Our Ninth Wedding Anniversary

It may have been the best memory from our latest year of marriage. At around 11 p.m. on a May night in Disney World, Sid and I found ourselves decked out in 3-D glasses. With the park closed down to the general public, we were in a sectioned-off corner of Epcot riding Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Energized by the savory kettle corn in our lap and emboldened by the open bar we had taken advantage of all night, we swayed together shoulder-to-shoulder as the attraction zipped us from scene to scene.

As we laughed out loud as we rode the attraction more than once, we realized that each time on the ride was different. Disney created Ratatouille Adventure to feature multiple perspectives and experiences based on what car you were assigned. Perhaps it was just the buzz I was nursing, but at that moment I realized the ride was like our marriage: fun, random, and a little crazy.

Sid and I pose for a photo before going on the Ratatouille ride.

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On this date nine years ago, Sidney and I entered into the sacrament of holy matrimony at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Myrtle Beach, SC. Although that is a neat fact, is it even worth it to celebrate a ninth anniversary? Perhaps married couples should just bypass it and gear up for the big 10th anniversary. Nah. As I said last year, an anniversary is an anniversary and should be recognized and celebrated as such.

What a blessing it is to celebrate our ninth anniversary! (📷: Nicole Lynn Photos).

And truth be told, I think recognizing today’s anniversary goes beyond just principle. Yes, I believe this past year of marriage deserves at least some celebration. After all, the professional moves we made in lockstep and the leadership opportunity we embraced did make it a unique year of marital bliss.

We said “I Do” on June 11, 2016, at St. Andrew Catholic Church

Don’t worry, I won’t dwell long on the “uniqueness” I just referenced. But with me accepting a director role at EWU and Sid ascending from a customer service position to an underwriter at Travelers, we got to climb the career ladder together and celebrate one another’s successes. We also had the pleasure of accompanying each other to our respective work banquets and parties, including Sid’s award recognition excursion to Orlando that provided the inspiration for the opening of this post.

Sid and me at the EWU Alumni Awards at the end of April 2025.

At the same time as our careers taking an upward trajectory, we were given additional responsibility outside of the office, too. In January, in a manner which was not unlike a conclave (😂), Sid and I were elected to serve as leaders of our Engaged Encounter community (Diocese of Spokane). Over the past six months, we have used our different talents and personalities to provide the best collaborative leadership we can.

In January 2025, Sid and I were selected co-leaders of the Diocese of Spokane chapter of Engaged Encounter. We were elected alongside our friends, Grace and Tim Trudnowski (seated next to us).

But besides those two developments, it has been another blessed year based on the tenets that have fueled our marriage for so long: A reliance on God’s grace, the solid examples of strong marriages from our own parents, and the special way our children enhance our relationship.

It has been another fruitful year of marriage and thankfully we had Swoop around to witness it first hand 😉

Give any couple those three things and let me know if they still aren’t happily married 50 years from now.

We are still smiling 9 years later.

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Sidney, I know our ride will remain twisty and curvy but I wouldn’t trade the thrill for anything. Buckle your seat belt because I can’t wait to see where it takes us this next year! Don’t Blink.

Managing My FOMO

If you know me or if you are a dedicated Don’t Blink reader, you are probably well aware that I like to do things and make memories. My idea of fun is keeping a full calendar and jumping from one thing to the next.

I will be the first person to admit that I am afflicted with a very serious (but non-scientific) case of FOMO. For those not up to date with pseudo-syndrome acronyms, that stands for fear of missing out. A classic symptom of people who live with FOMO is the obsession with traditions. My wife tells people that if our family does something twice, it becomes an unbreakable tradition in my book.

She isn’t wrong.

On Saturday night, a sudden and painful realization hit me. I had totally forgotten about the YMCA Healthy Kids event that takes place at the beginning of June each year. It is an event with free t-shirts, a taco dinner, tons of vendors, valuable info for the kids to stay active during the summer, and plenty of fun. It could almost be classified as the kickoff to summer for our family and I felt awful for Sloan and Beau that I forgot about it.

The past two years, our kids have attended the YMCA Healthy Kids Day at the Spokane Valley YMCA. The event was held this past Friday but I totally forgot about it.

