2010 A Year in Review

I'm not a fan of resolutions. They always seemed like something people make with the intention of breaking them. Somewhere, in my early 20's, I stopped really making them. Instead I chose to reflect on the year and try to point out the positive things that changed or happened, and look at the negative things and how I dealt with them. So here we go for another year. Since I want to end on a good note, I always start with the negative things.

My sister and I had a pretty big falling out this year. Not as bad as in the past, but bad enough that we didn't talk for a couple of months. It really sucked to not have her around, but I was pretty happy with the way I handled it. In the past, I would lose my temper, yell and so on, but this time I just kept my cool and let her yell all she wanted while I said nothing. It really must have drove her nuts.

My brother is on the outs with my dad and my sister. He said something to my dad to upset him and they haven't spoken since. He stole from my sister, she is convinced of this, and now they don't talk either. As much as it all sucks, I've managed to stay out of this one. Instead of trying to fix it, and failing as usual, I learned to be Switzerland and stay neutral. It's been a nice change.

On to the good stuff...

This year changed me so much. At the beginning of the year, I was sad about my father being so hands of in our adult lives, upset with my brother being so needy, but most of all I was angry with myself for allowing all these people in my life to make me feel insignificant and small. This is a feeling I have been dealing with since I was about 15. Never feeling like I fit in, never feeling like my opinion matter and feeling like I just wasn't important. Now, everything is different.

It all started with my trip to Conneaut and this blog is a treasured record of it. I took a chance, something I was never known for, and traveled to Pennsylvania, my first trip alone, with only 2 weeks of planning. While I knew people there, I had never actually met them. Usually my shyness would segregate me from everyone, leaving me second guessing my every statement, but somehow the shyness didn't overtake me and I made great friends. I came home with a new sense of awareness and confidence that at times even surprises me.

I took yet another trip, this time to West Virginia. I battled the sun and the heat, two things that don't really agree with a red headed Canadian, and survived without burning thanks to SPF70. I also survived my first encounter with energy issues I never expected to encounter, and wound up having a great time. I made even more new friends on that trip.

Another trip, this time to State College Pennsylvania gave me the chance to support Ryan's book release by attending his book singing and the open house in October. We stayed in a nearby KOA Kabin, without heat, and had a great time despite the cold. The entire trip was a lot of fun, and gave me yet another opportunity to get together with my new friends. Although, I must admit, the Barnes and Noble in State College liked my money a little too much...

I also made it to Charleston, South Carolina! I never expected to ever get there, to experience a place like that, especially not with such great friends. To this day, I'm still blown away at the things I experienced there. It really was an 'Epic' trip, as promised, and one I will always remember. I don't think anything could top this trip, but a new year is about to begin, and if I've learned anything this year, anything is possible.

When I did this last year, I secretly hoped to meet that special someone and settle down, but I'm not sad that I didn't. This year I met so many someones, and they are all extremely special. So much so that my Christmas card list tripled. At the end of this year, I'm happy. Happy to be me. Happy to have done the things I've done seen the things I've seen, and met the people I've met. All in all, a great year in review.

Bring on 2011, I'm looking forward to it...

A gift of survival

To any of you looking for the holiday gift for that paranoid, zombie obsessed person, I have just the thing for you! Nathan R. Brown, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Zombies" and his fiction work "Dead Come Home", offers you the chance at your own survival of the impending zombie attack with his autographed zombie bat. According to Nate, this bat was tested rigorously as he worked on the a fore mentioned works, so at least the dents and other attachments that you may find adorning the bat are authentic.

So, whether you are trying to protect yourself from the impending zombie invasion, or consider it a perfect gift for that person who knows "they" are coming, this may be for you. Please click the link below and show that not only are you ready fight for your right to live zombie-free, but that you are willing to support an amazing creative mind.

Happy zombie-free holidays to all!


Autographed Nathan R. Brown Zombie Bat Auction

PRS FTX Interview with Nate Brown

I didn't manage to accumulate my usual Field Trip videos at FTX, but the one interview I did capture was Nate Brown, or rather Nathan R. Brown. Nate is a writer based in North Texas. His works include: The Complete Idiot's guide to: World Mythology, Werewolves, The Paranormal, and Zombies. He also penned The Rape of Lillith, Dead Come Home, and World Religion at your Fingertips. Apparently his new work, The Mythology of the Supernatural, will be release late summer 2011.

While I know the above description sounds much like what you would read on Wikipedia, that's what it was meant to sound like, to give you a little of Nate's accomplishments. What that description didn't tell you was what a pleasure Nate was to meet, and how entertaining his lecture was. I have never been so entertained while learning about a subject I didn't realize I had an interest in. I was quite saddened, at the end, that my video camera was charging through this particular lecture.

Field Trip X was Nathan's first Field Trip with PRS, and I would not be surprised to see him as a guest at many more to come. In fact, Pat (Book Club Secretary) was extremely happy to have had the opportunity to meet Nate, discuss his book The Rape of Lilith, and just plain pick his brain on so many topics. She had many wonderful things to say about him, as did many other Field Tripper's. I myself was very happy that I managed to get Nate to agree to this video interview.

Thanks again Nate, it was great to meet you!

Evil Josh

So, one of the more funny moments I managed to capture on video is...evil Josh. Dressed in his Halloween costume, someone played a song and fully expected Josh to humour them with a dance. When this did not happen, I captured this...

Trip wrap up.

Hi all! Sorry I didn't write anymore but Saturday was a busy night. We headed back to the conference center for the Halloween party/get together. Much fun was had, some video was taken, which I will post at a later time, and everyone had a good time. Everyone took this time to mingle and catch up with friends while being a little silly. Josh, dressed as a mad scientist, played Apples to Apples with a group, while Coalin danced and Sam and Whitney MC'd the event. Much thanks also to Mike, who was the evening DJ. When everything wrapped up, the groups split up to do their Advanced Ghost Hunts, if they were eligible.

The next day we all made our way to the Old City Jail for the farewells. Since I had a VIP ticket, I got to stay for more activities after that. I made my way through the streets of Charleston searching for a coffee shop and Josh Light. We all sat around a fountain at the waterfront discussing different topics with Josh and Katrina. When I moved on to the next event, I met up with Eilfie Music and we walked around certain streets as we discussed Voodoo.

Lastly I made my way to the end of the market to meet with Lorraine and the rest of my group. We had a slight change and since Lorraine wanted to, Ryan switched locations with her and we enjoyed a horse drawn carriage ride with Lorraine. She loved it. She kept smiling and laughing the entire time. It really was a moment to remember.

Too quickly it seemed, our time was up and we made our way to a nearby restaurant in the Market area for dinner with the gang. We watched the episodes as they aired on A & E, then we watched The Ghost Prophecies, which I am excited to say comes on in two weeks.

I'll write more and paste pictures, but I am too beat to do it tonight, Be safe all, until next time.

More about yesterday

So to expand on yesterday's post, the welcome party was really great. It was so much fun to run up and give Whitney the biggest hug I could when I saw her, I really missed that girl. Next I got to see Josh as he strolled towards our table. I presented him with Holiday Blend coffee, courtesy of Second Cup, a Canadian coffee company that is the equivalent of Starbucks here. I found Kat and we did the International Snack Exchange. I gave her Vachon Brownies and she gave me Tasty Cakes Brownies and Tasty Cakes Butterscotch Krimpets! Lastly I managed to give Chris her gift. I had knitted her a blanket, which she really seemed to like, it made me happy:)

The tours were an experience. I had an issue with the Jail. Every room I went into I had something playing with my hair or poking me lol. At one point, I was even pinched. It was an experience and it will be my advanced ghost hunt tonight, which should make for interesting events.

Today's lectures were fantastic! Lorraine was so amazing and moved so many people with her tales of her and Ed. Nate's lecture was really great. It was different than any other lecture I had been too, even with the constant questions that were distracting. Finally Ryan's lecture came up. It was almost like a mini training session, and extremely fun. It did run over, but it was enjoyed by all.

Dinner was amazing. I tried so many new things! Crab cakes, oysters and some new type of salmon. The dinner was accompanied by the viewing of one of tomorrows episodes of Paranormal State and a sneek peak of the other episode. We ran out of time, so unfortunately we did not get to see The Ghost Prophecies.

As I write this, the girls are dressing for Josh's costume bingo. We will be headed out shortly to head back to the conference centre, but I wanted to get this down while I had some time.  I'll write more later!

Checkin' in from the road

Hello all! So here is a little recap of my adventures so far...

Tania and I left Toronto at 9pm or so on Wednesday night to begin our adventure to Charleston! We made a few stops along the way, one of which was Meadville, right near Hotel Conneaut, the site of FT8! It felt great to see that place along the way to the newest location on our PRS adventures! We drove until about 4:30am (encountered more scary deer carcasses) and stopped in Fairmont WV for a few hours sleep. By 10:30am we were back on the road again.

