About ten years ago I met this nice guy. He was a bit of a nerd, he was sweet, & I liked him. On our first date he took me to see some kids movie about a little boy who found out he was a wizard. I had heard about the books but I figured they were just for 10 year old children. Almost as soon as the movie was finished I wanted to read the books. I was wrong! These books weren't just for kids. They were well written & the story they held took us on an adventure of a lifetime.
Our imaginations were opened wider & deeper than we ever thought they could go. There wasn't such a thing as "impossible". Life opened up into something more that was filled with magic & not just the kind of spells,wands, & potions but of something deeper in what real friends are made of. Kids learned to believe in themselves a little stronger. Adults learned to listen a little deeper to the kid inside of them (some of us never stopped listening). Life became just a little more fun because we were waving wands about the place.
The deeper I went into the world of Hogwarts & strolled the streets of Diagon Alley (with a few turns down Knockturn Alley) the more I loved it. We laughed when the characters that had become our friends were happy. We wept at their losses & even screamed at the books when the worst things imaginable happened. We grew with their strengths & sometimes struggled to understand our own weaknesses in them. We knew how to relate to them better than the outside world at times.
I will never forget how I felt the first time I watched Harry pick up his wand. I have my husband to thank for introducing me to the madness of Hogwarts, the love of the Burrow, & the power that is the Dark Lord.
Now that the end is here, we will be gathered together with friends dressed as our favorite characters. We will cry as we did when we read the books. For me it has been ten years but for the children that read the books from the beginning it has been even longer & they are now grown up. The end might be here as far as the movies are concerned but the magic will live on in us forever.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Doctor Who for Kids & Adults
Doctor Who & hiding behind the couch. Is it still a show for the entire family? YES! As as child I found the monsters terrifying & many old school Whovians will tell you the same thing. The saying about hiding behind the sofa comes from days even earlier than when Tom Baker fought off monsters with Jelly Babies. I didn’t hide behind the couch, I sat next to my mom & would put my head under the lap blanket that stayed on the couch & would bury my face in the couch itself. I was scared that if I left the safety of the sofa that the monsters would get me.
Now as adults the monsters are just as scary but now we don’t have to ignore the zippers. There are stronger sets, better designs & writers that have been fans of the show since early childhood. True the show has taken on a darker aspect but if you look back to some of the episodes that you loved as a child your favorites are probably the ones that terrified you to the point of almost peeing your pants on more than one occasion.
We love to be scared! Why do you think there are so many horror films being release every other day? We enjoy being terrified but at the same time always knowing that there is a hero that will save the day & rescue us all from the monsters. It doesn’t matter how dark it may get or how terrible things might seem, we know the Doctor will swoop down in his Blue Box & make everything good prevail in the face of darkness & evil. That Mad Man With A Box shows the goodness we have within ourselves to make the universe a better place to live in.
The show was always intended for children & has been a family show. It has been ridiculous at times & makes us laugh no matter what our age. It has also made us cry & touched on subjects that might seem a bit mature for younger audiences. I feel though it’s giving us a healthy platform to use to talk to our children about such things as depression, homosexuality, loss or even death & how we can help each other through our personal problems & conquer fears. There are subjects that other ‘family’ shows are afraid to touch but I don’t think there has come a subject yet that is too taboo for Doctor Who.
Throughout the years The Doctor has made me feel more at home in my own skin than I felt on my own. No matter which actor is playing the part there is always something that touches my very soul when I see him in action. He shows that actions speak louder than words but gives such depth & meaning to his words that you wonder how anyone could shoulder the weight of them.
Yes there are terrible episodes & there have been writers that deserve to be strung up for the travesty they forced upon our beloved show. Even then we have fun laughing at their terribleness & have been shown in the case of the 1996 movie that it could have been so much worse. Still today when watching old episodes I chuckle when the sets shake or when the obviousness of the green screen gives it a bit of a cheesy factor. Those are the episodes nearest & dearest to my own heart because of the memories I hold with them from childhood. I wonder sometimes if my fear of spiders didn’t come from Planet of the Spiders ‘cause it scared me so much. That takes me right back to the beginning. We love being scared & I remember one day playing with a granddaddy long-leg & the next day being terrified that they would jump on me.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Apocalypse When?
