Soda Hack

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Last week I stumbled upon what I am calling a “soda hack.” In order to arrive at the gym we exercise at, we take a long Spokane side street called Montgomery. On this street is a subtle Coca-Cola bottling center.

The Swire Coca-Cola, USA Bottling Center in Spokane is on Montgomery.

I go to the gym early in the morning when it is still dark out. I have always noticed the Coca-Cola building but never thought much of it. One thing that subconsciously caught my eye was that a few Coke vending machines were in the front of the parking lot. I never thought it was that weird because it was a Coca-Cola bottling facility but I did wonder if people actually ever used them.

I pass these four Coke vending machines every day but it is usually dark out and I don’t give them much attention.

When we returned from Walla Walla last Wednesday, I worked out that evening. After I finished at the gym, I talked to Sidney as I was backing out. She asked if I would pick up some soda for her. I intended to visit the grocery store near our house and accommodate my wife’s request. But as I started to drive down the side street I thought What the heck? Let’s save some time and use the loose change in this car. I pulled into the Coca-Cola bottling center’s parking lot, pulled up to the machines, and got out of my car.

A closer look at the unassuming vending machines at the Swire Coca-Cola bottling center in Spokane.

I went to the first machine on the left and I was blown away to see that 12 oz cans were only $.25 each! We are talking a quarter! I had a $1.75 in my pocket and was hoping that I would have enough to purchase TWO sodas; it turns out I had enough to purchase SEVEN sodas. Since I was buying the soft drinks for Sid I was primarily pressing the Coke Zero button but I couldn’t pass up taking my chance on the mystery flavor option…the first time I have ever seen that on a soda machine.

A partial look at the lineup of sodas on the far left machine. Notice the $.25 price if you were doubting me and notice how a mystery Fanta flavor is offered along with another mystery flavor option.

My question about whether people actually use these machines was answered when I was making my selections because there was a gentleman also purchasing sodas. I expressed to him my glee at the soda bargain. Turns out he is a regular customer.

“I come here every night,” the guy said. “My friend used to work here so I found out about it.”

The truck entrance to the Swire Coca-Cola, USA bottling center in Spokane.

He then pointed something out to me. The nice guy drew my attention to the two machines on the right. Those machines dispensed 20 oz bottles for $.50! Talk about another outrageous deal.

One of the mystery flavor gambles resulted in me getting a Pibb Xtra, a soda I actually really happen to like.

My enthusiasm was through the roof when I walked through the door with an armful of sodas and a really cool story to tell. Sorry not sorry for my nerdiness. It is just I had not paid a quarter for a vending machine soda since the late 1990s when I could go to Albertsons and purchase their generic flavors. A cold soda in a can just hits different and we now have a semi-secret place to quench that thirst. Don’t Blink.

My Super Bowl LVI Review

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Another Super Bowl is in the books. For those of us from the northwest, we will remember Super Bowl LVI for Cooper Kupp’s electrifying performance that led to game MVP honors. So although a local product’s shining moment is what I will recall most about last night’s Rams vs. Bengals showdown, you better believe that I still paid attention to the other elements that make a Super Bowl what it is. Here is my annual review of the Big Game…

The Game: I think the only way the game could have been better was if the Bengals managed to kick a field goal in the final minute to force overtime. Other than that, it was a competitive, back-and-forth contest that was entertaining to watch. With the exception of the last couple minutes, it was a relatively penalty-free game with some exhilarating plays and big-time performances. After last year’s one-sided snooze fest it was nice to watch an intense game that matched the excitement of the entire 2022 postseason.

Super Bowl LVI was competitive and fun to watch.

The Anthem: Mickey Guyton’s performance was good but I don’t think it went smoothly. When she started to sing I could hear her mic pick up what I assumed to be either crowd feedback or control room feedback (did you hear that male voice?). Also, she seemed to stumble at the beginning of one of the middle verses. But her vocals were still solid and I think when the background music kicked in, followed by the background vocals, it sounded really good. Also, Guyton’s ending note was ah-mazing.

Mickey Guyton’s performance wasn’t perfect but it did have some strong moments.

