Post by slidershal on Oct 31, 2005 18:19:56 GMT -5
I'm back with report and photos!
From my blog:
Pics here!
From my blog:
Actually I got back Saturday evening, about a half an hour late cuz the notorious cross winds at my airport shut down all but one runway and we had to be in a holding pattern till they could bring us down. Then crazy person that I am, after I picked up the car at the Park n Fly, I went to the mall to get some CDs and DVDs I wanted, lol.
How did my trip go? I don't even know where to start. All I can keep thinking is 'how do I ever go back to my job and my normal life after this???' Yeah it was that good. I don't think there are words out there to describe the time that I had. In fact, I know there aren't. It's like, now that I'm home, I don't know what to do with myself. There's a lot that happened that I didn't dare hope for...and a lot of it that I can't talk about. Unless you've got access to my private journal, you're out of luck.
And so I digress, back to the beginning...
So I get to the airport, and due to early morning fog and the aforementioned cross winds, my flight to Burbank has been delayed an hour. Great. I'm landing at 2:35 instead of 1:45, and I'm gonna miss my rendezvous with L. At the food court I pull out my cell and call her, and she tells me that her flight has been delayed too, and for the same arrival time. Great! Out of hot water! I've already mentioned all the weird things that have happened with planning and setting up this trip, the way that things have fallen together effortlessly, as if the planets have aligned just for me, so this was spooking me out, big time. Little did I know that the reason for the identical delays was going to be the spookiest thing of all. I get to the gate and surprise, surprise, the flight has been pushed back again, and I'm thinking no way is lightning going to strike again. I'm gonna miss meeting up with my friend! So I go to sit down and the person sitting next to mom and I is on their cell - I hear "Hey H...yeah my flight is delayed...AGAIN...so...I'll see ya when I see ya. Bye." I don't think anything of it, except, oh they know an H, too. lol. Then mom and I start talking with her after she hangs up, and you know we're chatting about the delay, and oh yeah we're meeting a friend from PA, and she says that's where she's coming from...and my radar goes off. I'm thinking this is L isn't it...no way... and I don't want to say anything and look like an idiot if I'm wrong. So I play along. Then I get out my phone to message L and mom is like "are you gonna text L?", and the gal next to us that we've been talking to turns and says, "I'm right here." L's final connection flight into Burbank is my flight. We had no idea that we were on the same plane! And it gets better...L was sitting in the row directly behind me! So we got to fly into Burbank together! Is that perfect or what??? Freaky as all hell, but cool! (BTW when this story was told to Vicky, it freaked her out, too, lol). We got the party started early - after dropping off our bags and doing a preliminary scope-out of the hotel, mom, L and I hopped the shuttle over to the Universal City Walk and made a beeline for the Hard Rock Cafe...and a round of Waboritas, lol. The minute that drink hit my tongue, the fun had started, and it only got better. We toasted to Vicky and TJ, and that was the beginning. I should have known right then that this whole trip was cosmically meant to be. And we're not even to LCA yet...
Friday morning is LCA registration. We get ourselves all squared away, goodie bags in hand, and go kill some time puttering around the hotel until the meeting in the rooftop lounge starts, ooo-ing and aaah-ing at the list of guests and drooling over the auction items. Cool people, lots of one of a kind items...I am all a-tingle. Schedule says Saturday is Vicky day....and so we must wait, but its all good, cuz there's a cocktail party that evening that will help kill the time, and right before it an exclusive tour of the Universal backlot! I gotta take a time out here and say that Vicky or no, I am going to this event again. It was a blast, made all the better by the fact that all the money 100% goes to the charities. Now I ask you - does it get any better than that? The people, guests and attendees alike, were all wonderful, and I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life. Can't wait to see those folks next year. More margaritas at the cocktail party, then back to the room for poker, hee hee. I ended up cleaning mom out, and might have done the same to L if we'd kept playing - can't say for sure cuz she was good and I had to be on my toes, lol. All I know is I finished the night with the tall stack, and had a darn good time, which is all that really matters. After that was viewings of Cleopatra 2525, which we cracked up watching, with the knowledge that we would be seeing the person we were at that very moment looking at on the screen the very next day.
Saturday - Vicky day. Every day we've been winding up a little more, and by this point we're so excited that we could very well burst. How I slept the night before is still a mystery. We're well aware that we have to wait most of the day to see her. 4 hours to go...looking around for her, listening...we know she's not there yet but we can't help ourselves. We scope out and secure seats in one of the front rows after the last break before Vicky. And we wait. And wait. And wait. Meanwhile we're going crazy cuz we're pretty sure that we heard Vicky laughing down the hall in the green room. If I have to wait one more minute I feel like I'm going to explode. After almost 2 years of waiting, I don't think I can wait anymore. The call is made to bring her and TJ in...and we wait. And wait. And wait. Finally after 15 minutes of thumb-twiddling and more than a little anxious shifting in our seats, we see TJ...but where's Vicky??? She was there, right behind him, and I couldn't see her cuz he was too tall, lol. There she is, and she's looking more gorgeous than ever. I was sick with allergies, I felt like crap, and the minute she showed up...*poof*...everything was fine. She was on, too - they had this thing going since this morning called the smut jar (say or think anything dirty and you have to put a dollar in), just another fun way to raise a little more money. After the whole morning there was maybe 10 bucks total...after Vicky showed up it came out to several hundred. I swear all she had to do was look at all of us and out came the money, lol. There's a few pictures in amongst what I took that illustrate the hijinks that took place. Everyone was paralized with laughter the entire time she was up there. Truthfully...I owed that jar a lot more than what I actually put in...
