Sunday, August 31, 2008

And Today, at Dragon*Con

Now, these are just photographs of photographs; I can't get better quality onto the interwebs until I get home to my scanner. But here's what today was like:

Ray Park with The Boy. (Ray Park is Darth Maul.)





Yeah. I can totally die happy now.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Today, at Dragon*Con



I love it here.

Friday, August 29, 2008

First Day at Dragon*Con

We are exhausted. I am learning the MARTA (public transit) system pretty well.

The Nathan Fillion / Alan Tudyk panel was awesome. The room they planned on holding it in had to be changed twice due to the number of fans. The second time was when people started lining up more than two hours before the event, and the line quickly went out the door and around the building. We were outside in line, and I was afraid we may already be too late, but because they changed it to a bigger room we ended up with 6th row. W00t! Pictures and video to follow, probably next week.

We missed the Battlestar Galactica panel because of the delay in the Nathan/Alan panel.

The Dr. Horrible Sing-a-Long was AWESOME FUN!!! Then we went to a lecture on evolution The Boy picked it out, but it was very interesting and I'm glad we went. We decided to skip out on the Buffy OMWF Sing-a-Long because we were getting really tired, and the last bus was at midnight and we didn't want to risk missing it by staying too late.

There was also a long line for Nathan and Alan's autographs, but we made it through that line well. Nathan signed my copy of Slither, and Alan signed my copy of Death at a Funeral. Alan fell madly in love with me and has run away with me. Gotta go now.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Haven't had time to write about it yet

but don't let me forget to tell you about my ruptured ovarian cyst.

Monday, August 25, 2008

PSA

Dear Certain Drivers of Massachusetts Highways:

If you have no intention of keeping up with the flow of traffic, nor any intention of getting out of the way when a faster moving vehicle comes up behind you, please STAY THE FUCK OUT OF THE LEFT LANE!!!! Why are you even IN that lane to begin with???? It doesn't occur to you that when there is a wide open lane in front of you, and twenty cars crawling behind you, that the courteous thing to do might be to move to the middle lane? We can't pass you from the left lane, you know! Please grow a brain.

Sincerely,

The Frustrated Driver Trapped Behind You

Sunday, August 24, 2008

This sounds familiar. Did I do this before?

Stolen from Bradi.
  • Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
  • Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
  • Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
  • Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (muscadine, strawberry)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake


PS: This was probably a really stupid thing for me to do right now. I was restricted today to a liquid diet by my doctor, and I am REALLY hungry right now. :(

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Pathetic Fangirl needs advice

Ok, first of all, I need to confess that I have spent the last three days researching everything I can find on Dragon*Con. I found several schedules, maps of hotels, individual websites for the different tracks, and a couple forums. I have created a spread sheet listing the panels and activities we MOST want to see, when they are, and where they are. I found out how the whole autograph thing works, and the photo ops (sadly, I can't find out the WHEN for these until I get there). I'd also like to point out now that if my sister were going to this (which, she never would), she would think I was a total and complete moron for doing all this research and planning. She would just show up, not knowing where or when anything was, and wing it. And she would think that that is the absolute right way to do it. If I tried to do that, I'd end up sobbing and possibly sucking my thumb in one of the hotel lobbys. I am most definately a planner.

Anyway, I am trying to decide what to have autographed, and I need some feedback, please. I was thinking of having Alan Tudyk sign my Death at a Funeral DVD (the paper cover, under the plastic), and having Nathan Fillion sign my Slither DVD the same way. Is this too weird? I think I prefer it over a photograph, because, well, what am I going to do with a photograph? A DVD will sit on my DVD shelf with all my other DVDs, and when I take it out to play it, I will see the autograph. *sigh*

Also, I wanted to get Morena Baccarin and Jewel Staite's autographs, too. At first I was thinking I'd like everyone's together on something Firefly. But I realized that none of my Firefly or Serenity DVDs have Morena or Jewel's picture on it. I could still do one of them, but then I'd have to get Alan and Nathan to sign it, too, and I think I really want their autographs on the other DVDs I mentioned above.

