Brent’s Top 5 Songs of 2020

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What has become a Don’t Blink tradition will continue once again tonight. For the seventh time in my blog’s history, I am pleased to present Brent’s Top 5 Songs of the Year.

This year’s countdown was tough. Not in the sense that the crop of songs was really bad or really outstanding, two conditions that have made past lists difficult to compile, but that I didn’t feel exactly qualified to make one.

You see, my consumption of music in 2020 was at an all-time low. I listen to music pretty much exclusively in the car. Obviously, for a guy like me, when you aren’t driving places because everything is locked down it cuts into your jam time. Furthermore, when I actually was driving in my car I was mostly listening to SiriusXM and expanding my horizons beyond top 40.

With that said, I did listen barely enough to mainstream radio and the TikTok videos my wife was watching to jot down the five tunes that I have enjoyed most in 2020.

Tonight I once count down my top five favorite songs from another year.

5. Dua Lipa – Don’t Start Now

I love myself some Dua Lipa. If you are looking for a consistent artist who puts out catchy track after catchy track, Dua is your girl. She delivered again with “Don’t Start Now.” I describe the song as a big disco. It is basically an ode to the 1970s/1980s with some 2020 influences mixed in for good measure.

Out of all the songs on this list, it might be the easiest to sing along too—but don’t think I would ever do anything like that.

4. Savage Love – Jason Derulo

If there was a song that provided any type of escape or comic relief from this unprecedented year, it was “Savage Love” by Jason Derulo. The carefree and goofy melody of the song helped many of us take a deep breath and laugh.

Easily one of the top songs of the summer, it reached epic popularity on TikTok and spilled over to the radio. Although some people claimed to despise the song, I stand by my opinion that we needed this song in 2020. And oh yeah, we definitely jumped on the trend.

3. Blinding Lights – The Weeknd

Retro. Fast-paced. Catchy. When I think of the The Weeknd’s smash hit “Blinding Lights” I think of all those adjectives. “Blinding Lights” is what I would categorize as the best driving song on this list. By that I mean if I was driving through downtown or even the wheat fields on a road trip, this is the track I would want turned up and on repeat.

The song has a cool 1980s vibe and a great beat to go with it. Although I usually find some type of lyrical connection with songs that are ranked this high in my countdown, I can’t claim one with “Blinding Lights.” Perhaps that makes it even better?

Called the song of the year by many, I can’t deny the critical acclaim of “Blinding Lights.” However, although a solid choice, it isn’t my #1.

2. Wonder – Shawn Mendes

This is one of those songs that catches you with the intro. The opening of “Wonder” is powerful, almost mesmerizing to a degree. It kind of swallows you and at that point you can’t do anything but listen to the rest of the song. Lucky for us, the rest isn’t that bad.

The song’s tempo will keep you engaged and relaxed at the same time. It is easy listening but at the same time it feels kind of like a maze as well. Right at the moment when you don’t know exactly what to think the music from the intro returns, swallowing you once again.

I like the unique sound of “Wonder” and I think some of the lyrics are profound. Yes, it is a love song, but Mendes also asks honest questions of himself and society. I look forward to listening to this song well into 2021 as it is still pretty new.

1. The Bones – Maren Morris

If the song is going to serve as an overarching metaphor for your wedding anniversary blog post, it must be decent, right? The versatility of Maren Morris was once again demonstrated in “The Bones,” a song that tells the story of the prevailing nature of true love.

Listening to “The Bones” will allow you to get lost in thoughts and pleasantly think about the most important relationship you have. Morris provides some excellent imagery of the resilience of love and the character needed from the two people who must make it work.

The conviction with which she sings each lyric is powerful and authentic. I think this song would be perfect for the ending of a movie, starting at the conclusion of the final scene and extending through the first part of the credits. If not that, it is good enough for the ending of this countdown right at the coveted #1 spot.

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Man, what will music be like in 2021? Whatever form it takes, I hope I have the chance to listen to it a little bit more than what I did in 2020. What do you think of this year’s countdown? Please don’t hesitate to let me know. Don’t Blink.

