Your Number One Place To Shop-

It's actually funny, really. I was originally going to write about my Top 3 Shopping Stops and turn it into a "Top 3" series, but I found that I didn't really have three stores that I loved. I started ranting about how you should visit local businesses, which I still stick by, and then I picked a store I visited often for my #3 and #2. However, my first place store came from my heart and I just kept typing and typing. It got to the point where I realized that I didn't care for the second place store and everybody always tells you to visit local businesses. So I stuck with my number one. And if you're reading this blog post, you're stuck with it, too.


Admit it, as much as you may hate shopping to the core, there's one or two stores you're absolutely dying to visit. Maybe it's the local grocery store that offers free samples, or that giant super store that has anything under the moon! For me, though, it's a cozy store that is my, honest-to-Castiel, second home.

Bull Moose

Bull Moose is my number one for a great reason, let me tell you. This chain of stores is native to the Maine and New Hampshire area, and the rest of the world wishes they had one. I consider it my second home and beg to go there every time I'm out.

Bull Moose, as displayed in the picture, is a Music-Movies-Video Games-Books store. However, it's so much more. The Waterville, ME location has a small shelf in front with random things labeled "FREE." Recently, I got a Lego Avengers poster from that shelf. The store also sells trading cards, the occasional plushie, comic books, TV series, a toy or two, magnets, and so much more. (You'll get tired of the phrase "so much more" by the end of this.)

Not only do they sell, but they buy from their customers. Video games, books, and consoles can all be traded for cash or store credit. The store credit goes right into your Bull Moose membership, which is also free to sign up for! That is, of course, if you don't already have one. Deals are often offered with every purchase you make as cashiers check your account and offer you 50% off certain priced items you are about to purchase.

Speaking of deals, you don't even need them. Prices are extremely low and to die for! If you know me personally, I'm obsessed with WWE. The wrestling company is my life. The Pay-Per-Views that you find in Walmart are often $30 and that's all Walmart has to offer. However, in Bull Moose, you can find every DVD produced in honor of WWE. (I'm not even kidding.) I've found several DVDs around $3 and most of my Pay-Per-Views cost me $9-$17. If that doesn't spell D-E-A-L-S for you, I don't know what does.

The employees are fun to talk to and they know about everything about what is in stock. Just about every employee can relate to one or more of your bagged goodies. Are you into Arrow and are buying the latest season? Be prepared to have a friendly debate on whether Arrow or Flash is better! Are you buying a Train CD? You'll receive other music suggestions as you converse about your favorite songs!

Another thing I love about Bull Moose locations is that they host fun events. I know the Scarborough store has had a concert or two. Mill Creek Bull Moose even had a Lego Firewalk (I would die) once! There's been signings (books, CDs, and so much more!) at several locations, as well.

In these photos that further prove the exciting events of Bull Moose, you may also notice they are from Instagram. Well, they are! Yet another reason that I've come to love Bull Moose so much is their activity on social media. They update Instagram often, with cute and funny pics and store updates. Their Twitter is also fun to follow. Bull Moose is also very interactive when it comes to their followers, replying and taking notice of them. If you truly understand the value of social media interaction, it doesn't get better than that.

Throughout this article, have I mentioned online? Yeah, I just went there. Bull Moose has a website! (link at the end) It's fun, simple, and easy to work with. The website displays special deals the line is offering, although you can always use the search bar to find a particular product. Prices of the product, new and pre-owned, are always offered, as well as an advanced search to see if a nearby location has it in-stock.

So if you're ever in the area, stop by a store and tell them I sent you (You don't have to actually tell them that). Even if you're on a trip and only have a five dollar bill to spare from your budget, $5 can go a long way. I promise, you won't regret it and you'll find yourself back there again.

Website: http://www.bullmoose.com/

Am I Weird?

Sick and in bed, my school iPad is glowing with the YouTube logo. I'm watching a daily show, Good Mythical Morning, when I see an episode titled "Things Most Humans Can't DO (TEST)" and decided to watch it. Let's talk about that?

Rhett and Link are two very well known YouTubers and host the morning show. This particular episode (link at the end) was targeting how amazing the human body is, yet how limited some of us seem to be. I encourage all of you to watch the video and play along with the boys as I do, but I have the benefit of being in my room and behind a keyboard.

Wiggling Your Ears
Rhett states he cannot do this, but Link demonstrates his ability. Well, Link, you and I have that in common. Heck, there's even a WikiHow page on how to do so.

