Post by Clare on Aug 26, 2013 21:10:09 GMT
I looked around the lobby as I walked into the hotel and was instantly filled with fear. The place was heaving with convention goers and I’m sure there wasn’t even a fraction of them there at that particular time. But somehow it made it more real because up to that point it had all been about counting down days. I never actually believed I’d get to meet some of the brilliant actors from the show – and yet, here I was stood in the lobby of the Hilton about to have that opportunity.
Nerves always had the better of me… from the minute I knew I was going – especially with such stars attending like Jensen, Jared, Misha, Fredric, Richard, Charles, Gabriel, Samantha, Matthew and Amy. But – although my stomach fluttered with butterflies – I knew I was going to share this experience with the three most amazing women I have ever had the pleasure to call my friends.
Once we were checked in, we took our luggage up to the room that would become our home for the best part of three days. I won’t bore you with details of the interior – let’s just say it was far more upper class than any motel we’ve ever seen Dean and Sam stay in.
While upstairs, Lynda and I offered our Dutch friends a spot with us on the Winchester Squeeze photos we were so lucky to get because they hadn’t got any photos and wanted singles – but weren’t guaranteed to get them. They were extremely thankful, and I was happy because it meant Anita would share my nerves and again – I wouldn’t be alone.
So I changed, into my custom made t-shirt that cost me an absolute fortune – on the front was printed bustyUKbeauty and on the back my nickname so forum attendees would know it was me – and then we headed downstairs to be ready for registration. Little did we know that Friday was going to be the Hell in the apt tag line attached to the convention.
It was 3:15 before the process began, more than an hour later than expected due to printing problems I heard through the grapevine. But when it did start, and we made our way to the back of the queue, my number was called – so, I had to leave the comfort of my travelling companions and made my way down to the desk. Once reaching the staff beyond the table, I was told I was in the wrong place and had to go down a long corridor to join the queue forming at the other end of the hotel. I did as I was told. I joined the queue and waited… and waited. It seemed to take forever to take a few steps forward, there was so many of us. But we were all in the same boat and I would wait my turn. Although it was a little boring waiting in line alone – so I was very thankful when Anita came to stand with me in my queue.
About an hour later a member of the staff shouted instructions that if we had a Winchester Squeeze, to head up to the photo studio and not worry about registering until after – so long as we had our confirmation. I didn’t. Lynda had purchased one on my behalf, which I paid her for – so I had to find her in order to get my photo opportunity with the two main men – Jensen and Jared. So Anita and I headed up to our destination and found Lynda and Kate easily enough.
Now the nerves kicked in. I hadn’t been prepared to have no warning; I thought I’d have a while to stew about it. LOL. The butterflies in my stomach turned to crashing waves on a peaceful shore on an extremely stormy night. I started to shake. I was pretty sure I was going to throw up the only thing I’d eaten that day. But Anita was nervous too – so at least I wasn’t alone. My hand wasn’t steady at all, as we got closer and closer. Reaching the doors outside the photo studio I pretty much turned to jelly. So you can imagine the feeling that took over when walking into the room and seeing the two male Adonis’ perched on bar stools. I HAD to do a double take – they were real… REALLY real, and in the same room as I was.
Jensen was sat the furthest away, Jared the closest. So, as they were turned toward each other, Jared had his back to me but I could see Jensen’s face, so he was my focus. The rest of the room melted away and it was just him sat there talking… I knew consciously he was talking to Jared, but I was transfixed on his beauty. I know they say its skin deep, but this mans skin was damn near perfect. And the smile – so much more captivating up close and in the flesh. His eyes were a fixing point for me, so green, so… *sighs* It was mind blowing. I wish I could say I watched the people in front of me have their photos taken but I was so soaked up in the smiles on the boys’ faces in between the chat they seemed to be having that I’d be lying. Kate and Lynda were in front of me, but I have no recollection of seeing them have their picture taken. It was all a haze. AND then, it was my turn. AHHHHH! I’m sure my whole body was shaking as I walked toward them… Anita had gracefully given me the honour of standing next to Jensen and she would be beside Jared. I’m sure I was barely audible as I walked over and said hi, stopping between them but they both turned to say hi back. There was a strict ‘no touching’ rule so I was very conscious of putting my hand on the back of Jensen’s chair, therefore no eye contact made, but I wanted to be respectful of their wishes. I had no idea what to do with my other hand – that I wouldn’t get into trouble for anyway – so I stuffed it into my pocket. Click, and we moved on. You’ll see by my photo how ‘OH MY GOD’ I was about the whole thing.
