Category Archives: Uncategorized

You Had A Good Run, Lester

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Believe it or not, there was a time when Sidney and I subscribed to cable. And when we did, Jeopardy wasn’t the only show we watched on a nightly basis.

Early in our marriage, we would arrive home from work and start to prepare dinner. While we did that, we turned on the TV. As food was cooking, we watched NBC Nightly News. At that time, a relatively established journalist named Lester Holt had been recently installed as the anchor. Those first few years of our marriage we saw Lester just as much as we saw Alex Trebek.

Sid and I watched Lester Holt a lot when he first became anchor of NBC Nightly News.

Yesterday, Holt announced he would step down as anchor from NBC Nightly News. After 10 years, he is ready to leave behind the pressure and grind that must undoubtedly come from serving as the face of a national network evening newscast.

I am really dating myself here, but when I was a boy, Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, and Tom Brokaw were all in their heydays at their respective networks (CBS, ABC, NBC). When the clock hit 5:30 p.m. on the west coast and the local news swung it to the “big boys,” you knew it was serious business. The only time things got more serious was when you saw Rather, Jennings, or Brokaw outside of the 5:30 p.m. time slot because that meant something major had happened and they were at their desks covering breaking news.

I don’t think Lester Holt will find himself on the Mount Rushmore of evening news anchors, but a 10-year run isn’t bad. Sidney will tell you that I had some minor gripes with Lester but the fact that we always chose to watch him while we had cable should tell you something. If there is a defining moment for me during Holt’s tenure that I won’t forget, it was his coverage of the Las Vegas sniper attack.

Sid and I wish Lester Holt the best and will still welcome him into our living rooms when we stream Dateline. Not going to lie, hosting a news magazine seems to be the perfect cushy retirement gig…but what do I know? Even though we will rarely see the new person who will fill the NBC Nightly News anchor chair, I am excited to see who is selected! Don’t Blink.

I Don’t Like Skee-Ball

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It was quite the practical joke. Many years ago when I was either a preteen or young teen, my parents hosted my dad’s large family for Thanksgiving. The night before Turkey Day, we all went to a family fun center called Wonderland. This place, which is still operational in north Spokane, boasts laser tag, go-carts, batting cages, and a large arcade. When we all arrived back at my parents’ place that night, it was discovered that we brought home more than just crappy redemption prizes.

When my aunt opened up her purse, she discovered a brown skee-ball resting inside. This was back in the late 1990s or early 2000s when most skee-ball machines used the heavy-duty, wooden balls for play. I remember seeing the ball and thinking it was so weird to see it outside the context of an arcade. My uncle had swiped one of Wonderland’s skee-balls and snuck it into my aunt’s purse to invoke an unusual surprise upon returning to my parents.

Ah, skee-ball. Quite the arcade classic, right?

My brother playing skee-ball in 2011.

It definitely isn’t my favorite. I would take hot shot or Ms. Pac-Man over it any day. But perhaps that is because I am just not very good at it. Or maybe it is because I don’t care for the sound of the ball rolling up the chute or the disparity between a high score and the minuscule number of tickets the machine would spit out.

Despite my relative disdain for the arcade mainstay, I sure have played a lot of it. In fact, I tested my skill (still really bad) at Chuck E. Cheese with the kids last week. Even after all these years, I just don’t find it to be that much fun.

Sloan playing some skee-ball at Chuck E. Cheese this past weekend.

So why do I keep finding myself playing it? I think because it is such an easy, self-explanatory game to play. In our current arcade era where games are so complex, life-like, and expensive, it is kind of a comfort for an old dude like me to try my luck at something so basic.

After doing some basic research on skee-ball, I thought I would share my favorite three facts I learned…

– Skee-ball was patented in 1909

– Although bowling was an obvious inspiration for skee-ball, it also was inspired by skiing/ski jumping that was becoming popular at the time—thus the jump ramp that the balls glide over to reach the game board

– Skee-ball is now a sanctioned competitive sport with championships held through the Brewskee-Ball League.

I don’t know if the skee-ball my uncle snatched from Wonderland was ever returned, but I hope it was. Don’t Blink.

