What a weekend we have coming up! With both the Winter Olympics kicking off and the Super Bowl taking place on Sunday, could things be any better for sports fans?! Continue reading
Winter Olympics AND Super Bowl Weekend
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Beau Is Six-Cessful
My son always has the best, to-the-point one liners. Earlier this week, I asked him why he wanted to turn 6. Without skipping a beat, he yelled, “Because it is better than 5!”
Well, okay, Beau. But 5 wasn’t that bad.
Beau turns 6 today (photo courtesy of Nicole Lynn Photography).
After all, it was the birth year when you dressed like an old man. The age when you sailed on a cruise and visited Disney World. The 365-day window where you established yourself as an athlete as you played on organized teams for t-ball, soccer, and basketball. The 12-month period when you attended Catholic Summer Camp for the first time, hosted your first sleepover, and lost your first tooth. It was the year you started kindergarten. Don’t forget it was also the age you dressed up as Stitch for Halloween. The span of 52 weeks when you hopped in a SWAT vehicle, improved your swimming, and read more than 200 books. The year you traded in your Spider-Man costume for a Ronaldo uniform. The age when you learned to tumble, do the monkey bars, and seek thrills. The time in your life where you continued to grow and love.
My little dude is pretty dang handsome. Now that Beau is 6, I don’t expect his looks to diminish.
And let me tell you, the growth and love aspects I just mentioned are for real. I can’t toss Beau around or pick him up from the couch (or under the covers of our bed) as easily as I once could. Throughout this year, If we went just a month without seeing someone, they would usually exclaim, “Beau sure has grown taller!” But while he was outgrowing clothes, he didn’t outgrow a certain signature trait—his love. Over the past couple years I have lamented Beau’s capacity to love and it continued to blossom during his time as a 5-year-old. Never one to hold back kisses or say “I love you,” Beau’s affection and tenderness continued to touch our hearts.
Beau hanging out at the beach we visited in the Bahamas. He saw some cool places while he was 5.
With that said, his knack for irritating his sister tested our patience, his affinity for the most annoying YouTube shows wreaked havoc on our brain cells, and his inability to sit still foiled our plans for select family activities. But as my dad always says, “It’s in his job description.”
As a 5-year-old, Beau dressed up as Stitch for Halloween.
Well, let it be known, Beau followed the job description to a “T” and crushed his gig as a 5-year-old. Now comes his promotion to the age where he will need two hands to express it. I hope this year brings an increase in intellectual capacity, continued exploration with sports, and an expanded attention span. At the same time, I hope some things don’t change. I hope his sensitive personality stays intact, his curiosity (including the most random questions) remains intense, and his loyalty to his daddy never wavers. I also wouldn’t mind if he doesn’t grow too much these next 12 months 😉.
I am so lucky to be the dad of this sweet little boy.
Happy Birthday, Beau Bear! Thanks be to God for the incredible gift of fatherhood bestowed upon me when it comes to my little dude. I can already feel it, 6 is going to be awesome. Don’t Blink.
National Wedding Ring Day
I made it through the entire first month of 2026 without mentioning any gimmicky “National Days Of…” but that streak ends today. I wanted to mention a couple different “special designations” of February 3 I have brought up before and then elaborate on an additional one.
Last year on this date I wrote about a significance of February 3 that is very much NOT a gimmick—about as far away from one as you can get. Today is Four Chaplains Day and it commemorates four men who paid the ultimate sacrifice serving our country and serving God. If you need a shot of inspiration, please read my blog post from last year.
Today is also National Carrot Cake Day. Although I have not written a post commemorating this super important observance (😉), I did write at length about carrot cake a few years back on International Carrot Day. You see, my mother-in-law makes the best carrot cake and part of the reason for her mastery of the dessert is the secret ingredient she uses: baby food. Intrigued? You can read my blog post here.
