Category Archives: Uncategorized

Our Leavenworth Summer Vacation

Posted on by
2

Our family recently returned from vacation. I am guessing that your initial thought after that first sentence wasn’t Where did you go? but rather How did you go on vacation just a few days after starting a new job? Fair enough. My employer knew when I received the job offer that my family had a vacation planned for the first full week of August. Thanks to Eastern Washington University’s understanding and the fact that all my leave time from WSU transferred to EWU, I was able to make it work.

Okay, so where did we go? Thanks to recommendations, this summer we visited Leavenworth, Washington.

Sloan and Sidney hanging out in downtown Leavenworth.

Even though I grew up in Washington, I had never visited Leavenworth. The fact that it was only three and a half hours away (we didn’t want to travel far) and a totally new place for all four of us made it our preferred option. For those unfamiliar with Leavenworth, it is a town built to resemble a Bavarian village. Everything from the hotels to the shops to the McDonald’s embrace the German-themed identity.

Leavenworth is a Bavarian-themed town in central Washington.

To put it simply, based on our four-day stay, Leavenworth has a quaintness and charm that is utterly endearing. We had an incredible time and are so glad we chose this town nestled in the Cascades for our vacation. Here are 10 themes from our memorable time in central Washington.

We had an amazing time in Leavenworth. I wanted to share with you 10 themes from our vacation.

Wenatchee – Let me start pre-Leavenworth. On Tuesday, we stopped in Wenatchee to stretch our legs, grab some lunch, and kill some time before our 4 p.m. hotel check-in. We ended up at a cool spot called Walla Walla Point Park. We played on the playground and then looked for a geocache that took us to an island within the park. As you can probably tell from the photos, it was hot.

Before arriving in Leavenworth we stopped at Wenatchee and went to Walla Walla Point Park.

The Enzian Inn – Most of what we did started and ended with our hotel. This particular property had everything a family needed to be busy for four days. The “charm” of Leavenworth that I spoke about is very much embodied by the Enzian Inn. If I could describe this hotel in one word it would be wholesome. This place is simply perfect for families and we would stay there again in a heartbeat.

We had it made at the Enzian Inn. Perfect for families!

Swimming – It isn’t vacation without a pool, right? We got our money’s worth with the outdoor and indoor pools on the Enzian property. Large, long, and comfortable, we spent hours at the pools throughout our stay. We met new friends, read our books, and splashed the time away. The numerous hot tubs on site also added to the enjoyment. Perhaps the most memories were made during our night swims—it just doesn’t get more magical than swimming in a well-lit pool when it is pitch dark on vacation.

We spent a lot of time at the Enzian Inn pools.

Golf – Our hotel offered a miniature golf course that guests could play for free. Well, calling it a “miniature golf course” probably isn’t the right phrase. I think the Enzian calls it a “putting course.” The 18-hole oasis is immaculate with perfect greens, flowing water, and roaming wildlife. We played the course three times with Sloan and me starting the day off on the course bright and early for two of them.

A unique feature at the Enzian Inn is a putting golf course that is gorgeous and fun.

Movie Night – Each night our hotel would offer movies at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the family room. Popcorn was popped from an old school machine and you were welcome to take as much as you pleased. The irresistible popcorn aroma would reach our noses and practically pull us into the family room. Sloan watched “Charlotte’s Web” in its entirety while Beau and I watched “Rudy” together. After long days spent in the sun, it was relaxing to sit in the very well air conditioned room and watch a movie while munching on popcorn.

Each night the Enzian Inn offered movies and popcorn in the family room.

Alpine Coaster – Leavenworth has a roller coaster built into one of its signature mountains that is impossible to miss for anyone visiting the town. On Thursday we visited Leavenwoth Adventure Park that is home to the Tumwater Twisted Alpine Coaster. Because it is an alpine coaster, that means the rider controls how fast (or how slow) their respective car/sled goes. Sidney and Sloan rode together and had an absolute blast although there are discrepancies on who wanted to go faster and who was more prone to pump the break.

Sidney and Sloan had a blast on the Tumwater Twisted Alpine Coaster.

The Shops – Downtown Leavenworth is beautiful and eclectic. The variety of shops appealed to both my kids and Sidney. We had fun strolling through toy stores, souvenir shops, the Christmas/nutcracker boutiques, candy stores, and much more. Sloan and Beau each had a set amount of money they could spend as it was entertaining to watch them budget and make decisions on what they wanted to buy.

Downtown Leavenworth has something for everyone.

Food – We went with the Bavarian vibe and dined at a couple different German restaurants. We ate multiple pretzels, tried some sausages, and sampled German potatoes. To be honest, some of the restaurants were hit and miss but we were never dissatisfied with the copious amounts of ice cream we scarfed down throughout our trip.

We ate our share of pretzels and ice cream while in Leavenworth.

Games – The family room of our hotel offered ping pong, shuffleboard, pool, and skee-ball. We played all four. Sidney and I had some competitive and spirited ping pong matches while Beau impressed me with his serve. We also had fun with the jumbo Jenga set and wide selection of board games.

We took advantage of the many games available in the family room of the Enzian Inn.

