Monthly Archives: November 2023

A November For the Ages Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
Reply

Hope you weren’t too upset that there was no Thursday Rundown last week…Thanksgiving kind of took precedence. But with Turkey Day now in the rearview mirror, I have five fresh topics coming your way…

Blast at the Cougar Game – After trips to Chicago and Myrtle Beach, it seems like time has flown by. But in between those two trips, I squeezed in another fun adventure. On Friday, Nov. 17, a group of us went to Pullman for the WSU vs. Colorado football game. Sidney and I joined Fr. Jeff and other people from our parish for an epic evening in the Palouse as the Cougs steamrolled Coach Prime and the Buffaloes, 56-14. Prior to the game we had the chance to stop by the WSU Newman Center where Fr. Paul Heric gave us a special look at the newly renovated worship space.

We joined Fr. Jeff Lewis and other St. Mary friends on a fun road trip to watch the Washington State University football team defeat the University of Colorado.

School Photos – Sloan and Beau recently received their school photos back so I figured this Thursday Rundown would be the perfect place to share them. Sidney commented that “our kids have an aversion to smiling with their teeth.” Oh well, I still think both of them are pretty cute.

The 2023-24 school photos of Sloan and Beau.

Robots – When we arrived home from Myrtle Beach yesterday, we decided to wind down by watching a movie. Sid called out to me I was cooking lunch, “Hey, do you want to watch a Christmas movie or a robot movie?” I told her I didn’t care and she played “Robots.” The movie stars Shailene Woodley and Jack Whitehall. I am a fan of Woodley so once I realized she was in the film I became a little more interested but I can’t say I recommend it. To be honest, it was a little too raunchy for me. It has an interesting concept but definitely not something I want to watch again.

I can’t recommend the movie “Robots.”

The Unexpected Spy – I just concluded maybe one of my favorite books I read this year. “The Unexpected Spy” is a memoir by Tracy Walder. She worked for the CIA and FBI and has many interesting stories to tell. Intriguingly, her beginnings are noteworthy. While a USC sorority sister, she attended a career fair where the CIA was present and submitted her resume. After an intense recruitment process, the agency hired her and a distinguished career began. Walder was working with the CIA during 9/11 and was responsible for foiling many terrorist plots after the attacks. The book is a page-turner and I would absolutely recommend it.

I recommend “The Unexpected Spy” by Tracy Walder

Advent Starts Sunday – This weekend the holy season of Advent will begin. During the next four weeks we will prepare for the celebration of the birth of Jesus while also looking forward to the second coming of Christ. When Advent kicks off on Sunday, Sloan and Beau will have the opportunity to do numerous related activities after mass including making an Advent wreath and building a gingerbread nativity scene. Sidney and I feel that partaking in a holy Advent is the best way to celebrate a special Christmas.

Advent begins this Sunday, Dec. 3.

————————-

What a November it was! In fact, this month was so crazy and busy that we are going to take this upcoming first weekend in December to relax. I hope you can do the same as well. Don’t Blink.

Thankful For Our Nov. 2023 Myrtle Beach Visit

Posted on by
Reply

The Resers are back on the west coast after nine days in Myrtle Beach. It was such a blessing to return to South Carolina to visit Sidney’s family. Even though we are still fresh from the sadness of leaving family and have just started the battle of adjusting back to pacific time (and from rainy/cloudy days to crisp/cool days), I feel like I can still write about the many happy moments from our trip. So, in no particular order, here are ten themes from our Thanksgiving visit to Myrtle Beach.

Cousin Time – For the first time in two years, the six cousins derived from the Mathis family were together again. Russell, Harrison, Henry, and Jack were waiting for Sloan and Beau at the airport when we landed and the gang hung out with each other for the duration of our time on South Carolina soil. When you are dealing with kids and nearly 24 months pass, it is crazy how big everyone gets. But no matter how much you grow physically, you never “grow out” of family.

The six cousins started their time together from the get-go at the Myrtle Beach Airport.

