#and then when my alarm finally went off AT 8:35AM

[pricelessemotion]

filipino moms are on another level

[violecentstrs]

Meaningful Friendship

A/N: Hey guys. Just a heads up, this is NOT a Sebastian Stan x Reader story. I wrote this after I had finished with Our True Love a few months ago and had finally decided to post this now. This is more of my appreciation towards Sebastian Stan as an actor and human being. His amazing personality really inspired me to write this. So, I want to share this with you guys. I truly hope you enjoy it! 

Warning(s): Discomfort, sweet, appreciation Word Count: 3,030

Disclaimer: There is a reference I made about a “crazy” fan and it is not meant to offend anyone. I have heard stories from different celebrities about their crazy fans and what not, so I thought I could just write it here for the bit of thrill. Please do not think that I am bashing on anyone if they show their love and support for Sebastian in such a way. You are entitled to your own opinions and thoughts. I just want to remind you that this is fictional and meant to be for the bit of drama. Nothing more. Thank you and enjoy! 

★ ★ ★

I dash through the crowd of people in the streets. I look at the watch on my wrist. 9:35AM. Shit. I was so late. Sebastian had already texted me that he arrived at around 8:39AM.

I stumble into Starbucks after my satchel got caught on the door handle. I can feel eyes staring right at me from inside the shop. So much for major embarrassment.

I attempt to ignore their stares and look through the faces to find Sebastian’s. Sure enough, there he was, sitting in one of the small couches in a corner of the shop. He is wearing reflective sunglasses and a navy blue sweater. He didn’t seem to notice me yet.

“Bassy! I’m so sorry! I had to run extra errands.” I say regretfully as I sit down in front of him. I sink into the couch, trying to catch my breath. Sebastian looks at me surprised.

“Y/N! Oh no. It’s okay.” He says kindly. Such a sweetheart. I take a deep breath before sitting up straight. He takes the shades off and let them hang on the neck of his sweater.

“So, how have you been?” I ask while setting my satchel down next to the table. Sebastian brushes through his blonde hair while taking a sip of the cappuccino.

“It’s been good. I’m getting some rest after filming. Then I’ll be back on set next week.” He answers while resting his back at the back of the couch. He crosses his arms over his chest. I forgot how handsome this guy really was, especially with that pose of his.

“Sweet! I can’t wait. I’m sure Bucky Barnes is greatly anticipated once again after Civil War.” I nudge him. He laughs quietly.

“I’m filming another movie actually. The one I told you about. ‘I’m Not Here’.” He answers stirring his cup. I slap my forehead.

“Of course! Silly of me. Explains the blonde hair.” I say while laughing.

“Anyways, I wanted to see you. It’s been a while since we last saw each other with your busy schedule and what not.” I continue. Sebastian gives me a sweet chuckle.

“Yeah. It has been a while. I assume now you understand that being an actor is not that easy, huh?” He asks, lacing his fingers together in front of him. I slump further into the couch. I nod.

I started off as his fan. Sebastian came to my university to watch a play my club had written. He was intrigued by it and went back stage to meet us. He was so impressed by my character that he said he wants to help me succeed in the cinematic world in the future. I think I screamed in excitement all the way back home that day. What are the odds that your celebrity crush came up to you and said that they like what you’ve done? I swear, I was more than happy.

We became friends after that point. Even with Sebastian’s success and involvements in many different movies and shows, he never forgot about me.

“Uh-huh. But I love it nonetheless. The thrill of being another person and have a different life is quite satisfying. Of course, I’m starting slow.” I say while fishing my phone out of my satchel.

“Oh hey! How’s things with Margarita?” I ask. Sebastian’s face shows little tints of red before his smile widens.

“Great. We are doing wonderful really. She’s out filming today.” He answers happily. He’s literally like a Golden Retriever puppy. Especially with that blonde hair of his now.

“Awwh, look at you. Getting all shy just talking about her.” I tease his reddening face.

“Oh gosh. Like you wouldn’t if you talk about your boyfriend.” He teases back. I laugh.

“If I had one. Hey, so after this should we go take a walk around if you have nothing else to do?” I ask while unlocking my phone to check my messages. 5 messages, but none from the person I want to hear. Sebastian is about to reply when we heard a voice.

“Excuse me.”

I turn to look over at the voice. Sebastian looks up at the girl standing next to his couch.

“Do you happen to be Sebastian Stan?” The girl asks hesitantly. Ah. A fan. Sebastian smiles at her.

“Yes I am.” He answers cheerfully. The girl lets out an excited yelp. I can feel eyes staring at us again.

“I’m a huge fan! I love you as Mad Hatter in Once Upon a Time. You were so perfect!” The girl says while stepping even closer to Sebastian. He laughs and thanks the girl for her support.

“I have posters of you plastered all around my room. Even all of my items in my room is covered in your face. I even printed your picture on my bed sheets so it feels like I’m sleeping with you! I am crazy in love with you. I think of you as my boyfriend, really!” The girl says again with such an excited tone. I don’t even know if this girl knows that I am here. But the things she said made me a tad bit uncomfortable.

“Ah. That’s really cool.” Sebastian answers, still keeping a kind smile on his face. Amazing. Truly. How is he still smiling after what she said?