Family Time In Room – For all the fun and excitement that the Enzian and Leavenworth offered, my favorite part of vacation was probably just hanging with my family at the end of the day in our hotel room. After dinner, swimming, movies, and games finished up, we would head back to our room and watch the Olympics, eat a dessert, and enjoy endless laughs. It simply didn’t get any better and was the highlight of my trip. As we hung out talking and joking with each other as it grew late, I kept thinking to myself, this is what vacation is all about.

I really treasured the fun nights we spent together in our Enzian Inn hotel room after long, fun days.

—————————-

Mark my words, one of these days we will return to Leavenworth. It is a special place with plenty to do for families. Speaking of families, I feel so fortunate that I got several days with just Sidney, Sloan, and Beau. I will latch onto the memories made and look forward to next time. Thanks be to God. Don’t Blink.

How to Spend a Summer Evening

Posted on by
Reply

When I look back on our memorable, fun-packed month of July there is one evening that especially stands out. What is funny about this particular Thursday night is that it was such a basic, low key affair but for whatever reason it epitomized summer.

On this evening that I speak of, we simply went to a park to listen to live music.

The scene at Audubon Park in Spokane on July 25, 2024.

I took the kids to Audubon Park on July 25 for the latest show in its summer concert series. Taking the stage was The Moops, a classic rock cover band. We bought some Carl’s Jr. hamburgers and snagged some sodas from the gas station and headed to the 27 acres of rolling Ponderosa Pines in northwest Spokane. We found some grassy space, set up our lawn chairs, and prepared to enjoy the evening.

Beau eats hjs hamburger during the concert at Audubon Park.

It is funny, amateur live music isn’t usually a big draw for me, especially if it is indoors in a confined spot such as a restaurant or bar. However, if a band is playing in an outdoor open space, I am all for it. It is similar in the respect that I feel a soda, beer, and hamburger always taste better in the open air than at the dining room. So, as you can imagine, when you have both going for you on a gorgeous evening it is pretty easy to enjoy yourself.

And enjoy ourselves we did. Even though Sloan didn’t know a single song the band performed, she danced the night away. Self-conscious that hundreds of people surrounded her as she busted her moves toward the front of the stage? Not my daughter! Beau also had his dancing shoes on—well, technically he was barefoot—but he took breaks to climb on the playground.

Sloan dancing the night away at Audubon Park.

Although Sloan may have been clueless when it came to the artists and lyrics of the songs, her daddy wasn’t. At one time as a young teenager, I loathed the rock music from the 1970s and early 1980s that my dad listened to on the radio but that is no longer the case. I had a relaxing time as The Moops played songs such as “American Girl,” “Dancing With Myself,” “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “867-5309,” and so many more.

As it approached 9 p.m., I had to round up my young ones and head home. As you can imagine, they didn’t want to leave. Sadly, it was the last concert of the series but next summer we will return earlier in the season. It was an innocent, inexpensive night of fun under the sky during one of Spokane’s nicest months…what isn’t there to like? Don’t Blink.

More Thoughts on 2024 Summer Games

Posted on by
1

Olympic fever continues to register at an intense level in our house. A week after I wrote my first blog post of thoughts and notes on the 2024 Summer Olympics, we are still cheering hard on a daily basis for the USA while admiring the competitive spirit of all the Olympic athletes. Fresh off a weekend of exhilarating competition, here are 10 more of my tidbits…

The three of us huddled on the couch watching the Olympics over the weekend.

– World Class Production. It doesn’t matter if you are watching table tennis, the high jump, gymnastics, or one of the many other sports, the NBC family of networks is stringing together superb broadcasts of each event. From the angles to the replays to the technology used, the coverage is gold medal-worthy. It has been a lot of fun to watch.

– Ages. NBC has made it a point to document the age of pretty much every athlete that makes it on a broadcast. I have found it fascinating (and encouraging) that many of these athletic specimens are in their thirties. Perhaps there is still hope for me to become an Olympic athlete? Not so fast, when the next Summer Olympics arrive in 2028 I will have aged out of that specific decade demographic.

– Men’s 100M. What fun this was to watch live with Sloan and Beau. To be honest, I didn’t know if Noah Lyles was going to have any energy left to compete after his very animated entrance to the track. Then once the race started it looked like my assumption was going to be correct as the Jamaican athlete seemed to have the advantage the whole way and (to me) it looked like he held Lyles off at the finish line. But what a pleasant surprise it was when they flashed the times and an American had one a gold medal in the men’s 100M for the first time in 20 years. Our household went nuts!

– Women’s 100M. I have enjoyed all the lead-up coverage of Sha’Carri Richardson prior-to-and-during the Games. My hope was that she would take home the gold but it took just a nanosecond to know that wasn’t going to happen once the gun went off. Julien Alfred from Saint Lucia seemed to leave Richardson in the dust out of the blocks and cruised to the top of the podium. Although I wish Richardson won, I know she will be back in 2028 and I am happy that the country of Saint Lucia won an Olympic medal.

– Stephen Nedoroscik. It took one look at “Steve” for me to know he would be a darling of the Olympics. When I saw him at the very beginning of the games sporting his trademark glasses, I immediately wanted to know more about the pommel horse specialist. Thanks to the approximately 50 TikToks my sister sent me about Nedoroscik over the past week, my desire for info was fulfilled. What a cool moment it was to see him capture the bronze.

