Last Friday, I had a couple of hard seltzers (Vizzy is my favorite, especially the Blue Pomegranate), and I was debating what I wanted to do with my blog. I have been blogging since 2014, and I have so many goals for how to make my blog better. With that being said, I decided to purchase my blog name! I’m officially bizarrebrunette.com versus bizarrebrunette.wordpress.com. I’m excited to see how my site can improve.
As far as goals, I want to change the layout of my blog. It’s a plain purple color, but I would like a patterned layout. I want a blog image that’s mine. Whether it’s a cartoon version of me or an actual blog logo. Lots to accomplish and so little time. I figure purchasing my blog name is the first step to get there.
I thought about what I want out of this blog. Many bloggers want to monetize their site, and I’m not sure if I’m there yet. I blog because I genuinely enjoy writing, and I want something to reflect on. However, making side money isn’t something to complain about either.
Anyway, to wrap up this post, I’m looking forward to my blog and the future ahead. Thanks to everyone who reads my post, I wouldn’t be here without all of you.
Gaming has been the perfect distraction from the current environment. Video games, board games, card games, it doesn’t matter. All forms of gaming have provided me a way to distance myself from all things COVID-19. Therefore, I wanted to share a couple of updates as to how gaming is providing me happiness throughout this time.
Winning the Game Knights Contest
Screenshot of the tweet saying I had won. I’m @bizzarebrunette
Shortly before entering Quarantine, I found out through Twitter that I had won the Game Knights contest in February 2020. It was exciting! I received a signed Forest playmat, bright yellow sleeves, a green deck box, and a couple of booster packs. I used the green deck box to put my new deck in, but the sleeves and playmat have remained untouched. I have touched on how I’m back into playing Magic,and this added to my excitement. A special thanks to TheCommand Zone cast, who sent me these items.
Partying in The Sims #3 University Life
Jessica Day. The screenshot was taken by me. Schmidt is in the fancy purple blazer. The screenshot taken by me. Nick Miller. The screenshot taken by me.
The Sims 3 is iconic. During a blizzard or in quarantine, The Sims #3 passes the time. I purchased the University Life expansion pack from Steam. I’m in awe at how much better the University expansion is compared to The Sims #2 version. It’s more realistic, and my Sims get invited to social outings. I created the cast of New Girl,which includes Nick Miller, Jessica Day, Schmidt, and Winston. It’s helped pass the time.
Playing Fortnite Online
I never thought I would be saying this, but I have been playing Fortnite. A couple of friends from work invited me to play Fortnite, and it was actually fun. To be clear, I wouldn’t play this game alone. Fortnite is meant to be played with friends, and it’s one of the few games that’s cross-platform.
Next, I hope to complete KHIII (Kingdom Hearts III) along with Jedi: Fallen Order. I’m playing Monster Prom on Steam, and I want to unlock all the bonus endings. Finally, I’m trying out Xbox Game Pass, and I downloaded a couple of games on Xbox. I’m trying to establish mini gaming goals, so I can be more productive as a gamer. Wish me luck!
I was nominated by A Geek Girl’s Guide for the Super Happy Love Award. This is a blog tag where you link to blogs and answer a series of questions that depend on the blog tag. If I’m ever nominated for a blog tag, I always like to complete them. Thanks to A Geek Girl’s Guide for nominating me.
The Rules:
Thank the person who tagged you (Michelle, rock on!) Make sure to link back to the blog. ^^^^^^^ Use Super Happy Love as a tag.
Display the logo on the post. Share the rules
Choose a minimum of 2 out of the 6 prompts, more is allowed.
The 6 prompts are as follows:
Tell about a person you love (friend, partner, celebrity, Youtuber, pet, someone who meant a lot to you).
Write about a franchise or fandom you love
Write about a character you love
Tell us about a piece of music you love
Show us a piece of media you love so much
Write something you love about yourself
Don’t forget to tag 6 bloggers!!
A Person I Love
This is a hard choice because there are so many people in my life who mean so much to me. After deliberating, I decided to pick my brother. My brother means the world to me. The older I am, the closer I am to my brother. We went to a comic book store & bar in Orlando and we drove to Gen Con together. It would sadden me if Gen Con was cancelled this year, because it’s a great way for me and my brother to spend time together.
A Fandom I Love
I picked Life is Strange. Life is Strange is one of my favorite video games of all time. This is a video game I recommend to people who hate playing video games. Told in various episodes, Max reunites with Chloe to uncover the disappearance of Rachel along with figuring out why these paranormal events are happening in Arcadia Bay. If you haven’t played this game, you absolutely have to.
A Character I Love
I absolutely love Carmen Sandiego. Remember when General Mills used to put demo computer CDs in cereal boxes?? I played Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and this is how I learned vocabulary, geography and improved my math knowledge. Educational computer games can be fun and who doesn’t want to catch a thief, or maybe…. not.
