Missoula’s Big Problem

Missoula is a wonderful city and for the most part I love it. However, there are two things that I dislike about living here. Number one is the cold and snowy winters that run for about 9.5 months of the year. Number two is the transient problem.

My mom, dad, and brother visited me last weekend. As usual they had rave reviews for the Garden City. They loved the farmer’s market, the casinos, the great places to eat, the beautiful church I go to, and the overall culture of the town. But this time they slipped in a critique, a critique that I happen to share with them, a critique that didn’t have to do with the weather as it was in the low nineties the whole time they were here.

My family couldn’t believe how much the transient population had exploded.

After getting hassled by people on the street all Friday night and all day Saturday, my family went public with their realization to me with a culminating event on Saturday evening. As we were walking down Ryman on one side of the street we couldn’t help but turn our heads and watch as an argument was escalating on the sidewalk opposite to us on the other side of the street. Starting at where the Badlander sits, a transient woman started getting yelled at by a transient man. She screamed back. Soon enough another transient man jumped into the controversy and started yelling at the woman as well. Pretty much the only words that we could make out during the argument were the four letter ones. As we walked down one side of the street, the enraged people mirrored our progress walking down the other side of the street even though none of them were wearing shoes. The Jerry Springer On The Street episode ended when we turned right onto Front St. and the transients kept going down Ryman.

This led to my parents expressing that they didn’t remember the street person problem being so bad in Missoula. Of course they were aware that the city had a pretty prevalent homeless population before but this time around the problem had grown considerably. I explained to them about the Rainbow Gathering that took place nearby and I reminded them that it was summer but those were the only excuses I gave. I had to hang my head low and concede that they were right, transients had taken over downtown Missoula.

I am definitely not here to condemn the city of Missoula. I mean what more can they do? There are just so many street people it is hard to control. I think if there is a main reason on why the problem is so bad I would say it is because Missoulians are just too nice. Say what? Am I really complaining about the people in this city being too nice? Well, not really. I would always take a city that was too nice over a city that was mean. The overall impact of a nice town makes the quality of life so much better as opposed to a mean one. BUT, a nice town does have some undesirable drawbacks and aiding a transient population is one of them. Missoulians give street people money, food, sympathy, and attention. While I am not advocating acting like a Scrooge to someone in need, I am saying that “helping” a street person many times just enables them to buy booze, get high, pollute the streets, and feel content about their less than aspiring status

The worst thing about Missoula’s transient problem? At this time we are inundated with a mixed population. Missoula does not just have your typical older homeless man walking around with a big beard and alcohol on his breath. Rather, we have a large group of young people who are living on the streets. As I said earlier, the Rainbow Gathering has something to do with this but I find it both sad and pathetic how many people my age and younger are calling the Missoula streets their home. I can’t walk anywhere in downtown Missoula without them blocking my pathway with their dog, asking for “three quarters”, and/or assaulting my nose with the combination of alcohol, pot, and B.O. They hang out in packs and can be intimidating to some people.

I hope within a couple months this Missoula problem dissipates quite a bit. It is becoming a characteristic of this town, something that out-of-towners can easily notice. Missoula is a wonderful place, it is just that some of its charm and beauty is taken away when you can’t walk ten feet without noticing the presence of the street population. Let’s hope time and some better practices from Missoulians can help make this issue more manageable. Don’t Blink.

Sad To See July Go

Looking at my calendar right now and seeing that it says “July 31” I can’t help but feel a little sad that in a few more hours this month will pass. I have such an admiration for July. While I usually use June to go on trips, I spend the month of July taking it easy and truly enjoying summer life. When August comes around tomorrow it is our unofficial start of the fall sports season for us staffers in Grizzly Athletics and although I really do have a couple more weeks of summer fun left, the laid back-care free attitude of July is no longer.

This particular July for me was extremely nice. I didn’t do anything too special. I didn’t do anything crazy. I didn’t go to any big concerts. I didn’t go to Vegas or to Los Angeles as I have done the past couple of Julys. Except for a whirlwind day trip to a southwestern state, I didn’t even leave the ground. But this was all okay with me because I still managed to have a very enjoyable month. Let me explain a few reasons why.

My Fourth of July was one of the highlights of this great month.

My Fourth of July was one of the highlights of this great month.

The weather we had this month was out of this world. They say that Montana has two summer months, July and August. Even though they say that, July in Missoula still sometimes brings sketchy weather. Not this year. For pretty much all 31 days of July we got the weather pattern I absolutely love….hot and dry. We probably had at least 15 days where the temperature reached at least 90 degrees. For the other half of the days we were always comfortably in the 80’s. I was so appreciative of the sunny skies I saw each day along with the hot temperatures. This is what summer is all about and Mother Nature delivered.

While not the trailblazer that I usually am during the summer months I did get to spend a little bit of time outside of Missoula, something that is much needed considering the time that I am confined to the city during the sports season. I pretty much made a tour of the eastern half of Washington State. I traveled to Spokane a couple times, Walla Walla once, and Dayton once. All of the driving I did was on clear roads with beautiful scenery.

Golf was one activity that made this month great...playing with my dad and bro made it even better.

Golf was one activity that made this month great…playing with my dad and bro made it even better.