– Medal Count. An objective, easy-to-follow aspect of the Games is the medal count. This has been such a great learning tool for Sloan as she keeps track of what is going on in Paris. She constantly asks me to pull it up as she obsesses over the neck and neck race between the United States and China for most golds. At least she doesn’t have to worry too much about the overall medal count—the U.S. is making us proud with a massive lead over all the other countries.

– Triathlon. On Saturday, I gave Sloan the option to choose any event she desired for us to watch. She chose the women’s triathlon and I am glad she did. Although I know the Seine River has been the source of much controversy, it was interesting and quirky how the athletes had to swim three laps in the river while getting out at the conclusion of each one only to dive back in. Also, watching the competitors swim at a freakishly fast speed because of the current was very entertaining. Thanks, Sloan, for getting me out of my Olympic “comfort zone.”

– Take a Shot. As someone who threw the shot put all four years in high school, I always watch the event during the Olympics. I am consistently blown away at the power and footwork these massive, strong athletes bring to the ring. Of course, the intrigue this year was whether Ryan Crouser could win his third straight gold medal, and, spoiler alert, he did. However, I will always remember the Paris competition because of the rain that caused the ring to be dangerously slick. Multiple competitors took falls while executing their spins as I held my breath. Thankfully, no one was hurt, which is a testament to how gracefully these dudes landed.

– Fatigue. I totally get it that beach volleyball is a signature Summer Olympics event and that it brings in big ratings, but I think I have seen my fill this year. And this is coming from a guy who actually really likes the sport. However, pool play lasts so long and it seems like the sport is featured every single night during primetime. I am glad we still have U.S. athletes competing and I will watch the gold medal match but it has lost some luster for me.

– Entrances. Okay, I want to end with something fun. All events now offer elaborate entrances which I can appreciate because if you deserve it if you are an Olympic athlete. However, sometimes they take a long time. I will admit that on more than one occasion when I was watching late night events that I fell asleep in the middle of the introductions.

——————–

Although the home stretch of the 2024 Summer Olympics is almost here, there are still lots of medals to be won. You better believe we will continue to watch. Don’t Blink.

Part of the EWU Team

Posted on by
Reply

I am now officially an Eastern Washington University Eagle. I have put in my first three days, met my team, walked the campus, and even participated in my first few meetings.

Check the ID, I am an official EWU employee.

And oh yeah, I have also sported the red and white…

I love my college gear and I have an initial wardrobe of EWU polos. This is what I wore on my first day.

I was given a very warm welcome on my first day. My boss brought in donuts and everyone came out to the gathering area and welcomed me. The rest of the day continued with the same warm sentiment as my new colleagues weren’t shy about stopping by my office to introduce themselves. Speaking of my office, it was completely ready for me when I walked in with a swag bag on my desk, a welcome message on the white board, and a case of my favorite soda waiting for me.

I had a warm welcome awaiting me when I strolled into my office on Aug. 1.

For those of us who have switched jobs and been fortunate, there is a feeling of excitement and relief that is evident after the first few days. With initial nerves out of the way and a better understanding of the environment you will be working in, you start to feel confident in your decision and hopeful that you can contribute. I think I am at that spot right now.

I work in the Hargreaves Building on the Eastern Washington University campus.

Of course a lot more is expected out of me than just feeling “hopeful” but that will come. As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, the best attribute I can bring to the table at this specific time is the ability to listen. I have learned much from my EWU colleagues just over the past few days but there is much more learning to do—and that requires listening.

I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity at EWU.

I have been welcomed and accepted by Eastern Washington University. This initial embrace has made me even more determined to make a positive impact. The ball is now in my court to reciprocate this good will and do my best. Don’t Blink.

The Eagle Era

Posted on by
3

I have that first day of school eve feeling! You know what I am talking about? A mix of excitement and nerves combined with images of arriving at school (or work) and mentally walking through those first initial hours. No holding back now, it is go time.

Yesterday I wrote that “it is almost time to get to work.” Well, that time has now arrived (after a few hours of sleep of course) and a new chapter is about to begin.

Okay, enough with the clichés. My goal starting tomorrow is to listen and learn with humility as I go through the on-boarding process and become better acquainted with Eastern Washington University. I then hope to positively contribute to this institution that has given me such an incredible opportunity.

I officially become an Eagle tomorrow.

Speaking of this incredible opportunity, I also owe gratitude to my previous universities who undoubtedly helped prepare me for this role. Also, much thanks to my wife for her overwhelming support and enthusiasm as I navigate my career.

Tomorrow I become an Eagle! Don’t Blink.

Unemployed Or Not?

Posted on by
Reply

Over the weekend, I had a couple people reach out to me and tease, “How does it feel to be unemployed?” Well, the truth, (I would respond), is that I am technically not unemployed. My employment at Washington State University runs through July 31. However, to give me a few days between jobs, I did take annual leave for the first half of this week before starting as the director of marketing at Eastern Washington University on Thursday.

In the past when I have switched jobs, the unemployment ruse was accurate. Because my previous position changes included relocation, the time between the end date/start date was much longer and thus my separation date from my departing university fell during that range. Let me tell you this: it is so nice not to deal with relocation on top of accepting a new job!

So far, I have taken this week to do all the essential stuff prior to beginning a job: got a haircut, filled out some paperwork, bought some new clothes, etc. I have also continued to watch the Olympics and may have had a cold beverage.

