Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Improv of Chicago Round 2: A Mildly Sappy Post


A year ago today at 12:00pm I called my friend up asking if he wanted to come up north with me to see some comedy show that another friend had invited us to. I didn’t really want to go up there by myself and since we both had nothing better to do, he agreed.
 

A year ago today at 5:15pm I picked him up and we got a ride from my mom to the end of the red line. It was dark already and he asked me more than once why we were going so early, that it wasn’t going to take that long to get up north. I responded with something akin to “shut up, I do what I want…..plus I don’t want to be late.” We put money on his CTA card (boy do I miss you CTA) and got on the train.
 

 A year ago today at 7:15 when we got off the train at Belmont (after a long exaggerated “I told you so” from the idiot standing next to me), we decided to kill some time by stopping at the Walgreens to fulfill our end of the BYOB.


 You know the story of our first show with, what we now call, the Boys but what you don’t know is that it was the breath of fresh air (or as my father likes to say, the new 'one thing that you have to do every week'.) that the #trainwrecks seriously needed. We were in a rut. To be honest, we were in lots of ruts. A social rut for sure, where we were almost exclusively socializing with each other and in #Trainwreck HQ. We were both also, although individually, in a work rut. I was in a job that I had fallen into a few years before but lately with my hours being cut in half (and all of the crazy), the bads were starting to outweigh the goods. And Katie will be the first to admit that while she liked her day job, it wasn't what she had gone to school for and she was severely lacking a creative outlet. 
 
After we met the Boys, everything started to sort of fall into place. She got to talk up being a stage manager to people who actually needed one (and ended up being James Franco) and I fell down a flight of stairs and quit my job (and although the Boys had nothing to do with it, it was wonderful to quit in January knowing I was going to go laugh (and, yes, drink) about my mildly insane former employer the next day).
 
 I've now got a lovely day job that I truly enjoy almost every day. And again, while the Boys had nothing to do with that either it's just really great to have a place to celebrate in (and people to bake for, who actually eat anything I make.) Katie ended up stage managing for them and leaving me to drink by myself throughout the show, where are you #trainwrecks? Come keep me company. She also ended up at Second City, The Public House Theatre and some other places all because these guys gave her a shot.


We've also got, what I'm pretty sure every 23 year old wants in life, a bar where everyone knows our names. Seriously. And it's a silly tiki-bar at that. But you know what world? It's our silly tiki-bar. And I wouldn't trade it for the world.
 

So at this point, we would just like to thank these Boys, even though they will deny it all, they deserve it because they got us out of our rut and to this point in our lives. We owe them more than they know and that they'll admit, and the least anyone can do is stop by, give them $7 and become a potential friend.
 
I don't really have anything else to say other than, if you have no idea what i'm talking about come by Studio Be (3110 N Sheffield) on a Tuesday night around 8pm (doors open at 7:45), bring your $7 and your B (as in BYOB) and stay for the funny jokes, and a free beer at the bar down the street.

 
 
You can find them on Facebook, and on Twitter
 
And make sure to follow your favorite #trainwrecks (that's still us, right?) on all versions of social media.
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)


 


 And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!"   

Monday, November 18, 2013

NerdRage: It's a Wonderful Life Sequel

So it's Monday but this is not a Nerdgasm because Nerdgasms are supposed to make me happy and I am the opposite of happy. So, I thought to myself and asked what was the opposite of a Nerdgasm, and the answer is obviously NerdRage. Something that makes me so angry that I almost can't see straight, something that goes against everything that I believe in. So yes, I take to the internet to vent my frustrations. Don't act like you don't do the same thing. Crazy-Nerd-Rage is about half of the internet.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Halloween Roundup

Halloween is almost upon us! And it's a Thursday! So, for those of us not going out on a Thursday, but who still want to celebrate on the actual day, we here at #Trainwreck HQ have compiled a list (with some links as well!) of our favorite things to watch on Halloween (She's not next to me currently but I know Katie is somewhere saying, not just on Halloween!!! Which is fair, you don't just have to watch these movies/tv shows in the Fall. We're all mostly adults, watch them whenever you damn well please.)

No wait, come back! You haven't even gotten to the list yet!

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Blogiversary Part 2

Remember the good old days when we had a blog post three times a week? No? Neither do we.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Nerdgasm #25: A New Reason to Stay up @Midnight

See what I did there? I put the name of the TV show that I'm about to slobber all over in the actual title of the post itself. I'm so clever.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Children of the Revolution


What can I say, I was having a Moulin Rouge moment as I was simultaneously thinking of a title... But that's not (unfortunately) what I'm here to talk about. Maybe next time. Regardless, i'm definitely ready to start a revolution. But first some background...

