Month: March 2015

Liebster Award Answers

March 29, 2015March 29, 2015 · 3 Comments ·

A while back I got nominated by a fellow blogger for something called the ‘liebster award’ which is basically similar to a tag.

https://chowkimwan.wordpress.com/2015/03/26/78-liebster-award/

He answered 10 questions and then gave me 10 questions to answer. Then I am supposed to create 10 questions for other bloggers and tag them. Will do my best to come up with good questions and tag a few people I haven’t bothered in a while.

Who is your favorite Disney character of all time?

An extremely tough question. The first character that popped in my mind is Woody from Toy Story. He’s nostalgic and old fashioned while expressing very human emotions of jealousy, regret, fear, joy, etc. Others I love Lilo, Cinderella, Genie, Maleficent, Baloo, Cruella, Simba, Wall-e, Remy, Elsa etc.

Which composer in the modern era do you look up to the most?

Tough call but Ennio Morricone is an amazing composer that creates music which doesn’t even need words to bring me to tears. His score for The Mission (a fantastic film with Jeremy Irons and Robert Deniro about monks who try to convert a wild tribe in the Amazon in 15th century). This song called Gabriel’s Oboe is stunning. I love it so much there have been days I’ve put it on continuous loops and just listened to it again and again.

But he also has a lot of variety. He has done songs for Joan Baez and Paul Anka. He is a favorite of Quentin Tarantino and did the Kill Bill orchestrations.

He is so unanimously loved that he won an honorary Oscar for his contributions to movies even though he has not one a traditional statuette. The year he did the Mission he lost to Herbie Hancock for Round Midnight which is a jazz masterpiece so it is kind of apples and oranges. Both great.

Which musical that you have seen is the most spectacular?

I don’t know if they are talking about stage or movie. For stage it would be Les Miserables. I love the story and its themes of mercy vs justice and forgiveness and hope. But more importantly I love the music. Aside maybe the Little Mermaid, Les Miserables was the first time I really connected with music and the story in a personal way. I just saw it live at a local live theater and was still as in love with it as I was at 14.

As far as movies just watch one of my recent videos.

What is your favorite show tune?

I don’t know if it counts because it was in a movie first but it would be Somewhere Over the Rainbow. To me it is this fascinating layer of hope, optimism, despair, longing and a feeling of hopelessness all in one. I think back when my ipod was working I had 12 different versions of the song.

I also love Someone to Watch Over Me by the Gershwins.

Finally I’d say On My Own from Les Miserables. It was like no other music I’d ever heard before. It was raw but still beautiful. I still love it.

Which is the most horrendous song you have heard in your life?

I don’t know. I don’t like heavy metal or any songs about abuse, hate, and other criminal activities.

Which song represents you the most?

It depends on the era of my life but to be perfectly honest it would be a religious song like Amazing Grace or I Stand All Amazed.

Who do you model yourself after? (It can be someone in real life or a fictional character)

Jesus and my Grandpa.

Where in the world do you want to visit the most?

I wish everyday of my life I was in Hawaii. As far as some place I’d like to go to that I’ve never been too I’d say Australia.

If you drop by Florida to visit one theme park only, will you visit Walt Disney World or Universal Studios?

Disney World because it’s got all stuff I like where Universal Studios is just basically Harry Potter and I like HP but not a die hard.

What sort of career do you aspire to have?

Exactly the one I’ve got. I want to keep working in digital marketing and continue to learn and grow. Honestly as long as I am working from home I’m a happy gal. Environment is way important to me than the actual task at hand.

I guess I would love to be a writer and finish editing my novel.

My10 questions will be

1. Would you rather choose only reading, only movies, or only music for the rest of your life?

2. What’s the biggest thing you wish you could tell yourself 10 years ago?

3. If someone was going to play you in a movie who would it be?

4. Which is better? Lord of the Rings vs Harry Potter?

5.Name your favorite animated movie?

