LA and Back Again Pt. 2
Just as I was working on Part Two, Nic's handler, Jacqui, posted the pics from the event on Friday. I like it, yep. Also, Nic is a dog person, and has a German Shepard, which is effin' awesome. Also apparently, according to his handler, yes, I'm expected to bring some writing, cause he mentioned it twice.
<--is going to have to write something new...and isn't sure what that will be.
I should mention that Thursday morning, after digging through a trash bin of the hotel's for fifteen minutes, and god did it stink...I came back to my room, sat and talked with Iesha, and noticed said ring hiding in my shoe. Of course it'd be there, after the smelly trash dive! But at least I found it...
All photos taken by IB. Except for the one's that she was in, clearly :P
Angel's mansion
Me imitating Buffy, a la "Chosen."
IB doing the Spike
Me doing the tree :p
The Hyperion
Hyperion interior, sans security guard
We four at Sunnydale High
If and when I get more pics, I'll post them. Particularly the W&H set.
My Saturday began with me getting lost in the hills, alone, nearly breaking down and crying in my car as I searched in vain for an auto place to get an estimate on getting the car fixed. Finally just went back to the hotel...Murphy's Law for the win!!
The play was good. From what I saw anyway, which was seventy-five percent of it. I'll be honest--I'd been so stressed over the car and in general that week that I didn't get much sleep, and I was cold...dead center, wrapped in a shawl, I nodded off a few times. After the play, my friends and I made a mad dash to the car, rushing to get to the event venue--the Valley Inn.
The venue...it was a rectangular dining room area in a poorly lit room, with the sole kitchen entry/exit way in the middle, and this cappuccino machine maker at the head of it. Ergo, noise city.
We were sitting in the middle of the room, right next to the kitchen. Again. Joy.
I was first from my table to get a photo op.
I stumbled in, missing the dip in the floor walked in and James smiled at me, extending his hand to shake mine. Yes, a hand shake. Alrighty.
James: I saw you out in the audience. You looked good out there.
Me: (sheepish) Thank you.
Yeah, I thought he couldn't see out into the audience. However, there were some times where I thought he was looking at me? But he was in character, and I assumed the lights were too bright...Also, I was sitting dead center--directly across from him. It's possible he saw me drift off, but I hope not. At any rate, it wasn't because of him or the play.
Anyway, he wraps his arm around my waist, and pulls me into a generic pose. Which was odd for the obvious reason of, I haven't done a generic pose with him since '07, and also because he did pose requests with others. Yes, this too displeased me. That being said, I'm not going to force him to do anything--poses or hugs--so that's why I didn't say anything. But he knows me...hell, back in Februrary, one of the first things he said was, "What kind of pose do you have for me today?" But whatever. I ended up looking fake as hell in the shot--like..feigning joy. But he seems comfortable, at least. Comparable, and yet not to our first shot together.
Note: I'm wearing two and three quarter/three inch heels in the photo.
Also, how fug can that background be? I wanted to strip it down and burn it...Seriously Froggy--toss that thing.
After the photo, he kind of squeezed my side and mumbled something. I asked him what, and he kind of chuckled, saying, "I said 'right on.'" I nodded, smiled, and left. But I wasn't feeling very happy.
The q&a...there was a lot of f-bomb dropping, but that didn't bother me. Initially, he was at the opposite side of the room where the photos were taken, proclaiming he didn't need a mic. Yeah, he kind of did. The first few questions--I felt bad for the people on the other side. I was in middle, with kind of a hard time hearing him, but they couldn't hear anything. Steve finally made James move to the center, but I must say, it seemed as if he wanted to avoid the middle of the room as if it were the plague. Another friend noticed this too, so it wasn't just me. Anyway, the q&a was okay--mostly questions about the play and a few about Hawaii Five-0 and Caprica. It would have been nice to hear all the questions too to hear the context, or even, being able to hear all of his responses. As it stands, I didn't, though I'm sure I heard more than a good third of the room.
James then went to the back room, doors closed, as we all waited for our meal. It is my personal opinion that this time could have been better spent with James mingling with the different tables. If everything had gone perfectly perfect, it still would have felt lacking. We can get a meal anywhere, and hear a q&a and concert at more or less any convention. Rushed photo ops too--there's nothing special about those. There's no face time with those. Special events, in addition to those things, are also supposed to be about face time. Or at least, at every event I've been to previously, they were. But now autos and personal talk time seem to be taken off the table. And anyway, things most certainly didn't go perfectly--far from it.
