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Dancing in the Dark Thursday Rundown

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Well, how is your February going? In less than two weeks it will already be March. I guess that means I better get writing if I want to finish this by the end of the month. Here are tonight’s five topics…

Father/Daughter Dance – A few weeks ago, Sloan slid into the car as I picked her up after school. She bashfully asked, “Daddy, will you go to the Father/Daughter Dance with me?” I told her “absolutely” and we eagerly awaited the big evening. It all took place last Friday night. After we took photos in the front of our house, we went to Red Robin for dinner where we met Sloan’s classmate and her dad. We had the best double date! We then went to St. Mary for the dance and had a blast dancing to all the classics (think “Don’t Stop Believing,” “YMCA,” “Sweet Caroline,” etc.) and having fun with the other dads and daughters. As we drove home, Sloan was already planning for next year’s date.

The St. Mary Father/Daughter Dance was such a fun experience!

Heart-Shaped Pancakes – I didn’t purchase a Papa Murphy’s heart-shaped pizza this year so we did the next best thing and made heart-shaped pancakes on Valentine’s Day (and by “we” I mean Sid). She used red food coloring and her special skills to make (near) symmetrical heart-shaped pancakes. Served with fresh fruit and sausage, we topped the pancakes with whipped cream. Chef’s kiss.

We got a little wild with the heart-shaped pancakes that Sid made.

Marco Rubio – On this date 8 years ago, Sid and I went to a Marco Rubio rally. It was 2015 and all serious presidential candidates—Republican and Democrat—were campaigning in South Carolina ahead of the 2016 presidential election. I took advantage of South Carolina’s coveted spot in the primary landscape and also attended rallies for Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush. But on this particular night it was all about the fresh-faced senator from Florida. We watched him stump and then he graciously posed for a photo with us. He seemed like the real deal at the time and he has remained very relevant over the past several years but I don’t think another presidential run is in the cards for 2024.

On this date 8 years ago today, Sidney and I met Marco Rubio.

Welcome To Your Home – Oh man, I must go down memory lane for the second time tonight. On this date three years ago, we brought Beau home for the first time. His arrival was a little delayed due to his stay in the NICU, making it all the sweeter. The highlight was Sloan meeting him and holding him. As we helped keep Beau steady on her lap, she spontaneously started to sing to him. I was fortunate to record that precious moment.

This was the first ever meeting between Sloan and Beau. It went well.

What Would Be Your Pick? – Alright, I will bite on this. If I had to select just a single treat on this ice cream truck menu, I would opt for 11, 14, 15, 24, and 25. I loved the character ice cream pops, even the hard-as-rock bubble gum that made up either the eyes, nose, or other component of the pop. Those diehards of this blog might not be surprised by this. Nearly five years ago, I literally wrote about my favorite ice cream truck treats. With that said, my next choice after the character pops would be 27 followed by 8.

Here is the ice cream truck menu…what do you choose?

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Phew. I did manage to complete this rundown before the month slipped away. In fact, I made such good time I think I will be able to fit another Thursday Rundown in before February passes. Stay tuned for that. Don’t Blink.

Cake Mix Cookies

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I don’t know where this recipe has been all my life, but I am mildly obsessed with cake mix cookies. Wait, you didn’t know you could use your favorite boxed cake mix to bake cookies? Or are you just rolling your eyes at my stupidity of recently figuring it out?

Sloan and Beau both love cake mix cookies.

Anyway, making them is a piece of cake (pun intended). You just need cake mix, ½ cup of vegetable oil, and two eggs. If you are more of a visual learner, you can watch the TikTok video I made. After you have your batter spaced out on your cookie sheet all you need to do is pop them in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I recently made rainbow confetti cake mix cookies. You just need cake mix, vegetable oil, and two eggs.

Perhaps it is just the novelty of it all, but I prefer cake mix cookies over the cookies produced from actual cookie mixes. They keep a better texture and are satisfyingly moister than cookie mixes. Cake mix cookies are also larger and softer. What’s not to like?

