Well, more like "About Yesterday", but I digress.
Yesterday was our little roadtip down to Madison to see ROTF in IMAX. It was a fairly uneventful, except towards the very last leg of the journey. More stupid road debris, what appeared to be pieces of a truck tire. This time it cost us a back tire. At least it wasn't the damned front windshield, thank Primus.
I wasn't able to take too many shots of the theatre; I got maybe two good ones. But I'm not complaining too much. I was there for the movie.
And what a movie it was. Prime summed it up best when we watched the last of the credits: "Critics are morons." For those of you who haven't seen it yet, I won't spoil it. But it's safe to say that if you enjoyed the first, you'll enjoy the hell out of this. (I'd write a full review, but I refuse to act like a film critic. I watch what the hell I like, dammit.)
We didn't stay in Madison long; once the movie was over we headed back home. But we did stop at a nearby convenience store to get some more air in the donut that is supposed to be a spare tire. That wasn't all we got. I (finally!) found the Snickers nouga-bot bars. I grabbed four. (Haven't eaten them... yet. I intend to savor them and save the wrappers. So much cute yellow goodness.)
But oh yes, much awesomeness. And I want to go and see it again.... and again.... and again... and.....
--Weasel, "I'm not addicted. Really, I'm not..."
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Weasel, Out!
Just cleaned out the car; Prime and I will be leaving soon. Expect a full report tomorrow, since I'll probably be too exhausted to post anything major when we get back home. (If I do post anything tonight, it'll probably be extrememly short.) The camera's coming with me; I'm going to try and take a few pics of the theatre, if I can.
--Weasel, "This is gonna be great!"
--Weasel, "This is gonna be great!"
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Roadtrip!
So tomorrow's the day--Prime and I will be heading south to spend a couple of hours in an IMAX theatre. I can barely wait. Just knowing that I've given my money to a film that will piss off the rabid feminists gives me the warm fuzzies in ways you wouldn't believe.
--Weasel, "Yes, I'm evil that way. Who knew?"
--Weasel, "Yes, I'm evil that way. Who knew?"
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
It's the Heat
Customers are cranky. So is management. It doesn't help matters any that we don't have any freaking AC in the building. And the amount of stupid I had to deal with today was insane. (I'll spare the details for now. Suffice to say it's been a really stupid couple of days.) Frankly, it's driving me crazy.
I hope I can hold out until Thursday. Everything will be awesome on Thursday.
--Weasel, really looking forward to her little roadtrip and movie.
I hope I can hold out until Thursday. Everything will be awesome on Thursday.
--Weasel, really looking forward to her little roadtrip and movie.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
The Perfect Ending to a Not-So-Perfect Week
As I said before, this week hasn't been the world's greatest for me. To be totally honest, it has stunk out freaking loud.
But things are looking up, at last.
Today, Prime and I had a "day out", so to speak--it's rare that my days off (whenever scheduling feels like it) coincide with his (standard Saturday/Sunday). We hit our local comic shop and Prime picked up a nice stack of comics. (Just read Spotlight: Cliffjumper; good story, but a huge hankie warning on that one!) Afterwards, we headed over to my old store to hunt for these little guys. The old hellhole was a bust, so we headed to the nearby Target (a place at which I've also worked). They had them, but only the single packs, no six-pack boxes.
Prime grabbed a huge stack of single packs (he would've wiped out the display, but restrained himself), then we headed over to Toys. Prime spotted some blisterpacked packs (...pack pack packpackpaaaaaack) and a movie Bumblebee 'Wacky Wobbler'. Needless to say, the not-a-bobblehead had to come home with us. But it got better.
Target had Bumble Spud. On sale. (Yeah, okay, a dollar off, whatever.) So he had to come along as well. There was no way I was leaving him behind.
After we bought our swag, we headed to the Target across town. Prime figured that there was a good chance that they would have a hobby box or two. He was right; we snagged all three of their hobby boxes. After spending way too much money, we headed home.
We decided to make a quick stop at our local Burger King; they'll have ROTF kid's meals and we want to snag the displays and the like. Because we're dorks. So I headed in and left my information with the manager while Prime opened up one of our new hobby boxes.
Poor Prime. When I returned to our car, I noticed a somewhat pained expression on his face. It seems that the first boxed pack he opened had a rare card. An autographed card. Autographed by Mark Ryan.
I let loose the shriek to end all shrieks. Prime knew at that moment he was screwed; I was claiming that card as my own. Yeah, he kinda hated me for a bit. (Okay, it was longer than a bit...)
When we got home, Prime opened the rest of our cards. Remember the blisterpacks he had spotted? Prime had snagged one of them, after a little pawing to find one with a backer card that wasn't chewed (completism is a mental disease, and Prime's case is particularly gruesome). The first pack inside was a bust, but the second one he opened.... had an autographed card. A Mark Ryan autographed card. So now we both have one. 1:91 odds, according to the packs, and this happens. Heck of a lucky break, I tell you.
(Prime says: Oh, right, yeah. Five other autographed cards to track-and-acquire. Megan Fox's from the first set isn't hard enough with all the pathetic horndogs out there--now I have to fight with lonely women with disposable income to get Shia LeBeouf's, and nutbar basement-dwellers for Peter Cullen's. A. A. R. G. H.)
Perfect ending to a sucky week. The little angel strikes yet again.
(Oh, shut up.)
Quiet, grouchicon.
--Weasel, "Maybe this week hasn't been so bad after all..."
But things are looking up, at last.
Today, Prime and I had a "day out", so to speak--it's rare that my days off (whenever scheduling feels like it) coincide with his (standard Saturday/Sunday). We hit our local comic shop and Prime picked up a nice stack of comics. (Just read Spotlight: Cliffjumper; good story, but a huge hankie warning on that one!) Afterwards, we headed over to my old store to hunt for these little guys. The old hellhole was a bust, so we headed to the nearby Target (a place at which I've also worked). They had them, but only the single packs, no six-pack boxes.
Prime grabbed a huge stack of single packs (he would've wiped out the display, but restrained himself), then we headed over to Toys. Prime spotted some blisterpacked packs (...pack pack packpackpaaaaaack) and a movie Bumblebee 'Wacky Wobbler'. Needless to say, the not-a-bobblehead had to come home with us. But it got better.
Target had Bumble Spud. On sale. (Yeah, okay, a dollar off, whatever.) So he had to come along as well. There was no way I was leaving him behind.
After we bought our swag, we headed to the Target across town. Prime figured that there was a good chance that they would have a hobby box or two. He was right; we snagged all three of their hobby boxes. After spending way too much money, we headed home.
We decided to make a quick stop at our local Burger King; they'll have ROTF kid's meals and we want to snag the displays and the like. Because we're dorks. So I headed in and left my information with the manager while Prime opened up one of our new hobby boxes.
Poor Prime. When I returned to our car, I noticed a somewhat pained expression on his face. It seems that the first boxed pack he opened had a rare card. An autographed card. Autographed by Mark Ryan.
I let loose the shriek to end all shrieks. Prime knew at that moment he was screwed; I was claiming that card as my own. Yeah, he kinda hated me for a bit. (Okay, it was longer than a bit...)
When we got home, Prime opened the rest of our cards. Remember the blisterpacks he had spotted? Prime had snagged one of them, after a little pawing to find one with a backer card that wasn't chewed (completism is a mental disease, and Prime's case is particularly gruesome). The first pack inside was a bust, but the second one he opened.... had an autographed card. A Mark Ryan autographed card. So now we both have one. 1:91 odds, according to the packs, and this happens. Heck of a lucky break, I tell you.
