There is no other way to begin this Thursday Rundown than to say thank you to our veterans. If you are reading this and happen to be a veteran, I am honored that you would even read my blog. But more importantly, please accept my gratitude for your service to our country. Let’s begin tonight’s post…

Ears Lowered – It wasn’t the first time Beau got a haircut but it was my first time tagging along. My son got his ears lowered at Great Clips and I got to stand on the salon floor with him as his hair drifted to the ground. After the stylist was done with him it looked like Beau had aged about a year. What a handsome young man!

Beau getting a haircut at a Spokane Valley Great Clips on Sunday,

Not in Prime Films – This week I watched a couple movies from the late 2000s with similar themes. The first one I viewed was “The Wrestler” followed by “Crazy Heart.” Both films told stories of substance abusing washed up entertainers. Both movies also boasted fabulous leading role performances with Mickey Rourke playing professional wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson and Jeff Bridges playing country western singer Bad Blake. The movies did such a great job of portraying the battle to stay relevant, the pains of falling from grace, and the relationships that suffer. Out of the two, my favorite was “The Wrestler” and if you have Hulu I highly recommend watching it.

“The Wrestler” and “Crazy Heart” were both good films.

Thanksgiving Reads – In a previous Thursday Rundown I mentioned how Sloan’s nighttime reading routine becomes a little more exciting during the holidays and I used Halloween as an example. Well, it is now November and we are picking up Thanksgiving books during our regular trips to the library. Our library has a five-item limit on holiday-themed materials (which I think is a good thing) so we are always really selective when choosing our books. My favorite among this handful of books? For those who know our family tradition, it might come as no surprise that it is Milly and the Macy’s Parade.

These are the current Thanksgiving books we have at our house.

College Gameday in Missoula? – Pay attention this weekend when ESPN announces where College Gameday will go on Saturday, Nov. 20. If everything continues to go according to plan, the University of Montana should receive hosting privileges. In recent years, Gameday has chosen one Saturday out of the season to spend at an FCS site, a welcome change to its usual Power 5 tour. The show has been in contact with the University of Montana and a social media campaign spearheaded by the Grizzlies has generated a lot of enthusiasm. I am hopeful that my alma mater will land the coveted show and the beautiful city of Missoula will be on full display for a national audience a week from Saturday. Oh yeah, if it all comes to fruition, Gameday would be in town for one of the best rivalries in college football…THE BRAWL OF THE WILD (University of Montana vs. Montana State).

From what I can tell, it is looking good that the University of Montana will land College Gameday. (graphic courtesy of the Montana Kaimin)

Veterans Day Personal Reflection – During my junior year of high school my dad took me on a very memorable trip to Washington D.C. to really get a grasp of my American roots. We did everything from the monuments to the museums to the cathedrals. We walked past the White House, walked on the steps of the Supreme Court, watched Congress in session, saw the newly constructed 9/11 museum, and walked through the National Mall. For a history buff like me, my eyes were wide open the entire time. It was an awesome experience, one that I will never forget.

However, the part of the trip that will forever be cemented inside my mind and in my heart came when we visited Arlington National Cemetery. We got off the metro and after just taking a few steps you could see it. Rows and rows of white tombstones poking out of the earth and expanding further than the eye could see. As we got onto the cemetery grounds and started looking around a thick aurora of reverence engulfed me. Although other tourists were all around me there was no noise whatsoever. We were on the hallowed grounds of where close to a half million people were buried, people who had the courage and inclination to give up their lives so someone like me could live a comfortable life with invaluable freedoms. It was an absolute overwhelming experience. From that day forward, Veterans Day has always had more meaning for me (full blog post).

Myself at Arlington National Cemetery in 2003.

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Thanks for reading today. It is still early, so if you have not thanked a veteran yet, you better get on it. Happy Veterans Day and God bless America. Don’t Blink.