The Night The Sky Came Alive...

As October slowly disappeared into the west, the sky came alive. It was beautiful. Sometimes you can tell when the sunset's going to be good. Other times, you think the sunset might be special and it doesn't turn out.

Tonight, I wasn't sure, but since it's Halloween and I was setting up jack-o-lanterns and getting things ready for trick-or-treaters, I was outside a lot. I watched as things developed and I couldn't stop taking pictures.

It just kept getting better and better.

Here's a few of the shots I took, as October slowly disappeared into the west.

A Spooky...Good Time

A few weeks ago I blogged about a little project from the In The Telling Podcast. Liz Christensen asked for spooky stories to showcase on their platform. 

What a terrific idea!

And, to make it even more awesome, not only did I know most of the authors who submitted stories, but Liz had several people I know read the stories as well. It was a win-win situation for me.

Sometimes, it still amazes me that--ever since I began this writing journey--how many amazing people I've gotten to meet. And, not only have I gotten to know them, but I've been able to read and experience the incredible art they've created.

That's a win-win-win situation right there.

You can access the podcast episode by clicking: HERE. You can also get a list of the stories, the writers, and the narrators. Here's a rundown of the spooky stories you'll find:

“A Midnight Poe-etic” by Christine Haggerty and read by Jillian Joy, a hellishly delicious poem about a dark Queen.

Fans of the Billy Blacksmith series will particularly enjoy “Aesop’s First Halloween: A Blacksmith Legacy Story” by Ben Ireland, read by Liz Christensen.   (4:22)

“The Ghost of Clipper Bullion Mine” by Loren Mitchell Lambert, read by Richard Wilson, is a classic western ghost story for over a campfire.  (31:44)

“The Full Moon Festival” by Briana Bedore, read by Liam Neary, is a lovely fall-themed, sci-fi romance.  (44:50)

“The Burgle” by Candace J. Thomas, read by Kerstin Hallows, provides an frighteningly imaginative answer to what is under your child’s bed. (1:10:14)

“The Creature” by Luke Haueter, read by Liz Christensen, will keep you worried about what watches you from over your bed.  (1:21:29)

I listened to the episode earlier today. If this is your thing, you'll love it, too.

Tomorrow's Halloween, a perfect time to take out your phone, download the tales, and hear some great writers and great readers present alternate worlds, amazing characters, and creepy situations.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

One Of My Better Ideas...

I should probably say that there's a good chance I've blogged about this very thing before, and if so, I apologize. But after posting 3,202 consecutive daily blog posts, it's easy to lose track of what you've written about, and what you haven't.

Last weekend I carved a little pumpkin and placed on my mom's headstone. It was her birthday jack-o-lantern and it's something I've been doing for quite a while. Before she passed away, I could carve it, stick a lighted candle in it, then just give it to her.

Can't really do that at the cemetery.

Well, I suppose you could, but the candle would go out eventually, then if anyone happened to be walking the cemetery grounds at night, they wouldn't be able to see the pumpkin at night once the candle was finished.

I came up with an idea.

And, I think, it's one of my better ones.

Years ago, we bought some very inexpensive (cheap...) solar-powered lights you put in your yard. I seriously think they were $2 each. Eventually, the lights would wear out, or, in many cases, they'd get damaged and were no longer usable. 

At least, not as yard decoration.

I found a broken one and set it aside for the next Halloween. When my mom's birthday came around, I carved the pumpkin, then cut a round hole and jammed in the light. Turns out, it worked perfectly. So, even though I don't regularly drive through the cemetery at night at the end of October, I know there's a light shining inside my little pumpkin.

Last year, I did the same thing. A few days later, I drove by the cemetery to pick up the pumpkin and bring it home. Someone took the pumpkin and smashed it--there were pieces all of the graveyard. Thankfully, they didn't destroy the light. I cleaned up the mess, tossed the pumpkin in the trash, but kept the light. I used the same one this year. Today, I stopped by the cemetery and--thankfully--it was in one piece. I brought it home and it's now on our porch. 

The solar-powered pumpkin light...one of my better ideas.

Going On A Hike...With A Cat

Living on the side of a mountain and at the head of a very popular hiking trail, I see hikers trek up and down the mountain all the time.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone take their cat along...

But last week, I did.

It was me.

It was after work and I wanted to see if I could get any pictures of the colors before storms erased it all. I loaded up my nice camera and I began my hike.

