The Ten Reasons Why I Love “Forrest Gump”

Posted on October 10, 2016 by brent

Over five years ago, I wrote a blog post titled “The Top 5 Movies That Are Shown Way Too Much on TV.” Despite the seemingly sarcastic nature of the title, the post was actually an homage to the movies on the list (trust me). Holding the number one spot was “Forrest Gump.”

Well, five years later I still have the same passion for the movie that garnered the top spot on that list. In fact, believe it or not, my love for the movie has grown even more. This says a lot coming from a guy who usually can only stand to watch a movie once. Last week the film was on television once again. Sidney and I couldn’t resist watching it. Although it was probably the 557th time I watched “Forrest Gump,” I probably laughed and cried as much as ever.

While watching it last week, it became obvious that I had to write about it again. For today’s blog post I want to share the top ten reasons why I love “Forrest Gump” so much.

Forrest Gump is a masterpiece and I have ten major reason why I like it so much.

10. Savannah – The city of Savannah is special to me because Sidney and I went there for our one-year anniversary. It is a great and beautiful American city with an incredible history. Savannah is home to several historic parks right in the heart of the city. One of these parks is the setting where Forrest sat down to catch the city bus. Of course it is where he told a large portion of his story and he uttered his famous “Life is like a box of chocolates…” line. Because the movie reminds me of our one-year anniversary and because I had the opportunity to visit the bench spot, it serves as a good reason for why I love the movie.

9. The Unbelievability – “Forrest Gump” combines actual historic events with things that are borderline unbelievable. Although I prefer non-fiction, I still love the story of Forrest Gump running across the country twice, mowing a lawn for free, and making it to the White House based on his own merit three times.

8. Acting – The acting in “Forrest Gump” is incredible. Although I am especially partial to the way that Forrest and Lieutenant Dan are portrayed, the whole cast turned in memorable performances. But why do I have acting so low on the list? How could I make acting #8 when Tom Hanks won the Oscar for Best Actor? It is because, for me, the movie is so good in so many ways that acting simply doesn’t take one of the top spots.

7. The Way the Story Is Told – I love the unique way in which the events of the movie occur. It starts off in the present as Forrest is sitting on a bench. He then reflects on his past. However, the movie doesn’t end when he tells his whole story. Rather, he leaves the park bench and goes to find Jenny and the movie goes on for another hour. I think the non-chronological way in which the movie was made is extremely creative.

6. One Liners – “Sometimes I guess there just aren’t enough rocks.” “Does this mean I can’t play ping pong no more?” “I was runnin’!” “And that’s all I have to say about that.” ……

And they go on and on and on. “Forrest Gump” introduced so many phrases and humorous one liners into our lexicon. When watching the movie, you can’t help but say them with the characters. Over 22 years since the movie was made and many of the one liners are as popular as ever.

5. Watchability – As I mentioned in the opening, there is not another movie I can easily re-watch more than “Forrest Gump.” If I turn on the TV and it happens to be on, it doesn’t matter what point of the film it is in, I can easily just start watching it. When adapted for television, the film is three hours long. If I am fortunate enough to catch “Forrest Gump” as it starts, I will devote the full length of time to watching it. The movie is just so smooth, so fun, and so gripping that I can’t turn away.

4. Emotional Moments – I hate to admit it, but “Forrest Gump” makes me cry…a lot. The film contains so many scenes that just get you. From Forrest putting his head down on his mom before going off to Vietnam to Forrest seeing his son for the first time to Jenny and Lieutenant Dan meeting at the wedding your heart is tugged so many times. The movie makes me feel some type of way.

3. The Music – First off, “Forrest Gump” uses some of the iconic songs of American music throughout the movie to signify the current era the film is in. The makers of the movie did this in a superb fashion. In fact, many classic American songs from the 1960’s – 1970’s that I hear today immediately remind me of “Forrest Gump” simply because they were used so brilliantly in the movie. However, it is the original instrumentals in the movie that stand out to me the most. From the triumphant melody played when Forrest breaks out of his leg braces to the soft instrumental that is played throughout the whole movie, these unique pieces bring emotion and harmony to the film. It really is a thing of beauty.