The Commercials: I think the commercials deserve a solid B this year. Sure, you had multiple ads that focused on the topics of electric cars, crypto, and tax return services but at least they were well-done. I liked the message that the Expedia ad delivered (experiences over material things) and I thought the McDonald’s “uhhhhh” drive-thru ad was the most relatable. Even though their website ended up crashing, I thought the concept of letting the QR code bounce around the screen for 30 seconds was a brilliant tactic by Coinbase. Not only did the company generate a lot of social media discussion but all the data it mined from people accessing the QR code was probably worth the price paid to run the commercial.

I personally really enjoyed Meta’s spot that followed the “career” of an animatronic character. From the dog’s glory days in a pizza arcade to tough times of irrelevancy to a resurgence in a space center, I thought the dose of nostalgia was effective in promoting a very futuristic VR headset. I also personally liked the crypto commercial that had the present day Lebron James talking to the high school senior Lebron James and the Turkish Airlines spot with Morgan Freeman. In terms of humor, I got quick laughs out of the Irish Spring commune spot, the Pringles “Get Stuck In” commercial, and the Verizon ad that had Jim Carey reprise his role from “Cable Guy.” I thought the best performance by an established actor/actress goes to Anna Kendrick for her part in the Rocket Homes and Rocket Mortgage barbie ad. The concept was creative and Anna was Anna.

I thought Anna Kendrick was awesome in the Rocket Mortgage commercial.

The Halftime Show: I have no complaints. This year’s halftime show that featured Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar seemed to go off without a hitch. There were no viral moments nor audio issues like last year’s show with the Weeknd. All artists seemed to be having a good time as they performed on the ultimate stage. Man, some of those beats brought back more nostalgia than the animatronic dog. It is always fun when there is a surprise performer so it was kind of cool to see 50 Cent do his thing. I didn’t think it was fair that the show was hyped as the “best halftime show ever” (which it wasn’t) before Super Bowl LVI even took place but at least it didn’t bomb.

I think the halftime show was pretty decent.

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I paid for it at the gym this morning for eating one too many cookies at my parents’ Super Bowl party. Oh well. Congratulations to the Los Angeles Rams and Cooper Kupp! Don’t Blink.

Proud to be a Reser

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We recently returned from Walla Walla where we spent three days celebrating the life of my Aunt Nancy. Between attending the viewing, funeral, and grave site service we had the opportunity to spend valuable time with my extended family. As opposed to mourning in solitude, our large bunch opted to be around each other as we managed to mix in some laughs with the tears.

My Aunt Nancy was laid to rest in Dayton, Washington.

I have just three brief items that are top of mind from the past few days…

1. My Aunt Nancy was even more incredible than I thought. At the funeral, several speakers were penciled in to eulogize her. There was then an open mic period where numerous people from the audience stood up to deliver impromptu tributes. It was so awesome. Her reach was incredible and her impact immeasurable.

2. I have an extremely special extended family. Our Reser clan leaned on each other and supported one another over the past several days (as we had leading up to the memorial events and will continue to do now that they are over). Sometimes when a family death occurs you see divisions develop between survivors…that wasn’t close to the case for us. As I mentioned above, we banded together and embraced the familial unity that Nancy worked so hard to build during her time on this earth.

3. We have brought in some really superb people to the family. Not only do our significant others fit so well with our crazy bunch but they add immensely to it as well. To hear them express how much they loved Nancy and how much they value being part of our family meant so much.

The time after celebration of life events can be tough for many so I ask that you pray for my extended family. I feel so fortunate to be a Reser and will do my best to honor the legacy of Nancy. Don’t Blink.

Wordle Observations

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About four weeks ago, I started playing Wordle. The game was impossible to ignore given its ascension into the current pop culture discussion and the prevalence of social media box score posting. At the same time that I started to play it daily, I introduced Wordle to my family via our text messaging thread. Before long, my wife, siblings, and sister-in-law were all hooked. It is yet another thing that keeps us all connected and our text message thread booming.

I thought I would make four non-strategic observations I have had about the game since I started to play.

Just like with everyone else in the world, I play Wordle. I have a few observations.

– Is it harder to win than lose? I am yet to not solve a puzzle. But I say that in a very humble way. It just seems that by the fifth or sixth try the word will become apparent just by the process of elimination. I imagine that Wordle experts gauge success by the number of guesses and the time it takes to solve the puzzle.

