Monthly Archives: September 2018

Adios September Thursday Rundown

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What a month it has been for our area. I know a lot of Carolinians will be happy to put the last several weeks behind them. With that said, here is the final Thursday Rundown of September.

A Little Gymnast – This past Saturday, Sloan, Sidney, and I spent the afternoon doing something pretty fun. Invited by our friend Susannah and her daughter, Jacqueline (Sloan’s friend), we attended the open gym session at Gymnastics, Inc. As you can probably tell from the name, this large facility boasts gymnastics equipment, trampolines, mats, and more. Our group of five shared the entire gym with probably only seven or eight other attendees. It was a great way for Sloan to do something a little different while burning off a bunch of energy.

Sloan enjoyed her time at Gymnastics Inc.

Update on Closures – With water sources cresting yesterday, meaning flooding levels have reached their maximum heights, services and offices are making plans to re-open. Here at Coastal Carolina, we will open our residence halls tomorrow at noon. On Monday, after nearly three weeks off, classes will resume. However, Horry County Schools is not at this point yet. There was hope that teachers would be able to report to work tomorrow but that has been pulled off the table. Sidney now has instructions to report on Monday. When students will return is still up in the air with an announcement expected from the district on Sunday.

Classes will resume on Monday for CCU!

Pool Weather – In many areas around our country, it is now autumn. When my family sends us photos through our text message thread, they are wearing jackets and long pants. Not the case here. In South Carolina, the fall season means perfect pool weather! Last Sunday, we checked out the community swimming pool in our new neighborhood for the first time. It was an ideal way to spend the late September day.

Hanging out at the neighborhood pool in the autumn.

Good Advice – This week, I had the pleasure of enjoying a one-on-one lunch with Fr. David Nerbun, a priest in the Charleston Diocese. It was so fulfilling to listen to this man of God speak on various topics. He recently tweeted (follow him here) a quote from St. Vincent de Paul that I found very timely. With so many people in our area suffering from the impact of Hurricane Florence and the flooding that followed, I hope they can find some solace in de Paul’s words. I can’t imagine the despair and uncertainty that many Carolinians are going through, but I know that a strong faith in God will help the rebuilding process.

Father David Nerbun tweeted out these words from St. Vincent de Paul this week.

Fun Memory – Four years ago on this date, I was in the audience during a broadcast of my favorite sports show. Sidney and I traveled to Columbia, SC, to watch College Gameday. Not only did I get to see Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, but I also got to see my favorite musician and that day’s performer/guest picker, Kenny Chesney. It was an extremely early morning as we had to leave Myrtle Beach well before dawn so we could get a good spot but it was so worth it. Oh yeah, I also got on TV.

Follow the arrow…that is me during the 9-27-14 College Gameday broadcast.

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Pray for those impacted by the flooding, especially my sister-in-law and her fiancée. Things should start to improve but many people have a long road ahead of them. Water can be a very destructive force. Don’t Blink.

Big Brother 20: Disappointing

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I wrote about Jeopardy on Monday and “This Is Us” yesterday. Because of that, I feel obligated to continue this week of television blog posts by chiming in about Big Brother. I apologize to my many readers who couldn’t care less.

The Big Brother 20 finale is tonight. After a 100-day power struggle, a winner will be selected. Three houseguests remain. One contestant will be evicted early on in this evening’s final episode. Then, a “jury” made up of the past seven houseguests to be evicted will vote for one of the two finalists to take home the $500,000 grand prize.

I hate to say it, but I have been unhappy with this season. Not to say I haven’t been entertained by it, but I am just bitter. Things didn’t unfold how I would have liked them to.

I would characterize Big Brother 20 as disappointing.

I went into the season supporting Rachel and Scottie. The former, a #CCU alumna, was evicted rather early on, missing out on a jury seat. The latter played a much bigger role, making it relatively deep into the season, but, despite winning the battle back competition, he couldn’t advance past the “Level 6” alliance.

About halfway in, I adopted Brett as another favorite who I threw my support behind. Viciously, he was the victim of a blindside on double eviction night.

Besides the disappointment of not seeing “my people” make it to finale night, I have had to watch houseguests I dislike ascend to power and thrive inside the Big Brother house. The ringleaders of Level 6 – Angela, Tyler, and Kaycee – never won me over. In fact, I openly hoped for their misfortune during every competition and ceremony. My dislike was fostered when Angela coordinated the blindside of Rachel and recorded a nasty farewell message, proceeding to even take shots at Rachel after she was evicted. When Angela became tight with Tyler and Kaycee, both of them received my ire as well.

