Reno Dads - Being a dad in the Biggest Little City

Reno Dads Podcast Episode 17: Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam

In this episode, the Reno Dads podcast welcomed Washoe County Sheriff and dad Darin Balaam. Sheriff Balaam is a dad — four kids ranging in age from 10 to 24, including teenaged twins, so he knows a thing or two about fatherhood. He’s also been in law enforcement for over 20 years, and his experience…

The Illusionists Experience

So, you’d like to know what The Illusionists Experience at the Eldorado is like? Well, writers across time have attempted to put words to events – sometimes imaginary (fiction, entertainment), sometimes real (non-fiction, news) – in an endeavor to communicate amazing experiences to their readers. Being that I cannot write a worthy novel about this…

Game of Throne

Are you ready for the final chapter? Of course you are… you’ve watched Arya become a revenge-hungry killing machine, almost forgotten when Ned lost his head nearly ten years ago, and you’re still reeling from Dany going nuclear on King’s Landing last week. I’m here to tell you a slightly different story, though. As the…

New Reno Topgolf Swing Suite is Way More Than Golf

The Silver Legacy Resort Casino in downtown Reno debuted its new Topgolf Swing Suite recently and many people, like myself, had a similar reaction. “Oh, it’s just like hitting a golf ball into a screen.” Wrong. For starters, and to be fair, THE ROW’s Topgolf is certainly not like the Las Vegas Topgolf, which is…

Distress Tolerance (part V)

Losing control and being okay; vulnerability and intimacy If you are reading these in order, you will know that last column I wrote about watching others suffer and being okay with it. This column is about losing control and being okay with it. Similar? Yes. Same? No. Watching someone else go through a tough time…

Dad Spotlight: Zach Conine

You may not know Zach Conine yet, but you should! After all, he was elected to be our Nevada State Treasurer this past fall. We had an opportunity to sit down and chat with Zach, and we think you’re going to love him. He’s down to earth, funny, and a really engaged dad. We hope…

7 Things You May Not Know About Nevada 529 Plans

When and how should I start saving for my child’s college tuition? As a dad, you will inevitably be faced with the question of saving for college (perhaps not even if, but how). There are several ways in which you can stash some shekels away to pay for college; and 529 Plans may be the most…

8 Money Tips I Learned from My Dad

My dad set a great example for me with money. He worked hard every day to provide for all six of us kids and did it in a non-flashy, low-key manner. For example, he drove an old VW bug for most of my growing-up years. The bug was so old, it would consistently spew visible…

Distress Tolerance (part IV)

Watching Others in Distress Last column I promised that I would write (in this column) about the importance of watching other people tolerate their own distress. If you read this series in order, it makes a lot of sense because the last installment spent considerable time discussing invalidation or, put another way, bailing people out…

Reno Dads Podcast Episode 16: Reno Mom Mikalee Byerman

In this episode, the Reno Dads podcast sat down with Mikalee Byerman, a local mom, marketing guru, and Reno Moms Blog contributor to talk about solo/single parenting, dating in Reno, and online dating. It turns out that dating in Reno is just as frustrating from the women’s side of the table as it is from…

Dad Spotlight: Reed Tolotti

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your family? I have one son who turned 16 a few months ago. He is currently a sophomore in high school. I met my wife when my son was 6 years old and we have been married for 6 years. Are you a Reno native? Yes,…

At the two-year mark, parenting is harder, better than I thought

A few months ago, I was trying to get my 1-year-old daughter ready for preschool. She was… uncooperative. As I gathered her shoes, she came running into the living room crying, holding her blanket and a stuffed animal. “No! Daddy!,” she screamed. “Stinky butt!” My daughter, who couldn’t yet complete a sentence, took a phrase…