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

Spectacular Thursday Rundown

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After a week hiatus due to Thanksgiving, the Thursday Rundown is back. Thanks for returning to Don’t Blink and I hope you enjoy tonight’s five topics…

Favorite New Ornament – An ornament on our tree that I added this year is one I purchased right before I left South Carolina. At a certain tourist attraction in Myrtle Beach there is an all-year Christmas store that sells more ornaments than you can imagine. Knowing that our tree would be set up in an entirely different state on the other side of the country, I wanted to get something to honor the place that means so much to us. I think this sunbathing depiction of Santa does a good job of catching the essence of Myrtle Beach.

This is my favorite new ornament on our tree.

Photo of the Week – Sloan recently spent some time with grandma and papa…and Muffin. This photo was taken of the granddaughter and cat catching some zzz’s together.

How precious is this?

Donuts Donuts Donuts – There is no better place to share a photo of donuts than on a Thursday Rundown blog post. For the first time, I had the opportunity to try Hello Sugar. What makes Hello Sugar different from competitors is that it serves all mini donuts. Although you wouldn’t know it by looking at photos on Instagram, the product is definitely miniature-sized! Our family had a holiday photoshoot last weekend and our photographer, Alicia Hauff, gave us our first Hello Sugar dozen. Don’t they look pretty?

You wouldn’t know these Hello Sugar donuts were miniature-sized if I didn’t tell you.

Spokane Chick-fil-A Opens – Honestly, you would think these people had never seen a Chick-fil-A before. Wait, many of them haven’t. The Spokane Chick-fil-A opened on Tuesday and the drive-thru line stretched for two miles. In fact, traffic control personnel had to eventually create three different lines that sprawled the north Spokane streets to accommodate the hundreds of cars that showed up. For someone like my sister, who has never visited a Chick-fil-A restaurant before, the excitement of the chain’s arrival is real. Even for someone like me who ate way too many spicy chicken sandwiches during my time down South, I think the restaurant’s opening is pretty cool…and much anticipated.

The Spokane Chick-fil-A opening day line stretched out of the frame of this aerial shot by the Spokesman-Review.

She’s Back – For the second consecutive holiday season, Sallie has returned…much earlier this time around. Sloan’s “Elf on the Shelf” made her triumphant appearance on Tuesday (you can watch Sloan’s reaction) and has started her nightly reports to Santa. This morning Sallie had Sloan follow wrapping paper shreds to a special gift. I can only imagine the other adventures that will take place over the next three weeks.

This is where we found Sallie this morning. She left a note and a prize for Sloan.

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Getting back into a routine can be tough after a holiday weekend. By now I hope you are up to speed just in time for a new weekend to arrive. Enjoy your Friday! Don’t Blink.

Preparing for Christmas

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Now that Thanksgiving has passed and Advent has arrived, I can start to look forward to Christmas. I absolutely adore December and the magic that surrounds it. This year, I think that magic will shine just a little brighter as we enjoy the month in a place that at times can actually look and feel like the North Pole.

We are now in Advent season.

December this year is special because not only will it be Beau’s first Christmas but Sloan has reached the age where she is truly cognizant of the holidays. She loves Santa, Elf on the Shelf, and presents. You know, the stuff that all 3 ½-year-olds should be excited about?

Sloan has the Christmas spirit….and a chocolate calendar that counts down the days until December 25.

With that said, her newly developed consciousness of Christmas comes with it the responsibility of Sid and I to ensure that in addition to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and new toys that some perspective is also introduced. How far do you go down that road with a little person who hasn’t even turned 4 yet? I would say not that far. However, introducing the basics about whose birthday is celebrated and the true reason for the season are important concepts that will help lay necessary groundwork for the future.

May everyone have a meaningful and blessed holiday.

For us adults, I think we can all make a more concerted effort to prepare for the birth of Christ. With so many distractions and expectations, it is easy to lose focus on why December 25 is so important. This Advent season I am going to try to do better in my own personal preparation. Let’s see how it goes. Don’t Blink.