“I was wondering if you’d like to come and see them at my home.” I blink. That’s worrying.

“That’s very sweet of you, but I have a meeting with a friend right now.” He says while still keeping on that smile. The girl pouts.

“Please? It will only be for a few hours! I’d like you to meet my parents as well! They also want to meet my boyfriend!” The girl grabs Sebastian’s arm. He didn’t jerk away, but I can see the discomfort in his eyes. Alarms are blaring through my head now. I need to save Sebastian from this.

“Excuse me, but we have work to attend to now. Sebastian, shall we?” I say picking up my satchel. Sebastian looks over at me and nods silently.

“Sorry. I do really have to go now.” Sebastian says while trying to pull his arm away from her. But she had a good grip on him.

“Please! I promise, an hour then!” She insists again. I stand up, wedging myself between the girl and Sebastian. It surprised her enough to loosen her grip on him. I grab Sebastian’s hand immediately and lead him out of there as quick as I can.

“Wait! Sebastian, please!” The girl runs through. She bumps into a man, causing him to spill his drink. I pull Sebastian out of the shop and right into the crowded street while still holding his hand. My heart is beating fast. That was rather unpleasant.

“Thanks, Y/N.” He finally says after we are at a safe distance from the shop. I never knew that there can be genuine crazy fans like her. Yes, fantasies and jokes are fine, but to the point of believing that your celebrity crushes are your actual real life lovers is a little too much.

His hand is shaking in mine. I look at him, feeling sorry for him. The price to pay for being known in the entertainment world. I let his hand free while slowing down our pace.

“That was really something else.” I say. He is hugging his body, walking quietly next to me. I look up at him before wrapping my arm around his. He looks down at me.

“Come, Bassy. Let’s get you out of those troubling thoughts. I know! Let’s go to a museum!” I say while stepping out towards the street for a taxi. Sebastian keeps close behind me.

“Where are we going?” I grin at him.

“You’ll see.”

~

We walk side by side, watching in awe at the rockets exhibited on the ceiling of the museum. We follow the tour at the back of the crowd, taking our own time at admiring the beautifully designed walls and exhibits. The scene matching exactly that of an outer space.

Sebastian’s eyes are glimmering like the stars themselves. But I know, at the back of his mind, he is still thinking about that girl just now. He won’t forget that event all too easily. I stop at the glass box where it shows a sample of rocks from Mars, only that they were replicas. It looked real enough though, I suppose.

“You just know I’m a geek for these things, huh?” He says. I look up at him, smiling.

“Yeah, well you are a geek. Period.” I say back, looking around the place. Amazing at how much effort they put into these things, really. I check my phone again for the message. Nothing.

Sebastian listens carefully to the tour guide as he explains the space suits arranged next to each other in a large glass box. I nudge him a little.

“I bet you know all about that from ‘Martian’, huh?” I tease. He chuckles.

“More or less. I know enough. I have been interested in space ever since I was a child, anyways.” He answers.

“No wonder you like to stare off into one.” I joke. He looks at me confused.

“Cause, you know, you like space. Stare off into spa— Ach, you’re ruining my joke, Bassy!” I yell at him quietly. He blinks before letting out a hearty laugh.

“You’re never good at making jokes.” He pets my head. I turn away embarrassed.

“Don’t pull that face, Y/N!” He says while pulling me into a quick hug. I laugh before shoving him aside playfully. Sometimes, Sebastian makes me feel like his little sister.

I smile, watching him continue to observe the rockets on the ceiling. He is a wonderful person after all. Not many actors are as kind and sweet as he can be. Sebastian is truly one and only.

~

“What does your therapist say?” I ask while kicking another dried leaf out of the way. Sebastian slides his hands in his pocket after adjusting his shades.

“He said to always destress. To not be afraid to share with others how I feel at times.” He answers quietly. I look up at him.

“Well, do you agree?” I ask. Sebastian lets out a sigh.

“He’s the expert. I suppose he is right. I can handle most of my problems by myself, really. No big deal.” He says. I furrow my eyebrows before giving his arm a light punch. He looks at me surprised.

“I know you are a tough and cool guy who seems to always be cheerful and optimistic. But shed that outer layer around people you trust. If something is troubling you, then talk about it. Margarita is there for you, no?” I say. He blinks before rubbing the spot on his arm where I punched.

“I’m sorry, did that hurt?” I ask, feeling guilty now. He smiles and shakes his head.

“No. I do talk about different things with her. It’s embarrassing to even cry in front of her sometimes. But filming can be very stressful. Especially when you play characters who had some tragic history.” He answers truthfully. I smile.

“Well the reason why you are able to play them well is because you channel a lot of yourself in them. Only that, you need to remember to separate yourself from these characters. You may be Jefferson, Lance, Will, Bucky or others, but you are still the one and only Sebastian Stan. Remember that.” I say, kicking up another dried leaf into the air. He remains quiet for a moment.

“Right.”

I gasp when I see a small kitten hiding underneath the bench. I yelp.

“Bassy look! A kitten!” I say pointing at it. I try to approach it but it scurries away. I pout, but then I remembered back to what we were talking about. Ugh, I get distracted too easily. When I look back at him, I see a very sweet smile.

