Myrtle Beach Eve

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Let me tell you, the excitement is sure brewing in the Reser house! Not only did the four of us just have our Christmas gift exchange but it is Myrtle Beach Eve. Just one sleep separates us from boarding a plane to South Carolina.

Beau and Sloan opened up gifts from Sid and I just moments ago.

As you can imagine, we are elated to head to the east coast to spend the holiday season with Sid’s family. It has been more than six months since we last saw everyone and Sloan can’t wait to give her “Gami” and “Dada” a hug. Little does she know all that is planned so that she can spend a lot of time with her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Of course air travel is a slight concern. Beau is at an age where he can’t stay still for more than a minute. The flight from Spokane to Atlanta will be a big challenge but it will all be worth it when we land in Myrtle Beach around 10 p.m. on Thursday. We have become pros at flying cross country with kids and we will just have to give it our best effort come tomorrow.

This trip will mark the second time we get to see the newest addition to the Mathis family, Baby Jack. Sid’s sister, Court, had her first baby in May and we will soon know how much he has grown since we saw him as a newborn in June. Speaking of getting big, Jack isn’t the only one growing. It will become apparent that Beau has not slowed down one bit since the early summer.

As a child, my family would always travel during the holidays and I can still feel in my heart that youthful exhilaration when we would make the trek to my grandparents’ house. Although Beau might be a little young to feel it, I know the feeling isn’t lost on Sloan. This is a special time and we plan to make the most of it.

Making the most out it for me means that I will be taking a holiday break from this blog. I will publish a Thursday Rundown tomorrow and I will offer my top 10 blogs posts of 2021 and my year in review post at the end of the month. But between tomorrow and my annual posts on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31, I don’t plan to write much (if at all).

Please pray for safe travels for our family. I will touch base with you tomorrow before we head to the airport. Don’t Blink.

Christmas Tree Elegance

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Downtown Spokane is a special place to be during Christmas time. The trees on all the streets are strung in lights, Riverfront Park boasts a “trail of lights” through its premises, and a festive “ice ribbon” is open for those who want to do some open air skating.

Sidney and I eating at the Twigs in River Park Square.

On Friday night, Sidney and I ventured downtown to soak up some of this holiday spirit. We ate dinner at Twigs in River Park Square. The restaurant is located on an upper level that allowed us to admire the 60-foot Christmas tree that towers inside River Park Square. What a setting it was!

Our table overlooked the famous River Park Square Christmas tree.

But for all the glory of River Park Square, Riverfront Park, and the Spokane streets themselves, there is not a more prominent Christmas experience in the city than at the Davenport Hotel. If you remember, Sid and I stayed at the historic hotel in October of 2020. Although beautiful in its own right during the autumn, we didn’t experience the Davenport during December. We made sure to change that.

After dinner, we strolled over to the Davenport Hotel to experience its Christmas Tree Elegance event. Before entering the lobby, we paused to admire the display at the entrance.

I snapped this photo of the entrance of the Davenport Hotel.

Christmas Tree Elegance is hosted by the Spokane Symphony Associates. It takes place in the lobby and the second floor Mezzanine of the Davenport.

A couple moments after we entered the lobby of the Davenport Hotel for Christmas Tree Elegance.

The event is built around beautifully decorated trees meant to “wow.” Each decoration is placed with care and, trust me, there is no shortage of elegance.

Many of the Christmas trees are gorgeous.

Who owns these 15 trees? That’s a good question. Spokane businesses donate the trees and decorate them. In addition to all the decorations, they have additional display space around the tree that they can load up with products and prizes.

I wish I had enough space in this post to show you all the trees.

But why the products and prizes? Christmas Tree Elegance is actually a fundraiser. The general public can purchase raffle tickets for $1 and deposit those tickets into the basket of whatever tree (and all the prizes associated with it) they would like to win.

If you look at the left of this photo, you can see the bin with raffle tickets.

