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Sugary Thursday Rundown

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We have reached that time of the week again where I waste your time with five random and irrelevant topics. Wait, did I just write that? Well alright, let’s begin the latest Thursday Rundown…

Breakfast Combo – Yesterday morning I was eating Froot Loops for breakfast when Sidney exclaimed, “How are you eating cereal? We are all out of milk.” I conceded that we were out of milk but I was using a substitute. No, not Gatorade like Jim Harbaugh but half & half. When I was little, my mom would put half & half on our cereal every now and then. It was almost like a special occasion. When you add the mixture to your cereal it gives it a richer, creamier taste. Be careful though, after you do it once you might never want to go back to classic milk again.

Cereal with half & half poured over it is a nice treat.

Christmas Has Arrived – The interior of our house is now decorated for Christmas. Although Sidney and I have differing views on when the Christmas season should start (you can guess which respective sides we are on), I think our tree is beautiful and it sure brightens our living room with light and warmth during those early, dark mornings.

Our tree adds warmth and holiday cheer to our living room.

Meme Time – I don’t drink hard alcohol but perhaps this meme might change that? I guess Jack packs a hard enough punch that sugar is not needed. All joking aside, I always find it interesting when people find creative ways to show how much sugar is in some of our beloved drinks.

You don’t have to worry about Jack Daniels giving you cavities.

Fleets – Twitter has introduced multiple new features over the past year (still no edit button, though) but I think the latest rollout has garnered the social media channel the most buzz it has received since it went to 280 characters. Twitter jumped into the ephemeral messaging arena with Fleets, a feature that allows users to post content that disappears after 24 hours. It is a decent effort by Twitter to stay relevant and capitalize on a content-type that is wildly popular with Gen-Z, a demographic that people routinely say Twitter is out of touch with. I like that Fleets are accessible from the top of a user’s timeline and that you can use it to promote other tweets. However, I fear that it might just become a duplication wasteland for the Stories content that people are already posting on Facebook and Instagram. As per usual, I want to give the new feature some time before making a more definitive judgement.

Twitter rolled out Fleets this week.

Midnight – When the governor announced new restrictions on Sunday, he said that the bulk of them would take effect Monday at midnight. In my family text messaging thread, we started asking whether Monday at midnight meant a minute after 11:59 p.m. on Sunday or whether it meant a minute past 11:59 p.m. on Monday. After some internet research, we learned that Monday at midnight means the literal first minute of Monday. So, in other words, after Sunday at 11:59 p.m. times out, it is Monday at midnight. See below for the official explanation.

This explains that midnight begins a day, not ends it.


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These COVID-19 vaccines with high efficacy rates sure make me feel better about things. Let’s not cease praying, however. We need the process of distributing them to be smooth and widespread. Thanks for reading. Don’t Blink.

Heading Backwards

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The seemingly inevitable happened yesterday as the governor of Washington reinstated restrictions meant to curb growing Coronavirus cases in our state. Starting this week, indoor dining, bars, gyms, movie theaters, and a host of other entertainment options and services will be forced to close for four weeks. Essential services like grocery stores will be capped at 25% capacity.

Our state is shutting down again.

You don’t have to be a moderate to realize that the current situation we are in sucks. Cases are exploding, there is no denying that. Something needs to be done to prevent our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. At the same time, the collective economic ramifications, and, more importantly, the toll on the common working person, will be extremely grim.

It doesn’t matter how you view COVID-19 or what you think the government should do, this is a no-win situation.

With that said, I am thankful that a couple things were spared yesterday when the restrictions were announced. Schools will remain open, meaning Sloan will continue to go to St. Mary Catholic School, a place she loves. Bigger picture, many students and parents in the state who need schools to be open will be accommodated.

Also, churches will remain open. In the Diocese of Spokane, it was proven without a doubt based on extremely low case numbers that masses could be celebrated in a safe and socially distanced manner. Although I know a lot more went into this decision than examining the success of the Diocese of Spokane, I am extremely grateful that we will be able to continue to worship on Sundays, especially as Advent draws near.

