You Fancy Me Mad

A Nerdy Personal Blog

That Time I Took A Solo Vacation

At the beginning of June, I headed down the beach for a solo vacation. My local football team was having a fan event, and I hadn’t been to the beach in forever. It seemed like the perfect opportunity! Now, I did try and find someone to tag along, but money is tight these days. I even went back and forth on just not going but then figured, fuck it. What’s the worse that could happen? There were events planned, I kinda knew other people who would be down there. It wouldn’t be 100% weird or awkward, maybe just 40%. Guys. It was the best thing ever. I was able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. There was no checking with other people about where to eat, or when to go out. If I wanted to lay by the pool for three hours, that’s what I did. If I wanted to sleep late, or get up early, I could. Without bothering anyone else! Now I hear you asking “But wasn’t it weird going to events and bars alone?!” I really thought it would be. I’m not someone who normally goes to a bar alone. I’m a pretty small woman, so it’s partially a safety thing and also, going out is normally more fun with friends! But it was actually really nice! I don’t think of myself as a very, I don’t know how to say this really, “happy go lucky” person. I’m not one to just approach someone at a bar and start talking. I have friends who are like that and it’s amazing to watch. My friend Vicki can talk to ANYONE. She just has that bubbly personality but that’s just not me. But guess what? I DID talk to people. Granted, 99% of the time they started the conversations but it was really nice. I didn’t have any issues, except one time with some weirdo but he left pretty quickly, and even ended up getting a ton of free drinks! Who knew that if you talk to people, they’ll buy you booze!? I think what helped is everyone was either my age, or older. I wasn’t dealing with college kids. No offense to college kids, they can just be a bit much sometimes. Plus everyone was attending these events because they were fans of the Ravens too. That meant we already had at least one thing in common. Now, am I now friends with these people? No, I honestly don’t even remember their names. But they helped me have a great time and I’d like to think I helped them have a fun time too. I mean, one dude said I was because I took about 3-4 shots because vacation you guys. PRO TIP: Going solo and don’t have anyone to hold your hair during that late night prayer session to the Toilet Throne? Just have a short hair style! I was even able to do THAT without any help.

So, if you’ve been thinking about taking that trip but can’t find a friend to go, just do it. Maybe start with some small vacations, something local or a few hours away, but guys, it was just great. It was nice to just recharge and relax. It’s the ultimate Treat Yo Self. Now enjoy a few photos from the trip!

In case you’re wondering, I probably put almost $20 into that Jurassic Park arcade game. I’m sure you’re all really surprised to hear that!

Mark Ruffalo, Marvel Locations, And Other NYC Adventures

My feet are killing me but it was worth it. Friday morning I took the train up to NYC to for a visit with some of my Team Pulpers including Katy and Brit from the UK. Our entire trip centered around seeing Mark Ruffalo (along with Danny Devito and Tony Shalhoub) in “The Price” but of course we had other plans as well. In order to keep this post from getting too long, I’m going to break it down into sections!

Marvel Filming Locations

The first location we checked out was in Central Park. You’ll recognize this from the end of “Avengers” when Thor is taking Loki back to Asgard!



Then throughout the weekend we checked out different “Daredevil” locations including Turkey’s Nest which is Josie’s Bar in the show. It’s basically where Murdock and pals hang out and drink. We stopped in for a few beers and it’s actually a cool little place. Then we checked out the Nelson & Murdock offices, which you’d just walk right past if you didn’t know any better. The last stop on the tour was the Square Diner. You see this in season two featuring Matt and Elektra.



We had a few other places we wanted to hit but just didn’t have the time! Just means we’ll have to go back!

“The Price”

The whole point of this trip was to see the play! I had a nice time and enjoyed the show. There were a few little issues, but the performances were solid. I just feel the story could be updated a bit and the humor at times broke the tension. After the play ended, we headed outside to the stagedoor in hopes of getting some photos and autographs. Success! I was able to get autographs from Mark, Danny and Tony! Plus I got a picture with Mark and Tony. Danny Devito wasn’t doing selfies but you could take photos of him. Honestly, a selfie with him would be pretty impossible.



All the actors were really nice though I’m sure Tony Shalhoub is tired of being told “I loved you on Monk!” Well, tough. Because it’s true!

Everything Else

We did a lot in a short amount of time. We did a little walking tour of Greenwich, checked out the High Line, had dinner at Modern Love (which was FANTASTIC), saw some art, ate all the things, had a few drinks, took a tour of the Woolworth’s Building, saw the Firehouse from Ghostbusters, and spent a lot of time on the Metro. It was a whirlwind but it was amazing. I wouldn’t change anything. It’s always nice to get together with friends, especially when they’re International.



Now I get a bit of a travel break before driving up to Rochester over Memorial Day weekend to visit Karl and Jenna. When I get back from that trip it’s time to go down the ocean hon! Anyone else have any trips planned? Let me know!