2. The History – The movie “Forrest Gump” is a history lesson. World events, public figures, and American attitudes are presented throughout the entire film from the perspective of the lead character. The music, the actual historical footage, and the cinematography all lead to a genuine and fascinating look at the United States of America in the mid to late 20th century. As a history buff, I genuinely appreciate the heartfelt and humorous look at our past.

1. The Writing – “Forrest Gump” is just beautifully written. While I understand that the film was first a book, the way it was adapted for the big screen was phenomenal. I can lay in bed and close my eyes and listen to the movie and just feel great and peaceful. The narration is soothing, funny, and beautiful. You can watch a scene from the movie and just blurt out loud, “Man, that was just described so well.” Go ahead and take away the music, the actors, and the cinematography because “Forrest Gump” will still stand as a masterpiece based on the writing alone.

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Can you tell I like this movie? “Forrest Gump” is an American classic and I think history classes should show the film. However, if you are a teenager and your teacher hasn’t played it for you yet, do yourself a favor and watch it on your own couch. Don’t Blink.

Surviving Hurricane Matthew

Posted on October 9, 2016 by brent

Good news and bad news.

First the good: Hurricane Matthew has passed us by.
Now the bad: His aftermath has not.

But let’s first start from the beginning. The most concerned I was during the whole Hurricane Matthew episode came late Friday night (technically Saturday morning). I awoke at around 1:30 a.m. to the sound of what seemed like an army of men pounding on the outside of our house. The high speed winds and bands of rain made sleeping tough. Laying in bed, my mind raced about whether or not everything was secure outside. Several times throughout the night I walked back and forth from the bedroom to the living room to look outside the window to make sure all was okay.

Morning finally came and our house was intact. However, we knew the worst part of the storm was still to come. Sidney and I went with my in-laws over to Steph and Jon’s house (sister-in-law/brother-in-law) for the day. It was there that we spent most of the day riding out the storm. We ate a ton of food, played games, watched college football, and celebrated my birthday. We also kept our eye on the storm as the rain came down with more intensity and the wind picked up in speed.

Over time though, the rain started to lessen. By 4 p.m., it had stopped. Although the wind was still whipping, we thought we might be out of the woods. But then the power went out!

With the news that a majority of the city was dealing with no power, Sidney and I decided to venture out into the storm to see the state of our own home. We drove extremely cautiously as we dodged large debris in the road and non-working traffic lights. When we arrived at the house we were ecstatic to see that we still had power. We were less ecstatic to see that the storm had taken out several sections of our fence. But, considering the nature of Hurricane Matthew, suffering a broken fence wasn’t too bad.

The rest of our family came and joined us at our home. As of this afternoon, much of Myrtle Beach, including my in-laws and Steph/Jon, don’t have power. We still have a full house and we are enjoying each other’s company as we wait for the city to do damage control.

Personally, I am busy with work as we communicate to the Coastal Carolina University community about campus operations. Campus will be closed tomorrow, meaning I will have another day out of the office. Horry County Schools also canceled classes tomorrow so Sidney will be at home with me. I am anxious for things to get back to normal.

One final note…today Sidney and I went to church. As mass started, the power was out. The service went along without electricity until we stood up for the Lord’s Prayer. Right before we started, the lights triumphantly turned on! Without missing a beat, Father Norbert Mendonca proclaimed “Praise God!!”

He is right. Although we are still dealing with a few issues from Hurricane Matthew, we are all lucky to be safe thanks to God. Sidney and I appreciate all of the calls and messages we have received over the past few days inquiring about our safety. We have survived Hurricane Matthew! Don’t Blink.

Happy At 30

Posted on October 8, 2016 by brent

It is official. I am old. No longer can I hide behind the excuse that I am “in my twenties” (despite holding onto it all the way through my last day as a 29-year-old). Today I turned 30 and I can’t deny that the age carries with it a notion that I am now a mature grownup. Those carefree years of being a twenty-something are gone.

