining through the windows…I hadn’t even taken a bite of food yet and I was already experiencing the allure of going out for breakfast.

But then our plates came and the real magic happened. Between my family, we had pancakes, waffles, hash browns, eggs, and biscuits. With maple syrup and gravy standing by, I scolded myself for missing out on breakfast for so long.

I actually think Beau had the order of the table! He got the mohawk pancake that came with whipped cream, sprinkles, and peanut butter to “glue” it together.

Then the absolute wildest moment of the morning came.

Sloan ordered the classic pancake face.

As we were finishing up our plates and I was preparing to pull out my debit card, our server approached us.

Biscuits and gravy for me, please!

“By the way guys, someone paid for your meal.”

My jaw dropped. I know it might seem like a minuscule thing, but that was the first time I had ever had my bill covered by a random customer. For someone to cover the breakfast tab for our party of six was unexpected, kind, and absolutely made my day. It is time for Sid and me to pay it forward.

Sid, me, Victor, and Helen (thanks for taking the photo, Sloan) were touched by the generosity of a random person to pay for our meal.

Needless to say, I can’t wait to go out to breakfast again (and actually pay this time). Don’t Blink.

Meet Our Porch Goose, Greta

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Although I have denied constant cat and dog requests from Sid and the kids, I recently agreed to something else…

A goose.

Perhaps it isn’t the “real” pet they want but at least they now have one of the country’s hottest trends gracing our porch.

Yep, we now have a porch goose. Say hello to Greta.

This is our new porch goose, Greta.

As we have taken our summer walks, it has been hard to avoid. Geese dressed in clothing are starting to line the porches in our neighborhood. It has turned into a game amongst the of who can spot them first.

And of course, just as the geese started to migrate to our neighborhood, I started to hear more about them elsewhere. I saw them on social media, my sister’s family got their own, and a news station polled viewers on the best names for a porch goose.

With their popularity, customization, and low maintenance, I would have been a pretty rotten husband/dad to say “NO” to my wife and kids. When we returned home from work/daycare last week to a brown box on our porch, I knew Greta had already figured out exactly where she needed to be. 🙂

Greta was already on our porch when she was delivered but we had to take inside for a moment to unbox her.

Sid and Sloan are in love with our porch goose. They already had an outfit ready to go when Greta arrived and they placed her in a perfect spot on our porch so she can live her best porch goose life.

If this lessens the pleas for a real pet, it will be the best purchase ever. 😉

Sloan stands with Greta, our family’s porch goose.

Do you have a porch goose? If so, let me know. Greta could use some fashion inspiration and perhaps a pen pal. Don’t Blink.

Double Scoop Thursday Rundown

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It is the middle of summer and it is HOT. Hope everyone has access to a pool and plenty of popsicles. Here we go with my latest Thursday Rundown…

Ice Cream Flavor – I mentioned in my Seattle blog post that we visited an ice cream shop when we took a ferry over to Bainbridge Island. However, I didn’t reveal the unique flavor I ordered. Cool Island Ice Cream Shop was screaming my name when I looked at the flavor list and noticed they offered oatmeal cookie. It was delicious. But perhaps even better than the taste was the texture! Actual oatmeal oats were in the ice cream and whether that sounds appetizing or not to you, let me say one thing: it worked! Trust me, take my word for it.

This was my cone of oatmeal cookie ice cream from Cool Island Ice Cream on Bainbridge Island (sorry for the blurriness, the photo focused on my kids drinking their shakes). The texture was great!

Slime Bar – Another thing that stuck out during our time on the west side was a slime bar. A store in the Bellevue Square Mall allowed kids to choose a slime color and then bedazzle it with charms, glitter, and more. The eyes of my kids widened with glee while my wife’s eyes scowled with an “Oh hell no!” glare. Needless to say, despite Sloan’s and Beau’s persistence to create a slime souvenir, the answer was NO.

We found this slime station inside a Bellevue Square shop.

Building That Tower – As a nod to Throwback Thursday, I thought I would share this photo of me. As a kid, I loved combining blocks and Legos to make structures. I don’t know exactly what I was going for in this particular instance but judging by my smile I was pretty proud of it.

This Throwback Thursday photo is from 30+ years ago and features me building a tower.