Thanksgiving – I devoted a whole blog post to Thanksgiving 2023, but just to recap: We drove to Conway, South Carolina, to attend the Thanksgiving gathering of the Henry family. Our connection was my brother-and-law and husband to Sid’s sister, John Henry. Everyone welcomed us with supreme Southern hospitality as we ate fried turkey, chicken bog, mac and cheese, and barbecue pig. After cruising on tractors and ATVs through the family’s wooded property, we returned to Sid’s parents for an afternoon of football, books, and relaxation. It was awesome.

The four of us, Sidney’s sister, her husband, their son, and my in-laws pose for a photo outside the barn on Thanksgiving Day.

Feliz Navidad – After Thanksgiving was adequately celebrated, we had Christmas in November. On Black Friday, the cousins slipped on their new Christmas pajamas and were treated to a gift exchange. The following day we took them to the Christmas tree farm where they had their picture taken with Santa. After not doing any Christmas activities together last year, it was nice for them to have these moments this year.

The cousins had their picture taken with Santa.

Games – Creativity, humor, and brain power were all used at different times depending on the game we happened to be playing. Selections such as Stir the Pot, Chameleon, Banana, and Rummikub were all played during the days and nights we were in Myrtle Beach. But the undisputed favorite? That would be the kids’ version of Charades that the cousins loved to play! There is no doubt that we will have to get Beau his own Charades game when we make it back to Spokane because he loved it so much.

We played games such as Stir the Pot, Chameleon, Banana, and Charades.

Re-Connecting With Co-Workers – It was work that originally brought me to Myrtle Beach and paved the way for me meeting Sidney and the many blessings that followed. Because of this, Coastal Carolina University will always have a special place in my heart and I will always hold the people dear. During this recent trip, I had the pleasure of hanging out with a few of my “work besties.” On Thanksgiving Eve I sat down with Kim Harper and Martha Hunn for a long overdue catch-up session. Then, a couple days later, I shot the breeze with Geoff Insch. It was awesome to see these outstanding individuals again.

Thanks to Kim Harper (left) and Martha Hunn (right) for taking the time to hang with me on Thanksgiving Eve at Tavern in the Forest in Myrtle Beach.

Murder Mystery – On the Saturday evening of our trip, the opportunity arose for Sidney and me to take our eldest niece and eldest nephew on a night out. Russell, Harrison, Sid, and I went to the Christmas edition of the Riga Tony Murder Mystery Dinner Show. The venue was beautifully decorated and the acting top notch as we watched an entertaining mystery unfold before our eyes. We truly brought our detective hats with us as Sidney cracked the case and was declared the overall winner of the evening!

We had such a fun time with Russell and Harrison at the Riga Tony Murder Mystery Dinner Show.

Mass At St. Andrew – What a special Sunday morning it was when we attended mass at St. Andrew Catholic Church. It happened to be the very last mass in the parish gym before the congregation moves back into the newly renovated church this upcoming weekend but we weren’t disappointed. You see, gym or not, it was still the same beautiful and reverent form of worship that we grew accustomed to when we were parishioners there. After mass we had the blessing of chatting with Fr. Morgan, the priest who baptized Beau and welcomed Sid into the Catholic Church.

What a blessing it was to attend mass at St. Andrew Catholic Church with Fr. Roger Morgan presiding. We took advantage of the opportunity to chat with him afterwards.

Afternoon With the McCormicks – After mass on that Sunday, we went over to the home of Tim and Kathy McCormick. I have mentioned them many times throughout Don’t Blink but just as a refresher they were our marriage mentor couple, they babysat Sloan when Sid went through RCIA, and they are Beau’s godparents. Aside from Sid’s family, when we come to Myrtle Beach they are the two people we desperately want to see. Kathy made a delightful lunch and we had so much fun catching up and swapping stories about our involvement in our respective parishes.

Beau and Sloan sit with Kathy and Tim McCormick during our most recent visit to Myrtle Beach. Kathy and Tim mean so much to our family.

Time At The Gym – While in Myrtle Beach I tried to slightly balance all the wonderful food I was eating with a little bit of exercise. I was able to return to Iron Legacy Gym, the place where I trained for 3-4 years before moving to Washington. When it comes to Iron Legacy, all I can say is this: If you know, you know. It truly is a one-of-a-kind old school spot with fabulous owners. It was pretty sweet to get in a sweat just like the old times and see some great people.

