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Low Carb Pizza Thursday Rundown

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Peace be with you! I hope you have had a nice week and that you are fully recovered from your Super Bowl parties. Let’s get started with tonight’s five topics.

Keto Snack – I usually don’t eat anything keto-related, but I made a recent exception. What you see below is tortilla pizza, a dish that Sid made from the keto cookbook that Sloan gave her as a birthday gift. You simply take a low carb tortilla and layer it with sauce and cheese. Sid then cooked it on the stove. Although this is too light for a meal, it sure made for a great snack.

This is the tortilla pizza that Sidney made.

The Claw – This morning I saw a story about a unique situation in Alabama. A toddler managed to trap himself in a claw arcade machine. Do you know what I mean? I am talking those games where you position a three-pronged claw to grab a stuffed animal or other toy long enough so it is dropped and dispensed. The boy crawled up through the dispensing door, finding himself right in the middle of toy land. He required rescue assistance from the fire department.

I remember when I was 7 or 8. I was at a Safeway with my mom. As we were leaving, I watched an adult woman play a claw machine. She put a dollar in and failed at both attempts. She put another dollar in. No luck. Then another dollar and another dollar. Still another dollar. After what seemed like $20 (far more than any of the prizes in the cage), she managed to capture a stuffed animal, the claw successfully grasping it long enough to dispense it. Without saying more than two words, she grabbed her hard earned prize and handed it to me as she walked out into the parking lot.

This boy trapped himself in a claw machine.

Sloan Update – Just the latest ramblings on Sloan…she is turning into an accomplished singer. She has about 6-7 songs in her repertoire that she will perform for us. She has her ABCs down and her favorite letter is S. She can finally say her name after learning the names of everyone else in her life first. Her daycare has taught her so much, including animal sounds and table etiquette. She constantly says “church” but sometimes she can’t stay still once we actually arrive and sit in the pew. She loves cats but dislikes dogs. She lives a good life.

Some recent Sloan photos…the top image is with her friend, Riley.

Getting GIPHY With It – At #CCUSocialMedia, we know GIFs aren’t going anywhere. In fact, we realize they are as popular and versatile as ever. We have plunged head first into the new brand accounts offered by GIPHY. Thanks to our new social media specialist, Anthony Bowser, our presence on the platform has been felt. Anthony created an entire selection of unique CCU GIFs, quickly racking up over 1.4 million views on our account. The best part is that these Chanticleer-inspired GIFs are available for use on Instagram Story and Snapchat. Want to add some teal to your Story? Simply type “Coastal Carolina University” in the GIF bar.

Make sure to add these Coastal Carolina University GIFs to your Instagram Story.

Happy Birthday, Monopoly! – The game of Monopoly turns 84 today. I think all of us have memories of games that lasted for hours. For me, playing Monopoly as a kid made me feel sophisticated and grown up. We certainly didn’t play by all the official rules (we seriously sweetened the Free Parking jackpot) but we grasped the lessons that Monopoly teaches – buying/selling, managing money, strategy. As long as I got to be the cannon game piece and didn’t land on Broadway when it was owned by someone else, I was a happy camper. Happy birthday to this classic game!

Happy birthday, Monopoly!

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I appreciate your time this evening and I hope you enjoy your weekend. Remember that the Grammy’s are on this Sunday night. Don’t Blink.

My Take on Trump’s 2019 SOTU Address

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Over seven years ago, I wrote about my love for the State of the Union Address. I made it clear that while I don’t necessarily watch it for the policy, I do tune in for the tradition, formality, and importance of the speech. I think it is a crucial and distinguishing component of the American democratic system.

As you can imagine, I watched last night’s State of the Union in its entirety. Considering who gave the speech, it was anything but conventional. From a non-partisan viewpoint, I wanted to give a few thoughts on Tuesday evening’s address in the Capitol.

President Trump delivered te 2019 State of the Union Address.