Exceeding all Expectations

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– When I worked in the athletic department at the University of Montana, our football team played a college I had never heard of called Coastal Carolina University during the 2013 FCS Playoffs. I thought they were a team like many of the others that would play the Griz in an early postseason game and then fade into obscurity.

In 2013, I worked a blistering cold game (as a UM employee) in which Coastal Carolina University upset the University of Montana in the FCS Playoffs. (photo courtesy of the Montana Kaimin)

– As fate would have it, I started working for that college I had never heard of not too long after they eliminated the Grizzlies from the playoffs. As I started to watch the CCU football team make a name for itself on a normal grass field in the FCS, I didn’t really think they would compete beyond the level formerly known as Division I-AA.

When I arrived at CCU and worked the football games in 10,000-seat Brooks Stadium, I didn’t exactly think that the Coastal football team would one day join the FBS and host College Gameday.

– Working the press conference in which CCU announced it would make the jump to the FBS, I thought it would take several seasons to become respectable in the Sun Belt Conference.

In 2015 when CCU announced it was moving to the FBS, I didn’t think a half decade later it would be hosting College Gameday.

– While observing the Chanticleers struggle on the “Surf Turf” during their first couple seasons as full-fledged FBS members, I thought I might have finally made a correct prediction about CCU football.

Teal turf was installed and Brooks Stadium was expanded, all signs of a program on the rise. However, I thought that the “rise” might take several years. The Coastal football team struggled its first couple years in the FBS (photo courtesy of CCU).

– Now back on the opposite side of the country, I watched as the CCU football team posted convincing victory after convincing victory on the ESPN networks. As Coastal’s undefeated record stayed intact as the weeks rolled by and the fanbase started to mention a certain college football pregame show on social media, I thought no way.

I have watched Coastal Carolina football from the opposite coast during the 2020 season.

Yesterday, this happened…

College Gameday is going to Coastal Carolina University.

Tonight I want to congratulate the Chanticleer football program for attracting the most prestigious sports pregame show to its campus while proving all the doubters (including myself) wrong. Most programs will never receive a visit from College Gameday—CCU is doing it in only its third season as a bowl eligible FBS school. Well done to the student-athletes and coaches…truly amazing work.

I also want to congratulate Coastal Carolina University in general. Unfortunately, the institution has experienced some tough times as of late but the success story of the football team is a boost that CCU needs and deserves. It couldn’t have happened at a better time. I know my former colleagues are loving this ride right now!

Enjoy this, CCU!

It will be exciting to see College Gameday set up shop on the campus I spent almost six years on. I look forward to the broadcast and to seeing social media posts from my CCU friends. Just like with its College World Series victory in 2016, I know #TEALnation will savor this moment in the national spotlight. Don’t Blink.

The Latest Hot Chocolate Fad

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For the past few months I have seen them regularly on TikTok and Instagram. Giddy social media users would flaunt perfectly-decorated chocolate spheres. They would grab one, place it in a mug, and pour hot milk over it…then magic. As a hot chocolate fan, I couldn’t deny their appeal. I needed one.

In addition to milk and apple juice, I love hot chocolate!!

Last week I finally got my hands on some hot chocolate bombs. It wasn’t an easy search. After calling around, I finally found a small business called the Garland Mercantile located in Spokane’s historic northside neighborhood. In addition to a hodgepodge of items such as soaps, hot sauces, and candy, the store had what I was looking for.

The Garland Mercantile offered hot chocolate bombs made by a bakery called the Lucky Crumb, another Spokane small business getting a lift from one of its own. The bombs came in small variety boxes of four and sold for $12 per box. Despite the spendy price, I bought a box—I wasn’t going on a Saturday night goose chase only to return empty-handed.

The hot chocolate bombs I bought at the Garland Mercantile.

As the Garland Mercantile employee rang us up, she told me the flavors of the four hot chocolate bombs—pumpkin spice, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and peppermint. Although I would have settled for just traditional chocolate flavors, as I already mentioned, I was just happy to finally find this treat. She concluded the purchased by telling me not to use them in the bathtub and passed me the below slip of paper.

The directions (and common sense) I received with my hot chocolate bombs.