It is almost time to get to work. I will enjoy the rest of today and tomorrow but EWU is in my sights. Don’t Blink.

Thoughts After First Weekend of 2024 Summer Games

Posted on by
1

Our family jumped right into the 2024 Summer Olympics this past weekend. In fact, we watched so much of the opening weekend from Paris that I already have 10 observations/thoughts to convey. Let the games…I mean “thoughts”…begin!

Sloan has turned into quite the fan of Team USA and the Olympics in general.

– First thing’s first: our daughter can’t get enough of the Olympics. She is all-in and has turned into a USA super fan. Will she keep up the intensity throughout the whole 16 days? I will report back once the flame is extinguished.

– I watched the entire four-hour opening ceremony package offered by NBC. There were things that I liked and things that I didn’t like. However, I can separate a production delivered by the host city from the Games themselves. The TV will continue to remain on Peacock in our house.

– Speaking of Peacock, I really enjoy Mike Tirico. He brings the same reverence to the Games that Bob Costas did (read my ode to him here) and I loved the tour he gave us of the studio last night.

– So far, I have not jumped on the Snoop Dogg bandwagon. It seems like his presence is a little overbearing. Take for example the women’s gymnastics qualifying round last night. I am interested in the reactions of the gymnasts’ parents after their daughters complete a routine but not those of Snoop. Placing him right by the families of Suni Lee and Simone Biles takes away the focus on mom/dad and shifts it on him.

– Sticking with gymnastics, it is the Olympic sport most loved by Sidney and Sloan. Yesterday afternoon we watched the entire rotation of the Brazilian women’s team in the qualifying round and then returned to the couch later in the evening for the primetime coverage of the American team’s rotation. Sloan is a huge Simone Biles fan and wants to be placed in gymnastics classes.

– A sport that doesn’t quite capture our enthusiasm the same way that gymnastics does is cycling. Sidney and I tried watching it on Saturday afternoon only to wake up from unplanned naps about 90 minutes later (we were at my parents’ house so the kids were taken care of).

– A sport that doesn’t put me to sleep even when it is past midnight is handball. It reminds me of a soccer + basketball + arena football hybrid. I stayed up late on Friday and Saturday watching both men’s and women’s action.

– It took the Olympics for me to actually watch a rugby game. I tuned in for the France vs. Fiji gold medal match and was impressed by the atmosphere in the stadium and all that the athletes do without any type of protective equipment.

– I have watched probably every 2024 Summer Olympics Peacock commercial about 20 times. As of right now, the Nike “Winning Isn’t For Everyone” spot is my favorite.

– Finally some decent weather for these Games! Watching the rain-soaked opening ceremony and the Saturday washout was a little depressing. Beach volleyball just isn’t meant to be played when the game officials are wearing windbreakers. Oh well, today is supposed to be sunny and warm!

————–

Dang, all those thoughts after just a couple days; can you imagine how many I will have in two more weeks? Hope everyone is enjoying the action from Paris. Don’t Blink.

Thanks, WSU

Posted on by
1

A couple days after accepting EWU’s offer to become its next marketing director, Sidney and I found ourselves engaged in an honest conversation. She told me she felt bittersweet about my next career step. I asked my wife to explain the “bitter” portion of her sentiment. As innocently and honestly as possible, she conveyed that we moved all the way across the country for WSU and that it now seemed weird that I was leaving the place we initially made such a big sacrifice for.

I responded by saying that we indeed made a major sacrifice to join the Coug community. However, the leap of faith we took ended up materializing in an extremely fruitful way that was worth every ounce of our westward sacrifice. Going to work at WSU allowed me to benefit from a once-in-a-lifetime work arrangement (don’t think I will ever get the opportunity to work from home four days a week again!), grow tremendously as a professional, and ultimately ascend the career ladder.

But, best of all, it allowed me to work with and learn from some of the best people.

Although I had my concerns when remote work started, it quickly became apparent that goals could be accomplished and camaraderie developed even if it required Zoom calls and Teams chats. Or perhaps we got s*** done simply because of the caliber of people I had in my corner, work-from-home be damned.

Whatever the reason, despite a global pandemic that disrupted everything, I developed strong working relationships and cherished friendships with my WSU colleagues that matched the relationships built at previous stops in my career.

So today I get to say thank you. I will absolutely embrace the opportunity to extend my gratitude to those who supported, encouraged, and empowered me. As I have mentioned, our University Marketing and Communications team accomplished much during an unprecedented time when everything imaginable was thrown at us. Any contributions I made resulted from the talent, selflessness, and leadership that surrounded me.

It has been such a great experience working with the University Marketing and Communications professionals of WSU and others within the system.

Okay, here we go…

I might be partial to my UMC team but I would be remiss not to mention the many bright, talented, and kind WSU employees throughout the system. Out of all those, I have a few favorites. Erin Carroll and Sarah Page from Student Affairs constantly brightened my week during our Wednesday meeting with their positive attitudes and humor. I respect how much they truly care for the students at WSU and are willing to do whatever it takes to improve the student experience. Over the past couple years, I have worked a lot with Hailey James who serves as the chief of staff for the WSU Pullman Chancellor’s Office. She has a tough and stressful job but I always admired how she would consider the viewpoint of our UMC team even if priorities between her department and ours ever clashed. Then there is Kylie Condosta from the President’s Office who was always so easy and helpful to work with. She was instrumental in assisting me with optimizing President Schulz’s social media presence and always supported the strategy I put forth.

