I enjoy trying new drinks at social events with my family and friends. As something slight for me to do the weekend after my birthday at the last minute, attending a wine festival fills the void I have to go outside with “my ass ratchet friends” when needed. I went to the 2ndAnnualReisterstown Beer and Wine Festival with my sister to fill that need to leave my house after being inside most of 2023 with an infant. The event’s crowd was good, and with a purchased unlimited taste testers ticket, I felt good amidst the crowd.
There were a total of 8 to 10 vendor booths for wine connoisseurs to venture into. I’m highlighting two that were my favorite to visit. But overall, it was a good amount of vendors to spend a good Saturday afternoon getting tipsy.
Tipsy Teacher
Tipsy Teacher is a group of teachers who love wine and created a brand to help provide resources for teachers in need. Proceeds from purchases of wines from anything in their collection went to buying supplies for classrooms.
Misfit Winery Coconut Wine
Misfit Winery is a company a person who frequently attends festivals in Maryland might see often as a vendor. They’re a famous winery that I found packs their event calendar on their site with dates of where their wine is featured. I enjoyed their Coconut Wine. I decided to purchase this one to take home.
Overall my experience could have been longer. We spent 2 and half hours at a wine festival, and I thought we’d be there a little longer. I just didn’t feel the need to continue visiting the same 10 booths after I did a round of seconds. Maybe there were so few selections of spirits because this was only their 2nd annual beer and wine festival. But the lack of variety caused us to make our exit early.
Don’t get me wrong. There are many Beer and Wine Festivals for people to attend throughout Maryland. Baltimore recently hosted its first Wine Village in the middle of the Inner Harbor. I also attended The Secret Garden Weekend Wine Fest in Westminster, MD. It’s just that my experience warranted me to say we need more because this one, in particular, wasn’t too great.
Watch We Need More Wine Festivals in Baltimore via Doc’s Castle Media YouTube Channel.
I created a bucket list in the wee hours of Doc’s Castle Media, in 2013, with the hopes of completing everything that’s on it before I die. Participating in a fashion show, recording a rap song, and releasing a mixtape are just a few things I can mark complete from my Bucket Lists. Now it’s nearly a decade later, and it’s time to revisit my bucket list from 2013 to see if I somehow continued to scratch things without staying on top of it all of these years.
At the time, I made a bucket list to keep myself busy while searching for a gateway to my career. It’s funny how that was so unnecessary to do because life has a way of making you busy with all its crazy twists and turns. With that said, I kind of forgot about my list until it started trending on Doc’s Castle Media this summer. I guess viewers suddenly have an interest in what aspirations I made for myself 8 years ago. Nevertheless, I am revisiting my list to see what I completed without the thought of conquering my list even being on my mind.
In the last decade, I learned that creating lists helps me feel fulfilled. They’re made to give me purpose. I don’t need reasons to do things, but it’s better when I set goals for myself that grant direction whenever I hit a period in my life I feel I am “stuck.” As a mental health practice, conquering bucket lists and creating vision boards gives me reasons to live.
Doc’s 2020 Vision Board
By all means, please don’t confuse it with the vision boards I share online each year, my bucket list is of tasks to complete before I die. There’s no deadline for any of what I want to achieve on this prior to that. In fact, this particular list of goals is full of things that I think are cool saying I can complete throughout my lifetime.
Doc’s 2021 Revised Bucket List:
After living my life these few years, I find that a list of only 12 aspirations is not enough. I want to do so much more. Furthermore, I realize as I age, I should dream of more ideas for my bucket list because every time I complete a task, it feels so amazing. It’s a feeling that should be frozen in time.
Below is my revised bucket list 9 years after it initially appeared on Doc’s Castle Media. The things crossed out represent what’s completed.
Be an audience member in a live show taping (Preferably Ellen)
Write and Publish a Book
Complete SEO/Marketing Certification
Turn my house into my art museum
Own a personal library in my home
Will I revisit this list again in the next decade? Why not? Tracking and revisiting whether I completed any goal is cool. What’s surprising is having the support from my readers reminding me to always come back to it.