So, I had the most amazing moment of my life – only to be followed by a horrible one. I went to the table, where all the bags were put when you walked into the room, to get my bag – to find it gone. Someone had obviously picked it up by accident, thinking it was theirs. Panic struck in my heart – everything was in that bag. My camera, my phone, my money, my registration number – EVERYTHING! The girls hadn’t realised what had happened and had taken off somewhere while I was doing a frantic search of the table, so I was alone again. I spoke to one of the photo studio staff and was told to go to the reception desk to make an announcement. I walked out of the room and headed to reception, who told me to see the concierge, who told me to back to reception. I thought the best thing for me to do was to find my friends – and it was relatively easy, Lynda was having a nicotine fix outside so I went out to see them and told them what had happened. They were all brilliant… if it weren’t for them I’d have surely had a nervous breakdown. Anita and Kate went to search for my bag again, in case I had missed it and Lynda dealt with the concierge, who fetched the duty manager, Adam.
I didn’t even have a chance to have time after my Winchester Squeeze to have a squeeeeee moment – an ‘I did it’ moment or a mini celebration in honour of my achievement of not crying, fainting or throwing up. Instead I had a disaster.
Adam came and explained he wouldn’t want to make an announcement about the missing bag because people would be on the look out for it then, so he took a statement about what had happened, what the bag looked like and what I had inside. Once he’d taken that he said he’d check the studio room on the off chance someone had handed it back and left me waiting where I stood, across the lobby. When I saw him heading back to me, bag-less, I was convinced I wasn’t getting it back. But when he got closer he told me the bag had been handed back in but that the staff wouldn’t give it to him because it wasn’t his… so he escorted me across, back into the room, and the staff member passed me my bag. I didn’t think to get one more glance of Jensen and Jared while I was there – my mind was concentrated on my bag. In hindsight I wish I’d have got another glance to try and relive my moment, but I wasn’t exactly thinking straight. Once back outside the room I threw my arms around Adam – poor, poor man – and thanked him for his help.
Now, much calmer – I headed outside for a cigarette, I needed it. The losing of my bag took over any lingering feelings I had about being stood between the two J’s and so I lost that moment almost immediately. I do remember being almost calm – surprising myself – and happy, because I didn’t make an idiot out of myself. But the whole Squeeze was overshadowed by the fear I felt immediately afterward.
Anyway… back to queuing. Kate joined me this time, back in the line I was sent to in order to register. But the line was still moving slowly, and I had Friday autographs to get yet. It was maybe an hour later when Lynda and Anita found us – they were registered and I was still waiting. On initiative Lynda went back up to the place where registration was originally supposed to be and found that I was sent to the wrong place. So I had to go back up to reception, to queue for my registration pack. Luckily this queue was so much smaller and I was registered within 10 minutes… time for a phew! before going back up to the room to fetch my RichART ready for autographs. Kate and Anita weren’t lucky enough to get in for the early autos, so they went to the restaurant and we went to get in the queue for Jensen and Jared’s signatures.
Another dilemma ensued.
