Reser Notes

Posted on January 7, 2014 by brent

Since at least three weeks have passed since I last did one of these posts, this evening I want to rapidly cover a few random topics and then call it a night. I got to save up you see, tomorrow night I got a blog post that I am pretty excited about. Without boring you with a long intro, let’s dive right in.

Student-Athletes Making a Difference: I left the office today a little before 5 p.m. and I drove out to the Watson Children’s Shelter, a local facility where disadvantaged youth are given a place to stay. You see, our back-to-back Big Sky Conference champion Griz basketball team not only dominates on the court but in the community as well. Each Tuesday this month they will complete a community service exercise and today they were putting smiles on the faces of children who really need some joy in their lives.

I went out to the shelter and covered the service of our team. Basketball staff members Kurt Paulson and Joe Petschl brought pizza for everyone as the student-athletes and the children sat in the dining room together and shared a meal and lots of laughs. I sat back and admired the scene as our student-athletes naturally made those kids feel so special. After dinner, the players and kids went out to the play area and continued to connect and have fun. I don’t think there is anything that can end a day better than witnessing something like that.

Members of the Griz basketball team who volunteered at the Watson Children’s Center tonight.

Florida State vs. Auburn an Instant Classic? No Way!: I really enjoyed watching last night’s BCS National Championship. The game was played down to the wire in the best college football venue in the nation. It was a good game, no doubt. But it wasn’t a classic. In my blog post from Sunday night I said a classic must be an extraordinary game but the Seminole-Tiger game wasn’t. If the game went to overtime maybe it would have been. Or if Auburn scored on the final lateral-filled play* I might classify it that way. Or if the teams would have produced more of a high scoring shootout I could be talking classic. Or if it was an exciting game for all four quarters I might concede. But last night simply did not deliver on any of these.

But let’s not kid ourselves here. The 2014 BCS National Championship had its work cut out for it even before the game kicked off. Even though it was the last national championship game of the BCS era, the nation did not get up for it. I had never seen a less hyped championship game than this one, but for good reason though. It simply lacked a solid storyline. You had an ACC Florida State team that played a weak schedule competing against an Auburn team that had a loss on its record and that almost got beat by Washington State. Many people fell into the typical social media fueled emotional trap and called the game an instant classic. Nah.

Encourage Rather Than Scorn: My friend and fitness extraordinaire Saskia posted a New Year’s Day photo on Instagram asking regular gym goers to have tolerance, patience, and compassion for the new people walking through the facility doors as they begin their resolutions of working out and living a healthier life. While it is natural to become a bit peeved at the suddenly cramped gym quarters and while it is a bit too easy to look down on people we might not think will last, Saskia reminds us to think back when we were in that position and to have some empathy.

I agree 100%. So many of these people are really putting themselves out there. They are trying to make a positive change in their lives. What sense does it make to mock and shun them? No doubt most of these people are scared, intimidated, and a little lost when they first hit that gym floor. We need to do all we can to welcome them and encourage them. After all, we should all have a desire to see others succeed. If not, we probably live shallow and depressing lives and are by no means better than the new membership rookie we are snickering at because he is struggling to work a machine. Make a positive difference.

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With the holidays over, this first full week can kind of drag on so take to hear that you are 40% through it already! Have a great night and you will hear from me tomorrow. Don’t Blink.

No Controversy Here, Two Totally Different Songs

Posted on January 6, 2014 by brent

Two artists I used to not care for that much. Two artists that I now like. Two recent successful singles released. Two songs that are pretty much the same?

I have followed the career of Sara Bareilles since she hit it big back in 2007 with “Love Song”. Although I was not a big fan from the onset, I grew a greater appreciation for her when I watched her live in concert when she played here in Missoula in 2011. She put on a solid show and I gave her a favorable concert review right here on this blog. Since July of 2011, Bareilles has continued to improve as an artist and I must say I am now a legitimate fan.

I used to loathe Katy Perry. I disliked the disposable tracks she produced such as “I Kissed a Girl” and “Hot ‘N Cold” and at that time I hadn’t warmed up to her personality. When she did start rolling out some more meaningful music and right when I started to turn a little bit she went and married Russell Brand and I lost complete respect for her. But since the dissolve of that marriage and since her past three or four singles I must say that I enjoy Katy Perry. She has won me over.

