Mindy Thursday Rundown

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Good evening, everyone! I think it is about time for another Thursday Rundown. Let’s get going with tonight’s five topics…

I Voted Sticker – On Election Night, Sloan made one of her homemade stickers for me. However, this particular sticker wasn’t a flower or smiley face—it was an “I Voted” design. She put it on me and flashed a big smile. Her creativity, thoughtfulness, and recognition of the evening’s significance made me feel some type of way. I wore that sticker proudly all night.

Sloan made this sticker for me and I wore it proudly.

Best Halloween Costume – Can you believe Halloween was just a week ago? With the election, a busy week at work, daylight savings, and more, it seems like a distant memory. But I can’t completely forget about Halloween without recognizing my brother’s costume. Glen dressed up as Blippi and totally nailed it! He didn’t just have the look, he had the vibe. We unleashed Glen to pass out candy at my parents’ house and he stayed in-character the entire time as he delighted kids—young and old—throughout the night. It was quite spectacular.

Me hanging out with Blip—I mean my brother 😂.

Trick-Or-Treater Count – While we are on the topic of the Halloween that seemed ages ago, let me announce a record-breaking night of trick-or-treaters at my parents’ house. Last Thursday, 318 young candy-seekers rang the doorbell! That surpassed the 292 trick-or-treaters from last year and the 275 trick-or-treaters from 2022. Was it Blippi that helped smash the record? Perhaps, but I think it was the larger supply of candy that allowed my mom and dad to keep the lights on longer and serve more trick-or-treaters.

The tally sheet of trick-or-treaters from the Tom and Mary Reser household. 😱

Mindy Kaling Book – Every now and then I like to share the children’s biography books we read to Sloan and Beau. Well, I want to share one I read—wait, one that SIDNEY read—this week. If you have ever watched “The Office” or “The Mindy Project,” you might know about Kaling, an Indian actress/comedian/author/extremely talented individual. On Monday night, Sid read “Little People, Big Dreams: Mindy Kaling.” This was a special book for my wife to read because Kaling brought a lot of joy to my wife in her young adult years. She watched Mindy’s show and read her books. In fact, her fandom of Kaling rubbed off on me. Even before “Big Brother,” the show that Sidney and I bonded over during our early days of dating was “The Mindy Project.” It was nice to teach Sloan about Mindy Kaling while also describing the role she played in our relationship.

Sidney read “Little People, Big Dreams: Mindy Kaling” to Sloan and Beau.

Pumpkin Disposal – A thought went through my head this morning: What must the trash day after the Halloween holiday be like for garbage employees? They would most likely have seven different days after Oct. 31 where households on their specific routes are disposing of jack-o-lanterns, much like my family was today. How fitting would it be if the crews blasted music from the Smashing Pumpkins for the entire post-Halloween week? Sorry for the dad joke.

Photo of our pumpkins before we threw them away this morning.

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That will do it for tonight. Renewing my call from Tuesday, be kind to those around you, especially those with different political affiliations. Don’t Blink.

Nice To Meet You, Swoop!

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Part of my interview process at Eastern Washington University was to deliver a presentation that outlined a comprehensive marketing strategy. Before I dove too deep, I wanted to give my future colleagues some background on why I enjoy working in higher education so much.

I told them it was because of the mascots.

I’m dead serious. And, yes, they still hired me 😂.

To be honest, I also told them a couple other reasons why I like higher ed, but I did show slides that showed me with furry friends from past jobs. I then told my audience that I really wanted to meet Swoop. Guess what? This past weekend, it happened.

But before we get to Swoop, I need to recognize my other homies.

I was introduced to the insane world of intercollegiate mascots at the University of Montana with Monte. In fact, I was very hands-on with UM’s grizzly bear since one of my responsibilities was to serve as the mascot coordinator. I wrote about that experience in-depth just a couple months ago.

Monte and I at the 2012 NCAA Tournament

When I moved east to work at Coastal Carolina University, it didn’t take long until I met Chauncey the Chanticleer. What is a Chanticleer, you might ask? It is a proud and fierce rooster made famous in The Canterbury Tales.

Chauncey welcomed me to CCU with open arms.

Whereas I met Chauncey relatively quickly at CCU, it took longer into my tenure at Washington State University to rub elbows with Butch. Although I had met him several times as a young fan in the 1990s, I didn’t grab a photo with him in my working capacity until a few months before I left WSU.

I met Butch on the job but I also met him at a wedding. 

Thank goodness I didn’t have to wait long to meet Swoop. This past weekend Sidney and spent a minute with him at the EWU vs. Montana State football game. He came over to where we were sitting in the Endzone Club and made our day.

