well, no level shifter, the SD reader and RTC both say they are 3v and 5v compatible, perhaps i should run them off the line that supplies the LED strip at 5v and get the power draw off the Teensy.
I will pickup an extra microSD tomorrow and test that as well..
i commented out all the calls to read IR, and anecdotally it seems to have helped, but the issue persists but seemingly diminished. I actually dont even have the include file for the IR called any more just to be sure. Silly neopixels concern me with the timing requirements.
of note: the issue never appears when in the setup menu, but does occur when the logo loads.
I will continue to troubleshoot.
I cant tell you how much I appreciate the help.