Having got my confirmation email I was assured I wouldn’t need to print it off in order to have the early advantage because they’d have my registration number wrote down. But this was before the event. Standing in line, we asked a staff member if we needed the print out in order to get them done that night and were told they had our names at the door, so we wouldn’t be required to have proof. But within 5 minutes, that had changed. Suddenly you needed your email confirmation in order to go through… I didn’t have it. So, disappointed I prepared to move out of the line. However, before going anywhere instructions were shouted above the noise to get as far to the right of the corridor as we could. Not having a chance to move I stood and watched 4 huge security guards walk down the corridor past me with Jensen and Jared in between them. Now I didn’t see much of the incident – I was concentrated on the boys – but I glanced at two girls on the wrong side of the wall. I heard orders of ‘get to the right’ and then my eyes were drawn back to the boys… Jensen actually looked worried (although considering his first experience at Asylum 1 who could blame him) and Jared was calm, chewing on a toothpick. But then, they were gone. I didn’t see the incident with the girls – but Lynda caught me up to speed. Apparently, they couldn’t have been more than 16; they were manhandled with brute force by the security guards and practically thrown back to the right side of the corridor. She seemed to get the impression that they froze in their position, deer in headlights… but I can’t say, I was concentrating on the sheer presence of the two J’s.
So, anyway, we decided to head up to the other autograph room to get the rest of the guests to sign our print and just collect our Jensen and Jared ones over the course of the weekend. We queued for 2 hours… we were so close to the door when the announcement came that the guests were tired and were leaving, but that we’d have priority the next day… so I guess it wasn’t so bad. But by this time the queue’s had taken a toll on my body. My feet were sore from being on them ALL day and my back was hurting, as it so often does with the pressure of being upright for a long period of time.
Exhausted, Lynda and I went to find Kate and Anita. They were sat in the restaurant right by the photograph table waiting for our Winchester Squeeze photos to make an appearance. I was just thankful to be sat down.
Kate and Lynda's was the first to come out, and it looked brilliant… but when we got ours, I wasn’t so impressed. Anita looks fabulous but there’s a distinct ‘I can’t believe it’ look on my face. Not sure, still, how I feel about it despite reassurances that it looks OK.
Saturday was more of a blur… but I will try and remember it as best I can.
We got word that the extras were going on sale Saturday morning at 6 am. Lynda and I wanted a Misha photo op for definite. I needed a couple of Jared autographs – one for myself and one for a friend – and I needed an extra Jensen autograph for my neighbours daughter, who couldn’t be there with me. Plus Anita and Kate wanted their singles with the boys. So, despite going to bed at 1 am – maybe later because Lynda kept asking me about the following days schedule – I was up at 5 am. Now for those of you that don’t know me won’t know that I don’t function on less than 7 hours sleep… so that was an achievement for me. I sat up in bed for fear of staying there the whole day if I lay back down. But when Lynda used the bathroom, I was stupid enough to lie back on the bed… my eyes closed and I forced myself back into an upright position. I had to move or I would simply waste the whole day… so I climbed from the comfort of my bed and began to function – barely. I washed, brushed my teeth, dressed, put my trainers on (having learned the lesson with my heeled boots the day before) and applied a small amount of make up. Then we made our way down to the queue Anita was sat in waiting for us. We asked her to get our Misha photo op, a Jared autograph and 2 Jensen autograph’s for us, gave her our money and then went for some much needed breakfast – with the promise of returning for food for her and Kate.
I was already feeling the effects of no food – light-headed, sick and dehydrated. So we headed for food. I think it took me half an hour to force a croissant down my throat and an OJ before we headed back to the girls to find they were almost at the front of the queue – having got there early enough.
Meanwhile, there was one hell of queue forming outside the hall where the talks would take place and I feared we wouldn’t get seats good enough to see the boys talking. But – as if it was fate – we collected our extras and headed to the hall only to get some great seats.
