Its Not Just the Power Rangers...it's Fam...

May 2012 I actually published a blog about my bucket list (before I turned 30). My top goal was to go to an anime/comic/power ranger convention and meet the power rangers.  As it is now known I did in fact meet actors who played the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. 

Squad 1

Squad 2

I found out about Power Morphicon (Power Ranger Convention) and wanted to go, but it was in California and for a chick in Delaware it seemed to only be a dream. ESPECIALLY since at that point in my life I didn't travel out of state unless it was in a car or on a greyhound. Also Power Morphicon is every two years (I actually really like that about the con). So in 2012 when I made the goal I looked for cons that were fairly close. Otakon is in B-More (although it will be moving to DC in 2017), and Anime USA is in DC.  

So I met Jason David Frank who played Tommy.

JDF VIP Otakon 2012

 Now JDF is sort of a fan favorite, as in, someone says: "hey remember the power rangers?" and the response is: "Yeah I always liked the Green Ranger or Tommy or the White Ranger." JDF or better yet "Tommy" is that guy.  I kind of got to the climax before even hitting the exposition (Smh I am such a teacher its ridiculous) But really it was just the beginning of the story.... and then I found Lexington 2013 and 2014.... that's right Lexington, Kentucky.

And things really took off with my goal in 2013: 

Walter Jones Original Black Ranger

Karan Ashley 2nd yellow ranger of MMPR

David Yost blue ranger 

Catherine Sutherland the 2nd Pink Ranger (season 3 of MMPR)

   

Jason (Skull) Narvy and Paul (Bulk) Schrier

In 2014 I met Steve Cardenas, he was the 2nd red ranger on MMPR and regrettably I didn't get a pic with him like HOW? So instead I will just promote his business called Force Balance Brazilian Jiu Jitsu....

After 2013 and 2014 things went real crazy and I actually met a lot of other rangers from all sorts of seasons.... But still needed 4 more of the originals...sadly Thuy Trang who played the original yellow ranger passed away in 2001. The original pink ranger Amy Jo Johnson, limits her appearances, at this point Austin St. John had been under the radar having been overseas working as an EMT, and so I kind of let the hope of meeting them go (although technically I was in the same vicinity as Amy Jo while in Lexington during a party so I have that as my keep sake of Amy Jo.) This leaves Johnny Yong Bosch who was the 2nd black ranger of MMPR. He has made a name for himself in the Voice acting world and in the indie music world. I began listening to his band, Eyeshine  and also allowed that love of Asian men out and found out that for me meeting JYB would be a better climax than meeting JDF (SAY WHAT!!!!!) By the time I was meeting Bosch many things in my life had changed, I was a teacher, a girlfriend, I was 30, I was wiser (I suppose).  At this point the friends I had acquired in the ranger world was crazy... so many including artist... Daniel Coney, Cosplayers... Tony Ray... and just the homies everywhere across the United States (across the world really), both male and female (although males are predominant).  I was dabbling into cosplay myself... 

Civilian Cosplay, Joe and Luka Super Sentai Gokaiger

 

That was 2014 so when 2015 rolled around I thought oh I will go to rangerstop, or lexington again. And I didn't...2016 gets here and again I didn't...between teaching, being in a grad chapter of a sorority (was also a dream come true) and being a girlfriend (still yay!!) The cons just weren't happening, BUT WAIT 2016 is a Morphicon year and honestly I was just going to let it go again. I mean me and my boyfriend discussed going, but the likelihood was so slim. Until...I won a ticket to go...I was on Facebook and a contest came up on my timeline from a group called Ranger Live Chat . I usually don't win ever, so I entered thinking no way I am going to win. Time passing and I forget all about it until I get a message from the group saying I had actually won. I really thought it had to be a joke, but soon I received a message about the tickets being processed. So I was like ok I am definitely going.  BUT let us remember life has changed; now I am not going to say power rangers isn't important to me, but at this point with all the responsibility I had gained since making my goal in 2012 I wasn't really showing the excitement. I had a classroom to figure out for summer school/upcoming school year and now I was house shopping with my boyfriend, like wait a minute am I Adulting???? BUT the time comes and I was going to California. Visiting California is a dream come true in itself. Only when I get there NO LUGGAGE!!! I didn't panic... YET... I left my claim and went to Pasadena. (Mind you I was alone. The loner that I am is crazy but that is another blog). Get to Pasadena check into the hotel, go to the convention center get my badge for the con and then I call the airport again. The bag is of course in Baltimore and allegedly on the next flight to LAX and I would get the bag by 8am the next day. I am just like smh. I am still not outraged as there is nothing I can really do. So I go to enjoy the con.  If I don't have my luggage I don't have any clothes by the way and I always try to travel light so the only thing I have in my carry on is a binder of autographs of the people you see above.... *insert crying laughing emoji* I go enjoy Friday night of the con... as much as I can. I decide that I better buy clothes (and underwear) so I find a Forever 21 in walking distance (In my Miss Sofia voice, I knew de was a God).  Now remember I dabble in Cosplay... for Saturday I had an awesome cosplay put together so I could meet...             

