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Updating My List of Movies I Can Watch Twice

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I don’t watch movies twice. Well, there are exceptions to every rule. A long time ago I wrote this blog post that listed the five films I actually will watch more than once. But for the most part, after I watch a movie, no matter how good it is, I won’t watch it again. A big reason I watch movies is for the suspense. Remove that drama by giving me something I have seen before and I just assume not watch it again.

But dang, it has been 10 years since I wrote that post. Over that time, a few more films have achieved “Brent Will Watch Again” status. Tonight, I want to recognize those three movies.

Moneyball – I enjoy this movie so much that I do more than just watch it when it comes on television. Believe it or not, I seek it out on Netflix and watch it even when a thousand other choices I haven’t seen before are available. The film offers so many different themes: family, importance of data, career advancement, second chances, and more. Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill are phenomenal in it. Watching the late Seymour Hoffman play Oakland Athletics manager Art Howe is a treat. The musical score is so underrated. The movie just never gets old.

Acting, script, score….it is all so good.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – I watched this movie the whole way through for the first time in high school Spanish class. We started watching it in Spanish with English subtitles but got the teacher to allow us to watch it in English with Spanish subtitles. From that point on I have watched “Christmas Vacation” multiple times every subsequent holiday season…in English and with English subtitles (because I watch everything with subtitles). No matter how many times I watch Clark Griswold try to provide an “old fashioned family Christmas” I find myself laughing out loud. From the cringeworthy moments with Cousin Eddie to the catastrophic holiday dinner to Clark opening up his Christmas “bonus” there isn’t a more quotable and addicting Christmas movie. It just isn’t the holiday season if I don’t watch “Christmas Vacation” a couple times.

This movie is worth watching multiple times over any given holiday season.

Anger Management – I have tired of watching Adam Sandler movies like “Happy Gilmore” and “Billy Madison” but there is something about “Anger Management” that keeps me coming back for more. Oh, I think I might know the reason—Jack Nicholson. Call them an odd couple but Sandler and Jack made a movie that is re-watchable by my very tough standards. The laugh out loud moments and the degree to which the movie gets more and more ridiculous as it goes on just hooks me in. “Anger Management” is on an “anytime, anywhere” basis with me as Sidney and I watched it while on our honeymoon!

I enjoy this movie so much that I watched it on my honeymoon.

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Let me ask the same question I posed a decade ago: Do you have a certain movie that you can watch over and over again? If so, let me know. Until then, check back in another 10 years to see if I have any other movies to add to this list. Don’t Blink.

Veterans Day Thursday Rundown

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There is no other way to begin this Thursday Rundown than to say thank you to our veterans. If you are reading this and happen to be a veteran, I am honored that you would even read my blog. But more importantly, please accept my gratitude for your service to our country. Let’s begin tonight’s post…

Ears Lowered – It wasn’t the first time Beau got a haircut but it was my first time tagging along. My son got his ears lowered at Great Clips and I got to stand on the salon floor with him as his hair drifted to the ground. After the stylist was done with him it looked like Beau had aged about a year. What a handsome young man!

Beau getting a haircut at a Spokane Valley Great Clips on Sunday,

Not in Prime Films – This week I watched a couple movies from the late 2000s with similar themes. The first one I viewed was “The Wrestler” followed by “Crazy Heart.” Both films told stories of substance abusing washed up entertainers. Both movies also boasted fabulous leading role performances with Mickey Rourke playing professional wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson and Jeff Bridges playing country western singer Bad Blake. The movies did such a great job of portraying the battle to stay relevant, the pains of falling from grace, and the relationships that suffer. Out of the two, my favorite was “The Wrestler” and if you have Hulu I highly recommend watching it.

“The Wrestler” and “Crazy Heart” were both good films.