So go ahead and throw all those “old” jokes at me. I deserve them and I will take them in the stride. However, I don’t know if I would be such a good sport if things weren’t as good as they are now. Because, to be honest, I am too happy to worry about my advancing age.

As a new 30-year-old I have an amazing wife who I couldn’t imagine life without. The two of us have a baby on the way who will be here in less than six months. We both have good jobs with a nice place to come home to at night. We have amazing families who love us both very much.

But let me stop with the bragging because I can sense all my readers throwing up in their mouths right now. Basically I just want to get across the point that I realize I am not young anymore but at the same time I am not stressing too much about it.

My 29th year was the best one of my life. What a great way to lead me into my thirties. Furthermore, 2016 has already cemented itself as the best calendar year of my life. To know that I have three more months of this blessed year to warm me up to being 30 is a good feeling.I am ready to be old!

Thanks to everyone in my life who has made my first three decades on this earth so rich. I am extremely lucky and I love you all. Don’t Blink.

Hurricane Matthew Thursday Rundown

Posted on October 6, 2016 by brent

As I sit in our living room watching the news and working on my computer, I figured this would be a good time to write my Thursday Rundown. Here we go with today’s five topics…

Hurricane Update – Yesterday I gave a summary on how the lead up to Hurricane Matthew is impacting us. I also mentioned the toll it might take when it actually reaches us. Here is the thing: Weather forecasters are having a tough time charting the exact track of Hurricane Matthew. It keeps moving around, causing frustration not just for weather people but for citizens trying to make plans. However, no matter what course the hurricane takes, our area in Myrtle Beach is going to feel the presence of it in someway. Hurricane Matthew is still not expected to directly hit our area but strong on-shore winds do figure to give us some problems. We are also expected to receive MORE than 10 inches of rain. Because our soil here in Myrtle Beach is already saturated, this could give us some real issues.

I took this photo of a TJ Maxx this morning as I was coming back from the gym. The store boarded up its windows in preparation for the storm.

Alternative Places to Exercise – Because the Coastal Carolina campus is closed, so is the gym. This has forced me to go elsewhere for my workouts. Yesterday I went to ultra fancy Planet Fitness. This morning I got my pump in at traditional Gold’s Gym. Talk about the tale of two gyms! Planet Fitness was modern and large. Gold’s Gym was old school and small. Although I prefer working out at my home gym, venturing out these past two days hasn’t been too bad; in fact, I have kind of enjoyed it.

This is me taking a selfie inside the old school facilities of Gold’s Gym this morning.

A Good Business – I want to give a shout out to the person who helped us with the chalk art portion of our baby announcement. Brooke Holden provided us with the board and wrote the actual text on it. She was very helpful, affordable, and quick. Brooke specializes in weddings. If you have any calligraphy or chalk art needs, I highly recommend you take a look at her website.

This is the sign that Brooke Holden made for us.

Happy Birthday, Steph! – Last night we celebrated my sister-in-law’s birthday. Stephanie turned 34 and we celebrated with a little get together at her house. We enjoyed pizza and then ate cake and ice cream. We finished the night by watching her open presents and by playing with the kids. One final happy birthday wish to my great sister-in-law!

A scene from Steph’s birthday celebration last night.

Our Newest Show – Sidney and I have a brand new network show we are watching! “This Is Us” is a program on NBC that chronicles the adventures of triplets. Well, I am using the term “triplets” lightly since one of them is not biological to the two others. Anyway, Sidney got me to watch the premiere and the second show was equally as entertaining. Making things even more interesting is that my family out west is also watching the show so it gives us something to talk about with them. If you are looking for something to watch on Tuesday nights, I recommend it!

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If you live in South Carolina, please be safe this weekend. Thanks to everyone who has been thinking about Sidney and I. Like I said yesterday, I think we are going to be just fine. Don’t Blink.