“You scared it away with your enthusiasm.” He says while laughing. I blush slightly. I smile at him before petting his shoulders.

“Remember what I said, Sebastian. You can rely on others too. Even me if you want. Don’t worry about others looking down on you if you end up showing them how you feel. They really won’t because they still think you as the cheerful and funny Sebastian Stan no matter what!” I say while spreading my arms open. He laughs.

“All right, mom.” He jokes. I blush before clearing my throat.

“You’re leaving me hanging man.” I say, waiting for him to accept my hug. He laughs again before wrapping his arms around me, giving me a solid hug.

“Thanks, Y/N.”

~

My phone vibrates in my satchel as we finish up lunch at Subway. I quickly go and check it. I smile happily.

“Mission complete. Bring our Martian home.”

“Who is it?” He asks while crumpling up the papers together.

“Oh, just my boss wanting to know where I am.” I lie while putting the phone away. I finish off the drink in the cup.

“Say, Bassy. Remember that sweater I lend to Margarita? I was wondering if I can go and pick it up from your apartment. I need it for filming on Monday.” I ask, watching him while still sipping on my drink. Sebastian nods.

“Yeah, sure. Of course.” He says while getting up. We called a taxi over and head straight for his apartment.

“Thanks for today. I had fun, Y/N.” Sebastian says while looking at me. I give him a childish grin.

“Of course! I wanted to see you! It’s been a while. We should find another time to hang out. Next time if I have a boyfriend, we should have a double date.” I say cheerfully. Sebastian laughs.

“Sounds like a good plan.”

We reach up to the floor of his apartment. I text someone on my phone.

“Martian is arriving in T-minus 2 minutes.”

As he approaches the door of his apartment. I grab his arm.

“Bassy, wait.” I say. He looks back at me. I reach into the satchel and give him the wrapped up package I had in there. He looks at me surprised.

“What’s this for?” He asks curiously.

“Happy birthday, geek.” I say cheerfully. Did that made his face light up.

“You remembered?” He says, eyes sparkling. I nod before punching his arm gently again.

“Of course! How can I forget?” I laugh while pushing him to the front of his door. “Open it when you get inside!” I say. He laughs and opens the door with his keys.

When he entered, there was a flash of light followed by a rain of confetti.

“SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SEBASTIAN!” A group of people yell from inside of his apartment. A music starts to play followed by laughter. Sebastian had backed away in shock from the sudden surprise before laughing.

Margarita runs over towards him and give him a sweet loving kiss. He returns it back happily before looking around.

“I thought you were out!” Sebastian says looking at her. She giggles.

“I wouldn’t leave my boyfriend alone on his birthday!” She answers back.

“Madame, the Martian has been delivered with success.” I say teasingly.

“Thank you, Odyssey. Your mission is complete!” Margarita answers back, saluting at me playfully.

“You knew about this?” Sebastian asks blinking. Margarita and I exchange hugs before giving him childish smiles. She leads him inside of the apartment to greet others that came.

~

I stand outside on the balcony to get some air. It has been a tiring day today, but I’m glad it went good. The night is creeping up slowly. I should probably get home soon.

Sebastian leans on the railings next to me, catching me by surprise. I smile at him before punching his arm again. He chuckles.

“Thank you again for today, Y/N.” He starts saying while looking up at the emerging stars.

“Of course. I did want to meet you. When Margarita said she needed someone to help take you out, I stepped in immediately. I wanted to spend the day with you.” I say before taking a sip from the soda can.

“I’m glad you did. Even though we aren’t that close, you still care about me very much.” He says keeping his eyes at the sky. It is true. I do care about Sebastian very much. More than a mere friend.

“Of course, Bassy. That’s what friends are for. Besides, you’re an inspiration for a lot of people. Your charm, kindness and sweetness always leave a mark in people’s lives. Not to mention your drop dead handsome looks too.” I wink at him, finishing the can of soda. He chuckles.

“Well, I appreciate everything you have helped me with.” I shake my head.

“You’re giving me too much credit. Save some for yourself.” I smile before looking back inside.

“Come on. You don’t want to miss your birthday party, right?” I say, leading him back inside to the party.

It still feels odd to be friends with Sebastian, thinking that he is the object of a lot of people’s desire out there. Even mine at one point. But, after meeting him in person and discovering more about the different sides to him, I start to think differently of him. Mostly out of respect for him.

Even if my fantasies were of him and me together, I am completely content of being a friend for him. Being there for him to vent out any frustrations he has, to give him gifts on his special days, to share laughter with him, to congratulate him on all of his successes and many others.

The man is both unique on the inside and outside, who will smile even for the craziest fans out there. Someone who accepts people with an open heart and open mind. Someone who knows how to appreciate every kind of support given to him. Someone who understands the importance of humour in everyday life. Someone who doesn’t hesitate in providing the right help for anyone who asks him. Someone who is very charming and sweet. And many other wonderful qualities.

That someone is Sebastian Stan.

★ ★ ★

A/N: Annnnddd, that’s it! I hope you guys enjoy this one shot. I know it’s not a Sebastian Stan x Reader pairing, but I promise you, I have one in the process of being written now, so hang tight for that next week (hopefully). I am going to be travelling once again so my schedule will be all over the place, but I will continue to try and post as soon as I can. 

