DAY 4

Friday, September 8, 2006 - Pt.1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spikealicious/sets/72157600479098479/detail/

Friday, September 8, 2006 - Pt.2

So, we're driving up to Long Beach using the wonderful directions of Mapquest ::scoffs:: Anyway, for the gross part of the directions, that is the highways and what not between San Diego and Long Beach, it's fine. It's only when we get within striking distance - about 10 miles or so away, that the directions I've got are all together wonky. So...whereas we're about 20 mins. away only, it takes us about an hour and a half of wasted time (getting off highways, getting back on, turning around, doing the hokey pokey, yelling, crying, fretting...etc.).

Finally! Finally, we get to the Queen Mary about 4:00pm. I'm anxious to get to my room and start the process of pretty-fying myself into a cocktail-dress wearing lady. So, I leave Rick and April to park the car, get the luggage, etc., while I go into the hotel to check in.

I check in at the desk, get our room keys and find out where to go to get my James Marsters & Friends Convention Packets. As soon as I'm done at the desk, I look over to my left, only to see Steve Himber standing there. Hmm...if Steve is there...

Sure enough, I look a bit further behind me, and there's James himself! 

Now, usually whenever I see people I haven't seen since the last convention,  my first instinct is to go and hug them. Of course, then my brain ::stupid brain:: kicked into the 'PERSONAL SPACE!' mode at the last second, so I just say, "Hi! How are you?" James answers something like, "I'm really good, how are you?"  I go into casual (ha!) mode and babble, "I'm fine, but we just got lost for the last hour and a half. Fucking Mapquest!" He says something sympathetic like, 'Yeah, the L.A. freeways..." and we say our goodbyes and see you laters. 

Now I'm excited! 

I go into the small room across from the check-in desk where the convention papers/packages/wristbands are at, and tell whoever it is that checked me in that I just saw James! Deni, who is across the room, says she rode the elevator up with him earlier. Somebody mentions his dark hair. I say, "I don't think he had dark hair." They look at me and slowly say, "Yes, he does." And, of course, he really does, I just think that when I saw him it wasn't slicked back, and looked a bit lighter on the top. That, and I blame Jamesfog. Then, April comes in and finds me and I say, "Guess who I just saw?" April, bored: "Who?" Me, squee! "James!" Then I realize something...if I 'saw' him, he also 'saw' me...grubby, in the car for three hours, no make-up me. Oh well...

Still, how cool was that? I saw James...like my own personal welcoming committee of one, the very first person I saw when I got to the hotel (check-in clerk doesn't count!). Yep, that was really cool, even if I did babble about 'Fucking Mapquest!'  I think I should've just gone with my instinct and given him a hug. Doubt he would've minded too much, but I overthought it. Or did the right thing...I mean, when I saw him it wasn't like I thought - "Oooh, it's James Marsters!" It was more like, "Hey, it's James!" like I would be about "Hey, it's so-and-so!" that I hadn't seen in a while. Well, except that he's...well, he is James! That's still something special.

So, we go to our room - we have a porter deliver our luggage. We're in room B482 - which if anybody remembers the numbers, means we're way the fuck down the ship in Schlabatka...er, BFE. I kick Rick and April out in a short while - told them I would - so I can get ready. April fusses. She wants to just lay on her bed and read her book, but I know she's going to be in my way, not to mention have something to say about everything, or make me feel lame...lol. Anyway, this was a non-negotiable part of her coming with me to California - that I get my time to get ready to myself that evening where I don't have to share the bathroom, etc. I'm nervous enough as it is with only having two hours to do it all, so I don't need the added stress of people about in this small space; esp. people who get on my nerves - as I get on theirs as well.. So, off my loving family go, to discover Long Beach and have dinner. They do that, and also go to a movie that night, so they have a very good time, while I'm having a very good time, as well. 

I spend the next two hours showering, dressing, make-uping, setting hair, and all the other very, very girly things I do to the max once a year. LOL

I leave the room and go up the nearest stairs thinking I'm close to where we checked in. Huh...All I see is another, long, long, long hall that looks exactly like the one I was just in. I see some people and ask them. They direct me down the long hall, and I finally find my way up to civilization. I see some ladies dressed all fancy like me, and ask them if they're going to the James thing. They are, so I tag along as we find our way to the very small, hot, and narrow room that the cocktail party is being held in. It really is hot, and I'm not liking that my makeup is about to run after I've just put it on. I just read somebody describe it as the 5th ring of hell, and that about says it all. LOL I don't even use the drink ticket, I just get water.

