Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
This ad makes it clear Microsoft is going for the hip and cool crowd, from the way it’s edited, the cast, and the music. Check it out.
The Music. The song featured in this ad is “Don’t Lose Sight” by Lawrence. Follow them on Instagram and listen to more on Spotify. Check out the clever music video below.
Featured Artist. The commercial (once it’s past the “boring” Apple computers) features Daisuke Okamoto, a Japanese artist living in Los Angeles at the moment. Check out more about Daisuke on Instagram or the artist’s main website.
How do you feel about the ad? Do you like the music? Does the commercial compel you to buy a Surface Pro 8 (currently around $900).
Like I said recently, this mini-tour camping around central Florida started with a pit stop in Gainesville to visit an old friend, but then I was off to the first state park.
Juniper Springs Recreational Area, to be exact.
I booked this trip about a month in advance so the anticipation was killing me, especially as I drove in to find my campsite.
Site 011, to be exact.
I felt like such a newby. A lot like the time I took a Suzuki cruiser for a test ride on a real road. Like this: Does anyone know I have no idea what I’m doing? I ended up buying the motorcycle and I feel just as fresh now, camping alone in my own travel trailer for the first time. Such a newby.
If the guard at the gate could tell I was brand new to camping, at least he didn’t show it. He probably knew after I asked about 17 questions. He gave me the rundown of what to do, where to go, all that jazz. They’re very particular about parking on the blacktop. As in, not the soft ground. Also as in, not pavement. I said, “OK, I need to park on the pavement.” He said, “Park on the blacktop.” Very interesting how much they like using the term: blacktop.
I arrived at site 011 and parked… guess where? On the grass. Kidding, I’m not that much of a rebel. Here I am… on the blacktop.
I was just about to bust with excitement, knowing I’d be seeing the springs as soon as I got settled and got the dogs situated. At this campground, there are two main springs… one where people can swim, and one where people can get eaten by gators (so…. no swimming).
I was curious about both but went with the “no swimming” location first. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and you might not believe it either. I won’t spoil the surprise but just to not freak anyone out unnecessarily, it WASN’T a swimmer getting eaten by an alligator.
It was just as natural, though, but beautiful (I threw a “but” in there because while someone becoming a gator snack IS natural, it’s not beautiful (unless you’re the gator, I guess?). Ok, this is going a direction I didn’t plan.
For this naturally occurring beautiful thing I saw, come back soon. I post every day at 1pm Central. I hope I’m building up the anticipation because you won’t be disappointed. Until then, here are a few photos of the springs.
Welcome to my blog. If you’re new to the site, I write about all kinds of things from dating to dogs (not dating dogs, let me be clear) to music and TV and many other things. This particular post is the first one in a series of posts about a mini-tour camping around central Florida.
This little adventure launches from Tallahassee (my home base), and takes me to a couple of state parks in the Ocala National Forest, RV parks near Daytona Beach and Orlando, and even a few overnight stays in random parking lots (don’t worry, business owners were fully aware)!
So much will be going on during this 3-week adventure but before I even reach my first campout, I have to stop in Gainesville to catch up with the friend I’ve had for the longest. He and I met a thousand years ago in middle school at a little church in Miami, Florida.
This friend of mine (I sometimes call him Timber), along with his brother, started a coffee shop in Gainesville and their hard work has paid off, as now they have multiple locations and dozens of employees. It’s Gainesville’s best coffeeshop, Opus Coffee, so you better do a taste test to find out why those pesky Gators loves this coffee (sorry, my immature loyalty to Florida State is showing). But college rivalries aside, I have a feeling you will become a fan, too (of the coffee, not the Gators, I hope).
I actually don’t drink coffee (I know, I’m so unsophisticated), but I stopped in anyway to see my friend at that location pictured above. It’s where they do all their roasting, unlike me – I do all my roasting on the internet.
Anyway, next door to their roasting headquarters is a place called Satch Squared and we took a chance on their vegan waffles.
Yeah, those breakfast waffles did not disappoint (thanks for the recommendation, Timber)! While we were trying to savor every bite, we also had to talk, so he and I caught up on each other’s lives. He has always been able to make me laugh with just a few words or a gesture, and that holds true today. What a good dude!
So this particular Opus Coffee location serves their customers from an old Airstream. How cool is that? There’s also lots of space to hang with your besties (as the kids say, I think?).
More photos from this pit stop are just a scroll away (scroll down, silly), but I must go onward now to my first camping location – Juniper Springs State Park in the Ocala National Forest.
Check back soon for a rundown of my time there. What did I see that blew my mind? Did my dogs poop in someone else’s camping area? Was I forced to take cold showers? Answers, along with some photos of the gorgeous location, coming soon!
DoorDash is driving home (with the windows down so the pup can smell the fresh air) the idea that they can deliver more than food. Of course, I’m talking about this basset hound ad, but also the ad below featuring a very earwormy song. Take a look…
The Music. The title of this song is pretty self-explanatory. It’s “I’ve Got A Dog And My Dog’s Name Is Cat” by Barry Louis Polisar. Here’s the full track.
As you can see from the video, the album title is intended to be funny. “My Brother Thinks He’s A Banana and Other Provocative Songs For Children” was released way back in 1977 and includes quite a few songs… intended for children. Check out the track listing (and download a few if you’re brave!) by clicking this Amazon link.
The Actor. The guy who shows up at the end, well, I guess you can call him an actor. It’s Nascar driver Bubba Wallace. He’s sponsored by DoorDash so it makes a whole lot of sense (unlike a dog named cat) to have him appear in the ad. Great integration of Petsmart, DoorDash, and Nascar on this commercial!
The Pup. Asher the dog belongs to Bubba Wallace and there’s even a cute story about how he “helped” with Bubba’s marriage proposal. Check it out here.
Which do you like more, the ad itself or the music? For me, I can’t get the song out of my head, nor do I want to. Let me know in the comments below.
Is there anything worse than a cold shower in the winter? I can’t think of a single thing! I’ve decided that even though I never considered it, I wouldn’t make it in the military. It’s not that I’m not tough, or couldn’t endure loving overseas or being part of a war. It’s the idea that I would have to be tough enough to take cold showers.
And I’m not.
It’s like I turned 40 and all of the sudden I accepted this weakness of mine. I prefer hot showers and warm sunny days, so what? For the last 3 years (I’m 43 now), I have come to grips that we don’t all have to be cool with everything. And I’m not cool with cold showers.
I guess if you were ever pressing me for information, like a hostage scene in a movie, you wouldn’t have to waterboard me. You don’t need to cut off my fingers or threaten my family. That’s too much work for you. Just throw me in a cold shower in December and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.
Out of the Wilderness 