So I have to post this here, since you know I am a Hiddlestoner. I look forward to seeing and hearing what he does in this role. Hopefully it’ll shoot him to the topper most of the popper most, in the movie sense.
Catching Up, Being Thankful
Has it really been over a month since I posted anything here? Wow. I went through a weird, blah-tastic period where all I wanted to do on this laptop was stare at dumb internet crap instead of write. I was unmotivated and numb. No deep, underlying reason for it, I don’t think. I just wanted to do things, watch things, read things, listen to things, and not think about things. So there’s that.
But now it’s time to not only think about things, but WRITE ABOUT THINGS! Let’s catch up, shall we?
Towards the end of April, I interviewed a celebrity for the first time, on the phone. What they call a “phoner” in the entertainment business. I was nervous and not very confident about my questions, but comedian Brian Regan was super nice and was very pleasant to speak with. I am grateful to AltDaily for letting me do the interview, and to my mother, who inspired the theme/title. Read the article: http://www.altdaily.com/features/86-entertainment1/6785-moms-love-brian-regan-you-will-too – If you’re a resident of the 757, I highly suggest you become a loyal reader of AltDaily. Their intentions are pure, the content is great, and you’ll learn a lot. I also got free tickets to see Brian Regan, and the show was hilarious. He is truly one of the best stand ups ever to…. stand up.
In May, I finally cleaned out the desk I’ve had since I was eight. It was put on the curb, picked up by some random stranger who hopefully gave it to their kid to use. There was much nostalgia in that desk. Tons of photos, scraps of paper, ticket stubs, and mementos from the past bajillion years. A lot of the mementos related to U2, my all time favorite band and fangirl focus. I thought about the friends I made and all the amazing experiences I had thanks to those four dudes from Ireland. It was weird, because a week after collecting and organizing all of the nostalgic tidbits from my old desk, I suddenly lost one of those dear friends I made during those younger days. Her name was Lyn, and she was one in a million. We became pen pals in the late 80s/early 90s. Her U2 devotion knew no bounds. She was enthusiastic, kind, and didn’t let her physical limitations deter her from enjoying what she loved. We saw four U2 shows together, and through her I met other fantastic friends. We didn’t stay super close over the years, but I thought of her often, and thanks to Facebook, we kept in touch. In 2009 we reunited for a U2 concert in NC. Lyn’s on the left, I’m on the right, with Kim & Dianne between us.
Look at us back in 1992!
Finally, here’s Lyn with Bono in the Joshua Tree days. She’d met him numerous times over the years, but this was my favorite picture. She’ll be missed.
There are some other things that have been going on lately, but I may write about them separately. Since I’m now sitting here nostalgic and teary eyed thinking about Lyn and our mutual love of music, I’ll end with what I experienced two nights ago: The dude and I got to see Elton John perform. Like the Springsteen show earlier this year, it was a last minute surprise, thanks to the dude’s company having a corporate box at the venue. No clients took the seats, so we got ’em! The show was glorious. Elton put on a fantastic performance; so many hits. We were floored. Check out the setlist: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/elton-john/2014/farm-bureau-live-virginia-beach-va-13c009f5.html. I have to say, hearing songs like Tiny Dancer, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Levon left me with shivers, but I do have a soft spot for 80s Elton. I kind of went batshit when I’m Still Standing started. But I learned to never take a sweeping musical genius like him for granted.
Well, I really need to go brush my teeth, because it’s almost noon and that hasn’t happened yet. My mouth feels disgusting. I’ll close with this: For someone like me, whose senior yearbook quote was “life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” (thanks John Lennon!), I’m lucky to get cool opportunities. Interviewing a comedian and writing about it for a local magazine, meeting amazing people and having them in my heart forever, and unexpected, once in a lifetime concert experiences. Pretty fortunate for being a lazy girl, sitting in an inner tube, meandering down the river of life.
Quick Book Review – NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
My last book club selection (that I read anyway – yeah, I’ve been a bad member lately) was Doctor Sleep, by my favorite author of all time, Stephen King. I had had NOS4A2 on my to-read list for a while, so when it ended up on our book club future list, I skipped ahead and read it. Why? Well, firstly, Joe Hill happens to be Stephen’s son, and I’ve really enjoyed his last two novels, Heart Shaped Box and Horns. Secondly, there were connections to Doctor Sleep. I was intrigued.