(Prime says: Oh, right, yeah. Five other autographed cards to track-and-acquire. Megan Fox's from the first set isn't hard enough with all the pathetic horndogs out there--now I have to fight with lonely women with disposable income to get Shia LeBeouf's, and nutbar basement-dwellers for Peter Cullen's. A. A. R. G. H.)
Perfect ending to a sucky week. The little angel strikes yet again.
(Oh, shut up.)
Quiet, grouchicon.
--Weasel, "Maybe this week hasn't been so bad after all..."
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday Photoblog: Chaos Bringer Edition
[clockwise from top: unreleased Generation One Unicron (planet mode), Transformers: Cybertron deluxe Unicron (robot mode), Robot Heroes Unicron, unreleased Generation One Unicron (robot mode), Transformers: Cybertron disembodied creepy-ass tentacular-locomotion-enabled head of Unicron (that'd be the horn point you see at bottom, as well as the shadow it casts above), Transformers: Armada Unicron (robot mode)]
The many faces of Unicron
The many faces of Unicron
The Week From Hell
(You might notice that things look different here. It's all thanks to Prime and I'm giving him a huge shout-out for his hard work. He did it all and I really appreciate everything. Thanks for bringing the blog into the modern age, big guy! It looks great and I love it!!)
Is it over yet? Because this week has completely and totally kicked the hell out of my ass. I am not even kidding.
This past Saturday I had to call into work. I was so blasted ill-feeling that I did not want to move. In fact, I felt so bad that I was afraid I was about to spew while I was on the phone. I spent most of Saturday laying in bed, praying to Primus that I wouldn't lose control of my own damned stomach. Not fun, I tell you.
Sunday was a bit better. Monday went straight to hell, though.
Monday was incredibly full of stupid. More than usual. I won't go into the details, but it was bad. Felt miserable at work, but managed to score a Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen microfiber throw. I know this one will keep me quite warm; it's got Bumblebee on it. Sooooooooooo cute. :)
I was off Tuesday, but it didn't get any better. Well, things were fine... until dinner.
I had just finished cooking my dinner in the microwave and was trying to get the bowl out. The bowl, which contained very hot liquid, refused to cooperate. Instead of sliding out, it tipped and spilled--all over my right hand and wrist.
I screamed loudly. Prime thought I was being attacked by a huge venomous spider. I manged to choke out a "No" and shoved my arm under the now running faucet. Prime raced upstairs, saw the mess and asked what happened. I had to force myself to speak, I was hurting that much.
I went upstairs and soaked my wrist in the bathtub for at least an hour. It was pretty badly scalded but it never blistered, thank Primus. (The frightening thing was it looked as if it was trying to blister. When I noticed that, I shoved my arm back under the faucet.) Needless to say, my dinner was ruined. Had to order pizza instead.
As of right now, my wrist is bandaged. It's still a nice shade of MSPaint red, but it doesn't hurt so badly. I've been coating it with aloe vera gel (which is slowly staining my skin Smurf blue), taking Advil PM to help me sleep at night and soaking it in cool water to keep the pain at bay. It's healing, but trying to move my wrist can be irritating at its best and outright painful at its worst. The worst thing? I'd love to cuddle with my Slumblebee right now (it would make me feel so much better) but I'm afraid to touch him. The last thing I want to do is stain him. Right now, I'm afraid to even touch my clothing or blankets; I don't need any of my stuff spattered with blue splotches.
But things are getting better. My store now has a nice big display of ROTF voyagers and deluxes parked in front of the toy department. And I managed to snag myself a Cannon Bumblebee. The picture on his cardback is utterly adorable; in robot mode he has this "Who, me?" look on his face. It almost looks as if he was caught with one hand in the energon-goodies jar and he's trying to play innocent. Seriously cute, believe me.
Next week will rock. I'll be seeing ROTF in IMAX. I can barely wait. (Wonder if I should take Slumblebee along? You know, just for fun.)
And Bumblebee's track record remains unbeaten. Have a few crappy days, the little bugger manages to pop up. Weird.
--Weasel, "I swear, you'd think he was my guardian angel this happens so often..."
Is it over yet? Because this week has completely and totally kicked the hell out of my ass. I am not even kidding.
This past Saturday I had to call into work. I was so blasted ill-feeling that I did not want to move. In fact, I felt so bad that I was afraid I was about to spew while I was on the phone. I spent most of Saturday laying in bed, praying to Primus that I wouldn't lose control of my own damned stomach. Not fun, I tell you.
Sunday was a bit better. Monday went straight to hell, though.
Monday was incredibly full of stupid. More than usual. I won't go into the details, but it was bad. Felt miserable at work, but managed to score a Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen microfiber throw. I know this one will keep me quite warm; it's got Bumblebee on it. Sooooooooooo cute. :)
I was off Tuesday, but it didn't get any better. Well, things were fine... until dinner.
I had just finished cooking my dinner in the microwave and was trying to get the bowl out. The bowl, which contained very hot liquid, refused to cooperate. Instead of sliding out, it tipped and spilled--all over my right hand and wrist.
I screamed loudly. Prime thought I was being attacked by a huge venomous spider. I manged to choke out a "No" and shoved my arm under the now running faucet. Prime raced upstairs, saw the mess and asked what happened. I had to force myself to speak, I was hurting that much.
I went upstairs and soaked my wrist in the bathtub for at least an hour. It was pretty badly scalded but it never blistered, thank Primus. (The frightening thing was it looked as if it was trying to blister. When I noticed that, I shoved my arm back under the faucet.) Needless to say, my dinner was ruined. Had to order pizza instead.
As of right now, my wrist is bandaged. It's still a nice shade of MSPaint red, but it doesn't hurt so badly. I've been coating it with aloe vera gel (which is slowly staining my skin Smurf blue), taking Advil PM to help me sleep at night and soaking it in cool water to keep the pain at bay. It's healing, but trying to move my wrist can be irritating at its best and outright painful at its worst. The worst thing? I'd love to cuddle with my Slumblebee right now (it would make me feel so much better) but I'm afraid to touch him. The last thing I want to do is stain him. Right now, I'm afraid to even touch my clothing or blankets; I don't need any of my stuff spattered with blue splotches.
But things are getting better. My store now has a nice big display of ROTF voyagers and deluxes parked in front of the toy department. And I managed to snag myself a Cannon Bumblebee. The picture on his cardback is utterly adorable; in robot mode he has this "Who, me?" look on his face. It almost looks as if he was caught with one hand in the energon-goodies jar and he's trying to play innocent. Seriously cute, believe me.
Next week will rock. I'll be seeing ROTF in IMAX. I can barely wait. (Wonder if I should take Slumblebee along? You know, just for fun.)
And Bumblebee's track record remains unbeaten. Have a few crappy days, the little bugger manages to pop up. Weird.
--Weasel, "I swear, you'd think he was my guardian angel this happens so often..."
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Pardon Me While I Bitch a Little...
I'm not feeling the greatest at the moment; been a little sick for the past few days. It's getting better, but the whole 'coming-and-going' thing is irritating as hell.
I'm really sick of work. The amount of BS I've been putting up with seems to have increased exponentially. And I don't know how much more I can take.
For the past few days, I've been stuck on normal registers. Everyone knows how much I love being away from my self-checks (I don't...and a lot of other cashiers simply don't know how to run them...or don't care). If I haven't been doing that, then I've been stuck people greeting. Not something I enjoy, though I'm actually decent at it. (Hell, I actually know how to use the damned Telxon and printer. Most everyone else doesn't or won't.)