Personally, I've trained myself for years to be able to wiggle my ears. When I was little, my dad used to do it to make me laugh and I tried to copy him. It never worked until I was thirteen and freaked my friends out when my ear twitched. It's actually an inherited thing, so thanks dad!

Raising One Eyebrow
Did you also know there's a WikiHow page about this, too? But admit it, you didn't think about WikiHow when you read the subheading. You thought of the famous Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Well, you're not alone.

I cannot perform this task, although I really want to.

Roll Your Tongue
We just went over that in biology class last year. Rolling your tongue, like wiggling your ears, is an inherited thing. However, my mum and dad could do it, but it wasn't until last year that I was able to master this super power. (I'm talking about the regular tongue rolling, not the three-leaf clover)

I actually know many, many people who can do this. I felt so left out over the years, especially since BOTH of my parents could do it. Like, seriously?! What took you so long, gene?!

Tickle Yourself
People have told me it's impossible, but I can tickle myself and genuinely laugh. Weird, right? A friend of my mum's found out and basically thought I had the plague. Some people can tickle themselves using a feather of something, but no. I can actually tickle myself without anything and genuinely laugh. (It's a psychological thing, apparently.) In the video, Rhett mentions that schizophrenic people can tickle themselves, but let me assure you that I am not schizophrenic. I just had to Google what it means a few seconds ago.

It's the end of the world!!

Touch Your Nose With Your Tongue
Straight up, I can't do this and I look awful when trying.

Touch Your Elbow With Your Tongue
Nope, and I look stupid doing this, too.

Gleeking
I don't even know what this is. Rhett and Link, where did you get these things?

Twitch Your Nose
Like a bunny? No. I can srcunch it up out of disgust and flare my nostrils, but twitch it is not a thing for me.


Some of these things I can do, and some of them I can't. You be the judge! Am I weird or 100% human? Comment below what you can do, too!

Watch the episode of Good Mythical Morning here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIwhOT5RkME

Dear Smosh & Smosh Games

Hi. My name is Alex Huff and I made a promise. I told my best friend, Jennifer Simon, that I would do everything in my power to get the Smosh & Smosh Games crews to come to Maine. She laughed. She wasn't making fun of me or anything, but just thought it would be a feeble attempt. But we are both huge fans, and her birthday is coming up really soon (Oct 25). So I discarded the laugh, and here I am.

I am writing this post to convince Ian, Anthony, Noah, Keith, Shayne, Courtney, Olivia, Mari, Lasercorn, Wes, Jovenshire, Sohinki, and Flitz to come to Maine.

(From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Keith, Shayne, Olivia, Anthony, Ian, and Courtney)

(From Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Lasercorn, Jovenshire, Flitz, Wes, Mari, and Sohinki)

So welcome to the worst persuasive letter in the history of persuasive letters, and...

Welcome to Alexandra Huff's:

 .::TOP REASONS FOR SMOSH & SMOSH GAMES TO COME TO MAINE::.

7) Bull Moose stores

Yes, I'm aware that Bull Moose is also in New Hampshire, but I live in Maine. And I'm talking about Maine.

Bull Moose is literally paradise for nerds and geeks and everybody. They have movies, CDs, video games, comic books, regular books, and so much more for very low prices. The staff that I have met so far are super sweet and just as nerdy, too. I had a conversation with a British cashier about superhereos for ten minutes (don't worry, no one else was in that particular line).

They also cover, like, every single fandom. Anything from Doctor Who to One Direction, from Pokemon to Hawkeye, from Zoella to Ellen DeGeneres, I have seen it all in that beautiful store. There is no human on this earth that would walk away unhappy. I guarantee it.

Besides, they also have memberships! And they're free to sign up for! You Smosh-y people can have one on hand in case you ever come back to Maine (or visit New Hampshire) and save up points to get free stuff. I got something like five WWE DVDs free once. (Totally not a frequent customer, guys.)

6) Winter

Now this one is very opinionated. Maine, being a very northern state, has notorious winters. I'm telling you, they are REALLY bad. There's snow everywhere and my bus sometimes get stuck (so a 1.5 hour ride turns into 2+) and so many other things.