These cake mix cookies are delicious right out of the oven.

You can get creative with your cake mix cookies. An assortment of flavors come in cake mixes that you can’t find in cookie mixes. Take for example the strawberry cake mix cookies I made below. When have you ever seen a strawberry cookie mix? You can also add fun mix-ins. These cookies below have white chocolate chips that I added.

These were Chef’s Kiss!

I am so high on these cookies that we made them for our neighbors during Christmas. Not only did they receive our Christmas Trash mix, but we included confetti cake cookies as well. I have also brought them to our Young Adult Catholic group, served them at my parents’ Super Bowl party, and allowed my children to make them with me.

These were my strawberry white chocolate chip cookies right when I took them out of the oven.

If you are in the need of a new treat to bake that is quick and super inexpensive, consider cake mix cookies. I hope you love them as much as me. Don’t Blink.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Happy Valentine’s Day! It has been an exciting day at our house. Sloan and Beau woke up to small Valentine treat bags and fresh cinnamon rolls. They then went off to their respective school/daycare for parties and fun.

The treat bags Sid prepared for Sloan and Beau.

I hope our children savored today, even though they both have probably no idea what that means. You see, they are at peak ages for genuinely enjoying Valentine’s Day. At least for Sloan, sadly, it will probably be only a few years until she is exposed to heavy doses of Valentine’s Day cynicism. Some time ago, it became cool to hate today’s holiday and view those who appreciate it with scorn. Although I understand the natural feelings of sadness and envy that today brings to many, I view the detestation campaigns that some launch as a little over-the-top.

Beau and Sloan all dressed for Valentine’s Day.

But enough negativity because today is a good day. Since Sloan has started attending Valentine’s class parties, I have been amazed at the creativity that kids (and their parents) possess when it comes to creating Valentine’s Day treats. The thoughtful Valentines continued this year and extended to Beau’s class as well.

Beau holding his Valentine treat bag after he returned from daycare.

Speaking of creative parents, scope out the Valentine receptacle that Sid made for Sloan. She constructed this thing last night and it worked like a charm for Sloan during her party.

Sloan holding the Valentine box that her mom helped her make.

Of course we couldn’t celebrate this holiday without recognizing who it is named for. At the breakfast table today, Sloan told me everything I could possibly want to know about St. Valentine. The patron saint of love, St. Valentine married Christian couples at a time when a war general prohibited it because he thought marriage made soldiers weak. He was imprisoned and after being mocked for his faith by the jailer and challenged to heal the jailer’s blind daughter, Valentine did just that. Despite the miracle, St. Valentine would later be martyred.

Sloan learned a lot about St. Valentine at school. She also colored a picture of him. St. Valentine, pray for us! (she won the wings playing Bingo at her class party).

Hope everyone had a good day with at least a little sugar. If you do know someone who could use a little encouragement on this day, you still have time to call or text them. St. Valentine, pray for us! Don’t Blink.

My Super Bowl LVII Review

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And another NFL season is in the books. I didn’t watch a single game from beginning to end until the Super Bowl, but that still constitutes me a football expert, right? Just like watching the halftime show establishes me as a music connoisseur and catching all the commercials makes me an advertising whiz? So just like any good American, I am here to offer my hot takes and unsolicited opinions. Are you ready? It is time for me to armchair quarterback the tar out of Super Bowl LVII.

The Game: What more can you ask for than a high scoring game that goes down to the last minute? Well, hate to be picky, but I have a couple things…and the controversial holding call doesn’t even factor in. I would have liked to see a better final play by the Eagles, a more dramatic game-winning drive by the Chiefs, and a punt return that found the end zone instead of turning up five yards short. But other than that, I shouldn’t be complaining. Despite his fumble that was returned for a touchdown, Jalen Hurts was electric. Patrick Mahomes made up for an abysmal Super Bowl performance in Super Bowl LV. The game was relatively clean with the officiating crew keeping the laundry in their pockets for most of the contest. Super Bowl LVII wasn’t a classic but it was by no means a dud.

