Colin and Brad: Take 2!

Holly and Kelly: A lot of you have started following us just within the last few months, so if you would be so kind as to allow us to indulge in a brief trip down memory lane: So remember way back in the day when we were a bunch of young college kiddos completely stoked out of our minds because we met Colin and Brad in Richmond almost four years ago? (In case you didn't remember....this may help jog your memory).  We thought for sure that this gut-busting night of improvised hilarity would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Make that twice-in-a-lifetime.  History repeated itself last Friday night.  Well...almost.

We packed a bag and road tripped down I64 to the city of Ashland, KY, so close to both West Virginia and Ohio that you can see it.  Yes, the dynamic duo of humor were doing a show there that night, and thanks to our awesome trip-planning-guru of a dad, we scored a nice hotel literally a stone's throw away from the venue.  But not before hitting up local eatery Fat Patty's.  Man oh man, that was one glorious open-faced roast beef sandwich! And our waiter was really nice and super awesome. Once we got to the theater we had to wait a bit for the stage to open. We had to buy our tickets separately, so our seats weren't together initially. Right before the show started though, we orchestrated a plan to move a few rows back to some empty seats so that we could enjoy the show together. So we did. And it was glorious!!!!

The sign! 

It was a really funny show! If you read when we saw them in Richmond, you'll see that Holly went up on stage for a game called "Fill in." Whenever prompted, the stage goer had to fill in an incomplete sentence with a word, phrase or whatever. The results were pretty amusing. Well, this time, Kelly got called on stage for the very same game! (There is a video but Holly has it). Then they did the Sound Effects game, which if you've seen Whose Line is it Anyway, you know how that game goes. But if you haven't seen it, you can figure it out. Anyway, our section got to do Brad's sound effects! (see video below). But it was utterly hilarious; and let me tell you having had the experience it is extremely difficult to come up with something clever right on the spot, know that we have both had the experience of attempting to do so. Then like they did in Richmond, they did the "Crime" game, in which Brad (without his prior knowledge) had to guess a crime he committed, verbatim, with a little help from the audience. The crime was as follows:

He duct taped a penguin to the ceiling, lit a cloud on fire in Paducah, KY at Terry's Polar Bear Shaving & Tires & Tubes with a ping-pong paddle. Ya'll, we are not making this up. And yes they did the mousetraps game again. And yes we cringed a lot. Unfortunately, they did not stick around at the end for meet and greets like they did in Richmond, but that's ok. We still had a really awesome time, and it was great for us to road trip, laugh and enjoy each other's company. The time we get to spend together is a treat for us, and we don't ever take it for granted. God has blessed us with a good relationship in which we share a lot of interests, including lots of funnies.

In case you didn't get the memo!

http://richmondregister.com/viewpoints/x229372120/-Whose-Line-guys-improv-geniuses

NUFF SAID! :D

Read it.  Drop whatever you are doing and read it.  Read it RIGHT. NOW.  You know you want to.  It'll make you feel like you were there.  Do it.  Doooo ittttt! :]

We met Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood! :D What did YOU do today?

Holly: I'm still reeling from the last four hours of my life.  My head still hurts from laughing so hard!  Tonight was the night that Kelly and I have been eagerly waiting for.  Yes, tonight....WAS THE COLIN AND BRAD SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know what I was expecting, but it was phenomenally better than I could have possibly imagined! I was literally laughing every five seconds, laughing so hard at some points that I thought I was either going to hyperventilate or my head was going to explode!  But shhhh, we managed to sneak in a couple of vids (which will be on tomorrow...maybe....Kelly??).

For me, though, the most memorable part of the event was that I was actually called up to go on stage and do a scene with them!!!! The audience may not have known it, but I was terrified!!  And trying not to panic, because I was looking straight at Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood!  And excited (because, hey, I was like 2 feet away from COLIN MOCHRIE AND BRAD FREAKING SHERWOOD!).  Like...they shook my hand! AAH! :D  But anyway, the game involved the audience members (me and three others) completing Colin and Brad's sentences whenever they signaled us.  According to my friends, I was the funniest one out of all of them, but, personally, I think I was horrible!  Being on stage for however long I was up there...it felt like forever...and being put on the spot was so difficult! Having said that, I applaud (and admire moreso) Colin and Brad for just being sheer comedic GENIUSES!  That's it. 
After the show Kelly and I waited in line to meet them/have them sign stuff/have our picture with them!  They are so nice!! And Colin is so adorably shy! :)  I told him that Kelly and I were twins, and he said, "Oh are you?"  AAH! :D

One of my favorite games they did was called "Crime" (I think?), and what happened is that Colin left the room and Brad had the audience shout out the randomest things in order to devise a "crime" for Colin to commit.  However, since Colin didn't know anything we were saying, Brad served as the interrogator and had Colin try to guess our sillyness, word for word.  And he did!  This is what we, the collective audience, came up with:

On November 18th, 2011, Colin Mochrie admitted to mailing a hamburger to India and peeing in the playground at nighttime, in Big Bone Lick, at Zeke's Otter Farm and Tattoo Shop, whilst leaving behind at the scene a "murse" (man purse) and Uncle Willy's Special Blend. 
No, I didn't just make that up. 

