Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo 2012: Day 3

I didn't want to take so long to write this post but the con really wiped me out.  I guess I should have booked one more day off work so I could catch up on some rest.  Lesson learned for next year?  Anyway, without further ado, here's my day 3.

Day 3

After the bit of a fiasco that was Saturday, we decided it was best to get up early again and head to the BMO center early.  I got up around 6 and checked the Twitter feed and saw they were advising people to be there around 9.  We got dressed, packed our stuff and checked out of the hotel and were at the grounds by 8:30.  (Yes, I remembered to wear my necklaces.)  What a difference a day makes!  The organizers had really rallied over night and things were way better.  They separated the pass holders from those buying/redeeming badges and shuffled us into the autograph/food court area to wait for the main doors to open.  The vibe in the room was a million times more positive than the day before.  We found a seat at a table with on old University friend and did a little wandering before the main doors opened.

Once the doors opened it was nice to see they had added signage on where to walk through the congested areas.  We headed straight for the Boyce Theatre so we could get a seat for the Battlestar Galactica panel at 11.  This was the one thing that D, R, J and I could NOT miss.  J and I took D and R to the BSG panel at our first con and got them hooked on the show.  It's really a tie that binds us.  Plus with Aaron Douglas there again this year we knew we had to be there.  Once again the organization improvements were very apparent.  They told people at the back of the line when the room was full well ahead of time so that they didn't wait for nothing.  Once inside we got amazing seats just on the edge of the VIP area.  The labeling on the VIP area was a little misleading and some of the volunteers had to deal with a few snarky people that they asked to move but over all it was ok.  There was a woman sitting next to me who was a media member from the US.  She had moved down a few seats and lost her Blackberry in the process.  It was great to see everyone rally around her and help to find it.  Turns out it had fallen in the crack of J's chair and we eventually found it for her right before the panel started.  She was so excited and everyone around us clapped when we found it.

The panel was just as amazing as we thought it would be.  Aaron Douglas, Katee Sackoff and Richard Hatch are amazingly funny people and they entertained us.  Richard Hatch told a story about having an intimate dream about Katee and it became a running gag through the panel.  Aaron talked about how he felt that our little con was amazingly well run and he would gladly come back every year.  So say we all!

  Once the amazing panel was over, we decided to go get something to eat.  We found a place making wraps and sandwiches that were really good and fast, despite being crazy expensive.  I was really getting tired of line ups and decided that as much as I would have loved to see Jim Cummings panel I didn't want to stand still anymore.  So we wandered, took a ton of pictures and met some amazing people.  J posed for a picture with a 4-year-old who was wearing a "Shiny, let's be bad guys" shirt.  J put his hat on the kids head for the picture and the kid was so excited.  His dad told J later that his son believed that J was the real Jayne!  I love kids at cons.

We went back to Max Brooks' booth to quiz him on my name and posed for a pic with him.  He has got to be one of he nicest people I have ever met.  I waited until his line was short before jumping in.  He was posing for pictures with his fans behind his table and that's what I expected when I got up there.  I asked if he would mind taking a pic and crouched a little so he could stay seated behind his table but he jumped up and came out from behind his booth, pushed through the crowd and posed with me in front of his table.  A moment |I won't soon forget.

I could tell that we were getting to then end of our con experience as we were all getting a little tired and grumpy.  After getting separated for a bit, we found each other in the food court and D and I decided that we would head for the Corral for the last panel of the day, Sir Patrick Stewart.  J and R decided to join us so we made the long cross of the floor to the panel area and posed for pics on the way.  We got there about half way through James Marsters panel and I was totally ok with sitting and watching him.  That man looks fabulous!  Patrick Stewart was good, but you could tell he was getting very tired after a long weekend.  Once his panel was over, the hall was closed so we had to make the long walk back to the car.  This was the moment the weight of my skirt really started to get to me.  I'm pretty impressed I made it as long as I did in that thing.  I still have welts on my sides from it three days later.  R ran to the car and grabbed my bag so I could change before the ride home.  One of the best moments of the weekend happened at a gas station on the way home when some guys ran up to R (still in his Waldo outfit) and wanted a picture.  They hadn't even heard of the Expo and thought they had won a radio contest or something.

It was, all in all, a fabulous weekend.  I am very impressed at how the organizers rallied to fix things after disaster struck.  I got some big checks off my bucket list and I can't wait for next year!  Now to plan my cosplay....hmmm how to top Lulu.  Good thing I've got a year to go!  I'll leave you with a few more shots from Sunday.

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo 2012: Day 2

Things were so crazy yesterday I didn't get a chance to post so be prepared for a long one about Saturday and Sunday at the Expo!