Although I had to deal with watching that trio run the house for the majority of the season, I claimed some consolation when underdog JC won a crucial Head of Household competition, setting up the eviction of Angela. I am so glad she is gone.

My most despised houseguest (besides Rock Star) might be gone, but I don’t want to see her allies win either. Well, wait, let me say this – while not my preferred choice, I could probably sleep well tonight if Kaycee wins. However, I sure hope Tyler doesn’t leave the Big Brother studios tonight with the big check.

That of course leaves us with JC. I never rooted for him throughout the entire season but by the process of elimination, I hope he wins. Do I think the jury will vote for him? Well, they probably shouldn’t. But if there is one thing I have learned about Big Brother since I started watching three years ago, it is this: the jury doesn’t vote for the houseguest who should win. Rather, most of them vote based on pure emotion. With that said, if JC defies the odds and becomes one of the two finalists, he should have a chance.

I won’t be crying when this season ends. Yes, I did tune in every night to watch, but it is less enjoyable when your horses aren’t winning. Okay Julie Chen, I am turning it over to you! Don’t Blink.

My Favorite “This Is Us” Characters

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Tonight is the season premiere of “This Is Us.” Call me soft, but my heart warms up a few degrees when I think about the show. As the third season kicks off tonight, Sid and I will once again be in front of the TV to watch. I enjoy the show because of the good acting, superb writing, and crazy plot twists. However, I love the show for a few reasons.

1. The family discussion that ensues – After the show, the Reser Pride 7.0 group message is turnt (did I really just use that word?). My family and our significant others discuss what happened and offer our theories and opinions.
2. The parallels to our own lives – No one can watch “This Is Us” and not have a theme or two resonate with them.
3. Holiday season is approaching – “This Is Us” always reminds me of the holiday season.

But that is my short list for the night, now time for the main event. In honor of the season premiere, I wanted to countdown my top 10 favorite “This Is Us” characters.

Time to reveal my favorite “This Is Us” characters.

10. Toby – I don’t like Toby.

9. Slyvester Stallone – You mean my favorite show also has guest appearances by Slyvester Stallone?! Sly was very understanding with Kevin as they worked together on a movie. He was down to earth and helpful when speaking to the former “Manny” star. Stallone’s charm is as strong and contagious as ever!

8. Randall’s daughters – These two little girls are just so cute and funny. Even more endearing, they are kind. When their parents randomly brought Deja home to live with them, they welcomed her with open arms. When she was sent back to live with her mom, they cried. When Deja came back, they greeted her with hugs. These girls are compassionate and loving, two traits that are lacking in this world.

7. Kate (young girl/teenager) – I feel so bad for Kate as she navigates the cruel world of childhood. Picked on by bullies and snubbed by friends, she also struggles to develop a meaningful relationship with her mom. Lucky for young Kate, she has her dad who can always shake her out of a depressed mood and get her to smile. I admire Kate’s strength and love for Madonna.

6. Miguel (present day) – Poor Miguel doesn’t have it easy. He married his deceased best friend’s wife and is resented by Rebecca’s adult children. However, he understands their bitterness and takes their jabs in stride. He has had some powerful moments and has proven himself to be a quality guy who didn’t pursue Rebecca until well after Jack’s death.

5. Randall Pearson (adult) – Randall, Randall, Randall. I like this guy, perhaps because I have a little of him in me. Sidney tells me that the two of us have the same personality and I am just fine with that. He is goal oriented, a workaholic, and a little obsessive. He can also be extremely corny! He tries to live his best life and I can respect that.

4. Rebecca Pearson (young mom) – Confession: A portion of my enjoyment for this character comes from the actress who plays her. I am a big Mandy Moore fan. She is talented, humble, and pretty. But as for the character “Rebecca,” she is the glue that holds the Pearsons together. She is an extremely strong woman – how else do you describe someone who delivered triplets, deals with an overbearing mom, watched her house burn down, and lost her husband to smoke inhalation?

3. Kevin Pearson (adult) – I know he is troubled throughout the series, but I like Kevin. I like his cockiness and some of his impulsive decisions. The role of “Kevin” needed to be cast the right way and I think the show nailed it. There is not an episode that this character does not bring a smile to my face.