I know a lot of you guys share this kind of view of how much Sebastian Stan is truly an amazing human being. I just want to write it out since I haven’t seen much of these kinds of one shots of purely appreciation for the actor. I know they are out there, I just haven’t read them. But yeah. 

Please like and reblog if you’d like and think my story is worthy of either. I appreciate every single of your support and it means the world to me. Thank you so much for reading and much love! <3

~~~

P/S: I am close to reaching 500 followers (WHHAATT??? *author’s mind is blown*) so I want to say thank you so much to each and every one of you for the lovely support and I do hope I continue to amaze you with my stories. <3

If we reach to 500 followers, I will ask for your opinions on what kind of one shot would you like to read as a celebration. Tragedy, action, pure romance, maybe smut? Either way, we shall wait for that day to come first before I put the post out asking for what kind of one shot you guys would like. 

Okay, I babble too much. Sorry and have a cookie as my appreciation of you reading all the way down here. 🍪

Tag(s): @shamvictoria11 @munsureiya @ninjayjumper  @elaacreditava

[2019dclmed]

Departure Day

Departure Day -Thursday, May 23, 2019

With my 16 year old cat, Kealy, having gotten sick many times throughout the day prior (even though she was already on antibiotics), I had another night of lacking sleep due to worry. 

I went to sleep around 11:30pm, couldn’t get to sleep, took something at 12:30am, and set my alarm for 6am - in case I needed to see the vet at 7am. Of course I awoke on my own promptly at 5:30am. Miraculously all seemed fine with Kealy (after checking the recordings on my Blink camera from overnight). So I set a new alarm for 7:15am. 

I was slow to get up & get in the shower since I didn’t need to leave until 10:30am. So I cleaned up the living room & kitchen, did the final prep & pack of the backpack.

I also made a couple of last minute swaps due to the (sad) decline in forecasted temps.

Grabbed some snuggles in my recliner with the kitty (watching the Rapunzel animated series to get in the mood), & pulled out by 10:35am. I stopped at a grocery near Kara’s to grab last minute gas, Wheat Thins, & caffeine pills in Indy. 

Our themed-luggage tags. We tend to make these for “big” trips!

This is Kara. I slept well, as I often do, and having finished nearly all packing the night before had a quiet, easy morning. I had even finished emptying my work inbox the night before so other than a few last small to do items, I got to just tidy up around the house, say goodbye to my plants and wait for Gayle.

We left by 12:05pm for lunch at Panera. Our flight was scheduled for 3:30pm. 

First it was delayed about ten minutes. Then delayed more. Then the news came: Ground Stop. Due to East Coast storms impacting Philadelphia, everything was stopped from even heading in that direction. 

We started talking about rebooking, as it seemed we’d miss our connection in PHL. However, the plane started boarding and figured we’d deal with it at PHL - at least we’d be closer to Barcelona and at an American Airlines hub. 

I ended up sobbing all the way to PHL. 

Huge Sidenote: Most people, including myself, would read all this and figure, “What’s the big deal? So you take a different flight? Maybe your luggage is late?” For me, this was 14 months of planning falling apart and we hadn’t even left our home airport yet. It was hours of work and planning for this flight, to find an option that would allow me to sleep (as I’m a terrible international/eastbound flier) and in a budget I could afford. 

That’s right folks, I mention that almighty dollar, as for some a trip like this can be a stretch. I have a great professional job, but I also chose a profession and position that can be lacking financial rewards. A “big trip” like this is something I need to plan years in advance, which I didn’t have this time, and wasn’t strong enough to tell Kara no. And putting it off just one year woudn’t work since I have to lead a study abroad next May. So this had been a YEAR of scrimping and saving, living somewhat like a “poor college student”, only to completely lose our business class seats. (Yes, I realize as I type this many are rolling their eyes, but in this moment my reality was crushed.)

We landed at PHL at 7:12pm; our connecting flight left at 7:10pm! We were sent to stand in line at a nearby customer service gate, while having learned from the past, I simultaneously called AA. I put in for a call-back as we waited in the line. The Customer Service desk tells us since we’re international, we have to “go over there” to get help - from C31 to A17! 

During the trek I didn't hear or feel my phone go off - twice! - of AA calling me back. We initially couldn’t find the international help desk tucked in a set-back cove past A17, but finally got ourselves into that line. I finally noticed the 3rd call-back attempt and after many minutes was told there were ZERO options for anything arriving before… SUNDAY! (Our cruise was leaving Saturday!) Another meltdown, now from anger, had set-in. The phone agent told us to stay in the line we were standing in, that the in-person agent might have more options. What? How?

Finally at the front of the line at 8:30pm we were offered two Economy (not our booked business) seats leaving in 30 minutes to…Paris with a 5 hour layover to Barcelona (BCN). (Trying to rebook us was so challenging, this flight would be via Air France, which is the SkyTeam-Delta, not OneWorld-American network.) It’s a testament to how desperate we were that we jumped at that option, with virtually no questions asked. 