Day 2:

As tradition dictates, I got up around 6 am to start getting into my costume before everyone else as mine took longer to get ready then everyone else.  This year's line up of cosplay included me as Lulu from Final Fantasy X, J as a new and improved version of his Jayne from Firefly that he did last year, R as Waldo of Where's Waldo? fame, and D as Amy Pond from Doctor Who in "The Beast Below" episode.

We headed down to the Expo around 8:30 and there was a bit of confusion as to where we were supposed to go but we ended up herded down to the corral.  I did enjoy the pre-show entertainment in the corral, but I got separated from D, R and J.  The were sent up into the stands and I was directed to sit on the floor as it was very difficult for me to climb stairs in my costume.  Luckily I was sitting with a really nice gentleman dressed as Doctor Jones who had broken his foot.  You could see the cracks in organization beginning to form at this point.  People who were there earlier were seated higher in the Corral while those who arrived just before the doors opened got to sit on the floor much closer to the doors than those who came earlier.  There was no separation between people who had purchased advanced passes and those who still needed to purchase resulting in a bit of a cluster.  We managed to find each other when the crowd just started moving wherever they wanted to.  I got the impression there were quite a few people who were upset that they arrived early and were sent to sit higher and farther away from the doors than those who came later.  I felt really bad for the poor volunteer who was trying very hard to keep the crowd moving and seated, but he was very young and people just ignored him.

We decided that since we had done most of our important stuff the day before not to fight the crowds to much and just take the opportunity to pose for some photos and check out other people's costumes until the sea of people parted a bit.  We eventually got inside and wandered for a little bit before heading to the Boyce Theatre for the voice actors panel.  We waited to long to get in line however and didn't make it into the room.  Lesson learned.  Get in line for a panel super early or miss out.  That was totally our fault and we knew it.  So we did what any other cosplayer would do and wandered the floor trying to bring a few smiles to peoples faces.  Our plan was to have R photobomb as much as humanly possible the rest of the weekend.  People LOVED it.  We did get a little tired of hearing "Found You!" constantly all weekend, but it was all in good fun.  R even saw someone post on Tumblr later that weekend that the highlight of their Expo experience was playing Where's Waldo in the Corral and looking for him in the crowd.  Around noon-ish, J and I stepped outside to cool off a bit as I was overheating and needed a quick break.  The crowd outside was enormous!  There were thousands of people lined up down the street waiting to get in.  We headed back inside and made it to the ticket area at the main entrance to the Corral when they suddenly closed the gates in front of us.  Rumors began to circulate through the crowd.  "Oversold" and "Over-capacity" were the terms flying around.  We heard that we may not get back in.  You could feel the tension in the room beginning to mount.  I was seriously worried there was going to be a riot on there hands and we were trapped like cattle in a holding pen.  There were A TON of people jammed in that room.  I totally understand why the Fire Marshall shut things down.  My Twitter was blowing up with irate people in the line farther back.  We figured if we just waited for a bit and a few more people left we could get back inside.  I texted R and told him and D what was going on and NOT to leave the hall no matter what.  Then they closed the doors behind us as well.  I was really getting overheated now and I had no water (it was with D) and that room started to feel awfully small and really crowded.  I began to feel faint.  J inched us closer to the wall area where there were some tables set up so we would have left people around us but I was really getting worried that I was going to faint.  Just when I was about to declare a medical emergency, they opened the gates and let those of us in the "holding cell" back into the room.  We found R and D and had a happy little reunion.  Luckily we were only in that room for about 20 minutes.  We heard later that many others were not so lucky.  There were a lot of people turned away and even more who waited for 3 or 4 hours to get back in.  Let me tell you, the mood it that place changed on a dime!  People get very grumpy and short with each other.  We did our best to brighten each other's moods and those around us but it was crazy!

J really wanted to go to the Adam Baldwin panel so he and I went to line up (about an hour before it started)  We jumped in at the end of the Amanda Tapping line so we would be near the front for the next seating.  Everyone was talking about the lockdown.  At one point a very nice volunteer came by to let the people in the Amanda Tapping line know that the panel was running later starting.  He had a counter in his hand and clicked them all off and let them know that they would get in.  More confusion.  Her panel was supposed to start at 1 and it was now almost 1:30.  Then a lady came by and told everyone that the panel was full.  In fact, it seems like it was full and going for a while at that point.  I thought there was going to be another riot.  They moved us forward for the Baldwin line up.  The line started to get really long so they split it off about 15 people behind us and moved the "second line" way down the hall and closer the the Boyce than we were.  Then the rumblings started in our line that we were going to get screwed and not seated as they had us father away and potentially would forget about us.  Thank goodness there was a woman volunteer there who was very loud and very organized.  She made sure that then line was counted off correctly and told people when it was full before we had even been seated so they didn't end up waiting for no reason.  Now this is where we are considerate Con-goers.  R and D had gone to get some food and it took longer than anticipated.  When they came and counted off the line, they hadn't arrived back so they didn't come with us to the panel.  No line jumping for us. They went and watched the costume contest instead.  That way 2 people father back in the line wouldn't end up without a seat.