– Speaking of time efficiency with Wordle, it isn’t my strong suit. I mentioned I haven’t missed a puzzle but I do take my sweet time. It isn’t uncommon for me to sit frustrated for several minutes as I submit my next guess. Sometimes Sid and I will go head-to-head to see who can solve the puzzle first with my better half usually winning.

– On the subject of the Wordle rivalry between my wife and I…we usually don’t compete head-to-head just because Sid mostly completes the puzzle early in the day and I complete it at night in bed. I am not a big fan of Sid looking over my shoulder while I work though the daily Wordle but she sure gets a kick out of it, especially when I struggle. “Are you going to play a word?” is a favorite line of hers as I lay stumped with my phone in my hands at 11 p.m.

– A major key to the success of Wordle is its lack of an on-demand app as there is just one puzzle per day (on a website of all places). I appreciate that the game isn’t overwhelming and there isn’t some scoring system that incentivizes players from spending all day solving a hundred different puzzles. Everyone is on the same level, everyone is given the same daily opportunity. I appreciate that.

Why does or why doesn’t Wordle appeal to you? Please feel free to let me know. Don’t Blink.

Beau Turns 2

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If the terrible twos start today, what the heck were the past 365 days?

Beau can be a little challenging at times but we sure love him!

Of course I say that with the utmost endearment. Beau turns 2 today and it officially ends a year where we experienced firsthand the difference between girl 1-year-olds and boy 1-year-olds. Sloan didn’t keep us on the run half as much as Beau did. Needless to say, Sid and I have a pretty good suspicion that Beau as a 2-year-old is also going to be a much more “involved” experience than Sloan as a 2-year-old.

This kid always has a smile on his face.

And we can’t wait. Although I joke about the patience and stamina it takes to parent Beau, it makes him who he is. He is our little man who won’t stay still but will throw food. The crazy boy who will push limits and pull hair. The buddy boy who will refuse naps but accept any chance to drive his sister bonkers.

It is such a privilege to be Beau’s dad.

But he is also the sweet little guy who will give hugs and kisses. The angel in disguise who will say sorry while making a circular motion on his chest. The mama’s boy who will shriek “Mommy!” and run to Sid when she enters the room.

This might be my favorite photo of Beau from the past year. His sister was taking her first day of school photos on the porch so he went over and sat down and demanded that one be taken of him as well.

It has been special to watch Beau’s personality develop throughout the year. He has a mischievous side and an affectionate side. He is outgoing yet sensitive. His social prowess matched with an early onset of FOMO causes him to follow his sister and cousins everywhere while attempting to do everything that they do.

Can’t wait to watch you thrive as a 2-year-old, Beau!

We are challenging Beau as a 2-year-old to keep out of the damn emergency room (he made multiple trips as a 1-year-old). We also want to see him continue to develop his speech and learn how to practice diplomacy with his sister. But what we want to see most of all is absolutely no change whatsoever in his loving and carefree spirit. We are so blessed to have Beau and we look forward to witnessing the many strides that will be made between now and when he turns 3. Happy birthday, Beau Bear. Don’t Blink.

So Casual Thursday Rundown

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Sorry to everyone disappointed by yesterday’s events with Punxsutawney Phil. He saw his shadow and that means we must deal with six more weeks of winter. Hopefully my latest Thursday Rundown can lift your spirits. Here come five topics…

New Donut Shop – Our family started our own tradition of bringing donuts home on our birthdays. Unfortunately, our go-to donut shop shuttered because of the pandemic. When we celebrated Sid’s birthday last Friday we tried the Casual Friday Donuts location in Spokane Valley. I tried to sample a little bit of each donut and I think the classic maple bar was my favorite. That one donut you see in the bottom right was filled with a peanut butter icing that naturally appealed to me.

These were the donuts we tried from Casual Friday Donuts last week.

Celebrity Big Brother 3 – Many of you are well aware that I am a “Big Brother” fan and that extends to the celebrity version as well. To compete with the Winter Olympics, CBS launched the third ever season of Celebrity Big Brother. The first episode aired last night and many more will follow this month because a winner will be crowned on February 23. I am cheering for Todd Bridges!

The season premiere of the third season of Celebrity Big Brother aired last night.

