Author Archives: Bizarre Brunette

Do Outgoing Introverts Exist?

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In any personality quiz, it always asks if I’m an introvert or an extrovert. This is always tough to answer. I like being social and hanging out with my friends. However, I need to recharge. If I’m too social or have too many jam-packed social weekends, I find myself mentally exhausted. Neither introvert nor extrovert seems to fit my personality. After reading Donovan’s blog post “It’s Time to Get Rid of Introverted and Extroverted” I wanted to talk about my experience with labeling myself as either an introvert or an extrovert.

Image is a photo of me and my friend leaning over a birthday cake.
High School Mariah wearing a Band t-shirt. circa 2011

In high school, I was shy. I was insecure about every single part of myself. I wasn’t sure who I was, and I didn’t feel confident in how I looked. I still needed a social recharge now and then. I would often stay home on Fridays and watch movies with my mom because I needed a break from socializing at school. When I reminisce about this part of my life, I would have labeled myself as a shy introvert. I always thought that someone’s personality can’t change throughout their life, but this isn’t something I still believe in.

Image is a photo of me taking a selfie and smiling at the camera.
Freshman year of college – Fall 2012

Once I graduated from high school, I went to college. Going off to college is where I was able to shine. I was able to fully explore hobbies, meet new friends, and confront some of my insecurities. I dated someone who wasn’t right for me, and after realizing this, I ended things with that person. It was empowering for me to take control of my life and recognize what I fully wanted from a partner. I started meeting friends with similar interests to me, and this led me to become more social in college. While in high school, I labeled myself as a shy introvert; now I would rank myself as an outgoing introvert.

Some find the use of labels comforting, but I’m the opposite. Trying to fit introvert, extrovert, shy, outgoing, etc., into my personality feels a bit overwhelming. I’m a unique person where I feel opposite terms apply to me. I wish we would get rid of introvert and extrovert because I think they aren’t full-encompassing personality terms. I feel very similar to Donovan and how they describe these terms. I would highly recommend reading their post I have linked, because it resonated with me enough to write my post.

Do you think introvert or extrovert are labels you use, or do you think that these are wholly unnecessary?

Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes

Posted in Gaming by

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is devouring all my gaming time. I’m still nowhere near done with decorating my island, although I wanted to play other video games simultaneously. I wanted to play a video game with a start and an endpoint. This led me back to Steam to play through another Nancy Drew game. The latest Nancy Drew game I finished was Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes.

Alibi in Ashes starts with Nancy receiving a note to go to the town hall in River Heights. As she investigates why she was sent there, she’s locked in a room where a fire starts. After escaping the town hall, she’s questioned by the local police, leading to her arrest. Alibi in Ashes is a unique Nancy Drew game, as Nancy spends the majority of her time in jail. As the player, Nancy can switch to either her boyfriend Ned or her friends Bess and George. Nancy can send her allies to various parts of River Heights to look for clues, play mini-games, and gather evidence.

I liked being able to switch between Nancy’s friends. I found myself relying on Ned for the most part because certain situations required him to talk to the NPCs. While I liked being able to play as Nancy’s friend, I thought the mechanics could have been better. To switch characters, Nancy would call her friends. However, I couldn’t switch from Ned to Bess, for example, I would use Ned to call Nancy, who then had to call Bess to switch the game to her. If they are all friends, why couldn’t I seamlessly switch between Nancy to Ned, to Bess without having to go through Nancy? I didn’t think this was a big deterrent to playing the game, although it was a bit of a nuisance at times.

Each Nancy Drew game is known for its puzzles or mini-games. There was a fun antique box mini-game that could be played in the antique store in River Heights. The box opens with various numbers on the screen. In the game, you have to click numbers 1 – 41 at a certain time. I think I spent about thirty minutes playing this mini-game over and over again. Out of all the Nancy Drew games I have played, this mini-game was the most enjoyable and addictive.

Towards the end of the game, it’s revealed early on who is the one who framed Nancy. The climax of the game is having to prevent the suspect from revealing incriminating information about Nancy. I enjoy the Nancy Drew games, where it’s more of a jump scare of who the evil villain is. It didn’t distract from the game, but I felt a little let down with the villain reveal.