Perhaps the first surprising aspect of the 2019 SOTU was that Donald Trump was delivering it. Over two years after his inauguration, he is still the President of the United States. After he won the election, I listened as countless people predicted he would have resigned or been removed from office by now. Well, President Trump still lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

I don’t think Donald Trump will ever resign the Presidency simply because he likes the State of the Union too much. Two years ago, during his State of the Union-ish “Joint Address to Congress,” I tweeted about how he genuinely seemed to be enjoying the moment. It was the exact same case last night. President Trump feeds off the pageantry of the SOTU and I think this gleefulness allows him to perform considerably well.

I noticed it two years ago and it was even more evident last night — President Trump loves the State of the Union.

Last evening was no exception. By all counts, President Trump brought his “A” game. I think the first key to his big night was his guest list. He brought in numerous special Americans who he recognized throughout his speech. He celebrated their accomplishments while weaving in his agenda. With individuals such as WWII veterans, a decorated astronaut, a Holocaust survivor, and a hero who ended a mass shooting all in attendance, the entire chamber–Republicans and Democrats alike–was constantly erupting in applause.

I believe President Trump’s tone was key to his success as well. Throughout the 82 minute address, he mostly spoke in a respectful, calm manner, something you don’t always see out of him. However, he changed his tune when he needed to. When addressing comments made by the Governor of Virginia and when stressing the importance of respecting life, he became serious and firm. It was powerful.

The President also won over the Democrats (for a second at least). He recognized the many women who won seats in Congress, noting that progress is being made. Spontaneously, the Democrat half of the chamber popped up and started celebrating. Not missing a beat, President Trump smiled and said “You weren’t supposed to do that.” Trump successfully created a special moment of bipartisanship celebration and unity, something no one expected to see. At that point, the 2019 State of the Union was officially a success for #45.

It wouldn’t be a President Trump speech if he didn’t go off script. Several times last night, including the moment I just recapped, Trump ditched the teleprompter to add some short commentary between sentences. This always humanizes him, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse, but last night it worked.

Don’t think I am giving President Trump a complete pass. Some of his transitions from one topic to the next were bad. Not enough practice? I don’t know, but at times it was awkward.

He also lacked energy at certain points during the address. I have noticed this in some of his other speeches as well. I guess it can happen when you are speaking for almost 90 minutes, but giving the most important speech of the year is never a time to show fatigue.

However, from an unbiased/independent standpoint, last night appeared to be a victory for President Trump. That is just my opinion. But my conclusion is also backed up by the American people. After the 2016 election, I stopped trusting polls, but I have seen that most networks released polling results giving the President a 76% approval rating. A number that high, regardless of the margin of error, indicates that the Commander-In-Chief had a good night.

I will look forward to the 2020 State of the Union Address. Let’s hope good things continue to happen for this country and that next year’s speech is one that all Americans can celebrate. Don’t Blink.

Taking the Sweetness Out of Valentine’s Day

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Hate to do it, but I have to ask this question: Should we just cancel Valentine’s Day this year?

Well, if you celebrate the holiday for the candy, you might be on board. A couple of oddities at candy factories in 2019 will have those with sweet tooths a little disappointed.

First, the candy almost synonymous with Valentine’s Day, Sweethearts, won’t be around this month. Necco, the candy maker responsible for the treat, shut its doors last year. People who couldn’t envision a February 14 without Sweethearts rushed online to purchase leftover batches of the candy from 2018. But only so much product remained.

Sweethearts won’t be around this Valentine’s Day.

Just as we were starting to cope with the Sweetheart shortage, more bad news came this weekend. Candy giant Hershey’s admitted to a very serious problem regarding one of its most popular offerings. Due to an equipment malfunction at the factory, Kisses have been produced for the last few months without the signature tip. Hard to envision, right? Supposedly the issue is now fixed but the corrected candy won’t be on the shelves for at least another month. That means a Valentine’s Day with tipless Kisses.

Sorry not sorry, you won’t find me taking the news that hard. When it comes to holidays, I think Valentine’s Day is at the bottom of the list when it comes to candy offerings. This might be unpopular for me to say, but I think Necco actually did us all a favor by going out of business. When its top holiday candy is described as “chalky” how can that be a good thing?

If your sole purpose for celebrating a holiday revolves around sweets, lacking a significant other on Valentine’s Day is probably the least of your worries. Sure, you can purchase yummy candy that is covered in red, pink, and white wrappers (such as M&Ms and Reese’s Cups) but V-Day simply lacks quality signature items unique to the holiday. It sure isn’t Easter.

