So, this year, I attended my first Sci Fi convention and would like to share with you my experience. From the moment the clock struck midnight on the morning of my flight, I found it absolutely impossible to contain my excited! I worked for months in school, achieving nothing but A's to earn this vacation, but when the day finally arrived, I couldn't believe it! I got dressed hugged my family goodbye and headed to the airport... I was in such a daze, I am still amazed that I made it to my plan... Man, when it took off... I knew then that I was about to set off on an amazing adventure! Here is a summary of my trip...Thursday-
When I first got there I thought I was going to lose my ever loving mind because my
debit card wouldn't work when I was trying to check in at the hotel. I mean, think about it... I am thousands, I mean THOUSANDS of miles away from home... Got $100 in my pocket and they say they can't get me in... I was freaking out... Got on the phone with my nana and started crying like crazy. She helped me contact my bank cause I had called collect... We straightened it out and I was able to check in... -Sigh-So... I am up in my room without anything to do cause the con doesn't start til tomorrow... I decide to finally get something to eat cause with the heightened stress I couldn't tell that I hadn't eaten since I left Spuncouver. I had to run across the busy street outside the hotel and walk in the dirt cause there was no sidewalk. I get to Mickey D's and inhale my two double cheese burgers and slam my Pepsi... (By the way, Chicago is anti-Dr. Pepper.) When I get back to the hotel there is a group of people sitting around and I could tell they were fellow con-goers... I introduce myself and end up befriending them for the remainder of my trip.
Friday-
So... It's first day of the con... I wake up bored as hell and decide to track down the people I was hanging out with the night before... After circling the entire building (yes, I am that dumb) I decide to ask someone where the certain entrance was... I found that hotel room within 2 minutes after that... We hung out for about an hour and the girls introduced me to slash... (still ew!) Anyways, about an hour before I thought I was supposed to line up for registration, I come to find out that people usually line up hours before hand... So, needless to say, I booked myself down to the line and it was MASSIVE!! Thankfully, I made it through the line and got registered! (Whew!) Oh, and I got a few free gifts too... An Atlantis tote bag, a Jason Momoa signed photo, and Paul McGillion signed photo and a trading card (I know, the card sounds lame and it is!) What really sucked was, due to the way I purchased my ticket, I wasn't able to get one of those fancy looking ticket/badge thingies... But a security guard let me have a lanyard anyways...
After that, I took a jaunt around the dealer's room and found a lot of things I really liked, but few I could actually afford... (That figures!) Though, I did pick up a t-shirt, a Daniel Jackson dog tag, and a few pictures to have signed...
Before long, it was time to get the con-related activities going, so I headed into the ballroom to find my seat... I sure felt glad that I listened to my mom and went for the center seat!
First up was Alexis Cruz who played Skaara and was one of only, I think, three actors who remained in the series after the first movie... He was great! He talked mostly about his acting classes and his outreach with kids. He also went into some stories about being on the set of SG1 and how he got the job in the first movie. He was WAY more interesting to listen to than I first thought...
After Alexis' Q&A, they showed a fan made video and then started the Bingo game. I decided to stay and play, but did not win...
I went out to track down food before the showing of the new Atlantis episode... I got back to my seat and commenced viewing!! I must say, that episode was AWESOME!!! What was quite funny, though, is the copy we watched was straight from the studio and the sound effects were messed up... Basically, when the gate opened or when the puddle jumper was shown, even when Ronon shot his gun, you heard nothing... That got a lot of laughs!
The last con-related activity was the Cabaret... It was GREAT!! Alexis was super
fine!! He came out and did several skits. Most of his skits involved poking fun of Hispanic stereotypes. Included was one of a Spanish lover/dishwasher, one of a gangster, and one of a janitor. When he was in the middle of his janitor skit, which was VERY dramatic, a cell phone went off behind the curtain. We later found out, thanks to Chuck Campbell, that is was actually Alexis' phone. Even though we were all laughing at the phone call, Alexis stayed in character. That, right there, was a true actor! He has amazing talent! I have to say also, he looks ALOT younger than he actually is! He and Chuck Campbell took turns during the cabaret, so it made the audience's emotions go up and down throughout the whole show. Chuck did the greatest impressions! He came out and first had to say that he loved the word "F***" and was glad that Alexis' part was for adults
only so he could curse all he wanted. Then he went into his act. He described how fit his fellow SGA actors were to their parts, but suggested how it would be if certain actors went up for the various parts in SGA. Among the impressions he did were Al Pacino, Robert Deniro and Jack Nicholson!! I couldn't believe how well he did those impressions! It was SO memorable!
