Scarefest 2016

This weekend, I took my cousins to a local horror/paranormal convention. The main attraction for us was celebrity guest Steven Williams, best known to us as Rufus from Supernatural and Mr. X from The X-Files. He's also known to me as Captain Fuller from 21 Jump Street.

Unlike the last convention we attended, there were no lines whatsoever at the celebrities' booths. When I approached Steven's booth, I accidentally approached the wrong person about paying for autographs and photos. She told me to go to the other end of the table. As my cousin and I started in that direction, Steven called out, "Don't you send my people away!"

Steven was a very, warm funny guy. I told him I've seen every episode of 21 Jump Street and that my all-time favorite line of his was: "You're an undercover cop, Doug. You learn to puke!" He chuckled and even said the end of the line with me. Steven looked at me curiously and asked, "Where did you see episodes of 21 Jump Street? You don't look old enough." I told him Hulu and he seemed confused. I'm sure he later asked someone what it is.

Getting my 5'0" self in a picture with Steven's 6'2" frame was an interesting challenge. The rest of the convention wasn't of interest to us, but meeting Steven was well worth the price of admission.

It's not Halloween night, but I've already run into the Sanderson sisters.

Jurassic Park Jeep!

"Family don't end with blood."-Bobby Singer

Steven selfie!

Road tripping with my cousin Michelle and our old pal Scoob!

Jinkies! Did somebody say "mystery"? 

True Courage: Patrick Swayze and Diane Endler

This week marks the 7th anniversary of Patrick Swayze's death. Though I never had the opportunity to meet him, his battle with pancreatic cancer both touched and broke my heart. Interviews with him at the time left me in tears. Patrick's calm demeanor and unwavering optimism reminded me so much of my beloved grandma, who suffered so horribly from the same illness. This year marks the 10th anniversary of losing her.

My mom's mom, Diane, is someone I've referred to in prior posts. She was one of the gentlest, most unselfish human beings I've ever had the honor of knowing. Grandma took care of me through some of the best and worst experiences of my life. She reinforced things my mom taught me about how to be a good friend and a good person. She was a devout Catholic and in many ways very conservative, but she still had a wicked sense of humor. For example, she liked to refer to the movie Young Guns as Young Buns. She'd drive around running errands while listening to one of my Aerosmith or Bon Jovi CDs.

Grandma was also my TV buddy. I remember her letting me stay up late to watch Walker and Alex get married on Walker, Texas Ranger. Her favorite cartoon was Hey Arnold! When I was in middle school, she decided I was old enough to watch CSI and Without a Trace with her. Every Thursday, I knew there would be extra-butter popcorn in my future and the fun of seeing which of us could solve the mystery first.

In early 2006, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after feeling rather ill for several months. My family and I were all extremely concerned. I vividly remember sobbing in her arms as she stroked my hair and said, "Don't you worry, sweetpea. I'm gonna fight this. I'm gonna fight this as hard as I can. I'm not giving up." What none of us knew at the time was the survivability rate, that it was a death sentence.

Grandma's condition worsened as the weeks went on. No matter how much pain she was in, she never complained. She was still determined to do things for her family. As a child, she'd promised me diamond jewelry for my Sweet 16. That date was drawing closer and the diamond was the furthest thing from my mind.

When I got home from school on my Sweet 16, I went to Grandma's house like I did every day. I got I don't know what all from my grandparents that year. The last gift my grandma handed me was a jeweler's box. I opened the lid and gasped. Inside was a golden horseshoe on a chain; the horseshoe's border was edged with tiny diamonds. Back then, I was an avid trail rider with my own horse: Little Man.

I immediately burst into tears and gave Granny the biggest hug I could without hurting her. Even though she was so sick, she fastened the chain around my neck. The next month, May 2006, is when her battle with cancer mercifully ended.

I haven't completely recovered from the loss. I sometimes doubt I ever will because she was such a huge part of my life. In the past decade, I've only taken my horseshoe off a handful of times. It's been joined on its chain by a college graduation gift from my mom: a medal of my favorite saint: Saint Michael. I pray that one day there's a cure so no one will have to watch their loved ones go through what can only be described as hell on earth.

Gone but not forgotten. Diane Endler (1937-2006)

Top 10 Quotes: "Anastasia"

Today would've been my grandma Diane's 79th birthday. She was one of the kindest, most unselfish people I ever knew. I was lucky enough that I grew up 5 minutes from her house; she practically raised me while my parents were working. We loved to watch movies together and even when I got older, Anastasia was still one of our favorites. I suppose it was because we related so well to the bond Anastasia had with her grandmother Marie. It seems only fitting to post this in her honor.

1. Dowager Empress Marie: "You were the boy, weren't you? The servant boy who got us out. You saved her life and mine and you restored her to me. And yet you want no reward."

2. Anastasia: "Do you really think I'm royalty?"
Dmitri: "You know I do."
Anastasia: "Then stop bossing me around!"

3. Bartok: "You should really watch your blood pressure. My nephew Izzy, he just keeled over one day, mid-mango. And he's a fruit bat, sir. No meat, no bloody."

4. Vlad: "It's what I hate about this government. Everything's in red."

5. [Anastasia is looking inside an ugly dress Dmitri bought her]
Dmitri: "What are you looking for?"
Anastasia: "The Russian Circus. I think it's still in here!"

6. Vlad: "I see an engaging and fiery young woman, who on on a number of occasions has show a regal command equal to any royal in the world. And I have known my share of royalty. You see, I was a member of the Imperial Court."

7. Anastasia: "'Go left,' she says. I know what's to the left. I'll be Anya the Orphan forever."

8. Bartok: "Is this the face of a bat who would lie to you?"

9. Anastasia: "It's kind of hard to think of yourself as a duchess when you're sleeping on a damp floor. But, sure, yeah, I guess every lonely girl would hope she's a princess."

10. Dowager Empress Marie: "Knowing that you are alive, seeing the woman you've become brings me joy I never thought I could feel again."

I love you forever, Grandmama.

Spread Your Wings: Inspired by Kenny Johnson

As a former high school drama nerd and current community theater actress, I'm fairly familiar with how much reading is involved in acting. I was more or less born a reader, able to understand books written on a middle-school level when I was in 2nd grade, even using a guidebook to help plan our Disney World vacation. But what if that weren't the case and reading was literally one of the hardest things in the world for me to do? Would I still be able to do something I truly love?

Kenny Johnson is an incredibly talented actor, perhaps best known as Lem on The Shield and Kozik on Sons of Anarchy. He has also struggled with severe dyslexia. While I was on Twitter, I stumbled across a recent interview where he opened up about how he's been able to work around it and build his acting career.

I applaud Kenny Johnson, as I do anyone else who doesn't let anything hold them back from chasing their dreams. It takes a huge amount of courage to be so honest about your struggles. Pretending you don't have a problem is so much easier than dealing with it head-on.