We arrived in Charleston (!) at just after 8pm and waiting for us was Miss Rosalie! While we checked in, I let Mercy and Jan know that we had arrived and they made their way over. After settling in and a quick shower, we headed out to the Wild Wing Cafe to meet with Father Jim and a few other people for a night of fun and catching up before we headed back to get some much needed sleep.

When we arrived for registration, it was so nice to see the familiar faces of a few return people and the happy faces of PRS. After hugs all around, paperwork was filled out, info was dispensed and the real fun began. The welcome party kicked into gear and suddenly the ball room was alive with chatter and laughter from every corner! Old friends were catching up while new friends were being made. Gifts were dispensed and received with hugs and smiles. It was refreshing to see everyone happily waiting for the events to really get started.

The panel discussion was great. There were interesting questions, amazing responses and a lot of laughs had by all as the stories poured out of Lorraine and Ryan in particular. There was no set topic for this panel, just an opportunity to ask questions, and hear some of the stories that the responses brought forth. I particularly loved when Lorraine spoke of her late husband Ed. Her love was truly evident in every word that she spoke and every laugh that escaped her lips.

After the panel we had a short break to grab some dinner before we headed into downtown Charleston to begin our ghost tours. The city really is pretty amazing, and the people were very nice. We all parked in parking lots, and then continued to our tours on foot, many of us separating and walking the city alone. I attended the  Ghost and Graveyard tour and the Old City Jail (featured on Paranormal State). I'll go into more description about that tomorrow or in another post later.

When we were finished with those, the VIP's went back to the conference center for our hour with PRS. At our table many topics were discussed, from shopping to cooking to pets, nothing seemed to be off limits or a taboo subject although a few things did earn me the dreaded glare from Agent S lol. It really was a lot of fun and a nice break from the norm since this was a smaller group.

We finished up there and then moved on to the beginner's ghost hunt, which I choose at the graveyard. The graveyard was small, but there was no lack of stories from our tour guide who was available for any questions, should we have them. Once we finished, we made our way back to the hotel to get some sleep before the next day's shenanigans.

That dear friends, brings me to the here and now. It's 3am, I am the only one awake in this darkened hotel room and I know the morning will come much earlier than I am prepared for. I will end this post here, but I wanted to get some updates out there for those of you who are with us in spirit and living vicariously through me.

Night all, more to come.

Crazy days

Well, I feel like I have seriously ignored this blog in recent days but things have been extremely busy. I've been working, as usual, and getting ready for Field Trip X at the same time.

The time has finally come...FTX is finally upon us! Tania and I will head out tomorrow evening, after I finish work of course, and begin our trek to South Carolina. While I know it will be a long trip, I am looking forward to it as well. We always have so much fun on our road trips, even when my old GPS decided to get us lost in the hills of Ohio lol.

My next update will be either from the road, or from Charleston SC!

To all my friends traveling there soon, have a safe trip and I will see you shortly!

A little out of the loopie...

Well, since I came down sick last week, I've been off the grid when it comes to this blog, and twitter as well. I really missed a lot. Apparently, one of my friends got a blog! Let's all welcome Orchid Girl to the wonderful world of blogging. You can find a link to her blog just to the right of this post.

I'll get back to writing here once I feel a little better. We are off to Field Trip X on Wednesday night (takes us 15 hours to drive it), so I do the usual thing and keep a blog and either post it when I get back, or post as often as I can during the trip.

Take care all, until next time.

Another day, another day

Does anyone else have those days that just seem to be wrong somehow? Today was one of those days where it seemed that everything was wrong, Everything I said, everything I did, and everything went wrong. I tried to help out my boss by coming up with some new ways to advertise, only to be shot down due to privacy issues. My department had certain processes audited, and ... well, we have some stuff to work on.

I ran into my sister on my way back to work and she mentioned some stuff about my brother, which prompted questions. I also found out my brother lost his ID again, so I must replace it so he can get a job and become a responsible member of society *cough*. Yeah, I get to spend more of my money, paying for him! Opps, sorry, that sounded a bit like a rant didn't it?

Anyway, it was one of those days. Shortly it will be over, and I can move on another day.

Standing up

I will never understand why so many of us have issues with standing up to people. Self-conscious people, abused people, people who feel trapped. We all have those people in our lives that we can't or won't stand up to, and while I may know the answer, I still ask myself why? What is it about ourselves, or them, that makes it so hard?

Please, don't think I will have the answer here, I'm just rambling about this a little bit. I know why I have issues standing up and speaking my mind, for me it's fear. I've always been the person who does what everyone else wants me to do, out of fear of disappointing people, or having them be angry with me. While my parents tried to make me feel secure, or as secure as possible, I always felt like the world would fall away underneath my feet if I did the wrong thing, said the wrong thing, wore the wrong thing. This is something I've always known about myself, but only began to feel like I could begin to correct recently.

Today I had to push my brother a bit about getting a new job. I've been supportive and understanding, but after almost 3 years of supporting him financially, I told him that he really needs to begin to pull his weight. As soon as I sent the dreaded email, with job postings included, I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. I truly believed that I would be stepping into a war zone when I returned home, so much so that I even tweeted "It has begun!", one of my favourite lines from Mortal Kombat. While the reference may have been lost on others, it was forefront in my mind. Needless to say, the worry was for nothing, seeing as he took it quite well.

This is a rare occurrence. Usually when I stand up for myself, or correct someone with reference to my feelings, I tend to be shunned or they get angry with me for a while. Eventually they come around, but only when I return to the way they see things or do what they want me to do. In the end harmony is restored and everyone happily gets on with life, except me. I always feel weak because I gave in, rather than doing or saying what I wanted.

Why am I this way you might ask? I have no idea. There was no traumatic or emotional event that caused this, at least not that I can recall, it's just how I've always been. I'm not afraid of people, but I am afraid to disappoint or anger them. I'm sure there is some medical term for it, some sort of disorder, but knowing it would probably only make me feel worse.

I'm just going to try to work on this, work on changing this part of who I am. I know it will be hard, so I'll pick and choose my battles. Maybe one day I will fully feel free to say and do what I want, without worrying. What a day that will be...

A reminder of a silly 16 year old girls crush

So, I am a follower of wwdn: In Exile (wil wheaton dot net) and yesterday he posted a pic, then followed up with an article which had the 16 year old girl in me squeeing with delight. the pic is here and the post is here. While the post mentions of little bit of a critique, I just remember Wil's performance in that movie as being great.

Yes, 16 year old me had a huge crush on Wil Wheaton. As many of you know, I'm a geek. I grew up watching Star Trek The Next Generation among other shows. Wil Wheaton may have actually been my first crush as I sat at home watching the earlier TNG episodes with my father. I do remember the brief period of time, only about 6 months actually, where I purchased *gulp* teen magazines and hung pictures of Wil on my walls. A short while later River Pheonix, Jonathan Brandis, Keanu Reeves and Johnny Depp joined him. When I out grew the poster phase, I did recycle them.

I watched Stand by Me many times, but Toy Soldiers always held a place for me. It was a bunch of misfit kids who rallied together to save the day, even if Wil did die, and I found it somewhat inspiring. Plus, it had Sean Austin, Keith Coogan and Wil in there undies for brief periods of time (get it, brief? Okay lame joke) and also had Lou Gossett Jr. in it.  Seeing even a frozen scene made me long for the days when I was 16 and had a school girl crush.

I watched this so much that the VHS copy I had was finally eaten my the VCR and I hunted down a copy on DVD. Maybe tomorrow I'll pop it in and relive the past.

Premiere Night video

So Tania and I thought that it would be fun to record our reactions to the season 5 premiere of Paranormal State.

Here is our video:

Book Review: Paranormal State: My Journey into the Unknown

Alright, so many people wanted me to write a review of this book. I thought I had done this, but I just realized that I didn't so here it is.

TITLE: Paranormal State: My Journey into the Unknown

AUTHOR: Ryan Buell and Stefan Petrucha

MY EAGERNESS: 10! I was super excited to this get book. I went to my local Chapters a week ahead of time, just to make sure that they were actually getting the book in stock so that I would have it the day it was released instead of waiting for it to be shipped. I wanted to support a new author, who I had actually met, with his first project.

MY EXPECTATIONS: I was expecting this book to be an in-depth look at season 1 of Paranormal State, to have a few personal stories and to show Ryan's views on what PRS does. I expected to see some of the reasons PRS chose the cases they chose and hear more about the process they went through.

MY REVIEW:  I can't say that this book met all the expectations I listed above, but I was definitely not disappointed at all. I expected an in-depth look at season 1, and I got that, and much more. While I wish the details of how each case was chosen was laid out a little better, the ones we did learn this about made perfect sense. The detail of the investigation process was adequate, but it left the curious person inside of me wanting a little more in that area.

