Reaction Thursday Rundown

Happy Autumn (or “Fall,” if that is what you prefer)! I always feel when Fall comes around it is always kind of like “well, duh.” School has already been in session for weeks, the weather has started to get a little cooler, and the days ae shorter…I don’t need the calendar to officially tell me that the season has changed. Alright, rant over. Let’s get to tonight’s Thursday Rundown…

Uniform and Pajamas – I am sticking in a random photo of Sloan and Beau. This was taken right before Sloan went off to school earlier this week. On Tuesdays, students at St. Mary go to mass and are required to wear their sweaters which explains Sloan’s outfit. Beau? He is wearing his favorite lobster-patterned pajamas (although he calls them crabs). The combination of wardrobes made for an interesting picture.

There is never a dull moment, even early in the morning, with these two.

Happy Centenarian Day! – Today is when we give special recognition to all the amazing people who have defied the odds and lived to 100 and beyond. I once wrote about whether I would want to live to 100 or not. At the time I was a little wishy-washy but I have since solidified my position: I would be honored and blessed to see my 100th birthday. My favorite Centenarian is Emma Lommasson, a University of Montana legend who lived to be 107. I met her in 2013 when she was 103. Do you know a Centenarian? Make sure to reach out to him or her today.

This is me with Emma Lommasson in December of 2013.

Honey Charms – In our pantry we have this limited edition of Lucky Charms. If you like a little honey with your cereal, this might be your cup of tea. As I was looking up the origin behind this newest version of the classic breakfast staple, I learned a couple interesting facts about Lucky Charms. Did you know Lucky the Leprechaun was replaced by a wizard for a short period? Or that General Mills sold small packages of just the marshmallows? Or that when the cereal first debuted in the 1960s, the corn pieces were Cheerio-type pieces instead? You learn something new every day.

These aren’t the best but not the worst either.

Texting Reactions – More than four years ago, I wrote about Apple’s iMessage reactions that allow you to “like,” “love,” “question,” and “emphasize” text messages. Back in 2018 I made it clear that I was both a big fan and user of them. Well, nothing has changed in 2022. I still use (and some people will say abuse) them. I thought it was funny that the topic of iMessage reactions came up in a recent Miss Manners column. You can tell there is a generational divide both on the part of the advice seeker and Miss Manners herself as they try to explain and address reactions. In typical Miss Manners fashion, her response packed some sarcasm at the end.

Perhaps Miss Manners’ advice should have been “ditch the Android and just get an iPhone.”

Happy Birthday, Bro – I wanted to wish a happy early birthday to a special dude. He is my fiercest critic but also one of my main supporters. He brings me down to earth but also allows me to have some glory every now and then. He will call me out but would also defend me if I ever needed it. Happy 33rd birthday to my brother, the one and only Mr. Glen Reser. Enjoy your special day tomorrow, good sir.

I would give this speech again in a heartbeat. Happy birthday, Glen!

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I hope everyone has a great first weekend of Fall. Thanks for reading and let’s continue to pray for innocent Ukrainians impacted by the current conflict and everyone else in this world suffering from the horror of war. Don’t Blink.

Thinking About a Centenarian

Four years ago on this date, I met a special centenarian. At the time, Emma Lommasson was a 102-year-old sassy woman with her wit and intellect fully intact. She is still the oldest person I have ever met.

This is me with Emma Lommasson in December of 2013.

Now, I can sense you squirming in your seat because you are anticipating this blog post to take a predictable sad turn. Hold your horses.

When the memory of our visit in 2013 was brought to my attention, I did some internet research. I know that Emma was still alive in March of 2017. However, I could find nothing to confirm or deny that she is still presently enjoying the sweet offerings of this world as I write this. If any of my Montana friends know about Emma, I would greatly appreciate an update.

Over two years ago, I wrote a blog post about living to 100 and beyond. I was a little wishy-washy with giving my opinion, but I ultimately declared that I would like to live to see 100. There is a portion of people in or society who when asked about reaching the century mark they will respond with “I would never want to live that long.”