Teewinot, our cat, started following me.

It's not unusual for him to do this. If I'm out and I decided to walk to the end of our street or around my yard, many times he'll follow me. When I started out on my hike, I didn't know how far I'd go or how long I'd be gone, so when he started following me, I thought it was cute. I didn't expect he'd stay with me the entire time.

I hiked about a half a mile up the hill. There's a road we call the Fire Break Road that far away. I wasn't sure I'd end up there, but it was such a beautiful afternoon, that became my goal. Teewinot kept up with me the entire time.

Our cat's been with us for years. I'm sure he's been up and down that mountain and where we went was nothing new to him. Still, it was fun to watch an aging cat make the hike. He was much quicker going down--aren't we all? 

It's getting colder--it even snowed last weekend, not enough to stick around, but it will, eventually. I don't do a lot of hikes anyway so I'm probably not going to be up the hill again much any time soon. But, last week, on a nice Utah autumn afternoon, me and the cat had a good time.

A Twelve-Step Guild...On How To Make A Birthday Jack-O-Lantern For Your Mom

Here are the twelve-step instructions for making a birthday Jack-O-Lantern for your mom.

1. Find the perfect pumpkin

2. Clean it in preparation for pumpkin carving

3. Create/find a fun design--it should include a "Happy Birthday" message and perhaps a clever staying--a plus if you can include an iconic Halloween symbol (ghost = good, witch = not so good...)

4. Prepare the pumpkin for carving--cut off the top, scoop out the insides

5. Transfer your clever design to the pumpkin

6. Carve your pumpkin

7. Once finished, test you pumpkin in a dark room (if already dark outside, us that...)

8. Make sure your mother's birthday is close to Halloween, preferably within a day or two of the holiday, but not longer than a week (sorry if that is not an option for you...)

9. Give your finished product and "Happy Birthday Pumpkin" to your mom, or place the pumpkin on your mom's headstone

10. Miss your mom terribly and wish you could still give it to her in person

11. Continue this tradition from the time you were in Jr. High School until today--over four decades (except for the years you were living in Denmark or Colorado...)

12. Do it all again next year

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...Halloween

I only included one picture, though I could have added more. As I drive around the neighborhoods in my small(ish) town, I see more and more homes decked-out in Halloween garb. Maybe it's not more homes, no more than usual, or maybe there's even fewer homes decorated. It seems like more. I hope it is.

I came across a rather large spiderweb this morning. I stopped and snapped a picture. Gary did a fine job--it couldn't have been easy. It made me wonder why there aren't more elaborate outdoor (and, indoor...) displays.

You know, more like Christmas.

Christmas seems to be the standard by which all other decorating is measured.

I wonder if Halloween will get closer in the coming years.

We decorate our home. We don't go all out. We decorate for Halloween less than we do for Christmas. And we've been known to decorate on Halloween day-something we'd never consider for Christmas.

Seeing Halloween decorations warms my heart, which is a good thing when the temperature begins to fall. So, when it's beginning to look a lot like Halloween, that's a good thing.

So Few Cars In The Costco Parking Lot...But, Why?

We had it all figured out. We had several places to go this morning and we thought it best if we plotted out the route we'd take (my wife and I had slightly different ideas of the route we'd take...). In the end, we were able to make it to the three locations with few issues.

At least, until we came to the last one.

I have been working the same shift for years--Monday through Thursday, then Friday off. Personally, I can't think of having it any other way. I'm so used to putting in ten-hour shifts, it hardly phases me anymore. Beginning before 7am helps. By the time noon hits, I'm more than halfway done. Do that four times in a row and you've got your forty hours.

So, Friday mornings are great for running errands. This morning was no different. We hit the first place (to get a quick yummy breakfast...), then we hit the second place (to pick up groceries...). Finally, we needed to stop by Costco. For us, Costco is a "need" store, because the store is so dangerous. There's a lot under that roof that can be considered wants and not needs. If we stick to the needs, we can afford to stay in our house.

At 9:30am we turned into the Costco parking lot and we were blown away--six cars. That's all we saw, six cars. My wife and I chatted about why so few. We'd been at Costco when it opened at 9:30am before. Sure, the parking lot wasn't full, but it was more crowded than it was today. Still, we thought we had hit the "Costco Not Crowded" jackpot. We'd have the whole store for ourselves!

