Peanut Butter Sandwiches for Days

Posted on May 21, 2014 by brent

Okay, there is one thing you have to know about me: I really like peanut butter sandwiches. I like peanut butter sandwiches so much that for the past five years I have ate one for lunch pretty much every single work day. With the exception of going out to lunch once in a blue moon or opting for something else because I forgot my PB sandwich at home I would not hesitate to say that 99% of my work day lunches have consisted of a peanut butter sandwich.

This little quirk of mine has drawn attention from my co-workers. At Montana people would check in on me and mockingly (still good naturedly of course) ask if I had my sandwich that day. Before anyone would offer me anything if someone brought in a shareable lunch item they would preface it by saying “Now I know you have your peanut butter sandwich but would you like to try some…?”. On my birthday my former boss gave me a loaf of bread and a couple jars of peanut butter as a present.

When I arrived at Coastal Carolina and I brought out my green container with my peanut butter sandwich while informing my new co-workers about my constant lunch fare I am sure they wondered who they had hired. But they have had fun with it as well. Believe it or not, the sandwiches I make here in Carolina taste just as good as they did in Montana.

I eat a peanut butter sandwich for lunch every single day.

Let me answer the two questions I get asked most often: No, I do not use any jelly or jam. I eat plain peanut butter sandwiches…just the bread and the peanut butter. And no, I actually don’t have a preference when it comes to peanut butter. When I go to Wal-Mart I buy whatever is cheapest. Usually it is their generic Great Value brand but sometimes there is a sale on Jiff or Skippy so I opt for either one of those.

For the longest time I would just eat the peanut butter sandwich for lunch and that was it. I would use that as my own personal excuse to go crazy gorging myself at dinner that night. But since I have arrived at CCU I have started to add a bag of chips or Cheez-Its to my menu. Here at my new work I take full advantage of my one hour lunch. Whereas at Montana I would work out during the noon hour and then throw down my sandwich in two minutes at my desk I actually socialize here. Sometimes I eat with the graphics guys in one of the cafeteria type places on campus or sometimes I eat in our conference room with other co-workers. It is hard to make a peanut butter sandwich stretch an hour so that is why I have added on the chips (and I still overdo it at dinner).

I make my peanut butter sandwich the night before.

You might be wondering how this got started. I don’t really even know. I grew up eating plain peanut butter sandwiches. I love peanut butter itself in general. When I entered the workforce and I wanted to save money it just made sense to buy a loaf of bread on Sunday and have it last me through the week. I don’t tire of items very easily and I still look forward to my PB sandwich every single day. One thing I should point out is that I make a pretty mean sandwich. I don’t go light on the peanut butter so that helps hold me over until dinner time.

Call me a little kid but I enjoy my lunch choice. Sure it is boring and sure it is not the most nutritious item ever but it works for me and it allows me to not worry about lunch plans. Oh yes, while the type of bread and brand of PB can fluctuate there is one thing that always stays the same…I only eat crunchy peanut butter. If you try to tell me that the creamy version is better we most likely can’t be friends. Always look forward to your lunch! Don’t Blink.

Fun Differences Between the South and the West

Posted on May 20, 2014 by brent

Although I have only lived in South Carolina for just over 20 days it has given me enough time to observe the way of life and culture down here. While I have said more than once that in general people are people wherever you go, different regions do have certain personalities, brands, and quirks. For tonight’s blog post I want to briefly describe five things that are distinctively southern and five things that are distinctively western.

SOUTHERN

Accents: When I watched movies with southern characters I used to think they purposely exaggerated the accents. They didn’t. Southern people speak with an accent, some more than others, but I love the sound of it. There are certain words that sound absolutely awesome when rolled off the tongue of a southern person.

Phrases: With the accents come the phrases too. The word “ya’ll” isn’t a stereotype of the southern language, it is a word near and dear down here that is used constantly. For the most part everything is “Yes Sir” and “Yes Ma’am.” Many women will address people with words such as “hun,” “baby,” or “darling.” The word “Coke” is a catch-all term for any type of drink. Give me three more weeks and I will have another list of terms to rattle off for you.