Erin Carroll was a great friend and ally. This is her presenting at the WSU System Marketers and Communicators Conference on the WSU Everett campus

Now for my UMC colleagues…
(a suitcase emoji 🧳 means the person no longer works at WSU. A paw emoji 🐾 means the person still works at WSU but not in UMC)

First, shout out to the patient and helpful administrative/financial officers, managers, and supervisors who helped me with all the budgeting, purchasing, and procedural tasks that are necessary for a social media program to function. Carrie Johnson (🐾), Brenda Campbell (🧳), Amanda Beardslee (🧳), Maria Amorim (🧳), Lael Gray, Kiersten Oliver, and Betty Smith…I don’t know what I would have done without you!

I will always hold a spot in my Coug heart for the news team. When I started at WSU, social media was part of the news unit. For those first several months, I was in a daily check-in meeting with the news staffers. They welcomed me with open arms and never hesitated to cover our prominent social media efforts. I appreciated the friendship of Will Ferguson (never forget late night beers at Red Lobster in Vancouver), the quick turnaround capability of RJ Wolcott, and the sheer brilliance/talent of Sara Zaske to make even the most complex scientific study understandable to a novice like myself. And I always valued the clutch web and HTML email work of Jon Bickelhaupt during major announcements when the pressure was on.

Will and I became friends and even hung out when not working. This was us social distancing during the summer of 2020 at Edgecliff Park in Spokane Valley.

Speaking of friendship, Jenny Walsh (🧳), our former EM marketing director, was my first friend at WSU. We worked closely together and she helped me become acquainted with the WSU landscape. She cared about my success and made me feel comfortable in my role.

Jenny was my first friend at WSU. That’s her with (from l-r) Jon Bickelhaupt, Larry Clark, Jenny, and Eric Limburg.

Another UMC employee who helped with our enrollment marketing efforts (and helped me) was Chris Falgiani. Many of our promo items were housed in another building on campus that I had limited access to. Whenever I needed to replenish our supply, Chris would happily haul the items from the building straight to my office. But I will most remember Chris for the countless discussions we would have about reality TV and MMA.

Our photography unit never held anything back from our social team. Bob Hubner, Shelly Hanks, and Dean Hare provided us with beautiful images that routinely became some of our top social media posts each year. I had the privilege of organizing and accompanying Bob and Shelly on several photo shoots and they were always so professional, technical, and efficient.

I can’t thank our video team enough. Jason Refsland and Kara Billington have contributed so much to UMC whether it be through brand videos, EM videos, or social videos. If not for Jason and Kara, our YouTube transformation would not have been possible (because you need the content) and my #1 WSU moment would not have occurred. This duo humored my ideas and brought many to life. Additionally, I also always enjoyed working with their top intern, Rhynne Lee, who brought a student perspective and genuine enthusiasm to every project she worked on.

Our video team is superb. Kara Billington is on the left, Rhynne Lee is on the right, and Jason Refsland is kneeling down.

While I am on the topic of interns, it is my pleasure to thank the ones who have worked for our social team over the past four years. Thank you to Kendall Hoy (🧳), Rachel Lutovsky (🧳), Chloe Houser (🧳), Dani Paramo (🧳), Fiona Scanlan (🧳), Ryan Hiller (🧳), Serena Hofdahl (🧳), Amy Rooney (🧳), Jessica Willis (🧳), Taylor Megaw (🧳), Shannon Whiting, and Claire Fruehauf. These 12 former and current WSU students brought creativity and ingenuity to the job each day. It is no wonder why many of these individuals entered immediately into incredible careers.

There probably isn’t anyone prouder of those interns than Matt Haugen, our social media manager. When I came to work at WSU I was impressed by Matt’s passion for the university and his job. Thanks to his 14 years of service to his alma matter, Matt constantly offered valuable institutional knowledge that helped our social program. He also knew how to plan one heck of a social media April Fools’ joke!

When you think of highly intelligent people with large brain capacity—at least in the context of marketing and communication in higher ed—the web director will always come to mind. I don’t like stereotypes, but in this instance I must say that Danial Bleile fits it, because in my mind he is a genius. Danial, our web development director, assisted me tremendously. Whether it was aiding me with Google Analytics, providing me access to manage the social feeds on wsu.edu, or placing the myriad of tracking pixels I asked him to install, Danial always came through. We also bonded over our nerdy fandom of Weird Al Yankovic.

If you need an example of someone who epitomizes integrity, look up Larry Clark. Our alumni magazine editor/content development associate director, Larry always puts others before himself. He will fight for, advocate on behalf of, and celebrate those around him. I worked closely with Larry as we both served on the UMC leadership team and I always valued the perspective he brought. There are two things I will always fondly remember about him: when I came to Pullman for my interview, Larry gave me the best campus tour imaginable (when he probably had a thousand other things to do) and he traveled all the way from Pullman to Spokane this week just so he could attend my farewell lunch. What a guy!

Larry Clark is sitting across from me in the middle. Both him and Jackson Price (to my left) traveled to Spokane on Wednesday to eat lunch with me at The Onion. Cara Hoag organized the lunch and Dave Wasson (end of booth opposite of me) also attended.

