Brian Kilby's Happy Daily

The Wilkes County Arcade is open, it’s free, and on this Happy Daily Brian Kilby explains how it got paid for. Every cent he made from the U-Turn Lane to Walmart video on Facebook (he can’t say how much, but you’d be surprised) went straight into BrianKilby.com/arcade. He has made peace with the fact that he’ll be remembered as the U-Turn man and not as the gentle soul who built a goose control and sign cleaning empire from nothing. He’s embracing it. And since the podcast is the one place he doesn’t have to be the guy from the videos, he’ll go ahead and admit it: he is milking this thing for all it’s worth.

Brian is a middle-aged kid of the ’80s, and the arcade was the real vision all along. He walks through his favorite cabinets. Scrape Expectations sends you out plowing the snow off US 421 in Wilkes County, with a second game where you check whose road actually got scraped. Four of the six U-Turn Lane to Walmart games from Yadkin Valley Electronic Entertainment are up, and he’s still hunting for five and six because they’re harder to come by. Then there’s Every Head Bowed, where you have to slip out of a tent revival during the altar call with your casserole dish before the preacher can lay hands on you, so you can get home in time for Matlock.

There are 13 games in the Wilkes County Arcade right now, and you can play them on your computer with the keyboard or a controller, or on your phone with your hand. Brian says the racing games play especially good. He isn’t charging any quarters. The whole point is to bring some joy to Wilkes County, which is the mission of the Wilkes County Bureau of Happy Days, where Brian serves as a nonpartisan, non-elected official.

Missed the last one? Catch up with Happy Daily 3879: Thirteen and a Half Minutes of Fame.

If you need toilet paper, toothpaste, paper towels or Aspercream, buy them through BrianKilby.com/Amazon. It costs you nothing extra and does Brian a real favor. Like the Facebook page at facebook.com/HappyDayinWilkes so you don’t miss anything, and if something’s on your mind, leave a letter in Brian’s mailbox. Hope y’all have a happy day.

The post Happy Daily 3880: Free Play in Wilkes County appeared first on BrianKilby.com.

Brian’s 15 minutes of fame are about 13 and a half minutes gone, and on this Happy Daily he’s trying to figure out what to do with the rest. He recorded this one in the car on the way to the zoo with his daughter, still sorting through what’s happened since U-Turn Lane to Walmart, his song about the new U-turn lanes on Highway 421, took off on Facebook, right on the heels of his video celebrating Ollie’s finally coming to Wilkes County.

Brian runs the numbers for you: about 10,000 views on the Ollie’s video, about 40,000 on U-Turn Lane to Walmart on Facebook and 25,000 on his appearance on 3WC radio, against roughly 40 views on YouTube, most of them, he figures, from his friend Ricky. He’s the talk of Wilkes County Facebook now, people are looking at him sideways, and he’ll admit he’s got the big head a little bit. But he doesn’t know 40,000 people, and he’s not sure what they’re all getting out of a Christmas song about a traffic pattern. When it’s all said and done, what matters is his family, his kids and his dog Jack, and the Happy Daily, the official podcast of the Wilkes County Bureau of Happy Days.

Brian would like the fame to last just a little longer, and that’s where you come in. The International Request Line at BrianKilby.com/radio lets you pick any radio station in the world, put in your name and send a prewritten request for U-Turn Lane to Walmart, then drop a pin on the map. Out of tens of thousands of views, not one person has used it yet. Brian would especially like to hear it played in Bangkok, Thailand, which he hears is north of Galax.

Missed the last one? Catch up with Happy Daily 3878: TikTok Around the Clock.

If you need toilet paper, toothpaste, paper towels or fishin’ line, buy them through BrianKilby.com/Amazon. It costs you nothing extra and does Brian a real favor. Like the Facebook page at facebook.com/HappyDayinWilkes so you don’t miss anything, and if something’s on your mind, leave a letter in Brian’s mailbox. Hope y’all have a happy day.

The post Happy Daily 3879: Thirteen and a Half Minutes of Fame appeared first on BrianKilby.com.

Well, hey y’all. They took the left turns off US-421 in North Wilkesboro, and now Walmart is right there across the road and you cannot get to it. So I did what any reasonable man would do. I wrote a Christmas song about it.

U-Turn Lane to Walmart is the first single from my 2026 Christmas album, and I believe it covers the most important news story in Wilkes County since the Taco Bell sinkhole. It’s free to listen to and free to download, same as always. The rest of the album drops November 27. If you want to know the minute it does, follow the Wilkes County Bureau of Happy Days on Facebook.