I've personally struggled with anxiety and depression periodically since high school; it's gotten the best of me more often than I'd like to admit. I refused to let it ruin my life. I always made sure I got good grades; I exposed myself to new social situations, even when I was scared to death. 10 years later, I'm a mostly well-adjusted twentysomething and halfway to becoming a registered nurse.

To anyone out there reading this:

If you have challenges that are negatively affecting your health and/or happiness, whether it's dyslexia or social anxiety or anything in between, don't be embarrassed about reaching out for help. You won't change overnight and that's okay; nobody does. Overcoming your obstacles will suck at times and you'll want to quit. Don't do it. You'll never know how high you can fly if you spend your life walking around with broken wings. You got this.

Comic Con: Round Two

A few weekends ago, I returned to my local comic convention; this time, with company. My cousins, ages 19 and 18, are fellow lovers of all things nerdy. The con fell during spring break, so I decided we could make a family vacation out of it. I secured us VIP passes and an onsite hotel. We spent weeks counting down until the con.

Our primary reason for attending this year concerned two of the celebrity guests: Kevin McNally and Walton Goggins. Kevin played Jack Sparrow's best friend/ex-Royal Navy sailor Mr. Gibbs in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He also appeared in Season 7 of Supernatural as conspiracy theorist, Leviathan-tracking computer whiz Frank Devereux. Walton Goggins is best known for his starring roles on 3 different FX series:

• Transsexual Venus Van Damme on Sons of Anarchy
• Southern-fried Detective Shane Vendrell on The Shield
• Raylan Givens' coal mining buddy and Gulf War vet-turned Harlan County crime kingpin Boyd Crowder on Justified

My cousins and I never missed an episode of Justified during its run. I binge-watched my way through The Shield in a matter of less than 3 months. I was apprehensive going into the con, as last year Ryan Hurst canceled at the last minute. Fortunately, Tommy Flanagan stepped in, so I was still able to meet one of the Redwood Originals.

Had you been with us the moment we first stepped onto the con floor, you would have heard my cousin Michelle and I cry out, "BABY!" A restored jet-black 1967 Impala was parked at the entrance, an old green cooler sitting by the back tire. Michelle, proudly sporting her Team Sam shirt, was overjoyed at getting to sit behind the wheel of the Winchesters' ride. As a Dean girl, so was I!

It was time for our scheduled photo op with Kevin McNally, so Michelle and I made our way to the photo op room. We got checked in and shown to the correct line. One of the con staffers actually had to go track Kevin down, because the guy had no idea anyone had scheduled a photo with him. Throughout our wait, we remained the only two in line. I was first. I nervously told him what a big Pirates fan I am. Kevin smiled and said, "Arrr! Let's do a pirate fist bump!"

Later, we went to his booth for autographs. I mentioned how we'd enjoyed his turn on Supernatural. He jokingly asked, "Did you wonder 'How did that guy get another job?'" He told Michelle and I we were lovely little dears and thanked us for watching his work. With a flourish, he signed both of our Pirates posters with the message "Keep to the code." Throughout the course of the convention, we'd occasionally spot Kevin roaming the floor and people-watching. He always gave us a smile and a friendly wave. Oddly, no one ever seemed to recognize him. Maybe it was due to the fact he shaved off his signature pirate beard.

The next afternoon was our meeting with Boyd Crowder himself. I donned my SOA bandanna and my new Farmington Strike Team shirt. There were a lot more people in line to meet Walton than Kevin. My cousin and I were standing there talking to the people in front of us when, out of nowhere, Walton popped out from around the corner of the photo set. "HOW ARE YOU DOIN', KENTUCKY?" he bellowed, scaring both of us out of our skins.

Walton's question was greeted by a round of screams and applause. There he was: the tall lanky country boy with cockatoo hair and skinny jeans, exactly how he looked on Justified. Though neither of us find Walton physically attractive, Michelle and I both became increasingly giggly and nervous as the line dwindled. Once again, I was first.

"Hey, baby, how are you?" Walton said, pulling me into a one-armed side hug. "And what is that on your shirt, darlin'?" He slowly read, "Farmington District Strike Team." He laughed and said something to the effect of "How 'bout that?" He thanked me when I mentioned that I loved his work as Boyd and Shane.

Later that afternoon, we went to his autograph booth. My dad told me that if I met Walton, I had to tell him about our adventure to Harlan. A few years back, we made a 3-hour drive to see an exhibit of Justified memorabilia that turned out to be the size of a small china cabinet. When I related this tale to Walton, his jaw dropped and I thought his eyes would pop out of his head. "Oh, darlin', I am so sorry!" he kept repeating. He wrote on my poster: "Hope this makes up for that LAME trip."

Michelle was next in line. Walton smiled and said, "I remember you!" She's very shy and turned bright red. Walton noticed I was standing next to her and asked if we were touring the convention together. I nodded, explaining that we were cousins and how I had arranged the Comic Con trip as a spring break/family vacation. "You are so sweet!" Walton said. Michelle managed to tell him how much she liked him on Justified. He signed her poster with Boyd's famous quote: "Fire in the hole!"

My cousins and I were lucky enough to get front-row-center seats at Walton's panel the next morning. It turned out this was his first comic convention, so he wasn't sure how the whole thing was supposed to work. Every time someone caught "the question cube", he'd remark, "Kentucky basketball!" I was lucky enough to grab the cube once. I asked if he had any favorite onset memories from his days on FX.

I expected to hear about some shenanigans involving Timothy Olyphant. What I got instead was one about his days as Venus Van Damme. His last day on that shoot, he basically dared the entire cast of SOA to feel up his fake boobs....and they did. In the panel, Walton came off as a very kind, articulate, funny guy. His takeaway message for us convention-goers was: "Love transcends everything. And that's not a song, folks, that's the fuckin' truth."

Me and Walton

"Driver picks the music."-Dean Winchester

Kevin McNally's autograph: "Keep to the code"

Captain America!

OMG, I fist-bumped Mr. Gibbs!

Walton signed my box set too!

Colt Ford and Charlie Daniels Band at the State Fair

I will just come right out and say that country music is my least favorite genre. It seems to praise being drunk and ignorant, at least most of the stuff I hear on my local radio station does. There's always been one exception to that rule for me: Charlie Daniels Band. On a road trip to Ohio as a kid, my mom played one of their greatest hits CDs, and by the end of that weekend, I was a Charlie Daniels fan. Charlie can sing, play, and write some great songs. I saw him in concert at the same venue when I was 13 and he blew me away.

Last night, Charlie came by again and I went to see him. His opening act, Colt Ford, is somebody I had never heard of. I may not listen to country, but since I live in Kentucky, I can't help but be aware of who the popular artists are. I saw hordes of girls wearing Colt Ford T-shirts, which led me to assume he was young and/or attractive. When Colt stepped onstage, I immediately saw I was wrong on both counts. He was very overweight with long hair and a beard that could earn him a guest appearance on Duck Dynasty. 

I almost laughed hysterically when he started singing about cruising around getting girls to ride in his pickup because women were rushing the stage to get selfies with him. I guarantee that if they were approached by a man who looked like Colt but wasn't rich and famous and wanted to take them for a ride, they would run screaming in the opposite direction. They might even call the cops.