The next four weeks will undoubtedly be challenging for many. At the same time, hopefully these 28 days will decrease COVID cases and buy us time as a vaccine is prepared. We need to pray for progress and the triumph of modern medicine. Let’s turn a corner. Don’t Blink.

Spur Thursday Rundown

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Happy Thursday everyone and thank you for returning to Don’t Blink. I believe I have five topics in the can tonight so let’s get started with the latest Rundown…

Crafty Papa – As has been demonstrated multiple times in this blog, my dad loves to do fun projects with his grandchildren. The latest example of this occurred last night when he made mini Christmas trees with Sloan, Mikayla, and Johnny. He took old tomato cages and wrapped garland around them (with help from the kids of course). The next step for another day will be to actually decorate them with lights and ornaments. Stay tuned for progress updates!

The latest “Project with Papa” is the construction of mini Christmas trees.

Flat Tire – Nothing is worse than driving along and then hearing the grind of a flat tire. This happened to me last Friday when I was returning from the gym at around 5 a.m. I was able to find a vacant parking lot and wait for roadside assistance to put on my spare. We took the tire to a local business and they told us it was punctured and unfixable. Okay, we will buy a new tire, right? They told us since our car is four-wheel drive that we would have to get ALL four tires replaced. However, Sid had done her homework and knew that if the remaining tires on the car are new, which ours were, only the flat tire needs to be replaced. My wife brought this up to the tire shop employee. After some excuses, he grudgingly measured the tread and admitted that our car would be fine with just one new tire. When dealing with any type of car maintenance, make sure to doublecheck everything!

I ran into some bad luck on Friday morning.

Photo of Kids – You know what two happy children look like? Just look at the photo below! This image was captured right after Beau’s helmet came off and immediately after Sloan got out of the bath (hair soaking wet). I remember the first time we put Beau’s helmet on, Sloan grew angry and told us to remove it. I think it just scared her a little. Obviously she got used to it but now she doesn’t have to be concerned with any headgear at all on her little brother.

Beau is now helmet-less, much to the joy of everyone…including his sister.

Disney+ Turns 1 – Today is the one-year anniversary of Disney+. We subscribed to the streaming service shortly after it debuted. The platform itself does offer an impressive selection of classic Disney films and television shows. You also get other good stuff like Disney documentaries, fun films from the 1990s and 2000s that you never knew were made by Disney, National Geographic content, and much more. Best of all, Sloan loves Disney+! I like it because we have the package that also gets us Hulu and ESPN. Thus, I could easily survive on our Disney+ package alone. We will keep Netflix for now but I seriously don’t know what to do with this overwhelming amount of streaming content.

Disney+ is a pretty solid streaming service.

Ouch! So True – When I saw this meme last week, it brought me back a couple years to when we had sand spurs growing all over our spacious Myrtle Beach backyard. No joking here, these things hurt, and there is nothing more unpleasant than when you are trying to enjoy a nice evening in your hammock and you tear up your foot walking out to it. Luckily we were able to treat our lawn and get rid of them but they are nasty!

In the South, sand spurs are common in lawns.

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Only two weeks until Thanksgiving, folks. Although 14 days remain until Turkey Day, it doesn’t mean we can’t be thankful now…or always. Have a great weekend. Don’t Blink.

Feeling Symmetrical

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At this moment, we are about as proud as you could possibly be of a 9-month-old baby boy. Yesterday, Beau received the go-ahead to cease wearing the corrective helmet he started to sport in July. The good news came about a month and a half early as medical professionals originally said he would most likely have to wear it up until Christmas. We aren’t complaining.

This was Beau’s first day in his helmet.

Pre-helmet, Beau’s head was flat in the back, most likely misshaped due to the way he slept during his first couple months of life. Additionally, his ears weren’t symmetrical with the rest of his head. The writing was on the wall and we knew he would receive a healthy dose of helmet therapy. The time to start the treatment came this summer as Beau started making visits to our friends at the Hanger Clinic.

This was Beau’s last day in his helmet.