After the Cabaret, I rejoined the group I was with the previous night and quickly got to drinking! (Oh, how I wish I didn't!) We went up to another group of con-goers hotel room and watched Michael Shanks' first episode of Burn Notice...though, we didn't stay long... I ran into one of the dealers I had met earlier and he gave me some glow sticks... Such a nice guy!! Outside the hotel, our little group ran into Alexis and were able to share a drink and a few laughs before his handler whisked him away... We ended up in the bar playing pool and drinking...
At the end of the night (for me, at least), a con volunteer brought me back to my hotel room so I could sleep...
Saturday-
I woke up (thankfully on time!!) and went down to find some breakfast... I headed to Starbucks down the street because, you just know no day starts right without it! It was good since I was still feeling the effects of my choices from the night before.
A little while I ran into a few people who were about to set off on the same adventure I was later that day. A few months ago, we all participated in an eBay auction for tickets to a exclusive lunch with Michael Shanks and his wife, Lexa Doig. (Daniel Jackson and Dr. Caroline Lam). Lexa canceled a few weeks ago due to schedule conflicts, but Tony Amendola (Bra'tac) stepped in as a replacement. Us lunch goers talked for awhile before heading off to the ballroom for Tony's Q&A.
Tony was absolutely wonderful! He has such a massive amount of knowledge of all things entertainment due to his many years in the business. He fascinated us with stories of the varies parts he played over the years and how he came into the business. I quite enjoyed him in the two Zorro films and was fortunate enough to ask him about them. He explained how he came to play the two parts in the movies (the character were apparently brothers) and what he attempted to bring to the roles. He especially enjoyed speaking about how he was approached to play in the second movie. I really enjoyed listening to this man and have to say, without a doubt, he was the most intriguing and wonderful guest that weekend!
After Tony's Q&A, I went out to find where the special lunch was going to be held... I swear I circled the entire hotel 2 or 3 times before asking someone for help. (again, I found where I was going in like 2 minutes after that!) When I got there, the whole group who had purchased tickets were waiting outside the doors. I took a seat and then started talking to some of the people. Turns out that one of the people I met on Myspace won a lunch ticket, so that was GREAT! When we were called in, we got in line to grab some food before we were seated. There were two tables and 20 of us lucky winners. Each guest was to spend a little over a half an hour at each table. I grabbed a WHOLE LOT of food, as my spending funds were limited for this convention. When we found our seats, I found myself sitting to the left of an empty seat. (oh no!) When the women serving us sat a plate full of food at that empty seat, I about died! I annihilated my food before they announced Michael and Tony... When they came in, we were able to take a few pictures before we were asked (ever so kindly) to put our cameras away. I took a drink of water when I overheard the con reps assigning the guest's seats. Micheal was our table's first guest! At that moment, I swear, I couldn't breath! When he came by, I could not see and I could not hear... Then the shoulder rub came... (Bliss...) As my senses came to, I heard Michael asking "Are you ok, sweety? It's alright, I don't bite! -laughs- Seriously, are you ok?"... I was fine, but I swear I had the words "you're making it worse" on the edge of my tongue the whole time he was rubbing m
y back! The lunch was great, but I unfortunately didn't hear most of the conversation due to complete shock at my surroundings... Though I do remember asking Michael if he was born and raised in Canada as, from what I could get from the chatter, he was droning on and on about the place! I laughed simply at the way he answered me (a little like the way my brother would answer)... I paid for it later.
After the lunch I took another stroll around the dealer's room as I missed Chuck's Q&A attending the meal. I bought another shirt, the one made especially for the Chicago convention. I also picked up more pictures to be signed, including the convention's special poster featuring all the attending guests of the weekend. I got back to my seat just in time for Michael's Q&A.