6. What qualities are essential to you in any kind of friend?

7. What is your favorite poem?

8. What makes you laugh the hardest? Could be stand up, TV, movie, book whatever?

9. If you could go back and live in any other era but our own which would you pick?

10. Have you ever walked out of a movie? If so, which one? If not what is one you really hated?

I tag

Christine Plouvier at https://irishfirebrands.wordpress.com/

Burning Blogger of Bedlam http://theburningbloggerofbedlam.wordpress.com

Kristin All Eyes on Screen http://alleyesonscreen.me

Hubbards Cupboard http://hubbardscupboard2010.com/

All Our Lemonny Things http://lemmonythings.com/

The Persistent Platypus https://thepersistentplatypus.wordpress.com/

Silver Screen Serenade https://caragaleblog.wordpress.com/

Where the Wild Things Are https://wherethewildthingsare14.wordpress.com/

The Simple Things https://jessicarlin.wordpress.com/

Perfection Pending http://www.perfectionpending.net/

That’s all I can think of at the moment.

Thoughts on Quiet

March 29, 2015March 29, 2015 · Leave a comment ·

On such a night, or such a night,

Would anybody care

If such a little figure

Slipped quiet from its chair —

So quiet — Oh how quiet,

That nobody might know

But that the little figure

Rocked softer — to and fro —

On such a dawn, or such a dawn —

Would anybody sigh

That such a little figure

Too sound asleep did lieEmily Dickinson

I haven’t shared with you all any poetry in a long time but I found myself thinking of this verse today. You see, my house was empty and I was trying to recover from this darn cold and I couldn’t think of anything to watch so I found myself sitting and thinking. In the words of Gaston ‘a dangerous pastime…’ It’s just so quiet sometimes when you are alone.

And I know you Moms are probably thinking ‘I would love nothing more than a quiet house all to myself for the day’ and there is some truth to that. But I bet you wouldn’t find the quiet so refreshing if you knew those little voices weren’t ever coming back…

This is not an ‘oh feel sorry for me’ post. It really isn’t. It’s just a ‘today I was alone and I noticed’. What’s wrong with admitting that? We all have our lonely moments, sometimes when we are surrounded by people. It’s part of being human. After all, if we never felt alone why would we need to turn to God?

But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish for a companion to share these kind of experiences with. Yeah, yeah I can hear you all saying ‘marriage is hard’ and ‘grass is always greener’. Well, it is also ‘not meant for man to be alone’. Humans need companionship and sometimes I wish I had it. But I know God has His plan for me and I am doing my best to humbly follow His timeline for my life. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel a little sad on those days when the house feels extra quiet. Again I’m only human…

I saw The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel this week and it is not a great movie but I liked it. One of the things that I stood out to me is Maggie Smith’s character is a single woman who has never married. However, she has found this place to live where she has an urban tribe of other seniors and a ‘child’ to help nurture in the Dev Patel character. I had more of that in my 20s when sociability and friendshipping was so much easier but I hope I can get it again. If I never meet Mr Sunshine I hope I can find an urban tribe like she does and maybe even a young person to help mentor.

In my 20’s I also had much younger siblings who looked to me for advice and guidance and family that lived nearby. Now they are all grown up and my nieces are far away. It makes me a little sad sometimes.

But again I am not trying to make anyone feel sorry for me. I am greatly blessed. Mostly I have the miracle of all of you who are there to share in my silly life. Goodness knows why you have all read all these years but I am sure grateful. I have a job I love, a social media presence that I think helps people, hobbies I love, great friends, a beautiful home and most importantly a faith in Jesus Christ that ensures I am never really alone. That is never forgotten.

Thanks for letting me share and I love you all. Can any of you relate to the quiet times when maybe it feels a little lonely in life? I’m sure I am not alone. God bless.

Sorry Been Sick

March 27, 2015 · 4 Comments ·

Sorry I have let it go 5 days between posts. I’m never sure how that happens! At least this time I have an excuse. I’m afraid I have had a wicked virus and been quite sick. I don’t have the strongest immune system and it seems like every year or so I get a whopper of an illness. My whole family is not the strongest when it comes to our immune system. It is probably partly due to going 48 hours without sleep in New York City but it was worth it.