It’s been a while since I wrote anything & I know that I have a ton of nerdy things I should have written about but I picked something not quite so nerdy that I needed to rant about this time.
For those that actually thought that the rapture was going to happen May 21st at 6pm I wonder if they ever actually read a Bible at any time in their lives or if they just believed what ever bullshit that someone else told them to believe. God said that no one would know the day or the hour and when God says “I have a secret” you had better believe it’s a secret! I mean it’s not like he was mister subtle about other crap in that book of His. He laid down the law pretty heavy in the Old Testament. In the New Testament He chilled out a bit but He still told us everything He wanted us to know. He knows us & knows that if we knew exactly when He was coming back that we would party non stop & be complete douche bags until the very last minute. Part of me wants to feel sorry for those that believed the rapture was going to happen today but then another part of me just laughs at their stupidity. I’ve read reports of suicides of people devastated that it didn’t happen. Once again I want to feel sorry for them but then I think evolution is weeding out the stupid. God calls for us to be compassionate but I know that is one place where I fall VERY short. I know I am far from perfect but God knows I try ‘cause I talk with Him on a regular basis. If you aren’t a believer then don’t judge me ‘cause I’m not going to judge you. We all have our difference in opinions & beliefs & to each his own but there are times when certain religious groups make a bad name for the rest of the world....maybe even the universe. I do hope that you won’t judge all Christians as being complete basket cases because some crazy group decided to follow some nut job that said his math was right in predicting God’s actions.
Besides when I go to heaven it's going to be in the TARDIS. Ya know, just sayin'.
For those that actually thought that the rapture was going to happen May 21st at 6pm I wonder if they ever actually read a Bible at any time in their lives or if they just believed what ever bullshit that someone else told them to believe. God said that no one would know the day or the hour and when God says “I have a secret” you had better believe it’s a secret! I mean it’s not like he was mister subtle about other crap in that book of His. He laid down the law pretty heavy in the Old Testament. In the New Testament He chilled out a bit but He still told us everything He wanted us to know. He knows us & knows that if we knew exactly when He was coming back that we would party non stop & be complete douche bags until the very last minute. Part of me wants to feel sorry for those that believed the rapture was going to happen today but then another part of me just laughs at their stupidity. I’ve read reports of suicides of people devastated that it didn’t happen. Once again I want to feel sorry for them but then I think evolution is weeding out the stupid. God calls for us to be compassionate but I know that is one place where I fall VERY short. I know I am far from perfect but God knows I try ‘cause I talk with Him on a regular basis. If you aren’t a believer then don’t judge me ‘cause I’m not going to judge you. We all have our difference in opinions & beliefs & to each his own but there are times when certain religious groups make a bad name for the rest of the world....maybe even the universe. I do hope that you won’t judge all Christians as being complete basket cases because some crazy group decided to follow some nut job that said his math was right in predicting God’s actions.
Besides when I go to heaven it's going to be in the TARDIS. Ya know, just sayin'.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
My path to finding inner beauty
I've done so much since I posted last & this rant isn't going to be much about being a geek. Well sort of, but not really.
I've been looking back on myself, how I have changed physically, spiritually, & mentally. Changing inwardly has taken a serious toll on how I appear physically. I was the awkward child all elbows & knees, uncomfortable in my own skin proverbially & physically. I knew I wasn't an attractive child but I tried to at least be cute. Once I finally grew up a little into my late teens early twenties I managed to have that cuteness. At which point I was already viewed by too many as the "sweet cute sister" type. I wanted more so I pressed on to search out how to become sexy, little did I know that it was something that would come at a price. I lost my innocence that made me so loving, forgiving, wondering, exploring life & the world around me with such sweetness that would put a diabetic into a coma. I had foolishly entered a marriage with a foolish man. My heart was shattered & my soul was crushed but it wasn't until I was physically beaten that I became wise enough to leave.
As I left & closed the door to that part of my life, I unknowingly closed the door to the part of me that was cute. I gained knowledge that comes from making harsh mistakes but it made me walk with an all new confidence. Gaining that confidence is when I was first called "sexy". I spent time & effort to keep my physical appearance up to that level of sexy but a piece of me longed for the ease of cuteness that had become a natural part of me.
