AT2 Gateworlder Gushing
Alrighty… I’ve been meaning to post this on my oft-forgotten LJ for a while, but with all of this gushing going on at Samanda, it’s clear that the time is now. I’m going to take a moment (or twelve) to get this sentimentality off my chest before finals start and I get all broody.
I’ll start with my first encounter with one kind soul whom I didn’t get to see a whole lot of during AT2. Nevertheless, with a mere eight hours before my first flight overseas EVER, Rune set my mind at ease and calmed my fears by graciously providing information and links on how I could quickly and inexpensively get from Gatwick to Heathrow, after a rather ridiculous blunder on my part. I was in full panic mode, but it was her words of encouragement that helped me through my pre-travel jitters.
Two more individuals whom I didn’t get to see very often were F.H. Bagpuss and SeaBee. Unbeknownst to me, these two have made Stargate and its fandom a family affair for years. Yet, much more surprising than that, they actually came across something that reminded them of me, and gave it to me as a gift once we met. Needless to say, I was floored. And I’m still so humbled by that gesture, because that that generosity isn’t a reflection of me; but rather a reflection of their thoughtfulness. F.H. Bagpuss said that I didn’t need to get her anything in return, and I’m not so sure it would’ve carried the same meaning if I had (though I wanted to badly). But I find myself wanting to get to know her and seabee more. There’s definitely something to be learned from such genuinely caring people. I’ve held onto their trinket, and I will forever cherish it and, most importantly, what it represents - the kindness of Stargate fans. There was quite a bit of that during AT2…
Skydiver was the M.O.D. (Mod on Duty), all the time, without fail. I didn’t get to see too much of her, because she was carrying out her duties as a stewardess. However, Sky, despite her hard work, was even willing to check on some episode transcripts for us when we were in a What’s That Same Quote? Bind. A lot of it is because she was being helpful, but it kinda goes to show that you can take the mod out of the forum, but you can’t take the forum out of the mod… Or something like that.
1speed(4Sam) kindly leant his books to a few of us, and I was shocked to find that he hadn’t read them before he sent them all the way across the world! If that’s not a testament of his selfless generosity, I don’t know what is. These babies are very special, and I was grateful to be a part of that little chain. He and Coley and ChopinGal were attached at the hip, and they were all so cute together. CG said I’d be one of her “kids” by the end of the weekend, but I still think there’s time before the New Year’s Initiation into CG’s Brood. :D I’ll even help her get Coley and 1speed over to the States! I was able to catch one of 1speed’s warm smiles on camera, on purpose and by accident, so I’ll have to send those to Mom #2 pronto. Coley is so sweet and soft-spoken, and CG is so cool! She proves that going after what you want with patience and faith is key. I only wish I’d gotten a chance to hang out with these three more often - and with Mal, one of the lovely stewardesses whom I met for the first time at dinner on Sunday evening.
LadyJeep’s quirky sense of humor and willingness to go with the flow impressed me the most. She’s clearly easygoing, and open to almost anything. I met her at Shore Leave this year, and it was great that we were able to quickly get back into that Gate Grrlzz groove. She, I think more than anyone else, was the one most likely to share a chair with someone - including me - as there were many times when we messed up the hotel lobby’s conservative décor, by bringing over all chairs within a 20-foot radius to our area so as to accommodate our “little” group.
ShimmeringStar… Oh, man, this woman was always smiling. I don’t think I have a pic of her where she wasn’t, and whenever you catch it… It’s infectious. You can’t help but smile, too. “Dimples” says it all! ShimmeringStar was one of our roving photographers, and I found myself missing her trademark flash after the weekend was over. I’ll have to bug her and make sure she shares the least attractive pics of us that she has. :) She’s another one of the lovely ladies I met at Shore Leave, so in a lot of ways, it was like Old Hat already.
It was great to meet Scarimor (a.k.a. ScariPoppins) for the first time. I pestered this poor woman rather rudely a while back about the Women of the Gates ficathon, and she took it in stride - or at least made an exemplary attempt at not ripping my head off. Scari is the kind of person who will observe a conversation for a while, and then add a hilariously witty remark when you least expect it. Because we’re pretty much on opposite sides of the planet, I’m hoping there’s a super-cool convention in the States in the future, so we can wrangle her into coming over here!
Like I said before, gatenv is a great person, and I’m glad I got to know her a bit more over the weekend, since I’d never gotten a chance to on the forum. She’s got a great sense of humor, and she was one of the ultimate tourists last week. I hope she had a blast on her travels, because I’m pretty sure that week was jam-packed!