The Hawk – I thought I would give it a chance…and I regretted it. This past week I selected “The Hawk” on Netflix, realizing it would probably be a combination of “Happy Gilmore 2” and “Unfrosted.” If it was more of the former, I reasoned, even though I have never been a big Will Ferrel fan, I might be able to stomach it. Unfortunately, it resembled more of the latter and I wasn’t going to stick around for it. They made 10 episodes but by 10 minutes I had already turned it off. After nine minutes of stupidity, the beginning of the “Thong Song” sequence sealed the deal for me. Don’t waste your time.

“The Hawk” consists of 10 episodes but I couldn’t even watch 10 minutes of the first one.

So Vanilla – I started this Thursday Rundown with ice cream and I am going to end it with ice cream. Today is National Vanilla Ice Cream Day and at first that might seem limiting and bland. However, there are many options to choose from if you opt to celebrate tonight. From french vanilla to homestyle vanilla to just plain vanilla, there are a lot of options to choose from. When it comes to my preference? Give me vanilla bean any day of the week! I think one of these days I will have to do a blind taste test on all the different variations of vanilla ice creams.

Sloan knows what is up! Vanilla bean ice cream is the best type of vanilla ice cream.

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Okay, time to shut things down for the night. Enjoy the upcoming weekend and make sure to eat some vanilla ice cream. Don’t Blink.

The Gum Wall

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When we visited Seattle this past weekend, there was something Sloan and Beau really wanted to see. In fact, they were looking more forward to this particular attraction than they were about swimming in the hotel pool, going to the Mariners game, and even having the opportunity to drink soda.

They were stoked to visit the gum wall.

An up close photo I took of the gum wall when we visited it on July 18, 2026.

The gum wall is a very visual and viral phenomenon that my children were no strangers to thanks to YouTube. Seeing the colorful display from a screen was exciting enough but to have the opportunity to view it up close and personal was a thrilling prospect to Sloan and Beau.

And can I be honest? I was pretty excited to see it too.

Despite my many visits to Seattle and Pike Place Market over the course of my life, I had never seen it in-person before. Once we started searching for it this past Saturday when we converged in downtown Seattle, I realized its location might have had something to do with that.

Because quite frankly, it wasn’t easy to find. I used my phone’s walking navigation to locate the spot but the many curves and stairs not necessarily reflected on the screen proved challenging. Thankfully, once we arrived in the general vicinity of the wall a Seattleite who was selling popcorn pointed us in the right direction. He instructed us to take a nearby elevator and then walk a few paces in a certain direction to finally arrive at the infamous gum wall.

We followed the man’s directions to a “T” and sure enough we found ourselves right in front of the gum wall. It is even more vibrant and colorful in-person than photos and videos do it justice. Gobs and gobs and layer upon layer of gum cover two different brick walls running parallel to each other. Amongst the gum are wrappers, papers, and business cards that people have stuck on the wall in hope of making a special mark or perhaps generating some business.

Beau poses in front of the infamous Seattle gum wall.

What I wasn’t expecting—although I shouldn’t have been surprised about it—was the ground around the walls to be covered in gum as well. Even if you were in the middle of the walkway between the two walls you could still feel the stickiness on your shoes.

The kids were definitely entertained. Sloan placed a piece of her own chewed up Bubblicious gum on the wall. However, when I dared her to make room for her piece by removing another piece and placing it in her mouth she vigorously declined. We were going to offer the same challenge to Beau (we thought he would have done it) but by that time he was already walking away from the gum wall with Sid.

If you ever have the chance to view the gum wall in Seatle you should…at least once. It is a cool site and actually has 30+ years of history attached (or stuck?) to it. Don’t Blink.

Work And Pleasure: Seattle 2026

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Never before had I enjoyed the opportunity to pair an out-of-town work obligation with a family trip. That changed this past weekend.

My family poses for a photo near Seattle’s downtown waterfront on Saturday, July 18. I had an incredible opportunity to take my family with me on a work trip.

Our alumni office recently hosted its EWU Day at the Seattle Mariners this past weekend. The main event culminates in the baseball game on Sunday. However, the day before is devoted to a day-long alumni board meeting. The best university alumni director in the world, Kelsey Hatch-Brecek, asked me to speak to her board about my team’s marketing efforts. Of course I said “yes” and she told me my family could come along.

Since my speaking obligation was on Saturday morning, that gave my family the excuse to drive over to the west side on Friday. We rolled into Bellevue, a Seattle suburb where the alumni board meeting was taking place, just in time for check-in at the hotel. Once we got settled in our room, we went and did the #1 requirement of any Reser family trip: We ate at the Cheesecake Factory.