So here's my next idea: I already have a Serenity comic book signed by Alan and Nathan that I got on Ebay.
I could have Morena and Jewel sign it, and then if I ever have autograph opportunities with any others from the cast, I can have them sign it too. Problem with that is, again, neither Morena or Jewel is on the cover. I also have the Serenity comic with Morena on the cover,
and (of course) the third with Jewel on the cover.

So my decision has come to this: 1) have Morena and Jewel sign the cover already signed by Alan and Nathan OR 2) have Morena and Jewel each sign the comic with their own picture on it.

I think I am leaning toward option one, but is it weird to have someone autograph something that their picture isn't even on?

And also, how much of a major fucking geek am I? But I am spending a whole boat-load of money that I really do not even have to do all this, and I want to get the most bang for my buck. Hence, the organizing. I am rather concerned that when I do get face-to-face with these people, that I am going to totally melt down into a squealing fangirl. Seriously, what am I going to say to these people? I've already warned The Boy that he is under no circumstances allowed to tell Alan Tudyk that I want to have his redheaded babies.

Edited to add:

The Boy walked into the room and I gave him a pop quiz:


Me: So what are we NOT going to say to Alan Tudyk when we meet him?
Boy: That you want his seed.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Extra-Super-Mega SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!!

I am going to Dragon*Con!!!!! I had previously had my eye on the Creation Entertainment Firefly Con in CA, but at the last minute, Dragon*Con suddenly got much more attractive (Nathan and Alan signed on this week), and much more doable. Creation would have been significantly more money, we would have had to spend WHOLE DAYS traveling (MA to CA, and especially back again, is a BITCH), and The Boy would have had to miss two days of school. For Dragon*Con, it is less money, MUCH easier traveling as it's on the East Coast, it takes place before school starts so The Boy doesn't have to miss school, and did happen to mention that Nathan and Alan are going to be there? Wheee!! So I just booked my flight, my hotel, and bought my tickets to the convention. Here are the Whedon events planned. (This does not even include all of the other five million events at the con.)

Because I'm doing this so last-minute, there is not even a snowball's chance in Hell of finding a hotel in and around the festivities. But I found a Sheraton which has free shuttle service to the MARTA (trains), which will take us directly to the convention in 20 minutes.

ONE problem I haven't been able to think of a solution for yet. Perhaps someone more wise and experienced at travel can suggest something? Here's the problem: Monday is our last day there. There are some events Monday afternoon I would like to attend. Our flight home is at 8pm. BUT check out time at the hotel is noon. What do I do with all my stuff all day?

In conclusion, squeee!!!, Super-Squeee!!!, Super-Duper-SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, EPIC-FANTASTIC-SQUEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Oh, Tia

So many people are so broken up by what you did, by you being gone. I wish you'd only known how many people cared about you. We would have gladly dropped everything and gathered around you to help you...instead of gathering today to say goodbye.

I wish you could have reached out and let us know.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Damn it, Tia.

I got a call from my friend Ericka this morning. She was very upset and crying. One of the other girls we worked with, Tia, was dead. She hung herself Monday night. Her mom found her body Tuesday morning. She was 23. She left a note and apparently was depressed about being laid off and not being able to find a job. (But I'm only hearing this third-hand so I'm sure there's more than that.) She was such a bubbly and (I thought) happy person. Always very sweet, always very nice. Whatever had her so upset Monday night, would have blown over. If only she could have made it through Monday night.

Damn it, Tia.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Hee!

48

As a 1930s wife, I am
Average

Take the test!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Tattooey Goodness

Meghan was kind enough to take me to go get my first tattoo, in honor of my 40th (*sob*) birthday, yesterday. And it turns out that I knew even less than I thought I knew about tattoos. My design wasn't doable for how small I wanted it. So the artist, Aaron, whipped up an alternate design, using the serenity symbol, the cherry blossoms, and the colors I wanted. It came out FABULOUS, and I'm pleased as punch with it. It did kind of hurt a bit. And by "a bit", I mean, "a whole freakin' LOT!!!" But it was so worth it! And I'm so glad I got to share that moment with Meghan.