Fair Themes

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This past Friday night, as advertised in my latest Thursday Rundown, Sidney and I took Sloan and Beau to the Spokane County Interstate Fair. We had a really nice time enjoying the fair on a pleasant evening as the sky above us shifted from day to night. Here are five items from our experience…

Deep Fried WHAT? – I caved and purchased a slice of DEEP FRIED PIZZA. I definitely felt pretty guilty eating it, both from a caloric and price standpoint (it was $17), but both kids happily nibbled away on it too. I brought almost half of it home with me. The next day when I heated it up for lunch, Sloan commented, “Wow, daddy, it smells like the fair!” It still tasted like the fair too and was even better than when it was fresh out of the fryer.

This was my slice of deep fried pizza (from Azars) at the Spokane County Interstate Fair.

Night Rides – We let Sloan take flight on the swing ride. Is there anything more magical than hopping on an attraction that elevates you to a level that allows you to see the whole fair lit up at night? The ride went pretty fast so Sid and I were a little concerned that Sloan was scared out of her wits. Quite the opposite, actually. She had so much fun that she asked to ride it again.

Sloan rode the swings a couple times.

Magical Snow – We really enjoyed walking through the fair pavilion that housed countless booths and vendors. There was a good mix of adult-based and kid-focused exhibits that kept us all engaged. The magical snow, however, appealed to all four of us. It had the most satisfying texture and it was cold! Although it was extremely hard to pull Beau away from the table, it was worth the pleasant therapeutic sensation of handling it.

Beau wasn’t the only one in our family who found the magical snow completely satisfying.

Sideshows – I applaud the Spokane County Interstate Fair for the multiple free performances and shows that took place throughout the grounds while we were there. We watched parts of a magic show and a hypnotist show. Sid also caught part of a high dive exhibition. While waiting in line for ice cream, Beau and I were treated to a roving juggling act that performed right in front of us. Nothing like clean and free entertainment.

Beau enjoyed the jugglers who basically found us at the fair.

Bargain – Speaking of waiting in line for ice cream, there was a reason why we were standing in that particular line. Ice cream cones for just $3! At a fair where the starting price for many of the food items was $12.50, it was refreshing that there was a classic treat for a reasonable price. I bought a cone for both kids and they ate every bite.

You can’t beat $3 ice cream cones…at least at the fair.

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To say the least, it was a successful night at the fair. Given I am now at heart attack risk after eating that deep fried pizza, I hope to be alive for next year’s 😂. Don’t Blink.

Buggy Thursday Rundown

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Happy Mid-September everyone! I hope your first half of the month has been all you wanted it to be. If not, make the second half awesome. It is that time of the week for a Thursday Rundown so let’s get started with tonight’s five topics…

To Fair Or Not to Fair? – It is fair season around the United States and the Spokane County Interstate Fair is in full swing right here in our neck of the woods. In fact, our family plans to check it out this weekend. But packing everyone up and heading to the fair is no light decision. Last year I thoroughly investigated the pros and cons of taking the plunge. If you are on the fence about going to the fair, you will be glad that you read this.

Sloan got her face painted at the fair last year.

First-Time Dish – Last night we tried out a recipe that found us on Facebook. We whipped up taco stuffed shells although we made some modifications. The original recipe calls for jumbo shell pasta, ground beef, cream cheese, salsa, and taco seasoning. We axed the salsa and taco seasoning for pizza sauce. It turned out to be a good decision because the dish was delicious! I can’t wait for leftovers tonight.

Our shells before they were baked and after they were baked. It turned out awesome!

BUGS…YUCK! – Sloan now likes bugs, much to my chagrin. She has entered that little kid stage where she doesn’t think twice about picking them up or keeping them as “pets.” I sure hope this is an abbreviated stage. As I have mentioned before, I can tolerate snakes, spiders, and rats BUT I hate bugs. On the bright side, because I don’t live in the South anymore, at least I no longer have to co-exist with cockroaches.

Sloan now has a fascination with bugs. This is her holding a couple of her friends last week.

Looking Back – I couldn’t help but reminisce about a couple of cool things that happened on September 15 in the past. Just last year, Sid and I went on a cool date night to the Davenport Grand Hotel to listen to Magic Johnson speak. What a fun evening that was! On Sept. 15, 2018, we found ourselves exploring the Jacksonville Zoo. Hurricane Florence had chased us away from Myrtle Beach so we evacuated to Florida. The day prior to the zoo, we actually visited Disney World!

Sid and I on our way to the AWB Policy Summit keynote address at the Davenport Grand. Magic Johnson delivered the address.

