L.L. Bean’s Christmas Commercial – The Music, The Dog, and More!

L.L. Bean has a new ad out in time for the holidays, and it’s just pawfect! Take a look then scroll down for more info…

The music. What a great song choice for the cute commercial. It’s “You and Me” by Penny & The Quarters. This song has an interesting history and dates back to the early 1970s.

The pup. L.L. Bean has confirmed the dog is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. I haven’t heard of this breed but if they’re anything like Whiskey (the dog’s name), they’re good actors! Whiskey is on Instagram, so if you want more priceless pics and videos, find her here: @whiskeytoller

Many more adorable photos, so go to his Instagram already!

The man. The actor playing the role of dog dad is Antonio Garcia, Jr. You can check out his demo reel on IMDB here. Also follow him on Instagram: @antoniogarciajr_ I think he did a great job in this ad. I liked seeing him talk to Whiskey in some of the clips. He’s either a dog kind of guy, or a good actor, or quite possibly… both!

The clothes. If you’re curious about the products in the ad, the plaid shirt’s color is officially called Rob Roy Tartan and can be found on their site here. The red winter shirt Antonio is wearing by the Christmas tree is what L.L. Bean calls Camp PJs and can be found here.

How do you feel about the ad? Does it make you want some L.L. Bean gear? Or does it just make you want a loyal dog even more? Chime in and merry Christmas!

-Out of the Wilderness

Ladybugs are awfully prude these days

When I recently posted that I hadn’t had any dates with the ladies lately, I didn’t suspect I’d be swarmed a few days later with oodles of ladies. Ladybugs, that is!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It was basically out of nowhere but come to find out this is the season for them… I guess? I don’t remember having an issue in Nashville but that was back when I was in Tennessee. In a house. With an exterminator.

Honestly, I still can’t believe how many seemed to be magnetized to my travel trailer. As the sun went down and the temperatures cooled for the evening, the onslaught subsided but today they’re all back and better than ever! It’s like they didn’t learn their lesson from yesterday, being sucked up in a vacuum didn’t show them who’s boss, I guess.

It’s a little more under control after I resorted to Googling “how to keep ladybugs out of a house”. So far the best defense has been dryer sheets. I also sprayed a little bit of bug repellent where they seemed to be crawling in, so maybe that will help, too.

If you have any ideas, send them my way! I’m all ears. Which is just about the only body parts not covered in ladybugs at the moment.

-Out of the Wilderness

Song Titles about the Forest, Woods, and Trees

Chalk this one up to a random thought I had in the middle of the night. Here are songs sort of related… titles about the forest, trees, or the woods. Obviously there are more, but these were pulled from my memory and my Spotify playlists. Enjoy!

“Welcome to the Jungle” – Guns N’ Roses

“Out of the Woods” – Taylor Swift

“Tall, Tall Trees” – Alan Jackson

“Alabama Pines” – Jason Isbell

“Wilderness” – The O.C. Supertones

“Into the Wild” – LP

“Into the Wild” Phillip Phillips

Which songs would you add to this list? Comment below!

Thanks for stopping by…

-Out of the Wilderness

The fear of dating rejection…

I wrote yesterday about how I’ve not had a date in a couple months, mostly because I moved to a new city. But that’s not the only reason. For the longest time (going all the way back to my teens), I had a huge fear of rejection. So truth be told, I would only ask out a girl after I already knew she was interested. There’s still a fear of rejection even in that situation (and there were some rejections, too, after I misread their level of interest!).

In my thirties and forties I have become a little less fearful. I’m not saying I’ve turned into a love machine or anything, but I’ve [learned, or learned to care less] which helps in the whole fear of rejection thing.

Honestly, I can’t think of any opportunities I’ve recently had to ask a woman out since, but I’m a little more aware of those opportunities now… especially since the older I get, the fewer and more far between the chances are.

All of this still comes with a side note: I’m happy as an unmarried man. I have my little home, my dogs, and a sense of contentment that brings me happiness. There are a lot of nice things about not being attached (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise), but I know being partnered up is nice, too (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise).

And now another side note: as soon as I take a chance (20 seconds of bravery as it’s put in “We Bought A Zoo”) and ask a woman out, I will write about it… whether the outcome is positive or negative. And really, the worst that can happen is she says no and I keep on living my life without her, the way it’s been already.

Thanks for checking out my blog today!

-Out of the Wilderness

I haven’t had a date in…

I left Nashville almost 2 months ago. Since arriving in Florida most of my time has been spent with my family (parents, siblings, nieces, etc). Family was the driving force for the move south so being with them a lot is going according to that plan. But all this time spent with them doesn’t leave much time for outsiders (dates!). In fact, a few weeks before leaving the volunteer state was my most recent date, so that makes it 74 days, 16 hours, 34 minutes, and 29 seconds since I’ve been out with a woman. Not that I’m keeping track. 🙂

Do I miss going out on dates? Some days, yes. But to be totally honest, dating during the holidays is hard, anyway. Not to mention I don’t like being outside in the cold. So winters in Nashville consisted mostly of me and my dogs huddled next to a space heater watching football or YouTube.

Trust the science! OK, this is a joke.

I would imagine it will be another month or two before I even think about asking anyone on a date, for two reasons: 1. Holidays and cold, 2. Is there a woman out there ready for my weirdness? (that’s a rhetorical question and also, not a rhetorical question).

Till then, I will be content becoming more involved in my family’s lives, which was the main purpose of moving south. And it’s been pretty great so far!

-Out of the Wilderness