Nancy Drew: Alibi in Ashes is a solid Nancy Drew outing. It’s a fun take on the other Nancy Drew games by allowing other playable characters and being able to navigate around Nancy’s hometown of River Heights. Out of the thirty-three Nancy Drew games out there to play, I only have twenty-eight more to go!

Image is a screenshot of Alibi in Ashes. It shows a checklist of various items. There are two lists with each list having six items, so 12 things in total. There is one item checked in the list on the left and five things checked in the second list on the right.
Screenshot taken by me.

Aquicorn Cove – Review

Posted in Reading/Books by

Last year, I read The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill. I was blown away by the art, along with how Katie can write heavy topics with a bright artistic style. Once I read The Tea Dragon Society, I purchased Aquicorn Cove, another book written in the same world as The Tea Dragon Society. It’s no surprise that Aquicorn Cove was a graphic novel I would adore. This story focuses on the loss of a family member and ocean preservation.

Aquicorn Cove focuses on a young girl named Lana. Lana goes on a trip to visit her Aunt Mae, who lives by the sea. Lana would visit Mae when she was younger with her mother. Unfortunately, Lana’s mother was killed in a boating accident when Lana was young. As Lana visits Mae, Lana discovers a young, injured Aquicorn that resembles a Tea Dragon seahorse. Throughout the story, Lana realizes that Mae’s actions may have damaged the ocean and led to the injury of the Aquicorn. This forces Mae to recognize that her actions have consequences.

I see the struggle Lana faces as she visits Mae. Lana is struggling with memories of her mother. As someone who has lost a parent at a young age, I felt Lana’s pain. She is coming to terms with the fact that these memories will preserve her mother in her mind, although it’s painful to think that her mother is gone.

Katie’s imagery in this is breathtaking. The sea is bright, the sky is sparkling, and the aquicorns are cute creatures living in the sea. Each panel was interesting to look at. While this book is about 100 pages long, I found myself taking longer to read it because I kept looking at each page.

Aquicorn Cove is a beautiful story of life, loss, and reflection. I would recommend reading The Tea Dragon Society first because I think it sets the tone for this story. Both The Tea Dragon Society and Aquicorn Cove can be purchased on Oni Press‘s website or through your local bookstore.

My TV Watch List

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by

I have a bad habit when it comes to watching TV. I can’t make up my mind on what I want to watch, so I watch multiple shows at once. I start shows before I finish watching them. I’m currently watching six shows on four different streaming platforms. My goal would be to finish what I have started before watching another show. I wanted to share what I’m juggling through watching and my goals for what I want to watch next.

YouTube

Critical Role

I have talked about Critical Role multiple times. I’m surprised at how invested I am in this campaign. I’m still on campaign #1, Vox Machina. I’m on episode #26 during the Briarwood Arc. Many fans of Critical Role started watching campaign #2, Mighty Nein; however, I’m a completionist. I wanted to start from the beginning to see how Critical Role developed into the popular series it is today. I have become a big fan of this series and how each character serves a purpose in the group. I would love to finish campaign #1 by the end of 2021, although with each episode being 3-4 hours long, I’m not sure if I will accomplish this.

Disney+

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

I tried to watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars multiple times, but never got past the first season. This time, my fiancé agreed to watch with me. I’m happy I tried to re-watch this series again because now that I’m in the middle of season #2, I’m enjoying the show. I found season #1 to be slow to watch. My fiancé and I are in the Mand’alor’ story arc, which plays nicely into The Mandalorian. This is another series I hope to complete by the end of 2021.

X-Men Animated Series

Earlier in the year, I started watching the X-Men animated series from the ’90s. I’m loving this series! It’s rejuvenated my love for the X-Men. I’m still in season #1 when Cable was introduced. My favorite characters have to be Jean, Storm, or Gambit. I’m excited to keep watching, especially because the Dark Phoenix story arc appears later on in the show. I’m inspired to read more X-Men comics since I started watching this show. I’m excited to finish this series.

Hulu

Scandal

I started watching Scandal back when I was still in college. I ended up getting to season #5 before moving on to another show. With Scandal off the air, I was determined to finish the show. Similar to my first time watching the show, I watched seasons 1-4 quickly, and I’m stuck on season #5. If I don’t get through season #5 by the end of 2021, I will move on to watching something else.

