Scrabble | Don't Blink

And just like that, March will soon give way to April. But on this April Fools’ Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve, let’s reflect on some random topics…

Sloan’s Cake – You all know the drill, when our family celebrates a birthday, I always showoff the cake in the following Thursday Rundown. Sloan specifically requested a cake that was teal and pink so we made it happen. We trusted the skilled and talented bakers at Rosauers to turn Sloan’s wish into reality.

Rosauers baked and decorated Sloan’s 8th birthday cake.

Pope Francis Recovery – Thanks be to God, Pope Francis has been released from the hospital. Over the past couple days, details have emerged regarding how close he was to death. With these reports, there is no doubt in my mind that God still wants Pope Francis on this earth to preside over the Church. I admire the Pope’s medical team and the faithful who feverishly prayed for him.

It is important that we continue to pray for Pope Francis.

Flipside – Did you ever play Bop-It when you were a kid? We had one that we played over and over. For Sloan’s birthday, she received a gift from one of her friends that reminded me of Bop-It. Called Flipside, the object is to match the colored blocks to the lights. It has caught on like wildfire in my family. Sloan, Beau, and even Sid can’t get enough of it. In fact, Sloan is so smitten with the game that she has played it on the car ride to school this whole week. Overall, I am happy for the kids to have a handheld they can engage with that isn’t a smart device.

Sloan playing Flipside in bed.

National Scrabble Day – I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to mark National Scrabble Day. Scrabble was my family’s favorite game growing up as we played many intense, competitive rounds. When we moved back to Spokane five years ago, I was delighted to dust off the board and play a game with everyone for old times’ sake. Another fond memory I have of Scrabble is from the sixth grade. My teacher, Mr. Jared Hoadley, took our class to a neighboring rival elementary school to play its sixth grade class in a Scrabble tournament. We might have mobile apps like Words With Friends and Wordle, but the ultimate word game will always be Scrabble!

A look at our Scrabble board from my homecoming game five years ago.

23andMe Tough Times – An item in the news cycle this week is the bankruptcy of personal genomics giant 23andMe. The industry has fallen on tough times and it has specifically impacted 23andMe in a negative way. I find it a shame because these companies truly provide fascinating and accurate information. Nearly seven years ago I opted for the competition and submitted my sample to AncestryDNA. I learned a lot about my heritage. The test was actually a birthday gift from my mom who spent $99 on it. Let me tell you, it has been a gift that continues to give. To this day, I still receive emails notifying me about new matches when relatives (both near and distant) submit their own tests. My wife took a 23andMe test in 2019.

My Ancestry DNA test confirmed a lot of what I already knew about my heritage.

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Thanks for your time this evening. Enjoy your last weekend in March and we will be in touch next week. Don’t Blink.

Happy Easter season, friends! I hope this blog post finds you well. What do you say we just jump right in this evening? Alright, let’s go with my latest five topics…

T-Ball Season – Earlier this week, a certain 6-year-old reported for the 2023 t-ball season. After a successful 2022 debut season, she is back on the field for another couple months of fun. This year she is on the Red Pandas, a team that five of her St. Mary classmates are on too. With two practices now in the books, I think this squad has talent!

Sloan started her second season of t-ball this week.

Stolen Youth – This week, Sidney and I watched an extremely interesting three-part documentary series on Hulu called “Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence.” The documentary tells the story of a group of close-knit college friends who live together in a campus housing dorm/apartment hybrid. One day, the dad of one of the female residents randomly moves in. The students are sketched out at first but then he starts to win them over one-by-one. From there, he maneuvers them completely under his control. It is a unique look at a non-traditional “cult” and you will be amazed at how this “dad” is able to manipulate these bright and ambitious college students.

“Stolen Youth” was a fascinating and sad documentary.

National Scrabble Day – I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to mark National Scrabble Day. Scrabble was my family’s favorite game growing up as we played many intense, competitive rounds. When we moved back to Spokane three years ago, I was delighted to dust off the board and play a game with everyone for old times’ sake. Another fond memory I have of Scrabble is from the sixth grade. My teacher, Mr. Jared Hoadley, took our class to a neighboring rival elementary school to play its sixth grade class in a Scrabble tournament. We might have mobile apps like Words With Friends and Wordle, but the ultimate word game will always be Scrabble!

A look at our Scrabble board from the “homecoming” game we played three years ago.

Mike & Mike Memory – One of my favorite career memories was when I covered the Monday After the Masters event on this date 8 years ago. A fundraising showcase for Darius Rucker, the event included the live broadcast of Mike & Mike from the golf course where the event was held. At the time I was working for CCU and our mascot and spirit squad attended/appeared on the Mike & Mike broadcast. I went along to document the moment for social media and had a blast. It was so cool to see Mike Golic up close along with countless other celebrities. It also served as a “reunion” of sorts between me and the man who allowed me to play a small part in his most recent music video at the time. This was the blog post I wrote about the awesome experience.

This was a fun day! Follow the link for many more photos.

Spa Date – On Sloan’s birthday, she received a coupon from her Aunt Carrie and Uncle Glen. It was good for a spa date followed by dinner. Last Wednesday, Sloan redeemed her coupon. Glen picked Sloan up and took her to the salon where Carrie was at. Sloan got her toes done and enjoyed the pampered life. The trio then went to Outback (Sloan’s choice) for a nice dinner. What an evening!