Oh, you know, that time I met Richard Armitage*

*NBD.

HOLY SHIZZ. IT'S ME AND RICHARD ARMITAGE.
 (Credit: Thanks, stranger!)

Like you didn't see this post coming. 

So the other day, I heard tickets were available for Anderson Cooper's "Anderson Live" talk show. Normally, I wouldn't be interested because I'm never around during the day to watch 'em, really. But when one segment is an interview with the cast of "The Hobbit" ..... 

But first, let me back up: If you're one of the millions of Americans asking yourself, "Who the eff is this Richard Armitage dude she's talking about?" -- I forgive you; he's more well known for his TV roles across the pond -- go read my previous posts about him. There are numerous mentions. I'll wait.

Ready?

Okay. So he was confirmed to be at the taping, so clearly I was going to go. This is the girl who went to London to see Matthew Macfadyen, another fave-yet-obscure-in-the-States Brit actor, on the West End. The girl who went to London again to see David Tennant, my sister's Brit boyfriend, and Catherine Tate on the West End in "Much Ado About Nothing." Like I wasn't going to take a train three hours north to see my No. 1, most favorite of favorites Brit boyfriend. Please.

And the taping surpassed my expectations. Short of him professing his undying love for me in front of a live television audience, anyway.

We saw one whole episode being filmed before the Hobbit cast appeared to tape their segment, which airs today. You really can't see me in any of the shots in that one episode, though you can see my sister and our friends. So you can't see the look on my face that clearly indicated that I was thinking, "WHO CARES? JUST BRING OUT RICHARD!" 

Then when they brought out the cast, I was pretty much as excited as a fangirl could be. You can find snippets of the interview here. You might see me, this time grinning like a full-on idiot and sitting on the edge of my seat and maybe, just, maybe hitting my sister in excitement.

Then afterward as we were leaving the studio, I saw a line of black cars out front. Clearly they were coming out soon, so we loitered until they appeared, at which point I  -- and here I stress the words: very calmly -- walked over to where Richard was signing autographs and the following took place:

Me: Hi, could I get a picture, please?
Richard: Sure. [puts arm around me]
Me: [thinking as I pretty much just plaster myself to his side] omgomgomgomgstrangeryoubettertakeadamngoodpictureomgomgomg
Stranger: [Click]
Me: [aloud, to Richard] Thank you so much.
Richard: You're very welcome.

And then I died a very happy woman. Coincidentally, someone at the event shot some video here, that shows me and him at the very end...

My sister likes to point out that we went all the way to San Diego this summer, spending money on tickets and airfare and hotel, to see Richard (though it wasn't just for him, mind you). But we saw him -- for free -- in New York, without being crowded into Hall H with 6,000 other fans -- and snagged a picture with him.

Now, please don't think I'm a stalker. Sometimes, yes, I like to stand outside the stage door and get the odd autograph. But many times it goes something like this: My sister and I randomly fall into a meet-and-greet -- and somehow end up being first in line -- such as at a Joshua Radin concert earlier this year. Or I randomly see, oh, Colin Ferguson from "Eureka" checking his phone outside Rock Bottom Brewery in San Diego during Comic-Con. Or because of a ticket snafu, we get assigned front-row seats at Nerd HQ panels with Zachary Levi and Nathan Fillion in San Diego and ended up high-fiving Zac.

But I'm nice and calm, and I don't chase after them. So that's something.  But as for this time around with Richard, I really don't know for who else or when I'd go to these lengths again.

Well, until he does a play on the West End...

Pop culture fail

So as much pop culture as I consume, there are still lots of things that pass me by. And then I get that look I usually give other people. The one that says: "What do you MEAN you haven't read/watch /heard [fill in the blank]?!" I know, I know. So for every person who doesn't recognize Dan Stevens from "Downton Abbey" in that pic from the last post, there are just as many times when I can be just as pop culture clueless. So here, things that I need to get into but haven't yet. Go ahead, be horrified -- but don't let your face stick like that.

Web series

With the except of "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," I don't watch web series. Which is ludicrous given how much time I spend with my laptop open. But I can't ever figure out their schedules, and the production quality isn't always up to snuff, which can drive me crazy. Plus, I have a total second-screen mentality, so what would I do if watching on my laptop? In truth, I can watch YouTube on my TV, but I'm going to blame my already busy TV-watching schedule for missing these two series especially: "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" and "The Guild." Both seem right up my alley -- Pride & Prejudice! Geeks!  -- and yet, I can't sit down to watch them. Maybe it's that they seemingly have so many episodes already that, even though they're short, it'd be like me trying to watch all 10 seasons of, I dunno, "Smallville" or something.

Books

Y'all know I love my YA. Even before I rediscovered that genre, I generally read Austen paraliterature, mysteries and the occasional romance. As big a bookworm as I am, I just cannot deal with mainstream chick lit (inevitably the girl is late 30s, either divorced with a kid or longtime singleton and works in PR) or actual literary fiction (inevitably too depressing and/or Full of Meaning). So, no, I haven't read "Gone Girl" or classics like "The Catcher in the Rye." But I just finished Henry James's "Washington Square." And next on my list is the non-fiction World War I book "The Guns of August." They gotta count for something.

TV

This is the big one. The one that garners the biggest reaction when I confess: I've never seen "The Wire." Yes, I know it's amazing. Yes, I know it helped revolutionize television drama. Yes, I know it was filmed in Baltimore -- just up the road. I read somewhere that "The Wire" is like "War and Peace": Everyone says you should read/watch it, but hardly anyone actually follows through. I just don't know that I want to invest my time in several seasons of bleakness, so this one has moved down ... and down ... and down on my Netflix queue.

