Get Off the Couch

It's Fandemic Tour Time Again, Houston!

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 23:57:00 +0000

Fandemic Tour Houston, 2019

OCTOBER 18, 19, & 20 2019
NRG CENTER
1 NRG PARK, HOUSTON, TX 77054

FRIDAY 3PM – 8PM
SATURDAY 10AM – 7PM
SUNDAY 10AM – 4PM

Disclosure : I am compensated with free passes in exchange for my content, however all of the opinions, words, and thoughts are my own.

Hard to believe almost an entire year has passed since Fandemic Tour comic convention rolled into Houston for the first time last September, but luckily for us, it's coming back again this October 18th-20th. Last year convention owner John Macaluso brought us some amazing big-name guests, and this year is no different. Guests from popular Netflix shows The Umbrella Academy and The Punisher will be there along with actors from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Phelps Twins of Harry Potter fame, Lord of the Rings and The Goonies star Sean Astin (whom I have previously met and is just wonderful with his fans), WWE stars, Firefly and Serenity's Summer Glau, fan favorites Jason David Frank and Sean Patrick Flanery, Milo Ventimiglia who was unable to attend last year, and headliner Sebastian Stan of the Marvel Comic Universe who also was unable to attend last year but did a special trip to Houston separately just so fans wouldn't be disappointed. Though I wasn't able to be there, I think it was pretty wonderful that he and Fandemic Tour put that together for Sebastian's fans. I won't be missing out this time though, my photo ops are already purchased! Get your tickets, VIP passes, autograph and photo ops now!

Check out my blog post from last year with more details on what to expect at Fandemic Tour Houston, like cosplay, vendors, panels, and more. Make sure to follow @FandemicTour, @MoneySvgParent and @MarshaKRoberts on Twitter for updates on guests, panels, and such for 2019.

If you're wondering how you can afford to see so many incredible guests, there is still time to use the payment plan! Just put 20% down, then two equal payments of 40% for any purchase over $100 including tickets, photo ops, selfies, and autographs. I'm using the payment plan myself for like 4 different experiences, to free up more money to spend while I'm there. In addition to the actors, there is a multitude of vendors, artists, and authors I love to check out, and it's nice to have a little extra in the bank account for that.

Are you looking forward to Fandemic Tour's return, or going for the first time? Make sure you RSVP to the Twitter Party that will be taking place at 8pm CST on August 20th, so you don't miss out on some really cool prizes like autographed photos (including Sebastian Stan, Milo Ventimiglia, The Bella Twins, and Charisma Carpenter), a signed copy of Sean Patrick Flanery's book Jane Two, and the grand prize, a 3 day VIP package!

Fandemic Tour Brought the Fun to Houston

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 18:30:00 +0000

I was invited to Fandemic Tour's first run in Houston the weekend of September 14-16th, and I'm here to tell you, this has to go on your Houston bucket list when it returns!

Fandemic Tour brought a variety of pop culture icons to NRG Center, including several cast members of The Walking Dead (Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Stephen Yeun, and Pollyanna Mackintosh), a Smallville reunion (Tom Welling, John Schneider, and Michael Rosenbaum), legend Bruce Campbell, Guardians of the Galaxy's Sean Gunn, Michael Rooker, and Chris Sullivan, wrestlers Paige and Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Superman Dean Cain, Boondock Saints' Sean Patrick Flannery and David Della Rocca, Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Clare Kramer, and quite a few more.

The celebrity guests could usually be found at their tables signing autographs, but there were also scheduled photo ops where you could have your photo taken with your favorites, and many of the guests did panels upstairs where they spoke to guests about their various projects and answered audience questions. I was able to attend the panels for Michael Rooker, Bruce Campbell, and Sean Gunn and Chris Sullivan. Being the bucket lister I am, I took the opportunity to ask them what was on their personal bucket lists. Michael Rooker said he doesn't have one and just takes life as it comes. Bruce Campbell marked the number one thing off his bucket list when he was able to watch a movie he was in, in the movie theater he frequented. Chris Sullivan wants to get a tattoo. I highly recommend attending the panels, as you can get so much insight into the movies and shows, as well as the personalities of the celebrity guests. I have to say that all of the above I saw were hilarious and highly entertaining, and were also amazing with their fans. Bruce Campbell called one fan's father and spoke to him on the phone, brought a fan on stage for impromptu acting lessons, and told part of a story while laying on the floor. Michael Rooker walked around the room talking to his fans. You just never know what will happen!

In addition to the celebrity guest panels, there were also other panels you could attend upstairs. I attended panels for casting with resin, body painting for cosplay, and a Hamilton sing along with some adorable kids. Not only were the panels a great break from walking around on the main floor, I learned quite a few things about casting and body paint. I honestly think I may have gained a new hobby with making items from a casting mold. That's something for the bucket list for certain!

One of the coolest parts of the convention, to me, were the artists that were in attendance. My husband and I were able to get ourselves drawn as The Simpsons characters by actual The Simpsons artist Phil Ortiz and colored in by Hanna Barbera artist Tom Cook. We also met original Jim Henson cartoonist Guy Gilchrist, who drew my very favorite Muppet, Sweetums, for me. I will treasure these illustrations for ever and already have them hanging on my wall at home.

And of course there were vendors galore, selling a myriad of toys, autographs, comic books, art prints, cosplay items, soap, and more. My favorite were the authors, being the bookworm that I am. I spoke to several and was very impressed at how great their books sounded! I can't wait to read them.

I had an amazing time and am already very excitedly looking forward to next year, to see what else I can cross off my bucket list at Fandemic. Here are some more of my favorite photos from the Fandemic Tour convention! Hope to see you all next year.

Fandemic Tour Houston Is Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 19:35:00 +0000

Fandemic Tour

A New Convention Experience

September 14th, 15th, and 16th

at NRG Center in Houston Texas

There's a new convention rolling in to NRG Center in Houston on September 14-16th, and you are definitely going to want to add it to your bucket list! Fandemic Tour, by veteran comic convention producer John Macaluso, just finished a successful run in Sacramento this summer and will be joining us in Houston for the first time ever. Get your tickets now!

Comic and Pop Culture fans alike will be intrigued by actors from The Walking Dead, Smallville, Guardians of the Galaxy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, This is Us, Gilmore Girls, and Boondock Saints, as well as WWE's Paige, Lois and Clark's Dean Cain, Green/White Ranger Jason David Frank, and The Evil Dead's Bruce Campbell, amongst others. There will be many artists, creators, attractions and fan groups as well. A full lineup of guests and attractions can be found at Guest List. Photo ops and autograph tickets can be purchased here.

There will be three main stages to visit while you're at Fandemic. The first stage is where the celebrity guests will be, signing autographs and doing photo ops. The second stage will feature local artists, creators, shops, and the like. The third stage is the live stage which will feature live streaming podcasters throughout the weekend.

In addition to the spectacular line up, attendees will also be able to participate in the Cosplay Contest. Starting at 8pm on Saturday, September 15th Fandemic will feature an on-site cosplay contest hosted by Clare Kramer and Jason David Frank on the main stage. It's free to enter and there will be some really cool prizes to win for several different categories such as Best Group, Best Child, etc. Registration info can be found at the Information Booth. I marked doing Cosplay off my bucket list years before, and it's so much fun! Don't be shy, lots of people will be in costume!

The popular Drink and Draw event will be held at 7pm and hosted by Clinton Hobart. This event is open to anyone with an admission ticket.

Sunday will be Family Day. Kids 10 and under will be welcomed free with a paying adult. There will be a lot of kid-friendly, socially-responsible programming on the second stage, face painting. a kid's merchandise shop, as well as a cosplay contest just for the kiddos. Be sure to bring the little ones along with you on Sunday Sept. 16th!

Are you as excited as I am yet? Make sure you set a reminder to join the Twitter Party on Thursday September 6th at 8pm CST/9 pm ET. Lots of great prizes, including TWO VIP tickets and more, will be given away and you'll get a sneak peek at the great stuff happening at Fandemic Tour!

I hope to see you all there!

Malawi's Pizza with a Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 22:47:00 +0000

During the latter months of the year many people are on the look out for ways they can give back and do some good while they're celebrating the holidays. I recently discovered a fun restaurant in my area, where you can help the less fortunate and enjoy some amazing food at the same time. I was invited a bit over a week ago to try Malawi's Pizza at a private event they were holding to celebrate having donated over one million meals (Yes, you read that correctly!) to hungry children in the African country of Malawi from the sales of their food from their pizza restaurant chain. It's in Sienna Plantation in Missouri City Texas, on the Southwest side of Houston, and I drive by it often but hadn't had the chance to stop by yet, so I jumped at the chance.

The ambiance is just breath taking, with African art and even an acacia tree in the middle of the restaurant. As my husband and I sampled dish after dish, we were able to listen to the owner of the Sienna (and soon-to-be Katy, TX), franchise, Cheryl Franco, speak about how Malawi's Pizza got its start, after co-founder Blake Roney had taken a humanitarian trip to Malawi and witnessed the poverty there, with almost 3 million people struggling with hunger. He teamed up with chef Kent Anderson to provide a way to help feed the children in a regular, and sustained way. With the Meal-for-Meal Exchange program the company is able to deliver nutrient-dense meals to children and families in villages throughout Malawi. Local franchise owners Cheryl and Frank Franco have also been giving back in the area, donating meals, money and supplies to first responders, community groups, and local charities as well as volunteering at the Sienna Shared Blessings Warehouse nearby in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Of course as wonderful as all the giving back is, it doesn't mean much if the food isn't good, right? Well, don't worry, I tried almost everything they had to offer and it's all delicious. If you've ever seen the episode of Friends where Joey says there are no unselfish good deeds because of the pleasure we get from doing them, well, eating at Malawi's Pizza is one of those good deeds that is so pleasurable it's hard not to forget you're helping others at the same time.
Dining at Malawi's Pizza is absolutely an experience for the Houston Bucket List, and I'll leave it up to you whether you file that under food or charity.

If you want to stay up to date on specials and more at Malawi’s Pizza, follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/malawispizzasiennaplantation/ or on Instagram at @malawipizzasienna

*I was invited to try Malawi's Pizza for free in exchange for my honest opinion.*

Wings Over Houston Air Show 2016 Twitter Party Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 20:54:00 +0000

* I received compensation of air show tickets in exchange for this blog post. *

Houston, it's time again to feel the need, the need for speed! The Wings Over Houston Air Show is coming back again and it's going to be amazing. Did you know it's been rated number 4 out of the top 10 air shows in the country? I don't even know what to tell you about first. The Blue Angels? Tora! Tora! Tora!? Or the fact that Wings Over Houston is one of only six North American air shows that will have an actual flight by the F-35 lightning. This may be your only opportunity to see it in action!

Used By Permission Tora! Tora! Tora!

