Monday, August 3, 2009

" As Per Katie's Request "


I have not done this before. It is a first. I have to tell a little story that Katie feels is quite amusing and would like me to blog about it. It is something that is funny between her and I so I don't know if it will be funny or interesting for that matter to anyone else.




I will start out by saying that there is a thirty-six year age difference between Katie and I so our tastes can be vastly different, especially when it comes to television viewing. However we have found one particular show, out of pure boredom, that we have discovered tickles both of our funny bones. It has given us both several hysterical fits of laughter and also has left us feeling a little " creeped out " at times.




The show is called " Ghost Adventures ". I cannot remember at this time what network it is on but I do believe it is on the Discovery Channel or is it the Travel Channel ? Katie would remember but it's 5:45a.m. and fourteen year olds are generally asleep at this time in the morning!




The premise of the show is this. Three young men ( thirty-ish?) armed with night vision camera's and many other very expensive , ghostbusterish, technical looking, paraphernalia, travel the world to destinations that are supposedly frequented by the paranormal. Ghosts. The three, or is it four, young gentlemen guide us through these home's, prison's, tavern's, hospital's, etc. as we are told stories by the present day proprietors of the mysterious happenings, sightings, and what have you's. After which the polite young gentlemen are locked in to these very old structures overnight. But of coarse, it wouldn't be any fun during the daylight hours!




Once locked in at approximately 7:00p.m. the get very busy setting up the night vision cameras throughout the building. I do admit that I very much enjoy the tours as touring very old places is one of my very favorite things to do. I also found out that Katie like's buildings that are over one-hundred years old. Sorry dear our house is only sixty.




I will tell you this. I do not, I repeat, I do not believe in ghosts. The only ghost I believe in is the Holy Ghost. But at fourteen I did. It doesn't seem to me that Katie believe's in them either but I haven't yet come right out and asked her. With that said, on we go.




The main character on the show is a tall muscular fellow. I will call him dude #1. Look I am lucky to remember my own name most days and really, that's what they refer to each other as, through the whole show. Dude. Katie and I have picked up on the habit of turning to face each other and saying "Dude!" each time that they do. Why we will be just riding in the car and see something and just turn to each other and say " Dude! ".




Dude #2, with the night vision camera follows dude #1 around the supposedly haunted buildings in hopes of seeing a ghostly image or as they refer to it "disembodied voices ", are you gettting scared yet? They have these magical voice recorders that can actually turn what sounds like it could be a voice, into something like this " Get out "or " I don't want you here ". Katie and I try to hear the words but for some reason everytime they record a voice, the words don't interpret to us what it does to the dude's. We really try though.




Anther thing that dude #1 does is taunt. He likes to stand in a spot where someone has said that they have felt a tug or a push. Dude #1 will say something like this " O.K. tough guy, you've picked on other people, nows your chance, come and push me down the stairs ". Alright, I apologize as I am now laughing. If you saw the show you would know why. This is usually one of the parts of the show where Katie and I can't help but laughing so hard that we can't hear, so we try desparetely to control ourselves!




"Whoa Dude! Did you see that?". Where, what, did Katie and I miss the smoky looking figure cross the threashold? Perhaps we were laughing too hard. Not to worry as they will rewind the night vision camera tape and we will get to try and see it over and over again. On occasion we have seen a speck of dust here and there but it has been through tears of laughter so we could have easily missed something. A head rolling down the stairs perhaps?




The dude's have however had some severe headaches. We watch with much concern as they feel something (?) coming over them and then the poor dears clutch their head in their hands and fall to their knees in pain. There have also been scratches. Now those we can see! Odd though that they only seem to appear after the commercial breaks.




Some of the place's that they visit are very interesting. I would love to go on a tour of them as I have a good imagination and I love to walk through old places and buildings to try and feel what it was like to be there many years ago. There is a certain feeling that I get that just thrills me, which is why I so loved visiting Springfield Illinois and Abraham Lincolns home and haunts. Get it? Haunts!




So far Katie and I have really not seen any concrete evidence that leads us to believe that there is any supernatural or paranormal activity. Of coarse we weren't locked in these places with the dude's overnight either. Although this might have been perfect for Katie as she has trouble sleeping at night, I on the other hand would have trouble staying awake past ten.




And although we have had more laughs from the dude's adventures then anything else, we have also gotten a little creeped out here and there. This is the part that I have to tell you for Katie. After the show one night, it was past 10:30, past my bedtime, I went upstairs after saying goodnight to Katie. It was after an episode that was filmed in England at The Rams Head Inn. I guess I was a little creeped out as I heard unusual sounds that night as I went upstairs. Of coarse I repeated to myself "There's no such thing as ghosts, there's no such thing as ghosts. " in my head and told myself how ridiculous I was being. I also reminded myself that we have four cats and two dogs in the house and they are always lurking around somewhere ready to pounce at given moment.
I am a grown up. In a loose sense. If you are wondering what I thought I will tell you. After I turned on all of the lights which didn't give me much more of a sense of security then I had already had , I stopped to think a moment. It seems to me that we are full of emotion. Good and bad. Happy and sad. Even creepy. God gave this gift of emotion to us to experience. Maybe just maybe he was trying to shake things up a bit. Give me a little thrill perhaps? After all, he does have a wonderful sense of humor. Right?
The next day I had asked Katie how she slept. She told me she had slept just fine. I asked her if she might have been a little creeped out from watching the " Dude's " the night before. She said no. I told her quite casually that I was a little creeped out before bed. She thought that this was funny. Apparently I don't get creeped out too often. As per Katie's request, this is our story.