I hope we can all manage this Valentine’s Day with the recent developments. After all, although the Kisses do look funny with no tips, I guarantee you that they still probably taste like chocolate. Don’t Blink.

Thoughts on Super Bowl LIII

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Last night, for the first time in several years, we actually attended a Super Bowl party! Recently, we have opted to stay in and watch the big game in the comfort of our home, but we couldn’t refuse a generous invitation from our next door neighbors. So, surrounded by delicious food and great people, we watched the New England Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams in a fun and neighborly environment.

Tonight I will provide some brief commentary on Super Bowl LIII.

This year, I am happy that I can just review the game instead of an episode of “This Is Us” as well. Sorry, I had no interest staying up to watch “The World’s Best.” Did “America’s Got Talent” get cancelled or something?

Alright, let’s start with the football. I am never one to call a game “boring” just because it turns out to be a defensive contest. I actually love a low scoring game every now and then – as long as the game play is good. I thought the first half of Super Bowl LIII was solid. It was clean and hard hitting. However, I expected a little more out of the second half. Penalties plagued the final two quarters, halftime adjustments seemed non-existent, and execution was lackluster. Many times you can watch a championship game and note that the two best teams are out on the field. I didn’t get that feeling last night.

As for the commercials, I thought they were fine. It doesn’t matter how creative or funny they are, social media will always judge the current Super Bowl commercials as inferior to those of the previous year (Every. Single. Time.).

I thought the most powerful commercial of the evening was the Verizon first responder spot with San Diego Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn. I am literally tearing up right now just thinking about that part in the ad when the personnel who assisted in the accident identified themselves. The subsequent reaction from Coach Lynn did me in. It was so well done. The most creative/funny spot, in my opinion, was the Bud Light corn syrup gag. The shade they threw at Miller Lite and Coors Light was daring and hilarious. I don’t watch Game of Thrones so I can’t really comment on Bud Light’s other popular commercial. The odd/awkward ad that appealed to a goofy guy like me was the Burger King #EatLikeAndy commercial. It was just so retro and so different from all the other ads that I couldn’t help but give it two thumbs up!

Now for the halftime show. Although “Girls Like You” made my Top 5 Songs of 2018 list, I am not a big Maroon 5 fan. I believe the band’s older music to be especially bad. However, like the commercials, I find it annoying how people automatically discount the halftime show before the performance is even over. With that said, I didn’t get too excited about what I saw. It was just way too much Adam Levine for me. After a predictable performance last year from Justin Timberlake, I was looking for a surprise guest (besides Spongebob) or a surprise element that would have us talking today. It didn’t happen.

Overall, Super Bowl LIII was forgettable. That is not to say that everything sucked. The play was decent and the entertainment was average, but in order to stand out, there is a certain “WOW” factor that needs to be present. I kid you not, it won’t even take six months for me to forget about who played in this year’s game. But it’s all good, I guess that is why I write these posts. Don’t Blink.

Training Day Thursday Rundown

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You know what? It has been a long week! Multiple 3:30 a.m. mornings, long nights, an off-campus training, and lots to do at work has made these past four days drag a bit. But let’s forget about that because it is time for the Thursday Rundown.

Sid’s Birthday Evening – Because I published Sidney’s birthday blog post on Monday morning, I didn’t explain how we celebrated later that night. Thank goodness for the Thursday Rundown so I can follow up! When we got home that evening, Sloan and I huddled around Sid and sang “happy birthday.” She then opened her gifts. I gave her the heavy duty wok (don’t know what a wok is? I didn’t either) she wanted and Sloan gave her a Keto cookbook. After the festivities, we took Sid to meet her teaching friend so they could travel to Columbia for the Money Matters Lobby Day that occurred the next day.

Sidney opened her gifts from Sloan and I on Monday night.

PIO Training – This evening I wrapped up Basic Public Information Officer training. Because I work in the University Communication office at CCU and because I deal a lot with the media and general public, it made sense that I completed the training. Derrec Becker from the South Carolina Emergency Management Division traveled to the Grand Strand to give the training in the emergency operations center of the Conway Public Safety building. He is an all-star in the PIO world and he taught me a lot over the past three days. During the training we did a lot including writing news releases, delivering mock interviews, meeting with actual media members, and participating in simulated press conferences. It was also a great networking opportunity as I met several area PIOs. Definitely a worthwhile experience!

