Monthly Archives: February 2018

A Charlotte Cheesecake Weekend

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As I mentioned in last week’s Thursday Rundown, Sidney and I had a long anticipated Saturday night getaway to Charlotte planned for this past weekend. Well, we made it back to Myrtle Beach in one piece at around 5 p.m. yesterday evening. It was just what we needed!

We said goodbye to Sloan at 11 a.m. on Saturday and hit the road. The 3.5 drive through the rainy weather didn’t seem short or long; it just seemed right. We spent our 22 hours in Charlotte in the city’s SouthPark district, a place without crazy traffic and congestion but with plenty of attractions characteristic of a big metropolis.

Sid and I as we rolled out of Myrtle Beach on our mini road trip.

Our first stop was the SouthPark Mall, a shopping center filled with “upscale” stores in a vibrant setting. As we walked through the enormous mall, Sid kept saying “we got to go in here” as she grabbed my hand and pulled me into places I never heard of before. Although oblivious to the significance of many of the stores, it was nice to just walk around without a care in the world. We got Sid’s HeidiJHale ring resized, purchased Sloan a dress, and picked up a couple other items. The highlight for me was probably the M&M cookie I got at the Nestle Toll House Café.

After we finished our mall excursion, we checked in at our hotel. We stayed at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark, a truly beautiful property. We rested in our “chic” (I love putting quotation marks around these hoity toity words) hotel room for a bit before we went off to the main event of our trip.

A look at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark.

We had looked forward to our Cheesecake Factory date for a loooong time. So, when the hostess told us it would be a two hour wait, we didn’t think about going anywhere else. We also didn’t question the employee’s estimation. The restaurant was a complete madhouse with the large lobby area packed with hungry people standing around with pagers.

By some act of divine intervention, two seats at the bar opened up. Despite the layers of people standing behind the bar stools just waiting to pounce on the available spots, we managed to slip in. We watched the Olympics while enjoying a couple drinks and an appetizer. We slowly sipped our refreshments so we could transition right from the bar to our table. Every now and then I would walk up to the hostess and check on our status. I put our name on the list at 6:28 p.m. and at exactly 8:28 p.m. our pager went off. They weren’t kidding about the 120 minute wait.

Thankfully, we found a seat at the bar to help our two hour wait go a little quicker.

We got seated at our table and had a delightful server. Although the restaurant was out of the menu item I ordered and although Sid’s chicken was a bit dry (she always orders the Louisiana Chicken Pasta), we still had a nice time sharing a special meal…and of course the cheesecake didn’t disappoint.

Our actual dinner took well over 60 minutes, meaning we had spent over three hours inside the Cheesecake Factory walls (there are worst places to spend that amount of time). With it late and with us full to the brim, we decided to pass on our scheduled plans to see a movie. We returned to our hotel and relaxed while watching the Olympics.

A look at our 3+ hour Cheesecake Factory experience.

I can’t tell you how heavenly it was to enjoy uninterrupted sleep without constantly gazing over at a baby monitor.

That morning I woke up and attended mass at St. Gabriel Parish, a newer age Catholic church in the SouthPark area. Sidney and I ate breakfast at the hotel and took full advantage of the noon checkout time.

I attended mass at St. Gabriel Catholic Church.

After leaving the hotel, we returned to the Cheesecake Factory. We bought a couple of cheesecake slices for our in-laws who took such good care of Sloan. We then visited the Container Store, a place that made Sid reach excitement levels I had never seen out of her before. Supposedly the place is a haven for teachers.

Sid looking at the cheesecakes on Sunday.

As we perused the Container Store, I softly reminded Sid that we should probably begin our trip home. On the way out of town, we stopped at Panda Express for lunch. Although one just opened up in North Myrtle Beach, our best chance to dine at one happened to be at that moment. We enjoyed our orange chicken and then got in the car and headed home.

A look at our Panda Express lunch right before we left Charlotte.

When we picked up Sloan, she greeted us by smiling and wildly clapping her hands together. It was so sweet. We took her back to our house and started to prepare for the week ahead.

But before we went to bed, we enjoyed one final taste of our Charlotte trip. When we went back to the Cheesecake Factory to pick up cheesecake for my in-laws, we also bought a slice for the two of us to enjoy later that night. With it almost 10 p.m., Sid and I went bite-for-bite as we enjoyed a piece of cookie dough cheesecake. As we savored it, I remarked to Sidney, “Sharing a dessert like this is one of the best parts of marriage.”

