Growing up, we had one major use for the comics section of the newspaper: When a friend had a birthday, my mom would take the last couple newspaper issues out of the recycling bin and wrap the gift in the colorful ink of the funnies. Who needs wrapping paper, right?

My mom would always wrap the birthday presents we gave to our friends in the comic sections of the newspaper.

As a kid, starting around the time of third grade, I religiously read the paper every morning before school. However, the one section that usually appeals to children under the age of 12, the comics, never captured my interest. When I got to sixth grade and we had our newspaper unit, many of my classmates skipped right to the funnies. I am pretty sure I scoffed at them.

I found the comics section not meeting my sophisticated standards. I was all about the hard stuff. With only so much time in the morning, I digested the national, local, sports, and entertainment sections of the paper before I had to catch the bus. I told myself I didn’t have time to flip the sports section over and read the brightly colored comic strips on the back.

Besides, the times I did read the comics I never found them funny anyway. Years later, I would figure out that this was my problem.

As time rolled on, I continued to shun the funnies section. By this time I was an adult and had no excuse to read them. Although I let my guard down a little and would start reading “Dennis the Menace” and “Family Circus” simply because they were each just a single captioned panel, I never took the time to read the other offerings. I mean seriously, Garfield and Charlie Brown are for kids.

It didn’t matter where I was living and which newspaper I was reading, I would always become astonished at how passionate adults would get over their comics. A controversy from the funnies page would always spill over from the back of the paper where they belonged to the legitimate and highly serious editorial section. In the letters to the editor, I would read entry after entry from readers upset about either the comics going to black and white, a beloved comic strip being removed from the daily lineup, or a selection that caused a minor uproar by offending a few people. After years of reading these types of letters, I became vaguely aware that the comics section wasn’t just for kids.

In the past few months I have started to find the humor in comics (this strip was from yesterday’s paper).

A few months ago I had some time on my hands. With my electronic version of the paper still pulled up and without anything pressing that I needed to look up on Wikipedia, I decided to glance at the comics. My “quick glance” turned into a detailed reading of every single comic strip on that page. I wanted to see if I was in fact missing anything.

Right off of the bat I noticed a few things. Some themes hit me and I thought maybe I could have been wrong all these years. Not wanting to make any quick judgments, I just kept my mouth shut and continued to read the comics on a daily basis. I feel I can now say this…

Despite the belief I held for most of my life, I can now say that the comic section of a newspaper is probably more for ADULTS than for KIDS. For much of my childhood I neglected the funnies because they didn’t make me laugh. As I reached my adult years I held onto this reason for not giving the comics the time of day. But after reading them now on a daily basis I have to admit a sobering truth: The 11-year-old Brent just didn’t understand the jokes, ironies, and sarcasms embedded in those colorful strips.

The comics section of a newspaper sheds light on the issues, occurrences, and problems faced by individuals. It touches on relationships, office life, health realities, the daily news, financial issues, political battles, pop culture, and so much more. If an average adult read the comics from top to bottom on any given day, he would most likely have a comprehensive outlook on what it is like to be a typical American.

This commentary on everyday life is disguised in colorful ink with talking animals, cavemen, and characters with outlandish facial features. It is not Saturday morning cartoons like I once thought. Rather, it is a funny outlook on what it means to be a member of society. I didn’t understand this as a kid and I didn’t understand it for 10 years of my adult life. However, I am glad I utilized the free time I had a few months ago to give the comics page another look. The joke was on me. Don’t Blink.

Yesterday I checked my Timehop and was reminded of a concert I attended three years ago. On a late February evening in Montana, I watched a show that was headlined by T-Pain and the Gym Class Heroes. The odd pairing led to an odd concert. Needless to say, I didn’t necessarily have fond memories when I was reminded about it yesterday morning.

Photos I took of Travie McCoy and T-Pain three years ago in Missoula…I was not impressed.

I used to attend a lot of concerts. Some fell into the category of T-Pain/Gym Class Heroes but others were actually enjoyable. This evening I want to give you the top ten concerts I have attended.

10. Darius Rucker
Venue – HTC Center, Conway, SC
Date – August 2014

Although Darius Rucker didn’t use a lot of technology, pyros, and strobe lights in his show, it was cool watch him perform in his home state. The people at that concert were die-hard Darius fans and the passion was definitely there. Helping make the concert even better was that I got to appear in his music video for “Homegrown Honey” earlier that afternoon.