I needed to pick myself up for the Thirsty 30 Body Challenge. So I took to downloading The Outbreak Escape Virtual Run App by FIX Health as motivation to get active.
I’m falling behind on following through with my Thirsty 30 Body Challenge. I haven’t been doing HIIT Training or much of any exercise. So I can’t say I remained disciplined during the earlier months of 2021. I guess quarantine was getting a bit stale with the repetitive routines. So I needed something new to change the pace.
While we were in the midst of a lockdown in Maryland during the “5K Season,” opportunities were readily available. Like many of the art exhibitions that emerge around town during the pandemic, we are fortunate to have plenty of opportunities geared to physical fitness, as well. There are lots of outside meetups for yoga and virtual meetings making up for limited space or closed gyms. It’s easy finding something to remain physically active while social distancing.
In April, my sister came across a game called The Outbreak, a virtual run geared to promoting physical fitness through the use of one of the most popular horrid themes in video game history; escaping a zombie apocalypse.
The people at FIX Health appeal to people that are just like me. People that require a little more than the daily run around the track. Like when you can’t visit the gym or are tired of trying different YouTube Fitness Channels, FIX Health is there with an alternative.
FIX Health was founded on “the belief that all aspects of life are enhanced by a healthy lifestyle.” The company develops interactive games promoting health and daily activity in a fun, socially connected environment. TheOutbreak is one product by the company used in numerous workplaces promoting employee wellness and morale. “…its programs focus on daily movement and an incremental increase in active minutes overtime. Participants are chased by digital zombies in an app that features a storyline along with daily and weekly goals that require teamwork to complete.”
For a month as a new fitness routine to get into while still in a pandemic, I joined my sister in completing Escape Virtual Run hosted by FIX Health.
I downloaded Outbreak with major hopes of outrunning the virtual zombies in the allotted time. The game’s storyline begins with a mission to reach the safehouse which is 60 miles from the starting point. Each day, I logged my daily steps by syncing my fitness watch with the app. My progress is converted to miles and tracked using a map to showcase my distance from the flesh-eating zombie hoard. Zombies close in on my avatar on this escape mission. It’s my duty to continue out walking them using my real steps. It took me 24 days to reach the safehouse; only six days sooner. I am proud to say I completed the mission in less than 30 days.
Watch my review of The Outbreak: Zombie Escape Virtual Run
Join The OutBreak: Escape Virtual Run
If you’re interested in doing this virtual run, you’ll need to purchase your entry ticket before you can have full access to the app. You can sign up by visiting their website: www.outbreakchallenge.com.
Everyday the statistics of unemployment reach astronomical levels with billions of people laid off globally while we await for the reopening of a global shutdown. People are getting antsy to leave their homes for survival. As people label even the minuscule of tasks as essential in order to escape their homes, they’re ignoring precautions to keep everyone safe. Ain’t nobody got time for that! So we need to push the alternatives.
I have friends and relatives fortunate in finding quick fixes in hard times. Like turning on a switch to active “hustler mode,” they are fast at coming up with plans to tackle the changes that could come up physically, mentally, spiritually, and even financially. It’s a talent that I can admire when people put in the hustle during times of adversity and tragedy.
The benefits of living in the digital age and smacked in the middle of year 2020 is the ability to remain connected in so many different ways while remaining so far apart. Distance isn’t a factor anymore if we need to get things done. So when trials appear, if there should be any during this pandemic, financial stability is everyone’s essential right.
I saw a solution on my Facebook timeline. One of my friends shared a post of 100 companies that are currently hiring for work from home positions. I think this is useful for anyone. Take a look.
I pray anyone that is in need will find something in the list below.
“Laid off during #Covid19, or looking for a 2nd stream of income? Do you have stable internet access? Here’s a list of employers who are hiring for remote positions.
NOTE: You will need to copy and paste the entire post (not share it), otherwise you will only see the DOI link. 😉 I hope this helps those in need.
What better way to bask in my return to blogging for Doc’s Castle than to talk about one of my favorite times of the year to be creative: Halloween.