Regardless of whether you want to purchase raffle tickets or not, the opportunity to stroll through the Davenport to look at the trees is available to everyone. Take it from me, it is an opportunity you don’t want to pass up. There is just something special about walking inside an historic hotel during the holiday season. You can feel the Christmas spirit (click here for a TikTok I did of many more trees).

Sid and I felt some type of way after walking through the Davenport.

Unfortunately, Christmas Tree Elegance concluded its annual run last night. Although that means you can no longer purchase raffle tickets they might still keep the trees up through Christmas (sorry, I don’t know for sure). At the very least, you can still walk through the Davenport and view the lobby Christmas tree. Something to think about as we reach mid-December. Don’t Blink.

My Opinion on the Die Hard Christmas Movie Debate

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Before Mike & Mike ended in 2017, I listened to (and watched in-person) the popular ESPN Radio program for many years. Although the duo did talk a lot of sports, they also had recurring pop cultural debates. Like clockwork, once December rolled around, the Mikes would always go back and forth about a certain hot button issue.

Is “Die Hard” a Christmas movie?

Every damn year I listened as Greeny and Golic hashed out the same old arguments about Die Hard’s Yuletide merits. The redundancy was borderline embarrassing but I kind of admired the passion with which they debated. However, the back and forth never stimulated me intellectually because of one main reason: I had never watched Die Hard before.

After about a decade of being aware of the Die Hard controversy, I finally watched the film this week. Over the course of a couple nights, I watched it on Peacock. I have a brief, but strong, opinion.

“Die Hard” was playing in our living room over the course of the past couple nights.

I don’t believe Die Hard is a Christmas movie. In order to be a Christmas movie, the film must be about Christmas. Die Hard happens to take place on Christmas (Eve) but it is definitely not about Christmas. Jack in the Box serves tacos but that doesn’t make it a Mexican restaurant, right? Okay, that might be a bad example.

But bottom line, Die Hard contains no Christmas themes. The holiday is mentioned, you see a couple decorations, and a carol is played at the end…that’s it. There is no Christmas vibe whatsoever.

Let me put it this way. If a person was brought into your midst who had never heard of Christmas before and you had to explain the American commercialization version of the holiday by showing them a movie, would you ever in a million years choose Die Hard? Not in a million years.

As for the movie itself, I got more invested as it went on. My first reaction was that it was corny and really outdated. But it started to pick up once Sgt. Al Powell/Carl Winslow/Reginald VelJohnson was introduced and the tactical game of chess started to transpire between the bad guys, law enforcement, and Bruce Willis’ character. The climax with the attempted helicopter assault, the detonation of the roof, and the death of Alan Rickman’s villain character was really entertaining and the effects pretty good for the late 1980s.

However, no matter how good the action scenes were I wasn’t feeling holly and jolly at the end of Die Hard. Come on everyone, it simply isn’t a Christmas movie. Don’t Blink.

Snowy Thursday Rundown

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Are you starting to feel that holiday spirit yet? It is the best time of the year and I am thrilled that you are taking a moment for my latest Thursday Rundown. Here are tonight’s five topics…

First Snow – It took until December for it to happen, but Spokane finally got its first real accumulation of snow this week. Our kids are still completely enamored with snow, even to the point of being overly enthusiastic about shoveling—or raking—it. I walked outside after a meeting during the work day to see Sloan and Beau using rakes to help Sid shovel the driveway.

Sloan and Beau helped Sid shovel the driveway on Monday.

Inflatables – Tis the season for lawn decorations! Several years ago, I wrote about inflatable holiday decorations and debated whether they are festive or tacky. There is no such debate with Beau. He absolutely loves them. We walk a few blocks to get our mail and I always take the kids with me. Whenever we pass a house with a large Santa, Grinch, or Snoopy in the yard we must stop so he can ooh and aah. This photo is of one such instance from last Saturday.

Beau (and Sloan) both like holiday lawn inflatables. This was on our mail walk last weekend.