Some people are what I call high output people. They seem to be able to accomplish so much and do things like all nighters without it phasing them. I never could, even when I was in college. I’ve done all nighters by accident with my insomnia but that is a completely miserable experience and it is hard for me to function. What is amazing is people who can go, go, go without it wearing them down. I get sick every time. Oh well!

Luckily I have a job that I can easily do while sick and that’s a huge blessing. I also found a new doctor that is covered by my insurance and had a very positive experience. He prescribed me the biggest pills ever and seemed very attentive.

I did keep up my movie reviews so make sure to check out the movie blog including my review of the new Dreamworks film Home.I also have been doing some fun videos on the channel including a collaboration with an awesome youtuber from London and my favorite movies when I’m sick. If you aren’t subscribed to my movie blog and my channel please do. I think you will really enjoy the content and it will be worth your time.

So let’s hope I can kick this illness and be at the top of my game again. Hope you are all healthy and illness free.

Fancy Food

March 22, 2015 · 9 Comments ·

Last Friday I had a neat experience. I have been fighting the most ruthless virus and feeling like a hermit. Aside from seeing Cinderella last week I’ve hardly left my house except for getting the mail every day for work.

Anyway, I had previously paid for a special meal they were doing at my favorite bakery Bake 360. They have recently started a cafe in addition to the bakery that is delicious. The bakery is owned by Roy and Jennifer Olsen and they are such warm inviting people. It’s the first time in my life that I feel a sense of friendship with the owners and employees of a restaurant. People always talk about that but this is a first for me.

The bakery usually closes at 5 but recently they announced a special pop up restaurant they would be doing with Chef Roy and Chef Jeffrey Sanich. This promised to be a culinary experience and wanting to support my favorite restaurant and have a great experience I signed up! And it was an amazing meal! Certainly one of the fanciest and yummiest I’ve ever had.

Here’s what I was served:

First course- Butter Poached Red Crab with Citrus Braised Fennel and Caviar. One of my favorites of the night. Only problem was I could have eaten bowls of it!

Homemade Ricotta with Speck, Watercress and Chervil Oil. This was yummy but not especially memorable

Seared Divers Scallop with Microgreens, Celeriac Puree, Kumquats- I’m not a big scallop fan but these were delish

Heirloom Carrot Risotto- this was so creamy and flavorful. Yum!

Teres Major Beef with Potato Confit, Broccolini and Red Wine Demi. This was the highlight of the night. The beef was so tender. The only thing I didn’t care for was the broccolini.

And finally dessert was a Flourless Chocolate Cake with Shortbread, Raspberry Sauce and Clotted Cream. So great!

It ended up being a really fun night and a way to support some very talented people and have delicious food you don’t get every day. They said they already had 2 other chefs who want to do it so I’m really excited for it to be a part of my life in the future.

And like I said it was nice to have a break from sick Rachel for a few hours and eat some great food.

What’s the fanciest meal you’ve ever had?

NYC Trip Day 4: Rainy Goodbye

March 20, 2015 · Leave a comment ·

Quicker than it probably should have the final day of my trip came on Saturday and while I was sad to see it all come to an end I had the beginnings of a wicked virus, my feet hurt and I was tired. Ready to come home you might say.

But fortunately we still had Saturday to enjoy and it ended up being a rainy day in the city. We decided to do a bus tour because we figured that would be better than walking in the rain and I wanted to see the 9/11 memorial before I left.

The bus was fun but I wish it had been more of a tour. There really wasn’t much of one so it was kind of like a wet taxi ride and then to my great annoyance they dropped us off like 8 blocks from the 9/11 Memorial. It was the 9/11 stop and we had to walk forever and again nowhere in NYC has benches to rest. There is also construction at the site and it is very confusing where to enter and go but eventually we found it and I was able to stop for a moment and pay tribute to those who lost their lives on that horrible day.

We didn’t have time to go to the museum but at least we were ale to see the Memorial and then we made it back to the bus and finished the tour. After a quick lunch my shuttle picked me up and it was bye bye New York!

I was exhausted and have been sick all week but it was worth it. It was a great experience to take a risk, do something different and unexpected, a little bit unplanned which is hard for me. Everyone at the RHAP Survivor event couldn’t have been nicer and I’m so grateful to all of them.