Sid and I had a great 22 hours in Charlotte.

Who cares if it was short? Who cares if pretty much all we did was eat? I had a fabulous weekend with my best friend and that is all that matters. Don’t Blink.

The Thursday Rundown Parade

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Thank you for visiting Don’t Blink. Whether you are a loyal reader or a first time browser, I appreciate you taking time to check out this blog. It is Thursday and that means I quickly write about five random topics. Here we go with the latest Thursday Rundown…

Chinese Dinner – One reason I am such a lucky guy is because my wife is an incredible cook. Last night, she outdid herself. Sidney made a Chinese dinner from scratch (except for the potstickers). She prepared orange chicken and made delicious chow mein. Not only was it delicious, but it was spontaneous too. I wish you all could have experienced how good our house smelled as she was cooking. Fortunate for me, I got to eat leftovers for lunch this afternoon.

Sidney made a delicious Chinese dinner last night.

A Weekend In Charlotte – This Saturday, Sidney and I will travel to Charlotte. We are going simply to relax and enjoy some time together. We will stay the night and return on Sunday. Sid and I usually get the opportunity once every two months to go out on a date but this time we get to extend it into a mini weekend. Our plans include eating at the Cheesecake Factory, watching a movie at the nearby theater, and shopping at the mall that is within walking distance of our hotel. We have looked forward to this since the beginning of January! Thanks to my in-laws for watching Sloan and thanks to my parents for giving us a one-night stay at the Marriott South Park as part of our Christmas gift!

Sidney eating at the Cheesecake Factory in Charlotte in Nov. 2016. We can’t wait to go back!

Military Parade – A hot button issue the past couple days is President Trump’s idea to have a military parade through the streets of Washington D.C. Now, I surely don’t agree with every thought our president expresses, but when it comes to this, I respond with this question: Why not?! I think it could be a wonderful new tradition. How can we go wrong honoring our military? I think the visual would be terrific and it would be something positive. I believe this can be something that would be both a powerful and moving display. With the parade, the possibilities are endless for recognizing the men and women in our armed forces. I am excited to see what the Trump Administration comes up with.

Sloan at 47 Weeks – It has been so nice having a healthy Sloan this week. She has been all smiles the past several days and super sweet. On Tuesday night she was climbing the stairs. She can easily stand up if she is holding onto something and we are trying to get her to pull herself up on her own. She can imitate noises that mommy and daddy make while simply laughing hysterically at other ones.

This is Sloan’s 47-week photo collage.

Chocolate Pancakes – What happens when you combine pancakes and chocolate? Only the best thing ever. This particular dish below caused me to hit the retweet button on my favorite @itsfoodporn Twitter account last night. Probably around 3,000 calories, and that is my legitimate/honest guess, this plate would be extremely rich but also extremely good. What do you think?

These look absolutely incredible. i have never seen anything like them before.

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I am excited for the weekend and a trip to Charlotte! Most likely no Sunday blog post but I will catch back up with you all on Monday. Enjoy the Winter Olympics. Don’t Blink.

Losing Weight The Right Way

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When it comes to dieting, if I want to lose weight, I will simply stop eating as much. If that means going to extreme measures, that is what I will do. I am good at stopping cold turkey, and some might recognize that as superb discipline.

However, as I have recently seen, losing weight in a healthy manner is actually the epitome of true discipline. Opting to starve yourself will test your self-control but it cuts out a crucial component of positive body change: nutrition. Those who lose weight by sacrificing their beloved comfort foods while at the same time nourishing their bodies with nutritious substitutes are the ones actually committed to a healthy change.

My brother recently completed the Whole30 program. A regimen that requires dieters to eliminate sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, soy, and dairy from their eating palette, success is based on the motivation of the individual to prepare meals that are free from this laundry list of cooking staples that most of us eat on a daily basis.

The Whole30 program is a pretty effective dieting regimen.

Glen didn’t take the Whole30 challenge lightly. Prior to starting the program on January 1, he read a couple books on the diet and mentally prepared himself for the major change he would begin once 2018 arrived.