The Wings Over Houston air show has a special place in my heart. When I was a kid, my grandfather would always take me every year and try to teach me all about the planes flying over. He was a an airplane obsessive, or a "wing nut" as he called himself. At the time I wasn't interested much in the history or technical workings on the planes, I just enjoyed spending time with my grandparents and watching the dragon-like machines roar over head as I covered my ears. Now that I'm older I care more about the history behind the re-enactments. Back in 2007 I had the amazing experience of visiting Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, learning about the attack on the USS Arizona by the Japanese that prompted the US's involvement in World War II. I read the names of the men who died in the attack, and even met a elderly vet who was a survivor from the USS Arizona. That's why I'm so excited to see the live re-enactment of Tora! Tora! Tora! at the air show this year. They will show you exactly how it was that fateful day on Dec 7, 1941 when Japanese planes dropped the bombs. You'll hear the explosions and see what the men saw as they looked up in to the sky on what may have been their last morning.

Used By Permission U.S. Navy Blue Angels

Of course the Blue Angels are always a huge hit. Over 484 million people have seen them perform since they began in 1946, and it's always quite the show. The men and women of the Blue Angels are from the Navy and Marines, and they perform expert maneuvers with breathtaking precision. The rolls, turns, and formations include some they've been performing since 1946.
Anyone who is interested in airplanes, jets, the military, or history will surely be entertained by the show, but it's also a great way to create life long memories with your kids and grandkids. Just make sure you bring some earplugs for sensitive ears as it can get very loud!
In addition to the things I've mentioned above, there will also be lots more performances, the chance to meet pilots and get autographs, many planes and jets on display (it's like the museum coming to you! How cool is that?), a kids zone with a rock climbing wall, go karts and more, as well as food and souvenir vendors. To see the full lineup and schedule, go to https://wingsoverhouston.com

How would you like to win tickets to the Wings Over Houston Air Show and see all this amazing stuff live and up close? Join the Twitter party on October 6th at 8pm CST and you could win one of these prize packs -
2 Family Pack of tickets - that's 2 adult and up to 4 children ($55 value) (2 winner each receive 2 tickets ) Adult General Admission tickets (value $21.50 each ticket) 2 Eagle Squadron Sunday (VIP tickets) (Value $300.00)

Two winners will be randomly selected from the Twitter Party to receive a Family Pass to the Airshow good Saturday or Sunday.

Two winners will receive Two General Admission Tickets to the Airshow good Saturday or Sunday.

One GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive 2 VIP EAGLE SQUADRON TICKETS good Sunday only.

Must be 18+, travel to and from the airshow is not included. Winners are randomly selected and announced during the Twitter Party. Your email will be needed in order to fulfill prizes.

Don't put off buying your tickets until the last minute as you can get some great discounts buying online . Ticket prices will go up on Oct 1st!

My family, my fellow panelists, and I are really excited about this year's show and I hope you will come out and join us. Other panelists who will be attending and covering the air show are -

@greatbeernow @creative_meli @daddystylediary

@mel_rose_more @powertoprevail @nativetexanlivin

and don't forget to follow @moneysvgparent @HoustonAirshow and the hashtag #wohairshow

If you're on Facebook you can join the Facebook Event as well. Invite your friends and family to come out and join you for the show!

Disclosure: This giveaway/Twitter Party is brought to you by the CAF Wings Over Houston Airshow. All opinions are 100% my own and my family’s. Participating panelist and Houston Bucket Lister/Get Off the Couch are not responsible for items lost in the mail or not shipped by the sponsor. No purchase is necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. Odds of winning are based on number of entries received. Giveaways on this blog are in no way affiliated with Facebook or any other social media networks on which they may be shared.

Review post - 42 Travel Hidden Neck/Belt Wallet

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 18:16:00 +0000

*Disclaimer - I received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and the product price does not affect my rating in any way*

Travel is a huge priority on many bucket lists, including my own. When you're overseas or even in heavily populated areas at home, it's always nerve wracking to think of losing your wallet, to pickpockets or your own bad luck. Considering the many important things we carry inside our wallets, it's imperative that we protect it as well as possible.
When I went to China in 2006 I used one of the kinds of hidden wallets that go around your waist, but I ended up ditching it halfway through my trip because it was hot, sweaty, rubbed uncomfortably, and it was embarrassing having to lift up my shirt to get anything out. I can't count the number of weird looks I got from people after they told me how much my purchase cost and I started lifting up my shirt. Thankfully with this new hidden neck/belt wallet from 42 Travel, which you can purchase on Amazon here - 42 Travel Hidden Neck/Belt Wallet I can hide my important documents, credit cards and cash without sacrificing my comfort doing so.
The 42 Travel Wallet also has RFID protection up to 99.9% so you don't have to worry about nefarious people trying to access your information or having it be magnetically erased.
Here's a short video I recorded to show how it works to protect against thieves -

I'm looking forward to using this wallet on my trip to Italy next year!

What's on a Celebrity's Bucket List?

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 21:16:00 +0000

What does a bucket lister do when given the opportunity to speak to some really cool guests at Comicpalooza? She asks them what's on their bucket list!

I was given the amazing experience of being able to interview some very talented people before and during the Comicpalooza comic convention, held annually here in Houston Texas, and I couldn't help asking them about their own goals and dreams. Here's what they answered -

Livvy Stubenrauch (Young Anna from Frozen) - moving to Los Angeles, continuing to do voice acting and movies, and going to college.

Eva Bella - (Young Elsa from Frozen, Shimmer and Shine, Parenthood) - traveling to all 50 states.

Ming Chen - (Comic Book Men on AMC) - it varies from visiting every country to becoming a Yoga instructor, going into space, hang gliding over the Serengeti, and swimming with great whites sharks in South Africa.

Anita Long (President of Women in Film) - continuing to build her girls' program globally.

Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk, Celebrity Apprentice) - would like to work on a TV sitcom on a weekly basis.

Chuck Huber (Star Trek, Dragonball Z, Soul Eater) - to make more movies, climb Mt Everest, and own a flying car or a flying machine and be able to use it legitimately to commute.

Chris Kirkpatrick (N*Sync, Fairly Oddparents, Dead 7) - jumping out of a plane.

AJ McClean (Backstreet Boys, Dead 7) - flying in a fighter jet and playing with wolves in the wild. He just marked off swimming with dolphins 5 days before I spoke to him. Go AJ!

Erik-Michael Estrada (O-Town, Making the Band, Dead 7) - being in any upcoming Star Wars movie.

Kel Mitchell (Kenan and Kel, Good Burger, Game Shakers) - jumping out of a plane and being able to swim well.

Burton Bell (Fear Factory) - going into space.

Dino Cazares (Fear Factory) - as far as Houston, finding the best Mexican restaurant. Overall, making the band as big as possible.

I wish all of these great people the best of luck in achieving all their goals. Appreciation to everyone for talking with me!

(I was given four 3 day passes in exchange for my participation at Comicpalooza, however all thoughts, opinions, and experiences are entirely my own)

Comicpalooza 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 22:47:00 +0000

Sadly my favorite time of the year has come and gone once again. I am so grateful to have been able to be a part of Comicpalooza again this year in Houston. I decided shortly after leaving the convention last year that I was going to dress up this time, and immediately started working on a concept for my cosplay. I ended up going with Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series of video games and movies. I was nervous, as a 41 year old mother of 5, if I could pull it off but the wonderful thing about Comicpalooza is that anyone can be who they want to be there and it doesn't matter what your age, physical ability, or appearance is. When you don your costume and enter the George R Brown, you are accepted and appreciated. One of my favorite cosplay I saw this weekend was a man in a wheelchair dressed as Super Mario and his chair was outfitted as a Mario Cart. The woman with him was dressed as Princess Peach. How wonderful is that?

I started off Friday morning by checking out the 22,000 Mars Orion mock-up that NASA brought to their exhibit. I was also able to speak with Darrel Raines about the Orion.

Although some of the guests were not scheduled to be at the convention until Saturday and Sunday, there were still plenty of people to get autographs and photos with, and the shorter lines were definitely a big plus. As I was standing at the booth of Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali with my friend Josh Barry, also a drummer in a band called Jealous Creatures, before the convention, I mentioned to him that Josh was a huge fan and asked if he wouldn't mind speaking to us on camera. He agreed and I let Josh do most of the talking as meeting Mr. Banali was on his bucket list.

In addition to the celebrities, there are numerous artists and vendors in the main exhibit hall. As tempting as it was to spend an entire paycheck on all the cool art and merchandise, I managed to restrain myself and only buy a few prints and an autographed X-files picture for my husband for Father's Day. My son was excited to be able to get autographs from Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and David Prowse (Darth Vader).

Saturday I decided to spend some time talking to various celebrity guests about what is on their bucket lists and how they were enjoying Houston. I got some really great answers from Greyston Holt and Steve Lund from Bitten, the metal band Fear Factory, Chris Kirkpatrick of N*Sync, AJ McClean of Backstreet Boys, and Kel Mitchell of Game Shakers and Good Burger, which I will discuss in my next blog post. The big highlight of the day for me was getting my photo taken with Bill Paxton, who was there for the big Aliens 30 year reunion, along with many other members of the movie's cast. I've seen Titanic and Twister probably hundreds of times, no lie, so I was giddy with glee over meeting him. He was incredibly nice and let me know that he didn't think it was crazy at all that I'd seen his films so many times (imagine that!). He started to tell me about a new series he has coming out, but the little girls in line behind me jumped in and he couldn't finish. I know I'm looking forward to it though.

I can't talk Julia, we've got cows!

Sunday I got my photo op with Norman Reedus, aka Darryl Dixon of The Walking Dead, and I attended two panels. One was for Michael Rooker of Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy and Mallrats. I arrived late due to having waited in line for Norman, but still managed to catch lots of fun stuff. The second panel I attended was the Boondock Saints Q&A. I've loved this movie for years so I was quite excited to be able to cover it. About 26 minutes in to the panel, Norman Reedus came out and sang Happy Birthday to Clifton Collins Jr and gave him a cake. Amazing moment!

If you have not yet attended Comicpalooza because you don't think there's anything for you, let me just put that notion to rest immediately. Yes, there are comic book illustrators, and there's also celebrity guests from various genres such as film and tv, wrestling, and music, there are panels on topics such as writing, paranormal investigating, obtaining scholarships, origami, drawing, film making, as well as celebrity panels. There's NASA, laser tag, costume contests, roller derby, Doomsday wrestling, BMX biking, and this year there was even a Japanese fashion show. The lineup changes from year to year, but one that that never changes is that Comicpalooza has something for everyone. And I am already excited for next time!

Charlie Hunnam AKA Jax Teller walked right past me!