Sadly, the YMCA Healthy Kids event isn’t the only “tradition” that has not been (or will not be) continued this year. When I started my job at Eastern Washington University last August, my schedule changed a lot. I went from working primarily from home to full time in the office. Furthermore, my job entails that I occasionally show up/help at functions that fall outside of business days/hours. Because I am commuting a lot more and representing EWU at other obligations, I don’t have as much time to attend the events I established “traditions” with my family.

But it isn’t just my new job, which I really do love, that has derailed events and traditions. Sometimes it is just my own obliviousness—like with the YMCA event—and sometimes it is just learning to prioritize life. For example, later this month we will be missing Hoopfest—perhaps my favorite event of all-time—to attend an out-of-town wedding for a couple we prepared for marriage. Even though it is a no-brainer that we travel to the wedding, my FOMO ailment is already feeling like a thorn in my side.

Sidney is my “therapist” when it comes to my FOMO. She will tell me it is ridiculous that I feel the need to be everywhere and she emphasizes the value of just enjoying life without a full calendar and annual events “we have” to attend. Her counsel is helping but I also have to help myself. I need to do a better job of letting go and realizing that missing a community festival or failing to take an annual photo is not the end of the world.

So did I miss Bloomsday, the Lilac Parade, and YMCA Healthy Kids Day? Will I miss Hoopfest? Will I miss Beau’s pre-school graduation? Yes, yes, and yes. But I have also had the blessing of creating memories with my family via brand new experiences like going on a cruise and visiting Disney World. By not allowing myself to get too down about missing an event and keeping things in perspective, I can manage my FOMO and live a more balanced life. Don’t Blink.

Insomnia Thursday Rundown

I hope everyone is having a nice first week of June. Although May was a very hectic month and June promises to move at a slower pace, this initial week has been a very busy one for us. Have no fear, I still have the time to write a Thursday Rundown. Here we go…

Absolution! – In yesterday’s blog post, I wrote that Sloan was just about to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Well, I can confirm, she did in fact make her first confession last night. When she arrived home, she was glowing, a true sign that God’s grace had been bestowed upon her. I am proud of her for genuinely wanting to receive reconciliation, the prep she patiently went through, and then the good confession she humbly gave. Thanks be to God!

Sloan made her first confession on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Spokane Valley. The middle photo is Sloan with Marie Bricher and Sloan’s friend, Charlotte. Marie is St. Mary’s director of religious education and led the reconciliation prep for Sloan.

Couch Memory – On this date two years ago, I sold the most comfortable couch I have ever owned. It was also the first joint item that Sid and I ever purchased. It followed us to four different houses but eventually it was time to say goodbye. The ironic part was that we had it for sale over the course of two days during an extremely busy community yard sale. After not receiving a single offer, I put it up on Facebook Marketplace and sold it in 10 minutes (go figure). Speaking of that community sale, the Camelot Yard Sale returns this weekend. If you want to see an impressive and slightly chaotic scene filled with a wide array of items/junk, head up to north Spokane to check it out for yourself. Just make sure to tell me “hi” as I will be hanging at my parents’ house who live in the neighborhood.

It only took 10 minutes on Facebook Marketplace for us to sell the couch. We then loaded it on my dad’s truck and we delivered the piece of furniture to its new owner.

Milkilicious – I took the kids with me to Dollar Tree over the weekend. When we returned home, I started unloading what we bought. Much to my chagrin, I pulled out a candy bar that I absolutely did not authorize the purchase of. Both Sloan and Beau promised they didn’t sneak it in my cart. Oh well, I guess I trust them. Anyway, I had never heard of a Hershey’s Milkilicious bar before. The description states “milk chocolate with creamy chocolate milk filling.” Even though I was still a little mad, we had to do something with the candy bar…so we ate it. I gave some to all four of us to sample. The verdict? Very underwhelming. Although I was intrigued with the idea of “chocolate milk filling,” the interior of the candy looked like any other chocolate bar…and it tasted the same too.

Wasn’t too impressed with this “Milkilicious” Hershey’s bar.