What I Love About Myself
I love how much I have grown as a person. I am confident in myself and accepting of who I am. My body image has sky rocketed. I have cut out toxic people and I stick up for myself. I’m really content with where my life is at and I’m thankful at my experiences.
My fiancé and I were planning to go to Seattle despite Emerald City Comic Conbeing canceled. After further consideration, we decided to cancel everything. I thought of my mom, who’s retired, and I would hate to be responsible for getting her sick. In all honesty, I was disappointed. I recognized later on that with the virus, I have to be considerate of the people around me. My fiancé suggested taking a last-minute road trip through Michigan, and it was the vacation I needed.
We left on Wednesday for Traverse City, Michigan. From the Twin Cities, we drove through Wisconsin, up the Upper Peninsula, across the Mackinaw Bridge to Traverse City. I live for road trips, and I liked being able to catch up on my podcast backlog.
Traverse City is a bay town with a cute downtown shopping area. I kid you not, Traverse City has at least five bookstores. My heart practically burst with excitement. I spent $90 on books, graphic novels, and comics. It was fun to walk to all the shops Traverse City had to offer. Traverse City has many breweries downtown and driving access to at least thirteen nearby wineries. This was a weekend where I ate good food and drank beer and wine throughout.
There’s nothing worse (in my opinion) than being so busy on a vacation that you need a vacation from your vacation. This weekend, I was able to read a whole book start to finish, along with listening to a variety of podcasts. There were times when my fiancé and I took time to relax, and it was needed. I feel rejuvenated to return to work.
I’m fortunate that I was able to take a trip despite the Coronavirus spreading. My work just sent a mass email permitting all of us to work from home. I’m personally looking forward to lying around in comfy pants, wearing a geek t-shirt, and having my mug of coffee on my desk. I’m happy to be back in my normal routine, and I will be posting blog posts on a much more regular basis. Thanks for sticking around.
One of my best friends messaged me asking if I was still going to Emerald City Comic Con. Many creators have cancelled their appearances due to the outbreak. My fiancé and I had a long conversation about this and whether we wanted to put ourselves at risk by traveling. After much deliberation, we agreed to still fly to Seattle, but I would limit my four-day press badge to one day. Should Emerald City Comic Con cancel the convention entirely?
Earning the press badge for Emerald City Comic Con was going to be a major highlight in 2020. Seattle is a city I have always wanted to visit. I was happy my fiancé wanted to come along, so I didn’t have to travel alone. I felt disappointed at the idea of cancelling our trip.
Emerald City Comic Con is responsible for the safety of its guests. On Emerald City’s main page, it lists how they’re preparing for the virus by upping sanitation efforts. While this is comforting, it doesn’t eliminate the mini panic I had about getting sick. The artists who cancelled had loved ones, small children, or older family members whom they didn’t want to put at risk. Is my trip going to endanger people I love?
Ultimately, I don’t know what the right decision is for Emerald City. Some say cancel, others say no worries. I believe in doing what’s best for you. I have stopped reading random internet articles about the coronavirus because there’s so much panic and inaccurate information spreading. I’m monitoring the Seattle State Health Department along with the CDC for updates, and that’s about it.
Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments. Should Emerald City Comic Con cancel its show?
Besides being an avid coffee drinker, I enjoy a good pint of beer. Breweries are one of my favorite places to hang out on a Friday night. Bring a couple of board games, meet up with friends, and possibly play Pinball or Shuffleboard, depending on the brewery. My friends invited me to the 11th Annual Winter Beer Dabbler that occurred this past Saturday, February 22nd. Outdoor events can be risky in Minnesota, but I couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous winter day.
Walking into the Beer Dabbler, many brewery tents were lining the grounds. We were given these smaller glasses, which we could bring to the brewery tents for unlimited beer. I tasted an Oreo-flavored stout, which wasn’t half bad, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. I also tried the “Winona Rider” beer from Winona, MN. I was disappointed because I didn’t love the taste. My favorite breweries include Back Channel, Castle Danger, and Modist. There were also plenty of photo opportunities, including in front of the Beer Dabbler Ice Sculpture.
I was slightly nervous with the event being outdoors and there being only porta-potties. I consider myself to be a bathroom snob, so if I can avoid porta-potties or bathroom lines, that would be ideal. However, I was surprised by how many there were, and there were indoor bathrooms in one of the other indoor buildings for the event. There is a special kind of hell in which you have to pee, but you cannot find a bathroom.