The personal stories were there, as I hoped, but I was surprised just how much Ryan had opened himself up in this book. The emotion was evident all the way through the story, and I was happy to see that I could easily imagine the scenes and almost feel the emotions they were supposed to portray. I will admit that this book took me longer to read than most books, but this is actually a huge compliment considering the reason I kept having to stop reading was to digest the content, separate the emotions and process the huge life altering events the Ryan had experienced. I could always visualize what Ryan was feeling, which made me feel like I knew and understood him a little better by the end.

The explanations of terminology, experiments, evidence and devices was a surprise, but I really enjoyed them. Rather than just the usual * or footnote, the framed sections made the details easier to read. More often I forget to look at the footnotes because the indication happens in the middle of a sentence, this way there was no missing anything. I also loved the list of recommended reading at the end, a great help to those who are interested, but don't know where to start.

TO SUM IT UP:  To say this book was worth the read would be a total lie, this book is a MUST read. It's a must read for any Paranormal State fan, paranormal enthusiast, or even someone who is just mildly interested in learning a little bit more about what could be out there. This story is moving, and the personal battles between self, religion and societies views is inspiring and well written. To me, this book is about more than just the journey Ryan took to bring Paranormal State to TV, it's a small part of the journey he took to become who he is today.

MY RATING (1-10): A very pleased 8!

Now I really can't wait for Ryan's fiction work to come out.

A return to things I missed without realizing it

So, upon finishing Ally's Story, which coincidentally got it's first rave review from Angie today, I knew that I would be returning to finish Jen and Robert's story. In preparation for this, I went back and began reading book 3, from the beginning today. I have to say this one thing, I forgot just how much I loved these two!

I know that may sound weird, considering they came from my mind, of course I would miss them. The thing is, I always knew that they would be there. I know their story, their mannerisms and their love as well as I know myself. I always always knew that I would go back, the scary thing is, it will be for the last time now. How do I let go of two people who live in my mind, as if they truly do exist in real space and time. the prospect of doing so makes me a little sad.

I've already begun to pick up their story, and it essentially writes itself, I am merely the means to share it. So there it is. I have restarted working on something I hadn't realized that I had missed so much. I wonder how much I will miss them when it is over. When they no longer occupy the corners of my mind, what will reside there? I can't imagine not having them there, it almost seems like losing a family.

So I will let the story flow out of me, but know this, it will be a bittersweet ending for me, and I will miss them.

An actual text post

Well, the video interviews are done for a while, so I have to get back down to the actual writing of the blog again. Well, tomorrow I will post the video we took during the Paranormal State premiere. It was an interesting evening and very fun. I love the new vision and look of the show.

After seeing the new show and Chad's direction, I really can't wait to see The Ghost Prophecies now. I think that it will be a great success. I'm looking forward to seeing Chad an Justin when they come to Toronto on Halloween night. I can't wait to see a sneak preview of the Ghost Prophecies.

In other news, I finished writing Ally's Story last night. I'm so excited to let my friends read it. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Book Signing/Open House 5 interview 16 - Serg

Well, since Ryan was sick, I wasn't able to get an interview with him,  but I managed to snag a few minutes with his 2nd in command, Sergey. Even though I constantly want to run from his camera, I managed to get him on mine for a quick review of the weekends events.  It's always a pleasure to talk to with Serg, and his humour was evident in this interview more than the other one I shot with him.

Here he is, Sergey!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 15 - Sam

Well, I finally managed to catch Sam for a short interview at this event. Sam always goes out of her way to make sure that everyone is having a good time at Field Trips and is always friendly and approachable. The dedication she has to helping organize the trips and events is evident as soon as you begin to speak with her. She is most definately someone I hope to interview again at another event.

Here she is, Sam!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 14 - Mike

Well, I took last night off, so tonight I will bring you the last 3 interviews from the Book Signing.Open House weekend, just in time for tomorrow night's premiere of season 5 of Paranormal State.

Tonight's first interview is new to the PRS scene, or at least as far as we all know. Mike was only introduced to all of us as PRS began to prepare for the move to their new offices. This is one of the major reasons I wanted to interview him on this trip, he was as new to it all as some of us are. I thought his responses would be interesting and that we may get to know him a little bit.

Here he is, Mike!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 13 - Agent S

lol, I promise, I didn't plan to have Agent S as our 13th interview. Anyway, I always enjoy interviewing Agent S. Although she may be hesitant sometimes, she always takes part with a smile and has a lot of interesting things to say. It is a pleasure to interview her, and I look forward to doing so again in the future. For those of you who have met her, you know that under the stern exterior is a wonderful person who is fun to get to know.

Enough of my yammering, here is Agent S!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 12 - Mickha

Mickha is better known to us as In2thelight on the forums. We've all been chatting for quite a long time, but this was our first meeting in person. He was exactly as I expected, fun, friendly and just a pleasure to hang out with. I recommend that you all take the time to get to know him, it's worth it.

Here he is, Michka!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 11 - Coalin

How could I pass up adding a fellow video recorder to tonight's posting?! Coalin's vision astounds us all as we watch his footage. He's always smiling when he approaches you for any reason, which is yet another reason I chose to post his interview tonight. While my recordings are no where near the same caliber as his, he always consents to my interviews with a smile.

I present, Coalin!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 10 - Tania

Well, she is back again. I decided to interview Tania again because of her infectious personality that wins over everyone she meets. Even with now famous "Bicker on girlfriend" comment, she is still as happy and bubbly as ever. Tania always has something interesting to say, and an interesting way to say it.

I give you, my fellow Canadian, Tania!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 9 - Josh

Well, I decided to pair my interview tonight with another person who prefers to be behind the camera, Josh.  I've always enjoyed chatting with Josh. We've discussed tech a lot, but that's just because I love tech. I do hope to talk with him about something other than tech one day, but the tech just gets me lol.

Even though Mr. Josh isn't very fond of being in front of the camera, he always has something worth listening to and I've heard many people say that his interviews easily capture their interest. I am looking forward to hearing Josh strum his guitar and call bingo at Field Trip X, but for now, I'll just upload his interview.

I give you, theothertechguy, Josh!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 8 - Me

Okay, so I know that I am famous for talking other people into interviews, but someone suggested that I do my own interview. Bare with me during this interview because I really prefer to be behind the camera instead of in front of it. I did ramble a little, but mostly because the nerves got to me.

Also, Jess was just to the left of the camera, hence me speaking to her. I swear, I am not losing my mind lol. So here I am folks, hope you like it.

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 7 - Michelle

Well, I promised you all that I would get an interview with her as soon as I could, since for some reason the one I did at Field Trip 9 didn't record, so here she is Michelle!

When I arrived at Field Trip 8, the one thing that I really wanted to do, if my shyness would allow it, was talk with Ryan and Michelle about writing and the trials and tribulations that come with trying to get published. The more time I spent at Hotel Conneaut, surrounded by all my wonderful friends and such amazing people, I started to come out of my shell a bit. It took me until the night before we left to approach the subject with Michelle, and though she was exhausted she said she would love to talk writing with me the next day.

She did manage to find a bit of time to talk with me, give me some ideas, and what the insecure person inside me took as encouragement. I'm working on executing some of the options we discussed, which I never would have thought myself capable of only 6 short months ago.

I love speaking with Michelle when the opportunity presents itself. She is a fountain of information, which shows in every conversation. For some reason, everytime we speak, even about the most mundane things, I still feel like I've learned something at the end of the conversation, either about myself or the world around me.

I hope you all enjoy this. Here's Michelle!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 6 - Kelly Ann

Good evening all. After having a rather disappointing showing with my Thanksgiving dinner, I have decided to make myself a little happier and post 2 interviews tonight! The first interview will be...Kelly Ann!

I really got to know Kelly Ann a little at Field Trip 9 and a little bit more since then. While we haven't spoken a lot, I've always found her to have very a interesting point of view. I'm always poised to hear her view points on different subjects, so how could I leave her out of this interview session.

Here she is, Kelly Ann.

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 5 - Whitney (Schatzi)

Good evening all. Yesterday was my roommate's birthday so my evening was occupied with a Hell's Kitchen marathon, Paranormal State season 4 episodes, and a trip to the movies to see My Soul to Take, hence no interview last night. This evening's interview, Whitney, should more than make up for it.

For any of you who have attended Field Trips, I'm sure you already know Whitney. I'm sure you have chatted and joked with her on many occasions. With a very warm personality, a great sense of humor and her friendliness, Whitney quickly became one of my favourite people to interact with at these events.

I give you, Whitney.

Book Signing/Open House 4 Interview 4 - Charyl and Amy

Well, I managed to get some more new interviews from Forum members and Field Trippers. I've run into both Amy and Charyl at two Field Trips now, and finally managed to get them in an interview.