Sidney and I met Swoop this past weekend.

Lucky for me, that won’t be the last of my dealings with Swoop. We get to work together tomorrow (more on this down the road) and I can’t wait. Mascots rule! Don’t Blink.

Election Day Is Finally Here

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We have finally made it to Election Day. Since the beginning of October, many news organizations have described the past 30+ days leading up to today as a sprint to the finish. But dang, it has felt more like a never-ending marathon.

After what has seemed like an endless “Race For the White House,” the Presidential Election is finally here.

It seems well overdue that the Presidential Election—the actual voting at least—comes to a conclusion tonight. Even for an election news junkie like myself, the coverage and noise has all been a bit much. I can only imagine what it must feel like for someone living in a battleground state.

Even though many of us will breathe a sigh of relief that the campaigning and ads will cease after today, it won’t be a complete full stop. Because of how close this election is, it could be several days before a president-elect is declared. The ensuing process and uncertainty will bring with it even more anxiety.

Sloan about to put Sid’s ballot into the ballot drop box at the Spokane Valley Library.

There is also the possibility that a winner could emerge by the time we go to bed this evening. In that case, half the country will be happy while the other half might be tossing and turning.

What I am trying to say is that some of us should find a long-lost degree of comfort today. However, there is the real possibility that the marathon I referenced above will trudge on for a few more miles. If a winner is declared, many people on the wrong side of the victory might find it a very tough pill to swallow.

So as hard as it might be, let’s try to practice restraint, kindness, and gracefulness today and through the rest of the week. It Is best to keep in mind that many people are at wits’ end and our actions, social media posts, and interactions could push them even more over the edge.

Let’s continue to pray for the safety of both candidates, a peaceful day here in the USA, and general understanding/acceptance. No matter what happens, let’s be proud Americans. Don’t Blink.

Latin Lesson From Sloan

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Yesterday afternoon, Sloan and I were running errands. As we pulled out of the grocery store parking lot, we started talking about death. Don’t worry, our conversation wasn’t completely random. Earlier that morning, Fr. Jeff Lewis preached about the squirm-inducing topic as he covered its origin, inevitability, and earthly aftermath (the funeral).

As we chatted, Sloan admitted that death was a difficult concept for her but that she is doing her best to embrace memento mori.

Memento what?

Thanks to Sloan, I learned about “memento mori.” We need to remember death.

I didn’t expect a Latin lesson from my 7-year-old daughter (thanks, St. Mary Catholic School!). I had Sloan explain what it meant in her own words and then I feverishly looked it up once we arrived home. Memento mori translates to remember your death in English. In the context of Catholicism, it is a reminder to anticipate and meditate on our own deaths. By practicing memento mori, we can prepare for the reality that we all face while living a life that will put us in the best position for God’s judgment.

Tough stuff, right? If you are like me, memento mori can be a difficult topic to grapple with, especially when you encounter it head-on late at night. But just because something is difficult or seemingly unpleasant doesn’t make it unnecessary to examine.

This month is an opportune time to contemplate memento mori. In the Catholic Church, we use November to contemplate our own mortality while also remembering the faithfully departed. As part of the “Month of Remembrance,” we place a special emphasis on those souls in Purgatory and pray even more intensely for them. Thus, I think by remembering those who have gone before us and praying for them, we can become more in touch with our own memento mori journey.

Visiting a cemetery this month is a great way to practice memento mori and to remember/pray for souls.

Death is scary but it is also inevitable. Thankfully, death is also a glorious and necessary step toward salvation. Memento mori! Don’t Blink.

Halloween Night Thursday Rundown

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Happy Halloween! Who is ready for a night of screams and treats? This post is historic because it is only the second time I have written a Thursday Rundown on October 31. The first time was five years ago in 2019. Before you hit the neighborhood to trick-or-treat, let me offer up five random topics…

Red Tie Gala – Earlier this month, we kicked off the public phase of Eastern Washington University’s comprehensive fundraising campaign—Build Our Future. This was another project I had the opportunity to work on the moment I stepped on campus. The public-facing effort launched with the Red Tie Gala on Oct. 18. This was such a nice event because not only did it generate enthusiasm for this very important phase of the campaign but it was also a celebration of the work completed up to this point. The cherry on top was that I got to bring Sidney. Not only did we have a nice date night, but she got to meet my boss and team. EWU has raised $67M of its $100M goal.

The Red Tie Gala was a blast! Sidney got to meet my boss, Eric Limburg (and we both got to meet his wife, Tara), and she also met members of my team. What a fun time we had supporting Eastern Washington University.

