Tag Archives: Mead High School

Rib Eye Thursday Rundown

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Don’t Blink because a new month will be here this weekend. If you are a basketball fan that is a good thing. And if you somehow are crazy enough to like this blog hopefully it is a good thing that my latest Thursday Rundown is ready for you. Let’s get going…

Going For A Ride, Part II – Our kids received some cash from Grandma and Papa for Valentine’s Day so this past weekend we went to the mall so they could (naturally) spend it. Beau opted to spend his money on a Boba drink and 15 minutes on the blue unicorn…that adds up to $20 really fast. If you remember earlier this year, I chronicled the very first time that Sloan and Beau tried out the Spokane Valley Mall go-cart attractions.

Beau felt like the king of the Spokane Valley Mall as he rode his blue unicorn go-cart throughout the main floor.

Jump Around – Sloan used her $20 on Boba, a pair of earrings from Claire’s, and three minutes on the bungee. It was a little more than two years ago that Sloan first tried Fanorama Bungee and after all that time it was calling her name again. It was also calling for my wallet because if you think Sloan was able to afford those three things for just $20 you are crazy.

Sloan jumping around at the Spokane Valley Mall.

Special Anniversary – Tomorrow (Feb. 27) is always a very special date for our family. It was in 2020—right before the pandemic and our big move—that Beau was baptized and Sid was welcomed into the Catholic Church. Fr. Roger Morgan performed both sacraments in the same ceremony as our family, friends, and my fellow Knights of Columbus brothers looked on. Fr. Morgan and St. Andrew Catholic Church will always have specials spots in our hearts. Thanks be to God!

Thanks be to God for Feb. 27, 2020. This is our family at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Myrtle Beach on the day Sidney was welcomed into the Church and Beau was baptized.

WinCo – After the change debacle, WinCo is back on my good side. Sid recently prepared these rib eye steaks for Sunday dinner. We don’t usually buy a lot of meat from WinCo but with the way these chops tasted we might start purchasing more. Of course, Beau passed on the delicious steak and settled for a peanut butter sandwich instead. 😕

These were the steaks we enjoyed recently. WinCo’s meat isn’t that bad.

Cowboy and Fred – For a fun throwback photo, I thought we would go back 20 years to when my brother and I dressed up as this particular odd couple for the Sadie Hawkins Dance. Nah, we didn’t go together as we actually had real dates (can you believe that?) but we did take this photo before going our separate ways. I was a senior at the time and my brother was a freshman.

My brother and I before the 2005 Mead High School Sadie Hawkins Dance.

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And with that, this Thursday Rundown is in the books. Don’t Blink.

Toweling Off…I Mean On

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Back in high school, there was a coach from a rival basketball team with a peculiar signature “look.” Whenever he coached, he would always droop a white towel—one that was meant for players to wipe sweat from their faces at timeouts—over his shoulder. Mind you, this was during the days when coaches actually wore suits so this particular “accessory” always stood out.

To grab another memory from my prep years, our PE teacher in weight training required us to bring our own towel to class. This was mandated so we could use it to place on equipment while performing reps and to also deflect our own perspiration while exercising.

I think both of these influences—although the latter one more so—had an impact on me after I graduated from high school. Why so? Because since the nearly 20 years since I left Mead High School, I have always brought with me a towel to the gym that I constantly droop over my shoulder while I work out.

I always bring a towel with me to the gym to use while exercising

However, to be fair, the towels I use aren’t the athletic ones the high school basketball coach would use. Rather, my towels are pretty much whatever I can get my hands on. Some are hand drying towels, some are car wash towels, and others are promo items I picked up from events. So you might ask the following question: Do they do the trick?

My response would be, what trick? If you meant do they keep me cool and keep sweat at bay, I would say kind of. While they do help whisk away sweat while doing cardio, my weight lifting routine doesn’t leave me soaked and thus a towel isn’t absolutely necessary for that purpose.