Throughout the month of January he spent plenty of time in the kitchen preparing accepted Whole30 meals. Despite the heavy restrictions on what he could eat, he was still able to cook Whole30 compliant dinners such as steak and chicken. He ate lots of vegetables and was extremely creative experimenting with new dishes.

Glen hit the gym as well. He found a workout buddy and they kept each other honest as they exercised throughout the entire month. He also used social media to give him structure and accountability. At the end of each night, he recapped the day by explaining how he felt both physically and mentally while using the #GlenDoesWhole30 hashtag. Not wanting to let down his followers, he strictly followed the program.

An example of one of Glen’s nightly #Whole30 tweets. I enjoyed following along.

At the end of January, my brother’s hard work had dramatically paid off. He lost 25 pounds! When it came to his measurements, he shed 2 inches off his waist, 3 inches off his stomach, 3 inches off his chest, and 1.5 inches off his thighs. The transformation was unmistakable. He not only looked much thinner but he looked younger as well.

On the left is Glen (with Sloan) at the end of December before he started Whole30. The photo on the right is of Glen in early February, fresh off completing the program.

During his entire Whole30 saga, he never cut a single corner. He stayed true to the program’s philosophy and used his willpower to reach the finish line. Glen proved that Whole30 genuinely works. Losing 25 pounds in one month is extremely impressive. So, if you are looking for a proven diet to make some positive changes, you might want to give strong consideration to Whole30. Although I wouldn’t get through a day on the program, I know for some of my readers it might be exactly what you are looking for. Great work, Glen! Don’t Blink.

Why I Bought Pepsi at the Grocery Store

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Each week at the grocery store, we purchase a 2-liter soda bottle. By the time Sunday comes around again, that bottle is usually empty, thus the reason why we buy one on a weekly basis. Because variety is the spice of life, we tend to get a different flavor each time. Sure, we have about six flavors we usually choose, but seldom to we get the same flavor two weeks in a row.

This past Sunday, I made our weekly soda choice based on nostalgia. Before I elaborate, a little bit of background…

If there is one promotional/marketing strategy that was pioneered in professional sports and then seeped through to brands, it is the throwback reintroduction. For years, Major League Baseball teams would hold “turn back the clock” nights where players would wear throwback jerseys from a different era in the organization’s history. Fans always got a kick out of seeing the players wear the old colors and logos of a time long ago. For the older fans it reminded them of the past and for the younger fans it made something come to life that they had only seen in old pictures and grainy video.

In recent years, the retro trend has hit food and drink brands hard. Miller Lite and General Mills cereals are two examples of brands going back to their roots by bringing back logos and packaging from the past. Marketers will say employing this strategy shows that the product has stood the test of time and can be depended on to deliver a consistent, pleasing taste.

As a marketer myself, I understand this. However, as an average consumer, I must admit that retro packaging doesn’t necessarily make the brand more credible in my eyes, it just makes me more interested from a nostalgic/historical standpoint.

When I see something on a shelf that is wrapped in branding from the 1970s, it stands out to me. I like to look at how a company presented itself back in a different decade, it is intriguing to me. Even more powerful, when I see a product wrapped in branding from the early 1990s I can’t help but look it over. You see, I was a little kid in the early 90s and when I see a product I enjoy presented in the same way it looked when I was a 5-year-old kid, it gives me a small dose of happiness.

At the Walmart Market on Sunday, as I glanced the soda selection, I saw the soft drink of my childhood in the form that it used to be during those glory years. Staring at me was a row of 2-liter Pepsi bottles with just the simple Pepsi globe logo with no blue background. As I have mentioned in past posts, my parents didn’t let us drink soda that much growing up. An exception was when we visited my grandparents in Walla Walla. When you opened their refrigerator, it was stocked with Pepsi cans, the ones that were white with the globe logo and the Pepsi script running vertical. At the time, it represented freedom and deliciousness.

Now, in the present, that retro logo reminded me of my grandma, my grandpa, and basically my early childhood. Swayed by the throwback logo and by the fact that my father-in-law’s favorite drink is Pepsi, I threw the bottle in my cart.

I couldn’t resist; I bought the 2-liter of retro Pepsi.

I am a believer in the power of retro packaging. I think it tugs at people in many different ways and can produce impulse buys on the part of consumers. As long as the retro identity doesn’t stay around long enough to muddy waters with the brand’s current identity, I think it is a great strategy. Don’t Blink.