Adam Baldwin's panel was quite enjoyable.  He's quite a funny guy and it was neat to see him in real life.  We had great seats and i was nice to relax for a bit.  After the panel we went to the Costume Contest.  I was a little disappointed with it this year as it seemed very short and not many entrants.  (From what I heard later there were a few people who had entered but were unable to attend due to the lockdown)  There were some great costumes and some pretty awesome skits as well.  I really enjoyed the Jay and Silent Bob/Mortal Kombat crossover where Jay and Silent Bob pretended to play the game and the Mortal Kombat guys enacted it.  My favorite was the Lego Star Wars Darth Maul whose costume "fell apart" just like in the Lego games.  Fantastic!

After the contest we wandered the floor for a while more and made the decision not to leave.  Initially we had intended to leave around 4 or 5 and go back to the hotel, change and eat before the TNG EXPOsed that night, but we were worried about getting back in.  We decided not to risk it and stayed there (in costume) through the rest of the evening.  I decided to go back to Linsner and pick up my commission.  He was so gracious.  He flipped to the sketch he had done for me of Dawn and I loved it!  He asked me about what got me interested in Dawn and his artwork in general.  We talked about how I loved that he drew women "real"  I told him that my favorite piece of work was the one that showed a little tummy roll on her and that I appreciated how he made the one woman in comic books who deserved to be perfect, real.  He took my sketch out of his book and added color to it while we talked.  He didn't have to do that and I didn't pay for color.  I was so very impressed by him.  I have to admit, I was very leery to meet him.  I have loved him from afar for so long I was very worried that he would not live up to my expectations.  (They say never meet your hero's right?)  Thankfully he exceeded everything I hoped he would be.

We wandered the floor some more, met some awesome Cosplayers, posed for countless photos and had a good time.  I was amazed at how well my costume was holding up, even if my train was getting filthy from being stepped on constantly.  Around 4:30 we ran into a volunteer who loved my costume.  He asked if he could take a picture and requested that I do the victory pose.  That was the moment I came to a crushing realization.  I had spent the whole day wandering the con and I had forgotten to put on my necklaces!  I was wearing an unfinished piece of work.  How did I let that happen!

The Expo came to a close and we jumped in line for TNG EXPOsed.  We had seats way up in the nosebleeds which wasn't an issue until I realized how many stairs I would have to climb in that belt skirt.  I got quite the work out!  We settled in and waited for the show to start.  The pre-show was entertaining with a couple of Trek guests and a cute video of celebs at other cons discussing Next Gen.  Once the video ended they told us there was going to be a half hour "intermission" before the show started.  Once again, there was the threat of a riot.  People were not pleased to wait and I heard plenty of grumbling that they should have started the show later instead of having an intermission.  I was inclined to agree, but R used to time to go get me some food at the concession since I hadn't eaten at all that day and was starting to feel it again.  The show itself was fabulous.  The highlights for me were the surprise appearance of John Delancie and the "sick kid from Vancouver" Aaron Douglas.  The exchange between Douglas and Wheaton was priceless.  We really enjoyed the show.  Once it was over though, I was ready for bed!  We headed back to the hotel and called it a night.

Here's a few photo's of our Day 2:

Day 3 to come tomorrow...

Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo 2012: Day One

Today has been an absolute whirlwind of awesomeness!  J, D, R and I packed up the car and hit the very rainy road around 10:30 this morning.  The rain let up by the time we rolled into Calgary and we headed straight for the hotel to check in and get settled quickly before heading to the Expo.  I had a feeling this was going to be a pretty sweet day when Ted "The Million Dollar Man" Dibiase was sitting in the lobby.  We got checked in and unpacked and headed straight for the Expo.  Just as we were about to get back into the car, J and I ran into Jake "The Snake" Roberts.  Let me tell you, that was an interesting experience.  The man is, well, kind of an ass.  A nice ass, but and ass nonetheless.  He asked us where the sketchy area of town is, basically so he could score some drugs and then told us the story of the time he bought 30 bars of soap thinking he was getting crystal meth and ended up smoking 30 bars of actual soap.  Interesting fellow.

We then headed out to the convention, got our weekend badges and ran into an old friend while waiting for the doors to open.  Once inside, I headed straight for Linsner's table.  Happy Happy, he was there.  I paid him for my commision, got my pin up book signed and J got him to sign his Conan comic that Cary Nord had also signed last year.  I can't wait to pick up my sketch tomorrow.

We then did the slow walk/shop of the entire place.  J bought me some awesome Doctor Who fridge magnets and finally found the G.I. Joe figure he was looking for as well as a new shirt for his Jayne costume.  D found an amazing "Edward" T-shirt (with Edward J. Olmos on it) and R found a sweet Princess Bride shirt.