He was greeted by a wonderful fan-made video with the song "Candy"... Very fitting, I must say! After taking a few photos, I lined up to ask him a question. I tried my best to get some descent pictures while in line, but my camera was not all I thought it would be. When it was my turn to ask a question, Michael greeted me with "Girl-who-hates-Canadians"... That was the start of a 5 minute burn for what I said. (my laughing at him confirming he was born and raised in Canada) After he was done, and after I managed to compose myself, I asked, "I was wondering, other than acting, what are you passionate about, like what keeps you up at night, what, you know, toots your horn, what's your fav, other than hockey too... ... Is that (hockey) a Canadian thing?". It made for a good laugh and some humorous banter, both ways. My time up at the mic ended with a picture he posed for. All together, Michael's Q&A consisted of him making out with a picture of himself, doing a jig with some sort of a mini umbrella, and a whole lot of laughs over his various roles over the years! He's such a cutie!!
It was finally time for my first photo op... (Ooo) I got into the MASSIVE line and started mingling... This is where I met my two great friends, Angie and Liz. They were ahead of me in line and were the noisiest of all... (I reserve the right to make fun of them) One, Angie, was a huge fan of Supernatural, while the other, Liz, was all Stargate... Those two girl were a riot and I sure do look forward to rooming with them next year...
Anyways, back to the photo ops... Ok, so a little while before, I had went into the gift
shop at the hotel and bought a stuffed Ty elephant. So, when I got into the photo op room,(after at least a half and hour in line) I was told to put down everything I didn't want in the picture. I go up to Michael and say, "Go Canucks". Though I had said the name wrong and was quite nervous... He laughed and put his arm around my shoulder... So, I put mine around his waist... By the way, the hotel's air conditioning system pooped out on us, so we were all pretty hot and bothered in line... (Oh, bad choice of words...)
When I was finished taking my photo op, I waited outside the hotel until it was time to line up for autographs. As I was Gold this year, 4 out of 6 of the weekend's guests gave me free autographs...
Our row was called for Michael's autograph first, and since I had not been able to really meet and mingle with my fellow G row members, I took the time in line to do so. It was very interesting and as this was my first convention, they were able to shed some light on things I was unaware of. I kept getting reassurances that Michael was just having fun with me during his Q&A and that he probably had a great time and will remember me for it. That was a relief to hear! When I got up to Michael, they took the picture I had purchased that day and I was given the opportunity to say that I still liked him despite his Canadian roots... He chuckled and signed my photo, "-Canada Rules- Michael Shanks :-)" Needless to say, that is one of my most treasured items...
Right after I got done with Michael,(again, bad choice of words) I jumped into the line for Chuck and Tony's autographs... That line took a lot longer, but thankfully I had my MP3 with me and was able to tune out the noise, wait and lack of cool air... Once I got up to Chuck, I gave him my convention poster and he signed it... Then I got back in line for Tony, got up to him, gave him my poster, and he signed it... -laughs- But, I did get the opportunity to thank Tony for the lunch and tell him how special he made the weekend for me... Then I think I might of mentioned something about hair growth... I know, random, but he seemed to get a laugh out of it. Once the autographs were done with we had the rest of the day to do as we wished, so I went back to my room to nap... and to call and check up on my family...
Around 8-8:30pm that night, I went down to line up for the desert party. I was SO excited! They were handing out Hawaiian lays and asking people in line who wore the Hawaiian shirt on SG1 (Maybourne). It was great to hang out with the people I had met throughout the weekend! I especially am thankful to those who helped me in numerous ways due to my lack of funds... I hope some day I can repay them! When we got into the room we were all seated and then instructed to go get our deserts... I FILLED my plate with various chocolate treats! Then, a little while later, the con organizers announced the guests(Alexis and Chuck). It was wonderful! I was again able to sit by one of the guests that weekend and ask them both questions... I had a wonderful time...After the desert party was over I went off to think... This day was the 6th anniversary of my father's death and I wanted the time to remember who he was and to think how he would feel about my attendance at the con.
Saturday was filled with SO many memorable events, and I believe that it was those events that lead me to want to attend another convention...