For the last few years, I have dressed up to participate in the festivities of Halloween off whim because I think it’s exciting to get in the spirit of any holiday. It gives me something to do and its conversation starter with a lot of people who also enjoy doing things around this time of the year. So let’s talk about it!
I’m not an avid cosplayer so I don’t go all out for my costumes. You probably won’t ever see me super decked out dressed like I’m Catwoman or Wonder Woman. But when I catch the spirit of Halloween, my creativity takes over and I let my originality seep through. Because I’m not an avid cosplay, found someone you can ooh and ahh over. You can see previously feature hairstylist Shanae Thomas in all her awesomeness by visiting her Facebook page.
Check out some of these costumes I’ve worn over the decade.
2012 Ratchet Girl
In 2012 there was the invasion of the Ratchet Girl. Not to be confused with the Hot Girl, a term originated by rapper Megan the Stallion generally meaning- in very layman’s terms- women who feel confident in who they are—and having fun and looking good while doing it. Boisterous, or very confident women, would be mislabeled as Ratchet Girl, which is defined on Wikipedia as a loud ghetto, real, gutter, or nasty female. But over time this term has evolved into a more positive connotative meaning due to its use in modern pop culture. Some African-American women have reappropriated the word and embraced the meaning. Which is why I believe society’s hot girl was originally society’s former ratchet girl, but now evolved.
Shoutouts to Megan the Stallion for the name change, though!
2014 Annabelle
It was my first year working on Halloween for Baltimore’s alternative rock station 104.9 HFS Radio for Ballyhoo’s Halloween Party hosted at Soundstage in Downtown Baltimore City. I didn’t have time to prepare for the night with a better costume. But the station provided me with my outfit for the night. We were promoting the release of Annabelle and there were extra masks laying in the company’s promotions bin. With the extra motivation of a $3 Chipotle burrito bowl waiting for me just blocks from the venue, I was quick on my feet to figure out a plan to dress up to eat a discounted meal from one of my favorite restaurants.
*Side note: I never saw Annabelle The Movie.
2015 Tyler The Champion of Courage
Welcome the era of Caitlyn Jenner, winner of the 2015 Champion of Courage Award for her infamous gender change from Olympian star Bruce Jenner. She was labeled “woman of the year” for her courage to do the ultimate change in front of the whole world and it sparked many debates on the inter-web of whether she truly deserved to be honored with the title. I mean, after all, was Caitlyn truly a woman?
I wanted my costume to spark conversation because 2015 was full of lots of controversial topics. Bruce Jenner’s sex change was one of the events being talked about. So much so I felt it was the reason Caitlyn received such endowment. My costume to become Tyler and carrying a Champion of Courage certificate was an idea to poke some fun at the topic. I just wanted to reward myself for the decision to be confident enough to become a man for a day.
2016 Tina Belcher Bob’s Burger
Obsessed with watching Bob’s Burgers, I took more of a cosplay approach to dressing for Halloween this year. In 2016, I started embracing celebrating Halloween with attempting to dress as anything I felt stood out the most about pop culture to me during the year. Bob Burgers was it!
Bob’s Burgers was all around me. Every time I watch TV and saw that Bob’s Burgers was on, I tuned in. If I saw it streaming live on YouTube, streamed it too. I wore socks that replicated Louise’s rabbit ears. I purchase coloring books with all the characters. I became a Bob’s Burgers fan. I still am.
People get recognition for some of the simplest things on the Internet. Memes are no exception to crowning our very next sensation. Literally, anyone can steal our attention with their charm, wit, and even stupidity.
Last year, I chose to highlight a basic meme I saw being shared numerous times throughout 2018. I chose to be this lovely young lady in the picture above. I don’t know her personally but I’ve seen her associated in plenty of hilarious memes across social media. I wanted to be something I knew anyone who’s on social media as much as I would understand. People go it because my photo was shared multiple times with laughs.
My Halloweens are “lit” with a creative desire to just be in the spirit of it. I know I’m not the only person who does it just for this reason. So many others come up with awesome costumes. I loved scrolling my timelines on this day.