I also got to do plenty of summer activities during July! I got to swim, soak in the sun, go to a beach, BBQ, golf, eat ice cream, watch baseball, hang out at the pool, play lawn games, and enjoy a few cold ones. I definitely felt like a lazy summer all-star over the past four plus weeks. I became one with the outdoors and loved every minute.

But what made the great weather, the road trip travel, and the fun activities of July so memorable for me? It was that I got to spend it with the people I love most. I got to see my family twice during July and both times I had an absolute blast. I had the most fun over the extended Fourth of July weekend as I have had on that holiday in a very long time. July 5 will go down as probably the best day I had all summer and getting to spend the majority of it with my brother and dad was special. This month I had such an amazing time hanging with my family as we traveled, laughed, watched movies, BBQ’d, drank, and just enjoyed each other’s company.

 

I am ready for August but dang it, I am going to miss this month. Nothing beats summer. Don’t Blink.

Inspiration at the Missoula Marathon

I like to think I am strong-willed, determined, and fitness driven on most days. However, the days where I attend a marathon to watch participants cross the finish line I feel like the biggest sloth in the world.

Yesterday morning, Paige and I drove to downtown Missoula and strolled over to the Higgins Street bridge where we watched as participants in the 2013 Missoula Marathon crossed the finish line, completing a task that many of us will never accomplish in our lives. For me, the first half of the battle is not even about getting physically in shape to do such an exercise, it is first wrapping my mind around the insanity of embarking on a race that is 26.5 miles long.

We camped out right at the finish line of the Missoula Marathon.

We camped out right at the finish line of the Missoula Marathon.

I envy marathon runners because they are in such excellent physical and mental shape. If I had to pick a group of athletes to go into battle with me I would make sure that after I picked some of the toughest wrestlers around I would choose a couple marathon athletes. A couple times yesterday the P.A. announcer at the finish line would announce to individuals completing the race that “You are now a marathon finisher.” I heard him say those words and I thought about how cool it would be if I ever got to have that distinction next to my name.

Under the beautiful sunny morning skies of Montana, Paige and I stood at the finish line and just soaked in one of Missoula’s premiere events. Runners from all over the country come to Missoula for the marathon (in 2009 it was named the best marathon in the nation) and in return the community really comes out to support them. I paid close attention to the reactions of people once they finished. Some, just like complete pros, finished through the line, stopped their watches, and casually walked through the staging area. Some cried. Some immediately looked for their friends and family who were waiting for them on the other side of the fence. Some grimaced in obvious anguish. All had the look of a champion.

I had a couple connections for this marathon. Our Associate Athletic Director, Greg Sundberg, was participating in the half marathon portion of the event to raise funds for a local charity (Jadyn Fred Foundation). I made a small contribution to the cause and received a sweet orange Team Sundberg t-shirt that I proudly sported on Sunday.

Proudly wearing my Team Sundberg shirt at the Missoula Marathon.

Proudly wearing my Team Sundberg shirt at the Missoula Marathon.

Additionally, my friend Shaun Rainey was participating in his first ever marathon. He pretty much started training for the race from scratch and came out a complete winner on Sunday when he finished in a little under four and a half hours. I got to see him cross the finish line and then subsequently give a television interview about two seconds later. Congrats to both Greg and Shaun.

Shaun crossing the Missoula Marathon finish line at a little under four and a half hours.

Shaun crossing the Missoula Marathon finish line at a little under four and a half hours.

I needed that reality check on Sunday to tell me that no matter how well I think I might be doing in the gym there are people out there doing much harder and much more remarkable physical tasks than me. I need to challenge myself a little more and get better. Thanks Missoula for the inspiration! Don’t Blink.

Same Date, Ten Different Years

I have said before that if my apartment ever got caught on fire the one thing I would go back in for would be my journals. Since the seventh grade I have kept a daily journal and since that time there is not one day of my life not documented. Thousands of pages and about 12 different journal books chronicle the better half of my life.

A few days ago I started thinking about ideas for blog posts and the concept of sharing a brief summary for a specific date of my life over a five year span popped into my head. I decided to run with it. I designated tonight as the evening that I wanted to write this post and a couple hours ago while I was researching through my journals I realized I have more here in my possession than I thought (I have several in storage at my parents’ house). In fact, I had double the amount of years available to me. So instead of five quick recounts of the various June 26th’s experienced by Brent Reser, you will get ten even quicker recounts of the various June 26th’s experienced by Brent Reser.

I probably should have waited a week or two to put this concept into action because the last weekend in June is Hoopfest weekend, something that I always participate in. If I could contain my excitement for this blog post a little longer I would have waited, but I couldn’t, so please don’t get too bored with the continuous Hoopfest mentions you will see throughout the years. Now if you will, please come on this journey with me as we go from a young teenager Brent at 17 years old in 2004 to the mid-twenties adult Brent in this present year of 2013.

 

I treasure my journals more than anything.

I treasure my journals more than anything.