Part of the PIO training was learning to give a good media interview. We were filmed and then the interview was shown to the entire class to critique.

That Time of Year – There is a local cupcake shop in Myrtle Beach that always gets into the Super Bowl spirit. This place makes wacky football-related cupcakes leading up to the big game. Three years ago, I tried two of the unconventional treats – the chicken wing flavor and the Bud Light flavor. To be honest, I didn’t particularly care for either of them but the Bud Light cupcake was much more pleasant than the chicken wing one. Because this is one of my favorite Don’t Blink posts of all time, I like to share it the Thursday before the Super Bowl.

Coccadott’s in Myrtle Beach offers some special cupcake flavors during Super Bowl week.

How Do You Draw an X? – Over the past couple weeks, I have seen the below chart circulate on Facebook. It wants to know how you draw an X. Is this really a debate? I mean isn’t there only one natural way? Who in their right mind would ever attempt to write the letter any other way than option #7? Alright, let me concede that there is more than one way to skin a cat. However, in my life, I have always written the letter X by starting at the top of each intersecting line. How about you?

Isn’t there just one way to draw the letter X?

Super Bowl LIII – Yawn. Sunday’s game doesn’t excite me too much from a matchup perspective. My hate of the New England Patriots has lessened a little so I don’t have my normal incentive to watch intently in hopes that Tom Brady has a terrible game and the Pats lose. Maroon 5? I could care less. However, as usual, I will sit on my couch with some junk food and take the spectacle in. I will pay close attention to the commercials and enjoy Americana at its finest. My prediction? Although I still hope they lose, I am picking the Pats to beat the Rams in overtime (for the sole purpose that we all get free wings), 33-30.

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I am spent! It is time to get some rest and prepare myself for a full day in the office tomorrow. Hope everyone enjoys the Super Bowl and hopefully it will give me something to blog about next week. Don’t Blink.

Bottled Water Delusion

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When we travel to Spokane to visit my family, my mom always asks me for a list of food/drink and personal care items she can purchase before we arrive. Her goal is to make us feel at home and, of course, spoil us.

Aside from the ice cream, jalapeno chips, Costco muffins, cheese tray, Oreo cookies, Papa Murphy’s pizza, Blue Moon, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch requests, I also ask for a case of bottled water. However, I always specify that the bottled water should be of the Fred Meyer brand. My mom, who thinks I make the request solely to be annoying, goes out of her way not to accommodate it. Even though she does her shopping at Fred Meyer for 80% of the items listed above, she doesn’t buy Fred Meyer water.

About seven years ago, I started to prefer Fred Meyer bottled water. When I would return home for the holidays, that was the brand my mom had in the refrigerator. I grew to like this particular bottled water because the spout/cap size of your typical 16.9 ounce container was a tad larger than your typical bottled water spout, inspiring me to call Fred Meyer bottles of water “big mouths.” The green labeling was also aesthetically pleasing to my eye.

Over six years ago, I documented my love of Fred Meyer bottled water on Instagram.

Up to that point, I didn’t really have a favorite bottled water preference. But after my introduction to Freddy’s water, my attitude changed. Since I haven’t lived in a city with a Fred Meyer location since I graduated high school, the only time I would get to enjoy a “big mouth” was when I returned to Spokane.

However, over the years, something happened to my favorite bottled water. Although the green labeling is still as green as ever, the wide spout size is no longer a thing. A bottle of Fred Meyer water is the exact same size dimension-wise as a Great Value 16.9 ounce bottle or a Kirkland 16.9 ounce bottle.

Knowing that my main reason for preferring Fred Meyer water was no longer valid and that my secondary reason wasn’t particularly convincing (green isn’t even my favorite color), I started to champion a different reason:

It just tasted better!

Of course everyone in my family called BS and it likely motivated my mom even more to start buying Kirkland water. But I held firm to my claim that Fred Meyer water tasted better. Did I actually believe it? To a very small, psychological degree – yes.