Customers are stupid, management doesn't know what the hell is going on and I'm feeling burnt out. AGAIN.
I miss BotCon already, and who knows when it'll be next year.
And I get it, I hate my job, why don't I find another one, yadda yadda. If it were really that simple...
I'm really sick of work. The amount of BS I've been putting up with seems to have increased exponentially. And I don't know how much more I can take.
For the past few days, I've been stuck on normal registers. Everyone knows how much I love being away from my self-checks (I don't...and a lot of other cashiers simply don't know how to run them...or don't care). If I haven't been doing that, then I've been stuck people greeting. Not something I enjoy, though I'm actually decent at it. (Hell, I actually know how to use the damned Telxon and printer. Most everyone else doesn't or won't.)
Customers are stupid, management doesn't know what the hell is going on and I'm feeling burnt out. AGAIN.
I miss BotCon already, and who knows when it'll be next year.
And I get it, I hate my job, why don't I find another one, yadda yadda. If it were really that simple...
Friday, June 12, 2009
Friday Photoblog: Walk of Fame Edition
Godzilla's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Too bad the big guy wasn't there to sign autographs. ;)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Best News Ever!
Prime and I will be seeing Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in IMAX on the 25th. There will be much awesome. I can barely wait.
--Weasel, "Best news I've heard in a while."
--Weasel, "Best news I've heard in a while."
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Detritus
Most of my vacation laundry is already done; I've only got two shirts to wash and I'll be ready for next year. Once they've been washed and dried, I'll be done and I can re-pack the suitcase. It's never too early to get ready for next year.
Yesterday ended up being a "yardwork day". Seems we have a group of maple saplings that have taken up residence near the house. Normally, I wouldn't care but these are close enough to damage the foundation. So I spent about three quarters of an hour ripping up trees. It doesn't sound terribly demanding, but it actually is. My legs and arms are still a bit sore.
I also learned a little about our front yard. Namely, that it's a haven for spiders. After pulling up a few saplings, I'd see at least three spiders scurrying about, looking for shelter. Most were pretty small, but some were large enough to be intimidating. I kept my distance from the larger ones. (One particularly larger specimen would fidget nervously every time I came close. Rather than bother it, I gave it some space.)
I don't mind spiders too much, especially out in the wild. In the house it's a different story. But out in the yard, I'm fine with most of them. There's only one species that I don't like: the writing spider.
These were very common in North Carolina. It doesn't look too threatening, until you get close to the web. If you get too close to it, it will sit in the center of the web and bounce rapidly. Instead of a spider's web, it now looks like a trampoline. It's a disturbing sight to a six year old. Even worse was the old wives tale attatched to the creature: If you whispered the name of someone you hated three times to the spider, it would write the victim's name in its web and they would die.
Again, a frightening thing for six year old. Needless to say, I was never fond of that particular species. I may like spiders in general, but I never got over my fear of the writing spider.
Thankfully, we don't seem to have them in Wisconsin...
Yesterday ended up being a "yardwork day". Seems we have a group of maple saplings that have taken up residence near the house. Normally, I wouldn't care but these are close enough to damage the foundation. So I spent about three quarters of an hour ripping up trees. It doesn't sound terribly demanding, but it actually is. My legs and arms are still a bit sore.
I also learned a little about our front yard. Namely, that it's a haven for spiders. After pulling up a few saplings, I'd see at least three spiders scurrying about, looking for shelter. Most were pretty small, but some were large enough to be intimidating. I kept my distance from the larger ones. (One particularly larger specimen would fidget nervously every time I came close. Rather than bother it, I gave it some space.)
I don't mind spiders too much, especially out in the wild. In the house it's a different story. But out in the yard, I'm fine with most of them. There's only one species that I don't like: the writing spider.
These were very common in North Carolina. It doesn't look too threatening, until you get close to the web. If you get too close to it, it will sit in the center of the web and bounce rapidly. Instead of a spider's web, it now looks like a trampoline. It's a disturbing sight to a six year old. Even worse was the old wives tale attatched to the creature: If you whispered the name of someone you hated three times to the spider, it would write the victim's name in its web and they would die.
Again, a frightening thing for six year old. Needless to say, I was never fond of that particular species. I may like spiders in general, but I never got over my fear of the writing spider.
Thankfully, we don't seem to have them in Wisconsin...
Friday, June 05, 2009
Thursday, June 04, 2009
June Gloom
I'm listening to a suitably sad piece of music right now. I can't help it; I'm still feeling a bit down. I'll have to get back to the real world soon (this Saturday, specifically) and I am dreading it. But for now, I'll try and finish what I've started.
05/30/2009
We got up relatively early that Saturday; Prime wanted to hit the IDW panel while I had to head to one of the autograph lines. Thank heavens the buses in California actually run at a decent hour on the weekends. (Well... the Pasadena ARTS 10, not so much. It's not hard to figure out why their fares are fifty cents a pop when the Metro's a buck-twenty-five--they run less time and they're all shorties.)
By the time we got to the convention center, two very long lines had already formed. One was for Peter Cullen, the other (which was located at a different building entirely) was for Weird Al. I headed for the second line, since I absolutely had to have Weird Al's autograph on my Animated Wreck-Gar. To my surprise, it wasn't that long of a wait; we had some pretty good conversations to help keep things lively. And best of all, I got an autograph and shook Weird Al's hand. Total nerdgasm!
After all was said and done, I headed back to the convention center proper. Prime and I took in the Activision panel, along with the Animated panel which featured Weird Al and David Kaye. Interesting stuff, save for the occasional stupid question.
Then came the big one: The Hasbro review panel.
This one is always packed, since this is where Hasbro does their huge unveiling.... and I get to see firsthand how Primus-awful broke I'll be. And trust me, I will be one quite broke yet very happy nerd. Lots of movie stuff and a good amount of Animated coming down the pike. Like I said, I'll be broke, but very happy. But after the preview, I had to jump ship early; I had business to take of in the dealer room. At 2PM, Mark Ryan would be there, signing autographs. I had two movie Bumblebees that needed to have his signature on them.
After getting them signed, I ran into my friend Shawn, who asked if I could possibly get Mark to sign a greeting card which would be sent to our friend Stogey, who is currently stationed in Iraq (and is Prime's younger brother's C.O. or whatever it's called). So back through the line I went. Mark actually teased me a little bit when he saw me again. :blush: But I got that card signed. (It was no prob, Shawn. I'm glad to help.) By con's end, that card had scrawl from almost every person of note to attend--you have to admit, that's cool as hell.
Afterwards, I hit the club panel with Prime and stayed behind for Peter Cullen's panel; Prime decided to hit the dealer room once again. I'm actually pretty glad he did. He probably would not have been able to deal with some of the stupid that occurred at Mr. Cullen's panel. Especially one of the last questions.
The very last person to ask Mr. Cullen a question had to be the world's biggest flaming idiot. I do not exaggerate when I say this. Why? Because he asked Peter Cullen if he had ever read any Optimus Prime/Megatron slash fics. The entire panel room burst into a pained howl as Idiot Boy chirped, "I win." Thank Primus Rik Alvarez yanked the mic out of that moron's hand. I swear, I have never been more embarassed in my life. Way to go, dipshit. If panel attendees have to submit questions in writing beforehand beginning next year, we ALL know who to blame. Blame and commit grievous bodily harm upon. Yeah--hope you're not particularly fond of any of your limbs.... we's takun dem.