Latest Prep Football Stop – After Sloan, my dad, and I watched a high school football game at East Valley on Sept. 2, we went to a different stadium this past Friday. We visited University High School where we cheered for the visitors, aka my alma mater, Mead High School. Our trio more than doubled as Sidney, Beau, my mom, and my brother all joined us. It was another beautiful late summer/early autumn evening and Mead registered a convincing victory. We used the game as a training ground for Beau. If he could sit still and behave himself, Sid and I were going to consider taking our whole family to a WSU game later this fall. To put it mildly, we won’t be making that trip to Pullman 😊

Sidney and I pose for a photo during last week’s Mead vs. University high school football game.

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I appreciate your attention to tonight’s five topics. I will try to remember all my readers as I munch on a corn dog this weekend at the fair. Don’t Blink.

Don’t Blink Q&A – 2022 Edition

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The Don’t Blink mailbox is starting to fill up given I have not answered any letters since 2016. But tonight I am in the mood to respond to a select few of the overflowing envelopes. So let’s get started.

Tonight I answer your questions about my blog.

Q. I thought you were going to quit blogging after you had kids? Or, at least that is what we hoped…

A. Well, that was the plan. But then I realized all the fun and noteworthy content that my children gave me to write about. I couldn’t leave all that content gold on the table.

Q. But what about after you celebrated your 10th anniversary of Don’t Blink? Don’t you think that was the perfect time to pull the plug?

A. I considered it. Ultimately, I decided to keep writing because the truth is that I am still in a decent blogging rhythm. It might cost me some sleep, but I am still able to carve out time to write a few times a week. Blogging is a hobby of mine so why walk away? It’s not like it costs the same amount to write a blog post as it does to play a round of golf.

Q. Speaking of “carving out” time, when do you have time to write your posts these days?

A. I made the pledge not to write when my children are awake because the last thing I want to do is stab at a keyboard when I could be playing with them. So I either write after they go to sleep or really early in the morning after I return from the gym.

Q. What is the difference between your blogging process 10 years ago and your blogging process today?

A. Quite frankly, I spend less time today. I write shorter posts, tackle less complex topics, and pen fewer blog posts in general. Although getting married and having kids couldn’t stop me from writing, it could slow down the volume I was producing.

Q. Over the years you have established some Don’t Blink annual pieces. Can you remind us of those?

A. Sure, glad you asked. Most of them come toward the end of year. I always write about my top five favorite songs of the year. I also select an annual recommended gift for the holiday season for readers looking for a useful and inexpensive item to give their loved ones. Then of course you have my top 10 blogs posts of the year and my Dec. 31 wrap up post.

Q. Many years ago you gave us a boring answer about your favorite blog posts. You said something about particularly enjoying the pieces you write about people. Is that still the case?

A. You bet it is! In fact, since I last addressed this question, I have written several more profile and in remembrance pieces. These are labors of love and my favorites.

Q. Ever consider getting with the times and converting your blog to a vlog or podcast?

A. I don’t have the voice nor the looks (not to mention the editing time) for those content forms so you are stuck with the written word when it comes to Don’t Blink.

Q. Your blog is pretty cool, daddy!

A. That is the best non-question I have ever answered. Thanks, Sloan and Beau. Don’t Blink.

A Word of Encouragement

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I am writing feverishly on this early Monday morning because I need to get ahead of this one. You see, it is the National Day of Encouragement and what good would it do if I published this tonight? Sure, some readers might be able to scramble and send out some rushed words of encouragement to certain people. But the potential is so much greater if everyone, including my readers on the eastern time zone, has the whole day to take action.

Today is National Day of Encouragement–or–as some people like to call it, National Encouragement Day.

If you remember, a couple weeks ago I touted World Letter Writing Day. I can’t stress enough how powerful a written letter can be for a recipient and how therapeutic it can be for the sender. But sometimes it is imperative to get your message across in a slightly faster manner.

So today I challenge you to offer some encouragement to five people you know. A phone call, text message, email, DM, and other instantaneous modern communication methods are all acceptable. It is my guess you have some folks in mind who could benefit from some inspiration, a sincere compliment, or a kind word.

Maybe it is someone going through a tough trial in life. Perhaps it is someone struggling with the 9/11 anniversary. Or someone just mildly depressed that it is Monday or that their favorite NFL team lost yesterday.

In fact, it doesn’t even have to be someone navigating a rough patch. Reach out to anyone who inspires you or plays a big role in your life. Or, reach out to someone who inspires or plays a role in the life of someone else who you care deeply about.

I know I am using a gimmicky day as the impetus for making a small impact, but why not? Take a moment today to let someone know you are thinking about them. Have a great week. Don’t Blink.

