1. Mat Franco in Durham

Four years ago, I became a fan of a magician on America’s Got Talent named Mat Franco. Each and every one of his performances on the show mesmerized me and showed me magic like I’ve never seen before. He was funny and engaging on the show as well, all contributing to my choosing to support him. When he won season nine of the show, I was ecstatic and knew I had to see him perform someday.

That moment finally came on Tuesday as Mat performed at the Carolina Theatre in Durham. When I found out he was coming to North Carolina, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to buy tickets. In fact, I got VIP knowing that it included a meet and greet.

So, after four long years of supporting him, I finally got to meet Mat Franco; one of my all time favorites from AGT! Mat was such a great dude and genuinely happy to meet all of us. His show was superb and I still do not know how he does what he does. I was even sitting in the front row, keeping a close eye on everything and – NOPE! Still have no clue.

I ended up staying a little bit after the show – unlike a good majority of the theater audience – and Mat came back out, signing autographs and whatnot. It was incredible to not only meet him once but twice. And, silly me, I totally forgot to mention that I won a contest Mat held on Twitter while he was on AGT and I still have the shirt and signed photo I received from that. I’m also one of only about 400 people Mat follows on Twitter, which is pretty awesome given he has 50,000+ followers.

All in all, it was an incredible evening. Thank you, Mat, for everything. Please do not be a stranger and come back to Durham anytime!

2. Wyndham Championship

It’s time yet again for the Wyndham Championship! I’m attending as a fan yet again this year and I plan on seeing some great golf. A few of my favorites are in the field – Ollie Schniederjans, Matt Fitzpatrick, Joaquín Niemann, Webb Simpson, and Sergio Garcia – and I plan to see them all at some point during my time in Greensboro this week. Example, today as I followed Joaquín’s group and met him after his round! Look out for more photos on my Insta and a full recap right here next week.

3. Durham Bulls Update

The Durham Bulls are in the home stretch of the season and are heading for yet another postseason, picking up a crucial series win on the road against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the best team in the International League. There are only a few games remaining in the regular season, so make sure you get yourself out to the DBAP ago catch one (or more)!

4. R.I.P. Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, died Thursday at 76 of pancreatic cancer. News of her passing spread throughout social media and the tributes continue pouring in. From Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, President Barack Obama, and countless others. Aretha had an unparalleled talent that boosted her all the way to the top of the music scene. What’s more? I learned today, thanks to the good folks at People, that Aretha was a self-taught pianist, vocalist, and songwriter. That makes what she accomplished even more incredible, in my opinion. There is no doubt that Aretha Franklin will truly be missed.

5. Latest Film Review

In case you missed it, I released my review of John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place. And yes, even though I’m not a fan of horror films, I found this to be truly enjoyable. Click here to read more of my thoughts on the film.

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