But then again, the snow is the exact reason y'all should come to Maine. I mean, if I'm not mistaken, all of the Smosh film sets are in California, and my AWESOME Geography teacher (also teaches AMX 1 as you'll hear later on) has confirmed that there's virtually no snow in California. Wouldn't you guys like a change of scenery? How long has it been since you've seen snow? (It's actually snowing at my house as I'm writing this, haha)

Besides, there's a fun thing us Mainers like to do. Snowmobiling. I mean, you can go ahead and build a fort or snowman or have a snowball fight, sure. Just keep in mind that snowmobiling is always an option. (And I have a snowmobile)

And if you don't like the winter, you can stay inside with Jennifer and watch Netflix or something. That's an option, too.

5) Lobster...

If you're into that sort of thing...

I might not be a fan, but I have watched enough Gordon Ramsay shows to know that Maine Lobster is to be appreciated. So, if one of you Smoshers like lobster, come. It's apparently really good.

(A picture I took from a trip to Young's Lobster Pound, Belfast, ME with some family)

(A picture from Portland, ME. Found online)

4) this is gonna sound really selfish... and weird... but... My house

Okay, okay, okay, let me explain. I live on a farm. A ferrrrrrmmmmm. So, there's cows and chickens here and it could be a bit of a learning experience. Get away from the city and into the purest countryside ever. You can actually see Mt. Katahdin from my house. (Mt. Katahdin is a very famous mountain in Maine, for those of you who don't know)

I really sound self-centered, I'm sorry.

There aren't as many farms in the world as there used to be. Mine is one of 200-something dairy farms left in the state. That's what my parents say. It's pretty sad, actually... And according to farmflavor.com, there's 8,100 farms in Maine. The same website also said that dairy produce was Maine's second top agricultural product, right behind potatoes. Hmm... That's funny. 

Anyway, you could learn stuff from my herd of cattle. How to milk a cow, the history of the farm, how to drive a tractor, and maybe make some bovine friends.

May I add that we have a little Swiss calf named Wesley? Yeah, he's here, too. Just another reason to visit. We also have a cow named Lasercorn. So, you might wanna see him in person. He's a little camera shy, but he's got the famous Laser-stare down. Check it:

(Lasercorn the cow w/ flash photography)

3) Food & Magic Cards

Now, I've already bribed Lasercorn and WesTheEditor on their Twitch livestreams with this one, but it's true! In Maine, we indeed have food and we have Magic cards. (another reason to visit Bull Moose).

In fact, my AMX teacher used to play Magic professionally and travel and stuff. Ya know, before he became a teacher. Furthermore, you Smosh-y Magic players should battle him at my school. There's another option for ya!

2) Understanding & Awareness

This one hits a little close to home, guys. I have a YouTube channel myself and so does Jennifer. In fact, a lot of people do. And there are people, like Smosh and Smosh Games, that have an actual job as a YouTuber.

My school is trying to push us more toward our dreams and goals in life. However, many of the students and staff alike don't fully understand YouTube. Actually, from Jenn's point of view, it seems like no one in Maine fully understands YouTube. And I agree.

Having YouTubers come to Maine and raise awareness of this would be so awesome! It'd make the society around here more accepting towards the internet and us kids who study the classic YouTube sketches. It also might make me seem a little bit more normal, heh.

1) THE FANS... HIIIIIIII

THE ABSOLUTE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR SMOSH & SMOSH GAMES TO COME TO MAINE IS US. THE FANS!! Hey, how y'all doing?

If you watch any Smosh video, beginning to end, there's usually a link that brings you to a Behind-The-Scenes video. And in a lot of BTS videos, the members of Smosh express their love for the fans. Same with Smosh Games, except in the form of screams and random acts of randomness that they do for us.

The Smosh love comes in the form of them answering our tweets, connecting with us via social media, opening our fan mail on camera, pranking some very lucky fans, and so much more. They all do meet ups at ComiCon and VidCon and everything in between, and we love it.

SPREAD THE LOVE.

So why pass up the chance to meet with more of us and connect with us even further?! I know, I just totally blew your mind, right?

So, Smosh & Smosh Games...

I hope you take my proposal into consideration and actually look over this poorly made up list. I really hope to see you guys in this state sometime in the future. Jenn says hi, by the way. As does the rest of your Maine native fan base.

But in all seriousness, please visit sometime. Jenn's mum promised that she would make you all some homemade chocolate fudge. And I really want some homemade chocolate fudge.

Sincerely,

Alexandra Huff (and Jennifer Simon)

(Left to Right: Jennifer Simon, Alexandra Huff)

(Squirrel & Moose: 2015)

(Left to Right: Jennifer Simon, Alexandra Huff)

(Homecoming 2015: School Spirit Day)

All You Need Is An Email

Lights! Camera! What just happened?!