Here Comes the Big One…Hurricane Matthew

Posted on October 5, 2016 by brent

Since living in South Carolina, I have written a few times about hurricanes. There was Hurricane Arthur, Hurricane Joaquin, and Hurricane Hermine. Each storm impacted us here in Myrtle Beach in some way. However, those three hurricanes supposedly won’t hold a candle to what we have coming.

Hurricane Matthew is set to rip through Myrtle Beach and the Horry County area on Saturday.

How serious is the threat? Yesterday we closed campus and canceled classes at Coastal Carolina…for the rest of the week! Today we evacuated our residential students. All schools are shut down in the area too, meaning Sidney is joining me at home as we wait out the storm. The governor is holding press conferences twice a day. Large scale evacuations in parts of the state started at 3 p.m. this afternoon.

Portions of Myrtle Beach will start evacuating tomorrow. Where Sidney and I live, we are in an evacuation zone. However, we are in Evacuation Zone C. Right now, just Evacuation Zone A must evacuate. It looks pretty good that we will be able to stay in our home as the hurricane arrives.

People are vigilantly preparing for Hurricane Matthew. Good luck finding bottled water in Walmart. Also, there is another resource that is getting sucked up. In her press conference yesterday, the governor advised everyone to fill up their gas tanks. Trying to heed her advice, I planned to make a stop at our local gas station. As I neared the area, I called Sidney to let her know I was going to make a quick stop. When I told her I was stopping to fuel up, she simply said “good luck.” The timing was like that of a movie because once she said that I looked to my right at the gas station and saw the chaos. A station with 12 pumps had what looked like 36 cars crammed around them.

In another eerie scene today, Sidney and I drove through our neighborhood and watched as neighbors boarded up their windows. People are not messing around.

With all this said, please don’t worry about us too much (seriously). I know in my gut that we will be fine. As of the latest update today, it looks like the hurricane’s impact won’t be as severe as once projected. Currently, we are bracing for the storm by just relaxing and having fun. Although I have to work from home, I am finding time to enjoy myself. This morning I hit up a new gym for a workout (since our gym at CCU is closed). I then went over to my in-laws and hung out with Sidney and our niece and nephew. We even went hunting for the ice cream man, it was great fun. So please know that we are doing just fine.

We had a great time hunting down the ice cream man today (top photo is courtesy of my mother-in-law, Brenda).

Thanks for all the texts and calls we have received. Come Saturday (the day the storm is supposed to hit us in Myrtle Beach), I hope to take some footage of Hurricane Matthew that I can share with you. Don’t Blink.

The Out of Control Creepy Clown Craze

Posted on October 4, 2016 by brent

The phenomenon started right here in the Carolinas and gained considerable media coverage. It then started to spread to other southern states. Next came areas in the northeast. Soon it spread to states in the heartland. Now, this crazy occurrence has reached my hometown of Spokane!

These creepy clowns are getting out of control!!

Creepy clowns like these are popping up all around the country.

Well, I am not as panicked as some people. Actually, far from it. I have followed as many of these sightings as possible with interest and curiosity. I know you might think I am a bit twisted but I am fascinated by these clowns. As someone who loves haunted houses, scary movies, and the paranormal, this is right down by alley.

But guess what? These clown sightings aren’t something completely unique to 2016. Remember two years ago when menacing looking Bozos started popping up in a few different places across the country? I sure did because I wrote about it.

But while random intimidating clowns lurking around the streets isn’t a new concept, the degree to which it is happening in 2016 is a whole different circus than what happened two years ago. Weapon wielding scary people in face paint and crazy wigs is a major thing right now. This “trend” (for lack of a better word) has reached mainstream America as citizens from all corners of the country have heard about clown sightings in their local communities.

Let me be frank about this. Because I am a little demented in the head, I love the idea of scary clowns walking around in the dark. I have enjoyed all the parody videos and photoshopped images that have come out poking fun at the trend. I have laughed way too much at the #IfISeeAClown tweets and memes. I have watched countless local news packages from stations across the country reporting on their own clown sightings.