In May of 2013, Sara Bareilles released “Brave”. In August of 2013, Katy Perry released “Roar”. At the time that Perry released her single, an “uproar” (pun intended) started over the supposed striking similarities between “Brave” and “Roar”. I admit it, I missed this whole controversy as I was working fourteen hour days getting ready for the Grizzly Athletics sports season. But the tension didn’t last long as Bareilles neglected to take issue with it, saying she didn’t think Perry stole her song. The issue died down for several months until just a couple days ago when Bareilles was asked again about the similarities between the two songs. This time she admitted that “I can’t say that I think that they don’t sound similar.” Several national outlets picked up on the interview that enabled me to catch wind of the controversy.

I don’t think “Brave” and “Roar” sound alike at all.

In my humble opinion, I don’t think the two songs sound really anything alike at all. Then again you could probably classify me as tone deaf but after listening to “Brave” for nine months and “Roar” for six months, I never once thought that the two songs sounded similar. I mean really, what part of the two songs sound alike? The intro? The verses? The hooks? Ummm, no. I don’t hear it. I just listened to both songs, trying to scrutinize everything, and I really couldn’t detect so much as a single similarity.

Of course Katy Perry came under heat also because both songs have a similar theme…okay, maybe the exact same theme. But seriously, if you look at all the songs out right now, several share the same themes (strong love, uncontrollable passion, devastating break ups, etc). Both “Brave” and “Roar” happen to address coming out of your shell and finding your true voice. Rip off by Katy Perry? Oh, please. That is probably the most generic song message ever. Think of any popular female artist who hasn’t recorded a song that deals with embracing your true self. Lady Gaga has “Born This Way,” Christina Aguilera has “Beautiful,” Kelly Clarkson has “Miss Independent,” and if I had time and didn’t have a BCS National Championship to watch I am sure I could rattle off many more. I think it is safe to say that if you don’t have one of these types of songs, you haven’t really arrived in your career yet.

But within the common theme, there are many differences between the two songs. First of all, the lyrics are totally different. Secondly, Sara Bareilles is addressing her song to someone else, Katy Perry is singing it as her own obstacle that she conquered. Additionally, “Brave” is more about speaking up for yourself while “Roar” is more about actions over words. To me, “Brave” centers more on an individual struggle while “Roar” deals more with overcoming the negative influence of someone else.

It goes without saying, Sara Bareilles and Katy Perry don’t need me fighting their battles for them. Five years ago I wouldn’t lift my finger to help them with any type of PR controversy they found themselves in. But as someone who values the work of both and as someone who sees the complete foolishness in the argument that Katy Perry ripped off Bareilles, I have to speak out. Let’s give credit to both women for making outstanding tracks that have inspired millions. Don’t Blink.

Mislabeling Sporting Events as Classics

Posted on January 5, 2014 by brent

I know many other people in the sporting world share this gripe with me but with a couple more instances of it occurring lately, I do feel the need to briefly touch on it. Sports media, sports fans, and athletes and coaches on a frequent basis prematurely and hastily christen games as “instant classics”. Emotion and social media contribute a lot to unrightfully labeling games as classics but also playing a role are people just not knowing in general what constitutes such a contest.

First and foremost, an instant classic is an extraordinary game. It is characterized by high stakes, numerous lead changes, unpredictable and outstanding plays, adversity, a solid storyline, special individual performances, a memorable environment, unusual occurrences, and passion. Very rarely does a sporting event contain every part of these criteria. I think this is where most people get tripped up when erroneously calling a sporting event a classic classic…they experience, watch, or play in a game that contains a couple of the items above, get emotional, and thinks that it is one for the ages.

An instant classic is not a close championship game. It is not a #23 ranked school beating a #1 ranked school. It is not a back-and-forth game that goes into overtime. It is not simply a buzzer beater or a last second field goal. It is not just a three touchdown comeback. While all of these games have components of a classic, they fall well short. A classic is not just a great game. A classic is not just a really great game.

