NJ Con Report: Friday and Saturday
Friday's a blur... well, ok, the whole weekend is a blur but Friday is REALLY blurry...
Mom came with me this go round because the con was in NJ, so she could visit the family and go see Philly. The idea was we'd all go see Independence Park together on Monday along with any fangirls I fooled into going along. (This did not work, but that's a whole other post.)
I've already posted about getting the rental car and getting lost. This was basically the lather, rinse, repeat pattern for Friday. I went to and from that hotel at least 8 times and managed to do it in 7 different ways. Oh yes. NJ is EVERY BIT the driving hell people tell you it is.
Lunch at the hotel restaurant was fun. Chad and Jason were there and the moment I realized was cute. 'cause I must have had the fangirl in the headlights look - when I looked around? The other fangirls were giving me meaningful looks. The kind that said, "Don't go batshit and make us attack you with the silverware. That's right... keep eating." They made through lunch and out unmolested - go us!
And then I got lost AND hit Philly rush hour traffic going to pick up laivine. I didn't bother trying to get the golden bracelet until weesta got there (she'd bought the tickets) - so I missed Chad's panel and photo op. *sadface* But then weesta got there and there was more sadfacing that rynnalyn was not going us. Then there was the Jason Manns concert and several voicemails of dubious legality...
laivine laivine laivine
BTW - people who want voicemails of dubious legality should answer their tweets. Just saying.
But I made clex_monkie89 all squeey at a restaurant by letting her listen to Jason sing. And it was really surreal for her. (this is a plot point.) Then afterwards, they had the autograph session for Chad... (Or was it before the concert? All a blur, I'm telling you...) But whenever - Chad is the first to see the I am NOT Jared book.
I made the book as a gag gift for Ryn and Wee back in October for WinCon and since Jared was ditching us AGAIN we'd decided Part Two was needed. (Which reminds me, I need to go stalk weesta for the pics...) So I was going to have the actors sign the book. weesta - being awesome - realized she had an extra sign and could have that signed too. Especially as she intended to throw me out front to explain it. *eyes her*
For those that do not know - the I am NOT Jared project was part of the scrapbook the disappointed fangirls made for Jared in February 2006. To my amazed horror, anteka did actually manage to ensure he got the thing.
Where was I? Oh yeah, Chad. So Chad cracks up and approves of David Arquette and endears himself to me by knowing who Doug Bradley is on sight. I find out I've missed all his stuff and feel sad.
You know what? That had to have happened prior to the concert, cause I didn't go up with weesta to get Jason's autograph the first time. I did go up the second time to ask about the difference playing for a convention vs clubs was. And to put clex_monkie89 on speaker phone. Remember when I said she was feeling surreal? It was in part because a moosehead was staring at her in the restaurant. But because the speakerphone kept cutting out, all we got was that the restaurant was creepy. Jason was much amused. Clex is gonna kill me when we get to EyeCon for telling that story, I'm sure.
Then there was fangrrrling and talking and all kinds of stuff and then there was bedtime.
I should probably split this, but what the hell. Saturday! Not as blurry as Friday, but I think that's only cause I'm aided greatly by wee's and laivine's posts and there are you tube videos to remind me...
Breakfast - I don't really remember breakfast Saturday... oh wait - that was the cafe thing. And then we let sinnerforhire interview us. Where I got all fangrrrly and meta and speculative about all kinds of really unhelpful things - SORRY!
Then we hustle to go see Richard's panel. I didn't go to Chicago last year, so this was the first live one I'd seen. He's fantastic! He got us all mellow talking about Kim Manners and then teasing a girl from Malta. He was an Evil Knievel fanboy!!!! *hearts* I couldn't get videos - because the girl in front of my was in pain in the convention chairs. He also got the Wincest question - ugh. But the girl who asked? Was awesome fun for the rest of the con - so it was a wash. Mostly - I love how Richard loves SPN fandom because he loves the Jericho fandom. He just loves the internet phenomenom - the world wide watercooler. He tells the peanut story with great, great glee. Then there was his photo op.
From his panel - I knew he'd be good for the I am NOT Jared sign. He thought we were weird, but he was certainly game. (I've been asked about the difference between Creation and EyeCon - one of the biggest differences is the photo ops - at Creation - most people go for the "prom" pose. At EyeCon - there are more "humor" shots. The shot came out great even if he didn't know what was going on.