The food was good. Well, my chicken was. The mashed potatoes were quite bland and the veggies "meh," but the chicken marsala was good. Also the rolls--very delicious. James, however, came out a bit early, while most were still eating. My seat was not only next to the kitchen door, but facing the entrance. James was at the opposite end of the room, and my back was to him. So, I could either stop eating and turn, risking the staff whisking away my plate before I finished (cause they had a penchant for doing that), looking at James but still not being able to hear him clearly, or try to finish my meal.
I finished my meal.
I was done by the time he finished the first song though, and after that, Steve made James move to the middle so at least the sound could be distributed somewhat equally to both sides of the room. It was around this time, before James moved, that he yelled, "I don't get paid enough for this shit!" which appalled me, and frankly, also offended me and several others. Perhaps more, but it's not like I talked to everyone in the room. He was near yelling at the wait staff, telling them to stay out of his way so that he could do his job, and that he understood, because he'd been a waiter for "thirty-five years." One waitress then said, "Then why don't you put down that guitar and help us?" or something like that, to which James tried to hand her the guitar, and told her, "Here--you make the money." ETA: She said it in a joking sort of way, and it was a deserved comment after his "I've served for 35 years" comment.
There was more ranting in between the few songs he played, more or less about how difficult it was with his niece at home. After every song, he would stop and talk about something. At one point, and I don't recall which song, but I tried to mouth to him if I could have the set list. I don't know--at the time I thought, maybe it would make my evening more enjoyable if I had it, and I hadn't had one before...anyway, as I said, I was speaking low, but mostly pointing and trying to mouth it to James, to which he mocked me for doing as such before saying he couldn't hear me. I rolled my eyes and asked loudly if I could have the set list, to which he told me that I had to fight for it, because it boosts his ego, or some shit, which I replied, "I ain't got time for that shit," but he started going off on some other tangent, and I think I tuned him out. Or maybe I just don't recall. Whatever.
Anyway, he quit playing shortly after that. Said something about going home and right to bed, and that each of us should exchange numbers with someone in the room we don't know, because it was a room full of interesting and intelligent people, and that that's why we were there--to make friends. And while that's awesome, I don't need to pay two fifty to do it. Though it was lovely seeing some old friends, and seeing some other old friends for the first time (waves at Kim!), surely we can organize a trip that didn't involve a private event, and keep the money for shopping or touristy stuff. James is unwittingly removing himself from the equation. Or maybe it's on purpose. Either way, again, I don't need to drop those kinds of dollars to hang with friends.
Maybe a time out was in order. I don't know. I really don't mind his getting pissed off, or even the ranting, but please, pull it together. He wants to be a self proclaimed asshole--fine. But don't do it on the dime of those that paid for your time. Don't be rude. My god, if someone gives you a gift, tells you it's pottery, please don't toss it on the bloody floor. Please don't yell at the wait staff who didn't pick the venue for your party, or place the kitchen smack in the middle of it.
For me, this has to be rectified in some shape or form to those who attended this event and took issue with it. I am aware some didn't, and hey, that's cool, but there were also many folks like me who did. A public apology on his site would help, but it still won't cut it. As I mentioned in part one, the hotel I stayed at cocked up BIG time, charging me for five hundred dollars for no reason. I told them I wanted to be compensated--either a comped upgrade or a discount, if not both. Couldn't get the upgrade, cause they were full, but I did get the discount. So yeah, a discount on a future event or a partial refund would make things just about square with me. I'd be willing to start over. As it stands, I'm not so sure I'll be participating in any special Marsters events they may have in Chicago. Oh, I'll be going to the con, and I'll do the Nic Brendon thing, whatever the hell that is, but there's a big question mark over a James event. I can get his auto, a photo, and probably see a concert if they have it for a lot cheaper collectively than paying extra for an event with the same thing, and probably less face time.
I am and have been a big James supporter and defender. However, I'm not standing by this one. There's no way that I can within reason. I'm not well off, and I'm very careful with how I spend my money and on what. This past Saturday? I felt ripped off. Trufax. And I never felt that way before, and there have been several times where there was something wrong with the venue itself, but James did his best and it was okay. This time? Not so much. Double fails don't sit well with me when I paid my hard earned money for it. James is human, sure, but so am I. Both my feelings and my wallet were hurt this past weekend.