It took us a good couple of hours to hit every booth and check out their wares.  We finally made it over to the Autograph area and J went to talk to Vance Nevada while I lined up to meet Jim Cummings.  I love that man.  He is the Voice of my childhood.  I brought a copy of Winnie the Pooh for him to sign and he was so gracious.  He signed the book with the best autograph ever and then posed with me for a picture.  Hearing the voice of Tigger and Pooh come out of his mouth was so cool.  While I was waiting in line he actually left a message on one girl's friends voice mail in his Tigger voice.

I then had one last stop I had to make.  I brought my copy of World War Z and headed to see Max Brooks and get it signed.  He was an extremely nice person as well and told me that he "will never forget my name".  We walked past his booth a little while later and he yelled my name again.  J joked that I wanted him to remember my name so he would use it in a future novel.  How cool would that be!

We did another quick loop of the floor and then headed back to our hotel, where we ran into Jim Cummings in the lobby.  I think we are staying in a good hotel.  We took a walk and found a pub for a quick dinner and then went back to the hotel.  J saw Vance Nevada and Ted Dibiase in the lobby bar and decided to stay for a pint and R decided to go for a swim.  D and I are just laying here relaxing and exhausted.  Time to get some shut eye before getting up super early and getting all costumed up before Day 2.

Here's hoping it will be as awesome as Day 1!

Seeing Inner Beauty

In my job I see a lot of things.  Some make you smile, some make you laugh, same make you cry and some break your heart.  I think the ones that get to me the most are the women who don't see their own beauty, inside and out.  Today was a day that broke my heart but ended in a small triumph.

Near the end of the day a mom and her two daughters walked in to my store to look for grad dresses.  hey noticed the sign on the door on their way in that said "appointments recommended" and were a little worried but I reassured them that we would be able to fit them in in about 10 minutes and brought them to the grad section to start browsing.  I went back to my appointment which was just wrapping up and finished everything with them.  Just as I finished I noticed that the family was back near the front of the store preparing to leave.  I asked the girl if she saw any dresses that she liked and she was very shy with me.  She barely made eye contact and gave very short answers to all my questions.  With a little encouragement from her mom we convinced her to come back in and at least try on a few gowns to see what she was liking.  I went back in to the grad section with them to help her pick out some gowns.  She seemed like she really didn't want to be there and really wasn't giving me much help with what she wanted in a gown.  Her mom picked one to get us started and I took her back to the dressing room.

In case you are new to this blog or are unaware of what I do for a living, let me fill you in.  I manage a full-service Bridal Salon.  If you've ever seen the TLC show "Say Yes to the Dress" you have a very good idea of what I do.  I help you pick gowns, and I dress you in them.  There are many reasons our store does this, but I digress.  I took this young woman back to the dressing area and explained to her that I would be helping her into the gowns.  She got a very fearful look in her eyes and nearly bolted for the door.  Her sister stopped her and told her it would be ok and how she wished that someone had helped her into the dresses when she went shopping for her grad dress.  I have dealt with shy girls before, but her reaction was quite extreme.  We provide slips for our customers to wear on their lower body so they don't feel overly exposed when we come in the room with them in their undergarments.  I suggested that she pull the slip up over her chest if it made her more comfortable.  The first time I went into the dressing room with her and saw her without her street clothes on, my heart broke.  She was a very beautiful girl who obviously didn't see that in herself.  She stood with her shoulders slumped forward, her hair pulled in front of her chest and her hands clamped tightly across her stomach.  Her arms were covered from her shoulders to wrists in scars.  Hundreds of small angry white lines.  I realized that this poor thing had inflicted each of these scars on herself at one time.  She had even carved a small heart into her chest which now shone white with the gleam of scar tissue.  I waned to scoop her up and tell her everything gets better and not to give up.  My heart melted and it became m mission to help this girl find a dress that would make her see some of her own beauty when she looked in the mirror.  It took some time and coaxing to get her to tell me what she liked but eventually we began to narrow things down.  Her mom and sister were so supportive of her.  Eventually, I pulled a dress off of one of the mannequins in the window and put her in it.  For the first time that day, I saw a smile on her face.  She began to shine and see herself in a new light.  Her shoulders held a little higher and her hair pulled back over her shoulders.  She didn't even try to cover herself with her hands but planted them firmly on her hips for a picture.  Her mom bought her the dress and they left the store happy.

I'd like to think that I made a small difference in her life, even if just for a short while.  I don't do these things because I want someone to remember me or think I'm amazing.  I don't even want to take any credit for finding the perfect dress for someone.  I do take a great deal of personal satisfaction in those little moments when I can make a girl see something special when she looks in the mirror.  If you have never taken the time to see the inner beauty in a random stranger, try it!  Once you see it, try to make them see what you see.  Sometimes all it takes is a little smile.