Thanksgiving Reads – In a previous Thursday Rundown I mentioned how Sloan’s nighttime reading routine becomes a little more exciting during the holidays and I used Halloween as an example. Well, it is now November and we are picking up Thanksgiving books during our regular trips to the library. Our library has a five-item limit on holiday-themed materials (which I think is a good thing) so we are always really selective when choosing our books. My favorite among this handful of books? For those who know our family tradition, it might come as no surprise that it is Milly and the Macy’s Parade.

These are the current Thanksgiving books we have at our house.

College Gameday in Missoula? – Pay attention this weekend when ESPN announces where College Gameday will go on Saturday, Nov. 20. If everything continues to go according to plan, the University of Montana should receive hosting privileges. In recent years, Gameday has chosen one Saturday out of the season to spend at an FCS site, a welcome change to its usual Power 5 tour. The show has been in contact with the University of Montana and a social media campaign spearheaded by the Grizzlies has generated a lot of enthusiasm. I am hopeful that my alma mater will land the coveted show and the beautiful city of Missoula will be on full display for a national audience a week from Saturday. Oh yeah, if it all comes to fruition, Gameday would be in town for one of the best rivalries in college football…THE BRAWL OF THE WILD (University of Montana vs. Montana State).

From what I can tell, it is looking good that the University of Montana will land College Gameday. (graphic courtesy of the Montana Kaimin)

Veterans Day Personal Reflection – During my junior year of high school my dad took me on a very memorable trip to Washington D.C. to really get a grasp of my American roots. We did everything from the monuments to the museums to the cathedrals. We walked past the White House, walked on the steps of the Supreme Court, watched Congress in session, saw the newly constructed 9/11 museum, and walked through the National Mall. For a history buff like me, my eyes were wide open the entire time. It was an awesome experience, one that I will never forget.

However, the part of the trip that will forever be cemented inside my mind and in my heart came when we visited Arlington National Cemetery. We got off the metro and after just taking a few steps you could see it. Rows and rows of white tombstones poking out of the earth and expanding further than the eye could see. As we got onto the cemetery grounds and started looking around a thick aurora of reverence engulfed me. Although other tourists were all around me there was no noise whatsoever. We were on the hallowed grounds of where close to a half million people were buried, people who had the courage and inclination to give up their lives so someone like me could live a comfortable life with invaluable freedoms. It was an absolute overwhelming experience. From that day forward, Veterans Day has always had more meaning for me (full blog post).

Myself at Arlington National Cemetery in 2003.

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Thanks for reading today. It is still early, so if you have not thanked a veteran yet, you better get on it. Happy Veterans Day and God bless America. Don’t Blink.

RAGE

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I vividly remember the scene. I was attending my first ever Seattle Seahawks game when I was either in fourth or fifth grade. My dad, my friend, and my friend’s dad were walking outside the Kingdome prior to the game when we noticed something. There was an old car (I think it was a Toyota?) painted in red and gold with “Kansas City Chiefs” spray painted on it.

For $5, you could take a sledgehammer and whack the car with all your might. I believe you got three swings and I remember one dude winding up the sledgehammer and giving that car everything he had. He barely made a dent but I remember thinking that it was pretty cool.

Well, smashing a beat-up car clad in the colors of the Seahawks’ opponent no longer appeals to me. But I do remember what it felt like to have that desire to go completely ape and destroy something. And, obviously, I am not the only one to have had that urge or else people wouldn’t have monetized the destruction of POS vehicles.

Yesterday I learned this business model has taken a major step up in recent years. During a morning meeting, the concept of rage rooms was brought up. Evidently, there are places you can go and take “weapons of destruction” to breakables such as televisions, lamps, microwaves, glass fixtures, and more. Some of these places have items on-site for you to destroy and others invite you to bring your own. Believe it or not, Spokane has its own rage venue called Rage Xscape.

Rage rooms are a thing.

The testimonials are glowing (or should I say smashing?). People leave these places feeling like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders and pent up anger released. It goes without saying that expelling rage inside a controlled building is better than releasing it in other places that might land you behind bars.