Food: I would say food is a big difference for me coming from the west. Seafood is king down here, especially in the area I am living. In the past week I have tried grits, hush puppies, and sweet tea. The south is famous for BBQ and so predictably there are a lot of restaurants specializing in it. Surprisingly I have also noticed that there are many mom and pop wing places down here. I am embarrassed to admit that I haven’t dined at any of these local places but have managed to visit Buffalo Wild Wings twice. As I mentioned in a previous post, you will find alligator on some menus.

Corn Hole: It took me my first full day in Myrtle Beach to realize how popular corn hole is out here. For my western friends asking what corn hole is just think of a bean bag toss type game. You will find people playing this on the beach, in pool areas, at bars, or at any social event. When I attended the Finals Frenzy night at CCU I watched as two teams almost ended up brawling with each other because their corn hole match got so heated. This game is not for the faint of heart.

Mt. Dew and Peanuts: Today I was walking to lunch with our media relations and publications editor and he filled me in on one of his favorite drinks. Explaining his concoction he told me he will occasionally take a bottle of Mt. Dew and pour a pack of peanuts (shell off) into it…and then drink it! I posted this very unique recipe on Twitter and received a few responses back telling me that this is a completely southern thing. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have thought to mix something like that up.

WESTERN

Coffee Shops: The other day at lunch I had to explain to our director of news and public affairs about the millions of independently owned drive up coffee stands that line the streets in the western states. With my boss helping me out, we explained the size of such a stand by comparing it to an ice shack here in the area (yes, in South Carolina they offer places you go just to pick up ice). I explained how people develop loyalties to such stands and how many of these places now operate under themes such as baristas in bikinis or baristas dressed in zombie makeup. You definitely don’t find Java Huts or the Daily Grind down here.

Annunciation: My friend Sidney and I talked about her southern accent for a few minutes. I then asked if I sounded different to her. She said I did sound different because of the fact that I didn’t have an accent. She said I annunciated my words almost to a fault. That is pretty much the consensus from southerners on how westerners talk.

Cold Weather/Snow: Just like I have very little idea of how bad the humidity will impact me down here, southerners don’t know too much about the bitter cold we face out west. When I tell people that I left Montana when there was still snow on the ground their jaws drop. When I follow it up by telling them that Missoula saw snow just this month their jaws drop even further. I don’t really even get into the negative twenty below temperatures we “enjoyed” this past winter. I just say that the south beats the west when it comes to weather.

More Health Conscious: I could probably put Missoula up against any place in the nation when it comes to the importance of fitness and love of the outdoors so the south doesn’t need to feel bad that I am putting the west ahead of it when it comes to the role of exercise in everyday life. You don’t see people running, riding bikes, walking dogs, and hiking down here like you do in the west. You don’t see the elaborate organic and healthy eating displays either. When I enrolled in my benefits package I was told premiums were higher than back where I am from simply because I now live in an area that specializes in the production and consumption of the tastiest (and not low-fat) food you will find anywhere.

Grocery Stores: I could have used this point under the south heading too but the west category needed one more so here it is. Co-workers asked me what grocery stores I shopped at out west. After I threw out the names of Albertson’s, Rosauers, and Safeway they looked at me with blank stares. You won’t see any one of those down here. Rather the main players are Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, and Kroger.

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Definitely some changes to get used to but nothing to rattle me too much. In fact, all of these differences just make this new adventure in my life even more fun. I love experiencing new things and life in the south has provided me with that. However, despite what people tell me, I am 99.9% sure I will never develop a southern accent. Don’t Blink.

“T” Time

Posted on May 19, 2014 by brent

I am due for a multiple topic, random blog post so that is what you will get tonight. But to make things a little more interesting I have a theme for tonight’s five item selection. So not to insult your intelligence I will just let you see for yourself instead of explaining the very elementary thing I am doing. Enjoy!

Timehop – My brother alerted me to this app a couple weeks ago and I must say it is pretty slick. With Timehop every day is #ThrowbackThursday. It gives you a summary of what happened on the current date going back several years. It pulls information from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and your camera roll to give you a great inside look at what you were doing one, two, three, four, or even more years ago on that date. For a guy like me who has every day of my life recorded in journals since the seventh grade this app is right down my alley.

Here is a sample of what my Timehop report looks like for today.