Menace Thursday Rundown

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It might be past Labor Day and school might be in session, but I know a lot of people don’t want to say goodbye to summer just yet. If that is you, just continue to do you. And I will do me by writing another Thursday Rundown…

Back on the Prep Gridiron – Last Friday, Sloan and I attended our first high school football game of the year. We went to East Valley High School which is just a couple minutes from our house to watch the Knights take on the Deer Park Stags. We met my dad there and enjoyed a gorgeous evening under the lights. It was an exciting football game as Deer Park held on for a 34-30 victory. Even after 18 years since I last played prep football, I still get a special feeling when I go to a game. I love it.

Sloan at the East Valley High School football stadium prior to kickoff.

Special Donut – After mass on Sunday, St. Mary didn’t offer coffee and donuts. Since Sloan was decent during church, she got to go to Casual Friday Donuts for her sugary treat fix. She chose the animal cookie donut that had approximately 10 of the pink and white cookies stacked in the middle. It was a unique pastry that Sloan said was delicious.

Sloan with her animal cookie donut from Casual Friday Donuts.

Sloan’s Back to School Board – In case you couldn’t read Sloan’s back to school board in the photos of her holding it yesterday, here is an up-close look. Sid purchased the template online, filled in the fields with Sloan’s info, printed it out at Office Depot, and bought a frame at Walmart.

This is Sloan’s back to school board created by Sidney,

Temp Check – When I scrolled through the comics section in yesterday’s paper, this Dennis the Menace strip caught my eye. I could relate to Mr. Wilson’s assessment but from a reverse perspective. Growing up, my mom would always announce that I was shaking my illness based on my behavior. If I was ever nearing the end stages of a nasty bug and I could summon the strength to once again be mean to my brother or make fun of my sister, my mom would exclaim loudly for everyone to hear, Well, Brent must be feeling better!

I could relate to this Dennis the Menace comic strip.

Latest Gas Price – Okay, let’s bring this rundown home with a gas update. This Amerimart on Sullivan in Spokane Valley is selling gas for $4.29 per gallon. That is down dramatically from my previous update roughly two months ago when gas was $4.99 per gallon. In fact, it is down a whole dollar from the $5.29 per gallon I was forking over in June. Perhaps even on a more symbolic note, it is under the $4.39 per gallon price that caused me to lash out in March over the alarming escalation of gas prices (little did I know how bad it would get). Come on gas prices, keep going down!

It won’t hurt my feelings if gas prices continue to go down.

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Time to adjourn this rundown. Thanks for taking time to read my blog and keep stretching out your summer! Don’t Blink.

Pizza and Chips

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The other night, we had our family priest over at the house for dinner. We had pizza and as we went into the kitchen to fix our plates, I made an announcement:

“In Sidney’s family, they always pair chips with pizza and we have embraced that tradition in our house too.”

Next to our two boxes of pizza, we had a bag of Doritos and a bag of potato chips. Perhaps I didn’t need to offer the background of how Sid’s family spiced up pizza night, but I find it endearing and I don’t think a little bit of context is bad.

Okay, wait. I am not talking about chips on pizza like this picture shows (I was holding the Papa John’s Fritos pizza). I am talking about chips with pizza.

Fr. Jeff didn’t think too much about its eccentricity until Sid piped in.

“Is that weird? I never thought pizza and chips was a weird combination. Did you know Brent’s family eats tater tots with their tacos?”

You mean tater tots and tacos isn’t 100% normal? I immediately started thinking about the combo. Sid might have a point.

Sid and I then quizzed Fr. Jeff about what combination he thought was a little more obscure: Pizza and chips or tacos and tater tots?

He said pizza and chips.

To be fair, I think tacos and tater tots might be a regional thing. Fr. Jeff and I grew up in an area where taco fast food places are as prevalent as chicken fast food places were for Sidney in the South. If you go to a restaurant like Taco Time, the signature side item is mexi-fries, which are just glorified tater tots. But I bring this up to illustrate that we were conditioned from an early age that tacos and tater tots go together, just like Sid was with pizza and chips.

So now I turn it over to you, readers. Which combination is more “normal” to you: Pizza and chips or tacos and tater tots?

There is no wrong answer, but your opinion and reasoning are both valued. Don’t Blink.

First Day of Kindergarten

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Watch a short video of Sloan’s first day

Today, Sloan had a major milestone in her education career. She attended her first day of kindergarten. From here on out, it is full speed ahead to high school graduation. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves…

Sloan had her first day of Kindergarten today. This is her with her “first day” board.

It was a special day for Sloan and her parents alike. There is a lot of significance tied to the first day of kindergarten and we wanted to make sure she got off to a good start.