Earlier And Earlier Every Year – I remember back in the day when it used to be pushing it if Santa showed up a couple days before Thanksgiving. Now he is showing up several days before Halloween! In fact, not only did my kids fist bump with Kris Kringle this past Saturday, they said “hello” to Mrs. Claus too. To be honest, this isn’t totally unprecedented. Santa dropped candy in Sloan’s trick-or-treat basket back in 2021, too.

Beau, Sloan, and my niece had a Santa encounter at a trunk-or-treat over the weekend.

Pumpkin Carving – Although the carving of pumpkins is perhaps the one thing I don’t love about Halloween, it doesn’t mean we don’t do it. Sidney always takes the lead on this festivity with the kids. This year, Sloan and Beau got their pumpkins during a Halloween party at Brick West, a brewery in downtown Spokane. They might be smaller in size than carving pumpkins from grocery stores, but they definitely did the trick.

Sid and the kids busy carving pumpkins earlier this week.

River Park SCARE – We didn’t just do trunk-or-treats this past weekend. Cognizant of the fact that cavities aren’t good, I took the kids to other spooky events that weren’t candy-based. One such opportunity was River Park SCARE. It took place in River Park Square, our area’s downtown mall, and offered tons of fun activities. The event offered Lego building, bath bomb creation, balloon making, and princess meeting. It was a nice change of pace from the sugar-paved road of the trunk-or-treat circuit.

Sloan and Beau having fun at the River Park SCARE event.

Candy Inflation – With the prices you see below, I think we might have to opt for more tricks than treats. Or, in my case, we might just have to turn the light out at our house and dash over to my parents’ where they already have their candy stash for trick-or-treaters. Call me a cheapskate, but candy prices for a single bag are getting a little out of control. Granted, what you see below is chocolate and it is packed with 200 pieces but inflation is definitely real.

I encountered this expensive bag of candy at Safeway.

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Have an awesome night, everyone! Stay safe, make memories, and be kind to all the little goblins and ghouls. Don’t Blink.

Candy Corn Vs. Everybody

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Today is an extreme, bitter battle. Move over iPhone vs. Android and Pepsi vs. Coke. Don’t waste your time Uber vs. Lyft and Dunkin vs. Starbucks. In fact, this face off might be more toxic than Trump vs. Harris.

What I am alluding to is a grudge match not for the faint of heart. Hide your kids and hide your husband because I am about to hit you with it…

Candy Corn vs. Everybody.

Today is National Candy Corn and I sincerely question how many people are actually celebrating.

Yes sir, today is the day that recognizes the candy everyone loves to hate…and with good reason. October 30 is an official opportunity to intensify attacks on the most misguided confectionery ever made. Happy National Candy Corn Day, everyone.

Full transparency, I used to like candy corn—but it was before I knew better. At my grandpa’s restaurant growing up, there was a candy case at the cash register that contained candy bars, mints, Skittles, and…candy corn. I would do the unthinkable and actually eat it.

But then one day the weirdest thing happened. It was like a switch was flipped and I stopped liking candy corn. As crazy as it sounds, I went from tolerating the candy to finding it totally repulsive. It happened seemingly overnight.

One of my colleagues brought in candy corn to the office today. She had no idea it was National Candy Corn Day. Even though I hate candy corn, I had to eat a few pieces because of that incredible timing. Thanks, Shelley!

These days I have no time whatsoever to contemplate eating candy corn. I almost dread October because of its prevalence. The chalky, waxy texture doesn’t agree with my body. The only thing I find less appetizing than traditional candy corn? The candy corn that comes in seasonal shapes.

For example, you find pumpkin-shaped candy corn all over the place this time of year. Much in the same way that Reese’s pumpkins seem to contain more Reese’s peanut butter than a typical peanut butter cup, a candy corn pumpkin seems to contain more “candy corn” (haha) than a traditional piece of candy corn. Obviously I find just one of those scenarios pleasurable and it isn’t the one that deals with the product we are “celebrating” today.

My boss isn’t a candy corn fan either, but he says he can tolerate it as a topping. He specifically mentioned that he doesn’t mind a piece of candy corn on a frosted Christmas sugar cookie. Sorry, I still hate it. This past weekend there was a hot chocolate bar at one of the Halloween events we attended. Candy corn was available to either sink (or would it float?) in your cocoa or to top on the whipped cream finish. Blasphemy!

For all those weirdos out there who enjoy candy corn, I hope you enjoy your day. I am personally setting my phone’s alarm clock to notify me at midnight when this nightmare is over. Don’t Blink.

