Hooray!

I may be there for more than just the Saturday events... I have made an offer to an undoubtedly-heartbroken Shanks fan to take a gold pass off her hands. We'll see. :)

Yay! I've edited the itinerary to reflect your possible presence for more days. One fan's tragedy is another fan's opportunity. :)

I feel for your Shanks-fan friend. I'm somewhat bummed because I really do adore classic Daniel and it was sort of a "goodbye" opportunity. No last minute flight in and afternoon flight out rush. Oh well.

I bet the SGA fans are a lot happier now. Two of their leads! They've kind of gotten shafted in past lineups so I'm glad for them.

It just occurred to me. If you get that Gold Pass, I think you'll have more use for your monopod, no? I'm planning my annual J&R pilgrimage anyway so I think I'll look at what they have in stock. I've been pricing some and they really aren't that expensive. Probably should just bite the bullet and get one. It wouldn't hurt my museum and architectural photography, either.

I have a monopod. It's probably a bottom of the market one but the huge camera store near here wasn't open today (?!?) so I was stuck looking at Best Buy and MicroCenter. Best Buy had exactly one option and so...I've got one. I figure now that you're in the third row you'll definitely want to use your monopod. :) Besides, maybe this'll help my museum photography come out better.

Cool!

We can compare notes. :)

Meh. Everyone knows my feelings on SGA so I'm not too thrilled.

I would have loved to see MS one last time. You know, weird, but yeah. But I respect the reason why he can't come.

And I get to see TR! I missed her at my first con because of a really bad con experience thing. Grr. So I'll get to see her this time.

This con has suddenly become more of a fan opportunity for me and less OMG! Stars! So, I hope you have some room in your busy schedule for little ol'me ;)

Oh, I have no thrill worked up for either of the two SGA appearances. You couldn't have chosen two actors I'd be less thrilled to see. :( I'm hoping hteir in-person prettiness is enough to overcome my blah.

Oh man! Missing TR is a real tragedy. I've been reloading the Creation web site, hoping against hope that she'll join the Friday night cabaret thing. Gods, she is GOOD. She can sing and dance as well as act. She gets the entire audience eating out of her hands. She's just a consummate performer. I'm VERY glad you're getting another shot at seeing her because if there's one SG actor I think all fans should have the opportunity to meet, it's Teryl. :) If you hadn't guessed from my LJ. :)

I definitely have room in my schedule. *points* Yup. You're on there. You'll be so sick of us all by the end that you'll be happy to (fly? drive? walk?) home. When do you arrive? selmak and janiekins arrive on Thursday evening. I'm not certain when jalabert arrives, but I bet it'll be Friday with her sister, Söös. katiedammit may be coming sooner if she gets the Gold Ticket. Hmm...I think that exhausts my knowledge of others' plans.

I totally missed your breakdown LOL

I'll be getting in on Friday. No extra time for me :( But I'll be at the hotel that the con is at so I'll be around.

Last year we had to take TWO tables at the cocktail/breakfast get-togethers. I wonder how many we'll fill this year? Hee! I was so, so, so lucky that I chose the table I did my very first year. The people all looked nice (appearances can be SO deceiving) and there was an empty spot. Gods, it was horrible for me because I was on my own and I am totally shy. But I'm thankful I chose wisely. selmak, janiekins, and Dori are all such wonderful, insane people. I'm still bummed that majorsamfan won't be joining us this year but I suppose I understand the cross-country thing being a bit of a stretch.

Did you go to NJ in 2004?

Yes, I did. :) This will be my third trip. I can't get my website up at the moment (grrrrrr) but maybe it'll work for you? I put all my 2004 pics here: http://www.mishtopia.com/NJCon/Album/index.html Or, I *think* that's the URL since I can't check it at the moment. My connection gets annoyingly flakey at times.

I'm hoping the absence of CJ and MS means that the weirdos who are raising the psycho kid Albert. He was there again last year. MS and CJ were onstage together and they actually stopped and made his parents identify themselves and asked from stage if they thought Albert's behavior was aceeptable. I'd have crawled into a hole but I guess this is a case of parents being truly to blame because they were cool with it. *blink*

Aw, I can't get in :(

I was there in NJ in 2004. I might have even seen you! I took the picture for the table that selmak was sitting at. For the breakfast.

That was my first con. That is the one where MS was late to the breakfast and it was rushed with the photo ops and everything. AND they cut into TR's time which was awful. I missed her for other reasons, but the scheudling was terrible. But I still had a good experience. Only, I had psycho girl sitting at my table. *growls* She took up all of MS' time. Not that it matters because I don't say boo.