And London Is Now Complete!

I think i mentioned it before but in case I didn’t, I’m going to London in September to watch the Baltimore Ravens play their first International football game! I’m very excited to not only visit London again, but to support my team overseas. You’d think a trip like this might be complicated but luckily the Ravens offered travel packages which took a lot of the guess work out of everything. It includes hotel, tours, a few meals, fun team stuff, and of course tickets to the game. The only thing it didn’t include was airfare (though we could have added it on). Since we’re (Mel is coming too) going for a week though to visit Katy and see some stuff on our own, it was easier to just wait it out and book our own flights. And wait it out we did. Look, I’m the type of person that when it comes to booking a trip or travel, I hate waiting. First, I had to wait for the actual dates. It was announced last year the team would be going, but no solid date. That meant checking airfare for two possible timelines, but still not being able to actually purchase anything!

Then, we finally got dates. That’s when the real airline stalking began. At one point it was low, around $610 but we weren’t ready to book yet money wise. Then of course everything jumped back up. The flights were holding steady around $800-$900. Now, that’s still cheaper than what I paid last time I went, but still. I’m all about a deal. We even looked into leaving from NYC instead of DC since those flights were holding steady around $500. But then. Today. All my watching and waiting paid off. I checked Virgin Atlantic first thing this morning and the flights had dropped back down to $609! Yes, for a roundtrip! The only “crappy” part is the flight home has a stop at JFK but it’s saving us almost $300. Worth it.

That means everything is now set! We have our packages booked, and now we’ve got our airfare. Only 220 days until we’re off!

January Travel Link Up: Travel Plans For 2017

I don’t take part in a ton of link ups but one that I really love is The Travel Link Up by Angie, Emma, and their new co-host Polly. I love reading about travel and sharing my own stories. Plus you get an entire week to come up with your post! The first prompt of the year is about travel plans!

Local:

Not a bad way to start the day. #ocmd

A photo posted by Ocean City, Maryland (@oceancitymaryland) on


I want to explore my own state a little more. I haven’t made it down the beach in years, even for just a day. It’s kinda sad seeing how it’s only three hours away. If that! I might be making my way down there in June for a long weekend but we’ll see. I’m not sure I can find someone to tag along but I might just ride solo. I’d like to visit more State Parks as well and just enjoy more of what my state has to offer!

Chicago:

A photo posted by B (@youthinkmemad) on


As I mentioned in my other post, I have a free two night hotel stay to use! Now I just need to pick dates. I’m leaning towards Summer but want to see if there’s anything going on that I can schedule it around. I’d love to check out a Cubs game but I know those tickets aren’t easy to come by. Plus I’ll be visiting Chicago in April for C2E2, one of my favorite conventions!

London:

A photo posted by B (@youthinkmemad) on


Yup! This Fall I’ll be returning to London and I can’t wait! The Baltimore Ravens are headed there for the first time to take part in the International Series. When I saw that they were selected, I knew I had to go. I cancelled my plans to go to San Diego and put my deposit down for the trip. I’ll be using a sport travel company that the Ravens work with. The packages are pretty awesome. Now I just need the NFL to confirm the dates and I’ll be good to go!

I might try and fit in a random little road trip here or there but I’m not 100% sure. I have some other goals I’m trying to work on this year that don’t jive with unplanned travel. But never say never! What travel plans do you have for the new year?

It’s Alright ‘Cause I’m Saved by the Bell!

Back in June, my friends and I made reservations for Saved By The Max. It’s the Saved By The Bell themed pop up diner in Chicago and over the weekend, the time finally came! Guys, it was amazing. The amount of details in this place was out of this world. I really expected to see Slater and Zack walk through the door any second. It was like being transported through time! Of course the place was packed but they had everything down to a science. You pay ahead of time when you make your reservations which is really nice. You get an appetizer, main course, plus a dessert. They have other items you can order off the menu too like drinks or milkshakes. But it’s kinda nice to know that everything is paid for and you won’t be sitting there trying to figure out the bill. When your waitress (or waiter) takes your order, they take your order for everything. Like I said, it’s a well oiled machine. And the food was outstanding! Sometimes at a themed place you have no idea what to expect but the serving sizes were perfect and everything I tried tasted great. It was a perfect birthday dinner and I’m beyond glad my friend and I have no impulse control and booked this when we did! Now onto the photos!



Yes, we wore matching shirts. And yes, we basically did cosplay. Look, if you’re going to go to a place like this, you just have to dress up! It’s part of the fun! But seriously it was a great time and the people behind this idea did a fantastic job bringing it all to life! They even tell you when you’re waiting for your food to get up and take photos. It’s super encouraged and the staff have no issues taking photos for you. It was super fun keeping an eye on different areas, waiting for people to leave so we could rush over and take pictures. It was just really the fucking best.

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