Sloan riding to St. Mary on her first day of school.

Not that we were too worried. I think a lot of kindergarteners and their parents face that “fear of the unknown” element but it wasn’t a factor for Sloan. You see, Sloan is a student at St. Mary Catholic School, the same school she has attended the past two years. She went through the Pre K-3 and Pre K-4 programs and learned with the same group of students that she stepped into a classroom with today.

St. Mary had a cool display for students to take their photos in front of on the first day.

But there is still plenty of adjustment. Sloan is now going to school Monday-Friday and her kindergarten program is full day. She has a new teacher and is in a new section of the building. It will take some getting used to but after her orientation event last week and her first day today, she seems to be easing right into it.

Once Sloan sat down at her desk, she was ready for us to go 🙂

Our family is excited for what the year will bring. St. Mary is a tight community and there are so many opportunities for academic, social, and spiritual growth. Please pray for Sloan, her classmates, and their teacher (Ms. Roff) as they embark on the 2022-23 school year. Don’t Blink.

The Summer of Sloany

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It was called The Summer of Sloany and it was glorious. But all good things come to an end and here we are on the eve of Sloan’s first day of school. I think I am more bummed about the ending of summer than Sloan. I love having her at the house full time and doing evening time activities that aren’t feasible for a girl on school nights. Sloan, on the other hand, has been counting down the days for a couple weeks now until her first day of school.

But that is the last time I am going to say that six-letter “S” word because I am going to focus more on that other six-letter “S” word for today’s post. Here are the five themes from The Summer of Sloany.

The four of us take a selfie as we wait for the fireworks show to begin at Pavillion Park in Liberty Lake. We had an awesome summer!

Friends – Our cul-de-sac really came alive this summer, starting pretty much on the very first day after school was out. With multiple houses on our street with little children, our small corner of the neighborhood was busy from morning to night with kid traffic. I especially enjoyed the evenings after dinner when Sid and I would sit in lawn chairs on our driveway and watch the street activity as the sun went down.

Sloan, Beau, and neighbor children play with each other in our driveway. This group has so much fun together!

Pool – Summer took a little longer to reach Spokane this season but once it did the hot temperatures were here to stay. We took advantage of the consistently gorgeous days by heading to the pool. We spent every weekend at either a city or county pool as Sloan (and sometimes Beau) splashed in the refreshing waters. And it wasn’t just the public pools that we played in. Throughout the summer, my parents’ neighbor, Kathy, allowed us to swim in her beautiful pool.

Sloan spent so much time in the water this summer. This photo is of her exiting Ms. Kathy’s pool.

Parks – It’s not a Reser summer without numerous trips to the plentiful parks in Spokane. Our favorite this year was Discovery Park where we spent plenty of hours frolicking in the splash pad and hanging on the innovative playground equipment. We also enjoyed ample time at places like Riverfront Park, Camelot Park, Greenacres Park, and Edgecliff Park. Picnics, meeting new friends, and trying daring stunts were all regular characteristics of our frequent park visits.

Sloan spent a lot of her summer at Spokane parks. This is her at the incredible Riverfront Park playground.

Bike Riding – Sloan really came into her own when it came to bike riding. The training wheels came off in the spring and she spent the summer racking up the miles on her “big girl” bike. She tore up the cul-de-sac on it and rode it every time her and I walked to get the mail. Sloan even inspired other neighbor kids to ditch their training wheels and keep up with her.

Sloan did some serious riding on her bike this summer.

Grandparents – The long days of summer proved another way that Sloan and Beau could spend special time with my parents. They were over at their house a lot over the past two and a half months to swim next door, play at the park across the street, and raid their freezer full of ice cream treats. In early August, our kids spent five straight days with “grandma and papa” as Sid and I went to Hawaii. Lots of memories were made!

Sloan and her papa spent a lot of quality time together this summer. This photo is of them at the East Valley High School track.

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The summer was characterized with other fun events such as Catholic Summer Camp, Silverwood Theme Park, Hoopfest, Fourth of July, Pig Out in the Park, and much more. But the daily core staples sure made Summer 2022 a whole lot of fun. Thanks for letting me go on the ride with you, Sloan! Don’t Blink.

Baking Fail Thursday Rundown

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Wake me up when September ends, okay? Ha, just kidding! I actually love September and I hate that Green Day song so you can be sure that I will be focused and engaged this entire month. I am also focused and engaged for this Thursday Rundown so let’s get started…

Baking Fail – On Tuesday night, I attempted to make two-ingredient candy (some call it honeycomb) with Sloan and Beau. You melt brown sugar and add a pinch of baking soda to make a caramel-type treat. I scorched it. Sidney then gave it her best shot and burned her version too. The resulting creation was something that tasted no better than what it actually looks like. I chronicled the epic fail in this TikTok.