I am also grateful to my sister for coming up and spending the time with me at my pace. It is rare I have anyone who is fine walking with me and waiting with me and occasionally listening to me moan and groan over my feet. She was there just to spend time with me and that was really touching. I’m someone who isn’t often doted upon and it meant a lot to me that she did that.

Overall it was a great trip. Highlights were the RHAP event, my trip to Soho Birchbox and video, American in Paris and the yummy food. Thanks New York! Hope I see you again soon!

NYC Trip Day 3: An American in Paris

March 18, 2015 · Leave a comment ·

Day 3 of my New York trip was pretty simple. I had a rough time getting to sleep the night before because my cold was coming on strong and I normally have a hard time sleeping. Well, I slept in ridiculously late which Megan was kind enough to let me do.

Then we enjoyed a leisurely walk down the Manhattan streets. It wasn’t too cold during our trip but it could be quite windy which made it feel colder. Given the winter they’ve had we certainly brought some good luck with us because at least it wasn’t snowy and freezing. My favorite thing in New York is all the flower stores. They are so beautiful and I love how they have different than just the ordinary boring flowers I can get in the suburbs and at low cost.

We then had delicious New York bagels! Nothing quite like them and we talked about books and movies and had a lovely time.

Megan had an appointment with her editor that afternoon and I rested at the hotel. My only regret on the hotel is that it didn’t have a hottub or pool. That would have been very nice especially on my poor feet which got the beginnings of an ingrown toenail I had to work on. Ouch!

Later that we went to an Italian restaurant that was reasonably priced and yummy. I got chicken Parmesan and Megan got gnochi.

The big event of the day was going to Times Square

And seeing the opening night premiere of the new Broadway musical An American in Paris!

It was an amazing show full of incredible Gershwin music. The story is minimal and sometimes it was a little hard to tell the actors from each other but I really enjoyed it.

It’s probably the most dance heavy Broadway show I’ve ever seen. Just like in the old Gene Kelly/Leslie Caron movie there are long stretches without any dialogue and just dance. I don’t pretend to be an expert on dance but I really enjoyed watching it. To me it seemed exceptional with choreography that really popped.

The sets were minimal but effective and the costuming was simple but it all worked. There is also a very small cast with only 6 leads and a few ensemble performers but it had a big feel. I think the music is so grand that it can hardly help but feel big.

At first I was worried because our balcony seats were so steep looking onto the stage below but it actually worked out great and we could see everything just fine.

So that was our Day 3. It was a lot of fun and featured a show I won’t soon forget. Sometimes the simple days are the most fun!

NY Trip Day 2: Empire Falls

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 · 2 Comments ·

So day 2 started on the late side as I had a cold coming on and had done a 48 hour marathon the previous 2 nights. Once I was up I took uber cars over to Soho and the Birchbox Soho store. I wanted to make the trek out to the store because I had heard about their ‘build your own box’ section and wanted to feature it on my channel. I didn’t even know if they would let me film in their store but when I got there they couldn’t have been more accommodating. They filmed segments for me and even gave me a free $300 value Vanity Fair special box! I’m thrilled with how the video turned out:

(Btw, if you haven’t subscribed to my youtube channel please do! I would really appreciate it)

After visiting the store and filming my video I went across the street to the Chobani Yogurt Shop and it was so yummy! It was the best food I had in New York City.

I’m excited to try and recreate both of the yogurts I had. It was savory on one side (Red Pepper, Harissa, Feta, Mint, with Olive oil and chips to dip it in) and sweet on the other (Pistachio, Chocolate, sliced oranges, mint and honey).

Just the combination of flavors and textures was so delicious. I can’t wait to recreate it. A whole new world of yogurt!

After brunch I headed home to meet up with my sister Megan who took the train up from DC. It was so nice of her to come up and spend some time with me.

We had a delicious lunch of the biggest salad I’ve ever eaten and then decided to go to the Empire State Building for the evening activity. It was fun but a bit of a letdown. The lines were so long and just to get to the 86th floor cost $32. My feet hurt so bad by the time we got to the top and it was so hot in the waiting areas that it wasn’t my favorite. I also hit my lip with my camera going through security which ended up bleeding more than you’d think! Probably the only person to injure herself in line for Empire State Building.