Turtles – A really cool thing about the campus at Coastal Carolina University is that it has real turtles! Believe it or not a pond sits in the middle of campus and living in it are tons of turtles. They will come right up to the edge of the water and hang out. Most of them have a reddish-orange mark on their heads and the student body has kind of adopted them as an unofficial mascot. I personally like the little guys.

I took this photo of one of the turtles in the Wall Pond at CCU this afternoon.

Tinkle – Last night news broke that University of Montana men’s basketball coach Wayne Tinkle would become the new coach at Oregon State. I am so happy for Wayne that he has landed a Pac-12 job. When I was at Montana he always treated me very well. He made campus appearances for me, joked around with me, always said hi to me in the music corner right before games, and congratulated me when I took the Coastal Carolina job. Wayne accomplished tremendous success while in Missoula but it goes deeper than that. He raised three awesome kids that also gave so much to the community. The Tinkles will be deeply missed in the state of Montana.

Congrats to Coach Tinkle. The Griz will miss him (photo credit to the legendary Todd Goodrich).

Traffic – In Myrtle Beach you can sometimes run into traffic. Because I get to campus by 6 a.m. each morning I don’t always experience the worst of it but in my three weeks here I have gotten into a couple jams. Today I went out to lunch with Seth Horton, the Sponsorship Director in the Coastal Carolina athletic department. As we came back from Buffalo Wild Wings we got stuck in a little noon time traffic. As we waited for a few minutes Seth put the situation into perspective (I am paraphrasing a little bit): I don’t let the traffic bother me that much because it is made up of people from out of town. They are in the area because they are on vacation. They are choosing to spend their precious time away from the rigors of life in Myrtle Beach. This is our home. People go on vacation where we get to live. I dig it.

Tan – In Myrtle Beach the sun shines constantly, I have the beach practically in my backyard, and I enjoy an awesome pool complex. It is mid-May and I have started to develop a tan. Numerous people have mentioned my color. I try to warn them from here on out I will only get darker. My Italian heritage enables me to become brown during the summer months. I am making sure to let my co-workers know now so that they don’t think I am a total freak once my shade turns borderline black.

As you might be able to tell I am starting to get some color. My friend Sidney and I stand at the Marh Walk at Murrells Inlet this past weekend.

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Thinking about it, maybe I should have saved this post for Tuesday or Thursday. Oh well, hope you enjoyed the shortness of it. Congrats on conquering Monday, have a great rest of your week. Don’t Blink.

Bike Week

Posted on May 18, 2014 by brent

When I arrived in Myrtle Beach I was warned about two things.

1. The humidity
2. Bike Week

I haven’t felt the draining humidity of the south yet but by arriving at the end of April I set myself up perfectly to experience Myrtle Beach’s infamous Bike Week.

Hey man, cool bike!

First things first, Bike Week really isn’t a week. I noticed the well groomed visitors to the area at the start of last weekend and on my way to church today I saw several participants cruise past me so if you do the math you will figure that the term “week” is used very liberally. Actually this afternoon I saw a marquee that billed the event from May 8 through May 18 so that pretty much ended the discussion…bikers evidently don’t use the American calendar. Secondly, Bike Week is exactly what you think it is. People with motorcycles converge on this resort city for a week (err…10 days) of partying. Think Sturgis but keep in mind this event isn’t just restricted to Harleys.

Bikes take up pretty much every space possible in town.

Bikes take up pretty much every space possible in certain areas (photo credit to www.topix.com

From what I have gathered, the city has mixed feelings about Bike Week. On one hand the participants contribute lots of money to the local economy. On the other hand traffic is a nightmare, not all bikers are well behaved, and the potential for crime and accidents go up. But Myrtle Beach does all it can do to make the best of the situation and proper arrangements and patrols are arranged. A TV/radio/print campaign also takes place reminding both bikers and citizens of the need to respect each other during the week (…I mean 10 days).

I respect the bikers. But you know what would make me respect them even more? If they didn’t purposely make as much noise as possible with their bikes. I don’t get the appeal of revving an engine until your ear drums want to bleed. Several times this weekend when I would enter the highway I would be immediately surrounded by bikers in front of me, in back of me, and many times to both sides of me. On a couple of occasions it seemed like all the bikes circling me were gunning for some type of noise decibel record. Yeah, it wasn’t too much fun being on the road.