Sloan and Sidney living their best lives at the Bellevue Cheesecake Factory.

After we stuffed ourselves silly and checked out the nearby Bellevue Square Mall, we went back to the hotel and hit the pool. We then retreated back to our room and settled in for the night after a long day of travel.

Beau taking a dip in the Hilton Bellevue pool on Friday night.

I awoke on Saturday morning poised to complete the task I was brought to Seattle to do. I had a 10 a.m. presentation with the EWU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Kelsey did a fabulous job at staging the EWU Alumni Association meeting.

The EWU Alumni Board is comprised of 24 members who live all over the state and even out-of-state as well. It was my intention to give the best presentation possible to this group of people who traveled far and sacrificed much to take part in the meeting—including listening to what I had to say.

EWU Alumni Director Kelsey Hatch-Brecek asked me to speak at the FY27 Alumni Association Board Meeting.

Thanks in large part to an engaged and gracious audience, my talk went great as I had the opportunity to recap what our marketing team pulled off this past fiscal year and what we have planned for the next fiscal year. I gladly answered many excellent questions and I left the ballroom at the conclusion of my presentation feeling so honored and energized that I had the opportunity to speak with so many passionate and successful Eagles.

It was an honor to speak with the EWU Alumni Association at its FY27 Alumni Board Association Meeting.

With the important and stressful part of the weekend out of the way, I joined my family back in the hotel room and then we walked to the Light Rail to begin our day of exploration.

Our day in Seattle started at Pike Place Market.

We visited downtown Seattle and immediately hit up Pike Place Market. I think everyone was a bit overwhelmed by the people, shops, and smells but it was such a great learning opportunity to be in the midst of countless cultures and big city hustle and bustle.

Sid and I take our turn in front of Pike Place Market.

After Pike Place, we found the gum wall, climbed on a super cool playground, ate lunch near the water, and engaged with a large animatronic sasquatch. We then made our way to the ferry station.

Beau poses in front of the infamous Seattle gum wall.

An item on Sidney’s to-do list was to visit Bainbridge Island. We purchased our ferry tickets and boarded the boat for a 35-minute ride across Puget Sound to the island. We stood on the top deck as we admired the Seattle skyline and the various surrounding mountains. When we landed on solid ground it didn’t take us long to find ice cream.

The first order of business once we got to Bainbridge Island was finding some ice cream. We succeeded by going to Island Cool Ice Cream.

We also attended mass while on Bainbridge Island. We worshipped at St. Cecilia’s for the parish’s 5 p.m. Saturday vigil. The gospel centered on Jesus telling multiple parables, including the farmer who had an enemy sew weeds within his wheat harvest. The priest preached about the need to remain focused on cultivating good wheat as opposed to dwelling on the weeds.

A look inside St. Cecilia’s on Bainbridge Island where we attended mass.

Another highlight of our Bainbridge Island experience was touring the many shops in the community. Eventually we re-boarded the ferry. On the ride back to Seattle the four of us sat inside the ship around a table and chatted while enjoying beverages (soda for Sid and the kids…a beer for me). It was one of my favorite moments of the trip.

Sid and the kids enjoy the ferry ride back to Seattle.

Back on the mainland I shared with Sloan and Beau my favorite Seattle location growing up: Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe. For those who have never been, it is just a shop filled with odd and interesting items. The kids (and Sid) loved it just as much as me.

Beau and Sloan absolutely loved looking inside Ye Olde Curiosity Shop. It hasn’t lost any of its charm.

By the time we closed down the shop at 9 p.m., it was time for us to head back to our hotel. We caught the Light Rail and traveled to Bellevue. After picking up some hamburger we went to sleep looking forward to Sunday.

One of my favorite photos from the weekend! Sid and Sloan on the dock of the waterfront as a beautiful day in Seattle comes to a close.

The main event of our trip was the Seattle Mariners vs. San Francisco Giants baseball game at T-Mobile Park on Sunday afternoon. This game was billed as EWU Day at the Seattle Mariners and served as another way to support the wonderful institution I work for.

Sunday was all about the Seattle Mariners game. We had a wonderful time!

We took the Light Rail to Seattle and scoped out all the vendors on Occidental Ave. before entering T-Mobile Park.

We took in Occidental Ave. and all the vendors before entering T-Mobile Park.

Once in the stadium, we walked around the outfield concourse for a bit. We then made our way up to the third deck for the EWU gathering. Once surrounded by fellow Eagles we picked up our EWU/Mariners co-branded jerseys and then entered the private area for the pre-game rally. After posing for a photo with Swoop, munching on kettle corn, and watching the kids take some batting practice we headed to our seats in section 146.