I bring you, Amy and Charyl!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 3 - Elifie Music

Hello again all. Well, I got up to my usual tricks and managed to get some of PRS to take part in the video interviews again. Tonight we have Eilfie Music!

I was really looking forward to taking part in Eilfie's lectures on Paganism, especially since her weekend workshop was canceled a few weeks ago. Eilfie has always been very sweet to take part in these interviews. I even spoke with her regarding the Haunted Objects workshop from FT9 and she said she would look into whether or not we could post it up here. Until I hear back on that, please enjoy this interview with Eilfie Music!

Book Signing/Open House 5 Interview 2 - Father Jim

I had the pleasure to meet Father Jim at Field Trip 8, Hotel Conneaut, get to know him a little at Field Trip 9, West Virginia State Penn, and visit with him again at the Book Signing/Open House. He is always ready with a smile and a very kind word for all those who approach him. I decided to interview him this time, so that all others could see a small part of the man who is so easily loved by all.

I bring you, Father Jim.

Book Signing/Open House Interview 1 - Robert

This weekend I travelled to State College to attend Ryan's Book Signing, as well as the PRS Open House #5.  I decided to do some interviews while I was there. I wanted to focus on why we were there, and get peoples reactions to both events.

First up, we have Robert. This legal eagle mentions that somehow he managed to skip getting his book signed at the event, but he still attended both and I was interested to hear his reactions.

A letter to (insert ex name here)

So, I have seen and talked to a few of my exes recently. I have so many things that I want to say to them, but never do, because...well, I really don't know why I don't say things to them maybe it's the confrontation or the subject matter, but I always leave the conversation feeling smaller. I am always disappointed in myself for not saying all the things that bubble up inside me.

I may not leave this up here, but for some reason today I feel like I have to say these things. I don't want to hurt anyone, although the people this is meant for probably deserve anything that it makes them feel. Also, I am trying to open myself up a little more, emotionally, and I feel like this is a step I need to take. Here I go...

Dear (insert exes name here)

I bet you are surprised to hear from me. Well, I am about to surprise you yet again. I have some things I need to say to you. I was going to say you know me and how I don't really say the things that I need to say, but you don't actually know me. I am beginning to wonder if you ever really did. Actually, a lot of the time, I wonder if I really knew me when we were together.

I need to tell you how much you hurt me. Not just by doing the things that ended our relationship, but by the way you treated me. You treated me horribly and the way you treated me was wrong. I am as much at fault as you are, I allowed you to do it, I realized that now. The things you did, the things you said...no one should be made to feel that way or be told those things. Yes you hurt me, but much worse than that, you made me doubt myself all the way to my core. Do you understand just what your words have done?

The fun loving person I was, the person who trusted easily, loved passionately and cried easily is gone. The hurt of your actions, the sounds of your words that still echo in my head to this day, they were a huge part of creating the person I am now. I hate that I am this way, so closed off from anything emotional and constantly doubting myself. I don't blame it all on you, I allowed you to say those words, day after day and I was the one who missed all the warning signs.

I tell you this now because I am trying to change this about myself. I am trying to break holes in the walls that I have been hiding behind for years, so that I can finally begin to feel again. The words are there, in the back of my mind, every time I meet someone and think that maybe I could have a relationship. I'm going to shut them out now. I am going to shut you out now. I guess that was the real reason for this, to tell myself that you, the ghost of you, and the words you said need to be shut out. I need to rebuild myself, and this is the first step.

Last 3 videos of the Prison Tour

Sorry guys, I didn't realize I would have to break it up this much, but this is the last of it.

Prison Tour continued...

Here is more.

Alright, I'm going to go there...

I've really been trying to wrap my head around what has been going on for the last 24 hours or so on Twitter, but I just can't. It all began with someone tweeting about the fact that Ryan admits to being bi-sexual in his upcoming book, Paranormal State: My Journey into the Unknown. Suddenly everyone was buzzing about it, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a trending topic for a few minutes there, which really bites since we all tried so hard to trend BuellShit to no avail.

It seemed to be a lot of "oh my gosh" and "can you believe it" posts, which I guess is somewhat to be expected. Then came the supportive posts from the people who respect, care for, and consider Ryan a friend. When I first heard this, my reaction was amazement at how open Ryan had chose to be with the public and I was very proud of him for it, considering how difficult it had to be for him. Most people have a hard enough time coming out to family and friends, let alone the whole world.

Today, sadly what we had all hoped wouldn't happen, did. Someone on Twitter decided to attack Ryan for his honesty, using his religion as a weapon. I can't imagine just how much that may have hurt him, but he handled it with dignity and rose above the close minded person, even tossed in a joke.  His strength amazes me.

"when all you got to keep is strong, move along, move along like I know you do. Even when your hope is gone, move along, move along just to make it through" - Move Along by All American Rejects

Now I'm going there...oh, wait, you thought I already had? Well no, I'm going to touch on the dreaded religion and prejudice. This is where things could get nasty, so keep in mind, this is just something that rolls around in my head when situations like today come to light. I thought about separating these posts, and maybe I should, but they seem linked, so I'm going with it.

When I was a child, I believed in God and I went to church just like all the other little girls (sadly in one of those hideous frilly dresses and usually it was pink *cringe*). The only happy church moment that I can recall was when I finally memorized enough bible verses and was presented with my very own "grown up" bible. I thought, at the time, that it signified something amazing, like new world opening up. I remember that I went home, and 7 year old me began to read the bible in search of those secret worlds.

As I got older, I guess I got more cynical and jaded. When I read the bible at 12, I began to wonder about how accurate the words were. The bible spoke about love and around us, people were constantly singled out for different reasons (race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, marital status).  My mother was appalled when I finally told her that I couldn't believe any longer. She told me to speak with our reverend, but I didn't feel the need.

My biggest problem with religion is what we saw today, someone using the words of the sacred texts (which ever one it may be) to justify ignorance and hate towards another person  or religion for some reason. I thought that religion was about love, maybe that was the silly dreams of that little girl in pink frills. Inside, I think a part of me longs for the connection that comes with having faith, but I just can't let go of the reasons I turned my back in the first place, and all the reasons I've seen since. Maybe one day I'll find that faith, until then I'll hope for change.

"Right back what is wrong. We move along." Move Along by the All American Rejects

Prison Tour 3

And more...

Prison Tour part 2

Hey guys, more prison tour for you....

Prison Tour

Alright guys. Sorry it took so long to post this, I've been trying for days. Here it is, part 1 of the prison tour. I'll have to do this in seperate videos, because I'm having issues uploading bigger ones. I haven't fully watched it, so if there are offensive comments, images or swear words, I apologize in advance. I have the content warning on the blog, just in case of things like this.

Enjoy the tour!

A little stumped

Wow, today is the first time in a while that I am actually stumped as to what to post about. I could post about how annoying it is to be working reception where the computer runs slower than an old dot matrix printer. I could post about how I am going to be getting up at 4:30am on a Saturday to go to work. I could post about those things, but that just seems like I would be complaining. Okay, I know yesterday's post was a little like complaining, but at least there was a focus there. I think that is what this post is actually going to be about. Focus or lack there of.

I realize lately that I am a little unfocused. I don't really think this unfocus centers on any one area in particular, but is more of a whole. I have become a little unfocused when it comes to my writing, which incidentally is driving me mad since I am so close to finishing Ally's Story. I have been having some issues finishing a book, which is highly unusual for me, and I've been a little unfocused when it comes to many other areas in my daily life.

I think this is due to overworking. Listen, I love my job, I really do. I have no problem putting in 10 hour days or working the occasional Saturday. I think the problem is that I have been working for...26 days straight. I think that they lack of focus is my minds way of telling me that I need to unplug from work and recharge. It's not just my full time job, I was working weekends the last 3 weeks running a parking lot for fund raising and the occasional shift at the Ticket place. I think I just need to step back, and breath.

That's what I plan to do next weekend, not this weekend because...surprise, I have to work on Saturday lol. I think next weekend I will make no plans. I will spend the day curled up with the book I can't seem to find the time to read, and just relax. Maybe a walk, or some shopping, or...wait, there I go again. Just nothing. No plans.

I will do my best to keep true to this...next weekend.:( *sigh*

An inconvenience while attempting to protect my privacy

Okay, while I appreciate Twitter keeping an eye on everyone's privacy and such, it really became a huge inconvenience for me this week. I use a desktop gadget program to monitor and tweet while I am working on my laptop called Twitter Explorer. When the new privacy settings went into effect, my twitter gadget stopped working and there was no explanation as to why.

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't always read every word of the emails that I get from these sites. This one I skimmed, but I didn't really compute what this meant, until I booted up one evening and saw the dreaded Yield sign that meant my twitter stream was interrupted for some reason. I tried and tried,I even ran malware and virus scans, but couldn't figure it out, until J2 reminded me about the email.