2. Dr. Nathan Katowski – If this man was a regular character, he would probably be my number #1. He sealed it early on when he convinced the Pearsons to adopt Randall. You can’t help but shed a tear when Dr. Katowski delivers his advice and perspective to those who need it most. A compassionate doctor with a strong demeanor, this cast member should be in every single damn episode.

1. Jack – I would never go as far as to substitute the “J” in WWJD for “Jack” but the willingness of others to do so speaks to the character of this man. There is nothing that Jack can’t do for his family, even if it means beating an addiction or saving a dog from a burning house. He puts his kids first and treats his wife like a queen. Sure, he has his flaws but to question the heart of Jack Pearson would be to question the legend of Chuck Norris.

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Whew! Hopefully you haven’t missed any of the premiere by reading this. What are you waiting for? Turn on NBC, grab some popcorn, and hop on the couch. Enjoy. Don’t Blink.

Keeping Score

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Throughout the years, I have devoted numerous Don’t Blink blog posts to Jeopardy. I can’t begin to estimate how many episodes of the game show I have watched in my life. The program is addictive to me. It is a fast-paced 30 minute escape with a basic premise, creative clues, and one hell of a host. What’s not to like?

Well, nothing, according to my wife. Just like me, Sidney loves watching Jeopardy on a nightly basis. I have joked on occasion that we resemble an elderly couple more than a millennial one – the highlight of our evening comes at 7:30 p.m. when Johnny Gilbert proclaims “THIS IS JEOPARDY.”

Sidney loves Jeopardy…and it is starting to grow on Sloan.

Since our dating days, we have made it a point to watch Jeopardy together. We plan dinner and Sloan’s bedtime routine around it. Once it is on, we don’t accept calls from family or concern ourselves with outside distractions. We sit side-by-side, turn the volume up, make sure each other is comfortable, and….

Compete.

You got that right. We don’t casually watch Jeopardy. Rather, we go head-to-head to be the smartest of the household, putting full effort into blurting out the answer before the other, many times answering before Alex is even halfway done with reading the clue. Yes, disagreements abound. I answered it before you. Judges wouldn’t accept that. You distracted me.

However, the biggest point of contention that would come up on a nightly basis was who performed the best. At the end of the show we would look at each other and argue over “who won” based on who answered the most clues correctly. With no documentation and our own biases, many times both of us would claim victory.

It took us long enough but during the summer we finally put an end to the ambiguity: we started to keep score!

We have finally reached the point where we tally the questions we correctly answer. Sid and I use a red spiral notebook to document our performances. Depending on who is the designated scorekeeper for that episode (we switch off every other night), that person will mark each clue that is correctly answered under the “Sidney” or “Brent” column. After all this time, finally, some clarity.

Sloan holding the infamous red spiral notebook.

Understandably, we have instituted our own rules. There is no penalty for an incorrect answer. All clues are worth one point each (answering a $2,000 clue will get you the same single point as answering a $200 clue). Daily Doubles mean nothing extra except for the fact that one point is on the line. After Double Jeopardy, the score is final, unless there is a tie. At that point, Final Jeopardy will serve as the tiebreaker (if no one answers it correctly, the game ends as a tie).

Thanks to our competitive juices, each night is an intellectual battle in the Reser household. The goal is to win that evening’s Jeopardy episode. However, the nightly episodes are only battles. The war is the all-time series we have set up. At the conclusion of each show, the winner gets a tally mark in his/her overall column. The running total of games won is what the two of us have our hearts set on.

A page of our spiral notebook that displays some of our recent games.

At the moment, I hold an advantage. The current score is 9-6-1. Thus, out of the 16 episodes we have watched since instituting our scoring system, I have come out on top in nine of those shows. Sid, on the other hand, has answered more clues correctly in six episodes. We dueled it out to a draw early on in the series.

If you ever drop by our house during Jeopardy time, we would love to have you play. We will add your name to the spiral notebook and let you compete with us. Just be warned, it gets intense! Don’t Blink.

Past Jeopardy Blog Posts:
My Opinion on Jeopardy Champion Austin Rogers
My Misguided Jeopardy Judging
The Five Things I Hate About Jeopardy
My Disdain for the Current Jeopardy Champion

Zoo Crew Thursday Rundown

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Happy Thursday to one and all! I hope you have had a great week thus far. Other than that, I don’t have much small talk tonight so let’s get right to the Thursday Rundown.