The prosthetist at the clinic performed specific measurements on Beau’s head to build him a custom helmet. Once his headgear was available, it was our job to make sure he wore it. For 23 hours a day, Beau dutifully wore his “space helmet” (as I called it). When it was time for Beau to take a bath, the helmet would come off and Sid would scrub his little head. While my wife was washing him in the tub, I would take the helmet and clean it by scrubbing it with a toothbrush dipped in shampoo.

This little helmet made a BIG difference.

During those summer months his head would get really hot, his sparse hair drenched in sweat when we took the helmet off to give him a breather. It was also a balancing act at the start as a therapist likened the helmet’s weight on his neck to a “bowling ball on a toothpick.” Additionally, welts would form on his sensitive skin during those initial days. But despite these early challenges, the adjustment wasn’t that bad—for Beau or us.

Some photos of Beau in his helmet.

It just all became routine. Beau got used to the helmet quickly and didn’t allow it to hinder his movement, sleep, or happiness. In fact, when we would take it off, he would actually tap his head wondering where his hat went. For Sid and I, it became second nature. Of course the helmet wasn’t invisible but it never phased us. It was just part of Beau and we never thought of it as abnormal.

Beau at the Hanger Clinic on Monday getting his final scan to finalize his progress.

As for others? We would get some stares and a question every now and then, but it was never like Beau was an oddity. If anything, we quickly found out that babies wearing helmets are much more common than we thought. Much of the feedback we received from both acquaintances and strangers was that they either knew a baby who had to wear one or raised a helmet-clad infant themselves.

Beau and I moments before he went with his mommy to his final appointment at the Hanger Clinic.

The coolest part of the helmet journey was watching the progress. Within a week we could already see a difference in the shape of Beau’s head. Sid would take Beau in every month to the Hanger Clinic and they would re-size his helmet by grinding it so that his head could continue to form in a symmetrical manner. At each monthly session, the prosthetist was extremely pleased with how things were progressing. It became increasingly evident that Beau would be getting out of his five-month sentence early.

A look at the progression of Beau’s head from pre-helmet to post-helmet. The arrows point to the flat spot on his head.

And yesterday was that day. Although Beau had grown comfortable wearing the helmet and we had started to admire how it protected his head against hard appliances, we were happy to see it come off. We can now kiss his head, not worry about nasty head butts, and get that family portrait taken. Sidney is especially excited for Beau to get his first haircut.

A look at Beau’s progress. The head diagram shows pre-treatment (dotted line) and present state (solid line). Also, Beau started with a diagonal difference of 16 mm. He now has a 4 mm difference. A normal person ranges from a 3-6 diagonal difference 🙂

Beau’s time in his helmet flew by and we are thankful for that. We are also thankful for the unmistakable results. Beau’s head is now normal and we don’t have to worry about dealing with it down the road. Thanks be to God! Don’t Blink.

The Man in My Living Room: Alex Trebek

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If you have read Don’t Blink for even the shortest amount of time, you know that my wife and I are diehard Jeopardy fans. For most of our years as a couple, the show was a consistent part of our nightly routine. We literally kept score.

But my fandom for Jeopardy stretches back pre-Sidney. I watched it with my college roommate nightly in our dorm room. Growing up, my family would tune in multiple times per week. Our favorite computer game for our clunky desktop was Jeopardy. We had flash cards.

What made Jeopardy so endearing was its consistency. You had the structure, you had the theme music, and you had Johnny Gilbert. But of course the undisputed anchor piece—the glue that made the show a smashing success—was Alex Trebek.

RIP Alex Trebek

Waking up to the news yesterday morning that he had passed was not surprising but it was sad. A force who had been a part of my life for three decades, albeit from my television screen, was gone. Say what you will about having a connection with someone you had never actually met, Alex was in all of the numerous living rooms I have called home over my years on this planet. He really was like a houseguest.

I admired Alex Trebek because he was fair. The man hosted a hit game show with skill, accuracy, and diplomacy. There was never any doubt that a contestant would get a fair shake or that a round would go off without a hitch. He never showed bias and he took his personal integrity seriously. Because of this, Jeopardy was a game that could be enjoyed and trusted by everyone. He was the ultimate impartial referee.