So... It's first day of the con... I wake up bored as hell and decide to track down the people I was hanging out with the night before... After circling the entire building (yes, I am that dumb) I decide to ask someone where the certain entrance was... I found that hotel room within 2 minutes after that... We hung out for about an hour and the girls introduced me to slash... (still ew!) Anyways, about an hour before I thought I was supposed to line up for registration, I come to find out that people usually line up hours before hand... So, needless to say, I booked myself down to the line and it was MASSIVE!! Thankfully, I made it through the line and got registered! (Whew!) Oh, and I got a few free gifts too... An Atlantis tote bag, a Jason Momoa signed photo, and Paul McGillion signed photo and a trading card (I know, the card sounds lame and it is!) What really sucked was, due to the way I purchased my ticket, I wasn't able to get one of those fancy looking ticket/badge thingies... But a security guard let me have a lanyard anyways...
After that, I took a jaunt around the dealer's room and found a lot of things I really liked, but few I could actually afford... (That figures!) Though, I did pick up a t-shirt, a Daniel Jackson dog tag, and a few pictures to have signed...
Before long, it was time to get the con-related activities going, so I headed into the ballroom to find my seat... I sure felt glad that I listened to my mom and went for the center seat!
First up was Alexis Cruz who played Skaara and was one of only, I think, three actors who remained in the series after the first movie... He was great! He talked mostly about his acting classes and his outreach with kids. He also went into some stories about being on the set of SG1 and how he got the job in the first movie. He was WAY more interesting to listen to than I first thought...After Alexis' Q&A, they showed a fan made video and then started the Bingo game. I decided to stay and play, but did not win...
I went out to track down food before the showing of the new Atlantis episode... I got back to my seat and commenced viewing!! I must say, that episode was AWESOME!!! What was quite funny, though, is the copy we watched was straight from the studio and the sound effects were messed up... Basically, when the gate opened or when the puddle jumper was shown, even when Ronon shot his gun, you heard nothing... That got a lot of laughs!
The last con-related activity was the Cabaret... It was GREAT!! Alexis was super
fine!! He came out and did several skits. Most of his skits involved poking fun of Hispanic stereotypes. Included was one of a Spanish lover/dishwasher, one of a gangster, and one of a janitor. When he was in the middle of his janitor skit, which was VERY dramatic, a cell phone went off behind the curtain. We later found out, thanks to Chuck Campbell, that is was actually Alexis' phone. Even though we were all laughing at the phone call, Alexis stayed in character. That, right there, was a true actor! He has amazing talent! I have to say also, he looks ALOT younger than he actually is! He and Chuck Campbell took turns during the cabaret, so it made the audience's emotions go up and down throughout the whole show. Chuck did the greatest impressions! He came out and first had to say that he loved the word "F***" and was glad that Alexis' part was for adults
only so he could curse all he wanted. Then he went into his act. He described how fit his fellow SGA actors were to their parts, but suggested how it would be if certain actors went up for the various parts in SGA. Among the impressions he did were Al Pacino, Robert Deniro and Jack Nicholson!! I couldn't believe how well he did those impressions! It was SO memorable!After the Cabaret, I rejoined the group I was with the previous night and quickly got to drinking! (Oh, how I wish I didn't!) We went up to another group of con-goers hotel room and watched Michael Shanks' first episode of Burn Notice...though, we didn't stay long... I ran into one of the dealers I had met earlier and he gave me some glow sticks... Such a nice guy!! Outside the hotel, our little group ran into Alexis and were able to share a drink and a few laughs before his handler whisked him away... We ended up in the bar playing pool and drinking...
At the end of the night (for me, at least), a con volunteer brought me back to my hotel room so I could sleep...
Saturday-
I woke up (thankfully on time!!) and went down to find some breakfast... I headed to Starbucks down the street because, you just know no day starts right without it! It was good since I was still feeling the effects of my choices from the night before.
A little while I ran into a few people who were about to set off on the same adventure I was later that day. A few months ago, we all participated in an eBay auction for tickets to a exclusive lunch with Michael Shanks and his wife, Lexa Doig. (Daniel Jackson and Dr. Caroline Lam). Lexa canceled a few weeks ago due to schedule conflicts, but Tony Amendola (Bra'tac) stepped in as a replacement. Us lunch goers talked for awhile before heading off to the ballroom for Tony's Q&A.