Three cool things

Well, I wouldn't go that far. But lots of fun things have happened in recent weeks. The top 3  awesome things, in order of awesomeness.

Holy shizz. Dan Stevens, y'all! Matthew Crawley! Edward Ferrars!
(Credit: I cannot even remember because I was so excited to put my arm around Dan)

First Place

I met Dan Stevens! That's right. He of "Downton Abbey" and the last TV adaptations of "Sense & Sensibility" and "Dracula"! (Er, actually I don't recommend "Dracula.") When we heard he was stateside doing a play, a couple of us met up in New York for a weekend. It was right after Hurricane Sandy, so probably not the best time to go. But the NY Historical Society was open, and we saw its fascinating "WWII & NYC" exhibit. Really cool to learn about why it's called the Manhattan Project and that the Met curators helped design armor/helmets by studying the armor in its collection.

That night we went to see "The Heiress" on Broadway. The play, based on Henry James's "Washington Square," stars Jessica Chastain as an awkward plain Jane who stands to inherit a good sum of money when her father (David Strathairn) dies. Dan -- because that's what I call him now, Dan -- plays her dashing suitor, who may or may not be after her money. Judith Ivey is the comic relief as the ridiculous aunt who encourages the young couple. As plays go, it was okay. I thought it was a little too obvious what was going on, and Chastain wasn't all that impressive (she does this weird "let me drop my voice an octave to show I'm emoting" thing). But Dan gamely played the dandy, and with a surprisingly good (albeit high-pitched) American accent.

After the show, we rushed to hang out at the stage door. We didn't have to wait long until Dan came out. He was very gracious and nice to sign autographs and take pictures with everyone who asked. And also handsome. He is totally dashing. Swoon. A friend must have popped by unexpectedly because when he greeted Dan, Dan was all: Omg, what are you doing here? And they shared a bro hug, which was cute, and then Dan went off with his friend into the night. Sans security to scare away any "Downton Abbey" stalkers. (We didn't stick around for Chastain; oops.) All in all, mission accomplished. I'm definitely ready for more British actors I love to come to Broadway now.

Second Place

My race bib. It was a twilight run
through a historic cemetery. Spooky! (Credit: Me)

I ran a 5K! I'm not a runner. Like at all. Never have been. Generally in the past, I've taken a "I don't run unless I'm being chased" stance. But I've been on a health kick the last year or so and decided to give it a go. I've been training for a few months now, mostly running on the treadmill. I ran outside only once and didn't do as well as I'd hoped. So lo and behold, how surprised I was when I beat my personal best on the treadmill (45 mins) by like 10 minutes -- and ran the entire 3.1 miles! Whoo-hoo! I attribute that to adrenaline and competitive spirit. I finished 250th out of 300, but, hey, I at least accomplished my goals, which were to just finish and not be last. So there's that. 

I also did a 5K running tour around town, which was fun, and I've signed up for another 5K right after Thanksgiving, because, let's face it: I'll totally need the exercise by then. I'd love to maybe try at 10K one day. But, to answer my mother's question,  no, I won't be doing a marathon. 

My sweater! With detail of owls, below.  (Credit: Me)

Third Place

I made a sweater! I knit a cardigan a long long time ago and hated it (I think I must donated it ages ago) because each part was knit separately, then sewn together. Frustrating! So it took me a long time to screw my courage to the sticking place one more time and try again. It's red and woolly and it has owls! Owls are probably passe by now, but I don't care. It's super cute and, if you're a knitter, the pattern is great: clear directions, keeps the sewing to a minimum, etc. Highly recommend!

It might take me a while before I feel like doing another sweater.... With the holidays coming up, I've got a lot of projects done, but a lot still before me. My poor little fingers will be tired right up until Christmas...

Eeeeek.

I've noticed a  pattern: I'll write a random blog post but then someone else will occur and that other one will fall by the wayside. Which has happened yet again. So instead of that post, here's one on things that scare me, in honor of Halloween.

Please note: I'm a chicken. Results may vary for other viewers.

Scariest TV episode

"Doctor Who," "Blink." Y'all know I'm a Doctor Who fan. If you haven't watched before, give "Blink" a shot. It's a nice intro to the series (no previous knowledge of the show necessary, as the main characters are barely in it) -- and it's grade-A creepy. Trust me, you will never look at statues the same again. You will shriek. It's on Amazon Instant and Netflix streaming.

Scariest movies

"Dead Again." It's not even that this movie is all that scary; plus Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson pre-divorce is awesome. But it scared the crap out of me so much so as a teen (or tween?) that I can't think about scissors -- the murder weapon of choice here -- before going to bed or I can't sleep.

"Paranormal Activity." I'd say before this movie, I was probably more freaked out by Blair Witch Project, but that was likely more due to the shakycam that nauseated me to no end.  Paranormal Activity, though, ranks at the top now.  My sister likes to stand over me in the dark when I'm trying to sleep at her place. Shuddup. It's not funny.

Also, I watched "Woman in Black" last night. As scariness goes, it wasn't terribly so. But it had enough creepy old-timey photos and sinister-looking Victorian toys (ceramic dolls, wind-up monkeys that moved on their own) to make me watch something funny afterward.