Lots of tiresome lyrics about huntin' fishin' and muddin'. I also learned that Colt is responsible for one of the most overplayed, terrible songs of the last few years "Dirt Road Anthem." I may not like country, but I still think he has a lot of nerve comparing himself to George Jones. In a different song, Colt compared his feelings for a woman to his love of chicken 'n biscuits, both of which he should probably cut out of his diet if he wants to live a few more years. "I love you like a fat kid loves cake" was not a complimentary sentiment when 50 Cent sang it; making it about different food items and singing it with a Southern twang does not improve upon it. The only song I didn't absolutely hate during his set was his cover of "Lose Yourself" by Eminem.

When Charlie Daniels hit the stage, the crowd went even wilder, as well they should have; he's a living legend of country music. His set wasn't like what he played back in '03, which featured everything from Lynyrd Skynyrd covers to his own music. Last night's concert consisted mostly instrumental jamming, terrible solo projects his band members wrote, Dylan covers, a Johnny Cash cover, and a drum solo that went on entirely too long. Charlie did play a handful of his standards: "Long-Haired Country Boy," "The South's Gonna Do It Again," and my all-time favorite "The Legend of Wooley Swamp." The finale was the guaranteed crowd-pleaser "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." Even though Charlie is 78 years old and had a stroke a few years ago, the man can still play the hell out of a fiddle and a guitar.

Around (Walt's) World in 3 Days: Animal Kingdom & Conclusions

We kicked off our last day at Disney World with breakfast at Be Our Guest (I'm still amazed I was able to get reservations at all on Mother's Day). The food is overpriced ($20/person if you're paying out of pocket instead of using a dining plan), but the experience of eating in the Beast's castle is wonderful. There are 3 different themed dining rooms: the grand ballroom, a smaller ball room, and the forbidden West Wing. The attention to detail is exquisite; it's like stepping into the movie. 

I ordered a croissant/doughnut hybrid smothered in chocolate sauce and topped with caramelized bananas. Breakfast entrees come with a fruit cup on the side and 4 assorted pastries for the table to split. The miniature cinnamon roll was not quite as good as its counterpart at Gaston's. I didn't care at all for the bran muffin. The chocolate-drizzled croissant was tasty, but my personal favorite was the miniature blueberry muffin, which features a streusel-like topping made of white chocolate.

After touring the castle and taking tons of pictures, we boarded the bus to Animal Kingdom. I've loved going to zoos since I was a little girl and my expectations were high, given the general quality of Disney entertainment. Animal Kingdom left me sadly underwhelmed. The exhibits were nicely designed and the animals seemed happy, but there weren't enough of them. Rides are also in short supply, which leads to long waits everywhere.

Expedition Everest, the newest Disney coaster, seemed kind of short considering how long you have to wait. I wasn't aware the ride would go backwards and that part kind of jarred my neck unpleasantly. Primeval Whirl is jerky enough that Paul and I agreed it should be renamed Whiplash. The signs at the entrance of Kali River Rapids should probably say "You WILL get drenched," but I'm not complaining; it was fairly hot while we were there and it's a fun ride. Festival of the Lion King did not live up to expectations; it was a bit too Cirque du Soleil for my taste. Dinosaur was fast-paced with great jump scares, easily the best ride at Animal Kingdom. It's something else I wish we'd had time to ride more than once. 

Overall, our trip was amazing: not too hot, not too crowded. You can cram all 4 theme parks into 3 days if you absolutely must, but it will require sacrifice on your part. Paul and I got to each park about half an hour before opening and stayed until closing; rinse, lather, repeat. Even though I was being pushed around in a wheelchair, the schedule was exhausting.

On the off chance any cast members are reading this post, I'd like to end this post with some shout outs to the ones who helped make my trip magical:

• Patsy at The Great Movie Ride: You were an energetic, awesome tour guide. You even remembered Paul and I when we came back late in the day for a re-ride! We were really glad we got to travel through movie history with you twice.
• The older gentlemen at Magic Carpets of Aladdin: You let us go into the Fastpass line even though we didn't have Fastpasses for it. Your kindness was much appreciated.
• The handicap attendant at Splash Mountain: I really wish I could remember your name! You told us we would get the VIP treatment and you delivered! It was really fun talking to you.
• Food service workers: My boyfriend couldn't carry our tray and push my wheelchair at the same time. I was worried about spilling our drinks if I tried to hold it on myself (I'm clumsy). You were all more than happy to take our tray to a table (a few times, we didn't even have to ask). 
• The host at Belle's Enchanted Tales: You noticed I was wearing a tank top with a Beauty and the Beast stained glass design on it, came up to my wheelchair after the show, and asked me, "Princess, would you like your picture taken with Belle?" I said yes and hobbled my way to the line. When it was my turn, you introduced me to Belle as a princess; it made me feel like a kid again!
• Shop workers: Fantastic every place I went. One of the things I wanted to buy most was pretty specific: a small plush Figment doll. It took going to many places, but with your help, I was able to find exactly what I wanted. Every one of you made it a point to chitchat with me and all the other customers to make us feel welcome. It really is the little things that make you smile, like the woman at the shop near Gaston's, who offered me a Beauty and the Beast sticker. A gift shop worker at Pop Century threw in a Lion King sticker when I bought a Simba doll.

Around (Walt's) World in 3 Days: Magic Kingdom

Even as an adult, this park is nothing short of magical. By utilizing a Fastpass and our handy-dandy My Disney Experience app, we were able to ride everything in Tomorrowland and a good chunk of what's in Fantasyland before lunch. (New Fantasyland looks spectacular). We had planned on eating at Be Our Guest, but so many people had reservations that they weren't accepting walk-ins. We ate at Pinocchio's Village Haus instead, where the pizza is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Wolfgang Puck's. The crust is like cardboard and forgot trying to separate the slices with the flimsy plastic knives there.

MUST-SEES:

• "the Mountains" (Space, Splash, and Big Thunder), 
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (packs a surprisingly nice punch for what's essentially a kiddie coaster, but get Fastpass to avoid the lengthy waits) 
• Pirates of the Caribbean (drink up, me hearties, yo-ho)
• Haunted Mansion (best haunted house ride ever)
• Dumbo (I shouldn't have to explain why)
• Meet Gaston at his tavern. Even if you don't want to get your picture taken with him, it's a riot just to watch him interact with people. I wore a Beauty & the Beast tank top with Belle and Beast on it; Gaston kept purposely standing in front of the design. He said, "Belle isn't married; she's just dog-sitting. He likes to put on a tuxedo and walk on his hind legs. He thinks he's people!" Haha :D 
• Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (Full disclosure: I have never seen any of the Toy Story movies in my life. Still, I wish my boyfriend and I had gotten on a second time so we could get higher scores.)
• Mad Tea Party (Sure, tea cup rides are everywhere, but how many have the Dormouse in the teapot?)
• Enchanted Tales With Belle (A cute show worth seeing whether you have kids or not)
• Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid (The animatronics aren't Disney's best. But who cares? No big deal. It's Ariel)
• Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial (The day we were there, Jack was, looks wise and vocally, a dead ringer for Johnny Depp. The kids plucked from the audience to be junior pirates were adorable).
• Magic Carpets of Aladdin (Some may write it off as a carbon copy of Dumbo. Unlike the elephants, the carpets can move in a gentle, wavelike motion as well as up and down via backseat controls. If you're with a special someone, take a romantic ride after dark).