This past week Texas A&M defeated Duke in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in thrilling fashion. The Aggies staged a comeback and the team’s star quarterback had a performance worthy of a top 10 NFL draft pick. Even with those things occurring, I feel Johnny Manziel misspoke when he called the game an instant classic in the postgame press conference. Although a very entertaining game, it was the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Texas A&M was supposed to win. At no time was the game seemingly out of reach. There have been actual BCS bowl games this season that were better than the Chick-fil-A Bowl and none of those by any means qualified as a classic.

Maybe this game was bound to get unrightfully dubbed as a classic because of all the lead up and talk about the weather beforehand, but today’s San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers wild card playoff game was by no means one for the ages. However, you wouldn’t quite know that judging by social media. Leading the way was ESPN’S SportsCenter Twitter account (@Sportscenter) that midway through the fourth quarter tweeted out to its over 6.5 million followers that a “classic was brewing” with San Francisco leading 20-17. I saw similar tweets from many others exclaiming how it was a playoff game to be remembered forever. Really? The game ended just like many other NFL games end: a team (in this case the 49ers) receives the football with five minutes to go and stages a drive that allows them to milk the clock and kick a field goal with no time left. How is this a classic? And, just like with the Chick-fil-A Bowl, the team that was supposed to win ended up victorious.

Today’s Packers-49ers game was nowhere near the level of a classic.

I make a big deal out of this just because I think mislabeling a good game as a classic cheapens what a classic is. Putting the 2013 Chic-Fil-A Bowl on the same level as the 2007 Fiesta Bowl is wrong. Putting today’s Packers-49ers wild card game on the same level as Super Bowl XLII is blasphemy.

We get so engaged and emotionally invested in sports that sometimes it is easy to overhype it. In the same way, several times I have showered praise on an average steak at a restaurant or hailed a cheesy movie as Oscar worthy. I made these proclamations as I was midway through my meat after I hadn’t eaten all day and as the credits rolled as I was still wiping away tears from the ending. My point? Sometimes we just need to step back and let out emotions and intensity die down before evaluating the lasting value of a game, food dish, or movie. It takes a lot for a sporting event to become a classic, let’s keep those standards high. Don’t Blink.

An Upgrade I Probably Need to Make

Posted on January 4, 2014 by brent

I admit that I am a pretty easy target. It goes without saying that when you are as big of a nerd as I am, friends and family will joke freely at your expense. I get this and take it in stride, sometimes even considering the good-natured tough time I am given as flattery. With the help of social media, something that I own that my friends like to make fun of me for has gained some traction.

I own one television. While it is not a black and white rabbit ears set, it is not a 60 inch plasma TV either. The television I own is a 27 inch Sony Trinitron, a relic I bought in the dorms over seven years ago for $100. I purchased it from someone who lived on the same floor as me and at the time after the transaction I thought I had a movie theater screen in my room. I used the TV through my whole college career and continued to use it as I entered the professional workforce as well. It has traveled with me to each different place I have lived. With 2014 here, I still have it set up front and center in my living room.

Here is my famous Sony Trinitron television set I have owned for over seven years.

I have come to grips with that fact that it is nearing the end. The picture has become increasingly grainy. Frequently I have to go behind the big box set (who needs a flat screen?) and fiddle with a cord to make it viewable. It is not accessible with many of the new appliances and systems out there. Compared to what has been out on the market for the past five years, it looks like an oversized antique.

But do I care? Not really.

The same can’t be said for my guests. When I have people over, they can’t get past the “ancient” box sitting in front of them. Looking at me with a confused and slightly agitated look they will exclaim something along the lines of “Are you serious?!” I usually will just tell them the standard response I have down by memory: You know, I don’t put a lot of weight on material possessions and I don’t watch that much TV to begin with except for sports.

Me in front of my scrutinized TV.

That response only gets me so far though. My friends will then counter with the belief that the only way to watch sports on television is through a large high definition plasma screen. They will then twist the knife even more by saying that someone like me who works in athletics for a living and who only watches sports has absolutely no excuse to view the action through a TV that looks like it came out of a dumpster.

My friend Shaun Rainey called me out via Twitter on my TV when he came over to watch football.