BOGO Thursday Rundown

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Good evening and thanks once again for choosing to read Don’t Blink. Even if you do choose to only come for the Thursdays, you are always welcome. Let’s begin this rundown…

Latest Chuck E. Cheese Outing – I have written a lot over the past several years about my family’s acceptance of Chuck E. Cheese. We have taken our kids there frequently over the years and even held a birthday there. Our “home” Chuck E. Cheese in the Spokane Valley recently went through an update and it looks great inside! I took the kids for a visit on President’s Day to play the new games and have some fun. I am glad to report that Sloan and Beau did indeed have fun, but it did come at a price. The unlimited hourly rate for a child is now $32. If I didn’t have a special BOGO offer, it would have been $64. Those prices make any of the area trampoline parks seem like cheap entertainment.

Sloan and Beau with the mouse himself at the Spokane Valley Chuck E. Cheese on Monday, Feb. 17.

100th Day of School – It was the 100th Day of School at St. Mary last week and the Pre-K4 class decided to dress up as centenarians. Sid dressed Beau in suspenders and dusted his hair with powder. Our son also brought in 100 Lego pieces for the occasion. If you remember, Sloan brought in raffle tickets when tasked with bringing in 100 items.

Beau dressed up as an old man on the 100th day of school.

Stephen King – When you think of Stephen King, the first thing that comes to your mind is probably horror. But believe it or not, he also writes thrillers and crime novels too. After completing Billy Summers not too long ago, I decided to read another non-scary book of King’s—Mr. Mercedes. When you don’t have to worry about giving yourself nightmares, you will be surprised at how great King’s writing is. With superb character development, plenty of humor mixed in, and masterful storytelling, his books really are page-turners. I completed Mr. Mercedes earlier this week and might consider reading the other two books in the trilogy.

Me clutching my library copy of “Mr. Mercedes.”

Post Office Birthday – On this date in 1792, President George Washington established the U.S. Post Office. What a glorious day! Although USPS has fallen on tough times lately, I never cease to sing its praises. The fact that you can slap a stamp on a letter and have it delivered anywhere in the nation has always fascinated me. In fact, it has done more than just “fascinate” me, it has pushed me to action. I love to send cards and letters and do so on a very constant basis. Almost 12 years ago, I even offered a promotion within this blog that resulted in many of my readers receiving personal mail from me! Also, back in 2021, my recommended gift of the holiday season was a book of stamps. There is nothing else to say but HAPPY BIRTHDAY, USPS!

I love USPS.

Mr. Walker Steps Out – My kids and I read so many books together that it has to be a special story to really stand out. Well, Beau and I read a pretty creative one earlier this week. Called Mr. Walker Steps Out by Lisa Graff, the story chronicles the “life” of a “person” who serves as the walk icon within a traffic light at a random intersection. One day, he becomes bored with his job and walks out of the light box. He strolls around town and enjoys his newfound freedom. However, after a while, he wanders back to his former intersection just in time to witness the makings of disaster. He jumps to action and saves a little girl crossing the street. The icon climbs back into his box with a greater appreciation for what he does.

Beau stands next to “Mr. Walker Steps Out.”

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That covers it for tonight. Thanks for taking the time to read my randomness! If you aren’t too busy, write a quick letter to a loved one, place it in an envelope, throw on a stamp, and drop it in the mailbox. Don’t Blink.

Jamming Out at the Swifties Celebrations Tour

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We try to attend as many library programs as possible and there was no way Sloan was missing the one held this past weekend. The Spokane County Library District is in the middle of its “Swifties Celebrations” tour that is stopping at the different branches in the district. Last Saturday, the tour arrived at our home branch—the Spokane Valley Library.

Sloan and I had the date circled on our calendar and showed up on Saturday with relatively high expectations. We weren’t disappointed.

We attended the Swifties Celebrations event at the Spokane County Library (Spokane County Library District) on Saturday, Feb. 15.

We entered the programming room at the Spokane Valley Library with “Welcome to New York” filling the room. With the positive energy swirling, Sloan picked up some props and posed for photos in front of the Swiftie backdrop.

The first thing Sloan did at the Swifties Celebrations event was to take a photo in front of the backdrop.