The next two people I am want to thank devoted their own talents and the resources of their team to WSU Social Media. Eric Limburg (🧳) and Jackson Price, who both served as creative director, spared nothing to advance the social media needs of our department. They greenlit any graphic that needed designing, video that needed shooting, or photo that needed capturing and made sure it got done. But you know what says even more about Eric and Jackson? Many times they would do the work themselves. I can’t count all the times we made a request and these guys decided to do the creating themselves—whether that meant they designed a holiday graphic, created a GIF, or made a social media profile frame. And their contribution to social is just a drop in the bucket of all they do for WSU and the creativity they bring to the table. Lucky for me, Eric and I will get the chance to work together again very soon 😉. Thank you to our talented designers for their attention to detail and willingness to experiment. I appreciate you Annie Patterson, Charles Dillon, and Valerie Boydo.

Of course the creative directors would win the office pumpkin carving contest! Eric Limburg (left) actually hired Jackson Price (right) to be our art director. When Eric left for Eastern Washington University, Jackson was promoted to creative director.

Time to say a few words about our vice president. To put it simply, I don’t know how Phil Weiler does it. If I ever felt flustered with any of the situations we dealt with over the past four years, I would just tell myself imagine what Phil is going through. As WSU’s spokesperson, you simply won’t find a more composed, even-keeled professional. When I traveled to Pullman for my interview, I had a short 1-on-1 session with Phil. He told me his leadership philosophy was to allow the experts in their area to shine without interference from him. Phil was true to his word.

Phil Weiler presents during the WSU System Marketers and Communicators Conference in Vancouver in Oct. 2022

Okay, Dave Wasson is up next. This guy was the very first WSU face I saw when he picked me up at the Spokane airport on a dark and cold December evening. He was also the person who hired me and initially supervised me. I joke with him that I accepted the job only because he gave me delicious Cosmic Crisp apples to take back to South Carolina. Of course that’s not why I actually took the job (well, at least it wasn’t the only reason), but holy moly those apples were good! In all seriousness, I appreciate Dave more than he knows. Our voyage to Pullman after he picked me up for my interview in December 2019 wasn’t the only time we would make that drive together. Knowing that we were just a one-car family for my first couple years of employment, Dave (who also lives in Spokane) would go completely out of his way to drive me to/from Pullman on the days both of us worked on campus. I sincerely appreciated his generosity and sacrifice while also relishing the chance to get to know him on a personal level during those car trips.

Dave Wasson (the one in blue taking the photo) was instrumental in me coming to WSU.

In January 2022, I didn’t make the best first impression with a UMC key hire during our 1-on-1 introductory call. I had come down with COVID and while my cough game was strong my ability to speak actual words was not. Thankfully, Cara Hoag, our EM marketing director, didn’t hold it against me. Her understanding would pave the way for an effective work relationship and a valued friendship. We navigated WSU’s partnership with a major vendor, introduced creative digital strategies to attract new Cougs, and totally transformed our university’s YouTube channel. The work we did on that last item sent us to Chicago where we presented on higher ed marketing’s biggest stage, an experience that I count as my proudest moment working for WSU. As we worked together on a professional level, we also clicked on a less formal level. For all the passion we have to advance the goals of the university we work for, at the end of the day both Cara and I are family-oriented people. We connected over this and respected each other for our shared values. Cara became a major cheerleader for my spouse and children while I did the same for her family. There is no doubt about it, our friendship will endure beyond my last day at WSU.

I am really going to miss Cara! This is us when we drove together to the WSU System Marketers and Communicators Conference in Everett in June 2023.

And now I conclude this “thank you” post by recognizing the single-most influential person during my time at Washington State University. What a transformational experience it was working for Holly Sitzmann. Her organized, pro-active, strategic leadership style has resulted in massive success within our department and provided me the guidance and opportunity to grow. It can’t be overlooked how much Holly does. She lives in Washington D.C. and works early east coast hours while finishing the day working late west coast hours. I have seen her rare vacations completely derailed by crises at WSU. I have watched as she dealt with personal tragedy after personal tragedy only to still stay on top of work and make sure her team was taken care of. Although Holly puts in long hours no matter the situation, it has always been her top priority to secure a positive work/life balance for those who work for her. She always allowed me to put my family first, pursue my quirky interests, and perform my WSU duties according to my preferred work arrangement. I have learned so much from Holly about marketing and communication but I have learned even more from her about leadership and what it means to be a good human.

I owe so much to Holly Sitzmann. Can’t believe we didn’t get a photo together over the past four years.

——————–

It is time to finally (and sadly) make my WSU exit. Holly reminded me of a blog post I penned just a couple weeks before I started here. I wrote: I have no greater motivation than to show my new bosses and co-workers that they made the right decision in hiring me. I hope I was able to achieve that objective. It would be quite the shame to come up short when all the people I mentioned above did everything possible to help me thrive.

So let me just say it one more time: THANK YOU!

What a pleasure it has been to serve Washington State University, I will always be a Coug at heart. Don’t Blink.