That's most people's reactions to watching magicians. These entertainers are paid to fool every single one of your senses and keep on your toes for x amount of hours. However, not many magicians are well known nowadays. The occupation, as entertaining as it is, is hidden behind actors and musicians. But, I'm sure you'll recognize these names:

Penn & Teller

If you didn't recognize the names, hopefully the included picture helped. If not, you should jokingly feel ashamed and Google them! Penn and Teller are extraordinary magicians that have redefined the world of magic. They even have their own TV show, "Penn And Teller: Fool Us," which you should totally check out in your spare time.

Here's something you might not have heard of: fanmail.biz. Fanmail.biz is a website dedicated to celebrity autographs, supplying you with addresses, instructions, and other stories of success. Through fanmail.biz, I saw a website-THE OFFICIAL website of Penn & Teller. There, was an email address where you could request a 100% authentic autograph. Based on several successor's stories, I decided to give it a go. BONUS: unlike requesting most other autographs, you wouldn't have to waste two or three stamps.

I emailed autographrequests@pennandteller.com requesting an autograph, including my name and address on June 25, 2015. Almost one month later, on July 20, 2015, my mum sent me to the mailbox to send out a bill and letter. Too bad the mailman already came. Most of the mail was bills and junk, but I received a mysterious envelope and some information about college.

Once I was back inside, I looked up the business, Buggs & Rudy Discount Corp, in the yellow pages and followed it to a website, pennandteller.net. IMMEDIATELY, I opened the envelope to see an authentic picture of the two entertainers and their signatures.

(sorry it's a bit blurry and the sun glared over Teller's signature)

I'd like to take a moment to thank Penn, Teller, and their management for this gift. While this summer has been great, it has had it's downs. However, with this gift, no other three month vacation could top it. So, thank you! 

Older Cousin Rights

Every family argues and celebrates with one another. It's what we do. But, there are some things we do out of the goodness of our hearts that's never really recognized. I was just cleaning my room (shocker) and going through some of my clothing items when I came up with a thought.

Being an older cousin with no siblings, my toys and clothes are passed down to my younger relatives. Female relatives. It occurs to me that this is not only a small, friendly tradition, but saves the others money. Now, I know girls can be expensive, but when we hit our puberty years, your money is going right out the door. Based on how our body shape changes, we need more protective undergarments and the sized clothing will strongly vary. Thanks to our older siblings or cousins, however, some of the pain of that shopping is taken away as you now have clothes for these stages of life. Now that hole in your pocket is smaller.

I thought about it. Sometimes a parent will demand a child cleans their room or goes through their stuff, and sometimes the child does it on their own. Either way, the stuff being passed down is in a way donated by the older child. However, does this ever get recognized by society? All the donating we've done, the help we've provided our distant families; it's often overlooked. Just think about it for a moment. What items from your own personal collection have you, not sold, but just given a friend or family member? Think deeper. What impression have you made on them?

Here's an example! My older cousins grew up to love Pokemon. I mean LOVE it. At my Nana's house, thanks to their dedication to the franchise, she has maybe twenty VCR tapes of Pokemon movies and TV shows. One day, when I was visiting with my mum (I don't think my dad was there that day.), the colorful boxes with adorable anime creatures caught my eye. I knew how to work a VCR thanks to my constant watching of The Land Before Time at home, so while my mum caught up with her mom, I snuck away to another room with a small arm load of Pokemon movies. And I've been hooked ever since.

Once my cousins found out I was hooked, they gave me some of their old belongings as they had grown out of Pokemon (sadly :( ). I think, correct me if I'm wrong. I think my cousin Kevin gave me a giant two inch binder full of Pokemon cards he'd collected. Let me tell you now, I'll never forget that. All those Pokemon cards, rare and common alike.

Am I being a hypocrite? Did I ever thank Kevin with genuine feelings of gratitude? I did thank him, and when I see him again, I'll probably try to bring it up. But that gift was ten years ago. MY POINT EXACTLY! You might not realize it, but take a look at your belongings. What have you bought? What have you received on holidays? Most importantly, what items that you treasure were given to you randomly out of the goodness of an older relative's heart?

Think about and remember what friends and family have done for you. Maybe reflect your gratitude in an upcoming gift for a birthday or holiday. If they gave you something Supernatural related some random day of the year because you're a huge fan, think about giving a little more thought to their Christmas present.


Of course, I also wanna hear your stories and thoughts! What have you given to someone or what has someone given to you? Leave your tall tales of family donations in the comments below!