Never took a photo of when I was surrounded by bikers because I had navigation on for my phone but here is a generic picture I snapped today.

As I alluded to, immediately upon hitting the streets of Myrtle Beach I would see legions of bikers. That is really what stuck out to me about Bike Week…just the sheer number of people on motorcycles. They literally take over the roadways. While they do take over the roadways they don’t necessarily take over the whole town. They tend to congregate in certain areas making it nice if you want to make sure to give them their space. While I planned to give them this space last night I walked into their playground for a little bit.

Ready to hear the name of the place I found myself in last evening? The Dead Dog Saloon. Upon the recommendation of my friend Sidney the two of us went out to Murrels Inlet to rub elbows with the bikers. Well, we didn’t actually rub elbows, we more just observed from a corner table. After walking through a parking lot that was exploding at the seams with bikes jammed packed in every little space we enjoyed dinner while scoping out the week’s honorary residents. Strangely enough it wasn’t the people watching that made the experience so memorable…it was actually the food. I hadn’t enjoyed a tastier steak since when I ate at the Delmonico Steakhouse in Las Vegas. I also got to eat hush puppies for the first time.

Clockwise: The hush puppies, my amazing steak and mashed potatoes, a view from the Marsh Walk, Sidney and her shrimp pasta, the Dead Dog Saloon sign!

Thankfully I didn’t get beat up, singled out, or harassed by any of the bikers. Not that I really thought I would. I joke around but for the most part I understand that many bikers are outstanding citizens who just like to pursue their hobbies like I do mine. I just wish they could keep their bikes quiet.

What if I told you that Myrtle Beach will host another Bike Week at the end of this month? It is true. Only this upcoming edition has a different twist to it. I might get to that in a future blog post or I might not. Always wear your helmets bikers and I hope you had a great time in Myrtle Beach. Don’t Blink.

More Than Meets the Eye

Posted on May 17, 2014 by brent

On Wednesday night my boss took me out to dinner. We went to probably the most recommended place in Conway, the Riverfront Bistro. During the start of our delicious dinner he looked at me and said, “So do you have any questions for me? It seems like I already know pretty much everything about you.”

My dinner at the Riverfront Bistro. Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with apples and onions. The side is the macaroni and cheese noodle cake.

Bill reads my blog on occasion so he has a pretty good grasp on how I spend my time, what I value, opinions I hold, etc. After he asked the question I had a good laugh and admitted that I don’t know if it is exactly a good thing that I pretty much tell the whole world everything that is going on in my life. But then again I really don’t…believe it or not I have a small personal life (just like anyone) that doesn’t show up on a nightly basis in Don’t Blink.

But for the most part Bill’s question spoke a lot of truth. If anyone takes the time to follow me on social media or read my blog they are going to pretty much know what is up with me and who I am all about. I am very transparent and I give my audience a very real look into my life. If anyone wants to know how I feel about something they pretty much just need to do a keyword search on my blog and chances are I have already covered it in a post over the years. No need to actually ask me in person.

Since moving to Myrtle Beach, Bill is not the only one who has pretty much said “I feel like I already know you.” Numerous people on and off campus have told me that introductions and small talk aren’t necessary because they pretty much know so much about me. At first I am always flattered that they take the time to read what I have to say and follow me but then that feeling I alluded to above of doubting myself for putting so much out there starts to creep back. However, I am usually always able to shake it.

You see, I think having a solid foundation built by the time people meet me for the first time is a plus. Pressure is taken off, both for me and the person I am meeting, when you feel like you aren’t on ground zero. Like Bill said, he felt like he already knew me and I much rather start a relationship at that point. It also builds confidence to know that if someone is talking to me for the first time and they mention that they read my blog and follow me on Twitter that they have some interest in me. Cause let’s be honest, if you think what I say on my blog is junk and that it makes me sound like an arrogant jerk chances are you will do what you can to avoid me.