Not long after, the show closed for the day. Since Prime, DA and I were signed up for the Paramount party, we headed up to Shawn's hotel room and yapped a bit. At quarter til 7, we headed back downstairs to wait for the buses that would whisk us away for a night of revelry. Shawn nearly forgot his ticket, so he dashed back upstairs to get it. Prime, DA and I waited for him. I am ever glad we did.
Not two minutes later, we saw Peter Cullen walking through the hallway. You could have knocked me over with a feather, I was so surprised.
DA and I managed to say hello. Now here's where it gets really cool: as he walked by, Mr. Cullen gave me a friendly squeeze on the arm. I could have fainted. Optimus Prime touched me! :insane fangirl squealing: We both thanked him profusely for coming. Me, I also blushed profusely. Prime thought it was quite hilarious. XD
Once we got outside and waited for a bit, we hopped on board the buses and were on our way. It took us a bit to get there, but it was worth it. Caught sight of a large ROTF billboard on the way.... yes, it was 'Bee.
There was a concert, food and much awesomeness. Weird Al was there, having his picture taken with adoring fans. Tyrese Gibson (Epps) and Ratchet came by for a visit and Ironhide was parked near the front. He didn't seem to mind me posing for a picture with him. But the best was yet to come.
Every one of the partygoers were given a wristband--some were blue, others were yellow. Prime, DA and I got yellow. Everyone who had a blue wristband were called first, while those of who had yellow waited. About twenty minutes later, the yellows were called. So off we went to the front of the studio.
We were led to the Paramount theatre, where we had surrender our cameras and cell phones before we were allowed to take any seats. The three of us managed to grab front row seats. How freaking cool is that? So we settled in and got ready for a show.
One of the Hasbro head honchos, Greg Lombardo, hopped up on the stage in front of the screen and announced what we would be viewing. We'd be seeing the trailer, which wasn't anything we hadn't seen before, but we'd see it in a much better theatre. Then a voice behind-and-right piped up, "I don't want to see that." We all turned and looked, confused.
It was Michael Bay. I actually yelled, "Oh my GOD!" Yeah, I was that surprised.
He hopped up on stage and said we were going to watch two scenes: One involving Devastator and the other was a Bumblebee fight scene. When I heard "Bumblebee", I cheered.
Without giving away too much, all I can say is this--Devastator is scary as hell and Bumblebee is now a badass. (Hey, it only took 25 years...) Spine-ripping badass. Once we had seen the sheer awesomeness, we picked up our confiscated items and rejoined the party.
At around midnight, we went back to the convention center. Prime, DA and I caught a cab and went back to our home away from home, the Travelodge. It didn't take me long to collapse and go to sleep.
05/31/2009
Prime and I got to the 'Con just in time for the Hasbro Design panel. Interesting stuff, I tell you (but can't show you). Afterwards, I was going to hit the dealer room, until I noticed something.
There was literally a ton of general admission people (hereby referred to as "shlubs") crowded around that huge Bumblebee statue. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but a mess of these dipsticks forgot or didn't care that barricades are erected for a fucking reason. There were shlubs going up under the damned cords, touching the statue and letting their kids try and climb on the blasted thing. Why, yes! That is dangerous as hell! Thanks for noticing.
I spent some time acting as Bumblebee's bodyguard. If I pissed any of those damned shlubs off, tough. If they don't have the common sense to fucking follow rules, too damn bad. They don't fucking need to be there. Grow a brain or GTFO.
I'm not sure for how long I did that. After ten minutes of watching it happen with me, though, Prime went to the club store to get a Fun Pub employee to make an address over the PA, which she did. But, you know, stupid people... ears don't work so well.
The stupidity did die down a bit, eventually, so I hit the dealer room. Took the Hasbro challenge and got a chance to spin the big prize wheel. I won a Robot Hero; I picked Bumblebee. Prime continued to pine after his personal TF Holy Grail, the G2 Megatron ATB (which you can sort of see here, it's pretty much dead-center), then took one last load to Shawn and his friend's vehicle while I took one last look around the dealer room. I bought two Stan Bush CDs and shipped them along with a small load that just wouldn't fit in the back of our friend's truck. UPS Store sure overcharges...
Things were winding down. You could feel it. The huge crowd in the dealer room began to thin down and it got thinner still after the 3PM drawing for a free trip to next year's 'Con. Although Fun Publications decided to keep the dealer room open an extra half hour due to the overwhelming walk-in response (a television commercial was probably the main culprit... promises of a free toy to the first one hundred kids under whatever age helped, I'm sure), it still didn't help assuage the mental ache I could feel coming on. Though chatting with my friends did ease it just slightly. What can I say--the whole experience makes for a very nice high.... from which I have no choice but to come down.
Soon enough, we were ushered out of the dealer room. As I stood in the hallway, a small group of dealers began to take down the barricade surrounding the Bumblebee statue. They were taking him down. That was a hard sight to see. I took video of it. I also got a couple of pictures with him, and with permission I was able to touch him. A few times, I caught myself pretty close to tears. It wasn't just the fact that the statue was being taken down; it was also the realization that it was over. It was truly over. I may, sometime in the future, post the video. And yes, my voice breaks at least once. It was pretty hard on me, all things considered.
I took a couple of pictures of the other statues and the convention center itself, said good-bye to Bumblebee, and we left. Spent a good portion of time talking at the hotel room. Talking and packing. I never really mean to do so, but I always wind up packing slowly. Not hard to guess why, is it?
The next day, DA left for home. Prime and I flew back home not long after. The ride via Prime Time Shuttle... um, after we were picked up, the driver stopped at the Hilton to pick up an indeterminate number of people (they were no-shows), then same at the Sheraton. Two guys, one girl, all obvious fellow attendees. They got on and maintained a 'Con-versation... which we might've joined, but for, well, one of them stank like death mixed with ass sausage. At least, that's how I thought of it until Prime described it as ONIONSKUNK. His description is better. Or worse, however one looks at it. It was... it was memorable. How I wish it weren't. People like that (and we don't know which one it was) give convention geeks a bad name. Or bad reek.
At least the flight was uneventful. And not full like the plane was, previously.
Was this one of the best conventions I had ever attended? I think so. But it wasn't just the fact I got to sit in panels and buy cool swag. It was seeing my friends again. It was making new friends and having fun with a group of people that share my interest. That's what keeps bringing me back to BotCon. And that's what keeps me happy.
I can hardly wait until next year, whenever and wherever it may be.
05/30/2009
We got up relatively early that Saturday; Prime wanted to hit the IDW panel while I had to head to one of the autograph lines. Thank heavens the buses in California actually run at a decent hour on the weekends. (Well... the Pasadena ARTS 10, not so much. It's not hard to figure out why their fares are fifty cents a pop when the Metro's a buck-twenty-five--they run less time and they're all shorties.)
By the time we got to the convention center, two very long lines had already formed. One was for Peter Cullen, the other (which was located at a different building entirely) was for Weird Al. I headed for the second line, since I absolutely had to have Weird Al's autograph on my Animated Wreck-Gar. To my surprise, it wasn't that long of a wait; we had some pretty good conversations to help keep things lively. And best of all, I got an autograph and shook Weird Al's hand. Total nerdgasm!
After all was said and done, I headed back to the convention center proper. Prime and I took in the Activision panel, along with the Animated panel which featured Weird Al and David Kaye. Interesting stuff, save for the occasional stupid question.