 

Saturday, June 26, 2004:

I was participating in the Washington State Football team camp in Pullman, Washington, during my senior year at Mead High School. I got up at 7 a.m. and got a bagel for breakfast and then got ready for the last day of football camp. For the final day, all teams played mini games against the other schools present. Because we had performed well the previous days, we played against the other dominant teams. We tied against a team made up of solely all-stars (athletes who were invited by WSU to the camp) and lost on the very last play to a team called Liberty. After camp awards we had a BBQ right outside the field house and then we took the bus back to Spokane. We got back to the school and I took my teammate and friend Erik Lowe back to his place and then I went home and slept.

Sunday, June 26, 2005:

It was the Sunday of Hoopfest and my team had made it to Sunday. I was on a team with my friends Corey Langill, Cole Steinbach, and Cody Lorenzen. Corey picked all of us up and we went downtown for our 8 a.m. elimination game. We played against one of the most bush league teams you will ever encounter and ended up losing in overtime in a defensive (foul fest) match, 12-10. After getting eliminated the four of us watched as a team that only had two players defeat a team that was at full strength. After that great athletic achievement I went home and made it in time for 11 a.m. mass at St. Thomas More. Our pastor at the time, Abbot Adrian Parcher, was saying his last mass at our parish. Later in the day I went to Lilac Lanes with Corey and Jordan Brink.

Monday, June 26, 2006:

I got up at 9 a.m. and went to Gold’s Gym where I got my arms workout in. A couple hours later my brother and I went to Taco John’s for lunch because I had a couple gift certificates there. Glen and I then came back home and played a couple games of “Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball” on Nintendo 64. Glen then got suited up in his real baseball uniform and I went and watched as his team (Mead) played Newport in summer ball. I left a little bit before the game was over and went to Northwood Middle School where I would always run during the summer. After my run I came home, showered, and then I went over to Michael Hoover’s house where I played in a $10 Texas Hold ‘em tournament with Hoov, Zach Nichols, Cody, Mike DeLaMatter, and others. In my entry I wrote that I got “sucked out” so obviously the outcome didn’t go too well for me.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

I got up at 6:55 a.m. and Cody and I went to the lobby of our hotel where we ate breakfast. We were in the Portland, Oregon, area doing road construction work for Cody’s dad’s company, Blackline. We picked up the equipment we needed in the Woodland area and then drove to Hillsboro where we worked the whole day grinding paint off the roads. It was such a hot day that we had more trouble than usual with the debris that we grinded up sticking to our shoes. For lunch we ate at an incredible little place called Aloha Teriyaki. We stayed at a hotel that night in Hillsboro called The Dunes and ate at an Italian restaurant called Amelia’s where I had spaghetti and meat balls. Cody and I then went back to the hotel and watched the Mariners-Red Sox game.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

I woke up at 8 a.m. and went to Gold’s Gym where I did squats and auxiliary lifts. I then went to downtown Spokane where I donated plasma at one of the dirtiest, sketchy centers you will ever come across. On this day it was a complete zoo as the ATM machine broke down and people were going nuts. I checked in, got processed, and by the time I donated the ATM machine was working and I had $40 in my pocket!! From there I picked up my gear for my inaugural year as a court monitor for Hoopfest. I then came home and watched as Derrick Rose was selected as the #1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. I then did my running at Northwood and came home where I did another money-making scheme I utilized that summer…working as an answer guide for the online service ChaCha.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Living fulltime in Missoula, Montana, I woke up at 6:45 a.m. and made it to work at Grizzly Athletics where I was working in an interim position. I left the office at 3:30 p.m., put some gas in my car, and headed off to Spokane for Hoopfest weekend to court monitor for the second straight year. I made it to my parents’ house and we went out to dinner at a fabulous Chinese restaurant called the Cathay Inn. I feasted on almond chicken, fried rice, chow mein, prawns, and chicken noodle soup. We then came home and sat out on the front deck and watched as a neighbor dog named Skittles continually barked at our cat, Nabisco. Shortly thereafter, my cousin Kelly and her three daughters (Taylor, Emily, and Katie) arrived at the house as they would be taking part in the Hoopfest festivities the next day as well.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

I woke up a little before 6 a.m. and my dad, Glen, my cousin Cole, and I all went downtown for the first day of Hoopfest. I was assigned a “50 and under”, 6-3 to 6-4 bracket. I monitored 20 games that day with majority of all the action going very smoothly. The day started out overcast and windy but by the afternoon it was sunny and warm. When the action on my court ended for the day after the 20th game, I still did not have enough basketball in my system so I watched a random game on another court that was still being contested. We then came back to my parents’ house and we had a big backyard BBQ of hamburgers and hot dogs. I then promptly passed out from pure exhaustion.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Wouldn’t you know it that I would be at Hoopfest again!? I woke up at 5:40 a.m., had a chocolate muffin for breakfast, and then went downtown for the Sunday of Hoopfest. As it was the second day of competition, the games got pretty competitive. The previous day I met a new friend, Carissa, who was assigned to my court to monitor as well. On this day it was her birthday and we had a fun time celebrating it with the players in our bracket. A team called Four Locos came out of the loser’s bracket to defeat a team called the MFI All-Stars to take the championship on our Hot 96.9 court. After all the action I came back to my parents’ house and blogged and ate nachos that my dad made. I then went to the Elk in Browne’s Addition where I met Carissa and her friend to further celebrate her birthday.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

