Splash Pads in Spokane

Posted on by
2

I discovered the best summer hack ever: splash pads.

Sloan has discovered splash pads and she loves them!

Our state is in a serious and unprecedented heat wave with numerous consecutive days of 100+ degree days. It is pretty day. Now while I realize the best course of action for many is to just stay inside, a certain 4-year-old girl has other ideas. Sloan needs to be outside and doing things.

Oh yeah, Sloan isn’t the only one who enjoys splash pads…Beau does too.

So, we have been making the rounds at various parks in the Spokane and Spokane Valley areas. As I have mentioned before, the parks in this area are beautiful, green, and spacious. They have creative playground equipment, hiking trails, designated picnic areas, plenty of shade, and more. They almost all have splash pads too.

Can you spot Sloan? She is playing on this splash pad at Mission Park in Spokane.

For parents, the splash pad is a perfect attraction because kids can cool off without getting too wet to do anything but swim. Splash pads are usually situated right next to the playground so Sloan can go back and forth between each one. On these days that are scorchers, Sloan can run through the splash pad and then hit the play equipment that would otherwise be too hot to play on if not for cold water protecting her body. She can then spend time swinging on the monkey bars and going down the slides until she needs to cool off again on the splash pad.

After getting wet at the splash pad at Edgecliff Park, Sloan will then run over to the playground equipment.

The splash pads are terrific social centers. From what I have observed, they bring kids together as they laugh and splash as water shoots up and pours down. A camaraderie develops around the shared experience of getting drenched with cool water. Sloan has met several other kids on the pads and their newfound friendship expands to the playground as well. It is like magic.

Beau scoping out the splash pad at Greenacres Park in Spokane Valley all while keeping an eye on his sister.

Splash pads help parents fend off heat strokes too. It is a way for us to stay cool during these sizzling days. Although I don’t run through the pad myself, I do put my hands in the water and cool down my neck or arms. Also, the mist that develops and finds its way to the adults standing on the perimeter of the pads is very much appreciated.

The splash pad at Riverfront Park is pretty spectacular.

From what I have seen so far, all splash pads are different in Spokane, making it even more fun. Layouts, fountains, geysers, and funnels are all unique at each park, making for a special experience at each one. Variety is the spice of life, right?

Sloan and her cousins love hitting up the area splash pads. This is at Edgecliff Park in Spokane Valley.

Perhaps I am just on such a splash pad high because we were taunted by them last summer. Sloan and I would visit all these Spokane parks and see the elaborate but roped-off pads. Damn you, COVID. You sure know how to break a little girl’s heart.

Beau doesn’t mind getting wet.

So maybe we are making up for lost time. Or maybe it is just really hot out. Or both? Yeah, both. Thank you to our area parks for installing splash pads, they sure are fun! Don’t Blink.

Miriam Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Oh my it is HOT! HOT! HOT! We are looking at triple digit temperatures for the next several days. Is this real life? Let’s get started with tonight’s Thursday Rundown…

Baptism Anniversary – A wise person once told me to treat a baptism date as a birthday, giving it the same, if not more, reverence. Well, Sloan’s baptism anniversary is tomorrow. She was baptized at St. Andrew Catholic Church in front of friends and loved ones from both our families. Administering the sacrament of baptism on Sloan was Deacon Bob Jones. On that day, Deacon Jones’ wife was also in attendance. Miriam Jones worked behind the scenes to make sure that her husband had everything he needed to perform the baptism. Earlier this year, Miriam passed away unexpectedly. As we reflect with Sloan on the significance of her baptism this weekend, we will remember Miriam and pray for her. Thanks be to God for June 25, 2017.

In this photo Deacon Jones holds a newly baptized Sloan. Standing in the background is Miriam Jones, a wonderful lady who passed away in March 2021.