Netflix

Hollywood

Hollywood is a series created by Ryan Murphy detailing the drama of Hollywood in the 1950s. I was looking for something steamy to watch, and Netflix recommended this series. This didn’t disappoint, and it was exactly what I was looking for.

Schitt$ Creek

This show doesn’t need an introduction. Almost everyone I know has watched this series and raved about it! When I was visiting a friend, she put on the first season. I don’t have anything to add. This series is phenomenal. The humor is witty, especially when it comes to Moira and David. I’m struggling to watch this because I’m not in the mood for a sitcom. Eventually, my friend is going to give me shit for not finishing this show, so I do need to finish this.

Those are all the shows I’m watching! My goal would be to cut down on the shows I’m watching by not starting anything new and finishing the shows I’m on. Once I cut down on the shows I’m watching, I can finally use my Funimation subscription and add anime to my watchlist.

Golfing at Top Golf

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My fiancé has been getting back into golf. He used to golf when he was younger, and he realized how much he missed it. This led to my fiancé planning a bridal party/groomsman social at Top Golf. Top Golf is an outdoor driving range with a restaurant and bar. This social was a blast! I was happy to mix our friends and have us all hang out. If there’s anything I have learned from planning my wedding, it’s that I’m so fortunate to have my friends.

Image is a photo of five women. We are all smiling at the camera.

At Top Golf, we reserved two bays. Each bay can host up to six people. Top Golf is a driving range, not a full course. To help keep golfing interesting, there are various game options to help keep things competitive. Additionally, Top Golf has left-handed clubs! I’m left-handed, and I have tried playing right-handed, but it’s too awkward for me. As a beer drinker, I ordered a couple of pitchers and took turns golfing and drinking all day.

Image is a photo of 10 people, five women and five men. In the back, a woman is kissing a man on the cheek.

Overall, the day was a blast! It was a fun summer activity. It was perfect for mixing everyone, especially since it was two completely separate friend groups.

Image is a photo of a man taking a selfie and we are all smiling and looking at the camera.

Mid-Year Comic Freak Out Tag

Posted in Reading/Books by

I have seen the Mid-Year Book Tag floating around the internet, both on blogs and YouTube videos. I wanted to shake it up because this year I have read so many comics. Having a pull list has created an obligation to go to a comic book store at least twice a month. This is my take on the “Mid-Year Book Tag” except with comics instead.

Best Comic I’ve Read So Far in 2021

Image is a photo of a comic. It is Black Cat #1 from the King in Black story. It shows a woman with white hair wearing a black body suit. On the collar is white fur along with the white fur appearing on the ankles. There's a claw reaching for Black Cat.

Earlier in 2021, Marvel had launched their King in Black crossover event. This teams up the Marvel heroes to battle Knull, the god of the symbiotes. I had several series I was interested in, but none captured my attention like Black Cat. Each issue was equally entertaining and action-packed. Black Cat has quickly become one of my favorite Marvel heroes to follow. This was so good and quite possibly might be my favorite issue I have read in 2021.

Best Comic Sequel I’ve Read in 2021

Witchblood is another comic series that I’m thoroughly enjoying. On the cover is the main protagonist, Yonna. She is a witch traveling in the Western United States. While traveling, her motorcycle breaks down, and she stumbles upon a group of vampires. These vampires are hunting for an artifact that belongs to Yonna’s mentor. Yonna realizes she can’t let these vampires collect the artifact, and now she’s on an adventure to stop them.

Witchblood is a comic I would recommend for anyone new to comics.

New Release I Haven’t Read Yet

Image is a graphic novel cover for Food Goodness Sake Volume One by K. Lynn Smith. It shows a woman with blue hair on the cover. Behind her is a devil. He is side eyeing her.

I backed the third volume of For Goodness Sake by K. Lynn Smith. Additionally, I was able to pick up the second volume, too. I believe it technically will be released this year? or sent to me in the mail this year, so I thought it counted.