But what I am focusing on today is National Wedding Ring Day. I have written about wedding rings in the past—mostly after the times I lost mine (here and here)—so it is a topic I am somewhat versed in. A wedding ring is very much a tangible (and for many an expensive) object but it is also a symbol. For a married couple, the rings truly are a bond, a piece of jewelry that conveys love and loyalty. To the outsider, it is an indicator that the person wearing it is “taken” and is off-limits to any pursuing.
Sorry, my hand is not “model worthy.” However, I wanted to show off my wedding ring.
I take the wedding rings of both Sid and me very seriously. They were sprinkled with holy water and then slipped on our fingers with care when we entered into the sacrament of holy matrimony. From that moment, they became part of us. Although I do slip my ring off to exercise and shower, it stays on my finger pretty much 23.5/7. If the ring isn’t on my finger for any other reason, I become anxious and almost feel naked.
Fr. James LeBlanc, pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Myrtle Beach, looks on as we sign our marriage certificate. I had worn my ring for about 30 minutes up until this point. (photo courtesy of Nicholas Gore Weddings Photography).
My wife places similar devotion on her wedding ring. She wears it all the time and has done a better job keeping track of hers. Whereas I have two documented times of when I “lost” my ring, I can only remember one instance when Sid misplaced hers and that was very early in our marriage. Speaking of early in our marriage, my wife added another ring to her finger that carries great significance.
Sidney wears a ring with “Don’t Blink” engraved in my handwriting.
If you have one, wear it proudly. As someone who had never worn any type of jewelry prior to tying the knot, I wasn’t sure if I would like wearing a wedding ring. I sure was wrong. Don’t Blink.
Making Change At WinCo
I have always appreciated the customer service department/area at WinCo—and not just because they helped me deal with rotten macaroni and cheese. Tucked away in its own dedicated space at the front of the store, the employees are usually always eager to assist with the abundance of services offered. Whether you need a refund, money order, lottery tickets, a bottle of your favorite liquor, or anything else that you can think of, this section of the grocery store is ready to serve you.
The Customer Service area at WinCo can be pretty helpful.
Unless it is making change.
On Saturday, I stopped by WinCo after finishing another errand partly because I wanted to receive change for a $100 bill. I also figured that I could pick up a few items needed at home.
The line, per usual, was long. That gave me time to look at all the signs and notices sprinkled and taped around the counter. I noticed the sign about returning 300 pennies to the customer service area for $3 and a WinCo bag. With pennies in seemingly high demand, I wondered whether those who had intentionally stockpiled them would actually give up such a high quantity in turn for a measly store-banded bag.
WinCo is offering an “opportunity” for shoppers to trade in 300 pennies in exchange for $3 and a WinCo bag.
But that is beside the point. I went to customer service to get change, not to scrutinize the signs. Okay, here’s the deal: I needed two $50 bills in exchange for my $100 bill. The reason isn’t important for this story but I wasn’t looking to clean WinCo out of a bunch of $5 and $1 bills they probably really needed in the cash register. I just needed two other relatively large bills.
When I advanced to the front of the line and asked for the change, the WinCo employee denied my request. She told me her manager forbade it because “We aren’t a bank.”
To be honest, I totally understood. I remember people asking me for change at my family’s yard sale and it was like do you really think I am equipped to do this? But I did feel that asking for just two bills in exchange for the $100 bill could be something that WinCo might be able to accommodate.
I then did something that wasn’t meant to clap back at WinCo or the store employee. In fact, I even asked the woman if it would be okay before I stepped out of the service line. When she told me it was, I walked about 20 feet out of the customer service nook and went to an animal cookie display. I reached into the tall cardboard container and picked out one of the many 88 cent bags of Franz animal cookies.
I re-entered the customer service area and waited for the lone person in front of me to conclude their business. When the person departed, I stepped up to the counter and playfully said, “I’m back.” I placed the animal cookies on the counter right next to the crisp $100 bill.
Me holding my bag of Franz animal cookies and a $100 bill right before I reached the customer service counter at WinCo.