Monday, August 5, 2013

Nerdgasm #24: The Doctor will see you now

Remember that time we had a blog? Neither do we.

I kid, I kid! I promise you that we're working on it.


But I'm not here to talk about me. See there's this show on over in Britain that has re-cast their main character (I know, they must be crazy) and for the twelfth time.

Ladies and Gentlemen, for those of you who don't know by now...

The Twelfth incarnation of the Doctor is....

Monday, July 15, 2013

Nerdgasm #23: Raindrops on roses, and Whiskers on kittens....

...these are a few of my favorite things...Fangirl edition.

You heard me.

I was down a Pinterest sized rabbit hole earlier and found this under the 'Geek' tab and fell in love with it so quickly that I knew I had to share it.


Personally, I could do without the Sherlock and I know my co-writer would have loved to see some Harry Potter up there but we love it all the same. Et toi?

 Also make sure to follow us on:
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!" 

Friday, May 17, 2013

What a Theatre Degree Can Do for You in the Real World:

It's that time of year again. People are graduating left and right, and confused 20 somethings are wandering around the streets wondering what the hell to do next. (Well, maybe not the engineering majors, but they picked a smart major from the get go. They were already ahead of us.) Some, I won't say who, graduated with what a lot of people might deem as a useless major such as Theatre: Tech/Design and Administration. Yes, that is a very specific major and no, it was not mine, and yes, I am a liar. Sorry.

But I wanted to quell some fears for people who may have graduated with a degree in theatre, and let you know it's going to be okay. Probably, you have no idea what to do with it, or have no idea what to do with it because you know you won't be paid to do theatre for a while, and you have student loans and bills, so you're going to need a day job. But the skills you have acquired from theatre will help you immensely. So this post is wonderfully titled:

What a Theatre Degree Can Do for You in the Real World:

1. Time Management- Having rehearsals, classes, and then  a job to pay for all those things makes a person really good at managing their time. They have mastered skills like; memorizing lines while also going to their history lecture, working their office job and also finishing a paper, and eating while also doing anything else.

2. Working as a Team- All of the directors, designers, managers, and actors have to come together and make a production something. It's not always easy working with all of these different types of people. At the beginning, none of them speak the same language, but quickly they learn...that the stage manager knows all and that everything will get done if they just talk to them.

3. Organizational Skills- It takes a lot of effort to put a production together. If one thing gets thrown off, the whole thing goes to hell. Theatre majors learn quickly to be organized because if they don't, they will most likely end up on stage naked while odd sound effects play in the background.

4. Public Speaking- That one is kind of obvious. Theatre, if nothing else, trains you to be able to speak in front of others. And that is not just for actors but for directors and stage managers as well. They must have a commanding voice that captures a room to make the actors actually shut up and pay attention for three seconds.

5. Creative Problem Solving- "Does it work? In Theory." It's a techie motto. Theatre has no big budget to get everything you need. Sometimes duct tape will have to get the job done regardless of structural integrity. As long as it lasts the amount we need it to, it's fine. With that ingenuity, problems of the workplace become as simple as using a paper clip.

6. Building Things- We build sets and make costumes. Give us a tool box and tell us what you want, and we can probably give it to you, but remember number 5, not everything will be made exactly how you expect it, especially Ikea furniture.

7. Endless Patience- Nothing helps at a day job, whether it be in customer service or in an office, more than patience. And theatre teaches you well. By the time you can make it through a production without trying to strangle someone, you know you have become completely zen.

8. Creating excuses on the spot - This is a skill from our improv friends. Ever have your boss walk in and ask what you're doing and you don't want to say reddit or tumblr? Improv helps you have answers ready to go, so you won't get fired. And most likely these excuses will be so creative, no one will ever question them. They'll think, no one could make that up. Improvisers can and will.

9. You can keep up at the office Christmas Parties without being "that guy"-  No one can survive a show without drinking, so theatre majors quickly learn how to handle their alcohol. You won't need to worry about being the one who is spoken about in hushed tones on the Monday after the holiday party. You'll actually be the only who is fully functioning on the Monday after the holiday party, and if you're lucky, the only one who remembers. Knowledge is power.

10. Not being tired after a 8 hour work day because you've worked four 12-15 hour days in a row because tech was behind and things needed to get done, so you gave up sleeping. - No matter how crazy your night was before, you can still give your job 110% because you'll never be as tired as you were during your last tech week.

