My Shiny Weekend in Burbank Part 1

So much has happened this weekend that I have to make sure I document my memories as best as I can recall. I will cherish these once in a lifetime memories forever and feel eternally grateful to all of those who made it possible.

Thursday, December 7 2006

I arrive at the Burbank Hilton from the airport around 1pm, all psyched to register early for Flanvention II. I had never attended a convention before so I was not sure what to expect. I check into the hotel and lop my stuff down and head back to the lobby where I notice other Fans gathering. I ask about rigistration and someone says that they heard it's not going to be until the next morning. In the meantime, I meet a few friendly Browncoats who take me under their wing and we talk about how we got into Firefly and so much more. We go to dinner and I go back to my room exhausted from the plan ride and the anticipation of all the excitement to come.

Little did I know that an hour after I went up to my room, the "Hero of Canton" would walk in to tell the fans the bad news he had just heard and spend hours with them. He made some calls and another awesome Adam (lexigeek from the SF Browncoats) set in motion the Backup bash plans again. There was to be a morning meeting on Friday in the lobby to discuss.

Friday, December 8 2006

I walk down to the lobby all psyched to register and I see some Browncoats in the lobby. WE start chatting and one fo them breaks the bvad news to me... I felt devastated, I held back tears, but I was happy to now be in the loop. They informed me that Adam of the California Browncoats was coordinating a meeting to make some announcements to set the backup bash plans back in motion... My hopes rose... When you can't run anymore, you crawl, and when you can't do that... well, you know the rest. Adam sure did rally the troops together and made the announcement of how they are working on something fun for Saturday and that there would be a Browncoat party in the bar that Friday night. The rest of Friday proceeded to just get better and better.
Corey from Multiverse made an announcement that he wanted fan input on the possibility of a Firefly MMO... I walked up to him immediately saying "definitely" and relaying some ideas I had about why the game would work and suggestions. He was so kind to listen to all the fans who had questiosn and wanted to provide input. Then, Mark Sheppard (Badger) shows up in the lobby! This guy is a class act! There were a bunch of people gathered to get pictures with him and talk with him. He made sure he posed with everyone who wanted a picture. I thanked him for coming even though the con was cancelled and he was so gracious. The amazing Bedlam Bards performed by the pool. I was the lucky one to make the first request.. "The Ballad of Joss", of course, had to be it! These guys are amazing musicians and perfomers. The dealers who had been displaced because of the cancellation made do with what they had to sell Serenity/Firefly merchandise to the fans on that afternoon.
Then I heard the announcement that Makr Shepard would be returning in the evening to sign autographs and so would Brett Matthews who wrote the story for the comic book. Wee! Things were getting exciting. These people were showing up and signing autos without compensation and spending time with fans! So I end up being about 5th in line for Mark's autograph and thank him yet again for his generosity. I ask Brett about if there will be another Serenity/Firefly comic book? and he says yes! In fact he just finished up the story for it!

I grab some dinner with some of my new friends and head toward the party in the bar/lobby. And who do I see? Jonathan Woodward (Tracey)! My first thought was "wow he's hotter in person than he was on Buffy, Angel & Firefly)". Real mature, right? So I get in line to get a photo with his suave self. The line is getting longer with ladies by the minute, so Jonathan takes us near the bar entrace and says wait here and runs off... I'm 3rd in line..D'oh.. But I obediately and patiently wait. A few minutes later a few people walk by. My eyes follow them and I realiize Nathan Fillion is walking right past me!

My jaw drops involuntarily. I immediately smile the biggest grin ever and proceed to follow Nathan into the bar along with the rest of the women waiting. The cheers are deafening. Nathan gets every one to quiet down as much as they can be calmned down after realizing that their Captain has arrived. "I'm sorry your con got cancelled. I hope the word con doesn't take on a new meaning," he said according to my recollection. Everyone laughed and cheered. He proceed to take out a file box and give out random items that he kep descrbing as "nothing special about it, except that it's mine." I was the lucky recipient of a copy of his "Bean Dip Recipe". Then, he introduces us to a scruffy Alan Tudyk! He let us know that he had a little bit of time off from shooting his new movie and that he heard about what happened and wanted to stopby before his flight back. Wow!

Nathan and Alan hang around to make sure that everyone who wants to say hi and get a picture with them had the opportunity to do so. I went to Nathan's line first and we moved out to the cortyard after his first few pictures. WHen it's my turn, he grabs me over and takes a phot with my camera.. best darn shot ever! I tell him "My name is Samantha and you are my big damned hero." He says Thanks and I thank him for doing this for us, and he tell me I'm sweet... Squeeee!! So I proceed to get in line for Alan to thank him as well and get a pic... I end up right next to him in a group shot and thank him for coming all the way here and I can't rmemebrr exactly what he said, but I believe it was something like "Happy to do this for the fans". (Alan feel free to correct me. all this is going on while ANthan is directing the group shots and let ting us know that "this is perfect, this is how it should be done" to ensure everyone got their turn in a timely manner. These guys were so gracious and generous to stand out there for so long to get shots with all of us.

After this, I figured now would be a perfect time to find Jonathan again, hopefulyl he wasn't gone.. He was still there and so was the awesome Mark Sheppard. They were both chatting with fans, signing stuff and taking pictures. When it got my turn with Jonation he hugged me close for the shot.

I went to bed that night in such a state of happiness, it was hard to sleep or dream because I knew no dream would be better than the experience I had that day.

Stay tuned for my report on the rest of the weekend..