For Goodness Sake tells the story of Rayne, a young woman traveling throughout the US in her makeshift camper. She stumbles upon Thatcher. Thatcher was cursed, and now he appears as a relative of the devil. Rayne is determined to rid Thatcher of his curse and find who cursed him in the first place. Rayne and Thatcher’s friendship is adorable to read about.

Biggest Disappointment

Hollywood Trash #1 was probably the worst comic I have read this year. I’m a big fan of Mad Cave Studios; however, this series wasn’t for me. The story was hard to follow, and I didn’t find it that interesting.

Newest Favorite Character

Logan McBride is a character I thought was intriguing to follow. She’s one of the main characters in Destiny NY by Pat Shand. I like reading about Logan because her actions seem realistic. She is going through a bad breakup and calls out her ex for treating her badly. She takes comfort in working at a coffee shop and petting her kitty. She also fulfilled her destiny at a young age and now struggles to find what’s next for her. She’s a young woman who doesn’t know who she is yet. I think that struggle reminds me of me a couple of years ago.

Destiny NY is another great comic series I would recommend.

Book That Made Me Happy + Beautiful Book I’ve Bought

Aquicorn Cove is such a lovely story about family, loss, and ocean preservation. Aquicorn Cove takes place in the same world as Tea Dragon Society, both written and illustrated by Katie O’Neill. Aquicorn Cove centers on Lana, who visits her aunt by the sea. Lana’s mother passed away when Lana was young, and she finds the sea has awakened memories of her and her mother. As storms constantly rock the land, Lana finds an Aquicorn that’s been impacted by the pollution in the lake. This prompts Lana’s aunt to revisit why she does the things she does and how her actions have caused damage to the ocean.

This is such a beautiful story. Katie O’Neill has a way of telling a story about heavy topics while still making this light-hearted. I want to save these books for my children and read these stories to them.

Currently, I have read 63 books and/or comics this year. I have surpassed my goal, and I’m excited to see what my reading number will be at the end of 2021. What comics have you read this year that you have loved? Let me know in the comments below.

Baseball – My Favorite Summer Sport

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My dad loved Baseball. He was always watching the Minnesota Twins from his comfy recliner with our family cat, Jasmine, on his lap. I went to two Twins games with my dad before he died in 2006. Baseball will always have a special place in my heart because of the passion my dad had for the game. Most critics of Baseball say the game is boring to watch, and I get it. It’s a lot of watching for nothing to happen. It’s exactly why I love it. It’s a game to sit down, have a beer, and socialize with friends.

Image is a photo taken from Target Field, where the Minnesota Twins play. It shows the Minneapolis skyline in the background.

For those who aren’t from Minnesota, our baseball team is named after our two cities. In most states, there are at least two major cities. Our major cities in Minnesota are right next to each other, so they are often named “The Twin Cities,” hence the Minnesota Twins. Our baseball stadium when I was growing up was the Metrodome, which was a big stadium for both the Vikings and the Twins. The Metrodome collapsed one year after enough snow piled onto it. Without getting into the specifics, this led to the creation of Target Field, which is an outdoor stadium in Minneapolis.

Image is a statue of Snoopy holding his red food dish in his mouth.

For my friend’s birthday, we went to a Twins game. The Twins played the Houston Astros, the same team accused of cheating after winning the World Series in 2017. I find that’s important to mention because while they still kept their World Series title, they still cheated. Anyway, my friends and I went to a brewery and a cidery before the game. The Twins ended up winning the game 5-2 over the Astros.

Image is a photo of me and my friend. We are smiling and holding our beers. We are sitting on a statue of Charlie Brown holding a baseball and a glove.

While driving home from the game, I thought about how much my dad would have loved to see the new stadium. My dad has been gone for 15 years now, and I’m at a point in my life where I can fondly recall memories from my childhood and feel blessed that my dad was in my life. Baseball will forever be a sport that reminds me of my dad and his devotion to the Minnesota Twins.

May the 4th 2021 – Revisited

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches, Gaming, Reading/Books by

Last month, I wrote a post about my Star Wars plan for May the 4th. Every May, I spend almost the entire month devoting myself to all things Star Wars. I do it every year, and I find I look forward to it. I wanted to reflect on my month and what I accomplished.

