Memorizing Servers

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I remember the first time I saw it. This was years and years ago at a small seafood restaurant in Milton-Freewater, Oregon, called the Oasis. They employed a waitress who could take the order of an entire table without writing a single thing down on paper. She listened to what the customers wanted, stored the details in her head, and then relayed it to the kitchen.

Needless to say, we all thought this was the coolest thing ever. That server had to be a genius, we reasoned. How else could she accurately record entrees, sides, substitutions, special requests, and more in her head? Keep in mind, she was spot on with all her tables. Did this small restaurant on the Washington/Oregon border have a prodigy on its hands?

As I grew older and gained more experience eating at restaurants (probably too much experience if you look at my waistline 😂), I realized other servers shared the same talent. These skilled waiters and waitresses would simply ask for your order, politely nod when you gave it, and move on to the next person at the table. No paper pad. No pen. No digital mechanism.

This server at The Onion didn’t memorize our orders but the gigantic sundae he brought Sloan more than made up for it 😂

Last night on Reels, I watched this. It is a lighthearted video on servers who do try the memorization method but can’t quite pull it off. The “server” the video features can’t recall orders when she goes to enter them in the POS system. While there, she is shown racking her brain to remember what people chose to eat. She resorts to going back to the table to fill water glasses while subtly confirming what they ordered. As you can imagine, all the orders come out wrong. She attempts to make excuses for the mistake that don’t have anything to do with her order-taking strategy. At the end of the video, she is seen taking everyone’s order again…this time with pen and paper.

This video does make a decent point: if you are taking the orders by memory just as a performative tactic AND it isn’t a skill that you actually have, you should probably refrain from doing so. Why put that pressure on yourself? If someone’s food comes out wrong, the customer will automatically point to the seemingly lazy method of order-taking to explain the snafu.

That’s what I would do at least. But you know what? I have never been able to make that claim. Believe it or not, I have never had a botched order or an incorrect check from a server who used the memorization method. Everything has always been delivered to my table perfectly. Perhaps that is evidence that while the video is funny, most people who work in the service industry actually know better. Basically, if they aren’t 100% sure of their ability to take orders in their head, they aren’t going to do it.

Have you ever encountered a server who took your order in his/her mind? Did it end in accuracy or disaster? Shout out to the Oasis server who proved herself to be the real MVP. Don’t Blink. 🍝

2025 Mariners Trip With My Dudes

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A fond childhood memory was attending Seattle Mariners games with my dad and brother. During most summers, my dad would take Glen and me across the mountains to watch the M’s play a couple games over the course of a weekend.

As we started to make our way through high school and our summers became super busy with our own sports, these trips to T-Mobile Park ceased. However, 20+ years later, my dad invited the two of us to once again tag along for some baseball and bonding.

My dad pitched the idea of going to the west side on Saturday, enjoying the evening in Bellevue, attending the Mariners-Rangers game on Sunday afternoon, and arriving back in Spokane late that night. With the blessing from all three of our wives, we put the plan into motion. This is how it went down…

Spoiler alert: We had a great weekend. This is a photo of me in the T-Mobile Park stands taken by Jerek Wolcott. Jerek was a colleague of mine when we worked at the University of Montana and now he is an administrator in the athletic department at the University of Idaho. This past Sunday’s game was the UI Vandal Day for the university’s alumni and Jerek was down on the field to take photos of the ceremonial first pitch.

On Saturday (Aug. 2), my dad picked me up at my house around 9 a.m. We then picked up Glen and hit the road for Bellevue. The drive went by fast as we enjoyed the chance to catch up and talk sports.

I took the backseat during our drive to Bellevue. Before we left town, I got a lotus drink at Higher Ground espresso in Spokane Valley.

We arrived in Bellevue and scouted out the area a bit. We then checked into our hotel and freshened up. From there, the three of us went to 5 p.m. Saturday vigil mass at St. Louise Catholic Church.

A look inside St. Louise Catholic Church after mass ended on Saturday night.

After returning to the hotel for a few minutes to watch some of the MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds, we hit the town. And by “hit the town” I meant we visited an extremely low key, small, and dark establishment called Steve’s Bar & Grill for a couple hours. We ate dinner, had a couple drinks, and played pull-tabs.

My dad and brother pose for a photo at Steve’s Bar & Grill in Bellevue.

By 9 p.m. we were back in our hotel room watching sports and making plans for the next day.

My dad and brother watching sports in our hotel room before going to bed.

Sunday morning arrived and we took full advantage of the complimentary breakfast offered by our hotel. Among many other things, they had an oatmeal bar that included toppings such as brown sugar, pecans, chocolate chips, and more.

The breakfast at the BW Signature Collection in Bellevue was on-point! You can see my bowl of oatmeal in the photo.

Once our food digested we packed up our room, checked out, and headed to Seattle. We parked in one of the garages near the stadium and then made the short walk to T-Mobile Park.