The meet and greet went great. Chatting with TJ about Mayday and my fave the Sin Trade eps of Xena that he did, and geeking out on the technical aspects of both. Discussing Hush with Vicky. It was cool to find out that we had some of the same views about the character she played in that movie. I made a point of telling her they couldn't have gotten anyone better to play Callie. Picture time comes and of course I seem to have a camera gremlin. Hate those little buggers - they pop up at THE WORST possible times! Vicky was a really good sport about it - the pics are not coming out, but she's like "no its okay" and I'm getting frustrated because I don't want to waste her time and there are others waiting. 3 shots later and its no-joy. "I swear this is the last one," I say to her. "I don't want to be one of those jerks..." Vicky rolls her eyes, makes this 'quit being stupid' face and drags me over beside her, once again. She wasn't going to let go until I got my pic,lol. It was so sweet of her...but then, that's Vicky, and that's the reason I'm there. That shot comes out (though as you can see when you look at my pics, it still didn't come out clear...stupid gremlin...), I breathe a sigh of relief and thank Vicky again...and I had to give her a hug for being so sweet about it and so patient. She hugged me back so tight... And no it wasn't just a ploy to get a hug - I meant it. I would never come at her like that, wanting something, trying to GET something...and frankly I loathe the people that do. So I said my goodbyes and off I went. Until next time, which fortunately isn't that far away. Maybe I can shake the camera gremlin next time around, lol.
Anyways...that's where what I can talk about ends. It was a blast, lots of laughter, and WAY too much fun. Can't wait to do it again. I was soooo partied out when it was over...
I can never thank Vicky and TJ enough. I really love those 2...they'll be getting a very nice thank you note from me, that's for sure. I had so much fun with them! So to Vicky and TJ I say 'thank you guys so, so much'!!! And to Vicky...you rock too, sister...*wink*
TTFN!
PS: I have to disagree with UGO.com when they say that Vicky is quite possibly the coolest chick on the planet. They got it wrong. She IS the coolest chick on the planet. And I'm not saying that because of whatever image she has...I'm saying it from experience, from talking with her. She is the coolest. 'Nuff said.
How did my trip go? I don't even know where to start. All I can keep thinking is 'how do I ever go back to my job and my normal life after this???' Yeah it was that good. I don't think there are words out there to describe the time that I had. In fact, I know there aren't. It's like, now that I'm home, I don't know what to do with myself. There's a lot that happened that I didn't dare hope for...and a lot of it that I can't talk about. Unless you've got access to my private journal, you're out of luck.
And so I digress, back to the beginning...
So I get to the airport, and due to early morning fog and the aforementioned cross winds, my flight to Burbank has been delayed an hour. Great. I'm landing at 2:35 instead of 1:45, and I'm gonna miss my rendezvous with L. At the food court I pull out my cell and call her, and she tells me that her flight has been delayed too, and for the same arrival time. Great! Out of hot water! I've already mentioned all the weird things that have happened with planning and setting up this trip, the way that things have fallen together effortlessly, as if the planets have aligned just for me, so this was spooking me out, big time. Little did I know that the reason for the identical delays was going to be the spookiest thing of all. I get to the gate and surprise, surprise, the flight has been pushed back again, and I'm thinking no way is lightning going to strike again. I'm gonna miss meeting up with my friend! So I go to sit down and the person sitting next to mom and I is on their cell - I hear "Hey H...yeah my flight is delayed...AGAIN...so...I'll see ya when I see ya. Bye." I don't think anything of it, except, oh they know an H, too. lol. Then mom and I start talking with her after she hangs up, and you know we're chatting about the delay, and oh yeah we're meeting a friend from PA, and she says that's where she's coming from...and my radar goes off. I'm thinking this is L isn't it...no way... and I don't want to say anything and look like an idiot if I'm wrong. So I play along. Then I get out my phone to message L and mom is like "are you gonna text L?", and the gal next to us that we've been talking to turns and says, "I'm right here." L's final connection flight into Burbank is my flight. We had no idea that we were on the same plane! And it gets better...L was sitting in the row directly behind me! So we got to fly into Burbank together! Is that perfect or what??? Freaky as all hell, but cool! (BTW when this story was told to Vicky, it freaked her out, too, lol). We got the party started early - after dropping off our bags and doing a preliminary scope-out of the hotel, mom, L and I hopped the shuttle over to the Universal City Walk and made a beeline for the Hard Rock Cafe...and a round of Waboritas, lol. The minute that drink hit my tongue, the fun had started, and it only got better. We toasted to Vicky and TJ, and that was the beginning. I should have known right then that this whole trip was cosmically meant to be. And we're not even to LCA yet...
