BLOGAVERSARY!!!!!!

Can you believe it … Aug. 2, 2014  … 11 years ago …. we posted our “test post” which frankly didn’t have much on it but it was a start. It was the push that propelled everything else that followed. It was the “first post” and yeah we could have stopped there but we didn’t we just kept pushing through. On August 3^rd we did an introduction post about what the blog was going to be and more importantly what it wasn’t going to be and then we did some introductions to each of us … myself .. and my partner in crime Golden.

 This blog started out as a way to take two people being crushed by the world and help them remember that they have it in them to be creative. Golden did this for me and I know that but having her along the way gave me … I don’t know a sense that if I didn’t see it through I’d be letting her down as much as letting myself down. So I’m grateful she came on this ride with me. Truth is she’s better at this than I ever wanted to be. The way she uses words like a paint brush to tell a story fills me with an envy that I can’t fully express.

 That August was a good month for us with 27 posts but then again it was new, exciting and we went to Dragon Con which always helps with content. Here I sit … again looking our 10 year anniversary of Dragon Con (it really feels like we’ve been going longer but my calculations say 10 years so 10 it is – math is hard yall) and I can’t wait for that 4 day break with my bestie. I need it and more important she needs it. We might just veg the entire time playing video games but we’ll at least be doing it in the same room.

 A lot has changed for Golden and I over these 11 years. She’s changed jobs for one. Sometimes I think it’s for the better but other times I’m not so sure. I’ve gotten a few promotions at work and am now leading a team of people which is very daunting and I’m not sure I like it at all. She’s been through a few fur babies, which were really tough to watch her go through cause as you know dear reader I’m too far away to just go over and make sure she’s ok.  We have both lost family members along the way, and we have both also gained family members, which has been more fun than the losing. We’ve gone on a few more trips, most recently to Atlanta to see the StayKids which I admit was far more fun than I anticipated.  Sickness we have both dealt with our fair shar of sickness over the years mine mostly watching others be sick and Golden being my Medical Marvel. Neither of us really use Twitter (I refuse to call it anything else) as much as we used too but have migrated to other platforms. Social Media has always been a cesspool and now it’s somehow worse.

 I admit finding content to post here without a lot of feedback wasn’t always easy so I started little challenges for myself. The thankfulness challenge in 2014 was particular a highlight for me as it was a post a day for the month of November and I succeeded. Is every post worth a read … not really but there are 30 posts in the month of November and for that I am proud. I tried it again in 2019 and it was equally successful. Maybe I bring it back this year?

When we started this blog we said we’d not “teach you anything” but like the former journalist that I wanted to be I added but we might … which helped open the door for my Blog with a Purpose posts that focused on a few charities that Golden and I have supported over the years. I hope those were interesting cause I really enjoyed writing them.

Oh and the greatest challenge of all is that this blog got me writing again. Here of late I’ve been doing my Writing prompt challenge, which has been interesting. However, over the years I used this to share some of my original  fiction which was both fun and scary at the same time.

Several reoccurring themes have popped up too including music, books, tv, the aforementioned drama with fur babies, etc., which has also helped in keeping this thing going. Oh and I’ve wasted a post or two a year on my silly TV movie calendars for Halloween and Christmas and while that is slowing down I don’t see it stopping soon. Tho Microsoft doing away with publisher I might have to come up with another plan for those in the very near future. My gripes at Microsoft have also  made a few appearances too over the years. Year end posts or new year blogs helped kick off the year or end it and made for some good content as well. Random Thoughts/Grind my Gears were also fun ways to get topics bouncing around in my head out of my head and onto the screen so I could move on.

So the point is if you have been with us this long than you, if you are new here enjoy going through the archives to the right, and if you are a casual reader it’s been fun seeing you around too. This blog isn’t dead yet and while I know sometimes it looks and feels that way that’s just what we do. We don’t post for the sake of posting we post when there is something worth saying and in my opinion that is more fun. It’s about quality not quantity but know there will be typos.

So thanks again Golden for the push and let’s keep it going a few more years at least!