Phobias

View from a spire at the
Sagrada Familia in Barca.

Stairs and heights. I hate stairs -- especially spiral stairs; it's that narrow part of the stair, damn it. I always think I'm going to tumble down and fall dramatically, like on TV or the movies. Maybe that's why I also hate heights. Put those two together and it's anxiety time. Just ask same sister who stands over me in the dark. We were at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and were at the top of the spires, which freaked me out. And then we had to climb down *very* narrow spiral stairs all the way to the ground. That's the closest I've come to a panic attack, ever. I mean, strangers were asking if I was okay.

Scariest experience 

Stop me if you've heard this story before because I tell it a lot: So my friend Amanda and I were on our way to London years ago when we had to spend a sleepless night at Boston's Logan Airport. So we get on the early morning flight to London and I fall asleep as soon as I buckle in (as I'm wont to do). Then suddenly Amanda is shaking me because the PA system has started saying something along the lines of: "Please prepare for an emergency landing in water." Panic ensues. And then the crew gets on and says the announcement went off by mistake and we're not crashing to our deaths as we thought. I try not to think about that every time I fly. It doesn't work.

In conclusion: Happy Halloween!

But you don't have to take my word for it....

Butterfly in the sky.... God, didn't you love "Reading Rainbow"? It was one of my very favorite shows growing up. The episode about New York City at night? Awesome! The one where LeVar takes us to the set of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"? Unforgettable! I always wanted to be one of those lucky kids who got to spend a few seconds talking about a book they loved.

Now the last few weeks have been sometimes stressful, sometimes fun but super busy, so haven't had much to talk about. So when that happens I'm just gonna do a BYDHTTMWFI (see blog post title) about the things I'm into lately. Bottom line: They're all cool.

Books

The Raven Boys. I'm a huge fan of supernatural TV shows, but for some reason supernatural/fantasy books are a really hard sell (Harry Potter excluded): weird names, silly-sounding places, dumb powers. But Maggie Stiefvater's "The Raven Boys" -- about a group of boys searching for a lost Welsh king in Virginia, of all places -- is great. Love the characters (Adam, a book version of Matt Saracen = swoon), intrigued by the Welsh mythology, liked the prose. Now I have to wait for the next book. Argh.

When the Game Was Ours. I generally knew Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are basketball icons but never knew much else about them. This book tracks not only their careers but also their rivalry -- and how it made each of them a better player. Loved this book. Loved.

Movies

Pitch Perfect. Go see this movie. It's like a cappella meets Bring It On. The story is run-of-the-mill: Anna Kendrick (my love for her knows no bounds) is an alterna-girl who joins a ragtag a cappella group seeking glory. But it's exactly what I wanted: cute and fun and musical. Though, warning, it's gross in parts. Now I wish I could sing. It is a-ca-awesome.

The Art of the Steal. Fascinating documentary about the Barnes art collection that was outside Philly (kicking myself I never saw it when I lived there) and now is in a new home in the Philadelphia Museum of Art -- despite the fact that the original owner explicitly said his collection should never leave its home or be part of the museum. Ever. Interesting because of its look at art and who owns it and how it's acquired-- the politics behind it. I must say, I'm conflicted about going to see the collection at some point. On one hand, it's amazing art. On the other, well, just watch the movie....

TV

Bomb Girls. A Canadian show on the Reelz channel about women working in a Canadian munitions factory while the boys fight in World War II? Sold. Duh. The clothes! The hair! The drama! It's like "Homefront" (an old fave) without Jeff (Kyle Chandler) and Ginger, a.k.a. The Best Couple Ever.

Downton Abbey. This third season? Trumps the second season by far. Squeee!

Hope you check these out. But you don't have to take my word for it....

A comic-con grows in Baltimore

If you're amazed there's not a T-shirt
in my haul from the Baltimore con,
I am too. (Credit: Me)

Yesterday I went to the Baltimore Comic-Con -- a first for me, which is weird since I live just an hour away and it's relatively easy to get to, even without a car. You'd think I would've gone years ago as a primer, building up to the mega-huge one in San Diego and the biggish one in New York. But true to my nature, if I really like something, I'm not one to dip my toe in, so I jumped into the deep end first and am only just now going to the smaller shows.

Now in Baltimore I did see Stan Lee, heretofore known as my nerd grandpa, when he passed us on the floor, with a lone guard as his escort. But there was no crowd chasing him. And besides him, there were no A-list celebrities. No must-see TV/movie panels or exclusive clips or previews or screenings. There were no corporate publicity stunts or huge booths, such as Marvel's, with all the different Iron Man suits or Odin's throne. There was no flashy swag.

But I could stand on the convention floor, stretch my arms out wide and not hit anyone. I didn't have to get there at dawn to fall in line to just get in the building. No opening multiple browsers on my computer  -- months before the actual con -- and waiting breathlessly and praying to the Comic-Con gods to get passes. I bought my ticket for the Baltimore con on Thursday night for $20. My friend just walked up to the window when we got there and bought hers.

Heck, we didn't even have actual badges, although I saw a Stan Lee VIP passholder who had a badge (for $200, you should get a badge). No, we got a blue paper wristband -- not even branded! *clutches pearls* -- which I promptly tore. Can you imagine what would happen in San Diego if people just had easily breakable wristbands? Chaos would reign. Thousands would wangle their way inside with a bracelet they found lying in the street. (It's a good thing we didn't have a badge anyway, because I didn't bring a supercool lanyard to go with it.)