James arrives about 20 mins. after we do, or so, and starts to mingle. However, Steve, in his considerable wisdom, realizes that James is never going to get through all of us before it's time for dinner, not to mention the frickin' heat. Wisely, he has us all go into the much, much cooler dining/concert room and tells us that James (to make up the abbreviated 'cocktail' party) will come around to each table two times.

At our table, from what I can remember are the following people: Stalker Sue, a couple and another woman whose names I've forgotten (sorry), talkenglish2me, GraySunrise, a young woman named Gwen, who was dressed stunningly in a 1930's outfit she'd rented over the internet, hat, dress, the works, then myself, and a woman named Janet. I'm between Janet and Gwen. The empty chair awaiting James is between Janet and Stalker Sue. That's only one chair between us. SQUEE! Better that, than the nightmare I had of sitting across from him and spilling a drink right onto his lap wasn't going to happen with that arrangement. LOL In the dream, he wasn't amused. (Think I spilled a drink on myself as well) and I was utterly mortified by the whole thing.)

So, James finally comes over to our table for the first of two times. Since it's been nearly a month, my memory of the exact who-said-what is a bit cloudy, so I've had to partly rely on some other reports I've read as well as my own Jamesfog memory. Yes, I'm blaming my memory lapses on him. Okay, so he gets to the table, takes his seat. I don't know who started the conversation, but luckily, I just looked at MTS and saw that talkenglish2me had reported a bit about it. She asks him about his dark hair. Actually, I'm going to use what she wrote on MTS right here, before I go on:

I asked him about the black hair, whether it meant he was going to be back on Smallville this season (as recently rumored online). Sadly, he said he was not going to be back on Smallville.

James said "it was fun", "a cool character and great for a year", but he "doesn’t know if it would be cool to keep going."

He thought the Al would be happy to stick him in a couple more times if he (James) wanted to but he isn’t sure that would be the best thing to do. He said "when you have a character that is that age, a lot of their maturation is going to be about their love life. A lot of the story, in this part of it, is about Lana and Clark and in that palette; they barely have room for Lex. They don’t really have time for me. They used me really well."

Since he hadn't really answered about the hair, I asked again if it was for a role. He said no and when I asked why so black (not that it looked bad), he said "because I’ve got nappy brown hair and it’s getting gray." Laughingly he added, "Trying to look good baby."

When he said that it was a cool character, I piped in and agreed that it was, and said something like, "But it was limiting. That is, you've got such a wide range of emotions to draw upon as an actor, and you weren't able to use them as Brainiac, since the character was a robot." Anyway, I don't think he was offended by this. It's very true. What drew us into Spike, was that James (when the writers discovered what a gem he was!) gave us the whole gamut of emotions. It was amazing when you think about it. Anyway, for that reason, everything else I've ever seen him in always falls short; there just will never be another character like Spike. However, I do believe that seeing that play, Teechers, was like seeing some of that range again. Oh, how I loved that play and seeing him on the stage, but I'll talk more about that later.

The conversation steers to Santa Claus. How, I don't exactly remember, but I believe that it was James who brought it up. Anyway, he's talking about his son and how he recently found out about Santa and how that made it seem like he was more grown up to James; like he could talk to him more like an adult, or something to that effect. He's asked how old his son is, and James says he's 10 (pretty sure).  I tell him that I believed in Santa at least that long; that I wanted to hang onto that. The discussion then goes into believing in magic and such as a child; childhood magic. He says that on the other hand, his niece when she came to him, told him right off she doesn't believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy. I relay a funny story (well, it was!) about how my daughter found out about the Tooth Fairy. I told him that we used to leave a sign up in the window, "Tooth Fairy, stop here," and then at night I would sneak into her room at night, take the tooth out from under her pillow, and leave her money. Then, this one time, she decides she's going to leave the sign and the tooth by herself. James is cute - at this point he's grinning and giving me the 'ahhh's' of recognition of where the story is going. So...she comes out the next morning, I continue, and says, "I know there's no Tooth Fairy!" and tells me what she did. He asks me how old she was. I tell him, maybe 8 or 10...that she's 18 now, so maybe last year. Ha-ha. I don't remember much more of the conversation. Some pictures were taken of us (the links won't have me in them - I don't like the way I look at all, unfortunately) and then it's time for him to go to another table.