Lucky for me, I don’t need a rage room for therapeutic purposes. To be honest, it doesn’t really even sound that fun to me from an entertainment perspective. Sure, I would do it for the blog but you won’t see me with a punch card.

I am chalking this up as another modern day creative entertainment option on par with axe throwing and escape rooms. What will they come up with next? Don’t Blink.

Lightness and Darkness

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I know I frequently relate lessons learned during nightly reading with my 4-year-old daughter so my apologies in advance for another post spurned by that precious time we spend together.

“The World Made a Rainbow” is the inspiration for tonight’s blog post.

Over the weekend we read a book titled “The World Made a Rainbow” by Michelle Robinson. Toward the end of the story, this particular line stuck out: The light couldn’t shine if it never knew dark.

This line in “The World Made a Rainbow” rings true.

It underscored an important life theme of not being able to truly appreciate the good without experiencing the bad. Similarly, a more cynical sentiment I have heard a couple times in my life goes along the lines of, “I can’t miss you if you don’t leave.”

Perhaps that one is a little on the harsher side. But I think we all get the idea. Many times we fail to understand what we have until it is gone. We see so many instances in our society of a complete lack of appreciation or understanding. It isn’t until darkness is thrust over us that we truly comprehend the brilliantness and warmth of the light.

Much in the same way that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, I think it is beneficial that we all experience dark periods in our lives to truly be grateful for the beautiful things that we hold dear. Don’t Blink.

November 4 Thursday Rundown

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Let me wish a pleasant good evening to everyone! I hope your month is off to a fabulous start and that you are soaking in the fall season. I have a Thursday Rundown up my sleeve tonight so let’s get begin with the five topics…

Sky on Fire – I mentioned that we attended a trunk-or-treat in the parking lot of a trampoline park last Friday. Earlier this week, the business (Altitude Trampoline Park) posted a Facebook album of the event and our family made the cut in a couple of the images. What more can you say about the sunset in this photo? I thought it was too cool not to share.

If you notice the sky before you notice us, that’s okay (photo courtesy of the Spokane Valley Altitude Trampoline Park).

Free Pizza – As I have indicated before, I am a generous Google Reviewer. But if I do have a really bad experience, I will be honest in the review. I aired my grievances about a hibachi steakhouse in Las Vegas last July and ended up receiving a call from the manager and a generous gift card for the trouble. A couple weeks ago, things didn’t work out as promised at a local Spokane pizza chain. I noted it in the review and the manager soon reached out and sent me gift cards as well. I appreciate Pizza Rita’s gesture and we had a great experience when we re-ordered last Saturday.

I received $30 in Pizza Rita bucks to give the local chain another try. Our second experience was much better.

Nov. 4 – Today marks a bunch of “holidays.” It is National Candy Day (shouldn’t that have been five days ago?) so if you want to read about my top five favorite hard candies please be my guest. It is also National Cash Back Day, a day I celebrate because there is nothing I like doing more than bypassing ATM fees and walking into a supermarket to buy a 99 cent soda only to request $60 in cash back. Finally, it is also National Men Make Dinner Day and not only did I cook tonight but I cooked last night too. Happy Candy/Cash Back/Dudes Cook Day!!

Happy National Candy Day!

Muffin Tops – I asked this question on Twitter, but what good are muffin tops? Sid brought one home for me from the espresso stand last Friday morning and the first thing that went through my head was where is the rest of it? It is kind of like giving me a slice of pie with just the crust. Although the calorie count makes a convincing case for why it is just the top, I think I still prefer my muffins whole.

This was the Grandma Ruthie’s muffin top that Sid brought home for me last week. I just really don’t understand them.