9. Brad Paisley (Jack Ingram, Taylor Swift, Kellie Pickler)
Venue – Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA
Date – May 2007

You always remember your first concert! I went with my brother and sister to a Brad Paisley show that happened to have three opening acts. While Jack Ingram and Kellie Pickler are no slouches, who knew at the time that Taylor Swift would grow up to be the most famous entertainer on the planet? I still remember after the show she signed autographs on the concourse of the arena and I couldn’t help but think that not only did she look so young but she also looked really genuinely happy.

This is me in 2007 in the Spokane Arena concourse between sets of my first ever concert.

8. Keith Urban (Little Big Town)
Venue – Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA
Date – September 2009

My friend Nick and I drove after work from Missoula to Spokane to watch this one. We had great seats and even though I am not a Little Big Town fan, Urban flat out performed. His stage was insane and the way he played that guitar was incredible. I remember him taking out a tennis racket and hitting balls far up into the seats. It was a cool experience.

7. Brad Paisley (Rodney Atkins, Chuck Wicks)
Venue – Adams Center, Missoula, MT
Date – January 2008

I include this on my list for a few of reasons. To start off, it was the first concert that I ever went to where I had incredible seats. Before this, I watched shows from the third deck. To be on the floor and actually watch the performers on the stage instead of on the video board gave me a thrill. I was also a huge Rodney Atkins fan at the time (“These Are My People” was my anthem). Lastly, my brother had come to visit me and let’s just say we had a really good time before and during the concert!

T-6. Dierks Bentley
Venue – Osprey Field, Missoula, MT
Date – July 4, 2008

I have seen Dierks Bentley three times in concert but the first time was definitely the best. My friend Dan and I saw him on Independence Day in a Minor League baseball stadium. The crowd was fun and the setting perfect. I imagine Dierks would have liked to be anywhere but that ballpark on July 4 but he gave a great effort. The fireworks show afterwards was a nice touch.

I have seen Dierks in concert a couple times and even met him. However, the first time was the best.

T-6. Gary Allan (Jack Ingram)
Venue – Adams Center, Missoula, MT
Date – April 2010

I had to include the two concerts Dan and I saw together in one spot on the countdown. Almost two years after seeing Dierks in the stadium, we watched Gary Allan and Jack Ingram in the Adams Center. This show was special because it completed a progression. I went from nosebleeds in 2007 to stage level in 2008 to front row in 2010. This was my first concert up front and the energy was incredible. Dan and I had a great time slapping hands with the performers and I could tell you that I never wanted to be anywhere else but front row after that.

The left photo shows how close we were. This was taken by my camera without zoom. The right image is Dan and I.

5. Tim McGraw (Lady Antebellum)
Venue – Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA
Date – May 2010

Tim McGraw is a country music superstar that is known for terrific shows. At this time, Lady Antebellum had already established themselves as one of the genre’s best groups. I was seated on the floor right near the stage. Lady A did great and then Tim McGraw had one of the coolest entrances I have ever seen at a concert. During one song he went into the crowd and I managed to shake his hand.

I wish Hillary Scott was looking when I took this photo! As for the other image, this was right before Tim McGraw shook my hand.

4. Toby Keith (Eric Church)
Venue – Northern Quest outdoor venue, Airway Heights, WA
Date – August 2011

If there was one country performer I needed to see in concert to fulfill a bucket list item, it was Toby Keith. To be honest, I really started liking country because of Keith. His concerts are legendary and the fact that this one was outdoors made it an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. My boss at the time and I were in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, for a Spirit Squad camp (our University of Montana cheer squad and dance team were competing). When the day’s events concluded, my brother came across state borders and picked us up. The concert was great and Toby was as good as advertised. Afterwards we met him in the casino!

Rather grainy photo of Toby but I did my best.

3. American Country Awards
Venue – Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
Date – December 2012

What is better than watching a couple of your favorite country stars perform? Seeing a whole bunch of your favorite country stars perform! Such was the opportunity my brother and I had a few years ago when we were vacationing in Vegas. It just so happened that the American Country Awards were taking place during the duration of our stay. The night of the show, I made an impulsive decision and purchased tickets. Of course I wanted to watch the best in country music perform and get recognized but I also really wanted to see how an awards show works when you aren’t watching it on TV! We had a great time in the pristine Mandalay Bay arena watching Trace Adkins host, stars perform, and celebrities present awards. An awards show like the ACAs is something everybody should treat themselves to at least once.