My dad took a photo of Glen and me in front of the Ken Griffey Jr. statue near one of the entrances of T-Mobile Park.

Before entering the stadium, we walked along Royal Brougham Way, the street near T-Mobile Park that is lined with food and souvenir vendors. This brought back a lot of nostalgia as we savored the energy you could feel and the grilled hot dogs you could smell.

Glen and my dad walk Royal Brougham prior to us entering T-Mobile Park. Loved the smells!

Because Glen’s phone carrier is T-Mobile, we were allowed to enter the stadium early and hang out in the “T-Mobile ‘Pen” out in center field. We sipped some brews, met a sasquatch, and watched the Mariners’ pregame show.

Thanks to Glen using T-Mobile as his carrier, we gained early admission into T-Mobile Park. While hanging out in the “T-Mobile ‘Pen” we met Sasquatch.

From there we walked to our seats in section 131 right behind home plate (thanks, dad!). Our view was spectacular as we watched some of the on-field pregame festivities.

A selfie with my dad and brother shortly after we found our seats behind home plate.

Before first pitch, Glen and I made a dash to the concourse to buy some ballpark food. After agonizing over what I wanted all week, I decided to get the katsu curry. It was unbelievably delicious but probably not worth the $22 given the rather small serving. 😋

This chicken curry katsu was delicious but probably not worth $22.

With ballpark food secure in our laps, we watched the Mariners and Rangers play the final game of their four-game series. It was a perfect afternoon to watch baseball and apparently the pleasant weather led to favorable home run conditions. We saw a combined five dingers as the good guys won a crucial game, 5-4.

We got to watch the Mariners beat the Rangers, 5-4, from this beautiful angle.

The result wasn’t the only good thing about the game. My brother caught a hot dog during the famous “Hot Dogs From Heaven” promotion. He promptly handed it over to my dad who enjoyed every bite!

My brother holds the hot dog he caught during the “Hot Dogs from Heaven” promotion.

After the game we hung in the stadium for a few minutes, snapped a selfie, and then headed to the parking garage where we patiently waited for things to clear out.

We had a wonderful time inside T-Mobile Park. This was the selfie we took after the Mariners won.

We stopped in Ellensburg at a restaurant called W.C. Roadhouse Grill for dinner. Over burgers and wraps we discussed the events of the day and geared up for the final three hours on the road.

This was the bacon burger I got from W.C. Roadhouse Grill.

Thankfully, those three hours went by fast. Funny how that tends to happen when you are in good company! Once we arrived in Spokane, we dropped my brother off at his home first before I said “goodbye” to my dad once we pulled up at my place.

The drive back from Seattle didn’t seem to take too long and we we were treated to this beautiful sunset. What an awesome weekend it was!

Can’t say enough about what an awesome time I had. I owe a lot to my dad and brother for all the fun we enjoyed. Let’s not make it another 20 years before we do this again, guys! Don’t Blink.

One Year An Eag

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When I reported for my first day of work at Eastern Washington University, something was waiting for me inside my office. Upon walking through the door on August 1, 2024, I immediately noticed the half case of Dr. Pepper on my desk. The soda was a “welcome” gift from my boss, Eric Limburg, who knew my preference for the soft drink from our days at WSU.

Just moments before I drove to Cheney for my first day of work at EWU, Sid took this photo of me. You better believe I am wearing the same polo today.

Throughout my first year as an Eagle, I used that Dr. Pepper as my creative fuel. If I needed to truly focus on a major priority or assignment, I would crack open a can and get to work. Whether it was the 23 flavors working magic on my brain, a jolt from the caffeine, or simply a placebo effect, that Dr. Pepper ushered me through my initial 365 days as EWU’s marketing director.

I had a warm welcome awaiting me when I strolled into my office on Aug. 1, 2024. The 12-pack of Dr. Pepper helped me make it through the first year.

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Meaningful Work

As I reflect on the past 12 months, the work my team tackled is a source of pride. From the moment I walked on campus, our brand evolution was the focus. Thanks to my rockstar squad, we were already in great position to become the region’s polytechnic. But that didn’t stop my colleagues from collaboratively allowing me to contribute (or “try” to contribute 😂) as we made the sprint to launch day on September 24.

We launched EWU’s evolved brand positioning in September 2024. I am proud of the fact that we are able to differentiate ourselves from other universities and that “the region’s polytechnic” has turned skeptics into believers.

That exhilarating moment was just the beginning. Another major endeavor—the public phase of a comprehensive fundraising campaign—was our next priority. As our brand and fundraising marketing took hold, we embraced the task of producing the EWU holiday video. By this time, our team was knee-deep assisting with enrollment, event, and program-specific marketing efforts. As these technical marketing activations reached key EWU audiences, more public-facing PR strategies were transpiring as our sponsorship committee negotiated and executed 29 different community partnerships.