Halloween Costumes 2024

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It is time for a Don’t Blink annual tradition—the Halloween costume reveal of my children. This year marks the fifth time we have had the pleasure (or stress?) of dressing both kids for the spookiest day on the calendar. Although I usually publish this blog post on October 31, I am offering it a couple days early this year due to Halloween falling on a Thursday which I usually reserve for a rundown.

Our costumes this year are courtesy of Target. Although I prefer a more thrifty approach like we pursued in 2022, I realize that occasionally you have to start fresh. Drum roll please…

Introducing the 2024 Halloween costumes of Beau and Sloan.

How do you start fresh when you are the same thing for the third straight year in a row? You totally transform the basics of your costume! Just like in 2022 and 2023, Sloan is a witch. But instead of a black-clad witch from two years ago or an orange-clade witch from last year, Sloan is a battery-powered light up witch. Her costume is adorned with glittery stars to give her a celestial look. The costume helps her stand out from other witches and it helps me keep track of her in the dark. Even though Sloan flirted with dressing up as Wednesday Addams (like her mom did in 2015) or a cupcake, she kept with tradition.

For the third year in a row, Sloan is a witch.

As for Beau, he shocked us all by opting for something other than Spider-Man. After practically living in his 2023 costume for months and months after Halloween passed, he has embraced something new. This Thursday he will be a cuddly, cyclops monster. What you can’t see from the below photo is the big tail in the back. Beau loves to shake that thing with unrivaled passion. He also enjoys charging people head-first—even those he doesn’t know—to “impale” them with his horns.

Beau is a monster this year.

I think a witch and a monster make a dynamic duo. Hopefully they can keep themselves out of trouble and endear themselves to neighbors as they trick-or-treat. I am still in negotiations over whether I receive the candy from every third or every fourth house they visit. Don’t Blink.

My 2024 Top 3 Trunk-Or-Treat Displays

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With Halloween on a Thursday, this past weekend was the opportune time to hold spooky community celebrations. Our family hit the trunk-or-treat circuit as we visited a variety of events throughout town.

During our travels, we saw countless creative/fun trunk-or-treat set ups as Halloween fans went all-out to decorate their vehicles and appeal to kids. I wanted to share with you my personal top three trunk-or-treat displays from the weekend…

Jurassic Park – This trunk was from the St. Mary Catholic School trunk-or-treat on Friday night and it paid homage to a 31-year-old blockbuster film (I feel sooo old). Although I am so sick of the t-rex costumes that ran their course several years ago, my attitude toward the incorporation of dinos in a trunk-or-treat set up is completely different. I am a big fan of Jurassic Park and this trunk used a fierce dinosaur as the centerpiece and surrounded it with plants and plenty of symmetry. If this blog could play sound, you would hear the Jurassic Park theme song because in real life that unmistakable tune was playing as attendees approached this trunk.

This Jurassic Park trunk was at the St. Mary Catholic School Halloween Extravaganza.

Dia de los Muertos – On Saturday morning we went to AM Cannon Park of west central Spokane. The trunk-or-treat offered here was organized by Latinos En Spokane so everything from the music to the booths to the trunks themselves reflected a Latino influence. I especially appreciated the Dia de los Muertos trunk that provided plenty of education about the multi-day Mexican holiday. The decorations, masks, colors, and information made it a very engaging stop at the event.

This trunk was at AM Cannon Park on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Motorcycle Bones – The final trunk-or-treat we attended on Saturday was at the Ponderosa Village (shopping center). After trick-or-treating at so many car trunks, it was nice to approach the trunk of a motorcycle. A much more intimate trunk-or-treat experience is offered when a motorcycle is involved and although this is just a hypothesis, it seems like a more liberal release of candy is also a defining characteristic. The people at this trunk were awesome!

This “trunk” at the Ponderosa Village Trunk-Or-Treat was a nice change of pace.

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Some pretty cool trunks, right? But don’t eat too much candy just yet my friend, Halloween Week is just getting started. Don’t Blink.

October Surprise Thursday Rundown

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It is the week before Halloween—are you ready?! If you have kids, you better be! Halloween festivities will be prevalent this weekend so it is important that your children have their costumes picked out and candy bucket ready to go. Let’s begin with my latest rundown…

Sloan Finishes Another Soccer Season – Last Saturday, Sloan concluded her fall soccer season. This autumn brought about longer games, bigger fields, and more practices. A new uniform color (purple) and team name (the Flying Purple People Eaters) also entered into the mix. For all the changes, Sloan still had Coach Caleb Hatch leading the team along with some of the same teammates from last year. It was another great season where Sloan played hard and honored her commitment to the team.