I found a good man & fell in love. By the time I had met him, I had made a list of all the basic things I wanted in a man: No tobacco or any kind of drug use, not a musician, must have a steady job & not just something at a gas station but a good career, a great sense of humor that understood my own, not a father 'cause I was tired of getting attached to the kids then finding out their dad was an ass. My husband met all of the basic requirements & more. He has made me laugh so much since I met him, that I have laugh lines around my mouth.
A few years after marrying him I became very sick. My misdiagnosed genetic condition had finally caught up with me & my body declared it would take no more. I spent the better part of 2 years in the hospital & my spirit withered. Being ill in such a manner will change a persons entire self. My physical form changed as I was stuck as an invalid for so long & so did my mental state. I have mentioned to some about when I knew I was about to die. I remember praying that God give me the strength to tell my family that I loved them before I died. That was my last thought before waking a day later much to the relief of everyone around. My spirit was never quite the same after that.
Some time later I realized that I no longer had the "sexy" I did before. I was old (or I felt old) sick & my body had lost so much muscle that my shape had become altered. I also had a lot of IV holes in me which didn't help. My husband would tell me that I was sexy but as others can tell you; our husbands often see us with their hearts not their eyes. I am thankful he sees me with his heart & at the same time I have taken on the attitude of the old married woman.
In the hardships I have faced & the knowledge & security that I am loved no matter what I look like on the outside, I have found what it really means to have true inner beauty. That beauty shows outwardly & though I no longer have that cute smile or those sexy mischievous eyes, I have found that I can look in the mirror & see a beautiful creature. I may not always be happy with how my hair looks or, the blemishes I still get on my face even though I'm in my 30s, or the fact that I now have cellulite that came from being stuck in a hospital bed. I might get frustrated at my laugh lines from time to time but I wouldn't trade them for the world. They remind me of how much laughter my husband has brought into my life.
I would love for other women to realize their own true beauty. It shines throughout & makes the world around them a more beautiful place to live in. No one & nothing can make you more or less beautiful than you already are. And you know what? The Doctor was one that helped me come to that realization. Wow I almost went an entire rant with out mentioning my beloved Doctor, that almost never happens. I think that if I could use the TARDIS & go back to my teens to tell myself one thing, it would be to always believe in myself no matter what. I think The Doctor would be okay with that.
I've been looking back on myself, how I have changed physically, spiritually, & mentally. Changing inwardly has taken a serious toll on how I appear physically. I was the awkward child all elbows & knees, uncomfortable in my own skin proverbially & physically. I knew I wasn't an attractive child but I tried to at least be cute. Once I finally grew up a little into my late teens early twenties I managed to have that cuteness. At which point I was already viewed by too many as the "sweet cute sister" type. I wanted more so I pressed on to search out how to become sexy, little did I know that it was something that would come at a price. I lost my innocence that made me so loving, forgiving, wondering, exploring life & the world around me with such sweetness that would put a diabetic into a coma. I had foolishly entered a marriage with a foolish man. My heart was shattered & my soul was crushed but it wasn't until I was physically beaten that I became wise enough to leave.
As I left & closed the door to that part of my life, I unknowingly closed the door to the part of me that was cute. I gained knowledge that comes from making harsh mistakes but it made me walk with an all new confidence. Gaining that confidence is when I was first called "sexy". I spent time & effort to keep my physical appearance up to that level of sexy but a piece of me longed for the ease of cuteness that had become a natural part of me.
I found a good man & fell in love. By the time I had met him, I had made a list of all the basic things I wanted in a man: No tobacco or any kind of drug use, not a musician, must have a steady job & not just something at a gas station but a good career, a great sense of humor that understood my own, not a father 'cause I was tired of getting attached to the kids then finding out their dad was an ass. My husband met all of the basic requirements & more. He has made me laugh so much since I met him, that I have laugh lines around my mouth.
A few years after marrying him I became very sick. My misdiagnosed genetic condition had finally caught up with me & my body declared it would take no more. I spent the better part of 2 years in the hospital & my spirit withered. Being ill in such a manner will change a persons entire self. My physical form changed as I was stuck as an invalid for so long & so did my mental state. I have mentioned to some about when I knew I was about to die. I remember praying that God give me the strength to tell my family that I loved them before I died. That was my last thought before waking a day later much to the relief of everyone around. My spirit was never quite the same after that.