A celebratory photo of our crew after holiday video filming wrapped on November 6 (L-R: Luke Kenneally, Sean Nelms, Me, Ginny Baxter).

Even though I am a digital-first guy, the magic of implementing traditional advertising wasn’t lost on me. Thanks to my talented team creating eye-catching assets, we strategically represented EWU through billboards, newspaper placements, and television spots. Our team also marketed the return of EWU’s commencement ceremonies to Cheney, totally refreshed our multimedia library, brought student-workers back to the office, and shifted the spotlight on the Eagle community with profile features.

The marketing team I oversee is talented and it has been a joy working with them. This was a photoshoot we did for a front page ad in the Spokesman-Review. Luke Kenneally, our multimedia specialist, worked his magic to get some awesome shots of EWU grad student Isabelle Tague.

In The Flesh

Making the work we accomplished even more rewarding was that we completed it in-person. This was a change from my time at WSU where I worked mostly remote. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciated the privilege of working from home, but my first year at Eastern Washington University made me remember how awesome it is to work on a college campus and engage face-to-face with my team and students.

Working from home was great but I now work in-person. My office is located in the Hargreaves Building on the Eastern Washington University campus.

But the return to in-person wasn’t confined just to campus. I found myself representing EWU beyond Cheney. My role overseeing sponsorships allowed me to march in the Junior Lilac Parade and help prepare our booth at Hoopfest. Our partnership with USL Spokane resulted in an event we co-hosted called Students in the Stadium. On a random Tuesday in April, we welcomed Spokane high school students to ONE Stadium to learn from both USL Spokane professionals and our own EWU staff about careers in athletics.

I walked shoulder-to-shoulder (or wing-to-wing?) with Swoop for most of the Jr. Lilac Parade. Getting out in the community this first year was a lot of fun.

Other highlights included decorating downtown Cheney sidewalks in chalk art, watching an EWU football game from the Endzone Club Suites, conducting a photoshoot at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, attending the Red Tie Gala, and cheering on some accomplished Eagle grads at the EWU Alumni Awards. However, my favorite moment from my first year came during the Eagle Summit at Northern Quest when I had the honor of addressing our Alumni Board, EWU deans/vice presidents, and President McMahan about the progress achieved with our new brand positioning. Thankfully, the speech went off without a hitch and at that moment I had never felt more like an Eag.

A selfie with members of my team and a student after we completed our Turnbull National Refute shoot.

My EWU People

What more could I ask for with rewarding work and vibrant forums to accomplish it in? Well, let me tell you: an awesome team!

For EWU’s New Year party, all of us in University Advancement dressed in 1960s attire. I work with some great people!

Lucky for me, I hit the jackpot. Upon day one, I was immediately accepted by those within EWU University Relations. My boss empowered me, the other two directors pledged their support, and those within the marketing unit gave me their all. Despite my past history with the bitter rival University of Montana, my team saw beyond that (well, except for maybe Kelsey 😉) and did everything they could to help me succeed. It didn’t take long for rapport to develop and a year later I just don’t have talented colleagues, I have some great friends.

Our University Relations holiday party was so much fun. I consider several of the people in this photo as friends.

But my acceptance and support wasn’t just siloed within marketing and communications. I quickly realized that I had strong allies in enrollment services, athletics, and the President’s Office—three areas that sometimes clash with central MarCom units at other institutions. Speaking of the President’s Office, EWU has a superb leader in Dr. Shari McMahan. This is my first higher ed stop where the president actually knows me on a first-name basis. I truly appreciate that President McMahan not only champions what I do as a professional but recognizes me as an individual. And I also appreciate all the other units and departments that have made these first 365 days at Eastern so enjoyable.

President McMahan is refreshingly not like your typical university president. I appreciate the kindness she treats me with and her “whatever it takes” attitude. I took this behind-the-scenes photo during our holiday video shoot. President McMahan was nothing but patient and accommodating when we filmed her parts.

Growth

At the end of the day, I am thankful to work at EWU and serve in the role that I do. Moving into a director spot has allowed me to lead more people, develop a positive culture within my unit, make decisions, and embrace more responsibility. Quite simply, it has helped me grow as a professional.

Sid and me at the EWU Alumni Awards at the end of April 2025. Thankful for a supportive wife who has encouraged me to grow professionally.

None of this would be possible without the trust of my boss, Eric Limburg. He provided me an incredible opportunity and has done everything feasible to help me make the most of it. Sometimes people roll their eyes when an administrator hires someone they worked with at a past institution, so I am indebted to Eric for going out on a limb for me. It is an honor to work for him and see the tremendous amount of respect that he has garnered during his short time at EWU (he started just four months before me).

I am grateful to have Eric Limburg and thankful that he took a chance on me. This photo was taken of us with our wives at the 2024 Red Tie Gala.