When we arrived at the gate to get our seats, they were already boarding! To get any seats together, we were in the very last row- 35 G&H (which gave me deja vu for the very first time I went to Europe). I was able to shoot off a quick email to Barcelona Chocolate Tours, letting them know we couldn’t make our noon tour, as we wouldn’t be landing until nearly 6pm and respectfully requested a refund. We had a suitable Economy dinner and took ALL the drugs we packed to try to get even a little sleep. I think I maybe slept through 2.5-2.75 Harry Potter 1 movies.

This is Kara. Gayle did a good job recapping this crazy set of events.  I’ll add in here that we posted a photo to Facebook to commemorate the crazy turn of events as a last notification to our friends and family of what our status was. This specific photo is very important later in the story.

Breakfast on the plane was yogurt & figs - gross. So I had my packed protein bar. Deplaning we certainly asked for help knowing where to go next. As we suspected, there was no luggage when we got to Paris (CDG). Went to Baggage Service and was told to wait until we got to BCN to put in a luggage inquiry. What?! This makes no sense, especially for how long all this might take. Kara called AA and was again told to wait until BCN.

The small bit of “raging idealist” in me thought our luggage should be waiting for us in BCN. That AA knew we were going to BCN via our original ticket and the Air France ticket showed the same. So throw them on whatever the next BCN flight is. Period. 

After enduring the long layover at CDG (in a new beautiful Air France, but packed terminal), I put my headphones on to BCN because 1) Chatty Kathy was next to me, 2) Kara and I were 2 rows apart, 3) the aisle dude commandeered the armrest, and 4) Kara & I were both in middle seats.

Arrive at BCN - no luggage. We wait in line at the American luggage desk only to be told to go to the next bay to stand in line for Air France, as apparently it’s the final airlines responsibility to deal with the luggage. So yes, there I am again having a meltdown. Why? We’re told to put in an incident report, which requested our entire cruise port itinerary and that our bags haven’t left PHL! At this time I also got email offering us a chocolate tour for Sunday, but at this late time no refund would be given. Talk about adding insult to injury.

Meltdown Sidenote: Again, many might question the freak out. Here was a much bigger issue. They were now giving us indication they had no idea when or if we might get our bags and we were about to embark on a 7 night cruise with nothing but the literal clothes on our back and whatever snacks & tech we had in our small carry-ons! We knew our same PHL-BCN flight was leaving that night at 7:10pm with an arrival at 9am Saturday morning and basically begged to get our bags on that flight! As it was currently only about noon PHL time, we knew they had plenty of time, but all we were told was they would put in the inquiry (via tele-text?!) and PHL would have to act on it in time. If our bags didn’t arrive on that flight, we’d have only a couple of hours to try to go to unfamiliar stores and buy everything we’d need for PJs, toiletries, dinner clothes, port adventures clothes, and much more. 

From Kara - this is where that photo we posted on Facebook came into play.  Some might call my family intense. Nearly all the time I call them loving and incredibly supportive. We use an app called GroupMe and we also use Google Location Services to keep track of one another.  Gayle and I had difficulty getting on wi-fi at CDG so while my family knew we’d made it there okay because my phone had connected and updated my location, I didn’t really share an update.  When we got to BCN and were dealing with the aforementioned request being sent by tele-text, I noticed in the GroupMe app that my aunt mentioned that she’d let a cousin in Phoenix who works for American Airlines know about our plight.  My cousin found our record using the photo we’d posted with our boarding pass and, thankfully, our luggage was on the same record as we had actually booked this as one reservation which is not our norm.  

Before leaving BCN we somehow had the wherewithal to request the luggage be held at BCN if it arrived, as we didn’t trust and couldn’t take a risk of passing it or a delay in delivery to the hotel &/or ship. We’d determined no matter what we’d return to the airport seeking our luggage Saturday morning, as it was the only real strategy we could take control of. 

We finally got to our hotel, AC Hotel Marriott Diagonal D’Illa,  around 7:30-8pm and just like in all telling TV shows & films - yes, it was raining. It was fatefully connected to a mall. We ended up with basic chicken sandwiches (and by this I mean crustless white bread with shredded chicken) and water for dinner. I did pick up a piece of chocolate cake, more out of habit than want. 

That I couldn’t even bring myself to visit the Disney Store tells you how despondent I was. 

Our hotel room was like a “camp version” of a hotel room - just the bare basics. We showered (using every amenity kit we could from the hotel), put our same clothes back on, and borrowed electrical adapters to charge our phones. 

By absolute fate we had initially posted a photo of ourselves with our boarding passes on Facebook. I thought I’d covered our confirmation number, but apparently not. Via the “Monroe Family Network” (Kara’s family), her Aunt Idris sent our confirmation number to a distant cousin who happens to work for… American Airlines Customer Service! Through Idris we were told Cousin Kimberley spoke with a supervisor at PHL who had located our bags and would “do their best” to put them on our requested evening flight to arrive at 9am Saturday morning. Another follow-up re-affirmed. 

Friday night we also logged onto the Air France baggage site as instructed. The only thing it showed was “luggage found - awaiting confirmation”. At some point I decided trying to apply my social media knowledge (as I’m also a known blogger for a popular TV series). I sent the AA Twitter account a Direct Message with our confirmation number begging them to put our bags on the PHL-BCN 7:10pm-9am flight. Around 10:30pm we got a positive response that yes this would happen! 