That kind of standing and walking is really hard for me now and if I’m looking for what is ‘fun’ it will always be at the bottom of the list. And vacations are supposed to be fun right? But it was nice to spend the time with Megan and catch up and the view was pretty great.

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One thing I noticed about all of NYC is there are very few benches. Even by most of the bus stops there is nowhere to sit and rest. This was a major bummer to me but I guess it is the reason why it is the ‘city that never sleeps!’. No benches to sleep on!

So I finished day 2 having a good time but a little frustrated and sore at the same time. Birchbox Soho, Megan and the yogurt made it all worth it!!

NY Trip Day 1: RHAP Know it Alls 2

March 15, 2015 · 2 Comments ·

Well, I’m back from New York and I’m afraid I’m sick as a dog but I will try to get up some posts about my recent trip to New York City! I had a blast cold, sore feet and all!

It started Tuesday night with a red eye flight starting at 11:30 western time and getting in at 6 am eastern time.

The flight was ok. I was able to get an upgrade and fly first class both ways which makes the world of difference (I don’t know how I’m going to go back to wedged in coach!). I also had my cool sky ready kit with all you need. I highly recommend getting one when you travel.

I slept a little bit on the plane but not much and certainly not deeply. But I did finish our book club book called Wonder which I thought was ok (I know other people love it but I thought it was kind of corny and didn’t love all the narrators but it was fine). Eventually we landed in New York and I was excited to get going…

Well, it started out kind of rough with me losing my wallet. I’m not sure what happened but my best guess is when I went through security they rearranged my stuff in different bins and I must have left it there. Luckily my ID and Amex were in my backpack or it would have been a disaster. So I called the 2 cards I had in the wallet and got them cancelled when I got to the airport. My phone was running out of juice so I had to buy a charger and find a corner to plug it in and call the companies and try to find out where the shuttle pick up was. It was extremely confusing because the signs said ‘airport shuttle’ take the air train to Fredrick Circle or something like that. I went all the way to the other side of the airport and it turned out it was the spot for the hotel shuttles not the type that I got. I was so tired with no sleep and frustrated at my wallet but finally I got to the shuttle.

Unfortunately the driver was a madman and was zooming through alleys and around town and I was so close to throwing up. I opened the window to get some air but it was big city air and I was beginning to feel like Homer in New York City vs Homer Simpson. The city was out to get me!

A very tired weary creature I made it to the hotel and it was a nice affordable place called The Row in the Theater District of Manhattan. My only regret is not getting a place with a pool/hot tub which would have been nice but it certainly filled the bill for my needs. Once I got there I crashed for a few hours before the festivities started in the afternoon.

I also got breakfast ordered in and that was delicious. Great thing about New York is you can have anything delivered. That would be so nice.

Yummy breakfast delivered right to my hotel

Then around 4 I met up with the other Rob Has a Podcast (RHAP) patrons that were attending the event. Here’s where it started to get fun. We went to a bbq place ( I know bbq is not what you think of in NYC but it worked out) and it was so great visiting with everyone.

Here we are at the bbq place. There were probably 40 of us!

brianne — Made a new friend in Brianne from Washington DC who is originally from Utah and also LDS

It kind of warmed my heart to meet such great people in something as random as a podcast gathering. It can be easy to be cynical of the world and all the problems. All you have to do is watch the news and it can feel like we are all going to Hell in a hurry. But then you have moments like this where you see that there are lots of great people out there trying to live good lives and all it takes is something as silly as a podcast to bring you into a kinship with them. The truth is we aren’t as different as we sometimes think and it was a nice reminder- especially with what a rough day I had getting there.

We then went to Gotham Comedy Club and got ready for the big live Survivor Know It All’s event.

The club was different than I had imagined. I thought it would be like a theater but it was more tables and chairs and they had us jammed packed in. My only regret of the night is there wasn’t enough time to mingle and meet everyone. I have friends I’ve gotten to know through the patron group who I wasn’t able to meet which was a bummer. Next time it would be nice if it was more like a cultural hall kind of space where you could mix and mingle and get around to everyone but it was still really fun.