Then we had Gabe. Gabe who's no longer the wide eyed first timer - but still goofy and in love with fangirls - and totally milking it. A 2 episode role is paying for his honeymoon. He knows what we want and is more than happy to wallow in the shallow end of the pool with us. He told a hilarious story about some makeover show reveal where the woman was supposed to be all transformed and crap - but it was just this anticlimatic "meh" reaction. So that was what we did for HIS shot.
I was thinking that we'd go back to the I am NOT Jared sign - and just caption Gabe's as "this is what we felt like without Jared" or something - (By the way - Who got that great shot with him jumping in mid-air?! That was fantastic!) But then Traci's photo op was BEFORE her panel. And it was her first convention and I didn't want to scare her. Plus, by this time, I'd seen that most people were doing normal shots and chickened out a little. So we were just going to do a normal shot. Which wee dubbed "Girl Power". But when Traci heard that she lit up and got all giggly and wanted to do Charlie's Angels!!!! So of course we obliged. She's the one that's most into it too - all SRS ANGEL IZ SRZ BZNS.
Then we had her panel - which I still feel is backwards and I managed to work up the nerve to go ask a question. I was at the mike when the Ted E Bear walked in. But of course MY brain identified him as PedoBear and I have no memory of asking anything - or really much of her panel... *facepalm*
I retreated upstairs to resume breathing and check in with Mom - who was having a blast and tormenting the family. So I missed the costume parade - but Wee got people to pose with I am NOT Jared. More I am NOT Jared fun with fangirls was had while waiting for the autographs. Having a book is actually quite helpful convincing people to pose - it's the whole "come on! David Arquette did it!" thing I think.
So we get to the autographs and Richard was all "OH! That's what the sign was for!" and then signed it "I tried to become Jared during lunch. It didn't work." and offered to try to become a Trickster god instead. And now, I wanna go buy Jericho dvds. I am such a light touch.
I gave Gabe the "meh" salute and he remembered us from it - I'm curious to see if he will at EyeCon. He adored the book and the sign - or at least faked it well ;P. Traci was on her fourth dose of cold meds but she didn't want to whimp out on us!!! I think we scare her... She's definitely the biggest fangirl.
Then Wee abandoned us to go have dinner with family - pfft. Like that was more important or something. (Which reminds me - do you know why she was late on Friday? She had to teach. The nerve! Putting the future generation above my ability to fangirl. I swear, I don't know why we're friends.) Laivine and I went to the lobby and found the mishalandians by the clasping - if you don't know what that means - then don't worry about it... I had to sing a sea shanty, but they posed with the I am NOT Jared sign too! \o/
Then began the great Hunt for Food. First we were supposed to go to Friendly's. But Friendly's was too friendly and gave our reservation to a birthday party. PRIORITIES!!!! Fangirls>Milestones! There was talk of other places, but in the end, the inability to TURN LEFT in NJ made the pizza parlor across the street win. Bonus! We could take it back and create our own convention in the lobby! SCORE!!!!
So we do. For about an hour. Finally a very timid hotel shift manager worked up the nerve to tell us that we're not supposed to have outside food in the lobby (especially not partially blocking the enterance to the bar). Aw... We scared them!!!! We gave them a cheese pizza to make up for it though.
I take two of the mishlandians to the train. THEY HAD TO LEAVE BEFORE MISHA! THERE WAS MUCH WOE AND SADFACE. Laivine saw Misha arrive but the sight struck her mute and it took awhile for that to be revealed.
We wandered in the bar and I met lovely fangirls having drinks/dinner with Richard. They are freelancers for the SPN Magazine so when their article comes out, we'll all have to email and say how much we love them.
Then there was the dessert party!!!!! We went in last - because at the last Creation Con I'd gone too, it did not matter. OMG CRAMPED TINY ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! D:
I complained to anyone who would listen - because there were people like Wee who didn't go but intended to go to the breakfast. The volunteers kept saying they thought this was the room for the breakfast. oh. hell. no.
But the stars were LOVE. Gabe's all pro now - he points to someone and counts to 5 - if you can't think of a question, he gets to ask you one. Richard compared it to speed dating, "Don't get me wrong. I like my odds... but meaningful?" And poor Traci!!!! She was SO SICK and SO DETERMINED to stick it out!
Any fans from Sweden? She wants a hang (hung) drum. It kinda sounds similar in concept to a steel drum. I will totally help get it to her.
And then it was over!!! Dessert party is always too short for me.
The other weird thing was this was the night to spring ahead and lose an hour. NOT GOOD. So we did some minor fangirling but mostly just called it a night.