My first hot chocolate bomb experience came the next day. After coming home from church I gave the milk chocolate flavor a try. I followed the directions exactly, and, believe it or not, everything went according to plan. The moment the hot milk made contact with the outer chocolate shell it disintegrated, leaving the contents of the inner chocolate ball to jibe with the milk. After watching the reaction occur I used a spoon to make sure everything was mixed thoroughly (watch me prepare my first hot chocolate bomb!).

The moment when I poured the hot milk on the hot chocolate bomb.

To be honest, I was a tad bit disappointed once I took a few sips. It didn’t taste like a rich, gourmet hot chocolate. Although I tend to enjoy a milder hot cocoa, I did expect a hot chocolate bomb to deliver a more flavorful experience. Based on my experience, it tasted just like it came from a tub of Swiss Miss. Which, to be fair, should be expected as a hot chocolate bomb is really just a glorified vessel that carries—you guessed it—a powdered hot chocolate mix.

Hot chocolate bombs are 100% about the experience. They are fun and put on a good 30-second show. If you are looking to impress a non-hot chocolate connoisseur, you can’t go wrong with these. But if you are supplying hot cocoa to someone who is serious about the drink, you should look for a fancy recipe on Pinterest that doesn’t come in bomb form. However, if you do opt for this newest hot chocolate fad, just remember not to put them in the bathtub. Don’t Blink.

A Subdued Thanksgiving

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I know tomorrow will be tough for many. Faced with the pressure to be thankful, I will be thinking of those who will grit their teeth and try to get through the day as bravely as possible. In the year of 2020, many people will understandably not be in the Thanksgiving mood.

Many people might not feel like celebrating Thanksgiving this year.

For those of us who were spared the hardships of the first nine months of the pandemic, I think we need to realize that it isn’t a “happy” Thanksgiving for many. Let us keep this in mind if we are lucky enough to be in a celebratory mood tomorrow.

As I mentioned, there will be many people who have every reason to not be in a thankful disposition on Thursday. Sickness, depression, lost of loved ones, furloughs/layoffs, and many other COVID-related outcomes will make this holiday a tough one.

Now I realize that throwing out any type of a silver lining to people going through real issues might seem completely insensitive. On the other hand, I also know people who appreciate bits of positivity when life is tough. So, if you are grasping for even the slightest nugget to be thankful for, I can think of a few recent developments that we can all be thankful and hopeful for.

I have no business trying to suggest that folks going through real tough issues this holiday might find comfort in what I am about to say. But, for those who do enjoy a little silver lining, at least we have had these snippets of good news this month…

  • Vaccines with very high effective rates are being announced. Yesterday, it was reported that at least one of these vaccines will be available by early December.
  • The election came and went without the widespread violence that many people warned of. Prayers for peace were answered.
  • The Dow Jones Industrial Average broke 30,000 for the first time ever yesterday.

While none of these three things will automatically stop the bleeding and pain that so many Americans are dealing with right now, perhaps we can all count them as things to be thankful for—especially the vaccine developments.

Tomorrow will be different for everybody. Let’s remember that and reach out to those who might need some encouragement. Don’t Blink.

Getting Your Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Fix

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Now don’t lose all hope just yet. Although you might have heard that the 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is canceled, that isn’t entirely true. There will actually be a Macy’s presentation this Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. – noon on NBC. In fact, it will include Broadway performers, floats, and celebrities.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving special will look very different this year.

However, to be transparent, it won’t be an actual parade. In the words of NBC, it will be a “telecast.” Performances, most of which will be taped, will take place in a single location. No college or high school marching bands will perform. Parade participants will be decreased by 75%.

But what do you expect? As the pandemic continues to rage, precautions must be taken. A 2.5 mile parade lined with thousands and thousands of people isn’t conducive to crushing the curve. In my opinion, I am grateful that there will at least be an attempt to serve up a small slice of the Americana that has defined the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade over the years.

You won’t see shots like this on Thursday.

With that said, that small slice won’t be enough to fill the bellies of everyone, including yours truly. Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a major tradition of our little family and viewing a dramatically scaled down version won’t exactly satisfy our appetites. Luckily, watching this year’s telecast won’t be the only way to get our fill.