After the photo op, we found a seat at one of the craft tables. With all the new pictures on my phone, we needed a cool spot to place them once developed. Thank goodness, one of the crafts offered was a photo frame. Sloan and I both created our own.

The frames that Sloan and I made at the Spokane County Library District’s Swifties Celebrations.

Once we put the finishing touches on our frames, it was onto the next craft. Anyone want to guess what it was? Yep, friendship bracelets. Sloan had a great time standing up at the craft supply station with the librarians and other attendees as she strung her bracelet together.

Sloan’s finished friendship bracelet she made at the Spokane Valley Library.

With our crafts completed, Sloan split her time between two activities. The first one was Taylor Swift trivia. Every 15 minutes, one of the librarians would ask questions only Swifties would know about their favorite music star. In between the trivia sessions, Sloan was roaming the library participating in the Taylor Swift scavenger hunt. The librarians hid Taylor Swift album cover art throughout the facility and let me tell you—it wasn’t easy. Sloan did her best to scour the shelves, nooks, and crannies of the library to find all of Swift’s albums from Reputation to Speak Now to 1989 to all her other defining work.

Sloan finds Taylor’s “Folklore” album art at the end of one of the library’s shelves.

But Sloan wouldn’t let herself get too lost in the throes of the shelves and books because she had a trivia contest to win. We kept our eyes on the clock so we would make each round of trivia at each 15-minute interval. It paid off. In an event targeted at children in the 10-14 age range, my soon-to-be 8-year-old staved off the other girls (and a couple moms) to narrowly win the contest. Her victory notched her a special Taylor Swift prize.

Sloan poses in front of the trivia scoreboard. She won!

Sloan wasn’t the only one who had fun. This dad (who typically isn’t a Swiftie despite what my frame said) had a really enjoyable afternoon as well. For those who live in the Spokane area with a little Swiftie, you can attend the remaining stops of the “Swifties Celebrations” when it visits the Cheney Library (Feb. 22) and the North Spokane Library (March 1). Sloan and I highly recommend it! Don’t Blink.

Taking It Easy on President’s Day

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Let’s begin with the usual President’s Day business. Eight years ago, I wrote this blog post that recognized my top 10 favorite U.S. Presidents. As someone who used to obsess over presidents, it is mildly surprising that it took me until 2017 to finally write such a post. Anyway, read the post and let me know if we share an affinity for any of our past commander-in-chiefs. Oh yeah, it is a completely non-partisan list.

Alright, let’s shift to new President’s Day business: As an employee of Eastern Washington University, I get today off! When I worked at both Washington State University and Coastal Carolina University, we had to report to work on this day. The institutions decided to substitute President’s Day for a day off during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Going back even earlier in my career, I did get President’s Day “off” when I was at the University of Montana but it didn’t mean much because I worked in intercollegiate athletics and would usually report to work anyway.

Thanks to Eastern Washington University’s holiday schedule, I get today off.

Thus, it has been roughly 16 years—or my entire professional career—since I had President’s Day off.

I wish it didn’t take this long. Call me crazy, but I prefer a Monday off in February versus a state-granted day off in the middle of the Christmas season. The truth is that most universities officially or unofficially (“wink wink”) transition to reduced operations between Christmas and New Year’s Day. This makes it easy for employees to easily (and gladly) use their annual leave to fill the holiday week gap without fear of falling behind or being the only one absent from the office.

Taking a day off in mid-February is a much-appreciated luxury I am going to savor. Without President’s Day, it is a marathon grind between MLK Day and Memorial Day without a state holiday. That’s a long time!

Going to sleep last night with the comforting feeling that I had today off was nice. As much as I love Monday mornings in February (#sarcasm), I am making no qualms about taking it easy today. Thank you, Eastern Washington University! Don’t Blink.

Valentine’s Eve Thursday Rundown

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Brrrrrrr. It has been a cold week here in the Inland Northwest. Temperatures have plummeted below zero a few times, making me feel very blessed to have a warm house but also sad for those I drive by each day that don’t. Let’s begin tonight’s rundown…

Spider-Man Cake – This was Beau’s birthday cake. Actually, it is Beau’s birthday cake because we still have quite a bit stored in our freezer. But it should come as no surprise that our little guy requested a Spider-Man cake. This white cake with strawberry filling was baked at Walmart and the coolest part was by far the eyes on the Spider-Man decorative emblem that lit up.