There was a 2 drink minimum so of course that means 2 shirley temples for me! (No alcohol in STs just in case you were wondering.

Then we all watched the episode together and during the commercials Rob Cesternino (the Rob of Rob Has a Podcast) made different announcements and we got to see his wife Nicole, last seasons winner Natalie (and Miss Survivor winner) and Mr Survivor winner Spencer from Survivor Cagayan get his belt.

nicole rhap — Rob, Nicole and Stephen Fishbach

miss survivor — Natalie Anderson getting her Miss Survivor crown

Spencer getting his Mr Survivor championship belt

rhap2 — Stephen and Rob doing the podcast

Then Rob and Stephen did the podcast and some in the audience had a chance to ask questions. There were a whole bunch of former (and one current) Survivors in the audience and they particpated in the podcast as well.

Once the podcast was over we had to clear out pretty quickly which was a little bit of a bummer but I got the chance to get some photos with some Survivors.

spencer — Here I am with Spencer and Brice from Survivor Cagayan (one of my favorite seasons)

rob — The man of the hour Rob. So fun to meet this great guy!

Got to meet the twinnies! Nadiya and Natalie who were on the Amazing Race for 2 seasons and Survivor 29. Natalie was the winner of that season.

It ended up being a really fun night. After the club wound down we went to another club but I was so tired at that point (I had been up for basically 48 hours!) and my new friend Karen helped get me an Uber ride (what a find that service was) and I went home.

So with all the junk in the 48 hours I had been through it was still worth it to have a unique experience, with some great people and I was glad I took the leap and went on the trip. Worth it!

When I got back to the hotel I got a stramboli which was actually one of the only unhealthy things I had during the trip. Seriously it was one of my most healthy New York trips ever! It was delicious! Great way to end the day.

Stay tuned to the blog for day 2, 3, and 4. In the meantime ‘Achoo!’ I’ll be sneezing away as I recover from this illness. Take care!

The Oddness of Modern Community

March 7, 2015March 7, 2015 · 2 Comments ·

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned on this blog I am going to be in New York next week! On Tuesday night I am taking the red eye to the Big Apple and going to be visiting until Saturday! I am so excited because I love New York, get some time off work, see a show, visit with my sister and meet up with a bunch of friends I’ve never met before in real life.

Let me explain that last one for a second. It’s an interesting situation. You guys know I like the show Survivor. I find it fascinating to look at the choices men and women make in the game and how every game is different with a different style of win (except for Sandra who won twice). It’s now going into Season 30 and we have a very promising season with a lot of super fans after season 29 was a super snoozefest.

I would say I was a big fan at the beginning of Survivor and then picked it up again in spurts when there was a Utahn on the show and then with Heroes vs Villains I started watching again regularly. I missed One World and Philippines but got the rest of the seasons but nobody I know is into the show, which is frustrating because it is the kind of show you want to talk about with others.
In fact, I miss the social aspect of movies and TV. In my 20s it was quite common for me to gather with friends and watch American Idol, Survivor, Lost or The Office. Now that never happens. Same thing for movies. Most movies I go to by myself these days.

But around Season 26: Survivor Caramoan I stumbled on a podcast where former Survivors Rob Cesternino and Stephen Fishbach were talking about the show each week and I loved it! A lot of people don’t care for Caramoan but I love Dawn and Cochran and it was my introduction to the podcast and the Rob Has a Podcast Planet.

I think someone could enjoy Rob’s podcast even if they didn’t watch any of his shows. Kind of like I enjoy Car Talk and I hate cars. Rob’s just so personal, funny and engaging. Plus, it was so much fun to get involved on the chatroom and talk about the episode. Again, it reminded me of those times in college when media was a group experience.

Well last year Rob made a proposal to his little planet that if we would support his podcast for .25 cents an episode he would give a monthly patroncast where we could ask questions and set up a patron group to further discuss the show. Wanting to support Rob I decided to become a patron and so I joined the facebook group at the same time. I believe I was in the first 100 patrons in the group. Now I don’t know how many hundreds of us there are but it is an active vibrant group with patrons from all around the world.