A year ago my response to my “But do I care?” question about my underwhelming television would be a big, fat “NO”. But as you see from my response above, it has changed to a “not really”. Because my TV is actually starting to malfunction a little bit and because of the pressure I have received from guests, I am going to start looking to upgrade. I think the time has come. In the end what it all comes down to is the comfort level for the people I invite over. Although I know I will love the new TV I end up purchasing, I honestly could live with the one I have for another ten years. But I want to keep my friends coming over to my place. I don’t want them to not enjoy hanging out at my apartment because my television falls well below their standards. When I am entertaining, I want to make the experience of my guests the best possible and if that means getting with the times by purchasing a new television, it will be worth it.

So, I ask you all: What type of new television should I go for? Where should I buy it from? Any special info you have on good deals? Any help would be much appreciated and if you do offer me some good tips, you can expect an invitation to enjoy a game with me on my nice, new TV. Don’t Blink.

What Kills an Organization’s Social Media Program

Posted on January 3, 2014 by brent

On this blog I have become quite outspoken against plastering the same piece of content across multiple social media platforms. However, much of my scorn on this lame practice had been directed on an individual basis. You know, I was mostly talking to my friend who would post the exact same photo with the exact same caption with the exact same hash tags of her new shoes across four different social networks. Or I was talking to the guy who I don’t even know why I am following who pressed a button and sent his No Shave November mustache simultaneously to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Then, just to be extra annoying he decided to Snap Chat it to everyone on his list as well.

I have called these people out enough. You are annoying, you are unoriginal, and you are lazy. You also lack complete understanding of how individual social media services work. But you know what? There are more severe violators out there besides my old high school classmate, my college lab partner, and my friend who works at Starbucks. There are users out there who sin far greater when it comes to duplicating content across social mediums than just everyday people who want to do social media their own way and could care less what I think. I am talking more about people who should know better and who have much larger audiences in the social world.

Tonight I am talking about people and groups who direct organizational social media programs.

Because I am tasked with running the social media program for Grizzly Athletics, I naturally look at many other official athletic department pages/accounts around the country just to get a better idea of what others are doing and to learn from them. I also look at official pages of my favorite brands, restaurants, and organizations to once again get a gage of what works and what people are doing to engage their fans/customers/clients. Many of these entities have powerhouse and pristine social media programs that use each of their various outlets in a creative way to engage, inform, and inspire their target audience. Others, however, miss the boat.

Would you believe me if I told you that I regularly see entities that send out the same filtered photo or the exact same update to every single social media service they work with? I always have a tough time wrapping my mind around this flawed practice just because in this day and age new media marketing/information sharing is king. Fans and customers are heavily involved and entrenched in social media and they want to be stimulated with fresh and creative content. This legitimate desire is not satisfied for a fan when he goes through the social media pages of his alma matter’s athletic department and observes that the made for Instagram photo with three different filters is posted on the Facebook page and sent out via Twitter. Or the desire is not satisfied when a Facebook graphic is cropped and crunched into an Instagram photo. Or the thirst is not quenched when Twitter updates loaded with hash tags and topped off with Hootsuite shortened links dominate the Facebook page. Yuck!!

It is absolutely critical that companies hire social media professionals who don’t take shortcuts and who understand the importance of diversifying content across different mediums. Social media users who are passionate about a team or brand will follow it via all its different social channels because they want every connection and piece of information they can get. However, when they start to see that what is posted on Facebook is also posted on Instagram and what is posted on Twitter is posted on Facebook they will stop following the majority of an organization’s social media channels. And how can you blame them?

We have to realize that each social media service is unique. They don’t fall exactly in line with one another. The way we present and report to fans must be different across each outlet. Dedicated and effective social media marketers will flat out buck up and spend the extra time it takes to customize and capture extra content to provide their audience with originality. This means taking triple the amount of photos while covering an event, logging individually in to each social media outlet rather than using a third party posting service , spending the time to create different graphics, and devoting care to composing posts that are specific and appropriate to each unique outlet.

Of course consistency must shine through the originality as well. The best social media marketers have no problem sharing unique content across all different channels while at the same time making sure the Instagram piece reflects the Facebook piece and the Twitter piece reflects the Instagram piece (and so on…). Obviously when our football team stages an amazing comeback victory I am sharing the same adversity-defying story across all of our Griz social outlets but I am just doing it with different images, videos, and words depending on the service. Or when we have breaking news I am usually directing fans from our social outlets to www.gogriz.com where a press release with more info can be found but before I do that I am giving them the basic information in an appropriate manner based on what social media service they are on.