Some time later I realized that I no longer had the "sexy" I did before. I was old (or I felt old) sick & my body had lost so much muscle that my shape had become altered. I also had a lot of IV holes in me which didn't help. My husband would tell me that I was sexy but as others can tell you; our husbands often see us with their hearts not their eyes. I am thankful he sees me with his heart & at the same time I have taken on the attitude of the old married woman.
In the hardships I have faced & the knowledge & security that I am loved no matter what I look like on the outside, I have found what it really means to have true inner beauty. That beauty shows outwardly & though I no longer have that cute smile or those sexy mischievous eyes, I have found that I can look in the mirror & see a beautiful creature. I may not always be happy with how my hair looks or, the blemishes I still get on my face even though I'm in my 30s, or the fact that I now have cellulite that came from being stuck in a hospital bed. I might get frustrated at my laugh lines from time to time but I wouldn't trade them for the world. They remind me of how much laughter my husband has brought into my life.
I would love for other women to realize their own true beauty. It shines throughout & makes the world around them a more beautiful place to live in. No one & nothing can make you more or less beautiful than you already are. And you know what? The Doctor was one that helped me come to that realization. Wow I almost went an entire rant with out mentioning my beloved Doctor, that almost never happens. I think that if I could use the TARDIS & go back to my teens to tell myself one thing, it would be to always believe in myself no matter what. I think The Doctor would be okay with that.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
My first Dragon*Con Experience
To sum up my first Dragon*Con in one word....WOW! From the moment I walked into the main hotels I was overwhelmed. I asked some friends that had been multiple times how does one not get overwhelmed. They simply replied “You don’t”. I don’t think it is possible to not get overwhelmed by everything going on.
Day one was Thursday. I wanted to be there for the Girls of the Con calendar release party so I made sure I was there early. I stood in line for a couple of hours to get my pass but I heard that it soon turned into a 5-6 hour ordeal. Standing in line with someone I was familiar with made time go by easier but I found that many of us soon stuck up many conversations about all of our fandoms. I then got cleaned up & went walking around to try to get familiar with where everything was going to be. Everywhere I went people were friendly & all interested in what other peoples fandoms were & how many times other people had attended the event.
That night the party for Girls of the Con happened with the Con Sluts & the CON-tourage event & it seemed complete madness. I met so many new wonderful people & from time to time started seeing some old familiar faces. Parties continued into the night but I had already been awake for about 30 hours as I had worked the night before. I knew that sleep was going to be needed in order to make it to everything I wanted on Friday. I managed to get about 6 hours before I was up again, eager to see & do everything possible.
Dressed in my Bellatrix Lestrange costume I found very few Potter fans through the day but I was able to make it to many panels. I got to meet Frazer Hines & he told some of the best stories about back stage on set of Doctor Who. We got to hear about other actors from the set as well as about Patrick Troughton. Frazier was such an animated speaker, full of life & laughter & gave us many laughs. It was difficult to get a clear picture of him though while he was talking. I wanted to capture the expressions on his face while he spoke but he couldn’t stand still long enough for that to happen.
With some friends that I had met at TimeGate I walked around the walk of fame room. I was amazed at some of the stars there. Paul McGillion is more good looking in person than he was on Stargate Atlantis. It took me back a second when he reached across the table to shake my hand how really good looking he is. The “Weasley Twins” James & Oliver Phelps are just the cutest things but I must confess I think they were cuter as gingers. Saul Rubinek was there with other members of the Warehouse 13 cast but he was the only one that I really cared about.
I walked around & saw other stars, looked at many of the vendors & saw a lot of fun costumes. I went on a constant ‘go’. I got lost multiple times trying to find my way from one place to another. Sometimes I would start walking in one direction & have to stop for a picture & after a few dozen flashes I’d start walking again only to realize I had no idea which way I was originally walking. I found the Girls of the Con table once on Friday & that was by accident & wasn’t sure how to get back to it again. I rested about an hour early Saturday morning before I started getting ready for the next costume.
I marched with Girls of the Con in The Parade even though the Brit-track people kept asking me to march with them. I was proud to represent the calendar so I was going to be with the girls. If I had been with the British Track people they would have only been 4 people behind the 501st in number. So I think next year Doctor Who might just beat Star Wars in the parade & I think the 501st always have the most people when it comes to the parade. Right after the parade the Doctor Who costumers all did a photo session with a few videos. We did the biggest group hug & we had a HUGE group shot of everyone in costume. The entire convention I tried to get photos of every Doctor I found. There were all sorts of Doctors, companions, & villains in this group that I couldn’t keep track of how many Doctors there were.