This was the resulting product of our two-ingredient candy. It tasted no better than what it looks like.

Crop Mural – For the past several years, a crop mural has been designed on a hilly wheat field as you enter Pullman. It is always a special feeling to view it as you approach town. Yesterday on my weekly trip to Pullman, I braved holding up traffic to take a photo. This year’s design is Butch holding a WSU flag. I look forward to it every year and I thank the talented artists for creating it and BECU for sponsoring it.

I took this photo of the WSU crop mural on Wednesday morning as I headed into work.

College Football Legggooo – The college football season will begin in earnest this week and that is a good thing. Even if I don’t follow it as closely I used to and even though the institution of college football has changed dramatically, it still is my favorite sport to watch. So here’s to a great season and GO Cougs, Chanticleers, Grizzlies, and Fighting Irish!

My brother, dad, and I watched our first game inside Martin Stadium since 2004 last season. I hope to make a game this season as well.

Truth – Hey parents, raise your hand if you can relate. Sid and I commiserate about this all the time. It seems like the moment we sit down on the couch or at the dinner table, a request from a little person will come in. Thanks to my friend Lindsi for yet another fantastic and relatable meme.

So true!

World Letter Writing Day – When was the last time you sat down and wrote someone a handwritten letter? If it has been a long time, take today or this weekend to do it. Not only will it mean the world to the recipient you send it to, but it will be a rejuvenating exercise for yourself. I am serious. In honor of World Letter Writing Day, go out of your way to make someone else’s day special. I didn’t recommend a book of stamps as my gift of the year in 2021 for nothing.

Letter writing is something we have tried to instill in Sloan. This is her writing (or drawing) Santa a letter in 2020.

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Wanted to give a quick shoutout to my sister-in-law who finished the Priest Lake Triathlon this past weekend. Looking ahead to this weekend, I hope everyone has a nice and safe Labor Day. Don’t Blink.

Richard Simmons Sensationalism

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As someone who spent my childhood in the 1990s and early 2000s, I was exposed a lot to Richard Simmons. Not only was he on TV constantly via talk shows and infomercials, but my middle school used his workout tapes (along with those of Billy Blanks) during our indoor PE fitness day classes.

Richard Simmons was always on the TV when I was a kid.

In a totally non-weird way, I guess you could say I was intrigued with Simmons and his larger-than-life personality. As Simmons faded from the public eye over the past several years, I would read a Wikipedia article or two on him every now and then while also listening to general commentary on his whereabouts.

So, it might not come as a surprise that I was naturally interested in the “What Really Happened to Richard Simmons” documentary that was recently released on Hulu. You know, just some mindless entertainment at the end of a long day?

Although “What Happened to Richard Simmons” was billed as a documentary, it definitely wasn’t.

But what I watched wasn’t a documentary.

To be honest, I refrained from mentioning the entire title of the program: “TMZ Investigates: What Really Happened to Richard Simmons.” Even though the special was billed as a documentary, I should have known better.

Most wouldn’t expect a tabloid empire to produce a hard-hitting, well-researched documentary and TMZ definitely didn’t exceed expectations with its piece on Simmons. Sadly enough, TMZ didn’t even come close to meeting them.

What an awkward mess “What Really Happened to Richard Simmons” was. It mirrored more of the re-imagined news magazine format where journalists and anchors provide canned commentary that is scripted and ultra corny. It was almost embarrassing to listen to the TMZ contributors try to add some life to their fed lines.

But even worse than the cheesiness of the documentary was the pure sensationalism of it. Now I know TMZ was behind the program, but even by its standards “What Really Happened to Richard Simmons” was completely over the top. TMZ tried to make it seem that it was the craziest thing that Simmons was an introvert in his private life. The people behind the show also repeatedly showed clips of Simmons not 100% on-brand and tried to associate it with alarming decline.

There was no shortage of shots of Simmons looking frazzled or off-brand in the sensationalized documentary.

However, the worst of the sensationalism came when TMZ posed its “theories” about why Richard had disappeared from the public eye. They included that he was being held hostage by his housekeeper, that he was transitioning to a woman, and that he was grieving over the death of his puppies. The real cause of his retreat to a more private life? He had a bum knee.

Again, I should have known that “What Really Happened to Richard Simmons” would be more of a click bait hit piece than solid programming. But I think if you attach “documentary” to something, it should deliver more. While I would not recommend “What Really Happened to Richard Simmons” I certainly wish him well. Don’t Blink.