Jacksonville Zoo – How do you follow up a day at Disney World? You go to the zoo, of course. Last Saturday, the three of us went to the Jacksonville Zoo. We had a fun time looking at a wide variety of animals, many I had never even seen/heard of before. I specifically enjoyed viewing the monkeys/apes, tigers, and elephants. However, nothing could beat the giraffes. Seeing one of these animals in-person really puts into perspective how tall they really are. The exhibit had seven different giraffes and they would walk right over to you. In fact, if you really wanted, you could feed them. Props to the Jacksonville Zoo for giving all Hurricane Florence evacuees a major discount on admission.

We had a good time at the Jacksonville Zoo.

Happy Half Birthday, Sloan – On Monday, Sloan turned a year and a half. In my opinion, it is probably the most significant “half birthday” that we as humans celebrate. At 18 months, Sloan is happier than ever and is talking really well. She is persistent yet sweet, and loves her mommy and daddy. The below photo was taken on our way back to Myrtle Beach after we evacuated. We left a pack of cookies a little too close to her car seat and she managed to reach them and help herself. By the time we pulled over and realized what she had done, her face was a chocolatey mess.

Sloan celebrated her half birthday with cookies.

President Trump Visits Conway – Yesterday, the President of the United States was in our area ahead of the massive flooding we are supposed to experience. President Trump visited Conway, the small town that sits right next to Myrtle Beach and that is actually home to Coastal Carolina University. While I worked in my office, the Commander In Chief was walking the streets of Conway just a couple miles from where I sat. Although I wasn’t there, my future brother-in-law was. He was helping move the belongings from a house that was expected to flood when all of a sudden the President arrived. Not only was John Henry able to take the below photo, he also shook Trump’s hand. All in all, it was nice to know that the President is looking out for us.

My soon-to-be brother-in-law took this photo of President Trump yesterday.

Waiting Game – After being out of the office since last Tuesday (Sept. 11), Coastal Carolina University allowed its employees to report back to work yesterday. Although I had such a nice time with Sid and Sloan, it never feels right to me when I am out of the office unexpectedly. My wife, however, is still on standby. With roads impacted by current flooding, and with the situation expected to get even worse, Horry County Schools is shut down for at least the rest of the week. Sid will know on Sunday if she will be back to teaching on Monday. As for our CCU students? We announced today that classes will be canceled all next week as well. With the flooding threat, it is just too dangerous to have all our students return to campus.

Classes for #CCU students will be canceled through next week.

Wearing That Ring – Two years ago, I wrote about the adjustment I faced with wearing a wedding ring. No, the adjustment didn’t have to do with no longer being a bachelor! Rather, it was because I had never worn any jewelry my entire life up until I married Sid. Thankfully, it turned out to be a non-issue. Wearing the ring grew on me very quickly and I embraced the opportunity to sport a little bling. Nowadays, the ring is even more a part of me. I take it off when I exercise and when I shower, but that is it. I feel naked without it and I will immediately panic if I do my constant subconscious ring check and notice that it is not there. I love my wedding ring!

Sorry, my hand is not “model worthy.” However, I wanted to show off my wedding ring.

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Happy early birthday to my brother. His big day is this Sunday. Live it up, Glen. Have a great weekend, everyone. Don’t Blink.

Our Impromptu Trip to Disney World

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It didn’t take long after we left Myrtle Beach for the “suggestions” to start. As Sid, Sloan, and I started our evacuation to Jacksonville, my wife started to pitch me an idea.

Before we had even entered Georgia, Sidney had made her case that visiting Disney World while we escaped Hurricane Florence would make perfect sense. With mid-September a relative tame time by Disney standards and with Jacksonville only 2.5 hours away from Orlando, she had a point. With time to spare and a Disney-obessed wife along with a Mickey Mouse-loving daughter, I really couldn’t say no. By the time we rolled into Jacksonville on Wednesday night, I told Sid we could go. By Friday morning, we were walking through the Disney World gates.

This is a photo I snapped as we drove through the Disney World arch.

That left us with a short amount of time to prepare. On Thursday, we hatched our plan. We would make it a day trip and only visit Magic Kingdom. Sidney did research all afternoon and we purchased tickets that night. If someone told us a week prior that we would be going to Disney World in the near future, we would have laughed.