Wrong Pandemic Prediction – Back in May 2020, I entertained the idea that the handshake might be gone forever, even after the pandemic was ancient history. I even suggested that bowing might become “a thing” in western culture. Looks like I was off the mark on both those fronts. From what I have observed, handshakes are back and widely embraced, even as we aren’t completely out of the pandemic woods yet. I think people jumped to a lot of conclusions as COVID started to ravage our country, myself included. But no, the handshake is not going extinct.

Despite my earlier predictions, the handshake will survive the pandemic.

The Donut King – I watched a really interesting documentary on Hulu this week. It was called “The Donut King” and it told the story of a man who immigrated to California from Cambodia and started a donut enterprise. After opening a single shop, he started to open more and helped countless Cambodian families open up their own donut shops as well. The documentary takes you inside the Cambodian donut world and chronicles how many of the people inside it achieved and embraced the American Dream. I really enjoyed it.

“The Donut King” was an enjoyable documentary.

Three Dads – This picture is special to me. On Saturday night I had the honor of standing next to a couple of great dads who I look up to. My dad is in the middle and my brother-in-law is on the left. Jay and my dad have been great role models to me and to get a Father’s Day Eve photo with them was cool.

I take pride in this photo. My brother-in-law, Jay, is on the left and my dad is in the middle.

Strike 14! – I saw this in the comics yesterday and it instantly brought a smile to my face. From time to time I will take Sloan and her cousins outside and throw them batting practice with whiffle balls. I will say that each person will get five pitches but it always goes way beyond that as they plead for more. Many times we will reach that 14th strike.

In our family, registering a 14th strike is not uncommon.

——————

I know I have said this before when concluding my Thursday Rundowns but I really mean it this time…stay cool everyone! Enjoy your weekend and I will catch up with you all next week. Don’t Blink.

Swimming for Gold…Or Copper

Posted on by
1

Yesterday Sloan went to her first ever swim lesson. She went to the Liberty Aquatic Center in Spokane and splashed in the water with two other girls in her “seahorse” level class. They jumped in the pool, blew bubbles, and practiced different strokes underneath the careful hands of their instructor.

A photo of Sloan right before her first swim lesson at Liberty Aquatic Center in Spokane.

Watching Sloan laugh and learn in the blue water on a gorgeous summer day brought me back 25 years to when I was enrolled in swim lessons. My friends and I took lessons from a family in our neighborhood that built a pretty impressive swim instruction business. Every day during the summer the large back yard at this house would be the place to be. The pool would have a couple lessons taking place in it and then the sloped lawn surrounding it would be packed with kids who either just finished their lesson or were waiting for their own to begin.

Sloan standing with the other two little girls in her class.

I remember structuring my entire morning off swim lessons. My friends and I would ride our bikes to the house about two hours before our lesson was to begin, get in the pool when it was finally our session, and then loiter around the yard well past the time our lesson concluded. We had a lot of fun.

Sloan perfecting her stroke with her swim instructor at Liberty Aquatic Center in Spokane.

But my fondest memory from the Davis Swim School was the aspect that made it stand out. When the lesson was almost over, every class would get to dive for pennies. The instructor would toss pennies across the pool floor and allow us to swim down and scoop them up. We all thought it was the coolest thing. When we would come back to the surface with some copper in our hands we would deposit it into red solo cups with our names on it.

Then we would take our loot under the deck and exchange it for gumballs, licorice, and other items. It truly was one of the highlights of our summer and a fond memory I have to this day.

As Sloan continues her lessons over the next two weeks she won’t be diving for pennies. But it is all good because she doesn’t need the money incentive to enjoy her swim classes. All she needs is some water and a swimsuit and she is the happiest seahorse you will ever meet. Don’t Blink.

Google Reviews

Posted on by
2

Over the past month or so, I have picked up another digital hobby, and/or, perhaps, a form of public service. I am now making it a point to write Google reviews.