Sometimes in San Diego you walk by the comics vendors and there aren't that many people there, which makes me feel guilty. At this one it was sometimes hard (relatively speaking) to get through people to browse through boxes of comics. Yay! I always tend to go to the trade paperbacks instead of individual issues, so I bagged "The Walking Dead" vols 1 and 2. Discount copies of "Locke & Key" -- a series I enjoy lots -- eluded me again.

Closer look at my treasures. The pins, from left: K-9;
a deer head that says "Expecto patronum";
a gas mask says "Are you my Mummy?"
(Credit: Me)

I also got a bracelet made from a comic book page, (at a museum before the con, I got a pendant with comics in it: one side says "Zoink!"; the other, "Voo-vroom!"), fun decals and buttons. And NO T-shirts. That in itself is a major milestone for me. Now there were many, many shirts I wanted, but I restrained myself. A "Eureka"-themed one called out to me like a siren, but alas, it was made for tiny people.

Anyway, the vibe was just as cool and accepting as at San Diego -- without all the hassles of lines or jostling for space or the exorbitant travel costs. People weren't shy about asking to stop a Dalek cosplayer to take a photo or where you got your cool shirt or just how many times an artist watched "Doctor Who" (the Ten years) to make that awesome pixel art poster showing every character who appeared in those seasons -- in chronological episode order. Basically, you're just free to be a geek without judgment, which is the best thing about any convention.

Washington is getting its own con in April. You can bet I'll be going.

What I will and won't read

A small part of my Jane Austen retellings/sequels collection. (Credit: Me)

I've talked a lot about my penchant for YA books over adult books. But I just realized that there are certain tropes or aspects of a plot that I'm particularly drawn to -- those things that all I have to do is read the synopsis and I'm all: SOLD.

Some of these I look for in TV shows and movies, too, though I'm more able to suspend my disbelief for TV/movies than for books. I'm not a big fantasy book person, for example, but I'm willing to go along with, say, "Merlin."

Anyway:

Book turn-ons

Victorian England + swoony couple
 = gold. (Credit: Barnes & Noble)

• Victorian England.
• Edwardian England.
• Regency England.
• Okay, just England.
• Dystopia. Except post-natural-disaster societies, because those just scare me. (Read: "Ashfall." Or don't because it might freak you out and/or depress you.)
• Retellings of "Pride & Prejudice," "Sense & Sensibility" or "Persuasion."
• Jane Austen stories but from an alternate perspective -- like P&P from Darcy's POV or "Persuasion" from Wentworth's. Swoon. 
• Sequels to Jane Austen books. (Do you sense a theme here?)
• Mysteries in which the heroine and hero butt heads but ultimately join forces to solve the case (and fall in love because obvs they're meant TO BE). See Deanna Raybourn's Julia Grey mysteries. Brisbane is my non-Austen book boyfriend.
• A teenager with a tragic past that she/he somehow overcomes.
• Road trips.
• Ghosts or demons. This one applies mostly to YA fiction.  Not a supernatural romance fan.
• Motley group of disparate personalities who band together.
• Continuing series that involve different characters in each book. See the "Pink Carnation" romance series by Lauren Willig. Addicted.
• I'm a sucker for nonfiction books on: basketball, World War II, Jane Austen.

Book turn-offs

• Angels. Ugh. Demons, I'm apparently okay with, but angels and seraphims, etc., are a whole other ballgame.
• Fairies/fae. I like the show "Lost Girl," which involves fae, but I cannot read books about these magical folk.
• Depressing stories. This from the girl who loves "The Fault in Our Stars." But rarely do I want to read sad books.
• Chick lit books that involve middle-aged -- divorced or "spinster" -- women who usually work in PR or some kind of communications job. Too close to home? Who knows. 
• General fantasy books. I'll admit: I hated "Wrinkle in Time" and "The Hobbit" in school. Still do.
• Alternating perspectives. Not my fave literary device. Rarely do I enjoy it. The most recent is probably is the awesome "The Scorpio Races" and "Winter Town." 
• Supernatural twists on classics. "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" was novelty fun. I'm not that interested in reading others.
• Horror. I'm not huge about reading scary books. Who wants to be scared before going to bed? 

So there you go. If you find a book that incorporates every one of my turn-ons, let me know! Although maybe I should branch out and read different things....

Hey, guess what! I love the U.K.

A little weird, right? For a Filipino chick to love the UK as much as I do. To paraphrase badly from Jane Austen, I can't tell you exactly when or where I fell in love with England -- I was in the middle before I knew I had even begun. But there it is. And I'm so so sad I didn't think about going for the Olympics. I'd've seen any obscure sport just to be there. My bad. 


But how much do I love thee? Let me count the ways....

TV/Movies

When I travel to foreign countries, I like to watch their TV shows. In Spain, we watched an "American Idol"-type show and, oddly, German soaps. In the Philippines, I watched Filipino game shows, and Hindi and Korean soaps. It's like a anthropological study of a culture's viewing habits. 