I got up at 6:45 a.m. and went to work at Grizzly Athletics. It was a Tuesday so I did a lot of the beginning of the week type things such as updating website features, drafting a web report, turning in travel reports for our mascots, etc. I went to the rec at noon and did arms and ran a mile. I came back to the office and ate my peanut butter sandwich for lunch, attended a meeting at the I.T. Center on campus, and worked until 5 p.m. I then went home, wrote a blog post, and then went to the Tamarack where I met my buddy Eric Fulton so we could do some stuff to my blog. It turned out that we could not access internet at the Tamarack so we moved to the Iron Horse where we ate dinner and created the current version of my blog. We got my site hosted by WordPress and I finally purchased my domain name, www.brentreser.com . Thanks so much to Mr. Fulton.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Finally we are to the present! Throughout the past 10 years of this date, I got up the earliest today. I got out of bed at 5 a.m., got ready, did my morning routine and made it to work by 7 a.m. I took care of some things I needed to take care of and had a productive morning. At noon I went to the rec center and did the exact same workout that I did a year ago…and then came back to the office and had the exact same lunch I had a year ago as well. The afternoon went great and I came straight home after work, cleaned up my apartment, and read Entertainment Weekly. I started this blog post about 90 minutes ago and am almost done. Once I publish this I am going to jump in the shower and wait for Paige to come over so we can hang out and drink a beer.

——————

Ten years of my life…wow! Depressing thing is that I didn’t do anything spectacular or noteworthy throughout any of those days. The uplifting news is that I have a memory of each of them and I had fun during them all too. I plan to do this again down the road, probably on a date where I had much more diverse activities going on over the ten years. But like June 26, please don’t expect anything spectacular or noteworthy. Don’t Blink.

Five On Black

Last night I finally got around to dining at one of Missoula’s new restaurants. As our city has had an onslaught of new businesses take up shop in the last few months my opening sentence is definitely a little vague. But let me narrow it down completely for you: Last night I had a chance to eat Brazilian food for the first time in my life. Yep, dead giveaway. After having it on my to-do list for a couple months now, I finally got to eat at Five on Black.

The storefront of Five On Black

The storefront of Five On Black

Nestled right on north Higgins across the street from Plonk and Feruquis, Five on Black definitely takes up residence in prime territory. On Monday night I parked in the alley way to the right of the restaurant and met my co-worker (for a few more days) and owner of Dickey’s BBQ, Jimmy. We arrived right when the dinner rush did which was okay because I needed time to browse over the chalkboard menu and decide what I was going to have.

The Five On Black menu is depicted on a chalkboard.

The Five On Black menu is depicted on a chalkboard.

The set up of the restaurant is much like many of the new, “fast food-yet classy” type of places opening up these days…cafeteria style. You go up to an elongated counter and make several different food choices as you make your way through with the ending destination being the cash register. At Five On Black the ordering process is pretty simple, well at least the way it is organized on the menu makes it so. You follow five steps: You choose a dish and a meat, you choose a base, you choose a side, you choose a sauce, and then you choose a topping.

The first part of the food line at Five On Black.

The first part of the food line at Five On Black.

I will quickly go through my order. You have a choice between a small bowl or a regular bowl. I purchased the regular bowl for $7.95. I decided to go with beef for my meat over chicken, tilapia, roasted veggies, and feijoada (I know, obviously not all meats). For the base you could choose between crisp greens, brown rice, and my choice of white rice. For the side you had the option of roasted coconut sweet potatoes, steamed collared greens, or black beans. I went with the coconut sweet potatoes. For the sauce I chose the mango BBQ over the spicy coconut. Finally you can choose a few toppings from lime wedges, tomato vinaigrette, spicy chimichurri, or farofa. Even though I didn’t know what it was, I went with the farofa…and I still really don’t know what it was.

After I paid all tables were occupied but by the time Jimmy had paid a spot opened up and we sat down. So all of those steps and ingredients that I mentioned that went into my bowl? They were pretty much all mixed together, no compartments or effort by the employees to separate them. But that is exactly how I like it! I love having a big bowl of food to dig into, not worrying about what I should eat first or how to go about properly eating my meal. Also, it usually is a great way for ingredients to act together to create really special tasting flavors.

I went about eating my bowl in a way that I described above…mixing all the various ingredients together and shoving them in my mouth. After several bites using that method, I switched it up and started picking out individual pieces of meat and potato, trying the rice with the sauce, trying the meat with the sauce, trying the potatoes with the sauce, trying the potatoes with the farofa, etc. By the time I had exhausted pretty much every combination I still had a bunch of food left in my bowl so I went back to just eating everything together again.

My bowl immediately after paying.

My bowl immediately after paying.

My meal was hearty and filling. For just under $8 you get a great value. I thought the beef was pretty good and I liked the texture of how the food all came together. I think I was expecting just a little bit more with the overall flavor. I couldn’t distinguish individual flavors as much as I would have hoped. I mean each ingredient definitely had its own specific taste but it wasn’t that abundant kick to your taste buds. Of course this very well could have been the way I chose the makeup of my bowl. Maybe if I added more sauce (or went with the spicy coconut sauce), went with different toppings, or maybe got the brown rice there would have been more of a distinctive flavor.