Now these are just to name a few. There are many more lessons to be learned from being a theatre major. So new graduates, do not fret about what is ahead. You'll be fine. Just remember that there is always a show somewhere that can help ease the craziness that is the "real world"


Also make sure to follow us on:
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!" 

Monday, May 13, 2013

Nerdgasm #22: Nerds Assemble

Here are the first promo's for Marvel's new series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Do we really need to explain why these are so awesome? I didn't think so. Please enjoy!


Vine Promo

  


Mini Promo


First Full Promo


Also bonus fun! Joss Whedon has a new official twitter account. We're actually pretty sure, like 90% sure, it's real this time. @JossActual

Also make sure to follow us on:
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!"

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Nerdgasm #21: Patton Oswald is Even More Awesome

So all of us already have a love for Patton Oswald after watching his comedy for years and reading his remarks about the tragic events in Boston just weeks ago. I really did not think this man could get any more awesome, and then he did. He really did.

Last week he payed a visit to the set of Parks and Recreation to be a guest star. He was playing a concerned citizen trying to keep old laws alive in Pawnee, IN. During one of his scenes, his character is forced to filibuster to keep the council from voting out the law that he wished to keep. During his filibuster, Patton Oswald improvised for over 8  minutes about what he wants for the next Star Wars movie. And since Disney now owns both Star Wars and so many other of our favorite super heroes, he decided the he would create a multi-verse, including Star Wars, Avengers, and even X-men.

Here is the video. Just watch the amazing detail that he goes into about the movie, and then realize, he is making this up on the spot. I really think J.J. Abrams needs to call Patton and get to work on some of this stuff. He has some good ideas.

Please enjoy:



Also make sure to follow us on:
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!"

Monday, April 22, 2013

Nerdgasm #20: A New Addition to the #Trainwreck Family

No, it's not a baby......it's a Tardis! The #Trainwrecks totally had a Nerdgasm on Saturday (April 20th for those of you paying attention) when a fellow nerd/techie/our lighting designer gave us this as a thank you for working on the show. The unofficial goal of working on this show was to put as many Doctor Who references in as quietly as we could.

Hey, when working with 100+ middle schoolers you've got to have your fun where you can.


Needless to say, we were thrilled when he handed this to us and instantly knew this had to be shared with all of you.....as well as displayed prominently in #Trainwreck Head Quarters. And so there it is:

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Let's Get Down to Business...

...no, not to defeat the Huns. That just happened to be in my head at the time. In all seriousness, #Trainwrecks, it's time for a little bit of Real Talk. For a few years (Two for me and four for Katie) #Trainwreck HQ was actually in the city of Boston & on Monday, I could have had 1000 people come up to talk to me, and I wouldn't have noticed. Instead, I was glued to Twitter, and Facebook where my friends were all checking in with one another.  Boston was home, and I really fell in love with that tiny, adorable city....lack of grid system and everything. : ) Which is why, when I heard this on the radio I just had to share it with all of you.

This is the National Anthem being sung at a Bruins/Sabres game at the Garden, this is also the first major event since Monday so just watch what happens.

Now, the video quality isn't the best, (go on HuffPost if you want the 'official' video) but even if you close your eyes and just listen, you can hear 17,000 people (and fans of two Hockey teams who were about to play against each other) coming together in a way that was just so pure and heartfelt  I definitely felt it, and I hope you do too.

My last note is just to say once more how much I love that city, my home away from home. I know deep in my soul that you'll stick together through all of this and come out wiser and (if possible) stronger than before.

Hey guy's, Katie here now. Nora pretty much said everything I wanted to say. Boston is my other home. I don't like to say second because I love it there as much as I love it in Chicago. It is the place that gave me a wonderful and weird family that I will have in my life forever. I truly do not know what my life would be without that place and those people. Boston made me a stronger and better person and I know that they will come out of this stronger and better than before. I want to tell all those miles away that I miss you dearly, and love you all, and that I am always in Boston in spirit.

Also, to all you readers out there, April 19th is "Wear 'Boston' Day." Someone, who I do not know, created an event on facebook and invited as many people as possible. Right now more than 75,000 people are said to be participating. Feel free to RSVP here. The event is basically saying to wear anything that says, "Boston" or that reminds you of Boston to show your support. It is just a small way to show unity and, as Patton Oswald put so nicely, "The good outnumber you, and we always will.”

As for us, We'll just be sitting 1,000 miles away trying to be Boston Strong <3



Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Guilty Pleasures

Everyone has things they do/watch/read/etc that they are not so proud of. (Do not try and deny that.) It is one of those things in life, you cannot help. I know. I have many. So this week, we thought we would explore that concept by revealing one of the Trainwreck's guilty pleasure TV shows.