This was Beau’s Spider-Man birthday cake from Walmart.

Valentine Prep – I thought this picture perfectly captures what second graders across the country can be found doing the night before their Valentine’s Day party. Sloan used our kitchen table to sprawl out her supplies and then got to work preparing Valentine’s for each of her classmates. Since St. Mary doesn’t have school on Friday, Valentine celebrations were held today.

If you have young children, you might have a similar scene at your kitchen table tonight.

A Disappointed Quartet – Let me introduce you to four very disappointed Kansas City Chiefs fans. Both my kids and their cousins, Mik and John, had high hopes that the Chiefs would beat the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. Unfortunately, they didn’t have much to cheer about. And when you are that age, you don’t always understand the complexities and realities of sports, thus making it hard for the kids to understand why Kansas City played so poorly. Sloan took the loss the hardest as she was 100% sure that Travis Kelce was going to propose to Taylor Swift if his team won.

This quarter was not pleased with the outcome of the Super Bowl.

NICU Reminder – This photo was taken five years ago on this date. Every February, I take time to reflect on Beau’s journey in the NICU and to thank God for his grace and for the superb medical care that Beau received. I mention a lot about how Sid and I present at retreats for engaged couples, and we always describe how this experience increased our faith and drew us closer together. My blog post about the saga was ranked as my #1 entry of all time during the 10th anniversary of Don’t Blink.

Sidney holds Beau in the McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence, South Carolina.

Valentine’s Eve – For the first time in many years, Sid and I have Valentine’s Day plans tomorrow evening! Although we haven’t done much on the holiday in recent memory, we don’t hold the “trendy” contempt against Valentine’s Day like many others do. Whether you celebrate it or not, I think we can all be enlightened by learning about the holiday’s namesake. Sloan will tell you that St. Valentine is the patron saint of love and that he married couples at a time when a war general prohibited it because he thought marriage made soldiers weak. St. Valentine was jailed and challenged to heal the jailer’s blind daughter—which he did! Despite his incredible feats, like so many other saints, Valentine was martyred.

Sloan learned a lot about St. Valentine at school. She colored a picture of him in kindergarten. St. Valentine, pray for us!

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Try to stay warm, friends. Happy Valentine’s Day to you all, I hope you can find something redeeming about the holiday and enjoy it. Don’t Blink.

The Super Bowl Halftime Show As Art

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When I was a high school senior, I took an AP Art History course. It was the most challenging class I took at Mead High School as I struggled with identifying, analyzing, and re-creating (yes, there was a hands-on component) most of the art.

I also faced an uphill battle from another perspective: I simply wasn’t interested in the subject matter. I had an incredible teacher named Carla Nuxoll who did her best to instill in me the same passion she held for art. But it was to no avail.

My same “ho-hum” attitude for the course remained even though it was effectively taught to me that we were studying masterpieces. My class was learning about art that had stood the test of time for its brilliance. Art critics from around the world and throughout different eras could all agree that the stuff I was looking at in my textbook was the best of the best.

It didn’t matter. The art didn’t resonate with me and I dropped the course at the semester.

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It seems to happen every year. After the Super Bowl halftime show concludes, an intense debate convenes at water coolers and on social media about the merits of what transpired. In the same way that Ms. Nuxoll was passionate about art, people who watch “The Big Game” express similar passion about the halftime show artist and the performance that was given.

This year was no exception. In fact, and perhaps I am wrong, but it seemed like the back-and-forth about Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance was even more hotly contested than those halftime shows of recent past.

The Kendrick Lamar halftime show has proven to be quite polarizing (photo courtesy of Getty Images).

I kept hearing a couple recurring arguments/opinions that didn’t sound fair to me. The first argument was that the halftime show was garbage because it didn’t appeal to enough people and that Kendrick Lamar wasn’t well-enough established (never mind all the Grammys he won earlier this month) to headline the show. In response to that, I go back to what I said in my Super Bowl recap. The Super Bowl doesn’t select a halftime show to please you nor to please the most people. The entertainment is selected based on a strategically identified target audience and the potential to sell more advertising because of that audience. Agree or disagree, that’s the Super Bowl’s right.