Instead, I use a towel at each gym session for two other more obscure reasons. The first is that it helps me mark my territory. I can indicate that I am using a piece of equipment by sprawling the towel on whatever I am using. But when you use the gym at 3:30 a.m. like I do, let’s just say marking your territory isn’t always necessary when you are often the only one using the facility.

The more prominent reason for my dedicated towel use is what my wife terms “my OCD.” I simply like the comfort and familiarity of a towel drooped over my shoulder or in my hand at all times. I guess you can liken it to how a toddler becomes attached to a blanket. After exercising that way for 25 years, it has grown on me. I feel out of place and awkward when I don’t have a towel at the gym. If I somehow forgot to bring a towel with me, I will turn around and go home to retrieve one if I haven’t arrived at the gym yet.

So at the end of the day, I am very similar to the high school basketball coach. At one time we probably had functional reasons for our respective towels, but eventually they became more of a personal comfort than a practical necessity. Don’t Blink.

You Call That Unhealthy?!

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News dropped last week that Lunchables will no longer be part of the USDA National School Lunch Program. Kraft Heinz faced major backlash earlier in 2024 for the questionable nutritional value of Lunchables and the brand never recovered.

I can take or leave Lunchables. They are clutch when I don’t have time to pack my kids’ lunches and I personally think they taste okay myself. But the high sodium content just doesn’t fly in school cafeterias these days.

With that said, I kind of have to laugh. Back in the day at my high school, “high sodium content” would have been the least of the USDA’s concerns.

Back in 2016, I visited Sidney for lunch at the elementary school she taught at. This meal was more nutritious than the ones I was eating 11 years earlier in high school.

We were well-fed at Mead High School. And by “well-fed” I mean we were served all the greasy, fatty foods our digestive systems could handle.

For those of us who took hot lunch, there was plenty to choose from. A specialty item was offered each day but if you weren’t feeling adventurous you could opt for the standard lineup of classics: pizza slice, pizza pocket, corn dog, hamburger, or chicken burger.

You chose whatever calorie-laden American classic you wanted and the kitchen staff placed it in a large paper serving boat. You then took your boat down the line to choose your “potato item.” This was the euphemism our school district used for whatever fried side you wanted—french fries, tater tots, hash brown wedges, etc. And when you selected your “potato item,” you weren’t going to go hungry. The staff would fill your boat with a serving size similar to the fry quantity you receive at Five Guys (I am talking filled to the brim, almost overflowing). You would then choose a piece of fruit, help yourself to whatever dessert was offered that day, and then top it off with a couple cartons of chocolate milk.

Our school also had a period mid-morning called BIP which was short for Break In Program. It was basically 10 minutes for students and staff to take a moment after second period to re-charge. It was also a time to re-fuel as well. Greasy breakfast sandwiches and giant baked cookies were top-sellers. The student store sold candy, soda, popcorn, and more. We also had a coffee shop (the Panther Perk) that offered all the sugary drinks any high school student could possibly desire.

It is incredible that my entire high school class hasn’t died from obesity.

Farewell, Lunchables. Back in my day you would have been considered a health food. Don’t Blink.

Angel Thursday Rundown

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If you read one of my blog posts from earlier this week, you know how much I love October! So far, just three days into the month, it is living up to its billing. Hopefully this latest Thursday Rundown will live up to its billing as well. Here we go…

Angels – Once a month, our parish hosts Family Faith Night. These events revolve around a single topic and include lessons, food, games, and fellowship. This past Saturday, our Director of Religious Education Marie Bricher presented “Angel Flight Academy,” an evening all about angels. It was so enlightening to learn about these spiritual beings and how they help and protect us every single day. Although the content was superb, Beau’s favorite part was decorating the homemade angel food cake that was cut into—you guessed it—angels.

Beau and Sloan having a great time at St. Mary’s angel-themed Family Faith Night.