I got six workout in at Iron Legacy Gym during our visit to Myrtle Beach.

Cherry On Top – The last night of a family visit is always tough as the reality of departure starts to set in. On this particular trip, we tried to make the “eve of return” a little sweeter than what it usually is. The four of us and most of Sid’s family went to the Crazy Mason, one of those fancy milkshake bars. Sid and I shared the “Dashing Through the Dough” shake and the kids shared a “Crazy Pop of Color” shake. The treats were delicious and it was really nice to do one final thing with the Mathis family.

It was a real treat to drink milkshakes at the Crazy Mason.

————————-

Our family returned to Spokane filled with joy after having such a special time in Myrtle Beach. We are already missing Sid’s family but so thankful for the memories made. Don’t Blink.

Best Served Hot or Cold?

Posted on by
Reply

Are you a leftovers person? If you are anything like this blogger, your answer is a big YES. And if you truly mean it, then Thanksgiving is your Super Bowl. Perhaps there is no bigger leftover feast than what the Thanksgiving meal yields the day after (and the day after that, and the day after that, etc…).

But is a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers best served like revenge? Or do you need to place all that goodness in the microwave? From my perspective, it isn’t one-size-fits-all. I think each Turkey Day leftover item is different when it comes to whether it should be consumed right out of the refrigerator or after it is zapped in the microwave.

How about just three examples?…

Item: Turkey
Brent’s Preference: Hot
Why: If only turkey could be like its Easter counterpart and actually taste better cold. Yep, I have no problem picking ham out of the refrigerator and eating it straight from there. The same can’t be said about turkey. To be honest, I am not a big fan of how turkey smells once the refrigerator door is open and that aroma whiffs out. So to get it out of my mind, I microwave the leftover turkey to bring it back to the temperature it was served at on Thanksgiving day.

My turkey must be warm at all times.

Item: Rolls
Brent’s Preference: Hot
Why: I think a hot roll not only transmits a literal temperature warmth but also a soulful one as well. Although it is tempting and easy to grab a dinner roll and eat it on the run, I prefer to wait the 10-15 seconds it takes to make it piping hot in the microwave. A warm roll feels great in the hands, on your cheek, and of course inside your mouth.

Notice the rolls in the basket in the corner? When I ate one the following day I made sure to heat it up.

Item: Pumpkin Pie
Brent’s Preference: Cold and Hot
Why: I LOVE pumpkin pie. Here at my in-laws’ house in Myrtle Beach I have a pumpkin pie in the fridge that is just for me. Thus, it might not be surprising that I can contently eat it both cold and warm. Ask me for my preference when I am eating a cold slice and I will answer with “cold” and ask me for my preference when I am eating a warm slice and I will answer with “hot.” A cold slice brings out the flavor more and is refreshing while a hot slice delivers the same soulful warmth that a hot roll does. In my opinion, I either choice is golden.

I always enjoy a slice of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert.

—————–

Do you have a cold/hot preference when it comes to these Thanksgiving leftover dishes or other ones? OR, perhaps the better question: Do you have any Thanksgiving leftovers remaining at all? Happy eating. Don’t Blink.

Thanksgiving 2023

Posted on by
1

I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving weekend! Speaking of Thanksgiving weekend, it is usually my custom to write a recap of ours. However, as many of you know, I am currently in Myrtle Beach. I will eventually write a recap of our time in South Carolina and that summary will include the Thanksgiving weekend. So in order to not duplicate efforts, tonight’s post will just focus on our awesome Thanksgiving day. With all that said, let’s begin…

The four of us, Sidney’s sister, her husband, their son, and my in-laws pose for a photo outside the barn on Thanksgiving Day.

My Thanksgiving started with a workout at Iron Legacy Gym. It was my feeble attempt to justify the exorbitant overeating that would take place later in the day but I don’t even think running a marathon would cover the calories I would consume. Nonetheless, it was a packed gym as other like-minded people (but probably with more self-control) gathered to exercise and get the endorphins flowing.

My Thanksgiving started at Iron Legacy Gym.