I am now sharing my experiences from restaurants, hotels, and shops with the internet. Since May I have written 10 different reviews. Prior to that, I had written two Google reviews in my lifetime. Every couple weeks or so I would get a notice from Google stating that those reviews had earned thousands and thousands of views but didn’t think much of it. But with my own reliance on reading Google reviews and the pleas I see from many businesses asking for people to submit Google reviews, I decided I would start contributing.

In a way, I was already writing reviews. Over the past 10 years for my blog I have written tirelessly about restaurants, attractions, services, and hotels. Why not optimize my work past Don’t Blink? I am already putting in the labor, why not let a larger audience benefit from it?

So I am now an official Google reviewer. I am pretty easy to please as I tend to distribute stars on a pretty liberal basis. Details, names, and photos are all things I aim to provide when writing my reviews. It does give me a bit of satisfaction when a representative from the business I reviewed replies back or when I get a notification that lots of people are benefitting from what I shared.

I envision myself continuing to write Google reviews at least through the summer. We have a very busy few months and I want to reflect in an honest way on the businesses we patronize. If anyone out there is an avid Google reviewer, please let me know. I have some questions for you. Don’t Blink.

Damon Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Greetings my friends! Not much small talk this evening, just five topics coming your way…

Golf With Dad – Since my family was still in Myrtle Beach last weekend, I did something that I normally don’t have time to do: I golfed. My dad and I went on a father-son outing and played 18 holes. We golfed at Esmeralda, my first time ever playing the course. We were paired with two other young men and we had a great afternoon. My game needs a lot of work but it was so nice to hit the links on such a beautiful day.

My dad and I golfed 18 holes at Esmeralda in Spokane.

Honeymoon – When these mid-June dates come around, I always get giddy looking at my Timehop as it takes me back to our honeymoon. Five years later I can still mentally put myself back into our Cancun resort and remember the sights, smells, and feel of the air. All of these sensory memories are so pleasant because there was so much joy those five days in Mexico. I wrote about our honeymoon and discussed some of the tangible things that made the trip the best ever (hint: going with the best person ever sure helped).

I wrote in depth about our honeymoon.

The Departed – The best movie I saw this past week was 2006 Academy Award winning best picture “The Departed.” I had never watched it from start to finish and I am glad I finally did. Jack Nicholson is perfect as a gangster and one of my personal favorite actors, Leonardo DiCaprio, did not disappoint. I also didn’t realize key roles that Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin played in the movie. The last 20 minutes of the film is a real trip and just the general premise of the cops and gangsters both trying to figure out who infiltrated their organizations is highly entertaining. Definitely recommend.

“The Departed” will keep you intrigued!

Spokane Tribe Casino – On Saturday night, I went with my parents to the Spokane Tribe Casino for dinner. The gaming center/resort opened just a few years ago to compete with Northern Quest Casino and this past weekend was my first time visiting the premises. It is a spotless facility with a nice restaurant area. The menu has several enticing options as I went with the spaghetti Bolognese. But what makes the Spokane Tribe Casino stand out is its beer special. All pints are just $2. It doesn’t matter if you get a Bud Light, a Blue Moon, or an IPA, it will only set you back $2. In an era where 16 oz. of beer usually costs $5, the low cost of $2 for a large selection of brews is much appreciated.

It is $2 for all draft beer at Spokane Tribe Casino.

An Incredible Force – This meme is right on, man. I have spent some frustrating moments in my life trying to separate buckets like these. If teams stuck together like 5-gallon buckets do, I don’t think there is any doubt that they would win championships. Thanks for the meme, Lindsi.

Have you ever tried to pull apart 5-gallon buckets? Hard!

————-

Thanks for taking time to read my post. Remember that the longest day of the year is on Sunday so make sure to get out and enjoy it. Don’t Blink.

Storms Are Better With Family

Posted on by
Reply

I think we all might have a childhood middle of the night storm memory. We went to bed only to awake in the wee hours of the morning to the sounds of hard rain and pounding thunder combined with the spectacle of brilliant white light generated by lightning bolts.