Salt Room Houston - Halo therapy and doing an Emotion Code Session

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 15:47:00 +0000

I had never heard of Halo therapy until I saw something in my local newspaper about a new place called Salt of the Earth Houston opening around my neighborhood. After quick google search I discovered that sitting in a room full of salt and having salty air pumped in for you to breathe had amazing health benefits and I knew it was something I needed to try. Salt is anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory. Halo therapy is intended to be an all natural complement for people that experience any kind of respiratory issue(allergies, asthma, COPD, sinus, flu, pneumonia, colds, etc). Halo therapy will also help with skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. Halo therapy will help with insomnia. I contacted the owner Sandy Hinderliter immediately and set up a session.

Upon arrival, Sandy showed me around a bit, including a great play area for children who have breathing related issues or are waiting for their parents to complete a session. We also spoke about how she had started Salt of the Earth Houston because she and her husband were looking for a way to more naturally treat his chronic bronchitis. She knew that the number of times a year he was taking steroids and antibiotics was doing damage to his health. There wasn't anything like this in the Houston area, and they wanted to not only help him but the other people experiencing respiratory distress.

The floor of salt room in the back where I had my session was covered in an inch or so of salt rocks, a
nd there were beach type lounge chairs to kick back in and relax. Sandy made sure my husband and I were comfortable and said she would be turning on the salt air. There was a censor at the top of one of the walls that would regulate the necessary amount of salt in the room, turning off or pumping more in as needed. The lights dimmed, some very soothing ocean sounds played over the sound system and soon enough the salt began flowing in. Although the salt mist was very fine and not irritating to the eyes or sinuses, soothing actually, I could see the clouds in the air and lightly taste the salt in my mouth. Laying back and closing my eyes, I could've imagined myself laying on Galveston beach, only without the annoyance of other people, birds, and traffic noise.

My 45 minutes went by much too quickly, and soon Sandy was back asking how we had liked the session. I told her it was crazy, but I had entered with a bit of a stuffy nose from mild allergies I was experiencing and already I was breathing and feeling much better. She laughed and told me that wasn't crazy at all. many clients feel relief from their respiratory issues quickly after breathing in the salt. Although, for people with seasonal allergies they recommend 8-10 sessions prior to their allergy season to help alleviate the symptoms before they have a change to really cause discomfort, and for people with chronic issues like asthma, COPD and cystic fibrosis, they recommend 10-15 sessions to start and then they can monitor how they are feeling to determine how often they need to come in.

In addition to the halotherapy, Sandy is also a certified Emotion Code Therapy practitioner, so I asked if she would be willing to let me experience that as well. She agreed and we went into a saltless room to begin. She asked if I had any issues I felt I'd like to work on and I said yes, I have chronic fatigue and am exceptionally tired all of the time. She got out a pendulum and pulled up a chart on her laptop with columns and lists of emotions. Using the pendulum, she would discover which emotions I had trapped inside my subconscious and at what age they had become trapped. I wasn't too sure what to think until she pinpointed that I had very specific emotions that I had obtained at 18 years old. My jaw dropped. She asked if that made sense to me and I replied that yes, wow, it did. When I was 18 I was kicked out of my grandparents house (they raised me since I was very young) over an argument with my grandfather, I met my biological mother and siblings, and discovered that my grandmother/adoptive mother had terminal cancer. The feelings and age she landed on were precise enough that I left a firm believer in what she was doing. Sandy rolled a magnet along my back to release those emotions inside me. She said it may take more than one session to completely rid myself of the symptoms I was dealing with, as the body doesn't like to more than it can handle all at once.

I am pleased to report that after my halo therapy and Emotion Code session I did feel much better with my breathing, sleeping, and emotionally. My hair also had that great beachy feel to it, quite soft. I highly recommend trying this out if you are suffering from any respiratory complications or insomnia. This treatment doesn't interact with medications. The only thing people might experience as their body is expelling toxins is coughing, sneezing, runny nose and a slight detox feeling. Those symptoms though should be minimal and will subside. Also, the salt is a different type of salt that is introduced into the system through the airway and doesn't effect high blood pressure at all, so no worries there. If you want to try Salt of the Earth Houston for yourself, Sandy is offering 20% off your first session if you mention The Houston Bucket Lister! Thank you Sandy!

(this is a sponsored post. I was given a free session for my husband and myself in exchange for this post but all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own)

Ten Bucket List Items to Cross Off at Comicpalooza 2016 #CPHOU

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Wed, 25 May 2016 16:33:00 +0000

I can't believe it's already been a year since I attended my first Comicpalooza convention. As a newcomer to the comic convention scene, I had little idea of what to expect. I knew I would have the opportunity to mark meeting a couple of people off my bucket list (George Takei and astronaut Stan Love, who turned out to be one of the coolest people I've met so far), but I didn't know just how much else I could do. To save you from the same uncertainty, I've created this list of 10 bucket list items you can cross off at Comicpalooza 2016.

Comicpalooza tickets and passes can be purchased here.

**This is a sponsored post, however all thoughts and opinions are my own. I have received 3 day Comicpalooza passes in exchange for my participation.

Please note - guest and panel information is subject to change. Please check the Comicpalooza schedule.**

1. Meet a Celebrity - Oh boy will this be a great year to do that! With an incredible list of talent such as Sigourney Weaver, Bill Paxton, Paul Reiser, Norman Reedus, Kate Beckinsale, Eliza Dushku, Sean Patrick Flanery, Carl Weathers, Lennie James, Lou Ferrigno, Tara Reid, David Prowse and Peter Mayhew (Darth Vader and Chewbacca!), and many more with more announcements on the way, you would have to walk around with your eyes closed to not spot some serious talent in your midst. If you want to meet them, you'll need to purchase a photo op, experience pass, and/or autograph ticket Prices vary by entertainer. With the bigger names you'll need to purchase your autograph/photo passes ahead of time, but with most you just walk right up to their tables and purchase there.

2. Be a Hero/Villain- I was pleasantly surprised at how many adults I saw walking around in costume last year. It was like the second Halloween I had been asking the Universe for since I was 5. It was clear some had spent hundreds or even thousands on their elaborate cosplay outfits, but many had gone with more budget friendly options. I will be cosplaying for the first time this year myself, as video game adventure seeker Lara Croft.

These were the droids I was looking for!

3. Learn a New Skill - Drawing, belly dancing, origami, sewing, photography, makeup application, website creation, lego building, gaming, and costume design are some of the new skills you can learn at Comicpalooza.

4. Hone your craft - Budding actors, authors, directors, YouTube stars, comic book creators, prop builders, robotics engineers, podcasters, and voice actors - get one step closer to achieving your dream. The pros will be holding worships at various times to give you advice on the job of your dreams.

5. Be a Paranormal Investigator - A big highlight of 2015 for me was meeting the Pasadena Paranormal Research Team at Comicpalooza where they had a booth set up, and joining an actual ghost hunt with them a couple of weeks later. I had been trying to mark that item off my bucket list for years! And you will have a chance to do some ghost busting yourself. Join my friends at PRT in panel room 11 at 7pm Saturday to learn more about paranormal research, then follow them out to Discovery Green park to take part in an actual investigation. Check the schedule for more fun paranormal research panels also!

Myself and members of Pasadena PRT last June

6. Attend a fashion show - Not just any fashion show, but a J-fashion show. Fashion artists from Baby, the Stars Shine Bright will be presenting the latest Harajuku and Lolita trends from Japan Friday June 17th at 7pm on the fashion runway. There will also be panels you can attend to learn more about this fashion style throughout the weekend.

Photo of Rin Chan used with permission from Comicpalooza.

7. NASA - Most Houstonians know that one of the best bucket list items around is NASA. If you grew up here you've probably taken field trip to Space Center Houston a time or two. Now you can kick it up a notch. Guest Shannon Walker, who was on the ISS Expedition 14 crew, and spent 215 days in space in 2006-2007, and also was co-pilot of Russian soyuz spacecraft in 2010 will be in attendance this year. The Mars rover will also be there to get your picture taken with, and learn more about. Celebrities are great and all, but you just can't beat the cool factor of someone who has been to outer space, and a machine that is going to Mars!

Meeting astronaut Stan Love last year at Comicpalooza. Photo used with permission from Comicpalooza.

8. Learn Quidditch - Harry Potter fans, not only can you watch a match of every wizard's favorite sport, you can learn how to play! Just follow the golden snitch to the sports arena at the scheduled times, and you'll be well on your way to winning the next Quidditch World Cup.

9. RHPS - You may have seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show on TV, but you haven't gotten the real experience until you've watched it on the big screen with other Rocky fans and a shadow cast. So, come up to the lab (panel room 16), and see what's on the slab Saturday June 18tg, 10pm-11:55pm.

10. Be a Sword Fighter - For the past five years ARMA (Houston's chapter of the Association of Renaissance Martial Arts) has offered mini lessons and demonstrations on sword fighting. Last year I was nursing a shoulder injury, but I'm going to let my inner Brienne of Tarth out this go round.

It's hard to keep track of everything, but fortunately the Comicpalooza app (available in the app store and Google Play ) outlines the schedules, maps, and activities, even alerting you ahead of time so you don't miss a thing.

Join the Comicpalooza Twitter party June 2nd 7-9pm CST for your chance to win passes. Use the hashtag #CPHOU and follow @comicpalooza, @newcreate_write, @moneysvgparent, and me, @MarshaKRoberts to get in on the fun.

I ain't afraid of no ghosts!

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Tue, 24 May 2016 21:51:00 +0000

Awhile back I had the pleasure of marking off one of the cooler items off my bucket list, hang out with paranormal investigators for a night. I met Kristen at Comicpalooza at the Pasadena Paranornal Investigators Team (Pasadena PRT for short) booth they had set up. I told her about my bucket list and how I wanted to hang out for them one night, and asked if she ever let people follow along. She said they hadn't, but would be happy to help me mark it off my list. I took one of their business cards and contacted her a few days later. She informed me of an investigation they had coming up and invite me to join.

That investigation took place Saturday night. My husband and I met up with the Pasadena PRT team at a deli beforehand, and I got to know the rest of the team and talk to them a bit about why I was there. I was a bit nervous but the team members were incredibly friendly, and made me feel like we were a regular part of the group immediately. Do you ever have the feeling when you are introduced to new people that you are good friends even though you don't know them at all? That is the feeling my husband and I got with this crew. One of the team members, Katrina, is a spiritual medium. We spoke about experiences she'd had, her abilities and a bit about myself. In the course of the conversation she said that she was seeing blue drapes, floor length, swaying in the wind. I don't have any drapes so I sort of dismissed it and moved on. Kristen and the others warned me repeatedly that the chances of picking up any activity that night with very slim and I should not expect anything out of the ordinary to occur. We would probably spend a few hours watching monitors and talking to thin air, and that would probably be that. I wasn't deterred though and assured them I understood. After all, I wanted a real experience and not the hyped up reality tv show version.

