Con Coma is Real - Cosplay Confusion

So as I write this it is Saturday afternoon. Thursday night we people watched and made it to the midnight countdown, barely, I mean around 11:45 we were begging for the clock to move faster. Yesterday (Friday) we spent the day in the gaming area, participating in paint and take a fun tradition, and even got to the Art Show this year for the first time. 

Today was spent browsing the vendor hall, and eating and adult beverages at the Hard Rock. Of course there was people watching and photos of some of our favorite costumes throughout each day. Not to mention the walking so... much....walking. 

I just woke up from a nap, some might call it in the Con Coma but I believe that hit yesterday and hit hard. Upon returning to our hotel on Friday afternoon (around 5pm) we got in comfortable clothes and that was all she wrote. By 7 we were snoring up a storm and by 10 we were settling in for the night. At one point I thought about getting dressed and going to the pool but that seemed like a LOT of effort so I continued to lay there. I think I’d still be asleep if my alarm hadn’t gone off this morning.

I rolled into Atlanta with two costume options. A half ass version of Super Grover just cause I thought it would be funny. It was a last minute pull together which is why I say it’s half assed. My boss texted me Wed to say I had left the print out of the Super Grover logo on the printer so well I already messed that one up. I also have a pretty decent Marvin the Martian. That one I put some effort into. It’s really kind of cute. I haven’t worn either. As you know readers I have a love hate relationship with Cosplay. I look around the convention and want to participate but then I see things like this …..

Or this ….

And this ….. 

And think my costume seems sad and pathetic now and so I don’t wear it. I feel like it cheapens everything else that I see. I’m sure it doesn’t cause I’ve seen things that are way worse than anything I’ve tried to put together and there are some who are testing the limits of spandex. So maybe one day I’ll decide to follow through with the Cosplay but there’s also the possibility that I’ll be the one in a dorky T watching all the awesomeness go by.

Even if I don’t use Marvin here at the Con, we are doing a Trunk or Treat at Church so I can wear him there. So he won’t go entirely to waste, at least that’s what I keep telling myself. I really need to make the eye holes bigger so I’ll actually be able to see.

Thanks, 
Marcy
@beaslma

Traveling with a Medical Marvel

Dragon Con trip is nearly here. My bags are packed, electronics are being charged, it’s gonna be a fun couple of day but only if you plan correctly. As you know dear readers my partner in crime Golden is a true Medical Marvel and as such requires a little forethought on my part before we depart. 

There’s a few things I have learned over the years that I’d like to share with you all ….

A week before the trip I start taking an over the counter cold medicine in the mornings and sinus medicine in the evening, even when I’m not showing any symptoms. See a scratchy throat for me is just annoying for her it leads to a month long process that sometimes goes two or three months. Sometimes I’ll throw some other cocktail of pills in to the mix but have found those two tend to keep the nasty at bay, at least somewhat. It’s a Con… there’s gonna be Con Crud. The least I can do is attempt to keep my germs at home, or at the office.

I also make sure to pack lots of medicine such as Tylenol, sleep aids, over the counter pain pills, non-drosey sinus medicine, and even a pain relieving cream. We may not use any of those but the odds are at some point we’ll need at least one of those items. Golden travels with her own arsenal of pills but her’s are far more expensive and potent that mine and thus stay in the room under lock and key so my stuff is to solely get us back to the room for the good stuff.

Wet wipes are always a good idea. Especially if they have anti-bacterial stuff in them. Also Band-Aids. Sadly, for this trip my beloved glitter my little pony Band-Aids have finally run out and I couldn’t find any more so we are going with sesame street. Apparently, there is a new autistic character and this was one of the roll outs for said character. What ever they were still the cutest ones on the shelf cause I’m not wearing a princess Band-Aid nope not gonna do it ….. 😊 I mean little boys still get hurt right, where are my ninja turtles or even transformers, avengers, anything ? nope ok …. Sesame Street it is then. Sigh …. I’m grown people I don’t need Elmo on my boo boo. It’s a Con … there’s gonna be boo boos. 

Hand sanitizer is a must, a travel size bottle usually gets us through cause frankly we don’t really use it like we should but we carry it like the shield that it is. Ready for battle should we decide it’s necessary

We have not found that electrolyte packets or airborne type medicines do much for us. Mostly cause they are gross so we don’t want to take them. We bought them a few times thinking that we would but repacked an up-opened box each time. Ohhh the internet just revealed these come in gummies now … wonder how that would do soaked in vodka … I mean gummy bears in vodka are amazing …. Right?!