Mr. McMahon – Even for someone who doesn’t typically binge shows like myself, it took me very little time to rip through the six episodes in the Netflix documentary series “Mr. McMahon.” The episodes resonated with me because throughout my childhood I was a big professional wrestling fan so it packed a lot of nostalgia. Besides learning about some of the truly despicable things done by Vince McMahon, I was also surprised by how obsessed he was with success and the lengths he would go to “win.” It was really interesting hearing insight from Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Dwayne Johnson, The Undertaker, and more. Also, all of the footage incorporated into the documentary will have you traveling down memory lane. If you are/were a pro wrestling fan or if business interests you, I recommend “Mr. McMahon.”

Vince McMahon is a complex and win-at-all-costs person.

Friday Night Lights – This past Friday I had the thrill of attending my first high school football game of the fall. And it wasn’t just any football game, it was the Battle of the Bell rivalry game between the two high schools in the Mead School District—Mead High School and Mt. Spokane High School. As an alumnus of both Mead High School and its football program, I naturally cheered for my Panthers. In front of 6,000+ people on a beautiful evening, Mead defeated Mt. Spokane, 27-7. The victory nudged Mead ahead in the overall head-to-head record as the Panthers now lead the Wildcats 14-13 in the rivalry.

It was a beautiful scene at Union Stadium as Mead High School defeated Mt. Spokane High School in the 2024 Battle of the Bell.

Social Circle – One thing I miss from earlier in my career was the chance to work on a campus television show. This month marks 10 years since we launched Coastal Now, the revamped campus show at Coastal Carolina University. When we debuted the fresh version a decade ago, it was a breath of fresh air as we used a digital-first blueprint that was popular in pop culture at the time. The launch of Coastal Now included a segment that was written and delivered by me. Called the Social Circle, I was able to highlight the cool stuff our social media program was doing. To see that first Social Circle segment, tap here.

Me on set of Coastal Now.

Reading Rainbow – It is always ideal when I can end with something fun and wholesome. My niece, Olivia, was born last May. Not even six months yet, she is already starting to follow in the footsteps of her niece when it comes to reading prowess. Last Sunday when everyone was over at my parents’ house for Sunday dinner, I had the pleasure of reading “Five Little Pumpkins” to her. She was engaged the entire time and my brother (Olivia’s dad) managed to take this special candid shot.

I read a book to Olivia while her Aunt Sidney holds her and cousin John looks on.

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Thanks for taking time to read Don’t Blink. Hope your enjoy your first October weekend. Don’t Blink.

Cash Thursday Rundown

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Good evening, esteemed readers. After last week’s emergence of extreme winter weather across the country, things have seemed to settle down this week. In fact, the roads were decent enough that I was able to drive to Pullman today and work from campus. Let’s get started with tonight’s Thursday Rundown…

Pizza Pocket – Tell me you had an elementary school cafeteria moment without telling me you had an elementary school cafeteria moment. This past Saturday I had a pizza pocket, a delicacy I loved as a kid but can’t seem to really find in 2024. But thanks to the Rosauers deli, I was able to enjoy some nostalgia as I sunk my teeth into a fresh, flaky, slightly spicy pizza pocket. Although Sloan doesn’t look too impressed in the photo below, it was my top lunch of the year so far.

I was thrilled to eat a pizza pocket but I don’t think Sloan shared my enthusiasm.

Wrestling Match – Sloan recently brought home a flyer that advertised a youth wrestling program offered by the Catholic high school. She placed it in front of me and said she wanted to participate. That motivated me to take her to a prep wrestling match so she could see first-hand what the sport is all about. But I didn’t just take her to your typical high school wrestling match—I took her to the wrestling match where a legend was honored. Sloan, Beau, and I traveled to my alma matter for last Thursday’s Mead High School Hall of Fame match that honored Cash Stone. The man built the wrestling scene in Spokane and even though he had retired long before I arrived as a student at Mead, his energy seemed to still echo through the halls. It was a cool moment to see his induction and watch the defending state champion Panther steamroll Ridgeline High School.

Cash Stone is honored at the Mead High School wrestling match on Jan. 18, 2024.