However, I certainly don’t approve of clowns engaging in violent activity (hasn’t happened yet) and I don’t approve of people making calls to the police reporting fake clown sightings (has happened a lot). My hope is that as a society we can have fun with this while not making it destructive. Clowns who chase children or cause harm to anyone should be thrown in prison for a long time.

My hope is that after Halloween this clown phenomenon dies down. Although I am entertained by it, there comes a time when enough is enough. Just like having Christmas lights still up well past the holidays is weird, having clowns running around during Thanksgiving just doesn’t fit either. My other hope is that a documentary is made chronicling the clown sightings along with information on who/what was responsible for starting/maintaining such a bizarre trend.

If you enjoy dressing up as an evil clown, please know that you impact everyone from children to law enforcement to actual professional clowns. Make good decisions and realize potential consequences. These days, we all have reason to be vigilant and concerned about things that seem out of place. Don’t Blink.

A Wonderful Clemson Weekend With the Mathis Family

Posted on October 3, 2016 by brent

The arrival of October brought with it my favorite weekend since our wedding/honeymoon back in June. I had the pleasure of spending a couple of terrific days with Sidney’s family in the Clemson area. By all accounts, it was a memorable trip.

After work on Friday, Sidney and I jumped in the car with my in-laws and we started on our way to upstate South Carolina. It didn’t take long for the trip to become special. We revealed on social media that we were expecting and as we drove through the beautiful state we were overjoyed with the outpouring of congratulatory messages that came through.

Sidney, myself, and my in-laws took off for the Clemson area after work on Friday.

We stopped in Columbia for dinner at a place called Rush’s, a local fast food type restaurant specializing in fried chicken. We loaded up on chicken and fries and relaxed while we took a break from the road. With two hours of driving down, we had roughly two hours of driving to go. Just like the first half of the drive, the second half went quick. Before we knew it, we pulled into our hotel in the town of Easley, South Carolina, at around 9:45 p.m. We checked into our room and watched the Washington-Stanford football game before drifting off to sleep.

This is my meal at Rush’s Chicken on Friday night. Very good food!

The four of us woke up early the next morning. After watching a little bit of College Gameday from the exact same location we would soon be at (the show was at Clemson), we left the hotel to go see the rest of our family. The other two Mathis sisters were at a campground near Clemson. Steph was there with her husband, Jon, and Courtney was with her boyfriend, John Henry. After stopping at a grocery store to pick up some supplies, we used Navigation to get us to the campground.

What was waiting for us when we arrived was the full set up! John Henry had with him his luxurious camper that included just about everything you needed. Outside they had chairs and a television so we could all sit around and talk while watching the early games. The best part, though? The food!! The four of them cooked up grits, bacon, and quiche. We soaked in the beautiful weather while eating/drinking, watching football, and enjoying one another’s company.

This is what the TV and chairs setup looked like. Jon and John Henry are sitting down enjoying College Gameday (photo courtesy of Courtney).

The time came for us to head to campus. The women got in one vehicle and the men got in another. The girls went off to shop around at a Clemson apparel store and us guys went to a hidden gem to pick up our tailgating food of fried pork chops, mac & cheese, potato salad, and coleslaw. We met back up at a parking lot right outside of campus and merged into one car. From there we went to our tailgate spot.

This is all of us piled into one vehicle on our way to the tailgate spot.

Tailgating at Clemson is crazy! After Jon maneuvered the vehicle into our spot, we set up shop and started to have fun. It wasn’t long until some special guests joined us. As I mentioned in my Thursday Rundown, I had plans to meet my friend Kenny during the course of the day. As he is the nephew of Bobby Petrino (Clemson was playing Louisville), he brought some of his family members to hang out with us, including a couple of Coach Petrino’s adult children. The Tigers and Cardinals all got along great.

This was our entire Mathis Family squad (made up of Henrys, Yarboroughs, and Resers as well). – Photo courtesy of Brenda

After our guests left, it was the Mathis family just relaxing and having a good time. In addition to all the food we had bought at the place we stopped at before coming to campus, Brenda (mother-in-law) had also brought along a bunch of snacks that we enjoyed as well. With no shortage of drinks either, our tailgate was a lot of fun. However, the main event awaited us. With about 45 minutes to go until kickoff, we all headed toward Memorial Stadium.