ETA: I remembered (a couple days since I wrote this - and remembered it when I was looking at costume jewelry in an antique store in Michigan today - 10/08/06) that when James first got to the table (the first time) that he said something like it was nice (or fun, or both) that we all got dressed up and that everybody looked really nice. *g*

Table Talk, Round 2: He's back. In the interim, GraySunrise says she wants to tell him about her seeing Tom Waits, so when he comes back, she does. She was in a flowered dress, and everybody was more casual, but he really enjoyed the performance, and was happy that she'd gotten to hear somebody she wouldn't have otherwise. James loves Tom Waits, as we all know. I tell him I liked his rendition of Chocolate Jesus better than Tom Waits, and he thanks me or says that's nice of me to say. Crap, I can't recall anything else he said except for that. I think the second time was a bit shorter.

Oh, it was fun to see him typing 'hi' to the CDS'ers 'live' at the next table. It was nice to see him so close, even when he wasn't at our table.

I don't know why I didn't figure that we'd be moving up close during the concert - figured I had a good spot, anyway, but Steve Himber says, go ahead and move the chairs - and in about 2 seconds, there is a stampede of women in high heels moving their chairs up to the stage. I'm about 3 rows back, center, so I can't complain. It's fine. Leave my spot before it all starts to go have a smoke and a break, and then it's showtime.

James (and I haven't said it - but my God, the man looks just wonderful tonight! Healthy, happy, sexy, sleek, sexy...yeah, I know I already said it, but it bears repeating twice), handsome, hair to die for! Gah!) He's got a lovely (as has been oft used this time around ) aura about him.

The set starts and he's in really good form. He's got a lot of new songs, and plenty of the best of the old ones. I'm glad to see a few have been dropped that I didn't particularly care for, but others have liked them, so it's just my opinion. I'm really, really liking the new songs, particulary Fall of Night. I just loved the small, intimate setting and having this lovely man sing to me...er, us.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spikealicious/sets/72157600479098205/

After it ends, I go back to the room, tear off the torture device known as control top panty hose (never again!) and try to find my way to the bar...in normal clothes. I think. Wow, memory, much? I meet up with Spicy, Zarrah, Red-by-Trade, and darn what is her name...also from the mob. Darn my memory! I have a beer, then head back to the room. By now, Rick and April are back and had a good time at dinner, Borders, and a movie in Long Beach. I have a wake-up call for 6:30am, Rick and April are heading off to Disneyland, and it's been a long, but wonderful (outside of the getting lost on the freeway stuff) day.

The rest of the con report, soon.

DAY 5

Saturday, September 9, 2006 

The family is still sleeping when I get up early and start to get ready for the photo shoot and the day. Heh...my hair looks pretty damn good still from the night before (and I just showered before the dinner) so I save some time and just retouch my hair. I wear a sparkly blouse - bugger wearing a dress again! It's a Kashi Power Bar and instant coffee breakfast.

Get over to the area where the convention is being held, and stand in line for nothing, it turns out, then go downstairs and find my seat. On the very end...as I'd suspected it would be. Probably if I hadn't stood in line for nothing (in front of Steve's area) I might've scored a better seat, but oh well. It's still in the front row - and that's a definite first time for me!

There's an opening ceremony with James and most everyone who is going to be there. Honestly, at this point (er...sorry, it's already November 22nd as I'm writing this part up) I don't recall much about the other guests, who I didn't spend much time with or even attend all of their Q&A's, so I'll just get to the Jamesy parts.

As I was in the first row, I get called up right away to get my photo taken with him. The line is moving exceptionally fast. Here's the exchange as far as I can remember it when it's my turn:

Me: "It was really nice to talk to you at dinner last night." This part I'm not positive about:  "In all the times I've seen you, we've never had a conversation."   

James, agreeing: "Yeah, we've never really done that."

*snap - picture*

Me, as I'm walking off: "Well, I write to you, but that's one-sided." *grins*

The second picture is taken a while later.

Me: "Thank God for regular clothes!"

James: "Yeah, denim rocks!"

*snap - picture*

LOL - a fairly innocuous exchange, but it was fun nontheless. I was relieved to be wearing regular clothes again. Pretty much hated both pictures, so I for public consumption, I cropped out the bottom halves - his is fine, mine, not so much. -so they just looks like head shots. I wish I'd gotten three shots now. I want a 'campy/playful' shot someday.  But I'm not displeased - got two fun exchanges and hugs from James.

Skipping forward to the evening:

Again, forgetting most of the day (that will teach me to take two and a half months to finish a convention report - well, at least my writer's block is consistent. LOL) before the concert.

The second concert was held in the same area that the convention was held, which wasn't quite as nice or intimate as the one following the dinner was. Still, it was very good. I do wish there was a video of the first one in particular, but I know that didn't happen. I think they recorded the second, but so far, no word on a DVD of the QM event.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spikealicious/sets/72157600479096787/