Speaking of agreeing or disagreeing, fans also have the right to still determine whether or not they like a halftime show.  Predictably, many people expressed that they didn’t care for Lamar’s performance. Their dislike was countered by an argument that I thought was equally unfair as those who thought the show should appeal to a larger audience. Even before Lamar had left the stage, the internet was abuzz with the symbolism, hidden meanings, and different layers infused into the performance.

Advocates of the show reasoned that the show went so beyond surface level that it deserved a spot in the hall of fame of halftime shows. Furthermore, those who disliked the show must be crazy and insensitive for not enjoying the many finer points of Lamar’s performance.

This reasoning brought me right back to my Art History class. The point was made over and over that many of the pieces we studied went way beyond the canvas. The backstory, the time devoted, the nuances, the cultural ramifications, the painstaking attention to detail—how could it not inspire and transform you? How could it not be the single best thing you ever saw in your life? Well, based on my own experience, I couldn’t articulate eloquently why all these masterpieces didn’t inspire me. But did I really need to? In my mind, what makes art so great is that it is subjective.

It has now been 20 years since I took that class. Even though the art didn’t resonate with me, I still had foundational respect for it. Would I want to hang it in my room? No. But did I understand that someone worked extremely hard to produce it? Yes. I think we can take a similar attitude to the Kendrick Lamar halftime show. Don’t Blink.

Our Father/Daughter Dance Tradition

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This past Friday, Sloan and I attended the St. Mary Father/Daughter Dance for the third straight year. It was once again an awesome evening where we bonded and enjoyed time with our St. Mary community.

If you know my wife, she always says that, “Brent loves a tradition” and that it usually only takes us doing something once for me to christen it “a tradition.” Well, according to those terms, after three years now, the Father/Daughter Dance is a full-blown, longstanding tradition for us.

Sloan with her friend Allie at the 2025 St. Mary Father/Daughter Dance.

Our evening has started the same way the past three years: Sloan and I take photos outside the house before leaving. Usually, like this past Friday, it is freezing.

The past three years prior to the St. Mary Father/Daughter Dance we have taken outdoor photos at our house before leaving.

We then head to the Spokane Valley Red Robin for dinner. We order burgers and the same beverages (Shirley Temple for Sloan and a Blue Moon for me).

Before heading to the dance at St. Mary, dinner at Red Robin is a must.

But we don’t dine alone. Red Robin is also where we meet our double date—Riley and Colie Golay. We love hanging with Riley and Colie and really appreciate their loyalty over the past few years.

Sloan and Colie over the years.

After we finish at Red Robin, we head to the St. Mary Gym, usually arriving right when the doors open at 6:30 p.m. Our first order of business upon checking in (after Sloan chooses her corsage) is to head to the fine arts room to get our picture taken. It is easy to admire the photography skills of ___________.

Our official St. Mary Catholic School Daddy/Daughter Dance photo from 2024. Can’t wait to see what our 2025 photo looks like!

From there we usually snag some punch and treats. We meet back up with Riley and Colie at a table and then we hit the dance floor.

Sloan at the past three St. Mary Father/Daughter Dance.

I am usually good for a handful of dances as Sloan rotates between her old man and her friends. The dance organizers and DJ always keep things light and fun with classic hits that everyone knows and are easy to dance to.

A raffle is then conducted at the end of the night. Mr. Schultz, the 8th grade teacher, always begins the raffle by making the girls pledge not to get upset if they don’t win. The pledge isn’t always kept. Thankfully, Sloan won for the first time this year and was able to enjoy the final dance that always follows the raffle with a big smile on her face.

The top photo of the collage shows Sloan at the prize table after her name was called for the raffle.

Please check back with me in five years. My prediction is that our Father/Daughter Dance tradition will look very much the same as it does now…that is, of course, if the Golays still put up with us. Thanks to St. Mary Catholic School for always putting on such a memorable event. Don’t Blink.