The WinCo employee didn’t object at all and gave me my $99.12 in change. Of course, I didn’t get exactly what I wanted. Not only did I leave the transaction with less than $100 but I also never got the two $50 bills that I wanted. However, the change I did receive—even if it wasn’t the denominations nor the value I wanted—still sufficed for my purposes.
I totally understood WinCo’s stance that they “weren’t a bank.” Instead, I gladly paid the 88 cent “service charge” for the change I needed. And those animal cookies were actually really good! Don’t Blink.
Sid’s 34th Birthday Thursday Rundown Recap
And just like that, the first month of 2026 is almost in the books. But before Sunday (Feb. 1) arrives, allow me to introduce these five random topics…
Girls Vegas Trip – Last Thursday, my wife, mom, sister, and niece boarded a plane for Las Vegas. They would spend the weekend enjoying the sights and sounds of the Strip. The main catalyst for their journey? They wanted to see “The Wizard of Oz” show in the Sphere. The women gave the show—wait, it is actually more of an experience—rave reviews. But it didn’t take Dorothy and Toto to make their trip special. Rather, it was the opportunity they had to bond together away from us dudes and children. I was really happy they had a great time and I truly admire the relationship Sidney has with my mom, sister, and niece!
My niece, Sid, my sister, and mom prior to watching “The Wizard of Oz” inside the Sphere.
Catholic Schools Week – This week is Catholic Schools Week and Sloan had the honor of kicking it off for St. Mary this past weekend. Not only did Sloan deliver one of the readings at mass but she also read an essay she wrote about the prioritization of Jesus. If you want to watch it, tap here. Sid and I feel so fortunate that Sloan and Beau receive a Christ-centered education. If you have any questions about St. Mary Catholic School please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sloan and Beau pose for a photo inside St. Mary Catholic Church (Spokane Valley) after Sloan read her essay to conclude mass on Jan. 24.
TBT Newspaper – I have read the newspaper since I was in grade school. A common sight growing up in our household was of me sitting at the head of the table reading the Spokesman-Review and eating cereal before going to school. This particular photo was taken in March 2025 when I was a senior.
What do you say we rewind nearly 21 years? This is me at the kitchen table reading the Spokesman-Review in March 2005.
Sid’s Birthday – We celebrated Sidney’s 34th birthday last night in a quiet but nice fashion. I brought home takeout from Olive Garden that we all ate around the kitchen table. We then opened gifts as Sloan and Beau couldn’t contain the excitement of their mom opening the presents they got her. Finally, we had cake. As I have mentioned numerous times on this blog, we purchase most of our cakes from Rosauers because the quality is just so good. Last night, the chocolate-everything cake I got Sid may have been the best ever as the freshness and taste was so on-point.
Sid, Beau, and Sloan pose for a photo right before we sang “Happy Birthday.”
Bizarre Cupcakes – Tomorrow will mark the 11-year anniversary of when I ate two very bizarre cupcakes. I visited a wildly popular shop in Myrtle Beach called Coccadotts and purchased a couple of their special Super Bowl-themed cupcakes. The flavors? One was chicken wing and the other was Bud Light. Let’s just say that since trying them 11 years ago, I haven’t had a craving to order them again. I wrote a blog post that described what they tasted like.
Here is a look at the famous Coccadotts cupcakes I purchased 11 years ago…chicken wing on the left and Bud Light on the right.
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For those of you across the country who continue to face the cold, snow, and ice please hang in there. Funny enough, here in Spokane we have enjoyed rather mild temperatures for late January combined with a healthy dose of sunshine. Just about five months until summer! Don’t Blink.
Sid Is 34
A tradition that Sidney introduced to our family is the birthday banner. Whenever the kids or me celebrate a birthday, the banner will magically appear draped across our living room wall the morning of our special day.
Today, as Sid celebrates her 34th birthday, we had the chance to return the favor. Although it didn’t have the perfect curve that my wife always manages nor the perfect symmetry from one end to the other, we did our best. My banner shortcoming was just another reminder that Sid truly is a special person.
