Tag Archives: EWU University Relations

The Best Brownie Piece

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As I have mentioned before, our University Relations department has something we do daily called “Topic of the Day.” A whiteboard at the entrance of our office suite displays a question for each member of our team to answer. Every now and then, I will share one of these questions on a Thursday Rundown.

However, sometimes the “Topic of the Day” is too important for just a passing mention on a rundown blog post…

This was the brilliant Topic of the Day within our EWU University Relations office on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026.

Such as the one I posted above. Presented in an easy-to-answer and aesthetically-pleasing way by our senior graphic designer, Emily Ausere, the question is quite simple: Which piece of the brownie is the best?

Answering the question as if you had a freshly baked pan of brownies in front of you, the choices included: A corner piece (A), a piece that borders the pan on one side (B), or a middle piece that doesn’t border the pan at all (C).

It didn’t even take a split second for me to answer. I put my tally underneath “C” instantaneously.

I want a brownie that is consistent in texture throughout the whole piece. Give me softness in every bite, please. Corners are chewy at best but most of the time burnt…no thank you. I don’t know about you, but hard and scorched is not my preference when it comes to a brownie.

Thanks to Hurricane Matthew many years ago, we swapped a birthday cake for brownies. You better believe I ate the middle and gave the rest to Sid and her family.

Let me put it this way: The “C” piece as defined in the “Topic of the Day” is the filet of the batch of brownies. It is where all the good stuff resides and where perfection can be found.

My philosophy on opting for and savoring the “filet” goes beyond just brownies (and steak, for that matter). If I am eating a hamburger or a traditional square sandwich, I am eating around the border first so that I can save the best for last when I eat the middle.

This can be applied to pizza, too. We commonly cook a certain type of frozen pizza in our family that is square-shaped. I take the insulated pieces in the middle. Thankfully, this never causes controversy because my wife and kids all want the corner pieces—which brings up my next point…

People actually do prefer corner pieces—even when it comes to brownies. And I guess that is a good thing because in life not everyone can have the filet and when people voluntarily opt out of it, that just means more for me.

Sid, Sloan, and Beau can eat all the corner pieces of brownies and pizza they want. Don’t Blink.

Pre-Labor Day Thursday Rundown

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With September here and school in session, autumn is in the air. So let’s go crazy with pumpkin-everything, okay? 😉 Actually, the weather will still be warm for the next month or so and Labor Day weekend is right around the corner, so by all means don’t give up on summer. But whether you prefer fall or summer, hopefully everyone prefers a Thursday Rundown. Let’s get started with tonight’s five topics…

Wienermobile Part III – This past weekend we saw the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in-person. It traveled to Spokane Valley where it was parked on Sprague Avenue for the Cops & Kids event. It was Beau’s first time seeing it but Sloan experienced the euphoria of the Wienermobile twice before. Once at a Publix parking lot in Myrtle Beach in 2018 and then in a Fred Meyer parking lot in 2021. During the 2018 encounter we actually received free hot dogs. In 2021, Sid and Sloan were given hot dog cutouts to pose with. This past weekend, they were gifted Wienermobile whistles (that drove me absolutely crazy).

Sloan and Beau pose in front of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile on Sprague in Spokane Valley during the 2026 Cops & Kids event.

Back To School Boards – Earlier this week in my back-to-school post, I shared a lot of photos from the big first day back for Sloan and Beau. However, I didn’t share their back-to-school boards. Well, tonight is the night. Let’s start first with the oldest…

Sloan holding her 2026-27 back-to-school board.

And here is Beau…

Beau holding his 2026-27 back-to-school board.

Burger King Mini Cones – In the past, I have argued that Burger King has surpassed McDonald’s as a better value. There is now yet another reason why that argument holds true. Burger King now gives all kids a free mini cone each visit. After losing his two front teeth, the soft serve was actually just what he needed when we visited our local BK this past weekend.

Beau with his mini cone from Burger King. Every child receives one for free if a purchase is made.

Happy 109th Birthday, Grandma – My maternal grandma, Virginia Fazzari, would have turned 109 today. Dang, that seems so old! But there is the other part of me that says people have lived to 120 years old so it wasn’t impossible (God willing) that my grandma could still be alive today. It is crazy to think of her meeting my wife and kids…they would have loved her. Instead, she died my freshman year of college at the age of 88. Although she was quiet, she still had a terrific sense of humor and served the Lord with complete devotion. On her 100th birthday, I wrote this blog post about her.

My grandma would have been 109 today.

Topic of the Day – This was the latest riveting “Topic of the Day” posted for the consideration of our University Relations office at EWU. When it comes to whether I would want to be a friend of an alien or ghost, I found myself torn. Of course many factors enter the equation. After much contemplating, I think I would befriend an alien first just because of what I could learn from it and the possible positive ramifications for mankind. I also believe that the chances are better that the alien would be nice (or maybe that’s because I recently watched “Project Hail Mary:”) as opposed to the ghost. Who would be your bestie…an alien or ghost?

This was one of our topics of the day this week. Thanks to senior designer Emily Ausere for thinking up the question and drawing the great display.

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Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone. Make sure to be safe and enjoy. Don’t Blink.

Staying Or Leaving?

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Our alumni director, Kelsey Hatch-Brecek, has started a fun tradition within our University Relations department. Upon walking into our suite of offices, a whiteboard presents a “topic of the day.” Each person is encouraged to use the dry erase marker to indicate a preference. Yesterday, the topic was a good one:

You’re at a gas station and the pump says “SEE CASHIER.” Are you staying or leaving?

This was the “Topic of the Day” I walked into yesterday. I was the second person to answer and my response is on the left 😉.

Now I realize some people might interpret the question differently so let me convey the way I approached it…

Imagine yourself driving to the gas station. You pull up to a pump, exit your car, and pull out your card. With card in-hand, you begin to insert it only to realize the message on the screen is flashing “SEE CASHIER”. Or you do make it to the point where you are able to insert your card only to receive the “SEE CASHIER” prompt once your card is read.

Basing my decision on the scenarios I just listed above, my course of action is a no-brainer…

I am staying.

And trust me, I have been tested a lot lately. I don’t know what it is about the gas stations I frequent, but it almost seems like I get a “SEE CASHIER” screen as often as the ice cream machine is out-of-order at McDonald’s.

If the gas pump says “SEE CASHIER” I am trying another pump at the same gas station.

My first reaction upon receiving this extremely inconvenient message is to begrudgingly get back into my car and drive the 10 feet to the next pump at the same station. This has worked in the past but other times the same infuriating message is flashing on that pump as well. Rather than following the adage of “the third time’s the charm” I usually—and never happily—walk inside to SEE CASHIER 😉.

From that point, I give the cashier a specific amount of money I want to fill my gas tank with. I know some stations will allow you to fill up by putting a hold on your account for some larger amount, but I am always skeptical. Instead, I just use my best experience and math skills to give an amount that will get me as close to “full” as possible without going over. Price Is Right at the gas station, everyone 😂.

I can provide my reasoning for “staying” with three straight-forward points…

1. I have no desire to pull into a second gas station and then re-enter traffic all over again

2. Usually I have already targeted the specific gas station I am at because it has the lowest prices and I don’t want to pay more

3. Often I pull into a gas station when I am literally beyond empty so I don’t want to take the chance of driving to another gas station and running completely out of fuel while on my way 😂

Are you staying or leaving? Don’t Blink.