We had to wait a while for the guests to arrive because they were travelling in from another hotel and I was still feeling faint, but I focused on getting past it. I needed to see Jensen and Jared, but it was easier said than done given the heat in that room. Half an hour later than scheduled, Doug came up on stage to introduce all the guests and I took pictures, but they didn’t come out so good because I was shaking so much…
After all the screams, woohoo’s and applause had died down all the other guests left the stage, leaving Jensen and Jared up there with Doug, the MC, who got Jason Manns on the stage almost immediately afterward. Doug then decided to announce the coffee lounge winners before the boys started their session – I’m at a loss as to why. It just prolonged things and we were eager to hear anything the on screen Winchesters were going to say. He reeled off the numbers as quickly as he could and at the end of announcing the registration winning numbers for Misha’s coffee lounge, Jensen said, “That’s the longest European number I ever heard, but somebody is going to get a message.” And he slid his phone open.
Doug then reeled off the coffee lounge winners for Jared and once done, Jensen shouted, “Bingo!” Causing rapturous laughter to echo throughout the room.
Doug then asked him his house number and Jensen replied, “What? Oh, it’s in there.” Before the MC continued to read out the winning registration numbers that had won a coffee lounge with Jensen. But halfway through he realised what a grand waste of time it was and announced he’d put the numbers on a board out in reception, to which he was met with applause. He left the stage and Jason took over.
Jason: Hi guys.
Jared [laughing]: I don’t know what just happened.
Jason: I don’t either. Did you get those numbers? [Pause] I think I’m supposed to facilitate a little bit of this uh, panel. I’ve never done that before, I’m a little nervous.
Jensen: Well, this should be interesting.
Jason: I wrote down a couple of questions just to start it off.
Jensen: Very professional Jason.
Jason: What is your address?
To which the audience were wild with laughter and applause.
Jensen: That’s probably not… uh, probably pass. Let’s pass to the next question.
Jason: Uh, phone number?
More laughter from the 1600 people I’m sure were all packed into the same room.
Jensen: Uh…
Jared: You can’t really…
Jensen: Again, I uh… don’t think I can…
Jason: Well, if you guys are going to be difficult…
That’s was how they opened and it was so funny to watch. But I don’t plan on writing out the whole transcript because I’m sure someone else has done this talk, so…
I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in my whole life. I have to say, the chemistry between the boys is evident even when they’re not acting. That’s not something you can’t fake. They’re just such good friends and I think that helps to emulate their close brotherly relationship on screen as Dean and Sam. I was blown away by how at ease they were even under the spotlight with all of us hanging on every word. Jared naturally is a ham, but Jensen – the shy guy that everyone knows he is didn’t make an appearance up there. That’s one of the many reasons I was happy Jared announced he was going to be there because I’ve seen Con’s in the States and they’re always funny as hell when they’re together. I’m not saying that Jensen wouldn’t have been funny on his own – because I caught a bit of his solo talk on Sunday and he was – but I think there’s something to be said for the ease he felt sharing the spotlight with his on screen counterpart.
Once the J2 stage talk was finished – and it ran over… Lynda and I headed up to the Sandringham room for our autographs, assured that we’d have priority as one of the 300 picked for the Friday night autographs we didn’t get. As mentioned, I’d brought an extra Jared autograph for a friend, and I was made to wait even longer once I’d got to the front of the queue in order to get a photo for him to sign. But Lynda continued on. Now, I made a conscious decision to talk to every one of the guests, I didn’t know what I was going to say – but I wanted to speak to them.
My first autograph was with Samantha Smith [Momma Winchester] and while waiting I couldn’t help noticing how absolutely gorgeous she was. She’d had her hair cropped short, which REALLY suited her and would account for why she looked different in WTLB. A light bulb went on immediately – that’s what I could say to her. So, I put my print down on the table in front of her and said, “Your hair really suits you short.” And she asked, “You think so?” And I responded, “Definitely.” She thanked me. I thanked her for coming and I walked away. It doesn’t sound like much, but I wanted to say something.
