Tag Archives: hampton roads

Press Coverage For The Mysterious Photos

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Back on Christmas, I posted this blog about some mysterious pictures that showed up at my mom’s house the day before. It was very odd, and it felt like something that needed resolution ASAP. You see, my family (meaning me and my parents) moved to Virginia back in 1983, thanks to the Navy. Everyone in my immediate family hails from the great state of Massachusetts. My paternal grandparents, uncle, and great grandmother moved down here in the late 1980s and stayed for a while, but all of them have passed away apart from my grandmother (who moved back to MA). They wouldn’t possess any old photos belonging to my mother’s father anyway. SO WHAT THE HELL?! If someone discovered my mom through the ancestry websites she’s been frequenting, why the heck wouldn’t they contact her directly? Or leave a hastily scribbled note along with the photos? Why wouldn’t this person want to connect with her? Why did they go through the trouble of delivering them personally instead of mailing them? Were they worried they’d be rejected or shunned? Was it done on behalf of another person? Ugh, there are  a ton of questions that left unanswered, will haunt my mom (and me to a degree, since some rando knows where she lives and creeped these photos while she was at MY house).

My mom contacted the Virginian Pilot, our local newspaper, and it was covered on the front page.

I tweeted the Pilot article to some of my favorite journalists on our local television stations, and the very sweet Tom Schaad picked it up and did a story for WAVY 10:

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Check it out here.

I honestly just want some closure on this whole issue. We’re a really chill family who wouldn’t mind some new relatives here in Virginia Beach. My mom and dad are retired, and could use some excitement. A newfound family member/friend would be welcome! No shame or judgement here! Personally I am totally down for it. Even if it wasn’t a direct sharer of DNA who sneaked the pictures between the door knob & deadbolt at my beloved parents’ home, I want the TEA! Spill it, stranger! Whatever the backstory is, us Dressers are okay with it.

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Have I Got A Story For You….

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Happy Saturday, little darlin’s. Hope the long, cold, and lonely winter is winding down for you. I wanted to post an update here to let you know something: I grabbed a notebook this week, stuck a pen in the spiral, and jotted down thoughts and ideas every day. That hasn’t happened in a long while. It’s a good sign, though. It means I’ll be posting more content here. Working my writing juices into a tasty smoothie of fun. Ewwww, that sounds gross, doesn’t it? Maybe not the best metaphor, but I’ll go with it. I have to thank my buddy Kris for the motivation. He recently asked me to cohost the second season of his podcast, The Peaceful Pirate, and we started recording last weekend. Do yourself a favor and catch up on the first season now. You’ll learn that if you have a passion, you can do something with it. You’ll learn tips on how to do it too. I’m attempting to take his advice. Hence me and the notebook. This update is based on the first thing I scribbled in there….

Stories. Everyone has them. Lately, they’ve surrounded me, coming from friends and strangers. When chatting about podcasting and podcasts in general, several folks suggested The Moth, so I subscribed. It’s been a perfect accompaniment to my work commute. A collection of stories told by people from all walks of life. Some funny, some scary, they’re all over the place. But the coolest part is they’re all true. I’ve been in my car laughing, crying, and enraptured. I imagine I’m sitting in front of whoever is spinning their tale, in a cozy room with a fireplace. My favorite Moth story so far was from the late Taylor Negron. It’s a doozy. Check it out for yourself:

Not long after I became a fan of The Moth, my friend and fellow Mouthy Broad, Deb, founded a monthly storytelling showcase here in the Hampton Roads area. It’s called Tell Me More. It takes place at the wonderful Push Comedy Theater, and it’s super exciting to see how it’s taking off. The first event sold out! My friends and aquaintances have fantastic stories to tell. Check out Laura’s story about shitting herself.. Trust me, it’s awesome. Look around at the rest of the Tell Me More website to learn more about the events.

Finally, I had one more encounter with the telling of stories recently. I met Vee through another great friend. We hit it off immediately. She’s unique, lovely, talented, and strong. She recently competed in a story slam for the organization For Kids, and WON! It’s inspiring as hell – watch:

Pretty amazing, huh? Listening to all of these experiences has restored my faith in humanity. It helps to remind me that we’re all going through something, 24/7, 365 days a year.

 

 

 

My Funny Hometown

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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….