We were up high but we had a great time. Brothers!!

2. Elton John
Venue – Adams Center, Missoula, MT
Date – September 2007

I am an extreme Elton John fan. Name one of his songs and I can recite every lyric for you…seriously. The fact that a superstar like him would come play a concert in Montana of all places was absolutely crazy. After standing in line forever on a couple different occasions, I scored tickets. I watched him from bleachers behind the stage but it didn’t matter…I was in the presence of greatness. To this day, I haven’t watched a live show of anyone of greater stature than Sir Elton.

This is all I can give you….a dark, grainy, far away shot. Despite the bad seats and my terrible camera it was an awesome show.

1. Blake Shelton
Venue – Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA
Date – March 2012 (Justin Moore, Dia Frampton)

If you read my blog, you know I am a major Blake Shelton fan. His songs consistently appear on my “Brent’s Top Songs of ________ (whatever year)” and I praise him often. I had the privilege of watching him from the very front row in a sold out arena in 2012. One word: entertainer. He was funny, he was talented, he was involved. He put on the best show I have ever seen from a musical artist and I got to see it all up close. It was an honor and I will never forget it.

A photo I took of Blake Shelton where the zoom function wasn’t necessary.

——————-

As you can see, I have witnessed some great shows. However, I have seen many other concerts such as the one mentioned at the start of this blog post. When it all comes down to it, I would still say I have enjoyed more of the good than the bad. I don’t go to many concerts anymore but if the opportunity ever presents itself in the future you can bet that I am down. Don’t Blink.

For most people, going out to eat is fun. Many different components make dining at a restaurant enjoyable. Besides waiters who wear flair, walls/ceilings covered in memorabilia, and white paper table cloths that you can color on, there is something else that enhances the restaurant experience: that complimentary item served right when you sit down.

Mexican restaurants serve chips and salsa, Italian restaurants pass out baskets of garlic bread, American pubs slam down buckets of peanuts at the end of the table. Down here in the South, seafood restaurants offer delicious hushpuppies. These tasty snacks served the moment you sit down scream VALUE and FUN. Who doesn’t like eating something that is yummy and essentially free? Who doesn’t like scooping salsa with a chip or throwing peanut shells on the floor?

When it comes to my thought process, if I have to choose between two restaurants, I am going to select the place that gives us something just for sitting down in a booth.

So what about those other restaurants that don’t treat customers to piping hot bread or egg drop soup just for showing up? I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say they don’t participate because of the cost. I am sure most businesses want to make a profit. But what if there was another reason? Perhaps some restaurants just don’t know what an acceptable food item is to dish out while people browse the menu.

I thought it would be fun to offer five ideas!

* BACON – If you want to save time, just stop reading now because this is the best idea I got. Why hasn’t any restaurant done this yet? A party sits down at a table and immediately a sizzling plate of bacon is put right in the middle of everyone. Not only is this an affordable option but it hits right at the most popular food obsession in our country. Honestly, this is an idea for a major well-known casual restaurant chain to take over and exploit!

* Apple Slices – From the onset, apple slices might not seem like something that you would want to nibble on before a nice dinner but hear me out…

How cool would it be if you were delivered a tray of fresh Washington apples with caramel and peanut butter dipping sauces? Talk about something that would distinguish your business. This is such an original and fun idea. Best part is, most businesses could afford apples for days. Applebees….I am thinking of you.

* Silver Dollar Pancakes – When you go out for breakfast, you rarely expect any type of free appetizer to be brought to your table. I am calling on any breakfast house in the nation to step up and change this (and I will give you the idea too). I think it would be genius for a restaurant such as IHOP, Denny’s, or even one of the hundreds of breakfast places in Myrtle Beach to offer silver dollar pancakes to all customers. Not only would this be a great way to start the day, it would also allow folks to sample the different syrups that most of these places offer. Again, this is all about being fun and creative!

* Cheese Puffs – Mexican restaurants have the monopoly on tortilla chips so your average American restaurant probably wants to do something a little different. My big idea is to convince a diner or casual chain to offer homemade cheese puffs the moment customers sit down. They would make these in-house and they would come out warm. Cheese puffs are easy to eat and would be perfect to snack on while you customers wait to put in their food order. I would double down that there isn’t one restaurant on the planet that has thought about this yet. Sure some restaurant furnishings might become orange-stained but I think it would be worth it.