But before my special person dives too deep into life as a 34-year-old, let me reflect on her Jesus year. Sid started work as an underwriter, traveled to Disney World, and went on a cruise. She fixed a lot of things around the house, cooked some delicious new recipes, and went on a Vegas girls’ trip. She also became a godmother again, mentored multiple couples for marriage, and presented at two Engaged Encounter retreats. So yeah, she pretty much crushed it.
Happy 34th birthday to Sidney! I can’t imagine life without you (photo courtesy of Nicole Lynn Photography).
In terms of turning 34, it is hard to find much significance with the age itself. But then again, any birthday reached should be celebrated as an outright blessing—both by the celebrant and her SPOUSE. Trust me, I am counting my lucky stars that Jan. 28 exists and that Sid was born on the date because I don’t know what I would do without her.
Happy birthday, Sidney! Thanks for everything you contribute to our family, especially all the love and warmth you brought this past year (I guess they don’t call it your Jesus year for nothing, right?). You deserve to be celebrated and make no mistake about it—husbands should ALWAYS wish their wives a “happy birthday” on their blog/social media 😉. Don’t Blink.
Remembering Past Seattle Super Bowls
The past few years I have made the same following admission at the end of each NFL season: I only watched one game from start to finish each of those years—the Super Bowl.
That streak will end this year as I will have doubled my output. Thanks, Seahawks.
I have always been a Seahawks fan but my fandom has become more muted over the years.
This past Sunday I watched the NFC Championship as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams to punch a ticket to the Super Bowl.
A once proud Seahawks fan who would drop everything to watch every single game, my priorities changed when I had kids. Basing my weekend over the performance of my teams and keeping track of standings/statistics just didn’t seem that important anymore.
However, even though I am now a dad, I can still be a great bandwagon fan. With the Seahawks on the cusp of another Super Bowl appearance, I had to watch. I figured that despite only being familiar with two of the players on the team (Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp), my prior years of fandom earned me the right to claim this year’s Seahawks squad as my own, right?
When Seattle came out on top this past weekend, a lower third statistic appeared on the screen that said 4th Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. When I read the stat, my mind raced to how/where I watched the previous three Seahawk Super Bowl appearances.
On Sunday night, I recreated the pose I struck from the last time the Seattle Seahawks made it to the Super Bowl in 2015.
In 2006 (wow, 20 years ago!) I watched the Seahawks drop Super Bowl XL on the top floor of Aber Hall at the University of Montana. I was a college freshman and my dorm offered a Super Bowl watch party complete with all the chili you good eat. I cheered hard with my friend Cody but took a dejected elevator ride back down to my room on the third floor when the Pittsburgh Steelers came out on top.
When the Seahawks would return to the Super Bowl eight years later in 2014, I was still in Montana. However, instead of just beginning my time in the state I was concluding it (I would move across the country a couple months later). The result and the venue I caught the game from were both different. Seattle absolutely pulverized Peyton Manning and the Broncos as I watched the game with a rowdy crowd at the Silver Dollar Bar.
Seattle would return to the Super Bowl the next year (2015) against the Patriots. This time I watched the game from my apartment with Sidney. I may have flipped a table when the Seahawks lost in perhaps the most bitter way possible. Since that moment, I don’t remember another time feeling so depressed after a sporting event.
It was a big thrill for me when the Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII. This was me the following year in Myrtle Beach after the Seahawks won the NFC Championship to return to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LX will be the first time I watch the Seattle Seahawks play in the NFL title game from their home state. Even though the game won’t make/break my weekend this time around (I have learned about priorities over the past 11 years), it would be pretty sweet if they enacted some revenge on New England. Congrats to the Seattle Seahawks organization and I will be watching on Feb. 8. Don’t Blink.
The Push To See “David”
During Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, both my kids asked if we could go watch a movie. It had been a couple months since we last went to the theater and they had a specific film in mind. They wanted to go watch “David.”
This past Friday, I took Sloan and Beau to B&B Theatres in Airway Heights to watch “David.”