JUMANJI – On Friday night, I looked through Disney+ to find a movie for my family to watch. After taking too long to make a choice, I settled on the original “Jumanji” movie. I know I had seen it when it came out but I had absolutely no recollection of everything that went down in the film—cause come on people, it was made in 1995! And, according to Sloan, it definitely looked like it was 30 years old based on the special effects. But Sid and I explained to her that it truly was cutting edge for the time. Despite the “fakey” effects, Sloan loved the movie! I was pleased to have her captivated for nearly two hours. Beau on the other hand? He eventually went upstairs and watched his own show. For me personally, it was fun to watch a film from my childhood and I am always happy to watch something with Robin Williams in it.

Watching “Jumanji” was a fun way to spend a family-focused Friday night.

Insomnia Cookies – While we watched “Jumanji” on Friday night, my wife made a somewhat impulse purchase. She put in an order with Insomnia Cookies, a company that specializes in delivering hot cookies to the doors of customers. Sid ordered from Insomnia Cookies while a college student and was hoping for a little bit of taste bud nostalgia. Sloan enjoyed opening the door when the knock came. The cookies are sized like regular cookies (not ginormous like Crumbl or Crave) and they deliver on their promise…HOT! They weren’t bad for a Friday night treat.

Sloan posing with the Insomnia Cookies we ordered on Friday night.

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We have temperatures forecast in the 90s for this weekend! Hope everyone stays cool and I look forward to catching up next week. Don’t Blink.

Sloan’s First Confession

“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.” (John 20:23)

It is a big day for Sloan. Tonight she will make her first confession.

Sloan has been preparing herself for the Sacrament of Reconciliation since the start of the year. At the beginning of January, she attended her first class with her peers to learn more about this incredible grace instituted by Jesus himself.

While engaged in these lessons, she learned how the sacrament reconciles her with God, fills her with peace, strengthens the Church, and showers her with healing. Sloan attended each session with reverence, curiosity, and—yes—some nerves.

Well, let me tell you, those nerves are even more pronounced this morning. Over the past few days, she has been honest about the anxiety she feels to confess for the first time. But you know what? That is a good sign because it shows contrition. And, let’s be honest, I still get nervous before confession myself, so how do you expect an 8-year-old to feel?

As a way to calm some nerves, St. Mary Religious Ed Director Marie Bricher allowed Sloan’s reconciliation prep class to walk inside the confessional at this past weekend’s retreat.

But the butterflies and nerves will all be worth it when she receives absolution tonight. The glorious joy of receiving God’s forgiveness for one’s sins outweighs any discomfort or anguish.

Thank you to Marie Bricher and her staff at St. Mary Catholic Church (Spokane Valley) for preparing Sloan and her friends to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Much gratitude to the same crew for helping us parents enhance our love and understanding for this sacred grace (we took classes too!).

Please pray for the St. Mary children who will be entering the confessional tonight. Don’t Blink.

It Just Makes Cents

At the direction of President Trump, the U.S. Treasury will soon stop producing pennies. The department will cease production once its supply of blank pennies run out, most likely at the beginning of next year. It is important to note that producing a single penny costs nearly four cents.

For the most part, I am supportive of the move. These days, I find pennies more of a nuisance and germ spreader than anything. Although I receive satisfaction when a penny helps me pay with exact change, I find myself consistently throwing away pennies when I empty my pockets.

I do have a few short stories that deal with pennies (which will probably bore you)…

Beau holding a couple pennies—which he practically considers gold.

I took swimming lessons for several years at a pool in the neighborhood I grew up in. After the instructional part of each lesson concluded, we dove/swam for pennies at the bottom of the pool. We then exchanged those pennies for prizes. I don’t think copper coins ever looked as beautiful as they did when resting on the blue floor of that pool on a sunny summer day. Shoutout to the Sally Davis Swim School!

My Knights of Columbus council participates in a program called Pennies For Heaven. At every monthly meeting, we pass around a large container and drop our “pennies” into the opening. As you could probably guess from how I punctuated that sentence, most Knights drop money of the paper variety into the container despite the name of the initiative. With all that said, with the elimination of the penny, many charities will most likely face a decrease in donations as they work to replace penny drives.

I will never forget that one time as a broke 10-year-old when the ice cream truck came through the neighborhood. With parents unwilling to treat me on this particular day, I managed to scavenge enough pennies in the house to purchase the cheapest ice popsicle offered (which I believe was $.50…this was 28 years ago). I honestly remember this so vividly: I put all my change on the mini platform right outside the ice cream truck driver’s window and started counting it out. The driver stopped me halfway and told me I was good.