This night is going to be a hard one to top.   I'm just sayin'. 

Kelly: I still remember what I was doing when Holly told me she ordered the tickets; I was still 3,000 miles away gallivanting in beautiful Scotland. I still remember when Holly first called me and told me they were going to be in Richmond. "Kelly, are you sitting down?" "....yes, why, what's going on?" "Ok, just listen. I was looking at their website...and Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood are going to be in Richmond on November 18." *drops phone and screams*

It seemed so far away at the time when I received this call, which was in early July. And now, the fun-filled night is over. I'm so very sad that this night is indeed over, yet very glad it happened at the same time. I had....NO idea what to expect, but it was 10000000x better than what I expected. Seeing sis on stage too was definitely near the top of the list; she did so great!! I'm a proud sister! ^__^

Definitely the top part of the night came at then end when we got to meet them. Both were very friendly and were willing to put up with me trying to not act crazy. I think I scared Colin a little bit too; when I get really nervous, I just babble and talked about stupid stuff. I asked if they were both all right and were reeling from the dreaded mouse traps. I could barely watch; it made me cringe. Brad warmly told me it made them cringe too. WHY then, good sirs. WHY???? So we got our geeky fan pic, I shook their hands, put my coat on and that was it. Just like that; the night was over. This night was exactly what I needed. This night, whenever I am angry or sad or whatever, will be engrained in my mind to help me get through. This night will stick in my memory as I lay my head down momentarily to sleep. This night will stick with me throughout tomorrow as I have my...2nd MRI done and it will help me to remember the good times. Thank you, Colin and Brad, from the very bottom of my heart. Cheers!!

No picture will ever be this awesome

Holly, our friend Ray and me. Just arriving at the Center

The after show meet and greet. We were so nervous!!!

The moment you've all been waiting for!!!!!!!!

Love this.

Holly on stage with the guys!!!!!!!! 

Homecoming with a side of Pad Thai

Kelly: This weekend was Berea's homecoming weekend. For starters, Holly and I ventured to Lexington to visit with some good friends that we haven't seen in a while! (You may remember them from when our friend got married just recently). This was Friday night which involved excellent food at a wonderful restaurant, a good flick (Puss in Boots!!) followed by crashing at our friend's apartment. We then proceeded to make s'mores over their fireplace and laugh until we were in tears and our stomachs ached with the pains that jolly laughter brings. We awoke Saturday morning with a biscuit breakfast and ventured back to Berea for the homecoming festivities! One of the booths had SUSHI which was delish!!!!!!!!!!! Holly and I then attended our concert for the choir we are involved in, which is always an experience and definitely worth looking at (look up Berea College Black Music Ensemble for a rockin' good time!). It was just a phenomenal concert that we gave, and we were still talking about it for the rest of the day!

And now, it is time for my shameless plug. I received my Help Harry Help Others bracelet today :]. In case you are wondering, Help Harry Help Others is a cancer research organization based in Birmingham, England. Harry was an 11-year-old boy who recently passed away from an inoperable brain tumor. He funded cancer research by selling bracelets, and they have sold all over the world! But seriously, google it, look it up, and invest in a bracelet if you feel led to. It's such a wonderful cause that I am proud to support! *added by Holly: there is no set price for the bracelets, just a minimum donation of 2 pounds.*

Holly: I just finished a glass of Dr. Pepper.  I have spent, literally, the entire day working on an annotated bibliography.  7 pages and just over 2600 words.  I'm spent.  I'm tired.  It's been a long day.  But life is good. 

Words cannot express the, for lack of a better word, FUN that I had this weekend! Laughing until I cried and my stomach hurt...ah, man, it was like we've never been apart! It was like we were picking up right where we left off! I LOVE that about close friends.  I'm still smiling about it.