Turns out, that didn't happen.

Costco opens at 9:30am...

On Saturday.

On Friday (today...), it opens at 10am.

Mystery solved. We had to wait around for twenty or so minutes, and even though there were maybe a couple dozen cars when we left Costco with our purchases, it was nothing like it'll be tomorrow. Next time, we'll work this information into our route plotting.

Checking Out #Pitdark...Lots And Lots Of Pitches

One of the amazing aspects of Twitter is the ability to target your audience for both the those seeking information and those providing information. 

Case in point, #Pitdark.

Or, in other words, The Bi-Annual Twitter Pitch Party for authors of Dark Literature.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

I guess you have to be into that sort of thing.

I learned about #Pitdark from those at Immortal Works Press. They will check out tweets during these submission times for interesting stories. Personally, I've never done it--checked out the tweets--so I thought I'd see what it was all about.

Turns out, there's a whole lot of imagination going on out there.

I scrolled page after page of of titles and pitches. They were fascinating! I took a screen shot of just a few of them. There were so many submissions and so many varied story ideas. It was a little overwhelming, to be honest. But, then again, when you have authors with finished stories and publishers looking for finished stories, it's a perfect place for both sides to meet. 

I'll bet, if your job is to look for interesting stories for publication, these Twitter pitching sessions can be exhausting. There's literally thousands of entries. You can spend a few minutes, or several hours just looking, pitch after pitch, author after author. It makes me wonder if any of those stories ever get picked up.

Then again, every time an author is contacted and a contract is signed because a publisher saw a pitch on Twitter, that's a success story. If it didn't work out, people wouldn't be doing it.

So, for all those authors out there pitching, and all those acquisitions editor searching, good luck--I wish you both a successful experience. And if it doesn't happen this time, there's always another pitch session just around the corner.

Remembering "The Ravine From Hell"...Good Times

If we had all the technological gadgets growing up that the kids have nowadays, you'd better believe I'd be posting pictures and videos every winter from "The Ravine from Hell." It was a sledding run that we used from when I was in elementary school all the way to my college years.

It was that good.

Earlier this week I went hiking above my house and the hill that once was is no more, partially, because there's a house bordering on the ravine, and secondly (and more importantly...) the person who bought the hill spent a small fortune setting up rock retaining walls, forever erasing the ravine.

When our family decided to develop the end of the road for building lots, it doomed our sledding hill. But in its day, it was beautiful. We would spend hours on the hill. Plastic sleds were good, but the best way to descend was atop a huge inner tube. My dad used to get them from Hill Air Force Base where he worked. After he passed away, we had to scrounge for tubes and we'd spend hours repairing them with bicycle tube repair patches--had to keep those thing inflated.

And the hike to the top of the ravine was brutal. It took so long, mostly because we traveled so far. It's hard to see, but that black circle is roughly where we'd end up (that small object in the circle is my car...). I'm no expert, but we'd like several hundred feet up the mountain each time.

After each snow storm, we'd go build the berms to keep us on the track. If we got going too fast, we'd fly off the top and head into non-track areas. There were several rocks, but the biggest thing to avoid was a power pole. In all my years, I can't remember if me or any of my friends ever ran into the thing. It most likely happened, but as with much of childhood, I seem to only recall the good times.

Looking back, it was a very dangerous sledding hill, but I don't remember our parents ever complaining or stopping us. We'd rid that hill for hours on the weekends, and even after school, if the storm was big enough.

Like much of my childhood, the physical markers where we played--sledding runs, empty fields, even back yards--are gone. With those same gadgets that would have captured the fun, kids now use them for personal entertainment. It's too bad--it's hard to beat a a sledding run called "The Ravine from Hell."

Good times.

 

Looking For Something Different? Check Out "Beer-Battered Shrimp For Cognitive Ruminations:...Different

I've mentioned it before, but one of the fascinating aspects of becoming a writer--that I did not know beforehand--is how well I would get to know other writers. In other creative industries, even though people are happy about others finding success, there's always something that gnaws, something to cause jealousy, envy. It can get ugly, but I've seen it in the film industry, the stage industry, and to some degree, the music industry.

But, from what I've experienced, I haven't found it to the same degree with writers. I think people can be envious of other writers--especially the really successful ones--but writers have to write. Unless someone else is writing everything for you, you're doing it yourself. You really can't bluff your way through it. You've got to put in the work.