When I returned to my in-laws’ home, it was all about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Our family tradition continued as we watched the floats, Broadway acts, and musical performances. There was something for all four of us although I think we all scratched our heads at the Broadway skit devoted entirely to corn.

Our family enjoying the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

By the time Santa was about to make his parade entrance, we were off to our Thanksgiving gathering. We drove to Conway to the property of my brother-in-law’s (the husband of Sidney’s sister) parents. John Henry’s mom and dad always host a large Thanksgiving feast for extended family and friends in the barn! The menu included fried turkey, chicken bog, mac and cheese, and a barbecue pig! It was a true Southern Thanksgiving and every bite was delicious.

The scene of our Thanksgiving gathering. Thanks to John Henry’s parents for hosting us…it was such a good time!

After dessert, Sloan and Beau hopped on a tractor operated by John Henry’s dad for an exciting joyride. Sid and I then joined the kids on a flatbed trailer pulled by an ATV driven by—you guessed it—John Henry’s dad 😂. The journey took us through the wooded areas of the property. The sun decided to shine on Thanksgiving as the rays shooting through the trees added to the beautiful scenery.

Sloan, their cousin, Jack, and Beau, enjoy an ATV ride on Thanksgiving Day.

We returned to my in-law’s home and had the most perfect afternoon/evening. The four of us Resers and Sid’s parents hung out in the living room and watched football, read our books, and visited. It was such a relaxing end to a very nice day.

A peek at the pig that was part of our Thanksgiving spread.

Thanks be to God for so many blessings. Don’t Blink.

A Repulsive Ice Cream Treat

Posted on by
Reply

When I lived in Myrtle Beach and was part of our local Knights of Columbus chapter, I volunteered with my brother Knights at a concessions stand inside the city’s minor league stadium. The name and theme of the stand—Windy City Wieners—played off the parent club of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans—the Chicago Cubs.

The signature item we served at the stand was the Chicago Dog. The Chi-Town staple consists of a hot dog placed in a poppyseed bun topped with mustard, relish, chopped onions, tomato wedges, a pickle spear, spicy sport peppers, and celery salt. I got pretty good (and fast) at making Chicago Dogs for customers but I never had the desire to try one.

So when people found out I was going to Chicago they naturally asked me if I knew what a Chicago Dog was and whether I was going to order one while I was there.

Yes and no.

While I definitely knew what a Chicago Dog was after making so many of them with my own two hands, the last thing I would ever want to do was eat one. I am not a fan of most condiments, especially ones of the mustard and relish varieties.

However, if there was ever a possible exception to my Chicago Dog disdain, it was presented to me last week.

On Monday night, a vendor that attended the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education held a social at Chicago’s Ice Cream Museum. I wrote about our visit and shared some photos in a blog post from last week. However, in that post I refrained from sharing one of the more eccentric offerings in the museum.

In a corner of the facility was a young woman behind a cart offering ice cream Chicago Dogs. I know what you are thinking…What? How? Why?

This isn’t a joke! They make ice cream Chicago Dogs at the Ice Cream Museum.

I guess in the spirit of one of Chicago’s most beloved food items, the thought was that there should be an ice cream version. But to be honest, I think it was more repulsiveness than actual ice cream. This is how it is made: They take a poppy seed bun from a local Chicago bakery and fill it with hot dog-flavored self-serve ice cream! They then top it with the actual Chicago Dog toppings…well at least the mustard and relish from what I saw. Then people actually eat it!

Did I try it? Heck no! And that’s coming from an ice cream and hot dog lover like myself who would do just about anything for this blog. I did watch other people try it though. Cara and I observed one guy grimacing in genuine disgust as he tried to eat his. After that, I stopped watching people try to eat the monstrosity because it was just too weird and disgusting.

So there you have it, a true example of me giving a hard pass on “ice cream.” Would you try it?

Learning About Marriage From Bishop William Skylstad

Posted on by
Reply

This past Saturday I had the blessing of listening to one of my early Catholic role models speak to a small group of us at St. Mary Catholic Church.

Bishop William Skylstad, who led the Spokane Diocese from 1990-2010 while also serving as President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, devoted his morning to speaking to our small group about marriage.