The Chiefs and Eagles played a close and exciting game (photo courtesy of SB Nation)

The Anthem: Isn’t it amazing how simplicity can sometimes deliver the biggest impact? Chris Stapleton didn’t set out to put his “stamp” on the national anthem nor go crazy with a guitar solo. Instead, he simply performed the song in a mellow, humble manner. He added a little twang at banner yet wave and he did let the last line go a little long but for the most part it was just a straight shot. Stapleton’s rendition will always be paired with the image of tears streaming down the face of Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni.

I thought Chris Stapleton did a noble job performing the national anthem at Super Bowl LVII (photo courtesy of the NY Post).

The Commercials: The success of Coinbase’s QR code ad from 2022 was not lost on practically every advertiser this year. It seemed like every commercial had a QR code on screen. Like last year, electric vehicles and tax services had a heavy presence. My overall assessment of the crop of commercials for Super Bowl LVII? I am going with a B-. I like the emotional, call-to-action ads and besides the HeGetsUs spots and a couple dog PSAs, I didn’t get what I crave—most went for the funny bone.

With that said, I liked the Pringles commercial. Watching different people caught with their hand stuck in the Pringles tube was hilarious but it also illustrated an actual conundrum when trying to fish out those last few chips. The Uber One commercial with Diddy packed a whole bunch of nostalgia with artists from my elementary/middle school years performing their hits (not “jingles”) with an Uber One slant. I appreciated the Crowd Strike spot that utilized the trojan horse because it successfully paralleled history with its product. My final favorite commercial that won points in the “cute” category was from Bud Light. I am talking about the one with Miles Teller and his wife dancing to the on-hold music, pausing only when an automated voice or operator jumped on.

Miles Teller and his wife brought smiles to many with Bud Light’s “on-hold” commercial.

The Halftime Show: I give the halftime show a C+. The color scheme was visually appealing and the suspended platforms added a sophisticated symmetry to the performance. For the most part, I thought Rihanna was solid. She really took me through the second half of my life as each song she performed placed me at a different spot over the past 17 or so years. I was a little disappointed she didn’t perform my favorite Rihanna song—“Live Your Life.” Docking the performance a whole letter grade was the lack of a surprise special guest. In the past, some performances could stand on their own with just the headliner, but this was a show that I think could have benefited from some extra firepower.

Rihanna definitely had me reminiscing (photo courtesy of Rolling Stone).

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Hope all my NFL-obsessed friends enjoyed the season and that your fantasy league performances were up to par. Congrats to the Kansas City Chiefs. Don’t Blink.

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

Hearts On Fire Thursday Rundown

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It is once again Friday Eve. By this time I hope you are over the disappointment of Groundhog Day and ready to give the next six (make that five) weeks of winter everything you have. I am ready to give this Thursday Rundown everything that I have…

NICU Memories – These past few days, as I will for the next several, cause me to reflect on the events that transpired three years ago at this time. I am talking about Beau’s stint in the NICU at McLeod Children’s Hospital. For 10 days, Sid and I made daily trips from Myrtle Beach to Florence to be with our little guy as he got better. It was an experience that will undoubtedly always remain with us. The blog post I wrote on the saga was ranked the #1 all-time best in the history of Don’t Blink. Thanks Be to God for his many blessings during a trying time.

By the time this photo was taken, Beau was steadily improving and we were all so relieved.

Guys Night – Up until this point, I haven’t had the opportunity to do too many things with just Beau and me. Now that he is 3, I know this will start to change. Last Friday night I had so much fun taking him to the local high school to watch basketball. We visited East Valley High School to watch the girls and boys teams play. Beau had fun watching the action, listening to the band, and eating/drinking concession stand fare. He also enjoyed the intense attention he received from the high school girls who enamored by him. At the end of the game, one particular student came up to me and gave me her number and offered her babysitting services!