Between this & Kara’s cousin’s messages, there were more hesitant and slight tears (of relief?), as we feared getting our hopes up.

Continuing to pile on, there was loud party music raging outside our room from somewhere we couldn’t see. So Kara looked for some brainless TV. With my experience in Europe I assured her if she looked long enough she’s probably find NCIS &/or Big Bang Theory. Sure enough Gibbs & the team gave us a slight calm in the midst of our storm. We tried to go to sleep by 11pm (which was only 5pm back home).  

I woke up just past 2am. On the AA app it showed our confirmation number to check-in for our PHL-BCN flight - yay! But for a Saturday departure/Sunday arrival - NO! I figured this was our bags and was again defeated. I freaked-out internally while Kara slept. But the AA website showed our bags were loaded onto the requested flight at 3:20pm? Huh? So I took more drugs to get back to sleep.

This is Kara. There isn’t much I can add to this day other than a little more about my, as my niece Ashley said in a Facebook post commenting later on in the week, “creepy” family. Yes, sometimes we are remarkably creepy in how we keep up with each other.  But, when push comes to shove, having a team of people in your immediate circle who are always in your corner is reassuring. I’d been checking in with them each time we got a network connection and giving them updates. I got to “meet” my cousin’s wife Kimberley for the first time through this situation and look forward to meeting her in person someday. The family was also watching my Google Location icon pop up all over the world all through the trip.  It truly is a good thing to know you’ve got people and they’ve got you too.

Disclaimer: Gayle is a travel agent with Authorized Disney Travel Planner agency - Off to Neverland Travel. Contact me today for a no-obligation quote!

Next up: Embarkation Day! Would the luggage actually arrive?

[bdamantherapper]

BDaMan’s Show Log (11/16-11/18)

*The following events take place between Thursday, November 16th and Saturday, November 18th of 2017.*

Thursday

11:37pm - As I'm about 10 minutes from home, I think of how blessed I am to get opportunities to perform and display my craft to those willing to listen. Statistically, most of my notable performances have fallen within the November month. Thanks to Mono, tomorrow night's performance adds to the unique catalog of performances that I've done in November. Time to get home and unwind, so I can get a decent night's worth of sleep for work and the show tomorrow.

Friday

3:23am - I'm going to regret staying up this late in the morning, but there was a tiny bit of work to be done. Time for bed, more like a nap...

6:56am - Finally awake after all of the alarms went off. Time to get the ball rolling on the day. This morning's soundtrack? Jazz.

8:04am - It's a rainy one today. Waiting for one of my three busses to work.

8:24am - Instead of the normal Pandora vibes, I take a little bit of time to refresh my memory on the set list that B.Allen and I have planned for tonight.

11:35am - I decide to take my 15 minute break to get some promo in for tonight's show. It's a fun task, but a challenging one.

12:50pm - I was just about to leave until my supervisor mentioned that there was pizza for someone's last day. Free lunch? Say no more!

1:37pm - Taking that route home from work - that means it's time to practice a little heavier!

2:15pm - You know that feeling you get when you don't know how things are gonna go due to one major thing? That's how I feel at this very moment.

3:33pm - On a more positive note, it looks like our younger brother, Jabri might be coming to the show tonight! (Cheap plug: Jabri's Augsburg Football Highlights: https://youtu.be/ctvK5zI4ths)

4:27pm - Time for a nap to get my mind off of things a bit...

5:45pm - I wake up from my nap to find out that another homie, MicDOS will be performing with us tonight! Tonight's gonna be even more fun!

6:30pm - My girlfriend, Nikki never ceases to amaze me. Here's a disclaimer: sappiness incoming with this portion.

Although we've only been officially dating since October (started seeing each other in August), she has been so supportive on a multitude levels. I was going through a minor bump of issues today and she didn't hesitate to remind me that we'll always be able to get out of the rougher times together. I'm paraphrasing a lot, but that's the general premise of our conversation without giving all of y'all our business.

6:51pm - Gonna do a brief run through of my portion of the set, just to make sure I'm truly where I need to be with this set.

8:12pm - Finally on the move! Meeting with with BDot in less than an hour, so we can head to the show.

8:28pm - A good luck text from the girlfriend? Now, that's a little extra motivation!

9pm - As usual, I gotta wait on this man BDot. Now realizing what event was taking place here at U.S. Bank Stadium, things are just a bit too weird around here. I'm also reminded why I hate this area of Minneapolis.

9:12pm - The funniest moment in our 16 year brotherhood just happened. The Green Line was coming and there was no sight of BDot. Next thing I know, this man darts out of nowhere and manages to make it on the Green Line! That was something straight out of a TV show!!

9:29pm - All the homies are here! Acadia is similar in size to Galactic Pizza, so it'll be interesting to get a feel for the vibe.

9:43pm - Reidy is hosting tonight's show and is kicking it off with his song from the Game Boy Elevation series.

9:46pm - Tu'shawn is up now. Him and Mono are definitely fam, they got that same smooth combo of growl and flow.