Books and Comics

The main book I wanted to read was Alphabet Squadron by Alexander Freed. I didn’t finish the book. To be honest, I thought the book felt a bit bloated with too many characters. It was hard to keep track of which characters were driving the story and which were supposed to be in the background. I’m disappointed because I have felt this way about quite a few of the new Star Wars novelizations. I put this one down, and I don’t think I will try re-reading it.

Skipping Alphabet Squadron, I did finish Queen’s Shadow by E.K. Johnston. I gave this book four stars on Goodreads. This lived up to my expectations for Padme and her story before Attack of the Clones. The end of Queen’s Shadow seems to set up further stories for Padme’s handmaidens, so I’m excited to see if more books will be written. I would highly recommend this if you’re a fan of the prequels.

Besides the books, I read every graphic novel I had set about reading, except Lando Double or Nothing. It didn’t grip my attention, and I ended up putting it down. I will highlight my rating for the other graphic novels below:

Rise of Kylo Ren – four stars

Star Wars: The Last Jedi – three stars

Star Wars Adventures Vol. #1 – three stars.

Movies & TV

My goal was to continue watching The Clone Wars. I finished season #1, and I’m halfway through season #2. I tend to take a long time to watch TV shows.

Gaming

I started with Star Wars: The Old Republic. My laptop surprisingly ran the game without any forced restarts or glitches. However, I found the game to be repetitive and quite boring. I only finished one mission before uninstalling this from my computer. I can see why everyone raves about the game, but it wasn’t for me.

I switched over to Lego Star Wars and had a blast. I ended up finishing all the prequel levels, and I’m now onto A New Hope. I need to take a break from this, as I spent all of May playing through it. I intend to return to it and finish it sometime this year.

I would say that this was a successful Star Wars month. Aside from not liking Alphabet Squadron, I set out to do exactly what I intended. May the 4th Be With You!

Designing my Island with My Nintendo Switch

Posted in Gaming by

Last year, it seemed like everyone was playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I was envious as I adored Animal Crossing: New Leaf on my 3DS. One of the highlights of my sophomore year of college was playing New Leaf on campus in between classes. I wanted to purchase a Switch, but never ended up going through with it. Recently, my work had a contest with a prize of accruing Amazon gift cards. Now felt like the perfect time to purchase my Nintendo Switch with my remaining Amazon gift cards.

Image is a photo of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Nintendo Switch special edition. It shows a bright green and bright blue controllers that attach to the Switch. It shows the Animal Crossing island in the background.

I purchased the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch. I could have gotten the regular Switch for a better price; however, part of the reason I was buying the Switch in the first place was to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons, so I felt like it was fitting to pay extra for this version. My Switch arrived on Thursday, but I didn’t want to play it until the weekend. I named my island MaplePeaks. As a side note, all my town names have never been creative. I didn’t want to think forever on a perfect town name, so I came up with something generic. I’m still new to the game, so I don’t want to show off my island just yet.

Besides Animal Crossing, my fiancé wants to play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Purchasing the Switch was a great idea for both me and my fiancé to play games we don’t have any other way to play.

While I may be late to the Animal Crossing: New Horizons party, please leave your friend code down below, so I can visit your island!

From Muggle to Mrs. – Harry Potter Bridal Shower

Posted in Life Lately by

I took a bit of a break from writing weekly posts. Writing new posts every Sunday felt like a chore, so I knew it was time to take a step back. I figured a nice way to dive back into weekly posts would be to talk about the Harry Potter bridal-themed shower I went to a couple of weeks ago.

My friend and I met in college and were roommates for a year. We bonded over our shared love of Harry Potter and other nerdy interests. She has always stayed in my life, no matter the distance, as we are a couple of states away. It was such a blast to attend.

I’m excited to get back into writing for Bizarre Brunette! I knew this break was needed, but I’m happy to be back.

Image is a photo of me and my friend. We are smiling at the camera. I'm wearing a rainbow colored, vertical striped romper. She's wearing a blue and white vertical lined dress.
Picture is a photo of a sugar cookie. It says "She's Found a Catch" and there's a Golden Snitch on it.
Image shows gold chocolates with golden wings attached to them, so they look like golden snitches.