A photo of us guys (L-R: Jon, John Henry, Mr. Sid, Out of Place Guy Wearing Louisville polo). – Photo courtesy of Brenda

In an electric atmosphere, two of the best college football teams squared off in one of the best games of the college football season thus far. It was a high scoring, back-and-forth affair that went down to the wire. However, even though it was a nail biter and even though I ate myself silly at the campground and at the tailgate, I still visited the concession stand during the game. I got myself peanuts and a large dish of cookie dough Dippin’ Dots.

I took this photo as the teams warmed up prior to the 8 p.m. kickoff.

Watching two of the best quarterbacks in the nation compete was exhilarating. Inside the stadium you could just sense the magnitude of the game. The crowd showed up early, stayed during halftime, and of course remained in the stands through the thrilling finish. When the Cardinals came up just yards short of a last second victory, the celebration was on in Death Valley as the students stormed the field.

A photo of Sid and I enjoying the game.

With the game on national television combined with the amount of points scored it made for a long game. By the time the Tigers improved to 5-0 with a 42-36 victory, it was close to midnight. We all went back to the tailgate area and waited about an hour for traffic to thaw out a little bit. The eight of us then piled back into the vehicle and went back to the parking lot where we split off. We arrived back at the hotel around 2:30 a.m. and by the time I laid down in bed it was 3 a.m. It had been a long and amazing day.

The next morning, the four of us got back in the car to head home. Steph/Jon/Court/John Henry were about an hour behind us. We stopped in Columbia to eat lunch, this time opting for Texas Roadhouse. We arrived back in Myrtle Beach around 5 p.m. When Mr. Sid and Brenda dropped us off at our house it was a little sad to say goodbye, even though they live just a couple minutes away from us and even though we had spent the whole weekend with them. But that just explains what a great time we had.

Thanks to the Mathis family for a wonderful weekend. I can’t wait to do this again one of these days. Don’t Blink.

We Are Expecting!

Posted on October 2, 2016 by brent

Yes, it is true. On Friday night, Sidney and I announced over social media that we are expecting. My wife deserves full credit for thinking up the creative method we used to share the good news. When we posted the announcement to Facebook, we were right in the middle of driving to Clemson with my in-laws (don’t worry, my father-in-law was driving so everyone was safe). For the rest of the trip we were humbled by the constant stream of congratulatory messages that came in. Thanks to all.

We posted this image to announce that we are expecting. All creative credit goes to my wife!!

Sid found out one morning in late July that she was pregnant. After the thrill sunk in, she surprised me with the good news in a very special way. Needless to say, my mind was racing euphorically the rest of the day at work. We both really wanted children but we had no idea we would be blessed with one so early into our marriage.

The past two months have been a lot of fun. Going to doctor appointments with Sid, brainstorming names, reading the progress of our baby’s development each week, breaking the news to our loved ones, and dreaming about when the time will come are just a few of the special moments we have enjoyed.

Of course there is the stress of hoping that everything runs smoothly for Sidney and our baby but I have learned that you just have to trust in God. So far everything has gone great and all signs point toward the delivery of a healthy new addition to our family around April 7, 2017.

We are so grateful for this blessing. The next several months will undoubtedly be an incredible journey. My brother-in-law, who has a couple of small children, told me that our lives are about to change forever but that it is well worth it. We can’t wait for that change to occur. Don’t Blink.

Cafeteria Line Thursday Countdown

Posted on September 29, 2016 by brent

Thank you for finding your way to brentreser.com. You chose a good time to stop by because tonight I present another Thursday Rundown edition. Here we go with five random topics…

Eating Lunch At School – Last Friday I ate lunch with Sidney at the school she teaches at. I have visited her for lunch before but this time was unique. Instead of just hanging out or bringing Subway with me, I ate the actual hot lunch. On the menu was pizza and it looked like it had not changed one bit since I was last in elementary school some 17 years ago. But I would say the taste had improved. I enjoyed eating my pizza, pinto beans, veggies, and low fat Cheetos while meeting Mrs. Reser’s class.