I became aware of a project a friend of mine began. It's a kickstarter and if you're looking for something different, give it a chance. You can access the website: HERE. It's an anthology full interesting stories by amazing authors.

Here's a list of the talent involved:

Authors appearing in this collection include:

Deborah Drake • William J Joel • Jaleta Clegg • C H Lindsay • James Dorr • Michaelbrent Collings • Tricia Lowther • Karen Thrower Walker •  Juleigh Howard-Hobson • Scott Huggins • Diane Clark • C Michelle Jefferies • Dianne Arrelle •  Stephan P Mount • Genny Clegg • Jacek Wilkos • Lena Ng • Yrik Max Valentonis • Jude-Marie Green • Rose Blackthorn • A Collings, Age 4 • D J Tyrer • Andrew Wilson • Nemma Wollenfang • Jeffrey G Roberts • Jennifer D Lerud • Karina Fabian • Edward Ahern • Abra Staffin-Wiebe • Jenna Eatough • Stephen Coghlan • Wm Henry Morris

Artists include:

April Hennis • Hannah Bartholomew • Yrik Max Valentonis • Natasha Hartman • Genevieve Clegg

I hope to be able to check out the stories and the artwork. Whenever we get together, at conventions and other events, we always check out what's new. 

I love what Jeleta Clegg says about her project. "My vision is a colorful, quirky little book, a very short story on each page. The authors range from best-selling authors to some just breaking in to some never-before-published authors. The youngest is four. The oldest isn't telling."

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, why not check out something different?

Exactly.

What The Pumpkin Patch Taught Me...

All my life, autumn is synonymous with hunting. When the temperature drops and the leaves begin to fall, it reminds me of deer hunting season, even though it's been more than four decades since I went hunting. I don't go deer (or elk, or antelope, or duck, or any other...) hunting, but last Friday we loaded up the van and brought our trusty dog to do a little hunting--it's Pumpkin Season.

The prey is not, shall we say, very elusive. In fact, they're just sitting on the ground waiting to be picked up. We hit our local commercial pumpkin patch and we bagged several prized orange trophies.

It's a yearly tradition for our family. We bypass grocery store pumpkins and we support the local patch. It's called Pack Farms and it's located in western Farmington. They've got a little bit of everything--activities for the kids, paid activities for the kids and parents (older kids...), but what they do best is allow hunters of all ages to seek out and pick one or several pumpkins.

We perused the already gathered inventory. They were good, but I wanted smaller pumpkins, mostly due to budgetary concerns. To the east of the collected pumpkins is a field where they grow them. The field was pretty well picked over and most of what as left were green, odd-shaped pumpkins people didn't want. I wondered if I'd find a nice small pumpkin to carve.

I decided to keep walking, keep searching.

I wandered into the part of the field where weeds were growing and there were fewer and fewer footprints. I guess most didn't bother to venture that far out.

It's too bad.

It's where I found what I was looking for.

I was able to find a couple of really nice smaller, non-rotting, non-green pumpkins. I began thinking as I hiked back to pumpkin civilization, I had to do more, walk farther, work more for the prize. Of course, those nice pumpkins might not have been there and if so, I would have just walked back and found something not as good.

Another thought came to mind. The reason all those pumpkins were still there is because others never made it that far out. They stopped and either found something, or turned back. They didn't go into the weeds.

It's not a terribly great anecdote, but it did make me think. I wonder what other opportunities are missed because we stopped too soon and if we'd only walked a little farther, worked a little harder, we'd find what we're looking for. It's something a pumpkin and a patch taught me.

Career Advice...According To George Burns

In a building that once housed both performers and audience members (but, now only performers...), on a back wall under the dressing rooms, is a framed quote hanging for everyone (everyone, with access, that is...) to see.

I saw it.

I snapped a picture.

It wasn't until I looked at it later that I realized to whom the quote is credited.

"I would rather be a failure at something I love, than a success at something I hate."

George Burns.

I don't know if it's just the entertainment industry, but that philosophy permeates many who have chosen that career. The quote is both comforting and terrifying at the same time, especially for one who had at one time, thought about considering performing as a career.