* Bubble Gum – I am rolling over laughing with these ideas! I am advocating the offering of BUBBLE GUM at restaurants as a way to deter those people who don’t want to eat free snacks or appetizers prior to their meal. Restaurants would offer big gobs of gum in addition to a legitimate snack in the middle of the table. If you want to munch and enjoy yourself, then take the apple slice or piece of bacon. If you want to resist temptation and not ruin your dinner, then pop in a piece of gum and blow bubbles. Of course the gum would have to come in different bold flavors and be covered in a wrapper with the restaurant’s branding.

———————–

Even if you don’t like these specific ideas I put forth, can you at least agree that we need dialogue on how we can liven up the standard chips and garlic bread options? Please, give me your feedback…but pass the bacon first. Don’t Blink.

On Tuesday evening I wrote about attending a Marco Rubio rally. I explained that I showed up for the experience, not the politics. I had the opportunity to see how a political rally is conducted, listen to some naturally great speakers, and meet Senator Rubio himself. It was a good evening.

Partaking in the 2016 South Carolina presidential primary madness that night was interesting. In fact, it was so interesting that I was hungry for more. So, naturally, I attended the Jeb Bush rally here in Myrtle Beach the very next evening.

On Wednesday night, Sidney and I went to a town hall for Jeb Bush. I took this panorama a few minutes after Jeb took the stage.

Look, I know Jeb Bush has had a rough go with his campaign. He was expected to steamroll his way to the nomination only to embarrassingly underperform. The amount of money he has spent and the lack of results he has achieved is well-documented. Donald Trump has ruined the poor guy, labeling him as “low energy” and taking out his social media ire on him. In a last ditch effort to change his image, Jeb has recently stopped wearing glasses. He is still far behind in the South Carolina polls.

So, why would I attend a political rally for Jeb Bush, someone who clearly isn’t going places?

Well, besides what I said above about wanting to continue to experience the South Carolina primary process, I can give you two other major reasons:

1. I literally live five minutes away from where Jeb spoke.
2. I was holding out hope that his brother would speak.

With Jeb speaking at the Springmaid Beach Resort (the location I go to all the time when I visit the beach), it was a short drive to attend. Also, the realistic hope that George W. Bush might introduce his brother, like he did in Charleston on Monday, was a great motivator. I have never had the privilege of listening to a President of the United States speak before so it would have been a huge bucket list item for me (I have a thing for U.S. Presidents).

Well, at least the drive was brief as advertised.

Although I didn’t get to see a former U.S. President speak, I did get to see another U.S. Senator say a few words. Senator Lindsey Graham, a guy who was also a presidential candidate, introduced Jeb. It was neat to see the other senator speak after I listened to Tim Scott on Wednesday. Unfortunately Graham’s speech didn’t go as smoothly.

Lindsey Graham addressing the crowd.

First off, he didn’t speak until around 6:50 p.m. (the event was supposed to start at 6:30 p.m.). Senator Graham and a couple other people took the stage randomly to no fanfare. You could tell Graham was tired as he spoke. In a bizarre moment right in the middle of a sentence, Jeb Bush poked his head out from the dividers serving as the backdrop and strolled out. It caught Senator Graham by surprise and he reacted by quickly turning it over to Jeb.

Senator Lindsey Graham turning it over to Jeb Bush.

I am going to criticize Bush and then build him up a bit. When he started his stump it was pretty sad. He looked more tired than Lindsey Graham, he didn’t speak with much emotion, and he was having trouble actually saying words. He looked exactly like the defeated candidate Trump and others have made him out to be. Sitting right next to me, Sid sent me a text saying “He sure isn’t like Rubio.”

But after about 20 minutes, Jeb got a little better. We were in a hotel conference room, probably half the size as the Rubio venue and with half as many people. But it was full and Bush was surrounded with supporters. Something clicked and he finished his stump on a better note than what he started it on.

When his speech ended, the charismatic side of Jeb Bush came out as he started taking questions from the audience (the event was billed as a town hall). Even though he never really answered completely the questions of the people he called on, he seemed to connect with each one. He was just very likeable, something I had not seen at the debates.

Jeb listening to a question from the audience.

During most of the speech and through half of the Q&A, Sidney was looking at her phone. Believe it or not, she was reading Jeb’s platform, specifically his education policies. After about five questions, Sid nudged me and said she was going to ask a question!!