This was my lunch at Sidney’s school.

That One Time I Was in a Music Video – Two years ago, Darius Rucker released his music video for “Homegrown Honey.” At the time, I knew I had a shot at making an appearance in it just because I had participated in the filming. However, my better judgment told me that I probably wouldn’t make the cut. Much to my pleasure, I did in fact make a “cameo” in the video. Although for only a second or two, I am clearly visible at the 1:42 mark.

I made the cut in Darius Rucker’s “Homegrown Honey” video.

Weekend Plans – This weekend I will be heading over to Clemson with Sidney and her family. We are making the trip to Death Valley to watch the college football blockbuster of the week as the #5 Tigers host the #3 Louisville Cardinals. Another reason for the trip is the chance for me to see my friend, Kenny. He is traveling all the way from Seattle to watch the game and cheer on his uncle who happens to be the head football coach at Louisville. It won’t be the first time I meet Kenny in Clemson. Two years ago we met up for the same matchup. The Tigers defeated the Cardinals that day so I am sure Kenny (and Coach Petrino) will have revenge on their minds.

Kenny and I on the sidelines in Clemson’s Memorial Stadium in October of 2014.

Debate Reaction – I must say that Monday’s debate was every bit as advertised. I sat on the couch for 90 minutes and happily watched as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump battled it out. It is tough for me to judge a winner but I was surprised that Trump didn’t act more restrained. I know he got to this point by being outrageous but I thought he would have tried to tone it down just a little bit in hopes of persuading undecided voters (like myself). I can’t wait for the next one!

From the Archives – Three years ago I followed through on one of my many dumb blog ideas. During a weekend in Spokane with my family, I visited three different froyo places and gorged myself on ice cream. I then reviewed each location for factors such as taste, toppings, cleanliness, etc. If you are a froyo fan, you should really read my post.

I visited three different froyo places in a weekend in September of 2013. This was one of them.

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As always, thanks for your support of this blog. Enjoy your weekend and I look forward to touching base again on Sunday. Don’t Blink.

Going Bananas

Posted on September 27, 2016 by brent

Tonight is the blog post where I ask my readers for honest, decent advice. Each day I have a certain item at lunch. No, no, no I am not talking about my peanut butter sandwich. The second most important item in my lunch is my daily banana. When I went on a diet for my wedding I started eating them each day as a compliment to my peanut butter sandwich. Although the big day has passed and about a third of the weight lost has returned, I am still eating a banana at noon every Monday-Friday.

I always eat a banana with my lunch.

Although I love bananas, I had two big dilemmas when it came to caring for them. Luckily, one was recently solved.

I had no idea the brief amount of time it took for bananas to become too ripe. I quickly learned that even if I bought green bananas on Sunday they would be more black than yellow on Friday. Thanks to my mother-in-law, she gave me a special plastic bag that is supposed to keep my bananas in good shape, or, as she said, “Looking pretty.” Not only will it keep my daily fruit from losing its optimal taste, it will also allow our fruit bowl to look more presentable for a longer period of time.

My mother-in-law gave me this bag to put my bananas in.

My second problem is yet to be solved. I transport my lunch in my gym bag. In the morning I throw my banana in the bag, drive to campus, get my workout in, and go to the office. When I arrive at my desk, I take out the banana and put it on my desk to protect it. However, by then, my banana is often bruised or lightly smashed. This takes a lot of the joy away from eating it at lunch as I have to throw the damaged portion (s) away. Please note that when I am carrying around my gym bag I am mindful of the delicate fruit inside so it is not like I am acting careless.

Can you give me advice for securing my banana? Give me your best Pinterest-inspired tips and tricks. Whatever you tell me, please just make sure it will still allow for me to carry it in my gym bag (this would be way too easy if you just told me to carry it in my hand). I appreciate your consideration in this matter. Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Author Archives: brent