Tales of the Black Badge

Since today was hot and muggy, Mom decided walking around outside wouldn't be great and asked if I'd be up for heading to the mall in quasi-civilization about an hour away instead. I was not psyched about it because I felt exhausted, but it's her birthday so I was game. I knew I wouldn't have to drive and figured I could rest on the way over.

I continued my low key workout when I had an excellent idea. My eyes lit up. A drive of about an hour each way?

Tales of the Black Badge.

It's a fan podcast for the feminist supernatural Western television show Wynonna Earp. (Season two just ended and they will be back for season 3 next year. Now is a great time to get caught up from the beginning!) On the podcast, Bonnie and Kevin interview cast members and discuss episodes of the show.

Though I'd been interacting with other Earpers (as fans of the show are called) on Twitter since last year, I hadn't gotten into the podcasts. Just not my medium of choice, you know? I've been catching up on the interview podcasts from the beginning this summer. Usually I listen to chunks while putting my laundry away. I was excited for a chance to listen to a whole episode or two at once.

I dug out my iPod, plugged it in, and transferred a few podcasts I'd downloaded from iTunes to it while it charged.

First up was Tales of the Black Badge #15 with Melanie Scrofano, the actress who plays Wynonna Earp herself. What a delightful interview! I closed my eyes and just listened as they talked about episodes from season 1 and felt myself smiling. It genuinely improved my mood and made me feel better. I was still tired but bolstered for the afternoon ahead.

Thank you, Melanie, Kevin and Bonnie!

It probably sounds totally antisocial (which is not to say I'm not) but my parents were sitting up front and I was in the backseat. On the highway, the road noise is loud and it's hard to converse between the front and back without yelling. So, easier all around for me to give them a heads up that I was tuning out for a bit.

The podcast finished as we arrived which was perfect.

I'd forgotten what a difference going to somewhere as simple as JC Penney makes when you go to a mall in a more populous area. The stores in my economically depressed area always have less selection even when they manage to stay in business. Easily 90% of the small local mall is empty where I live. Even the Penneys, Macys, and Best Buy all closed (3 out of 5 anchor stores).

It'd been a long time since I'd seen a mall full of open stores. And I'd forgotten about places having more options. Like maybe I wouldn't mind clothes shopping with the prospect I might actually see something I liked. And they might conceivably have it in my size.

I was still looking in mens wear, but that's because I like pants pockets to be useful and the sizing is better for my height.

Curiously when I was looking at eyeglass frames, the guy made a point of telling me, "The women's are over there." On the upside, he didn't mistake me for a man which happened to me at another eyeglass shop earlier this summer, but he clearly had opinions about what was appropriate for me. Whatevs.

There are at least 3 other eyeglass places in the mall I'll check out some other time.

After shopping/looking for a while, we took a break to have a snack and take a ride. Though it was still early when we got back to the mall, we went ahead to dinner.

Afterwards we hit Macy's and then stopped by the Longhorn Steakhouse to pick up a dessert to go that I'd wanted to try, a slice of their banana cream pie.

Yesterday, I baked my Mom a German chocolate cake, one of her favorites that I've always disliked. She's been gypped some years of a home baked cake because our birthdays are only two days apart. I don't even feel like having a cake this year, so it seemed fitting to bake her favorite for a change. With the pie, I could still be sociable while they ate cake.

On the way home, I listened to Tales of the Black Badge #20 with Dominique Provost-Chalkley (Waverly Earp) and Katherine Barrell (Nicole Haught), the two actresses who comprise WayHaught. (Just watch Wynonna Earp already!) What a treat! It's fun to listen to their hopes for season 2 while knowing how it played out. I'm still hoping we get to see Waverly deal with some of her old friends' reactions to her relationship in season 3.

Again, listening to them discuss season 1, their hopes for a then uncertain season two, and the fan reactions they've gotten about the show genuinely made me happy. Which then bled over into the day's birthday celebrations.

Thank you, Dominique, Katherine, Kevin and Bonnie!

I even got a match to light on the first strike to light my mom's birthday candles! (Even my mom commented on this because historically after breaking several, she ends up doing it.)

I was relieved and happy that both she and my dad liked the cake I baked, each having seconds. My slice of pie was also good.

Here's to Tales of the Black Badge for bringing some joy to my day which helped me better celebrate my mom's birthday!


11 years ago on TTaT: The Road is my Favorite Place: Day 5