In many ways, I prefer British television over American. Fewer episodes mean more streamlined story arcs and less filler episodes. Their shows are edgier and well acted. My sister got me an all-region DVD player so I can buy and watch British DVDs. Besides obvious faves of "Doctor Who" and "Downton Abbey," I do love these shows (with links to some fun clips):

"Spooks" > "24"  (Credit: BBC)

• "Spooks" (American name: "MI-5"). A spy show that just ended this year after 10 seasons. So good! Great stories and actors. As intense as "24." Season 2 through 6, with Rupert Penry Jones,  above center, are particularly good. Matthew Macfadyen, in season 1 and one or two eps of Season 2, was awesome too. My boyfriend Richard Armitage was in Season 7-9. But as much as I love him, Spooks was fading fast by that point. It's on Netflix, so check it out.
• "Miranda." A new and yet old-school sitcom. Y'all, I'm not a sitcom person. I don't like "Modern Family" or "Community." Yes, I KNOW. Nor am I a fan of physical comedy. But Miranda Hart -- who plays a socially inept single woman who constantly gets into awkward situations (hello, overidentify much?) -- is so freakin' funny. Sadly this hasn't aired on American TV -- but it should (BBC America, I'm looking at you)!
• "Gavin & Stacey." Another great comedy, this one focuses on a couple (she's Welsh; he's from Essex) on a whirlwind romance that brings their two crazy families together. Smart and funny and heartfelt. Gold. 
• If you have not seen "Attack the Block," please do so now. About teenagers in a council housing block who end up battling aliens, this movie has heart and an edge. And if I adopt some of the language or syntax of a TV show or movie, then I really like it. Believe. <-- Movie reference!

Music

Rizzle Kicks = good start
to the day. (Credit: Amazon)

Lately I've been really into Brit hop.  Tinie Tempah might be my current favorite rapper, and I want him to make it big here; check out "Till I'm Gone," with Wiz Khalifa. The Rizzle Kicks have been likened to the Gorillaz but I like them even more; my fave is "Down With the Trumpets." And Dizzee Rascal is another rapper I love. You might have heard a little of each of these already: Tinie and Rizzle Kicks were sampled in the Opening Ceremonies medley, and Dizzee performed "Bonkers," with what might be one of my favorite rap-lyrics-turned-life-philosophy ever: "Some people think I'm bonkers, but I just think I'm free..."

Books

Anything set in Britain, I'm bound to read, no pun intended. Jacqueline Winspear has a great mystery series (Maisie Dobbs) set in the years between the great wars. And I'm a sucker for any Jane Austen sequel or retelling ("The Other Mr. Darcy" actually changed my view of Caroline Bingley). 

Food

My kingdom for a place in Washington that serves a good full English breakfast. Eggs, tomatoes, potatoes, sausage. YUM. I'd give two kingdoms for Wagamama to open that long-promised DC location. When you go to London, check out the chain pan-Asian place. So freakin' good, especially the chicken katsu curry -- what I always order when I go. And I'd give three kingdoms for a Hummingbird Bakery to open up here, too. Their "American" cupcakes make me shun all other cupcakes (seriously, I won't eat another cupcake for weeks after I go to Hummingbird, because I know they just won't match up.)

This weekend, my sisters and I are basically doing a New York is the New London kind of birthday weekend. We'll be going to the London Candy Co., which sells imported British food (what up, McVittie's biscuits -- I'm comin' for ya!) and then seeing James Corden in "One Man, Two Guvnors" on Broadway. He co-wrote and co-stars in "Gavin & Stacey," and, oh, also won a Tony for OMTG. Can't wait to see it again.

And in conclusion: Cupcakes.

Hummingbird cupcakes. Drool now. (Credit: me)

Comic-Con 2012: Mission accomplished, baby!

So, Comic-Con 2012 is over and done with, and all that's left is catching up on the panels/interviews I missed there and reading recaps of the ones I did see. I will say this: That previous post about my Plan A? Totally checked 'em all off my list, and then some. I couldn't ask for a better (last?) Con. I won't go through it day by day because that's boring, so here's a long list of superlatives:

A teary-eyed "Firefly" reunion: Nathan Fillion, Joss Whedon,
Summer Glau, Sean Maher. (Credit: Me)

Best panel: The "Firefly" 10th anniversary panel was worth getting in line at 5 a.m. In fact we should've gotten there earlier, because Joss Whedon came out to see fans and we missed it and I don't want to talk about it. I'm fine. I'm FINE. Anyway, the panel itself was fantastic: teary, funny, sweet. After all these years, the cast members still have chemistry. The SDCC folks seriously must've underestimated interest in this panel the line was unbelievably long -- and deservedly so. 


Most revelatory panel: Psych at Nerd HQ. (Click the link to watch the full panel.) I didn't realize it last year, but in an intimate setting this year, it seemed like Dule Hill was the funny one and James Roday was the straight man, when it's the other way around on the show. 


Most feel-good panel: Nathan Fillion at Nerd HQ. (Click the link to watch the full panel.) He brought up Adam Baldwin to join him, and the two were obviously enjoying themselves. Also seeing them kiss Zachary Levi for $1,000 donation to Operation Smile was pretty funny too. (Side note: Had my sister not been there, I might've coughed up the money to kiss Zac, too. Cooler heads prevailed.)

RUN!!! (Credit: Me)

Scariest moment: I hate heights, so at Petco Park during the Walking Dead Escape obstacle course, the rope net we had to climb down while watching for zombies below was not fun. Not. Fun. At. All. ...


Superhero moment: ... However, the rest of the obstacle course was pretty awesome. I can say that now that I'm not wheezing my way through it. Seriously hard, folks. Seriously. But I did surprise myself by vaulting -- vaulting! -- over a zombie's hands to escape contamination. Watching the video it's not all that superheroic, but it was in my head.

