Sunrise Thursday Rundown

Posted on July 14, 2022 by brent

I want to start tonight’s Thursday Rundown by celebrating all my readers who have a July birthday, including my nephew who will turn 5 on Sunday. Okay, let’s get started with this evening’s five topics…

Beau’s Helmet Memory – On this date two years ago, we picked up Beau’s corrective helmet from the Hanger Clinic. Because his head was flat in the back, it was necessary that he undergo helmet therapy. Our son had a strict regimen as he had to wear the helmet for 23 hours per day. We stuck to the plan and because of Beau’s dedicated commitment he only had to wear the helmet for five months instead of six. The transformation from a misshaped head to a symmetrical one was incredible and we remain so appreciative to the Hanger Clinic.

This was Beau’s last day in his helmet.

Dreamy Sky – Spokane boasts some amazing sunrises, especially during the summer months. This was the scene when I was driving home from the gym last Friday. It sure gets your day off to a great start when you are able to admire something as beautiful as this in the early morning.

This was the beautiful sky I admired on my drive home last Friday.

The Best Day – I have this day circled on the calendar. Today is about the best food in the world…macaroni and cheese! Call me a kid, but I still can’t resist a bowl of this all-American dish. I am so passionate about it that I once judged a mac and cheese contest. I have also written about my favorite macaroni and cheese toppings and spin-offs. Yes friends, today is a good day.

I have never found a bowl of macaroni and cheese that I didn’t like

Gas Price Update – It was a little over a month since I last addressed gas prices so let me provide an update. This morning gas prices were under (GASP) $5 at the gas station right next to my house. The $4.99 per gallon was 30 cents less than the $5.29 per gallon I was paying on June 9. However, it is still 60 cents more than the $4.39 I was paying at the exact same gas station in March when I thought gas prices couldn’t possibly go higher. Over the weekend we did purchase gas in Idaho for $4.85 per gallon and *only* had to pay $73 to fill up. Let’s hope gas prices continue to go down.

Gas prices are now under $5 in Spokane.

Big Brother 24 – Another summer, another Big Brother season. That’s right, Sid and I are along for the latest edition of houseguests battling it out for the $750,000 prize. Crazy enough, this is the 11th Big Brother season I will have watched (8 regular seasons plus 3 celebrity seasons). Not bad for someone who was once passionately anti-reality TV. I think I am rooting for Daniel and Indy.

Here we go! Big Brother 24 is underway.

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Make sure to get yourself some mac and cheese before the night is over. Enjoy your weekend and make sure to do something nice for someone else. Don’t Blink.

The Historic Big Brother 23 Season

Posted on September 27, 2021 by brent

I can hardly believe it. As a once anti-reality TV crusader, I am just about to finish watching my ninth season of “Big Brother.” I have watched every episode of Seasons 17-22 plus the two celebrity seasons. After Wednesday night, I will have completed Season 23 (count them up…that’s 9!).

Big Brother 23 has been great!

And believe me, I am excited to wrap up this latest season. No, it is not because I want it to be over with but rather because I am pumped to see the crowning of the winner. Well, as long as it is the person I think it should be, that is. But more on that in just a bit.

The best story of Season 23 goes without saying. What the Cookout did was unprecedented and so well executed. For those six individuals to bind together on the first day and achieve their goal some 70 days later was epic. Remember, the game of Big Brother begins with 16 houseguests. That group had a long climb if it wanted to stay intact and outlast 10 other players and that is what it did. So many things could have derailed the plan but because of teamwork, strategy, and a little bit of luck, Xavier, Azah, Big D, Kyland, Hannah, and Tiffany did it.

What the Cookout did was incredible!

I believe another solid story from this season is how civil it was. I know some people might enjoy the Jerry Springer-esque yelling matches that usually occur between the houseguests throughout a given season but that didn’t happen in 23. The houseguests were simply more mature than usual and I appreciated that.

