How Doctor Who Changed My Life

It's not what you think.

Yes, I am a Doctor Who fan. Have been ever since I can remember. But it wasn't until the new series premiered that I really started going back and finding those episodes I've never seen. I also started finding Doctor Who podcasts, and the first one I subscribed to was the DWO WhoCast. Back then, it was done by Seb and Paul, and then it was Trevor and Tony, and then it was Trevor and Marty. This is where the life-changing part begins.

Several months ago, (I'm not certain about the exact amount of time), this bloke Marty remarked on the WhoCast that he was on Twitter under the name of BoxRoom if anyone wanted to watch him freak out before a WhoCast. Well, I liked Marty on the WhoCast, but I wasn't about to get involved with Twitter. That was just silly.

Famous last words.

During one boring day at work, I got curious about this Twitter thingie and decided to give it a try. Marty was my first Twitter friend. (Thanks, Marty, for not thinking I was a psycho!) After a little time had passed, he recommended I check out Lost Bearings and the Bearcast. And so I did. And loved them. And wanted more. So Marty recommended the Box Room podcast, and I became acquainted with Jen. This, of course, led me to Lee and The Skoot and Neil and Laura and Jenny and Adam and the other Adam and Mark and Ross and James and...whew! Let's just say my Twitter community has grown.

After having feedback featured on the Box Room, I started sending in feedback with my husband Dave. It was then suggested by both Marty and Jen that perhaps we should do our own podcast. (Probably because they were sick of those ridiculously long MP3 feedbacks.) I hemmed and hawed about it, made the suggestion to Dave, and we put it on the back burner a while as something to ponder.

Yet again the suggestion was made to start our own podcast. And I ran with it. Found a good deal on a great microphone, started thinking about format and subjects, and voila! Dave and I are now the co-hosts of The InsideOutcast (http://insideoutcast.mevio.com, or available on iTunes). The Box Room podcast also has an online forum at http://theboxroom.dailyforum.net, where we have met even more new friends and have our own discussion thread.

It is difficult to explain how this has been a life-changing experience; suffice it to say, the friends I have made on Twitter have kept me sane in the darkest of work hours, have encouraged me in creative endeavors, and have generally just made me laugh each and every day. Maybe these sound like small things, but they have considerably altered my reality. There are few people locally who think the same way that I do, who like the same kind of things that I like; to find that outlet in the UK (and in other parts of the world) has been a boon to my continuing well-being. I know that Dave feels the same way, now that I have lured him into the world of the Box Room and Twitter. (He can comment on that himself; he finally started his own blog. Not that he's let me read it - he thinks it's bollocks, but I know it can't be.)

So this is how Doctor Who changed my life...the love of the show led me to the WhoCast, which in turn led me to Twitter, which then led me to Marty and all of my wonderful friends all over the world. It wouldn't have been possible without an offhand comment Marty made one fateful day.

Thanks, Doctor Who, the WhoCast, and Marty. I'm fairly certain you'll never truly understand the magnitude of what you've all done for me. You're aces in my book!

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A Ramble

I don't actually have a specific topic today; I'm just going to ramble on and on about whatever comes to mind.

You all know that Dave and I are starting our own podcast. It became apparent while we were trying to record some feedback for the Box Room podcast that we have too many things to talk about, and not enough of an outlet. Dave has heard it all many times before, so now we're going to unleash on you lot. :) The podcast will be called The InsideOutcast. Dave came up with the name, and I think it's genius. We will definitely be touching on the cultural differences of living in Utah. We'll also ramble on about stuff and things, most of which will be our nerddom. (Just wait until I get on the topic of binoculars in movies and television.) Dave will also pick something to wax philosophical about, as he does have a minor degree in philosophy, and I will likely do a weekly short audio Brandiramble about something. Plus, we've just decided on another feature - Goth, or Not Goth? I think that one is self-explanatory.

It's been an interesting journey, getting this podcast together. Found an opening theme song last night that Dave and I think is perfect for us. I'm not saying what it is - you'll have to listen to the podcast to find out. I'm also learning all the things necessary to get a podcast up and running. Luckily I've had expert advice from those of you who already have podcasts, and thanks to Ross for telling me about Feedburner. Hadn't faced that item on the to-do list yet.

With all that on my mind, I have found it difficult to sleep the past couple of nights. That could also be due to the full moon. Last night, I dreamed about podcasting ALL NIGHT LONG! It was like my brain was on a loop, and even in sleep, I was thinking, "Wait, haven't I done this bit before?" Even the cat wouldn't stay with me; he got tired of my restless legs and sought slumber elsewhere. Finicky.

Or maybe it's the awfulness of work that has messed up my sleep. I'm not even going to talk about the mess that was last Friday. All I know is that I am TIRED and I can't seem to focus on any one thing. Hence, this ramble.

People say you shouldn't wish your life away, but right now, I have no trouble doing that where work is concerned. Every weekday from eight AM to five PM is spent just muddling through until the weekend. Sad, but true. There are those who say, "Follow your bliss!" And to them, I say, "Fuck you!" Because we can't all follow our bliss, can we? We can't all take our biggest interest and turn it into a career, because that's not the world we live in. I get frustrated with the whole "you can do anything you set your mind to" attitude, because it just doesn't work in reality. Unfortunately, what you can and can't do is often the choice of other people. Do I want to work in the office of this small dumpster company? No, I do not. I'd much rather have done creative things with my career, but those things often don't pay the bills. Why does it cost so fucking much just to live!? I'm not saying I shouldn't have goals, but I get tired of these successful people saying "You can do anything" when all they've done is stand on the backs of others to get where they are.

And another thing - driving in Utah sucks. Everyone is always going at least ten miles an hour over the speed limit, and they'd rather die than let you in front of them. They have no courtesy for anyone else, especially if you're trying to merge onto the freeway. And they think red lights and stop signs are for other drivers. No joke - I was almost hit by a jacked-up Ford truck a few weeks ago when he didn't fully change lanes before running a red light. And this light had been red for several seconds. If I hadn't hit the gas and swerved into the median, he would have plowed right into me. Twat. My best friend Taura once said, "If the only traffic law was to be courteous to all other drivers, we wouldn't need any other laws." How true. Courtesy costs nothing. Why can't drivers here have it?

I would take public transportation if I could, but the Utah Department of Transportation is a joke. We just barely got a train last year, and it only runs from Ogden to Salt Lake City. There is a light rail system, but only in downtown Salt Lake City, and I live 40 miles north of there. There are buses, sure, but they keep reducing the schedules and eliminating routes, so you're lucky if a bus comes anywhere near where you need to go. Oh, and most of the buses don't run on Sunday. The train doesn't run on Sunday, either. Damn Mormons.

Well, I've vented my spleen a bit now. (Had a bad commute to work, can you tell?) I will invite you all to tune into The InsideOutcast as soon as it's going. Feedback will always be welcome. Oh, that's another thing, gotta set up a new e-mail address. Better write that down or I'll never remember because I've lost my other list and...oh, never mind. Ramble on, my darlings!