Next was Amy Gumenick [young Mary Winchester]. She had straightened her hair and while she still looked completely beautiful, she looked completely different. So when I walked over and handed her my print I said, “Your straight hair makes you look completely different.” I know, obvious… following my thoughts, but I don’t know a lot about these actors so I went on instinct. I’m sure she smiled, maybe nervously. LOL. I thanked her for being there and she thanked me.
Misha Collins [Castiel] was next on the hit list and as I approached I heard a girl in front say she was sorry she hadn’t brought him a gift. And he jokingly replied, “That’s outrageous. Next year it’s going to be mandatory, more gifts for Misha.” Which I thought was pretty funny. Now, I already had my Misha line prepared because I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. I decided not to talk about his ‘24’ role because I was sure someone else would’ve mentioned that to him, instead I went for the one film I’d seen him in that made me really hate his character. I know, what the hell was I thinking? So – when I approached – I said, “I’m thankful you play Castiel on the show. I didn’t really like your character in Karla.” And he asked why not. And I said, “Because he was evil, and you were so convincing.” He smiled, made eye contact and said, “He wasn’t evil, he was just misunderstood.” To which I laughed and thanked him for being there before moving on…
Next was Matthew Cohen [young John Winchester]. As I was queuing, I smiled at the young lady sat being him – his girlfriend – and she smiled back. Now Matthew had grown a beard… making him look different… and extremely handsome. But I knew I’d come across as a lecherous old lady if I said anything to that effect to him, so instead I said, “Your beard makes you look like Kerr Smith.” And he replied with, “Who’s that?” Who’s that? I thought. Damn, now I had to explain. “He starred in My Bloody Valentine with Jensen.” I said. “Hmmm, then maybe I should shave it off.” He responded. “Oh no,” I assured him. “It suits you.” Then I said thank you, and walked away toward the long Jared line.
Now this is the point I started to tremble. I reminded myself that while he felt like a younger brother to me because of watching him play Sam for 4 years that this giant – in stature and presence – young man wouldn’t know me from Adam. So I took a moment, collected my thoughts and I don’t know where it came from but the most idiotic sentence came tumbling out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop it… I said, my nerves a great visual display in my words, “God, you’re almost as tall as me stood up.” I know… and I see you shaking your head in embarrassment. I promised myself I wasn’t going to mention how tall they were because they probably get it all the time, but it was there before I could stop it. I could almost feel the big L for loser burn into my forehead once the words were out. But Jared smiled and said, “Yeah.” With a little giggle. He probably had the same thought as me… IDIOT! LOL. I waited for him to sign both autographs and then said, “Thank you so much for coming this year.” At that point direct eye contact was made and I melted a little inside. “You’re welcome. Thank you.” Was his response and then… I floated away. I’m sure my feet were on the floor, but I could barely notice.
Unfortunately, by the time we got through with the first set of autographs there was only enough time to grab something quick to eat before heading for the next session. For this one Lynda and I were queued together, so we could play off each other… and this was where the fun really started.
First up was Charles Malik Whitfield, who smiled that gorgeous smile at me as soon as my print went down on the table. Although having not planned what I was going to say, what I conjured up was straight from my heart so came out relatively easily. I said, “You’re sadly missed. You gave us some really great moments in the show.” And he aww-ed and thanked me before we got talking about him going into Birmingham dancing the night before – which we had heard on the grapevine that day. He told Lynda and I that he’d had a great time and we asked him to come along to our party that night so we could get a dance with him. Then I moved on – not wanting to take up too much time.
Fredric was next in line and his beautiful set of eyes were instantly connected to mine. I said something along the lines of, “I loved the Yellow-Eyed demon and I miss him.” Gracefully, he thanked me. Then I told him we had a photo with him the next day. And he said, “Well, I’ll look forward to that.” With a beaming smile.
Richard was next. Now in his stage talk – the bit we caught – he asked whether his beard suited him. So, stepping up, I said, “The beard suits you.” He thanked me and then Lynda took over – asking him if his wife liked it. He replied that she did and Lynda continued to say that she bet she liked to tug on it. LOL. He laughed. Then our dear Lynda continued, “We’ve got a photo with you tomorrow. Can I tug on your beard?” And I’m not really sure what his reply was because I was still taking in her question, a little shocked. LOL.