The uber-cool AmberMoon taught me more about the Annals of Thunk in one weekend than I ever could’ve learned in four years of fandom wading. This is another funny gal, whom I admire because she doesn’t mince words and she speaks her mind. It also helps that it was her bidding prowess that aided the auctions at not only AT2, but also Avalon. Kudos to her! Also… Oh, how she edumacated me that weekend… “OT3” has a whole new meaning to me now.
Behind those laughing and eyes and that snarky grin, there’s a quiet strength that lurks within Tracy Jane - a strength I thought I understood, but didn’t fully comprehend until I met her in person. And even then, it was in retrospect, as I reflected on all of these wonderful women who put up with my lame nuances and odd quirks for a whole weekend. TJ’s warmth and openness is an eye-opener for me, because that vulnerability, as CG put it, is a true demonstration of strength. While I don’t think I could truly give my admiration of TJ’s character justice in words, I’ve tried. It’s not really enough. Tracy Jane is a true fighter, and I respect her for that more than I can say.
I look at tsaxlady like the aunt who can show you a good time in a way that your peers are too immature to see, and in a way that your parents are too “old” to enjoy. I think the majority of my laughs came from this woman - though it might have been from the delirium late at night... She’s very persuasive, too! CG said that I was worn out by tsax, mini and Strix, and she’s right! Tsax is like the energizer bunny, but I’m hoping she was able to recharge last weekend over the holiday. At any rate, she’s offered me a couple of opportunities in the future that I’m hoping I can take her up on in some way, down the road. I know there’s a lot I could learn from her, if given the opportunity.
My past roomie, ForeverSG1, is one of three reasons why I even bothered to ask the ‘rents if this trip was feasible. Ever since AT1, I’d resigned myself to the fact that I would never be able to go, because FCOL, it’s in London! And I think I’m one of the only people in my family who’s been to Europe! Still, had it not been for Forever’s willingness to talk to my ever-weary parents almost a year ago, and the fact that she was such a great person to hang out with at Shore Leave (we had both decided we were boring, but I think we’re a little less boring than we thought we were), I wouldn’t have been so willing to try my hand AGAIN at another convention. She and her husband are very cool people to hang out with, and he was such a trooper during all the Estrogenic Amanda Squeeing. Forever’s another one of those generous people, whose constantly offering to take care of something, whether it’s giving me some of her Emergen-C or dealing with a Chinese dinner gone awry (which was really too hilarious). I gave her some undue ribbing about her exceptional accounting abilities, but I hope she forgives me, because it was all in jest. Seriously though… I’ve never met someone so good with numbers. :p
I said that Forever was one of three reasons why I even bothered to try this. Well the second reason is Strix varia. I don’t know what made her try that last attempt to convince me in September, but there was something about her - you got it - generosity and willingness to help me figure it all out that really made me sit up and think about it. We’d met up before in March, and she’d tried to convince me then. And then over the summer, I think she tried again. But, I guess it’s true that third time’s a charm. She is also the tour guide extraordinaire, so if you’re ever wanting someone to help you see the sites (sights?) in one day, she’s your gal. She led Kate and me throughout London, and I think we saw just about everything that was on the agenda. They were so nice not to leave me on the tube after I fell asleep… Honestly though, Strix was very kind to convince me to go, and later to show me around. I’m so thankful that she felt it necessary to get me to AT2. It really was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments that can never be duplicated or replaced.
Finally, the third reason why I was able to make it to London… In true Samandan form, when it came time to finding a roommate (or even, ya know, a room), minigeek thoughtfully stepped up to the plate and helped me out. Despite attempts to make it up to her throughout the weekend, albeit in small ways, it became clear that mini was not to be swayed, and would not be moved from the initial plan. She did it without fanfare, without demands or strings. All she said was, to pass it on. I, of course, would love to pass it on, but I’d also like to pass it back. Still, I will be forever grateful to minigeek. If it wasn’t for mini, I absolutely would not have been able to go to AT2. Period. I feebly and clumsily tried to express how much I appreciated her, but I don’t think I did a good job of it (I rarely do). That’s OK, though. There will be other cons. And when I find one that we both can go to, I shall return the favor…. *cackles evilly*
Seriously though, everyone I encountered was just as others have said: Kind, humble, caring and selfless. I’ve taken great pains to ensure that I didn’t miss anyone. If I did, then please flame me. I deserve it.
Other than the craziness of a con, I am impressed with how the group gelled. I’ve always been the youngest in every social circle I’m in, so there’s always that nagging voice in the back of my head that tells me to shut up, even when my mouth refuses to listen. I’m constantly amazed when anyone deals with me for any length of time, but I’ve decided that these women and gentleman must have the patience of saints.
To other Samandans, I would recommend going to any convention with AT not only because she’s there, but because you’re guaranteed to meet a bunch of really cool fans with whom you’ll undoubtedly have the time of your life. That was one of my main reasons for going to Shore Leave. It was one of the main reasons why I went to AT2. And I wasn’t disappointed. You won’t be either.