However, despite the absence of yelling, there was a single moment that I found uncomfortable. It came just last week when Kyland was evicted. He stuck around a little longer than he should have to confront Xavier and get a little personal when he brought up X’s nephew. I thought that was of poor taste.

I bring this moment up because back in July, I wrote that Kyland was one of my favorite houseguests. Even during that early juncture of the game I respected his strategy and enjoyed his personality. But as the season went on, especially these last few weeks, I grew a little annoyed with him. His arrogance seemed to grow and so did his selfishness. His actions after Thursday’s eviction was just the icing on the cake.

But that is okay because although Kyland lost favor with me, the dude he confronted impressed me more and more each week. Man, what a game Xavier has played! From displaying discipline by not winning competitions to showing up when he needed to win them, Xavier has excelled in this important aspect of “Big Brother.” But his social game has been just as impressive as his competition game. He has managed complex situations while treating all houseguests with kindness. He has been a smooth operator and embraced leadership throughout the game. There is no doubt that he should win $750,000 on Wednesday night.

My hope is that Xavier wins Big Brother 23.

As for America’s Favorite Houseguest? The other contestant I tagged as being my favorite in July was Derek X. My opinion of him never wavered like it did with Kyland as I cheered for him the whole way up until his eviction. I would like to see the honor bestowed on him. It also wouldn’t hurt my feelings if Hannah is awarded it. She played such a smart game and I was blown away by her command of “Big Brother” strategy coupled with her relative youth (only 21!).

At the very least, despite who wins America’s Favorite Houseguest, Xavier better be walking out under confetti on Wednesday night. I have watched should-be-winners of past seasons walk away in second place and I sure hope Xavier isn’t victim to a bitter jury…but I have a pretty good feeling he won’t. Don’t Blink.

Thankful for Big Brother 22

Posted on October 28, 2020 by brent

When it was confirmed that “Big Brother” would air this year, I was excited and encouraged. During this pandemic nothing is guaranteed and the expectation is pretty much “canceled unless otherwise noted.” My interest was piqued even more when I learned that not only would there be a “Big Brother 22” but that it would be an all-star season.

It has been interesting watching the cast of Big Brother 22.

As a relatively new Big Brother fan, I looked forward to watching some of the legends play while also re-connecting with some of the houseguests who defined my BB experience over the past five seasons. I figured I would root for those I previously watched, hoping they would outmaneuver those who paved the way for them in earlier seasons. You just gravitate to what/who you know, right?

I am thankful for this season of Big Brother!

But my assumption proved wrong. Although some of it had to do with me not necessarily liking the more recent players they brought back, most of it had to do with the older veterans winning me over. It took maybe two shows before I realized that the season wasn’t just “all-star” in name but in actual game play as well.

It didn’t take long for the house to gang up on celebrated houseguests Janelle and Kaysar. I watched intently as the duo worked together to stave off eviction before it simply wasn’t possible anymore, even for players like them who are clearly the cream of the crop.

To see Janelle and Kaysar fend off the sharks made me like them. Even though I had no idea who they were on the first night when the cast was revealed, I started to root for them as I noticed how good they were at the game. Despite the odds against them, I hoped each would make a deep run. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards as they were both evicted pre-jury.

I then threw my support behind Memphis. Another relatively old school player who I knew nothing about prior to the season, I appreciated his no-nonsense, brash social game. He stayed around for the majority of the season before his eviction two weeks ago in fifth place. I then made Christmas my top choice to win the half million but she exited the next week after Memphis.

To be honest, I have been a little bored with “Big Brother” over the past couple weeks and I think that feeling might carry over to tonight’s finale simply because I don’t feel particularly passionate about the three remaining players—Cody, Enzo, and Nicole. Although I do want Cody to win when up against the other two choices, I just don’t have a fire burning inside me when it comes to this evening’s final outcome.