After getting to know everyone and sharing a few creepy experiences of my own with them, we headed out to the site. We met up in front of the home and spoke to the homeowner's son, who had initiated the investigation. I hung back and observed as he explained to the team about a presence they felt in the hallway that would enter one of the bedrooms, stand at the foot of the bed, and eventually leave. One night a friend of the homeowner was staying the night and was awakened by something pounding on the bed. The son had heard coughing sounds when no one was home. The team asked several questions about how long the activity had been going on, where the hot spots were, about the previous owners, and everything else they needed to know before they entered. Katrina, the medium, hung back so as not to let the info the homeowners were giving influence what she was receiving through her abilities.

Before we entered the group stood in a circle and a prayer was said to protect everyone from what might be inside and so we didn't have any unwanted ghost friends following us back home. Then we all grabbed some equipment and headed inside. Team members scurried around hooking up cables, setting up cameras and monitors and running wires from one thing to another. A few of us followed the homeowner into the bedroom, and I immediately saw a set of floor length blue drapes swaying from the fan blowing on them. My husband turned to Katrina, who hadn't seen them yet, and said "well, there's your drapes!"

Back in the living room Katrina took out a pair of dowsing rods, which I had seen on TV but never in person. No matter which way she moved, the rods would gradually move to point to a music stand in the corner of the room. Noticing the delight in my face she offered them to me. Well, I thought, let's see about all this. I loosely held the rods in my hand and kept still. With amazement I witnessed them point to the same area they had for her. Not only did I have proof she wasn't moving them, I discovered it's pretty much impossible to move them due to how they are designed. Fascinating!

The next thing I got to play with (and I say play loosely as this is actual paranormal surveillance equipment and not toys), was a K2 meter. If an energy field is detected, lights will flash. You can communicate with spirits this way asking yes or no questions. One of the team members, Keith, handed me one and told me to go see if I could get anything. Try as I might though, I didn't capture anything notable.

I followed Katrina back into the bedroom where the homeowner was putting on her shoes. Katrina was holding the dowsing rods and we observed as the rods followed the homeowner everywhere she went. The belief amongst the family who lived there was that the previous owners' elderly mother who had died inside the house was still lingering, checking in on her family. Katrina, however, looked at me and said (after the owner had exited the room) that she believed the presence was not the former owners mother, but a relative or relatives of the owner herself. She was also picking up a lung issue and kidney pain that may be related to alcohol.

I left Katrina and went to the living room with my husband and team leader Kristen was setting up a few gadgets to see if we could make contact with a presence that had been caught in that room by the owners security camera. Kristen let the spirit know he or she could communicate by either lighting the lights on the K2, making the flashlight blink, or speaking into a device that turns energy into audible words. Kristen began asking a series of questions and soon a series of words came from the device. Comfortable. (Yes we were comfortable) Batteries. (Sure you can use the energy from the batteries. We brought spares) Baby. (What?)

I heard from team members in the kitchen that they were catching some orb activity on the screen. I joined Rody and Chris (an admitted skeptic) for a closer look. Immediately I saw hundreds of orbs floating all over the place. I asked Chris, what are all these? He said if one believes in ghosts then they're ghosts. But really it's just dust particles. Bummer. Rody showed me that the dust particles float in a similar way, but if you look closely, every now and then something different would float by. A lit up circle, with a different mass and flight pattern. One that didn't move with the air conditioning, that defied gravity. I began to pick them out from the rest. Chris was sitting alone in the dark in the bedroom with a handheld recorder, and we watched as one of the lit circles flew into his shoulder. At once we see him move and he shouts that something just touched him. A bit later we meet him outside and he plays back the recording. He says "are you here?" there's a pause, then plain as day you can hear a voice say "yeah". I know he was alone in that room because I had been watching him on the monitors. Goosebumps!
Although a lot of the time spent doing a paranormal investigation seems to be sitting in the dark, waiting, listening, and watching monitors, I couldn't have spent that time with better people. I'm proud to call the members of Pasadena PRT my friends now, and I hope they will allow me to tag along again with them in the future.

Texas Beer Bus Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 22:13:00 +0000

Most of the time when I do things it's because I'm marking it off my giant bucket list, but other times I do things that just seem fun. This past Saturday I did the Texas Beer Bus Tour just because it seemed like a fun thing to do. Now, I'm not a big drinker, though you probably couldn't tell by my list. But my husband loves beer, and I thought he would really enjoy this adventure. I contacted Neil, the Beer Bus Tour owner and asked if we could set something up and he was more than gracious.
There are several different tours to choose from, ranging from $89 to $117 per person, not including the $15-21 a person drinking fee. While I was on the Katy tour, the Texas Beer Bus also stops in Midtown/Heights, The Woodlands, and Sugar Land. You can check their calendar for specifics on the dates and places that the bus goes to. I know the different tours have different spots.
I was afraid with all the bad weather we've been having here in Houston I may miss my reserved spot, but thankfully the weather was clear (until we got home) and I was able to meet a ridiculously fun group of fellow tourists out in front of World of Beer in Katy Saturday morning at 10;45am. Given the weather report for the day I didn't think many people would show up, however as more and more people piled on, I saw that even with a flood warning it was pretty much sold out. My fellow passengers were a great mix of male and female, younger and older, couples, singles, friends and coworkers all out for some good beer and good times. So if you're considering going but worried you may be the only female, or everyone will be older or younger, don't be. The Texas Beer Bus Tour is truly for everyone, provided you are over 21. While the tour is educational in nature, less drunk taxi service than informative adventure, the group and tour guide were full of boisterous laughter and banter.
Due to flooding, our stop at Texian was cancelled, and we headed out on the comfy air conditioned bus to Yellow Rose Distilling instead. Having just done the tour at Yellow Rose the weekend before (I'm really not a big drinker, I swear), I skipped the tour and decided to indulge in their amazing Bloody Marys instead. If you haven't previously been though, the tour is great and you will learn some really cool facts about how they make their whiskey and vodka. For instance, did you know the reason older whiskey is expensive isn't just because it's smoother and better tasting, but also because so much of it is lost each year due to evaporation? Just one of the interesting little tidbits you'll discover on your tours. You will also be able to ask questions and talk to one of the owners of Yellow Rose, which is a must if you are considering starting up a brewery of your own or are just interested in the process. If you aren't a drinker, there are sodas, ginger beer and more things you can drink there. Next we all scooped up our souvenir shot glasses, boarded the bus again, and made our way out to No Label Brewing. We were told ahead of time by our guide that it was a very family and pet friendly place, and boy was he not kidding. It was packed to overflowing with families, kids playing ball, dogs of all kinds on leashes, and a great fun Summer vibe. Several picnic tables were available, food trucks were serving hot dogs, tacos, burgers and cupcakes, cornhole type games were set up if you fancied some competition, and a live band was playing. When we entered we were given a green wristband that had three tabs on it that we could exchange for cups of beer, as well as a glass we could keep and reuse. As my amazing cousin is the man behind Gilley's beer, available at No Label, I have to highly recommend trying it if you go. Since it is family friendly, there are plenty of other things there to drink if you don't like or want beer. I think we had an hour at No Label before hopping back on the bus and leaving for The Growler Spot. As soon as we entered there, we were presented with three sample cups of beer to try, and a koozie to take home. The Growler Spot served pub type fare and had large TVs playing sports, but I wouldn't classify it was a sports bar at all. It is not a brewery or distillery but it is a great spot to try some new beer. If you don't drink, Saint Arnold's root beer and are sodas available. After our time there ended we all headed back, some in a considerably lighter mood than before, to World of Beer Katy. During the course of the day we made quite a few new friends, learned a lot of things about the making of alcohol, tried some delicious new drinks (seriously guys, that Bloody Mary,,,) and visited some pretty cool spots in the Greater Houston Area that we plan to visit again in the future. I asked my tour mates at the end if they had a good time and everyone gave a resounding yes. A few people were regulars who do the tour all the time. If you think you may do a little too much sampling on the tour, it is recommended to take an Uber car, taxi or have a driver who can take you home.
I would recommend the Texas Beer Bus Tour for anyone wanting to start their own brewing journey, as gifts for your favorite beer connoisseur, for people wanting to explore fun new places to drink in the area, for people wanting a cool thing to do with out of town visitors, team building groups, and anyone generally wanting a fun outing.

Comicpalooza 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Wed, 27 May 2015 20:27:00 +0000

Attending Comicpalooza has been on my Houston bucket list for years, but every year it seemed like something would prevent me from going. This year I was invited to be an official blogger for Comicpalooza, and I wasn't letting anything stand in my way.
Now, I'm a proud nerd who grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends every weekend throughout high school, but my husband isn't so much into those sorts of things. He reads the Game of Thrones books and has a passionate crush on Wonder Woman, but he just doesn't get excited over the rest. He probably doesn't know the difference between Thor and Aquaman. I admit, I was concerned about how much fun he would have. However, I not only convinced him to tag along for one day, but three. Friday we went solo, Saturday we took our two daughters and Sunday we took our two younger sons. Monday we let our oldest son and his friends use the passes. The first day it wasn't as packed, as I assume many people had work that day. Some of the bigger name celebs weren't there, but there was still plenty to do. Saturday was insanely packed, Sunday less so but more than Friday. My son said Monday was not crowded, but again, many of the celebrities weren't there.

Neither of us really knew what to expect, but the Comicpalooza app helped us plan what we wanted to do and mapped out where the interesting things were. The George R Brown is gigantic! Without some sort of direction, we'd probably still be walking around trying to find our way. I was awed by the elaborate costumes most of the 'Paloozers were wearing, many home made. We weren't the only ones who weren't dressed up, but it seemed like most people were at least wearing some sort of costume, and quite a few had stunning, professional looking outfits. I saw a large number of women dressed as Peggy Carter (Haley Atwell was a guest), as well as people dressed as Deadpool, Harley Quinn, Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Poison Ivy, Captain America and, for some reason, pirates. If you plan to dress up next year and want to stand out as an original, maybe steer clear of those, but they were quite popular with the public. Be prepared to be stopped often and asked for photos if you do dress up, especially if you put a lot of effort into your look. If you are quite conservative, be forewarned that many people wear next to nothing, but my husband had no complaints about it.