I feel the best leaders thrive under a little pressure. Now that I have served as marketing director for a year, the time has arrived to shine brighter. We have big goals at EWU and I am “not new” anymore. With the backing of Eric, the talent of my team, and the potential of this university, I am ready for even more growth during Year #2.

Hanging out with Austin Powers….I mean my boss, Eric Limburg, during the EWU New Year party.

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I look forward to cracking open that last Dr. Pepper later this morning. Consider it the “work” equivalent of eating a frozen slice of your wedding cake on that first anniversary. In the same way the cake brings back memories of that blissful day, I bet today’s Dr. Pepper will bring back memories of when I walked into Hargreaves Hall and the entire University Relations team was waiting for me with donuts.

This Dr. Pepper is waiting for me this morning. Cheers!!

No doubt it will also bring back memories of the times I grabbed a can for a creative boost. As I faced work challenges, the carbonated goodness seemed to suggest that I could find solutions. Yep, that last can of Dr. Pepper expired a long time ago but I know it will taste great today. THANKS SO MUCH to my University Relations team and GO EAGS! Don’t Blink.

Velocity Thursday Rundown

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Thank you for visiting Don’t Blink on this last day of July. I hope your month has been exciting and your summer refreshing. Let’s jump into my latest five topics.

Pro Soccer – This past weekend, I took the kids to ONE Stadium in downtown for the Spokane Velocity soccer match. The Velocity compete in the United Soccer League (USL) and have quickly found a fan base in our soccer-crazed city. Beau and Sloan had a blast. They went on the field for pregame introductions, made cheer signs, ate stadium food, and watched a very closely contested soccer match on a beautiful evening. Unfortunately, the Velocity fell to Sacramento Republic FC, 1-0. Special thanks to the Spokane County Library District. Because the kids reached their mid-summer goal of 300 minutes of reading, they were each given a free ticket voucher from SCLD for the match.

We had a really nice time at the Spokane Velocity game!

Southern Style Snowballs – A story in the Spokesman-Review last week caught my eye. It was about a guy from Louisiana who worked with his young son to create Southern Style Snowballs, a Spokane business that serves shaved ice treats from a truck. His recipe is New Orleans-inspired and that piqued the interest of my very Southern wife 😉. So, last Friday we went to the Spokane Valley Farmers Market where Southern Style Snowballs was a registered vendor. Sloan chose a blue raspberry snowball, Beau opted for blue raspberry, Sidney selected fuzzy navel, and I sampled them all. Although I wouldn’t say it was better than the shave ice I had in Hawaii, the treats offered by Southern Style Snowballs were still above and beyond anything you can find here in Spokane.

I took this photo of the back of the Southern Style Snowballs truck at the Spokane Valley Farmers Market.

Nice Ride – I am not a big car guy but I know some of my readers are. You might be interested to know that my brother-in-law recently acquired a 1966 Chevelle. He was nice enough to take me for a spin in it this past Sunday. Let me tell you, when you ride in that thing you get a lot of looks! We hadn’t even exited the car at the gas station before someone was already asking us questions about the year, speed, history of it. Anyway, the joy ride was a lot of fun—it might have been the fastest I have ever gone in an automobile.

My brother-in-law’s 1966 Chevelle. This is after we parked it at the gas station.

Ugly Hands – On this date nine years ago, I wrote about a less than becoming body feature of mine—my hands! For most of my life, they have been plagued with bulging callouses. However, I can report almost a decade later that those callouses aren’t as pronounced as they once were. I still exercise every week day but whether my workouts aren’t that intense or the equipment at my current gym is more forgiving, my hands don’t scare away 3-year-old anymore 😂.

I have always had calloused hands but they are starting to get better.

Rigged – Thought I would end with this Family Circus strip from yesterday. If you have a young kid, you know how they turn any game of chance into a racket. Beau will challenge me to rock-paper-scissors or ask me to call a coin in the air (the worst!) and he will very non-discreetly rig it. When it comes to what the boy is doing in the comic, if this was Beau, he would simply transfer the object from his left hand to his right hand if I correctly guessed his left hand. Hard to get a fair shake with kids these days.

This “Family Circus” strip is from July 30 and as a father of young children I can relate!

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With that, let’s put a fork in the final July rundown of 2025. This weekend I have Seattle in my future and I hope you embark on an adventure as well. Don’t Blink.

Happy Gilmore 2

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It has been well over a year since I last felt the need to write about a Netflix comedy. And when I last did in May 2024, it was for less than flattering reasons. Yep, “Unfrosted” was horrendous.

Thankfully, after 14 months since I panned Seinfeld’s Pop-Tart film, I have something positive to blog about in the realm of Netflix comedies. I watched “Happy Gilmore 2” over the weekend and when I turned off the TV I didn’t necessarily feel like I lost two hours of my life.

“Happy Gilmore 2” wasn’t perfect but I did enjoy it.