So in this roundabout way I don’t have a problem with my transparency over my personal new media accounts. I credit my blog and my social channels for helping me easily connect with lots of people here in South Carolina. Now that the blog reading and the initial in-person introductions are done I am excited to move onto the next phase…showing these people the Brent that doesn’t live behind a computer screen or an iPhone. I will do my best not to disappoint. Don’t Blink.

#CCU Social Media Adds Snapchat

Posted on May 15, 2014 by brent

As I am sure many of you are sick of hearing, I thoroughly enjoy my new job. Having the opportunity to develop a social media program at a different university from where I was previously has reignited my love even more for all things social. While I have implemented some of the strategies I used at Montana here at Coastal Carolina I have also had the chance to try some new things.

This week we introduced our #CCU Snapchat channel. Because of my workload and our audience, I never started one at UM. However, at Coastal Carolina University it just made perfect sense. With the mass amount of people using the service, an age demographic that aligns with exactly who we are trying to reach, and many mechanisms to creatively send out information it made perfect sense to utilize Snapchat.

Oh, one additional reason why it appealed to me? Not many colleges are on it. I don’t know if maybe they don’t understand it or if they don’t think they can communicate effectively with it but you don’t see many university Snapchat accounts. To get ahead of other institutions and reach out to the younger generation in the way they are communicating the most these days it was necessary for Coastal Carolina Social Media to establish a Snapchat presence. Thankfully our Vice President for Communication and my boss, Bill Plate, was well ahead of the game and reserved our social media handle (CCUChanticleers) on Snapchat long ago. With that piece already completed I launched our account simply by creating a graphic, doing some quick marketing on our social media channels, and then adding the users that instantaneously flooded our account.

#CCU Social Media opened up its Snapchat account for business!

I have participated personally in the Snapchat game for a long time now so I am pretty well versed in it but I was surprised by a few things while interacting with our audience. First off, they are YOUNG. Besides the college students that jumped on board with us there is an outrageous amount of kids that look nine years old who are on the service. Secondly, these young adults/kids are creative! I was laughing at and admiring many of the snaps that kept coming into our inbox. Besides the art that many of them can create on their snaps they are also witty and resourceful. Thirdly, they all have great appreciation for Coastal Carolina. I received a fair share of “Go Chant” snaps but I also received snaps from students stating that they can’t wait to get back to campus or that they are counting down the days until they get here for the first time. It was cool to see that pride over a social media outlet where I had never seen it before.

I really enjoy some of the creativity I have seen sent to our Snapchat channel (thanks to Admissions)

Over the first few days of utilizing the #CCU Snapchat account I have just had fun with it. I like to send our “friends” (as they are called on Snapchat) generic snaps wishing them good morning or updating them on the weather on campus. I have also sent useful messages notifying them about the posting of grades or how to access our other social media accounts. Last night I ran a little promotion where I asked our friends to snap a photo of any Coastal Carolina logo. The first person who did so would win a prize. We received around 30 responses. Even about two hours after that snap went out our account was still receiving logo photos.

Just a few of the great snaps we got when we asked our friends to send us a CCU logo.

I encourage you to see how Coastal Carolina Social Media is utilizing Snapchat by friending us by searching “CCUChanticleers”. There are lots of possibilities for higher education institutions to creatively connect with their student audience through Snapchat and I am glad that #CCU is on it sooner than later. Don’t Blink.

Still Connected to Interollegiate Athletics

Posted on May 13, 2014 by brent

When people in Missoula found out that I accepted a position at Coastal Carolina they reacted in a few different ways. Some saw it as a total out of the blue move. Some wanted to know if it had anything to do with the Montana vs. Coastal Carolina football game in December. Some questioned me on whether I could handle a job outside athletics.

Let me briefly answer the first two thoughts. If it seemed like it came out of the blue then that is no coincidence. Why someone would want to let anyone else besides your current employer know about possible job prospects is beyond me. The “making moves” or “big interview tomorrow” statuses on social media disrespect both your current and potential employers and I think it jinxes your aspirations. And no, me taking the position at Coastal Carolina had 0% to do with the football game in December.

Now to the question that I felt carried the most weight: Could I fully embrace a job not directly affiliated with athletics? While I feel like the question was the most legitimate out of the three for others to ask it never really made me think twice. I love sports with all my heart but I wasn’t opposed to a change. After four and a half years of 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. days, non-existent weekends, and a laundry list of responsibilities it started to wear on me a bit. Add that to the amazing opportunity presented to me by Coastal Carolina and I knew my next career move was set.