Beauty and the Beast: Girls Day Out

I haven't gotten around to writing about this yet but I wanted to make sure I get it down before I forget.  My mom recently too me, D and JH to see the stage production of Beauty and the Beast.  I was so excited to go as this has always been my favorite Disney movie.  My mom bought a block of 16 or 17 tickets for a bunch of different people to go including my boss and co-worker and their two daughters.  We went up to Calgary in the morning and did a bit of shopping and dinner before the show.  We first went to the Chinook mall and after spending 45 minutes trying to find a parking spot and losing JH in the process (she got out of the car to save us a spot but we got caught in traffic and lost her).  I was hoping to find some bits for my costume for Comicon this year but had no luck with that.  I was feeling a bit frustrated with the whole shopping experience by this point (I couldn't find what I wanted, the mall was crazy busy and we had lost D and JH...again) when I came across the most interesting store.  I literally stopped in my tracks and yelled "there's a hat store!"  It was this amazing little shop called Chapel and it was filled with the most incredible hats.  I spent a bunch of time trying on various hats and fascinators (including a $300 feather one) and finally settled on one to buy for myself.  We then managed to track down D and JH and then went back to the store and tried on more hats and D bought one for herself as well.  This will be a must stop place for me whenever I go to Calgary from now on.

My new hat!

D's fabulous new chapeau

We then went for dinner with a bunch of the other ladies that were going to the show and then headed off to the theatre.  Dinner took a little longer than we had planned for so D and I ended up changing into our dresses while driving to the show.  I would love to say that's the first time this has happened to this family but it seems to be somewhat of a tradition with us.  When we got to the theatre we met up with my boss and company.  We headed in to our seats and they were quite good.  We were on the first balcony first row so there were no heads to obscure our views.  Boss lady and the kids were one section over from us and one row up.  The kids were so excited to see the show and I noticed after a bit that the 2 seats next to me were unoccupied.  Whoever had purchased them (it was a sold out show) had not come for whatever reason so the kids moved down and sat next to me for the whole show.  It made it just that extra bit special as they still really see the magic in a show such as this.  We shared binoculars the whole show and I answered the odd question they had and the only fight we had was over the binoculars when Belle came out in the famous yellow dress.  We all wanted to be the first to see it.

A view from our seats pre-show

The show itself was great.  The costumes were incredible and it did capture the spirit of the movie I loved quite well.  I wasn't sure how I felt about Belle at first as she sang the opening number differently than what I am used to, but she soon grew on me.  Some of the things I really enjoyed about the show were the set changes.  They were so smooth and worked into the show with many of the dancers facilitating the changes and becoming part of the set as the action went on around them.  Lumiere was fabulous as was Gaston.  They both really stole the show.  The design of the sets and use of scrims, particularly when the wolf puppets were being used and during the final battle between the Beast and Gaston were ingenious.  I also really enjoyed the final transformation scene as the did some amazing wire work to keep it really close to the movie as well.  I think that scene was a little extra special from where I was sitting as one of the kids leaned over to me and whispered "how do they do that?".  My response of "magic" was met with wide eyed enthusiasm.

My favorite number of the show was "Gaston" as it featured some incredible choreography with steel beer steins that I don't know if many others really appreciate how difficult it was.  I found a video that shows a bit of what I'm talking about, although it is not the same cast I saw and a shorter version of it.

I did love the show overall, but I think that The Lion King was a better stage production.  JH and I were both happy that we still liked the Beast better as a beast than as a human in the stage show.  It was a nice day out with the female part of my family, even if it was about 2 am before we got home and I did have to work the next day.  Thanks to my awesome mom for keeping our girls day at the theatre tradition alive.

Crazy Life

Wow it's been forever since I've even had 5 minutes to update this.  Life has been way more than hectic lately.  Between work, rehearsal and life in general, I've barely even had a minute to breathe.

I celebrated my 31st birthday last week and it was pretty good.  I'm not sure how I feel about 31, but it's not like you can go back right?  J bought me a new cell phone (horay for joining the rest of the world!) and I love it!  How did I function without a smart phone before?  Just having the calendar app has saved my butt countless times this last week.  I had a great birthday though.  We went out to see a band play on my actual birthday (after rehearsal) and Saturday we went to dinner with a ton of friends.  Sunday, I got together with my family for a little birthday celebration and the most amazing cake made by my awesome sister, D.  Thanks D!  I loved my TARDIS cake and it was super yummy too!  Oh, and I also won week one of my fantasy football!

