Rockstar | Don't Blink

Don’t Blink because we are already halfway through May. Dang, after concluding every blog post I have ever written with “Don’t Blink” it was kind of weird to begin a post with my iconic phrase. Okay, let’s get to the rundown…

Ring Bling – It was 10 years ago on this date that I walked into a mall jewelry store and purchased an engagement ring for Sid. Not going to lie, I felt like a boss. You see, I wasn’t sweating whether my future wife would like her rock or not because we had already gone ring shopping. Several years ago, I wrote a post about the intricacies of purchasing an engagement ring and explained why it is wise to have some specific advice from your special someone before making the investment.

This photo is from the night I asked Sid to marry me. Because I asked Sid exactly what she wanted, I didn’t stress over whether she would like the ring or not (instead, I stressed over whether she would say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’).

Banner Bearer – Part of my job as marketing director at EWU is to oversee sponsorships. This past Saturday I found myself in downtown Spokane at the beginning of the route for the Jr. Lilac Parade. EWU served as the title sponsor and we had the honor of leading off the event. I was there to make sure President McMahan, Swoop, and the EWU cheer squad were all taken care of and ready to go. However, right before the parade started, the realization hit that Swoop needed a little help carrying the banner as he naturally wanted to interact with the adoring fans lining the parade route. Thus, I carried the banner for a good portion of the parade. Although I can’t say it was an adrenaline rush, I did feel semi-important.

I walked shoulder-to-shoulder (or wing-to-wing?) with Swoop for most of the parade. When he would go engage with people lining the route, I would carry the banner (photo courtesy of Hawkinson Photography).

Nonnas – It seemed like it had been forever, but Sid and I finally watched a whole movie together last weekend. We opted for “Nonnas,” a Netflix new release featuring Vince Vaughn. Based on a true story, it chronicles the ambitious business plan of a down-on-his-luck mechanic to open a restaurant employed entirely by Italian grandma chefs. For someone of Italian heritage, this film was a lot of fun. The dialogue, music, and FOOD all made “Nonnas” a movie that Sidney and I really enjoyed. If you are looking for something that is relaxing and won’t stress you out, you should give it a watch.

I recommend “Nonnas.”

Party Like a Rockstar – I have mentioned before that I drink Rockstars every now and then. My wife? She drinks them every day! Because of our preference for these caffeine-packed beverages, I can’t help but get excited when they are on sale. The moment I walked through the door at WinCo on Tuesday night, this display greeted me. You better believe that I stocked up and even drank one of them today.

This was the display at WINCO the other night.

Spring Sports Updates – May could possibly be our busiest month of the year. There is something on our calendar every single day with many of those obligations pertaining to Beau’s t-ball season and Sloan’s soccer season. Both kids are doing decent on their teams (although there is room for improvement). The biggest challenge? Trying to figure out if Beau is a left-handed batter or a right-handed batter. It seems like he is opting for a different side of the plate each time he is up to bat. Of course it would be cool if he matures into a switch hitter but I want him to first find a primary side that he prefers. Switching gears from offense to defense, Beau had the opportunity to play catcher last night.

Beau played catcher on Wednesday night.

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And just like that, this May 15th Thursday Rundown has come to an end. Thanks for reading and please pray for Sidney and me as we lead another Engaged Encounter retreat this weekend. Don’t Blink.

It’s Boo Season! A grand month is here indeed as I hope your October is off to a great start. I have some topics to write about so let’s get started…

Grandpa Throwback – Last week I came across some photos of my grandpa doing what he loved more than anything…managing his restaurant. The Pastime Café was in my mom’s family for more than 80 years and my grandpa personally owned and operated it for 43 years. It was without a doubt the best (and most authentic) Italian food in Walla Walla and I have a treasure trove of memories from eating there and going on Sunday “runs” to the restaurant with grandpa when he would let us fill a brown sack with candy bars from the front counter.

My grandpa, Frank Fazzari, smokes a cigar inside the Pastime Cafe.

Scarywood – Every fall, Silverwood transforms its theme park into Scarywood. Up until this year I had never had the chance to go. That all changed this past Friday when the daughter of my friend Shauna, Elli, who works at Silverwood, scored us opening weekend passes. I am a big fan of haunted houses and Scarywood offered FOUR of them. Of course we went through each one. Although the zombie-themed haunt and the cannibal-themed haunt were both pretty good, my favorite was the 3-D clown funhouse (Chuckle’s 3D Sideshow). If you like a good scare, Scarywood is your jam.

In addition to the haunted houses Scarywood has cast members creeping around the whole park waiting to scare you. Here I am with one of them.

World Teachers’ Day – Although she might be “retired” now, I want to wish a happy World Teachers’ Day to the best educator I know…my wife! Sidney devoted six school years to the profession and was incredible at her craft. I also want to wish extend my best wishes on this day to the teachers of my children, Ms. Lunsford (Sloan’s first grade teacher) and Mrs. Shaurette (Beau’s Pre-K3 teacher), along with the rest of the St. Mary Catholic School staff.

Whether my wife was Miss Mathis or Mrs. Reser, she was a great teacher!

Current Energy Drink of Choice – Over the years I have updated this blog with the energy drink I was consuming at the time. I have switched from Xyience to Joker to Coke’s option to many others. But at this stage in my life I am very much content with Rockstar. It is cheap, the flavor variety is vast, and it packs 240MG of caffeine. As someone who doesn’t consume caffeine besides my once-per-week energy drink, it definitely gets the job done.

I am a big fan of Rockstar energy drinks.

Conceal Your Valuables – This meme shared by my friend Lindsi could also be from an account titled the Dad TruthBomb. Taking my kids to/from school and to their activities has definitely turned the inside of my car into a mini disaster zone. Sometimes grabbing a stray blanket or coat is the perfect way to cover up anything of value.