Despite a disappointing remaining trio (in my eyes), let me say this about Big Brother 22…It has been really nice to watch programming that has provided a distraction from the Coronavirus. The Big Brother house is its own bubble and inside those walls the show went on without any hint that a pandemic was terrorizing the world. Watching this season has provided an escape and a mini reminder of what life was like pre-Corona.

What are your thoughts about this season? Give me your opinion and also let me know who you hope wins tonight. Enjoy the finale. Don’t Blink.

Big Brother 20: Disappointing

Posted on September 26, 2018 by brent

I wrote about Jeopardy on Monday and “This Is Us” yesterday. Because of that, I feel obligated to continue this week of television blog posts by chiming in about Big Brother. I apologize to my many readers who couldn’t care less.

The Big Brother 20 finale is tonight. After a 100-day power struggle, a winner will be selected. Three houseguests remain. One contestant will be evicted early on in this evening’s final episode. Then, a “jury” made up of the past seven houseguests to be evicted will vote for one of the two finalists to take home the $500,000 grand prize.

I hate to say it, but I have been unhappy with this season. Not to say I haven’t been entertained by it, but I am just bitter. Things didn’t unfold how I would have liked them to.

I would characterize Big Brother 20 as disappointing.

I went into the season supporting Rachel and Scottie. The former, a #CCU alumna, was evicted rather early on, missing out on a jury seat. The latter played a much bigger role, making it relatively deep into the season, but, despite winning the battle back competition, he couldn’t advance past the “Level 6” alliance.

About halfway in, I adopted Brett as another favorite who I threw my support behind. Viciously, he was the victim of a blindside on double eviction night.

Besides the disappointment of not seeing “my people” make it to finale night, I have had to watch houseguests I dislike ascend to power and thrive inside the Big Brother house. The ringleaders of Level 6 – Angela, Tyler, and Kaycee – never won me over. In fact, I openly hoped for their misfortune during every competition and ceremony. My dislike was fostered when Angela coordinated the blindside of Rachel and recorded a nasty farewell message, proceeding to even take shots at Rachel after she was evicted. When Angela became tight with Tyler and Kaycee, both of them received my ire as well.

Although I had to deal with watching that trio run the house for the majority of the season, I claimed some consolation when underdog JC won a crucial Head of Household competition, setting up the eviction of Angela. I am so glad she is gone.

My most despised houseguest (besides Rock Star) might be gone, but I don’t want to see her allies win either. Well, wait, let me say this – while not my preferred choice, I could probably sleep well tonight if Kaycee wins. However, I sure hope Tyler doesn’t leave the Big Brother studios tonight with the big check.

That of course leaves us with JC. I never rooted for him throughout the entire season but by the process of elimination, I hope he wins. Do I think the jury will vote for him? Well, they probably shouldn’t. But if there is one thing I have learned about Big Brother since I started watching three years ago, it is this: the jury doesn’t vote for the houseguest who should win. Rather, most of them vote based on pure emotion. With that said, if JC defies the odds and becomes one of the two finalists, he should have a chance.

I won’t be crying when this season ends. Yes, I did tune in every night to watch, but it is less enjoyable when your horses aren’t winning. Okay Julie Chen, I am turning it over to you! Don’t Blink.

Fantastic Thursday Rundown

Posted on June 28, 2018 by brent

I can’t believe that in less than a week it will be the Fourth of July. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the holiday – but time is going by so fast. Let’s proceed with the Thursday Rundown…

Sloan’s Playmate – There is absolutely nothing cuter than watching toddlers interact with each other. Last Friday, Sidney’s good friend, Leslie, visited us with her daughter, Stevie Blair. Just a couple months older than Sloan, the two are natural playmates. We took the little girls to our neighborhood pool for a Friday afternoon of fun in the sun. It was so cute to watch the two stand side-by-side in the water and play with pool tools. Although Sloan can work a little bit on her manners, they got along great.

Sloan and Stevie Blair enjoying their playdate.