I was a happy guy with my big bowl of Brazilian food.

I was a happy guy with my big bowl of Brazilian food.

If not for Jimmy telling me beforehand what the menu was like, I would have had no idea what I would be eating when I walked in. Honestly, what is Brazilian food?! But after Jimmy gave me a little preview and when I finally got to try it out myself, I quickly learned that I could live in Brazil. Who doesn’t like rice, meat, and potatoes all mixed together? Jimmy made a good point, he said the food served at Five On Black would make the perfect filling for a mission style burrito. He is right, when you dine at FOB you are definitely eating a naked burrito so to speak. But there is nothing wrong with that…sometimes I rather eat a goulash of tasty ingredients right from a bowl with a fork instead of going through the messy task of chowing down on a bursting tortilla.

This was Jimmy's bowl.

This was Jimmy’s bowl.

I would eat at Five On Black again because the value is great. I would change the composition of my next bowl and see if I could bring out the flavor a little more. If you want to brag to your friends that you have ate Brazilian food before, definitely give Five On Black a try. Don’t Blink.

A Typical (but great) Missoula Weekend

As I sit here late this Sunday night (technically Monday morning) I can’t shake this soothing feeling of content that has filled my body as the result of this past weekend. Mind you, I did nothing special. I simply stayed here in Missoula and lived out a couple of normal but awesome days in God’s Country. But you see, right now is bar none the absolute best time to live in Missoula. The summer is young, the days are long, and the living is awesome. So if you don’t mind, I want to quickly recap my enjoyable weekend.

On Friday night I went over to my girlfriend’s brother’s house for a big family BBQ. Paige’s sister was in town all the way from Hawaii along with her husband and two kids. Throw in Paige’s dad, her aunt and uncle, and her brother’s family and you got quite the gathering. Paige’s brother has a beautiful large backyard so we had a great time hanging out back there while eating burgers and visiting. Later in the night we all gathered around their backyard fire pit and roasted marshmallows and made s’mores. While that activity was mainly to make the four young children happy, I had just as much fun trying to make the perfect golden brown marshmallow as they did. At a little after 10 p.m. with a fair amount of daylight still in the Montana skies, we called it a night.

I had a great time making s'mores...and eating them!

I had a great time making s’mores…and eating them!

 

Saturday morning came and I awoke with great energy and eagerness for the busy day ahead. It all started off at Missoula’s farmer’s market at Caras Park. Paige and I walked around enjoying all the hustle and bustle of health minded Missoulians scouring the plethora of fresh produce covering tables all around the market area. When everyone from Paige’s family who attended the BBQ the previous night arrived we greeted them and I assisted in taking about a dozen different family portraits with all of their cellular devices.

After the Kodak moment I walked about 100 feet over to the Missoula Carousel to cover a great event that our student-athletes were involved in. Called “Griz Day at the Carousel”, several members of our football team were on hand to sign autographs and pose for pictures with youngsters. The players even hopped on the carousel themselves and rode side-by-side with elated children who couldn’t believe that they were hanging out with Griz athletes.

Our Griz football athletes helped out the community once again this past Saturday at "Griz Day at the Carousel".

Our Griz football athletes helped out the community once again this past Saturday at “Griz Day at the Carousel”.

After about 40 minutes at the Carousel I had to leave Downtown Missoula and head off to the next thing on my agenda. I hopped in my car and drove out to Southgate Mall where the Garden City Shootout, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, was taking place in the shopping area’s parking lot. My main objective was to cover and support the best mascot in the world, Monte, as he entertained the youth at center court. He put a smile on every kid’s face as he shot baskets, sprayed silly string, and rode a bike. After about a half hour of bringing a lot of joy to the event, the mascot from Red Robin showed up and the bear and the bird played a game of Thunder with the children on hand. The silliness and fun that ensued was pretty entertaining.

Monte interacting with the Red Robin mascot.

Monte interacting with the Red Robin mascot.

When that Thunder game concluded I was off again, this time traveling to yet another different part of town to Paige’s workplace, Pattee Creek Market. The store was having a community BBQ and after not eating the whole day, I was ready for some lunch. Paige and I got a burger, chips, and drink for the low price of $2 and sat up against the outside of the store under the shade and gobbled up our food….and then went back for seconds! After we filled our stomachs Paige still had about 45 minutes before her shift was to start so we went to a nearby restaurant and had a cold drink while watching the U.S. Open. Work time then came for Paige and I returned back to my apartment where I watched the rest of the U.S. Open third round.

Paige and I under the shade enjoying the BBQ.

Paige and I under the shade enjoying the BBQ.

I then transitioned nicely into watching Game 2 of the Stanley Cup finals and by the time that game hit overtime it was 9 p.m. and I was hungry again. I met my friend Dallas and his roommate at Buffalo Wild Wings and we watched Boston even the series at 1-1 while scarfing down some great food. Paige later joined us at the restaurant and from there we checked out a few places downtown before ending a great day.

