Hurricane Irma Thursday Rundown

It is currently a tense time in the area of the country I live in but that won’t stop the Thursday Rundown. Time to roll with this week’s five random topics…

Hurricane Irma – My opening sentence of this blog post was meant to reference one of the potentially biggest hurricanes to ever hit the United States. Hurricane Irma, a current Category 5 hurricane, is forecasted to make landfall in South Carolina. Many meteorologists are saying that Irma will dwarf Hurricane Matthew. Although the hurricane will most likely diminish into a Category 3 or Category 2 storm before it wreaks havoc on Myrtle Beach, it is a very concerning situation. I will make sure to keep all of you updated.

Wife Not a Fan of Football – Sidney can’t stand football season. She becomes quite annoyed when male figures in her life such as her husband and father spend time in front of the TV watching it. If I am going to catch a quarter while in bed, I have to mute it because just the background noise annoys Sid enough that she can’t sleep. When I saw this Blondie comic strip this morning it immediately made me think of Sid and I.

One reason Sidney dislikes football season is because it is so loooong.

Dad Entering His 33rd Year as Football Official – Speaking of football, my dad started his 33rd year as a high school referee this past week. I have written before about his decorated officiating career and needless to say I am proud of him for hitting the field to serve the Spokane youth once again. I wish him well and I will pray for a season of no injuries, understanding coaches, and exciting games. Have fun, dad!

A photo of my dad before he went off to officiate his first game of the 2017 season last Thursday.

Return Trip to Dave & Buster’s – On Labor Day, my father-in-law said he wanted to do “something fun.” To quench his thirst for a good time, we went to Dave & Buster’s. We visited the entertainment center at around 2 p.m. and it really was night and day compared to last June when we went on a weekend night at 10 p.m. We were able to play the games we wanted to in an atmosphere that resembled more of a family center as opposed to a night club. We ate lunch as well. Dave & Buster’s offers a vast and fun menu. Although making a selection was hard, I went with the bang bang chicken. The entire experience was a very nice Labor Day outing.

Sidney (and Sloan) playing Mario Kart this past Monday. My bang bang chicken is pictured to the right.

The Latest on Sloan – Although I don’t have too much new to report on Sloan this week, I do have one of the cuter picture collages to share. The smiles keep coming and her hair does too! When we FaceTime my family, her dark hair is the first thing they notice. She was so happy this morning as she smiled and played in her new overalls. Sloan will turn 25 weeks tomorrow.

No shortage of smiles from Sloan this week!

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Time to start bracing for a hurricane! I hope everyone stays safe and enjoys the weekend. I will try not to blow away. Don’t Blink.

Saving Your Popcorn for the Movie

As I recently mentioned, I read the comics from time to time

When I read the Blondie comic strip this morning, I immediately related to it.

When I read the Blondie comic strip this morning, I immediately related to it.

I couldn’t help but laugh at this morning’s Blondie strip. I am sure most all of us have been here before. You go to the movies and happen to arrive in the theater right before the film is supposed to start. Of course that means that if you found your seat at 8:59 p.m. for a 9 p.m. movie, the feature presentation won’t begin until 9:15 p.m. or later. In this day and age of previews and commercials, a movie start time is basically a big joke.

So, what do you do during the drawn out “upcoming attractions” marathon? You rip open your box of Milk Duds, grab handfuls from your popcorn tub, and down your Pibb Xtra! By the time the cheesy PSA plays asking everyone to turn off cell phones and practice common courtesy, you have already consumed your refreshments. Unless you do have free refills on popcorn and soda like Dagwood (character from Blondie), it is a little depressing.

I would face this conundrum outside of the theater also. I used to have a bad nightly habit of serving myself up a bowl of ice cream while watching whatever movie I rented that particular evening. As I was on a massive Red Box kick for a couple years, I would have to watch previews. Similar to my theater experience, I would polish off my ice cream by the time the opening credits rolled. Again, the empty feeling of not having a special treat to munch on while the actual movie played hit me pretty hard.

This sense of low key failure started to “eat” away at me. One day I made a personal change and told myself I would no longer indulge in movie treats until the previews finished. It was a lifestyle alteration that has proved positive for three main reasons:

1. I now get to enjoy food and drink while the actual movie is playing
2. The temptation and torture of smelling fresh popcorn while it sits on your lap for 20 minutes makes it so much more delicious and gratifying once you finally get to dig in.
3. It decreases the likelihood that you will overeat or pay more money on additional concession items.

But while I approve of my small stab at discipline, Sidney doesn’t so much. While she sees where I am coming from, she doesn’t necessarily understand why I allow my ice cream to practically melt to the consistency of liquid just so I can hold out until the movie starts. Furthermore, it isn’t all that fun eating something by yourself when it was meant for your partner as well. I guess she doesn’t accept my explanation that I am just giving her a head start on the popcorn and soda.

Do you save your junk food for when the movie actually starts? Or do you just dig right in? I would be interested in hearing from you. Just remember that no matter what, always put some extra butter on that popcorn. Don’t Blink.