Sweet Baby Jesus. That was long. What have I forgotten?
Mom came with me this go round because the con was in NJ, so she could visit the family and go see Philly. The idea was we'd all go see Independence Park together on Monday along with any fangirls I fooled into going along. (This did not work, but that's a whole other post.)
I've already posted about getting the rental car and getting lost. This was basically the lather, rinse, repeat pattern for Friday. I went to and from that hotel at least 8 times and managed to do it in 7 different ways. Oh yes. NJ is EVERY BIT the driving hell people tell you it is.
Lunch at the hotel restaurant was fun. Chad and Jason were there and the moment I realized was cute. 'cause I must have had the fangirl in the headlights look - when I looked around? The other fangirls were giving me meaningful looks. The kind that said, "Don't go batshit and make us attack you with the silverware. That's right... keep eating." They made through lunch and out unmolested - go us!
And then I got lost AND hit Philly rush hour traffic going to pick up laivine. I didn't bother trying to get the golden bracelet until weesta got there (she'd bought the tickets) - so I missed Chad's panel and photo op. *sadface* But then weesta got there and there was more sadfacing that rynnalyn was not going us. Then there was the Jason Manns concert and several voicemails of dubious legality...
laivine laivine laivine
BTW - people who want voicemails of dubious legality should answer their tweets. Just saying.
But I made clex_monkie89 all squeey at a restaurant by letting her listen to Jason sing. And it was really surreal for her. (this is a plot point.) Then afterwards, they had the autograph session for Chad... (Or was it before the concert? All a blur, I'm telling you...) But whenever - Chad is the first to see the I am NOT Jared book.
I made the book as a gag gift for Ryn and Wee back in October for WinCon and since Jared was ditching us AGAIN we'd decided Part Two was needed. (Which reminds me, I need to go stalk weesta for the pics...) So I was going to have the actors sign the book. weesta - being awesome - realized she had an extra sign and could have that signed too. Especially as she intended to throw me out front to explain it. *eyes her*
For those that do not know - the I am NOT Jared project was part of the scrapbook the disappointed fangirls made for Jared in February 2006. To my amazed horror, anteka did actually manage to ensure he got the thing.
Where was I? Oh yeah, Chad. So Chad cracks up and approves of David Arquette and endears himself to me by knowing who Doug Bradley is on sight. I find out I've missed all his stuff and feel sad.
You know what? That had to have happened prior to the concert, cause I didn't go up with weesta to get Jason's autograph the first time. I did go up the second time to ask about the difference playing for a convention vs clubs was. And to put clex_monkie89 on speaker phone. Remember when I said she was feeling surreal? It was in part because a moosehead was staring at her in the restaurant. But because the speakerphone kept cutting out, all we got was that the restaurant was creepy. Jason was much amused. Clex is gonna kill me when we get to EyeCon for telling that story, I'm sure.
Then there was fangrrrling and talking and all kinds of stuff and then there was bedtime.
I should probably split this, but what the hell. Saturday! Not as blurry as Friday, but I think that's only cause I'm aided greatly by wee's and laivine's posts and there are you tube videos to remind me...
Breakfast - I don't really remember breakfast Saturday... oh wait - that was the cafe thing. And then we let sinnerforhire interview us. Where I got all fangrrrly and meta and speculative about all kinds of really unhelpful things - SORRY!
Then we hustle to go see Richard's panel. I didn't go to Chicago last year, so this was the first live one I'd seen. He's fantastic! He got us all mellow talking about Kim Manners and then teasing a girl from Malta. He was an Evil Knievel fanboy!!!! *hearts* I couldn't get videos - because the girl in front of my was in pain in the convention chairs. He also got the Wincest question - ugh. But the girl who asked? Was awesome fun for the rest of the con - so it was a wash. Mostly - I love how Richard loves SPN fandom because he loves the Jericho fandom. He just loves the internet phenomenom - the world wide watercooler. He tells the peanut story with great, great glee. Then there was his photo op.
From his panel - I knew he'd be good for the I am NOT Jared sign. He thought we were weird, but he was certainly game. (I've been asked about the difference between Creation and EyeCon - one of the biggest differences is the photo ops - at Creation - most people go for the "prom" pose. At EyeCon - there are more "humor" shots. The shot came out great even if he didn't know what was going on.