Now before we reveal what this is, you must remember the point of this post. It is about guilty pleasures. We know that this show is bad. We know we should not watch this show. Nora even had a conversation with her dad about how she was not proud she was watching this show. So please, leave the comments of "How could you watch that?" and "Seriously? That show?" to yourselves. We get it. We know that this is not how we should be spending our time. So now that we have got that out of the way, we can reveal what TV show we have been obsessing over. *Drumroll* /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Teen Wolf ( I said no groans of disapproval! Well, I meant to.)

Yes, we have in the past few weeks began watching MTV's Teen Wolf. As we began watching, we tried to find something that would legitimize that we were in fact watching this show. We tried, "Well, this person is a writer." Nope, nothing there. We thought, "It's on this network," and no, that did not help us one tiny bit (MTV, really, we are watching MTV).   "Well this actor is in it?" Nope, nothing there either. Well, Mitch Leery was in it for about 2.5 seconds, but that did not really help much. So we just had to face it. This show had to be added to our list of guilty pleasure shows. There was no way around it.

Now, you're probably wondering, what keeps us watching such a show on MTV. Well, that is actually an easy answer. I mean besides the vast amount of very pretty boys who are often shirtless, there is one particular character who we enjoy greatly. That character is Stiles Stilinski. Stiles is played by young actor Dylan O'Brien. He was originally offered the starring role in the series but preferred the goofy sidekick role of Stiles. (No, we have not watched interviews or panels to find out that information....) And we do not blame him one bit for choosing to play Stiles. It is his adorable face and comedic stylings that keep us coming back for more. Both Nora and I "dibs-ed" him the moment we began watching. We were both enamored.

Each of had our own moment when he won us over. Let's just say Stiles had me at "Oh my God!" He ends an argument with Scott saying just those words very intensely. It kills me every time. I do not know if it's because of how dramatic he acts while saying the line or just how he says it in general, but I laugh every time. The scene is in one of the videos below. The argument they are having before the, "Oh my God!" was almost the part that won me over. They were arguing over who was Batman and who was Robin in their relationship. It was the nerdy side of me that began to fall.

STEAL: Alright #trainwrecks, it's Nora. Katie's way too busy to be paying attention to me so I thought I'd steal the blog post to let you in on my favorite Stiles scene.  It happens in the Pilot and was really when I decided that I had to continue watching this show to see what else Stiles would be doing. Let me set the scene, Stiles and Scott had heard about a body found in the woods and the morning after they had gone to investigate Stiles ran into his dad (the Sheriff) on the way to search for Scott's inhaler because he had left it there the night before during the investigation. Anyways, so Stiles runs into his dad and the two get into a battle of wits. Once Stiles realizes he's been caught he hangs his head and breathes out "Crap". Oddly enough that was the moment when I realized I had to keep watching, if only for Stiles.

STEAL BACK! Out of all the characters, you tend to find yourself caring mostly about Stiles, and what is happening in his life. Even though the series is about Scott, the newly changed werewolf on his path to figuring out his new life, you kind of don't care what he is going through. Scott even has the love story in the series with another major character, Alison Argent, and yet you still want to know what Stiles is up to.

However, our favorite parts of the show to watch are Stiles' interactions with another character, Derek. Derek is the other werewolf, that is dark and broody, and there to kind of guide Scott, and also play the villain now and again. He is a very intimidating to Stiles and does not deal with shenanigans very well. It is basically an odd couple scenario when they are in the same scene. You have dark, angry Derek, and jokester Stiles. You can see the easy comedy that comes out of that. Here is a favorite scene. (Sorry it's not the best quality. It was all I could find)




I was going to try and explain what makes Stiles so much fun to watch outside of his Derek scenes, but I do not think I will do it justice. The way he phrases his lines and how well he can do a prat fall needs to be seen. So, I am placing a favorite youtube fan video I found that highlights some of his best moments. And even if you have not seen the show, which I am guessing most of you have not, you will still enjoy this video.



And I re-iterate, this is a guilty pleasure. We know all that is wrong with watching this show, but we do it anyway. No judgement, please. We will not judge your guilty pleasure shows either. We are all about the love here...mostly.

Also feel free to share your guilty pleasure (as long as they don't get too creepy or weird. There are certain things people just need to keep to themselves).


Also make sure to follow us on:
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!"