Social media is complex. With the complexity comes infinite ways to reach out to fans/customers like never before. To sacrifice these opportunities by taking a lazy and/or uncreative way out is extremely damaging to an athletic department, brand, organization, etc. Diversity across social outlets is key. If you don’t believe me, look no further than some of the entities out there that use duplicate posting across multiple social channels and then take a look at the engagement they get and the follower numbers they have. You will see what I mean. Don’t Blink.

The Method to How I Check Facebook, Instagram, and Snap Chat

Posted on January 2, 2014 by brent

Many times my friends will question me like this: “Hey! Have you looked at the Snap I sent you yet?” Or “Why haven’t you responded on Facebook?” Or sometimes “Did you see what _______ posted underneath your Instagram photo?”

I get these types of inquiries so much that I basically respond with my standard text of “Sorry, let me go look real fast.” I then open up whatever social media service I have unfinished business on, look/respond/delete whatever issue my friend alerted me to, and then follow up with them via another text.

Many of you might be surprised to know this about me, but I don’t subscribe to Facebook, Instagram, or Snap Chat iPhone notifications on my personal accounts. For my readers out there without iPhones that means I don’t get alerted, buzzed, or notified when someone interacts with me (i.e. likes/tags/messages/etc.) on these services. Additionally, on the menu pages of my iPhone I don’t have little numbers at the corners of the icons telling me how many notifications I have.

Now I know this might come as a shock to some of you considering I work very closely with and I have a strong passion for social media but let me just quickly explain and I am sure you will understand.

Handling social media for Grizzly Athletics is a 24/7 job all in itself. Besides posting intriguing content and giving our fans access they can’t get anywhere else, I also have to serve as the best customer service rep possible. In order to do that, I make sure to answer the numerous inquiries from fans we receive on a daily basis through all of our social media outlets. Because this is the job I get paid to do, Griz fans will get a quicker response from me than my Facebook friends will. To minimize a complete overload, I turn off my personal notifications while keeping my work related notifications on.

Secondly, I kind of like the element of surprise when I open up my Facebook, Instagram, or Snap Chat account. Although I do without external notifications, I do get a bit of a thrill when I get the notifications inside the service itself. Call me weird, but I like guessing how many (if any) notifications I will have. It is fun opening up Facebook and seeing that you have a couple friend requests, a few messages, and six notifications. Conversely, it is disappointing when I log in after a half day and have nothing. But I much prefer getting my interactions all at once after a little time has passed rather than getting notified about each single one in real time via text alerts and notifications on my iPhone menu.

Just a couple points. During the work day
I am obviously logged on Facebook the whole time from my desktop office computer so I do receive my personal stuff up to the second during those hours. I don’t want to make it seem like I am completely disconnected from my personal Facebook page when in reality I am on it very consistently during the day. Also, I do receive all Twitter notifications (replies, mentions, direct messages, and even tweets of others) directly to my phone. Twitter is a service that I feel is both manageable and important for me to keep tabs on 24/7 from a personal level so I am constantly engaged with it.

So if you see that I haven’t opened your Snap or you don’t know why I haven’t responded to your Instagram post within the first couple minutes, don’t take it personally. I will get to it eventually, with 99% of the time it being sooner rather than later. Sometimes even a person obsessed with social media has to take small measures to keep himself sane. Don’t Blink.

One Simple New Year’s Resolution for Social Media

Posted on January 1, 2014 by brent

Last night I breezed through Facebook and Instagram and read many statuses from my friends summarizing 2013. First thing I noticed? I think more people should take up a blog like me! Numerous friends of mine composed novels about this past year on social media. Both Facebook and Instagram seemed to have never ending block paragraphs about 2013. The second thing I noticed? It seemed like a high percentage of the people I connect with on these social outlets had a pretty miserable year. Many friends shook their fists at 2013 and held nothing back regarding their joy that the end of the calendar year was very near.

With this last slew of negative posts and with 2014 now upon us, it has inspired me to offer a special new year’s resolution for all of us regarding social media: Be positive. In 2014, I think we should strive to post much more positively on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Let’s resist the urge to criticize, whine, complain, cry out, and hold pity parties.

