Tag Archives: Big Brother

Big Brother 28: “Iconic”

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Sidney and I wrapped up our 16th season of watching “Big Brother” last night and oh how sweet it was! Although I know “Big Brother 28” ruffled the feathers of some purists, I found the season to be quite entertaining.

I enjoyed the 28th season of Big Brother.

So let me start with the point of contention for people who prefer to keep their CBS reality TV shows separate. This summer’s season included “The Icons”, a trio of individuals who competed in past realty shows. One of these people, Angela, was part of the Big Brother 26 cast. Okay, not that big of a deal—past houseguests return quite frequently to take another shot at alluding eviction. But the other two “Icons” came from “that other” CBS reality TV franchise…”Survivor.”

For some fans, this was an insult and even an ego-deflater once it became obvious that Devens and Dee were running the game. Why would show producers give house keys to past “Survivor” contestants and how on earth were they actually sticking around week after week? But that sentiment felt by bitter viewers and past “Big Brother” houseguests didn’t resonate with me. Even as someone who only watches “Big Brother” and who has never watched an entire episode of “Survivor” before, the crossover didn’t bother me. In fact, I loved their addition to the cast, applauded their gameplay, and cheered enthusiastically for them to make it all the way to the end.

Sidney and I snuggle on our chair as we watch the season finale of “Big Brother 28.” It marked the 16th season that we have watched together.

“Big Brother” seasons are always more engaging when you have someone to root for and this season I was in the corner of “The Icons.” Thus, I was ecstatic when Devens won…perhaps even over the moon. Out of the three icons he was my favorite and this season marked the first time someone I wanted to win from the beginning actually pulled it off. Devens was simply superb. He won competitions, played a flawless social game, provided perfect answers under jury questioning, and was just so damn likeable. 

There was absolutely no doubt about it. Devens deserved to win Big Brother 28.

Speaking of likeable, he took home “America’s Favorite Houseguest” as he cemented his legacy for playing perhaps the most complete Big Brother season ever. Although I hated it that he didn’t take Drew to Final Two, his entire body of work allowed me to look past that act of betrayal. Even though I can’t say for sure that he would have beat Drew by the same margin that he beat Taylor (6-1), there is no question in my mind that he still would have comfortably won.

I literally jumped around when the jury voted Devens as “Big Brother 28” winner.

As per usual, I always take the chance to touch on some lighter topics I like to assess at the end of each season…

– After two years of lame and clunky themes, I could live with this season’s time travel storyline. It set up some interesting competitions and the house wasn’t an eyesore to look at. Although the special effects used to simulate the houseguests moving through time were hokey (as per usual), I could deal with it given that everything else related to the theme was mostly decent.

– The time travel theme spinoff that missed the mark was the “BB Time Capsule.” It was an example of the show just trying too hard. A lot of the rewards/punishments were inconsequential and pretty annoying. When it came to the one reward that actually factored into gameplay, I thought Dee was stretching so hard to use it. The “BB bribe” did end up having an impact but it seemed like the houseguests had to get really creative and “cute” to use it—not good in my humble opinion.

– Zingbot redeemed himself last year after some unfunny routines in Season 25 and Season 26. Unfortunately, his slate of jokes this year didn’t pack the same humor and cleverness from Season 27. In fact, this season’s stand up set kind of repulsed me. But perhaps my expectations were just too high.

– On the other side of the coin, my expectations were low with “Unlocked.” I was annoyed and uninterested with the show last year and my opinion didn’t change for Season 28.  The producers once again did a slimy thing by inserting an episode of “Unlocked” into a traditional Sunday airing of Big Brother. When this gimmick is crammed down our throats, it not only wastes my time but it makes me hate “Unlocked” even more.

– But enough of the negativity, let me express something that I appreciated: The houseguests conducted themselves in a manner that didn’t require the premature removal of anyone or major controversy to erupt.