Tony was absolutely wonderful! He has such a massive amount of knowledge of all things entertainment due to his many years in the business. He fascinated us with stories of the varies parts he played over the years and how he came into the business. I quite enjoyed him in the two Zorro films and was fortunate enough to ask him about them. He explained how he came to play the two parts in the movies (the character were apparently brothers) and what he attempted to bring to the roles. He especially enjoyed speaking about how he was approached to play in the second movie. I really enjoyed listening to this man and have to say, without a doubt, he was the most intriguing and wonderful guest that weekend!
After Tony's Q&A, I went out to find where the special lunch was going to be held... I swear I circled the entire hotel 2 or 3 times before asking someone for help. (again, I found where I was going in like 2 minutes after that!) When I got there, the whole group who had purchased tickets were waiting outside the doors. I took a seat and then started talking to some of the people. Turns out that one of the people I met on Myspace won a lunch ticket, so that was GREAT! When we were called in, we got in line to grab some food before we were seated. There were two tables and 20 of us lucky winners. Each guest was to spend a little over a half an hour at each table. I grabbed a WHOLE LOT of food, as my spending funds were limited for this convention. When we found our seats, I found myself sitting to the left of an empty seat. (oh no!) When the women serving us sat a plate full of food at that empty seat, I about died! I annihilated my food before they announced Michael and Tony... When they came in, we were able to take a few pictures before we were asked (ever so kindly) to put our cameras away. I took a drink of water when I overheard the con reps assigning the guest's seats. Micheal was our table's first guest! At that moment, I swear, I couldn't breath! When he came by, I could not see and I could not hear... Then the shoulder rub came... (Bliss...) As my senses came to, I heard Michael asking "Are you ok, sweety? It's alright, I don't bite! -laughs- Seriously, are you ok?"... I was fine, but I swear I had the words "you're making it worse" on the edge of my tongue the whole time he was rubbing m
y back! The lunch was great, but I unfortunately didn't hear most of the conversation due to complete shock at my surroundings... Though I do remember asking Michael if he was born and raised in Canada as, from what I could get from the chatter, he was droning on and on about the place! I laughed simply at the way he answered me (a little like the way my brother would answer)... I paid for it later.After the lunch I took another stroll around the dealer's room as I missed Chuck's Q&A attending the meal. I bought another shirt, the one made especially for the Chicago convention. I also picked up more pictures to be signed, including the convention's special poster featuring all the attending guests of the weekend. I got back to my seat just in time for Michael's Q&A.
He was greeted by a wonderful fan-made video with the song "Candy"... Very fitting, I must say! After taking a few photos, I lined up to ask him a question. I tried my best to get some descent pictures while in line, but my camera was not all I thought it would be. When it was my turn to ask a question, Michael greeted me with "Girl-who-hates-Canadians"... That was the start of a 5 minute burn for what I said. (my laughing at him confirming he was born and raised in Canada) After he was done, and after I managed to compose myself, I asked, "I was wondering, other than acting, what are you passionate about, like what keeps you up at night, what, you know, toots your horn, what's your fav, other than hockey too... ... Is that (hockey) a Canadian thing?". It made for a good laugh and some humorous banter, both ways. My time up at the mic ended with a picture he posed for. All together, Michael's Q&A consisted of him making out with a picture of himself, doing a jig with some sort of a mini umbrella, and a whole lot of laughs over his various roles over the years! He's such a cutie!!It was finally time for my first photo op... (Ooo) I got into the MASSIVE line and started mingling... This is where I met my two great friends, Angie and Liz. They were ahead of me in line and were the noisiest of all... (I reserve the right to make fun of them) One, Angie, was a huge fan of Supernatural, while the other, Liz, was all Stargate... Those two girl were a riot and I sure do look forward to rooming with them next year...