Spookiness – On Halloween afternoon, this shady character was standing at one of the entrances to our neighborhood. He was drawing attention to a haunted house that would open later that night. If you know me, you probably aren’t surprised that I rolled down my window and engaged the guy in a conversation (and asked to take his photo). Later that night you better believe I went to the location and went through the haunted house. It had several scenes, strobe lights, actors, etc. I love the effort Halloween fanatics put forth to transform their own residence into a haunted house for the enjoyment of others.

This guy definitely stood out.

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Thank you for joining me tonight. Remember to fall back this weekend and savor that extra hour of sleep! Don’t Blink.

It’s Not Time

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By now, many of you have probably seen the infamous Mariah Carey viral video. Oh, which one, you ask? I am talking about the video released at midnight on Nov. 1 that shows her smashing a row of pumpkins that spell out “It’s Not Time.”

Mariah Carey released a video the moment Halloween ended on Nov. 1.

With her smash holiday song “All I Want For Christmas Is You” playing in the background, Mariah swings a candy cane-patterned bat at the middle pumpkin. At first glance, it appears that the video is encouraging a frenzied transition from Halloween straight to Christmas.

But for those who watch the video to the very end, an encouraging message provides some restraint to the perpetual elongation of the Christmas season: It’s Time!!! To smash that pumpkin and treat it as pie…cause we still gotta get through Thanksgiving.

Thank you. Sure, I would prefer more time than right after Turkey Day to go full Christmas, but at least it’s a start to reversing the trend of the holiday season starting earlier and earlier every year.

I do understand that Americans might be in more of a celebratory mood this year and desire to make up for time lost during the pandemic-plagued Christmas 2020, but come on people. A little moderation and discipline can ensure that we don’t overlook other holidays while simultaneously not watering down Christmas. If getting a big head start on the holiday season is important for your happiness and mental health then I say “go for it” but otherwise try to enjoy this current month before busting out the decorations.

As someone who loves Christmas, I advocate that we celebrate the holiday (and its true meaning) in due time. Happy November! Don’t Blink.

Halloween Weekend 2021

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We went hard this Halloween. Well, about as hard as you can go with a 4-year-old and 1-year-old. With the holiday falling on a Sunday, we went on a trunk-or-treat weekend bender. By the time we went to bed late Sunday night, you could say we were sugar drunk.

Perhaps the fatigue is showing in the faces of Sloan and Beau after we returned from trick-or-treating on Sunday night.

Our weekend went like this: On Friday night we went to a trunk-or-treat that took place in the parking lot of a trampoline park. The participants were businesses in the area who not only gave out candy but also screaming deals to their shops and eateries. After we were done there, we zipped over to downtown Spokane and went to a trunk-or-treat that was put on by a church. We then returned home and carved pumpkins.

Sloan and Sidney prepare to carve a pumpkin on Friday night.

Once Saturday morning hit, I took the kids to a trunk-or-treat staged by Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services. We finished up there and then drove out to Deer Park for the community Pumpkin Lane event. If you have never experienced this festival before, put it on your bucket list. The whole town shuts down and there isn’t s single business that is not giving out candy. We drove back to the Spokane Valley and went to the St. Mary trunk-or-treat that was fabulous. Later that night, Sid and I drove the kids around the neighborhood to look at Halloween decorations while listening to spooky music.

Sloan plays a game at the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services trunk-or-treat on Saturday morning.

The main event occurred on Sunday. We took Sloan and Beau trick-or-treating in my parents’ neighborhood and were impressed by the stamina they showed considering the busy weekend. Once they had enough, we helped my mom and dad pass out candy. Their candy supply ran out after the 245th trick-or-treater knocked on the door.

We would add about 19 more tallies to this sheet before shutting things down at my parents’ house on Sunday night.

Just a few quick trends and memories from Halloween 2021…

Holiday Theme – We saw a lot of different trunk displays over the weekend but the most popular theme? Christmas! Just at the Friday night trunk-or-treat alone, we visited THREE different vehicles decked out in Yuletide spirit. Santa came earlier this year.