I am in the full swing of rehearsals for Oliver now.  Stage managing a cast of 74 people is a full time job in itself.  Yes, 74 people.  The orphans are all double cast in case you were wondering why there are so many as the run of the show is 3 weeks and that's a lot of time for any kid, let alone adult.  It a great cast to work with and once we get the scheduling bugs worked out things should run pretty smoothly.  As much as I'm enjoying it, I have to admit I'm tired and can't wait for it to be over.  Plus the songs are playing on a continuous loop in my head.

Yesterday was a really tough day.  J's uncle Davey was killed the day before my birthday in a really bad car accident.  He was a truck driver and was killed by another driver who crossed the center line and hit him.  The other driver was later discovered to be texting at the time.  Such a waste.  His funeral was yesterday and I didn't think it was going to be as hard as it was, but I broke down more than once. It's weird to say, but that was one of the best funerals I've ever been to.  Everything about it was just so...him.  From the coffin that was the same color as his truck and all chromed out to the funeral procession of motorbikes and semi trucks.  His sister and daughter gave the best memorial speeches.  They made us all laugh and cry.  There was even a guitar solo of Stairway to Heaven.  The part that really was the hardest for me was after the graveside service, my feet found their way to J's grandfathers grave.  He was such an amazing man and his loss still leaves us all very raw emotionally.  I was doing ok until my oldest nephew cam up beside me and put his arm through mine.  We stood there in silence for a minute and then I heard him sniff and I realized we were both crying.  J's dad came up behind us and put his arm around my nephew and we all just kind of crumbled into each other crying for a few minutes.  When I finally had the strength to loo around, I realized that the whole family was standing there and we were all crying.  We all miss him so much and losing Davey just made us all break down again.  But they are a strong family and we will all get through it.  J's mom and sister are amazing in situations like this.  They sweep in and make sure that all the things that need to be done are completed and that everyone is taken care of.  I admire their strength.  I am so grateful to be a part of this family.

So there's a little update on my crazy life.  It's been a week of ups and downs, but through it all, I think I've found a little more strength in myself through it all.

Anniversary "Traditions"

Yesterday J and I celebrated our 8th anniversary.  We also discovered a new anniversary tradition.

It started last year.  We left the house for breakfast and on our way we came across an accident.  An elderly gentleman on a bike had been hit by a car.  We pulled over and ran out to help.  I spent roughly 35 minutes kneeling in the middle if a busy road immobilizing his head while an off duty paramedic checked him over and J directed traffic.  We stayed until the ambulance and police showed up and then we quietly headed on our way.  (The man was ok.  He had a slight shoulder injury but was coherent and has since recovered fine, although I haven't seen him on a bike since.)  Needless to say, we didn't make it to breakfast, but we did a good deed.

Yesterday we left the house and went for lunch and on our way back we came across a guy whose truck had stalled in a very bad place on a very busy street and he was trying to push it uphill to get it off the road.  Without even discussing it, we pulled the car over and jumped out to help.  4 other people stopped to help as well and then a truck pulled over with a tow rope and we quickly hooked him up and got him off the road.

Now J and I are the type of people who always stop to help.  If we see a car on the side of the road, we pull over.  We hold doors open for people.  We boost cars regularly.  And now we joke about our new anniversary tradition of doing at least one good deed and then fading into the background like some superhero.

Here's to many many more years of keeping this tradition alive.

Turning Back Time With Winnie The Pooh

I had the pleasure of taking my 2-year-old niece, Ms. A, to her first movie today.  Since she is a big Winnie the Pooh fan and so am I it seemed like a natural choice for her first trip to the movie theatre.  We both loved the movie!  Her first movie was a huge success.

I have to say that the choice to do this film in classic 2D animation was brilliant.  I got very nostalgic watching the pages of the book turn and the words being visible on the corners of the screen at various points in the movie.  I loved the way they blended A.A. Milne's original stories together the way the first Pooh film did.

Jim Cummings played Pooh and Tigger and was stupendous as ever.  Mind you, he's been playing these characters for years and has a voice acting history that spans countless years and amazing films.  Bud Lucky was new to the Eeyore voice and did a respectable job.  He captured the gloominess of Eeyore, but I could tell it was a new Eeyore voice right away.  John Cleese was a fantastic narrator and I particularly enjoyed the scene at the beginning where he tries to get Pooh out of bed.

However, there were a few things that I really didn't like in the film.  Craig Ferguson as Owl was very disappointing.  I understand movie companies wanting to included big name voices in films to sell more tickets, but in this case I felt it wasn't needed.  It's Winnie the Pooh!  People will see it for that reason alone.  I felt this version of Owl was missing his smug, yet very innocent superiority.  He came across as, well, kind of a dick.  He was the cause of most of the confusion in the film and it almost came across as though he was aware that he had messed up instead of being genuinely ignorant of his faults.  I don't blame Ferguson for this.  I think it was a poor casting choice and a bit of bad writing.  They really didn't need to hammer the "Back Soon/Backson" joke down the kids throats.  I think the point of Pooh for the young ones is figuring things out with the characters and seeing how their imaginations can take them on crazy and silly adventures.  I also wasn't the biggest fan of newcomer Jack Boulter as Christopher Robin.  Maybe I'm too much of a nostalgic fool, but I really think they didn't need to mess with the perfection of the original film.