However, my most important job of this trip is knowing when to push her to keep going and knowing when to say ok it’s time we slow down, rest a bit then jump back out there. Cause Golden wants to do all the things, and will do all the things even if the next day she can’t move. It’s a 4 day Con people, gotta pace ourselves. People watching is a great time break activity. We find a spot and plant as we watch the people go by. Sometimes that’s also an excellent opportunity to go find food and refreshments.

So if you see us at Dragon Con and we look a little rough remember it’s a Con you are supposed to look a little rough and also being a medical marvel can be exhausting.

Marcy @beaslma

Golden @theonlygolden 

Musical Adventures with Bryan White

This is a long one but an important one so stay with me guys. 

So fans of this blog know of my love for Music … all kinds. It’s been a while since I did a music post on this page but I decided to wait to tell you all about the greatest musical night of my life in a very long time. If someone were to ask me “who is your favorite musician ?” I never hesitate …. I already know. I’ve been in love with his voice since the early 90s. For my 15^th birthday I was given a membership to his fan club. He came to Mobile a couple of times and I got to see him all but once. One time he was performing at our local Junior Miss Pageant and my mom bought us tickets and when he finished his song we left. We were there for him, that was it, good luck ladies, Bryan is gone and so are we! I will never hesitate to see this man strum his guitar. Immediately Bryan White comes out of my mouth. Their response is usually “who?” then I give them a 45-minute dissertation of the man’s career from the 90’s to today. It’s funny to me most know his music but not necessarily his name. Mind blown every time it happens.

Here’s the short version of his “Marcy created bio” – yes this is the short version. 

His first album titled “Bryan White” came out in 1994 on Asylum Records and from that first strum of a guitar I was hooked. He’s an Oklahoma native and quite proud of those roots, as displayed on his album Dustbowl Dreams to come later. He’s definitely classified as a singer-songwriter writing as many hits for himself as he has for others (remind you of anyone else that I’vetalked about on this blog?). His debut album was a great introduction to an artist. Showed his range in ballads and playful songs like Eugene You Genius which never fails to put a smile on my face. Look at Me Now was his first single ever and will forever be in my top 10 of favorite Country songs. It was however Rebecca Lynn and Someone Else’s Star that rocketed him to the top of the charts and kept him there for a while. The album earned him the CMA Horizon Award (beating out LeAnn Rimes and Shania Twain) and a nomination for Male Vocalist of the Year Award narrowly missing out to George Strait twice (1996 & 1997). He was in good company tho with fellow nominees being Vince Gill, Collin Raye Alan Jackson. Good company to sit with while King George took home the trophy. 

His second album Between Now and Forever was created to build on the success of the ballads found in his Debut album and it’s fantastic because it also balances with a few fun tracks like “So Much For Pretending and Sitting on Go that keep the listener on their toes. It does tend to lean more towards ballads tho. 

The Right Place continued that formula and has several songs about love, breaking up, and staying together for ever. The Star of this album was Tree of Hearts. It makes me cry every damn time. 

When 1999 rolled around Asylum was struggling hard, and that’s a shame cause How Lucky I Am it a fantastic album that deserved far more love. On any other record label, it would have kept the needle on Bryan and Country music would have embraced it hard. The formula was still there but it was a more grown up Bryan behind the mic. He played with his vocal range, the lyrics were tighter, and the music was perfect from track 1 to the last track. It didn’t hurt that Bryan had recently found the love of his life and the album reflected that (again sounds like another artist I’ve talked about on this blog before ÷). There is not one track on this album that is skip worthy. If there is a perfect album on this planet this album is it. I’ll die on that hill if I have to. I listen to this album when I’m happy, when I’m tired, when I’m sad, when I’m having a good day or a bad one cause it’s literally that good. I give this album to friends as a wedding gift and force them to listen to The Staying upon their engagement cause at the end of the day that’s what it’s all about and they need to hear it.

When Asylum folded many think, Bryan fell off the planet. He retreated into himself and suffered a great depression which frankly was likely due to exhaustion. So, he walked away. So to most that is where his story ends but to me that’s where his story begins. He got married to Erika Page (who at the time was on One Life To Live), he took time off for the first time in years and just was a normal guy walking around New York City with the most beautiful woman on the planet and just stopped everything while he sorted it all out. In 2003 his first son was born and in 2005 his second was born. The music was still in him was still wanting to come out. 