Sloan with her soccer coach, Caleb Hatch, after her last game this past Saturday.

October Surprise – The term “October Surprise” is meant to convey an unexpected development in a Presidential Election that takes place the month prior to the first Tuesday in November. But a lot of people—including yours truly—use the term loosely. We received an October surprise four years ago on this date when a storm dumped several inches of snow on Spokane. The surprise was magnified even more for Sidney, Sloan, and Beau who had moved out west just a few months prior and never seen snow in October before. Although the kids love the snow, I am fine if we don’t experience this type of “October Surprise” again.

Sid and Sloan out in the snow during the October 2020 snow storm.

Movies – It has been a busy week for movies in the Reser household. I watched the current #1 Netflix film, “Woman of the Hour,” and was underwhelmed and depressed by it. I found the Anna Kendrick-directed film lacking in substance and structure. I get that it is a biographical film on a monster, but there just wasn’t anything there. Sid and I took the weekend to watch “Unhinged,” the current #2 Netflix film. Russell Crowe plays a psychotic villain convincingly enough that it kept me on the edge of my seat. At the same time, the film also managed to instill a worthwhile message. Finally, I watched “Barbarian” on Hulu. It was rated in the highest tier of Huluween’s scary rankings (Very, VERY Scary). It was a unique horror film and provided some decent anxiety.

Three of the movies I watched over the past several days.

National Bologna Day – It is National Bologna Day and some readers might be surprised to know that my mom didn’t make me only peanut butter sandwiches growing up. She would also mix in a bologna sandwich (two pieces of white bread and a single slice of Oscar Mayer bologna) every now and then. Bologna would catch up to me in my adult years as well when the cold cut combo became my favorite Subway sandwich. But my love for the bologna/ham/salami sandwich dwindled when the $5 footlong price nearly doubled. Regardless of inflation paired with Subway’s price hike, bologna is still good!

I am not a huge fan of Subway anymore. But happy National Bologna Day!

Sloan’s Halloween Costumes – I hope my daughter is pleased because this Thursday Rundown has been filled with her…but she deserves it! With Halloween right around the corner, I thought I would share every costume she has worn for the holiday over the years. In order, they include flamingo, Peppa Pig, unicorn, Poppy, Moana, black witch, and orange witch. Any guesses what she will be this year?

From 0-6 years old, here is every Halloween costume Sloan has ever worn.

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Enjoy the Halloween weekend, friends. Take advantage of your annual license to eat candy, watch scary movies, and dress up in your favorite costume. Don’t Blink.

Casting That Ballot

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I performed my civic duty and voted in the 2024 Election. I submitted my ballot by recently dropping it in a mailbox. For those who are curious, Washington has been a “vote by mail” state since 2011. When that law was enacted, I had already been gone from the state for six years. When I did return to Washington in 2020—just in time for that year’s presidential election—it did seem a little strange to vote via mail well before Election Day.

I cast my ballot for the 2024 Presidential Election.

I must say that while I appreciate the conveniences of mail-in voting, actually “going to the polls” on Election Day just hits different. Two past presidential experiences of voting in-person stick out the most…

Dropping off my ballot at the ballot drop box at the Spokane Valley Library in 2020.

This November will mark 20 years since I cast my first ballot. I was a high school senior and had turned 18 just a few weeks prior to Nov. 2, 2004. I went to school that day and followed it up with football practice. After returning home, my mom and I went to the North Spokane County Library to vote. I still remember the room, the voting booths, and making my selections. Even though we were some of the last people in the country to vote and the race between George Bush and John Kerry was already decided, it was exciting!

After we checked in at the voting precinct in 2016, Sid and I were given these little “vote” cards that we eventually would give to the voting official at the front of the line.

A dozen years later, I found myself about 3,000 miles away from that initial polling station standing in line to do the same thing with my pregnant wife. Sidney and I waited for more than two hours inside an elementary school to vote in the infamous 2016 Donald Trump vs. Hilary Clinton election. As South Carolina is the exact opposite as Washington—it is about as red as you can get—we heard a lot of people who were passionate to vote for Trump but not exactly enthusiastic about his chances. We all know how that turned out…

Wearing the stickers to prove it, Sidney and I posed for this selfie outside of Ocean Bay Elementary after casting our ballots during the 2016 Presidential Election.

Although I do miss the excitement and camaraderie that comes with such a public display of democracy, I can appreciate the convenience that exists with mail-in voting. But no matter what option(s) is offered to you, make sure to seize it. The freedom to vote is something we can’t pass up. Don’t Blink.