First off and most importantly, this resolution is worth striving for on an individual basis. If we feel crummy and angry, I think posting about it on social media just magnifies these feelings. It makes us dwell on unpleasant circumstances. Now I know some might say that airing out your every emotion can serve a therapeutic purpose but I call hogwash on that theory when directly applying to social media. Using no filter to freely list our shortcomings, insecurities, and disappointments is very counterproductive. Not only does it drive home the bad feelings we are experiencing even more, it portrays us as unconfident and weak to others. I strongly encourage a journal or a trusting friend to serve as your venting outlet.

Secondly, this resolution is worth striving for on a communal basis as well. Let’s face it, when there is a negative person in a work place or on a team, it impacts everyone. Same goes for online groups as well. Many of us do so much to make sure our own personal psyche is right, the last thing we need is to let the outside negativity of others get in our heads. Even if we don’t directly notice it, depressing and angry posts can subconsciously sidetrack us. As a courtesy to others, we really should do all we can to cut down on producing negative social media content.

Just because I am challenging all of us to cut down on social media negativity, I am not advocating that everyone should post five overly happy Facebook posts and send out ten “high on life” tweets a day. Those people can be just as annoying as the negative users. I am just saying that if you want to post something and you can choose between a negative experience or a positive experience, go with the positive experience. If you only have a negative experience, refrain from posting.

Regarding daily life in general, we should all strive to be more positive in 2014. Obviously this will trickle down and reflect in our social media activity. But if we can’t reach that goal right away, let’s start small with social media. Let’s do ourselves and others a big favor and cut out the negativity when posting to our favorite social outlets. It will make a difference. Don’t Blink.

Looking at 2013 in the Right Perspective

Posted on December 31, 2013 by brent

Last night I sat down and downloaded Statigram, the app that generates the “year in review” videos that are the most popular thing on Instagram right now. I gave the app my info and via my top ranked Instagram photos it generated the most disappointing narration of my year ever. In five crummy pictures my 2013 was summed up by two pictures of different girls with different dogs (I don’t like dogs), an image of a tree (I am not much of a nature person), a terrible photo of myself giving an interview to a news organization (embarrassing), and lastly an actual cool photo of fireworks going off in our arena. Needless to say, I was underwhelmed.

After thinking about it for a couple minutes I decided that I was not going to let that corny video define my year, even just in an Instagram sense. Instead, I turned to Flipagram and merged together seventy of my happiest, coolest, and most memorable photos from 2013 into a fifteen second Instagram video set to a song that means a lot to me. It made me feel a lot better about how I was ending 2013 on my favorite social media service.

I made sure to make a deserving video for my Instagram year in review.

The way I evaluated my year on a social media level corresponded to how I evaluated my year on a general level as well. In 2013 I came head-to-head with some disappointments. I lost out on a couple opportunities that I probably think about too much. I allocated too much of my time to some people and not enough to others. I had a few bad days. But in the same way that I allowed my Flipagram video to trounce my Statigram video, I have willingly let my good times in 2013 dramatically overshadow the subpar times. In 2013 I experienced a lot of joy. I laughed a lot. I made new friends. I woke up motivated and hungry every day. I grew as a person. My family had a safe and healthy year. I had a great twelve months working for Grizzly Athletics.

I mean really, what more could I ask for?

I will remember March 16, 2013 for the rest of my life. We sent both our basketball teams to the Big Dance under the same roof just a few hours apart.

In 2013 I got to take some nice vacations in Boston, Las Vegas, and Orlando. I got to see a couple great concerts. I attended some pretty sweet professional sporting events. I dined at the nicest restaurant I have ever eaten at in my life. While these times were cool and are nice little notches in my 2013 belt, they don’t highlight my year. Rather, a day like July 5 where I spent a sun drenched, action packed day in Walla Walla, Washington, with my family mean more to me. Or the day of March 16 where both our men’s and women’s basketball teams punched tickets to the NCAA Tournament under the same roof just hours apart stick out more. Or the week I just experienced in Spokane where I got to put everything aside and just be myself around my loved ones will always scream “2013” more than any vacation or concert.

Quite possibly July 5 in Walla Walla with my family was my best day in 2013.