I moved on to Gabriel, but I barely had a chance to say a word before Lynda distracted me. The girl behind her had given Richard a photo to sign that she’d thought was Jensen from upside down – causing all three of us to laugh as Richard signed the picture, ‘I’m not Jensen’. Gabriel – hearing our laughter – asked what was going on so Lynda swiftly explained causing him to smile as he signed my print and hers.
Jensen was late to the signing – having to grab some lunch after going over with the photo studio. But as I was finished with Gabriel, he walked into the room so I walked backward toward the long queue for his autograph in order to get all the eye candy I could muster. But as the line got shorter, despite having a distraction with the two lovely ladies in front of us, I was bricking it. I had absolutely nothing prepared to say… my mind went blank. What the hell was I going to say to the guy that plays my favourite character ever played on TV? I was going to fall over my tongue. I was going to choke, and I was going to do it with style.
So, in order to take the emphasis off the fact I was walking up to Jensen Ackles, I distracted myself by asking Dave – one of the many weekend helpers whom we’d seen loads that day – to sign the back of my autograph check off list. But by doing that, I think I may have pissed Jensen off. I really feel that he was not impressed with my lack of focus on him because when I stood in front of him and said, “I bet you’re sick of looking at your own face.” It went down like a lead balloon. I got nothing back. I was deflated. I had managed, in my 5 seconds with Jensen, to piss him off. The one guy above everyone else that I wouldn’t want to have that affect on. I had that sinking feeling. The I want to die feeling. But I was still stood there. Then it happened, a light at the end of the tunnel. Lynda passed him her tin of mints, aptly named Perky Nipple mints – in the shape of nipples. Holding the tin in his hand he looked it over, but it was evident he didn’t get the joke. Uh-oh. So I took the opportunity to salvage myself in his eyes. “Why did you think you were brought back from hell?” I asked. He looked me dead in the eyes while I spoke – direct eye contact people, direct eye contact – and after a second of delving into his memory it clicked in his mind. “Oh… because of my perky nipples.” And hurrah! Mini wave in celebration of me… I got Jensen to say Perky Nipples! Except I later realised I’d referred to him as Dean, when he is in fact the actor not the character. However, I took comfort from the fact he answered as the character and not the actor. So, in my own unique way – and thinking – I got Dean to look at me! LOL. If at all possible, I floated on higher ground than when I’d had my moment with Jared. But Lynda was horrified, hardly believing he didn’t get the joke. And this will sound mean – but I’m glad he didn’t get it, because it meant I got an extra second or two with him and put right my initial mistake.
Time for a quick cigarette and then into the main hall for Jared’s solo stage talk. Again, he was hilarious. And I promise tomorrow to have a transcript for that. But I need to go through it and type it all up. Tomorrow – you get to hear about Sunday – our photo op’s.
Sunday ran relatively smoother, all we really had to do was stand and pose for photos. But I wanted to catch the Jason and Jensen stage talk, naturally. Except we had a Fredric and Richard photo op at the same time so… it wasn’t going to be so straightforward to get everything I wanted.
So… we’d gone to bed at about 1:30 – after having a drink in our room once Anita and Kate had left us for the evening and once I’d written a brief account of the day, to remember the pivotal bits for you guys. But it was 7:30 get up, which was better for the sleep deprived little ol’ me. I got up without incident, had a wash etc, got dressed and Lynda straightened my hair. Today was photo day and I was not going to look like a mess in something I would look at consistently over the coming months or years…
Once we were ready we headed downstairs, again skipping breakfast, to make it in time for our first photo pf the day – Charles Malik Whitfield. We were queued early enough that we didn’t have to wait too long – of course it didn’t help that all the guests arrived late due to traffic. Anyway, Lynda and I walked into the room for the photo we were sharing and Charles greeted us with a smile as we made our way over to him. With no hesitation he threw his arms around us, then ‘click’ it was over. So we headed to the main hall to catch a snippet of Richard’s stage talk before queuing again for our next photos.