OTHER TIPS: 

• Do NOT take little kids on Stitch's Great Escape. A young girl in a Frozen princess dress cried hysterically through the whole ride/show. I didn't find it particularly pleasant either.
• If you have Extra Magic Hours privileges, use them, especially if you visit at an "off" time of year. After the 11 PM parade, there was practically nobody in the park. We were able to walk onto almost everything with no wait.
• Try a LeFou's Brew at Gaston's Tavern. The website describes it as "frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow, topped with a mango/passion fruit foam." This concoction sounds absolutely disgusting on paper, but trust me, it tastes like liquid happiness. The tavern's cinnamon rolls are equally good (and big enough to share. Literally the size of my head).
• Casey's Corner has the best hot dogs at Disney World. I especially like that you can get sliced apples as a side with the combo meal, because I don't particularly like fries.
• Don't let the constantly long lines at Peter Pan's Flight fool you. The ride isn't much to write home about. The elaborate line maze through the Darlings' home will raise your expectations unreasonably. One of my boyfriend's favorite movies as a kid was Peter Pan and he was quite disappointed.
• Explore the courtyard of Cinderella Castle. There are some very nice fountains and statues.
• If you're eligible for handicapped seating for the nightly fireworks display, get there at least 45 minutes early. A cast member told us 30 minutes prior would be enough. While getting dinner on Main Street, my boyfriend and I got trapped by the mob watching the 9:00 parade and couldn't get around them. The handicapped seating area was already full by the time we get there.
• The speed of the conveyor belt where you board rides such as Haunted Mansion and Buzz Lightyear can be adjusted if you are handicapped. Just ask the attendant when you get to the front of the line.
• Use caution on It's A Small World if you're in a walking boot. It was the one and only time I almost fell getting on a ride.
• Finally, have you ever wondered what it's like to be on an acid trip but don't want to take illegal drugs? Then wander over to the Enchanted Tiki Room in Adventureland. It's truly, deeply bizarre. It's also air-conditioned and there's never a line.

Around (Walt's) World in 3 Days: Downtown Disney, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios

My boyfriend and I just got back from a long vacation that included 3 days at the most magical place on Earth: Walt Disney World! A foot injury recently forced me into a walking boot and my doctor told me to absolutely use a wheelchair to get around the parks. My boyfriend and I were both concerned that this would keep us from making good time seeing the attractions, but the opposite turned out to be true. He's taller than me by quite a bit, so the chair eliminated having to wait for me to catch up. For both of us, our last Disney trip was pre-Animal Kingdom.

Do forgive me if this series of posts is a bit disjointed; I'm doing my best to keep it in order while hitting all the highlights.

Day 1: Arrival/Downtown Disney. We stayed at the Pop Century Resort in the '90s building. The rooms there are small, but you can't beat the rate per night and we didn't spend that much time in the hotel anyway. The pool complex is supposed to be awesome, but we didn't have time. Bus service was quick and efficient the whole trip. After exploring the shops, we stopped at Wolfgang Puck Express for dinner. They serve some of the best pizza I've ever tasted outside of New York City or New Jersey. I highly recommend it, though it's quite pricey.

Pop Century gave us a coupon book that included free one-day passes to DisneyQuest. We decided to visit because admission there is normally around $48 a person. The Buzz Lightyear bumper cars were fun, but our car got stuck and took a long time to dislodge. Cyber Space Mountain, which lets you build and ride your own roller coaster via motion simulator, was an amazing experience. We built ours separately because he's a lot more daring than I am. We planned to build a coaster as a couple to ride, but the virtual reality game where you ride on Aladdin's Magic Carpet did us both in. Neither Paul or I have a tendency toward motion sickness and we were both miserable afterward. Avoid if you've ever gotten motion sick.

Day 2: Epcot/Disney's Hollywood Studios. Honestly, we went to Epcot for one reason and one reason only: I wanted to ride Journey Into Imagination. This ride was the source of some of my fondest memories of that childhood trip, though I remember only vague details: Figment the adorable purple dragon, a machine that blew bubbles at you at one point, the Dreamfinder character who resembled an oversized leprechaun on an old-fashioned bicycle. The recent makeover got rid of the older/creepier animatronics. At least for me, it retains all the charm of the original. Riding it made me feel like I was 7 years old again.

We explored World Showcase to look at the topiaries on display as part of the Flower & Garden Festival, which judging by my family pictures, was going on during my original visit. They're really something to see and coordinate with the countries represented in the pavilions (Lady and Tramp in Italy, Belle and the Beast in France, etc). We ate at a restaurant in the Morocco pavilion, where I discovered that the cuisine was just a little too "out there" for me. After, we caught a ferry to Hollywood Studios.

The Great Movie Ride takes almost half an hour to complete its journey, but it's well worth it. Our tram was piloted by a perky college intern named Patsy. Partway through the ride, our tram was "hijacked" by a Wild West outlaw. Paul and I rode it again later that day and were fortunate enough to be in Patsy's group again; however, this time we were "hijacked" by a Mafia style gangster. His tough guy New York accent needed a lot of work, but he did try.

Star Tours is jerkier than I remember and the 3-D doesn't seem to work that well. The 3-D Muppet movie I remember fondly remains a classic. If you're like me and hate rides that go upside down, do not go on Rock 'N Rollercoaster; I was terrified the whole time. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a must-do; the combination of the ambiance and the drops will make your hair stand on end. The Indiana Jones stunt show is cool, but not particularly memorable.

We used Fastpasses to guarantee we would have seats at Fantasmic! that night. We were directed to the bleachers instead of handicapped seating for some reason, and had to climb all the way down to the front to find seats together. Our only entertainment while waiting for the show to start was listening to teeny-boppers destroy classic Disney songs via Radio Disney; half the time, Paul and I had trouble telling what song it was supposed to be. Fantasmic! itself is 100% worth the wait. No matter how old or young you are, you should see it at least once. I hope they will not ruin the show in future years by adding characters from Frozen.

We finished our night at Epcot's Extra Magic Hours for Disney Resort guests. Do not try to do this and Fantasmic back-to-back. By the time we got to the bus and were dropped off at Epcot, it was almost 10:00; Extra Magic Hours ended at 11:00. We only had time for one ride: Soarin', which had been too crowded to ride earlier in the day. It was pretty cool, especially when they piped in authentic smells from California, like oranges.