New Football Coach – A week ago, I had the opportunity to attend the Jake Dickert press conference that introduced him as the new head coach of the Washington State University football team. It was pretty cool to see him ace his audition as he served as interim head coach for the final five games of the regular season and then receive his rightful reward. The Cougs will play Miami in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31. GO COUGS!

I snapped this photo at last Thursday’s Jake Dickert introductory presser.

Pass Me a Pastry – If there is high fat food I have a particular weakness for, it is the pastry. There is nothing I enjoy more than stuffing my face on a weekend morning with something sweet from a bakery. Donuts, scones, and croissants all call my name from behind the glass. I even like factory produced, low maintenance pastries like Pop-Tarts. It was my intention to celebrate National Pastry Day, which is today, with one of my all-time favorite breakfast foods, a Costco muffin, but apparently a muffin is not a pastry. That really put a damper on this “national day” for me.

Without a doubt, Confetti Cake Pop-Tarts are my favorite!

Best Santa Investment – On this date six years ago, I wrote about one of the best Christmas investments ever…the Santa suit! By throwing on a Santa suit not only do you bring instant joy to others but the inner happiness you create within yourself is really special. I bought a cheap Santa suit roughly a decade ago from Walmart. I have worn it probably 50 times over the years making countless memories and generating a sentimental value that far exceeds the $30 I spent for it. Remember, everybody always loves a Santa.

Busting out the Santa suit is fun.

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That’s all I have for tonight. The last item I wrote about tonight had to do with Santa. Don’t get me wrong, Kris Kringle is great, but let us continue to focus on the true reason for the Christmas season. Don’t Blink.

Different Wrapping Paper Philosophies

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When it comes to a certain item that is heavily used during the Christmas season, Sidney and I have very differing philosophies about how it should be used. From where it should be purchased to how it should look to how it should be applied, we find ourselves at odds. I am talking about the great wrapping paper debate.

If you can look past the baby gate we have up to keep Beau from ripping off all the ornaments on our tree, you can see presents wrapped entirely by Sid.

Difference #1

Wife: Wrapping paper needs to be purchased at Target with a thickness and glossiness that will put any bougie brochure to shame.

Me: Have you seen the selection of wrapping paper at Dollar Tree?!

Difference #2

Wife: Less is more when it comes to wrapping paper designs.

Me: Give me the roll with the entire depiction of the 12 Days of Christmas on it.

Difference #3

Wife: Speaking of less, you don’t need more paper than necessary to wrap a gift.

Husband: Annoying my family members by wrapping gifts in multiple layers of paper from different rolls since 2002.

Difference #4

Wife: Each child should have his or her own presents wrapped in a unique wrapping paper that is just for them.

Me: Sloan has five presents? Okay, do we have five different wrapping papers?

Difference #5

Wife: We are out of wrapping paper. Brent, can you make a run to Target?

Me: I can make a run to the recycling bin to get the comics section.

Difference #6

Wife: On Christmas morning, let’s make sure to pass a garbage bag around so we can place discarded wrapping paper in it.

Me: Can’t wait to test my throwing accuracy again as I pelt my brother and dad with crumpled up wrapping paper from across the room.

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These differences are not exaggerations…for the most part. With all that said, Sidney is the most talented wrapper I know and I am so lucky she puts up with a slob like me. Don’t Blink.

A Major Reading Milestone for Sloan

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This past Thursday, December 2, 2021, Sloan hit an impressive milestone. We read a book called “Oh No, Mr. Snowman.” It was a slightly bizarre Frosty-esque story about a snowman who would come to life and bust into the house of the kids who made him. When he would do this, objects within the house would freeze. The children eventually would tell the snowman not to come back anymore. A couple days later, just as the Christmas Eve celebration was about to take place, all the holiday food inside the house started to melt. Despite his prior ejection, the snowman knocks on the front door to save the day and the children enthusiastically allow him inside to salvage the food with his freezing cold presence.

What made “Oh No Mr. Snowman” so special? It was the 400th book Sloan read in 2021.

What’s the big deal, right? Just another silly children’s book. Well, there was something else at play when we finished that weird snowman’s tale. It marked the 400th book that Sloan read in 2021.