Walking in to the main area on the first floor and walking to the right, you find yourself amongst an assortment of celebrities signing autographs and posing for pictures, from film and tv to wrestling, voice actors, musicians, and more. Featured guests this year included Jeremy Renner, Stan Lee, George Takei, Haley Atwell, Colbie Smulders, Laurie Holden, Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Shada (the voice of Finn from Adventure time), The Comic Book Men, TMNT creator Kevin Eastman, several cast members from Gotham, Barry Bostwick, Patricia O'Quinn and Lil Nell from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Summer Glau, Linda Blair, Peter "Chewbacca" Mayhew, John Schneider, GWAR, Marky Ramone, Henry "the Fonz" Winkler, wrestling legends such as Roddy Piper and Sting, Larry "The Soup Nazi" Thomas, and so many more that I will get a finger cramp listing them all. In order to get autographs and photos from the most popular celebrities (Stan Lee, the Avengers, and Haley Atwell) you needed to first purchase pass for that person or group, or stand in a mind numblingly long line to purchase a ticket before lining up in an equally horrible line to meet the celeb. For any other celebrity you could pay cash at their specific table. The lines for George Takei, Kevin Eastman, Laurie Holden, Summer Glau, Jason Isaacs and some of the Gotham cast got pretty long, but many of the other people had very short or no lines at all. Although some celebrities had assigned photo op times and said no photos at their tables, I discovered that if they didn't have a line and you were very polite, they were more than happy to take several pictures right then and there. Barry Bostwick, Larry Thomas, Marky Ramone and GWAR were especially friendly and chatted with us for awhile. While we did not get a chance to talk to Henry Winkler, every time we walked by we saw him up interacting with his fans, doing magic tricks for them and being extremely personable. There are ATM machines nearby the autograph tables so don't panic if you find yourself wanting a few more than you planned.

On the other side of the autograph section there are vendors set up as far as the eye can see. Again, many of these dealers (but not all) are cash only, so keep that in mind. The majority sell comic and anime related books,toys, and t-shirts, but we also found authors, artists, medieval looking weaponry, cosplayers, haunted houses, handmade soap, beauty products, ecigarette vaping products, samples of Virus vodka, and even a table where you could win tickets and t-shirts from the Texas Ren Fest (we got 4 tickets and two shirts, yeah!), There is a little something for everyone, even if you aren't a comics lover, like my husband.
Past the vendor tables are the food courts, options being Chick Fil A, sandwiches, stir fry, and snacks. The tables and chairs were all taken so you may need to find a spot on the floor to camp out and eat, but don't worry, you won't be the only ones doing so, unless more seating is added next year. Directly across from the food area are games and interactive areas for younger children, Our kids were older so we didnt really venture over too far into it, but I did see an area where kids could play with some fun robots, and sign up for classes to learn to build them themselves. There was also a spot where kids and adults could fence/swordfight with wooden swords and PVC, and an instructor on hand to teach them a few moves.
Now that alone sounds like plenty to keep you occupied, but believe it or not there was even more to do upstairs. All day there were panels and classes you could attend in any number of the rooms in the George R Brown, from Q&A sessions with the celebrities origami classes, advice on becoming a director from Houston's own Larry Wade Carroll, tips on writing, gaming and blogging, art, and a little bit of everything. If you are a gamer of any sort (video, computer, live action, board, role playing) there are areas set up for that as well. On the third floor, all the way to the left we were able to see my good friend Josh's band Jealous Creatures, roller derby, and wrestling exhibitions. Friday night Jackie Earle Haley (whom I had the pleasure of taking part in an interview with, which I will have up on this blog soon) showed a premiere of his upcoming movie Criminal Activies (more on that in another post), and Saturday night there was a showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (though I don't think attendees were lucky enough to have Barry Bostwick, Patricia O'Quinn and Lil Nell as the shadow cast).
If you are under the impression you can come to Comicpalooza one day, stay for a few hours and see all there is to see, you are mistaken. I urge anyone interested to at least plan for two days, and get the four day pass if you can afford it. Your feet and legs will ache and your wallet will be empty, but you will have an absolutely incredible experience. My advice to new Con goers is to wear comfy shoes, bring lots of cash (or map out the ATMs), eat before you arrive, download the Comicpalooza app to keep track of when and where the many upstairs events occur, and plan to stay late to catch some great shows. Dress up and let your inner nerd roam free if you'd like, you will be in great company. If you are coming from out of town, or for what ever reason don't wish to drive back home at night, there is a Hilton hotel connected to the GRB and you may run into the celebrities at the bar or in the hallways. And if you are curious how my non-nerd husband enjoyed it, he's already planning for next year with me. I think I'll go as Lara Croft.

*disclaimer - I received four 4 day passes in exchange from Comicpalooza, but all opinions and thoughts are strictly my own*

Living Below the Line

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Mon, 04 May 2015 23:14:00 +0000

This past week I participated in a challenge called Live Below the Line where participants agree with live off of $1.50 a day of food for five days straight, just like so many impoverish people around the world. You may remember Gwenyth Paltrow was in the news recently for doing this challenge on $29 a week. I raised $100 for a charity called American Foundation for Children with AIDS thanks to my amazing friends and family who supported me, which gave me a huge boost going into it. I started the challenge on Sunday, so Saturday I went shopping for my meager rations. I shopped around at Kroger, HEB, Aldi and Fiesta, but Food prices ended up a lot higher than I expected them to be, so I purchased most of my items at the 99 Cent store. I chose dried pinto beans, white rice, a 5 pack of beef flavored ramen, a box with 6 packets of apple cinnamon oatmeal, half a dozen eggs, and a can of Vienna Sausages. Lesson number one - it's extremely difficult to eat healthy when you don't have much money to spend. No fresh meat, vegetables, fruit, or basically anything but starches, carbs and processed junk. The first day, Sunday, wasn't too bad because I discovered you can make a decent lunch out of just the free samples at HEB. My husband and children were kind enough to have pity on me and give me their free samples of sushi, guacamole and chips, crackers with different cheeses, and banana nutella crepes. My husband remarked at how crazy I must have looked to everyone else, gobbling down 4 helpings of every freebie the store offered. Lesson number two - never judge people eating all the free samples. They may not be greedy pigs, they may just be starving and not knowing when they will get to eat decent food again. At some point during day two I began to tire of eating the same bland overprocessed junk, a feeling which did not abate for the duration of the challenge. My kids would come to me to complain that there wasn't anything good in the house to eat, and I became irrationally angry knowing there was more than enough. And the waste, oh god the waste. Seeing their plates of dinners half eaten, snacks thrown in the trash, barely consumed drinks left out on the counter, things that never really bothered me much before caused me to completely lose it. Lesson three - we waste more food than most families get to eat all week. On day 4 my wonderful, amazing neighbor, who had no idea I was doing the challenge, brought over a plate of barbequed meat. I wasn't sure if it was allowed or not to eat this gift so I refrained, but it opened my eyes at just how huge a simple plate of dinner can be to a family who is struggling. Meat is so expensive, fruits and vegetables a luxury, and dessert, unheard of. Lesson number four - one small act of kindness could mean everything to a hungry person.
I completed the challenge without cheating and felt pretty good about myself. It wasn't all that bad. And that is the difference between me and those who are struggling with this in real life. It wasn't that bad for me because I had the choice to do it for 5 days. I could've stopped any time I wanted. I was able to sit in a nice house, watch cable TV and Netflix to get my mind off of the hunger pangs, and I knew that come the weekend, I would be able to go to a restaurant and pig out on anything I wanted. Millions of people today don't have the luxury of telling themselves just a few more days and I'll be eating steaks and ice cream again. Although the real prize in completing this challenge is the $100 I raised for the children living with AIDS, the perspective I gained about people living in poverty will be invaluable for a lifetime.

Float in a Sensory Deprivation Tank

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 17:59:00 +0000

I first heard of Sensory Deprivation Tanks, also known as Float pods or float tanks, from a video Joe Rogan put out on YouTube. Float pods are these giant alien looking tanks filled with water and 800 pounds or more of therapeutic grade epsom salt. Inside the tank your body will float as if suspended in mid air, and once you close the pod door, you will no longer see, hear, or feel anything, allowing your body to shut down 90% of it's functions. It seemed like something pretty bucket listy to do, so I added it to my list. I found out last year there is a place in Houston that had recently opened called True Massage Floatation Spa, so I did a little research and found they had discount Groupon coupons. I bought one, and called True Massage to make the appointment. I spoke to the owner, Jeff, who in person seems like a pretty intimidating guy until you hear him talk about his immense enthusiasm for floating and his joy for life. He spoke to me for quite a while answering my questions, telling me about the benefits of floating, and tips for how to have the best float. It's difficult not to feel excited about the experience talking to Jeff.
We spoke about how floating seems to have a sort of image of being for "hippies" or people who do psychedelic drugs, but how beneficial it truly is for anyone. Yes, there is a strong spiritual benefit to floating and he told me stories of clients who had walked out of their pods crying over emotional breakthroughs and having found answers to many issues during their floats. And yes, it's true that some floaters can experience non-drug induced hallucinations. However, there are a myriad of physical benefits as well. Many athletes use float tanks and swear by the increased performance it gives them. Fibromyalgia sufferers find it a tremendous help. Elderly clients call it the fountain of youth. It relieves stress, tension, muscle pain, heck, the salt water is even amazing for your skin and hair.
Friday morning, I did as Jeff instructed and did not wear any hair product, make up, deodorant, lotion or anything else that could gunk up the salt water. Being as this is Houston and even in Spring it was in the 80's, I was glad I had made an early appointment. I arrived at the floatation center, located off of Westheimer and Dairy Ashford in Houston, at noon and Jeff was already waiting to show me to my float room. I was led down a hallway to a dark, peaceful room containing a massive pod that looked sort of like Eva from the Disney movie Wall-E. He instructed me to change into a soft fluffy robe that was hanging on a bench in the room, bring a towel, and walk across the hall to the bathroom to rinse off to get off any dirt, sweat or anything else that might be on me before I got into the pod. The shower area was one of the largest I've ever seen. It looked like the size of my first apartment! As I got cleaned off, Jeff had the room prepared for me. He showed me how to get into the pod, how to turn the soft interior lights off (which were glowing a nice blue), showed me where the ear plugs were and how to insert them, and let me choose between nine or ten different music options for the first ten minutes of the float. I don't remember all of the options, but I ended up choosing ocean sounds.

Jeff left, I turned off the room lights, dropped the robe, and climbed in, I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. What if I felt claustrophobic? What was I going to do with myself for an hour with no stimulation? What if I experienced hallucinations? What if I didn't experience anything at all?