My First Comic Convention

This weekend, I went to my local version of Comic Con. I'm not the typical convention goer. My knowledge of superheroes, etc. begins and ends with The Avengers, Batman, Superman, The Amazing Spider-Man (AKA the one where Peter Parker is a douchebag), Thor and its sequel, and Iron Man (loved the original, hated the second, didn't bother to watch the third). I've never liked anime and can't figure out what the big deal is about Doctor Who. 

The main attraction for me was one of the advertised celebrity guests: Ryan Hurst. He's best known for playing Gerry Bertier in the Denzel Washington classic Remember the Titans and, more recently, Jax's best friend Opie on Sons of Anarchy. I loved that show and Opie was always one of my favorite characters. I bought the tie-in novel Bratva largely because it brought Opie back. I was looking forward to having Ryan sign it. 

As my boyfriend and I stood in line to get into the convention hall, I could hardly wait. However, once inside, we couldn't find Ryan's booth. We made a complete loop around the hall before asking a security guard, who gave us some bad news. Ryan had cancelled (and at the very last minute, because a local radio station had talked about interviewing him the day before). It was very disappointing. Fortunately, the good folks running the convention had found a replacement: Tommy Flanagan, who played Chibs.

My boyfriend and I joined the line. Immediately, the guy in front of us turned around and yelled, "We're gonna meet Chibs!" He had tattoos all over his arms and looked like an extra from the show. Both of us were a little bummed about not meeting Opie, but at least Chibs was still a major character. 

The meeting was over within about two minutes. Tommy was polite, but seemed a little dazed; I had the feeling they'd just thrown him on a red-eye flight to get him to the convention in time. He thanked me for being such a big fan of the show and said I was "a lovely little darlin'."

Mission accomplished, my boyfriend and I headed off to enjoy the rest of the convention's offerings. There were a lot of people in costume. I expected to see superheroes; there was a really great bunch dressed as Nick Fury, Captain America, Thor, and Black Widow. I expected to see every incarnation of Doctor Who possible. I kind of expected the many Indiana Jones. What I didn't expect were several Disney princesses and a young guy dressed as Severide from Chicago Fire. 

The vendors were an interesting lot, one in particular. This man was selling a series of self-published werewolf detective novels. I commented about the karate Elvis action figure on the table and he launched into a rapid-fire Elvis impersonation that was actually pretty good. He joked that the candy in the collection of Elvis PEZ dispensers tasted like peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

Overall, my first convention was a pretty awesome experience that I'll most likely repeat next year. Hopefully they'll get another actor from Sons of Anarchy to come so I can add to my autograph collection. 

Happy Hooligans (NSFW Language)

I was reading a Cracked article about crazy sports traditions, including the chants faced by anyone who steps into University of Michigan's ice rink. If people think Michigan hockey fans are bad, they should take a trip down south for one of my university's home hockey games. Our fans may not know much about the sport in general, but we (myself included) are vicious.

Games are at midnight (read: basically everyone shows up drunk). The rink is small so you're right on top of the opposing players, which is intimidating as hell to them. Once they get over that, the fun begins. They drop the gloves and take cheap shots. They get pissed because even when their team is pounding us into the ground, they cannot shut us up. Our fans will scream themselves hoarse until the game is over.

I grew up in a hockey loving household, raised from birth as a New Jersey Devils fan. I learned the basic strategies of the sport watching the NHL and a now-defunct minor league team. I fell in love with the beauty, the brutality, and the traditions. When I got to college, I became friends with half the club hockey roster through classes and other student organizations. Going to our games is the best form of therapy/stress relief I've ever found. It's amazing how much better I feel after sitting with my friends and screaming profanities for 2-3 hours.

I'm part of a large group of fans known on campus as the Hockey Hooligans. We all sit together at games, get rowdy, and lead the crowd in chants. Favorites include: "Fucked your mom!", "bitch! bitch! bitch!," "you can't do that" on penalty calls, and "Hey, (insert opponent's name/number), why don't you (insert sex act here)?" Then there's the chant directed at the opposing goalie when we score:

(To the tune of "Rock and Roll: Part 2")
HEY! YOU SUCK!
HEY! YOU SUCK!
HEY! YOU SUCK!
WE'RE GONNA BEAT THE FUCK OUTTA YOU!
E! K! U!

But before you think we're a bunch of uncouth, bloodthirsty rednecks, watch this video of our much tamer (but just as fun) game night tradition that accompanies the arrival of the Zamboni.

Fire Safety Day

Submitted this to another website and publishing it here in case it doesn't make the cut. I don't usually publish personal stuff on here, but I'm making an exception.

For the past 3 months, I've been a member of one of my county's volunteer fire departments. I'm one of 2 female firefighters at our station. Last week was the annual Fire Safety Day our department puts on to teach kids the basics (when to call 911, stop drop and roll, don't play with matches, etc). We took a crew to the elementary school in our district (preK-5) for the whole school day, talking to each grade individually.

As the least senior person on crew that day, I was content with my role of passing out plastic fire helmets and goodie bags to the students. The last group before lunch was arriving when a captain pulled me and another firefighter aside. He let us know that we would be taking over instructor duty after lunch.

We ate in the school cafeteria with the kids. (Don't even get me started on how nasty the government-mandated healthy lunches are). Eating with the kids was kind of fun anyway just seeing their reaction to these big firemen crammed into seats at the little tables. We returned to the gym to set up for the next lesson.

As the kids filed in, I asked my partner, "Who's taking lead on this?" I'm still a probie (rookie, for those that don't know) and my partner has about 6 months of seniority on me. Imagine my surprise when he shrugged and answered, "It's all you." Fortunately, I was not born with the gene that makes one fear public speaking. I knew more or less what I had to say from watching the earlier lessons. I spent 2 summers working at a day camp when I was in high school, so I have experience wrangling kids. However, I was still slightly apprehensive about how this would turn out.

These were first-graders. (Second-graders had been a horror show behavior-wise, to the point where the teachers told them the kindergartners probably behaved better. Sadly, the teachers were right). As a general rule, I anticipate more problems the younger the wee ones are. Another reason is I admit to being impatient. There's a reason I didn't major in education; I would've lost my mind and quit long before it was time for student teaching.

I stepped up in front of the 40-some-odd first-graders and warmly introduced myself. I told them in friendly but no uncertain terms that my partner and I were teaching them about something important; they needed to pay real attention to what we had to say. Then I was off and running. My partner jumped in on certain topics and acted as a safety net when I was unsure of what issue to cover next. The first-graders blew me away with how attentive and polite they were during the presentation.

At the end of my talk, I called for questions. A shy little girl raised her hand and said, "Can I hug you, Miss Firefighter?" The question was unexpected, but for me, there was only one answer: "Of course you can." That set off a chain reaction of wide grins and excited squirming. And that's how my 5-foot-nothing self got tackle-hugged by every kid who walked by me on their way out of the gym. They barely even noticed the goodie bags their teachers were carrying because they were so focused on me.

By the end of the day, I was more comfortable with teaching. I took the time to talk to a preschool girl who was terrified to the point of tears by how the firefighters looked in full gear. I told her that firemen had scared me too when I was her age. But if there's a fire or emergency, she shouldn't be scared of us because we're her friends and want to help her. She gave me a weak, watery smile and I think she understood.