– Congratulations to Big Brother for airing its 1000th episode this season. It was a lot of fun to watch as awards were bestowed on past houseguests and iconic moments relived. Although I usually despise “look back” episodes (such as the second-to-last episode in each Big Brother season), the approach of the 1000th show was warranted and tastefully done.

– Finally, I have a confession to make: While seemingly fellow houseguests and much of America scorned her, I was a fan of Haley. The way she was evicted bummed me out because she wasn’t granted an interview with Julie.

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Ha! I went a little long on my comments this year. Let me turn it over to my readers now. Did you watch #BB28? If so, what did you think? In closing, thanks to my wife (and daughter) for watching yet another season with me. We certainly enjoyed it but I am not sad to see it end…feeling compelled to watch a show three times per week can be pressure-inducing 😉. Don’t Blink.

October Mania Thursday Rundown

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I don’t think I could be more pumped up! October is here and I love this month. In fact, my love for this month even extends to this day (October 1) exclusively. So riding my enthusiasm of the tenth month of the year, let’s jump into my latest Thursday Rundown…

HallowGivingMas – I realize I might be overdoing it with how much I love October, but part of what makes this month so glorious is what it kicks off. I always fondly tell the story of how my former boss wished me a “Happy HallowGivingMas” on Oct. 1, 2019. Ever since that greeting, I have cognizantly observed and celebrated this best three-month stretch of the year that includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. My friends, let me ask you a question: Are you ready to celebrate, eat, and spend time with family? Leggggoooo!

The best three-month stretch of the year begins today.

Throwback 10 Years – Look at those two lovebirds! This photo was taken on Oct. 1, 2016. Sidney and I traveled to Clemson with her family to watch the Tigers host Louisville in a major ACC clash. I had the audacity to wear a Louisville polo in support of my friend, Kenny, whose uncle was the head coach of the Cardinals at the time. In a thrilling game, Clemson held off Lamar Jackson’s Louisville squad, 42-36.

Sidney and I pose for a photo at the Clemson vs. Louisville game on Oct. 1, 2016.

Pumpkin Spice – Today is Pumpkin Spice Day and I think Oct. 1 is a great time to observe it. October should be synonymous with pumpkin but not September…and definitely not August. Sadly, the pumpkin spice craze has been waaay oversaturated the past several years and has caused me serious pumpkin fatigue. With that said, I still enjoy pumpkin-inspired beer, frozen yogurt, and soup. However, nothing beats pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin pie is the best pumpkin dish!

Dogs and Tots – On Monday evening, I took Beau with me up north to watch some soccer. The daughter of a co-worker plays for Cheney High School and I wanted to show my support (even though they faced my alma mater, Mead High School). About midway through the second half we left the game and headed across the street for dinner at Zip’s. We each had a corn dog and shared a tub of tater tots. Does it get much better?

Beau ready to eat at the Zip’s located at 3212 N. Market St.

Big Brother 28 Finale – I will have much more to say tomorrow about “Big Brother 28” but until then I have the season finale to watch tonight. Once again, Sid and I have watched the entire season together shoulder-to-shoulder and I definitely have a favorite that I want to see emerge victorious. Make sure to tune in to CBS at 8 p.m. for the conclusion of a pretty great (and somewhat controversial) season.

I am ready for tonight’s season finale!

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As I mentioned, I have a season finale I need to prepare for! If you aren’t a Big Brother fan you might not read my post tomorrow and if that is the case I will catch up with you on Monday. I hope everyone has a fabulous October. Don’t Blink.

Big Brother 26: Good Stuff

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Although we watched the Big Brother 26 finale a few nights after it aired live, it wasn’t because Sid and I were so ho-hum with the season that we didn’t care. Rather, a packed schedule was to blame for our short delay. But no matter if we watched it live or caught ourselves up a few days after the fact, we thoroughly enjoyed watching our 14th season together.

Sidney and I enjoyed watching Big Brother 26…it was the 14th season we watched together.