I laid down and immediately my body wanted to float. I grabbed a bar inside the pod and eased myself back. The water and air were body temperature, maybe slightly warmer. The ocean sounds started to play and I laid there for a minute just getting settled in before finally reaching over and turning off the blue light. Everything went pitch black. The air was warm and humid which made it a bit hard to breathe. It was unsettling at first, but I got used to it after a minute. Soon the music went off and I knew ten minutes had passed. Now it was just me and my own thoughts, I tried not to think, but ended up thinking about not thinking. I thought about what I would say in my blog, I thought about the Live Below the Line challenge I was doing in a couple days, and for awhile my brain even insisted on listening to Pantera and kept playing one of their songs. The more I tried to stop thinking, the more I thought. Then I remember a trick Jeff had taught me, and put my hand under me and touched the bottom. It's a lot harder than it sounds, I tried to count to 60 but only got to about 24 when suddenly my arm filled with helium and began to float away, I could feel it rising higher, higher and higher until it went so far into outer space I worried I would never get it back. A minute later a white light came on directly over my head. I blinked, and it didn't go away. It wasn't a bright light, but like a single Christmas tree light bulb softly illuminated above my head. Slowly it dimmed and blinked out. I began to feel myself spiralling, but I didn't get dizzy. My body began to melt into water, and I couldn't tell what was me and what was the water in the tank. I laid there feeling myself spread out like an ocean when suddenly my head jerked forward abruptly and I jolted up a bit, sending waves through the tank. I was back together, my left arm was back and my heart was racing. I figured it had only been maybe 20 minutes at best, so I tried to calm myself back down and try to get into the theta brain state. That's when the ocean sounds began again, My session was done. It hadn't been twenty minutes, it had been sixty! I opened the pod door, eased myself out and in a daze managed to locate my robe, put it on and take another shower to get the salt water off. I came back to the room, got dressed, and in my daze I ended up leaving without saying goodbye to Jeff. Thankfully my husband had driven me there, because I didn't snap out of things until I was halfway home.

It was like waking from a beautiful dream. For the rest of the day I felt relaxed, peaceful, like I'd woken from a full uninterrupted nights sleep, like the one I got that same night, I've never slept so well! We had a massive storm hit us that night, and I slept like a log through it all.
The next day I bought myself another Groupon for another float, and got one for my husband as well. He works so hard and has done so much overtime lately, he really needs an hour of complete and total rest on every level. I can't wait to see what my next float brings. I hear you really need three floats to get into it enough to start feeling the complete benefits. I think I'll be a float customer for life!

Comicpalooza Ticket Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 19:33:00 +0000

I am giving away a family 4 pack of passes to Comicpalooza! That's a value of $240! If you want to get in on this, and I know you do, check out my fancy-schmancy Rafflecopter giveaway. The contest runs until midnight Sunday, May 10th and the winner will be announced Monday May 11th on my blog and Facebook page.
And remember, you can always use the code "HoustonNerdsUnite" to get discounted tickets. That code will get you $5 off a 4 day pass or $3 off a 1 day pass. Comicpalooza is May 22-25th at the George R Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX.

Win a Family 4 Pack of Passes to Comicpalooza!!

*Disclosure - This is a sponsored post, however all thoughts and opinions are my own*

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Comicpalooza 2015 Official Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 18:51:00 +0000

Exciting news! Comicpalooza has been on my Houston Bucket List for years, but every time I planned to go, something would happen. This year, I'm not letting anything stand in my way. I am an official blogger for Comicpalooza, and I could not be happier. In addition to marking off attend Comicpalooza, I will be able to mark off another bucket list item I never really thought I'd have a chance at doing. Meet George Takei! Yes, Uncle George is going to be at Comicpalooza, and I just happen to have won an autograph pass. When I first created my "People" list, I started off fairly safe, meet an athelete, meet a model, meet an actor, general things like that. Then one day I thought, you know, I should make my goals bigger. I may not get a chance to meet these people, but what fun is it not even trying? So I added George Takei, JJ Watt (whom I met last year), and a few other celebrities (Bill Murray, and Sweetums the Muppet for instance. What? Sweetums is totally the best muppet) and filed it away in my brain as unlikely. But that's the thing about the unlikely goals, when they end up happening, it's that much more exciting! Who knows, maybe someday I'll be blogging about how I just met Bill Murray. A girl can dream, right?

You know what would make attending Comicpalooza even more fun? If some of you dear readers attended with me. That's why I want to offer you a discount code so you can save some money on your tickets. The code is "HoustonNerdsUnite" and that will save you $5 off a 4 day pass or $3 off a one day pass. This year Comicpalooza is going to run from May 22nd - May 25th at the George R Brown Convention Center. Pre-registration is going on now at www.comicpalooza.com/register/

Discounted tickets isn't enough, you say? Alright, if you insist... I will also have a giveaway so you can win a 4 pack of tickets! I will be posting that information very soon, so check back promptly! You won't want to miss this one. I mean, have you seen the guest list? Jeremy Renner? Stan Lee? CHEWBACCA? There are too many awesome people to even list here, so you need to go check it out for yourselves. Don't worry, I'll wait. I'll be working on that giveaway post while you're doing that.

*this is a sponsored post*

Kick Your Bucket List up a Notch

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 14:26:00 +0000

Nothing can compare to the feeling of ticking another box off the old bucket list, but what about when the list starts running low? There are endless things to do out there, whether you’re looking for a crazy new experience close to home or you want to make a big jump and travel the world to find something new and exciting to try out there. I’ve already got a list of achievable ideas for your bucket lists, but these are more specific ideas and possibly slightly crazier ones that may be less achievable, but definitely just as much fun to complete.

If you’ve already tried snowboarding and loved the thrill of soaring down a mountainside with only a board strapped to your feet, why not try a slightly more extreme way to slide with volcano boarding? In truth, it’s more like sledging on hot coals, but you’ll reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour with only a flimsy board beneath you. The most popular destination for this is definitely far flung, at Cerro Negro in Nicaragua, but definitely worth the trip if you can do it. The volcano itself is still live - it erupted last in 1999 – so will be the ultimate thrill ride for adrenaline junkies. Run by a company called Bigfoot, the $29 price tag will get you transportation up the volcano, all the safety equipment you’ll need, beer and a cookie on arrival, and a mojito on the journey back.

The infamous Cliff Walk on Hu Shan Mountain in Xian, China, is certainly another popular bucket list idea for thrill seekers – watch this to see just how death defying it can be! Trekking more than 6800 feet above the solid earth below, you’ll reach the point at which you must traverse a series of rickety wooden planks more than a half a mile above the ground on a vertical cliff face. To say it’s a dizzying feat of strong nerves is an understatement! Those that complete it though will be rewarded with not only the most amazing sense of accomplishment, but some of the most stunning views the natural world has to offer.

If you’re looking for something just as terrifying, but want to be able to stay close to home, parachuting and sky diving are the easiest ways to get your fix and get checking things off your list. There are places all over the world to try out this sport as a tandem jump, or even alone if you’ve had experience in the past. Some of the most outstanding locations to give skydiving a go are across Britain, and companies such as Into the Blue have deals all over the country.

Let’s calm it down a bit though and step away from the more thrill indulgent ideas, not every bucket list item to be crazy and get the adrenaline pumping – it might just be something you’ve always wanted to do and need the kick to get it done. For example, something inspirational like finish writing that book you started years ago, or turn your skills into something marketable and start an eBook. It might even simply be a life goal you want to achieve such as owning your own home in a certain place or settling down with a family; a bucket list doesn’t need to be confined to one off experiences.

Marking off Seeing a Metal Show

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 17:37:00 +0000

This Thursday night I'm getting the wonderful opportunity to mark seeing a metal show off my bucket list. Back in the 80's I was really into the metal of the time. AC/DC, Ratt, Poison, KISS, and of course, Queensryche were all on heavy rotation`in my room. My musical tastes have changed a bit since those days, but I still have a spot in my heart for the bands I grew up with. This week I will be attending a concert at the Arena Theater for one of the most talented bands of the bunch, Queensryche. I remember when my older cousin gave me a tape of theirs for Christmas, and how I wore it out so much I had to buy a new one as a replacement. And they aren't just your Dad's metal either. Queensryche remains one of the most popular progressive metal bands today, with millions of albums sold.
Is seeing a metal show on your bucket list? If so, you should join me. They're playing with two of Houston's own bands, Helstar and Sid Seventeen, so it's a great way to support local musicians as well.

Tickets start at $25 and go up to $45 for mid-level seats, but I am giving a $10 off discount to my blog readers so you have the chance to mark something off your lists with me. Get your Queensryche Discounted Tix here and use promo code BG1. I'll see you at the Arena Theater on August 14th!

Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas cruise

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Mon, 19 May 2014 18:36:00 +0000

In January when I made my new 101 Things list, I put down "Go on a cruise" without any idea how I would manage to cross it off. I have a 10 day trip to Europe planned for later this year, and another trip planned next year that will eat up all of my husband's vacation time as well as most of the money we could spend for travel. Being the firm believer I am in having goals that seem impossible, I wrote it down anyways and hoped for the best. I was quite shocked when I got my golden opportunity early last week. I belong to a Houston bloggers group on Facebook, and saw a post come up saying Royal Caribbean was looking for local bloggers who would be interested in participating in a free one day/night cruise from Galveston on their newly remodeled Navigator of the Seas ship. There were only 10 spots available, so I wasted no time submitting my name and details to the lady who posted. Amazingly I was one of the ones chosen to go. I was allowed to bring 3 guests with me, but they all needed to have proper ID, so that left my younger children out. I decided to bring along my husband, my 19 year old son and his best friend. I emailed the person who was handling our group all of our details, including the information for my son's friend, and was given the all clear.

On the morning of the cruise we got up early and set out to the Port of Galveston. We were able to park in a free overnight parking area and take the shuttle bus to the ship. I believe parking for longer cruises was $40. Once we arrived in the terminal, which was a lot like being inside an airport, I was told to have our "set sail" passes ready to show. Our what now? No one had given me anything of the sort. I frantically rechecked all the emails I'd gotten, and nope, no one had given me or told me to print out any set sail pass. I told one of the staff people, and they told me it was no worry, I'd just need to fill out some extra forms. We made our way through security and up to the front where our ID's were checked and extra paperwork was presented. They handed me a sheet of paper and immediately I noticed my son's friends' last name was written as Roberts, the same as our, instead of his actual last name, Edwards. Again I checked the email correspondence I'd had with the person in charge of our group, and I had given them his real last name, Edwards. The lady helping us looked perplexed. I'm sorry, she said, he won't be able to join you since the information isn't correct. His ID had to match what was in their system. I explained that I had given the correct information and showed her the email proof. She told me to wait a moment and she would do what she could. Since we'd arrived extra early perhaps there was still time to change it. She called over some other people, and in a few minutes they were able to change the name and let us all on board. Crisis averted. We went up the ramp, scanned our handy new cards we'd gotten from our angel at the desk, which acted as a room key, credit card and ID while on the ship, and headed inside.
The ship was incredible on the inside. I felt like I was walking into the first class area of the Titanic, only hoping it wouldn't end the same way. I haven't ever been on a cruise ship before, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I was stunned at how nice it was.The elevators were glass, so you could get a great view of the ship as you sped up or down to your destination. We found our balcony room on the 7th floor and put our bags down. We were all starving at this point, so we used the touch screen signs to locate the Windjammer Cafe which was open for lunch. The Windjammer had a very large seating area, most of which had excellent window views. At this point we hadn't left the port though, so our view was the fairly
unspectacular Galveston Port. I tried to make note of all the food that was offered at the lunch buffet. I saw stations for pizzas, tacos, baked potatoes and hamburgers. At the buffet tables were chicken, paella, various soup, salmon, mashed potatoes, fries, green beans, root vegetable medleys, mac and cheese, and a dessert table with jellos, cakes, and such. There was an ice cream machine as well. I'm sure there is much more food offered that I just don't remember. On the sides were tables with ice cold tea, lemonade and a fruit drink that tasted a bit like strawberry kool-aid. You could order other drinks such as cokes, beer, bloody marys, mai tais and such from the wait staff. All the food in the Windjammer was free. I had some salmon, veggies, a bit of paella and a bloody mary that was a bit too strong for me. I'm not a big alcohol drinker though, so it's probably just fine for others. The food was good, about on par with other buffets.