We left early Friday and made it to the Disney World parking lot by 10 a.m. We had to take a shuttle from the parking lot followed by a ferry boat ride to actually get inside the park. Once inside, the three of us found ourselves on Main Street USA right in front of Cinderella’s Castle. It was a surreal feeling.

Last week at this time, I had no idea we would be going to Disney World. A couple days later, we were right in front of Cinderella’s Castle.

The “how crazy is this moment?” soon passed as I realized something: It was hot! Like really, really hot. But the heat discomfort soon became an afterthought as I realized something else. Sloan was laughing and clapping her hands wildly as she watched a bunch of Disney characters and other cast members perform a dance number right in front of the castle. With a giddy Sidney crouched by Sloan pointing out everything that was going on, I knew at that point that we had made the right decision to go.

This picture, taken shortly after we entered the Disney World gates, says it all. I knew we had made the right decision.

With the impromptu Disney trip already off on a great note, we started to explore. We visited a couple of the different lands and rode Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and It’s A Small World After All. Except for a couple antsy moments when Haunted Mansion stalled midway through, Sloan loved the rides! She sat between us and enjoyed every minute of the classic Disney attractions.

Sloan enjoyed the rides we went on during the morning.

Wait times for all the rides were 25 minutes or less. However, time flew by. After riding those three attractions and walking around, it was already lunch time. We ate at a Pinocchio-themed, air-conditioned restaurant.

Sloan enjoying her chicken nuggets and juice box at the Pinocchio-themed restaurant.

After lunch, we went back to Cinderella’s Castle and enjoyed probably the best part of the day. We had front row seats to the daily parade that showcased both classic Disney characters (Mickey, Donald, Goofy, etc.) and the movie Disney characters (Aladin, Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, etc.). As the big floats passed by and the characters engaged with Sloan, I truly felt the Disney magic.

The Disney parade was special. It was enjoyed thoroughly by the three of us.

On a high from the parade, we went on more rides – Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction. With the heat starting to take its toll, we decided to seek out shelter.

Can you spot Sid?

We entered a structure made to resemble a large circus tent. Once inside, Sloan had the opportunity to meet Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse. Although happy to see them at first, she would retreat to Sid as they crept closer. It didn’t take long for Sloan to eventually embrace them, following the lead of her mommy who hugged each one to show her that it was okay.

Sid and Sloan with Daisy and Minnie.

Did you think we would do Disney World without eating ice cream? Sidney got a Mickey ice cream sandwich and I got something called a Dole Whip, which is ice cream and pineapple fused together, a Disney World specialty I am told. Of course Sloan enjoyed generous portions of each.

Sidney with her Mickey ice cream sandwich.

Time continued to go by at a rapid pace. Because of a Halloween event that night, Magic Kingdom closed at 6 p.m. With only about 60 minutes left, we headed back to Mainstreet USA to pick out a souvenir. Sloan chose a baby Dumbo stuffed animal. Around this time, another parade was taking place. This particular one had an international flavor but still included all of the classic Disney characters. As the parade concluded, we watched as military guests retired the American flag and performed the Star Spangled Banner.

Sid barely beat me in the Lightyear Space Ranger Spin ride.

It was time for the grand finale! With just a few minutes to spare, we stood in line for our personal visit with Mickey Mouse. We were extrememly hot and looked absolutely miserable but I assure you that we were happy inside. Sloan constantly says “Mickey Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Mickey Mouse,” so it was a big deal that she could meet him in the flesh (or perhaps I should say in the furry costume?).

After a long and HOT day, we took this photo with Mickey (don’t judge).

After changing Sloan’s diaper it was back on the ferry boat and the shuttle. We got in the car and our daughter dozed off. The whole drive back to Jacksonville, Sid and I talked Disney non-stop, looking up various Disney-related Wikipedia articles along the way.

By the time we left the park, Sloan was one tired girl!

That night, before we went to bed, Sidney whispered to me, “Thanks for making my wish come true.” I am not the biggest Disney fan, but to hear my wife say that along with the joy I saw on Sloan’s face the entire day made me really happy that we visited the happiest place on Earth. We will hold these memories tight forever. Don’t Blink.

Our Return From Evacuation

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We are back, safe and sound.