Netflix Reports – I have a documentary and a movie to offer for your viewing pleasure. The documentary I watched this week is brand new and is called “American Nightmare.” The three-part series is about a boyfriend who falls under suspicion when his girlfriend is kidnapped. When the girlfriend returns a few days later, both are suspected of a master hoax. Wait until you find out what really happened! I also watched “Queenpins,” a 2021 film based on true events about two women who hatch a coupon racket. It is a comedy with some star power and some of the coupon tactics remind me of something I might do. I don’t think you can go wrong on either option.

You can watch both “American Nightmare” and “Queenpins” on Netflix.

Sunshine State Day – Today is National Florida Day. When it comes to the state, I have spent time in Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami, and the Florida Keys. My favorite out of the four? The Florida Keys! We went there for my sister-in-law’s destination wedding and had the opportunity to be tourists in Key West. Fun fact: While there, we stood at the southernmost spot in the continental United States, just a mere 90 miles from Cuba.

A photo of Sidney and Sloan during our vacation in the Florida Keys.

Cinnamon Churro Ice Cream – When I went out late last Friday night to pick up some ice cream, my wife wasn’t too impressed with what I brought home. But what is not to like about cinnamon churro ice cream infused with a honey bun swirl and churro pieces? And the fact that it was deeply discounted made it even better (or perhaps worse?). Anyway, although Sid rolled her eyes when she saw Safeway’s Signature Select Cinnamon Churro ice cream in our freezer, she changed her tune when she actually tried it. Although I will admit that the frozen churro pieces are a little weird, it has great flavor and the swirl is on-point.

The Safeway Signature Select Cinnamon Churro Ice Cream was a little eccentric but actually pretty good.

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That is a wrap for my latest Thursday Rundown. It is a special weekend for my sweet wife so I look forward to celebrating her. Thanks be to God! Don’t Blink.

Mary Reser: A Mead High School Legend

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When I entered my freshman year at Mead High School, my sister was a senior. It was nice to know that I had a sibling with top dog status keeping an eye out for me. After that initial 2001-02 school year, I looked forward to when I became a senior and could return the favor by watching over my brother who would be a freshman during the 2004-05 school year.

Of course this meant I would have to navigate the halls of Mead as the sole Reser for two years…or so I thought. Instead, in what I am convinced was one of the best hires in the storied history of the school, another person of Reser blood joined the Mead ranks for the 2002-03 school year.

Mary Reser was hired by Mead High School in the summer of 2002 to serve as a paraeducator in its Developmental Learning Center (DLC). My mom had made herself known to the Mead School District by subbing in various classes in different schools over the course of a couple years. Craving consistent, full time work, she applied for the high school position and was thrilled to land it.

When my mom applied for her job almost 22 years ago, I don’t know if she imagined that it would lead to such a long and fruitful career. This photo of my mom and dad was taken today (June 16, 2023).

So, on that first day of school more than 21 years ago, it wasn’t just my brother and I standing at the bottom of the stairs gazing into the video camera with our predictions for the upcoming year. My mom also took her turn in front of the camera. In words that are now legendary in our family, she said the following:

“After 15 years, I am going back to school.”

My mom’s yearbook photo from her first school year at Mead High School (2002-03).

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My mom worked in the DLC program her entire 21 years at Mead. The students she served were teens and young adults with disabilities such as down syndrome, severe autism, and other documented handicaps. Others were non-verbal and many were confined to wheelchairs. Whatever tough hand these students had been dealt, my mom was going to be there for them. From that first day in 2002 to when she walked out the door for the final time just hours ago, Mary Reser offered unceasing compassion and patience to every student she worked with.

My mom retired on June 16, 2023. Her co-workers recently threw her a party.

Where did these saintly attributes come from? To be honest, I think to a degree they were just innate. My grandmother birthed a person who entered this world with a kind heart. But I think my mom’s educational background and early professional experience as a substance abuse counselor for veterans proved to serve her well down the road. I don’t think it is a stretch to assume that if you are compassionate and patient enough to make strides with people battling addiction, chances are you can also reach a younger population dealing with a different type of mental struggle.