But you see, I have the best of both worlds. While I am no longer toiling working inside an athletic department I still get the opportunity to experience intercollegiate athletics. In my job now I cover all happenings and events on campus so I get to take the time and share the good news of Chanticleer Athletics. Luckily for me this part of the new gig is fun and easy because the CCU athletics department has welcomed me with open arms.

Chauncey welcomed me with open arms too.

It is kind of interesting because even before I moved to Myrtle Beach I already kind of had my foot in the door with the athletics staff. When I went to the CCU campus in March for my in-person interview Matt Hogue, the Associate Vice President of Marketing/Licensing, was on the hiring committee. About a week after my interview he was named the interim Athletic Director. Also during my in-person interview I had a session where I interviewed with three people who play big roles in the CCU social media landscape around campus. One of those people happened to be Kevin Olivett, the marketing director for Chanticleer Athletics. Even though he was in the middle of running two conference basketball tournaments at the time he still managed to sit in for my interview.

Fast forward to the end of April and Kevin kept in touch with me. He followed my journey across the country and wasted no time reaching out to me and setting up a lunch date. Just my fourth day on the job he took me to downtown Conway where we ate at a place called the Crafty Rooster. Joining us was a play-by-play announcer for the department and a Myrtle Beach sports talk radio host, Aaron Marks. Later that day I sat in a meeting with Kevin, his assistant, and the department’s ticket guy to brainstorm social media ideas. How cool and nice of them to involve me in their social media efforts and value my opinion!

The hospitality didn’t stop there though. I received an all-access pass for the Big South Conference softball tournament. I had a nice time covering and watching the tourney from the brand new softball facility on campus. As the Chants made it to the championship game I got to meet more athletics staff including the videographers and the sponsorship director. All were so gracious and welcoming. It was refreshing to see how another athletic department goes about business and I came out of the weekend just that much more pumped to be a Chanticleer.

I had a great time attending the softball tournament and seeing how another athletic department does things.

So please don’t worry about me if you think I am not getting my athletics fix in. I definitely am! Things are just much more balanced now. I am seeing a much wider perspective of university life while still getting to focus a little bit in the area where I got my start in. Don’t Blink.

Eating at Two Powerhouse Food Chains in the South

Posted on May 12, 2014 by brent

On my cross country drive to Myrtle Beach I started noticing something about the time I entered Missouri. Seemingly located every couple of miles of the remaining drive I saw a couple different restaurants over and over. One of these restaurants was Waffle House. I had never set foot in one before but knew of them because of pop culture and Bubba Watson. The second restaurant I kept seeing took me a while before I figured out what it was. Probably after passing the tenth one I saw I made out the name of Bojangles.

Well it took me almost two weeks in South Carolina to do so but yesterday I decided to eat at both of these southern staples. For lunch I dined at the Bojangles location right next to the campus of Coastal Carolina and then later that night I enjoyed dinner at a Waffle House a couple miles from my place. Besides gaining about ten pounds I also gained the experience of eating at these fine institutions. Also, since I ate by myself, I got to really take it all in and make some quality observations. Might as well stimulate my brain if I am killing my body, right?

The full name of the first restaurant I dined at is Bojangles Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits. As you can probably gather, they specialize in serving fried chicken and biscuits. The restaurant is set up like any typical McDonalds or Jack in the Box. You go in, order your food at the counter, receive a number, and then sit at a table or booth. You pour your own drink and help yourself to napkins/condiments.

A look at the outside of the Bojangles I visited and the view from inside where I sat.

I ordered the two piece chicken meal. In addition to the chicken I also got a home-style fixin’ (a side item), a biscuit, and a drink. For chicken I received a leg and a wing and I chose mashed potatoes for my home-style fixin’. My food came out less than two minutes after I ordered it. I got my tray and went to my table, looked at my phone one last time, and then started eating.

Me getting ready to chow down at Bojangles.