I genuinely felt I got my money’s worth in this event. I paid $57 to drink unlimited beer from my favorite breweries. I was able to keep my souvenir glass, and live music was playing the whole time. Next year, I want to come prepared in a special Beer Dabbler outfit with a food necklace. If you’re a beer drinker, I’d highly recommend doing an event like this. I’m all about supporting local breweries, and this is one way to do that. I was able to drink beer, take pictures with friends, and have a fun night outside in the Minnesota winter.
I was at a work sponsored happy hour, drinking beer and mingling with my coworkers. The conversation turned into this guessing game of “Which high school superlative would you be?” We went around the circle coming up with which superlative represented each person in the group. My turn came and within fifteen seconds, someone shouted “the loudest.” Everyone started laughing. I was nervously giggling. I recognize that I’m a loud person, but it’s a deep insecurity of mine.
When I was younger, I was soft spoken. My teachers were concerned because throughout elementary school, I had one close friend. In 3rd grade, I started meeting other friends, but I didn’t approach anyone I didn’t know. This behavior continued into middle school and high school. I stuck with my closest friends and didn’t socialize with anyone else. This all changed when I went off to college. My mom and brother came to visit me within my first month of being at school. My mom made a comment I will never forget. She said, “You’re a different person in the short month you left. You’re flourishing here.”
There was a shift in college. I became more open, less insecure, and more comfortable meeting new people. This contributed to my so-called “loud voice”. Since graduating from college, I have worked two different jobs. In my first job, I was shushed when my voice increased in volume. When I say shush, I mean one of my managers put her finger to her mouth and shushed me in front of co-workers. I felt disrespected and ashamed. This is the start of my insecurity in my loud voice.
Another reason I feel insecure about how my voice carries is that people can hear me. If I’m heard, it allows anyone to judge me. If people hear me, they may debate me on certain political discussions or gossip behind my back. I believe this is a huge reason why I’m insecure about the volume of my voice.
I believe there are pros and cons to having a loud voice. I don’t want to change who I am, but I have to match the person I’m with. This is called mirroring. If I’m with someone quieter, I attempt to lower the volume of my voice. I wouldn’t say I’m changing who I am, instead, I aim to be respectful of the world I live in and who I’m socializing with.
Happy 2020! This year marks the beginning of a new decade. The 2010s were a decade of personal growth. I developed a sense of self and became comfortable with who I am as a person. I’m excited to see what the next ten years will bring for me. I wanted to recap everything I did in 2019.
Movies I saw in Theaters:
Bohemian Rhapsody
Shazam
Captain Marvel
Avengers Endgame
Spider-Man: Far From Home
It Chapter #2
Joker
Rise of Skywalker
My favorite movie of 2019 was Shazam. This is a biased answer as I lean more toward DC Comics. DC Comics is not known for making great movies, and Shazam was funny, not too depressingly dark, and worth re-watching.
TV Shows I Watched:
Ted Bundy Interview Tapes
Queer Eye Season #2
Shrill
Hot Date
Lucifer
New Girl
My favorite TV show in 2019 was a toss-up between Shrill and Lucifer. I believe Shrill’s second season will release sometime this year. Lucifer is a fun show too, because it’s a Los Angeles, Law & Order-style show with demons flying around and wreaking havoc. Lucifer’s final season premieres sometime in 2020 on Netflix.
The two shows I watched in 2019 that I couldn’t get into were Castle Rock and Homeland. Castle Rock has potential, but I couldn’t follow the story. Homeland had a strong start, but I lost interest halfway through the first season. Life is too short to waste time watching shows you’re not interested in.
Video Games I Played:
The Order 1886
Until Dawn
Heavy Rain
This was a light gaming year for me. I’m looking forward to gaming more in 2020. I’m currently playing Kingdom Hearts III, and I plan on purchasing Jedi: Fallen Order sometime in the future. My favorite video game of 2019 was Until Dawn. This game got me through the polar vortex in Minneapolis. By Polar Vortex, I mean the weather was -32 degrees. -32 degrees!?!?!?!?!? I stayed inside, so I wouldn’t freeze to death, and played Until Dawn.
Gaming in 2019
War of the Spark Pre-Release in April of 2019
Modern Horizons Pre-Release in June of 2019
Cultists & Cthulhu
Star Trek Ascension
Throne of Eldraine Pre-Release
My favorite game I played in 2019 was the War of the Spark pre-release. I did really well. I didn’t win a match, but I won a total of three individual games. This set was wild. There were a bunch of planeswalkers wreaking havoc in everyone’s games. I’m looking forward to the next Magic: sets in 2020.