No longer saddled with a label telling him what he could and couldn’t do or what he needed to sound like he started recording again and released Dustbowl Dreams in 2009. By far his most personal album to date he wrote a track about Erika (his wife) and how her adoption journey led her to him, sang with Steve Wariner (the man who made him want to be a musician)  and quite possibly my favorite track of all Beautiful Place. It was a wonderful Album sold through his website and I’m sure I-tunes. I’m a CD girl, I like to hold it in my hands, read the CD Jacket from page to page etc. 

Then came 2014 and he decided he wanted to release another CD, this time a 6 track EP called Shine and was going to do it with the fans help through Kickstarter. I gladly handed over my money and got guitar strings and a signed drum cover for my efforts. This 6 song EP is fantastic. If it’s not in your Music folder you need to get it ASAP!

I always say my favorite Bryan White track is his next one and he has yet to disappoint me with that notion.

In 2016 he started releasing singles instead of waiting on a full CD to develop. Finally Home a nod to his Phillippines fans who thanks to a noontime variety show got “God Gave Me You” from How Lucky I Am back in the spotlight when they started using it in their show. Bryan went to the Philippines and performed a show there and went on the show. It was a crazy ride to watch but proved that his music is stronger than time. He also released a revamped version of Never Get Around to it from his “Right Place” album, making it the way he envisioned it not the way the label created it. His latest single 2019, It Must Be Love is a tribute to Don Williams and keeps him on the radar as long as you are paying attention. I stayed up until Midnight at Golden’s house once to finally be able to listen to the track when it was released and kept it on repeat all night long while I slept.

 

In order to understand how special Thursday night was you have to hear this last encounter with Bryan. 

In 2011 I found out that Bryan was throwing a Back Yard BBQ at his house for the fans. I mentioned it to my mom thinking it was never going to be a thing. I was shocked when she bought me and Golden a ticket. Golden had no idea really who Bryan was tho living near me in College she had heard his music. She thought it was cool to be going to his house tho so she was in. Shes too cool for pictures tho. 

I picked her up and off we went. The whole day was sketchy and scary and required a LOT of trust on my part, my mom’s part and Bryan’s part too. The night before it rained hard. They sent out a message (I want to say via Twitter and maybe Facebook) telling everyone to bring a chair instead of a blanket since sitting on the ground wasn’t going to work. We stopped at a Walgreens or it could have been a Rite Aid and bought two chairs for like $10 bucks a piece and had like 3 hours to kill. We got lunch and waited for more instructions. They were watching the weather and coming up with a back up plan incase of rain. The entire day I was a basket of nerves. It felt wrong like this was all a scam. I was texting with his manager at the time the entire day. I’m sure I annoyed him but it all just … well felt sketchy. My mom’s instructions were forget the money if you get there and it feels off leave. You and Golden are smart just stay safe. We finally got the call to meet in a random Kroger parking lot at like 3. We were nearby so we went on over and got a Wendy’s shake while we waited. Several other cars pulled up around 2:30ish. 

It was bizarre we all got out of our cars and talked about how sketchy this was and how nervous we were. Golden and I had already made a pact that we were not leaving the car behind. Then someone all official showed up and gathered us up and said his driveway was really small that people would need to double up. I immediately raised my hand and said I can fit three more in my car. Anyway long story short we all pilled into cars and drove through the streets of Nashville (I won’t tell you where we went cause that was his one request not to give out his address ha!) as a long Bryan White Convoy. My car was 2^nd in the line. We stood on his  sidewalk for what seemed like hours then they let us in. We walked through his living room after being greeted at the door by the man and proceeded to the back yard to set up our chairs. He played for a few hours and then gave us a tour of the house and his studio. 

Up to that moment that night was the best night of my life. 

That’s where the history lesson ends and the post about the BEST NIGHT EVER I’ve had in a long while starts. In 2015 the Listening Room of Mobile opened in downtown Mobile. They have 3-4 shows a week with a single artist or group featured each night. I’m not going to lie if the shows didn’t start so late I might live down there but alas they do and I often only go down there when it’s someone that can get me in the seat. Vanessa Peters was one, Eric Erdman is another that can get me down there. I keep telling myself I’m going down there one day just on a whim and listen to someone I’ve never heard before and see what happens. 