But back to Mead High School and back to those students she cared for so much. I think a lot of us might say we champion students with disabilities. We treat them kindly to their faces and maybe even volunteer a couple hours per week in an adaptive classroom or center. However, many of us have neither the desire nor skill to work with them on a daily basis. My mom willingly reported to that same classroom every day for over 20 years to put in long hours to make the lives of these deserving and inspiring students better. That takes a heart of gold.

My mom was a great asset for Mead High School and was always happy to proudly represent the Panthers.

As I mentioned at the beginning, my mom was a paraeducator, which can be essentially described as a teacher’s aide. But who am I kidding? It can also be described as the person who is 100% hands on with the students, does every dirty job possible, doesn’t get paid nearly enough, and exerts more physical/mental energy than you can imagine. The people who stay at the job—like my mom—do it because they know their work matters and are driven to do good.

My mom’s t-shirt says it all: superhero.

When I look back on my mom’s selfless career, some images come to mind. I see my mom accompanying students classroom to classroom as they picked up cans and bottles for their recycling program. I see her behind the wheel of a large Mead School District van as she transported the students on different community outings. I see her at a table teaching small groups. I see her compassionately helping students use the restroom. I see her calming down those individuals experiencing panic attacks or other anxiety-induced bouts. I see her celebrating the successes of her students and giving them the recognition they deserve.

Signs for my mom lined the walls in her classroom today.

I also call to mind examples of my mom going above and beyond her job description. These instances come in the form of her hosting an annual end-of-the-year BBQ at her house for all the students. Or her attending the funerals of her current and past pupils who passed away too soon. Or her giving support and an open ear to parents dealing with the stresses of raising a child with special needs.

With all that said, I think a big reason why my mom stood out in her position was just because of her humble nature. She showed up every day for work, stayed by the side of her students, didn’t complain, and did her job to the best of her ability. To put it simply, she was there solely for the kids.

My mom hung up her credential on June 16, 2023.

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This afternoon, my dad, sister, brother, and I showed up to walk my mom out of Mead High School on her last day. We wanted to give her a hero’s exit because that is simply what you become when you devote over two decades to helping some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in society.

We were able to surprise my mom before she walked out the doors for the last time. They called her out of the classroom, we snuck in, and when she returned she saw us (and proceeded to scold us 😂).

As we strolled out those doors, I thought about legacies. My sister, brother, and I all graduated from Mead High School where we each had some academic and athletic success. Perhaps you could say we each made a small mark at the school. But even if you took our so-called “accomplishments” and added them all together, multiplied that value by a large number, and added a couple zeros, our combined efforts would still fall dramatically short of what my mom achieved. There is no question about the Reser who did the most good as a Panther.

My mom with several of her current co-workers. Special shout out to my mom’s “work bestie,” Norma Stroeher (7th from the left with blue Mead Panthers shirt on) for being such a good friend and for doing so much to make sure my mom was recognized.

As my mom joins my dad in retirement, I hope she realizes the profound impact she made. Her service to Mead High School and to hundreds of DLC students is truly the stuff of legend. 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.

A Lesson On Cheating

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This past weekend, Sloan set up a game for me to play. She lined up three of her toy cups and placed a hair bow underneath one of them. She then had me guess which cup the bow was underneath. After a couple more rounds in that manner, we switched roles. I took a few turns hiding the bow while Sloan “looked away.”

I am sure you all know why I utilized the quotation marks in that last sentence. There were instances when Sloan tried to gain the upper hand by sneakily looking at me while I placed the bow. I debated whether to nicely remind her to stop cheating or take more drastic measures…

Sloan with the cups she used for the “bow” game.

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When I was a sophomore at Mead High School, I was in an honors humanities class. It was a challenging course and the students enrolled in it took the class seriously—including me.

One day there was a pop quiz on the previous night’s reading. We had two teachers in this class and the soft-spoken, reserved instructor of the pair, Mr. Hanson, was administering it. As he passed out the quiz he reminded us to put away all notes and packets.

