In which I recall the many marvelous moments of MinnCon 2016...
Okay so I guess even if no one wants to read about it, it's still worthwhile for me to write up the weekend. It's amzing how quickly the details fade from memory. I know looking back at TorCon 2014 and 2015, I remember very little except the big, big moments. Making this post will be as much for me as anyone else! (disclaimer: all included photos will be shotty photos of photos because jpegs take time)
TorCon is usually the con I go to because it's "local" for me (a 3 hour drive) but last year my bestie and beta dancing_adrift (who lives in Minnesota) came to join me in Toronto and since she's all tied up GETTING MARRIED (!!!) in less than a month from now, it seemed only fair that this year I go to her.
This worked out for me in so many ways, really, because the weekend was amazing and so many things were Minneapolis specific.
So many people I knew from Twitter or tumblr were at MinnCon, for example. I met SO MANY fantastic friends and now have faces and experiences to remember them by. This makes me exceptionally happy.
In one case, someone came up to us because they recognized me/Amanda/my tattoos and they commented on my fics (!!!) which is just unreal to me -- that people out there actually read and enjoy my stories. I mean, I know they do, people comment, etc., but to meet strangers and talk about it? Surreal in the best possible way.
And then another MinnCon thing: Jeffrey. Dean. Morgan. Fucking JDM ❤❤❤ He is such a dream. I cannot gush about him enough. But I am going to try to write this chronologically so I'll get back to him haha
Friday was great the panels are always wonderful because this cast, seriously. We did skip TAW's and that's all I will say about that. Amanda and I shared POs with Ruth, Kim and Briana ❤ (we had to do the Sheriffs twice because I blinked the first time; I also did not take my meds for anxiety Friday which was a mistake and I am very much beside myself in these, especial with Kim and Briana; I smartened up and took them Sat and Sun and it helped a lot)
We went for amazing Mexican food featuring the guacamole of my dreams at a restaurant called Barrio that I highly recommend if you're ever in the area. Then there was karaoke. I cannot get up on stage because stage fright + anxiety = not a good mix but I can drink and dance with the best of them. I will also - once properly inebriated - sing from the crowd. Loudly. Haha I definitely had barely a scrap of a voice afterwards and for the next 4 days or so. Amanda went up on stage and slayed Hot Blooded by Foreigner and it was all around a fantastic time.
Saturday was more delightful panels and photo ops with Rich, Rob, and R2M. None of those were planned but the guys are too adorable and too wonderful and I have little to no will power so I split some with Amanda and did R2M on my own.
(we did a Richard op as an impulse last year at TorCon and it was my fave thing ever; we decided Rich will be our tradition ❤)
Okay so then -- Saturday night. This Saturday night will forever be an insane memory for me. We went out the four of us to a Brit's Pub for dinner. We're on the second floor eating and Amanda is starting behind me and just says, "Jared and Jeff." We're confused and I say "don't fuck with me, woman," jokingly, but she just points behind me. We turn around and there they are, with Jensen and Clif, standing maybe 15 feet away waiting to go out the door to the patio where there is also a lawn bowling court. I could not believe my eyes - I still cannot believe it happened. WE WERE IN THE SAME PLACE AS J3. I couldn't even finish my meal or my beer after that hahaha I was way to shaken up. They went outside and we stayed where we were at our table but we could see them through the window still. They ordered beer and started playing whatever game was out there. Jared was seen running his hands through his hair and he was in a t-shirt so those arms -- I know you know. God, it was unreal. And Jeff stayed so close to Jensen. He has his glasses on and was smoking and Jensen kept laughing and there were high fives when they (supposedly) did well at the game. We desperately wanted to go over and say hi but it was not a situation conducive to that. We were a group of four, we had our lanyards on, the patio was crazy busy and they were enjoying themselves -- as hard as it was not to go over, going over would have been even more difficult. We stayed put but it was a gift just being able to see them at all ❤
We eventually left the restuarant and the guys behind for Saturday Night Special. It was fucking amazing as always. Rob's mom was there so She Waits was particularly heightened and so, so special. All the ladies slayed; Ruth was adorable and wearing boots that were to die for, Kim was rockin', and Briana has a set of pipes like whoa. Rob also sang Fare Thee Well, acoustic, alone on stage, during which time I had crazy chills and maybe cried a little because Supernatural, guys ❤
Sunday is always bittersweet because the Js are there but the con is ending. We had our PO with JDM first and omg I love him so much. We walked up to him and we immediately saw my tattoos - "Look at that sleeve!" - and when we hugged him he squeezed us so tight. When Chris took the pic we tried to get away and instead JDM just squeezed us to him even more tightly. It was amazing. I was so enamored by him I went back downstairs to buy an auto with him right away haha It was next so I brought our PO in to get signed. I got to the table and he recognized me - "that sleeve again!" - and while he signed it he commented on how well the pic turned out, that we all looked great. I thanked him and when he slid the photo back to me he gestured to my arm again - "Seriously, I love that so much. It's beautiful." I thanked him again like a stunned doofus and essentially floated away.