Super Bowl LII and “This Is Us” Recap

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Last night, the three of us Resers sat down in the living room and watched Super Bowl LII. By the time the Philadelphia Eagles had pulled off the upset, Sloan was fast asleep in her crib and Sid and I transitioned to our bedroom to watch “the historic” episode of “This Is Us.” I have some thoughts on both the game and the episode.

When it came to the football that was played last night, I don’t think you could ask for much more (unless you are a Patriots fan). It was an entertaining and close game that lacked penalties and turnovers. Plenty of points were put up on the scoreboard and Tom Brady had a chance to send the game to overtime on the last drive of the game. For not having watched an NFL game from start to finish all season long, I was satisfied.

I thought the commercials were fine. I never let the cliché and expected line of “the commercials sucked this year” influence me. I thought there was a healthy mix of funny, thought-provoking, and moving ads. I especially liked the Pringles commercial (combining flavors to make new flavors, just like you can do with Jelly Belly flavors), the Hyundai Icelandic Vikings spot (loved the “We Will Rock You” remix), and the Blaze Doritos/Mt. Dew Ice cross-promotional campaign (extra points from me because last weekend I actually ate the Blaze Doritos and washed them down with a glass of Mt. Dew Ice). Although I wasn’t blown away by any commercial that I was inspired to re-watch it on YouTube, I didn’t think this year’s crop completely bombed.

Let me start by saying my wife loved the halftime show. She said she didn’t have one complaint. My review isn’t as glowing. I thought Justin Timberlake did a decent job – he performed all his hits, danced his butt off, and showed genuine enthusiasm throughout the entire performance. However, there just wasn’t a “wow” moment for me. Although not a Prince fan, I did enjoy the hologram tribute but it wasn’t enough to make Justin’s mini concert memorable for me. I was looking for something out of the ordinary. When Timberlake ran up into the stands, I thought he was going to fly back onto the field or re-appear somewhere else. I didn’t think it was going to end right there. I was also holding out for a special guest or a viral moment (besides the kid looking down at his phone). The show was good, but it wasn’t great.

Ten years from now I will remember very little, if anything, about Super Bowl LII. Heck, I don’t remember much from last year’s title game either. But it did make for a nice evening of Sunday entertainment.

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I take partial blame for why I ultimately feel this way, but I was underwhelmed with last night’s “This Is Us” episode. Granted, I hyped it up way too much, even going as far as to blog about it. Perhaps my unrealistic expectations contributed to me briefly falling asleep during the final five minutes of the show. Although the show delivered a plot twist, it didn’t seem right to me that Jack died of smoke inhalation. Sure, it was triumphant when he busted out of the burning house with dog in tow after the family thought he was a goner, but his demise just seemed too melodramatic. I don’t want to offer up alternative ways that the show could have killed him off because that is morbid, but I think the way they did it missed the mark.

The futuristic angle at the end of the show (I was able to rewind and get caught back up after dozing off) was interesting. I am intrigued to see how they work with it in later episodes. When the Pearson siblings are depicted as their 37-year-old selves, it is in our present day as they mention current events going on in the world currently through background televisions (i.e. last night’s Super Bowl) so I am curious to see how they explain this new futuristic wrinkle.

I must say that I have had my emotional strings tugged a lot harder in several previous episodes than last night’s. But at least the mystery was solved and we can now move forward.

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Thank you, NBC, for giving us about 6 hours of programming last night. It was quite the ride. With the Winter Olympics right around the corner, let the ratings bonanza continue. Don’t Blink.

Not Pumped For PyeongChang

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Knowing that it isn’t my favorite, Sidney aimed to get a little more specific earlier this weekend when she asked me the following:

“Why don’t you like the Winter Olympics?”

To be honest, it isn’t that I necessarily don’t like the Winter Olympics per se, but they just pale so much in comparison to the Summer Olympics. I won’t get into the specifics because I have written about this at length many different times over the years. But, in general, the winter games just lack the diversity and history of the summer version. With fewer than 100 years of history under its belt (the winter games didn’t start until 1924!) the Winter Olympics offer significantly less countries, less sports, and less athletes than its summer counterpart. To me, an Olympiad that is made up of only seven sports and represents just a small fraction of the globe does not deserve my full and undivided attention.

The Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics just don’t even compare.

However, some years I do find myself getting more excited for the winter games than usual. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the 2018 Winter Olympics. With this year’s edition in PyeongChang, a country that is 14 hours ahead of Myrtle Beach time, the delayed coverage will once again make the games seem out of touch. The buzz leading into the games is dramatically lacking as well. These games seem to lack star power and, with the exception of North Korean and South Korea displaying unity, there isn’t a juicy controversy to grab our interest. Perhaps most depressing of all, Bob Costas won’t even be hosting this year’s games.

Of course, there are some positives. This will be Sloan’s first Olympics. Also, if Sidney and I have just a quarter of the amount of fun we had watching the 2016 games, we will have some enjoyable nights together in front of the TV. And, just because the winter games mean significantly less on a global scale than the summer games do, we will still get to hear that powerful Olympic theme music over and over. Lastly, I will always eat up the pageantry of the opening and closing ceremonies.

Sorry to be a downer. Don’t get me wrong, I will still watch the Winter Olympics over the next two and a half weeks. But don’t get too bent out of shape if I admit that I am more excited for Celebrity Big Brother than I am about the skiing and curling in PyeongChang. Don’t Blink.

A Super Thursday Rundown

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It has been a crazy week at our household with illnesses and weird schedules. I hope everyone else is staying away from the flu and stomach virus and entering February with a clean bill of health. Let’s get started with the Thursday Rundown…

Custom Ring – The company called HeidiJHale spent A LOT of money on Facebook advertising during the holiday season because it seemed like every girl in the country was served the ad for its handwritten rings over the course of December. Well, HeidiJHale managed to find Sidney’s iPhone as well because it wasn’t long before she told me she wanted one of the rings. The inscription she wanted? Don’t Blink. How sweet is that?! The fact that she wanted my motto on a piece of jewelry genuinely touched me. Although I didn’t purchase the ring for Christmas, I did for her birthday. You write the inscription you want on a piece of paper, take a photo of it, upload it on the company’s website, and choose a ring size. Below is how it turned out.

I did an awful job at minimizing the shadows but this is Sid’s ring on her finger.

February – Usually you will see me write “I love the month of _________ because…”. I can’t say the same about February. Probably my least favorite month on the calendar, I usually say the only redeeming quality about February is that it is short. But as I wrote two years ago, I need to do a better job at being optimistic about this time of the year. With that said, I am ready to take on this month. Over the next four weeks I will look forward to watching the Super Bowl, seeing a former co-worker from Montana, going on a special weekend trip with Sid to Charlotte, beginning the holy season of Lent, and trying to be the best dad possible to Sloan.

Soda Review – This past weekend, I made the $1 impulse purchase at Walmart Market and brought home Mt. Dew ICE. The description reads “lemon lime flavored soda with a splash of juice.” Can’t say the lemon lime part was a lie but I could detect absolutely no taste of fruit juice. Other than just capitalizing on the Mt. Dew brand, I have no idea why it isn’t called Sierra Mist ICE. The soda tastes identical to Mist or Sprite. In fact, there is less of a Mt. Dew taste than there is a juice taste. Even though it is just a glorified lemon lime soda, it still wasn’t terrible to drink.

This is Mt. Dew ICE but it should be called Sierra Mist ICE.

Super Bowl LII – The major question of this Super Bowl is not whether Philadelphia can upset New England but whether how much of the game Sloan will actually let me watch. Just kidding. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I hope the Eagles spoil Tom Brady’s quest for another ring. To be honest, I didn’t watch the NFL this season but will be tuning in for the big game and for the entertainment that surrounds it on Sunday. I will watch from the comfort of my own home, most likely surrounded by junk food. Oh, by the way, I still think the Super Bowl should be played on Saturday.

Sloan at 46 Weeks – As many of you know, it has been a tough week for Sloan. She battled a stomach virus over the weekend and has used the week to heal as the sickness did a number on her little stomach. I was convinced that this was the week she would walk and learn to read but her illness put those aspirations on hold. At 46 weeks old, she has just 44 days left in her first year.

This is Sloan’s 46-week photo collage.

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Have a great weekend, everyone. Enjoy the game and I will catch up with you soon. Don’t Blink.