No more pool chlorine allergies!? A triathlon training update…

Until I started swimming in a pool more regularly, I had no idea my body would react the way it did to the water. A full day, sometimes multiple days, of sneezing, runny nose, and congestion. It was… the. worst. I thought it was a chlorine allergy… which turned out to be mostly false. Here’s a bit of the discovery in more depth.

Was I now at the mercy of the chlorine levels of the public pool for the rest of my life???? Would I have to call each time to find out the parts-per-million to make sure my body wouldn’t flip out for days on end afterwards? I was basically at a loss for what to do next. That is, until a new friend reminded me of nose clips. I had purchased one before (Tyr brand from Walmart) but it felt so super tight that I returned it immediately, without ever testing it in a pool. I thought every nose clip would be as tight as that one and my nose just doesn’t do good when it’s pinched.

But this morning I gave the idea another chance.

Last week I had ordered 2 nose clips from SwimOutlet.com (because of that friend who recommending trying a nose clip again), each with a different design so I could test which worked better on my face. I tried both– one for 1,000 yards and the other for 500 yards. That equalled about 45 minutes in the pool (yeah, I’m a slow swimmer!) and since then, barely any nasal problems at all. What a relief, right!? It might be the case that I can swim more frequently, which is something I didn’t think I’d be able to do anymore (at least not comfortably).

Here are links to the two nose clips I’ll be using for the foreseeable future. Let me know if you’ve found something that works, too!

Sporti nose clip

Swim Secure nose clip

-Out of the Wilderness

Etsy Found Waldo in New Commercial

Maybe we were asking the wrong question all along! In a new Etsy commercial, people all over the world asking “Where’s Waldo?” find him but no one ever stops to ask, “Who’s Waldo?” Check it out then scroll down for more…

I had sort of forgotten about Waldo until this ad reminded me how much I loved those books. Such interesting scenes, incredible detail and sometimes it was just impossible to find him! I may even order some for Christmas this year. Here’s the Amazon link if you think you might want a book or two for family members, too.

I had no idea Waldo had a significant other. Apparently Wenda’s the one who takes the picture, the image we see in books. She dresses in a similar fashion to Waldo, but with an added green skirt (traditionally). I also didn’t know that the title of the series is only called “Where’s Waldo?” in North America. In other countries it’s called “Where’s Wally?” Hmm, who knew? If you want a “Where’s Wally?” book, here’s one on Amazon.

I like the ad from Etsy. It’s got that nostalgic quality for anyone who grew up with Waldo/Wally and offers a glimpse into what Etsy can do for us in modern times. Cool commercial. I have a feeling I know what might be used in an upcoming commercial… if the 90s are chic right now. Remember these? But good luck working them into a commercial 😵‍💫

[book available on Amazon]

-Out of the Wilderness

A Great Pair of Children’s Books This Holiday Season

We’re just two weeks away from Thanksgiving which you probably already know from the amount of Christmas commercials on TV. Thankfully, some brands do air ads about the joy and coziness of Thanksgiving (like this cute ad from Hobby Lobby) even though it’s not quite the treasure chest that Christmas is.

Thanksgiving in 2023 – $5.6 Billion

Projected Consumer Spending Christmas 2024 – $979.5 billion

Everyone wakes up early on Christmas but ain’t no one waking up early on Thanksgiving excited to stick their hand up a turkey’s butt! Plus, I can’t remember the last time anyone got gifts on Thanksgiving day… except for whichever team plays the Cowboys. 😉

But if you’re looking to save a little dough in the next few weeks, there are two books that make great Thanksgiving gifts (see what I did there?) for any toddler or young reader in your life… and neither one will break the bank! The first book I ever published is a paperback perfect for newborns up to ages 4 or 5. It’s called “Big and Small, God Made Them All” (order at Books-A-Million or comment below for a signed copy and pay through Venmo @BenWilder615), a rhyming comparison between big things (“He made the whale…”) and small things (“…and the snail.”). The illustrations from incredible artist Laura Watson are… well, let’s just say it’s been a few years since the book was published and I’m still an in awe of her talent. The cutest raccoon, a colorful volcano, even the mosquito looks like it has a friendly side. Amazing artwork to go along with the message that God is responsible for all these big things and small things… and the book ends with a cute line of encouragement for the reader. Here’s the book trailer…