The penny had a great run.

It is time for the penny to go but I appreciate the memories it provided. Don’t Blink.

Wrapping Up Spring Sports For Sloan and Beau

A very busy spring sports season will wrap up for our family this week. Sloan will conclude her soccer season this evening with her team’s end-of-year party and Beau will play the final game of his tee-ball season on Wednesday night.

It was a fun season watching both our kids play their spring sports.

How did my kids do? Well, neither Sloan nor Beau will earn MVP honors for their respective teams. 😜

Sloan and Aminah after the first game of the spring for the Purple People Eaters.

But being the best isn’t what playing sports is all about. And you can take that from your esteemed blogger—because I know firsthand. 😉

Beau batted at times right and at times left during the season, causing him some confusion.

When it came to Sloan’s spring season with the Purple People Eaters, it was incredible to see how much the team improved. They went from a squad in the fall that probably lost more games than they won to a force to be reckoned with in the spring. They won most of their games, blowing out many of the opponents they faced. Although Sloan doesn’t match the talent level of most of the girls on her team, she still put forth a solid effort. She exerted some moments of brilliance and kept showing up.

Sloan during a soccer practice this spring.

As for Beau, I didn’t see as much progress as I would have hoped from last season. However, it wasn’t entirely his fault (watch his highlight/blooper reel here). He batted from the left side of the plate the entire time last season. This season, he would be lined up to bat right on some occasions and left on others. This caused him major confusion as he never really knew where to stand when he went up to bat. During the off season, I must do much better finding out exactly whether he is a righty or lefty at the plate and make sure it feels second nature for him.

At the first game of the season, Coach Jason Willey helps Beau with his stance.

Even with the inconsistency at the plate, he still had a wonderful time playing. And when I saw “playing” I literally mean playing—as in jumping around, throwing his hat in the air, and chasing balls hit to the other side of the field. With all that said, he still exhibited some moments of promise. He volunteered to play catcher multiple times, he made some excellent stops on ground balls, and he did make solid contact for some nice hits.

Beau played catcher a lot during this tee-ball season.

If there was one obvious consistency between the soccer season of Sloan and the tee-ball season of Beau, it was excellent coaching. Caleb Hatch was Sloan’s soccer coach once again…a true blessing. Sidney and I have been so impressed and grateful with the patience and kindness he has shown Sloan. Even though there are some excellent athletes on her team, Caleb has never looked past our daughter. As for Beau, the organization and communication saw a major upgrade this season under the leadership of Jason Willey. Things definitely weren’t as chaotic this year.

Can’t say enough about Coach Caleb Hatch and how he has been such an awesome coach for Sloan.

Even though our kids weren’t the stars on the field, I can’t express enough how glad I am they both got to play a sport this spring. Even at their young ages, playing with others and honoring a commitment are important lessons to learn early in life. I am proud of Sloan and Beau for competing and making it through their respective seasons. 👏🏼

Special thanks to my parents for attending so many of the spring sports games (and helping with the transportation) of Sloan and Beau.

Sid and I will be happy to re-establish some order back into our weeks. The spring sports season took up pretty much every weekday in April and May. However, even though some nights we would question our hectic schedules, we are happy for the experiences afforded to Sloan and Beau through these initial forays into athletics. Don’t Blink.

Wicked Thursday Rundown

Let’s get ready to rumble! Okay, that was awkward. Moving on, I have five topics I would like to address. As usual, they are random and pretty inconsequential.

Disney Princesses – The promotion at the Spokane Indians game we attended this past Saturday was Disney Princess Night. The kids met Cinderella, Moana, Ariel, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Well, Sloan did at least—Beau was just interested in Moana. The performers were provided by Spokane Princess Portal and each one represented their character and their employer well. Even after going to Disney World just a few weeks ago, I can say that the way these local princesses looked and engaged with my kids was on the same caliber as those in Orlando.

Sloan (and Beau in one instance) with the Disney princesses from Spokane Princess Portal. 