After our BME concert yesterday, Amanda pants the roommate, Kelly and I decided to venture to a local Thai place (Kelly and I had not been there since our freshman year).  If you are a fan of Thai food and if you ever find yourself in Berea, Kentucky....then Wan Pen is a must!!!! Seriously! I ordered the chicken pad thai (without anything spicy because I'm a certified wimp) and it is TO DIE FOR!  I had the leftovers for lunch today and it was still TO DIE FOR!!!!!!!

So anyway...good friends, good fun, good food...good times! :)  Be blessed! 

Oh, P.S.  happy spaz moment in 3..........2............1...............


FIVE MORE DAYS UNTIL COLIN AND BRAD SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday Night dinner fun! 

Let the festivities begin

Us with our dear friend, James, whom we describe as an angry black woman trapped in a  white Southern  gentleman's body 

We finally got a serious pic! 

Kelly and my roommate at our concert. We do sign language!

Me and Kelly's roommate signing! :] 

Things are going to get better.

Kelly: Because eventually...they just have to. I am a firm believer that overtime so much bad comes our way that only good can be left. Bottom line. Like today for example...on Friday I'm heading to the 3rd outside consultation for my ankle problems that I've had for almost the past two years. Why? Because I know myself better than anyone, and NO ONE should have to be in constant pain for as long as I have been. Overtime, I've just gotten used to it that basically it's just the norm. More time goes by, and eventually I just stop thinking about it. But recently, the little voice in my head has resurfaced with that whisper of "ok, you can't just ignore this." So Friday...I go again. 1:45. I will update as soon as I am able.

Now comes the good stuff...I was feeling unsure about all this stuff that was going on with my ankle, and on top of that my best friend at home has been struggling with some issues. I won't mention them for privacy's sake, but...it's been really hard for all of us. But she's strong and she can handle it, and so can we. Anyway, so I was thinking about all that, on top of being in the ICU for clinicals all day which was super busy. I had just walked back into my dorm when I got a phone call from Holly. She was really quiet, and I thought she was upset. So now I'm uber freaking out, but then she told me "guess what I'm holding in my hand?" The rest is history...

The reason for our happiness!!

 Holly: I walked out of a test this morning feeling less than confident about it.  I spent over an hour on the phone today with my best friend from home, who is going through hell and back again.  I hung up the phone with her and broke down crying for about 10 minutes (which, if you know me...it takes quite a lot to get to me); I mostly just prayed "God, I don't know what to do anymore.  About anything!"  Decided at about 12:30 to check my CPO (which, again, on Tuesdays, because I don't eat lunch at food circus...I never do).  And out of ANY DAY OF THE WEEK/MONTH that the Colin and Brad tickets decide to be happily sitting in my CPO...it's today! 

If that isn't a sign that things aren't going to get better, then I sure as heck don't know what is.  I have hope.  There's hope.  There always is.  :)

Learning to Love Laughter: A Whose Line is it Anyway tribute

Kelly: Holly and I would like to talk about something we love very much, other than Jesus Christ, our family, friends, each other, Berea College, etc. Yep, this is another "this is why we love this" blog. But today's topic is actually regarding a television show, one of our favorite television shows to be exact. I'm not saying it IS our favorite, because MY favorite of anything changes every five seconds or so, so I'll just say it's one of our favorites. I think you get the point. Anyway, today we're talking about Whose Line is it Anyway? If you don't know what that show is, I pity you.

Our love for this improvisational comedy started.....oh, man I can't even remember. I watched it on and off in high school when I could, and at one of my friend's birthday parties we did some improv and had a great time! Holly took a drama class in high school, but she probably could tell you more than I can (I'll have her mention the gun story. Don't worry; nobody was hurt). But going on, it wasn't until this summer when Holly and I were on campus in our cozy basement room and for some reason we just wanted to start watching it again. So we did. I actually found a website (thank you Lord for stumbleupon) about a year ago that has EVERY SINGLE episode, both the US and UK versions online!!!!!!!!! Every night though this summer, we would watch 2 or 3. Some had us chuckling every now and then, while some had us on the floor in tears laughing so hard. Seriously, I LOVE COMEDY. Laughter in my opinion is the best medicine; for me it
provides distraction, relieves the stresses of nursing school and allows me to spend time with my sister. And it's contagious! One part of an episode sometimes keeps us laughing for days!!

Now though, since sis and I are so busy, we usually watch Whose Line once a week, sometimes 2 days a week. Every time though we get the same satisfaction of living just a few seconds longer. I read a study on the internet that said every time you laugh you live 2 seconds longer. I think I just added 10 years to my life since we started watching Whose Line again. And the best part? NOVEMBER!!! What's going on in November? Well, the definitely us going to Richmond (about 15 mins. away) to see a live performance from none other than Colin and Brad (2 regulars from Whose Line!) I've read NOTHING but good reviews, and I must say I am so freaking excited beyond belief! 6 weeks on Friday! November 18. Remember that day, folks. I close with this; laugh. Find something, anything, every day that makes you laugh. You will be amazed at how much better you feel. That's all. Off to bed; my butt's gotta get up at 4:00. No, not PM. Cheers!