Another redeeming trait of Alex’s that I respected was his dry sense of humor. Whether it was during his interviews with contestants or his quips between clues, Trebek never ceased to amaze me with his wittiness. He had a true knack for not missing a beat. It always came across as genuine, sly, and hilarious.

But I think maybe his best quality was his tenderness. Because of pop culture portrayals, Alex Trebek might be classified by some as an ultra serious, deadpan brainiac with a robotic personality. But for those of us who watched him regularly, we knew there was much more to him than an SNL parody or a cameo on “Jury Duty.” Alex was appreciative, compassionate, and authentic—all qualities that were evident as he interacted with contestants and viewers at home.

Jeopardy will never be the same. Hopefully Ken Jennings will be the new host and he will add his touch to the show, but there is simply no replacing the person who dealt out clues for the past 37 years.

I’ll take, I miss you for $1,000, Alex. Don’t Blink.

Pink Hair Thursday Rundown

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I hope Election Week is treating you well during this tense time for our country. No matter what side you are on, I encourage you to choose peace and civility. Okay, let’s get started with the Thursday Rundown…

Behind the Scenes with Poppy – I love this photo of Sidney doing Sloan’s makeup for her Poppy costume. Sid’s concentration and Sloan’s seriousness make it a truly candid shot. If you all only knew how difficult it was to finally get Sloan—I mean Poppy—to stay still!

Sidney applying make-up to Sloan.

Pumpkin Baby – Since I am giving Sloan her own photo in tonight’s post, I believe my son deserves one too. On Monday night I shared a Halloween photo of both kids together in their costumes but here is one just of Beau. His pumpkin costume made him look quite plump but he was so cuddly in it. With the few teeth he has, Beau made the perfect jack-o-lantern.

Beau sporting a pumpkin costume.

A Meme That Rings True – I had to share yet another meme from my friend Lindsi because once again I can totally relate. Sloan is now at the age where she doesn’t choose the most obvious hiding spot when we play hide-and-seek. She is also at the age where I can get away with keeping one eye open when I am counting. Why do I sometimes cheat? Is it for her safety? My competitive spirit? My desire not to look in every nook and cranny in the house? Yep, it’s that last one. Although I feel a little guilty it’s not like Sloan doesn’t do it too.

This meme was relatable

National Calendar Not Quite Right – It happens quite a bit. I will look at the quirky National Day Calendar and see what gimmicky “holidays” are being celebrated. Many times I will take notice of one and think Hey, didn’t we already celebrate that this year? My suspicions, at least in one instance, were confirmed today. It is supposedly National Doughnut Day but it seemed like I didn’t have a full 52 weeks to work off the calories from the previous year’s day. I did a quick Google search and it turns out that National Doughnut Day also took place on June 5. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think an excuse to eat doughnuts is a bad thing but perhaps if there are duplicate “national days” on the calendar, perhaps they should space them out by at least six months? Anyway, if you want to know my top five favorite doughnuts, click here. Likewise, if you want to know about the doughnut-themed 5K I ran two years ago, click here.

Cool Follow – Speaking of doughnuts, a couple months ago I was searching the location tag of Amy’s Donuts on Instagram and I discovered @katinaeatskilos. Katina is a competitive bodybuilder turned competitive eater. However, despite going from barbells to calories, she has maintained a bodybuilder’s physique. Her Instagram account led me to her YouTube page where I watched her complete challenges such as eating a 72 ounce steak and gobbling up 12 pounds of cereal. Her story is unique and her posts/videos are engaging. Katina happens to be a Spokane native and visits Amy’s Donuts frequently, which of course led me to finding her. I am sure Amy’s doesn’t mind the publicity from this major social media influencer.

Katina does breakfast too! (photo courtesy of @katinaeatskilos).

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I think all of us could use some rest this weekend. I hope you get plenty of it while still remembering to do something nice for someone else. Thanks for reading. Don’t Blink.

Let’s Pray For Peace

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With an election as contentious and bitter as this one, it really is tough to find a single thing that both sides would jointly endorse. Well, perhaps there is one…

Peace?