Home Team – One of the top 10 Netflix selections right now is “Home Team,” a very loosely based “true story” about Sean Payton coaching his son’s middle school football team while he was suspended from the NFL for Bountygate. The part I liked about the movie was the performance of Kevin James as Sean Payton. James had to be somewhat serious at times and it was quite the departure from his usual roles. The movie itself though is pretty bad. The football scenes are horrendous and some of the antics in the film (i.e. vomit scene) are so juvenile it hurts. I definitely laughed throughout the movie but I can’t say that I would recommend it.

I would not recommend “Home Team.”

More Football – Okay, let’s move from the fictional Sean Payton to the real Tom Brady. Two days ago, Brady officially announced his retirement. As I have documented, I disliked the quarterback for the first 20 years of his career and discounted some of his accomplishments. But after he signed with Tampa Bay and led that team to a Super Bowl victory, what more could I say? I wish him well in retirement. As for this year’s Super Bowl, I could flip a coin. Once kickoff approaches though, I think I will pull for Cincinnati. I don’t think I have ever watched less NFL football than I have this season.

My attitude toward Tom Brady changed a lot over the past year. (photo courtesy of the NFL).

When You Know You Failed – Below is the expression that no husband wants to see when his wife opens a birthday gift. One of the presents I gave Sid was a leg pillow and her initial reaction wasn’t exactly what I was going for. Oh well, I think Sidney said it was more confusion than anything as she didn’t know precisely what it was at first (I will keep telling myself that). With all that said, I am happy to report that she actually does use it.

This was Sidney’s reaction when she opened up the leg pillow I gave her for her birthday. Perhaps she just didn’t like the wrapping paper.

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Time for me to stop writing and return to the “Gabby’s Dollhouse” binge my children are on. Enjoy your Thursday evening. Don’t Blink.

Let Sid Eat Cake

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Remember the time when Costco sheet cakes were all the rage? When I was a kid, it seemed like every birthday or special occasion required a Costco cake to make it legit. I remember when my family would purchase a cake we would always have so much remaining that we would freeze the leftovers and have a steady dessert option for about a month.

Well, it seemed like Costco cakes fell out of favor, at least in my inner circle. In fact, I kind of forgot all about them. However, that changed last week when I ordered a cake for Sidney. I put together a little surprise party for her milestone birthday and needed to order a cake that would feed more than just our family of four. This made me think about Costco but I ended up going a different direction.

I ordered a quarter sheet cake from Rosauers, a supermarket chain in the western United States. The bakeries in these grocery stores always receive high marks and Sidney even mentioned that she would like to try one of their cakes. I ordered one over the phone in the middle of the week as they happily accommodated my short turnaround time for a Friday pick up.

This was the cake that Rosauers created for my wife.

When I approached the bakery at our Spokane Valley Rosauers with Sloan and Beau, we received the royal treatment. The woman who greeted us brought us to a corner of the bakery and removed the top of the box so we could view the cake. Once we expressed our approval, she brought over the person who baked and decorated it. I thought it was kind of cool to meet and thank the woman who did such a fantastic job on Sid’s cake.

Later that night, after Sid was genuinely surprised by our friends, I took out the cake and placed a “3” candle and a “0” candle on it. As I lit the candles, one of our friends excitedly told us that she enjoys Rosauers’ cakes so much that she ordered her wedding cake from them! Talk about a ringing endorsement!

Sidney with her Rosauers cake prior to us singing “Happy Birthday.”

All the hype was legit. Our chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream filling and chocolate frosting was delicious (of course we needed a scoop of vanilla ice cream with each serving). The price was extremely fair too. If you like fresh cake and live in Washington or another nearby state, consider giving Rosauers your business. Don’t Blink.

“The Book Hog” and Cory Lux

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Last night, Sloan and I got a little more than usual out of our nightly reading routine. We picked up our first book of the evening, a seemingly normal story titled “The Book Hog” by Greg Pizzoli.

We read “The Book Hog” last night. When we opened the book something caught our eye.

We opened to the inside cover and noticed something…

We noticed a sticker inside the book.

There was a Spokane County Library District sticker placed inside the book. Out of the hundreds of library books we have read together, we had never seen a sticker like it before. We zeroed in on what it said…

The sticker read “In memory of employee Cory Lux.”