A look at the three different holiday trunks we saw at a single event on Friday night.

Best Costume – Throughout October, Sloan really got into “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” She enjoyed the movie a lot, especially Jack Skellington. When we saw a very respectable-looking Jack at the St. Mary trunk-or-treat, Sloan made sure to get a photo with him.

After getting a heavy dose of Jack Skellington this Halloween season, Sloan was thrilled to get a picture with him at the St. Mary Catholic School trunk-or-treat in Spokane Valley.

Candy Sorting – Growing up, it was a tradition that after the three of us Reser kids would arrive home from trick-or-treating we would dash downstairs, sort our candy, and make trades. Although Beau is a little young to wheel and deal, he was still able to keep his daddy’s tradition alive and sort candy with his sister.

Although their sorting might still be a little primitive, Sloan and Beau dumped their candy out on the floor just like I would do once I returned home from trick-or-treating.

Favorite Trunk – I mentioned the most popular trunk-or-treat theme we encountered during Halloween weekend but not our personal favorite. Okay, time to change that. Our vote for best decorated vehicle goes to the McDonald’s drive-thru we encountered. We admired this display for its creativity and its ability to make us crave some golden fries.

This McDonald’s trunk at the True Hope Church event in downtown Spokane Valley was #1 in our hearts.

A Picture Says a Thousand Words – My personal favorite photo from the weekend was this image of Sloan ringing the doorbell at a house on Halloween night. She is quick to lead the charge but, interestingly enough, once the door would swing open she would become a little timid and “forget” to say trick-or-treat. Oh well, I guess all that matters is that you get to that front door.

Sloan had no issue working her way to the front and ringing the doorbell.

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It was a memorable weekend hanging out with Moana and Farmer Beau. Special thanks to Sidney for allowing us to go all out…I am pretty sure we have enough candy to last us until next Halloween. Don’t Blink.

2021 Halloween Costumes

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Happy Halloween! It is time to reveal the costumes of Sloan and Beau. Why now? Well, two reasons. First, it is October 31 (duh). But also, these two kids have had plenty of practice modeling their costumes during different trunk-or-treats and parties this weekend that I am confident they are finally ready to me presented to my highly esteemed blogging audience. So, without further ado…

This year, Sloan is Moana. Despite some issues with the wig, this costume has been pretty solid. Sloan likes to truly embrace character and will break into song by performing the film’s opening number, “Where You Are.” We have had zero issues with costume recognition, both from kids and adults. Success!

This year, Sloan is Moana for Halloween.

After his Halloween debut last year as a pumpkin, Beau transitioned from the vegetable to the person responsible for growing it. Ladies and gentlemen….Farmer Beau is at your service! It is a good thing that this is just a costume though because I don’t think he is cut out for the farming profession. He doesn’t like his bandana and he rather his hat be thrown on the ground instead of planted on his head.

Beau is a farmer for Halloween 2021.

There you have it. Come at me with your best Moana and a farmer walked into a bar jokes. This odd couple is ready for some serious trick-or-treating tonight! I wish everyone a spooky and safe holiday. Don’t Blink.

Halloween Eve Eve Eve Thursday Rundown

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Trick-or-treat! I hope everyone’s Halloween preparations are going well. Thanks for joining me for the latest Thursday Rundown. Let’s get started!

Past Halloweens for Sloan – Hard to believe that this will be Sloan’s fifth Halloween. Her past four costumes include a flamingo, unicorn, Peppa Pig, and Poppy. Although I won’t reveal what Sloan will be this Halloween, you were most likely tipped off if you read a blog post earlier this week. And let’s not forget about Beau…he spent his first Halloween as a pumpkin. Stay tuned to learn what he will be on Sunday.

At the top are the Halloween costumes that Sloan and Beau wore for their first Halloweens. The bottom three photos are Sloan in her Halloween costumes as a 1-year-old, 2-year-old, and 3-year-old.