Today I rose up at 8 a.m. and read the paper and did some housekeeping items. I then hit the pool! At my apartment complex we have a pretty decent community pool area and besides just a brief time last week, it was my first time really getting to enjoy it. Paige bought us milkshakes and we had a great time getting some rays and splashing around in the water. Long after Paige had left to go to work, I myself exited the area at a little after 4 p.m., probably getting a little more sun than what I needed. Sweaty and exhausted from the heat, I settled down into my nicely air conditioned apartment in time for the last six holes of the U.S. Open. I was pulling for Phil but congrats to Justin Rose.

Not long after the conclusion of the golf tournament the NBA Finals (Game 5) came on. I watched the first half at my apartment and then I went and watched the second half at the Silver Dollar where Dallas works. I took great pleasure in watching the Spurs destroy King James and the Heat to take a 3-2 series lead. I came home and did things to get ready for the upcoming work week and here I am now…writing this blog post. These are the best days to live in Missoula and I am not taking them for granted. One great weekend down, many more to come. Don’t Blink.

National Chains That Missoula Needs

Yesterday it became known that the old and undesirable K-Mart building all the way down Brooks Street would be bulldozed down and up from the ashes would rise a Kohl’s and a Cabela’s. I think most of Missoula is thrilled about this. To get two major national stores right next to each other is great news. Especially to get a store like Cabela’s in the Missoula market has to make this community very happy, in fact I can hear the cash rolling in right now. For me personally, I am pretty pleased about the Kohl’s announcement. I have bought cheap but decent looking work clothes from them for years.

With these two businesses setting up shop in Missoula I really think it helps close the void just a little in terms of retail services that our city lacks. With that said, I certainly think Missoula could use a few other national chains to come in and bridge some gaps.

In this blog post I want to introduce 5 national chains that I would like to see come into the Missoula market. These choices are a reflection of places that I personally like (cause I am selfish like that) AND places that I think would be successful in Missoula. Let’s face it, it is not like any national retailer can just open its doors in the Garden City and expect to make bank. Krispy Kreme floundered here. Golden Corral couldn’t make it. Even Macy’s had to close its doors. Not every business will work. So here is my list and to end all suspense, NO, Olive Garden is not on it.

Panda Express: I wanted to include a fast food restaurant on the list and along with Panda Express I also tossed around Sonic and Jack and the Box. However, I decided to go the way I went because first and foremost, if someone gave me a choice to get dinner at one of those three restaurants, I would almost always choose Panda. Missoula has enough burger places, this city needs a little bit of diversity.

Growing up in Spokane, there was a Panda Express right next to my house. I salivated when I thought of the orange chicken. Besides their signature item though, they have a solid menu with traditional and tasty Asian selections. Prices are very low and if you even just get a 1-item plate (which comes with fried rice or chow mein) you will get full. Because there is nothing like it in Missoula, it would do well.

Nordstrom Rack: Missoula has an American Eagle and will soon have a Kohl’s so I am pretty much set but having a Nordstrom Rack would be nice too. I don’t fool around with high end department stores but I do change my tune when high end department stores send their clothing to their little brother for much lower prices.

Nordstrom Rack offers some great clothing items for both men and women and although still a little pricey, I like buying a few shirts from them every now and then. The selection is stellar and they even have offshoot items such as colognes, sunglasses, and shoes. A Nordstrom would not do well in Missoula, a Nordstrom Rack would.

7-Eleven: I think Missoula has it covered when it comes to quality gas stations but I think a couple 7-Eleven convenience stores around town would be a great addition. I think our city would just benefit from the culture that a 7-Eleven would bring, considering I don’t think there is one location in the entire state.

I just feel like everyone should have the option to walk inside a 7-Eleven on a hot summer day and see 12 different slurpee dispensers filled with crazy flavors ready to give relief on a sweltering afternoon. And even though I hate soda and what 7-Eleven offers is extremely unhealthy, I think we all should get to go inside and find someone with a Big Gulp and utter that famous “Dumb and Dumber” line.

Fred Meyer: I would love it if one day if I got a tweet that said “Fred Meyer Opening in Missoula.” Fred Meyer stores are nice, convenient, and organized. Imagine Wal-Mart and then elevate it two big steps and you have FM. Sure prices are a little higher but the products they offer and the shopping experience afforded is worth it.

Fred Meyer is a grocery store, electronic store, appliance store, furniture store, gardening outlet, etc. all combined in one. If there was one in Missoula, I would definitely furnish my apartment with their furniture. Affordable and classy, they offer some great selections. I would also visit their deli frequently, buy my groceries there, and shop for all my gifts inside the store. I think it would be very competitive in Missoula.

Chuck E. Cheese’s: Although these days I could not step foot in one for a couple seconds before I went absolutely bonkers, I say Missoula most definitely needs a Chuck E. Cheese’s. I mean honestly, how can there not be a place in this city where “a kid can be a kid”? For Missoula not have a location for the most popular children’s fun center in the nation is a little surprising to me.

I will say this…Missoula is a very healthy and fit city and I can definitely see that parents would want their kids engaging in more active entertainment options than an arcade/pizza place. However, in my opinion every single kid deserves to visit Chuck E. Cheese’s a few times a year. If you think about it, there is not a single place in town where kids can dive into a ball crawl or listen to oversized animal creatures play music. Missoula needs a Chuck E. Cheese’s and I guarantee it would be a hit.