It’s a Christmas Eve drive down 421 to get one loaf of bread. Walmart’s on the left, but you can’t turn left from here, so it’s right at Winkler Mill and off to hunt the U-turn sign. Forty laps past the same Tractor Supply later, the good old boys in their lawn chairs have waved twenty times, Santa and Randolph can’t make the U-turn either, and I end up at Lowe’s Foods with a loaf of store brand bread.

The music video rides the real 421 in North Wilkesboro by day, at twilight and at night, with a GPS that still thinks it’s 2005 and tags on every building for what it used to be. Ollie’s used to be Big Lots, which used to be Lowe’s Foods. Lowe’s Foods used to be Walmart. And the Taco Bell is just a field now. Rest in peace.

This is the first taste of my new Christmas album, coming out the day after Thanksgiving, November 27. While you wait, every one of my old Christmas albums is free in the Christmas record bin at briankilby.com/christmas.

Dashing down 421
In a pickup full of cheer
Walmart’s on the left, but I can’t turn left from here
Turn right at Winkler Mill, then hunt that U-turn sign
By the time I make it back around, it’s Christmas Eve at nine

Oh, U-turn lane, U-turn lane
Round and round we go
Past that same Tractor Supply sign, forty times or so
Oh, U-turn lane, U-turn lane
Spinning in my head
Walmart’s right there across the road
Lord, I just need bread

Them good old boys in lawn chairs, wrapped up in Christmas lights
Wave at me each time I pass, I’ve seen ’em twenty times tonight

Santa come down 421
With a sleigh full of toys
For all the Wilkes County girls and all the Wilkes County boys
Randolph said turn left here
GPS said turn right
Now they’re doing U-turns past the Sonic, it’ll take all night

Them reindeer looked at Santa, said, “Oh man, we’re through”
We’ve flown around the whole wide world
But we can’t make this U-turn too

So I went to Lowe’s Foods
Bless my weary soul
Bought a loaf of store brand bread
And drove home through the U-turn hole

Oh, U-turn lane, U-turn lane
Round and round we go
Past that same Tractor Supply sign, forty times or so
Oh, U-turn lane, U-turn lane
Spinning in my head
Walmart’s right there across the road
Oh, Lord, I just need bread
Lord, I just need bread

If you need anything from Amazon, toilet paper, toothpaste, paper towels, fishin’ line, Aspercream, whatever, go through BrianKilby.com/Amazon. It doesn’t cost you a dime more and it does me a favor. Like the page at facebook.com/HappyDayinWilkes so you don’t miss anything, and if something’s on your mind, leave a letter in my mailbox. Hope y’all have a happy day.

Sung by Brian Kilby. A Wilkes County Bureau of Happy Days production.

The post U-Turn Lane to Walmart: A New Christmas Song About the 421 U-Turns in North Wilkesboro appeared first on BrianKilby.com.

The Wilkes County Bureau of Happy Days has given Brian the power to make sure y’all have a happy day, and he’s taking the job seriously. On this Happy Daily, the Bureau goes TikTok around the clock: Brian reports that it’s now on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, and it’s Instagrammin’ from here to next Tuesday. The Christmas content is coming just about every other day, with remastered videos for Christmas Ain’t Dead, O Holy Night and Apples, Chickens, and Christmas already up. Every one of Brian’s old Christmas albums is still free at BrianKilby.com/christmas.

Brian also tells about a night out in Wilkes County with the girls, who had the time of their lives, one of them working hard to sell her daddy cookies, energy drinks and cheese balls. The video is out there, and you ought to watch it.

Then there’s the big news. Howard Vannoy, the Wilkes County historian who helped cover the Taco Bell sinkhole in North Wilkesboro, got in touch with Brian and said they need to talk about 421. That conversation is coming soon on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and the podcast feed. It ain’t what you’re thinking, but you’ll be glad you heard it.

Missed last week? Catch up with Happy Daily 3877: Official Business, where the Happy Daily became the official podcast of the Wilkes County Bureau of Happy Days.

If you need toilet paper, toothpaste, paper towels or Aspercream, buy them through BrianKilby.com/Amazon. It costs you nothing extra and does Brian a real favor. Like the Facebook page at facebook.com/HappyDayinWilkes so you don’t miss anything, and if something’s on your mind, leave a letter in Brian’s mailbox. Hope y’all have a happy day.

The post Happy Daily 3878: TikTok Around the Clock appeared first on BrianKilby.com.