If you find yourself sorrowing over 2013 try to think about the good things that did happen. Even those of us who had a truly rotten year can find a few positives. Try to focus on those moments until the clock hits midnight this evening. Then wipe the slate clean and pour 100% of your energy into making 2014 the best ever. Thank you for making 2013 a GREAT year for Don’t Blink. I wish all of you a very prosperous new year. Cherish every second of it. Don’t Blink.

Spending Christmas Eve Waiting in Line

Posted on December 30, 2013 by brent

I did a good portion of my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve this year. Mind you I did start early in the morning. By around 2 p.m. I had completed almost all of my shopping and I headed off to Northtown Mall (yes, that Northtown Mall) to meet my friend Jessie who also waited to the last second to purchase the remainder of her holiday gifts. With our shopping lists taken care of, we casually strolled around the mall taking in the last hour blitz.

To be completely honest, the mall was not in a frenzy. Anarchy had not broken out. Rather, it seemed very tame and dense as we walked through the center. Of course there was one exception.

We made our way to the upper level of the mall and looked over one of the balconies. We casted our eyes downward and caught a glimpse of what some may call a depressing sight. A line stretched completely around the large North Pole/100 foot Christmas tree display and down a significant stretch of the mall not even in the vicinity of the winter wonderland. Of course this windy, stretched line of adults and children existed because they wanted to get their picture taken with the Fat Guy. At the forefront of the North Pole display sat Santa Claus in his big red throne surrounded by a couple of photographers with those multi colored dust brushes. The line seemed to be moving at an agonizing slow rate.

A small portion of the line. Sorry for the terrible quality. I had to capture it from an Instagram video.

Excuse me, but why would all those people choose to get their picture taken with Santa on CHRISTMAS EVE and why would they insist on standing in that line when the wait was probably at the very least TWO HOURS?

This was the point where everyone wanted to get to. Again, I apologize for the photo quality.

Now I know you sense complete hypocrisy as I type out these words. I of course was out on Christmas Eve myself. I decided to procrastinate until the very last minute that ultimately led me to the exact same place that all of those people in line were. Yeah, I am not proud of myself. But I don’t think things are exactly the same.

I got home well before festivities started. I never wasted any of my time standing idly in line.

Why wouldn’t you get your family Christmas photo with Santa well in advance of Christmas Eve? Isn’t the point to show off and send out your photos to others before the new year actually hits? Or isn’t it the goal to let your children see Santa at the very least three weeks before Christmas so you have ample time to use leverage against them to be on their best behavior? Or wouldn’t you want to go earlier in the month so you can help perpetrate the myth of Santa Claus to your kids just a little more? I mean come on, most youngsters have the sense to realize that Santa can’t possibly afford to sit in the middle of a mall in Spokane, Washington, at 3 p.m. PT on Christmas Eve.

But most of all, why would you want to spend multiple hours of your time in a line during the late hours of the afternoon on Christmas Eve? I guarantee that half of the poor souls I saw waiting to see Santa were still waiting in line while I attended Christmas Eve mass with my family. I don’t do well in lines. I definitely don’t do well in lines when I could be out celebrating one of the most joyous holidays on the calendar.

A couple days after Christmas I sat in Santa’s throne in Northtown Mall.

However, I definitely know that I could be missing something. I mean heck, out of all the mall trips I took during the holiday season, nothing compared to the one I saw on Christmas Eve. A reason must exist for why people freely sacrifice their holiday to stand around a cheaply manufactured holiday display in a halfway abandoned mall for hours on end…right?

Is it because of tradition? Is it because of the magic? Is it because people want to stay away as long as they can before they have to go over to their relatives’ house? I know I am assuming a lot so if I am in fact way off and narrow minded please enlighten me.

To each his own! I know I will probably hear some answers that will put me in my place. For all I know, Santa Claus might very well be real and he just so happens to take up residence at Northtown Mall while giving everyone who visits him on Christmas Eve lavish gifts and winning Mega Millions tickets. If so, I might find myself in line next year. Don’t Blink.