YOU (Season 3) – What a wild ride! After season 2, I said “You” improved from the debut season. Well, it seems like the series keeps getting better because I think season 3 was the best 10-episode package yet. The key formula from the past two seasons—plot twists, Joe’s deadpan narration, and fascinating characters—was back for the third…but amplified. The commentary on American suburbia was hilarious and characters like the Conrads made me cringe and laugh at the same time. There were violent parts that made my stomach turn and I did feel guilty because at points I actually sympathized with Joe, but what I enjoyed most was that Sid and I watched every episode together and exchanged many looks and entered into many dialogues about what was transpiring. My favorite part of season 3 was when Joe, in one of his inner thoughts, said with dry disgust, Disney should sue these people. If you have watched the season, you know what I am talking about!

The third season of “You” was a wild ride.

Good Halloween Reads – Our frequent trips to the library with the kids become a little more special when a holiday draws near. We make it a point to check out books that commemorate whatever holiday is being celebrated that month. Obviously, we all know what October is known for and our family has fallen suit with our reading materials. Now, one thing you need to know is that the Spokane County libraries will only check you out five holiday books per visit. Thus, we have had to make multiple visits to satisfy our Halloween fix. Our last trip to the library was yesterday and these our the final five Halloween books we will bring home until a year from now.

These are the latest Halloween books we checked out at the library on Wednesday. I think I am most excited about the snowman one.

Spirit Run – If you don’t go to Spirit Halloween solely for entertainment value, then did you really celebrate Halloween? Last Sunday, I took Sloan to the Spirit store in Spokane Valley just to get out of the house. We walked down every aisle, interacted with the displays, and tried on masks. We didn’t spend a cent but Sloan had a lot of fun. Your local Spirit location might be picked over or insanely busy at this point but if you are looking for something to do, you might consider visiting it.

Sloan scoping out one of the displays at the Spirit Halloween store in Spokane Valley.

Another Classic Post – Today marks the 7-year anniversary of when I put EVERCLEAR in my gas tank. I know, not my brightest moment. But my engine light would not go off and a South Carolina mechanic was adamant that I treat my vehicle with the alcohol to solve the problem. It didn’t work. Oh well, at least it is a good story that I chronicled with this blog post.

Me getting ready to put Everclear in my car on Oct. 28, 2014.

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Happy Halloween, everyone. Please be safe and enjoy the weekend. Don’t Blink.

Area Code Pride

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An old school way to contact someone recently became a thing of the past. No longer can you dial a 7-digit number, such as 867-5309, and expect to reach your friend down the street. Area codes are now required on most outgoing calls, even if you are just calling your spouse who is in the room next to you.

Big change? Not for me.

The last time I remember using just 7 digits to call someone was when I still lived with my parents and they had a landline phone attached to their kitchen wall. For the past 17 years it has just been second nature to insert the area code followed by xxx-xxxx. Perhaps I became so conditioned to it because I lived in different places other than my hometown that it was simply necessary to do. But in all seriousness, I thought 7-digit calling went the same way as pay phones many years ago.

I am a loyal 509 guy!

To be honest, area codes have become such a point of pride for many geographic regions that I don’t know why people didn’t gleefully use them at all times even when 7-digit calling was still available. I guess saving the nano second of time it took to dial three extra numbers was worth more than paying homage to your roots.

On a serious note, the reason for the recent demise of 7-digit dialing is a sound one. It will now streamline calls to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. To reach this emergency service, one just needs to dial 988. There are numerous states around the country that use “988” as the first three digits in their 7-digit phone numbers (think 988-1234 or 988-9876). If you tried to call someone at one of those numbers without using an area code, you would connect yourself to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.

Has it been years since you didn’t use an area code? Do you have a shirt or other accessory that has your home area code printed on it? Let me know and please remember that is all about the 5-0-9. Don’t Blink.