I have decided that if I go back to Dragon*Con & wear the Miss Hartigan costume again, I am going to have a “handler”. I’ll get a friend help me get from one place to another because I couldn’t maneuver from one place to another. I was late to everything that I attended & couldn’t even think about going to the Doctor Who panels that day because they were located too far away from the main hotels. I was afraid I was going to miss getting to meet one of my favorite authors Jim Butcher. I did miss his signings but I was fortunate enough to get to one of the panels he was in. I was late but I only missed the first few minutes & I thought once it was done I could get him to sign my book.
The Dresden Files has become one of my favorite series of books. I was determined that I had to get him to sign at least one of the hard backs that I had taken with me. I had carried his latest book Changes around with me as well as one that his wife had written. I walked into the room where the panel was being held & tried as best as I could to slip into a seat where I could see everything but not be too conspicuous in that big red dress. I took up 2-3 chairs with that dress but it seemed as though everyone was trying hard to see yet make room for everyone else. It was a very interesting panel discussing gender verses sexuality of characters. I had only heard of a couple of the other authors but I enjoyed their views.
After the panel people were very quick to get to moving. A few people went up to the front & were having their books signed but Jim Butcher disappeared very quickly from sight. I was feeling a little disappointed & decided to quickly slip out the side door & see what other panels there were that I could enjoy. I then see Jim sitting in a corner with his handler. He had set his stuff down & a line of about 20 people had formed & he was signing anything people handed him. I was so tickled that I was going to get him to sign my book after all. While standing in line I saw some friends I had made Thursday & they noticed I was grinning like a maniac from ear to ear. They asked me what had me so happy & I had to giggle. I pointed at Jim Butcher & then at my book & said “Yes I know I’m being all sad little fan girl but I’m more excited about meeting one of my favorite authors than I am about most actors.” Then when it came my turn I had to apologize to Jim for being such a pathetic fan girl. I then told him I made a City Of Heroes character named Pathetic Fangirl who’s dream is to some day work for UNIT or to help “A certain wizard from the phone book solve a mystery.” He then asked me about the newest expansion of going Rogue & I got to tell him about how it plays. He said he is going to have to log on to play it & said that I will have to look him up so Harry can run missions with my character. I had to look at him odd & ask seriously?!?! We talked about the servers we play on & he liked my little nod to his character so he said he would team with me. I got my picture taken with him & I let him move onto other fans. Before he left the hallway many of us fans got into discussions about the last book & how we screamed at the ending. Jim laughed & said his mission had been accomplished because if that didn’t have us screaming then nothing would. I told him I almost threw the book across the room & that I cursed him once it was done. He laughed quite hard & said that we couldn’t do anything to him or we wouldn’t get to find out what happened.
Finally finding the Girls of the Con table again I periodically stopped by just to sit for a bit but kept getting pulled from one place to another by friends I had made there or from other conventions. I even found a wooden paneled K-9, which I had to pet & talk to of course. Any & every time there were more Doctor Who people I had to take pictures of or with them. Sometimes I didn’t get a picture myself because so many other people were taken pictures of us, yet another reason why I need a handler.
I went to one of the parties that the CON-tourage was throwing since they were partnered with Girls of the Con. It was hot & muggy but people still didn’t understand why I didn’t want to partake in the consumption of alcohol while I was in that dress. I thought it was a no brainer but drunks can’t be reasoned with. It was when night time came that my headache began because of all the football guys. It is something that I am told happens every year. Big football games happen at the same time as Dragon*Con & a bunch of drunk football fans tried to bully their way into the party as I was leaving. I wanted to throw one of the guys over the banister as he called out for me to show him my “titties”. I had to wait on an elevator empty enough for me to fit in & had to put up with the stupid football guys attempting to act cool by making fun of all the nerds.