Well, to be fair, when it comes to #BB26, there was one thing I didn’t particularly enjoy: the theme. Although the AI twist was extremely timely and something that resonated with me as a marketer, the execution of the theme was finicky at best. Ainsley didn’t do it for me and all the deep fake applications with the houseguests came off as hokey.

But aside from a theme that had good intentions but didn’t deliver, I think the season was pretty solid. And that comes from a blogger who had his favorite houseguest voted out pre-jury. I was a BIG Tucker fan and was truly bummed when he was evicted. I admired how he played with reckless abandonment and the uncanny sense of humor he brought to the house. His move to use the Power of Veto on Angela instead of HIMSELF was unprecedented and ballsy, something that was so audacious that I actually respected it.

Oh wait, did I just mention Angela? Let me just address her now. Commonly referred to as a production “plant” by my wife and popular Big Brother blogs, it was interesting that a former “Dr. Phil” guest and “Price Is Right” contestant was thrown into the house. Her antics did entertain me but I would be lying if I said I never questioned her merits for being part of the cast.

On the other side of the coin, the two finalists, Chelsie and Makensy, certainly deserved to be in that house. They played such well-rounded games and earned their way to the final two. However, despite playing such a masterful game, Makensy made two painfully terrible decisions in the final week. My jaw dropped when she chose to bring Cam to finale night over Rubina. Next, she made the even worst decision of evicting Cam so she could have a jury showdown with Chelsie. WTF.

The Big Brother 26 champion was undoubtedly decided at that point. But even with Makensy sealing her fate with that boneheaded move, Chelsie still managed to impress. I expected that the jury would vote 5-2 in Chelsie’s favor, but her answers to the jury and closing statement were so persuasive and well-put together that I think she flipped Andrea and Leah to her side, effectively securing a 7-0 unanimous decision.

Congrats to Chelsie for playing an incredible game.

A few final random notes…

– I was relieved that the season was played with no controversy in terms of what people said in one-off conversations and that no one was kicked off the show for non-gameplay reasons.

– Watching Jerry O’Connell guest host an episode was kind of fun. I think he did a good job except for the eviction interview he gave to Quinn.

– Speaking of Quinn, he was probably my least favorite houseguest but he was a good player.

– Congrats to Tucker winning America’s Favorite Houseguest…he had my vote!

– The reaction when Julie Chen told the houseguests that Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden in the Presidential Election was priceless. It really put into perspective how long the jury/final two houseguests had been in the house.

Thank you CBS for another season of Big Brother and the opportunity for my wife and I to bond in this annual special way. Don’t Blink.

Hot Hot Hot Thursday Rundown

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Hot! Hot! Hot! We are in the middle of summer here and the high 90s/low 100s temperatures certainly reflect it. However, I am lucky to have my in-laws visiting from South Carolina and they are loving mornings and evenings that bring actual relief along with a very forgiving shade. So let me get through these five topics so I can join them under our back yard patio umbrella.

Wedding Memes – On this date eight years ago, I did something that might have been pushing it. I took the photos from our wedding and made memes out of them. I know, I know…why use the beautiful, expensive images from your happiest day just for a few cheap laughs? Well, perhaps I don’t always think straight. Below is one of the memes I created but if you want to see the rest, tap here.

Telling myself not to screw it up the entire night before obviously paid off.

Watermelon Art – Last Saturday, we attended my nephew’s 7th birthday party. It was held at the YMCA pool and followed an aquatic life theme (my sister loves a good theme). Speaking of my sister, she carved and prepared this watermelon to resemble a shark. Pretty cool, right?

This watermelon was served at my nephew’s birthday party.

National Sour Candy Day – I won’t even consider entertaining National Sour Candy Day (at least in the form of indulging). Even as a kid, I was not a fan of candy that made your face pucker. My children, on the other hand, are a completely different story. For whatever reason they enjoy the sensation of their eyes watering when they eat something like sour gummi bears, a Warhead, or Sour Patch Kids. But as I have conveyed through both my top five favorite hard candies list and my top five Jelly Belly list, I steer far away from anything that is sour.