We have always read to our kids. My parents read to me every night when I was a child and I wanted to make sure to do the same with Sloan and Beau. However, our personal reading program accelerated earlier this year when something finally happened.

At the beginning of March, our libraries in Spokane opened again. No longer did we have to submit a limited online book order to pick up curbside from a librarian. Rather, we could finally roam the physical library and pull all the books off the shelves that we wanted.

The Spokane Valley Library is kind of like a second home for us.

You know how you don’t realize how much you miss something until it is gone? Not being able to visit the library during the pandemic hit us hard. So, when the doors finally opened we didn’t take it for granted. Whether we were visiting the Spokane Valley County Library near our house or the North Spokane County Library near my parents’ home, we were throwing books into our oversized tote bag like our lives depended on it. Each visit we would check out at least 20 titles and would be so motivated to get back to the library again that we would read through them all in less than two weeks.

Beau grabbing books from the shelves at the Spokane Valley Library.

That’s not to say we were breezing through the books at warp speed without comprehension. It just meant that we were reading multiple books every night. After we finished a story we would log the title in the notes app on my iPhone and Sloan would add a few emojis after it to further describe what the book was about. The structure did wonders for our nighttime routine.

A look at a portion of Sloan’s very long list of books she read this year.

With that said, Sloan is a 4-year-old and would have 4-year old moments during our “books and prayers” evening period. If her attention span seemed to be running low, we would remind her that if she couldn’t concentrate on the books it wouldn’t be possible for her to concentrate on the iPad during the coveted screen time we allow her. That would usually bring her focus back (it’s all about balance).

When you read 400 children’s books, you learn a lot. Sloan has been introduced to themes such as love, death, family, honesty, self care, friendship, hard work, preparation, sharing, diversity, and much more. She has been exposed to different cultures, holidays, family structures, and ways of thinking. She has picked up on different techniques of writing and admired different styles of art through some of the magnificently illustrated books we have read.

Frequent trips to the library means frequent photos with the tree growth chart in the Spokane Valley Library. Sloan has grown a lot over the past year.

Sidney and I have learned a lot too. Although the books are written at a children’s level, many of them have underlying themes that speak to adults. We will be reading to Sloan and trade glances when a line is read that went over our daughter’s head but made all too much sense to us.

Besides Sloan just snuggling up to me when I read to her, the best part about our 400-book odyssey has simply been talking to her when reading the books. I will ask her questions, challenge her to give predictions, and encourage her to describe the feelings of characters. Watching her mind work is so interesting and rewarding.

Feeling comfortable surrounded by books at the Spokane Valley Library.

Once 2022 hits, we will continue to read like maniacs. I have no doubt in my mind that we will continue to be #1 customers of the library and that we will surpass our 2021 book total. Perhaps it won’t be long until Sloan is reading to Beau. Don’t Blink.

My Top 5 Christmas Sweets

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We spent many holiday seasons of my childhood at my grandparents’ home in Walla Walla, Washington. One fond memory I have is arriving at their home and admiring the containers and tin foil plates of Christmas goodies covering up the dining room table. My grandpa owned a popular restaurant in town and had no shortage of staff, customers, and friends who would pass all kinds of holiday treats his way.

It was during these years through dedicated testing that I developed sophisticated personal preferences for my favorite holiday sweets. This hardcore snacking on Yuletide goods has culminated tonight with my top 5 list of Christmas sweets.

I love Christmas sweets!

5. Cathedral Window Cookies – You either love these or hate them. I still kind of hate them but thought I would give it the sympathetic fifth spot on this countdown. A cathedral window is a loaf-like, no-bake dessert that you cut into individual pieces. Its base is comprised of melted chocolate chips that hug multi-colored marshmallows. They look pretty and taste decent but we were “nice” and instead of hogging them for ourselves we gave them to Santa.

