Does Anyone Still Go to the Beach for Spring Break?

This year I’ve been tapping into a side of my creativity that’s been dormant for a long time. Decades. I used to love drawing (every kid does probably?) but that skill plateaued way back in middle school. Now that I’m writing this out, I actually remember drawing in college, too. I’m sure I still have those mediocre works stuffed in a bin somewhere but as I grew up, it became less about the actual drawing and more about design and advertising. Thankfully now, however many years later, I can create pictures and designs on a computer with programs like Affinity, Adobe, etc which allows a lot of room for fixing things (better than a pencil eraser, that’s for sure). I’ll try to find an old drawing and post it in this post. Gotta go down to the shed and hopefully find my notebook without disturbing the spiders. 🕷️ (UPDATE: I found them… see my amazing skills at the bottom of this post)…

Since the inception of the joint effort of my sister and I– Wild Hat Designs— I branched off with my own designs, too. Right about now you might be thinking, “What in the world does any of this have to do with Spring Break?” Good question. Welp, my latest designs have a theme: The Forgotten Coast. It’s an area of north Florida where there aren’t so many hotels, restaurants, people (Apalachicola, St. George Island, St. Marks, and a few other places). Think of Panama City Beach then subtract 87.5% of the people and you’re getting closer to the charm of Florida’s Forgotten Coast. Mostly undisturbed beauty without the hustle and bustle of souvenir cities. I’ve enjoyed coming up with beachy wildlife designs and I’d be as happy as a flipping dolphin if you check them out. My store on Etsy is called Out of the Wilderness and this link will take you right to the “Forgotten Coast” section.

If you aren’t the type of person who enjoys the beach, where do you go on vacations? Mountains, big cities, theme parks? What makes you happy? And now, here’s my grade-school level skills even though I was in college…

-Out of the Wilderness

Have you ever seen an eagle run?

I don’t mean that as a metaphor (like: These colors don’t run!). Literally, have you ever seen an eagle run? As majestic as they are when they’re flying or sitting atop a tree waiting to attack, they look pretty goofy when they run. There was a bald eagle by a pond the other day and I guess it wanted to scare off a few crows that were also by the same pond. When I say it galloped, I mean it in the most clunky, uncoordinated way. Here’s a picture of terrible quality and I’ll wrap this up with a video from YouTube of those inspiring birds looking like they must’ve always finished last on their high school track team.

-Out of the Wilderness

Does the Bible really say something about pickleball???

I won’t bore you with a long drawn out story about how terrible I played in a critical pickleball match yesterday. There we were on the precipice of making it to the bronze medal round and I couldn’t do anything right. I can absolutely say that the Bible is as relevant today as it was 50 and 100 and a thousand years ago.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

That’s me on the pickleball court. And yes, that’s a verse from Romans. Me, the pickleball clown of Tallahassee… hitting every ball out of bounds or into the net. What a goofball. On the bright side, I designed a new pickleball hat and a portion of every sale of these Frederick City themed hats goes to my brother for his cancer journey. We’re in the midst of a miracle so ask me more if you’re curious! Here’s a link to the Etsy store where you can take a look at the hat.

-Out of the Wilderness

The Best Jingle of 2026, Hands Down

As a kid growing up in the 80s and 90s, I learned to have an appreciation for brand jingles. Toys ‘R Us, Folgers coffee, Uncle Jesse and Joey on “Full House,” just to name a few. At 47-years-old, I still catch myself humming a jingle or working part of random choruses into a conversation. Maybe that’s why I’m single. Hmm. Well, I don’t care. I’m still going to sing “I’m a big kid now!” even though I haven’t worn a Huggies diaper in years.

I have two favorite jingles. One might be annoying to some people but the other must be beloved around the world. The former is “Nothing is everythiieeeiiiing…” from Skyrizi. Right when I think they’ve run out of variations of that jingle, they come out with another banger. But the top spot, and if you don’t like this one you’re dead inside, goes to Daisy. They have the dollop ads for sour cream but the versions I love best are for their cottage cheese. Not only would I listen to a full version on Spotify, I’d also pay $0.99 to download it in iTunes, something I haven’t done since I… was wearing Huggies.

Daisy, keep up the good work and let us know when the new album drops.

-Out of the Wilderness

Jack Hughes is Great for American Dentists

Incredible athletes performed in the name of the United States. Every color of medal was won and just like US Hockey player Jack Hughes, I love this country. Not only did he get a couple of teeth knocked out, which I imagine is a badge of honor in hockey circles, he also scored the Gold-Medal-winning goal. Very cool. Afterwards, he gushed about his love for America and I felt my heart swelling with pride.

Sports fans might drink the beers and get in the fights but they’re sharp when it comes to seeing athletes for who they really are. For instance, the country will rally around a beloved athlete who loses a match or game. We cheer for them to win but support them (perhaps, all the more) when they come up short. On the other end of the spectrum, when an athlete shows selfishness or bashes their sport or country on a global stage, even when they win it’s a bitter taste for fans. Sometimes it might even feel more fitting from a fan perspective when they lose (*ahem* U.S. Women’s Soccer).

With all of that said, I love living in a country where we have the freedom to disagree. It makes me love the country even more. Are there things I don’t particularly enjoy? Of course. But when we have the chance to talk to a global audience, we absolutely ought to brag about being in the best country in the world… like Jack did in the interview below. Pick up a shirt and wear it with American pride here.

-Out of the Wilderness