Next thing I did was try to locate a new gadget which had been updated with the new settings, so that I grant it access and the world continues as it should. That wasn't as easy as I thought. I tried 7 different gadgets, and not one asked for the access, which meant they hadn't been updated. *Sigh* I ended my search last night, with no gadget to show for all of my efforts.

Today, I was bound and determined to get a new gadget. I tried the same ones, and finally one worked! Now, I don't love it, but it will do until Twitter Explorer updates to the new format, which I hope will be soon. It's called Tweetz, for those of you who require a twitter gadget to feel whole again.  All I can say about this situation is *grumble grumble*

Look, privacy is great, and I love that Twitter respects that, I really do. The thing is, if I add an app or gadget, I've added it. I don't want it to quit on me because someone else decided my privacy settings weren't adequate. Please Twitter, stop playing with my rights to privacy, otherwise I may end up with many of your pretty little birdies flying around my head...

A recap of recent events

Hi all, sorry I didn't post for most of the weekend but things were really busy and when I get to bed, I just pass out. Here is a recap for those who are curious.

My birthday turned out great. It was the first really happy one I had in years. I had lunch with a few friends at work, and then when I got home my roommate, a friend and I ordered Chinese food and sat down to watch Rose Red. About 20 minutes into it, my brother came home with a cake! I broke the rules and had a slice with everyone.

My brother gave me some money for my birthday bringing my total just high enough to afford a VIP ticket for FTX! I seriously can't wait for this trip. My roommate got us a tour through a 3 block cemetery in our city. My grandparents are buried there, and I haven't been in years. We have been thinking of doing our own investigation somewhere in town, so we thought a guided tour of this place would help us decide if it is where we want to start out.

All in all, I had a wonderful day. The messages on Facebook, the Forum comments and Tweets made my day so much better. I really have some amazing friends now, and I really appreciate bow understanding and compassionate all of you are. You guys are awesome people.

I'm going to sign off for tonight, since I have to work early tomorrow, but I have some interesting stuff coming up. I will try to post the tour of the WV prison on here are some point this week. Also, if I can get permission form Eilfie, I would love to post her workshop on Haunted Objects that was done at FT9. I have to get her permission first though, that's the way I roll.

Excitment...a first in years...

Okay, this blog post may get a little personal, and not in a dirty way. Yesh, get your minds out of the gutter. Before I begin, I ask only one thing of all of you readers...please don't comment with tons of sympathetic words. The thoughts are appreciated, but that is not why I am writing this post. I think I am writing it for 2 reasons. Reason 1) I need to be a little more open, as Eilfie mentioned and reason 2) to show myself just how far I have come. Here I go...

Tomorrow is my birthday. Usually this occasion bring happiness to people, but not for me, at least not for the last 6 years. For the last 6 years, I have done my best to hide my birthday from anyone and everyone I could. When I started my new job, I didn't tell anyone when my birthday was, and skirted around the question whenever it came up. My boss, who is really big on birthdays, respected the fact that I don't celebrate my birthday when I explained why.

6 years ago I lost my mother, a topic that I am really not ready to discuss fully yet. This is a process people, and I am not quite there yet. My mother was a big celebrator of events. She loved them all. At Halloween, she would buy oodles (yes I did just use that word) of candy for the neighbourhood kids, of which we had 7. At Easter, she would hide eggs and leave chocolate bunnies everywhere just so we could find them. She was a big Christmas fan too. She would start shopping in July so that the tree overflowed with gifts. She realized that the things weren't important, she just liked giving and the fun of the holidays. She did attend church and understood the true meaning of these times, but she had fun too. Her favourite holiday of all...birthdays.

My mother always made birthday's special. When I started high school, she would get a little desert cake, or a donut or something, just for us to share in the morning when no one else was around. My mother and I went through some rough times when I was in high school and I believe this was her way of acknowledging that I was growing up and her way of telling me she was happy I was born, at least that was the way I saw it. I loved this little ritual, because I saw it as someone saying they were happy I was here, that in some way I made their life better.

When my mother passed, the thought of celebrating my birthday was something I couldn't consider. The thought alone, made me ache internally and almost brought me to tears. When my friends would corner me into it, I agreed that we would go to dinner and that would be it. Nothing else. This is how it has been for the last 6 years. One friend, my roommate, takes me out somewhere to do something fun, like a concert, but that was only because she wouldn't let me ignore the day. Now it is something I look forward to, almost the way that I used to look forward to that special time with my mom.

I write all this because this year, for some reason, I am excited for my birthday. It doesn't hurt so much to think of celebrating it. I've come to realize that doing so isn't turning my back on the the ritual I had with my mom that meant so much to me, it's just a way for me to let a few other people say "I'm glad you were born." In a way, it feels like I've taken another step towards being who I want to be and allowing myself to be a little more open to people and my environment.  Yet another step in growing up.

So, tomorrow I turn 32. I will sneak a little snack cake and be glad I was born.

An exciting thing that happened to me on Saturday...

So, I wanted to write about this Saturday night, but it was my last video interview and I really didn't want to overshadow the experiment. Okay, the only person who would be excited about this is me and it probably wouldn't overshadow anything, but it needed a day all of it's own:)

So Friday night I worked Fan Expo at the last minute for an old boss of mine. She gave me a start in a whole new field, so whenever she asks me for a favour, I can never turn her down. I put in 3 hours, after working 8 hours at my regular job, and afterward I went inside to check out what was inside. There were a whole bunch of really cool guests in appearance, but one stood out to me, Felicia Day.

I've really wanted to meet Felicia for quite a while. She seems just amazing. She is the writer, producer and star of the web series The Guild. As far as women role models go, she is awesome. It's nice to see women in roles of power. I love the fact that she is the writer or an amazing web series that focuses on gaming and how gamers see and relate to the world around them. the characters are so well written and believable that I look forward to every Tuesday, just to check out the next episode. Check it out here: www.watchtheguild.com

I found my way to her line, but they had cut it off for Friday night, so I sadly walked home and hoped to make my way back at some point the next day. Early the next morning, before I began work for the day, my brother and sister told me to head off to Fan Expo. I was excited when I got there. The line was huge for Felicia (with good reason), and I began to line up to meet her. I found someone to chat with about geek stuff while I waited and finally it was my turn.

When I stepped up to talk to her, I kind of felt like an idiot...for about two seconds. Felicia looked at me and told me she loved my hair colour! Look, I know that too anyone else that isn't really a big deal, but wow! Amy, the girl who plays Tinkerballa, was so excited when I said that this is now my natural colour. (I've been dying my hair the same colour for 15 years, it has brought out the natural red and now I just dye it to cover the dreaded gray). I told Felicia how much I admire her writing skills, her thoughts on gaming and he acting work. She genuinely thanked me, then her and Amy took a photo with me (which none of the other guests would do unless you paid for the photo op).

Look, I know that my five minute encounter isn't very interesting, at least not to anyone who doesn't run in the geek circles and know who Felicia Day is, but for me it was a moment that I won't forget. I finally got to meet a woman who I really admire and I even got to walk through a geek version of Thanksgiving. I was really nervous and almost didn't talk to her, but I did and I am glad. I urge you all to take that chance and meet someone you admire, no matter how nervous and intimidated you are, you won't regret it.

Here is my pic with Felicia and Amy...

Interview #15 Ryan Buell (PRS)

Well, we have come to the end of the video interviews *sigh*. What better way to end this than with the guy who started PRS, Mr. Ryan Buell aka The Chief. I figured that I would have a hard time getting a few minutes to do this interview with Ryan, well actually to be honest I didn't think I would get it at all. Ryan is always so busy and his time in such high demand, I didn't think I would get a chance.

The writer in my was extremely nervous posing these questions to Ryan, but he seemed surprised by them more than anything. Actually, I will admit, it made my day when after the interview he said the questions were great. It made me feel awesome considering he has the journalism background that I always dreamed of. I really appreciated Ryan taking a minute out of everything to take part, it was awesome.

This interview was not conducted on Buell Standard Time, which is awesome.All hail The Chief, and enjoy!

Interview #14 Chris "Agent S" (PRS)

Time for another interview! I'm really happy that I got to film this one, and I'm also glad that Chris was on PITV last night, so it's not as if I am giving you the first peek of her. I was very excited to meet Chris at my first Field Trip, FT8 and I wasn't disappointed. She was exactly what I expected, and surprising at the same time. When I decided to do this interview thing at FT9, I knew I wanted Chris to be a part of it, but I was nervous to ask as she seems to like to be behind the scenes. When I did ask, I was told if she wasn't to busy she would do it. Thankfully I caught her at a not so busy moment, and she indulged me.