Once the hotel staff began to ask for Dragon*Con badges in order to enter, I had a much easier time getting around with out being hassled. I ran into more friends that I had met at other conventions & just enjoyed the night talking with them. Time passed so quickly that before I knew it, Sunday morning was upon us. I made myself lay down for a couple of hours but I couldn’t sleep much because I was afraid I was going to miss something. I made it to more panels, mainly Doctor Who & talked with more friends. I didn’t wear a costume, just regular pants & a Doctor Who t-shirt. I ran into people I met when I was dressed as Bellatrix & they almost didn’t recognize me with out the crazy hair & make-up.
Being in regular clothes & no longer taking up the space of 3 people, I was able to check out the vendors & see all the neato stuff that people were selling. Some of the sales people at their booths were a bit too pushy. One man tried to sell me comic books that I wasn’t remotely interested in but was still willing to sell them at half price. I had a woman try to convince me that her necklaces would look great on me. I almost told her that I can make my own for less than what she was trying to sell them to me for. Still it was fun getting to look at all the fun, pretty, spiffy, funny, & cool stuff. I had fun just walking around with friends & getting to talk with everyone in between panels.
I did see things that I wish I could unsee. There were some disturbing costumes, there were the most awesome costumes. Some were sexy, some were well done. Then there were the ones who wanted to be sexy but missed greatly & were just a bit sad. Some people had spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on their costumes. Some were bought, some were hand made. Some were clever & well thought out & I think some were thrown together last minute.
All in all I had a blast. I loved almost every minute I spent there. I believe I would like to go again but next time I know what I would do differently. I still think I prefer the smaller conventions like ConNooga & TimeGate but the wow factor of Dragon*Con makes me feel like I must return at least once.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Costuming & Conventions
As a child I always loved costuming. When I was 5 my mom made me the Little Orphan Annie dress & it was my absolute favorite thing in the world to wear. Then she made me the blue dress with the white pinafore apron from Alice In Wonderland. I would do a few Halloween costumes but we didn't celebrate it much as a kid. One costume that really sticks out in my mind was when I dressed up as Jeannie from I Dream Of Jeannie.
Then I grew up & as The Doctor says...You never want to do that. As a teenager I was a closet geek & wished for the guts to dress up again. I had very few friends & I was afraid of what people would think it they knew. (Yes I say that a lot.)
Once I was in my 20s I started dressing up again but just for Halloween. It started out mild as Wednesday Addams, then Morticia. I had fun making costumes & had to work really hard to make Ariel, The Little Mermaid costume. I wanted to do more complex costumes so I turned to the best & most talented seamstress I have ever met, my Mom.
She would sew the really hard items while explaining to me what she was doing while I watched her every move. Or she would stand over my shoulder & tell me what to do step by step teaching me as I went. It makes me nervous when she does that but it really does teach me a lot.
Together we made Bat Girl one year then we did Harley Quinn. Mys sister & I got the idea to dress up together & our mom agreed to help us make the costumes if we would make special appearances in them for the kids at church. It was such a small price to pay that we readily agreed. My sister is blond so she went as Rainbow Bright & I was original Strawberry Shortcake with my lovely red hair. We had a blast & had professional pictures done just for our mom.
I got very ill for a few years & was unable to do much of anything. When God healed me I came back full force stronger than ever. I wanted to do everything & finally sat down to make a costume I had thought about for years but had not yet done. I made my own Poison Ivy costume. It was one of those tedious projects that was made fun by knowing how awesome it would look in the end. I walked around with various friends on Halloween & discovered that not many non-geeks really understood who I was dressed as. Too many people thought I was Eve with out my Adam or just some tree/plant lady. I had the same experience with the Harley Quinn costume being called a jester or just a Harlequin. Silly me thought that since Poison Ivy had been around longer & had greater exposure to the normals out there that she would be a little more popular. Once again the normals of the world disappointed me. That is part of what made me decide to try out going to a convention.
I had heard that the local fandom conventions were just drunk fests for geeks to gather & grope one another. I had even been told my those close to me that I wouldn't like conventions, but I wanted to give them a try for myself. I did a bit of research & got word that a newer multi-fandom con in the area was better than the others. I went in with fairly low expectations but I wore my Poison Ivy costume anyways & barely in the door when people were wanting my picture.
We walked all over & saw multiple vendors with lots of cool toys & collectible stuff. Which is great but even better, I found a group of people that I can call MY people. One guy ran 3 panel discussions all relating to my unhealthy obsession Doctor Who. There was really a place for me here! People didn't judge me & I met those that knew even more about The Doctor than I did.