Cap’n Crunch Blueberry Pancake Cereal – I am always game to try new cereals, especially ones that are a little wacky. Cap’n Crunch recently released a limited edition blueberry pancake delight. I took one look at the box and yanked it off the shelf. So, how was it? Well, when I opened the plastic bag inside the box, the aroma that floated out smelled exactly like a plate of fluffy blueberry pancakes! But the actual taste did not. Even though the taste didn’t match the smell, the cereal was still pretty good. It was mild and light with a fruity flavor. For $1, it was worth it.

My box of Blueberry Pancake Cap’n Crunch.

Late Night Ice Cream Visit – I have written extensively about my love for ice cream trucks. However, this past weekend my affinity was tested. At around 9:45 p.m., Sidney and I were on the couch watching “48 Hours.” Suddenly, we looked at each with puzzled expressions. Is that children’s music? It was. Wait, is that the ice cream man? It was. At this hour? No joke. I walked outside to investigate. Sure enough, a Mr. Softee ice cream truck was doing steady business about a block away from our house. Never mind that it was pitch dark or that most children were fast asleep – the dude driving the truck was obviously after the adult audience. He stayed parked in the same spot until after 10 p.m. before finally moving on. It was bizarre.

I caught this photo of the Mr. Softee ice cream truck going by our street well after 10 p.m. on Saturday night.

Big Brother 20 – As my wife tweeted yesterday, it is the best part of the summer! Last night, the latest season of Big Brother premiered. As a converted fan, the opening episode was something I looked forward to. This season is especially interesting to us – a Coastal Carolina University alumna is on the show! Rachel Swindler, a 2010 CCU grad, is competing for the $500,000 prize. Needless to say, she is who I will be rooting for! My backup favorite is Scottie, a 26-year-old shipping manager who is a complete nerd. I feel like I have a little “Scottie” in me, so how can I not pull for him?

Sid is right, the best part of the summer is here!

Hoopfest – Quick shout out to everyone participating in Hoopfest this weekend. The largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament on the planet, I was involved in the spectacle for many years. After my playing days ended, I volunteered as a court monitor, keeping order on the streets of Spokane for seven years. Since living in South Carolina, I have made the trip back to Spokane for the tournament once, and got on the news for doing it, but I won’t be returning this year. I hope everyone has a great time!

This is me wearing the 2015 Hoopfest t-shirt and shorts while holding the 2015 Hoopfest ball.

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Enjoy this last weekend in June! It has been a good month for us and we look forward to continuing the good times over the next few days. As always, thanks for reading my blog. Don’t Blink.

Pre-Labor Day Thursday Rundown

Posted on August 31, 2017 by brent

With Labor Day weekend right around the corner, I hope I find everyone in great spirits. If you are a fan of my blog, perhaps my latest Thursday Rundown will elevate your mood even more. Here we go with tonight’s five topics…

NASCAR Driver Brent Reser – For this first time in my life, I jumped inside a racecar this morning. Our University Communication team was doing a photo shoot featuring our NASCAR driver Brandon Brown and his #90 XFINITY car. With Brandon yet to arrive and the vehicle parked innocently right in front of our signature administrative building, I was encouraged to jump in. Believe me, I am not using “jump in” as a figure of speech. I awkwardly maneuvered inside the car and almost broke something clumsily exiting it. However, I got some pretty sweet photos and crossed an item off my bucket list.

This was me inside Brandon Brown’s XFINITY car this morning.

First FBS Football Game – Speaking of Coastal Carolina, our football team will play in its first game as a member of the FBS this Saturday. A major supporter of this move, I am stoked that CCU is now playing at the ultimate varsity level of college football. I will be on the sidelines for the historic game as I cover it for #CCUSocialMedia.

Me standing in Brooks Stadium on our teal turf after the September 26, 2015 game. On September 2, 2017, Coastal will play its first game as a member of the FBS.