Holly: Oh man, this is so great!  I really have nothing conducive to add to this (other than my pathetic attempt at improvisational comedy), so I will just reiterate what my dear sister said and say that I will cherish those basement room memories, and the countless times since then, for the rest of my life: growing closer as sisters and laughing at four fully-grown adults making complete goofs out of themselves and getting numerous laughs from just a couple of stressed-out college kids! And I do agree and fully support the theory that laughing really does make everything better. 

Ok, now for the story, and I promised myself that if I ever got the opportunity to meet ANYONE from Whose Line that I would share this story (so Brad and Colin, beware): My junior year of high school I did backstage work for the drama club, and one day my teacher/the director asked me if I would play a small, non-speaking role as "the killer" in the play (I wasn't even credited...no one really even knew it was me, except the cast and crew).  Of course, I enthusiastically agreed, but the only condition was that I had to fire a gun onstage.  Don't worry...it was just a starter pistol loaded with blanks.  Opening night comes around, it's a totally packed house, and the lights go down and it's my time: I tiptoe on stage in my all black and earphones (yes, it was loud), and I go to pull the trigger and I hear a "click".  Nothing happens.  I pull the trigger a few more times, but "click", "click", "click".  Not even a few seconds have passed, and, realizing the gun is not going to work for me, I yell "BANG!" as loud as I can.  The audience completely erupts in laughter and (bless their hearts) the cast continues as if the gun went off. 

All I have to say is, 1. thank God the play was a comedy, and 2. my teacher/director absolutely LOVED the "bang!", so much so that it was kept in for the next two shows! 

I am also completely stoked out of my mind for November.  Just in case you didn't already know that.  Hope you've laughed today.  :)  If not, then, watch the video below (it's Kelly and I doing what we love to do on a Friday night).  Blessings. 

Have you laughed today? :)

(video shooting courtesy of my roommate Amanda!)

Spoonbread, spoonbread, we adore thee....not really

Kelly: My apologies if I go off on strange tangents, but I am sick. Have been since Wednesday. But I'm going to just take it easy and let whatever this is run its course. No, I do not need an antibiotic. Anyway, onto the purpose of this post. Tonight, here on Berea's campus kick started the annual Spoonbread Festival. It runs tonight till Sunday early evening. Now some of you are possibly wondering; well, what is spoonbread? I will tell you what it is and then I will tell you how I feel about it. Spoonbread resembles cornbread, except you...get it in a dish and eat it...with a spoon. So in layman's terms, mushy cornbread. And that's how I feel about it. Personally, I think the stuff is disgusting, and the only way I like it is if I put tons and tons of butter on it. So now not only is it disgusting but incredibly unhealthy. Bad cycle. So I just don't eat it. But here in Berea, there is an entire weekend festival all about this spoonbread. However, the festival itself is quite enjoyable; sis and I have attended at least one day out of the three years we have been here.

Tomorrow morning though, we are going on a mini adventure! During the festival, usually on the first full day, the day starts with a hot air balloon ride. Well, Holly and I have never been in a hot air balloon, so we're going to give it a try come tomorrow morning at 7:30. Stay tuned for that; we will probably post about it tomorrow! I'm actually really excited, despite my wee fear of heights/falling from up high.  Now I'm going to watch some Whose Line and laugh my butt off. Cheers!

Holly: Ah, Spoonbread.  My opinion of the liquefied cornbread is basically the same as Kelly's...well, the connotation of "liquefied cornbread" basically just explains my opinion! lol

The one thing I find amusing about the stuff is that locals absolutely despise it, but out-of-towners LOVE it.  Riddle me that.  Anywho, early morning hot air balloon ride tomorrow is sure to be an experience, but I'm actually pretty pumped about it, considering Kelly and I decided to go for it somewhat on a whim.  No, seriously, the extent of the conversation was something like "Hey, there's going to be hot air balloons, want to go?" "Sure."  End of story.

I shall now participate in some great and fantastic humor-watching laughs of Whose Line.  Never gets old.

blessings! <3

P.S. Is it possible to be overtly excited about...well, anything, really?? No.  Ok, well, here it goes:

NINE. MORE. WEEKS. Until Colin and Brad Show hits up EKU! Kelly and I are beside ourselves with excitement!