For many of us, the experience delivered a plethora of emotions including excitement, wonderment, and perhaps a little fear. It was a special and random occasion, one that the whole family shared together during an hour when usually everyone was asleep.

Watching a lightning storm in the middle of the night was always special as a child.

Last night we had a storm in Spokane that reminded me of the ones from my childhood. The sky was in a constant state of illumination and the rain poured heavy for several hours. Our master bedroom is on the top floor and a large sliding door that leads out to our personal deck is by our bed. I prefer to keep the curtains open at night to admire the Spokane Valley skyline. As you can imagine, it provided an incredible view of the storm.

But something was missing. I had no one to share it with. Monday evening was the last night without Sid and the kids. Since I had no one to watch Mother Nature’s theatrics with, I eventually got up and closed the curtain.

I picked up these two (and Sid) at the airport today.

If another wicked storm decides to roll in tonight (which I know it won’t), I will be watching the entire show. My family arrived in town at lunchtime today and I feel complete once again. Life’s little pleasures just mean more when you can enjoy them with those you love. Don’t Blink.

Summer 2021 is Here

Posted on by
Reply

Summer technically doesn’t begin until next Sunday but that is just a formality. In my opinion, summer is already here. School is out, pools are open, and the vibe is evident. To put it simply, it feels like summer.

I came to this realization yesterday. I was over at my parents’ and we went on the back porch to have a beer. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the air smelled like chlorine from the two pools in neighboring yards. By the time we grilled some steaks and ate those outside too I definitely knew it wasn’t spring anymore.

It dawned on me yesterday while I was drinking this (don’t judge) that summer is here.

So, as I tend to say when a new season is upon us, enjoy it. Savor the long days, soak in the sunshine, and get outdoors. If you have children, make these next few months special for them. It is my belief that summer should be a more relaxed, carefree time. Come on, grab an icy cold citrus beer and enjoy yourself.

Also, do I need to remind you? This isn’t the summer of 2020, folks. The COVID tide has changed and we will be able to do things this year. Don’t take it for granted. Seize the opportunities to watch a minor league baseball game, splash at the water park, and attend that fireworks show. While you enjoy those things, remember to be thankful.

Our family has a big summer lined up and we hope you do too. Remember to have lots of fun! Don’t Blink.

Our Fifth Wedding Anniversary

Posted on by
Reply

What do golden rings, the Great Lakes, fingers on one hand, and the marriage of Sid and Brent have in common?

You can put a “5” in front of each one.

Today, Sidney and I celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. Although we have never been farther apart geographically for an anniversary, we have never been closer in our relationship. That type of stability can make a few thousand miles seem like nothing.

It was a beautiful feeling walking back up the aisle with Sidney after we were married.

The keys to our strong marriage, aside from the unshakeable love we have for one another, continue to be the same ones I outlined in our third anniversary and fourth anniversary blog posts: Outstanding examples from our parents, a matrimonial union rooted in the Church, and the gift of children.

There is not a day that goes by that those three blessings don’t have some type of influence on our relationship. As I look back on this latest year of marriage and think about what strengthened our marital bond beyond “the big/consistent three,” I can point to, appropriately, five things…

Let’s Begin a Life Out West – I suppose there had to be some trust with this one, right? Although it was hard to leave our life in Myrtle Beach, Sid and I worked together to make a major move that was beneficial for our family.

Weight Loss Challenge – We embarked on a six-week weight loss challenge together. Yes, at times we wanted to flip out on each other as hunger and fatigue set in, but we survived. We saw the challenge to the end and enjoyed some great results.

Meet Like-Minded Couples – Sid and I joined a Young Adult Catholic Group in our area and met some other married couples who are at the same stages in life as we are with careers, children, and faith. Having our parents as examples of what a loving marriage looks like is huge, but having peers who also have strong marriages is important too.