Overall, this was a great movie.  I will watch it again and probably again.  It was a great first film for my "Auntie" date and a nice return to my childhood for an hour and ten minutes.  Stay for the credits, the pictures are worth it.

8 honeypots out of 10

"Wicked" Saturday

I had the pleasure of getting to see Broadway Across Canada's version of "Wicked: The Musical" yesterday. I have been wanting to see this show since it first came out as I read Gregory Maguire's book years ago.  When my Mom heard it was coming to our area, she decided to organize a girls day out with me, my sister and sister-in-law. Since I majored in Technical Theatre in University I find myself watching stage productions with a much different eye than most people.  I find myself always sitting down in the theatre and checking out the types of lights in the roof, where they are focused and looking for the little details that reveal what may be coming later.  I was in awe of the stage to start with.  The Time Dragon set was impressive and I spent the first few minutes looking at it closely through a pair of binoculars.

It really is a magnificent design.  I could tell that the dragon itself was going to be mobile and that we would be in for a treat of moving set pieces and I wasn't disappointed.  I was also intrigued to see spotlights and operators hidden in the set pieces on both sides of the stage.  I was curious how they would be used as the angle they could light at was obviously very steep and would create drastic shadows.  Once the show started, I realized how those shadows where a well designed part of the show.

The cast I saw was incredible!  It consisted of an excellent assortment of well-decorated actors and dancers including a former cast member from So You Think You Can Dance (Natalie). I was most impressed with Anne Brummel who played Elphaba.  Her voice was so powerful and her stage presence was immense.  She really embodied the character well.  All of the cast was really excellent, but she really stood out.  The design of every aspect of this show was very impressive.  The set was amazing and a character unto itself.  The costumes blew my mind.  I particularly loved Elphaba's costume near the end of the show and one of the black and white dresses from the "Dancing Through Life" number.  The projections were fabulously done and created very real moments, particularly in the rain scene.  Above all, I loved the lighting.  I'm a bit of a lighting snob since it was my focus in school, but I loved the design on this show.  Kenneth Posner made excellent use of color and moving lights.  There was a very powerful moment at the end of Act one where Elphaba flies for the first time and the lighting was amazing.  I loved that she almost looked like a floating head in a sea of black with all of the lights focused on her body and amazing shadows cast below.

In short, I loved the show and I am very grateful that I not only got to see it, but share it with some pretty awesome women.  Fingers crossed out next outing will be to "Beauty and the Beast" in December.  For now, I'll just try defying gravity!

A Day I'll Never Forget.

Work has been stressful lately to say the least.  We have lost our head seamstress so I have had to step in and take care of the alterations full time now as well as try to make sure the floor runs smoothly.  The manager of our sister store has given her notice and we are losing another of our senior staff soon to maternity leave.  So with all that going on I have been quite stressed lately.  Two days ago we got an interesting phone call at work.  A gentleman called wanting to book an appointment for himself to look at gowns.  Although this isn't the first time we've had a guy shopping for gowns, this was a different case and unique unto itself.  He stressed that he is not gay and isn't getting married, he just likes to wear women's clothing.  I volunteered to take the appointment and we booked him to come in after the store closed to shop.  I will admit I was a little nervous.  For some reason I would have felt a lot better if he was gay.  Stupid I know but I was worried about being alone in the store with a guy after hours.  We arranged the schedule so that someone would be with me and my husband volunteered to come in and sit in the staff room in case there was any trouble.  We didn't need to worry.

"Bob" came in right as we closed up the store and was way more nervous than me.  He once again stated that he is not gay and that he was a little nervous because no one knows that he does this except for us and a sales girl at a bra specialty shop.  He wanted to buy a wedding gown for himself, not because he's getting married, but just because he enjoys wearing women's clothing and what's more feminine than a wedding gown.  We chatted for a bit and then I let him pick out some gowns.  We are full service so I was in the dressing room with him helping him put on gowns.  I have to admit it is always weird seeing a man in a wedding gown.  They aren't built for a man's body and look strange across the chest.  But after trying on a bunch and giving him some of the best service I'm sure he's ever had we found him the perfect gown!  It was great to help him feel special even if it was a little odd.  He was extremely grateful and wanted to know if it was ok to tip me.  That's the first time anyone has asked me that.  So "Bob", thanks for making the appointment comfortable for both of us and I hope the gown helps give you the feeling you're looking for.  It's always nice to bring a little joy into someone's life no matter the circumstance.  I hope one day you will feel comfortable enough to let other's know that wearing women's clothes on occasion is part of who you are.