I had a great time with Beau at the East Valley vs. Shadle Park basketball games.

Bag Limit – I have written about Washington state’s plastic bag tax before and what I saw on Monday night made me laugh. When I was checking out at Walmart, noticed that there is now a prompt on the screen that sets a plastic bag limit of 99. I asked myself, are people really coming into the store and buying copious amounts of plastic bags? They are extremely high quality and useful but I don’t know if I would buy them to bulk. Needless to say, I don’t think the plastic bag reduction efforts went according to plan in this state.

Do you notice the red bag limit notice or are you too busy deciphering the groceries I bought?

Hearts on Fire Men’s Conference – Last Saturday, I was blessed to spend the day at the Spokane Diocese Hearts on Fire Catholic Men’s Conference. Held at St. Thomas More in North Spokane, the event was comprised of mass with Bishop Thomas Daly, music, confession, adoration, reciting of the rosary, small group sessions, testimonials, meals, fellowship, and more. The speakers brought in for the conference were Deacon Bob Rice and Deacon James Thruman. The best part was meeting new Catholic brothers and just being in the general presence of so many devoted men.

I photo I took of St. Thomas More Parish in North Spokane upon walking into the Hearts on Fire Men’s Conference sponsored by the Diocese of Spokane.

Birthday Dinner – Although sickness derailed Sid’s birthday dinner date night, we made up for it this past weekend. My parents watched the kids for the night and we went out to Airway Heights. We ate dinner at Spokane Tribe Casino and Sid tried her luck at the slots. We then drove a couple minutes to Northern Quest where Sid continued to play and we both drank a lot of soda.

Sid and I ate dinner at Three Peaks inside Spokane Tribe Casino. I had the Cougar Gold mac and cheese.

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That will wrap up another Thursday Rundown. Thanks for your time this evening and enjoy your weekend. Don’t Blink.

My Weekly Drive

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Today I did something I do about every week…I drove to Pullman. My hybrid schedule generously allows me to work from home four days per week. On that other day I make the 90-mile drive to Washington State University’s flagship campus to work from my office.

The drive is about an hour and 45 minutes one way so that equates to a roughly 3.5-hour roundtrip. So how do I pass the time?…

By driving, duh!

Okay, that was a bad joke. In all honesty, I do a lot while cruising my Ford Escape down U.S. 195. In fact, I thought I would share what occupies me as I drive through the wheat fields of the Palouse. In no particular order, here are 10 things I do…

Relax – If the weather is decent, the ride is therapeutic. I take advantage of the peace and quiet and enjoy the time in my warm car.

Try Not to Die – Conversely, road conditions can make the trip not so fun. I have battled snow, rain, fog, and ice during the past several months—sometimes individually and sometimes all at once. In these situations, you just have to go slow and concentrate on the task at hand.

Plan the Day – I go through my schedule for the day and plan how I will best utilize my time during my lone weekly appearance on the WSU Pullman campus.

Faith-Building – I listen to EWTN and the Catholic Channel a lot. I usually start my drive with Gus Lloyd and on the way home at night I listen to old Mother Angelica episodes.

The News – Besides the Catholic-related content, there is a point during my drive to Pullman that I choose one of the major cable news radio stations and become informed of the daily news. This is always a great supplement to my newspaper subscription and healthy diet of news I get online.

Amped Up – It is important to be awake and alert at the wheel. For this reason, I crack open an energy drink whenever I make the drive. Because I am not a regular consumer of caffeine, the Rockstar I drink on these mornings not only provides me with enough energy for the drive to Pullman but it sticks around for my return trip to Spokane as well.

Scenery – Some people might think the drive from Spokane to Pullman is a bore, but every now and then you see some beautiful landscapes. I have seen both spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Seeing such gorgeous colors hit differently early in the morning or going home after a long (but productive) day.