Christmas 2013: A Wonderful Week Off

Posted on December 29, 2013 by brent

As I sit here in my Missoula apartment fresh off of one full week in Spokane for the holidays, I feel very rejuvenated. Last Sunday I got in my car and drove west for a nice vacation in my hometown. Earlier today I made the trek back here. As with any fun and fulfilling getaway from the grind, time seemed to travel extremely fast and many memories were made.

I was as jolly as St. Nick the whole time I was in Spokane.

I am so incredibly thankful for how our schedule at work figured itself out this year. For both Thanksgiving and Christmas, we had no home athletic events around the two holidays. This allowed me to take extended breaks during the weeks of both holidays, something I had never gotten to do while working for Grizzly Athletics. In fact, I had never taken a whole week off from work ever, so to have that luxury was nice, relaxing, liberating, and even a little bit weird! But most importantly, it was so incredibly worth it.

How did you spend most of your Christmas week? Well, I caught up with my family. Hours were spent in my parents’ living room around the Christmas tree and fire place. Even if we weren’t talking, you would still find all of us in that living room. My brother would be texting, my sister would be Snap Chatting, my mom would be playing Candy Crush, I would be on my phone, and my dad would be getting irritated. But trust me, we devoted more time to chatting than to playing with our electronics.

Had such a nice time hanging out with my brother and sister. This was my first night in Spokane at Flamin’ Joes

How else did you spend your Christmas week? I ate. And I ate. And I ate some more. Of course the crowning moment of my week long feast came right in the middle of it with our Christmas dinner on Wednesday. My mom made an exquisite prime rib meal complete with pasta, mashed potatoes, corn casserole, and more. It was heavenly. But sandwiched between that were about 200,000 calories on both sides. Besides the constant snacking on Christmas treats around the house we made Spokane restaurants very happy with our patronage. I dined at Flamin’ Joes, Boiler Room, Hop Jacks, Waddell’s, Moon’s Mongolian Grill, Panda Express, and even Taco Bell. My mom also managed to make a chicken fettuccine dinner and her classic biscuits and gravy breakfast. Did I also mention that I took my first ever week long hiatus from working out since middle school? Yeah, tomorrow’s gym session should be great.

Our Christmas dinner was amazing!

Anything else besides chatting and eating? Well of course…I slept! Probably the main reason why I feel so rejuvenated is because I enjoyed some of the best sleep I have gotten in a long time. I haven’t known what “eight hours” was since I started college so to actually sleep from midnight to 8 a.m. most of the nights in Spokane felt amazing. It wasn’t like this was choppy sleep either. I slept like a baby in the guest room at my parents’ house and woke up energized and happy each morning.

That’s all you did with your week off? Lame! Not so fast! I did have a little bit of fun. Besides my lovely family, I got to hang out with some of my friends. I enjoyed the company of my remaining friends from high school who still reside in Spokane. I got to hang with a couple friends who I met going to college who now work in Spokane. I got to enjoy lunch with a friend who I met in Missoula about a year and a half ago but has since moved away to Denver but was in Spokane for the holidays with her family just like me. I also got to hang a couple times with my good friend Jessie who I coincidently met on the Las Vegas strip a couple years back. She now lives in Seattle but her family is in Spokane.

Kind of an uneventful week off, wouldn’t you say? Well, I guess so. But I neglected to mention the little things. You know, like playing Nintendo 64 with my brother. Or going to the meat market in a sketchy area of Spokane with my mom. Or playing with my sister’s adorable kitten. Or going up to a random stranger’s house in my Santa outfit and taking a picture in her lawn. Or going to see “American Hustle” and “Grudge Match”. Or watching football games with my dad and brother. Or walking into a zombie donut shop. Or attending a couple of beautiful church services. Or playing in a poker tournament. Or tying my brother in black light miniature golf. Or spending 60 tokens on arcade games. Or visiting my dad at work. Or driving around looking at Christmas lights. Or eating ice cream and watching a movie at home with my parents. Or just taking the time to realize that I do have a life outside of work.

It was a very nice week with family and friends.

This past week was just what the doctor ordered. I will remember Christmas 2013 for a long time, especially that feeling I had of complete freedom. It was all about family and friends, for the most part I didn’t let any stress into my life. I absolutely love what I do for a living but sometimes it is important to take a step back and celebrate what matters the most, especially during the best time of the year. Merry Christmas! Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Author Archives: brent