My Super Bowl LIX Review

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Everyone is a critic. This cliché rings especially true on Super Bowl Sunday. Those who tune in for the big game suddenly become a head football coach, American Idol judge, entertainment guru, and advertising executive. Don’t think for a second that your esteemed blogger is any different. For the ninth time, I am back to offer my unsolicited and annoying commentary on the game action, national anthem, halftime show, and commercials. So let’s get started with my Super Bowl LIX analysis…

The Game: For the fan with no horse in the race who just wanted to see a close contest, could the game have been much worse? Even the lopsided 40-22 final score doesn’t come close to how one-sided the Eagles’ victory over the Chiefs was. Throw in plenty of penalties—many of them of the ticky-tacky variety that nullified big plays—and you can imagine that a lot was left to be desired. With the game at one point 34-0 in the second half, I think most of America was ready to take a snooze. If there was a redeeming quality, the game did feature some big pass plays that went for touchdowns but other than that this game was forgettable.

For the most part, the game itself was a snoozefest.

The Anthem: I fully understand that the game was in New Orleans and the rendition of the Star Spangled Banner possibly reflected the vibe of the city, but it wasn’t necessarily my cup of tea. I thought Jon Batiste was drowned out by his own piano and the background music. He was simply tough to hear. A lot of “extras” seemed to be going on that took away from the song. I questioned whether repeating “land of the free” three times was necessary but my thought paled in comparison to those who bet the under on the length of Batiste’s performance. With the over/under set at 120.5 seconds, the anthem ended right at the 120-second mark. If there was a fourth “land of the free” added in, there would be some pretty miffed under bettors.

Jon Batiste’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner wasn’t my favorite (photo courtesy of Page Six).

The Commercials: In what I would consider an off-year for the Super Bowl when it came to the game/anthem/halftime show, I think the commercials provided somewhat of a bright spot. But first for the bad: I was rather repulsed by the attempts from Little Caesars and Pringles to use Eugene Levy’s eyebrows and mustaches of famous people, respectively, to generate laughs for their products. Sorry, don’t want to think of brow hair or facial hair when eating pizza or chips. Ditto to the Coffee-Mate ad with the hyperactive tongue…yuck. Also, I experienced Matthew McConaughey fatigue by the third quarter from his spots with Uber Eats and Salesforce.

Despite star power, I didn’t like the Pringles ad.

But like I said, there was also a lot to like. Kudos to the brands who incorporated their ads into the game. Rocket.com used the song “Country Roads” as the soundtrack to its impactful spot and when the FOX broadcast resumed, fans in the Superdome were singing it. I also applauded Angel Soft for purchasing the first ad of halftime and using it as a “PSA” to use the restroom. The “drink on the job” spot by Liquid Death made me Google the company, the Dunkin’ commercial that made fun of bougie coffee competitors made me laugh, and the Bud Light cul-de-sac ad made me do my best to keep up with the star power. I feel this Super Bowl also offered effective ads that advocated for women. I loved the NFL-produced ad that pushed for girls’ flag football to be a varsity sport in all 50 states and I thought the Dove ad that used “Born to Run” to warn against criticizing body types was well-done.

I thought the way the AngelSoft ad incorporated itself into the game was pretty creative.

When it came to my favorite ads from Super Bowl LIX, I have three: First, let’s start with the Google ad that promoted Gemini. It pulled at my heartstrings. Practicing for an interview by answering questions relating to the job of a dad was genius and the visuals that went with it sealed the deal for one of the best commercials of the night. The Harrison Ford ad about “freedom” was touching, clever, and even funny . The voiceover was so well-written and the background track fit it perfectly. Finally, on the lighter side, there was the Ritz ad that featured one of my favorite actresses and one of my favorite actors—Aubrey Plaza and Michael Shannon. The hilarious commercial played on the deadpan personalities of both stars and was a lot of fun…even if the spot was meant to draw attention to how Plaza and Shannon aren’t fun. I give the commercials this year a B+.

I always opt for impactful over funny, but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the Ritz Super Bowl LIX commercial that just happened to have two actors I really enjoy in it.

The Halftime Show: I am an admittedly non-hip, old dad. How do I know? Well, I can give you lots of reasons but one of them is that this year’s halftime show with Kendrick Lamar did absolutely nothing for me. Although I dug some of the choreography and lighting, I was never inspired, energized, or impressed. I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised considering I couldn’t name one Lamar song prior to tonight but I was hoping something would have grabbed my attention. To be fair, Samuel L. Jackson’s cameo and speaking parts came close, but for the most part the show was a big “miss” for me (which probably means the Super Bowl did it right).