Anyways, back to the photo ops... Ok, so a little while before, I had went into the gift
shop at the hotel and bought a stuffed Ty elephant. So, when I got into the photo op room,(after at least a half and hour in line) I was told to put down everything I didn't want in the picture. I go up to Michael and say, "Go Canucks". Though I had said the name wrong and was quite nervous... He laughed and put his arm around my shoulder... So, I put mine around his waist... By the way, the hotel's air conditioning system pooped out on us, so we were all pretty hot and bothered in line... (Oh, bad choice of words...)When I was finished taking my photo op, I waited outside the hotel until it was time to line up for autographs. As I was Gold this year, 4 out of 6 of the weekend's guests gave me free autographs...
Our row was called for Michael's autograph first, and since I had not been able to really meet and mingle with my fellow G row members, I took the time in line to do so. It was very interesting and as this was my first convention, they were able to shed some light on things I was unaware of. I kept getting reassurances that Michael was just having fun with me during his Q&A and that he probably had a great time and will remember me for it. That was a relief to hear! When I got up to Michael, they took the picture I had purchased that day and I was given the opportunity to say that I still liked him despite his Canadian roots... He chuckled and signed my photo, "-Canada Rules- Michael Shanks :-)" Needless to say, that is one of my most treasured items...Right after I got done with Michael,(again, bad choice of words) I jumped into the line for Chuck and Tony's autographs... That line took a lot longer, but thankfully I had my MP3 with me and was able to tune out the noise, wait and lack of cool air... Once I got up to Chuck, I gave him my convention poster and he signed it... Then I got back in line for Tony, got up to him, gave him my poster, and he signed it... -laughs- But, I did get the opportunity to thank Tony for the lunch and tell him how special he made the weekend for me... Then I think I might of mentioned something about hair growth... I know, random, but he seemed to get a laugh out of it. Once the autographs were done with we had the rest of the day to do as we wished, so I went back to my room to nap... and to call and check up on my family...
Around 8-8:30pm that night, I went down to line up for the desert party. I was SO excited! They were handing out Hawaiian lays and asking people in line who wore the Hawaiian shirt on SG1 (Maybourne). It was great to hang out with the people I had met throughout the weekend! I especially am thankful to those who helped me in numerous ways due to my lack of funds... I hope some day I can repay them! When we got into the room we were all seated and then instructed to go get our deserts... I FILLED my plate with various chocolate treats! Then, a little while later, the con organizers announced the guests(Alexis and Chuck). It was wonderful! I was again able to sit by one of the guests that weekend and ask them both questions... I had a wonderful time...After the desert party was over I went off to think... This day was the 6th anniversary of my father's death and I wanted the time to remember who he was and to think how he would feel about my attendance at the con. Saturday was filled with SO many memorable events, and I believe that it was those events that lead me to want to attend another convention...
Sunday-
Sunday morning was a big deal. I woke up early and hurried to get coffee. As this was the last day of the con, I set out to enjoy it like no other!! What was planned for the morning was a breakfast with, none other than, BEN BROWDER!! That's right, Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell was to have breakfast with us Gold con goers! Also included, was David Nykl (Dr. Radek Zelenka).
Not long after I scored my coffee, I was once again back in a line. -laughs some- We all got in, took our seats and then were, just like the desert party, instructed to grab our food. Like I did throughout the weekend, I decided to FILL my plate with food! I must say it was delicious!! I also was able to chat with the people who I was sharing a table with. Most of them were only there to meet Ben at the breakfast and two of them only came Sunday for Ben's appearances. It was great to meet people from different fan-bases... I think what they had said sparked the interest in me to check out Farscape.
When it came time, the con organizers announced our guests... T
hey went around to all the tables, (and I must add it was only about 3 minutes at each table) and came to ours near the end of their rounds. David was great! He had a great smile and a great love for the show. Though we found out that Atlantis was to be cancelled that weekend, he seemed put-together and was very entertaining. As it had been before, I was next to the "guest" seat and so both boys sat next to me. Getting that seat put someone out, so when Ben arrived at our table, I asked if he could possibly give the women a hug. He obliged and then took his seat. The conversation drifted to his writing, and with that I asked if, just as he went from acting to writing, a writer could go from writing to acting. He asked why I would want to and with that I told him that I wasn't necessarily talking about me. I told him that I took a college acting course when I was 16, in hopes of achieving a degree in theater arts, but I dropped out the first time I forgot my lines (oh, the embarrassment!). That is when he grabbed my shoulder, rubbed it and said, "Oh, don't worry about it. Don't let something like that stop you. I have forgotten my lines many times!" Oh, MY GOSH!!! Nummy!! That was the best breakfast of MY LIFE!!