I told them Monday would probably be the most feasible day for us to go. We were busy that morning and when the afternoon arrived, the children reminded me of what I said. They pushed really hard to go. It had been a rather exhausting weekend and I just wasn’t feeling it. After going back and forth in my head, I told Sloan and Beau the answer they didn’t want to hear: No.
They didn’t take it well and I actually felt really bad. Although I didn’t outright promise them, I did leave some hope that we would go to the movies on Monday. Furthermore, I was denying them the chance to watch a movie that was righteous, noble, and age-appropriate.
The guilt lingered into Tuesday and was coupled with a coincidence when I listened to daily mass as I drove to work. That particular week was the beginning of 1 Samuel for the next several daily readings. Of course, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel are the two books that the movie “David” is centered on. No, it wasn’t a coincidence—it was a sign. I needed to take my kids to watch the movie.
This past Friday I took Sloan and Beau to watch “David.” I probably waited five days too long but luckily it all worked out. We visited the B&B Theatres in Airway Heights and watched the 6 p.m. showing of the film in a cozy auditorium.
“David” was excellent and I was so happy we got to see it. The movie touched on calling, bravery, leadership, and of course, faith. David himself wasn’t perfect but I think that is what makes the lineage of Jesus so relatable. The families we all grew up in weren’t perfect and we probably all have enough shame to go around. However, even with the sad moments and blotches in our family trees, there is still the ability for holiness to abound.
The moment in the movie that truly touched my heart came toward the end when David stood up for his people and said the following:
“I’d rather take my chance following the light than to live in the dark.”
In life, we can easily settle for darkness and choose to live a self-centered existence with no ambition. Or, we can take up our crosses and strive for holiness. This is a choice we can make every single day. I have sadly opted for darkness too many times than I care to admit but I hope to keep David’s bold declaration top-of-mind in the future. Perhaps bright and early each morning I can accept the challenge to follow the light as opposed to succumbing to the darkness.
Thank you, Sloan and Beau, for pushing us to see “David.” Let’s pursue the light together! Don’t Blink.
Wrap Thursday Rundown
Good evening, friends! For those of us who had Monday off, this might be another reminder that today is in fact Thursday. Because the calendar doesn’t lie and it is Friday Eve, I have five random topics coming your way…
Family Throwback – For your viewing entertainment (aka laughter), I present to you this family photo from probably circa 2003. Of course what stands out to you is probably my mane. I promise, that was my real hair—it was definitely a thing. Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
My family in the early 2000s. Yes, the hair is real.
Cap Guns – The other day, Beau and I intended to go to Hobby Lobby but there was a problem when we approached the entrance: it was Sunday so the store was closed. Because we didn’t want to make it a wasted trip, we decided to visit Five Below which was just a couple storefronts down. The Spokane location is super nice but I became increasingly annoyed because so much of the stuff wasn’t under $5. With that said, within the entire store, I was most interested by the cap gun selection. As a boy, we played with cap guns all the time. If I receive approval from his mother, I want to get Beau one of these for his upcoming birthday.
I came across these cap guns, complete with ring cap ammo, at Five Below.
Cone Animals – This week I have read Beau a couple books by author Sarah Howden. Both dealt with “the cone of shame” with one book detailing it from a dog’s perspective and the other from a cat’s perspective. Each story elaborated on the hardships and embarrassment faced by each animal but then each one described how they ended up using the cone to their advantage. For someone like myself who always finds a little bit of humor when I see a dog wearing a cone, these books were pretty enjoyable.
Beau holds “Cone Cat” and “Cone Dog” by Sarah Howden.
The Unthinkable – Crazy story: when I was younger, I would only order clucks and fries at Red Robin. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized that the only way to go was by ordering something that contained a bun and ground beef. After probably ordering a million cheeseburgers, I finally ordered something different at Red Robin and opted for the Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Wrap. I am so glad I gave it a try because it was excellent. At Red Robin, because of the bottomless sides and incredible value, you will never go home hungry and this was no exception (I brought half the wrap home).
Consider a Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Wrap next time you are at Red Robin. Yeah, that is a lone potato chip from Beau’s plate that is on top of my fries.