My best friend & I went to many other panels but the ones that I remember the most were the Harry Potter discussions & the Whoniverse related talks. Oh & there was a great B movie Fistful of Brains- A western zombie film. I met so many wonderful people & for once, didn't feel like an outsider. There were room parties but for most people, that was where the drinking stayed & wasn't excessive.
All of us dressed in various costumes, you never knew what you were going to see next from The Cult of Snuggie to a group of Stormtroopers marching through the parking lot. Some costumes were store bought but many were hand made. Some were cheap & simple & some had spent hundreds of dollars & so complex that I had to wonder how much time it had taken to make them.
One year later I'm helping run the Doctor Who panels & volunteering to work the convention. We told the man who put ConNooga together how a small group of us had formed into a Doctor Who "fan club" because of the 2009 con. We had a fan table to help promote the love of all things T.A.R.D.I.S. related in the Tennessee Who Authority. For 2010I didn't have a Doctor Who costume so I wore my older costumes. One day I was Strawberry Shortcake & the next Bellatrix Lestrange costume that I do for the Harry Potter movies. I enjoyed being polar opposites from one day to the next.
My enjoyment of the convention grew so much that I decided to branch out & go with friends to TimeGate 2010. I felt as though someone had made a convention just for me. It was Doctor Who, Stargate, with a splash of Joss Whedon thrown in. Lets take my favorite sci-fi shows & spend a weekend of talking about just those shows. I was such a happy little fangirl!
It felt surreal meeting Carmen Argenziano who played Jacob Carter on Stargate SG-1. He just sat across the table & chilling out with us. At one point in time I actually thought to myself "Holy crap Jacob Carter is joking around with us". At that time I thought I was going to cry because when I was sick watched a lot of SG-1 & I would joke that a Tok'ra symbiote would blend with me to heal me or that The Doctor would pick me up in his TARDIS & take me into the future where they could cure my disease. I told Carmen about my time of watching him while I was in the hospital & how we would joke about the cures. The man stood up & hugged me, thanked me for sharing my story with him. He then complimented me on how healthy I look today & my excellent costume. Which by the way is my newest, & most awesome costume of them all. My mom & I spent well over 50 hours making it but she made me the red Miss Hartigan dress. I am hoping to make the Cyber Kind head piece by Dragon*Con but we shall see how that turns out.
This will be my first year at Dragon*Con. Once again I am being told I will hate it but I want to experience it for myself at least once. I know I love small conventions but at least once I want to attend a large one. There are only a handful of stars or famous people that I would want to meet. Anyone with a hand in anything Doctor Who related of course so I'll try to get in to see some of the Torchwood people. Mainly I just want to have the experience of being in that large of a group. I will be with a group called Girls of the Con since I have a small picture in their calendar.
I love costuming & having been found by GOTC I have finally made it into a calendar! I have those model friends that are gorgeous with their store bought boobs, fancy clothes, & never have a moment when they're imperfect in any way & always cool. Now I can finally tell them that I made it into a calendar & all I had to do was be nerdy self.
Then I grew up & as The Doctor says...You never want to do that. As a teenager I was a closet geek & wished for the guts to dress up again. I had very few friends & I was afraid of what people would think it they knew. (Yes I say that a lot.)
Once I was in my 20s I started dressing up again but just for Halloween. It started out mild as Wednesday Addams, then Morticia. I had fun making costumes & had to work really hard to make Ariel, The Little Mermaid costume. I wanted to do more complex costumes so I turned to the best & most talented seamstress I have ever met, my Mom.
She would sew the really hard items while explaining to me what she was doing while I watched her every move. Or she would stand over my shoulder & tell me what to do step by step teaching me as I went. It makes me nervous when she does that but it really does teach me a lot.
Together we made Bat Girl one year then we did Harley Quinn. Mys sister & I got the idea to dress up together & our mom agreed to help us make the costumes if we would make special appearances in them for the kids at church. It was such a small price to pay that we readily agreed. My sister is blond so she went as Rainbow Bright & I was original Strawberry Shortcake with my lovely red hair. We had a blast & had professional pictures done just for our mom.