10:21pm - Looks like BDot and I are up next! Time to write another page in the book of S.O.S.! It‘s go time!

11pm - And another performance in the books! My voice went out a bit quicker than normal, but the maintenance of it was a bit better than it used to be. Small strides there. BDot and I came to conclusion that new music is a MUST for all shows going forward. As usual, we adapted to our surroundings and still put on a good performance.

11:05pm - The good homie, MicDOS is up now. I've known this dude since Sophomore year of high school. Been nothing but a good ass person since. Very glad to see him moving forward so well with the music.

11:26pm - After the Respect Demanded cypher, the Mad Scientist himself, Mono is up now! 11:50pm - The show is complete! Doctor Ew gives BDot and I props on our performance and mentions possible collaborations between us. We’ve always had mad respect for Doctor Ew’s style.

Saturday

12:12am - On our walk to Signature's car, Mono and I chat about life and such briefly. As the norm has been for the past month, Mono asks me how things are with my girlfriend and seemed to give that Mono seal of approval.

12:26am - Thanks to Signature, I have arrived back at my humble abode! Time to make that step back into the real world come tomorrow...

[bdamantherapper]

BDaMan’s Show Log (6/23/2017-6/24/2017)

*The following events take place between Friday, June 23rd and Saturday, June 24th.* Friday 12:01am - As Show Day has finally approached, it's time to start logging the events and work my way towards getting in that zone for tonight's show. 12:15am - As I usually do each day around this time, I decide to check my "On This Day" on Facebook. Found a lot of stuff relating to the "Here's The Man" release in 2013, along with a bunch of show stuff from past years. The most interesting part I discovered was that Facebook reminded it that it had been four years since B.Allen and I became Facebook friends. For anyone who knows my history real well, you'd know that obviously I've known B.Allen and Jabri way longer than 4 years. I'm assuming there was a short time period in 2013 (for whatever reason) that B.Allen and I weren't Facebook friends. All of that aside, I'm reminded that as the end of June approaches, it marks the 16 year mark that I've known B.Allen and Jabri. (Short version of the normal version of the story: Met them in late June 2001 at my Grandma's place, their mom married my dad in 2004) I'm reminded that the people you meet in life can be minor or major, depending on how the natural flow of life goes. If you would've told me a year prior in June 2000 that I'd be pursuing music heavily with someone who not only has the same name as me (with a different spelling), but someone that would be a big brother to me - I would've been so confused, to a point where I don't believe it. 12:38am (cont. from 12:15am): Since 2014, I've done full 30-45 minute performances (also known as sets) with B.Allen and prior to that, full performances with variations of the New Life crew, one exception being June 2009 at The Beat Coffeehouse. Tonight's performance marks the first full solo performance of mine since the 2009 one. B.Allen and I had a mutual understanding days ago that he wouldn't be able to perform with me for this show. I'm not taking it as hard as I once would have, it's hard to go from that transition of having someone with you on stage all these years back to solo performances. As they say, though: "The show must go on." 1:05am - Only in my house can I watch my mom watch "Orange Is The New Black" while I watch "The Bernie Mac Show". The way our house is set up, I get the best of both worlds. 3:05am - Night #2 of looking at TV Tropes of various shows. TV Tropes are officially as interesting as samples in music. 4:35am - Still not completely tired yet. Thank goodness for Melatonin and "Hey Arnold!" It'll take its course soon enough... 9:54am - With the help of some foolproof alarms, I managed to wake up when I needed to. With how long today's gonna be, I didn't wanna waste any time. 10:01am - Can't go wrong with The Price Is Right! Now just gotta decide if I'm having breakfast or lunch today. 11:22am - After a fair amount of promoting the show, I've decided on having lunch. Can't let the hustle of promoting delay the day. 12:17pm - Now that lunch is done, it's time to get some practicing in. 12:41pm - I really hate how any form of text communication can be misconstrued. I often can read through it, but sometimes, there are people who just come off so passive aggressive. Put some respeck on your texts to me. 1:24pm - Time to get some practice in! 2:12pm - My solo practice is cut a bit short, as I had to call Tony back (imagine Frank Gallagher, but a bit shorter and slightly more sane) to check in with him and see how he's doing. Convos with him always remind me to never take myself too seriously and to never take any disrespect. 3:02pm - Gotta get ready for the final practice with the Gazda band, prior to the show. Here comes the long part of my day. 3:43pm - Cos lets me know that he'll be here to pick me up shortly. I feel like it took us a long time to not only do music together, but a long time for us to do shows together. It's something we've talked about since we worked together at Walgreens. To put it in perspective, it's about 5-6 years in the making. 3:58pm - We've arrived at Dave's place to get the final show practice in before the show. I also finally get to meet KJ and Blair, two very talented musicians who will be involved with tonight's set. 4:56pm - Practice is sounding awesome with everyone here! Can't wait to see everyone's reactions to the set. 5:43pm - Practice is complete! Time to pack up shop and make the travel to Nomad. Shout-out to Blair for the ride. 5:53pm - Had a chance to listen to my recordings from the practice before we left. It was dope hearing just how well my songs meshed with the Gazda stuff. Shoutout to Dave for hooking that up. 6:07pm - For the first time since November 2015, I have arrived at Nomad! A tad earlier than I expected, but oh well. 6:36pm - A nap might've been a smart idea. I'm tired as a mug. I shouldn't have trusted the alarm tones of "Morning's Here" from Friends, a Jadakiss laugh compilation, a Kanye noises compilation and a compilation of Big Sean saying "Oh god!" It got me up, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna be staying up haha. Godspeed. 