Rockin' the Fringe swag.
 (Credit: Joy)

Coolest swag: At the final "Fringe" panel (the show ends this season), they gave out pretty sweet gray fedoras like the ones the show's creepy Observers wear. Neato!


Coolest souvenir bought: Tie. A super cute limited-edition Comic-Con Domo T-shirt. Also an equally super cute limited-edition canvas Nerd messenger bag at Nerd HQ. 


Biggest regret: See first item about missing Joss Whedon. I'm FINE.

My boyfriend Richard Armitage. (Credit: Me)

My Beatles moment: Seeing Richard Armitage on stage for the Hobbit panel. Not only is he handsome (DUH), but I'm so happy he'll be getting more press in America in the coming months. Comic-Con is just the start, y'all. Get on board.


Cutest guy (besides Richard Armitage): Zachary Levi (see last item below). Runner-up: Henry Cavill is quite a looker, and I'm psyched to see "Man of Steel." 


Coolest panel: No one could top the rock-star entrance by Robert Downey Jr., who IS Tony Stark at this point. And the Marvel presentation in general -- in which they announced film titles and dates for "Thor: The Dark World," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" -- made me geek out completely.

Me and Colin Ferguson. (Credit: I honestly
can't remember if it was Joy or
Erika, I was so excited.)

Best random celeb moment: Seeing Colin Ferguson chillin' out, checking his phone outside Rock Bottom Brewery. So I calmly introduced myself and told him how much I love "Eureka" and will miss it. And then he graciously offered to take a photo with me. And I squeed quietly to myself inside. I did not chase him like the fangirls who ran after Misha Collins from "Supernatural" (FF to 3:03 to see the silliness).


Best food: If you're in San Diego, please partake of the breakfast items at Richard Walker's Pancake House. Also their coffee. Which is THE BEST EVER. I'm serious. THE BEST EVER.


Worst food: I am so over granola bars right now.


Best moderator: It's so funny, I follow so many entertainment journalists/personalities on Twitter that seeing them mod a panel is as exciting as seeing the cast. The best mod by far was Chris Hardwick (aka the Nerdist guy of podcast/geek fame). Funny, charming, knowledgeable about the subject matter, he's really engaging. Now if he could drop his sidekicks on his podcast, I'd love him even more.

Ladies and gentlemen, the King of the Con for the second year
in a row -- at least for me: Zachary Levi. (Credit: Me)

King of the Con: Drumrolllllllllllll. Zachary Levi! And his Nerd HQ. My raison d'etre for going to Comic-Con was Richard Armitage, and I did and it was amazing. But the biggest highlight was sitting in the front row for three Nerd HQ panels and having Zachary Levi right there in front too (and high-fiving me!!! And Scott Porter showing up! And Aisha Tyler!). I know actors are good at acting nice, but I want to believe that Zac is as genuinely down-to-earth and sweet as he seems. And I can't not love a guy who says he loves my color-coded Comic-Con schedule! 

Said color-coded schedule and "Tangled"
DVD -- both signed! Squee! (Credit: Me)

Okay, that's it for Comic-Con 2012. Now I've got to back into the swing of real life. On the bright side: Hopefully less geeky posts in the future. 

The Comic-Con game plan

Okay, like I said a few weeks ago, and if you couldn't tell from incessant tweets and Facebook updates, the San Diego Comic-Con is coming up this week. One more day of work, and then I'm free to be geek it up for a week.

This year, as per usual with Comic-Con, we had some some tough decisions to make: There are too many great panels at the same time -- an embarrassment of geeky riches. So every year, my MO is to create a multi-day spreadsheet with Plans A through D, each in their own color-coded column, so we'll have plenty of alternatives in case we don't get into a panel we want. But if all goes well (knock on wood; pray to Comic-Con gods), here's Plan A:

Wednesday

The madness before the capital-M Madness ...

First day at dawn last year. There are people
in line under those tents. (Credit: Me)

• Pick up badges.
• Hit the floor for preview night, when the convention floor opens early for preview-night badge-holders. I'm apprehensive -- supposedly it's a zoo, but you can get good swag. And I'm shameless about swag.... I swung by the Hunger Games booth last year twice within minutes to grab two coveted Mockingjay pins last year.
• Possibly seeing pilots for a few new shows coming out if we get bored of the floor.

Thursday

Rogue agents don't have time for smiles. (Credit: Amazon)

Our least-busy day so far, but some good stuff lined up. 

• First stop of the day: Nerd HQ. Yay! For a "Psych" panel. If you have seen that USA show, you should. Funny mystery show about a guy who pretends to be psychic detective but really he's just hyper-observant.
• A mix of "would be nice to see if possible" panels: Disney, Twilight (hell, why not? It's the first one and the room might not be that full; it wasn't last year), Jackie Chan, etc.
• "Nikita." I saw Maggie Q and Shane West at a panel at the New York Comic-Con in October, but I didn't watch the show then. Now I do, so it'd be fun to see them again (like we're friends or something)...
• The Walking Dead Escape zombie obstacle course. See first post....