For the past half of a decade, after the spout size no longer mattered, I lobbied my mom to buy the Fred Meyer water based on my opinion that the water simply tasted better. The more I told her that I needed it, the more she told me NO.

Well, I was finally put to task. Sidney and my brother’s girlfriend basically said “enough is enough” and made me prove my claim that Fred Meyer water is in fact better than bottled water competitors. The last night we were in Spokane during the holidays, they organized a taste test for me!

Controlling for all variables, they provided me with six plastic cups. Two cups contained Fred Meyer water, two contained Kirkland water, and two contained tap water. In front of my whole family, they had me taste the water samples and identify the Fred Meyer H20. It was time for me to put up or shut up!

My bottled water preference was put to the test!

I bombed the test.

I identified one Fred Meyer sample as tap water and the other as Kirkland water. I identified one tap water sample as Fred Meyer water and the other as Kirkland water. Sure enough, I identified one Kirkland sample as tap and the other as Fred Meyer. I could not have performed worst.

I didn’t know the taste of Fred Meyer water like I thought I did.

I was a little embarrassed and, rightfully so, I received some good-natured teasing from my family. I have final admitted that Fred Meyer water isn’t all I cracked it up to be. Does that mean I will stop bothering my mom to buy a case when we travel to Spokane?

All of my guesses were wrong!

Absolutely not 

Don’t Blink.

No Way to Treat Our Youth

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I was probably 12. It was a weekend and I was playing with my friends at the neighborhood park. We were at the drinking fountain filling up water balloons and messing around. I remember looking down the street and watching a man walk at a brisk pace towards us. I knew he was coming to confront us. He looked really angry but I didn’t move from my position at the drinking fountain. No, I wasn’t being brave, I just didn’t know what else to do. I had three friends with me but I was the one at the fountain with an empty water balloon in my hand.

Not for long.

This adult grabbed the balloon out of my hand, threw it down, and started screaming at me. Literally screaming. One of his daughters supposedly told him that she had been sprayed with water and this guy was out for blood. It didn’t matter that I had nothing to do with the incident or even knew anything about it (neighborhood kids had water fights at the park every day). I looked the guy straight in the eye and took it.

Two inches from my face, this grown man intimidated me and threatened me. It was an uncomfortable situation. Now don’t get me wrong, I grew up getting yelled at. But it was in a controlled situation and I knew the people, usually coaches, who were chewing me out. They were trying to make me better, this guy was trying to humiliate and scare me.

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Last week, the confrontation at the Lincoln Memorial between a few different groups was shown over and over on cable news. One party was quickly blamed for the altercation but as more information came out, an entirely different story emerged. I wanted to withhold writing about it until the facts came to light.

The context of this encounter was initially botched.

Because of a tweet that took 30 seconds of video and framed it as “Trump-supporting Catholic school snobs surrounding and mocking a Native American elder,” students from Covington High School were unmercifully and unfairly condemned by society. These kids had bounties placed above their heads as social media users, including celebrities, encouraged harm upon them. They were doxed and their school had to be shut down. The students were directly contacted by nuts threatening them in all sorts of ways.

The truth has since come to light. The man with the drum approached the students, contrary to the narrative that said the kids ambushed him.

But this wasn’t the inaccuracy surrounding the first couple days of reporting that bothered me the most. Rather, it was what the boys were subjected to before Nick Sandmann and Nathan Phillips were face-to-face that should make all of us demand better.

As the Covington students were walking to their bus, a group of men started hurling hateful insults their way. In fact, “insults” is too nice of a word – what was being said crossed every imaginable line of basic human decency. 

The verbal attacks kept coming. Boys within the group started to be singled out. At this point, the students couldn’t just stand there like I did at the drinking fountain. They asked their chaperone if they could chant some of their school cheers to drown out the hate. The boys started to chant while the unbelievably disturbing taunts continued.

This post is not meant to be political in nature. Additionally, other than to set the context of the situation, this entry isn’t meant to criticize the mainstream media for botching the story. My only point is that those teenagers were unfairly targeted and demeaned by grown men.