Weeks Keep Flying By for Sloan – Tomorrow, Sloan will turn 24 weeks. The biggest development this week? Ha, that’s easy! Her new thing is spitting. Yes, I am not kidding. She is constantly sticking her little tongue out and making a sweet (well, that’s debatable) spitting noise. Sometimes stuff (spit, carrots, rice cereal, etc) comes out and sometimes it doesn’t. Other than that, her hair continues to grow and her smiles still come in an abundant supply.

Seriously lacking on the quality of photos this week…sorry guys!

Awful Concert – Seven years ago today, I attended one of the worst concert of my life. On Aug. 31, 2010, I watched Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp perform on a pleasant Missoula night in a minor league baseball stadium. Although the weather and venue proved satisfactory, I just didn’t find either performer that energetic or engaging. The sound was suspect and I found myself bored. Can’t win them all.

I took these photos of a lackluster concert. Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp just didn’t do it for me.

Latest Big Brother Reaction– Although I know some people don’t feel the same way, I am a fan of Big Brother 19. Pretty much everything has shaken out exactly how I want it to. From the beginning, I wanted to see Christmas and Kevin do well and currently both are still in the house and will be safe at least through the week. However, the house guest I am rooting for the most is Paul. To watch him lose in such an unfair way last season was tough and I want to see him earn redemption. I think all of us can take our hats off to how he has played the game thus far. Even with the huge target on his back from the moment he entered the house, he has not only survived but thrived. Paul is the ultimate puppet master and I am getting a kick watching him pull all the strings. I really hope he makes it the distance.
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Organize a cookout, bust out the cold drinks, and have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Thank you for your constant support of my blog. Don’t Blink.

Thursday Rundown Here We Go

Posted on September 22, 2016 by brent

Good evening and welcome to the Thursday Rundown. Because I have a couple topics tonight that will be more or less summed up with a photo, this might be the shortest Thursday Rundown (in terms of word count) that I have ever done. Here we go…

Tweeted at by Dateline – As I mentioned before, I watch news magazines like crazy. When you like them as much as I do, you have a dilemma come Friday night. When 10 p.m. rolls around, do you watch 20/20 or Dateline? This past week I tweeted out the decision I ultimately made. It didn’t take long for a reply from the main Twitter account of the program I didn’t choose. Although the blunt assessment of my choice was a little cold, I still found it pretty awesome that Dateline tweeted at me.

Not even a minute had passed before Dateline responded to my tweet.

Gas Going Up – One of the major stories in South Carolina right now is rising gas prices. Because of a major pipeline leak in Alabama, our state has responded by raising prices. Ironically, the person who alerted me to the crisis was on the other side of the country. Pete, a good friend of mine from my Missoula days, texted me about the problem Friday morning. After work I filled up hassle free for $1.79 per gallon. I beat the mad rush to the pump that occurred over the weekend and of course the new $2.05 per gallon price.

Last week, gas was at &1.79 in Myrtle Beach. I filled up before it went up.

Too True – Okay, okay I apologize for sharing comics in consecutive weeks but this was too good to pass up, especially for a blogger. The below strip comes from a comic called Crankshaft. As my brother, sister, and wife all routinely give me a hard time for blogging about “nothing,” I felt they would get a kick out of this.

This Crankshaft comic strip had me thinking about what my brother says about my blog.

Big Brother 18 Finale Reaction – I can’t put into words how disappointed I was about last night’s Big Brother 18 finale. For those who don’t watch the show, you just need to know this: The person who should have won did not. Just the fact alone that the vote was close provided enough of an insult but for Nicole to actually WIN over Paul was asinine. When you looked at Paul’s body of work throughout the show compared to that of Nicole’s it appeared as if there was no debate on who should win. It seemed so cut and dry. I didn’t like Paul from the start of the show but I wanted to see the person I thought deserved to win bring home the $500,000. I literally stormed out of the room last night when the deciding vote was cast.