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Best of luck to Kohl’s and Cabela’s! I think they will make a great impact in the Missoula market. If you have any suggestions on what retailers you think would make a great addition in Missoula please let me know. You know I love interaction with my readers. Don’t Blink.

Spot On Navigation

The proliferation of smart phones has delivered to us so many conveniences in relation to everyday life. Easy photo editing, quick weather checks, sports scores, social media, music carrier, and so much more. However, I think there is something else on my iPhone that I value more than all of these things.

I consider the navigation feature on my phone a lifesaver. For me, there is never such a thing as being lost anymore. You just type in an address, and your phone gives you crystal clear directions to your destination.

Everyone my age and older can remember a time when electronic navigation did not exist. You had to rely on directions from someone else or look at something called a map. But getting directions from someone else always posed the possibility of problems. The person could accidentally tell you a single wrong direction (such as a left instead of a right) and you would be screwed. Or when you were jotting down your friend’s directions, you could make a simple error yourself. For many people, following a map proved troublesome too…especially when one couldn’t even get passed holding it the right way and folding it back up. Yep, who knew how pizza delivery people survived fifteen years ago.

Me out on the open road. I love having dependable navigation.

Me out on the open road. I love having dependable navigation.

Then came Mapquest. You could go online, type in the destination’s address, and just like that you would have clearly spelled out directions along with a map. In my high school and early college days I used Mapquest a lot. Sure my car looked a little cluttered with all the white pieces of computer paper I printed out with directions on them but it was efficient and most of all, accurate. But referencing the printed out instructions while driving, especially during the dark, was not always the easiest. Plus, if Mapquest didn’t take into account a closed road or a construction site and you ran into it, you had no way to troubleshoot the problem.

Everything improved with the debut of GPS vehicle aides. Buy one and stick it on your dash and you were good to go. Finally, step by step visual and audio directions that took you exactly where you needed to go. But the one Achilles heel with GPS is that it was just another added accessory, something else that we had to spend money on. It also took up space in the car and looked nerdy if you wanted to take a girl out and she saw that you had to rely on a machine to get you where you needed to go.

But as the iPhone has done to stop watches, voice recorders, iPods, alarm clocks, newspapers, cameras, notepads, and board games it also did to GPS. No longer do we need to buy a GPS or rent one out along with our rental car. Instead, we have the best navigation possible on our smart phones.

The navigation I have on my iPhone 5 is superb. I have never had one problem at all using it. If I am going to a new location for the first time ever, I don’t sweat it at all. Way in advance before I leave, I just type the address in and see how long the estimated travel time is and I leave according to that. No stressing on getting lost, no worrying about a potential wrong turn.

The beauty about the iPhone navigation is I could go out in my car and purposely take 47 wrong turns but my phone would still recalculate to put me on a route that would get me to my destination. That is why I never have to worry about a closed road or some freak accident impending my progress. You see, if I can’t confuse the navigation by deliberately doing all I can to sabotage the route, a simple road block or two won’t either. The visual and audio components are great. I like to follow along with both but if I was sketched out about getting pulled over for using my mobile device I would have no problem putting my phone in my cup holder and just listening to the audio directions.

This past autumn when I was doing football travel, my phone navigation was a godsend. It used to be if I traveled to a city that I had never set foot in, getting around would be a little confusing and stressful. Not with my iPhone. I never felt intimated driving on roads I had never seen in my life because the navigation I had at my disposal was just so spot on and trustworthy. When I travel for leisure and am doing a lot of walking, I utilize the mode on the navigation that gives you directions by foot. Even though I am a pro when it comes to Las Vegas, I still use the walking navigation mode to get me to certain places.

I guess the only negative about the navigation feature on new mobile devices is the robotic voice that you are forced to listen to. After a while, it definitely gets old. But hey, small price to pay for the security and accuracy afforded by these devices, huh? Don’t Blink.

Color Me Rad

This past Friday it seemed like all of my social media outlets became flooded with talk about a certain race taking place the following day. Somehow I was able to block out all the hype about this particular race starting with the announcement that it would in fact be staged in Missoula all the way up through this past week. However, with the excitement reaching a breaking point on Friday with seemingly the whole city of Missoula participating, I got sucked in.

Yep, Brent Reser got registered for Color Me Rad!

Well, check that, I really didn’t get registered, I got very lucky. My friend had a full sponsored team for the race. However, at the last minute one of the girls on the team pulled out. Chelsea asked me if I wanted to fill in and after asking her a couple questions, I committed to a 9 a.m. run the next morning. I was about to get rad!

Don’t know what Color Me Rad is? Let me explain real fast. Color Me Rad is a racing tour that goes around the country staging 5K runs. Of course the defining factor of these runs is that race participants get doused in all sorts of vibrant colors throughout the race. Using this corn starch powder and a type of liquid spray, participants get turned into human rainbows. The color mayhem begins right at the starting line and continues at certain spots throughout the course and then culminates with one last color shower at the finish line. Besides all the powder and spray that volunteers and race organizers throw at you throughout the race, you are also able to purchase as many colored powder bags that you desire to add to the fun…and let me tell you, people take full advantage.