Okay, that wraps that bit up. Part 3 will be f-locked, simply because it involves...well, personal stuff frankly, that is only relevant to my f-list :)
<--is going to have to write something new...and isn't sure what that will be.
I should mention that Thursday morning, after digging through a trash bin of the hotel's for fifteen minutes, and god did it stink...I came back to my room, sat and talked with Iesha, and noticed said ring hiding in my shoe. Of course it'd be there, after the smelly trash dive! But at least I found it...
All photos taken by IB. Except for the one's that she was in, clearly :P
Angel's mansion
Me imitating Buffy, a la "Chosen."
IB doing the Spike
Me doing the tree :p
The Hyperion
Hyperion interior, sans security guard
We four at Sunnydale High
If and when I get more pics, I'll post them. Particularly the W&H set.
My Saturday began with me getting lost in the hills, alone, nearly breaking down and crying in my car as I searched in vain for an auto place to get an estimate on getting the car fixed. Finally just went back to the hotel...Murphy's Law for the win!!
The play was good. From what I saw anyway, which was seventy-five percent of it. I'll be honest--I'd been so stressed over the car and in general that week that I didn't get much sleep, and I was cold...dead center, wrapped in a shawl, I nodded off a few times. After the play, my friends and I made a mad dash to the car, rushing to get to the event venue--the Valley Inn.
The venue...it was a rectangular dining room area in a poorly lit room, with the sole kitchen entry/exit way in the middle, and this cappuccino machine maker at the head of it. Ergo, noise city.
We were sitting in the middle of the room, right next to the kitchen. Again. Joy.
I was first from my table to get a photo op.
I stumbled in, missing the dip in the floor walked in and James smiled at me, extending his hand to shake mine. Yes, a hand shake. Alrighty.
James: I saw you out in the audience. You looked good out there.
Me: (sheepish) Thank you.
Yeah, I thought he couldn't see out into the audience. However, there were some times where I thought he was looking at me? But he was in character, and I assumed the lights were too bright...Also, I was sitting dead center--directly across from him. It's possible he saw me drift off, but I hope not. At any rate, it wasn't because of him or the play.
Anyway, he wraps his arm around my waist, and pulls me into a generic pose. Which was odd for the obvious reason of, I haven't done a generic pose with him since '07, and also because he did pose requests with others. Yes, this too displeased me. That being said, I'm not going to force him to do anything--poses or hugs--so that's why I didn't say anything. But he knows me...hell, back in Februrary, one of the first things he said was, "What kind of pose do you have for me today?" But whatever. I ended up looking fake as hell in the shot--like..feigning joy. But he seems comfortable, at least. Comparable, and yet not to our first shot together.
Note: I'm wearing two and three quarter/three inch heels in the photo.
Also, how fug can that background be? I wanted to strip it down and burn it...Seriously Froggy--toss that thing.
After the photo, he kind of squeezed my side and mumbled something. I asked him what, and he kind of chuckled, saying, "I said 'right on.'" I nodded, smiled, and left. But I wasn't feeling very happy.
The q&a...there was a lot of f-bomb dropping, but that didn't bother me. Initially, he was at the opposite side of the room where the photos were taken, proclaiming he didn't need a mic. Yeah, he kind of did. The first few questions--I felt bad for the people on the other side. I was in middle, with kind of a hard time hearing him, but they couldn't hear anything. Steve finally made James move to the center, but I must say, it seemed as if he wanted to avoid the middle of the room as if it were the plague. Another friend noticed this too, so it wasn't just me. Anyway, the q&a was okay--mostly questions about the play and a few about Hawaii Five-0 and Caprica. It would have been nice to hear all the questions too to hear the context, or even, being able to hear all of his responses. As it stands, I didn't, though I'm sure I heard more than a good third of the room.
James then went to the back room, doors closed, as we all waited for our meal. It is my personal opinion that this time could have been better spent with James mingling with the different tables. If everything had gone perfectly perfect, it still would have felt lacking. We can get a meal anywhere, and hear a q&a and concert at more or less any convention. Rushed photo ops too--there's nothing special about those. There's no face time with those. Special events, in addition to those things, are also supposed to be about face time. Or at least, at every event I've been to previously, they were. But now autos and personal talk time seem to be taken off the table. And anyway, things most certainly didn't go perfectly--far from it.