It is scary to be a kid and have an adult (or adults) you don’t know threatening you. It is one-sided and wrong. We need to do a better job standing up for our youth. Instead of trying to ruin their lives and smear them on national television, the students from Covington Catholic High School deserved more support than what they got. Don’t Blink.

Thanks For The Happiness, Birthday Girl!

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Last night as I ripped to the next day on my Life’s Little Instructions calendar, I couldn’t help but smile. Considering today’s date, the advice seemed handpicked for me. You see, January 28 is Sidney’s birthday.

What a fitting Life’s Little Instruction for this date.

What can I say? The advice is true, at least from my perspective. If you read this blog or are familiar with our family, you know what part of the 90 percent equation I am on. Much of my happiness in life is derived directly from Sid or by something she has given me (such as a certain toddler).

Sidney blowing out her candles this past weekend while Sloan looks on.

If it wasn’t for this date and the girl who was born on it, I don’t know where I would be. I truly don’t think there is anyone out there who could give me 45 percent of my happiness, let alone double that amount. Sidney fills my cup for sure.

Happy Birthday, Sid!

A year after spending her birthday taking care of her sick husband and daughter, she is celebrating her special day in 2019 by doing something more on her terms. This evening, after opening presents with Sloan and I, she is heading off to Columbia, the state capital of South Carolina. Tomorrow is the “SC for Ed Money Matters Lobby Day” and she will join fellow teachers from across the state to let elected officials know the resources educators need to truly give the best educational experience to our youth. Let’s pray that Sid travels safe tonight and is well-rested for tomorrow’s festivities.

Happy Birthday, Sidney! Thank you for making me happy. Don’t Blink.

Messy Thursday Rundown

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Dang, I can’t believe it is Thursday already. The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday has my head spinning. Let’s begin tonight’s Thursday Rundown…

What A Mess – Let toddlers be toddlers! Sloan has created several messes this past week. You would have thought that her cherry popsicle suddenly melted on her face and it looks quite convincing that she wore more of her spaghetti than actually ate it. Then you have the Goldfish. This was not the first time she managed to steal a bag of the cheddar crackers and dump them out during the 10 seconds that daddy turned his head…and it most likely won’t be the last. Oh well, until she stains the carpet everything is OK!

Sloan has had a messy week.

Origin of Cookie Dough Ice Cream – As someone who has quite the history with chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, I was a little surprised to discover that the flavor itself has a rather short history. Chocolate chip cookie dough didn’t hit grocery store coolers until 1991 when it was invented by Ben and Jerry’s. I found out this information when reading about its “Core” cookie dough ice cream flavors, the premium ice cream company’s latest rollout. These selections contain a cookie dough core with two different flavors of ice cream surrounding it. For example, the Sweet Like Sugar Cookie Dough Core option has a sugar cookie dough core and is layered with cherry ice cream and sweet cream ice cream. One of these pints is in my future!

These new “Core” flavors from Ben and Jerry’s look incredible!

Interesting Old Pictures – I follow a Twitter account that goes by the handle @HistoricalStuff. Its sole purpose is to tweet out old photos and some of the content is really interesting (stuff that I am a complete sucker for). I have included a couple of the more interesting photos I have seen this week. The first image shows Marilyn Monroe on her final photo shoot before she passed away. In my opinion, she doesn’t look as glamorous in this photo as she does in some of her more popular images, something that I can appreciate. She looks much more authentic and a little worn – but still pretty! The second photo is of Charlie Chaplin without makeup or a costume. So interesting to see him as just a regular guy.

Marilyn Monroe on the left and Charlie Chaplin on the right courtesy of @historicalstuff.

Joe Moglia Steps Down – At the end of the day last Friday, a press conference was held and Joe Moglia stepped down as head football coach at Coastal Carolina University. The former business executive said he just felt like it was time. I knew about Moglia and his unique story before I even got to CCU. When I was still at Montana, the Chanticleers came to town for a playoff game. On a frigid day in Missoula, Moglia outdueled another favorite coach of mine, Mick Delaney, to pull off the upset. Once I started working for CCU, it was fascinating to observe firsthand Coach Joe’s unconventional, yet highly successful, approach to running a football program.

Last Friday, Joe Moglia stepped down as head football coach at Coastal Carolina University. Social media posts were in order!