 

BEFORE: The morning of Color Me Rad.

BEFORE: The morning of Color Me Rad.

From what I have been told, these types of color runs are nothing new. They have been around for decades and besides Color Me Rad, there are other color race tour competitors out there. Well, consider me ignorant because before this past week, I had no idea that these things existed. Probably for the better though because it enabled me to really experience something so unique and fun with absolutely no preconceived notions going in.

Missoula’s Color Me Rad took place in a desolate location about nine miles outside of Missoula. Of course come race day that desolate location transformed into a colorful paradise. After parking my car in an overgrown field, I strolled over to the start line. Big crowds dressed in white and silly costumes were getting ready to run. People were already spreading the bags of colored powder on one another, music blared. The race is organized in “waves”, basically different heats of people taking off at half hour intervals to make sure everyone gets an adequate colorful experience. I was in the first wave of the day at 9 a.m. As we waited at the start line, the race organizer said a few words before sending us off. Let me tell you, this dude was exactly what I envisioned when I thought about what someone who was in charge of a race called “Color Me Rad” would look/talk like. He was your stereotypical hippie with long braided hair and a straggly beard. He wore a silver vest with matching silver pants. While talking to us, he told us that “Some stupid people did a bad thing in Boston.” Interesting way to say it. He then asked us to take a moment of silence. After that moment he roared into the microphone “Let’s get RAD for Boston.” He then started the race.

Myself with teammates Chelsea and Chris.

Myself with teammates Chelsea and Chris.

We were blessed with amazing, sunny weather for the race. I chose to run the whole way instead of doing the courteous thing and waiting for my teammates. But I couldn’t help it. It was just so nice running through the course with the anticipation of what each color station would hold. The course was never crowded and I actually ran through many of the color stations all by myself, thus insuring that I got hit especially hard by the colors and spray from the volunteers. Despite running mostly uphill and on a trail layered with rocks, it was the easiest 3.1 miles I had ever ran in my life. When I got to the finish line and ran through the last cloud of color, I wanted to keep going.

AFTER: What I looked like at the conclusion of the race.

AFTER: What I looked like at the conclusion of the race.

Post race was fun too! After reuniting with my teammates we took pictures both with our phones and then at the professional photo station that was set up to capitalize on the racing color high that everyone had. Good music continued to play and people kept buying more of the color packets to try to get even more rainbowish than they already were. Meanwhile, the 9:30 a.m. wave got started as the hippie race organizer fired them up. To take a phrase from this very interesting fellow, I then “peaced out.”

How my clothes looked at the end.

How my clothes looked at the end.

I would definitely recommend Color Me Rad. It is such a fun concept and I really did enjoy myself on Saturday. Believe me, anyone can do it. The race is not timed and everyone participating is just there to have a good time. Although you will have to take a longer shower than usual and you might have to throw away some clothing, it is well worth it. On Saturday morning, I was definitely rad. Don’t Blink.

Something that Happens all the Time

I always roll my eyes a little bit when people make a big deal out of an event that they feel is rare but actually isn’t that rare at all. Sometimes it makes me question if certain people have their memory banks working properly.


This week in Missoula we had a couple rather chilly days. In fact, we even got snow. No doubt about it, I hate it when it snows in April but it is not like it hasn’t ever happened before. But the late season snow was not what dominated everyone’s Facebook statuses and tweets regarding the weather over the last couple days. Instead, people focused on the low temperatures.


On Monday (April 22) we saw a record low of 15 degrees in the early morning. The next day we saw another record low as the mercury got as far down on the thermometer as 20 degrees. My reaction to these record days? Big deal. But my reaction was not shared by others as people went off the deep end proclaiming how crazy, bizarre, and non-typical these weather numbers were. Reactions like “OMG another record low for Missoula, summer must be canceled this year!”……”WTF Mother Nature? Are you serious?”…… “Another record low for Missoula, this is extraordinary”……..”Just don’t know how to explain these crazy temperatures we are experiencing, something must be up.” Oh, please.


I kind of think you have to be totally oblivious to weather patterns if you liken record temperature days to actual rare occurrences such as a full lunar eclipse or the appearance of a comet. Record low and record high temperature days happen somewhere in the country every single day. Every city will experience several record days in a year. Again, every single city will experience several record temperature days in a year!! With 365 days in a calendar year, unpredictable weather and climate patterns, and strong recorded weather data , daily weather records are bound to happen.


But I don’t want to pass all blame on to average citizens who hear the weather information and immediately feel that something unique is going on. I definitely feel the media fuels the hysteria by making a bigger deal about a pretty common occurrence. Headers and headlines that exclaim RECORD LOWS, extended weather reports, and utilizing breaking news to include such stories as weather records helps to blow something such as an unusually cool April day out of proportion.


I find myself using the word perspective a lot. I think if we use just a little bit of it when it comes to weather events we will be able to differentiate between occurrences that really are worth our attention versus occurrences that happen multiple times on a consistent yearly basis. Today the weather turned more seasonal and we had a sunny and beautiful spring day in the Garden City. Finally, Missoulians can relax…..until of course the next record low day comes next week. Don’t Blink.