Chris was actually the first PRS interview I did at FT9, and I was a little nervous at how my questions would be received. I'm sure I was 5 times more nervous than her during this interview. This being the first interview, I was nervous and completely blanked on the random question and all I could come up with was "If you could shank anyone who would it be?" Yeah, I was a bit of a bonehead and went there. In the end, I was glad I did because the answer I got may give people a new understanding of Agent S and her shanking tendencies.

Thanks Chris for taking part, you always make me feel welcome at each FT, even if I'm feeling out of my element. Catching up with Chris is usually one of my favourite non-paranormal things to do at a FT. I hope you all enjoy this interview as much as I enjoyed filming it.

There were no knives or involved and no one was forcibly detained for the filming of this interview. (Okay, another bad disclaimer. I promise to work on it for future interviews) I present, Chris aka Agent S!

Note: Chris tweeted me the name of the song she couldn't remember. It is  "All day through the Rain" by Boa Yoon.

Interview #13 Josh Light (PRS)

Whether you know him as Josh, Fuego, kerflugalled, theothertechguy or a mad scientist, Josh is a interesting guy. With his love of fire, his pyromaniac tendencies, his tech knowledge and his sense of humor, he is definitely an charismatic addition to PRS. I always get a kick out of talking to Josh. Whether we are talking tech, books or crazy guests, it is always enlightening (no pun intended). I do owe him a big thanks for taking part in this little interview experiment, seeing as he isn't as fond of being in front of the camera as he is being behind it.

No pyro was used, no matches struck and no animatronics went into the filming of this interview. I did not bribe, cajole or hold Josh at knife spot to bring this to you, but I may have begged a little(just kidding). Alright, here is his, Josh Light.

Interview #12 - Katrina Weidman (PRS)

So tonight's interview is Katrina Weidman. I was very excited to do an interview with Katrina, mostly because she was so excited about the idea. Her enthusiasm, combined with Coalin's, were the driving force to keep my utter shyness from talking me out of this wacky idea.

For those of you who have met Katrina, you know that she is always more than happy to take a few minutes with a Field Tripper, especially if they are a member of the International Snack Exchange! No, really, she is a super sweet woman who is always willing to take a few minutes to indulge a Field Tripper, whether it be a kind word, a make up tip or just a silly joke.

No make up was stolen or reapplied before filming this interview, and no sugar was ingested prior to filming (alright, a little bit was, but it was so good!). I give you, the PRS Golden Girl, Katrina Weidman! Enjoy!

Interview #11 Wes (J2) and Dave [Forum Members]

Well, this is the last Forum Member interview I have. Wes and Dave we brand new to the Field Trip experience, Field Trip 9 was their first one. They joined us for Tania's "birthday" dinner and we were all stick together for the rest of the trip.

The really are sweet guys, and a lot of fun. I am excited to hear that they are planning to attend Field Trip X in South Carolina. I know that they will have a blast, and quickly make even more friends than they did at Field Trip 9.

This video was recorded late on the very last day, in the blistering heat. I am not responsible for any yelling, whistling or shouts that may damage your speakers or eardrums. Please enjoy, Wes and Dave.

Inteview #10 Sergey (PRS)

Hello again. I figured that since we have all been missing the Sunday night vlog, I would post Serg's interview tonight. I was very happy to get to spend a little more time with Serg at this Field Trip. After my Private Investigation, we tagged along with Serg and went into the hole, which was cool since the bats made it too freaky for me the night before. I really appreciated it. Also, I REALLY want his camera lol.


No film was discarded or overexposed in the making of this interview, in fact, no film was used at all. The exposure was slightly off, but blame it on the new camera, not the operator, or subject.

Interview #9 Anne (MayMay) Forum Member

I know that everyone knows MayMay to talk to her on the Forums or in PITV, but she is a big part of Field Trips too. MayMay is funny, helpful, and always waiting with a smile or a chuckle just when you need it the most. Although she is camera shy, she took the time to do this interview and it was much appreciated. I hope you all enjoy it, and I hope it gives you a chance to see another side of MayMay.

While she was embarrassed, MayMay was not injured or bribed in any way while taking part in this interview.

Interview #8 Heather Taddy - PRS

Good evening all! Now that I have the whole upload video thing down, these posts will return to their regularly scheduled programming slot, aka nightly. Now, I know a lot of people might be asking "where are the PRS interviews? Why am I watching Forum Members?", the answer is...because I said so! No, in all seriousness, I have tried to switch it up because while seeing PRS at these Field Trips is amazing, the people who attend help make the memories.

Tonight I will bring you another interesting interview from a PRS member. I managed to steal a few seconds with Ms. Heather Taddy and she contributed to this little experiment of mine. I promise, she was not injured while filming this, but as many of you may have seen in PITV videos, she was lifted up a heck of a lot. (I know, I couldn't come up with anything else guys, these disclaimers are really getting tough)

And now....Heather Taddy!

Also, feel free to leave comments guys, I always welcome criticism and ideas for improvement!

Interview #7 - Tania Forum Member

You all know her from the Forums and the Field Trips. She is wacky, she is friendly and she is fun! No guys, in all honesty, I hope you enjoy this video. Tania is and amazing person, full of fun, energy and positivity. Her forum persona is actually how she is, as you will come to see.

No one was injured in the capturing of this video, but we were laughing a lot, confused a little and smiling widely. I give you all...Tania!

No more audio blog, so a final wrap up.

Okay guys, from this point on, I was incapable of doing the audio blog thing. My head began to get much more intense the more time I spent on the grounds. It was amusing to me that I did my best to come up with any reason, but the prison, to explain the amount of pressure that I felt on my head. Finally, Monday evening, I gave up and admitted that whatever was going on with my head was a direct result of the prison. Every time we arrived on the grounds, the pressure began, and about a block away it was just gone. Needless to say, this made the trip a little less fun for me.

Considering everything I was going through, I was very glad to find out that Jackie was having a psychic self defense workshop, which concentrated on grounding and shielding. I wasn't able to actually shield that night, I couldn't get past the pressure, but I succeeded a little on Tuesday and managed to enjoy most of the goodbye party. I just started to feel better, and we were leaving. Those are the breaks.

We attended Elfie's lecture on Haunted Objects, which was great. It was nice to hear about that aspect of the paranormal, which is something that most people just don't think about too much. I did record the lecture, and may eventually post it on here, if I can get permission.

I will definitely post the Prison Tour video, but I want to wait until all the interviews are up, so that I don't start to confuse people.

Audio blog #4 - Sunday August 8, 2010 10:45

Just about to go on our beginner’s ghost hunt, at least I hope we are. They have had to stop the tour temporarily to a huge amount of bats inside the prison. I’ve never encountered bats before, so I am a little freaked out.
Tania and I have been hanging around, talking with different people and just killing time until we take our tour. We met Brian, who I’ve had a blast talking wrestling with, which I never really get to do at all. We met a bunch of forum people, Tony, Kelly Ann and Jess, and we are all just having a blast.

I am hoping to get some of my video interviews tomorrow, since I am not really feeling well again. My headache just doesn’t want to quit. Even with the headache, I can’t wait to go inside the prison. It is a little intimidating as well, since it is supposedly very active and such. Apparently we are going to be led through different areas of the prison and will encounter PRS members in there to explain things to us.

Well, looks like things are moving along, so I’ll put more down later.

Audio blog #3 - Sunday August 8, 2010 at 2:30

I had a reading with Elfie of my Tarot cards. It was a little disconcerting to have my Tarot cards read while sitting in a very tiny prison cell, dubbed the “Zodiac” cell due to the art work on the walls. To be honest, having my Tarot cards read at all makes me nervous. I thought it would be interesting to do, and now that I have, I think I’m good for the next 20 or 30 years. The prospect of knowing to much about the future or having someone else use cards to tell you who you are, and being right, is just a little too wiggy for me. For those who are interested my cards were: The Page of Swords, The Devil, a card that had 8 or 9 poles and a guy, and The King of Cups.
I had wanted to go to the Sacred Burial Mound, but I really didn’t feel well enough. Actually, right about now my headache is getting pretty fun. I had to stop my prison tour to have my cards read with Elfie, but Boris video taped it for me to watch later.
The welcome party is starting shortly, so everyone is just kind of hanging around until the tour groups return, but I’m heading inside now since the sun is a little warmer than I am used to.

Audio blog #2 - Sunday August 8 at 12:49

We went to lunch after we finished registering and we yet again had issues with a member of our party. It turns out that no one can really stand to be around Ali, and I have a feeling this will continue to be the case. Sadly, at this point I can see her almost ruining the trip for Lobo and Boris. Lobo had left her phone in the restaurant and when she went back to check, someone had nicely turned it in. Trust me, this would not happen in Toronto, that’s for sure.


I don't really know how to explain this place. I've been battling a headache all day so the words just aren't flowing properly for me, you all must excuse me. The sight of this place is astounding though. The building has an extremely imposing Gothic look to it, that just adds to the spooky atmosphere. I am quite interested to see what the inside looks like, since the out portion of the building seems to be quite deteriorated for only being closed 15 years.