She was passed over twice as she half raised her hand. After that second attempt to grab his attention, one of Bush’s aides said it was time to conclude the event. Bush interjected and said he would take a few more questions. Sure enough, right after he finished answering what was supposed to be the last question, he called on Sidney!! A nervous Sid looked behind her to see if Jeb meant to call on someone else. She then looked at him to clarify that he had called on her.

“Yep, you,” Bush confirmed.

The microphone came to Sid and she graciously thanked Jeb for taking her question. She then asked the one thing that is on every teacher’s mind. The crowd erupted! (**I am not going to get into the dialogue in this post, but you better believe I had my phone out when she asked her question. You can watch Sid ask it and hear half of Jeb’s response by clicking here). Although Jeb never really fully answered Sid’s question he did earn my respect. Not only did he treat Sid well, he also proved that the questions asked in his town halls are authentic. I always wondered if the people asking the questions were planted.

A photo I took of Jeb after the event.

As the event concluded, Sid and I approached the stage. She wanted to thank Jeb for answering (or attempting to) her question. Compared to the Marco Rubio rally, the post event huddle around the candidate was chaos. Whereas Rubio had rope stanchions that gave him space and folks ample room to take photos, Jeb was mobbed with no protection. We did make it up to him but I think the photo describes what type of a scene it was.

Here we are with Jeb. The event, and Jeb himself, were a little disorganized.

There definitely wasn’t the energy at the Bush town hall like there was at the Rubio rally. However, watching Sidney ask that question and hearing the crowd react to it was an awesome moment. We might not have listened to the next President of the United States on Wednesday night but we were treated to another experience I never thought I would have. Don’t Blink.

If you are on this page, it means you are here for my Thursday Rundown. Thank you for choosing my blog! Let’s get right to it…

Teaser for Friday – Last night I had internet issues and was unable to write/post to Don’t Blink. It was frustrating because, well, internet issues are always frustrating. I also had a cool topic to write about too. So, to make up for Wednesday, I will publish a rare Friday blog post (Hint: It might be about another presidential candidate).

I snapped this photo last night. Did we meet him? Stay tuned for tomorrow night’s blog post.

Beating the Cold/Flu – It was without fail, every February I would come down with a nasty cold. It would always come to the point of feeling absolutely miserable. Lucky for me, this year I feel like a million bucks. Living in a climate that is not susceptive to sub zero temperatures is a big reason why. However, for those who are battling a cold/flu virus at the moment, let me offer you a little bit advice I gave two years ago today. I know you are probably medicating yourself with the top flu drugs right now and that is great. But, give yourself an extra edge at a speedy recovery by practicing these three remedies: Think positive, keep busy, and exercise. Trust me, this will help you feel better.

Blog Takeover Reaction – As usual, Sidney’s latest blog post was met with acclaim. It produced a lot of social media engagement, generated a massive amount of traffic to my site, and encouraged several people at work to tell me how much they enjoyed it. However, leave it to my mom to really drive the point home.

Phone Call
Me: Hi mom!
Mom: Hi Brent! I loved Sidney’s blog post.
Me: Yes, she did a great job.
Mom: I think you should just let her takeover your blog full-time.

Ummm….thanks?

Another Grammys Disappointment – I might be done with the Grammys. Last year I wrote about how uninspired I was with the show. This year I feel the word “uninspired” doesn’t even begin to cover it. I barely made it through half of the 3.5 hour marathon. The Grammys used to be a production that was high energy and fun. The past couple years have turned the awards show into a snoozefest that tries too hard to resemble the Oscars. I think the show needs to be modernized again and a better effort made to maintain and engage the audience. Never once did I sit on my couch listening to the teasers of what was coming up next and say, “Dang, I got to stick around for this.”

Wedding Update #20 – Sidney and I met with the pastoral associate at St. Andrew yesterday. During the meeting, he gave us a book for us to make our selections in regarding the readings, prayers, responsorial psalm, etc. to be said at our wedding service. How exciting! This past Saturday, Sidney and I sat down and rounded up the final addresses we need for our wedding invitations. With under four months to go, things are really starting to heat up.

—————-

At the end of my Thursday Rundowns I usually wish you all a great weekend. Can’t do that this time as I will have a Friday edition tomorrow evening so try to adjust your Don’t Blink reading schedules. Don’t Blink.