The next book is “The Brave Bamboo,” a story for young readers. A family of cuddly puppies are their mother’s delight. But one of her pups is easily frightened. That’s Bamboo. He just wasn’t born with the same adventurous spirit as his littermates. But Bamboo has a chance to save the day, if he can only muster up the bravery to overcome his fears. It’s also available at the Books-A-Million website here or a signed copy from me directly, paid through Venmo @BenWilder615. As you turn the pages, you’ll pick up pretty quickly that another really talented artist was brought onboard for the illustrations. Teresa Ramos did such a wonderful job capturing the spirit of Bamboo and his family, her depictions have such detail and everything is just so darn cute. Take a look at the trailer for “The Brave Bamboo”…

No matter what you decide to do, happy Thanksgiving! (and merry Christmas too)

-Out of the Wilderness

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning …Another Unbelievable Hollywood Hero

The trailer for the continuation of the latest Mission: Impossible story went public today and it was then I remembered how annoyed I was after watching The Dead Reckoning. This new one is called The Final Reckoning and my guess is that I’ll be as annoyed as I was before. Before I tell you why, or if you read this post you might already know, here’s the new trailer…

Every hero has to have a setback. Every action movie has to have a low point. These two well-known film formulas are what irritates me about Mission: Impossible. At no point did I ever think Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise’s character) was in any real danger. When an obstacle arose, he and his team always had the right tool to overcome it. There was never a moment where I thought, “Uh oh, this is the end for Ethan.”

This is going to sound silly but it reminds me of something that happened in one of the Sharknado movies, as cheesy as those were. The crew was in real danger and it would’ve been their complete demise if April Wexler (played by Tara Reid) didn’t magically all of the sudden have the power to defy the laws of nature (by flying, I think, I can’t remember exactly). Something she hadn’t done ever up to that point. In other words, there’s no real setback for the characters. They can do anything.

If Ethan Hunt has the skills and tools to overcome every challenge, why are we even watching these movies? How are we supposed to root for the hero/underdog if they’re amazing at everything?

I’ll end up watching The Final Reckoning, but rest assured I’ll write about how frustrated I was and possibly even secretly rooting for the bad guys… they, in fact, have the biggest obstacles to overcome.

-Out of the Wilderness

Dick’s Christmas Commercial – The Movies They Spoofed With The Watt Family

This is the 5th Dick’s commercial I’ve written about which means one of two things must be true: 1. Dick’s is putting together some great ads (see the list below) or 2. I’m posting a blog every day and will write about almost anything. You know there’s always a secret third option, right? And yes, that means both #1 and #2 are true! Dick’s had one of the best sports commercials I’ve ever seen with this one and now they’ve come up with a less serious– dare I call it funny– commercial with a great coupling of sports equipment AND classic holiday films. Check it out to see if you can name all the movies they pay homage to with an ad they call “A Watt Holiday Classic”…

The Movies. How did you do guessing which movies are spoofed in the commercial? They stuck to the classics to make it easy for us to catch on. Here’s the list and definitely let me know if I missed any…

Home Alone.

Elf.

A Christmas Story.

Love Actually.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

I love that they included one of the best scenes in a movie ever. The scene stars the lovely Keira Knightley and “The Walking Dead” actor Andrew Lincoln. Three words (or is it two?) have never hit me this hard in a film. Enough… enough, now.

Something tells me it wouldn’t have gone over well if J.J. Watt kissed the security guard so a hug was enough… enough, now. The Dick’s commercial is a touchdown. It would’ve been a game-winning-overtime-touchdown if they had done one extra little scene as an homage to a controversial Christmas movie. This film’s inclusion on some Christmas movie lists is probably the reason kids have divorced parents. It’s THAT hot of a discussion. No, not Violent Night (great movie, by the way). I’m, of course, talking about Die Hard.

Yippee-ki-yay.

Otherwise this is a Christmas win for Dick’s Sporting Goods. I’m adding it to the list of other Dick’s ads I’ve written about, which are below:

Dick’s Commercial Does It Again – But Was The Half-Court Shot Legal??

Dick’s Commercial Was Great… Until This Happened.

Dick’s Sporting Goods Ads – The Music and More!

Dick’s Sporting Goods Holiday Commercials – The Music and the Jockstraps

-Out of the Wilderness