Did you see any costumes you enjoyed? Let us know about it in the comments below.
I just love art!! It is truly is my first love. Since I was 10 years, I’ve had an appreciation for it. But more and more as I indulge in the Baltimore Art Scene, I’m inspired and reminded consistently why art is forever the first love of my life.
It provokes thought and emotion from something so inanimate; without speaking a single word.
To start off September 2017, artsy Baltimore memorized a plethora of eyes throughout a number of Art festivals over the weekend. To name two Festivals with outstanding attendance, art buyers pondered creations at the 1st Annual Sticky Buns Festival hosted by Appreciate Arts located on the Ynot Lot on North Avenue, and the 44th Annual Catonsville Arts and Crafts Festival in the midst of Frederick Road. But there was little attention given by my artsy peers to the art festival I attended.
Madonnari Art Festival 2017 is where I chose to feast my eyes on beauty. It was THE festival that truly made my eyes twinkle watching numerous artists work on their creations live in action, and inspired me to get into visual arts, again.
Madonnari Art Festival is annually in Little Italy, East Baltimore. This year is its third year. But the art form isn’t new to art culture. “Madonnari” has been going on since olden times. The festival is known for the immaculate pieces of chalk artwork created directly on the Baltimore City street’s asphalt.
While festival-goers stare in awe at each artist’s masterpiece, they also partake in visiting the stores and restaurants in Little Italy. But the apple of everyone’s eye for the weekend was focused primarily on the chalky artwork below their feet.
There were over 40 artists from around the country who came to Baltimore to participate in Madonnari. Some competed for prize money, and many like me came to experience the essence of the festival.
There was a variety of pieces that ranged from modern, contemporary, abstract, and even African art. So there could be a piece of every type of art to enjoy on on street.
While walking throughout the festival, you can catch some artists in the middle of their work concentrating on ways to appeal judges of the chalk artwork. Three of the judges were Master Street Artist Michael Kirby, WJZ-TV anchor and reporter Denise Koch, and Christine Sciacca, Associate Curator of the Walters Museum.
Winners of the art festival were chosen based on art categories of contemporary and classical. The winners of the 2017 Madonnari Art Festival according to Madonnari Art Festival website are as follows:
Contemporary Category Ketty Grossi for “Black Mamba”- 1st Ever Galvez for “Wild Horses”- 2nd CarlosAlberto GH for “Freedom to live without fear”- 3rd Erik Greenawalt for “Cap. Harvey West, Our Guardian of Freedom”- 3rd KC Linn for her rendition of the Shepard Fairey posters from the 2017 Women’s March on Washington – Honorable Mention and People’s Choice
Classical Category Katie Better for “Harriet Tubman” – 1st Tomoteru “ToMo” Saito for “Butterfly Fairy” – 2nd Dave and Shelley Brenner for “The Birth of the Flag”- 3rd Francesca Arsi for the “Renaissance Woman”- Honorable Mention
High School Awards Concordia Prep for “Modern Madonnari” – Classical Baltimore School for the Arts for “We must fight for our freedoms”- Contemporary
What do you think about the Madonnari Artwork? Would you go to the 4th Annual Madonnari Art Festival in 2018? Leave your comments below.
As I enter into every new year, I like to reflect on my past experiences. It helps me to discover the next steps needed to excel to a higher level of self. I usually start with a list of goals I hope to accomplish before year’s end. There’s no limits to how few or many goals I may set. I just write out a list of things I want to do. The next thing I know, I’m forming a sense of happiness as I scratch off tasks as time surpasses.
But last year in 2015, I didn’t do what I always set out to do. Instead, I wanted to try something new by focusing on one word for the entire year, rather than lists. The word chosen was “self-discipline,” and I wouldn’t say that I’ve done a good job with remaining focused on living up to its meaning, which left me quite disappointed in myself. But I can’t beat myself up in 2016 for it.
There were incidents in 2015 that will remain unspeakable. For the first time in my life, I’ve done something I’ve regretted, and this year I’ve come up with a plan to never put myself in such a position where I’m ashamed of something I’ve done. So I’m going to remain focused on this one word. I’ll just make sure to incorporate my habits of listing things so I can keep my eyes on my success.