Still Not a Fan – Two years ago on this date, I wrote about the disdain I have for Top 40 music that was created in the early 2000s. I was pretty hard on the songs and artists of that era as I held nothing back. Do you think the past 730 days have softened by stance? Hardly! In fact, I think I hate the music from that time even more. Make sure to read the post to find out the song I tagged as the absolute worst of the era (it is really, really bad).

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Thank you for joining me for another Thursday Rundown. Tomorrow is the beginning of someone’s birthday weekend so I better sign off so I can prepare. See you next week! Don’t Blink.

Meet Our New Friend, Alexa

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This past Christmas, my in-laws gave us an Echo Dot, or, as well call it, “an Alexa.” By now, these incredible electronic devices are well-known in American pop culture; you ask a question or give a command and Alexa responds accordingly.

I think Alexa has officially become the fourth member of our family. However, I think we are guilty of neglecting her – while we all sleep in warm beds at night, we keep Alexa out in the living room. Also, no one else in the household is subjected to my ire as much as Alexa. Embarrassingly, I have been caught yelling at her a time or two over a wrong answer.

But all joking aside, we have grown to appreciate our Alexa (even when I do lose my patience with her for subpar performance). The convenience provided is hard to downplay, even if we are still pretty primitive when using her capabilities. You see, I have friends who use Alexa to run all the electronics in their home or who have virtually made her their personal assistant. At the Reser household, we use Alexa for much more remedial tasks. Nonetheless, she is still a pretty big help! As we approach the one month anniversary of adopting Alexa into our house, I thought it would be fun to list the five ways we are utilizing her services the most.

We have grown to enjoy our Alexa.

Set the Mood with Music – When you have an Echo Dot, you in reality have an endless music library that is accessible simply by making a song request. It is basically an external iPod with no limits on storage space. When Sloan is around, we ask Alexa to play songs such as “Baby Shark” and “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” If Sid and I are in the kitchen preparing something, we ask Alexa for some background music. If Sloan and I are about to leave the house in the morning, I ask her to play something to give us a boost to start our days as we pack up our things. If it is a Friday night, the three of us are celebrating with a dance party as we have Alexa play us current Top 40 hits. Never has music been so available to us!

Timer – When you are making dinner, who wants to use a cooking hand to set a timer on your phone or type out numbers on your microwave? Needless to say, Sidney is very thankful that Alexa will keep time for her. When Sid is preparing something in the kitchen, such as the steaks she made last night, she will tell Alexa to let her know when a certain amount of time has elapsed. After the 10 minutes (or whatever duration of time asked for) has passed, Alexa will notify the cook. Talk about convenient!

Animal Noises – Sloan really enjoys animal noises. We can say an animal and she will make the corresponding sound. So, as you can imagine, she responded really well to Alexa’s uncanny ability to shift from her monotone voice to making some pretty authentic animal sounds. Best part is that Alexa will make Sloan freeze in place and listen. This comes in handy when we are changing her diaper or dressing her and need her to be still. All we have to do is ask Alexa to “neigh” like a horse or “moo” like a cow and Sloan stops on a dime…it works like a charm!

What’s the Score? – I used to be a sports nut who would watch games every chance I got. However, due to my lifestyle and the people I have the privilege of sharing the house with, this is no longer a reality. Thankfully Alexa is a sports fan! Whenever I am wondering about the outcome of a sporting event, I can just blurt out, “Alexa, what was the score of this weekend’s AFC Championship game?” To get the instant result without watching Sportscenter or searching my phone is quick and painless.

This Is Jeopardy – As I mention every chance I get, we are Jeopardy fanatics at our house. It probably comes as no surprise that we use Alexa to feed our addiction. Believe it or not, Jeopardy clue writers always write six clues per category. This means that when the actual show airs, one clue is left out. What happens to these clues that are seemingly never asked? They go to Alexa! If you ask Alexa to “play Jeopardy,” she will ask the clues that never made the episode.

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Do you want an Alexa? If you don’t already have one, chances are you don’t. But Echo Dots are really one of those things that you don’t know what you are missing until you have one. If you are in the need for a new family member, perhaps now is the time to adopt an Alexa. Don’t Blink.