Epic Weekend Was Epic: Part II - THE EVENT!
After getting into bed, falling asleep probably around 3AM Jen and I expected to get a lot of sleep before the big event
Nope
Once again, 6:30AM I was WIDE awake and I don’t think it had anything to do with the whole 7:30AM at home time issue, as I stated on FB I think it was a kid on Christmas Anxiety. So I got up, Jen got up not long after and eventually we got a start to the day. First a stop at McDonalds for breakfast (not much else nearby that was quick) and passed by the restaurant near the Ramada named Young Dong. I kid you not.
Then came prepping, getting ready for the fun that would ensue. Jen had to leave early given she was one of the photographers at the event and I just chilled. Originally Susie and Anna would come get me and we’d carpool, but they were running late so around 3 or so I headed on down to the Regent Beverly Wilshire…
…
Now I ran into the lobby in 1997 in short overalls and a pigtail and got “what the f are you doing here looks” but for anyone who knows me since I first saw it when I was 15 in the summer of 1990, Pretty Woman has been my ALL TIME favorite movie. Many fandoms in my life, and this one is of the biggest in my life (many photos to prove it) and I do cherish them all. So anyway, I’m searching for people I know and am very confused. Finally I see a way to check in and do that, then I ask one of the guys working outside where the restaurant is. He directs me to a very nice gentleman who walks me to it, where I find Carina and a friend of hers and then see Jenny and Mary and Carina and we get a table and I order a 15 dollar drink..but it’s the Reg Bev Wil..when will this EVER happen again? Tiffany shows up with some friends, we get to know one another, order some expensive food that has to be fast b/c now it’s close to 5 PM (PANIC FACE) and we eat, we pay, we flee upstairs where we’re told to rush b/c they’re starting early (BOMB IN SODA POP MACHINE PANIC FACE) I can’t find my seat, Karen is helping me, finally I do sit down…and after an introduction from Patricia…
It
Starts
AND MY CAMERA DIES (stupid cheap travel charger of FAIL) so I use my camera phone
They come out, I die a little.
They get on the stage, David being David switches the name cards around
Cuz he’s hot like that
They sit down, Gillian pulls out a list of questions for him - David says “Oh we were supposed to write down questions..” Goofy boy, “Well I’ll just reverse yours.”
(relying on memory here…my exact wording may not be correct)
She starts with questions…I’m kinda blanking on - but they’re cute. Gillian mentions that she read something about how you lose brain cells when you’re pregnant and because of having three babies she’s lost a lot. David replies “Yeah, Tea says that too.”
They banter (which is love) David tells a story about a homeless man who called him Robert Chuchovny who was always around while they were filming Monday.
Gillian: “Was I in that?”
We scream: “YES!”
Love her memory it makes me laugh. They continue to banter, mention how bad they were in the pilot and how was that ever picked up (seriously you two…) she mentions a maggot in a eye of a body, being a cutupologist and David makes the snarky comment “She only played a doctor.” (oh they are love)
Chris arrives. We continue to cheer. More clever banter between the three of them (I seriously cannot wait for the DVD to relive all of this) and I start welling up seeing all three of them on stage together. Basically by the end of the actual event event, my eye makeup was long gone.
She asks why she’s never been offered a role on Cali and the room erupts in applause.
David, looking kinda sheepish says, “Cuz we can’t afford you?”
Gillian shaking her head in a kind of sultry way says “I’d do it for free babe.”
We cheer some more
He goes on about how that’s a special relationship, and that having her on the show would be weird (or something like that) someone yells out that it’s SACRED (the M&S relationship) and she says she hates him, no, she loves him and he finally says “We’ll see what we can do..”
More cheers
He continues “We’ll set you up with Runkle.”
GROANS
Then the questions and answers start. Simple questions, someone asked David who his favorite character to play ever was and ..considering his stagemates and the audience he did say “Mulder” but I think he meant it
Then he had to leave (prior commitment and all that fun) and as he was leaving he went to the audience and to the Microphone and said
“This question is for Gillian. Who is your favorite actor to work with?”
She ponders, “Hmm..well there was this guy, who was really cute in the 90s…”
David starts to slowly walk away
“all I remember is that he looked really good in a red speedo.”
He’s at the back of the room
“Robert Chuchovny?”
And he’s gone
*SAD FACE*
Now it’s just Chris and Gillian. More questions are asked.
Then Valerie asks about XF 3
The room explodes
Gillian, “Yeah, what’s going on with that?”
Chris goes on about how the decision is up to other parties, but it PRETTY much sounds like he’s working on a script (I THINK I CANNOT ASSUME..ok I HOPE!) and mentioned December 21, 2012 so…HOPE but Gillian was so hyper about it. So awesome. She asked if we should start a campaign (been there done that) just wish FOX would see what we saw…but..whatever
Someone asked why William was given up
Gillian remarked that there wasn’t much they could do running around with a kid, but Chris DID bring up that he was sent away to possibly be ..returned…(I think we almost all have that theory)
Moving on
Someone asked if they knew about the “adult” movies made based on the series. Gillian’s eyes bugged out. And her first question “Who played Scully? Was she good?”