Last year I did Boston. Boston was great. The convention hotel area thing sucked hosewater, but the con itself was great. it was smaller and more personal. And like I said MS wasn't in some big rush. CJ screwed things up by missing his plane, but MS was alert, friendly, and totally on his game. He carried a drink around with him at the party, but he barely drank from it and he wasn't drunk or hung over. I was very very happy. And Boston didn't have as many weird fans. But they won't ever do Boston again, so bummer. But that was a great experience.

Albert? Is that the kid that "Thor" told to go play in traffic? Crap, he was there AGAIN? Wow.

It's my hope that even though we don't have very many big name people this year, that will make the con experience better. I can relax a little more with supporting cast. Does that make sense? I totally freeze up in front of MS or CJ. But last year in Boston I managed to have two nice conversations with Tony Amendola. It was refreshing. Plus, I'm dying for a nice fan experience. Boston was a step in the right direction from NJ 2004 for sure.

My NJ con experience was fairly awful so the actors really were my shining point. This year, it's all about the fans for me. I don't know if I will be doing any more cons after this so I am hoping for a good time :)

Seems to have been a server problem; they've got it back up. http://www.mishtopia.com/NJCon/Album/index.html -- this is definitely the URL. You know, I think one of the pics on my website (http://www.mishtopia.com/NJCon/Album/Friends/slides/7FR1517.html) was taken by you because I have it credited to, "the lovely and telented (sic) Kerri of our Our Stargate Forum." If you don't already have a group of people whom you've promised to sit with, you should most definitely join our tables. I can't promise that we're sane but we do have fun.

Albert? Is that the kid that "Thor" told to go play in traffic? Crap, he was there AGAIN? Wow.
Yup. And just as memorably creepy as ever. *shudder* Seriously, the kid already has some problems (following CJ into the bathroom and taking photos?!?) and with parents like that, I suspect Albert will be a criminal before long. If I find out he tortures animals, I wouldn't be too terribly surprised.

As you can see, I am totally bumming today...

Ah, yes. That would be me. I'm glad the picture came out okay. I remeber sitting across from you guys and wishing that my table was that much fun. You guys were laughing!

I don't think I'm in with anyone to sit with but then I get confused easily. If that is the case, I'd love to join your tables. I just have to double check to make sure I didn't promise people and forget. I don't think so, though.

On the Shanks disappointment, I'm of two minds.

I adore Daniel. Classic Daniel. He's WHY I became an SG-1 fan. I really wanted to say goodbye to him. That part of me is very sad. However, just like Jack became Not Jack to me, Daniel became Not Daniel. My own interpretation is that Shanks grew bored with the role and stopped trying. Most of the time, anyway.

Layered over that is a lot of opportunities to see Shanks so maybe I've become a bit jaded as a fangirl. He's never on time. He's frequently been scraped out of bed after a night of getting shit-faced. Maybe that's the only way he can face a hotel filled with people who have planned their family vacations and spent money to see him. I don't know. On top of that, a Shanks appearance at a Creation con means he's flown out that same afternoon so the photos and autographs are rushed beyond belief.

That is an experience I hoped would be different this time. We'd get photos with a non-hungover Shanks. He wouldn't be rushing through autographs to make a plane. He'd have a commitment to spend time with fans in the evening. I really hoped that freeing him from the standard Creation schedule would allow more of "him" to emerge.

So, I'm very sorry to lose the opportunity to have had a positive fan experience with him but since I secretly expected that it wouldn't really go down that way, I'm not crushed as I once would have been.

See, my experiences with MS have been positive. The first time I saw him he ran a little late and things were rushed, but he was nice. at that time, I didn't know he had a history of doing that, but it didn't matter since I had fun.

And then last year was even better. No rushing. No bad anything. No drinking. Nothing. He even stayed some extra time at the dessert thing to talk to people. It was a really great experience.

So, I'm not as jaded as you. I've had really good experiences with him. He's always been alert and nice the times I've seen him.

I would have liked to see him again, but since I've already seen him before and had really good experiences to walk away with, I don't really mind as much.

Luckily, I am one of the people that can put enough distance between myself and the actor. I know there are a lot of people that can't. I'm sure you know what I mean.