After we'd had our fill at lunch, the boys were ready to go try out the FlowRider surfing simulator. We got changed into our swimsuits and used the touch screen system to find the sports area outside. When we walked out into the sports area there were several ping pong tables, a large basketball court, a mini golf area, and a place to sign waivers and get wristbands to use the FlowRider. We got our wristbands and made our way behind that station to the surfing area. I got in line and watched to see how the other people in front of me fared. They were doing body boarding first, which was great as I have never surfed in my life. If you see the video of me attempting to skateboard, you'll know I pretty much suck at that too. The first guy who went on wiped out and his shorts were blown off by the force of the waves. Note to others : do not wear loose

fitting clothes! An older gentleman was next, and he wiped out as well. He came back around, got in front of me in line and said "I'm going to do it again". The instructor lady let him go before me, knowing he'd just come off. Oh well, I thought, I'm next anyways. No big deal. He wipes out yet again, and as he passes me, he stops to let me know how much falling off hurts and that I'm probably going to break my arm or get the wind knocked out of me. Thanks, guy! Finally it's my turn and I go to grab a body board. "Sorry", the instructor says, "body boarding is now over. You have to either stand up surf or get out of line." Wait, what? You just let a guy cut in front of me for a second go, and you won't let me go now? She doesn't seem sympathetic to my plight a bit and ushers me down to the stand up surfing area. I pass by the cutter, who tells me again it's going to hurt when I fall. Now I'm scared. She makes me remove all my jewelry, including a necklace I haven't taken off in 8 years, but I'm already there so I remove it. She holds my hands and tries to steady me on the board, and tells me where to place my feet. I am not exactly sure what she wants but I try to put my feet where she wants them. No good. She uses her foot to kick mine into place. She asks me to place my weight towards the back side and bounce up and down as she pushes me toward the waves. I've never done anything like this before, I confess. I'm nervous. She holds on to my hands as I try to loosen up and find my center. Apparently my center went out for free drinks because I never did find it. She pushes me out into the waves and I crash. Not only did I not break my arms or get the wind knocked out of me, it didn't even hurt.

I laugh it off and go sit down to watch the boys try.

Take that, Rude Old Guy!!

(more to come soon) ...

Marking off the #1 thing on my list!

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Mon, 05 May 2014 19:27:00 +0000

I don't think there is anything like the feeling of marking off a bucket list item that you've been trying to accomplish with all your heart, but I was able to do that very thing Friday night when I met Mr. JJ Watt. I have been on TV about my bucket listing, making sure to mention how much I wanted to meet him, and when I signed the Before I Die wall at Distinctive Life in front of a news crew, I wrote "Meet JJ Watt" as my #1 thing I wanted to do. I even carved a foam pumpkin in his likeness hoping it would buy me an "in".
I was too late to the punch to get tickets to the JJ Watt Charity Classic softball game, and I really thought I had lost a golden opportunity. I would have, indeed, had it not been for the wonderful people at Charitabulls who had a contest to win 2 tickets. I won, and my husband and I were able to attend the game. I brought the pumpkin I'd carved, thinking maybe it would get his attention. I asked all the staff "If one was hoping to give JJ Watt a pumpkin carved in his likeness, how might one best do so?" and they pointed me to the JJ Watt Foundation table. I told them I wanted to donate it to them to auction off at their next event. They told me "Let me go get JJ's Mom and show her." I about had a heart attack when they said that! They couldn't find her at the time, but I promised to come back after the event and give it to them then. We found our seats, and I waited down at the bottom in hopes some players, one especially, would come by and sign things. The ladies who came up to stand next to me started chatting about the pumpkin and said they had just seen Mrs. Watt at the tables. I wasn't sure whether to go back up or wait where I was. They assured me they would save my spot, so off I went, pumpkin in hand, back to the Foundation set up. Sure enough, there she was, posing for pictures with other fans of her son. I showed her the pumpkin, as well as a picture of it lit up, and told her I wanted to give it to her to keep, or auction off, or whatever she wanted to do with it (promising to carve another for the Foundation if she chose to keep it.). She told me she loved it and would be sure to make sure he got it. I told her I was sort of hoping to meet him, but she said no, you won't be able to meet him tonight. You can give to me, or take it with you, but you can't meet him. I struggled internally for a moment, knowing if I gave it up I wouldn't have anything to grab his attention on the field, but I decided I really wanted her to have it, so I gave it up. She was kind enough to pose for a picture with me, but I really wish I'd gotten a picture of her holding the pumpkin, too.

I went back down to the spot where the ladies had kept their word and saved my place. My husband, who was to be my photographer in case the big moment did happen, left to go to the restroom. Not 5 seconds after he walked off, who should run up and give me a big ole high 5? JJ Watt! As thrilled as I was to have that brief encounter, I was also a bit disappointed I didn't have any pictures or witnesses that it happened. I wasn't even sure that counted as meeting him. Soon the game started and I sat and enjoyed the show.

The game only went to 7 innings, so toward the end of the 6th my husband prodded me to go back down to my spot from earlier so I could be there if the players came up to sign autographs after the game. I had to do some security guard dodging and lay a bit low, but I managed to not be chased away. The game ended, the fireworks went off, and I stood waiting. My heart sank as I watched JJ Watt go all the way to the very opposite end of the field to sign things, but I was cheered up when I saw Mr. Case Keenum heading my way. He not only signed my bucket list, he also posed for a picture with me and stole my phone and took a selfie with it, with us in the background. What a great sense of humor he had. It was getting late and my husband was tired, and seeing as how JJ Watt was as far as he could possibly be away from me, I thought it was probably time to throw in the towel and just be happy that I was able to meet Keenum.

Right as I was about to walk away I saw what looked to be a mountain running straight toward me. It was dark, but wasn't that mountain running from the area JJ was just signing stuff? Soon he came into view and was standing right in front of me. The crowd pushed from behind me, people were shoving footballs and photos into his hands, women were screaming "JJ I LOVE YOU!!!" at ear splitting levels. I leaned in and said "You have to sign my bucket list! You're in it!". He looked straight at me, smiled his MegaWatt smile and said "Oh that's so cool!". He signed it, upside down, but that's just fine with me. I turned to make sure my husband had captured the moment this time and he said he had. And what a picture it is. This, friends, is what it looks like to cross off your most desired bucket list item. Pure joy.

Friday Fandom #3 - World of Beer Sugarland TX

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 15:42:00 +0000

This one would seem pretty strange to people who know me well, because I'm not a beer drinker. My husband Mason is the beer guy in the house. When I saw World of Beer was opening up a location in Sugar Land by First Colony Mall, I knew he was going to love it. His birthday was on March 15th, and I thought

what better place to celebrate than there? Mason loves trying new beer almost as much as I love trying new crazy food. Lucky for him, WOB boasts an impressive amount of beer from all over the world, over 500 of them actually, to keep him busy for quite some time.

The part that caught my eye, however, was their loyalty program. For only $10 you can join the club, get a loyalty card and a great t-shirt. For every NEW beer you order, you will receive points. For every so many points, you get perks. What a great way to get people to try new things! I immediately thought, what a wonderful bucket list item that would make for beer lovers. Try 100, 200 or even all 500 different beer selections at World of Beer! I began speaking to our beautiful bartender (or Beerista as I called her) about it and she asked if I'd like to try some for myself. I told her I wasn't a beer fan, but she insisted she had something even I would like. I knew it was a hopeless endeavor, but since the samples of their draught beers are free, I figured why not. She gave me a little bit of a raspberry lambic beer and wow, that actually WAS good! She smiled and offered me a Stella Artois Cider. Again, yum! I never in a million years would've guessed I could find something I enjoyed at HOB, but thanks to Layla, I did. She, and shift manager Jose, also helped Mason find some beers he greatly enjoyed based on his current favorites like Guinness and Heineken. He ended up with three of his own different beers on his loyalty card, as well as mine. You see, if you are really striving for the loyalty perks, you can do a little bit of fair cheating. If you bring friends who try new beers, you can put it all on your loyalty card and have it count for you. Also, I was informed that, for instance, Guinness Draught and Guinness in a bottle will count as two different beers and Guinness dark, light and other variations of the same type of beer also count separately. A nice little way to pad your numbers with your favorites. In case you're worried about remembering what you've had and haven't tried, yes, there is an app for that.

While you're knocking back a few new drinks, there are a multitude of television screens to watch the game. Jose was nice enough to switch the screen in front of us to the game we were most interested in, which was very nice. I inquired about the little stage and was informed that they have live bands come in and play at night. I am making it a point to catch one soon. They also have trivia nights, a cornhole game, jenga, and

other fun things that can only be more fun with friends and beer. If you get hungry, there's a menu of typical tavern food available. Sandwiches, onion rings, hummus, shrimp, steak and more. I had the shrimp and it was oh so good!
If you enjoy trying new things, good beer, and fun or if you're like me and never thought you would like the taste of any beer but you're willing to let WOB show you how wrong you are, come on out to World of Beer, located just outside First Colony Mall. Tell them the Houston Bucket Lister says hello!

Friday Fandom #2 The Rodeo and Insect Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 21:35:00 +0000

No matter what kind of music you listen to, if you are a Houstonian, you have to visit the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. A lot of people think it's just for those who are into Country and Western, but as a life long lover of rock, alternative and yes, even some rap and a husband who is metal all the way, we know there is a little something for everyone.