Then we had Gabe. Gabe who's no longer the wide eyed first timer - but still goofy and in love with fangirls - and totally milking it. A 2 episode role is paying for his honeymoon. He knows what we want and is more than happy to wallow in the shallow end of the pool with us. He told a hilarious story about some makeover show reveal where the woman was supposed to be all transformed and crap - but it was just this anticlimatic "meh" reaction. So that was what we did for HIS shot.
I was thinking that we'd go back to the I am NOT Jared sign - and just caption Gabe's as "this is what we felt like without Jared" or something - (By the way - Who got that great shot with him jumping in mid-air?! That was fantastic!) But then Traci's photo op was BEFORE her panel. And it was her first convention and I didn't want to scare her. Plus, by this time, I'd seen that most people were doing normal shots and chickened out a little. So we were just going to do a normal shot. Which wee dubbed "Girl Power". But when Traci heard that she lit up and got all giggly and wanted to do Charlie's Angels!!!! So of course we obliged. She's the one that's most into it too - all SRS ANGEL IZ SRZ BZNS.
Then we had her panel - which I still feel is backwards and I managed to work up the nerve to go ask a question. I was at the mike when the Ted E Bear walked in. But of course MY brain identified him as PedoBear and I have no memory of asking anything - or really much of her panel... *facepalm*
I retreated upstairs to resume breathing and check in with Mom - who was having a blast and tormenting the family. So I missed the costume parade - but Wee got people to pose with I am NOT Jared. More I am NOT Jared fun with fangirls was had while waiting for the autographs. Having a book is actually quite helpful convincing people to pose - it's the whole "come on! David Arquette did it!" thing I think.
So we get to the autographs and Richard was all "OH! That's what the sign was for!" and then signed it "I tried to become Jared during lunch. It didn't work." and offered to try to become a Trickster god instead. And now, I wanna go buy Jericho dvds. I am such a light touch.
I gave Gabe the "meh" salute and he remembered us from it - I'm curious to see if he will at EyeCon. He adored the book and the sign - or at least faked it well ;P. Traci was on her fourth dose of cold meds but she didn't want to whimp out on us!!! I think we scare her... She's definitely the biggest fangirl.
Then Wee abandoned us to go have dinner with family - pfft. Like that was more important or something. (Which reminds me - do you know why she was late on Friday? She had to teach. The nerve! Putting the future generation above my ability to fangirl. I swear, I don't know why we're friends.) Laivine and I went to the lobby and found the mishalandians by the clasping - if you don't know what that means - then don't worry about it... I had to sing a sea shanty, but they posed with the I am NOT Jared sign too! \o/
Then began the great Hunt for Food. First we were supposed to go to Friendly's. But Friendly's was too friendly and gave our reservation to a birthday party. PRIORITIES!!!! Fangirls>Milestones! There was talk of other places, but in the end, the inability to TURN LEFT in NJ made the pizza parlor across the street win. Bonus! We could take it back and create our own convention in the lobby! SCORE!!!!
So we do. For about an hour. Finally a very timid hotel shift manager worked up the nerve to tell us that we're not supposed to have outside food in the lobby (especially not partially blocking the enterance to the bar). Aw... We scared them!!!! We gave them a cheese pizza to make up for it though.
I take two of the mishlandians to the train. THEY HAD TO LEAVE BEFORE MISHA! THERE WAS MUCH WOE AND SADFACE. Laivine saw Misha arrive but the sight struck her mute and it took awhile for that to be revealed.
We wandered in the bar and I met lovely fangirls having drinks/dinner with Richard. They are freelancers for the SPN Magazine so when their article comes out, we'll all have to email and say how much we love them.
Then there was the dessert party!!!!! We went in last - because at the last Creation Con I'd gone too, it did not matter. OMG CRAMPED TINY ROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! D:
I complained to anyone who would listen - because there were people like Wee who didn't go but intended to go to the breakfast. The volunteers kept saying they thought this was the room for the breakfast. oh. hell. no.
But the stars were LOVE. Gabe's all pro now - he points to someone and counts to 5 - if you can't think of a question, he gets to ask you one. Richard compared it to speed dating, "Don't get me wrong. I like my odds... but meaningful?" And poor Traci!!!! She was SO SICK and SO DETERMINED to stick it out!
Any fans from Sweden? She wants a hang (hung) drum. It kinda sounds similar in concept to a steel drum. I will totally help get it to her.
And then it was over!!! Dessert party is always too short for me.
The other weird thing was this was the night to spring ahead and lose an hour. NOT GOOD. So we did some minor fangirling but mostly just called it a night.
Sweet Baby Jesus. That was long. What have I forgotten?