Wicked – As I mentioned in my Memorial Weekend recap, our family watched “Wicked” on Monday night. Why did it take so long for me to watch it? Well, look at one of the other topics below for part of the reason. But to be honest, the price of a movie ticket couldn’t beat the more prominent reality that musical fantasies just don’t really appeal to me. With that said, I actually enjoyed “Wicked” more than I thought I would. And it wasn’t really the acting or singing that captivated my attention—it was the plot. For me, it was basically a different take on “The Wizard of Oz” and after watching that movie a billion times it was nice to get a fresh perspective. I didn’t think the movie needed to be nearly three hours long (I would have supported three movies instead of two) but I did enjoy it and I will watch Part II…probably just not in the movie theater.

I thought “Wicked” was pretty good.

Movie Theater Expense – Before I complain, I had a really nice time with my family at the movie theater on Friday night. It was relaxing and a great time to bond. However, I think the price for a family of four to attend the movies is getting just a little out of hand. We paid $63 to attend “Lilo and Stitch.” Yeah, I know, we should have went to a matinee and not ordered online—but still! For comparison sake, it cost under $30 for the kids and me to attend the Spokane Indians game on Saturday night. Am I overreacting?

I think this is too much for a family of four to go to the movies.

Cosmic Brownie Change – We almost thought it was an April Fools’ joke. We purchased a box of cosmic brownies over the weekend but when we opened them something was very different. There was no longer an indentation in the middle of the brownie bar, a courtesy that used to be offered to allow a 5-year-old child (or 38-year-old man) to easily break the treat into two equal-sized brownies. Instead, it was just a seamless, long brownie. Don’t get me wrong, it still tasted the same but the vibe was just a bit different.

There is no longer a breaking point in cosmic brownies.

I Want Candy – You never know what type of candy will fill the bowl at the front desk of our executive assistant. It is always changing! This week, a candy I have never seen/tasted before appeared. They are called Jelly Belly Chews but they are basically Jelly Belly-inspired Air Heads. Of course the buttered popcorn flavor (which I named my #1 flavor back in 2017) called my name so I had to try it. The verdict? It tastes exactly like a buttered popcorn Jelly Belly.

These Jelly Belly Chews taste just like the jelly beans.

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I hope you had a good May. It was by far the busiest month of 2025 (so far) for my family. Keep fighting the good fight and I will catch up with everyone next week. Don’t Blink.

My Best Burger This Year

To commemorate National Hamburger Day last year, I wrote this tribute that I am pretty happy with. In fact, I don’t think there is anything else I could pen that would surpass it. So I am not going to try.

I am a big burger fan! After last year’s ode, however, I am not going to try and top it.

What I am going to do, however, is take a few short paragraphs to tell you about the best burger I ate since the 2024 National Hamburger Day and today…

The best burger I ate over the past 365 days was cooked in a small, no-frills café in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Called Hudson’s Hamburgers, you walk into the joint and there is literally a giant mound of ground beef out in the open on the employee side of the bar. You place your order, the cook grabs meat from the mound, throws it on the grill, and cooks your burger.

You can see the hamburger meat to the left. When I was there, the meat was much more plentiful and packed in a high tower but I didn’t have the presence of mind to take a photo of it (photo courtesy of Adam Peter Shinn).

I had never seen such an operation. I had also never tasted a burger quite like the one I had at Hudson’s. It was juicy, tasty, and savory. But its real distinguishing characteristic? The FRESHNESS! How do I explain? Well, as a blogger who finds it a challenge to truly define what freshness tastes like, eating that burger conveyed to me immediately what freshness is…words not needed.

I took this photo of one of the burgers we were served at Hudson’s Hamburgers. It was delicious and FRESH.

But it gets better. In a world of $20 burgers, a Hudson’s hamburger won’t even cost you $4. What kind of parallel universe are we living in?!

Our lunch at Hudson’s Hamburgers occurred in July. We had brought my in-laws to Coeur d’Alene for an afternoon of boating. I was a little nervous to bring them inside Hudson’s for a quick bite before we hit the water. But you know what? It was probably the favorite meal they ate the entire 11-day trip. Go figure.

Happy National Hamburger Day. Don’t Blink.

Memorial Day Weekend 2025

It was the perfect Memorial Day weekend.

It was the perfect kickoff to the summer for our family. This is Beau and Sloan at Riverfront Park enjoying the Spokane Falls.