The food was good. Well, my chicken was. The mashed potatoes were quite bland and the veggies "meh," but the chicken marsala was good. Also the rolls--very delicious. James, however, came out a bit early, while most were still eating. My seat was not only next to the kitchen door, but facing the entrance. James was at the opposite end of the room, and my back was to him. So, I could either stop eating and turn, risking the staff whisking away my plate before I finished (cause they had a penchant for doing that), looking at James but still not being able to hear him clearly, or try to finish my meal.
I finished my meal.
I was done by the time he finished the first song though, and after that, Steve made James move to the middle so at least the sound could be distributed somewhat equally to both sides of the room. It was around this time, before James moved, that he yelled, "I don't get paid enough for this shit!" which appalled me, and frankly, also offended me and several others. Perhaps more, but it's not like I talked to everyone in the room. He was near yelling at the wait staff, telling them to stay out of his way so that he could do his job, and that he understood, because he'd been a waiter for "thirty-five years." One waitress then said, "Then why don't you put down that guitar and help us?" or something like that, to which James tried to hand her the guitar, and told her, "Here--you make the money." ETA: She said it in a joking sort of way, and it was a deserved comment after his "I've served for 35 years" comment.
There was more ranting in between the few songs he played, more or less about how difficult it was with his niece at home. After every song, he would stop and talk about something. At one point, and I don't recall which song, but I tried to mouth to him if I could have the set list. I don't know--at the time I thought, maybe it would make my evening more enjoyable if I had it, and I hadn't had one before...anyway, as I said, I was speaking low, but mostly pointing and trying to mouth it to James, to which he mocked me for doing as such before saying he couldn't hear me. I rolled my eyes and asked loudly if I could have the set list, to which he told me that I had to fight for it, because it boosts his ego, or some shit, which I replied, "I ain't got time for that shit," but he started going off on some other tangent, and I think I tuned him out. Or maybe I just don't recall. Whatever.
Anyway, he quit playing shortly after that. Said something about going home and right to bed, and that each of us should exchange numbers with someone in the room we don't know, because it was a room full of interesting and intelligent people, and that that's why we were there--to make friends. And while that's awesome, I don't need to pay two fifty to do it. Though it was lovely seeing some old friends, and seeing some other old friends for the first time (waves at Kim!), surely we can organize a trip that didn't involve a private event, and keep the money for shopping or touristy stuff. James is unwittingly removing himself from the equation. Or maybe it's on purpose. Either way, again, I don't need to drop those kinds of dollars to hang with friends.
Maybe a time out was in order. I don't know. I really don't mind his getting pissed off, or even the ranting, but please, pull it together. He wants to be a self proclaimed asshole--fine. But don't do it on the dime of those that paid for your time. Don't be rude. My god, if someone gives you a gift, tells you it's pottery, please don't toss it on the bloody floor. Please don't yell at the wait staff who didn't pick the venue for your party, or place the kitchen smack in the middle of it.
For me, this has to be rectified in some shape or form to those who attended this event and took issue with it. I am aware some didn't, and hey, that's cool, but there were also many folks like me who did. A public apology on his site would help, but it still won't cut it. As I mentioned in part one, the hotel I stayed at cocked up BIG time, charging me for five hundred dollars for no reason. I told them I wanted to be compensated--either a comped upgrade or a discount, if not both. Couldn't get the upgrade, cause they were full, but I did get the discount. So yeah, a discount on a future event or a partial refund would make things just about square with me. I'd be willing to start over. As it stands, I'm not so sure I'll be participating in any special Marsters events they may have in Chicago. Oh, I'll be going to the con, and I'll do the Nic Brendon thing, whatever the hell that is, but there's a big question mark over a James event. I can get his auto, a photo, and probably see a concert if they have it for a lot cheaper collectively than paying extra for an event with the same thing, and probably less face time.
I am and have been a big James supporter and defender. However, I'm not standing by this one. There's no way that I can within reason. I'm not well off, and I'm very careful with how I spend my money and on what. This past Saturday? I felt ripped off. Trufax. And I never felt that way before, and there have been several times where there was something wrong with the venue itself, but James did his best and it was okay. This time? Not so much. Double fails don't sit well with me when I paid my hard earned money for it. James is human, sure, but so am I. Both my feelings and my wallet were hurt this past weekend.
Okay, that wraps that bit up. Part 3 will be f-locked, simply because it involves...well, personal stuff frankly, that is only relevant to my f-list :)