Graphic Novels + Comics I Read this Year (probably not everything I read, I may be forgetting some)
My Giant Nerd Boyfriend (web comic on webtoons)
Hush: Batman Graphic Novel
Batman Knightfall series (series I received at CONvergence in 2018)
Watchmen
Midnight Task Force (Mad Cave Comics)
Battlecats Vol #1 Hunt for the Direbeast
Runaways: Find Your Way Home
Knights of the Golden Sun Issues #1-#4
Hellboy Volume #1
Afterglow
Paper Girls Volume #4
Badass Girl 3 issues
Prometheite
Riri Williams #1
My favorite graphic novel and/or comic I read in 2019 was either Watchmen or Midnight Task Force. When I first started reading Watchmen, I thought that this series wasn’t going to be for me. When I finished the graphic novel, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. With Midnight Task Force, I loved the gritty environment of futuristic Detroit. The series left on a cliffhanger, and I’m hoping the second trade paperback will be released sometime in 2020.
2019 Pop Culture Moments
Rami Malek winning the Best Actor at the Oscars
Jussie Smollett’s “fake” hate crime
I truly believe Rami deserved the Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury. Many people were upset because they felt Bradley Cooper was snubbed for A Star is Born. This is the 4th? remake of this movie, unlike a biopic of Freddie Mercury, who meant so much to so many people. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I’m sticking with it.
Podcast I Couldn’t Stop Listening To:
This Podcast Will Kill You
Babes at the Table
Science Rules: Bill Nye’s Podcast
Not Another DnD Podcast
Generation Bond
4 The Love of Comics
Last year, I picked Anna Faris’s Unqualified podcast as my favorite podcast of 2018. Sadly, I don’t listen to this podcast anymore. Apparently, there was drama between Sim and An, who were the co-hosts. Sim isn’t on Ana’s podcast anymore, which destroyed the vibe I originally liked.
My favorite podcast of 2019 has to be Not Another DnD Podcast because it got me through the extremely long drive from Minneapolis to Indianapolis for Gen Con. My brother enjoyed this podcast too.
Catchiest Song in 2019:
This is a toss-up between any song by Lizzo and Bad Guy by Billie Eilish.
Conventions I attended in 2019:
I attended six conventions: Con of the North, C2E2, MSP Spring Con, CONvergence, Gen Con, and Fallcon. This increased by two conventions from 2018.
Personal Memories
Top Three Memories from 2019:
Getting Engaged! 🙂
He popped the question on May 4th, which happened to be Free Comic Book Day and National Star Wars Day. This is something I will never let him forget.
Getting a New Job
Working in downtown Minneapolis has been a blessing. I get to take the bus to work on most days, which has saved me money on gas. I like my new coworkers. This job has better benefits and pay. This wasn’t something I was predicting to happen in 2019, but I’m glad it did.
Orlando Trip
SO COOLLL!!!
My Resolution for 2020?
I have no specific resolution. I wish for a safe and happy 2020.
Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we are all thankful for. I’m thankful for having a family that respects me and encourages me to be my best every day. However, it’s crucial to be sensitive to how we talk about this holiday. Sometimes this holiday gives an impression of how our family is by blood, but there’s also chosen family.
Last weekend, I celebrated Friendsgiving with a group of us. All of us sipped on our glasses of wine, played party games, and talked amongst the group. It puts into perspective how beneficial my friends are to my well-being. They allow me to vent while still giving me advice I need to hear. I’m fortunate to say my friends accept me for who I am and allow me to grow as a person.
My purpose for writing this post is to promote being sensitive around the holidays. This includes not assuming everyone you meet has the best family/home life. Offer to host a Friendsgiving for those friends who are struggling. There’s no reason we can’t make someone’s day by being kind and inclusive.
I’m excited to announce I will be attending Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle from March 12th through the 15th of 2020 on a press badge. I have never been to Seattle, but I have always wanted to go to the Pacific Northwest. I’m planning on flying in on Wednesday and flying out on Sunday. I want to explore Seattle in addition to attending the convention. I’m beginning to do my research as to celebrity guests to meet, comics to purchase and how much I need to budget for this convention.
Emerald City Comic Con hosted 98,000 fans in their 2019 show. That’s so many people! Reedpop has been hosting this showing for years and they also put on C2E2 which I attended this year in Chicago. Emerald City Comic Con does have a harassment policy which is super important. I have been harassed at conventions before and it’s an unpleasant experience to say the least. Attending a convention with a dedicated harassment policy makes me feel safer as a fan.
Seattle is a great city to host a convention for a variety of reasons. It’s important to point out that Funko is based in Everett, WA. Additionally, both Image & Dark Horse are based out of Oregon which is only a state away. I’m going to be on the prowl for graphic novels to add to my collection and I may pick up a Funko pop along the way.
To say I’m excited would be an understatement. I wanted to shout out Reedpop for giving me a press badge. As the convention gets closer, I will plan out what I intend to write about. It’s nice because when the show gets closer, I will start getting press emails which will allow me to plan out my days. I already booked my hotel which is 0.4 mile walk to the convention center. 2020 is already starting off with a bang.
Bizarre Brunette 