Then came the big one: The Hasbro review panel.
This one is always packed, since this is where Hasbro does their huge unveiling.... and I get to see firsthand how Primus-awful broke I'll be. And trust me, I will be one quite broke yet very happy nerd. Lots of movie stuff and a good amount of Animated coming down the pike. Like I said, I'll be broke, but very happy. But after the preview, I had to jump ship early; I had business to take of in the dealer room. At 2PM, Mark Ryan would be there, signing autographs. I had two movie Bumblebees that needed to have his signature on them.
After getting them signed, I ran into my friend Shawn, who asked if I could possibly get Mark to sign a greeting card which would be sent to our friend Stogey, who is currently stationed in Iraq (and is Prime's younger brother's C.O. or whatever it's called). So back through the line I went. Mark actually teased me a little bit when he saw me again. :blush: But I got that card signed. (It was no prob, Shawn. I'm glad to help.) By con's end, that card had scrawl from almost every person of note to attend--you have to admit, that's cool as hell.
Afterwards, I hit the club panel with Prime and stayed behind for Peter Cullen's panel; Prime decided to hit the dealer room once again. I'm actually pretty glad he did. He probably would not have been able to deal with some of the stupid that occurred at Mr. Cullen's panel. Especially one of the last questions.
The very last person to ask Mr. Cullen a question had to be the world's biggest flaming idiot. I do not exaggerate when I say this. Why? Because he asked Peter Cullen if he had ever read any Optimus Prime/Megatron slash fics. The entire panel room burst into a pained howl as Idiot Boy chirped, "I win." Thank Primus Rik Alvarez yanked the mic out of that moron's hand. I swear, I have never been more embarassed in my life. Way to go, dipshit. If panel attendees have to submit questions in writing beforehand beginning next year, we ALL know who to blame. Blame and commit grievous bodily harm upon. Yeah--hope you're not particularly fond of any of your limbs.... we's takun dem.
Not long after, the show closed for the day. Since Prime, DA and I were signed up for the Paramount party, we headed up to Shawn's hotel room and yapped a bit. At quarter til 7, we headed back downstairs to wait for the buses that would whisk us away for a night of revelry. Shawn nearly forgot his ticket, so he dashed back upstairs to get it. Prime, DA and I waited for him. I am ever glad we did.
Not two minutes later, we saw Peter Cullen walking through the hallway. You could have knocked me over with a feather, I was so surprised.
DA and I managed to say hello. Now here's where it gets really cool: as he walked by, Mr. Cullen gave me a friendly squeeze on the arm. I could have fainted. Optimus Prime touched me! :insane fangirl squealing: We both thanked him profusely for coming. Me, I also blushed profusely. Prime thought it was quite hilarious. XD
Once we got outside and waited for a bit, we hopped on board the buses and were on our way. It took us a bit to get there, but it was worth it. Caught sight of a large ROTF billboard on the way.... yes, it was 'Bee.
There was a concert, food and much awesomeness. Weird Al was there, having his picture taken with adoring fans. Tyrese Gibson (Epps) and Ratchet came by for a visit and Ironhide was parked near the front. He didn't seem to mind me posing for a picture with him. But the best was yet to come.
Every one of the partygoers were given a wristband--some were blue, others were yellow. Prime, DA and I got yellow. Everyone who had a blue wristband were called first, while those of who had yellow waited. About twenty minutes later, the yellows were called. So off we went to the front of the studio.
We were led to the Paramount theatre, where we had surrender our cameras and cell phones before we were allowed to take any seats. The three of us managed to grab front row seats. How freaking cool is that? So we settled in and got ready for a show.
One of the Hasbro head honchos, Greg Lombardo, hopped up on the stage in front of the screen and announced what we would be viewing. We'd be seeing the trailer, which wasn't anything we hadn't seen before, but we'd see it in a much better theatre. Then a voice behind-and-right piped up, "I don't want to see that." We all turned and looked, confused.
It was Michael Bay. I actually yelled, "Oh my GOD!" Yeah, I was that surprised.
He hopped up on stage and said we were going to watch two scenes: One involving Devastator and the other was a Bumblebee fight scene. When I heard "Bumblebee", I cheered.
Without giving away too much, all I can say is this--Devastator is scary as hell and Bumblebee is now a badass. (Hey, it only took 25 years...) Spine-ripping badass. Once we had seen the sheer awesomeness, we picked up our confiscated items and rejoined the party.
At around midnight, we went back to the convention center. Prime, DA and I caught a cab and went back to our home away from home, the Travelodge. It didn't take me long to collapse and go to sleep.
05/31/2009
Prime and I got to the 'Con just in time for the Hasbro Design panel. Interesting stuff, I tell you (but can't show you). Afterwards, I was going to hit the dealer room, until I noticed something.
There was literally a ton of general admission people (hereby referred to as "shlubs") crowded around that huge Bumblebee statue. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but a mess of these dipsticks forgot or didn't care that barricades are erected for a fucking reason. There were shlubs going up under the damned cords, touching the statue and letting their kids try and climb on the blasted thing. Why, yes! That is dangerous as hell! Thanks for noticing.
I spent some time acting as Bumblebee's bodyguard. If I pissed any of those damned shlubs off, tough. If they don't have the common sense to fucking follow rules, too damn bad. They don't fucking need to be there. Grow a brain or GTFO.
I'm not sure for how long I did that. After ten minutes of watching it happen with me, though, Prime went to the club store to get a Fun Pub employee to make an address over the PA, which she did. But, you know, stupid people... ears don't work so well.
The stupidity did die down a bit, eventually, so I hit the dealer room. Took the Hasbro challenge and got a chance to spin the big prize wheel. I won a Robot Hero; I picked Bumblebee. Prime continued to pine after his personal TF Holy Grail, the G2 Megatron ATB (which you can sort of see here, it's pretty much dead-center), then took one last load to Shawn and his friend's vehicle while I took one last look around the dealer room. I bought two Stan Bush CDs and shipped them along with a small load that just wouldn't fit in the back of our friend's truck. UPS Store sure overcharges...
Things were winding down. You could feel it. The huge crowd in the dealer room began to thin down and it got thinner still after the 3PM drawing for a free trip to next year's 'Con. Although Fun Publications decided to keep the dealer room open an extra half hour due to the overwhelming walk-in response (a television commercial was probably the main culprit... promises of a free toy to the first one hundred kids under whatever age helped, I'm sure), it still didn't help assuage the mental ache I could feel coming on. Though chatting with my friends did ease it just slightly. What can I say--the whole experience makes for a very nice high.... from which I have no choice but to come down.
Soon enough, we were ushered out of the dealer room. As I stood in the hallway, a small group of dealers began to take down the barricade surrounding the Bumblebee statue. They were taking him down. That was a hard sight to see. I took video of it. I also got a couple of pictures with him, and with permission I was able to touch him. A few times, I caught myself pretty close to tears. It wasn't just the fact that the statue was being taken down; it was also the realization that it was over. It was truly over. I may, sometime in the future, post the video. And yes, my voice breaks at least once. It was pretty hard on me, all things considered.
I took a couple of pictures of the other statues and the convention center itself, said good-bye to Bumblebee, and we left. Spent a good portion of time talking at the hotel room. Talking and packing. I never really mean to do so, but I always wind up packing slowly. Not hard to guess why, is it?