After a seven-hour drive that consumed most of our Sunday, the three of us arrived in Myrtle Beach yesterday evening. As we traveled back, we weren’t on pins and needles about what we would find once we pulled into our driveway. Thanks to the kindness of family and friends, we had multiple people check on our house over the weekend. Each report indicated that except for debris in the backyard, our home escaped Hurricane Florence unscathed.

We had a nice time at our evacuation location, Jacksonville.

However, although I wasn’t really sweating it, I did experience a satisfying sense of relief when I walked through our door and saw our perfectly intact house for myself. God is good and the power of prayer is real.

In the end, it was obvious: If we had stayed in Myrtle Beach instead of evacuating, we would have been fine. Hurricane Florence didn’t impact the area as anticipated. With that said, what choice did we have when confronted with the trusted information from meteorologists and emergency management personnel? If the storm had changed its track slightly, we would have been in trouble. In my mind, the only viable decision was to evacuate.

Regardless of whether leaving was the right call in hindsight, our little family made the most out of our time in Jacksonville. Instead of dealing with dark skies, heavy winds, and pouring rain, we enjoyed the sunny and blue skies of Florida. Although I did have to work remotely, we still managed to do a lot during the time we spent “down south.” While driving in a car for nine hours (Wednesday) and seven hours (Sunday) might seem like a drag, the three of us enjoyed the time we got to spend together in close quarters. However, I would be lying if I said we didn’t prefer the three full days we spent together out of the car at our evacuation destination.

Like I mentioned, we stayed busy. We made trips to Disney World (future blog post coming) and the Jacksonville Zoo. We explored the neighborhood community we stayed at and sampled some of the local cuisine. Between the activities and my CCU duties, we also managed to relax a little bit as well; something we surely would not have been able to do if we stayed home.

As we settle back in at our house, a new threat is looming over our heads: flooding. The street in front of our house is already underwater. However, I much rather face this than a massive hurricane. We will be just fine.

The street in front of our house is flooded.


What a story we will have to tell Sloan years from now! With enthusiasm we will fill her in on how we escaped Hurricane Florence by evacuating to Jacksonville. We will then show her the photos and video of how an unfortunate weather event allowed us to take an unexpected trip to Disney World. Talk about an adventure! Don’t Blink.

Hurricane Florence Thursday Rundown

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Greetings from Jacksonville, our home until further notice. Hurricane Florence might make us leave our home but it won’t stop me from writing a Thursday Rundown. Let’s get right to it…

Evacuating – Yesterday at noon, we set off for Jacksonville. What is normally a six-hour drive took us almost nine. We pulled up to Sid’s aunt’s house a little past 8:30 p.m. As I alluded to in yesterday’s blog post, it was the evacuation traffic that delayed us. The congestion was heaviest around Savannah. Although she had a rough final 45 minutes, Sloan did extremely well for most of the drive, smiling and laughing as we escaped Hurricane Florence. As we traveled away from the hurricane zone, we counted (yes, literally counted) over 300 linemen vehicles going the opposite way, right from where we were coming from.

Sid and I at a random rest stop during our evacuation to Jacksonville yesterday.

Current Outlook – The latest Hurricane Florence outlook isn’t as dire as it was yesterday. The storm has weakened a bit and the Myrtle Beach area can now expect less severe winds. Nonetheless, a HURRICANE is still going to hit the Grand Strand. What is supposed to really send our area into a frenzy of disarray is flooding. Massive rain totals and storm surge will combine to flood the South Carolina coast to a degree of biblical proportions. The wet conditions will soften soil, leading to further problems. Although the wind speed has decreased, gusts will still be strong and they will be sustained, lasting for at least 24 hours. Persistent, strong winds will wreak havoc on trees that are planted in the softened soil, leading to widespread vegetative damage.

This flooding business is not going to be good.

First Day in Jacksonville – It has been a relaxing, low-key first day in Florida. We are technically staying in a place called Fleming Island, a suburb of Jacksonville. After I finished my work this morning, the three of us took a drive around our new surroundings, scoping out the sights. We picked up some groceries and enjoyed lunch. A little later we went out on this long, skinny dock that overlooks a body of water called Doctors Lake. After enjoying the scenic view, we went to the playground in the community we are staying and let Sloan run wild. We are excited to see what the evening will hold!

It has been a good first day in Jacksonville.

Non-Hurricane Florence Topic – This week, the 35th season of “Jeopardy” debuted. It started off with quite the surprise as Alex Trebek trotted onto the stage with a beard! Although famous for the mustache he has sported over the course of numerous seasons, the beard was an entirely new thing. You know what? I like it!!