One day I’m sitting in my living room watching TV and scrolling Facebook as I typically do when the owner popped up on my Facebook page one day with a note telling people Bryan White would be at the Listening Room Aug 15^th Tickets on Sale soon! I almost crapped myself. Wait what Bryan was coming here… to my back yard to my home town … to one of my favorite places in the city to listen to music!? I was in from there. I immediately put my name down on the list and started bugging Jim about when Tickets would be available to purchase. The next day I walked into the office and took the 16^th off so I could stay as late as I needed to without worry of having to get up early. I was going to this show, was going to enjoy every second of it and immediately started making plans to have people join me. I wanted to sell that room out hard. We got about halfway there when it was all said and done. That’s ok tho cause I think Bryan had a fantastic night and I understand is already talking about coming back.

So let’s set the stage. It’s a Thursday afternoon around say 6 pm my friend Christina (whom I roped into going with me to the show several months ago) had just finished dinner and are kind of just walking around downtown killing time when Christina said, oh my god is that Bryan (like they had known each other for years.) I looked up the street and OH MY GOD IT WAS. She took off. I caught up with her and said please don’t chase this boy down the street! At this point he was a block or so ahead of us. Then he passed the Listening Room. I said oh god he’s lost. So off we went, now literally chasing the man down the street. We got even with the Listening Room and I was looking to see if anyone was inside that could “officially” go get the boy instead of two crazy people that might scare him away for good. No one was there that I could see and we look up the street and Bryan takes a left down an alley between two buildings. I thought oh god he’s going to be killed (not a fantastic part of town but not the worst part either), and we take off. We walked though the alley and look right and left and he’s walking back up the street phone in his hand. I’m sure it was telling him he was there because he was right behind it but you know how phones are. So Christina yells “Bryan!!!” and he stops and turns around and I’m super embarrassed and he yells back ”yeah!?” and he’s just watching the two of us jog up the street towards him. She yells, “you are lost, you passed the listening room back that way.” She started pointing and he said “I’m following yall!” and started walking towards us. So we started walking back to the Listening Room and he says I’ve seen you before talking to me. I said yes sir and he asked when the last time I was at a show and I said the last show I saw was in your backyard. He said you were at the BBQ I was like yep, then it clicked and he said you were the one worried about the wiring in my basement! I laughed and said yes and he said you’ll be happy to know it looks better now. I said good ha!  

Yes … I took a picture of the wiring at the man's house that night 

Then we arrived at the Listening Room and he thanked us for being such tour guides. We let him in to do his sound check while we smelted in front and Christina made fun of my fangirl attitude cause she has never seen me like that before. A few minutes later a few other fans showed up for the meet and greet and the night was on. By the time they let us in there were 10 of us hanging out. When they let us in we all got settled and about 10 minutes later here he came. He told the whole room how we rescued him and it was fantastic. He mentioned it again while he was playing. Ha! He spent about 30 minutes just talking to us all about life, his music, what our favorite albums were and Mobile in general. Then he took pictures with all of us before the rest of the people showed up. I think we ended up with about half a room filled so I was happy about that. I think next time we can easily sell it out. School started in the area this week, there was another high profile show earlier in this week and it was just bad timing for many. It’s a real shame they missed a fantastic night of music, stories, and an overall good time! 

Myself, Bryan White, and Christina by far a better picture than before 

I tried to keep up with his playlist for the night (the album the song is from is also shown below)

• Sitting on Go - 1996 Between Now and Forever
• Amen - 2014 Shine - EP Kickstarter Album
• Look At Me Now - 1994 Bryan White
• Rebecca Lynn - 1994 Bryan White
• Love is the Right Place - 1997 The Right Place
• I’m Not Supposed to Love you Anymore - 1996 Between Now and Forever
• It Must Be Love – 2019 new single
• That’s Another Song - 1996 Between Now and Forever
• Get Back (Cover Beatles) – which I was really not expecting but loved!
• You’re Still Beautiful to - Me 1999 How Lucky I Am – since I told him that was my favorite album before he played it he said it was for me :D yes I might have squeeled a little bit 
• So Much For Pretending  - 1996 Between Now and Forever
• Short Are The Years (Cover Jason Crabb Unexpected) – I swear I think he said he cowrote this one for 
• Someone Else’s Star - 1994 Bryan White

It was an awesome night and he covered all the hits. For me he could have played for 3 or 4 hours and I’d have still wished for more time. I’ve been sending suggestions to him via social media for weeks and he sang a few of my suggestions. I did tell him after the show that I loved his old stuff and was grateful he sang what he sang but wished he’d give more love to his newest stuff. Was shocked he didn’t do Finally Home and some of the newer tracks. He said he didn’t think anyone would want to hear them I said they would if you played them. They are really great tracks. However, I get it when you have a fan base like his there’s certain songs you have to play to make the night worth it. Like I’d have been super bummed if he hadn’t played Someone Else’s Star. So I get it but his new stuff deserves love too not “just the hits.”