The Happy Daily has a new title. It is now the official podcast of the Wilkes County Bureau of Happy Days, the office responsible for goose control, sign cleaning and the general happiness of Wilkes County. That makes Brian a non-elected, nonpartisan official of Wilkes County. As far as you know. He calls it the greatest thing that’s ever happened to him, and to the Happy Daily, and he intends to use the full power invested in him to make the days happy around here.

The first order of business is Christmas. Brian’s new Christmas album comes out Friday, November 27, and between now and Christmas the Bureau will post a Christmas music video three times a week, including fresh versions of songs from his past Christmas albums. You’ll find them on the Wilkes County Bureau of Happy Days Facebook page, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. The goal, according to Brian, is 200 million downloads. Every one of the old Christmas albums is still free at BrianKilby.com/christmas, which makes them, in Brian’s words, the best Christmas gift you could ever imagine for the frugal and the cheap alike.

Brian recorded this one on the Sunday the clocks fell back, so he was running a little discombobulated. He’d like you to know he got too much sleep.

If you want to help Brian out without spending a dime extra, use his Amazon link at BrianKilby.com/Amazon the next time you need paper towels, toothpaste or fishing line. Come find him at facebook.com/HappyDayinWilkes and like the page so you don’t miss anything. And if something’s on your mind, leave a letter in his mailbox. Hope y’all have a happy day.

The post Happy Daily 3877: Official Business appeared first on BrianKilby.com.

Brian came into this one with a lot going on and couldn’t quite decide where to start — which, if you’ve been listening to the Happy Daily for any length of time, you know means it’s going to be a good one. He worked through the week’s local news: a new independent senior living development coming in near Pleasant Hill on Mountain Trace, the North Wilkesboro town board voting to resume posting video recordings of meetings online, Wilkes Community College landing on the list of schools eligible for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, and a 22-acre parcel off River Road being graded for economic development. Brian had opinions on all of it, including a brief detour into the possibility of pivoting his career to animal husbandry.

He also gave listeners a sneak peek at an upcoming weekly segment featuring his friend Ricky — a man Brian has known since kindergarten at Union Elementary and considers the smartest man in Wilkes County. Ricky’s area of expertise, as previewed here, is hidden messages embedded in common words. The word “Ford” was the primary exhibit. Experts are divided on whether the hidden message is “First On Race Day” or “Found On Road Dead.” Brian found this equally plausible and equally worth pondering.

And then there’s the Plinko board. Brian found it on Facebook Marketplace. It is four feet tall, plays the Plinko music, lights up at the bottom, and is more wonderful than he ever could have imagined. Kim suggested starting a fellowship society — the Hayes Plinko Players — possibly meeting at the church. Brian believes Plinko could bring the country together. A 15-part Ode to Plinko segment is reportedly in development.

If you want to help Brian out without spending a dime extra, just use his Amazon link at BrianKilby.com/Amazon next time you need toilet paper, toothpaste, or bulk bags of rice. And come find him over at facebook.com/HappyDayinWilkes — like the page so you don’t miss a thing. Got something on your mind? Leave a letter in his mailbox. Hope y’all have a happy day.

The post Happy Daily 3876 — The Smartest Man in Wilkes County appeared first on BrianKilby.com.

Wednesday’s Happy Daily came in at episode 3875, which Brian noted is a significant number — not a round one, but significant in the way that any number starts to feel significant when you’ve been showing up long enough.

The main topic was the proposed Wilkesboro town budget, which includes a one-cent property tax cut but would eliminate town-sponsored concerts and movies in the downtown commons. Brian understands budgets. He said so. He just also understands that there is a generation of Wilkes County children who will now grow up without seeing Highlander under the stars, and he is not prepared to let that go without comment. He made the case — earnestly and at some length — for Wild Thing (1987), The Goonies, Armageddon, and Big Trouble in Little China as the kind of civic infrastructure that a one-cent tax cut cannot replace. He also offered to perform a free concert himself, given the circumstances, and suggested that if folks wanted to let their commissioners know what they thought, they were welcome to mention that Brian Kilby sent them, and that Brian Kilby might make a reasonable county commissioner. Or governor. He’s open.

On the news front: Wilkes County commissioners approved more funding for Wilkes County Schools and Wilkes Community College than originally proposed, and the Downtown North Wilkesboro Partnership kept its Main Street America designation after a strong year of investment and business growth downtown. The Wilkes Medical Center Foundation also welcomed two new board members.

Jack did not enjoy the rain. This was noted.