We had Ops with Jared and Jensen, too. I also had a J2 Op to myself, but I won't share it. I hate how I look in it. (The guys look amazing, of course they do, but it's the second J2 Op I'd prefer not to look at on account of me. Third times the charm, maybe. Hopefully)
(we had to do our Jared op twice (what a shame haha) because it turned out Chris accidentally chopped off the top 1/4 inch of Jared's head in the first one. But it meant we got two hugs (for the second Jared said "squish me harder!" and we both may have died just a little bit) and two printed photos so it was definitely a win for us!)
The boys' panel was fantastic. There weren't many cringeworthy questions and they told great stories and made everyone laugh, including each other. Seeing them in person like that -- there's nothing like it. It's so wonderful how they interact with one another. I could gush all day but I know you can watch the panel vids online and see for yourself ❤
I don't have much to add besides being a broken record about how much fun the panels were and how great it was to meet cast and friends. Sadly, there were a few people I missed or only got to see briefly and would've liked to spend more time with but I will hope for next time.
TorCon is usually the con I go to because it's "local" for me (a 3 hour drive) but last year my bestie and beta dancing_adrift (who lives in Minnesota) came to join me in Toronto and since she's all tied up GETTING MARRIED (!!!) in less than a month from now, it seemed only fair that this year I go to her.
This worked out for me in so many ways, really, because the weekend was amazing and so many things were Minneapolis specific.
So many people I knew from Twitter or tumblr were at MinnCon, for example. I met SO MANY fantastic friends and now have faces and experiences to remember them by. This makes me exceptionally happy.
In one case, someone came up to us because they recognized me/Amanda/my tattoos and they commented on my fics (!!!) which is just unreal to me -- that people out there actually read and enjoy my stories. I mean, I know they do, people comment, etc., but to meet strangers and talk about it? Surreal in the best possible way.
And then another MinnCon thing: Jeffrey. Dean. Morgan. Fucking JDM ❤❤❤ He is such a dream. I cannot gush about him enough. But I am going to try to write this chronologically so I'll get back to him haha
Friday was great the panels are always wonderful because this cast, seriously. We did skip TAW's and that's all I will say about that. Amanda and I shared POs with Ruth, Kim and Briana ❤ (we had to do the Sheriffs twice because I blinked the first time; I also did not take my meds for anxiety Friday which was a mistake and I am very much beside myself in these, especial with Kim and Briana; I smartened up and took them Sat and Sun and it helped a lot)
We went for amazing Mexican food featuring the guacamole of my dreams at a restaurant called Barrio that I highly recommend if you're ever in the area. Then there was karaoke. I cannot get up on stage because stage fright + anxiety = not a good mix but I can drink and dance with the best of them. I will also - once properly inebriated - sing from the crowd. Loudly. Haha I definitely had barely a scrap of a voice afterwards and for the next 4 days or so. Amanda went up on stage and slayed Hot Blooded by Foreigner and it was all around a fantastic time.
