Today I bring you the next installment of my Belvoir Winery/Odd Fellows Home series. See the end of this post for links to previous posts in the series.
T.A.P.S. Para-Celebs: Amy Bruni, Adam Berry, and Britt Griffith!
Probably the biggest highlight of this weekend event was getting to hang out with and meet Amy, Adam, and Britt from SyFy's Ghost Hunters. I can't even pretend to not be a super fan of this show from the very first season. Ghost Hunters inspired me to start reading and researching the paranormal, which then led me to forming Missouri Spirit Seekers in 2010. Other paranormal investigators will often say that Ghost Hunters had nothing to do with them being in the field, and that may be true for a small handful of teams or investigators, but if they got rolling after October of 2004 (and most of them did), then um… they're just lying. In my opinion, this show is one of the biggest reasons for what I've always called “The Great Paranormal Craze”, which has now lasted a decade. So whether or not you watch the show, if you're a fan of the paranormal (and I'm assuming you are since you're reading this nerdly blog), you've been affected by what this show started. On a side note, does paranormal reality TV have its flaws? Absolutely! However, I'm giving credit where it's due. Oh, and am I a bit bummed that Jay and Grant weren't there? Sure. But these three “new guys” have added so much to the show in recent years. (For more of my thoughts on the show, check out I Still Watch Ghost Hunters… So What?)
Amy is such a sweet and beautiful person. She clearly has never taken a bad photo in her life. She was so very patient and willing to chat or pose for photos at any moment. Of the three attending T.A.P.S. members, she has been on the show the longest. I could listen to her speak of her experiences all day long, and she's definitely not afraid to be honest or share her opinion on the paranormal. Now she gets a lot of questions and oohs and ahhs about her beautiful baby daughter, Charlotte. If you follow her on Facebook or Twitter (@amybruni), it's clear that her daughter has completely changed her life, and she shares photos often.
Adam was just as you would expect him to be. He's a ham and a goofball, and I'm down with that. Fans at these events always ask him to sing, and he does… beautifully. Adam was seated behind me at dinner. I asked for a selfie with him, however, it was clear that I wasn't really up on how to properly take a selfie on my iPhone, so he said “Oh I'm a pro at this” and he took my phone and snapped the picture. By the way, if it weren't for Adam and Amy being in these selfies, they would never see the light of day. Adam can be found on Facebook and Twitter (@AdamJBerry) as well.
Britt Griffith used my spirit box!!!
I didn't bug Britt for a selfie, but in a future post, you'll hear about how he used my spirit box during the overnight investigation! In that moment I may or may not have reacted as if I had just met Elvis. I'll also share some of my thoughts from his paranormal technology session, that was actually very good. More on all of this later…
And, of course, who doesn't love Chip Coffey?!
Truthfully, a big reason I went to Belvoir Winery for this event was because I had heard that Chip Coffey was going to be attending. I had met him last year at one of his Coffey Talk events, and it was such a cool experience. Chip is so down to earth and funny… and he tells it like it is… and his colorful vocabulary is so similar to mine! For more on that meeting, and my photo with Chip, visit 10 important reasons to go see Chip Coffey at a Coffey Talk near you! As I was waiting out in the hall for his big session, Adam Blai's demonology session was going on inside the ball room. Chip walked in and gave me a hug, used a term of endearment that I don't remember, and asked how I was doing. I told him that I was looking forward to hearing him talk today. He joined Amy and Adam and others at a nearby table while we waited, and I immediately tweeted the following tweet:
Seconds after tweeting this, Chip pulled out his phone, saw it, and without hesitation, turned to me and said “So are you!” (Again… Elvis moment.) Moments later, the demonology session was wrapping up, and Chip jokingly said (to us in the hall), “And speaking of demons, next up is Chip Coffey!” I laughed. Ohhhh Chip.
This is a shot I took of Chip from what I called “The Creeper Line”. When I asked Adam Berry if that was an accurate description of this line, he laughed and agreed that it kind of was.
To Be Continued…
In my next couple of posts, look forward to hearing about the overnight investigation of the Belvoir Winery grounds, including some awesome flashlight communication, and something so bizarre and mysterious regarding my video footage! Also, more on Britt's paranormal technology session, and perhaps some audio clips.
Previous posts from the Belvoir Winery/Odd Fellows Home series:
New Friends! (Big Séance)
The Photos (Big Séance)
I’m Baaaaaaaaaack! (Big Séance)
TAPS and Chip Coffey at Belvoir Winery in March! (Big Séance)