I took this photo on my way back to Spokane after working in Pullman on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

Rehearse – If I have a presentation coming up, the drive is the perfect time to rehearse portions of it. In the past, I have been able to really drill down certain speeches while behind the wheel.

Tunes – Trust me, I use my satellite radio for musical purposes too. However, I do use it sparingly. On my way to campus, I listen to music from the time I hit Colfax to the moment I park my car. Those 20 minutes allow me to have my own little jam session.

Ring, Ring – When I am about 15 miles out of Spokane on my return trip, I will make some phone calls. I alert my wife that I am almost home and I will also try to get in touch with a family member (mom, dad, sibling) just to say “hey.” It makes the last leg of the trip breeze by.

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I thank God and St. Christopher for the many safe travels I have had between Spokane and Pullman. I also thank SiriusXM for the entertainment factor. Don’t Blink.

Beau’s PJ Masks-themed Birthday Party

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PJ Masks, we’re the PJ Masks!
PJ Masks, we’re the PJ Masks!

For Beau’s third birthday, we had a PJ Masks-themed party.

It didn’t take much soul searching from Beau to decide on a theme for his birthday party. Our new 3-year-old wanted a Catboy, Owlette, and Gecko-themed affair.

It goes without saying that a PJ Masks party needed PJ Masks balloons.

As I mentioned in his birthday blog post, Beau loves PJ Masks. He has watched the five seasons available on Disney+ enough times to drive Sid and I absolutely bonkers. Although we might have PJ Mask fatigue, we could make an exception for Beau’s special day.

Sid had everything set up so nicely before family members started to arrive.

Sid was the top party planner/decorator. She purchased all the PJ Masks decorations from Party City. She then used it to turn our dining room into a scene right out of Tarabiscoville.

A look at Sid’s party table once our guests arrived.

Beau’s bash was a family party so grandma, papa, Aunt Miranda, Uncle Jay, and best friends/cousins Mik and Johnny all came over.

Beau opening gifts as we relax in the living room.

Of course it would not be a PJ Mask party without a PJ Mask cake and we had that covered.

Sidney topping the cake with PJ Masks figurines.

It goes without saying that Sunday night was the right time to fight crime as everyone had a fabulous time. What a fitting way to begin Beau’s next trip around the sun. Don’t Blink.

Make it 3, Beau

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Today is the day that Beau turns 3. But before we look forward to this next year, let’s see how Beau did on the goals we set for him as a 2-year-old…

Goal: Develop his speech
Achieved?: ✔ Beau’s vocabulary and pronunciation exploded as a 2-year-old.

Goal: Practice diplomacy with his sister
Achieved?: 🙈 Debatable…

Goal: Stay out of the ER
Achieved?: ❌ We were on track until Thanksgiving.

Today Beau is 3 years old! (photo courtesy of Nicole Lynn Photos)

So in terms of goals, it was a mixed bag for Beau. But specific benchmarks aside, it was still a year of resounding growth. His cognitive skills increased dramatically, he developed friendships with other children, and he started daycare. His mischievous side that became apparent as a 1-year-old didn’t go anywhere as a 2-year-old but his affectionate side fortunately stuck around too.

Beau was a very active 2-year-old but he remained very affectionate as well.

Beau’s personality and preferences became more pronounced over the past year. He watched a million episodes of “PJ Masks.” He always asked for warm milk in the morning and never turned down a sucker. In terms of real food, he ate chicken nugget after chicken nugget. Play-Doh and balls proved to occupy him…at least for a little bit. He aspired to do everything that his sister and cousins did. He continued to obsess over his grandma.

Beau knows what he likes.

What is in store for Beau as a 3-year-old? He will eventually enter pre-school and go to St. Mary with his sister. Visiting his family in South Carolina will occur at some point. He will experience a WSU football game in the fall. We are crossing our fingers that his attention span improves. Hopefully his tendency to climb into bed with Sid and I in the middle of the night is reversed.