  Camille Hyde the first african american to play a pink ranger. This was also a dream come true as I always saw myself as the pink ranger, but it appeared that Saban only could see black girls as a sassy yellow ranger. In the probability that I would not get my bag I searched Forever 21 for a pink tee and found a really cute jean skirt, not an elaborate outfit, but pink.  Go back to the hotel, call the airport, they say something to the effect of it will take 24 hours to get the luggage which means I would get the bag late saturday or sunday; the day I am leaving. So I am so ANGRY. I am burning angry and hungry. SO sulking I go down to the hotel restaurant and partake in Pasadena crab cakes (are they known for that... why would a person from the east coast eat west coast crab cakes)? Now get this... There are power rangers walking all around me, White ranger from Dino thunder is there, Blue Ranger from dino thunder, time force red ranger, black from mighty morphin...come to find out there was a VIP party going on and more and more people started to come thru and I was just sitting there sulking like, Who cares???? I didn't even try to figure out how I could sneak in I just went to my room and called the airport again who just gave me more and more dismal answers. I even made a point to called at 4am when they said they would be open they didn't answer until about 5:30am (i kept calling back) at this point the bag had never left, and was on a flight from baltimore in which it would be at LAX at 9:22 am. Seems like there was hope...nope... knowing airplanes it might land at 9:22 but the bag wouldn't be seen until 10 something and the people at the airport probably wouldn't notice no one was getting it until 10:30...and no one would be calling until 11:00am.  I know what you are thinking well Danielle you are a faithful person so you know God would work it out... yup you are right I knew it would work out but not with that bag. See Pasadena is a good 30 minutes away from LAX if you are just talking distance but the traffic in LA will make you late to your funeral so really its an hour + on a bad day, that would have been both ways, and I wasn't driving I was catching an uber which was going to cost $40 each way. So at 5:30am my eyes were sweating and to keep from calling my mom with a shaky cry baby voice I attempted to call my boyfriend which at 5:45 am in LA means it was about 8:45am on the east coast but he wasn't awake so I called my mom... Won't ya momma make you feel like you can conquer he world??? She was like: "well you bought a pink shirt, well you wear that, you will still look like her!!! and you let the airport know that you had a performance and needed your costumes and everything was cancelled." LOL!! After talking with my mom putting on that simple outfit wasn't so difficult. I thought to myself I can be any pink ranger. 

So I walk over to the convention center and several fellow ranger fans say: "Nice Shelby Cosplay!" I kid you not... $5 shirt $5 skirt, no name brand white sneakers from target, no planning and straight hair with a little  pink lipstick... I was Shelby... It probably helps that I am black and she is black because no one said: Nice Kimberly cosplay or Nice Kat cosplay...It didn't matter... I was on cloud 9 at this point. So God did work it out. I told the airport to keep the bag til Sunday I mean what would be the point in trying to get it. I got to meet Camille Hyde had a great Saturday and by Sunday I didn't want to leave.  I had just met people I knew for years, I met new friends, I met more power rangers, like one I didn't think I had a chance to meet: 

Austin St. John the original red ranger 

The beginning of this trip really made me want to let all of it go. I was really ready to retire the con life. I mean I am not as deep into it as some of my friends but I was really about to retire. I was really about to be like cosplay is over, cons are over, I am never traveling again, I am stupid...etc...etc...etc... parts of me feel like this is only the beginning, again or I am about to begin the sequel... because in a weird way we are family, we are a family of adopted misfits... Our Parents or better yet our God Parents are the actors of Mighty Morphin, Zeo, Turbo (Episodes 1-19 except Blake Foster he is my age). Our Play Aunts and Uncles (like the cool Aunts and Uncles) are the seasons after the originals...we start getting play cousins around Dino Thunder (now they are like the same age as me at least Kevin Duhaney is lol) I mean they are forever using 20 somethings to play teenagers so after Dino thunder you have a mix of play Aunties and Uncles and play cousins and really you have little brothers and sisters because I am older than most of the most recent cast members...(including RPM like really)... but the fans, the adoptees don't just love the rangers, we love each other. And that is why by Sunday I was sad it was over.  After con blues.... so we look forward to the next one... everyone says see you in 2018... or see you at Ranger Stop.... 

I technically made my quota of rangers... and the other crazy thing is they remember me... Catherine Sutherland in that beautiful Aussie accent says: "It's Danielle, right?" Walter Jones, recognizes me and says: "What's Up?" Johnny Bosch pretends to smash my head in a Facebook live video. It's like one of the most interesting communities where everyone is accepted... every race, sex, education levels, disabilities, gay/straight/unicorn, cosplay or not, geek, nerd, dork, cheerleader, frat dude, sorority girl...we are in this community.... The cons are our family reunions. 

A new friend shared a video and I think it further expresses the FEELZ of morphicon.....

OH and damn you Alaska Air!!!!