Marcy

2022 YEAR END REVIEW

It’s New Year's Eve … who knew. Not me at least not until someone sent me a text telling me to be safe tonight, and I was like why where I am going. They said you know if you go anywhere for the holiday. I responded with you mean tomorrow. They were like um…no tonight. People celebrate New Year's tonight, since it’s New Year's Eve. I again responded with tomorrow. They wrote back with a screen shot of the date, like my devices don’t also have that. Turns out … guys they were right today is New Year's Eve. The last day of 2022, the last day of the year, tomorrow starts a brand-new chapter full of wonder, excitement and pretty much the same shit that 2022 had but with a different date at the end … if I’m being honest.

New Year's has just never been a thing I celebrate. I mean yeah sure it’s an accomplishment to get from point A to point B I guess and not everyone got to make that circle, heck I went to 2 funerals just this week alone, so I see why people celebrate this “milestone” but I’ve just never been interested in it. Even as a little Marcy I wasn’t concerned with staying up to watch the ball drop. Seemed like a lot of fuss over not much and you spend the night wandering around going from place to place finally landing somewhere to count backwards from 10 then it’s over and everyone goes home or leaves to head to yet another place. I’d rather stay home, sleep at a decent hour and just get up the next day. I will admit I do like seeing how everyone chooses to usher out the current year and welcome the new one, but it’s all become a bit much. Every single town now has a thing. Hell, mine has a Moon Pie Drop. They take a LARGE Moon Pie strap it to the side of a building downtown and at midnight lower it to the ground because nothing says New Year like getting ready for Mardi Gras.

It's been another year of hard work and some appreciation for both Golden and I. I do wish she got more appreciation but there's very little I can do about that. I just completed my first year at the helm of the ship at my work, which has been a learning curve. I'm proud of what we got accomplished this year and know there's more we can do so that's the goal for 2023. Once gain I'm gonna lose some of my vacation time, I hope that next year I do better about that. Golden and I are trying to come up with our next big trip (other than Dragon Con) because it's been a few years since we did that. I think the two of us just need something to look forward to if I am being honest. 

Last year on this day it was 84 degrees and sunny, which was just dumb. I rang in the new year in shorts and a t-shirt. Less than 24 hours later it was raining and in the low 50s. tell me the south isn’t always sick for no reason and I’ll explain all that again. It’s been ridiculously cold the last week or so which was nice to have a Christmas holiday where I could wear my Christmas sweaters without sweating through them for a change. Today it’s 67, cloudy and wanting to rain. We had a wicked storm blow through on Friday afternoon and it was supposed to hold over until today, but it was moving faster than originally thought and we are left with a dreary, cloudy, warm day instead. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be in the high 70’s low 80’s. So basically, back to normal.

I’ve spent the majority of my “time off” for the holidays (Christmas and now New Year's) cleaning. Throwing things away, purging my life of the things I don’t “need” I have 5 bags of things to take…. somewhere. It’s mostly clothing that I can’t or don’t wear, some of which still have the tags on them. I’m really bad about that, it’s the downside of online shopping it looks better on the screen than in my house.

While I wasn’t looking this blog turned 8 years old. Since 2014 we have had 261 entries that have been viewed 27,526 times by ….. someone. We average about 29 post a year, but I credit most of that to the first two years when I did blog challenges and then in 2019, I did kind of a resurgence of the blog in an effort to bring it back to life. I will admit that with this blog I’ve not been trying to set the world on fire, teach anyone anything in particular, or even study specific subjects for a greater understanding of a higher universe but I have tried to stay consistent in my posting. Here lately it’s felt more like a journal or diary than an actual blog with a purpose or passion. Like this isn’t a lifestyle blog, or a blog trying to sell my various projects or causes, or a blog that is used to promote anything or generate likes and collaboration with companies. It’s just me, my little HP laptop that’s still kicking (knock on wood), and sometimes Golden just sharing various thoughts with people who might be interested. It tuns out that while most of our views come from the US, we also get a large portion from Russia and Ukraine (haven’t those people suffered enough) with France and Germany rounding out our top 5 countries. Sorry Canada you just missed the top 5.

I did just learn that our blog with the most views has changed … it used to be the “Royal Welcome” my Real Person fiction about Haley and Michaels working with the Royal Family. However ironically the post now with the most views of 314 is “He is Risen” posted in April 2019 … I just re read it and it’s nothing to special so I’m not sure why so many have felt the need to click on that particular one but it’s gonna be hard to pass that many views. But I’ll do my best.