I love this little dude so much.

But what we hope most for Beau as a 3-year-old is that he continues to crush the fourth goal we set for him a year ago: to embrace his loving and carefree spirit ✔. If Beau continues to master that, we can be more understanding about the occasional spat with his sister or that pesky emergency room visit. Don’t Blink.

Pez Thursday Rundown

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Happy Groundhog Day! I actually watched the movie with Bill Murray probably five years ago so I could understand all the “Groundhog Day” references. I wasn’t too impressed. Speaking of not being impressed, I am sure you will feel that way after reading tonight’s Thursday Rundown…

Sid’s Birthday Recap – Sidney turned 31 this past Saturday. For the second year in a row we celebrated with a Rosauers birthday cake. The day didn’t go exactly according to plan as sickness prevented Sid and I from going out to dinner that night. It was all good, we moved our birthday lunch celebration with the kids to a birthday dinner celebration and ordered Olive Garden takeout. Among other things that we gave Sid for her birthday, she was most excited about her Ulta gift card.

This was Sidney’s birthday cake from this past weekend, courtesy of Rosauers.

Valentine’s Month – I thought about waiting to share this photo on Valentine’s Day but I couldn’t resist. This picture of Beau was taken at daycare last week. I think even those of us who dislike Valentine’s Day can warm up to the holiday after seeing this little guy clutching his heart.

I couldn’t wait until the 14th to use this Valentine-themed photo of Beau.

The Pez Outlaw – I watched this Netflix documentary earlier this week with mixed feelings. I am not a fan of the over-the-top, dramatic filmmaking style utilized in “The Pez Outlaw.” However, I was fascinated by the audacity of Steve Glew and sympathetic to Pez USA. For anyone working in marketing and/or licensing, you should definitely watch this. If you are simply a person looking to be entertained, you will also probably be intrigued by “The Pez Outlaw.”

How could any company allow Steve Glaw to get away with what he was trying to do? (Picture: Gravitas Ventures)

Right on Red – The state of Washington is considering a ban on making right turns on red lights. Washington would be the only state with such legislation and it could become law by 2024! As a motorist, I have found myself with great anxiety at a certain major intersection in Spokane that I navigate twice a day as I take Sloan to/from school. It is an intersection where I take a right on red and I spend most of my energy making sure that no traffic is coming from the left. Because my attention is mostly focused there, checking to see if a pedestrian is going across the crosswalk turns into an afterthought. What a monster I am! I would support this ban.

I am fine with a ban on making right turns on red lights (photo courtesy of WUSA)

Bash on February – Although I think this installment of The Family Circus uses faulty logic, I still agree that if any month had to have fewer than 30 days, February would be my nominee. With that said, and correct me if I am wrong, summer wouldn’t be shortened in any way if July had one less day, it would just mean that it would start one day earlier in the calendar. Am I right?

If it wasn’t for February being my son’s birthday month, I would dock it even more days and just end it on Feb. 25.

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It was Sidney’s birthday last weekend and it will be Beau’s birthday this weekend. Hope your February is off to a good start and hopefully I can publish some decent blog posts throughout the course of this shortest month. Don’t Blink.

So Cliché

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It has reached the point of being cliché, but I have a go-to whenever someone asks me to spell my last name…

“It is R-E-S-E-R. Reser. The same way forwards as it is backwards.”

For those who need it written out, here is my last name.

The person I am speaking to usually humors me by taking a moment to verify in their head what I told them is accurate. They will then say something to the effect of “That is so cool! What is that called again?…

…a palindrome, right?!?”

Bingo.

R-E-S-E-R

I usually try to offer props to the person not so much because they were able to reach back in the recesses of their brain to pull out an English device from high school, but because they put up with my tired act.

And today, you are victim of that tired act. However, I wasn’t trying to do it to be mean. Rather, today is National Backwards Day so how could I resist? I understand if you never read another blog post of mine again. Don’t Blink.