The PRS and AGH members are showing up now, along with fellow forum and field trippers so I am going to run off and try to be a little social.

The issues are fixed...

Okay, so I had all sorts of trouble uploading videos to the blog here, as you all know. Well, after adding Firefox to my computer and not fixing the problem, I discovered, all on my own, what the issue was. It has been corrected and we should have no further interruptions to the flow of video.

Apparently my new video camera records in MP2 format, which blogspot doesn't like. I just figured I would try converting to an MP4 and voila, it worked and posted in half the time. Darn MP's choose a size and stick with it *grumble grumble* Anyways, as I said, there will be no more interruption to the flow of video interviews.

Enjoy all.

Interview #6 with AGH Justin and George

Hello all and welcome to tonight's interview. Tonight we are being invaded by none other than the AGH crew! While at the Field Trip, I managed to get AGH Justin and George to take part in my little blog interview experiment.


Both guys were very funny, and sweet enough to take some time and get silly with me during this interview. I hope you all enjoy it!

Will Farrell and all other comedy actors were not injured so that these funny guys could take their place. Please make sure not to drink during this interview, or do so at your own risk! Neither I, or George and Justin, are responsible for any fluid that may grace your computer screen as a result of watching this interview.

Interview #5 Jess (Phase03) Forum Member

Hi All,

I had some issues with uploading Boris's video, so rather than frustrate myself to death, I will try uploading Jess's video and see if that works.

Drum Roll....

Let me introduce you to...Jess, Phase03 to all of you forum people out there. It was very nice to finally meet Jess face to face. She was quite, sweet and sometimes, like myself, a little too nice to people who didn't deserve it. Anyway, keep your fingers crossed, and enjoy...

No cavities were acquired by anyone involved during the filming of this interview, even though she was sweet as candy,

Interview #4 with Boris (aka Yoda, Borisimo) Forum Member

Hello all,


Sorry I didn't post an interview last night, but I was exttremly tired after working. Here is tonight's interview. Let me introduce you all to Boris, aka Yoda (or Borisimo to Forum Members). I am quite partial to my Yoda (no one else may call him that either, I have exclusive rights to that nickname). Since meeting at FT8, we have become very good friends.

No Jedi's were injured in the light saber battle to bring this exclusive interview to you, only Sith. May The Force be with you all, most especially my teacher, Yoda.

(I know, these disclaimers get sillier and slightly lamer each time, but I can't help it.)

Interview #3 - Elfie Music

Hello fellow readers. Tonight I was feeling the music, so I thought I would bring you all *drum roll* Elfie Music!!!

Elfie was nice enough to take part in my little experiment at the Field Trip and she was smiley and chipper. I love the smile and laugh. I just can't help but do both when I watch it.

No records were scratched, and no copyright infringement happened while bringing you this video. (Okay, that was a little lame, but I was at a loss.)

Enjoy, Elfie Music.

Transcript-Audio Blog 1 Sunday August 8th, 11:10a.

The trip to WV was interesting to say the least. We began the trek at 9:30am, and by 11 we had finally managed to get out of Toronto. It was 3 hours to get to the border and 20 minutes to actually cross the border. Our tip ended up being 10 hours instead of 7 as it was supposed to. Our GPS died in Pennsylvania (Conneaut lake actually).

We arrived about 7:30 at the hotels and we settled in and met up with Boris and Lobo. After big SuperNerd hellos, we got decked out in new flare, Frownie buttons all around. Much craziness ensued as we all travelled to a nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner. Tania was all bubbly so when she was in the bathroom, Lobo told the staff it was her birthday and they made her wear a sombrero and got ice cream all over her face. They must have been very happy when our loud silly group finally left.

On our trip back to the hotel, we missed the turn off and ended up on some back road and we were very lost. Everyone got a little stabby, but we eventually found our way back to the hotel and made our way to Lobo and Boris’s room. Bones was very stand offish. She ended up forcing everyone out of the room much earlier than we were ready for.

We made friends with Wes and Dave. They were totally awesome and tons of fun. They were really sweet guys and just a genuine pleasure to meet. Pat made a surprise appearance at the FT. It was amazing to meet her. I really feel like I have a friend in her. She is wicked supportive of my writing, and just an all around happy type of person.
We had set the alarm to wake up at 8 am, but it didn’t go off, but thank god Tania woke up and we made it on time. We made it to the prison fine, and I took some video as we arrived. Everyone is really geared up for a good time. The prison itself is slightly imposing, large brick walls, barb wired basketball courts.

We are getting ready to head out to the Prison Tour, then back to the Welcome Center for the Welcome tour

Interview #2 - Kelly Ann (Intriguing) Forum Member

Okay, so I didn't just want to interview PRS and AGH members for this. We know them all, and while we wanted to know more about them, I thought it would be cool to learn about our fellow Field Tripper's and Forum Members as well.

So, from the wilds of the PRS Forums, I bring you Kelly Ann (Intriguing). She was slightly harmed in the filming of this interview, but only from laughing so hard. Let the Forum  people speak!

As promised, Interview #1, Coalin Smith

So I wanted to have a little fun, and ask a bunch of silly questions to PRS members and Field Trippers and log the responses. When I acquired my new video camera, the idea struck me...alright, actually Sergey's Vlog inspired me a little. I asked everyone the same 5 questions, and one that I tried to gear to their specific talents or interests. Those special questions I made up on the spot, so forgive me if they are not the best.

This is all about silliness, lightheartedness and asking a question that people aren't always asked. It was all in fun, and no members of PRS were hurt in the filming of this interview lol.

And here he is Coalin Smith...

Okay, short synopsis of the trip

So, I had fully intended to keep a lengthy blog, just as I did with the last one, but West Virginia State Penitentiary had different plans for me. Most of the trip I was feeling a lot of pressure on my head, causing me to feel like I had something akin to a migraine, but different. I did still keep a blog for a while. I went all technological this time and kept an audio blog, so that I didn't have to try to write as quick as I think, which is usually pretty quick.

I will still post the few I did take, but maybe a short rundown here would work better for now as I am still pretty beat. Everything was laid back, but I remember thinking it was a serious laid back feeling too. I think so many of us were excited for what we were about to do, and intimidated by the magnitude as well. I know that I was excited. Having never been on a "real" investigation, the prospect of checking this place out was intimidating, The prospect of actually collecting some evidence, that was remarkable.

I'm going to sign off for tonight and I'll transcribe the few blog posts and accumulate what I can over the weekend for posting as soon as I can.

A little announcement.

Okay guys. I will write more in my blog entry this evening about my trip, but for now I will mention the cool stuff I talked about in my last entry.

Before heading off to FT9, I Twittered or FaceBook'd a few PRS members and asked them if they would take part in a short video interview for this blog while on the FT. I did manage to get almost everyone. I did interview Michelle and Whitney, but when I went to review them, they were gone, so sadly no interview from them. I'll have to do it again at the next FT I attend, it was really fun. 

So, I will post one new interview a night. I managed to corner some Forum people too, and everyone had fun. We'll start tonight and go on until there isn't any interviews left. Hope you guys like them.

Greetings from Ohio...

Hi all! Just a quick line tonight, I've been battling a headache all day at the Penn. Things are good. Had our ghost tour through the prison tonight. Listening to the EVP from it right now. So far, a breathing noise:) This is so cool.

Night all, will try to write more tomorrow.

Wow, 2 nights in a row...this could be spooky lol

Okay, so I'm exaggerating. I do usually update every night, but I have been naughty and missed a lot lately as I said yesterday. Today was another busy day. I went to work, worked like mad, then ran to the mall to get some last minute things for the Field Trip and then ran home to eat and log on for PITV.

Needless to say, PITV was cancelled, but at least I got packed, at least mostly. I still have the last minute stuff to pack, like the toiletries and such, but for the most part, ready to go. I'm getting more and more excited. Angel and Tania will be arriving here tomorrow, and then Saturday we begin our trek. I'm very excited to see Lobo, Yoda, and The PRS. Plus, I got word today that Pat will be going too! This trip keeps getting better and better.

Anyways, off to finish cleaning and packing. I may not post again until I get back, so have a great weekend. I'll have some cool stuff when I report my trip blog.:) Like how I left you all hanging?

Okay...so I fell behind

Okay, so I am a horrible blogger. It's been almost a week since my last post. In my defense, I have been mad, crazy busy. There has been so much going on, a convention, another shift at the Ticket place and work and packing for FT9.

First off, the convention was pretty cool. I was disappointed that there wasn't much in the vendor room, considering the price I paid for my ticket, but I actually got an autograph with everyone there, included in the price, plus I attended a ball. That's right, I said a Ball, as in dancing and such. I actually pulled the sexy red dress out of the closet, dusted it off and then spruced myself up and headed off to the Ball Saturday night. I must admit, I felt kind of like Cinderella, minus the ugly stepsisters. It was actually great, hob knobbing with the movie stars.