The Kendrick Lamar halftime show failed to resonate with me (photo courtesy of Getty Images).

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To all those heading to work this Monday morning, I hope you have your Super Bowl recap talking points ready. Congrats, Philadelphia Eagles, on your NFL title. However, can you do me a favor? Please take a break from the Super Bowl next year…and that goes for you too, Kansas City Chiefs. Don’t Blink.

Past Super Bowl Commentary
Super Bowl LVIII
Super Bowl LVII
Super Bowl LVI
Super Bowl LV
Super Bowl LII
Super Bowl LI
Super Bowl 50
Super Bowl XLIX

Fr. David Gaines Dispensing Healing and Forgiveness

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It is always interesting and uplifting how a seemingly disturbing incident can produce fruit.

On Tuesday evening, Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral held the second day of prayer for the Lourdes Novena for Healing. Our Lady of Lourdes is the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane to which our family belongs. It is always a blessing and a treat when we attend mass at the Cathedral as it is a magnificent and beautiful house of worship. As is the case with most mother churches in dioceses across the world, things are usually done on a grander scale—or how us Catholics describe it—with extra “smells and bells.”

Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane. It is a beautiful place of worship and attracts people from all walks of life.

Our Lady of Lourdes is located in the heart of downtown Spokane in a very urban area. The throngs of worshippers who attend the parish come from all walks of life. Attend any service at the Cathedral and you are bound to see a vast representation of all God’s children. Many people who walk through the grand cathedral doors are suffering greatly.

During the prayer service on Tuesday, a shocking episode happened. As the celebrants knelt to pray in front of the Mary statue nestled in the makeshift grotto, someone rushed the sanctuary. The individual sprinted from his pew, ascended the stairs, and attacked Fr. David Gaines who knelt directly behind Bishop Thomas Daly. The assailant threw wild punches at Fr. Gaines as he managed to make contact with varying degrees of success. I have watched the stream numerous times and one thing is for sure: it is tough to watch. It is near impossible to defend yourself when someone is charging you from your blind spot while on your knees.

A screenshot from the Our Lady of Lourdes livestream of the attack on Fr. Gaines (edited photo courtesy of Metro).

Thanks be to God, parishioners and Cathedral staff quickly overpowered the 40-year-old mentally ill individual and removed him from Fr. Gaines.

Two things from the incident stand out that exemplify the compassion taught by Jesus Christ.

1. While he is literally being attacked, Fr. Gaines is calmly telling his attacker, “It’s okay buddy. It’s all right, just calm down.” With someone trying to seriously injure him, this warmhearted priest is trying his best to comfort the troubled gentleman.

2. After the man was removed, Fr. Darrin Connall, who was leading the Novena, didn’t scorn him. Instead, he prayed for him. He led the congregation in a “Hail Mary” for the guy who tried to harm his brother priest.

I met Fr. David Gaines during Hoopfest 2023. He came and watched our team play and then we got to hang out with him afterwards.

The aftermath has been just as inspirational. Thanks to the live streaming capabilities of Our Lady of Lourdes, the local media ran the video and covered the incident. It didn’t take long for the national media to follow suit. Media giants like TMZ and the New York Post latched on. NBC News did too—and they even interviewed Fr. Gaines.

Fr. David Gaines speaks with Camila Bernal of NBC News. What a great ambassador of the faith that Fr. Gaines has been.

In his humble and Christ-like nature, Fr. Gaines didn’t hesitate to express his forgiveness for the man. In fact, he even went beyond. In his own Pope John Paul II moment (the former pope/now-saint met with the person who shot him), Fr. Gaines said he would also like to meet with the person who sought to do him harm.

My brother and I received a blessing from Fr. David Gaines right outside of Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral during Bloomsday 2024.

What an amazing example of what it means to be a Christian! I am proud to be Catholic, proud to be part of the Diocese of Spokane, and proud to know Fr. Gaines. Please pray for the healing of everyone, especially those dealing with mental illness. Don’t Blink.