The chicken had a slight spicy taste to it which I liked. But after that taste dissipated I didn’t really find anything that made it better from KFC. The biscuit in my opinion was just okay, kind of a little dry. So that should say enough; the two items they pride themselves on, chicken and biscuits, both came out as subpar in my book. The mashed potatoes left no impression on me at all. Of course I still ate every bit of my meal. Afterwards I went to the bathroom for a long hand washing before going off to campus to watch softball.

My plate of food. While it looks really good it was average.

I had a much more satisfying experience at Waffle House. Although I must say I didn’t go in with really high expectations. It seemed like everyone I talked to at work or the people I have met here gave the chain a less than flattering review. Words such as “sketchy” and “low quality” coupled with sarcastic laughter seemed to predominate. But I love waffles and I want the whole southern experience so I knew I would look past the warnings and give it a shot.

A look at the exterior of the Waffle House I visited and where I sat at the counter.

Waffle Houses aren’t big places. They are small diners with an open kitchen. You can sit at the counter right in the middle and watch them cook your food or you can sit at surrounding tables. Because I was by myself I sat at the counter. An employee came up to me and asked if I knew what I wanted. I had to tell him I needed to look at a menu because it was my first time ever in a Waffle House. The guy literally thought I was kidding!

Me enjoying my experience at Waffle House.

I ordered a double order of hash browns with cheese on top AND a peanut butter waffle. To wash it down I got a tall glass of cold milk. The hash browns tasted great. As I ate I could sense how heavy the browns were. Each bite delivered a heavy dose of butter and grease. To give them an extra little kick I added some tobasco and chowed down. After I ate the hash browns I turned to my waffle. They did a nice job of completely covering it with little peanut butter chips. With the waffle still hot even though I ate the potatoes first I closed my eyes in bliss as I ate. Rich and tasty I ate it wondering how the place gets such bad reviews. Unlike at Bojangles where I didn’t find the signature items all that special I felt the waffles at Waffle House were the real deal. (Funny side story: My server cooked himself up the exact same order I put in because he thought it looked so good).

My meal was awesome! Look at those hash browns!

As Waffle House is open 24 hours and there are about 164,093 of them in this area I will surely eat there again. I will give Bojangles another shot too. But I got to use caution. The risk of gaining a lot of weight in my new home is very real. With me eating at these two places I have added another notch to my southern belt. I think the accent comes next. Don’t Blink.

Latest Weekend in Myrtle Beach

Posted on May 11, 2014 by brent

After a great first weekend in Myrtle Beach I went out and did it again. Yes, as this weekend comes to a close I am once again ecstatic with my new life down south. Let me catch you all up…

Actually first off let me back up. My first full week as a Coastal Carolina University employee was AH-mazing. I had the opportunity to dive right into my new job full speed. I had the pleasure to meet numerous staff members, connect with the wonderful students at this university, and cover some great events. All the excitement and adrenaline of the first week seemed to culminate on the final day, Friday, as I got to cover four different events. From an honors induction to a softball game to a convocation and then to a senior celebration I had a blast.

So this of course brings us to the weekend. At 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning I was in the office preparing for the big Coastal Carolina University commencement. By 7:15 a.m. I was out on the athletic practice field where the graduates lined up to check in. After taking photos/video of the giddy soon-to-be graduates I entered Brooks Stadium, home of the Chanticleer football team, for the first time ever. For the next three hours I ran around the facility covering the graduation the best way I could. On a warm morning in front of a stadium packed with friends and family over 900 students graduated. Utilizing a tag team approach I covered the event from on-site and provided the content through our main social networks while our Vice President for Communication (and my boss), Bill Plate, meshed all of it into Storify. It was a successful formula.

I had a nice time covering the Coastal Carolina graduation from inside Brooks Stadium.

On Saturday night I enjoyed another exceptional southern dining experience. I drove out to an ocean community right outside of Myrtle Beach called Murrels Inlet. The area is covered with awesome restaurants and bars. I went to an establishment called Flo’s Place. Let me tell you, this restaurant couldn’t be more southern! From the greeting you get when you walk in to the alligator fixture on the wall to the menu stocked with all the southern delicacies you could imagine it was definitely the real deal. My friend Mary served me as I ordered red beans, rice, and sausage with a bowl of clam chowder! I enjoyed every bite of my food and relished the very unique dining experience. No, I did not order the Gator Stew (actual menu item).