I find the quote additionally interesting considering the source. During my entire lifetime (until he died...), George Burns was always old. His career spanned vaudeville to radio to films to television, and he excelled at each. I've not done any in-depth research on the man or his life. I'm sure he had trials and it wasn't all easy, but that quote from that man tells me he truly loved what he did.

The terrifying part comes from needing to succeed at a level where you can support yourself, or others. Because failing means more than just not succeeding. It means homelessness, starvation, and ultimately, death.

Okay, maybe it's not that bad, but those are considerations that come to mind when I think about quitting a good job just because I don't absolutely love it.

For me, I think the best thing about the quote is it made me think. It made me remember that there are all kinds of people out there, some willing to take the chance, to risk everything, for their dream. It's what makes this big old world a little more fascinating.

I Voted...Must Be That Time Of Year

Ballots for this year's election were sent out this week. Like in year's past, I opened the letter and expected to see name after name, resolution after resolution to choose from. Instead, there were six names on the ballot. I was to chose four.

It was kind of a letdown. 

I'm not going to say that I love to vote. I mean, I believe it's important, something I try and do as much as possible, even when I'm not fully informed on the candidates and issues. But, I don't look forward to it, don't count down the days to election day. Politics have become (and, perhaps have always been...) a bloodsport. It seems to make good people less so and corruption appears to be the name of the game.

Since there's opposition in all things, there's so much corruption because there's so much good that can come of it. It's not that voting and government is the answer the all problems--far from it, but it allows our society to function, to prevent chaos and anarchy. 

Still, I try not to allow the bad things to prevent me from participating. 

This year I voted for one (of two candidates...) two-year city council position, and I voted for three (out of four...) four-year city council positions. I admit, I should have studied more about the people running. Images of their accompanying political signs that are scattered all around town came to mind as I made my choices and sealed up the envelope. A quick trip to the post office and off it went.

Another year, another ballot. Next year's the big one, the one with local, state, and national choices to make, resolutions to consider, judges to...well, judge. Some love voting. They treat elections like a sporting event and 2020 will be an Olympic year in more way s than one. For me, it'll be another year to fill out the ballot and send it in. Until then...

Dusk...The Best Time Of The Day To Take Pictures

When you understand all photography is based on one simple principle--the manipulation of light--it changes your perspective on every picture you see. A few years ago, my neighbor Nicole (who is an excellent photographer, by the way...) told me that taking pictures on an overcast day is a great time to get great shots. I thought the more sun/light, the better.

I was wrong, of course.

She was right.

These are not hard and fast rules, but, as a general rule, it works. I've found some of the best outdoor shots I've taken were when the light was not as bright as it could be. The other day I needed a picture for my Pic Of The Day. I wandered outside at dusk hoping to find something to shoot. 

Turns out, the lighting was almost perfect.

I snapped several pictures of colorful leaves and a few of the cat who seemed to enjoy being outside with me. I found a picture of red maple leaves which I particularly liked. I even shared it on Instagram, something I don't do very often.

If I took more photos, or make a living with my camera, I'd do more research on the subject. But, on a quiet fall afternoon in Utah this past week, I found the lighting at dusk to be almost perfect.

What I Saw And What I Photographed...Are Two Different Things

In life there are as many examples where a person took a photograph and the end result is no where near as amazing or spectacular as what the photographer saw. In some philosophical way, every picture is like that. When I see an incredible sunset, the picture can, in no way, capture the feeling I have while looking at the sunset. 

It's just the way it is.

The other night, I had the opportunity to photograph the planet Jupiter. I noticed an incredibly bright star close to the moon. I asked my son what planet it was--he correctly identified it as Jupiter. I remembered my friend Steve told me that his daughter could see Jupiter and its moons through a telescope no bigger than ours.

I thought I'd set it up and see what I could see.

What you see in my photograph is indeed Jupiter. And what you can't see is small lights surrounding Jupiter--Jupiter's moons.

I snapped a couple of pictures, but you can't see anything, other than a big white dot. On Twitter I saw a video of Jupiter and a couple of moons. I took a still shot and included it on this post. So, what I've done is show you a photograph of what I saw and what it really looks like.

Still, as I looked through my little telescope, even if I had taken a picture similar to the incredible one with the two moons, it wouldn't have been able to convey the feeling I had while watching it.

It's just the way it is.

"The House With A Clock In Its Walls"...I Had Forgotten About This One

One of the advantages of not seeing films in a theater is that you happen upon movies you thought might be interesting, but never got around to watch...