Monday, April 1, 2013

Nerdgasm #19: House of #Trainwrecks

For those of you unaware, yesterday was the premiere of the new season of Game of Thrones. And in typical #trainwreck fashion, we decided we had to celebrate....what could be more fun than celebrating the return of a good TV show? We chose to celebrate that by posting our "House of...." sigil. It was definitely fun trying to figure out what should go where as well as messing around with the different colors, and icons. We think we did well though. What do you think?


Make your own here: http://www.jointherealm.com/ and let us know what they look like either in the comments below or send them via one of our social media accounts:

Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

OR if you're feeling rather ambitious you can email us to them here! Perhaps if we get enough we'll post our favorites...

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!"

Monday, March 25, 2013

Nerdgasm #18: GameBros WebSeries

Okay, confession time. And this is something that a lot of people don't really know about me. I feel like I've managed to keep it hidden really well, and for a long time. See the truth is...

...I'm not a gamer, whew. Glad I got that out there.

Much like my music knowledge, my video game knowledge stops somewhere around the Game Cube....Mario Kart Double Dash is my game. But while I may not game myself, so many of my friends do, and I've had the pleasure of sitting in on a game or two....or 100. Which is why I love this Nerdgasm so much.

This is the Game Bros Web Series brought to the world by Tim Ryder (@TimRyder on the Twitter) and Daniel Strauss (@DanielStrauss) who is associated with Team Starkid (for all of you Starkids out there).  The web series really delves into what it means to be a gamer as well as the places that being a gamer can take you. And it's hilarious, did I mention how funny it is?

Here is the trailer:


And one of my favorite episodes (Thus far):


So whether you game, or just know 100 people who do (just kidding, I definitely don't know 100 people period, let alone who game), I"m sure you'll find something in this web series to connect with. I sure did.

Also, make sure you follow Tim and Dan on all of the social media outlets:

And make sure to follow us on:
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!"



Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Trainwreck's Adventure with Live Music: Part 1

I'm not sure if you've noticed this by now but Katie and I are quite friendly.........and by friendly, I of course mean that all of our thoughts happen outside of our heads as opposed to inside of our heads, like the rest of humanity. You know it's a problem when the guy selling t-shirts (etc) mocks your way of saying 'buttons', but we'll get to that.

So a few weeks ago, Katie and I went to the Alex Goot and Secondhand Serenade concert.....of course we'll be discussing neither of those bands. For more info on Alex and his friends, go check out this post (Side note, Alex is awesomely adorable and really easy to talk to; so go tweet at him. Side side note, Katie says to Chad "You were not at this concert but we apparently need to talk BMW..not the cars...the show...heard you're a big fan, let's discuss.)

We are, however, discussing two new (to us) bands that we saw that night and absolutely adored: The Role Call and Living in Pretend. As always, we'll start at the beginning. This will be a two part post, check in next week for our post on Living in Pretend; but in the meantime go follow them on Twitter/Facebook/Youtube @LivinginPretend.

We arrived at the Bottom Lounge, where the show was talking place, and we were greeted by the most adorable (and cold) looking boys. They introduced themselves as Steve (@SteveTRC on the Twitter) and Max (@MaxTRC), and they were in band called The Role Call (@TheRoleCallMN). For those of you who don't know,  The Role Call is a pop/rock band of five young (19-22ish) guys based out of Minneapolis, who occasionally travel to promote their band, which is what they were doing here.

Anyways, Max and Steve told us that they were going to be playing some acoustic songs from their EP after show and asked if we would stick around to see them play. We of course said yes, they handed us their card (Which had their phone number on it, which you can text and get actual responses from the boys) We stayed for a bit to chat before wondering into the venue. I mostly asked why they weren't wearing gloves, did they need gloves, and that I had gloves they could use. I was slightly concerned (It was cold! They were nice, it happens). They told us we were friendly and that they hoped to see us after the show. Which of course, they did. I again offered them gloves, it was really cold out, but Max (playing guitar) refused as it's hard to play with them and Steve refused out of solidarity. See? Adorable.

You're probably wondering (and by you, I mean Mike...and Katie's mom... Katie says "Two fans? YES!") about their music. We bought their EP & got them to sign it (Katie just just made this weird finger gun-clicking mouth noise "Who knows what that'll be worth some day" thing with her face and I just had to share it with you because it was odd....Katie stands by it, we'll have to photograph it one day and let you be the judge.). It's a really fun EP, and the fact that we heard it live with part of the band standing 18in from us just makes it all the better. I'm 99.9999% positive that the memory of Steve, Max, Katie, myself and a few others singing "Won't Get Down" as loud as we could to try and out-noise the screeching El train above us will stay with me forever.  But seriously, go get their EP. It's really great & at only five dollars, you really have no excuse. Seriously, my coffee at Starbucks costs more than their EP. If you like, All Time Low or The Maine or anything like that you will love them! Trust us!