19 comments:

Garnetrose said...

My mom believed in ghosts and claimed to have seen some so I am no real expert on them but I do love the ghosts shows and love a good ghost story that is supposed to be true. I watch them all.I know so many people that I find credible who have seen them that it is hard for me to say definitely there are no ghosts. Some times I think there is more out there then we really know about.

I lived in a house that was supposedly haunted. I never saw anything but I heard some weird stuff and my mom as well as my cousin swore it was haunted and they saw things. I guess I am just not psychic.

Eileen said...

Well, I've had quite a few 'creepy episodes' of my own, and yes, I do believe there are spirits in a state of unrest (my idea of what 'ghosts' are). I have had uneasy feelings after watching (and READING) about scary things, so that I just chalk up to what I saw or read, but sometimes things have happened out of the blue when I had no such thoughts in my head. And it's happened here in this house to my youngest daughter and one of my nieces too, and then I had my episode at school which sent me fleeing the building!
I like your idea of justifying this as an emotion God wants us to go through! Okay, I'll remember that the next time radios start playing on their own, and I hear furniture being moved around, and figures walking past me! It's just a feeling God is having me experience!

Tell Katie ~ GOOD JOB! I actually did enjoy this post, Diana.
But I'm getting that creeped-out feeling again!
I don't think I'll be watching that show any time too soon, I have enough of that in real life!
Love,
Eileen

Eileen said...

Oh, PS ~ I forgot the most important thing I wanted to say with too much ghosts on my mind!

I love that you and Katie share this! I love hearing that you two sit and watch TV together even if it's something you don't have a great interest in, it's just the fact that you two are sharing time together! So this is one of the sweetest posts I've ever read!

Ginny said...

Haha! I love the way you described these guys as Dude #1 and Dude #2. I've seen this show once or twice, but didn't love it too much. We watch "Paranormal State" a lot and I absolutely love it!

Blessings each day said...

Is this supposed to be a Tuesday post that has a Monday label? Are you messing with my mind, Diana...there's so many loose wires up there already??!!

If it makes you laugh, I say go with it...if it creeps you out, you might wanna watch in full daylight and turn all the lights on anyway, have a few neighbors over as well as a few pastors and some holy water. The only things I like to watch in this catergory is Ghost Busters.

No matter what, no matter where, if we turn it over to Him, God is in charge of our comings and goings.

blessings and hugs,

marcy

Anonymous said...

I read every word...and what a well-told story it was. Thank you Katie for your request and to you, Diana for honoring it. I think it is absolutely wonderful that you enjoy the program together....and I smiled that Katie slept like a baby and Mama was hearing bumps in the night...don't things turn around quickly.
You have a beautiful relationship...and I feel closer to both of you after reading this story. Love to you...
Jackie

Wanda..... said...

I grew up listening to ghost stories told by my grandmother...Alfred Hitchcock(remember him) had a series of books about ghosts...I use to read them to my children...still have those books somewhere...I don't believe in ghosts, but you never know...no spooky things have happened to me personally, other than waking and finding my ring very uncomfortably bent on my finger...and no logical way of it happening!
You and Katie seem to enjoy each other's company lately! Does she remind you of yourself as a teenager at all Diana? There seems to be a little of you in her, don't you think!
Take care,
Wanda

Barb said...

Hi Diana,
Recovering today from what may be the Flu - your ghost story is a perfect antidote. I've had a few "strange" and unexplainable happenings that I occasionally think about but who knows what is "real" and what our minds conceive as real. I think maybe you have potential as a Ghostbuster, Diana. Katie could be your Dude sidekick! Loved your post - it made me smile. Thanks to Katie for suggesting it.

Diana said...

Hi Garnet,
When I was younger I had what I thought to be several paranormal experiences. But I think that now it was my wonderful imagination playing tricks on me!

Hi Eileen,
Truthfully, I just don't get scared over things anymore except like losing someone that I love. I really do think that God was just trying to give me a little jolt as if to say "See live isn't as boring as you think!"

Hello Daughter #1,
I usually don't care for these types of shows as they all seem alike to me but I have been wondering about "Paranormal State". I just enjoy this one because it gives me some good laughs!

Hi Marcy,
I completely agree with you. I turned it over to him and was just fine!