From The Archives – I have a couple past blog posts written on September 22 to share with you. Two years ago I told the world about my top five favorite fast food restaurants. As I sit here presently, I can tell you that my list has since changed! The changes include both the order and a couple of the restaurants included. An updated list will come in the future. Three years ago on September 22 I wrote about the life, death, and legacy of our family cat, Nabisco. We had her for 16 years and she brought my family so much joy.

Nabisco and I…the best cat I have ever known.

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Sorry to end the Thursday Rundown on a somber note. However, snap out of it by realizing football is on tonight! While you might opt for the NFL game, I will be watching Clemson vs. Georgia Tech. Have a great weekend. Don’t Blink.

Middle of Summer Thursday Rundown

Posted on July 14, 2016 by brent

It is the middle of July and that means we are in the heart of summer. I absolutely love this time of the year! Here I go with the latest edition of the Thursday Rundown…

Eating Good – One of the best parts about marriage is the food! Sidney has made me some incredible meals since we tied the knot. This week alone we have feasted on some terrific dinners. On Monday, we celebrated our one month wedding anniversary with delicious steaks. The meat was very flavorful and the homemade mashed potatoes she made from scratch would make Paula Deen envious. On Tuesday, she used inspiration from another recipe to create her own sausage pasta. Doesn’t it look pretty? The dish tasted even better yesterday when we ate it for leftovers!

Steak one night, sausage pasta the next.

Taco Time – A popular Mexican fast food restaurant in the northwest is Taco Time. This particular location below is a restaurant in Spokane. My brother sent me a snap of the marquee a couple days ago. With the Pokemon Go craze dominating the interest of our country right now, I thought the sign was pretty funny.

I enjoyed this message on the sign of a Taco Time restaurant in Spokane.

Movies – Over this past weekend, I saw two movies. The first one I watched was “Free State of Jones.” The film stars Matthew McConaughey and tells the story of southern defectors who fought against the Confederacy during the Civil War. It was interesting and the scenery in the film was beautiful. But what really stuck with me was the superb acting performance from McConaughey. It was worth the admission.

I also saw “The Purge: Election Year.” I went by myself to this one as Sidney is not into that type of stuff. I got pretty much what I went there to see: chilling and sadistic images of purgers. Tough to explain but I just like seeing the twisted costumes they wear and the way the producers highlight them for optimal “creep out” impact. Each film in the series sheds more and more commentary on the structure of society, with this latest movie doing it to a high degree. I was entertained by “The Purge: Election Year” but if given the choice, go see “Free State of Jones” first.

I enjoyed both “Free State of Jones” and “The Purge: Election Year.”

Trump’s Vice President Pick – First off, I was completely wrong when I predicted two months ago that Donald Trump would pick John Kasich as his running mate. Then, this week, my gut told me that Trump would probably select Newt Gingrich as his second-in-command. But with credible news agencies saying he is going with Indiana Governor Mike Pence it looks like I have no idea what I am talking about. To be honest, out of the finalists announced this week, I was hoping Trump would give the nod to Chris Christie (although I truly thought he was going to select Gingrich). That pair just seemed more entertaining to me.

Distinguishing Between Reality TV Shows – Before I met Sidney, I did not watch reality TV. Now I watch every episode of “Big Brother.” This isn’t by force either; I enjoy “Big Brother” and look forward to it. However, most of my reality show watching ends there. A co-worker asked me today if I watch the other shows that Sid watches. I answered no. The reason why I can watch “Big Brother” and not programs such as Real Housewives of whatever and “The Kardashians” is simple: I can relate to “Big Brother.” I see myself and I see others I know in the people on the show. There is strategy and there is a point. With the other shows, I don’t see anything familiar or real. I can’t bear to watch.

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It was a good week of blogging, I hope you all enjoyed. I will catch up with you on Sunday. Have a great weekend. Don’t Blink.