Have a great 2023 and a safe New Year’s Eve, which is apparently tonight in case you didn't know.

Marcy (@beaslma)

Blogaversary

So I noticed a few weeks ago that our Blogaversary was coming up, and then like a husband whose been married for years promptly forgot about it until today. Our “TEST” post was on Aug. 2^nd, 2014 … our first real post was on Aug. 3^rd a day later. I say it was the first real one because it had content the other was me playing around to see how this crazy thing was going to work before posting the first one. Kind of a trial drive to the hospital before the wife looks across the room to say, um dear it’s time.  

It’s insane to me that we have been blogging for 3 years, yeah ok there was that time frame where we “took a break” so it hasn’t been constant blogging all the time but we showed up when we felt we had something to say. We didn’t want to have a blog that constantly hit you with nonsense but one that provided content worth your time as well as ours. Well that sounds better than we got busy/lazy and forgot this thing existed for a while…. Right?!

Truth be told like any deadbeat dad we only had one really bad year. In 2014, we had 83 posts spread out over 5 months; in 2015, we had 42 posts with at least one post a month for the entire year; in 2016 that’s where we really earned our deadbeat dad status. We had 13 posts in 2016, and missed 4 months in all which is when we were called in front of the Judge and given an ultimatum. Use it or lose it. Stop wasting the internet. So, this year we have made an effort to get back into blogging even if lately I feel like I’m using it more as a diary than a blog. We have only missed one month this year which frankly surprised me when I realized it was May which as you all know is the month of Golden. Upon reflection, I did post about Golden’s Birth Month but it was posted on the last day of April so technically we did post about May but technically we also didn’t if you want to get technical about it.

Our audience for this blog has been a little weird like our President we have a lot of people from the US have viewed our blog but the next largest audience has come from Russia. We also have people from France, Germany, Poland, and of course Canada and the United Kingdom.

Speaking of the United Kingdom I find it really funny that the post with the most page views, which is my favorite of all time, was the original fiction that I wrote about Haley and Michael sat the airport meeting Harry and Kate as they arrive in London for the Benefit Concert. I love that story and could read it every day and sometimes do when I feel that my talent has left me for good.

I tweeted the blog post to Haley and Michaels and they retweeted it to their followers and now it’s got 180 page views, the most of any of them that we have posted. 2^nd is Golden explaining her Birthmonth that first year 3^rd and 4^th are also about Golden. What I’m saying is Golden is a huge part of this blog even if she only posts every once and a while. She’s much better at this than I am I just have a better internet connection.

During the life of this blog we have had 152 posts total, with over 11,530 page views which is really cool. We did have a single commenter “Grumybozo” who no longer seems to exist. I did find it ironic tho that the post about giving up social media started a conversation making me feel a little social. Well I did post a comment to one of the blog posts but I’m not counting that which is completely in my rights as I celebrate my Blogaversary … it is too a word Golden if you can make words up I can too! Why would anyone spell it Blogiversary …. No .. that’s just dumb. Blogaversary … that makes more sense and since we are making it up well that’s what we’ll use.

Returning to Golden she says “3 years is a pretty long time, even though I don’t do anything remotely like I should to keep it going. 3 years still going even little by little means you haven’t given up, so I’m happy with that. Congratulations!” I say to her thank you for bringing this project to me and starting it up cause we both know I wouldn’t have done it on my own.

Here’s to the next 3 years …… or more…. Oh who are we kidding let’s concentrate on just getting to the end of this year.

Marcy

SHE LIVES!!!!! GOLDEN LIVES!!!!

 

I don't even know what to say or where to start! I guess I should start by saying "Hi. My name's Golden and it's been about two months since my last confession." I wish I could blame my lack of blog posts on my exciting jet setting lifestyle. Wild nights, parties, designer drugs, expensive toys, fast cars and loose partners. I really wish I could tell you that were true... But it's not.

It's a combination of exhaustion, medical issues, and the daily grind of being an adult. I kinda want to totally rage out on here about how tough it's been the past couple of months with my health care. Bitch and moan about the lunacy of having a pencil pusher insurance company representative constantly deny me the medications that my doctors want for me because of "cost efficiency".