Saturday was more delightful panels and photo ops with Rich, Rob, and R2M. None of those were planned but the guys are too adorable and too wonderful and I have little to no will power so I split some with Amanda and did R2M on my own.
(we did a Richard op as an impulse last year at TorCon and it was my fave thing ever; we decided Rich will be our tradition ❤)
Okay so then -- Saturday night. This Saturday night will forever be an insane memory for me. We went out the four of us to a Brit's Pub for dinner. We're on the second floor eating and Amanda is starting behind me and just says, "Jared and Jeff." We're confused and I say "don't fuck with me, woman," jokingly, but she just points behind me. We turn around and there they are, with Jensen and Clif, standing maybe 15 feet away waiting to go out the door to the patio where there is also a lawn bowling court. I could not believe my eyes - I still cannot believe it happened. WE WERE IN THE SAME PLACE AS J3. I couldn't even finish my meal or my beer after that hahaha I was way to shaken up. They went outside and we stayed where we were at our table but we could see them through the window still. They ordered beer and started playing whatever game was out there. Jared was seen running his hands through his hair and he was in a t-shirt so those arms -- I know you know. God, it was unreal. And Jeff stayed so close to Jensen. He has his glasses on and was smoking and Jensen kept laughing and there were high fives when they (supposedly) did well at the game. We desperately wanted to go over and say hi but it was not a situation conducive to that. We were a group of four, we had our lanyards on, the patio was crazy busy and they were enjoying themselves -- as hard as it was not to go over, going over would have been even more difficult. We stayed put but it was a gift just being able to see them at all ❤
We eventually left the restuarant and the guys behind for Saturday Night Special. It was fucking amazing as always. Rob's mom was there so She Waits was particularly heightened and so, so special. All the ladies slayed; Ruth was adorable and wearing boots that were to die for, Kim was rockin', and Briana has a set of pipes like whoa. Rob also sang Fare Thee Well, acoustic, alone on stage, during which time I had crazy chills and maybe cried a little because Supernatural, guys ❤
Sunday is always bittersweet because the Js are there but the con is ending. We had our PO with JDM first and omg I love him so much. We walked up to him and we immediately saw my tattoos - "Look at that sleeve!" - and when we hugged him he squeezed us so tight. When Chris took the pic we tried to get away and instead JDM just squeezed us to him even more tightly. It was amazing. I was so enamored by him I went back downstairs to buy an auto with him right away haha It was next so I brought our PO in to get signed. I got to the table and he recognized me - "that sleeve again!" - and while he signed it he commented on how well the pic turned out, that we all looked great. I thanked him and when he slid the photo back to me he gestured to my arm again - "Seriously, I love that so much. It's beautiful." I thanked him again like a stunned doofus and essentially floated away.
We had Ops with Jared and Jensen, too. I also had a J2 Op to myself, but I won't share it. I hate how I look in it. (The guys look amazing, of course they do, but it's the second J2 Op I'd prefer not to look at on account of me. Third times the charm, maybe. Hopefully)
(we had to do our Jared op twice (what a shame haha) because it turned out Chris accidentally chopped off the top 1/4 inch of Jared's head in the first one. But it meant we got two hugs (for the second Jared said "squish me harder!" and we both may have died just a little bit) and two printed photos so it was definitely a win for us!)
The boys' panel was fantastic. There weren't many cringeworthy questions and they told great stories and made everyone laugh, including each other. Seeing them in person like that -- there's nothing like it. It's so wonderful how they interact with one another. I could gush all day but I know you can watch the panel vids online and see for yourself ❤
I don't have much to add besides being a broken record about how much fun the panels were and how great it was to meet cast and friends. Sadly, there were a few people I missed or only got to see briefly and would've liked to spend more time with but I will hope for next time.