As some of you know, Sidney and I provide Pre-Cana/marriage prep counseling to engaged couples. We received this incredible opportunity from Fr. Jeff Lewis, our pastor at St. Mary Catholic Church. Although we should be the ones thanking Fr. Jeff for this blessing, he wanted to thank all sponsor couples in our parish with this exclusive audience with Bishop Skylstad.

I was a mere few feet from Bishop William Skylstad on November, 18, 2023, at St. Mary Catholic Church in the Spokane Valley.

During our three-hour visit with the 89-year-old Bishop Emeritus, he touched on many marital points and freely distributed advice while focusing on three themes: “The Call,” sacrament, and communication. Although I could recap the intricacies of this trio of topics, I just wanted to touch on three of the finer points he made…

– Help make your spouse who they are made to be. We can become so focused on trying to change our wife/husband according to our own ideal on how we think they should be. Instead, it should be our mission and duty to help our spouse realize their true, authentic self that was molded by God.

– Communication is key in marriage but realize what it is comprised of. Bishop Skylstad said that 60% of marital communication is conveyed nonverbally, 20% is through tone of voice, and the remainder is the actual content. I can say unequivocally that Bishop is right. Sid and I can say whatever we want to each other but if it is expressed in a way that doesn’t match our nonverbal cues than it will fall on deaf ears.

– We don’t love/preach from perfection, we love/preach from redemption. Bishop Skylstad said numerous times during Saturday morning that no marriage is perfect. We can’t become discouraged when we encounter obstacles in our marriages but we must learn from them and grow from them.

A look at our group huddled inside St. Mary Catholic Church in the Spokane Valley just a few moments before Bishop William Skylstad started his third talk.

Thank you, Bishop Skylstad, for your precious time. What an honor it was to be mere feet from the man I usually saw on the news or from afar in packed churches. Don’t Blink.

Heading to Myrtle Beach for Thanksgiving

Posted on by
1

It will be a memorable Thanksgiving for sure!

After nearly two years, we are returning to Myrtle Beach for this special holiday week. The four of us are at the Spokane Airport and ready to fly through the night skies to the other side of the country. By early morning we will be in South Carolina.

I know Sidney is excited to return to the place she was born and raised. Sloan and Beau are ready to see their east coast grandparents, aunts, and uncles AND play with their cousins! I am looking forward to stepping foot on the Grand Strand soil that provided me with too many blessings to count.

We are at the Spokane Airport waiting to depart to the east coast.

Yes, it will be awesome to spend a holiday that is epitomized by family with my wife’s family. We have a lot of catching up to do and can’t wait to spend quality time with them.

The trip will also allow us to worship at the parish where both our children were baptized. Additionally, we will take some time to hang with friends who are forever special to us. Oh yeah, we might also be hitting up some spots that can whip up certain delicacies that we just can’t get out here in Washington.

So here we go…just 3,000 short miles separate us from sunny (or rainy) Myrtle Beach. I hear these pilots want to fly fast tonight. Please pray for a safe journey. Don’t Blink.

Chicago Thursday Rundown

Posted on by
1

If you notice a couple extra typos and grammar mistakes in tonight’s post you can chalk it up to jet lag. I am still trying to adjust after arriving back home from Chicago yesterday afternoon. So as long as you can tolerate that, let’s proceed with my latest five topics.

Hello, Chicago – What better way to really feel like you are in Chicago than to have this view from your hotel room? Each night I went to bed I marveled at the hustle and bustle of Downtown Chicago seemingly right beneath me. On the two full days we were there, I also found a couple moments to sit on the chair by the window and just really soak in the magnificent Chi-Town scene while listening to my “Catechism In A Year” podcast. So much appreciation and energy!

A look at the view of Downtown Chicago from my hotel room.

Ice Cream Museum – On Monday night, one of the vendors at the AMA Higher Ed Symposium hosted a social at the Ice Cream Museum in Chicago. They had me at “ice cream” as I told Cara that we HAD TO go. The museum was decorated in a way that made it a selfie paradise. It also boasted plenty of ice cream trivia, a sprinkle “swimming pool,” and unlimited ice cream. The Ice Cream Museum was definitely the cherry on top of a fabulous day in which Cara and I presented earlier. Thanks to Open Fortune for hosting us.