Last night we attended the Maroon 5 concert, which is a favorite band of mine. As much fun as it was watching Adam Levine, the real fun is the carnival. There are lots of rides, ziplining, a giant ferris wheel, games, and of course, the food. Once I mentioned on my Facebook page that I was going to the rodeo, I immediately had people telling me I just HAD to try the bug pizza. There's a food stall close to the camel rides that sells mostly normal pizzas, but with three very interesting specialties. Cricket, mealworm, and scorpion pizza. We arrived a bit early before the show so I could find the place, but as it happened, it was fairly easy to locate.
I walked up to the stand and proudly asked the server for one of each. He gave me a grin and seemed very happy to give me my order. I leaned over and watched what was going on behind the scenes, and saw him grab three giant slices of cheese pizza, open up packets of insects, and place them on top of the pizza. These weren't small slices, and for $8 a slice I would hope they wouldn't be. As he handed me the plates I asked him if very many people ordered the bugs. He replied oh yes! I asked if many -women- ordered them and he laughed and told me I was only the third that he knew of. Where are all my brave Houston women?

We sat at a bench close by and I proceeded to taste test my dinner. I attracted a small crowd as other people sitting around me were very curious about the insects. I took a bite of each slice, with a beautiful, juicy bug right in the center of each bite. Truth be told, they all tasted like regular pizza. The taste of the sauce overpowered any insecty taste that might've been there. The scorpion was easy to chew, also. I've had them before that the shells were too hard to bite through.

In a fun twist, a random stranger named Jabari showed some interest in trying a bug, and I was more than happy to oblige him. He seemed hesitant at first, but he popped in a cricket and .... it wasn't that bad! I love when I get to see people prepare themselves for something gross then realize it really isn't gross. I also enticed my children to try the scorpion. They've all tried bugs and various weird dishes before, but they were curious what scorpion would be like. They seemed to think it tasted like candy. I'm not sure if I agree with that, but they insist.

What do you think? Would you dare to try the insect pizza? If so, which one?

#TBT Eating Balut

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 14:47:00 +0000

This is something I did years ago, but since it's Throwback Thursday, I figured it was an excellent chance to share this old journal entry with you now. WARNING : If you're easily grossed out, the duck fetus pics may upset you.

April 18, 2008

Today our balut arrived! I admit, I was half excited and half nervous as I was waiting for the postwoman to bring it. After the durian incident I wasn't so sure I trusted my own judgment and curiosity any longer.
Before it arrived though, we went to an Asian grocery in Chinatown called Welcome Foods. I heard they had Grass Jelly and some nifty drinks that I wanted to try so we thought we'd stop in and check it out. We ended up getting the grass jelly, and several drinks. The drinks included Basil Seed drink, tamarind juice, grass jelly drink, milk peanut, chrysanthemum tea, black soy milk, congee drink, white gourd juice, pennywort, and birds nest drink (yes with real birds nest).

The balut arrived shortly after we got home, actually when we were pulling out of the driveway to go get batteries for the camera she came. I took the package with us to the store and amused myself with thoughts of what would happen if a thief stole the package from the car only to realize once they got home that it was balut eggs.

When we came back home I boiled some water with a generous amount of salt. In the meantime we wanted to see what the inside of one looked like raw so we cracked one and put it in a pot in the backyard. Mason's cat came over to inspect and ended up eating the entire thing. I was relieved that the duck was much smaller than I had feared. Still, watching the cat slurp up and devour the fetus made me wonder if I would have the nerve to do it after all. Unfortunately this occurred as I was putting the batteries into the camera so I don't have a picture of it for you.

I decided to pop open one of my drinks to go with the balut. I chose the basil seed drink. I read the ingredients and it listed "basil seed, sugar, honey, banana flavor". It tasted a bit unusual at first, but not bad at all. The only strange part was the basil seeds floating in the drink. They were tiny seeds, but were in a thick, clear, chewy, jelly like bubble. When you took a sip dozens of them entered your mouth for you to chew up and swallow. Interesting.

When the water was at a full boil I gently added the 19 remaining eggs (we could only buy in boxes of 20 and no less) to the water and set the timer for 15 minutes. Soon the timer dinged and Mason called out to let me know they were done. I turned the burner off, poured out the boiling water and gently cooled them with cool water. Mason noticed one was cracked already so we decided to peel it and see what we were dealing with.

The first thing I noticed was there wasn't any "soup" inside. The soup is the liquid inside the egg you are supposed to slurp up after making a small hole in the top of the egg, before you peel it. This was as dry as a desert inside. I thought perhaps it was because it was cracked though and maybe the soup leaked out before we peeled it. Mason looked at me and questioned "will I be the first to try it?". I watched closely as he took his first bite. He went straight for the duck. He paused and chewed as I eagerly awaited his opinion. "It tastes like...a hard boiled egg". He popped the rest into his mouth, only to remember the warning about the inedible piece at the bottom. Out that came and was discarded with the peeling.

It was my turn. I was the one who wanted to do this, right? Wasn't it my bright idea to try all sorts of strange and unusual food? I've eaten things way worse than eggs before. I can do this. I told Mason to bring the camera outside to photograph me eating my egg in the better natural lighting. I grabbed my egg, a bag to put my peeling in and all the courage I had inside me, and walked out the back door.

As I peeled my egg I told Mason "this really isn't any different than eating duck and an egg at the same time, right?". He just gave me a strange look. What can I say? I am a Gemini, I am allowed to both want and be scared of something at the same time. I noticed that my egg also had no soup inside. I was looking forward to eating my balut the correct way, slurping the soup first, but alas mine had nothing to slurp.

I took my first bite, going for the yolk instead of the duck at first to sort of ease my way into it. To my pleasure, it did indeed taste like a regular boiled egg. I added some salt on top, which I had forgotten until that point and went for another bite. "Oh eat the duck, sissy!" my husband called out. "I'm getting there!" I whined back at him, eyeballing the feathers now emerging from my egg. I took another bite. Nothing left but ducky now! Some foods are better eaten quickly and not stared at too much. I wish I had remember that saying when I stared down at the duck head in my hands below. I pulled off a bit, looked down and it was a tiny leg and foot. Oh well, here goes. It was surprisingly soft. I took the last bite into my mouth and chewed. Not so bad. I was expecting to feel the feathers tickling my tongue or the crunch of the beak, skull and bones on my teeth but no. It was just like eating an egg, only with more texture and a richer taste. Aside from the appearance, which would rate a 10 on the strange food scale, the taste and texture were not very weird at all.

My daughter Miaoxin was with me and decided she wanted an egg too, so I went inside and grabbed her one. I peeled it for her and took a photo of her holding it, but once she got a good look she started saying "No, I don't like ducky egg! I don't want!" Girl, you ate durian with a smile and balut grosses you out? Have priorities! Mason took her egg and finished it off.

I went inside and called out to all the kids "Who wants a hard boiled egg!?". Immediately my sons Jacob and QiQi came running. Jacob began to peel his then looked at me sideways. "What kind of eggs are these?" he asked. "Duck" I smiled. I wasn't lying. He took a bite and quickly realized there was a prize inside this egg. He paused for a moment, shrugged his shoulders and ate it anyways. Gage came downstairs in time to find out that it was balut before peeling one. He passed on eating one. QiQi happily grabbed an egg. It took him longer to peel his but once he did, he had no qualms about eating it whole. After the second bite or so I noticed the duck fetus go into his mouth. Knowing a good photo op when I see one I called out to him to open his mouth. Mason said "He doesn't even know what he's eating!". I showed Qi the little duck to him and he nodded knowingly. He gulped it down and asked for another. I obliged.

Mason is planning to take a few of the remaining balut to work with him on friday to give to his co-workers (he plans to only tell them they are duck eggs and let them figure the rest out on their own). I have asked him to record it for me! I know it sounds mean, but his friends are always playing practical jokes on each other. This one should be the ultimate!

The End of 101 Things #1

noreply@blogger.com (Marsha) — Wed, 05 Mar 2014 19:56:00 +0000

The deadline for completing my first 101 Things list came and went on Saturday March 1st. It was a mad scramble to fit in a few last minute things that I had put off too long.

Such as -

Dressing up fancy and going somewhere mundane. I bought the dress for this at Goodwill at least a year ago, but I had always planned for a group of my friends and I to all dress up like it's prom and go out together. Unfortunately no one could ever go at the same time, and some people would be upset if we went when they couldn't go, so I finally just did it alone. We woke up at 5am and I started getting dressed. Iwanted to do my hair really big for this, but it was too early and I was very tired. This was the best I could do that early on a weekend.
Our original plan was to go to a Waffle House and eat breakfast, but we weren't able to find one. Mason was running late, as he was going to Dallas with his brother in just over an house, so we pulled in to the first McDonald's we could find instead. Mason took pictures but did not dress up. I wanted him to at first, but then I realized it was even funnier that I looked so dressy and he didn't. I wonder where people thought we were going or had been? McDonald's was pretty packed at 7am, and we ate inside, so I got plenty of very strange looks. No one said anything. I was expecting someone to ask me what I was dressed up for.

After breakfast I still needed stamps for the other projects on my agenda, so we headed over to HEB (a local grocery store for my non-Texans). Some strange looks again from the workers and other shoppers, but no one said anything.

Mason dropped me back home and left to go to Dallas, and I began the next few items. First, I wrote letters to 5 people who had positively influenced me in my life. A couple of them were no-brainers, like my Aunt Brenda, my favorite Aunt who was really great to me as a child, and an former school teacher who had instilled confidence in me and helped me believe in myself. I was afraid that choosing one person and not another would hurt a lot of feelings, but in the end I went with my gut. The people I chose actually did have an positive impact in my life, not to say anyone else did not, and I am happy with my decision.

Along the same lines, I finally made a postcard to send off to Post Secret as well. If you don't know about Post Secret, it's a community where people anonymously send in postcards with a secret on it. Every Sunday some of these are added to their blog. Sometimes they are pretty depressing, sometimes uplifting, but either way they give a great insight into humanity. I don't know if mine will ever be chosen, but that's okay. I put it off for so long because I could never find a postcard that really fit with what my secret was. I ended up going to Walmart and buying a Greetings from Houston, TX one, then taking it home and gluing cut out pictures from magazines all over it that fit the theme. I'm not going to post the front here, as proud as I am of my cut and glue job, because it just won't feel like a secret anymore if I do. Here's the back -

And last, but definitely not least, the most embarrassing thing I've ever done. A karaoke rap in public. I put this one off because I wanted to go to a proper karaoke bar and do some rap at night, in a crowded place, after I had a legitimate amount of drinks in me. Alas, it didn't work out that way and I was facing a deadline with nowhere to go. I thought to myself, well, I didn't say it had to be at a bar, right? What is more public than the internet? I sucked up my pride and decided to record myself doing a rap. I tried California Love by Tupac first but it didn't sound right. I went with Ice Cube's Today Was a Good Day (no, it didn't sound great, but better at least) and recorded it at least 15 times before I kept the final one. I messed up in it too, but I was just tired of doing it at that point. It's not like anyone was going to be impressed by my rap skills regardless. I'm really bad at it. Like, really, really bad. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do for your lists.