Although we never left Spokane, the four of us had a fun-filled yet also relaxing few days off. Thanks to incredible weather and two well-behaved children (because you never know), I don’t think we could have asked for a better start to summer. In order to save these memories for years to come, here are some of the big picture highlights from each day.

It was a hot weekend and luckily Beau and Sloan not only got along but they helped each other out.

Friday – We celebrated the weekend’s kickoff with an evening out. The four of us went to Burger King for dinner as the kids donned the restaurant’s paper crowns. After stocking up on candy from Dollar Tree, we went to the movie theater to watch the new “Lilo and Stitch” movie. It wasn’t bad! But it really didn’t matter the quality of the film at that point because at multiple times I remember just feeling so content sitting in the comfortable chairs sipping on a cold Coke with my family by my side.

Beau and Sloan right outside of the theater before going inside to watch “Lilo and Stitch.”

Saturday – With Sidney working in the yard, I took Sloan and Beau to Avista Stadium for the 5 p.m. Spokane Indians vs. Tri-City Dust Devils baseball game. It was Disney Princess Night and since I made sure we arrived right when the gates opened at 4 p.m., the kids got to meet all four princesses before lines formed (view photos). They also got to do all the activities in the Kids Zone without waiting. As for the game, we ate ballpark food and cheered on the Indians as they dropped a close one, 3-2. After the game, Sloan and Beau had the opportunity to go on the field and run around the bases.

Hanging with Sloan and Beau at Avista Stadium.

Sunday – This was the hottest day of the weekend so naturally we spent a lot of time outside…at three different parks. We started off at Riverfront Park where the kids played on the red wagon, admired the Spokane Falls, and climbed on the Ice Age Playground (view photos). We then went to Orchard Park where members of our Catholic Adult Group met and we celebrated Fr. Jeff Lewis’ 14th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. From there we zipped over to Browns Park where we met my parents for an evening picnic. The park was filled with activity and as I drank a beer while watching Beau play near the splash pad, I thought, summer is here.

Beau and Sloan hanging with out on the red wagon in Riverfront Park.

Monday – After a very busy three days, we used Memorial Day to hang at home. The kids watched their devices while Sid and I watched Dateline. But the signature activity of the day was later that night when the four of us gathered in the living room for one last hurrah. We ate Otter Pops and watched “Wicked.” Although Sid and Sloan went to the theater to watch it originally, they had no problem watching it again with me. I will share my reaction to the film in my next Thursday Rundown.

On Monday night we ate Otter Pops and watched “Wicked.”

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I hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend. If the past few days provide any indication of how the rest of the summer will play out, I think we will have a lot of fun in store. Don’t Blink.

My Blog and AI

I love artificial intelligence. There is no doubt about it, AI can do some fascinating things, especially when it comes to marketing. Whether assisting with ad copy, checking code, or offering SEO suggestions, it is advantageous to work with AI to yield the best possible work.

I am well aware that I am not the first person to say this, but I think AI should be used strategically. I think it is a great tool to be used at the beginning and end of projects—the perfect brainstormer and a trusted verifier. However, I don’t think it is a capable substitute—at least not yet—for human talent…assuming the human is, in fact, talented 😜.

Now that I have laid out my brief AI professional philosophy, I want to make something really clear about my AI personal standard:

I have never before used AI to brainstorm, write, or edit any of the content I have written for Don’t Blink. My goal is to never use it in the future but I won’t go as far to promise that. Who knows what capabilities AI might come up with in the coming years (heck, just the coming months)? Then again, if the time does come when I feel the itch to use AI for this greatest personal project I have ever done, it will probably be the time to hang it up.

I don’t use AI for Don’t Blink.

But at this stage of the AI game, there is nothing it can do to help my writing when it comes to my blog. I simply still know myself better than AI does. Again, I am not naïve enough to say that this will always be the case, but at this point in time, AI would only make me sound stiff and generic.

Much in the same way that you can tell from a mile away that a social media post or email was written by AI, the same would hold true for my blog.

So again, one more time for those in the back of the room, I have never used AI for Don’t Blink. I respect artificial intelligence but I also respect my own brand and writing enough to not use it for my personal purposes. Don’t Blink.