I do believe that you're right. I think MS got bored and stopped caring. I do believe he's back to being a little more invested in the character this season as I have seen a lot of classic Daniel returning to the series. But I seem to be the minority in that opinion. Ten years is an awful long time to play the same character. An actor should always be on their game, though, and I don't believe that has been true for RDA, MS, and even AT to a lesser extent. They all got very comfortable and for some maybe even lazy. It's my hope that tackling other projects will rejuvenate them so if/when they come back for the movies, they'll be more focused.

I think I'm a bit odd in that I don't like the "new" Daniel and I don't like "dumb" Jack, but I still am invested in the characters, if that makes sense. But it might only be because I write fanfic in my spare time. If I didn't write fanfic and I didn't use what I see and them interpret it in my own way, maybe I would see the characters differently. Who knows.

at that time, I didn't know he had a history of doing that
It got worse over time. The straw for me was Dallas. He and CJ were late, late, late. Like, breakfast was almost over late. Then they went to the other side of the room and just - didn't circulate. They had food fights. The hotel had to ask them to stop because flying butter is a Bad Thing. I actually had to choose between sitting and talking to MS when he FINALLY made it to the combined table of two (we were the last two and so many had already left in either disgust or to get in line for photos that we were only one table's worth of people) or go and use my non-refundable photo op with CJ.

Now, I've been more forgiving in the past. NJ is a mind-numbing 3 hours earlier than Vancouver. It's like going to eat with a roomful of eager beavers at 5 a.m. and I'd rather slit my throat than do that. I understand. On the other hand? There's a reason I don't drink on a work night. Dallas wasn't about difficulty in getting out of bed; I thought he and CJ were honestly trying to never be asked back.

And then last year was even better. No rushing. No bad anything. No drinking. Nothing. He even stayed some extra time at the dessert thing to talk to people. It was a really great experience.
See? That's EXACTLY what I was hoping this time around would be. Absolutely if I'd ever had an experience like that, I'd be far more disappointed by Michael's cancellation.

I know there are a lot of people that can't. I'm sure you know what I mean.
Oh yes, I have an inkling. Actually, I've been wondering if we might not have a more enjoyable con since some of the NJ regulars with that problem won't have a reason to come.

They all got very comfortable and for some maybe even lazy.
I'm not one for asking questions (that shy thing again) but before the cancellation of the series, I'd been planning to ask Michael what he did to keep Daniel fresh for himself and also, since I had liked some of the spunk I'd seen creeping back in, ask him how having Claudia Black to play off of made playing Daniel different. Oh well.

It's my hope that tackling other projects will rejuvenate them so if/when they come back for the movies, they'll be more focused.
That would be the ultimate gift to the fans and would make me happy for the cancellation.

I think I'm a bit odd in that I don't like the "new" Daniel and I don't like "dumb" Jack, but I still am invested in the characters, if that makes sense.
I'm a bit odd in exactly the same way. I realized, recently, that I like hardly anything done in several years but it hasn't diminished my love for the good stuff. They may have screwed with my team on the show but it doesn't change that there's a My Team or how much I love them.

Yeah, but if you DO go to Randy's show, the odds are very good that Gale will be in the audience...

Now that is just cruel! Now I get to bemoan missing two opportunities. If they'd move Teryl to Sunday, I'd be all over that show. Damn it. Not to mention if Scott Lowell or Peter Paige were available. I bet they'll be there as well. I'd REALLY like to "meet" Peter Paige. Damnit it all. That's one happening Saturday. I'm going to console myself that what I'd really rather do is meet them in a bar and just talk rather than play fangirl cornering them at someone else's performance. Still? Total bummer.

Well, yanno, I started thinking about it and it only makes sense... Ran was at his show, why wouldn't Gale return the favor if he could? And you said it started at 5? (Unusual time for theatre...) That could mean that Gale wouldn't be on stage himself then, he might try to slip out of rehersal and cab over ;)

Well, that's what he does in my imagination. But then, of course, my imagination takes all kinds of evil twists for what happens AFTER the show. Someone really should hit me with rocks.

Someone really should hit me with rocks.
No! I suggest something lots more fun. *points to icon*

It IS unusual. There are two shows that day so I guess his is the matinee? (I was really hoping when I saw the date that it would be a late show so that I could make it just in time.) There's a part of me that really wants to watch Randy Harrison, Twink of Excellence, play a grieving father. I don't know how old the father is supposed to be but I suspect considerably older than Mr. Harrison will ever look. I wanted to see if his improvisational acting skills could distract me from his appearance.

It did occur to me that Simon will be in the audience. And you know my opinion on THAT matter.