/gush
I’ll start with my first encounter with one kind soul whom I didn’t get to see a whole lot of during AT2. Nevertheless, with a mere eight hours before my first flight overseas EVER, Rune set my mind at ease and calmed my fears by graciously providing information and links on how I could quickly and inexpensively get from Gatwick to Heathrow, after a rather ridiculous blunder on my part. I was in full panic mode, but it was her words of encouragement that helped me through my pre-travel jitters.
Two more individuals whom I didn’t get to see very often were F.H. Bagpuss and SeaBee. Unbeknownst to me, these two have made Stargate and its fandom a family affair for years. Yet, much more surprising than that, they actually came across something that reminded them of me, and gave it to me as a gift once we met. Needless to say, I was floored. And I’m still so humbled by that gesture, because that that generosity isn’t a reflection of me; but rather a reflection of their thoughtfulness. F.H. Bagpuss said that I didn’t need to get her anything in return, and I’m not so sure it would’ve carried the same meaning if I had (though I wanted to badly). But I find myself wanting to get to know her and seabee more. There’s definitely something to be learned from such genuinely caring people. I’ve held onto their trinket, and I will forever cherish it and, most importantly, what it represents - the kindness of Stargate fans. There was quite a bit of that during AT2…
Skydiver was the M.O.D. (Mod on Duty), all the time, without fail. I didn’t get to see too much of her, because she was carrying out her duties as a stewardess. However, Sky, despite her hard work, was even willing to check on some episode transcripts for us when we were in a What’s That Same Quote? Bind. A lot of it is because she was being helpful, but it kinda goes to show that you can take the mod out of the forum, but you can’t take the forum out of the mod… Or something like that.
1speed(4Sam) kindly leant his books to a few of us, and I was shocked to find that he hadn’t read them before he sent them all the way across the world! If that’s not a testament of his selfless generosity, I don’t know what is. These babies are very special, and I was grateful to be a part of that little chain. He and Coley and ChopinGal were attached at the hip, and they were all so cute together. CG said I’d be one of her “kids” by the end of the weekend, but I still think there’s time before the New Year’s Initiation into CG’s Brood. :D I’ll even help her get Coley and 1speed over to the States! I was able to catch one of 1speed’s warm smiles on camera, on purpose and by accident, so I’ll have to send those to Mom #2 pronto. Coley is so sweet and soft-spoken, and CG is so cool! She proves that going after what you want with patience and faith is key. I only wish I’d gotten a chance to hang out with these three more often - and with Mal, one of the lovely stewardesses whom I met for the first time at dinner on Sunday evening.
LadyJeep’s quirky sense of humor and willingness to go with the flow impressed me the most. She’s clearly easygoing, and open to almost anything. I met her at Shore Leave this year, and it was great that we were able to quickly get back into that Gate Grrlzz groove. She, I think more than anyone else, was the one most likely to share a chair with someone - including me - as there were many times when we messed up the hotel lobby’s conservative décor, by bringing over all chairs within a 20-foot radius to our area so as to accommodate our “little” group.
ShimmeringStar… Oh, man, this woman was always smiling. I don’t think I have a pic of her where she wasn’t, and whenever you catch it… It’s infectious. You can’t help but smile, too. “Dimples” says it all! ShimmeringStar was one of our roving photographers, and I found myself missing her trademark flash after the weekend was over. I’ll have to bug her and make sure she shares the least attractive pics of us that she has. :) She’s another one of the lovely ladies I met at Shore Leave, so in a lot of ways, it was like Old Hat already.
It was great to meet Scarimor (a.k.a. ScariPoppins) for the first time. I pestered this poor woman rather rudely a while back about the Women of the Gates ficathon, and she took it in stride - or at least made an exemplary attempt at not ripping my head off. Scari is the kind of person who will observe a conversation for a while, and then add a hilariously witty remark when you least expect it. Because we’re pretty much on opposite sides of the planet, I’m hoping there’s a super-cool convention in the States in the future, so we can wrangle her into coming over here!
Like I said before, gatenv is a great person, and I’m glad I got to know her a bit more over the weekend, since I’d never gotten a chance to on the forum. She’s got a great sense of humor, and she was one of the ultimate tourists last week. I hope she had a blast on her travels, because I’m pretty sure that week was jam-packed!
The uber-cool AmberMoon taught me more about the Annals of Thunk in one weekend than I ever could’ve learned in four years of fandom wading. This is another funny gal, whom I admire because she doesn’t mince words and she speaks her mind. It also helps that it was her bidding prowess that aided the auctions at not only AT2, but also Avalon. Kudos to her! Also… Oh, how she edumacated me that weekend… “OT3” has a whole new meaning to me now.