Buster Keaton Marathon

I had the privilege of going to a Buster Keaton silent film festival recently in a historic movie theatre.  I was very excited to go and was not disappointed.  The films were accompanied by a local pianist who composed the music himself and it was truly a joy to behold.  I was very happy to see the turn out for the film as it was much higher than the Godzilla double feature that they had at the same theatre before.  I was also happy to see how many people brought their kids for this once in a lifetime experience.

We got to the theatre a little late due to the hour drive and me getting away from work late, but we still got pretty decent seats, even if they are very very old and uncomfortable seats.  It's a really neat old theatre that still boasts a balchony.  The pianist got up and introduced the films and told us of his love of silent films and why he choose to spend the time to compose new music to them and then the films got underway.

We started with one of Buster Keaton's last short films called The Ballonatic which is a fun romp about a young man's misadventures with women, the wild and a hot air balloon.  I found myself quickly forgetting that there was a man on the corner of the stage with a piano and getting drawn into the film.  It was really neat to have so many kids there because they really got into it and were giggling away.  I particularly enjoyed the scene with the bear stalking him in the woods  Next was a feature film that is on the list of the top films you must see before you die: Sherlock Jr.

If you haven't seen this film you really must.  It is amazing!  It was directed by Buster Keaton in 1924 and is filled with brilliant moments and special effect that are mind blowing when you think of the time period they were made in.  There is a particularly brilliant moment in the film where Buster's character (a film projectionist with dreams of being a detective) falls asleep and dreams of walking into the movie screen and interacting with the characters.  It is so well done that my jaw dropped when I saw it.  I found a clip that featured some great moments from the film.

Interesting fact:  Buster Keaton broke his neck in the first scene of this video when the water him his body and drove him hard into the railroad tracks, but he didn't realize it for years.  In the scene where he enters the movie screen, his camera man used surveyors equipment to position him properly between the cuts.  It's pretty amazing.  I'm very glad I got to have this once in a lifetime experience and I wish that the pianist could have played all night so we could have watched more films.

A Dream Fulfilled

It has always been a dream of mine to attend DragonCon, not for the convention itself, but for one man who is a fixture at that convention.  He is one of my favorite artists and his works adorn every room in my house. I have a huge collection of prints, lithographs, books, comics, cards and figures.  J has tracked me down rarities and autographs by him for years, in fact his first gift to me was a graphic novel by this artist.  Who is this man you ask.  Joseph Micheal Linsner.  And he's coming to the Con I have tickets for.

This picture perfectly illustrates why I love his work.  This is his greatest character.  She is called Dawn and she's the Goddess.  If any comic woman deserves to be perfect it would be her, after all she is a god.  Here is where JML differs from all the other artists out there.  Look closely at this picture.  There are a few very striking things about it that make it stand out from all the other comic book females out there.  My favorite little detail, the little crease at her tummy.  I also love that her breasts look real.  Not pointing to the sky at impossible angles or so big that she couldn't possibly stand up.  He has this amazing eye for the female form and creates images that just make me happy.  I can't wait to meet him and maybe even see if he'll do a sketch for me.  I came eerily close to abandoning my costume when I found this out yesterday so I  could do the Dawn and Death costumes J and I always talked about doing, but there simply isn't enough time to do them right.

We'll still do this someday and maybe even do it at DragonCon in the Dawn look-a-like contest, but for now I am just happy to get the chance to shake his hand.

Looking Forward.

Eleven days.  Eleven days, 14 hours and 50 some minutes to be exact.  That's how long I have to wait until the next series of Doctor Who.  I am so excited I can hardly wait. I have been trying really hard not to read to many spoilers on the net, but I have been looking at a lot of behind the scenes and preview stuff.  I am most excited for Episode 4 entitled "The Doctor's Wife" as it was written by one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman.  I came across a quote that Neil said regarding Doctor Who and I think it sums up the show perfectly.

"No, look! There’s a blue box, it’s bigger on the inside, it can go anywhere in space and time, sometimes even where it’s supposed to. There’s a bloke in the box, he’s called ‘The Doctor’ and when he gets where he’s going there’s going to be a problem and he’ll try to solve it and he’ll probably succeed because he’s awesome. Now shut up and go watch ‘Blink."

On another note... I found feathers today for my costume.  Now they aren't exactly what I wanted, but they will do.  I really wanted coque feathers but they are impossible to find here and I'm a little leary of ordering them online because I'm afraid I won't get what I thought I was going to get.  I settled for hackles but at least they are the right color and don't look like cheap craft feathers.  Now is the hard part, I have to separate them and re-string them mixing the red in with the black and then attaching them to the corset.  I'm glad I have a couple of months to do this.