I got very ill for a few years & was unable to do much of anything. When God healed me I came back full force stronger than ever. I wanted to do everything & finally sat down to make a costume I had thought about for years but had not yet done. I made my own Poison Ivy costume. It was one of those tedious projects that was made fun by knowing how awesome it would look in the end. I walked around with various friends on Halloween & discovered that not many non-geeks really understood who I was dressed as. Too many people thought I was Eve with out my Adam or just some tree/plant lady. I had the same experience with the Harley Quinn costume being called a jester or just a Harlequin. Silly me thought that since Poison Ivy had been around longer & had greater exposure to the normals out there that she would be a little more popular. Once again the normals of the world disappointed me. That is part of what made me decide to try out going to a convention.
I had heard that the local fandom conventions were just drunk fests for geeks to gather & grope one another. I had even been told my those close to me that I wouldn't like conventions, but I wanted to give them a try for myself. I did a bit of research & got word that a newer multi-fandom con in the area was better than the others. I went in with fairly low expectations but I wore my Poison Ivy costume anyways & barely in the door when people were wanting my picture.
We walked all over & saw multiple vendors with lots of cool toys & collectible stuff. Which is great but even better, I found a group of people that I can call MY people. One guy ran 3 panel discussions all relating to my unhealthy obsession Doctor Who. There was really a place for me here! People didn't judge me & I met those that knew even more about The Doctor than I did.
My best friend & I went to many other panels but the ones that I remember the most were the Harry Potter discussions & the Whoniverse related talks. Oh & there was a great B movie Fistful of Brains- A western zombie film. I met so many wonderful people & for once, didn't feel like an outsider. There were room parties but for most people, that was where the drinking stayed & wasn't excessive.
All of us dressed in various costumes, you never knew what you were going to see next from The Cult of Snuggie to a group of Stormtroopers marching through the parking lot. Some costumes were store bought but many were hand made. Some were cheap & simple & some had spent hundreds of dollars & so complex that I had to wonder how much time it had taken to make them.
One year later I'm helping run the Doctor Who panels & volunteering to work the convention. We told the man who put ConNooga together how a small group of us had formed into a Doctor Who "fan club" because of the 2009 con. We had a fan table to help promote the love of all things T.A.R.D.I.S. related in the Tennessee Who Authority. For 2010I didn't have a Doctor Who costume so I wore my older costumes. One day I was Strawberry Shortcake & the next Bellatrix Lestrange costume that I do for the Harry Potter movies. I enjoyed being polar opposites from one day to the next.
My enjoyment of the convention grew so much that I decided to branch out & go with friends to TimeGate 2010. I felt as though someone had made a convention just for me. It was Doctor Who, Stargate, with a splash of Joss Whedon thrown in. Lets take my favorite sci-fi shows & spend a weekend of talking about just those shows. I was such a happy little fangirl!
It felt surreal meeting Carmen Argenziano who played Jacob Carter on Stargate SG-1. He just sat across the table & chilling out with us. At one point in time I actually thought to myself "Holy crap Jacob Carter is joking around with us". At that time I thought I was going to cry because when I was sick watched a lot of SG-1 & I would joke that a Tok'ra symbiote would blend with me to heal me or that The Doctor would pick me up in his TARDIS & take me into the future where they could cure my disease. I told Carmen about my time of watching him while I was in the hospital & how we would joke about the cures. The man stood up & hugged me, thanked me for sharing my story with him. He then complimented me on how healthy I look today & my excellent costume. Which by the way is my newest, & most awesome costume of them all. My mom & I spent well over 50 hours making it but she made me the red Miss Hartigan dress. I am hoping to make the Cyber Kind head piece by Dragon*Con but we shall see how that turns out.
This will be my first year at Dragon*Con. Once again I am being told I will hate it but I want to experience it for myself at least once. I know I love small conventions but at least once I want to attend a large one. There are only a handful of stars or famous people that I would want to meet. Anyone with a hand in anything Doctor Who related of course so I'll try to get in to see some of the Torchwood people. Mainly I just want to have the experience of being in that large of a group. I will be with a group called Girls of the Con since I have a small picture in their calendar.
I love costuming & having been found by GOTC I have finally made it into a calendar! I have those model friends that are gorgeous with their store bought boobs, fancy clothes, & never have a moment when they're imperfect in any way & always cool. Now I can finally tell them that I made it into a calendar & all I had to do was be nerdy self.
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