I'm so glad Katie's sitting next to me because between the two of us, we've got one functioning memory (remember the designated remember-er?...we still need one). She reminded me that another of the reasons why we loved Steve and Max so much, and why we don't mind pimping their shit out ad nauseam is because they reminded us of...well us. See, we were about to leave, and Steve was at their car and suddenly yells "I HAVE THE BEST IDEA EVER!!!" Katie turns to Max and asks if this a good thing or a bad thing, Max replys "It really depends." I'm not sure about you but that interaction describes just about half of the conversations here at #Trainwreck Headquarters (yes, I did just name my basement #Trainwreck Headquarters).

Since meeting the band, we've texted back and forth, as well as participated in a #askTRC on twitter which not only broke their twitter but got us the answers to some burning questions. Questions like, what's your guilty pleasure show (For Steve, it's How I Met Your Mother) as well as what's your favorite 90's movie (Again, Steve responded with Gremlins). I know I feel, and Katie agrees, like we've really gotten to know them and all I'd say to them if they're ever back in Chicago is....you've definitely got at least one place to stay, all you have to do is ask.


Don't forget to follow them on all platforms of social media: (Seriously, all you have to do is click. We did the hard part for you.)
Twitter
Tumblr
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube

Also make sure to follow us on:
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!"



Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Keychain Productions

So everyone knows I have a somewhat obsessive personality. Luckily, this obsessiveness only pertains to shows and nerdy things. (Imagine if it was people I knew. I would have no friends...Yeah there was a realization there. Anyhoo) This time my obsessive personality led me to something pretty cool.

Recently fellow co-writer Nora and I have been watching Primeval. It is a great British Sci-Fi series about holes in time and dinosaurs. Watch it. You won't regret it. So as we watch, we obviously become attached to specific characters. I actually became attached to this character before even watching the series because of Syfy's Alice. (Have you seen it? Oh my god! It is amazing! Hatter, that is all I can say.) Sorry that was my fan girl disease. Random bursts of excitement over shows. Back on track now. Well, I loved Hatter who is played by Andrew Lee Potts, (Pottsy as his friends call him) and he also played Connor Temple in Primeval. Every fan girl's next step after picking favorite character is to then internet stalk him. As I did this, I came across Keychain Productions. We have finally reached the topic of this post.

Keychain Productions is a company started by Andrew Lee Potts and friends in 2006. The team consists of Andrew, Tony Denman, and Alex Moss. Keychain is a fantastic company that has put out some amazing work.  Their aim is to "create original and compelling ideas and shoot them on near to no budget."  Keychain has produced a variety of shorts, from their first short 'Blood On Benefits' to their now most recent, 'Monitor'. They also have made some pretty funny comedy videos like iDance and a few music videos as well. Their latest music video was Neil Jackson's "Rocket to Mars." (I really liked that one.) They were also finalists at 2012’s Virgin Media Short Film Awards for their short ‘Little Larry.' (also loved that one)
          
That is just their background. But the part of this group that I love the most is their motto: "If you have passion. Follow it." What better message can come from a group of artists?  I hope the people who view this blog pay attention to that statement. (So that would be my co-writer and our friend Mike. So pay attention guys) This is the time for us to do what we love. We have the time and energy to try anything now. We have the ability to just do what we love and see what it can bring to us and others. We might fail, but who cares? For a brief amount of time, we could spend hours working on something we are passionate about with people who feel the same. No job or amount of money will feel better than that. And who knows, it might work out, and then we could actually get paid to do what we want. I know, crazy right? The chances, especially since most of us are in the arts, are slim, but I repeat, who cares? Being in the arts is like a disease, we cannot help it. No matter how hard we try to do the logical, stable job, we can't, or we can't only do that job. In Andrew's Bio, he says, "He is addicted to filmmaking and is grateful there is no rehab!" And because of that love/addiction, Keychain has created some phenomenal work. So find some friends and do something you love. I promise it will be worth it and I keep my promises...usually.

And one more thing about Keychain productions, they are #trainwrecks like us. Just watch some of their vlogs. They just ramble on, dance, and say some of the dumbest but most hilarious things. In the vlogs, Andrew can never stop laughing, they go off topic all the time, and they seem to forget they are on camera sometimes. That kinda sounds like the ramble filled blog we put out. Most of the time we forget others can read this (not that they really do, but they can. The off topic thing though. I have no idea. That is crazy. Oh did anyone see the Supernatural Harlem Shake? Oh Jensen. It was his idea, you know!...Oh off topic...Got it now.)