Swoop took a photo with the kids and I at the pregame rally for EWU Day at the Seattle Mariners.

Despite the fact that it only reached 72 degrees in Seattle on Sunday afternoon, our seats were in the sun for majority of the game so it actually felt like 90 degrees. But the warm temperatures didn’t deter us at all as we had an absolute blast watching the Mariners come from behind to defeat the Giants.

Sid in her EWU/Mariners co-branded jersey. They were designed by Emily Ausere, the senior graphic designer on my marketing team.

Although the game was exciting, the best part was just sitting with my family and my EWU friends. Many people from my office were seated right next to us and even President McMahan and Athletic Director Tim Collins were in our row. It was relaxing and nice to enjoy a casual afternoon in Seattle with people who I usually only get to interact with in a professional environment.

Sidney had to shed her jersey as it was very warm in our section. President McMahan takes int the game just a couple seats down from Sid.

Sloan and Beau loved the Mariner gameday experience. Sloan made the video board and Beau got the souvenir baseball he had his heart set on.

Beau and I enjoying every moment of Eastern’s victory over the Giants.

We stayed until the final out of the Mariners’ 6-3 victory over the Giants and then we made our way to the Light Rail. We returned to the parking lot of our hotel, used the restroom, jumped in our vehicle, and started the journey back to Spokane. We would arrive home around 10:30 p.m.

Before hopping on the Light Rail to head back to our car, we took one more family photo. What a weekend!

Again, what made this trip truly memorable was that I was able to infuse both work and family. At times it was exclusively work and at other times it was exclusively family but on Sunday afternoon I was able to infuse both…and that doesn’t happen very often. Don’t Blink.

Breaking Stuff

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It was a little cooler a couple Sundays ago so my family spent the afternoon visiting the mall and some other stores. However, by the time we left the final location the lower temperatures no longer provided relief because I was red hot angry.

Two episodes of embarrassment fueled my rage…

Perhaps allowing Beau to unleash on a punching bag at Dick’s Sporting Goods wasn’t the best decision. It might have increased his aggression as we visited several more stores that day.

When we were at the Spokane Valley Mall, we entered Nerdify, a shop that offers Japanese-inspired products. Eventually, Beau found a clearance tub that had a toy sword. The sword was made of foam material and in addition to swinging it around, Beau was bending the sword too. I told him a couple times to stop because I knew little good could come from “testing” the strength of the foam. Unfortunately my direction wasn’t taken seriously enough because the ‘blade” of the sword broke in half.

I took Beau with me to the front of the store with the broken sword. I showed the store employee what we had done, apologized, and asked her if she could please ring me up for it. She said that wasn’t necessary as she could just “charge it as damage.” Beau also apologized as we walked out of Nerdify feeling embarrassed.

An hour or two later, we found ourselves in Fred Meyer. Sid was off looking at clothes while I was inspecting a couch. I jumped when I heard glass fall on the floor. I looked toward Beau as a shattered candle jar was at his feet. He had offered his sister a smell of the scent but she refused. Once Sloan declined, Beau’s attempt to place the lid back on didn’t go as planned.

I ran over to him quickly as he immediately started bawling. After confirming that he wasn’t hurt, I started profusely apologizing to the employee who was rushing over with a broom and a dustpan. For the second time that day, I pleaded with an employee to allow me to pay for the broken item. She kindly rebuffed my offer.

After Beau offered a tearful apology, I marched him out the door to the car as Sid and Sloan continued shopping.

A few things about these two experiences…

1. There is no way around it, most of the blame falls at my own feet (pun intended). I need to do a much better job watching our son while taking action when I feel like my direction is not being heeded (would have saved us a sword).

2. I did get mad at Beau, especially the second time. I forgot about the advice I gave myself two years ago. He definitely deserved discipline but perhaps quickly marching him out of the store was a bit much.

3. The store employees we encountered during both of these accidents were so kind and understanding. I greatly appreciated their empathy.

Needless to say, I won’t be taking Beau to an antique store anytime soon. Don’t Blink.