As a pre-teen, I watched “Happy Gilmore” with my friends over and over. I can actually close my eyes and find myself in the basement of my best friend’s house watching the film late at night.  “Happy Gilmore” would continue to elicit laughs from me as it lived on via cable TV for years and years. Even if the infamous line of “the price is wrong, b!@#$” was censored, I would always watch.

So I was both excited and a little nervous when it was announced that “Happy Gilmore 2” was in production. Would it do the original justice? Would it be one of Sandler’s redeeming Netflix projects or one of his bombs? Would it be watchable?

In my opinion, “Happy Gilmore 2” hit the mark. Was it a perfect film? Nope. But what I think made it a worthy sequel was solid performances from the stars of the original. Adam Sandler (Happy), Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin), and Ben Stiller (Hal L.) didn’t mail it in. They dug deep and pulled out the redeeming qualities of their respective characters from 30 years ago and brought them to life once again. Credit the writers for developing their characters accordingly and setting them up for success. The personalities, mannerisms, quirks, and inside jokes of those characters from “Happy Gilmore” were resurrected and amplified for the sequel.

I thought “Happy Gilmore 2” did a terrific job of capitalizing on what made the stars (Sandler, McDonald, Stiller) from the original so iconic.

If the characters of Happy, Shooter, and Hal L. weren’t so spot-on for “Happy Gilmore 2,” it wouldn’t have mattered that an astonishing 70+ people made cameos. But since the foundation was rock steady, the appearances of athletes, influencers, washed up actors, musicians, and more made the movie a lot of fun. I am sure all of us looked up the cast after the movie to keep track of everyone who made cameos. And, if you are like me, I am sure you saw a couple names who appeared in the movie who you didn’t immediately recognize (I am talking about you, Eminem). From the Sandler shoo-ins like Dan Patrick and Rob Schneider to the complete randoms like Kelsey Plum and Guy Fieri, the movie kept you on your toes each time someone new came on screen.

Another part of the film done to perfection was the nostalgia factor. Beyond the performances of the cast, everything from the score to the “happy place” scenes to the flashbacks were done in a way that made the original so charming. The distinctive “Happy Gilmore” instrumental was strategically placed, the dreamy “happy place” scenes were on-point, and the flashbacks gave honor to the original while effectively showing its age as the picture quality was so different. Extra points for the flashback scenes that weren’t in the original movie but were made in modern time using cutting edge technology to show Sandler and other characters exactly as they looked 30 years ago.

Finally, and probably most importantly, the movie was damn funny. The jokes were paced well and took wide aim. There were laugh out loud moments and then instances where Sidney and I simply looked at each other and smiled. My favorite scenes included the gold jacket dinner, Happy’s first couple rounds after he returned to the tour, and the cemetery brawl. 

But as I mentioned, the movie wasn’t perfect. I didn’t care much for Happy’s wild sons nor his extensive alcoholism. Speaking of alcohol, it might have just been me, but I didn’t find the running gag of Happy pounding booze via the camouflage of everyday objects to be that funny. Also, I think John Daly would have served just fine as a cameo instead of an actual role.

However, the part that I felt did some damage to the watchability of the film was the showdown with Maxi Golf. At that point, “Happy Gilmore 2” became way too gimmicky and unbelievable. In fact, I found it cringeworthy. The movie would have been better without such a drawn-out competition that bordered on complete fantasy and made me embarrassed for the PGA superstars who took part in it.

All that said, “Happy Gilmore 2” was saved because it ended on a strong note. With his children taken care of, the ending scene was sentimental. All the deceased characters are shown in the sky and the credits roll as Sandler walks along a country road after his electric vehicle won’t start. I wouldn’t say a tear rolled down my eye but I thought it was a fitting way to end the film.

Go ahead, indulge yourself and watch “Happy Gilmore 2.” I think it appeals to many different audiences. For someone like me, it is the nostalgia. For a younger crowd, the cameos will engage them. For my dad and father-in-law, the roles played by past and present golfers will keep them interested. Trust me, the price was right on this one. Don’t Blink.

Hulk Hogan: Pop Culture Icon, Brother!

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Even though his health had been failing and 300-pound professional wrestlers don’t have the longest life expectancies, I was still a little shocked when my brother sent me the RIP text for Hulk Hogan. Truth be told, the Hulkster played a role throughout my entire life from a pop culture perspective so, as corny as it sounds, it seemed like a little piece of me died as well.

As a kid, I was a major WWF geek. Man, I lived and breathed it. I had the action figures, the toy ring, and even the bedspread. And, of course, Hulk Hogan was the GOAT. Even though I was more of an Ultimate Warrior fan at the time, it wasn’t lost on me that Hogan was the most popular wrestler in the business.

There you have it, Hulk Hogan front and center on my bedspread.