 

But nobody wants to hear that. It's a total fucking drag. Plus it's no excuse for my neglecting my blog responsibilities. So as we get closer to our one year blogiversary (is that a word? Blogiversary? Marcy uses Blogaversary.... that can't be right tho .... It's probably not.) I'm gonna make an effort to do better by you all. Because I mean, Dayum! I can't get much worse.

-golden (@theonlygolden)

The Blog Is NOT dead....

I promise ... we haven't abandoned this blog, it just ... life keep getting in the way :( I've written several blogs in my head then have completely forgotten all about them, it happened again on my way home from work. It's like the blog seeps out of my brain through my ears and out the window as I'm listening to my favorite song on my way home. In my defense work has been crazy but I've used that as an excuse before and frankly I know what you are thinking ...

 

You wouldn't be wrong, I agree I suck, however I will say that googling "I suck" in an effort to find a picture for a blog posting is NOT something I suggest you do unless safe search is turned on. Then again if that's your thing ... enjoy. **NSFW** though if i have to tell you that ... then you really shouldn't perform that search.

 

It hit me today that we are nearing the 1 year anniversary of this blog in a few months and I still haven't found my voice. I don't know what to share with you guys and it seems stupid to be like

 

"I love Cheetos they are delicious"

 

Mostly because that's a waste of my time, your time, and the internet, also because that's not really a discussion builder. I never had this thought that this blog would take off like wildfire but I was hoping for a little more discussion happening, then again if we don't give you something worth talking about then that's on us. Or as you said previously ...

 

Again ... you would not be wrong though I do like the method you chose this time to tell me so. Etch-A-Sketch art is ah-mazing, google that it's a little safer. So once again I make the promise to you that we will be back, we will start posting again, and we will generate conversation on this blog or DIE TRYING!

For me I'm working on a sequel to my never ending Haley and Michael saga which I find myself thinking about all the time and until I get it out of my head and on a screen that will continue. When i say I'm working on it I mean I've opened the file several times and then starred at it for hours with very little written. However I'll get thee with it and when i do you'll get to read it .. if you are interested.

Golden is currently begging her body to just be a body. Her stupid body sometimes forgets it's side of the bargain on life and she has to man handle it back into submission. So when she gets back up and around, literally, I'll get her on another blog because unlike me she has found her voice and if you haven't read her posts you really should. They tell a story, teach some, and will make you laugh ... guaranteed. She's way better at this than I am and frankly I can't have that! :D

So until next time I leave you with this ....

... if nothing else I like to think I'm a better poet than Patrick.

 

-Marcy

Halloween Wars Is BACK!!!!

The premise:
A Pumpkin Carver, a Candy Craftsman and a Master Cake Artist (AKA rice Cereal Treat Artist) team together to create a cohesive show piece that wows the judges and keeps them in the game. It’s a 4 part series of AWESOME and my all-time favorite thing on the earth. This is the 4^th year of this series and I hope It NEVER ENDS!!!!! Each episode, each year is so different because the competitors are different. Even those who are returning they come with a new team and thus add a different dynamic.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-wars.html

A quick rundown of the show ….

There are 5 teams. As I previously stated each team has a has a pumpkin carver, candy maker, and a cake decorator, tho they often use rice cereal treats instead of cake which bugs me more than I'm sure you care to know. At the end each episode one team is sent home and the rest live to fight another week. There are 4 weeks of competition with an eventual champion crowned in an epic $50,000 battle.

The 2014 Teams:

Orange –Dead Reckoning
Blue –Spooktacular
Green –Malicious Intent
Purple –Sweet Nightmares
Yellow – Corpse Crushers

The setup:

The show has 2 rounds. Round 1 - is the Small Scare challenge (45 minutes) in which the winner gets an advantage going into Round 2 - the Spine Chiller challenge (usually about 5 hours) which includes a tasting element that the judges will taste and will factor into their score. Unlike other shows he hosts on the network Justin gets to taste the treats as well tho he gets no say in who goes home!