And you get to watch them. 

Today I watched a 2018 film, The House With a Clock in its Walls. I remember seeing the ad--I can't believe it came out last year. 

I knew nothing of the book from which the film is based. It was written by John Bellairs and first published in 1973. It reminded me of another film I saw a few years back, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Both were geared toward children, and I found both of them a little dark, especially the film based on Rigg's book. Bellairs's story dealt with dark themes as well, demons, that kind of thing.

I enjoyed the film. It starred Jack Black--who doesn't like Jack Black? He's engaging and a perfect fit for a children's story. This isn't to say he's not a good fit for other genres. I find him a good actor in almost everything I've seen him in.

The House With a Clock in its Walls tells the story of a recently-orphaned Lewis Barnvelt who must now live with his strange uncle and the uncle's equally strange neighbor. Turns out, uncle and neighbor was a practicing warlock and witch. Throw in peer pressure, jr. high bullying, curiosity, raising the dead, and the end of all humanity, and you've got the makings for a fun little story. 

The film made me want to read the book--something that I'm finding to be a good sign. When I like a film based on a book, I usually really like the book once I read it.

When I saw the film was available to watch, I remembered I wanted to see the film. I finally got around to seeing it, and I'm glad I did.

Riding A Bike...At Work

Back when I was in college, I used to ride a bike to work, from Farmington to Salt Lake, or from Salt Lake to Farmington. I was in much better shape back then. I know lots of people who bike to work. I'm now able to bike at work (while on breaks, of course...).

I remember driving out to the Salt Lake valley somewhere years ago and picking up a bike stand, one of the few things I bought off of KSL Classifieds. I thought it was such a cool thing--you automatically have an exercise bike and you don't even have to buy a bike. It's like being able to drive your car in your own home.

I brought in my mountain bike, put it in the basement, hooked up the contraption, and went to town.

Then, I forgot about it.

When I created an office in the basement last year, we had to clear out stuff to make space for the desk and computer. Out went the bike and the stand. They've sat in our outdoor shed for a year. 

Until now. 

Last week, I noticed the stand and wondered if I ought to bring it back inside. I really didn't have much to lose. If I didn't use it, I could always haul it back outside. It's been setup for a week. I've used it twice. That doesn't seem like a lot, but it's the most I've used it in the last six or seven years. And I never ride the bike outside anymore, so at least, I'm getting some use out of both the bike and the stand.

I do have exercise time at work. I plan on using this as a way to get more exercise time in. Will it last? I hope so...ask me how things are going in a year's time. Who knows? I may just get back into shape after all.

Apparently...Social Media Believes I Have Bad Breath

It's no secret everything we search online, see online, or speak through our phones--online, or not--is stored, kept, accessible, retrievable. I've blogged about this before--how I mention something casually to a friend one day, and the next time I get online, there's an ad for that very thing.

Like I said, it's no secret.

Still, I find it interesting when I see this type of personal information hijacking first-hand. It happened again to me this morning.

Two days ago, I posted a subtly funny Pic of the Day picture. It contained a bag of goodies given out by the Walmart corporation for using their drive-up grocery service. We've used the service for years and we intend on continuing. From time to time, the good folks at Walmart have included a bag of stuff to celebrate a local holiday or other event. This week--Halloween.

Most of the contents were edible, but a few weren't. I thought it would be fun to arrange the edible things with something some have tried to consider edible, tried and failed and take a picture. This morning I received a Facebook comment about my picture, about mouthwash, about millennials, and their judgement (or lack there of...). I should say that I do not necessarily agree with this assessment of an entire generation. Just wanted you to know.

I responded to my friend's post, but not before noticing an ad for Listerine Ultra Clean Mouthwash directly under my friend's post. 

Coincidence?

I think not.

I closed the program. As I'm wont to do, I then opened Instagram. And what did I see? Another ad for Listerine. I decided to press my luck and see if there was an ad for Listerine on the third leg of the social media holy trinity, Twitter. I actually expected a Listerine ad to be on my Twitter feed, but it was not. Of course, the Instagram Listerine ad may have only been added after I saw the Facebook Listerine ad. Although, I'd like to think the Instagram Listerine ad was sitting there waiting for me to see it all along.

The more we look for this type of thing, the more we'll see it. Of course, there's always the distinct possibility that I actually need to use the product.