Then each member on their own has a bit of trainwreck in them.  On Alex's bio he says, "He expects to go prematurely grey as a result of [his] role." Apparently, he is the calm in all of the crazy that is Andrew and Tony.  Then Tony likes "making music with wooden spoons, and re-enacting scenes from the latest Ben 10 or Sponge Bob Square Pants episodes with his 8 year old son Buster." If that is not adorable trainwreck behavior, I do not know what is. And Andrew is just over all, a bit of a spaz. To get the full scope of that please watch all the vlogs. You will see. It is hard to write about it. It is great though.

So that is Keychain Productions and we hope you check them out and DONATE! (Yes, more shameless plugs! Woohoo!) Just click the link, and there is a button on the bottom left that will let you donate. Everything they do, comes from support of their fans, and you can even donate by buying really awesome merchandise from their Little Links Shop. That is what we did. I am still waiting on the t-shirt I ordered, but it is coming from the UK so it takes a while. So please, again, check them out, and hopefully, you will like them as much as we did!


 Make to Follow us as well.
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!?

Monday, March 11, 2013

St. Patrick's Day Nerdgasm

We realize it is a bit early, but if we do this next monday, it will be too late. Besides who doesn't celebrate the entire week of St. Patrick's Day. It is way more fun that way.

This nerdgasm is for our Biology/Science nerds. You may have seen this video before, but we thought it was worth sharing.

 "The Biologist's St. Patrick's Day Song" Enjoy!





Make to Follow us as well.
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!?


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

The Trianwreck's Guide to Ignoring Winter

So, I went perusing online to try and find some ideas on how to make it through the rest of winter. I don't know about you, but I am kind of done with this whole "it's cold" thing. So, I read some articles and looked a few things up, but none of those things felt like they would help me. They were things like:

- Get sunlight in your bedroom as early as possible. (No, I like sleeping. Sunlight ruins one of my favorite activities. Not doing that. Next)

- Take a vitamin supplement. (I am sorry, but a vitamin is not going to make me warmer or feel like the outside of my house is not dreadful. Next)

-Take a trip somewhere warm (Yeah, I don't have the money to live out of my parents house and you think I have the money for a trip. Nope.)

- Exercise (Really? I don't even have a response for that.)

So all the suggestions just seemed to fail and some made me feel slightly angry. That was when I thought, I need to make my own list and help others like me. And hopefully get some comments from you guys on some more ideas. Here are my ideas for ignoring winter.


1. Wear your fun spring clothes. I mean when you leave the house bundle up like crazy, (No one wants pneumonia) but when you arrive at where ever you are going, ditch the parka and be in the fun spring dress with leggings.  Obviously, you're going to be inside where it is warm, so who needs to wear a heavy sweater. If you're cold, just grab a beer. You'll feel warm eventually.

2. Play all the music that reminds you of summer. If it is a song that make you want to drive around with your windows down, put it on a mix. Nothing transports you out of the frozen tundra like a good, warm feeling song. So as you walk to work in the frigid cold, you can imagine your somewhere else where the breeze is warm and you can actually feel your face.

3. Movie/TV Marathon of your favorite beach, summer films. Also, blast the heat in your apartment when you do. So then you can sit around in shorts and a tank top without feeling cold. This will provide the perfect sensation of summer. You'll be complaining that it is hot and just want a cold beer.

4. Throw a tiki or tropical themed party. Again blast the heat in your apartment. Then tell everyone to bring their summer clothes. You could have everyone in beach wear, drinking margaritas, and sitting on towels on your floor. There is no way you will remember that the weather man has predicted another snowstorm for tomorrow.

5. Indoor Games. Take your favorite outside games and try to create an indoor version. Once Nora and I got a bunch of friends and some nerf guns for some real fun. It gets you up and moving, and who thinks about winter when you are being ambushed by the team hiding behind the couch? No one, that's who!


Well I hope these helped and were better than some of the other suggestions out there. Hopefully once you have tried all of these solutions, it will be spring/summer and we won't need them anymore.


Make to Follow us as well.
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!?

Monday, February 25, 2013

Nerdgasm #17: Fandom Tea, Yes, Tea

Adagio Teas: Fandom

Click the link above to be transported to the wonderful world of signature blend teas. Each tea is custom designed to fit each fandom. They have any fandom you could think of. They have everything from Mass Effect to Supernatural to Sherlock. I swear if fandom nerds keep going, every pokemon will get a blend. There are that many to choose from. Then it goes further to fandoms within fandoms. There is a Harry Potter set, and then a Potions class set, and to go even futher, they have a Lizzie Bennet Diaries set. No fandom is excluded in this Tea extravaganza.