Spending the day with those kids warmed the depths of my snarky little heart. I sincerely hope and pray that my brothers and I won't be showing up at their front door anytime soon. 

Pats Nation: The Decision

I tend to overthink almost every decision I have to make, including trivial ones like which sports teams I'll follow. Granted, not all "my" teams; I found the Braves at the tender age of 9 and never looked back. Both my parents are diehard New Jersey Devils fans, so I never had much of a choice when it came to hockey. I'm still a proud member of the Devils Army, though, with a framed picture of Marty Brodeur on my bedroom wall to prove it.

Pro football is another story altogether. 5 days ago, I was left wondering yet again where to place my loyalties after a severe disappointment. I've thought long and hard about it and decided that I will be maintaining my citizenship in Pats Nation for the following reasons:

1. Family. I always say I'm Southern merely by accident of birth. My relatives are all from various places in the Northeast: Brooklyn, Massachusetts, upstate New York, and New Jersey. My favorite baseball team (Braves) and favorite college team (Gators) are from the Deep South, so this kind of balances things out.

2. Bill Belichick. I don't know why, but I've always had a thing about crotchety old coaches/managers. This is probably because the majority of my life as a Braves fan was during Bobby Cox's tenure as manger. He was just fun to watch; you never knew when he'd start ranting and raving at the umpires. He had a record-breaking number of ejections. Say what you will about Bobby; the man was passionate about his job and knew how to field a winning team. Although, personally, I think Bill should've taken a page out of Bobby's book and knocked down Brady's ego several pegs a long time ago.

3. Rob Gronkowski. No pun intended, but Gronk is my biggest reason for sticking around. I've always had a weakness for large, bearlike men and Gronk makes me swoon. I've watched and read several interviews with him and there's just something about his personality that I love; he reminds me of about 70% of my guy friends from college. Sure, he's made some questionable decisions this off-season, like riding roller coasters and slam-dancing while in a cast. But hey, at least he's not currently on trial for murder.

Watch the infamous "Yo soy fiesta" interview and tell me the big guy doesn't have a certain charm.

Party on, Gronk!

Pats Nation: To Defect or Not to Defect?

Early yesterday morning, I woke up to find my phone flooded with headlines courtesy of my SportsCenter app. One of these did not bear good news: Tim Tebow had been released at the very last minute by the Patriots. To quote a very dear friend of mine, seeing that "hurt my heart." Tebow gives himself wholly to every team he's a part of, only to have his dreams slip through his fingers (his playoff season with Denver being the exception). He's tweeted that he refuses to give up on being an NFL quarterback.

I deeply respect and admire him as a person, but I can't help but think that's not the best of ideas. For whatever reason, no team seems to want to touch him (even his hometown of Jacksonville...traitors). He has been screwed over time and time again. Tim still thinking there's a team that will appreciate what he has to offer rides that thin line between optimism and delusion. However, I tend to root for the underdogs, so I really hope someone picks him up.

I have to commend Tim for always looking on the bright side of things and continuing to try; I took his example to heart. If I had seen my lack of physical endurance as an insurmountable obstacle and given up exercise, I wouldn't have been the first-ever female on my college firefighter combat challenge team. (I didn't make the competition squad, but I packed on about 5-10 pounds of muscle that semester and almost never missed practice). And I most certainly wouldn't be just over a month and a half into my probationary period as a volunteer firefighter.

The unexpected removal of Tim from the roster has left me in a bit of a situation. First of all, over the summer, I bought tickets to a Patriots/Bengals game in October. Far from the best seats in the house, but I was worried that having Tebow on the roster would make the game sell out even faster. Honestly, his signing was the main reason I wanted to go to the game in the first place. My extreme dislike of Tom Brady has me debating on still attending. I could probably offload the tickets pretty easily, either via the Internet or in person. My best friend loves the Patriots and I have several friends in Who Dey Nation. Also, it's a Sunday afternoon game, so nobody will be in class.

The second issue concerns the number of different loyalties I've had in the last 23 years: gold and red, green and yellow. Green and white put a dent in my bank account last season: keychain, purse, ballcap, and 2 different T-shirts (not to mention the Tebow jersey my mom paid a chunk for as one of my Christmas presents). I'm just grateful at this point that I didn't go ahead and get a Jets sorority letter shirt because those definitely aren't cheap and I wouldn't have been able to wear it much. I'm ready for a monogamous relationship with an NFL because switching all the time A) has me feeling like a bandwagon jumper and I don't especially like that feeling and B) is expensive.

I guess the best thing to do is take a few days to think things over and also feel out whether anyone I know might be in the market for upper-deck tickets on the visitors' side of Paul Brown Stadium. Thoughts, anyone?

Tebow Time in New England: A Football Fan's Reflection

Two days ago, I heard that Tim Tebow has finally found a team after being cut by the Jets in April. I'm really happy for him because I think he's a talented player who's gotten a pretty raw deal in the NFL. His bouncing around kind of reminds me of myself. In college, I had to try out an assortment of clubs and activities before I found where I fit in. And I too have had commitment issues when it comes to NFL teams.

Living in a state that has no professional football team (or pro teams of any kind) has its perks; you aren't a leper if you don't root for the home team (that's reserved for college sports). When I was very young (around 4-5 years old), I had a set of 49ers pajamas. By the time I was in 3rd grade, Brett Favre had come along. That meant a Packers jersey and sweatsuit. I've been a baseball and hockey fan for most of my life and those became my passions after Brett retired from the Packers.

When I was in high school, I discovered my favorite college team: the Florida Gators. I'm not especially religious, but I developed an immediate fondness for their quarterback Tim Tebow. He stands up for his beliefs and seems like a genuinely nice guy (not to mention he's pretty cute). I followed his career closely and adopted the Broncos as my favorite team when he was drafted into the NFL.

When the Broncos decided to replace him with Peyton "career-ending, life-altering neck injury imminent" Manning, I took my loyalties to the New York Jets. My parents grew up about an hour from the Jets' home base of East Rutherford, so I had kind of an attachment to them anyway. Rex Ryan also coached football for a season at my alma mater. However, Mark Sanchez's ineptitude and Rex's stubborn refusal to bench him ground away at my nerves. Passing Tebow over in favor of the even-worse-than-Sanchez third-string QB was an insult to the first sophomore to win a Heisman. I severed ties with them when he was released.

And now Tebow has found his way onto the New England Patriots' roster. As glad as I am that there's a head coach that appreciates what he has to offer, I still have mixed feelings. New England was the last place I expected (or wanted) him to end up. Something about Tom Brady has always rubbed me the wrong way. I think it's either his smug "I'm God's gift to football and women" attitude reinforced by his Victoria's Secret model wife, his bizarre metrosexual fashion choices (Uggs? Really?), or both.

My best friend is from Massachusetts and is a lifelong, diehard Pats fan. His reaction to the Tebow decision was one word: "yuck." We gave each other all kinds of crap over our respective favorite teams last season. He finds it hysterical that I'm now having to trade in my hunter green and white for blue, silver, red, and white.