Friday

Here's when things get real:

Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite and Alan Tudyk.
The "Firefly" cast (except Staite and maybe one or two others)
will reunite this year, too! (Credit: me)

Thus begins the marathon sitting sessions -- if we get into the rooms at all. For reals, we're getting there at the crack of dawn. The main goal Friday is Firefly anniversary panel and Nathan Fillion Nerd HQ panel. But we have to sit through several sessions as they don't clear the rooms between panels. So:

• "Community" - I'm one of maybe three people who don't watch this show.
• "Legend of Korra" - This will probably be another show where I see the panel first and then watch it later. I'm watching its predecessor "Avatar: The Last Airbender" now and I like it.
• "Firefly" -- One of my favorite shows ever. Space meets the Old West. With crime!
• "Bones" -- This will just be a Joss Whedon day. First "Firefly," then David Boreanaz....
• Nathan Fillion at Nerd HQ: Now we're making a Gigantor-size sacrifice giving up a Joss Whedon panel to see Nathan, but it'll be worth it, I think. 
• Nerdist live podcast with John Barrowman from "Torchwood." The podcast is really fun, especially when they have celebrity guests. "Torchwood," a spin-off of "Doctor Who" was great (Starz run not included), and Barrowman is wildly unpredictable, so who knows what could happen.... 

Saturday 

Also known as Richard! Armitage! Day  

Richard Armitage: The dwarf on the left is the guy on
 the right. Yeah. I know. Crazy.  (Credit: WETA, "Strike Back")

Presentations on:

• "Django Unchained" --  Quentin Tarantino's new movie. Meh. (Sorry, not a huge fan.)
• "End of Watch," "Silent Hill" -- I know nothing about these movies except they star Jake Gyllenhaal and Kit Harington (my "Game of Thrones" boyfriend), respectively, and they will be there, so I get my "Game of Thrones" fix after all since we're missing the panel.
• "Pacific Rim" -- Guillermo del Toro's movie. Del Toro is a candid, personable panelist, so this'll be cool.
• "Man of Steel" -- new Superman reboot. I hope Henry Cavill is there. Swoon!
• "The Hobbit" -- The aforementioned  Richard! Armitage! I hated this book in sixth grade and I couldn't finish it a few months ago when I picked it up again. But the things you do for love....
• "Iron Man 3" -- Hopefully Robert Downey Jr. shows up, even though they're still filming in Wilmington, N.C.

Sunday

Another big TV day.

Joshua Jackson, left, and John Noble
at last year's "Fringe" panel. (Credit: Me)

• "Fringe" -- the final season, so this'll be a fun panel.
• "Supernatural"
• "Sons of Anarchy"
• "Doctor Who"
• Zachary Levi panel and signing at Nerd HQ. HUZZAH! I get to see my nerd boyfriend. One of the things I love about him is: He organized Nerd HQ last year for charity with his company, The Nerd Machine (this apparel line; though they do other things). I thought, "Oh, he's busy; he'll just lend his name to it and never be there." Wrong. He introduced the stars -- and then stuck around for their panel. He was always there. Good for him! Hoping he'll do the same this year. And I get to get something signed too! I'm thinking my "Tangled" DVD, because then he'll see it and obviously think: "Oh, this girl brought something other than 'Chuck' to sign and she's cute and clearly she's my soulmate." Kidding. Not really.

So that's it. Those are hopefully the shows/films I'll be tweeting/Facebooking about all this week. So apologies in advance for the squee tweets (squeets?) and Facebook updates! And if you see any photos from Comic-Con online, just look for me. I'll be the one in the geeky T-shirt. Hee!

A crafty, crafty girl

(Credit: Someecards)

I never took any Home Ec classes in school. It just wasn't my thing. I didn't want to learn to sew, to bake a cake, to properly wrap gifts.

But I probably should've taken at least one class. I am terrible at wrapping gifts. I suck at cooking -- unless it's from a box, and even then it's 50-50. And my method of sewing on a button was, well, just put the thread through the holes any which way a few times and pray the button stays on.

A few years ago, I took up knitting. It's a nice thing to do while watching TV -- at the very least it stops you from reaching for the potato chips. But it's also relaxing, very Zen: the repeated motions, the constant click of needles. And at the end of the night, you've made progress on something other than burning through shows on the DVR. Plus, start early enough and you've got presents for everyone! See the ecard above for thoughts on that.

Knit baby blanket
and matching robot for
my best friend's son. (Credit: Me)

And don't think I make doilies or the like; I don't knit  "Look what my Grandma made me" things. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I just like more modern designs. 


My thing has been baby blankets: I make a different one whenever a friend has a kid (and these days, there's one every year); it's never the same blanket. But, funny story: I took a class this winter in which the teacher informed me I was doing the knit stitch wrong. Oopsie! So, to everyone has gotten something knit from me in the last few years: Sorry, it could've been better!

It's Ten! Doctor Who
crochet doll for my sister.
 (Credit: Me)

After knitting, I tried crochet, which I'm not very nimble at, but it goes a lot faster than knitting if you don't factor in the time I spend confused about something.  And you only need one needle! It also seems better for more structured gifts: rounded mug cozies, for example, or a David Tennant/Doctor Who amigurumi doll. But it's not my forte.




Then last year I took up sewing after my sisters and brother-in-law got me a sewing machine. There's a great studio that offers classes here in D.C. -- the owner must be like: "What is up with this chick? She's here like every month!" But I've really learned a lot, though I'm not nearly as confident at it as I am with knitting, or heck, even crochet. 

Look! My first dress!
(Credit: Me)

There are good days, like yesterday, when I finished my first dress from a pattern! It was a six-week class, working through each step for two hours a week. And lemme tell you, friends, it was hard work. I'm not good at cutting fabric or, you know, figuring out the math. But with much help from the teacher, it turned out super cute, if I do say so myself. 