At one point he just started playing. I don’t know the song I’m sure it started out as a song then it became a riff but whatever it was made the entire night worth it. He was literally picking and grinning and I could watch him do that alone for hours.  

His stories between songs were beautiful and allowed you to really not only connect to him but to his music. Towards he end he told about his struggles with depression and expressed his reborn Christianity and I just knew he was going to play What I already know. I told him that and he said that would have been a great song to end that on and I said I know! So maybe he’ll take my comment to heart and dust off some of the other songs in his catalog the next time he comes around.  
If you are new to this artist check him out

Itunes     https://music.apple.com/us/artist/bryan-white/129986

Twitter    https://twitter.com/bryan_white

Instagram   https://www.instagram.com/bryan_white/

Facebook    https://www.facebook.com/BryanWhiteFans/ 

You Tube    https://t.co/aCzYyWc9UM?amp=1

Website   http://www.bryanwhite.com/

Anyway this is a SUPER LONG post telling you if this man comes anywhere near you and you loved COUNTRY back when it was COUNTRY MUSIC then you need to get a ticket and get to his show. I will never miss another one as a matter of fact tomorrow he’ll be in Panama City Beach and it’s everything I can do to not make that drive.

Thank you Bryan for coming to my town, thank you Jim for getting him here and thank you Erika for letting us borrow him for a few days. You really are awesome to share him with us. 

Marcy

@beaslma

Dragon Con is coming ……

Dragon Con is coming …… in a few short weeks I’ll be packing up my car, heading to Birmingham to pick up my crew and then heading to Dragon Con to get my 6^th badge (in 6 years) and enjoy several fun filled days of people watching, chilling, and just hanging out with the best person I know … GOLDEN !!! I can’t wait. I was super pumped about it cause this was going to be our first year in a host hotel and I was going to get my dress up on. I no longer had the excuse of shuttles or uber vehicles to contend with so I was going to go all out. Then yesterday all that changed. 

Me and my crew are still hitting up Dragon Con for the 6^th year in a row but our hotel fell through. They ripped it out form under me a week ago and didn’t even bother to tell me. I saw several complaining about it online so I pulled up the ap and checked my reservation and it said cancelled. Two weeks ago when I checked it for a similar reason it was still intact. I immediately called them to say what the hell. The lady on the phone couldn’t have been nicer. She was in the main “office” of said chain and was the go between for me and the actual hotel, who wouldn’t answer the phone. The nice “office” lady was super helpful and even complained about the actual hotel people who just….weren’t. I told her that’s why I called you I couldn’t get them on the phone. She said they told her people have been calling to complain all week. Gee I wonder why. I have since posted on a Dragon Con message board and I wasn’t the only one that this happened too which should make it better but it doesn’t. I mean this hotel doesn’t care they are going to get their money and then some that weekend so who gives a fuck about me and my squad? I do. I feel like I’ve 100% let them all down.

Last December when I booked the room, I was so excited I was bouncing around my office, texted my crew, tweeted I had won the biggest prize of all, I was just on cloud nine. Everytime I have thought about this, I have gotten excited. It was going to be a whole new experience for me and my crew who have always stayed away from the con and shuttled back and forth. So much wasted time. Waiting on the shuttle that never seems to come, finally calling an uber, getting to the hotel, getting all comfortable and not wanting to get back down into the crazy. I was looking forward to not having to deal with that. To just getting there and ... being.

However, as disappointed I am by this turn of events we did get a hotel, that is connected to a shuttle so that’s a plus. It’s not the hotel we typically stay in, it sold out 2 months ago, so I’m not sure what to expect and as you know dear reader I’m not a fan of the unknown. I’m still planning to take my gear and I might still dress up but I also might talk myself out of it. Atlanta is hot yo! This will be a fun relaxing trip cause that’s what me and my squad need. We need a few days of hanging out, eating good foot – or cold pizza, laughing, people watching and just enjoying life. I really need this I can’t tell you how badly I need this trip. 

So the Con goes on and so will we but this is my post telling my squad I’m sorry I let this get screwed up and next year we will try for one of the other host hotels, cause it will be a cold day in hell before I stay at xxxx. So watch this space as we lead up to the Con it will still be fun, it will still be a good time, it will just be different and who knows that might be good too, maybe this shuttle will actually show up when it's supposed to. A girl can dream right?! 

Marcy
@beaslma