Shoot. Even that might be stretching it.

Let’s pray for peace today.

Nonetheless, I think peace is what we should all promote and embrace over the course of tonight and the long days that could follow as results are finalized.

Today at St. Mary Catholic Church, the parish that our family attends, Eucharistic Adoration will take place from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. with one sole intention: for peace to prevail. Even for people like me who can’t make it, I will still be praying in solidarity with my fellow parishioners and people all across the country for this intention to come to fruition.

Tensions and anxieties are high as this presidential election has all the fuel it needs to blow up with just the faintest spark. I think we all need to remember that. Even though most of the people who read my blog would never engage in outward violence, I think we all still need to be cognizant of how we engage today whether it be on social media, in small groups, or at the grocery store. Will what we say aim to divide or heal?

Pray for peace. Don’t Blink.

Halloween 2020

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After spending the past six October 31 dates in South Carolina, it was a nice change to enjoy it out west this year. It just seemed more like Halloween. The air was crisp, the leaves were different colors, and I didn’t have to worry about candy melting.

Tonight I thought I would just cover some highlights and themes from the 2020 Reser Halloween.

Costumes: This year, Sloan dressed up as Poppy from “Trolls.” Having watched the movie no less than 100 times over the summer, Sloan was more than happy to wear the DIY costume that Sid put together for her. Beau was insistent on being a pumpkin and since it was his first Halloween, we granted his wish. For a quick video of both children in their costumes, click here.

Sloan as Poppy and Beau as a pumpkin.

Trick-or-Treat Plan: My sister and I trick-or-treated together for the first time in about 25 years on Saturday night. Well, our kids did at least. Sid and I took Sloan over to Miranda’s house so she could trick-or-treat with Mikayla and Johnny through their neighborhood. Every house we went to did a superb job of passing out candy in a way that was compliant with social distancing. Chutes, tongs, and gloves were all common as we trekked through the streets. Probably the biggest surprise of the night was the numerous full-sized candy bars the kids scored. It was a lot of fun!

These three had a great time trick-or-treating together.

Busy Streets: Before and after trick-or-treating with my sister, we spent time at my parents’ house (my mom watched Beau when we went over to Miranda’s). We helped pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters who seemed to ring the doorbell non-stop. Although it was about 50 less than normal a normal year, 163 trick-or-treaters still stopped by my mom and dad’s.

Sloan helping to pass out candy at my parents’ house.

Haunted Maze: While trick-or-treating with the kids, we encountered a house that had turned its lawn into a haunted maze. Props, eerie sounds, fog, and socially distanced spooks provided quite the experience. Sid wouldn’t even go through it because it looked so scary! Her fear was my advantage as she and my brother-in-law watched the kids as Miranda and I weaved through it.

This haunted maze was pretty impressive.

Blasts: In our first real break from our diets, Sid and I celebrated Halloween with Trick-or-Treat Sonic Blasts. We had planned this for a long time as we looked forward to Sonic’s seasonal treat. The Trick-or-Treat Blast came with Snickers, M&M’s, and Oreo cookies. So. Worth. It.

Our Trick-Or-Treat Sonic Blasts with a bowl for Sloan.


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I hope everyone had a nice Halloween. Special thanks to Glen (my brother) and Carrie (his fiancée) for inviting Sloan and Beau over early on Saturday for a private trick-or-treating session. Let’s all have a great November! Don’t Blink.

End of October Thursday Rundown

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We are on the heels of some big things: Halloween, a new month, and the election! Hope this busy time finds you well and motivated. I am pleased to present my latest Thursday Rundown…

Vote – Speaking of the election, I exercised my civic duty and voted on Tuesday night. The vote-by-mail system in the state of Washington is a far cry from the South Carolina experience I had in 2016. But whether you are dropping an envelope in an outdoor ballot drop box or going behind the curtain at an elementary school, the method doesn’t matter as long as you do the deed. Never take for granted the right we have in this country to vote.

I dropped off my ballot on Tuesday night at the ballot drop box at the Spokane Valley Library.