I watched “Suburban Commando” on repeat with my friends, thought “Mr. Nanny” was pretty cool, and watched all the episodes of “Thunder In Paradise.”

Around that time, my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Randy did something really nice. They encountered Hulk Hogan at the Toronto Airport and got his autograph for me! Despite urging my parents to search their house from top to bottom to find the small notepad that contained the autograph, I can’t show you actual proof but hopefully you can trust me.

Hulk Hogan was a legend and I followed him closely.

After losing interest in professional wrestling (my parents were so happy), I became obsessed again as a 12-year-old (my parents were so disappointed) with the Monday Night Wars. Hogan single-handedly lit the match and poured gasoline on the WWF vs. WCW battle when he turned into a heel and became Hollywood Hogan. In large part due to Hogan, I saved up money and bought an NWO shirt.

Right around the time WWF turned into WWE, I grew out of professional wrestling. But that was hardly the end of my connection to Hogan. I became a huge “Rocky” fan which meant I saw the Hulk’s portrayal of Thunderlips more than a few times. But despite the many movies and shows I watched that Hogan starred in, nothing came close to the hours I devoted to “Hogan Knows Best.” My sister and I bonded over the show as we watched it the summer I left for college and that ensuing summer as well.

I read his autobiography (which used the word “brother” a lot 😂) and watched all the random appearances he would make on different shows. Over the past few years, I would stop scrolling on social media when a clip of Hogan telling old wrestling stories would pop up. He was very active on the interview/podcast circuit and when you combined that with his storytelling skills, you had some pretty addicting content for a nostalgic 38-year-old dude like myself.

May we pray for the repose of Terry Bollea’s soul. As I sign off on this post, I leave you with my all-time favorite clip of Hulk Hogan. If only all of us could be as passionate/outrageous. Don’t Blink.

Liars Thursday Rundown

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How is your tan looking? Believe it or not, we actually received a little rain here in Spokane this week, a rarity in this area for July. But I don’t mean to rain on the parade that is my Thursday Rundown so let’s get started with the five topics…

Dilly Bar – When I was a kid, on special occasions my parents would take my siblings and me to Dairy Queen for a Dilly Bar. With Sloan spending the night with a friend, I decided to let Beau taste the magic as I bought him a cherry Dilly Bar. But you know what was a little disappointing? They don’t make Dilly Bars in the actual restaurant anymore. Instead they are made in a DQ factory, packaged, and sent to locations across the country. Beau didn’t seem to mind one bit.

Beau with his first Dilly Bar. They come pre-packaged now!

Foam Party – This past Saturday, we went to the Jacked Up Big Show at Harmon Park in the Hillyard area of Spokane. In addition to vendors, cars, and food there was something that really stood out. As we approached the park, we saw a substance that looked like elephant toothpaste filling the sky. The kids ran to investigate and discovered that it was foam! “Cannons” shot the foam out and it accumulated on the ground for people to frolick in. Those who went in the foam emerged soaked. I let Beau and Sloan get close but I drew the line at full immersion. What a sight it was!

A look at the foam madness at Harmon Park in Hillyard.

Big Brother 27 – It is a murder mystery extravaganza this year in the Big Brother house! The theme doesn’t bother me too much but I don’t know how I feel about the show making last season’s three-person eviction nomination format permanent. Oh well. This is the 15th season that Sid and I have watched together and Sloan is watching too. Big Brother legend Rachel is a houseguest this year and I am rooting for her. None of the other houseguests have endeared themselves to me yet and I always like when returning players do well. Usually the cards are stacked against them upon entering the house so it is fascinating to watch their skill as they navigate the game.

This photo was taken before Rachel was introduced as part of the cast, but I hope she has a long run in Big Brother 27.

Amy Bradley Is Missing – I recently finished the “Amy Bradley Is Missing” documentary on Netflix. The three-part series tells the story of a 20-something woman who went missing on a cruise ship while vacationing with her family. The show stood out to me because I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise just a few months ago and found the provisions and culture interesting. I won’t say much about the documentary except for this: the alleged sightings of Amy post-disappearance—especially the photos that turned up—chilled me to the bone.

I found this documentary to be chilling.

LIARS – Call me a teen, but I recently read both “We Were Liars” and “Family Of Liars” by E. Lockhart. Sidney influenced me to read both books and I really enjoyed them. Despite the young adult genre, I appreciated the quick read nature of both books and Lockhart’s unique writing style. Now that I have finished the books, I can watch the “We Were Liars” TV series on Netflix. Full disclosure, Sid was encouraging me to “hurry up” with reading the books so she could watch the show with me  

Both of the “Liars” books were good and I am looking forward to watching the show.

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Based on the TV and book options I gave you in this rundown, perhaps you might find yourself escaping the sun this weekend to do some binge watching or reading. Speaking of “reading,” thank you for reading this post. Whether you stay indoors or outdoors, I hope your weekend is awesome. Don’t Blink.