A few shots from our Ice Cream Museum experience in Chicago.

Deep Dish – Besides ice cream, I also had the chance to eat famous Chicago deep dish pizza. Cara and I went to Giordano’s on Sunday night as I ordered a chicken pesto pie. Because deep dish pizza takes a little longer to cook than other pizzas, it gave us time to soak in the restaurant’s busy atmosphere and to watch the Seahawks defeat the Commanders on a last-second field goal.

On Sunday night we ate deep dish pizza at Giordarno’s.

Taylor Swift Experience For Sloan – This past Saturday Sloan was over the moon stoked when she was invited to go to the movies to see “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.” Adding to the excitement was that our friend, Fidela, asked her to go. Fidela is the same friend that went with Sid to the Jonas Brothers concert and someone who Sloan looks up to. Our daughter made it through the entire three-hour movie and loved every moment of it. Thanks for taking her, Fidela!

Sloan walking into the theater to watch the Taylor Swift movie.

Baby Poll – This showed up in my Timehop from seven years ago and it just reminded me of an exciting time. We were close to learning Sloan’s gender and my University Marketing and Communication colleagues at Coastal Carolina University decided to create this poll. How can you not notice the “social media” onesie they included on the sheet? Interestingly enough, the office sided with “boy” by a 10-9 vote. Sloan had other ideas.

This was the baby poll that my office did while working at Coastal Carolina University in 2016.

—————————-

That will wrap things up for this Chicago-themed rundown. I may be back from the Midwest but things are just going to get even busier. Hold on! Don’t Blink.

Crushing It In Chicago: Our 2023 AMA Higher Ed Experience

Posted on by
2

The stage was bigger and the pressure a little greater at this year’s American Marketing Association’s Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education. The AMA organizers didn’t hesitate to point out a couple impressive facts. First, it was the largest AMA Higher Ed Symposium in the history of the event. This year’s conference eclipsed 1,500 people! Second, and perhaps even more daunting, was the acceptance rate for speaking proposals: Just a mere 11% of the proposed sessions submitted for the conference were accepted. And with such a slim acceptance rate, you could imagine that the organizers had no problem reiterating that all sessions would be amazing.

A lot to live up to, right?

On Monday, Cara Hoag and I presented “Not Your Parents’ YouTube” to a 300-person packed conference room in the Sheraton Grand Chicago. We came prepared.

Cara and I presented “Not Your Parents’ YouTube” on November 13, 2023, at 3:45 p.m.

—————-

This AMA speaking opportunity was a little different from my previous two. When it came to this year’s conference, I had both experience under my belt and control over our presentation. In 2019 I was an AMA newcomer and when I presented last year I was collaborating with co-presenters from different states. So to be an AMA vet and to have the luxury of serving as the project manager for this go-around was fantastic.

After submitting our proposal in April and receiving news of our acceptance in June, Cara and I dialed ourselves in from August through November to prepare for our presentation. Over the course of that timespan, the two of us strategically spaced out the selection of content, outline of the presentation, construction of slides, rehearsals, and implementation of feedback. Because of our planning and pacing, we were prepared and confident when our plane touched down in Chicago on Sunday afternoon.

But that’s not to say that I still don’t get nervous. 😊

—————-

Because of preparation, a crowd-pleasing intro video, and rich content our presentation went off without a hitch and was enthusiastically received. We had the pleasure of answering questions that reached the double digits during our allotted session time and then were swarmed at the stage afterwards with more questions. It was gratifying to field inquiries from major institutions like the University of Florida, Clemson, and Oklahoma State about how we managed to transform our YouTube channel from a lifeless communications landing spot into a Gen-Z marketing vehicle.

Cara and I all smiles after we answered the final question that put a cap on our AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Ed presentation.

Cara and I both breathed a sigh of relief that our presentation was scheduled for Monday. Not only did it ensure that more marketers could attend our presentation (attendance tends to dwindle on Tuesday and Wednesday) but it also allowed us to relax for the rest of the conference. Presenting on Monday relieves the presentation burden that no one wants to carry deep into the symposium. Also, presenting early allows other people who attended the presentation to approach us with questions they weren’t able to ask while we were on the stage. And, not going to lie, it is kind of nice to feel like a low-key celebrity.