Friday morning is LCA registration. We get ourselves all squared away, goodie bags in hand, and go kill some time puttering around the hotel until the meeting in the rooftop lounge starts, ooo-ing and aaah-ing at the list of guests and drooling over the auction items. Cool people, lots of one of a kind items...I am all a-tingle. Schedule says Saturday is Vicky day....and so we must wait, but its all good, cuz there's a cocktail party that evening that will help kill the time, and right before it an exclusive tour of the Universal backlot! I gotta take a time out here and say that Vicky or no, I am going to this event again. It was a blast, made all the better by the fact that all the money 100% goes to the charities. Now I ask you - does it get any better than that? The people, guests and attendees alike, were all wonderful, and I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life. Can't wait to see those folks next year. More margaritas at the cocktail party, then back to the room for poker, hee hee. I ended up cleaning mom out, and might have done the same to L if we'd kept playing - can't say for sure cuz she was good and I had to be on my toes, lol. All I know is I finished the night with the tall stack, and had a darn good time, which is all that really matters. After that was viewings of Cleopatra 2525, which we cracked up watching, with the knowledge that we would be seeing the person we were at that very moment looking at on the screen the very next day.
Saturday - Vicky day. Every day we've been winding up a little more, and by this point we're so excited that we could very well burst. How I slept the night before is still a mystery. We're well aware that we have to wait most of the day to see her. 4 hours to go...looking around for her, listening...we know she's not there yet but we can't help ourselves. We scope out and secure seats in one of the front rows after the last break before Vicky. And we wait. And wait. And wait. Meanwhile we're going crazy cuz we're pretty sure that we heard Vicky laughing down the hall in the green room. If I have to wait one more minute I feel like I'm going to explode. After almost 2 years of waiting, I don't think I can wait anymore. The call is made to bring her and TJ in...and we wait. And wait. And wait. Finally after 15 minutes of thumb-twiddling and more than a little anxious shifting in our seats, we see TJ...but where's Vicky??? She was there, right behind him, and I couldn't see her cuz he was too tall, lol. There she is, and she's looking more gorgeous than ever. I was sick with allergies, I felt like crap, and the minute she showed up...*poof*...everything was fine. She was on, too - they had this thing going since this morning called the smut jar (say or think anything dirty and you have to put a dollar in), just another fun way to raise a little more money. After the whole morning there was maybe 10 bucks total...after Vicky showed up it came out to several hundred. I swear all she had to do was look at all of us and out came the money, lol. There's a few pictures in amongst what I took that illustrate the hijinks that took place. Everyone was paralized with laughter the entire time she was up there. Truthfully...I owed that jar a lot more than what I actually put in...
The meet and greet went great. Chatting with TJ about Mayday and my fave the Sin Trade eps of Xena that he did, and geeking out on the technical aspects of both. Discussing Hush with Vicky. It was cool to find out that we had some of the same views about the character she played in that movie. I made a point of telling her they couldn't have gotten anyone better to play Callie. Picture time comes and of course I seem to have a camera gremlin. Hate those little buggers - they pop up at THE WORST possible times! Vicky was a really good sport about it - the pics are not coming out, but she's like "no its okay" and I'm getting frustrated because I don't want to waste her time and there are others waiting. 3 shots later and its no-joy. "I swear this is the last one," I say to her. "I don't want to be one of those jerks..." Vicky rolls her eyes, makes this 'quit being stupid' face and drags me over beside her, once again. She wasn't going to let go until I got my pic,lol. It was so sweet of her...but then, that's Vicky, and that's the reason I'm there. That shot comes out (though as you can see when you look at my pics, it still didn't come out clear...stupid gremlin...), I breathe a sigh of relief and thank Vicky again...and I had to give her a hug for being so sweet about it and so patient. She hugged me back so tight... And no it wasn't just a ploy to get a hug - I meant it. I would never come at her like that, wanting something, trying to GET something...and frankly I loathe the people that do. So I said my goodbyes and off I went. Until next time, which fortunately isn't that far away. Maybe I can shake the camera gremlin next time around, lol.
Anyways...that's where what I can talk about ends. It was a blast, lots of laughter, and WAY too much fun. Can't wait to do it again. I was soooo partied out when it was over...
I can never thank Vicky and TJ enough. I really love those 2...they'll be getting a very nice thank you note from me, that's for sure. I had so much fun with them! So to Vicky and TJ I say 'thank you guys so, so much'!!! And to Vicky...you rock too, sister...*wink*
TTFN!
PS: I have to disagree with UGO.com when they say that Vicky is quite possibly the coolest chick on the planet. They got it wrong. She IS the coolest chick on the planet. And I'm not saying that because of whatever image she has...I'm saying it from experience, from talking with her. She is the coolest. 'Nuff said.
Pics here!