What happened during the summer when all professional sports leagues went on hiatus? The networks showed games from prior seasons. ESPN aired different NBA Finals games from the past couple decades, Root Sports showed some of the more memorable games in franchise history of the Seattle Mariners, and CBS showed old Masters’ tournaments. For some people, these retro competitions were appreciated. For others, it just rubbed salt into their wounds even more that they couldn’t watch the current version of their favorite team’s roster.

If you are one of those people who could still get your sports fix by going down memory lane, may I make a suggestion? Do the same thing with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Go back a few years and you can watch Ronald fly down the streets of New York.

You can go on YouTube and pull up the parade from pretty much any year you want. If there was a certain year that had a particularly memorable show, re-watch it on Thursday. Or, just choose a parade based on a year that is significant to you for reasons other than the annual Macy’s showcase. If both of those options fail, simply place slips of paper with years written on them into a hat and randomly draw one. Whatever year you draw is the parade that you watch.

Believe it or not, watching a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade of the past really isn’t that bad. How do I know? Well, I have done it of course.

Watching a parade of the past will still deliver plenty of Americana but you will also get heavy doses of history, nostalgia, and Matt Lauer. Trust me, watching a Macy’s “re-run” will still get you in the Thanksgiving spirit and you can even fast forward through the commercials. On second thought, watching the throwback ads can be thoroughly entertaining as well.

Santa will make an appearance during the NBC telecast but it won’t be his usual triumphant arrival.

Prior to watching this year’s Macy’s telecast, I recommend watching one of the actual parades from a previous year. Whether that means watching the 2007 version on Thanksgiving Eve or going back 30 years and watching the 1990 parade on Thanksgiving morning, pull up one of the classics on your TV and enjoy. Because honestly, how can you eat turkey if you didn’t see Santa’s triumphant arrival into Herald Square? Don’t Blink.

The Weight Loss Challenge

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I have dieted in the past. Probably three times over the past 10 years I have made conscious efforts to lose weight. Were these attempts successful? Well, in terms of losing weight, yes. But my understanding of how to lose weight was very rudimentary and not particularly healthy. In my mind, it all came down to a simple principle: Just eat less.

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In March, COVID-19 took hold of our country. A response of many states, including Washington, was to shift into lockdown mode. In addition to restaurants and movie theaters, another industry hit particularly hard was the fitness sector. Gyms were forced to shutter. As someone who made it a priority to hit the gym five times per week, the closures messed with my routine and personal fitness. Although I did do workouts at a high school track, it didn’t fully compensate for missed gym hours and the increased time I was sitting on my butt in my home office.

I put on some COVID pounds.

Due to the closure of gyms, I put on some COVID pounds.

Thankfully gyms would re-open and I found Snap Fitness. I got back into a routine as I grew to really like my new fitness home. However, the extra pandemic weight wasn’t exactly melting away. A couple months ago, a fellow Snap Fitness gym-goer asked me if I wanted to enter a weight loss challenge.

When the governor allowed gyms to re-open, I found a new facility to go to…Snap Fitness.

This fellow gym-goer happened to be my wife. When we moved to Spokane Valley, we purchased a “couples” membership and joined the Snap Fitness at Montgomery and Argonne. Sidney was a complete rock star and jumped headfirst into the gym’s many offerings. She started taking classes and engrained herself into the vibrant Snap Fitness community. When the weight loss challenge was initially advertised she had the confidence to do it. Me? Not so much.

Sidney initially texted me this graphic and asked if I would do the challenge with her.

Remember, I was the one who lost weight on my own terms. Why did I need some fancy program to shed pounds? You just eat less, right? Well, to be honest, I was really dragging my feet because I was a little intimidated. I didn’t want to sign up and fail. But because of Sidney’s encouragement and the structure of the challenge, I decided to give it a shot.

The challenge was six weeks long and ran from Oct. 5 – Nov. 16. The goal was to get in shape for the holidays. That was something I could get behind. Overseeing the challenge was Christine Avery, the owner of Snap Fitness and a good friend of Sidney’s. Participants would weigh in with Christine each week with body fat measurements taking place every other week. My designated weigh in time with Christine was every Monday at 4:45 a.m.