Pumpkin Tradition – On Sunday, my dad came over to our house to carve a pumpkin with Sloan. Considering he had traveled to South Carolina the three previous years to do the same, I don’t think he minded the 30-minute drive this time around. For every Halloween Sloan has been around for, her papa has carved her pumpkin for her…I think that is pretty cool.

For every Halloween that Sloan has been alive, my dad has carved a pumpkin with her.

Halloween Traditions – Spooky music. Photo ops. Pillow case trick-or-treat bags. Trading candy. Putting our treats in Tupperware. These were all Halloween traditions in the Reser household when I was a kid. I absolutely loved the holiday and have many fond memories of very fun nights. Four years ago, I wrote about these traditions in detail if you are interested.

That one year I dressed up as a construction worker.

National Cat Day – Today we are supposed to pay homage to our friendly felines. Although you won’t see me going out of my way to visit the pet store, this is a good time for me to reaffirm that I am a cat guy. I admire cats for their intelligence, self-dependency, tenderness, and cleanliness. I had some great cats as pets growing up and if I ever walk into someone’s house and they happen to have one it warms my heart.

Me with Nabisco. We got her at the pet store when I was probably 10 years old and she lived a nice, long life

Scary Halloween – Sorry to keep taking jabs at 2020 but I know a lot of people who feel this way. Kudos to Instagram user @teacherman91 for the creative Halloween decoration.

I know a lot of people feel this way about this year.

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Enjoy your Halloween weekend. Be safe and remember that the holiday is about the kids. As always, thanks for reading and continue to pray for advancements in the fight against COVID-19. Don’t Blink.

Thankful for Big Brother 22

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When it was confirmed that “Big Brother” would air this year, I was excited and encouraged. During this pandemic nothing is guaranteed and the expectation is pretty much “canceled unless otherwise noted.” My interest was piqued even more when I learned that not only would there be a “Big Brother 22” but that it would be an all-star season.

It has been interesting watching the cast of Big Brother 22.

As a relatively new Big Brother fan, I looked forward to watching some of the legends play while also re-connecting with some of the houseguests who defined my BB experience over the past five seasons. I figured I would root for those I previously watched, hoping they would outmaneuver those who paved the way for them in earlier seasons. You just gravitate to what/who you know, right?

I am thankful for this season of Big Brother!

But my assumption proved wrong. Although some of it had to do with me not necessarily liking the more recent players they brought back, most of it had to do with the older veterans winning me over. It took maybe two shows before I realized that the season wasn’t just “all-star” in name but in actual game play as well.

It didn’t take long for the house to gang up on celebrated houseguests Janelle and Kaysar. I watched intently as the duo worked together to stave off eviction before it simply wasn’t possible anymore, even for players like them who are clearly the cream of the crop.

To see Janelle and Kaysar fend off the sharks made me like them. Even though I had no idea who they were on the first night when the cast was revealed, I started to root for them as I noticed how good they were at the game. Despite the odds against them, I hoped each would make a deep run. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards as they were both evicted pre-jury.

I then threw my support behind Memphis. Another relatively old school player who I knew nothing about prior to the season, I appreciated his no-nonsense, brash social game. He stayed around for the majority of the season before his eviction two weeks ago in fifth place. I then made Christmas my top choice to win the half million but she exited the next week after Memphis.

To be honest, I have been a little bored with “Big Brother” over the past couple weeks and I think that feeling might carry over to tonight’s finale simply because I don’t feel particularly passionate about the three remaining players—Cody, Enzo, and Nicole. Although I do want Cody to win when up against the other two choices, I just don’t have a fire burning inside me when it comes to this evening’s final outcome.

Despite a disappointing remaining trio (in my eyes), let me say this about Big Brother 22…It has been really nice to watch programming that has provided a distraction from the Coronavirus. The Big Brother house is its own bubble and inside those walls the show went on without any hint that a pandemic was terrorizing the world. Watching this season has provided an escape and a mini reminder of what life was like pre-Corona.

What are your thoughts about this season? Give me your opinion and also let me know who you hope wins tonight. Enjoy the finale. Don’t Blink.