Let the Games Begin Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Wow, lots of emotion this week in Don’t Blink as I wrap up my time at WSU and reflect on a special visit from my in-laws. I am glad the Thursday Rundown is here so I can return to the “nobody cares” genre of writing that I seem to have mastered 😂. Alright, here we go…

Exploding Cans – I guess it could be worse for Southwest Airlines…it could be Delta. But even though Southwest wasn’t impacted by CrowdStrike as much as its competition, it is dealing with a dilemma: exploding soda cans. More than 20 airline flight attendants have been injured when the soda cans they were opening exploded. The culprit is the record-breaking heat and lack of ground refrigeration. Because Southwest doesn’t serve perishable food on its flights, it has no need for refrigerated trucks on the ground. That means the soda is exposed to scorching heat before it is packed on the plane and thus cooked to burst once a poor stewardess attempts to open it. Get the airline some ice troughs!

These Dr. Pepper cans wouldn’t stand a chance on a Southwest flight.

2024 Summer Olympics – I love the Summer Olympics and am so excited for them to start tomorrow. If the Paris games are half as good as the Tokyo games we are all in for a treat. It will probably come as no surprise to you that I have written A LOT about the Olympics over the years but I don’t want to overwhelm you with a bunch of different links. Instead, I will just offer one: My top 5 favorite Summer Olympics events. Enjoy the games, everyone!

Back in 2021, Sloan loved watching the Tokyo Games. This is her cheering on the U.S. men’s swim team.

Shoe Swap – An embarrassing episode occurred as we left a birthday party that Beau attended on Saturday. We walked out the door with the blue crocs we thought belonged to him. Shortly after we arrived home, Sid looked at his shoes with a mortified look on her face and explained, “The sun shrunk Beau’s crocs!” She was about to leave for Target to buy a new pair when she looked at the shoes a bit closer. She noticed they were a 6-size, a far cry from the original 10-size that Sid bought for Beau. I texted the birthday party host and confessed that we likely took someone else’s shoes while leaving Beau’s at their house. Thankfully, we lucked out. The shoes in our possession belonged to the birthday girl’s 2-year-old brother. As the mom told me, “No one went home shoeless” 😂. I was mildly embarrassed when I drove back to the house to make the switch.

These were the crocs I mistakenly brought home. I sent this photo to the party host and luckily she responded by saying they were her son’s shoes meaning no one went home shoeless.

#TBT – Figured I would include a Throwback Thursday image in tonight’s rundown. This photo was taken on this date four years ago and it certainly takes me down memory lane. Back in July 2020, Sloan was a pipsqueak and Beau had just recently started wearing his helmet. Okay, that’s all I got for that one.

In this photo, Sloan was 3 and Beau was 5 months.

Last WSU Video – I wanted to share the final video I worked on while at WSU. In honor of National Ice Cream Month, we planned to do a video with Food Science Professor Carolyn Ross. She specializes in food sensory perception and we wanted her to explain what makes ice cream taste so good. But the night before the shoot, our video director had an awesome idea. He pitched that we position the video in the style of the show “Hot Ones.” So what we ended up doing was purchasing several flavors of Ferdinand’s ice cream and having Dr. Ross taste each one individually. Her analysis and on-camera demeanor were just what we were looking for! Watch it here.

Thank you to Dr. Carolyn Ross of WSU Food Science for helping us make a fun and educational video.

——————–

Okay, that’s five topics, right? Tomorrow is the end of an era as I wrap up my time as an employee at Washington State University. Look for a special and rare Friday blog post as I thank those who made the last four years so rewarding. Don’t Blink.

Sweet Summer Visit From Sid’s Parents

Posted on by
1

For over 10 years, the somewhat mischievous thought has floated through the heads of both Sidney and I. Whenever my parents and siblings left Myrtle Beach (when we still lived there) or when Sid’s parents left Spokane, we always held out a long shot hope that perhaps their stay would somehow be extended. Well, for the first time since we started dating, the improbable happened…TWICE!

We were blessed to have an incredible (and extended) visit from Sid’s parents.

The summertime visit from Sid’s parents was so fun and enjoyable that fate felt the need to continue the good times for several more days. Due to the CrowdStrike incident, my in-laws’ Saturday flight was canceled and re-scheduled for Tuesday. At about 11:30 p.m. on Monday, we found out the Tuesday flight wasn’t happening either. It took a Wednesday night flight on a different airline for Sid’s parents to escape our grasp 😉. The extended stay gave us about 108 extra hours to truly appreciate how nice it was to have our kids’ “east coast grandparents” under our roof.

Thanks to CrowdStrike, Sid was give more time to enjoy extra laughs with her dad.

Before I mention some of the special moments we had with Sid’s parents, it is worth noting how their trip coincided with historic events. Sidney and Brenda Mathis arrived on Saturday, July 13, and attended my nephew’s birthday party that afternoon at the YMCA. While watching their grandkids splash in the facility’s pool, news broke that Donald Trump had been shot. The following weekend, President Joe Biden would announce that he would not seek re-election. Needless to say, while we spent many nights playing board games at the kitchen table, the faint background noise of a news broadcast was usually audible from the living room.

What a blessing it was to host Sid’s parents during summer in Spokane.

And to add even more context to their visit, it was really hot. Like 100+ degree hot for several of the days they were in Spokane. But here is the crazy thing: my in-laws said it didn’t feel nearly as nasty as Myrtle Beach even though the daytime highs in South Carolina were routinely 15 degrees less than Spokane. They were pleasantly surprised that even with the extreme temperatures they could still depend on mornings and evenings that cooled down to the high 50s and low 60s. They didn’t miss the suffocating humidity and nagging rain of the Grand Strand one bit even though we reached temperatures that are uncharacteristic for the Inland Northwest.