The next day, DA left for home. Prime and I flew back home not long after. The ride via Prime Time Shuttle... um, after we were picked up, the driver stopped at the Hilton to pick up an indeterminate number of people (they were no-shows), then same at the Sheraton. Two guys, one girl, all obvious fellow attendees. They got on and maintained a 'Con-versation... which we might've joined, but for, well, one of them stank like death mixed with ass sausage. At least, that's how I thought of it until Prime described it as ONIONSKUNK. His description is better. Or worse, however one looks at it. It was... it was memorable. How I wish it weren't. People like that (and we don't know which one it was) give convention geeks a bad name. Or bad reek.
At least the flight was uneventful. And not full like the plane was, previously.
Was this one of the best conventions I had ever attended? I think so. But it wasn't just the fact I got to sit in panels and buy cool swag. It was seeing my friends again. It was making new friends and having fun with a group of people that share my interest. That's what keeps bringing me back to BotCon. And that's what keeps me happy.
I can hardly wait until next year, whenever and wherever it may be.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
All Good Things...
I've got a Bumblebee temporary tattoo on my left hand. It's fading now as we speak. Somehow, that seems very appropriate.
It's over. It's really over.
Too tired to post much of anything today and don't know if I'll be able to post tomorrow, since it's the travel day. I'll try on Tuesday. I'm about to crash even as I'm typing.
Primus, I'm actually rather melancholy about all this. It's really over.
--Weasel, "I know all good things must come to an end, but why so soon?"
It's over. It's really over.
Too tired to post much of anything today and don't know if I'll be able to post tomorrow, since it's the travel day. I'll try on Tuesday. I'm about to crash even as I'm typing.
Primus, I'm actually rather melancholy about all this. It's really over.
--Weasel, "I know all good things must come to an end, but why so soon?"
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Day One
I'm back, just as exhausted as ever. A quick word of warning: I probably won't be updating tomorrow. I'll be coming back from the Paramount Studios party well after midnight. So I won't be alert enough to turn on Alexa, much less type. Expect something on Sunday, though.
Got up this morning at a little after seven; I was up and dressed within the span of about five minutes. (Odd fact about yours truly: I never like getting up in the morning. I hate it. But when I'm at the convention, that changes rapidly.) Prime took a bit, yet again. He had to shower, get dressed, eat a bit of breakfast (Sandwiches. Nummy.) and all that other wonderful slag. So we were a bit late leaving the hotel. But it didn't matter; we got to our stop, got picked up by the 686 and were on our way.
It was a bit of a walk to the convention center and there was quite a crowd when we arrived. A pretty decent number seemed to be either picking up their pre-registration items or hitting the club store. Prime and I hit the panel room, where we took in the various and sundry panels.
First up was the Collector Club panel, which dealt with the club magazine. Fairly interesting stuff. Next up was Stan Bush and Vince Dicola, followed by the movie writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. For the last panel, I had to ask a quick question about movie Bumblebee. As if I would ask about anyone else. (I'll explain it later.)
After those three panels were done, we waited in line for the opening of the dealer room. It was an hour long wait, but it was worth it.
The dealer room is literally the heart of the 'Con. Everybody goes there. If you're looking for anyone, just head to the dealer room and you will find them. Today was no exception. Prime and I ran into someone we hadn't seen in a few years.
But it got even more awesome.
As I was standing near the IDW table, waiting for Prime, I spotted Mark Ryan. My heart jumped into my throat, but I made my way over to him and said hello. And yes, I got his autograph. He's a really really great guy. XD
After wandering the room for a bit, we decided to head on out, but hooked up with a few friends of ours and spent the remainder of the day with them. Eventually, we all went out to dinner together. A great, but nerdy time was had by all.
And it's not over yet. We've still got two more days of geek heaven on earth. But truthfully, I wish it wouldn't end.
--Weasel, "Still exhausted, but it feels so good."
Got up this morning at a little after seven; I was up and dressed within the span of about five minutes. (Odd fact about yours truly: I never like getting up in the morning. I hate it. But when I'm at the convention, that changes rapidly.) Prime took a bit, yet again. He had to shower, get dressed, eat a bit of breakfast (Sandwiches. Nummy.) and all that other wonderful slag. So we were a bit late leaving the hotel. But it didn't matter; we got to our stop, got picked up by the 686 and were on our way.
It was a bit of a walk to the convention center and there was quite a crowd when we arrived. A pretty decent number seemed to be either picking up their pre-registration items or hitting the club store. Prime and I hit the panel room, where we took in the various and sundry panels.
First up was the Collector Club panel, which dealt with the club magazine. Fairly interesting stuff. Next up was Stan Bush and Vince Dicola, followed by the movie writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. For the last panel, I had to ask a quick question about movie Bumblebee. As if I would ask about anyone else. (I'll explain it later.)
After those three panels were done, we waited in line for the opening of the dealer room. It was an hour long wait, but it was worth it.
The dealer room is literally the heart of the 'Con. Everybody goes there. If you're looking for anyone, just head to the dealer room and you will find them. Today was no exception. Prime and I ran into someone we hadn't seen in a few years.
But it got even more awesome.
As I was standing near the IDW table, waiting for Prime, I spotted Mark Ryan. My heart jumped into my throat, but I made my way over to him and said hello. And yes, I got his autograph. He's a really really great guy. XD
After wandering the room for a bit, we decided to head on out, but hooked up with a few friends of ours and spent the remainder of the day with them. Eventually, we all went out to dinner together. A great, but nerdy time was had by all.
And it's not over yet. We've still got two more days of geek heaven on earth. But truthfully, I wish it wouldn't end.
--Weasel, "Still exhausted, but it feels so good."
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Zero
I didn't blog yesterday because, simply put, I was too damned tired. So today, I'm going to try and pull a little bit of double duty. Ready? Here we go.
05/27/2009
Yesterday was the Universal Studios tour. I got up stupid (and I do mean stupid) early to head out and catch the Rt 10 ARTS bus that runs not far from our hotel. After catching the bus, I made my way to the convention center to begin the wait.
I was there an hour early. Yeah, I had myself a pretty long wait. But soon enough, more and more Transfans began to show up and we had ourselves a good size crowd. There was laughing, joking, and many long nerdy conversations about toy robots. I was in heaven.
Once our tour buses arrived, we all climbed aboard, took our seats and began to enjoy the ride. Upon our arrival, we decided it would be best if we traveled the studio using the buddy system. I hung out with a small group of fans, led by "Chicago" and "Aussie". Are the names indicative of origin? Dunno. I digress...
We decided to hit as many rides as possible. The first was Shrek 4D. Being a total Shrek virgin, I can honestly say that the attraction was a lot of fun. I'm actually a bit interested in seeing the movies now. (I can hear Prime groaning in the back. To which I say, "Tough." To which he replies "Scre' ye, ye li'tl bas'ard" in an atrocious Scottish accent. Weirdo.)
After Shrek, Aussie wanted to hit the Terminator feature, so we headed over to catch the show. Unfortunately, it had already started, so we had to wait. In the meantime, we had a quick lunch.
I keep forgetting how Godawful expensive it is to eat in a place like that. Seriously, ouch.
After the meal, we went back and took in the Terminator. I would be lying if I said it didn't creep me out at a couple of points--part of the event involved having several Terminators shooting out some targets overhead. The very moment the blasted 'bots popped up, my heart began racing. I might adore most everything robotic, but anything that comes from Cyberdyne has a tendency to scare the living hell out of me. And the T-1000000 was no different That thing could cause nightmares.