I first want to start of with the word’s meaning.
Self-Discipline means to have a level of control over yourself.
Self Discipline is all about having self-control. It requires you to be focused on the direction you see as best for yourself. It requires you to have a plan. It requires you to ignore your lazy impulses. It requires you to strive for the better.
Last years failure resulted from not continuing to keep up with my usual habits that help keep me focused. It was my mistake at the beginning of 2015 to not carry on with what I already know that helps me. This year will be different.
I know I can take this same word and create a brighter year in 2016. But as I’m getting older, I’m learning the habits I have which I shouldn’t break that were already helping me and making me proud. Creating lists is what I am good at so let me tell you my list of plans for my upcoming days.
My 2016 Goals List
Learn How to Cook. (HaHa!)
Move into my own place.
Complete two things from my bucket list.
Complete my first manuscript for my first book.
Provide more professional services under Doc’s Castle Media brand.
Expand my knowledge by reading at least one book a month.
Seek more opportunities to inspire others.
Make Myself Proud, again.
Create and Follow an Accomplishment Box.
I thought about explaining more on why I have all of these specific goals. But I thought of how sometimes when I share things with people they start to expect it, and if I don’t follow through with it they’ll become disappointed. Well, for the sake of those type of people, I’ll rest my pretty little fingers. I rather I not disappoint myself, let alone others, by talking about it too much.
I do plan to blog more of my successes. So be on the lookout for a better explanation as I foreshadow those successes being goals from my 2016 Goals List.
I hope that everyone is preparing themselves to becoming better people this year, as well. I’d love to hear your dreams. Leave your what awesome goals you plan on achieving in 2016 below.
I didn’t have a list of goals for 2015 but I sure did accomplish quite a bit in 2014. I also made sure I kept up with completing tasks on my bucket list. To see what I’ve done, read “Bucket Listing It Up” on Doc’s Castle Media.
Baltimore’s turmoil due to riots and protests for Freddie Gray have blossomed a hefty amount of creative masterpieces from independent artist of all sort. The Internet is buzzing of colorful opinions, many pale and others vibrant, depicting artists’ perception of peace and violence; justice and injustice; and moral or immoral.
Encouraging words from these rappers are expected since so many young people support these artist. We need them to inspire our kids to do better; to seek success and progression instead of lawlessness and turbulence, as the world watched Baltimore Youth as they rioted and looted as a result of police brutality towards Freddie Gray.
“Dumb Dumb” artist scratched the surface of reaching the you by releasing “No SunShine” in honor of Freddie Gray. Unfortunately, I do not believe he took this opportunity by storm. So much more could be done. So much more could be said.
“No SunShine” doesn’t get much praise from me because there’s more to be said than what these children who live in these neighborhoods already know. There are ways to get a message across without stating the obvious of what’s happening in our city’s black communities. We know of what our state’s governmental policies enable and forbid us from doing. We know about the “slums” that blacks have systematically become accustomed to. My concern was for artists like Young Moose to do a bit more, maybe lead more as an example.
I guess, I’m expecting too much in such a short amount of time. Huh?
Where are the programs they’re continuously supporting. As I look at each artists background and choice of brand for their music, I’m a little concerned about outsiders not understanding what’s needed to be said for our city. It could easily be misinterpreted if someone would listen to more of Young Mouse’s discography as his music is majority about drugs and trap life.
We need more “substance.” We need more positive messages young people will enjoy and support.
What do you think? Did you like Young Moose’s “No Sunshine?” Leave your comments below.
Baltimore artist Boutzie arrives on the indie music scene with her new single “Intoxico,” a track meant to show the woes of partaking in the various choices of recreational activity.
Indeed, this isn’t your ordinary turn up “let’s pop a molly” type of hip-hop song. Many tracks I come across usually praises the “glorious” life of drugs and living in the fast lane. But this submission doesn’t quite get you hopping out your seat ready to twerk or even imagine yourself in a room full of “Thots” ready to “pop-off,” like an average 2 Chainz song. Instead, it inflicts a self-conscious feeling. Thoughts like ‘why do I even do this drug or condone this behavior’ pops in your head while listening to it.
