Tag Archives: Miss Manners

Reaction Thursday Rundown

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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.

Milk Chocolate Thursday Rundown

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It is an honor to pen another Thursday Rundown and I am appreciative that you have made time for my ramblings. In order to refrain from wasting more of your precious time, let’s get started with tonight’s five topics…

Preparing For A Big Softball Game – Before last night, it had been a really long time since I last played softball. But on Wednesday evening, I made a return to the diamond. Sidney and I joined members of our Young Adult Catholic group and other St. Mary parishioners for a softball practice. We are preparing for an Aug. 6 game against a team comprised of Spokane LDS members. Call it “Catholics vs. Mormons” if you want, but this is such a cool opportunity for two groups from the Spokane faith community to come together for some competition, fellowship, and food (yay for the post game cookout!). Thanks to our Young Adult Catholic group friends, Hailey and Brian, for organizing all of this!

On Wednesday night, we practiced at the St. Mary ball fields. It had been a long time since I last swung a bat.

Soda Update – Back in February, I told the story of the four obscure Coca-Cola machines tucked away on a side street in a very industrial area of Spokane. I revealed that 12 oz cans were only $.25 and 20 oz bottles a mere $.50. I pass the machines every single day and there is always a Coca-Cola employee refilling them. Last week I stopped to purchase a couple sodas while the worker was in the middle of the replenishing process. I took the opportunity to ask him how much business the machines typically do. He told me that they combine to dispense 70-80 cases of soda PER DAY. Do the math and that equates to approximately 2,000 beverages. Not bad for a quartet of basically hidden machines.

I pass these four Coke vending machines every day. It is insane how many people go out of their way to use these machines on a daily basis.

Hot Hot Hot – We are on the second day of 100+ degree temperatures that will likely stretch through Sunday. Not going to lie, it is hot! But I am thankful that our extreme heat hasn’t been as constant and relentless as some areas of the country this season. Also, Sidney is still amazed that during the evening as the sun starts to set, we actually get relief as temperatures cool dramatically. For example, after a scorching day on Tuesday, the four of us went to the local high school track. While I got some exercise and the children played, Sid could comfortably sit on a camping chair and read her book. Oh how I love summer nights in the Pacific Northwest.

On Tuesday night, the four of us went to the East Valley High School track in Spokane Valley after the sun started to go down and temperatures cooled.

National Milk Chocolate Day – I have written blog posts about chocolate chips, hot chocolate, and chocolate cake. But I have never dedicated a post strictly to milk chocolate before. You would think that on National Milk Chocolate Day I would get with the program and finally draft that post, right? Wrong. Sorry not sorry, but I am a dark chocolate guy.

Today is National Milk Chocolate Day!

Thank You Note Gun Jumping – I am concerned with the lost art of writing thank you notes. However, what was described in a recent Miss Manners column seems a little overzealous. The person seeking advice wrote that at a recent children’s birthday party, the attendees received a thank you note upon departure. The contents of the note thanked the family for attending and for the gift (a presumption that they brought a gift). Although this bizarre practice is better than no thank you note at all, I think we should end it. Please make sure to write your gratitude cards post-celebration so you can actually personalize it with what you did (or didn’t) receive.

Wait to write your thank you note until you can actually identify what you are thanking them for.

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I hope everyone has a safe and fun final weekend in July. If there is ever anything you want me to address in this blog, please let me know. Don’t Blink.