Victoria McQueen is special. She can create a psychic path, or inscape, in her head to help her find lost things. She hops on her bike and will always find a covered bridge that takes her where she needs to go. She’s not the only one with this talent that shows up in different ways. There’s Maggie, who can discover stuff with her bag of Scrabble tiles. And then there’s the monster known as Charlie Manx. He can stay young by kidnapping kids and transporting them to the terrifying Christmasland in his spooky Rolls Royce Wraith. These three come together in an intensely creepy journey. Holy crap, Christmasland is creepy. Oh, look, there’s a cute snowman! Why does it have an axe? AAAAGGGHHHH!!!! Thanks, Joe, for creating this wild saga. Vic was such a wonderfully flawed hero, as was her dude Lou. And Manx? Ewwwwwww.
Meri’s World Podcast Episode 01 – Classic Rock And Cats
It’s the first episode of Meri’s World, the podcast about pop culture, geeky things, and cats – With a little help from my friends. I’m joined by my pal and fellow Mouthy Broad Jen, my dad Steve, and Rozley, the coolest producer ever. We geek out over Fleetwood Mac & Pink Floyd and talk about the creatures that meow.
Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Inductees
8 Benefits Of Being A Cat Owner
Check out the wonderfully insane Roley Show and of course my sisters in bitchassness, Mouthy Broadcast!
Please subscribe to my podcast on iTunes & spread the word. We’ll get better, have all kinds of topics, improve the website, and if you have an idea/suggestion/complaint, email merisworldpodcast@gmail.com!
Meet Me At Meri’s Place
Last weekend it was all about The Boss. It was kind of prophetic that I ended up seeing him in concert, because if you look at a couple of entries ago, I posted a video of him performing My Hometown. Also, a couple of weeks ago, I attempted Dancing In The Dark at karaoke. We had no plans to attend his concert, because we’re broke, but the boyfriend got free tickets thanks to his amazing company the day before the show. These weren’t ordinary tickets, either. They were in the company’s private box, complete with food and drink service. HOOOOOOO BOY! The box was right in the middle too, so we had a fantastic view.
But let me back up a bit. The day before the show, once I found out we were going, I had to dive into Bruce Springsteen’s massive catalog on Spotify. I needed a refresher course, because as much as I admire and respect the guy, I don’t listen to his albums all that much. It felt good. The man is incredible. And that band? Yeah. By the end of the work day, I felt I was ready to experience the Bruce….. well, EXPERIENCE. The guy & The E Street Band don’t just come on stage and sing a few tunes and leave. Nuh uh. I knew what I was getting into.
Ok, so it’s the day of the show. I also attended our area’s first comic book convention, Tidewater Comic Con. Us ladies from the Mouthy Broadcast podcast shared a table with the Playing Doctor duo, so I went to hang out, see some fellow nerds, and get our podcast out to the masses. The con was PACKED to the gills. A very good thing of course, but it was weird for me, for some reason. I haven’t done the con thing in a while, and I guess my lack of food and water, natural tendency to get claustrophobic, and distracted mind didn’t help me get super into it. I couldn’t wait to leave. That being said, it was awesome seeing some friends, chatting with the geeks, watching the great cosplay, and passing out cards.
Once I got home, my dumb ass quickly sucked down a smoothie and stuffed a sandwich in my mouth hole. That may not have been a wise idea. One or the other would have been wiser. But oh no. Meri needed immediate satisfaction. Well, guess who became extremely pukey feeling in the car, on the way to meeting our fellow concert goers? Yeah, this chick. Fortunately for me, our rendezvous point was my parents’ house. And we had some time to kill. Mothers know best, so mine quickly plop plopped some fizz fizz into a cup of water (oh, Alka-Seltzer you rock) and I sipped. Then, the best thing happened: Boongie, my folks’ 15 year old Maine Coon cat, decided to take a dump. The smell wafted to my nose, and that was it. TAKE ME DOWN TO THE OL BARF CITY WHERE THE SMOOTHIE PUKES OUT AND THE SMELLS ARE STINKY. Glorious relief. I was starting to worry, I mean, who wants to see The Boss in a state of nausea? Gross! So that was taken care of, and we were ready to rock.
It was a beautiful night. The weather was perfect; cool and breezy. We hung out with two other couples, one we’ve known for ages, and two of their friends. The husband ended up being my world history teacher from 9th grade, which was hilarious. We drink tons of wine, ate chips & hummus, and were completely blown away by the energy and awesomeness that was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Hey look – there’s Conan O’Brien’s former band leader on the drums! And check out the Rage Against The Machine dude playing guitar! Good times. Bruce is 64, but you wouldn’t know it. He was running, jumping, crowd surfing, dancing, and being badass like any young rock star. It was magical. Bonus cute factor of this little girl getting picked to sing Waitin’ On A Sunny Day……
So that’s a pretty interesting day. Hang out the with comic book folk, vomit, then rock out with a legend.
Your Options
Batman: Strange Days 75th Anniversary Short
Bruce Timm’s Batman. *sigh*
My Funny Hometown
I have two things to say, and they’re related, so pay attention.