4. Hershey Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies – A true classic in our household as both my mom and wife make these. My wife’s version is so good that they were always requested by the vice president I worked for at Coastal Carolina University for our staff holiday potluck. You can either make a traditional peanut butter cookie or bake it in a cupcake mold and then place a Hershey Kiss (or miniature peanut butter cup) in the middle. Such a dynamite combo.

3. Buckeye Balls – My life changed when I tried my aunt’s buckeye balls for the first time. What do you get when you combine chocolate, peanut butter, and sugar? An absolute masterpiece. These are rich and from a texture standpoint very satisfying! Personally, I enjoy eating them chilled. If you have not tried them before, you might want to make a batch this year…you won’t regret it.

2. Peanut Brittle – There isn’t a better labor of love act than making someone fresh peanut brittle. Sure, this recipe is a little bit of an art but when perfected it is sooooo good. Peanut brittle is an old school candy that requires strong teeth and some chewing but it is worth it. Another aunt already baked peanut brittle this year and when I tried it, the taste was packed with nostalgia as it tasted exactly like the brittle a certain employee of my grandpa’s would make 25 years ago. Yesterday, my sister presented us with some delicious peanut brittle as well. A fun note: We would always leave a couple pieces out for Santa so he could feed them to his reindeer.

1. Christmas Sugar Cookies – No other holiday sweet can hold a candle to classic Christmas sugar cookies. Who doesn’t love a generously-frosted and sprinkled cookie in the shape of a reindeer, Christmas tree, or star? Or, for that matter, who doesn’t like decorating them and eating the ingredients along the way? These hit the spot and pair perfectly with a tall glass of milk. There really isn’t anything else I need to say…these are the best.

Me holding a bunch of Christmas sweets my sister gave us last night.

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According to one of my favorite all-time Life’s Little Instructions, calories don’t count during the month of December. So, take full liberty when it comes to enjoying (and baking me) Christmas treats. Don’t Blink.

Trying to Make Sense of Tragedy

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Lately I have been shocked and troubled by some of the recent mass casualty events in our country. The Waukesha parade crash, the Astroworld concert disaster, and the Michigan school shooting are all tragedies that are top of mind for me.

These events are so tough to digest in part because of their savagery. Pummeled by a vehicle? Crushed by fellow concertgoers? Shot to death? What awful ways for a life to end. It is hard to imagine.

The innocence and youth of the victims also weigh heavy. Many of these people had the best years of their lives yet to come only to have them robbed in such a sickening manner. Or, at the other extreme, some of these people, like the Dancing Grannies, led good, long lives that had no business being ended in such a violent manner.

Finally, the randomness is flat out disturbing. Watching a parade, going to a concert, or simply attending school should not be criteria to die. Although I can’t say for certain, I am sure that the individuals who lost their lives never thought it would be possible that they wouldn’t return home.

There is no kind way to put it. These events leave us appalled. Or perhaps I should just speak for myself. They leave me feeling appalled…and guilty. Why must these people suffer such cruel, random fates?

Well, one answer is that the perpetrators of these atrocities have free will. Also, there has never been a blanket guarantee that random freak catastrophes, like Astroworld or natural disaster, won’t occur. Bottom line, bad things happen. Sometimes we might feel hopeless but we can always pray; pray for God’s will to be done. We can also pray for the souls who have lost their lives and the families they have left behind. Finally, we can be thankful that we have not been tested in the strenuous ways that the victims in these recent examples have.

Never let anyone tell you that prayer is meaningless. Pray for the victims of these tragedies.

As December begins, let’s remember those who have recently passed away and won’t be spending the holidays with their families. At the same time, let’s be appreciative of the precious gift of life that those of us reading this still have. Don’t link.

Triceratops Thursday Rundown

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Happy December to one and all! What an incredibly special month. Make sure to savor each day because it will be over (along with 2021) before you know it. Here are tonight’s five topics…

The Disney House Is Back – Last Friday after WSU defeated UW in the Apple Cup, Sid and I took the kids on a short drive to look at Christmas lights. We couldn’t resist taking them to the house that makes us smile every year. If you live in Spokane, head north and visit the infamous “Disney House” in West Glen. I wrote about this magical display in detail seven years ago and it hasn’t lost an ounce of charm since then. In fact, the charm has only increased because now I can share it with Sloan and Beau. The people at this home use Disney cutouts and LOTS of lights to make you believe that you actually are at Disneyland. Make sure to check it out.