Hi Jackie,
Thank you. I really didn't know how to put this into story form. So I just went with it. I'm glad Katie suggested it as my mind has been blank lately!

Hello Wanda,
I was a big Alfred Hitchcock fan as well as twilight zone. I also loved Edgar Allen Poe, one of my very favorite authors!
And you are right, Katie and I have been getting along much better as of late. I do believe she is maturing more lately and I have tried to be more patient with her as well. We are entering crucial years (High School) and I need to stay on my toes!
I don't think that Katie and I were anything alike as teens. She's much smarter than I was and I was a trouble maker believe it or not. Katie prefers to blend in more. She is very shy around grown ups!

Good Morning Barb,
I hope you are getting better and not worse. I have been hearing a lot lately of the flu going around. I do agree with you, I think our minds are capable of much more than we even know! It's discovering how to utilize it that's the tricky part!

Eileen said...

Di, don't have anything more than a 'passing fancy' of interest in the paranormal. You're going to think I'm nuts, but I'm telling you, it invites not so nice episdodes into your life!
Don't delve into it.
Okay, preaching is over.

I had to laugh when you said you were a bad teenager.
I was horrid.
I guess it's true that what goes around comes around. I gave my parents such a hard time, and I guess I'm getting payback now, BIG TIME! But my kids aren't teenagers anymore!
I was friends with my parents by my twenties and thirties! Oh well.

'Talk' to you later.
Love, me

Diana said...

Oh Eileen don't worry about me, if you saw the show, well it's really more funny than anything else. That's the only reason Katie and I watch it!

Bernie said...

Hi Diana, really enjoyed this post, I absolutely believe in the Holy Ghost but am not ruling out other kinds of ghost either. I have experienced too many weird things in my life to say I don't believe in ghost, paranormal or things that go bump in the night. I have to say though my experiences have mostly been comforting and not fearful. Someday I will share some of these experience.....don't want anyone to think I have "lost it" LOL
Love knowing you and Katie have found common ground no matter what it may be....she sounds a lot like her mom my friend. Have a wonderful day and sleep well even if it is with the lights on......
....:-) Hugs

Maria said...

Hi Diana!
I'm secretly laughing here...
I'll tell you after growing up between two brothers who loved to watch Alfred Hitchcock (as did Wanda, I see) Frankenstein Monster movies... Godzilla... The Creature from the Black Lagoon... The Fly (remember that gross one!?)
Let's not forget Dark Shadows... that show makes Twilight sound like a folk tale!
oh my... It's amazing I'm even a little normal!

Late at night, when I think I'm alone downstairs NO ONE can sneak up on me! I jump out of my skin!
Comes from the early days with my brothers... They used to hide out and then scare me later... FUN huh!?

Take care! ~Maria

Diana said...

Hi Bernie,
Growing up I have had several odd experiences myself but Now I just chalk it up to my imagination. I think that when we are younger our minds are more open to these things as now Nothing out if the ordinary ever happens to me! The creeped out feeling I had ,I think, was from being tired and letting my mind run away with the show!
Things with Katie are going well up until last night when she turned on me again. I am suspecting that she was over tired from her sleep over the night before!


Hi Maria,
Oh tes I do remember Dark Shadows! I just didn't think anyone else would! I loved that show and it was very creepy! I saw all of those movies too. I had an older cousin that we stayed with and he used to watch them. I was so young then. He had many models that he made of Frankenstien and the wolfman. As I would try to fall asleep I would see them and they would scare me. Finally someone, I don't remember who, moved them so I wouldn't be scared!

Brenda said...

Reminds me of a time when we rented the last room in an old castle/inn/bed and breakfast. Two people knocked on our door just before we were heading to bed and asked to see our room because it was haunted. They asked questions like, "Have you seen anything unusual?" "Do the curtains move?" Hubby and I lost all romantic notions and said we were not scared but prayed for a hedge of protection and did not have a good night's sleep. We have chuckled about it several times since then.

It is so great for you and Katie to laugh together--whatever it takes.

Diana said...

Hi Brenda,
Your story made me laugh! I think that I might have had to ask for my money back after that!

Terrie said...

I'm laughing because as I am reading this, I am watching Ghost Hunters on the SyFy channel! and yss, I do believe in ghosts

Eileen said...

Diana, I meant to tell you how much I like the cross symbol you have on your sidebar, the one that looks like stained glass. Is that a Lutheran symbol? It reminds me so much of that adorable show 'Davey and Goliath'. Do you remember that show? I loved it and I remember my younger brothers watching it on Saturday mornings and I made my kids watch it too! I especially loved the Easter episode where Davey's Grandma died, it was sad but told such a wonderful lesson.

Hope you are well and not working too hard!
Love,
Eileen

Diana said...

Hi Eileen,
Thank you for your interest. It is actually not the Lutheran cross but it is Martin Luther's seal. He was the creator and founder of Lutheranism.
I didn't watch Davey and Goliath but I do remember the show.
I am much better this week Eileen, the cleaning wasn't as bad this time!