Thing one: I am a fan of comedy. Always have been. SNL. Monty Python. Ricky Gervais. Tina Fey. Curb Your Enthusiasm. Blah blah blah. These are a few of my favorite things. How do these human beings make such funny stuff? I want to know. Maybe I could do it too, some way, some how. But could I be funny in a place that isn’t Hollywood or NYC or Chicago? Being the ignorant slut that I am (IT’S AN SNL REFERENCE GARSH), I had no idea, until recently. The answer is most definitely YES. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and try an improv class at a place called The Muse. Who the hell would be teaching this stuff? Well, a great group called The Pushers. I was amazed at their talent, kindness, and patience. Faith in local humanity was restored. I had a blast learning from them. I can’t wait to learn more. Hopefully that will happen soon. Which brings me to……
Thing two: I like where I live. Hampton Roads, VA is a diverse, expansive group of cities. There’s lots of history, geography, military presence (I mean that in the employment/people sort of way, not the armies waiting to shoot shit sort of way), and things to do. You know what, though? It could be even better for the funny, creative, and artistic geniuses that inhabit this locale. Norfolk is in the process of creating its own Arts District. How cool is that? And how amazing would it be to have our own comedy theater? Take classes, see shows, and be a part of a comedy community? I love it. I’m broke as a joke, but I made a point to contribute to The Pushers’ Kickstarter – Help The Push Comedy Theater! I am asking you to do the same. If you also live in the 757, that’s great. Give them some buckaroos and be a part of the awesome insanity. Don’t live here? Well, contribute anyway. Perhaps your donation will inspire you to be a part of your own local comedy scene. See who’s performing at your local comedy club when a headlining act isn’t in town. Look into taking a class – improv, sketch writing, acting, whatever. You’ll meet some great people. Like all of these folks who are making a difference in my home town….
And since I just uttered the words “home town”, I’m now forcing you to listen to this….
A Failed Wedding Song?
I have and always will be a Beatles fan. They shaped the way I listened to music. Those four dudes from Liverpool and all the people they worked for (and worked for them), were managed by, were married to, and gave birth to feel like family. Naturally when I got married back in 1998, I danced with my husband to a Beatles song. In My Life, one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.
So what happens when that marriage ends? Does this ruin the song? The nostalgic meaning behind it? I can’t help but remember dancing & singing, looking at my then hubby, while my guests blew bubbles at us. It was romantic! But now I almost feel guilty when In My Life starts playing. Part of me wants to look at my partner of almost twelve years, because obviously, the lyrics are more appropriate in his case. But I don’t want to diminish the memory. Sure, me and the ex-husband didn’t work out, but at the time, that song was REAL. But….. who wants a sloppy seconds love song?
Look, we can’t control our feelings when we hear certain tunes. I’ll just be happy that I had a chance to use In My Life in that way. But what about you people? Did you have a special song with your former love that you still enjoy even after that relationship has gone kaputsy? Do share!
Quick Book Review – Heart Shaped Box By Joe Hill
I’ll spare you the comparisons between Joe Hill & his pops, Stephen King. Sure, they’re there, but let’s not discuss it. Genetics. Moving on.
I read Horns before this one, his first novel. I LOVED it. So I wondered what this story would be like; maybe it wouldn’t be as layered. I was pleasantly wrong. Long story short, this is a great rock and roll ghost story with excellent character development, legit fright, and even some laughs. A satisfying ending too, I might add. I will say that all the infected hand wounds throughout Jude & Georgia’s journey bothered me a bit. Whenever something intense was going on, like a crash or scuffle, I kept imagining the blood and pus flying everywhere, since they had to be using their hands during the action. I’m sure this was intended by Joe, but for some reason, that was giving me more heebie jeebies than murderous ghosts at times. I mean, EW.
Quick Book Review – Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
I saw Stephen King do a talk at George Mason University back in 2011, and got the surprise of a lifetime (for a King fan, anyway) – he read a snippet of his sequel to The Shining! And now I’ve FINALLY read the whole thing. I loved his return to the world of the Torrance family. How in the hell would Danny be dealing with his experience at the Overlook as an adult? Would he still be seeing “pictures in a book”? Oh yes, and then some. The themes of friendship, family, the mentor and the student, alcoholism, and using powers for good are covered brilliantly. Life is a circle, King says, and everything comes back around. Of course there is the scary stuff too. Uncle Stevie knows how to bring it. The group known as the True Knot, vampire like beings that feed on the “steam” of gifted children – extremely creepy and formidable. I’ll never look at recreational vehicles the same way. King’s writing is so familiar to me. Reading this novel was comforting, in some weird way. Tears were shed at the end, not gonna lie.
Meri's World 