Changing My Attitude On Outdoor Movies

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This summer, we have done something I have not been keen to do in the past. Despite the increased opportunities popping up each year, I have resisted the minimal effort it would take to attend such an event.

However, I finally shunned my own reservations and conceded to the desires of my kids. Earlier this month, we attended an outdoor movie.

Hanging with Beau and Sloan after the sun went down at Balfour Park on July 11, 2025. We were there to watch “Moana 2.”

Okay, you are probably thinking what is your deal with watching a movie under the stars on a gorgeous summer evening? Well, for the past several years I thought the whole thing was too romanticized compared to the actual experience we would receive. I basically found myself caught up in trivial BS that kids probably don’t care about: dull screen projection, soft audio, and oversaturated movies.

So what changed this year? Well, going on our cruise in April opened my eyes to the magic and relaxation that can be enjoyed from watching a movie in the open air. Sitting on the deck watching movies from the hot tub is a pleasant memory I have from our voyage.

Beau being goofy prior to the start of “Moana 2” at Balfour Park. A Kiwanis volunteer is up at the front quizzing the kids with trivia questions.

But I wasn’t convinced that watching a new release movie on the beautiful ship would be the equivalent of watching a 2010 Disney movie on a blow up screen in a local park. After all, the screen on our cruise ship was so crisp and high res that you could probably see it clearly from space. However, I could admit that based on my experience on the Freedom of the Seas, I knew a pleasant experience was at least possible.

How can an outdoor movie not be pleasant when the scenery is like this? This photo is of Beau sitting in his chair at Balfour Park on July 11, 2025.

Thus, earlier this month, at the urging of Sloan, we went to Balfour Park in Spokane Valley to watch “Moana 2.” The showing was part of the Outdoor Movies in the Park series sponsored by Spokane Valley Parks & Rec and Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley. A couple of my hesitations were realized. With the movie start time of “sunset,” the first 20 minutes of the film was hard to see due to partial daylight. Also, as someone who doesn’t care to watch movies twice, I wasn’t too excited about watching “Moana 2” after we recently saw it in theaters this past Thanksgiving.

But you know what? I could see past those two quibbles because everything else was quite enjoyable. A local credit union was on-hand to pass out swag. A makeshift concession stand was distributing soda and popcorn. Event organizers conducted trivia beforehand with children earning pop-sicles for correct answers. And, hey, the volume of the film was perfect!

Not going to lie, the outdoor movie series at Balfour Park is really relaxing. Thanks to Spokane Valley Parks & Rec and Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley for organizing.

And, overall, the aspect that made the cruise ship movies so fun was present at Balfour park: watching a movie under the night sky on a pleasant evening.

Beau and Sloan enjoy “Monsters, Inc.” at Balfour Park on July 18. The outdoor movie series is sponsored by Spokane Valley Parks & Rec along with the Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley.

We set up our chairs and simply enjoyed some relaxation after a hectic week. You can’t beat a Spokane July evening and we soaked it all in as we ate licorice and Cheez-Its while watching Moana save the day. In fact, we had such a good time that we ended up returning to Balfour Park last Friday for “Monsters, Inc.”

We had such a fun time at the outdoor movie at Balfour Park on July 11 that we went again the next week. This time Sid came along and we arrived super early to have a picnic dinner prior to showtime.

What I ended up realizing was that attending an outdoor movie was much like attending a Minor League Baseball game. Although baseball is the advertised attraction, you don’t necessarily go to watch the sport played to perfection nor is your night ruined if the home team loses. Rather, you go for the promotions, stadium food, mascot, and—most importantly—the community. Sure, these outdoor movies aren’t shown on a flawless screen and I wish the films were more to my liking, but the community experience more than made up for it. Thank you to Spokane Valley Parks & Rec and Kiwanis Club of Spokane Valley for sponsoring Outdoor Movies in the Park! Don’t Blink.

Wishing Your Spouse “Happy Birthday” On Social Media

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Not too long ago, I stumbled upon a TikTok video. It featured a dude ripping people who wish their spouses “happy birthday” on social media (watch it here). His demeanor was very smug as he argued there is no need to wish your wife/husband a “happy birthday” online when they are probably sitting right next to you as the post is drafted. Callng people who do this “insecure,” his overarching point was DON’T POST ON SOCIAL, JUST TELL THEM FACE-TO-FACE.

This TikToker would hate me. I wish Sidney a happy birthday every year on social media and I just don’t do it on Facebook either; I publish a birthday post on all my social platforms. Furthermore, I even dedicate an entire blog post to my wife on her special day.

I always wish my wife a “happy birthday” on all my social platforms.