Two Is Better Than One – This past year of marriage was the first full 52-week cycle of having two children. If you think having one kid will bring you closer to your spouse, go ahead and have another. Thanks be to God for Sloan and Beau.

Spend Every Waking Hour Together – The pandemic allowed me to work from home all year and with Sidney shifting into her role as a stay-at-home mom, that meant we were under the same roof pretty much 24/7. If we didn’t kill each other with that arrangement, I would say our marriage is on pretty solid ground.

I am so thankful for my wife. She is a rock star and makes me so happy. Can’t wait to get working on the next five years and beyond. Happy anniversary, Sid. Don’t Blink.

Rehearsing This Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
1

I hope the lack of a Thursday Rundown last week didn’t put you in that bad of a mood. Thankfully your favorite weekly blog post is back. Here are tonight’s topics…

Dessert Date – One thing I did not share in last night’s recap about our Myrtle Beach trip was a nice outing that Sidney and I shared. Last Sunday evening, once both of our kids were asleep, we slipped out of my in-law’s house and went to a restaurant I have blogged about before called the Sneaky Beagle. We ordered dessert and a round of drinks. We split a slice of “Death by Chocolate” cake and Oreo pie. Both desserts were delicious and the two of us sure enjoyed our hour of alone time together.

Dessert at the Sneaky Beagle was a great way for Sid and I to escape and enjoy a little time together on our vacation.

Five Years Ago – As nice as the Sneaky Beagle was, it can’t hold a candle to the place we ate at five years ago on this date. The location was Thoroughbreds Chophouse and the occasion was our rehearsal dinner. The evening wasn’t perfect just because the food was superb (Sid’s uncle said it was the best prime rib he has had in his life, beating out a 5-star restaurant he ate at in Las Vegas) but because how intimate and special it was. I will always remember my dad’s speech and sharing the head table with both of our parents. I wrote this blog post about our experience.

A couple different views of the head table for our rehearsal dinner at Throughbreds

National Ballpoint Pen Day – Yet another quirk of mine is that I always carry at least two ballpoint pens in my pocket at any given time. The origin of this habit can be traced as far back as middle school. Before you laugh at me, you need to realize how many times I have saved the day by pulling out a pen when someone was in desperate need of a writing utensil. My ballpoint pen obsession reached a new level when I ordered 262 of them with Don’t Blink branding on it in 2014. Happy National Ballpoint Pen Day, everyone.

I always have ballpoint pens on me.

Family Movies – While on vacation I watched a couple movies that would be great for the whole family. We watched “Blue Miracle,” a Netflix film starring Dennis Quaid in which he plays a washed-up fisherman just looking to be relevant again. It is a short film with a strong message. We also watched “Raya and the Last Dragon,” an animated film that you can catch on Disney+. This movie has strong themes of teamwork and selflessness. If you have young teenagers, watch “Blue Miracle.” If you have smaller children, watch “Raya and the Last Dragon.”

I enjoyed watching “Blue Miracle.”

3-For-1 – On Tuesday night, I gave a Twitter shoutout to the pizza guy at the Minneapolis Airport. Well, tonight I want to give him the Don’t Blink treatment as well. I approached a pizza place near the G gates of the airport and ordered a single slice. After I put in my order I had to pay at a different checkpoint. When I returned to pick up my pizza the employee lifted the box it was in to reveal THREE slices instead of just one. He gave me a sly smile and I expressed my gratitude.

The fact that the pizza place was about to close for the night was probably a major factor in him giving me three slices.

———————-

Glad I could put together another Thursday Rundown. Hoping my wife and kids are continuing to enjoy themselves in Myrtle Beach and I hope that you have a fabulous weekend. Don’t Blink.

Our Summer Vacation to Myrtle Beach

Posted on by
1

Yesterday I returned from a nice trip to Myrtle Beach. In our second trip back after our move out west, our schedule wasn’t as packed as our holiday visit last December. This allowed us to both enjoy some more downtime while also connecting with people we had not seen in a year and a half. As I typically do with vacation recaps, I thought it would be best to identify five themes from my* June trip to Myrtle Beach.