As I mentioned, it was a surprise quiz and it had the chance to impact our overall grades. You could sense the anxiety and pressure in the classroom as we started on the assessment. Damn you, Mr. Hanson!

About halfway through the timed quiz, our world was rocked.

“One thing I won’t tolerate in this class is CHEATING,” Mr. Hanson bellowed. “Get out of here right now!”

The outburst had all of us stunned, and, quite frankly, a little scared. Our teacher was in a rage, a state we had never seen him close to reaching before. But what was even more shocking was who Mr. Hanson’s ire was directed at.

The student caught cheating, who I will call Glen, was even more soft-spoken than the teacher ripping into him. Small in stature and extremely quiet, no one would have ever expected Glen to have a dishonest bone in his body. What was he thinking?

As Glen hung his head and walked out the door, Mr. Hanson made a big display of crumpling up his paper and tossing it into the garbage can. If we thought it was tense in the classroom before this episode, there was no way to describe the terror in the air now. All of us kept our heads down and eyes locked on our papers as we finished the quiz.

When the time expired, Mr. Hanson tersely directed us to turn in our papers. Everyone was still on edge. We had no idea what was going to happen next. After a brief pause once he had all the quizzes, Mr. Hanson spoke.

“I am going to invite Glen back in,” Mr. Hanson said as his voice returned to its mild-mannered tenor although there was a sense of triumph mixed in.

Glen strolled back in with a wry smile on his face. Something was up.

It turned out that Glen wasn’t a cheater after all. Mr. Hanson announced that he had planned the whole charade with Glen prior to the class and that he would be receiving a 100% on his quiz. The whole demonstration was actually done to drive home a point from the previous night’s reading, I think it had something to do about ruling with fear, but to be honest I really can’t remember. Instead, I took away the general theme that cheating is bad and it can make even the calmest people erupt. I still think a lot about that moment to this day.

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So as I watched Sloan attempt to slyly look over her shoulder as I hid the bow, I considered going full out Mr. Hanson on her. But I figured I should probably wait until she is at least in kindergarten to do that. 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.

Re-United With My Letterman Jacket

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When I graduated high school I left the state. I went to college and then started my career. Fifteen years later I would move back to eastern Washington. Upon my return, my parents started to suggest—no, more like demand—that I take some of the stuff I left at their house as an 18-year-old teenager to my own home. We are talking about high school yearbooks, t-shirts, binders of schoolwork, etc.

This past weekend my parents “allowed me” to take off their hands another item that was literally collecting dust. I happened to drop by their neighborhood at the same time my dad was retrieving holiday decorations in the house’s crawl space. While he was deep inside he could hear me talking to my mom at the entrance to the crawl space. When my dad surfaced he was holding something other than Christmas lights.

In his hand was my yellow Mead High School letterman jacket. I had literally not seen it, let alone worn it, since a couple days before my high school graduation in 2005. I loved that coat. It was my Christmas present my sophomore year and I made sure to get plenty of wear out of it over the next 2.5 years. It fit like a glove, it screamed school spirit, and it made me feel like a stud.

I had to throw on my letterman jacket when my dad brought it out (and Sloan had to pose with me).

Of course the first thing I did was grab the jacket out of my dad’s hand and throw it on. It wasn’t as comfortable as I once remembered and it didn’t hang the same as it did in the early 2000s. But the moment that leather draped my shoulders I was transported back in time and could feel myself walking down the hallways of Mead. Ah, to be young again.

Sloan and I had just finished at the movie theater when we stopped by my parents’ house so it was just the two of us. To be funny, I wore my letterman jacket home and surprised Sid when I walked inside. She wasn’t as enthusiastic about the coat as I was.

I think Sidney could probably do without this Mead High School letterman jacket hanging around the house.

Even as my letterman jacket takes up valuable closet space at our house, I am glad to be reunited with it. I won’t be wearing it to the grocery store or anything but maybe my kids will appreciate it one of these days or ask about the pins on it. Do you still have your letterman jacket? Don’t Blink.