Then she made the fatal mistake of saying “That’s what the third movie should be!”
CHEERS!
“With William!”
GROANS
“Took it too far didn’t I?” (paraphrasing)
OMG I LOVE THIS WOMAN
(DVD NOW I NEED IT)
She laughs, more stories are told at one point she does say “Doug Hucthinson…16…oh Doug…” and shakes her head
Finally we get to the autograph portion where people are going in line by line. We get post its with our names on it (which later some dorks were trying to take the left overs..wtf?) and wait. I mingle with Karen, Melanie (another Melanie..at least I think that’s what her name was..argh) and Chelsea as we wait. Finally we go in, Jess is calling my name so I let Melanie go before me to stay with my girls. I’m nervous as hell (vodka has worn off by now)
Given I didn’t have David sign anything XF related (one day I want both of them to sign the XF bible but that thing is hard to lug around!) I wanted Gillian to sign my poster for A Doll’s House. I bought three actually and already had one in a frame. When I unrolled it she just said “Wow..” and smiled at me. Yes dear woman, I flew all the way to London for you. I do it all for you (and David and Chris..etc)
I had Chris sign my Phile edition of IWTB. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted him to sign since I already had his auto in the bible, but IWTB was his complete baby so I felt that the best thing. I didn’t get that personalized but that’s ok. He’s just so cool.
I smile like a dork for Jen, as she takes pics of the photo signings and then move on out. Apparently some people were gabbing too long so the event was running long…but well..philes..you get them in front of our heroes and well…
I wait with my girls, get some hugs from Erica and Cindy, meet some new people and then we’re told to wait on one side of the room for our photos with Gillian (it was an extra donation I was not passing up) and I’m waiting with Lisa and we’re gabbing about weather and traffic and such and Gillian out of nowhere comes running in the room
O_o
My first instinct is crap, the photo session is being cancelled.
Nope.
She says she is wearing new pants…and that she had the questions for David in her back pocket and since they’re new pants some ink “sweated” (take a moment) onto the paper (ok…) and she mentions auctioning off the piece of paper and she will autograph it with whatever you want and that if we could raise just five more dollars that would be great
So the bidding starts. Five…ten…one hundred..one hundred and one…two hundred…two hundred and one…left kidney…various amounts…finally at the bargain price of 450 Lisa gets the paper and Gillian runs over to us (does not hyperventilate) and Liz takes Lisa away with Gillian to complete the transaction…
So I’m all alone. Jen looks tired, we chat, I ask if she’d like to have her pic taken with me b/c she’s my friend and I’m alone and well I thought it would be fun.
So people start going back, Jen grabs me and we go.
There’s a line and we wait, when isn’t there a line? And we get in the room and Gillian is posing with some girls and she opens her arms up wide and says “Come on girls!”
And I do all I can not to break down in tears just because…
This is a woman I’ve loved..forever…I believe she is a fantastic human being not just for her charity work because she admits to not being perfect, and that is just part of what makes her so spectacular to me. Her face adorns my walls; she’s on my phone, my ipod, my ipad and my TV nearly every single day. And now, here she is, with open arms…I’m crying just remembering it. We get our pic taken, I’m not even sure how I’m standing smiling etc b/c Gillian’s arm is around my shoulder. I even forget where I am..when it’s over she thanks us, I thank her and not sure what else to say, “Have a good night!” comes out…cuz well…
Then I wait with Jen who will have to be there a while, then I join my gals downstairs. They seem to think we’re waiting for Gillian but we’re basically trying to figure out what to do with ourselves. Where to go etc. I give Tiffany my number to meet them somewhere later but phone dies - I never get the call - or her number (too many pictures taken..not many good cuz..Lighting and camera phone ..blerg) I get some more hugs from Patricia (squee) and then we’re told to move to the wall. Gillian is coming down. It’s not like we’re all going to jump her or anything
Well…only in a good way
But we’re good, she thanks us, we thank her, she asks if we’re going partying and we say yeah she says “Have a drink for me!” we yell OK! Then she ads “Oh wait have TEN FOR ME!” and she’s gone.
Lisa reveals what Gillian wrote on her paper - it’s funny but I won’t get into details because I’m not sure if she’d want that or not - and we try to think of where to go. We can’t go to the karaoke b/c we have Emily with us (stupid age minimums) so we settle on The Cheesecake Factory. Carina leads the way after we leave our cars at the Wilshire ( just have to get them back by 2am) so we chat all the way to the factory, we have to wait b/c there are ten of us. Deb, Melanie, Emily, Lisa, Jessica, Susie, Anna, Me, Dana and Jeff (the one guy with all us girls) we chat, we eat, I do not have ten drinks (Jess was closest with two and her complaints on American beer which I cannot disagree with) some get cheesecake, we sing Happy Birthday to Melanie, finally we head back, pictures are taken (not by me..dead camera and all) and hugs are given. I get my car first at the valet and as I’m sitting in it I get hugs from all my girls… and as I drive back to the hotel.
I CRY MY FREAKING HEAD OFF
Seriously. The whole trip was epic, and it’s..over.
But in the end..things I learned from Gillian
Follow your own path. Never ever lose your own identity for another person.
and
Three babies