A look at the Disney House as we approached it on Friday night. The house is located in north Spokane.

Our House – In a humbler display of Christmas illumination, this is what our house looks like. We once again went with laser lights. The two projectors we own were given to us by David Russell, the video director at Coastal Carolina University and a good friend. He let us take them off his hands in 2016, a year after the laser light phenomenon burst onto the scene in 2015. Those projectors have been with our family for six holiday seasons now and have shined on houses on both sides of the country.

Our house is illuminated by the laser light projectors we received from a friend in 2016.

A Different Way to Countdown to Christmas – Last year, Sloan had a chocolate calendar to mark the days until Christmas. Each day she would punch out a small portion of the calendar and eat a piece of candy. This year we are going more educational and healthier. Instead of counting down with chocolate we are counting down with books. Starting yesterday, Sloan locates a pouch on the advent calendar that corresponds to the day of the month and pulls out the mini book that is inside. We then read it to her. Some books are holiday-themed and some are not. Sloan is an avid reader and this is right down her alley….but to be fair, she is an avid candy eater too.

Sloan holding the Advent calendar she is using to countdown to Christmas this year.

Thanksgiving Dinner – How could I publish this Thursday Rundown without showing a photo of what I ate last Thursday? As usual, our Thanksgiving feast was a good one. People always ask about the lasagna. Here’s the deal: My mom is full Italian and her family always ate lasagna with Thanksgiving dinner growing up. The tradition continued when my mom had her own family. This part of the Thanksgiving meal is so beloved by me that Sidney once made lasagna for one of our South Carolina Turkey Day’s several years back.

You know you wanted to see what I ate for Thanksgiving, right?

Dining Rooms Open at McDonald’s – Here in Spokane, the dining rooms in our McDonald’s restaurants were closed for an extremely long period of time because of the pandemic. Recently, they finally opened back up meaning that Sloan can now eat her coveted Happy Meals inside. It had been so long that I didn’t even recognize the décor and chairs/tables that McDonald’s is now using. Although we prefer to order our fast food from the drive-thru and take it home, every now and then we do find it nice to eat inside. Now that the dining rooms are open we are crossing our fingers that the play places will open soon as well.

Sloan eating at a McDonald’s restaurant on Sullivan in Spokane Valley on Saturday.

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Remember what I said when I started this post? Enjoy this month. Also, remember the reason for this season. Thanks for reading. Don’t Blink.

Brent’s Top 5 Songs of 2021

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December is now here and that means it is time to roll out a Don’t Blink tradition. Tonight I put on my super official music critic hat and rate my top 5 songs from the past 12 months. Well, since it is just December 1, more like 11 months. Truth be told, I have already heard enough when it comes to music in 2021 and I wish that was a compliment.

This is my eighth year presenting Brent’s Top 5 Songs of the Year. Some years the song selection is good. Some years, like in 2020, the selection was average. Sadly for our ears, some years are bad. When it comes to my amateurish musical critiques, I think 2021 has been a down year.

Of course, I will take my share of blame for this conclusion. I continue to dive deeper into SiriusXM and I would be lying if I said my dial is always turned to Hits (the top 40 station). But where I lack listening to contemporary music on the radio, I think I fill my trending music gap by overhearing the TiKTok videos that Sid watches.

So without further ado, here is my 2021 countdown…

I present to you my top 5 songs of 2021.

5. Adele – “Easy On Me”

As what will be a theme throughout this countdown, I can’t relate to the lyrics but I still like the song. After a five-year hiatus, Adele is still Adele. The way she nails notes in “Easy On Me” takes me on a ride, especially when she elongates the words “easy” and “feel.” The sadness is richly present in the song and even though I don’t like to feel sad when listening to music I respect how this track can grab at you.