I sent my brother out to do my pre Field Trip shopping as per usual and he returned home with the pretty red video camera I picked out. I spent the weekend at the convention taking pics and trying it out. For what I spent, it was a great camera!!!! I can't wait to use it this weekend. It actually took really good pictures and the video was really clear. I'm a happy camera owner. Now, to find my subjects this weekend...

I have decided that other than Argos shifts, which I always work in the summer, I am kind of done with the double job duty. It just takes way too much out of me, and I have discovered that I have forgotten to do stuff, like update this blog, talk to friends, read...you know, the good stuff. Plus, I'm just wiped out all the time.

Field Trip 9...what can I say. It's going to be a blast. I plan to take lots of video, maybe a few interviews, if it works out, for this blog, and keep my usual trip blog for me to post when I get back. I am so ready for the vacation, the fun, the friends and the unknown.

Can someone speed things up so that Saturday is here???

Almost there

Well, I'm having a hard time with the realization that just a few weeks ago I was dealing with writer's block and now I am almost finished with Ally's Story. All that is left to write is the climax, which I have no idea how to write lol. I may have to get some advice on this one, it's not my usual territory. This book has been so fun to write because it's not like anything I've written before. I feel like I've stepped into a whole new world.

Once I finish Ally's Story, it's back to book 3. I know that some people *cough cough, Angie, cough cough* have been eagerly awaiting the ending of Robert and Jennifer's story. I think I put it off so long because I just don't want to finish telling their story, but all good things must come to an end. *sigh* I hope to have Ally's Story finished by the end of August, and if I am lucky, Jennifer and Robert's story finished by then end of September or so.

What will I come up with once these are finished? *blank stare* Right now, I got nothing. I'm working on something though, in connection with Robert and Jennifer's story, so if it works out, I'll definitely post the details here.

A slow comeback

Well, after a week of headaches, I am finally feeling like me again. Saturday the dreaded headaches has morphed into a migraine, but thankfully the rain storm we had all day Saturday was enough to break the pressure and return me to my normal, pain free self. I really didn't feel up to doing much over the weekend, so I curled up with my buddy Fox Mulder and kicked some X-Files.

I did in fact feel so horrible, that I couldn't even be too upset at the fact that it was once again ComiCon weekend and I was missing out. One day, I will get myself to the SDCC and I will geek out to my hearts content. I can't imagine a more amazing way to spend a weekend, hence the reason I included ComiCon in my book. *sigh* A dream yet to be fulfilled.

I was going to try to get some writing done tonight, but I am just not feeling the drive. My mind is still moving at a slow pace following the jackhammer's exit. I really am not that far off schedule with where I wanted Ally's Story to be at this point, so another day of rest won't hurt to much. Back to the grind tomorrow with a fresh mind, I hope.

One more day to go...

So I have almost come to the end of my crazy week of overworking. I worked both Bon Jovi/Kid Rock concerts, and tomorrow I work an Argos game.  I must admit that I am exhausted. Between the work and the heat, things are making me very tired. I feel like...well, like I need the vacation I am working to pay for.

The second Bon Jovi/Kid Rock concert was great. They improved the sound and lighting, but at the expense of shutting down 6 sections in the 500 level, which is coincidentally where I was working customer service last night *sigh*.  I ended up running back and forth between the two booths on opposite sides of the 500 level helping to distribute new tickets. By the end of my shift, my foot was very swollen, and I was exhausted. To be honest, all I wanted to do was go home to bed, but I had a ticket to see the show so I watched Bon Jovi's set, which was really great. I'm glad I went, even though I paid the price today.

One more shift, and I will be able to go on FT9 without leaving myself in debt when I return, which was the goal of this gruelling week. Just one more shift....

A long day...with another one tomorrow

Wow, I realized today that I may not be getting old, but I am getting older. It's a fact. I used to be able to work 2 jobs, one from 9 to 5 then the second from 7 to 10, then go out to the bar and not get home until 1am and go to work the next day for 9am. Now I realize that I just don't have that same stamina I had in my younger days.

I've been picking up extra shifts, at a TicketMaster box office, to supplement the money I spent on FT9 and the other things that go along with it. Today I worked my normal job, from 9:15 till 4:15 (I have enough overtime to cover the short hour) then started working the Bon Jovi concert from 4 till 9:30. Now that I am home from work, I am just exhausted.

I wonder, is it the excitement of being younger that gets us through the crazy things we put our bodies through? With the prospect of working the same shifts and staying for the concert tomorrow, I'm hoping to find a little of that young excitement inside me tomorrow.

How much we rely on technology

Today, around dinner time, I realized that my Blackberry Twitter hadn't notified me of updates in a while. I opened up the application, only to find that it hadn't updated in 4 hours. I cleared the cache, and updated the program, and discovered that there was a problem on the Twitter servers and not a problem with my phone. After doing the update, I am unable to log on at all. *sigh*

I found myself checking it every half hour or so trying to log back in with no success and my frustration was growing, until I sat back and thought about it. It amazes me just how reliant I have become on the technology that is at my fingertips. If my Twitter goes down, my email won't receive or, goodness help us all, my internets completely goes down, it feels almost like I am fully disconnected from the world. I love my tech, really I do, but how did this happen to us? How did we become so reliant on technology that going without it for short periods of time is akin to losing power or water?

It frightens me a little that this is where we have evolved to. I mean, if it is this hard for the people of our generation to survive these little blips in the tech world, how will our children eventually survive the same thing in 10 years time? I think we should all take a step back, from time to time, turn off the tech (trust me, it hurts a tech nerd like me to say this) and get back to a time before iPhones *shudders* and Blackberry's were our lifelines. Maybe doing this once in a while, will give us a new appreciation for the tech we rely on as well as the world that surrounds us.

"The video arcade is down the street. Here we just sell small rectangular objects. They're called books. They require a little effort on your part, and make no bee-bee-bee-bee-beeps. On your way please." -Mr. Koreander from The NeverEnding Story.

A relaxing day

So today was the first really relaxing day I've had in weeks, even though the washer acted up and the tub was leaking. I just hammered the tub board back in place, and shifted the washer basket around until they were fixed. I spent the rest of the day watching X-Files on DVD and working on a "secret" birthday surprise for a friend.

Speaking of which...must get back to it. Hoefully the next few days will bring more interesting posts.

Preparations begin

So we have finally decided to just go ahead and book our hotel for FT9. We waited for the "official" hotel announcement, but since it hasn't come, and we virgo's tend to get a little stabby if we don't plan ahead, we booked a room Friday night at the Days Inn.

I am excited about this hotel, to be honest. I love that there is air conditioning, showers (really, you don't miss it until you don't have one), a Olympic size pool, and the Internets!!!!! I don't think I could survive another 3 days without the Internets. I really can't wait to get there, and hop in the pool. Pool Party!

In all honesty, I just can't wait for this trip. I've been so busy working, hence no blog posts, that I just really need a break. Hurry up August 7th.

Just another day...

Well, today turned out to be just another day filled with work and other things. I almost didn't write a post, but DJTunes treated me to Kid Rock and I realized that I had to.

Today I got an interesting offer of discounted (very discounted) tickets for the Kid Rock/Bon Jovi concert next week. I've seen Kid Rock many times, and am more interested in seeing him than Bon Jovi, but I think it could be fun. Even though I have to work some of it, I can't wait.

Man, more Kid Rock, a good day all around.

Breaking the block

I've been battling writer's block for a little over a week now. I can't really think of very many things that are worse for a creative person, whether a writer or an artist, than being blocked. This really has been a horrible week, writing wise. I've stared at blank screens seeing nothing but the blinking cursor, cursing and pleading with my mind to just let me make a little hole and get something through.

I tried little exercises, the fruits of those labours are detailed here in my blog, and with the help of photos supplied by my friends, I felt a little creative. Suddenly, a little hole appeared in the wall. It took some chiseling away at it, but each little story made the hole a little bigger. Not all of them are my best work, or something I will keep, but they were the stepping stone I needed.

Tonight I opened Chapter 20 of Ally's Story, with the intent to break through the wall and accomplish something. After almost an hour and only producing 3 paragraphs, I was starting to doubt that I would do what I had aimed for. I was beginning to get really frustrated, and suddenly one of the words I had forced onto the page broke through the wall and it just flowed out of me. I've missed that feeling, the way the story feels when it flows through you as if you have no say in what happens, it just happens.

I'm sure I will sleep much better tonight, and tomorrow I hope to re-enter Ally's mind with ease, the way it's always been.

Thanks to all who supplied me with pictures to jump start my mind. I appreciated the help and support. You guys rock.