Give me chocolate any day but I detest sour candy.

Big Brother 26 – It’s that time again. The latest Big Brother season premiered last night and our family is dialed in. Yes, even Sloan is now a fan. Big Brother 26 will mark the 13th season that Sid and I have watched together (10 regular seasons plus 3 celebrity seasons). Not bad for someone who was once passionately anti-reality TV. I can’t give my picks on who I want to win yet because last night’s episode only revealed eight of the 16 houseguests.

Big Brother 26 kicked off on July 17, 2024.

Better Late Than Never – By this point, you can probably tell I don’t have much new material this week given all the past blog posts I have referenced and the fact that this will be the second “national day” that I recognize. But I just feel like it wouldn’t be right if I completely snubbed the special day of one of my favorite foods—mac and cheese. Although I won’t give it the individual blog post treatment I bestowed on hot dogs yesterday, I do want to recognize National Macaroni and Cheese Day that took place on July 14. My two favorite mac and cheese blog posts jump right out at me: we have the time I achieved a life goal of actually judging a macaroni and cheese cookoff AND the post in which I shared the often overlooked toppings that complement the best dish in the world.

I love mac and cheese more than I love hot dogs.

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Five topics up, five topics down! As I mentioned, we have some special visitors so I am off to join them. Have an awesome weekend. Don’t Blink.

Big Brother 25 Final Thoughts

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It was a 100-day marathon “Big Brother” season and you better believe that Sidney and I were dialed in for the entire thing. The 25th season of the storied reality show brought with it some decent gameplay and interesting storylines so let me just highlight a couple of my thoughts.

It was another fun season watching “Big Brother” with Sid. The final three was a pretty loyal group.

First, unfortunately for me, I didn’t really have a dog in the fight after Cameron was evicted. Although he wasn’t one of my favorites to begin with (in fact, I didn’t really care for him too much), the dude grew on me. By the time my initial fav houseguests were evicted, Cameron was my guy. After he was booted, I went through the last several weeks of the season without someone I was passionately rooting for.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I didn’t find myself strongly disliking anyone either. I wasn’t a Hisam fan but he was evicted early so his personality wasn’t able to test m patience over the course of three-plus months.

I think something that stands out about this season was the many floaters who lasted until the final weeks of the game. It seemed to me that this season lacked strong, savvy competitors…at least those that made it deep. To those houseguests who I think floated their way through their time in the Big Brother house, perhaps it was all strategy but I feel I can tell a difference between strategic gameplay and general weakness.

Speaking of gameplay, let me address the winner and runner up. Congrats to Jag! I really admired his loyalty to Matt and the fact that he played the game with integrity. He was a solid and likeable player. However, I had a tough time rationalizing how he could be voted the champ based on the fact that he had already been unanimously evicted. But credit Jag for taking the second opportunity and absolutely making the most of it.

Before finale night, there was no doubt in my mind that Matt deserved to win. As the guy who was a competition beast with a superb social game even though he was at a distinct disadvantage because of his disability, I thought he overwhelmingly deserved the $750,000. But I had no choice but to agree with the jury’s final decision because Matt didn’t show up when it came time to defend his game. He couldn’t satisfactorily answer the questions the jury asked and his final statement fell well short. It was tough to watch the Big Brother 25 title slip through his grasp.

As for the intangibles: I never really understood nor appreciated the Multiverse theme. The twist with Cirie and Jared was a lot of fun and I loved the reactions of the houseguests when Julie told them the secret. I didn’t mind the fact that this season was a little longer nor that it started later in the calendar year than usual. I sincerely hope that next season there isn’t another instance of someone saying something stupid that causes a big controversy.

Thanks to my wife for watching another season with me while putting up with my unsolicited commentary 😂. It looks like “Big Brother” has some type of holiday spinoff coming up in December that I imagine we will give a chance. Until then, expect the unexpected. Don’t Blink.

Sunrise Thursday Rundown

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.