Because it was so hot, we spent a lot of time around water. This photo shows Beau hanging out in the boat we rented while Sloan, Sid, and Mr. Sid are visible splashing around in Lake Coeur d’Alene.

So although my in-laws’ July 2024 visit will always be remembered partly by unprecedented historical moments and intense heat, the memories made over the past 10 days could have easily stood on their own.

The moment Sloan and Beau saw “Gami and Dada” after they got off the plane at the airport.

We picked up our special cargo on an early Saturday afternoon. Sidney took her parents out to lunch while I drove the kids up north to their cousin’s birthday bash. After they ate and dropped their luggage off at our house, my in-laws joined us at the YMCA pool. “Gami and Dada” marveled at how their grandkids had progressed in the water, kicking off a solid beginning to what would be a memorable visit.

It felt awesome for all of us to re-unite again.

The following day, the six of us ventured across the state line to Idaho for the Post Falls Festival at Q’emiln Park. We visited vendor booths, ate delicious festival food (my father-in-law ordered a massive elephant ear), watched the kids play on inflatables, and admired the Spokane River. This particular day would also begin the many evenings of kitchen table games that included favorites such as Phase 10, What Do You Meme, and Speed.

Now that is what I call an elephant ear! The Post Falls Festival was a lot of fun.

When Monday rolled around, Sloan and Beau spent time exclusively with their grandparents as Sid and I returned to work. They played with each other, went to the park, and even exercised together. Yep, Sloan and Beau were invited to accompany Sid’s parents on their daily walk.

Mr. Sid and Beau playing “What Do You Meme?”

Once Wednesday arrived, Sid was off work for the week. She took everyone to the Southside Aquatic Center, a beautiful swimming oasis on Spokane’s South Hill. They had so much fun that they would return the following day as well.

That next day, Thursday, proved special beyond just the pool. After I finished work that evening, the six of us traveled up north to my parents’ house. It was there that we ate steak in the dining room followed by strawberry shortcake on the back porch. But again, it wasn’t the food that made it a memorable night. Rather, it was the rare opportunity Sloan and Beau received to be around their four grandparents at once. I know my children don’t realize the significance of how unbelievably cool that evening was but one day they will. After dessert, we all walked across the street to the park and enjoyed being in each other’s company. It really is heartwarming how well my parents and Sid’s parents get along.

Sloan and Beau spent Thursday evening surrounded by all their grandparents.

On Friday, I did something for the first time. In a spur of the moment act, I decided to take off the afternoon by putting in notice just a couple hours prior. But how can you blame me? Sid came into my home office around 10 a.m. and said they had rented a boat on Lake Coeur d’Alene and that she would love for me to come. We traveled back to Idaho, ate at an awesome local hamburger place, and then hit the water. We cruised for several hours while making several stops to jump into the water on another triple-digit day. It was one of the highlights of the trip.

Beau “drove” the boat for “Dada” while we were on Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Saturday morning was tough. Beau and I left the house for a church engagement followed by a birthday party. We gave our farewell hugs and expected to come home later that afternoon to just Sid and Sloan. But as I said at the beginning of this post, CrowdStrike had different plans. When we arrived at the house after the party, Gami and Dada were waiting for us after returning from the airport about an hour prior to our arrival.

Thanks to fate, Sloan got to spend a few more days with both of her grandpas in town.

Even though we had so much fun during their scheduled week with us, it still felt like a second chance to bond even more. That afternoon/evening we played games and hung out with an even greater appreciation for the extra time we had together. On Sunday we just relaxed, followed the Joe Biden news, played more games, and then had a chicken bog dinner that my parents attended…another chance the kids had to be around all four grandparents!

Sloan and my mother-in-law had the chance to make cookies together.

When the new week started, it was back to work again for Sid and me. This allowed my in-laws to have several more hours with just them and the kids. By the time the work day was over, we were back to what had become the norm during the evenings: games, puzzles, and laughs. Sid made a pork loin dinner on Monday that capped about 10 straight days of delicious food. Before we went to bed, the kids said their goodbyes again as we prepped them that Gami and Dada would be on an airplane by the time they woke up in the morning. But then it happened again shortly before midnight…Brenda received a notification from Delta that their flight was canceled and, just like that, Sid had her parents through Wednesday night. We all said, WE’LL TAKE IT!

My mother-in-law and Sid work on a puzzle last night.

Tuesday and Wednesday were both nice and low key. My in-laws played with the kids outside, took them to lunch at McDonald’s, made a trip to the Dollar Tree so Sloan and Beau could purchase them gifts (the idea of my children), embarked on a Target run, and more. At night we played cards, watched “Big Brother,” and ate ice cream. Eventually, the kids and I had to say goodbye for the third time 😔…

Sidney dropped her parents off at the airport this evening so they could catch their midnight flight. CrowdStrike wasn’t going to extend their trip a third time. But it was okay, because even though it was still sad, we were all so grateful that not only did we maximize our scheduled week together but we also got some bonus time none of us were expecting. We feel blessed that we had the chance to host our two very special visitors and we are already counting the days until we get to see them again. Don’t Blink.