Regardless of my feelings about Brady, I'm still excited about the upcoming season. Tebow helped turn the underperforming Broncos around and led them to the playoffs in the 2011-2012 season. He probably could've done the same for the Jets if the upper management staff hadn't just been using his name to sell tickets, something they've basically admitted to doing. And don't get me started on Rex Ryan's mismanagement. Imagine what Tebow could do for a team that's already good.

Bon Jovi "Because We Can" Tour 2013

I went to Louisville last night to see one of my favorite bands live for the first time. After standing in a long line to get into the KFC Yum Center and an equally long one for a souvenir T-shirt, my dad and I settled into our seats in the upper deck. Kentucky is not known for its love of '80s arena rock, so I expected only about half the seats in the arena would be full. I seriously underestimated the lure of Bon Jovi; the place was nearly sold out. Every age bracket was represented, from elementary school kids with their parents to the elderly.

The show ended up starting at 8:00 PM instead of 7:30 as printed on the tickets. Not sure why as neither Jon nor anyone else from the band explained the delay. There was no opening act, so Bon Jovi came right out and opened the show with their perennial favorite "You Give Love a Bad Name." A spectacular light display accompanied them, swirling their trademark heart-and-dagger logo into the crowd.

They played a few tracks from their new album What About Now: "Because We Can," "That's What the Water Made Me," and "What About Now." They also played some songs from what was, in my opinion, an ill-advised foray into expanding their sound to country. But mostly they stuck to their hits. In fact, their setlist included every song I posted this week with the exception of "Let It Rock". There were little surprises, like when they paused "Bad Medicine" to sing the entirety of "Old Time Rock and Roll" (weird since it's not even their song) and jumped back into the end of "Bad Medicine." The concert lasted about 3 hours and there were a total of 7 (!!!) encores.

I've been to my share of classic rock concerts in my life: Elton John, Billy Joel, Cheap Trick, Def Leppard, and Poison. Bon Jovi absolutely blew me away. Jon Bon Jovi is far and away the most energetic, upbeat performer I've ever seen. He barely stopped moving the entire show. Even when he was standing at the microphone, he was tapping his heels, clapping, or doing jazz hands. Jon's enthusiasm is contagious. The majority of the audience remained standing through the concert, dancing and shouting out the lyrics. More than once, Jon either stopped singing entirely to conduct the audience or yelled, "Help me out now!" so we would sing louder.

On a side note, few men Jon's age could (or should) attempt to wear black leather pants, but he manages to pull off the look. Women in the audience (myself included) went wild every time he started shaking his leather-clad behind.

Jon has quite the sense of humor and played around with the crowd. The band appeared on last night's American Idol, which Jon referenced by saying, "The real me is right here in Louisville. Stunt Me is in Los Angeles with all the crazy people." When Jon started to play the opening chords of "Wanted Dead Or Alive," the audience went wild, their hit having been given a new life thanks to the movie Rock of Ages. He grinned roguishly and asked, "You guys know this one, right?"

One of the reasons I've always been such a big Bon Jovi fan is because a lot of their songs have deep meanings. This becomes even more clear once you see them performed live. Jon sings every note from the heart, which caused me to tear up during "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" and "Blood On Blood." He also makes the upbeat songs even more fun than they already are.

I left the arena with ringing ears, a sore throat, and a huge smile on my face. Bon Jovi is definitely giving their audience their money's worth. If there is any way it is humanly possible for you to catch this tour, I highly recommend you do it. You won't regret it.

2 Days 'Til Christmas: Most Memorable Gifts

I know it's better to give than to receive, but I have so many great memories from Christmases past. Some of these are heartwarming; others are just downright funny. Listed them as best as I can remember.

• Being 3 was an interesting year. About half my gifts had something to do with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the other half were Beauty & the Beast. What can I say? I've always had eclectic taste. This Christmas is on home video and upon opening every package, I cried, "Just what I've always wanted!" For months afterward, my favorite place to hang out was my play tent that looked like the castle from Beauty & the Beast. It's a miracle I didn't wear out the VHS of Ninja Turtle episodes I got.
• My late grandmother, God rest her soul, always loved to watch figure skating on TV. Her absolute favorite female skater of all time was Michelle Kwan. When I was 4, she got me a pair of white figure skates, maybe thinking I'd be twirling out on the ice one day.
  While Mom and her visiting best friend went to post-Christmas sales, Dad babysat me along with his youngest brother (who was dating my mom's best friend at the time). They saw no problem with letting me stay up to watch ER with them. At some point in the episode, a 5-year-old girl with blond hair and blue eyes was brought to the hospital screaming in pain; her parents explained she fell down ice skating and broke her arm.
  I fit the little girl's description and was traumatized, figuring the same fate would await me. I mysteriously felt bad whenever Mom wanted to take me to the rink and the little white skates were eventually given to Goodwill. I didn't tell Mom about the ER episode until about 10 years later and I remained so terrified of ice skating that I never tried it until I was 20.
• My mom's best friend and her boyfriend used to visit for a few days after Christmas. They were into motorcycles and my Christmas gifts from them always included Harley-Davidson T-shirts. When I was about 12, I decided I needed something to wear over them: a tough-looking black leather jacket. My grandma combed all the department stores looking for one small enough. (I was a runty kid and now a very small adult). On Christmas morning at Grandma's, I found a giant, heavy box under the tree. I shrieked with excitement when I saw my dream jacket inside. The best part is it's been 10 years and that leather jacket still fits.
• Some of the best memories I have of Granny involved us bonding over TV shows, like when I stayed over at her house just so we could watch the wedding episode of Walker, Texas Ranger together. My preteen self thought Gage was dreamy and that Chuck was pretty kick-ass for an old guy. I was also in love with Walker's hat. When I was 10 or so, Granny gave me a black cowboy hat with a silver-studded hatband.
• When I was a senior in high school, I helped build the choir's Homecoming float. It was themed after the carnival scene from Grease and won the prize for Best Club Float. I was so proud and for Christmas that year, my mom got me a musical ornament that plays the Olivia Newtown-John version of "Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee."
• Freshman year of college, I reunited with my 2 best friends from high school for an annual Christmas party. We're all obsessed with Johnny Depp. It wasn't planned out, but we all ended up getting copies of his newest-to-DVD movie Public Enemies. 
• My aunt and I share the same dark, twisted sense of humor, love of obscure/purposely bad movies, and TV crime shows. She also knows of my weakness for firemen. She doesn't have a lot of extra money, but managed to give me DVDs of Justified's latest season, Analyze This, Analyze That, Summer School with Mark Harmon, and FDNY's charity calendar last year.
• I have a little (okay, big) obsession with movies. I've lost count of how many DVDs I own, to the point where I ran out of room on the family shelf. Last Christmas, my mom and stepdad put together a  bookshelf just for my movies, which I thought was really sweet.