This is Christine and she is the owner at the Snap Fitness at Argonne and Montgomery. She helped me tremendously during the Weight Loss Challenge.

That first day of the challenge I tipped the scale at 189.2 pounds. I asked Christine what I needed to cut out to be successful. She explained that my progress wouldn’t just depend on what I didn’t do but also what I did do. Sure, she told me to stop drinking soda and to limit my ice cream intake but it was more about what she suggested I add to my diet. Eating more protein, drinking more water, and consuming well-balanced meals were all pointers she gave me.

This was me on Oct. 5, 2020–the first day of the challenge. I tipped the scale at 189.2 pounds.

Using Christine’s advice and Sidney’s cooking, I decided to give the weight loss challenge my best effort. At home, we traded in our large plates for medium-sized plates as Sid made some delicious, yet nutritious, meals. Lean meats, salads, and vegetables were served on a nightly basis. I would leave the dinner table feeling good about how I ate.

A look at some of what I would eat. For breakfast I would have a protein bar and shake. For lunch I might have scrambled eggs or a pork chop and banana.

Early in the morning I would do my part at the gym. I would then come home and start drinking water. I learned that protein bars and protein shakes really don’t taste that bad. Everything seemed to come together. For me, it was like a formula. And, with this particular formula, I was seeing results. At my weekly weigh ins, the pounds were coming off.

I became pretty good friends with my water bottle during the Weight Loss Challenge.

In the past I had used a different formula that achieved results but at a slower and unhealthier rate. This time around I wasn’t starving myself on personal pizzas or soup. Instead of simply denying my body, I was supplying it too.

A photo on the first day of the challenge and a photo the day after the challenge ended.

When I would step on the scale for my weekly weigh-ins I would lose anywhere between 3-5 pounds. I had initially set a goal to lose 10 pounds but by the second week I had adjusted it. Although the challenge was never easy, I felt like I had momentum on my side. The positive weigh-ins helped me to stay the course for the next week.

Every week during the challenge I would see progress.

At my final weigh-in last Sunday, I crossed my fingers that I would meet my goal of 20 pounds. As I stepped on the scale I held my breath as the digital numbers tabulated…

167.6.

This was my “after” photo. I tipped the scale at 176.6.

I lost 21.6 pounds over the course of the six-week weight loss challenge. Additionally, I decreased my body fat by 5% and shed three inches off my waist. But that was only half of the success story. Sidney also lost double digit poundage and cut 5% body fat and three inches off her waist (that’s right, we lost the same body fat and inches off our waists). We went in for that final weigh-in together on Sunday afternoon and it was pretty sweet.

Sloan went with us to the gym for our weigh-in on Sunday. Christine let her step on the scale registering a weight of 32.4 pounds.

What made it so sweet, you ask? Well, I won the weight loss challenge. Because I shed the most weight out of all the entrants I received a $50 gift card to a popular Spokane restaurant, a Snap Fitness sweatshirt, protein powder, and a month of free membership.

I won some pretty great prizes! Thanks, Christine!

But that paled in comparison to what Sid and I accomplished as a team. We walked out of the gym a combined 30+ pounds lighter. We committed to doing something together and stuck with it the whole six weeks. Believe me, it wasn’t easy. There would be times when we would both get hungry and snap at each other. However, it was all part of the journey. We got through it with words of encouragement and shared fantasies of the favorite foods we would eat once the diet ended.

Thanks to my wife and Christine, I had the motivation to win the challenge.

And now the diet has, in fact, ended. But while the challenge is a thing of the past, the lessons learned are not. The key to losing weight isn’t simply just eating less. Listening to someone who is knowledgeable about weight loss is helpful. Most importantly, completing such an endeavor is so much more rewarding when you get to do it with your wife. Thank you Sidney and Christine for getting me through this! Don’t Blink.