We even did a secret Santa last Christmas where I came up with a gift for a woman named Ana from Brazil and I received maple syrup and some bacon bowl makers from a patron named Rebekkah from Canada! Each week we talk about whatever reality show is on (Big Brother, Amazing Race and Survivor being the big 3) but also scripted shows, movies and occasionally other silly news. There have been a few cantankerous souls in the group and some people are too sensitive about spoilers IMO but for the most part its been great!

It sounds crazy but I really feel like it is a community of friends and it seems amazing to me something as silly as a podcast about reality TV could bring people together in a community. It shows it really doesn’t take much to gather people together, especially in the world of social media and the internet. But I think even in real interaction if you can find something you have in common with another person, it can be the silliest thing and yet that is enough to start a friendship and get people talking. I’ve seen it a 100 times that a shared love of dolls, books, Judy Garland, musicals, whatever it is, it’s all it takes to get the ball rolling and create a relationship. Get enough of those balls rolling and you have a community. Kind of amazing!

I’ve seen it with my open water swimming- how a love of the water and being outdoors brings people who have little to nothing else in common together and fast friendships are formed. It seems to me sometimes all it takes is finding that one thing you have in common with someone, no matter how stupid, and you can make it work.

Anyway, when Rob announced they were doing a live podcast in New York on March 11th I initially dismissed it. Who flies across the country after all to listen to a podcast? That’s crazy talk!

But then the rest of the community kept talking about it and it sounded like so much fun. A few weeks ago I decided to look at plane flights just out of curiosity and to my surprise they weren’t half bad, and then I found a hotel which was reasonable and in a safe neighborhood. The idea kept germinating and I finally said

“What the heck! Why not! I’m a super predictable person and for once I’m going to do something strange and fly across the country for a podcast!”

So I got my ticket and it turns out my sister is going to come down the day after the show and we are going to spend a couple days in New York together! It should be a ton of fun!

There is a side of me which still thinks I am nuts for going to a podcast and meeting strangers but another side is really excited (and nervous) to meet all these people I’ve interacted with over the last year. I’ve heard their voice when they call into the podcast. I’ve read their posts, sometimes surprisingly personal and I feel like they are friends. I really do.

I just hope it is a good experience and people aren’t too rowdy. I normally don’t go to places like bars or comedy clubs but it is 300 people and the girl I am sitting with doesn’t drink and there are other dry members of the group so it should be good.

I love being a part of this strange modern community so I hope it is a lot of fun. At the very least it will be something new and different and that is a good thing.

(Plus I get to meet a whole bunch of famous Survivor contestants which I am very excited about!!!).

Have you ever been a part of a community that was unusual or strange? Maybe played bunco with girlfriends for years or have a group of online chess players or something like that? I’d love to hear about your experience. Do you agree sometimes all it takes is finding the one thing you have in common with another person and a friendship can be built?

Well, I look forward to sharing the week with all of you. Take care!

Thoughts on Backlash

March 4, 2015March 4, 2015 · Leave a comment ·

A little post I wrote on how being a fan used to be a little bit more fun. Now backlash comes so quickly it can be a bummer.

Rachel's Reviews

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about fandoms and backlash. When I was growing up (back in the old days of 1980s…) most kids got a lot of their identity from the things they liked and didn’t like. I loved The Little Mermaid. I knew every scene, song and wished I could be like Ariel. Then in high school I loved Les Miserables. I saw it in New York, watched the 10th Anniversary Concert special over and over again. It was great! I loved Jewel, Simpsons, REM and Clueless. I saw Jurassic Park 6 times in the theaters. My friends all saw Titanic over a dozen times and I was annoyed by it but it wasn’t a big deal.

In college it was Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Pixar, Jane Austen, Norah Jones, romcoms and Jane Eyre that caught my attention.

Back then I may have gotten a little bit of backlash…

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Rachel's Musings

My silly thoughts on life, family, theater, work, religion, music, swimming and more