ART WORK
Not only are the Teas great, but the art work created for them is pretty cool too. Check these out.



 


DESCRIPTIONS
Then the descriptions they have are really cool. Here are some samples

LOKI
So I am no more than another scorned idea, locked in your mental tea cabinet until you might have use of me? You could have told me it wouldn't happen from the beginning! Why didn't you? What, because I-- I-- I am the caffeinated blend parents won't let their children try at night? You know, it all makes sense now, why you favoured Holmes all these years, because no matter how often you claim to make tea, you could never have a Frost Giant featured in your signature blends!' [Thank you to the anonymous writer that left me this note, and prompted me to make a blend for Loki. Cool, refreshing, but just a bit dark, with a hint of floral undertones. This blend truly shines when iced.]

CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS
A smooth, timeless blend guaranteed to charm anyone off their feet. You can take it to bed, but it will probably keep you up all night

TEAmblr
A bit odd, a bit sweet, but all flavors that manage to work together. Even if they sometimes clash when in improper proportions. Accepts no responsibility if any resulting addiction to this tea ruins your life. Go to bed.

 DESTIEL
Yup


REVIEWS
But the fun does not stop there, my friends. Check out the reviews people give. They are almost as good as some of the the Tea descriptions. Some may be even better.

STEVE ROGERS
"Steve tea is like a warm hug when you most need it. I wasn't expecting to like it so much, but when I tried it, it was love at first taste. The tea can be either strong like Captain America or soft and sweet like Steve. Ironically it's just as good iced as it is warm. Though, I wouldn't suggest keeping in your freezer for 70 years." -Sarah H


SIRIUS BLACK
"LOVE IT. My roommate and I have decided that it smells just like we've always imagined Sirius would smell. Tastes almost like an herbal tea, with bright lemon and ginger, but has a strong base. Also, just... Sirius. Sigh."


So go off and buy, fellow nerds. You're bound to find something you'll love. Curl up with your fandom tea while watching/reading your favorite fandom.


 Make to Follow us as well.
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!?

Monday, February 18, 2013

#SDCC

If you know that hashtag, then you were one of the many that dealt with the Saturday morning choas, that was buying Comic Con tickets. If you do not, then you are lucky. I don't know about you, but I did not have a very pleasant time. I spent almost two hours staring at a blank white screen, waiting for nothing to happen. As I sat there, I just read how every badge was selling out and with each tweet from Comic-Con's twitter, my hopes were crushed more and more.

So this week, there will be no Nerdgasm. The nerds are in mourning from this evil experience. And if you're one of the lucky ones to get a badge, well that is your Nerdgasm. So everyone don't complain.

And what is the best way to mourn, you ask. I think it is through humor. So here are some tweets we compiled from that disastrous morning.


Next year, instead of “Good luck” on the  landing page, how about “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” More accurate?

i feel like an insecure girlfriend with how many times i called customer service. why won't you take my calls?! is there someone else?

 is trending like wildfire! When the day comes that I rule the world, the first thing I'll do is give everyone free 4 day passes.

 announces 2014 badge registration to be managed by C'thulhu. Why settle for the lesser evil?

Four day with preview night acquired. And at such a low price, too. Who needs a soul anymore these days? 

Just got informed relatives are arriving at my apt in a bit. Place is a mess & I can't do anything about it cause I'm stuck in  hell

I felt a great disturbance in the internet, as if millions of nerds suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced 

Things were supposed to get better after twilight left 


I am Leonardo Dicaprio and  tickets are my Oscar.

Think its over? Now the Hunger Games style death match for housing begins. May the odds be ever in your favor, fellow.

 tweets are starting to look like the Titanic. I don't like this at all :( *nerdhugs!*

Whoever got the EPIC page to load...who did you have to sell your soul to? Crowley? Lemme know.   

Like I say every year, there has GOT to be a better way to do this. Unfortunately that probably involves a blood sacrifice. 


So there we are. Some of the best tweets we found from that morning. If you found any better ones, post them please. We all need a laugh. 

Also make sure to check out some of these twitter accounts. I bet these cannot be their only good tweets. 



Make to Follow us as well. 
Twitter: Andimatrainwrec (Katie), npalmerco08 (Nora)
Tumblr: Aaanndimatrainweck (official),  kahildreth (Katie), stillnuttypony (Nora)

And yes we did just re-read that and said, "Who let's us talk to people!?