After the attraction was finished, we were all about to leave when we were told by the ushers that our group could stay and meet the actors. Earlier in the day, we decided to buy a few 'Front of the Line' passes and one of the perks of said passes was a meet-and-greet. So we stayed, asked a few questions, met everyone and got a few pictures. Much awesomeness, if you ask me.
Chicago decided that we should hit The Simpsons ride afterwards, so we headed over. After taking a few pictures and video of Springfield, we hit the ride proper.
A word of warning: If you ever decide to ride that particular attraction, you might get a bit of vertigo. If you feel a bit dizzy, just put your head back and shut your eyes. Trust me, it helps. The attraction is actually a motion simulator--your brain and body may not sync up immediately and it might throw you off a little. It took me a few seconds to adjust to it but once I did, I had a blast.
We wandered about for a bit, then hit Jurassic Park. Four words: Most. Awesome. Ride. Ever. I didn't get too wet when we made splashdown, but Chicago got freaking soaked. I have never laughed so hard in my life.
Once we had gotten away from the dinos (and I had gotten myself a cute little souvenir), the rest of the group headed to The Mummy ride. I saw four words that encouraged me to sit that one out--high speed roller coaster. I don't do too well with those. Mostly because I risk throwing up. But I did visit the nearby gift shop and snagged another souvenir. This one was a litte pewter Bastet figurine. I can't help but think it was cool.
By now it was getting late in the day, so we hit two last attractions. We saw the behind the scenes/effects show and Backdraft. Both were a lot of fun, but Backdraft freaked me out towards the end. Stupid collapsing catwalk.....
By now we had approximately an hour and a quarter to wander about. So wander we did. There were costumed characters out and about, so I got a couple of pictures with some of them. It wasn't long afterwards that we left the park and our tour buses came.
I left Universal Studios exhausted and achy (my everything hurt!), but utterly ecstatic. It was wonderful.
Today:
Today was the Hollywood tour and Prime had the customizing class, so we both had to get up stupid early. There was just one problem: We had only gotten four hours worth of sleep! Now usually, I'm the one who's dragging their tail to get up and get dressed in the morning. Not so today--it was Prime who couldn't get moving. Seriously, he just wouldn't move. (Not that I blame him.) But after some prodding, we were on our way.
We missed the first bus, but caught a later one. After arriving at the convention center, we went our separate ways. I waited outside for the tour bus, while Prime headed inside for the class. Once the buses arrived and everyone got checked in, we were soon on our way.
This tour was different; we were basically being driven from place to place and given a bit of time to see the sights and take photos. I was able to see the Hollywood Bowl, the Chinese Theatre, walk down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, see the Kodak Theatre and best of all, walk down Rodeo Dr. I even ducked into one of the shops with a few of the others and walked around. The sales clerk kept glaring at us. It was hilarious. (And I'd do it again. In a second.)
We also made an unexpected detour to the La Brea tar pit. It seems we inadvertantly left someone behind, so he had to take a cab to catch up with us. I'm actually kinda glad it happened; I've never seen anything like the tar pit in my life. I found it a little bit sad.
Once we got back, we were dropped at the convention center. The first sight that greeted us was the incredibly long line for pre-registrants to pick up their gear. At first we all freaked out--we were thinking that was the line for the club store! But our line was much, much shorter.
I caught up with Prime and apologized for being late. We didn't have much time for talk; not long after, the doors opened and we were allowed inside. Prime and I made our way towards the club store when I saw something. It looked like a wing. A yellow, car door shaped wing.
That was when I gasped. And it wasn't the typical sort of gasp, either. This one was reserved for someone special. Namely Bumblebee.
I was staring at a movie Bumblebee statue.
I had to fight the urge to hug him.
Prime mumbled a soft, "Oh hell," as we passed by. He knew I was going to be insufferable after seeing this sight. But I kept myself pretty much in control until we got to the store. We got our forms, placed our order and paid. When we left, we spotted DA (who got in last night) sitting nearby. Prime rearranged our swag and gave me permission to go take a few pictures of Bumblebee.
I lost count of just how many I took. I was actually afraid I might fill the SD card.
Once Prime had gotten everything together, we met up with yet another friend who offered to stash our stuff in their room. So we headed outside. It was then I spotted someone who looked familiar--it just so happened to be the King himself. So I got his attention then nearly fractured one of his ribs hugging him. Good times, good times.
We stashed our swag, grabbed some eats and got back to our hotel. All in all, it's been a wonderful couple of days. I wish it would never end.
--Weasel, "I'm both sleep and food deprived, but I feel just great!"
05/27/2009
Yesterday was the Universal Studios tour. I got up stupid (and I do mean stupid) early to head out and catch the Rt 10 ARTS bus that runs not far from our hotel. After catching the bus, I made my way to the convention center to begin the wait.
I was there an hour early. Yeah, I had myself a pretty long wait. But soon enough, more and more Transfans began to show up and we had ourselves a good size crowd. There was laughing, joking, and many long nerdy conversations about toy robots. I was in heaven.
Once our tour buses arrived, we all climbed aboard, took our seats and began to enjoy the ride. Upon our arrival, we decided it would be best if we traveled the studio using the buddy system. I hung out with a small group of fans, led by "Chicago" and "Aussie". Are the names indicative of origin? Dunno. I digress...
We decided to hit as many rides as possible. The first was Shrek 4D. Being a total Shrek virgin, I can honestly say that the attraction was a lot of fun. I'm actually a bit interested in seeing the movies now. (I can hear Prime groaning in the back. To which I say, "Tough." To which he replies "Scre' ye, ye li'tl bas'ard" in an atrocious Scottish accent. Weirdo.)
After Shrek, Aussie wanted to hit the Terminator feature, so we headed over to catch the show. Unfortunately, it had already started, so we had to wait. In the meantime, we had a quick lunch.
I keep forgetting how Godawful expensive it is to eat in a place like that. Seriously, ouch.
After the meal, we went back and took in the Terminator. I would be lying if I said it didn't creep me out at a couple of points--part of the event involved having several Terminators shooting out some targets overhead. The very moment the blasted 'bots popped up, my heart began racing. I might adore most everything robotic, but anything that comes from Cyberdyne has a tendency to scare the living hell out of me. And the T-1000000 was no different That thing could cause nightmares.
After the attraction was finished, we were all about to leave when we were told by the ushers that our group could stay and meet the actors. Earlier in the day, we decided to buy a few 'Front of the Line' passes and one of the perks of said passes was a meet-and-greet. So we stayed, asked a few questions, met everyone and got a few pictures. Much awesomeness, if you ask me.
Chicago decided that we should hit The Simpsons ride afterwards, so we headed over. After taking a few pictures and video of Springfield, we hit the ride proper.
A word of warning: If you ever decide to ride that particular attraction, you might get a bit of vertigo. If you feel a bit dizzy, just put your head back and shut your eyes. Trust me, it helps. The attraction is actually a motion simulator--your brain and body may not sync up immediately and it might throw you off a little. It took me a few seconds to adjust to it but once I did, I had a blast.
We wandered about for a bit, then hit Jurassic Park. Four words: Most. Awesome. Ride. Ever. I didn't get too wet when we made splashdown, but Chicago got freaking soaked. I have never laughed so hard in my life.
Once we had gotten away from the dinos (and I had gotten myself a cute little souvenir), the rest of the group headed to The Mummy ride. I saw four words that encouraged me to sit that one out--high speed roller coaster. I don't do too well with those. Mostly because I risk throwing up. But I did visit the nearby gift shop and snagged another souvenir. This one was a litte pewter Bastet figurine. I can't help but think it was cool.
