Work In Progress Newsletter
Edition 38 | February 6, 2023

WRITE THIS WAY…
Greetings and welcome to another highly collectible edition of the Work In Progress newsletter! I’m Ryan McCrary, your helpful, hopeful host for the day. For the last 38 weeks and counting I’ve been scouring the news, interwebs and the occasional archived AOL Messenger group chats to share stories of hope and joy and triumph.

THANKFUL FOR THIS
A couple weeks ago I shared the story of Jeremiah, a 10-year old aspiring reporter who asked great questions to Davonte Adams of the Las Vegas Raiders… Flash forward to the just completed Pro Bowl weekend and Jeremiah returned to Allegiant Stadium where he received a huge surprise. After interviewing Raider Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby the defensive end presented Jeremiah with two tickets to the Super Bowl and a massive swag bag. READ MORE 

THREE DOTS… GOOD NEWS ONLY
Talk about finding a needle in a clothing bale… A high end vintage store in the UK discovered something exceedingly rare in a clothing bale purchased from Canada… Alert team members at the Glass Onion Vintage Warehouse in Barnsley, South Yorkshire discovered an Indigenous Canadian jacket in pristine condition dating to the 1850s and are now trying to reunite it with its original community… Look out world… Hyundai is restoring the magic of the school field trips and will offer trips to 25,000 children in 2023 as part of a pilot program launched by Hyundai Motor UK… You can’t spell GOAT without EGOT… Viola Davis added yet another award to her iconic resumé, picking up a Grammy for best audiobook, narration and storytelling for her memoir “Finding Me”… Davis is the third Black woman and 18th person overall to complete the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony award sweep… After a neighbor called the police on a 9-year old girl who was spraying trees in the neighborhood to prevent lanternflies as part of the “Stomp It Out” campaign, Yale University stepped in… Bobbi Wilson, a fourth grader, was recognized as a “donor scientist” and her collection of 27 spotted lanternflies were entered into the Peabody Museum of Natural History.  

BEST THING I SAW ON THE ‘GRAM LAST WEEK
I never had a history teacher like this! Introducing Lauren Cella, who is reaching Gen Z via life, liberty and iced coffee? → CLICK

See more

BEST THING I SAW ON THE TWITTER LAST WEEK
As a long suffering Portland Trail Blazers fan, I was taught early on the importance of savoring the wins. This captures the celebration part in a way I never knew I needed. → WATCH

OTD – FEBRUARY 6
Enjoy yet another notable historical snapshot in the latest edition of On This Date… 

Notable Historical Moments… Support your monarch… And reign long she did indeed… Queen Elizabeth II succeeded King George VI to the British throne and was named “Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth” in 1952… Crashed and burned the first time… it wasn’t pretty… The Righteous Brothers hit single “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” hits No. 1 on the charts in 1965… A lunar walk spoiled… American astronaut Alan Shepard becomes the first to hit a golf ball on the moon in 1971

Famous Birthdays… Plenty of clout with this Babe… The Sultan of Swat George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr. (1895-1948)… Notorious duel winner… Third US Veep and future “Hamilton” star villain Aaron Burr (1756-1836)… Jammin’… Iconic rastafarian Reggae founder Bob Marley (1945-81)… The Great Communicator Ronald Reagan (1911-2004)… Ready to be Rick Rolled? British crooner Rick Astley turns 56.

Famous Deaths… “The King’s Speech” was based on his true story… King George IV (1895-1952)… Groundbreaking tennis star and humanitarian Arthur Ashe (1943-93)… Innovative comic book creator Jack Kirby (1917-1994)

Famous Righteous Brothers (very off-key) Cover: “You never close your eyes…” → HERE

Bonus Ronald Reagan Quote: “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” → BONUS ARTICLE

SHAMELESS PLUGS
I’ve been working on a Thursday update, called “Thankful”. Think of it as a boost of good news to fuel the end of the week. Latest edition → HERE

WHAT I’M READING NOW
For Improvement: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a…  by Mark Manson

**One sentence review: “Talk about a refreshing reset to the conversation about not listening to the noise and nonsense around us.”  

Embracing my inner history nerd: Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose

**One sentence review: “One of the most compelling authors of our time immerses the reader in the relationships formed and forged under withering fire.”

For an Escape: With A Mind To Kill by Anthony Horowitz

**One sentence review: “In a return to the Cold War at its most frigid, notorious British spy James Bond goes deep undercover in the Soviet Union to sample vodka and caviar while saving the world from the brink of nuclear winter.”

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO AS I WRITE
I can practically hear you judging me from here… Yep… I’m getting Rick Rolled on his birthday, no less. “Never Gonna Give You Up” plays a pivotal, ummm, role… in one of my favorite episodes of season two of Ted Lasso – “No Weddings and a Funeral”. VINTAGE ASTLEY →

WHAT I WATCHED
You find him… you find that man!! Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones in the same movie? Sign me up. This may be the 800th time I have seen “The Fugitive” and definitely will not be the last time I enjoy the 1993 classic. One of the first times I saw US Marshal Samuel Girard I was a freshman at Gonzaga and we watched this at Hughes Hall during a movie night. In an explanation that makes me feel about 96-years old, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth it was rare for college kids to have televisions in their rooms let alone movies. Movie nights were a way for undergrads to get culture before going to keg parties. I will always remember seeing this with my future housemate Patrick Irwin who insisted on informing everyone “It’s the other DOCTOR…” at a key moment. Good times. 

BONUS FUGITIVE PODCAST: The Rewatchables → HERE

CLIP OF THE WEEK
A Rick Roll funeral, courtesy of Ted Lasso  →  WATCH

MY GIF TO YOU
For those wanting a live shot of me completing this newsletter… → CLICK

QUOTABLE
“It is a very sobering feeling to be up in space and realize that one’s safety factor was determined by the lowest bidder on a government contract”
– Alan Shepard, Astronaut

THIS WAY OUT
Thanks for reading the latest edition of my Work In Progress newsletter. My goal is to spread inspiration and hope in a world that needs both more than ever. My goal is to release these newsletters each Monday – because who doesn’t need a shot of good news to start the work week? Look for a new article on my timeline later this week. Special thanks to Kim Kaupe and Terry Rice for encouraging me to launch this into the universe. As always, feedback is welcomed!