After the amazing breakfast was over, I took a final stroll around the dealer's room
before heading into the ballroom for David's Q&A. It was another awesome session where I was able to see how great the cast of Atlantis really was. He talked a lot about the cancellation of the show and what he might do after and what was planned so far for the rest of the final season. He also spoke about his heritage (He is Chekloslavakian) and how that tied into him landing the Chek role on Atlantis. He apparently has a whole family that is fluent in their accents/language and he spoke about how that helped him when he was finding it difficult to play the role. Quite interesting, that's all I will say...
After David's Q&A, I did the usual walking around until it was time for Ben's photo op session. I must say, the lines I was in all weekend pailed to compare to this one... Though, the super long line gave me ample time to do a quick change of clothes and re-do my hair. Throughout the weekend, I had gotten very little sleep, so by this time, I was completly drained. With my MP3 and friends at my side, I finally got through. When I went in, he was SO breathtaking I was so amazed! I got by his side and he put his arm around my shoulder... After the picture was taken, I headed my red-faced self out the door, but was snatched by a con organizer who said I "blinked". I was instructed to take another picture with Ben, but By that time I was near fainting! I felt so embarresed that I stuffed my face in my hands and it seemed like ages for me to walk the few feet back to his side. He rubbed/patted my back and told me that it was fine and to look at the camera and smile! He had his hand up, and I 
didn't understand what he meant by that, but apparently it would of been a pretty funny photo... Ah well, maybe next time... I SO have to thank the photographer for being so sweet and understanding!! Any reservations I had about Creation staff, Chris had disproved!! The two photo ops I had that weekend, the first being with Michael and the second with Ben, were worth all the money I had spent! I will never again choose a new outfit over a potential photo op again!!
Sunday morning was a big deal. I woke up early and hurried to get coffee. As this was the last day of the con, I set out to enjoy it like no other!! What was planned for the morning was a breakfast with, none other than, BEN BROWDER!! That's right, Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell was to have breakfast with us Gold con goers! Also included, was David Nykl (Dr. Radek Zelenka).
Not long after I scored my coffee, I was once again back in a line. -laughs some- We all got in, took our seats and then were, just like the desert party, instructed to grab our food. Like I did throughout the weekend, I decided to FILL my plate with food! I must say it was delicious!! I also was able to chat with the people who I was sharing a table with. Most of them were only there to meet Ben at the breakfast and two of them only came Sunday for Ben's appearances. It was great to meet people from different fan-bases... I think what they had said sparked the interest in me to check out Farscape.
When it came time, the con organizers announced our guests... T
hey went around to all the tables, (and I must add it was only about 3 minutes at each table) and came to ours near the end of their rounds. David was great! He had a great smile and a great love for the show. Though we found out that Atlantis was to be cancelled that weekend, he seemed put-together and was very entertaining. As it had been before, I was next to the "guest" seat and so both boys sat next to me. Getting that seat put someone out, so when Ben arrived at our table, I asked if he could possibly give the women a hug. He obliged and then took his seat. The conversation drifted to his writing, and with that I asked if, just as he went from acting to writing, a writer could go from writing to acting. He asked why I would want to and with that I told him that I wasn't necessarily talking about me. I told him that I took a college acting course when I was 16, in hopes of achieving a degree in theater arts, but I dropped out the first time I forgot my lines (oh, the embarrassment!). That is when he grabbed my shoulder, rubbed it and said, "Oh, don't worry about it. Don't let something like that stop you. I have forgotten my lines many times!" Oh, MY GOSH!!! Nummy!! That was the best breakfast of MY LIFE!!After the amazing breakfast was over, I took a final stroll around the dealer's room
before heading into the ballroom for David's Q&A. It was another awesome session where I was able to see how great the cast of Atlantis really was. He talked a lot about the cancellation of the show and what he might do after and what was planned so far for the rest of the final season. He also spoke about his heritage (He is Chekloslavakian) and how that tied into him landing the Chek role on Atlantis. He apparently has a whole family that is fluent in their accents/language and he spoke about how that helped him when he was finding it difficult to play the role. Quite interesting, that's all I will say...