I remember hearing this song for the first time driving back to Spokane from Pullman one night and just taking pause. I think “powerful” is a good word to describe “Easy On Me.” Adele might have landed on my bad list in 2012, but I must give her credit in 2021.

4. Elle King and Miranda Lambert – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”

Okay, first off…what a combination! It was anybody’s guess what type of sound would be produced when Elle King and Miranda Lambert collaborated. I think it is obvious that in the initial verses that it is in the style of King even though Lambert is doing most of the singing. But once the chorus starts (at which point the song really starts to get good), there doesn’t seem to be a King or Lambert influence. Rather, it is just a high energy good time.

If I was still in college, I think this would be a perfect pregame song before hitting the bars. It is fun, upbeat, and a hodgepodge of different styles. This definitely isn’t an easy listening or contemplative song…it is meant for tailgates and bonfires…and this countdown deserves one of those.

3. Olivia Rodrigo – “Good 4 U”

I always say to be weary of songs that use numbers and single letters as words in the title but I must make an exception for “Good 4 U.” It was the year of Olivia Rodrigo as she delivered hit after hit. A lot of her music was slower, belt-it-out type ballads but those tracks never interested me much. Besides, we have Adele to deliver those songs, right?

But when she changed up the tempo with “Good 4 U” I couldn’t help but listen. Yes, I am a little embarrassed to admit that I like this song but I fell for its catchiness. It is fun and a ride. The quick pace and energetic chorus was enough to keep me engaged through the whole track. I also liked how it kept me waiting. Who didn’t hold out for the “Ah-ah-ah-ah” interlude? Or who didn’t join Olivia to sing the “like a damn sociopath” line? “Good 4 U” was fresh and it was also the perfect song for the summer. I have lots of memories of our family driving the sun-soaked streets of Spokane during June and July with this song blaring in the background. Well done, Olivia.

2. The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber – “Stay”

The fact that my wife loves this song might have something to do with its favorable spot on the countdown but not its overall presence. You see, I really like “Stay” too and it would have made this list regardless of Sid’s fondness for it.

I like music with a unique hook and Kid Laroi and Bieber accomplish that with this track. “Stay” has edge and it has sophistication (because I am so sophisticated when it comes to music haha). The way the artists seem to “punch out” lyrics when they get to the end of verses is pleasing to my ear. Although the end of these verses include a four-letter word I don’t necessarily enjoy, I can let it pass for this song…I just got to make sure not to let Sloan listen to it.

In the same way that “Good 4 U” saves good stuff for the end, “Stay” does too. Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber singing together to close the track is the way it should be. Now I am no Belieber but that kid (I guess I shouldn’t call him a kid anymore) is talented.

1. Jonas Brothers and Marshmello – “Leave Before You Love Me”

How did the chill, easy listening song of the countdown reach #1? Well, a few reasons. I like “Leave Before You Love Me” because it has a really nice flow that allows you to either think deeply about something or to just kind of close your eyes and relax. The vocals are soothing and the beat mellow. In my opinion, it is just a very well put together song.

“Leave Before You Love Me” also earns extra points because of its viral component. It has enjoyed a prolific run on TikTok and was even utilized by yours truly. The song will always remind me of Sloan because I used the track in this TikTok video that showcased my daughter getting ready for her first day of school. What more can I say? I would that is enough to make “Leave Before You Love Me” the top song on my list.

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Thank you for jamming out with me tonight. Also, thanks to the artists above for providing me with a soundtrack of memories. Do you have an undisputed favorite song of 2021? Don’t Blink.

Brent’s Top 5 Best Songs of 2020
Brent’s Top 5 Best Songs of 2019
Brent’s Top 5 Best Songs of 2018
Brent’s Top 5 Best Songs of 2017
Brent’s Top 5 Best Songs of 2016
Brent’s Top 5 Best Songs of 2015
Brent’s Top 5 Best Songs of 2012