Being a speaker at a big conference can bring a lot of anxiety. It is preferred to present early so the burden is eased.

Our AMA experience wouldn’t be possible if not for others. Thank you to the AMA Higher Ed committee for choosing us out of so many proposals and to AMA manager Christine Lucenta for helping us with logistics both prior to/during the conference.

Big thank you to our boss Holly Sitzmann for helping us with our proposal and for giving us honest feedback when we rehearsed for her. Much appreciation to our creative director Eric Limburg for creating our Powerpoint template. Our presentation would not have been the same without the intro video produced by Andrew Botterbusch of Peak Visuals. And, most important of all, thanks to our #WSU video team for making the topic of our presentation even possible. If it wasn’t for the talent, effort, and buy-in from Jason Refsland, Kara Billington, Rhynne Lee, and Devon Lockard-Dodd (along with WSU video staffers before them), our YouTube re-launch would not have been possible.

Last but not least, I would like to give a special thank you to Cara Hoag. It was such a pleasure to work with her throughout the entire process. We made a strong team and she did such an incredible job while presenting. There is nothing better than having a partner who is the ultimate team player, dependable, and talented.

What an honor it was to present with Cara Hoag. She made me look good.

I am leaving Chicago happy and fulfilled. It is always good to step outside your comfort zone and show what you know. I think it is safe to say that Cara and I made the most out of our opportunity. Don’t Blink.

Big Brother 25 Final Thoughts

Posted on by
Reply

It was a 100-day marathon “Big Brother” season and you better believe that Sidney and I were dialed in for the entire thing. The 25th season of the storied reality show brought with it some decent gameplay and interesting storylines so let me just highlight a couple of my thoughts.

It was another fun season watching “Big Brother” with Sid. The final three was a pretty loyal group.

First, unfortunately for me, I didn’t really have a dog in the fight after Cameron was evicted. Although he wasn’t one of my favorites to begin with (in fact, I didn’t really care for him too much), the dude grew on me. By the time my initial fav houseguests were evicted, Cameron was my guy. After he was booted, I went through the last several weeks of the season without someone I was passionately rooting for.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I didn’t find myself strongly disliking anyone either. I wasn’t a Hisam fan but he was evicted early so his personality wasn’t able to test m patience over the course of three-plus months.

I think something that stands out about this season was the many floaters who lasted until the final weeks of the game. It seemed to me that this season lacked strong, savvy competitors…at least those that made it deep. To those houseguests who I think floated their way through their time in the Big Brother house, perhaps it was all strategy but I feel I can tell a difference between strategic gameplay and general weakness.

Speaking of gameplay, let me address the winner and runner up. Congrats to Jag! I really admired his loyalty to Matt and the fact that he played the game with integrity. He was a solid and likeable player. However, I had a tough time rationalizing how he could be voted the champ based on the fact that he had already been unanimously evicted. But credit Jag for taking the second opportunity and absolutely making the most of it.

Before finale night, there was no doubt in my mind that Matt deserved to win. As the guy who was a competition beast with a superb social game even though he was at a distinct disadvantage because of his disability, I thought he overwhelmingly deserved the $750,000. But I had no choice but to agree with the jury’s final decision because Matt didn’t show up when it came time to defend his game. He couldn’t satisfactorily answer the questions the jury asked and his final statement fell well short. It was tough to watch the Big Brother 25 title slip through his grasp.

As for the intangibles: I never really understood nor appreciated the Multiverse theme. The twist with Cirie and Jared was a lot of fun and I loved the reactions of the houseguests when Julie told them the secret. I didn’t mind the fact that this season was a little longer nor that it started later in the calendar year than usual. I sincerely hope that next season there isn’t another instance of someone saying something stupid that causes a big controversy.

Thanks to my wife for watching another season with me while putting up with my unsolicited commentary 😂. It looks like “Big Brother” has some type of holiday spinoff coming up in December that I imagine we will give a chance. Until then, expect the unexpected. Don’t Blink.