Flo’s Place was great! Take a look at my red beans, rice, and sausage!

This morning I attended 9:15 a.m. mass at St. Andrew’s Parish. After a couple weeks of missing out on mass it felt so great to be back in the pew. The church was packed for the service and although I noticed a few differences from the way mass is conducted in the west it was pretty much uniform. The worship space itself was unique with three different sections of seating and a high ceiling. With so many people at the service you might have expected Communion to go on forever but they had a high number of Eucharistic Ministers who went out to the different seating sections and distributed the blessed gift. The priest was very charismatic and funny. Next week I might attend a different parish just to get a feel for what is out there and give me a couple options.

I attended mass at St. Andrew’s Parish this morning.

At noon today the Coastal Carolina softball team hosted Charleston Southern in the Big South Conference tournament championship game. With a berth to the NCAA tournament on the line I went to the brand new softball stadium to cover the action. While talking with the very welcoming athletic department staff up on the media deck I watched the defensive battle transpire for the whole seven innings. Unfortunately the Chants came up short, 3-1. After sticking around for the awards ceremony I left campus until I return for my workout at 6 a.m. tomorrow.

The CCU softball team stands during the awards ceremony today.

Of course I also managed to squeeze in the pool, beach, and sun this weekend but since that is the norm for me now I didn’t feel the need to expound on it. My readership has gone up significantly over the past few weeks so I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read Don’t Blink. If you have any suggestions or criticisms please let me know. Have a wonderful week. Don’t Blink.

The Reason Why I Watch the NFL Draft

Posted on May 8, 2014 by brent

The NFL Draft is just about to start. After months of hype, analysis, and predictions the drawn out event will finally kick off this evening. But to be honest I am not interested most in where Johnny Football will go, whether Jadeveon Clowney will hear his name called at number one, or even where a couple of Montana football players will land. Rather, my intrigue will be devoted to another man.
Mel Kiper Jr.

Call me strange and question my manhood but I really like the job that Mel Kiper does. In fact, I think he is the perfect example of someone completely exceeding the expectations of a job and separating himself from anyone else in his profession. The amount he knows, the degree to which he prepares, and his talent for relaying the information (even if he is talking 100 MPH) is very admirable to me. In my opinion he is an all-star.

This guy is a stud.

Something about his personality just makes me like him. He reminds me of the overly nice nerdy kid in high school who knew every single detail about sports, of course never playing them, who could talk non-stop about the most trivial aspects of athletics such as the past six bench coaches of the Toronto Blue Jays or the jersey numbers of the 1999 Atlanta Hawks. I always liked that type of kid though and it might explain my fandom of Mel. But let me give the guy a little more credit. While he might have a personality that reminds me of a socially awkward sports obsessed nerd he is a genius with a knack for evaluating talent and a gift for killing it on television.

Ah yes, the work he does on TV. I love it. The intensity he brings to the set along with his trademark hair and glasses makes him a lot of fun to watch. The way he just rattles off information the moment names are announced is fascinating. Watching him on TV during the year shows off his intelligence and talent but the true spectacle really comes during the latter rounds of the draft where he can recite every vital statistic and tendency for the players drafted in the triple digits. I know it is his job to know all the prospects but the detail and promptness with which he talks about them once their names are called is astonishing.

I also like him because he knows more than just football, contrary to what some might think. On Saturday mornings he hops on ESPN radio for a weekly show and just dominates it. He talks about all sports and is precise, interesting, and humorous. Even though he broadens his scope during the Saturday show he will still talk some football. For the past few weeks they have had a segment where they just open up the phone lines and callers ask him anything they want about the NFL Draft. In about two minutes he will go through 15 different callers dishing out in depth information right on the spot. No pauses, no gaps, no asking the caller to repeat.

Kiper doesn’t show ego or a larger than life personality on air. He just goes out and does his job. But he is so much smarter than anyone else that he has developed kind of a “mad scientist” type persona. I wouldn’t say that is a bad thing though. In fact I think it has really molded him into a respected and beloved ESPN talent. Bring on the NFL Draft, I want to see Mel! Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

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