Songs I Heard Too Young

Though I'm only 22, I recognize more classic rock songs than modern ones. My parents almost always listened to our local classic rock stations whenever we went anywhere in the car and I quickly developed a love for the genre.

It's only in recent years that I've realized how many dark/sexual messages I was exposed to that I didn't really understand. I have great parents, but sometimes I wonder what they were thinking. Here are some songs that sparked funny and fond childhood memories:

• "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith. I was in first grade when this song was in heavy rotation. Because of the "hey-diddle-diddle" chorus, I thought it was a nursery rhyme. I wound up getting busted for singing it on the school playground.
• "Lady Marmalade" by Patti Labelle. I thought it was sophisticated because of the French lyrics. I could pronounce them all pretty well for a six-year-old. My maternal grandmother was French-Canadian, spent 3 years living in Quebec, and could speak French. I decided to impress her by singing it one afternoon. Needless to say, she was horrified, but she refused to tell me what the French words meant.
• "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel. I became a Billy Joel fan after seeing the Disney movie Oliver & Company (he was the voice of Dodger). I went to Catholic school for second grade, so I was put under strict orders not to sing it in public. What made it an even bigger no-no is that I live in the South, where Catholics aren't too popular to begin with.
• "Ramblin' Man" by The Allman Brothers Band. Is there anything more adorable than a freckle-faced 8-year-old girl singing about a man being killed over a gambling debt, babies being born on Greyhound buses, and womanizing? I don't think so.
• "Hotel California" by The Eagles. Not sure how I old I was, probably elementary school. I'd go into like a trance whenever this song came on the radio. When I couldn't sleep, I'd slip out of my room, take my parents' Eagles album, and put it in my Fisher-Price tape player. It and "Desperado" were my lullabies.
• "In the Ghetto" by Elvis Presley. I was about 7 and taking a dance class. Everyone got to pick a song to perform an interpretative dance to during the last class and that was our recital. I was listening to Elvis with my grandma one afternoon and when the tape got to this song, I said, "This is my dance song." She tried to convince me to pick one of my favorite Disney songs instead, but I was a stubborn little kid. When it was my turn on recital day, I stood up and proudly danced my routine. Pretty much everyone thought I was nuts.
• "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC. Pretty much self-explanatory.
  
• "Fat-Bottomed Girls" by Queen. Or as I like to call it: the original "Baby Got Back." When I was little, my mom would turn off the radio every time this song came on. I would cry because the opening guitar riff sounds a lot like the one for Elton John's version of "I Just Can't Wait to Be King." I now understand she didn't want me asking questions about the implied pedophilia in the first verse.
• "Renegade" by Styx. This was my favorite song for several months when I was in about first grade. I'd wear my dollar-store cowboy hat, go to whatever room my family was in, and put on this "concert" for them. The other songs in my set were "Midnight Rider" and "Ramblin' Man."
• "Centerfold" by J Geils Band. While Riverdance was popular, I used to love copying their moves and I thought this song sounded Irish. If I wasn't in the car when this song played, I'd dance the Highland Fling to it. My mom caught me one day; I didn't know why she was so upset. A couple years later, in 5th grade, she sat me down and explained what the song was about. It's a miracle I can listen to it now without feeling embarrassed.
•  "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" by AC/DC. Ah, the interesting discussions this song produced. "Mommy, why would people wear shoes made of concrete? And what's cyanide?" I remember hearing the word "neckties" as a small child and thinking, "Why are they singing about getting dressed up?" I was in middle school when I finally figured out it was about murder-for-hire.

My First NFL Game: Jets vs. Bengals

This past Friday, I went with my parents to watch the New York Jets take on the Cincinnati Bengals in a preseason game. I was most excited about seeing the Jets #15--Tim Tebow. I've followed his football career since he played for U of F. Just like Tebow, I was homeschooled for the majority of my childhood. I'm not particularly religious, but I admire the way he stands behind his Christian beliefs. It's hard to find a good sports role model for kids these days, but Tim's one of them. He doesn't drink, commit crimes, or have tantrums when he loses.

As predicted, Paul Brown Stadium was an absolute sea of orange when we arrived. However, I wasn't the only one with Tebowmania. I'd say about 75%-80% of the female Jets fans I saw were wearing a Tebow shirt or carrying a sign related to #15. We were early enough to watch the team warm up. I stood by the rail and watched the heartwarming scene of Tim making a seriously ill child's day.

I'm trying to focus on the positive, but I think the Bengals fans have to be some of the most obnoxious I've ever encountered. And that's saying a lot considering I used to be friends with a diehard Yankees fan. Thankfully I didn't have to listen to the "Bengal Growl" or the equally terrible "Who Dey" chant very much. The attitude of most of the Bengals fans is especially confusing to me because the team hasn't won a Superbowl since before I was born and they're consistently one of the worst-performing teams in the entire NFL. Even their cheerleading squad has a D-grade name: the Ben-Gals. Why not the Tigresses?

I ended up having no voice on Saturday because I spent the majority of the game cheering. I'm not terribly knowledgeable about the game of football, so I can't really comment on Rex Ryan's strategy. I think people really need to stop making jokes about Tebow's passing because the Jets third-string quarterback is infinitely worse. The Jets didn't win, but at least it's only preseason. I have faith that they can bounce back in the first "real" game. J! E! T! S! JETS JETS JETS!

Kitchen Adventures: Orange Juice Cookies

I'm a typical college student in that my cooking repertoire consists of Easy Mac, frozen pizza, and various things you can prepare in a toaster. I've become determined as of late to change that, but wasn't sure where to start. My mom gave me a copy of Eat This: You'll Feel Better, Dom DeLuise's first cookbook, for my birthday. She had seen reviews that said his recipes were easy to follow, plus I've always liked Italian food.

Trying to cook an entree was intimidating to me, so I figured a dessert recipe was a good baby step before trying something else from the book. After all, I've been helping with baking (and later doing it on my own) since I was about 4 years old. I chose his recipe for Orange Juice Cookies because we already had all the ingredients on hand.

As I set to work, I thought I had read the book wrong because the recipe said to mix the wet ingredients in a blender. I frowned curiously at the page. Yeah, it definitely said "blender."

"Well, you were the gourmet, Dom," I said fondly. He'd been one of my grandma's favorite celebrities; his voice had more or less been the soundtrack of my childhood via classic cartoons like Oliver & Company and An American Tail.

Once the dough was mixed, it had to be kneaded by hand. I stand an impressive five-foot-even, making this task a little difficult. I had dough almost the way up to my elbows when I realized it needed more flour, because it was incredibly sticky. Not surprising since there was orange juice in the batter. Now I just had to figure out how to add more flour without getting this goo all over the entire kitchen. Eventually, I was able to put the flour in and make the dough the right consistency.

I rolled out the cookies and popped them in the oven. The second issue I encountered was that I ended up having to bake them a lot longer than the time listed in the recipe. I had no trouble making the orange juice glaze to dip the cookies in once they were baked. They tasted slightly chalky, probably because I ended up adding too much flour. Overall, though, they were pretty good.