Let me tell you, Richard Speight Jr is truly funny – although he did manage to give some straight answers to some questions, the one about Donnie Wahlberg being good looking was the one that sticks out for me. A girl asking a guy if another guy was handsome, you just know where it’s going. LOL. He told us a story about how Donnie would talk about being on tour with the New Kids and that Richard would know what it was like and Richard was like, “I played in a bar for beer, that’s nothing like selling out Wembley.” Which I thought was particularly funny, having been a New Kids fan.
Then it was time to queue again. For Richard and Fredric’s photos. At this time I was antsy, Jensen was about to be on stage with Jason and I did not want to miss that. So, I queued patiently… Fredric was first up. He threw his arms around Lynda and I and announced, “I love photo day.” Giving us a big squeeze as he spoke, which I loved. I was looking forward to meeting Fred so much, and he did not disappoint.
Then Richard strolled over and although I can’t be sure, I think Lynda had a tug on his beard [LOL] while I was worried where I was putting my hands… *rolls eyes* I should’ve been paying attention because ‘click’ and it was over.
So… I rushed out of the room toward the main hall to hear Jensen, and Lynda left me there so she could find Kate and Anita.
I remember hearing someone ask Jensen about those red shorts he wore in After School Special and I distinctly remember him replying that he had shopped for them online – oh yes, Jensen had not only willingly wore THOSE shorts, but he’d picked them. I think that just shows what kind of guy he is. He’s fully prepared to make a fool out of himself in order to get a laugh and that’s exactly the guy I expected him to be. A lot can be said for someone who’s willing to laugh at themselves. A very attractive trait in my opinion.
The follow up to that question was about the boy he hits with the ball, he took a moment, looked out to the crowd and smiled, “Again, my idea.” He confessed. I don’t mind admitting laughing out loud, because that was the funniest thing I’d ever heard. He did however admit that it looked like it hit him harder than it actually was.
Now I didn’t catch the next question, I’m sure Lynda came in and told me she was going to check out – but I did catch his response so… from what I could gather he was asked if he had any pets. He replied that he received a phone call off Danneel telling him she’d brought a dog. I think he replied something to the effect of, “Why buy a dog when there are plenty that need rescuing?” To which she replied, “He needed rescuing.” LOL. He then asked her what kind of dog it was and she replied that it was a cockapoo. I can still see the frown on his face as he’s sat up there. “A cocka-what?” He replied. “A cockapoo. It’s a cross between a cock-a-spaniel and a poodle.” He said he was hoping it’d be this huge manly dog, but he was wrong. Then he showed us a picture off the front screen of his phone – putting it right up to the camera lens – which I thought was really sweet. Icarus, a lovely white little adorable thing.
The rest of the questions were a bit of a blur. I can only think that the questions and answers weren’t nearly as interesting as the ones I remembered, and that’s why I forgot. I think I was also a bit of a nervous mess because my photo with him was next. I went to my queue; I didn’t want to miss this photo opportunity, especially given that my very good friend Lynda had suggested that I have Jensen to myself, while she had Jared. I was elated, but bricking it at the same time. Thankfully, when I got to the end of the line my two buddies Kate and Anita were waiting there, so they would take my mind off the nerves while we waited. Unfortunately all distractions went out of the window when I walked inside the room. There he was… my Dean, except he wasn’t Dean but Jensen. I waited nervously in line and when it was my turn, and I was walking toward him, he looked me in the eyes and said hello. I said ‘hi’ in a highly excited voice but he didn’t seem to notice as we turned for the click. However, as he was talking to – I can only assume – his PA, he told the photographer that he’d been talking and he’d have to take the photo again. Then he looked around at me to make sure I hadn’t made my escape, thankfully I took my extra couple of seconds with Jensen and that’s why I looked really excitable in the photo of us. LOL. Like, eek, I get longer with Jensen. Hehe.