By now it was getting late in the day, so we hit two last attractions. We saw the behind the scenes/effects show and Backdraft. Both were a lot of fun, but Backdraft freaked me out towards the end. Stupid collapsing catwalk.....
By now we had approximately an hour and a quarter to wander about. So wander we did. There were costumed characters out and about, so I got a couple of pictures with some of them. It wasn't long afterwards that we left the park and our tour buses came.
I left Universal Studios exhausted and achy (my everything hurt!), but utterly ecstatic. It was wonderful.
Today:
Today was the Hollywood tour and Prime had the customizing class, so we both had to get up stupid early. There was just one problem: We had only gotten four hours worth of sleep! Now usually, I'm the one who's dragging their tail to get up and get dressed in the morning. Not so today--it was Prime who couldn't get moving. Seriously, he just wouldn't move. (Not that I blame him.) But after some prodding, we were on our way.
We missed the first bus, but caught a later one. After arriving at the convention center, we went our separate ways. I waited outside for the tour bus, while Prime headed inside for the class. Once the buses arrived and everyone got checked in, we were soon on our way.
This tour was different; we were basically being driven from place to place and given a bit of time to see the sights and take photos. I was able to see the Hollywood Bowl, the Chinese Theatre, walk down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, see the Kodak Theatre and best of all, walk down Rodeo Dr. I even ducked into one of the shops with a few of the others and walked around. The sales clerk kept glaring at us. It was hilarious. (And I'd do it again. In a second.)
We also made an unexpected detour to the La Brea tar pit. It seems we inadvertantly left someone behind, so he had to take a cab to catch up with us. I'm actually kinda glad it happened; I've never seen anything like the tar pit in my life. I found it a little bit sad.
Once we got back, we were dropped at the convention center. The first sight that greeted us was the incredibly long line for pre-registrants to pick up their gear. At first we all freaked out--we were thinking that was the line for the club store! But our line was much, much shorter.
I caught up with Prime and apologized for being late. We didn't have much time for talk; not long after, the doors opened and we were allowed inside. Prime and I made our way towards the club store when I saw something. It looked like a wing. A yellow, car door shaped wing.
That was when I gasped. And it wasn't the typical sort of gasp, either. This one was reserved for someone special. Namely Bumblebee.
I was staring at a movie Bumblebee statue.
I had to fight the urge to hug him.
Prime mumbled a soft, "Oh hell," as we passed by. He knew I was going to be insufferable after seeing this sight. But I kept myself pretty much in control until we got to the store. We got our forms, placed our order and paid. When we left, we spotted DA (who got in last night) sitting nearby. Prime rearranged our swag and gave me permission to go take a few pictures of Bumblebee.
I lost count of just how many I took. I was actually afraid I might fill the SD card.
Once Prime had gotten everything together, we met up with yet another friend who offered to stash our stuff in their room. So we headed outside. It was then I spotted someone who looked familiar--it just so happened to be the King himself. So I got his attention then nearly fractured one of his ribs hugging him. Good times, good times.
We stashed our swag, grabbed some eats and got back to our hotel. All in all, it's been a wonderful couple of days. I wish it would never end.
--Weasel, "I'm both sleep and food deprived, but I feel just great!"
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
2
I'm here. At last, I am here.
Would've posted a lot sooner, but the last few days have been insane. Saturday was a "nerd's day out", so to speak; Prime and I hit the local comic shop and did a double feature. We finally saw both Wolverine and Star Trek. Both rocked, as you can imagine.
Sunday I had to work, which cut into our prep time. Still, I managed to get some slag done, which put us a bit ahead.
Monday was the killer. And I do mean killer.
Between the last minute packing, the last minute print outs, the last minute laundry, the last minute ATM run, and grabbing the last minute snacks, I could barely function. Even worse, my nerves started kicking in; trying to sleep wasn't very easy for me. But I managed to grab a few hours. (Prime sez: Oh, frickin' PLEASE. One bottle of Mike's Harder Cranberry Lemonade and you were down for the count, shuuuuut upppp.)
Today, we got up at around four this morning (ugh!) and prepared for our flight. After getting dressed, we finally got on the road around five-twenty.
Got to the airport at 7:45. After going through TSA, we got to our gate and boarded soon after. It was a rather long but very uneventful flight. Our airline had XM, which kept me quiet and occupied.
Got to LAX at about ten-thirty. After the shuttle ride, we got to our hotel.
I am tired. Really tired. I could probably crash out and take a nap right now, but I won't. I'll be heading to bed early tonight, since I'll have to be up at a ridiculous hour tomorrow morning. I'm going on a pre-BotCon tour to Universal Studios. Yes, I can hardly wait.
Let the fun begin!
--Weasel, "I'm tired, I'm hungry and I feel great."
Would've posted a lot sooner, but the last few days have been insane. Saturday was a "nerd's day out", so to speak; Prime and I hit the local comic shop and did a double feature. We finally saw both Wolverine and Star Trek. Both rocked, as you can imagine.
Sunday I had to work, which cut into our prep time. Still, I managed to get some slag done, which put us a bit ahead.
Monday was the killer. And I do mean killer.
Between the last minute packing, the last minute print outs, the last minute laundry, the last minute ATM run, and grabbing the last minute snacks, I could barely function. Even worse, my nerves started kicking in; trying to sleep wasn't very easy for me. But I managed to grab a few hours. (Prime sez: Oh, frickin' PLEASE. One bottle of Mike's Harder Cranberry Lemonade and you were down for the count, shuuuuut upppp.)
Today, we got up at around four this morning (ugh!) and prepared for our flight. After getting dressed, we finally got on the road around five-twenty.
Got to the airport at 7:45. After going through TSA, we got to our gate and boarded soon after. It was a rather long but very uneventful flight. Our airline had XM, which kept me quiet and occupied.
Got to LAX at about ten-thirty. After the shuttle ride, we got to our hotel.
I am tired. Really tired. I could probably crash out and take a nap right now, but I won't. I'll be heading to bed early tonight, since I'll have to be up at a ridiculous hour tomorrow morning. I'm going on a pre-BotCon tour to Universal Studios. Yes, I can hardly wait.
Let the fun begin!
--Weasel, "I'm tired, I'm hungry and I feel great."
Saturday, May 23, 2009
5
I'm off today, work tomorrow then I'm off on Monday and my vacation starts. Weird schedule, I know. But I'm not complaining. Too much.
My suitcase is packed. I'm about halfway done with Prime's (it sounds odd, and...it kind of is--he can pack boxes for shipping toys to eBay winners or for moving, but suitcases drive him nuts); I'm thinking I'll have it totally packed by tomorrow night. At least I hope I will.
In a few more days, I'll be heading to California. And I don't think I'll need the Tylenol PM to keep me quiet while on board. Not considering this piece of news.
Oh yeah, I can board that plane. Nothing's stopping me now.
--Weasel, "This will be awesome beyond words."
My suitcase is packed. I'm about halfway done with Prime's (it sounds odd, and...it kind of is--he can pack boxes for shipping toys to eBay winners or for moving, but suitcases drive him nuts); I'm thinking I'll have it totally packed by tomorrow night. At least I hope I will.
In a few more days, I'll be heading to California. And I don't think I'll need the Tylenol PM to keep me quiet while on board. Not considering this piece of news.
Oh yeah, I can board that plane. Nothing's stopping me now.
--Weasel, "This will be awesome beyond words."
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