In memory of employee Cory Lux. I read it aloud to Sloan and asked her what she thought it meant. Being the intelligent little girl that she is, it didn’t take her long to say, “I think he might have died.” Sidney, who was sitting right next to us, Googled Cory. In a couple seconds she had his obituary. Before we got to “The Book Hog,” we were going to do some different reading.

We learned that Cory was born in 1973 and died in 2009. I pointed out to Sloan that he was just a little older than me when he passed away. He was born in Montana and moved to Spokane a few years later. Things started to get interesting from there. He attended Farwell Elementary, the same grade school that I did. We were also both Mead High School Panthers. While at Mead, Cory was a sought after manager for the athletics teams, delivering not just water and towels but inspiration as well.

I know the photo is a little blurry but this was Cory Lux. We felt fortunate to learn about his impactful life last night.

He attended Spokane Falls Community College and, according to his obituary, received a standing ovation at his commencement ceremony when he was presented with his Associate’s Degree in Library Science. From there he started his career with the Spokane County Library District, making a positive impact on the customers and his co-workers until his death after a second battle with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

As I read the inspirational obituary I could tell Cory faced many challenges in his life. Learning about his special character coupled with the loss that we are currently dealing with made me tear up a bit as I finished the last couple paragraphs.

When we concluded the obituary I read her “The Book Hog.” It wasn’t a long book but by the time I had finished reading it she was asleep on my shoulder. That little girl sure has learned a lot about life over the past 10 days.

Tonight I am thinking about the Lux family and praying for Cory. I am glad that Sloan, Sid, and I got to learn about his life. Don’t Blink.

Similar Attitude for 2022 Winter Olympics

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You may or may not know this, but guess what?…

The Winter Olympics start this week. On Friday, the Opening Ceremony will take place in Beijing’s Bird Nest. The whole world, or at least the select few countries that actually compete in the winter games, will tune in for this monumental event.

The 2022 Winter Olympics will start this week. As usual, I am not overly excited.

My apologies for the sarcasm. But if you have followed this blog post over the years, you know I am rather ho-hum about the Winter Olympics. I have a ton of reasons for this attitude but the bottom line is that they just fail to capture my attention like the Summer Olympics. When you compare the winter games to the summer games, the former does not deliver the same importance, diversity, and energy as the latter.

This year, I think the Winter Olympics might lack even more hype than previous games. With the blockbuster Tokyo Summer Olympics taking place just six months ago and with this year’s Winter Olympics returning to Beijing just 14 years after the city hosted the Summer Olympics, I am finding it hard to turn up the enthusiasm level. Plus, the stands will once again be sparse as efforts to contain the spread of COVID continue.

To put it bluntly, I am looking more forward to Celebrity Big Brother than I am to the 2022 Winter Olympics. But I am doing my best not to throw in the towel completely. I want to give Sloan the chance to enjoy them. We had so much fun watching and learning about the Olympics this past summer that I don’t want to close the door on doing the same over the next few weeks. Though, at this point, my heart just is not in it.

I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised and will try my best to keep an open mind. Despite my lackluster enthusiasm, I do hope for a peaceful and smooth Winter Olympics for everyone involved. Don’t Blink.

Sid Finally Turns 30

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The day has finally come. Out of all the siblings and spouses on both sides of our families, Sidney is the youngest. She flaunts this fact all the time and while today won’t stop her from continuing to do so, she loses a great deal of leverage. Welcome to your 30s, dear.

Before Sid’s milestone birthday today, she relished that most of us are well into our 30s with some even pushing close to 40 (you all know who you are). She latched onto the twilight years of her 20s and wasn’t afraid to throw it in our faces. Well, no more! Sid, you are officially old.

In all seriousness, I hope Sid moves into this new decade with some of the momentum she generated from her last decade. The other day we were reflecting on how fruitful her 20s really were. She traveled Europe, started a teaching career, got married, had two kids, and moved across the country. Not a bad 10 years, right? I am betting her 30s will be just as prosperous.

I want to wish a special 30th birthday to my wife.

Sidney deserves plenty of joy today. It has been kind of a rough start to 2022. Among other things, COVID ran its course through our family and we are reeling from Nancy’s death. I am looking forward to truly celebrating this milestone birthday of Sid’s and seeing a big grin across her face, at least for today.

Sidney, as Nancy would famously say in her signature birthday salutation, enjoy “your” day. I love you and am excited to see what your 30s bring. Don’t Blink.