Since I wrote about this subject in August of 2015, I have read more and more about folks who live to be 100. I have also read with interest about a subgroup within the century club, the so-called “supercentenarians” who live past 110 years old. From the literature, I have found out that these people live comfortable and healthy lives up until the day they die. Hence, they don’t fight long bouts of illness or suffer through a couple of tough years before expiring. Rather, they just peacefully succumb to natural causes after living for a really long time.

I can now say with certainty that, if it was God’s plan, I would like to live to be 100. I think the part of living in pain is what scares most people about living for so long, but according to these centenarians, it really isn’t an issue. I know being alone is another fear people think about when being blessed with longevity; I guess all I can say to that is have a lot of kids who have a lot of grandchildren.

I plan to continue to feed my interest when it comes to learning about people who live to be 100 and beyond. If Emma is still around, I sure hope she is doing great. Don’t Blink.

Emma Lommasson, Griz Weekend, and Bitter Cold

As I seem to do about once a week, tonight’s blog post will cover a few different topics that are relevant in the life of yours truly. I want to get you guys out of here quickly tonight so how about we get started?

Meeting a UM Legend: Today I had the opportunity to meet Emma Lommasson, an icon at the University of Montana. She started as a student at the university and worked her way up to become the assistant registrar. She will turn 102 in just a few days and is an absolutely fascinating lady.

I had the chance to be in her presence because our head football coach Mick Delaney paid her a surprise visit today. Organized by our radio man, Mick Holien, I tagged along to document the meeting between Coach Delaney and Emma. You would not have believed how happy and excited Ms. Lommasson was to meet Coach. As charming as ever, Mick chatted with a delighted Emma for about ten minutes. When he left to head off to practice, I snuck a picture with her. My great uncle lived to the ripe age of 101 but besides him I had never met another person in the century club until meeting Emma today.

Myself with the wonderful Emma Lommasson.

Myself with the wonderful Emma Lommasson.

Crazy Next Two Days: That nice long break I had last week is way back in the rear view mirror. Times are packed once again and Friday and Saturday will have me working non-stop. Tomorrow I will scramble to get ready for a football playoff game on Saturday while at the same time doing all I can to help get Griz Nation ready for a football playoff game on Saturday by getting them pumped and prepared for the big game via our new media outlets. But come 4 p.m. I will turn my attention from the gridiron to the hardwood as Grizzly Athletics hosts the Lady Griz Classic. Tomorrow night Appalachian State and UC Irvine will tip off at 5:30 p.m. followed by Montana and Idaho at 7:30 p.m. As usual I will have my seat in the northwest corner at the music table working away. By the time I get back to my office probably at around 10 p.m., I will return my focus back to football.

Saturday will be an extremely early morning as I hustle off to work to get ready for our FCS playoff game against Coastal Carolina. Once my morning prep work is completed it will be noon and that means kick off time. Once the football contest ends at around 3:30 p.m. I will be back in my office wrapping up the action in Washington-Grizzly Stadium and then getting ready for Night Two of the Lady Griz Classic. The first game tips off at around 6 p.m. and then the Lady Griz will play either App State or UC Irvine at 8:15 p.m. By the time the final buzzer sounds on that second game I will be very anxious to get home and hopefully look back on a successful day for the Griz.

Cold: Here in the Missoula area we are in the midst of a brutal cold front. The last couple days we have experienced single digit temperatures. Unfortunately, it is just going to get worse. The next two days call for even more extreme lows and the emergence of another factor…wind. It is going to get very nasty here in the Zoo.

Of course the storyline of Coastal Carolina coming from a warm climate to take on the Griz inside the ice bowl of Washington-Grizzly Stadium has managed to play itself out like no other this past week. Truth of the matter is, I really don’t see the cold impacting the players that much. For those of us who played outdoor sports, especially football, we know that once you hit the field and warm up you feel fine. Then you add in the adrenaline factor and you are good to go. I worry about our fans and game personnel who will brave the elements on Saturday. I have had a tough time staying outside for four minutes the past couple of days, let alone the four hours that everyone else will come kick off. While sitting up in the press box I will definitely have sympathy and a whole bunch of respect for the 20,000 Griz fanatics cheering loudly below me.

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Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Stay warm and cheer loudly for the Griz! Don’t Blink.