Do I publish these posts because I am insecure? Well, I guess that might be a possibility, but it would be subconsciously. Believe it or not, I do have stronger, overt reasons for publishing happy birthday posts for Sidney. If you allow me, let me just point out three brief ones…

Wishing my wife a happy birthday notifies a lot of other people that it is her birthday. Of course not everyone is going to care but some definitely will—and that will allow them to reach out when otherwise they never would have because they never would have known. Sure, Facebook does have a feature that lists the birthdays of friends but many people never look at it. These days on social media, I find out about birthdays of friends because others issue them a birthday greeting and the algorithm decides to put it in my feed.

Extending a birthday wish to my wife on social media also allows me to be more creative. If I only wished her happy birthday face-to-face, I wouldn’t be able to use photos/video like social media permits me to. That means I couldn’t post a collage of photos from the past year or include the glamour shot I specifically asked the photographer to take during our family portraits in the fall. Wishing Sidney a happy birthday face-to-face is cool but I also enjoy a full multimedia experience as well.

Finally, I appreciate the memories that are documented via social media birthday wishes. Say what you will about someone’s digital footprint, but I actually do value the staying power of social media birthday posts. I use an app called Timehop that enables me each January 28 to rewind and view each birthday post I published for Sidney from the past 10+ years. I like taking that trip down memory lane and I think my kids will also find it kind of cool one of these days, too. There is just something neat about watching our ages and appearances change throughout the years.

So yes, I am not embarrassed to admit that I do publish social media birthday posts for my wife. And you know what? I don’t even think I am that insecure ever. Now believe it or not, this TikToker even added in his video that wishing your children a happy birthday on social media is even more asinine than your spouse, but that is a rebuttal for another day…stay tuned. Don’t Blink.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Thursday Rundown

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Well, how is your summer going? It doesn’t get any better in Spokane than July and we are certainly living it up. Let’s get started with my latest Thursday Rundown…

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza – Apparently all the cool kids are playing Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza. It is a sequence-based card game that challenges players to think fast when a card is turned face-up on the pile. Sloan has played the game all summer at daycare and is pretty good. Me? I had a hard enough time getting the basic taco-cat-goat-cheese-pizza order down, let alone remembering what to do with the special cards. Even with my lack of skill, I still had a blast playing it with my family.

Beau was a little slower at “Taco Cat Goat Cheese” than the rest of us so Sid played a special 1-on-1 game with him.

Picture of the Week – How could you have anything but an ear-to-ear grin when you are at the pool on a hot summer day? I guess the answer is when your mom is photobombing you. Last Saturday, my family went to the Northside Aquatics Center in Spokane County. We had a great time at the sparkling facility as I raced Sloan on the water slides and Beau continued to impress us with his comfort in the water after his timidity last summer. Except for Sid, this photo definitely doesn’t convey the enthusiasm the kids exhibited for most of the afternoon.

I love this photo of Sid photobombing Beau and Sloan at the Northside Aquatics Center.

Dog Theme – Throughout the years, I have chronicled the clever birthday party themes (here and here) my sister has pulled off for her kids. Another opportunity came up this past weekend when my sister and brother-in-law hosted my nephew’s 8th birthday party. The family recently adopted a yellow lab they are in love with so it was natural that my nephew, John, would want a dog-themed party. Below is a photo of some of the “doggy treats” offered at the party. You have doggy poo (no-bake cookies), dog toys (oranges), puppy piddle (lemonade), puppy chow (muddy buddies), pup-corn (popcorn), and more. Happy birthday to John who celebrates his actual special day today!

This was the birthday dog-themed spread at John’s party.

That Makes Sense – Last week I mentioned that a brother from my Knights of Columbus council recently passed away. Rob Heacock had many hobbies and areas of expertise, including that of a Lewis and Clark historian. He wrote a book that documented the various campsites of the explorers and how to access them. In the introduction of the book (I now own a copy), he encouraged those looking to discover the campsites with the following advice: There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. In a moving eulogy, his son referenced his dad’s quote as well. So, whenever you want to mail something in because it is starting to rain or it might be too hot, just remember the words of Rob.

Rob Heacock was a talented, smart, and kind man. He was fond of saying, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” I will miss Rob.

Jalapeno Chips Mania – I am a BIG fan of jalapeno chips. The heat and flavor just do it for me! On this date six years ago, I had the pleasure of blind taste testing three different brands of jalapeno chips. This experiment was made possible by my sister-in-law who purchased the goods and then conducted an extremely regimented and scientifically-acceptable taste test. The winner? Hands down it was Tim’s Cascade Jalapeno Chips. Thick, crunchy, flavorful, and HOT, no one does the jalapeno chip better than Tim’s. In fact, I would argue that no one does the potato chip better than Tim’s. The thickness and texture should always win over any potato chip fan. It is just a shame that Tim’s only distributes its products in the Pacific Northwest.

The best chip is the Tim’s Cascade jalapeno chip.

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Hope you continue to rack up those summer memories. Mid-July is a great time so take advantage of it! I look forward to touching base next week. Don’t Blink