6:54pm - Ran into the homie, Kama here at Nomad World Pub. Hopefully gonna link with him on some shows and music. 7:05pm - My all-time favorite James Brown song, "The Payback" is on right now.  I'm containing my hype haha. Mitch (one of Dave's roommates) is spinning the classics right now! 7:09pm - The OG is turnt about "The Payback" right now. 7:43pm - Only in my lifetime can I just witnessed a "Happy Vagina" be drawn. Somewhat doubles as an happy avocado haha. KJ's artistry at work! All for the love of Planned Parenthood, y'all. 7:48pm - Just found out about 7 minutes ago about all the set times. I go on with Gazda at 10:45. 7:59pm - Aw, shit! "Flashlight" is playing!! For those who don't know, that is my favorite song of all time. 8:23pm - These fries are tasty as hell, though!! Shouts out to Sarah for sharing her fries. Chronicles of a Broke Rapper. 8:33pm - First time in the Green Room since the first Culchr Showcase from November 2015. So many memories plus thoughts racing through my mind. 8:47pm - Before I left the Green Room, I saw an old Culchr sticker we put down there. It felt so symbolic to see that, despite not quite feeling the Culchr surroundings love today. No Alex or B.Allen with me for this one. However, I hear "Juicy Fruit" by Mtume and it makes me feel better. Most specifically, the sampled vocals that Biggie interpolated for "Juicy". 8:59pm - Just heard the sample for "Looking At The Front Door" by Main Source. I believe Cos is DJing at the moment, not sure. On another note, it's dope that it's still pure daylight at 9pm. 9:16pm - Had to grab the portable charger quick. As I came back up and outside, I ran into the big homie, Carnage. Last time I saw him was at our Club Underground performance in November 2015. It's gonna be interesting taking the stage after his band performs. That's a mighty name to follow when it comes to the lyrics. 9:28pm - Cricket and Bernard are the emcees of the night. They seem like naturals at it. This is gonna be an interesting ass night. 9:31pm - Wild Age is up. This is the band that Blair is also in. They have a good 90s type rock sound. 9:51pm - Well then...looks like we're after Wild Age. Time to speed up the flip of the switch! 10:03pm - Apparently, we aren't next lol. Cos told me that Everything's Been Taken wanted to trade, but then retracted said trade after realizing they were already in the spot they needed to be in, set wise. Total tactical error. On a side, "We're on the move...nothing can stop us now! FEET DON'T FAIL ME NOW!" 10:31pm - Everything's Been Taken (Carnage, Laura Lou and Soul Beautiful) are up. I expect nothing less than dopeness here. They don't call Carnage the "Show Stealer" for nothing! If you add Carnage to an eclectic of musicians, there's minimal room for error. I'd like to also add that on the local scene, Carnage has been a driving force of inspiration for how my style has morphed. Ever since him and Desdamona came to my Poetry class in Senior year, I've been finding ways to carry that growl in my vocals while having some fun with it. That's about 7 years of me taking notes, sure ain't stopping now. 11pm - Got my drink tickets from Cos finally. Time to drink this Surly Hell. Still blown away by Carnage's performance of "MN Mean". Goddamn!! 11:15pm - Everything's Been Taken is on their final song, meaning that Gazda and myself are next! Now, it's time to flip that switch very soon. 11:21pm - Had to give Carnage props on the dope set. Told him how he's been an inspiration since 2010 and he told me how I was doing good to represent for the big men by having energy on stage. Man...my jitters are kicking in fast! 11:50pm - In the words of Sting, "It's SHOWTIME!" Saturday 12:21am - Wow! That turned out doper than I ever imagined!! Got some good props from a good chunk of people, especially Carnage himself. Even the OG from Louisiana gave me props. He was shocked as hell that I went the whole time prior to the show without saying anything about performing tonight. I still gotta work on the whole not losing the voice thing, but I pulled it off decently enough with some "change in mid-stream" mannerisms. 12:35pm - Shoutout to Sarah and Shane for letting me get a slice of their pizza. Hedgies Pizza, that's a major key! Shout-out to KJ as well for her very, very talented vocals. Shout-out to Dave for doing his thing on the bongos, as well as Blair for the keyboard and guitar - so dope! And of course, shout-out to Cos for getting it all together and having me involved. I have a feeling this is the start of a great musical relationship. 12:53am - Big shout-out to Blair for the ride home. Saved a young brotha some time. Wish I could've stayed to see Ayvah, but my body was telling me to get home for sleep. 1:10am - "Back to my palace, cause I suffer Morning Madness!" 1:45am - I'm about to slay these hot dogs and get ready for the decompress portion of the night. 2:52am - Catching up on Beat Shazam with my mom. At least this keeps me hype about music. 4:20am - As I watch "Malcolm & Eddie", I reflect on the day as a whole. Very, very few negative moments and a whole lot of positive moments (even some unexpected positive moments). A truly glorious day. I never understand how I manage to have so much energy after this much time has passed. One of many of my life's mysteries. Until the next show log, this is BDaMan - closing it out!