If you do your household shopping on Amazon — toilet paper, toothpaste, mouthwash, toenail fungus remover, whatever you need — you can help keep the Happy Daily going at no extra cost by using Brian’s link at BrianKilby.com/Amazon. And find the show on Facebook at facebook.com/HappyDayinWilkes so you don’t miss a thing. Got something on your mind? Leave a letter in Brian’s mailbox. Hope y’all have a happy day.

The post Happy Daily 3875 — In Defense of Outdoor Movies (and Highlander) appeared first on BrianKilby.com.

Well, it’s the Tuesday after Memorial Day, and Brian’s got a full one for you. He kicks things off fresh off the long weekend — everybody at the house came out fine, which Brian notes is its own accomplishment — and gets right into the news.

The big local stories this week include the brand-new Smoot Park pool opening right on schedule for Memorial Day weekend, a six-million-dollar rebuild featuring a new slide and splash pad. Brian notes it is currently raining at 77 degrees, but trusts the pool will be there when things clear up. He also covers the proposed Wilkes County 2026–27 budget, which holds the property tax rate flat but cuts funding to nonprofits and county departments — including, Brian points out, the WTA, which was the only way his mama had to get around after his daddy passed. He’s asking folks to speak up on that one. The 2026 Wilkes County Hall of Fame class is also in — eight inductees from over 70 nominees — and Brian makes a straightforward, earnest case that he himself belongs in next year’s class. Rounding out the news: the NASCAR Cup Series Window World 450 is coming to North Wilkesboro Speedway on July 19th, the first points race at the track in thirty years, and Brian ranks it among the two or three things in his lifetime that have genuinely shaken Wilkes County to its core.

The Community Voice segment features a post from Cogliostro raising the possibility that people of faith might be able to communicate with all animals of all species. Brian takes this seriously, works through the evidence with Jack the dog, references Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and ultimately concludes that while he’s a man of faith, the part that really would’ve helped is back in his goose control days — he could’ve saved a real lot of money on air horns and remote control boats.

If you want to help keep the Happy Daily going, shop your everyday household goods — toilet paper, toothpaste, fishing line, Aspercream, whatever you need — through the Amazon link at BrianKilby.com/Amazon. Costs you nothing extra, and Amazon sends a little something back this way. Like the Facebook page at facebook.com/HappyDayinWilkes so you don’t miss an episode. And if something’s on your mind, you know where Brian’s mailbox is.

Hope y’all have a happy day.

The post NASCAR Returns to North Wilkesboro, Smoot Park Pool Opens, and Can We Talk to Animals? | Happy Daily Ep. 3874 appeared first on BrianKilby.com.

Happy Memorial Day from the Happy Daily. Brian takes a moment to honor the folks who gave everything so the rest of us could argue on GoWilkes.com — and he means that with total sincerity. Then it’s on to the weather, which is giving Wilkes County a 45% chance of rain today and has declined to clarify further. The NC Supreme Court ruled Friday that Duke Energy’s rate hike stands — and yes, western NC pays more than eastern NC for the exact same electricity coming through the exact same lines. Brian also has an electric car and some thoughts about that. And the Community Voice checks in with a post about tomatoes that is brief, accurate, and devastating.

The post Happy Daily 3873 – Same Electricity, Higher Bill: A Memorial Day Happy Daily appeared first on BrianKilby.com.

Well hey y’all, it’s the Happy Daily. Brian’s got some things to get off his chest today — mainly about what it costs to eat in Wilkes County right now, and how that situation ain’t right.

We kick things off with your North Wilkesboro forecast (98% chance of rain, which ain’t a chance, that’s just rain), a Memorial Day thank-you to our veterans, and a quick rundown of local news — including Wilkes County’s proposed budget cuts, a shrinking county fund balance, a town consultant charged with embezzlement over in Pilot Mountain, and some good news from the East Wilkes Cardinals in the 2A playoffs.

Then Brian gets into the real topic of the day: the high cost of everything. Chicken Q. Eggs. Groceries. Jim’s Quality Meats closing their doors. That grocery bag that used to hold fifteen dollars of food and now holds sixty dollars of food — and the bag ain’t bigger. Brian can’t quite put his finger on why it’s all so expensive, but he knows it ain’t right, and he’s going to tell you about it at some length.

He loves you. Kim loves you. Jack loves you. Hope y’all have a happy day.

The post Happy Daily 3872 – Twelve Dollars for a Quarter Chicken appeared first on BrianKilby.com.