Costco Tenders Thursday Rundown

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It is another glorious and that means it is time for another not-so-glorious Thursday Rundown. Let’s roll tonight’s five topics…

7/11 Day – For at least the fourth year in a row, Sloan and Beau partook in 7/11 Day by enjoying a Slurpee. The added wrinkle this year was that I joined them for the first time and I got to enjoy a Slurpee as well. We celebrated at the brand spanking new location in Mead at the corner of Mt. Spokane Dr. and Newport HWY. When we entered there wasn’t much of a line. However, after I helped the kids get their Slurpees (thank goodness Beau let me help him) a pretty long line had formed that I had to stand in to get mine. It was well worth the wait as I couldn’t remember a Coca-Cola Slurpee tasting so good.

Beau and Sloan pose with their Slurpees outside of 7/11 on July 11, 2026.

Independence Photos – Although my children will only be at St. Paschal Educare for one month this summer, I will still cherish the single photo op they took part in. For those who don’t know, each month St. Paschal offers a seasonal backdrop and takes a picture of each kid in front of it. This is at least the third photo of Beau I have in front of the Fourth of July backdrop…

St. Paschal Educare takes a photo of each kid every month in front of a seasonal backdrop. This is Beau’s photo.

And here is Sloan…

This is Sloan’s St. Paschal Independence Day-themed photo.

RIP Lindsey Graham – I was sad to hear about Lindsey Graham’s sudden death. He represented me for nearly six years when I lived in South Carolina. I had the chance to watch him speak in-person once. It was 10 years ago when Sid and I attended a Jeb Bush rally for his unsuccessful 2016 presidential run at the Springmaid Beach Resort in Myrtle Beach (we would attend other Republican and Democratic rallies that year). Graham opened for Bush and although his introduction was a little awkward, it was cool to see a sitting U.S. senator. Please pray for the repose of Lindsey Graham’s soul.

Sidney and I saw Lindsey Graham speak in-person 10 years ago.

Costco Tenders – Various social media food accounts in the Spokane area posted that our local Costcos now offer chicken tenders in the food court. This is great news for my wife and children who could eat chicken tenders every single day. I am sure we will try them next time we pay Costco visit. But did anyone else think the same thing that went through my head the second I saw the photo?…

Where are the fries?!

We will definitely try these soon but there should really be fries included in that serving boat.

Home Run Derby – And finally, just some quick feedback on the home run derby. These days, I don’t watch too many sporting events but since the derby was broadcast on Netflix, Sid and I tuned in. I thought it was fun! I wanted Kyle Schwarber to win as I thought the Philadelphia Phillies’ hometown player coming out on top would have been a great story. But as I saw Jordan Walker go up against a hostile Citizens Bank Park I started cheering for him. What he did when he was down to his final swing was unbelievable TV. Congrats, Jordan! And yes, the derby format this year was improved.

I enjoyed watching the home run derby. I snapped this photo of my TV after Jordan Walker won the competition in thrilling fashion.

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Thanks for reading, everyone. We have a fun weekend planned so I am excited to get to it. Be safe and I will catch up with all of you next week. Don’t Blink.

Hot Dog Experiences From Past 12 Months

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Today is National Hot Dog Day. Over the years I have devoted a lot of ink to hot dogs but I won’t re-hash the many mentions tonight—you can just read about them here (it is pretty entertaining).

So while I won’t re-hash the old, I will update everyone with three extremely brief hot dog stories and developments from the past 12 months…

By the way, I really love hot dogs!

– I took Beau to a 250th America celebration in June. I packed us picnic lunches as it was an outdoor event that occurred over the course of lunchtime. When he saw I had packed him a Subway sandwich that had a topping he didn’t like, he started to throw a fit. I was content to let him just feast on the chip but he insisted on a hot dog. Since there was a local hot dog vendor close to us, I decided to comply with his request.

I stood in line and eventually made it to the front and ordered him a marked up hot dog. Despite the cost, it looked and smelled great—way better than anything that comes in an Oscar Mayer package. In fact, if I didn’t have to put ketchup on it to appease Beau, I think I would have ate it myself and accepted the scorn when I returned empty-handed. Alas, I didn’t do that. When I presented Beau with the hot dog, you should have seen the look of disgust on his face. Although grill lines indicate a hot dog that was cooked right, my son apparently considered them to be the plague.

Knowing this probably wasn’t going to end well, I told him to at the very least try it. He took the smallest nibble and spit it out. What a waste of time, money, and food.

Beau hanging with some colonial men at the “Celebrating America’s 250th: Picnic in the Park” event at Balfour Park in Spokane Valley. This was a few minutes before the lunch disaster.