I am a fan of Alex Trebek’s beard!

Tomorrow’s Surprise – Well, well, well, Sloan is in for a big surprise tomorrow. In order to give her a special experience and to take our minds off Hurricane Florence, we will be taking our little girl to a place that is quite popular in Florida. I can’t say much more than that, but if you don’t know what I am alluding to you must consider somewhere else the happiest place on earth.

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We are safe and sound, so don’t worry about us. However, please pray for the millions of people who are still in the path of Hurricane Florence. We can only hope that the storm will continue to weaken and that it will have mercy on the great East Coast. Don’t Blink.

Evacuating

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The time has come. We are activating our family evacuation plan.

We are on our way to Jacksonville to stay at Sidney’s aunt’s house. Going to Florida will get us far away from Hurricane Florence. Words can’t describe how awful this storm is supposed to be. State leaders have called it “a monster” and “a beast” while meteorologists have forecasted the impact to be “catastrophic” and “devastating.”

In addition to God, we are praying to St. Medard, the patron saint of storms, to help weaken Hurricane Florence.

Unfortunately, the hurricane shifted southwest last night, putting the Myrtle Beach area in line for a direct hit. As we watched the gloomy news in bed last night, I told Sid we had no choice. We were getting the hell out.

This is a tough situation. We are leaving loved ones and friends behind. We have to say goodbye to our beautiful new home, completely clueless about what will happen to it while we are gone. The timetable for how long we will be out of state is anyone’s guess. This hurricane is supposed to pound our area for the entire weekend. Once the punishment is done there is no telling how much recovery work will have to be completed before we can even enter the city again. Things look bleak.

We are praying to God that our house is protected.

But with Myrtle Beach now in the rearview mirror, I am starting to feel more positive. We are off to a secure place and we got Sloan riding comfortably in the backseat. Evacuating can be tough and scary, but it is a no-brainer when the well-being of your daughter is at stake.

We appreciate all the prayers and support. Please pray for us as we make the six-hour drive to Jacksonville. With evacuation traffic, it could be a lot longer. If need be, we will cut the trip in half and stay in Savannah overnight before completing the trek to Jacksonville on Thursday. Most importantly, please pray for everyone who will be severely impacted by Hurricane Florence. It is going to get ugly. Don’t Blink.

Putting Hurricane Florence In Perspective

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Yesterday evening, I was in my office building bagging up my computers and packing my belongings in preparation for a Hurricane Florence hit. It was announced a couple hours earlier that Coastal Carolina University would be closed until further notice. The next time I would set foot in my workspace would be well after the storm hit. What would I come back to?

In the office next door our photographer and my friend, Judy, was packing up her office. I poked my head in her door and we started talking about how quickly things change. Just a few days prior we were stressing over a couple university events that would be happening this week. With a massive hurricane now on the horizon, we remarked at how insignificant those events (obviously canceled) now seemed. Talk about perspective.

But today, my perspective is completely reversed. We are one day closer to the arrival of Hurricane Florence but I am not as deflated today as I was yesterday. Why? Today is 9/11.

Hurricane Florence is awful, but it could be worse. Just take a moment to reflect on 9/11.

You see, this major weather event, which has the potential to obliterate the coast of the Carolinas, pales in comparison to the unjust tragedy that occurred 17 years ago today.

By the grace of God, the art of meteorology has advanced to an incredible and high-tech level over the past several generations. We know well in advance of when these natural disasters will hit. In fact, in most instances, we know the exact hour of reckoning. We are forewarned and free to make our own decisions based on the information that is freely given.

The passengers on those planes and the people inside those buildings didn’t have a clue about what was about to happen that morning on September 11. They had no Weather Channel or no Ed Piotrowski to tip them off two weeks ahead of time about what was to come. Sadly, they weren’t even given an alert on their phones 10 minutes before the ultimate act of evil was about to take place.

I will take nature-induced hell over manmade-induced hell any day. Being tipped off about Mother Nature destruction is better than being sucker-punched by brainwashed scum of the earth destruction.

Many of us Carolinians find ourselves in an awful situation this week. However, things could be much worse. To understand this, all we need to do is remember our fellow Americans who perished on this date in 2001. Don’t Blink.

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Past 9/11 blog posts:
2017
2016
2011