How I Fell in Love with “Big Brother”

Posted on September 23, 2015 by brent

On a Wednesday evening early in the summer I was bummed. Sidney and I were to leave for Spokane to enjoy vacation with my family. However, Delta Airlines called me right as we were about to leave for the airport to tell me our flight was canceled. With our trip now on hiatus at least for the night, we tried to make the best of the situation. We went and picked up Chinese food and returned to my place to eat and watch television. Sidney had the remote and changed the channel from ESPN to CBS. If there was a silver lining in our whole mess with Delta, it was that Sidney could now watch her favorite summer program.

It was the “Big Brother 17” season premiere. On a typical day I would have protested. I am not a fan of most reality television and at the time I considered the Big Brother franchise the scum of the genre. How boring, uncreative, and trashy can you get? People are confined to a house for three months while cameras follow their mundane activities and random conversations. No thank you.

I watched that first episode with Sidney from start to end. I made fun of it the entire time. I wasn’t really even paying attention to the content of the show, I was just expressing how dumb I thought the people and concept were. Sidney told me that she didn’t want me to watch it with her anymore.

We went to Spokane and for roughly the 12 days we were there, she kept up with the show. I didn’t. When we returned to Myrtle Beach and she started watching it on the scheduled nights again, I told her I wanted to watch it with more of an open mind. She gave me a second chance. Those first few episodes I was still very cynical. I tried to be on my best behavior but my sarcasm sometimes came out and Sid became frustrated with me. However, after those initial episodes, I started to chill out a little bit. My interest was piqued.

My insults turned to questions. I asked Sidney question after question about game strategy. I inquired about Power of Veto competitions, double evictions, Zingbot, and Julie Chen. I learned about the tradition of the show and common tactics. I actually learned the names of the cast and the weekly format of the show. Although I wasn’t necessarily a fan of the program yet, I was at least becoming educated.

As the weeks went on I actually started to kind of look forward to Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings in front of the TV. I started to understand the competition. Perhaps most importantly to my Big Brother initiation, I began to root for certain houseguests. I also zeroed in on a few houseguests who I absolutely detested and wanted to see evicted. A subtle passion was developing inside of me.

By late August I was very involved with the show. Sidney and I planned our evenings around the program and discussed it during our free time. I was talking “Big Brother” with people at work. At times I would watch the expanded “Big Brother After Dark” programming. In a couple true moments of weakness, I turned to blogging sites for spoilers. Sidney had converted me into a true “Big Brother” fan.

My fandom reaches a new level tonight. The “Big Brother 17” season finale will play out at 9:30 p.m. Three contestants remain but by the time 11 p.m. hits, only one person will be left. A cool $500,000 will be awarded to that skillful player and his/her name will forever be revered in Big Brother lore. I will have a rooting interest…

Throughout the season I strongly supported Jackie, Austin, and Vanessa. Jackie appealed to me much to my fiance’s chagrin. Austin was just a likeable and eccentric guy. Vanessa had been on my radar since her poker playing days and I respected her intelligence and strategy. Unfortunately, not all three made it to the end. Jackie earned herself a spot on jury but was evicted weeks ago. Austin was stunned early last week when he was evicted by an unlikely houseguest. Who was that houseguest, you ask? It is the person I am 100% rooting for tonight…Vanessa!

Like I mentioned, I am in awe of how smart and calculating Vanessa is. She has been my favorite the whole show and I want to see her win that half million. I know she faces a tough road this evening but her back has been up against the wall several times this summer. I really hope she makes the final two and that the jury makes the right decision to crown her the champ.

Sidney, you were right…”Big Brother” isn’t that bad. I have enjoyed watching the show this summer and I appreciate you putting up with me! Will I watch next summer? Tough question. These shows bring with them a significant time investment. I might watch, I might not. However, I won’t knock it. Enjoy the finale, everyone. Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Tag Archives: Big Brother