After David's Q&A, I did the usual walking around until it was time for Ben's photo op session. I must say, the lines I was in all weekend pailed to compare to this one... Though, the super long line gave me ample time to do a quick change of clothes and re-do my hair. Throughout the weekend, I had gotten very little sleep, so by this time, I was completly drained. With my MP3 and friends at my side, I finally got through. When I went in, he was SO breathtaking I was so amazed! I got by his side and he put his arm around my shoulder... After the picture was taken, I headed my red-faced self out the door, but was snatched by a con organizer who said I "blinked". I was instructed to take another picture with Ben, but By that time I was near fainting! I felt so embarresed that I stuffed my face in my hands and it seemed like ages for me to walk the few feet back to his side. He rubbed/patted my back and told me that it was fine and to look at the camera and smile! He had his hand up, and I 
didn't understand what he meant by that, but apparently it would of been a pretty funny photo... Ah well, maybe next time... I SO have to thank the photographer for being so sweet and understanding!! Any reservations I had about Creation staff, Chris had disproved!! The two photo ops I had that weekend, the first being with Michael and the second with Ben, were worth all the money I had spent! I will never again choose a new outfit over a potential photo op again!! 
Just as before, after the photo op, I walked around and hung out with some friends I met at the con. Soon it was time to go in to see Ben Browder's Q&A. As I had a clever idea for a question, I hopped in line at the mic. I had told Angie and Liz about my question, so it wasn't long before both of them were at my side cheering me on. Ben was quite nervous and even made reference to his fears about being at a Stargate con as his character replaced that of Richard Dean Anderson... We did our best to reassure him that we wanted him there, though he made a comment about fears of RDA snipers in the shadow
s... He also got a few texts while he was up on stage. Apparently one was from Michael Shanks and another from a parent of one of his football players... Eh... Unfortunately, I was unable to ask my question (Or should I say request??), as he had to beg and plead for more time as his story telling didn't allow him to hear everyone. He ended his Q&A as all the actors did by signing two banners hanging on either side of the stage...This was my last night at my first ever convention, I felt so fulfilled and happy that I had attended. We all ended the night, hanging out in the lobby watching youtube videos and laughing almost to the point of peeing our pants!
Monday-
I awoke Monday morning very sad... I knew the adventure was over and hoped that I might, one day, expreance it again. As I packed my bags, my thoughts drifted to the memories I had created that weekend and how many friends I was away with... I left my room and headed out to catch my shuttle back to the airport.When I got to the airport, I found my flight was delayed an hour, so I sat around with my computer and played solitaire... After an hour, I was told the plane was not coming and instead they were waiting on a replacement... An hour after that, all of us cheered as our plane arrived... I took my seat, popped on my headphones and then... The door, I guess, would not close properly, so they had to fix it... Another hour-hour and a half later, we FINALLY took off... Note to self: Bring more cash with me on the day of departure!!
So... That's it, my trip in a... very large and drawn out nutshell... lol
I awoke Monday morning very sad... I knew the adventure was over and hoped that I might, one day, expreance it again. As I packed my bags, my thoughts drifted to the memories I had created that weekend and how many friends I was away with... I left my room and headed out to catch my shuttle back to the airport.When I got to the airport, I found my flight was delayed an hour, so I sat around with my computer and played solitaire... After an hour, I was told the plane was not coming and instead they were waiting on a replacement... An hour after that, all of us cheered as our plane arrived... I took my seat, popped on my headphones and then... The door, I guess, would not close properly, so they had to fix it... Another hour-hour and a half later, we FINALLY took off... Note to self: Bring more cash with me on the day of departure!!So... That's it, my trip in a... very large and drawn out nutshell... lol
Now, on to Vancouver BC!! By the way, I purchased my VanCon ticket THE DAY AFTER I returned from Chicago!! -laughs- Yeah, it was that much fun!!