Two more super quick hot dog anecdotes…

– Although Beau won’t eat a hot dog with grill lines, he will certainly eat one surrounded by sour candy. When we attended a Gonzaga Prep football game this past fall, Sloan and Beau took advantage of the free hot dogs given away prior to kickoff. Instead of topping his frank with ketchup, he topped it with Sour Patch Kids. I will take the “Worst Dad of the Year Award” for actually letting him eat it.

Beau’s candy hot dog. He would later sprinkle Nerds on it too.

– And finally a positive story about hot dogs. Back in August, my brother caught something special from the sky during a Seattle Mariners game. If you have never heard of the team’s Hot Dogs from Heaven promotion let me enlighten you. Once each game, hot dogs that are attached to parachutes are dropped from the upper deck onto a lucky lower deck section. The cards aligned during our Seattle visit and my brother used his height to snag one of the dogs that floated over our row of seats.

My brother holds the hot dog he caught during the “Hot Dogs from Heaven” promotion.

Hope everyone takes some time to celebrate today by eating a hot dog. Here’s to more hot dog experiences (hopefully all positive) between now and the 2027 National Hot Dog Day. Don’t Blink.

Still Jamming Out To My Thoughts

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This summer marks the 13th anniversary of a blog post I wrote about a gym preference of mine. Back in August of 2013, I made it very clear that when I am working out, I don’t listen to a personal music device. Instead, as I said then, my thoughts are my music.

Thirteen years later, music technology has increased tremendously. Even though the ipods offered back in 2013 were pretty slick, the earbud applications offered today via Bluetooth activation provide a rich and non-invasive music experience that allow gym-goers to exercise without even sensing equipment attached to them.

Have the tech advances changed my personal choice of not using a music device when working out? Hardly!

13 years later I still don’t listen to music at the gym. I cherish the time I have to contemplate my thoughts when I am working out at the Snap Fitness at Ponderosa Village in the Spokane Valley.

My favorite songs could be sent seamlessly into my head via top-secret government technology and I would still opt out. Because as I alluded to above, it has never been about the ease of listening to music—it has always been about taking advantage of the time with my own thoughts (nobody else’s lyrics needed).

Despite cycling through at least five different gyms over the past 13 years, my partiality toward silence has remained the same at each stop. Simply, while pumping iron and hitting the cardio, I get lost in my own thoughts sans any music.

There is no doubt about it, my best thinking comes between 3:30 a.m. – 5 a.m. each morning while exercising. I anticipate the upcoming day at work, rehearse presentations, figure out how to support my wife/kids that week, plan the weekend, brainstorm blog ideas, and pray.

After my first 10 minutes in the gym, my brain activity is firing on all cylinders. An inner-dialogue plays out as I take care of as much mentally as I possibly can. Progress is always made.

And I think that is why I have remained so dedicated to the gym since the start of high school. The physical benefits are one thing, but the mental well-being I receive is invaluable.

Why let music interfere?

If you ever encounter me at the gym (set your alarm clock early), chances are that I will be deep in thought. However, don’t let that stop you from saying “hi”—the best thing about not wearing earbuds is that I can hear every word. Don’t Blink.

Public and Horrific

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Notable people such as Frida Kahlo, George Steinbrenner, and Richard Simmons all passed away on July 13.

Two years later I still don’t know how Donald Trump doesn’t share that date with them.

On June 13, 2024, then-Presidential candidate Donald Trump turned ever-so-slightly at the exact perfect time and nearly missed instant death when an assassin tried to kill him.

I didn’t sleep much that night. The reason for my insomnia didn’t have anything to do with any support or dislike I might have had for Trump. Instead, it was just the vulnerability and catastrophe (as other people did die) I watched that day. In the blog post I wrote that sleepless evening (and what I reiterated a year ago), I agonized over what would have happened if the bullet did more than graze Trump’s ear. What would have happened if the assassination succeeded and the gruesome killing was captured in HD for the rest of time?

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

That question made me think especially of my children (and Trump’s children for that matter) and how they would inevitably be subjected to the clip during their childhoods and throughout the rest of their lives.

Having that documentation of brutality in our digital age was a thought that jarred me as I hoped nothing would ever come closer than the assassination attempt on Trump. My wish would last about 14 months.

Charlie Kirk’s death was graphic, scarring, and just as horrific as I imagined something like that to be. However, thanks be to God, my kids haven’t seen it. I hope it stays that way.

I think tonight is a good time to pray for peace and the conversion of potential murderers. Don’t Blink.