With lines like ‘Oh it’s murder, the conceivable thoughts that’s unheard of…,’ I’m unsure if I’m suppose to feel a little dark inside for wanting to take that shot of Jose I commonly do.
Sheeeeeesh. Should I chill or what? *Pours shot down kitchen sink drain*
Intoxico features Baltimore artist Jimmy Apoet and Baltimore artist and producer FLuX, both very talented emcees and previously highlighted on Doc’s Castle Media. With a talented group like this coming together to spread common awareness in this very unique way, a person could already tell this may even spark a movement.
I love the eery feeling that comes from hearing “Intoxico.” Though it makes me question my lifestyle, its “read between the lines” call to action is rewarding not only to me, but also in generation that prides itself in doing illegal and very questionable recreational activities. With depicting the dark truths of how being intoxicated can overtake your body in mesmerizing, without a care, sense, maybe there is a chance to push these unconscious motives that I have for the song in others; subconsciously just suck the “turn up” out of their little unruly bodies.
I sound like I’m 75 years old. Believe, I do turn up. *cough cough*
Let’s be for real here. If more artists can take part in pushing songs like this, people would walk around second guessing what they do for fun. It might not be a guarantee to resist but it leave space to ponder. I like when people are made to think.
This new sound from Boutzie makes me anticipate what the visuals, if there should be any, may look like for this eerie track. I see darkness, lots of slow motion shots, and maybe a creepy church bell? I guess, we’ll have to wait and see.
What do you think about this song? Leave your comments below.
It’s been a cold and brutal winter for me. It’s like that for many of us with record-breaking temperatures dropping around the country like crazy. It makes you think it’s another ice age coming. Sheesh.
Temperatures in Baltimore are surprising alone during this week with it expecting to reach 0 degrees Thursday night, February 19, 2015.
I have to travel home from work in that BS!
In times like these, there lacks warm shelter for thousands of people living in poverty. The Mayor’s Office Human Resources states “It is estimated that there are 2,638 men, women, and children who are homeless in Baltimore on any given night.” That’s a lot of people and to think some of these people are literally out here sleeping in the streets! It’s very saddening.
There are people and organizations willing to do anything to somehow make a difference in our homeless brothers and sisters’ lives. One person I’ve notice who’s making his imprint in Baltimore is Chonan Bell.
from Chonan Bell Facebook profile
Bell has picked up a buzz this week as his mission has spread tremendously through word of mouth on social media. He and his friends have taken the initiative in helping put homeless people, who he sees living on the streets, in a shelter, even if that shelter needs be in a tent.
I contacted Bell about the 411 on what he’s doing around our city. He says:
“I don’t know honestly. Lol. I mean…I drive pass people everyday on my way home and it’s cold as h*** outside. I know everyone can’t get into a shelter, nor do they want to go to a shelter, so a tent could provide some type of shelter from the elements even if it’s just rain or the wind.”
You don’t need to know Chonan! You’re doing an awesome act of kindness! We need more people like you around.
Bell leaves room for others who’d like to get involved in what he’s doing, too. He’s picking up and delivering tent orders from people unable to make those frigid runs themselves. Here’s how you can get involved…
Order a $20 tent online from Walmart.com
Select ship to store for the Arbutus location on Washington Blvd.
Designate Chonan Bell as the pickup person.
Email Bell at Chonanb@yahoo.com to let him know you’ve ordered your tent
You’ve helped someone out!
Also, Ms. Kia Sample, female Baltimore hip-hop artist and 2014 Baltimore Music Awards Nominee, posted two numbers for contact on her Instagram account this week. If you see anyone in Baltimore City or County on these streets during these harsh cold nights, make sure to pick up your phone and dial these numbers. Someone will transport that person somewhere safe and warm out of these inclement weather.
from Kia Sample Instagram
Do you know of any other people assisting the homeless around Baltimore? Let us know in the comments below.
Check out some dope Kia Sample music below.
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