There are two main judges, who remain through all the competitions, and a guest judge, who is a fresh pair of eyes every week, which dictate the fate of these teams. The main judges include Shinmin Li a pastry chef, and Brian Kinney a make up artist known for the movie Dark Skies. Guest judges for this season includes: Episode 1: Naomi Grossman, known as Pepper on American Horror Story: Asylum. Episode 2: Adi Shankar, known for producing The Grey and Killing Them Softly. Episode 3: Francia Raisa known from The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Episode 4: Lew Temple from The Walking Dead.

Justin announces the theme of the challenge and the teams get to work. They have a few moments where they talk strategy and come up with the "design" then they all get to work. It’s fascinating seeing these guys take these highly different mediums and get them to all work together to create a fantastic show piece. The successful teams are the ones who make it all look like a single piece and it's hard to tell which medium was used for which piece. Seamless integration of all mediums is a must. Sometimes they have EPIC wins and other times epic fails, but watching the steps it took to get there is great. Getting to see their creativity come to life and how working as a team or not working as a team as is sometimes the case ends up hurting them in the end. One wrong move from one of them could ruin them all and send a qualified and creative team home.

2014 Spine Chiller Challenge Themes:

Week 1 – The Haunted Farm
Week 2 – Don’t Go Into The Forest
Week 3 – Mummies VS Werewolves
Week 4 – Haunted Carnival

Each team has a “leader” but all 4 have to come together to make it to the next week. Some of the contestants have been on previous years of Halloween Wars yet so far haven’t learned from their past mistakes. It's interesting to see dynamic of the team especially when things are NOT going well and who steps up and who melts down.
 

 

It does not hurt that the show is hosted by Justin Willman who is my all-time favorite person on earth. Seriously guys Justin is fantastic. He’s a magician who also hosts things to help pay the bills. I talked Golden into going to see him a few years back (she took the picture above) and it was a fantastic night. I can't wait until the next time. If he comes anywhere near your house you need to check him out. Here’s a link to his website and his tour schedule. Upcoming shows include the states of California, Arizona, Florida, Indiana, and Missouri.

http://www.justinwillman.com/#home

Episode one is in the can and a team has been sent home, did you agree? I think they were just over ambitious about what they could do in the timeframe they had. That’s the key, you can have the greatest concept but if you can’t deliver it then it’s just a sketch on the page. This is definitely a show where “go big or go home” usually means you are going home.

If you missed this week’s episode check it out in repeats then meet back on twitter for next week, it’s on every Sunday 9/8 central but only for 4 weeks so jump on the Halloween Wars bandwagon now!

There is a ton of chatter on Twitter about this episode so join the conversation by Tweeting #HalloweenWars and also hit @FoodNetwork so they will continue this yearly event next year.

 

-Marcy  @beaslma

 

By the way we just celebrated our 2nd month Blogaversary !! :D We also recently passed 1,000 views and Golden (AKA @theonlygolden ) and I thank you all for joining us on this trip, hopefully we have entertained you and made you smile.
 

Happy 1 Month Blogaversary!!!!!!!

While technically our first post was on Aug. 2nd all it said was “Coming soon .... the thoughts, rants, and observations of Marcy and Golden. Join us … you’ll be glad you did”  so I count Aug. 3rd as our OFFICIAL first post if you don’t like it get your own blog …. No wait don’t leave!!!!

WE are thrilled that people are visiting, we are at 788 page views at this very moment. So keep coming back and bring your friends!

So I say to our readers HAPPY 1 MONTH BLOGAVERSARY and thank you so very much for joining us!

We have had a busy month. In 28 posts we have discussed of course the Con, the anxiety of the lead up to the Con, the guilt of leaving a furbaby behind, a post about music and what it does for us, an invite to join the ScarySocial, Lupus struggles, growing up or not, packing, and original fiction.

I hope the coming month will include more original fiction. I have written a few stories but all seem to long to post here, and aren’t 100% ready to put “out there yet.” We’d love to know what brought you to the blog, if there’s anything you’d like for us to talk about so let us know. So hit us up, either in the comments below or via Twitter.

In the meantime check out the previous moths posts while we continue to come out of our DragonCon stuper and I get over the Con Crud, if that is what I have. All I know is that at the moment I can’t hear and only half of my nose works at a time.