We were all smiles as we flew to Myrtle Beach.

Meet the Newest Member of the Family – We were most excited to meet our new nephew/cousin. Sidney’s sister, Court, and her husband welcomed their first child into the world on May 17. FaceTime can only fill the geographic void to a certain extent and we couldn’t wait to hold Jack for the first time. He surely didn’t disappoint! I know Sidney fell in love with Jack the moment she laid her eyes on him and it was a pleasant reminder to me about how little newborns truly are (crazy how you forget so quickly). What joy it brought us to meet Jack!

Meet Baby Jack!

Family – Yes, we were ecstatic to see the newest member of the family but we couldn’t wait to see the non-newborn members as well! The four of us spent majority of our time visiting with Sid’s parents, sisters, brothers-in-law, nephews, and niece. We ate meals, played volleyball, watched baseball, and spent precious time visiting. A couple of my personal highlights included Sidney and I having a sleepover with our niece (Russell, 12) and nephew (Harrison, 8) and also enjoying a birthday celebration for Russell and her youngest brother, Henry (4). I am so blessed to be part of Sid’s family!

Being with Sidney’s family was the reason for the vacation.

Summer Activities – Although we didn’t receive summer-like weather while we were in Myrtle Beach, it didn’t stop us from engaging in summer fun. It may have rained more days than not, but I still wanted Sloan to do things while on vacation. We hit up a Myrtle Beach Pelicans game and despite only getting to see a few innings due to rain, we still ate plenty of ballpark food and were treated to a fireworks show. One day I took Sloan to Myrtle Waves, a huge water park in Myrtle Beach. While it drizzled most of the time we were there and I secretly hoped that the sun would come out, Sloan didn’t know the difference. She loved the lazy river and the kiddie slides. My last full day we were there we headed to the beach. It was Beau’s first time seeing the ocean and Sloan spent the time with her cousin building sandcastles and collecting seashells. Throughout the trip we didn’t let a little rain dampen our fun!

Yes, it rained. However, it couldn’t keep us away from the beach, water park, and ball game.

Nice to See You Again – In addition to spending lots of time with Sid’s family, we also saw some of our closest friends. Sloan played multiple times with her Myrtle best friend, Jacqueline, and I got to visit with her mom, Susannah. We went over to the home of our spiritual mentors, the McCormicks, for pizza and conversation. I also stepped foot on the Coastal Carolina University campus for the first time since February 2020 and had a reunion with my University Marketing and Communication team. It was so nice to catch up with everyone and see how they successfully managed through the pandemic. After I left the offices I went across the street with my CCU bestie, Geoff, to our favorite burrito joint for lunch (Welcome to Moe’s!).

We joined the McCormicks for an evening (top photo), I got to have lunch with Geoff (bottom left), and Sloan and Jacqueline got to see each other a few times and I got to catch up with Susannah (bottom right photo).

Enjoying Our Favorites – Sid and I managed to do some of our favorite Myrtle Beach things. We attended mass at St. Andrew, got dessert at our favorite ice cream spot (Bruster’s), went through the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru countless times, and managed to find Mr. Softee. I also got in several workouts at Iron Legacy, the gym that holds a dedicated spot in my heart. We didn’t take for granted the opportunity to visit and enjoy these places that are so special to us.

From church to ice cream to the gym, we got to enjoy some of our favorite Myrtle Beach things/places.

———————–

Myrtle Beach will always be part of who I am. I met my wife, had two kids, and spent some of the best years of my life there. To have the opportunity to go back and visit is something I am incredibly thankful for. I am happy that Sid, Sloan, and Beau still have several days left to enjoy. Don’t Blink.

* – I say “my” because Sid, Sloan, and Beau are still making memories in Myrtle Beach. They will be returning next Tuesday.