Blonde Brownie Ode – I kid you not, today is National Blonde Brownie Day. Not trying to brag but yours truly can make a pretty mean batch of blonde brownies. Don’t believe me? I made this video of me baking them back in 2022. If learning off TikTok isn’t your thing, you can reference my top secret recipe (😂) by tapping here. Come on people, who doesn’t love a warm, gooey blonde brownie?! Chef’s kiss.
A pan of blonde brownies I made several years ago.
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That’s all I have for tonight. For those who will soon be in the line of cold and ice, make sure to bundle up and stay indoors. Don’t Blink.
The Laser Tag Standard
This past weekend, our family watched “Titanic.” However, that wasn’t the only thing that brought me back to 1997.
Growing up in Spokane, there was a certain place that 11-year-old boys loved to be at. It was the best place for birthday parties and the coolest way that you could spend the afternoon with a friend.
I am talking about Laser Quest. With an exterior resembling a castle and a multi-level game play maze that opened so many possibilities, those two attributes just scratch the surface of Laser Quest’s mystique. From high quality equipment to pre-game briefings to instant results, the Laser Quest experience was top notch.
In fact, I became a laser tag snob. When I would play at other venues it just wouldn’t compare to what we had in downtown Spokane. Employees weren’t invested, equipment was finicky, and play areas were one-dimensional. It became apparent that Laser Quest truly was something special.
With Beau just a couple weeks shy of turning 6, I determined the time had arrived to take him and his sister to my childhood happy place. This past Saturday, we journeyed to downtown Spokane to play a round.
I prepped myself that things would probably be different when I walked inside the doors even if the exterior still had the castle-esque façade. After all, the name of the place was different. Instead of Laser Quest, it was now LaserMaxx, a major power player in the laser tag industry. My thought was that everything would probably be “corporatized” when we strolled in.
This is the LaserMaxx Spokane lobby. It was just how I remembered it.
Talk about a wrong assumption! Instead of a cookie cutter operation, it was like walking into a time capsule. Everything in the lobby from the drink cooler to the front desk to the arcade games seemed like an exact replica from 30 years ago.
Sloan messes around with the coin dispenser inside LaserMaxx Spokane prior to our laser tag game.
But it wasn’t just the layout that was a blast from the past. Believe it or not, the laser tag was just as exhilarating as decades ago. Equipment was updated and efficiencies had been made but the basics and experience still held true from my pre-teen days.
A grainy photo taken of Beau as he navigates the LaserMaxx Spokane maze. That boy had so much fun!
Just like the late 1990s/early 2000s, we chose our own “trooper” names, ascended the stairs to the briefing room, listened to a pep talk, ran wild for 15 minutes of laser tag fun, and then received our performance scorecard at the end.
This was my scorecard. My trooper name was “Boss” and I finished in 12th place out of more than 30 players.
Dang, we had fun. Beau roamed by my side for most of the game as I showed him the ropes. The maze was the exact same from when I was a boy so I pointed out some of the advantageous spots to stake out. Sloan was pretty independent but we did cross paths a couple times throughout the course of our round. When our time ran out, the kids still had adrenaline pumping when we stepped out into the lobby to receive our scorecards.
Out of 30+ “troopers” who played the game, Beau and Sloan finished in 15th and 16th place, respectively. I did just a tad better with a 12th place finish. Hey, I didn’t say that just because I played a lot as a kid that I was any good.
Sloan and Beau hold their scorecards in the LaserMaxx Spokane lobby. They are still asking me when we are going to return to play another round.
On our way home, Sloan and Beau were already asking when we could go back and play again. The return questions continued throughout the weekend.
If you live in Spokane and are looking for something to do with your kids, I would recommend LaserMaxx. After all these years it still delivers a special and competitive experience mixed with modern day improvements. Even though the kids had a blast, the dad who is pushing 40 may have enjoyed himself even more. But a lot of that is probably the nostalgia talking. Don’t Blink.
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