Then there are bad days. These come more often than the good days. The other week, when I went all lone wolf and made a Nook case without a pattern from an old Comic-Con bag I had. There were tears (of frustration), a little bit of blood (so that's what thimbles are for!), and lotsa sweat (figuratively, at least). The result is precariously functional and not at all pretty. So I'm going to try again after I get this year's bag.

Upcycled Comic-Con bag Nook case.

A for effort; C for execution.

(Credit: Me)

The next sewing class I'm taking is Intro to Quilting because I really want to make a T-shirt quilt. Upcycling clothes and bags seems so cool if done right. This way, I can take all the old geeky shirts I own and make something cute. And then I can buy new shirts to wear. Heh.
.
I keep meaning to come up with a cute label for the things I make, but I can't think of a fun name. If you think of one, let me know. Sometimes I think, "Hey, you know what? I could open an Etsy shop!" But: (a) I often get patterns from other crafters online, and it is not cool to make money off others' ideas; (b) I'm not good enough to come up with patterns on my own; and (c) if I opened a shop, then I'd actually have to make whatever I sell, and then it just becomes work. Where's the fun in that?


There's something great about making a skirt or a dress or bag. You feel all accomplished at the end of it, even if it didn't turn out like you wanted it to. And you learn from your mistakes. One of the best things about being a crafter, which I never thought I'd be: I've made lotsa friends my age who do all these things too! So yay for that! 


What will be my next craft? Scrapbooking? Nah, I made a book for my superduperawesome train trip through Great Britain a few years ago, but other than buying some pretty paper, I just can't get into it. And there are cooking classes I wouldn't mind taking. After all, my knife skills are spectacularly lacking. Or jewelry? I can imagine spilling beads all over my floor.


Or, hmmmm, I wonder if there are gift wrapping classes.... 


Eek. This all reminds me: I need to start thinking about Christmas gifts. *runs off to find some inspiration*

Resistance is futile

So, I love to take surveys. At the movie theater this weekend, I was bummed the Nielsen lady didn't ask me if I wanted to do a survey. One of my favorite survey questions is, basically: Do you often tell people about the things you like? The answer is ALL MY YES. I'm big on evangelizing. When I like something, I love it and I love to tell people about it. ALL about it. So here are the things I proselytize about these days.  (By the by, my posts won't all be written in this format. I'm just feeling list-y.)
 
1. World of Joss Whedon. When someone asks "Who's Joss Whedon?" my heart dies a little. And then I say: "Uh, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'? 'Angel'? 'Firefly'? 'Dollhouse'? 'Dr. Horrible'? 'Serenity'? 'Avengers'? Where I get a much of my lexicon?" "Bitka" -- from a throwaway joke in a Buffy ep -- is still a word my sisters and I use frequently instead of the b-word. Anyway,  Joss = great filmmaker/writer/hell, even songwriter. He was doing vampires before vampires were cool, my "Twilight" friends (Angel & Buffy > Edward & Bella). So go watch "Buffy." You won't be sorry. You will, however, laugh, cry and gasp. 

Happy sighs.
(Credit: Amazon)

2. "North & South." See my previous post about Richard Armitage. My sister tried to convert me on this period drama a few years ago and I didn't listen. But, boy, she was right. In a nutshell: It's "Pride & Prejudice" -- with cotton! And the hero, Mr. Thornton (a.k.a. my all-caps BOYFRIEND), is quite possibly better than Mr. Darcy from P&P. Yeah. You read that right. And I've had a Mr. Darcy complex since like 9th grade... Sa-woooooooon.

Age becomes them:
West, left; and Sawa
(Credits: CW, Zap2It)

3. "Nikita." My flavor-of-the-month conversion. I pick a show every summer to catch up on and this year it's "Nikita." And I'll be honest: It's not my fave spy show ever. That'd be the first 5 seasons of "Spooks," better known as "MI-5" on this side of the pond; go watch it.  And "Nikita" is not perfect: There are plot contrivances aplenty (of *course* Nikita somehow escapes the thick metal handcuffs in the nick of time) and the first season is a very slow burn. But stick with it and second season is a blast. It's "Alias" -- another cool spy show -- minus that show's silly Nostradamus-like mythology. Plus, Shane West is easy on the eyes, so you forget the plot holes  ... and possibly the plot entirely. And as a recurring bonus: Devon Sawa, another former young actor who, like West, has grown up.

I heart this book. So. Much.
(Credit: Amazon)

4. Young adult literature. I'm a late convert myself thanks to The Hunger Games. When I was young, I stuck to Nancy Drew Casefiles, BSC, Sweet Valley and Sunfire/Sweet Dreams teen romances. But the YA books today are original, smart, funny and touching, and I just keep finding more to love. To start your reading list: "The Truth About Forever," "Jellicoe Road," "Sweethearts," "The Fault in Our Stars." That's in order from lightest to heaviest, btw. TFiOS will destroy you.

5. "Doctor Who." I'll admit I'm only a contemporary fan (I haven't seen the original show). But this reboot -- particularly seasons 2 through 5, the David Tennant years -- is, to use a word from the S1 Doctor, fantastic. Now my usual caveat for it: You have to wade through a few episodes of the first season before you see it as more than a kids' show, which is basically who it's geared toward. After the creepy two-parter of eps 9 and 10, though, you'll be in it for the long haul.

Okay, that's it. Get out there and become true believers. If you try any of these, lemme know what you think. Also, what do you guys try to convert people to? I need some new obsessions...