Sugary Thursday Rundown

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We have reached that time of the week again where I waste your time with five random and irrelevant topics. Wait, did I just write that? Well alright, let’s begin the latest Thursday Rundown…

Breakfast Combo – Yesterday morning I was eating Froot Loops for breakfast when Sidney exclaimed, “How are you eating cereal? We are all out of milk.” I conceded that we were out of milk but I was using a substitute. No, not Gatorade like Jim Harbaugh but half & half. When I was little, my mom would put half & half on our cereal every now and then. It was almost like a special occasion. When you add the mixture to your cereal it gives it a richer, creamier taste. Be careful though, after you do it once you might never want to go back to classic milk again.

Cereal with half & half poured over it is a nice treat.

Christmas Has Arrived – The interior of our house is now decorated for Christmas. Although Sidney and I have differing views on when the Christmas season should start (you can guess which respective sides we are on), I think our tree is beautiful and it sure brightens our living room with light and warmth during those early, dark mornings.

Our tree adds warmth and holiday cheer to our living room.

Meme Time – I don’t drink hard alcohol but perhaps this meme might change that? I guess Jack packs a hard enough punch that sugar is not needed. All joking aside, I always find it interesting when people find creative ways to show how much sugar is in some of our beloved drinks.

You don’t have to worry about Jack Daniels giving you cavities.

Fleets – Twitter has introduced multiple new features over the past year (still no edit button, though) but I think the latest rollout has garnered the social media channel the most buzz it has received since it went to 280 characters. Twitter jumped into the ephemeral messaging arena with Fleets, a feature that allows users to post content that disappears after 24 hours. It is a decent effort by Twitter to stay relevant and capitalize on a content-type that is wildly popular with Gen-Z, a demographic that people routinely say Twitter is out of touch with. I like that Fleets are accessible from the top of a user’s timeline and that you can use it to promote other tweets. However, I fear that it might just become a duplication wasteland for the Stories content that people are already posting on Facebook and Instagram. As per usual, I want to give the new feature some time before making a more definitive judgement.

Twitter rolled out Fleets this week.

Midnight – When the governor announced new restrictions on Sunday, he said that the bulk of them would take effect Monday at midnight. In my family text messaging thread, we started asking whether Monday at midnight meant a minute after 11:59 p.m. on Sunday or whether it meant a minute past 11:59 p.m. on Monday. After some internet research, we learned that Monday at midnight means the literal first minute of Monday. So, in other words, after Sunday at 11:59 p.m. times out, it is Monday at midnight. See below for the official explanation.

This explains that midnight begins a day, not ends it.


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These COVID-19 vaccines with high efficacy rates sure make me feel better about things. Let’s not cease praying, however. We need the process of distributing them to be smooth and widespread. Thanks for reading. Don’t Blink.

Heading Backwards

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The seemingly inevitable happened yesterday as the governor of Washington reinstated restrictions meant to curb growing Coronavirus cases in our state. Starting this week, indoor dining, bars, gyms, movie theaters, and a host of other entertainment options and services will be forced to close for four weeks. Essential services like grocery stores will be capped at 25% capacity.

Our state is shutting down again.

You don’t have to be a moderate to realize that the current situation we are in sucks. Cases are exploding, there is no denying that. Something needs to be done to prevent our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. At the same time, the collective economic ramifications, and, more importantly, the toll on the common working person, will be extremely grim.

It doesn’t matter how you view COVID-19 or what you think the government should do, this is a no-win situation.

With that said, I am thankful that a couple things were spared yesterday when the restrictions were announced. Schools will remain open, meaning Sloan will continue to go to St. Mary Catholic School, a place she loves. Bigger picture, many students and parents in the state who need schools to be open will be accommodated.

Also, churches will remain open. In the Diocese of Spokane, it was proven without a doubt based on extremely low case numbers that masses could be celebrated in a safe and socially distanced manner. Although I know a lot more went into this decision than examining the success of the Diocese of Spokane, I am extremely grateful that we will be able to continue to worship on Sundays, especially as Advent draws near.

The next four weeks will undoubtedly be challenging for many. At the same time, hopefully these 28 days will decrease COVID cases and buy us time as a vaccine is prepared. We need to pray for progress and the triumph of modern medicine. Let’s turn a corner. Don’t Blink.