Behind those laughing and eyes and that snarky grin, there’s a quiet strength that lurks within Tracy Jane - a strength I thought I understood, but didn’t fully comprehend until I met her in person. And even then, it was in retrospect, as I reflected on all of these wonderful women who put up with my lame nuances and odd quirks for a whole weekend. TJ’s warmth and openness is an eye-opener for me, because that vulnerability, as CG put it, is a true demonstration of strength. While I don’t think I could truly give my admiration of TJ’s character justice in words, I’ve tried. It’s not really enough. Tracy Jane is a true fighter, and I respect her for that more than I can say.
I look at tsaxlady like the aunt who can show you a good time in a way that your peers are too immature to see, and in a way that your parents are too “old” to enjoy. I think the majority of my laughs came from this woman - though it might have been from the delirium late at night... She’s very persuasive, too! CG said that I was worn out by tsax, mini and Strix, and she’s right! Tsax is like the energizer bunny, but I’m hoping she was able to recharge last weekend over the holiday. At any rate, she’s offered me a couple of opportunities in the future that I’m hoping I can take her up on in some way, down the road. I know there’s a lot I could learn from her, if given the opportunity.
My past roomie, ForeverSG1, is one of three reasons why I even bothered to ask the ‘rents if this trip was feasible. Ever since AT1, I’d resigned myself to the fact that I would never be able to go, because FCOL, it’s in London! And I think I’m one of the only people in my family who’s been to Europe! Still, had it not been for Forever’s willingness to talk to my ever-weary parents almost a year ago, and the fact that she was such a great person to hang out with at Shore Leave (we had both decided we were boring, but I think we’re a little less boring than we thought we were), I wouldn’t have been so willing to try my hand AGAIN at another convention. She and her husband are very cool people to hang out with, and he was such a trooper during all the Estrogenic Amanda Squeeing. Forever’s another one of those generous people, whose constantly offering to take care of something, whether it’s giving me some of her Emergen-C or dealing with a Chinese dinner gone awry (which was really too hilarious). I gave her some undue ribbing about her exceptional accounting abilities, but I hope she forgives me, because it was all in jest. Seriously though… I’ve never met someone so good with numbers. :p
I said that Forever was one of three reasons why I even bothered to try this. Well the second reason is Strix varia. I don’t know what made her try that last attempt to convince me in September, but there was something about her - you got it - generosity and willingness to help me figure it all out that really made me sit up and think about it. We’d met up before in March, and she’d tried to convince me then. And then over the summer, I think she tried again. But, I guess it’s true that third time’s a charm. She is also the tour guide extraordinaire, so if you’re ever wanting someone to help you see the sites (sights?) in one day, she’s your gal. She led Kate and me throughout London, and I think we saw just about everything that was on the agenda. They were so nice not to leave me on the tube after I fell asleep… Honestly though, Strix was very kind to convince me to go, and later to show me around. I’m so thankful that she felt it necessary to get me to AT2. It really was one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments that can never be duplicated or replaced.
Finally, the third reason why I was able to make it to London… In true Samandan form, when it came time to finding a roommate (or even, ya know, a room), minigeek thoughtfully stepped up to the plate and helped me out. Despite attempts to make it up to her throughout the weekend, albeit in small ways, it became clear that mini was not to be swayed, and would not be moved from the initial plan. She did it without fanfare, without demands or strings. All she said was, to pass it on. I, of course, would love to pass it on, but I’d also like to pass it back. Still, I will be forever grateful to minigeek. If it wasn’t for mini, I absolutely would not have been able to go to AT2. Period. I feebly and clumsily tried to express how much I appreciated her, but I don’t think I did a good job of it (I rarely do). That’s OK, though. There will be other cons. And when I find one that we both can go to, I shall return the favor…. *cackles evilly*
Seriously though, everyone I encountered was just as others have said: Kind, humble, caring and selfless. I’ve taken great pains to ensure that I didn’t miss anyone. If I did, then please flame me. I deserve it.
Other than the craziness of a con, I am impressed with how the group gelled. I’ve always been the youngest in every social circle I’m in, so there’s always that nagging voice in the back of my head that tells me to shut up, even when my mouth refuses to listen. I’m constantly amazed when anyone deals with me for any length of time, but I’ve decided that these women and gentleman must have the patience of saints.
To other Samandans, I would recommend going to any convention with AT not only because she’s there, but because you’re guaranteed to meet a bunch of really cool fans with whom you’ll undoubtedly have the time of your life. That was one of my main reasons for going to Shore Leave. It was one of the main reasons why I went to AT2. And I wasn’t disappointed. You won’t be either.
/gush