Lynda, Kate, Anita and I then took the opportunity to have some lunch and a much-needed drink before the afternoon started.
Our Misha photo was first on the agenda. The line went down pretty quickly and we were in the room in next to no time. Misha was gracious. He put his arm around us as we stopped next to him and when we walked out of the room, Lynda turned to me and said, “We’ve been officially touched by an angel.” Which I thought was pretty funny.
Now this is the part where we went for a cigarette and then parted ways. Lynda had to go and get her Jared photo while I waited for my Jensen photo to be printed off. I wandered around in a bit of daze I think once I got it – extremely happy with my over all Jensen experience.
We had our Samantha photo, which went off without a hitch and then went into the main hall to listen to Misha talking until it was time for Jensen’s closing ceremony speech.
Misha was extremely funny. Like hilarious funny. And I have to admit, it wasn’t something I expected. But it was a nice surprise. I’m actually at a loss as to how they get any work done on set with all the jokesters they have in the cast. LOL. But I’m thankful they were all so nice. I think, had they not been, it would’ve tainted the show for me and may have affected how I felt about watching anything they were in. But thankfully, they were all pleasant – and it was so easy not to be because of the Friday disaster.
Unfortunately, due to autograph sessions running over, Jensen wasn’t able to do his final talk, so Misha took over – he auctioned off the script and it was funny to watch him take on an auctioneer persona. But when it was all said and done – and each actor came on stage for their final goodbye – Jensen came back on stage and said a huge thank you to us fans. And this is exactly what he said – “Hey guys, we just want to say thank you so much for coming out. I know it was kind of a long weekend. I apologise for the autographs and how quickly we were getting some of you through but we just wanted to make sure we got everyone that paid for the autographs so apologies, but I hope everyone is happy. Secondly, I just want to say, on behalf of all of us, thank you so much for your support, for watching this little show that we love so much. We forget what we’re doing sometimes when we’re doing it for so long in such a little small corner of the world so to come here and get this kind of feedback from people as gracious as you are it really means a lot to us, all of us, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for coming this weekend.”
In closing, I want to say that I personally didn’t care about the ‘no touching’ rule. I think it was completely understandable given that we’re strangers to them. I was just happy to be stood next to them because that was an opportunity I didn’t think I’d ever get. Yes, the queuing was a little annoying, but it was all worth it! I’m being completely honest! I think some of us forget that – although they seem like family to us because we watch them every week – they have no idea who we are.
Overall, the whole weekend was a triumph and I can’t wait to go next year – Jensen and Jared or no Jensen or Jared. Bring on Asylum 4.
Nerves always had the better of me… from the minute I knew I was going – especially with such stars attending like Jensen, Jared, Misha, Fredric, Richard, Charles, Gabriel, Samantha, Matthew and Amy. But – although my stomach fluttered with butterflies – I knew I was going to share this experience with the three most amazing women I have ever had the pleasure to call my friends.
Once we were checked in, we took our luggage up to the room that would become our home for the best part of three days. I won’t bore you with details of the interior – let’s just say it was far more upper class than any motel we’ve ever seen Dean and Sam stay in.
While upstairs, Lynda and I offered our Dutch friends a spot with us on the Winchester Squeeze photos we were so lucky to get because they hadn’t got any photos and wanted singles – but weren’t guaranteed to get them. They were extremely thankful, and I was happy because it meant Anita would share my nerves and again – I wouldn’t be alone.
So I changed, into my custom made t-shirt that cost me an absolute fortune – on the front was printed bustyUKbeauty and on the back my nickname so forum attendees would know it was me – and then we headed downstairs to be ready for registration. Little did we know that Friday was going to be the Hell in the apt tag line attached to the convention.
It was 3:15 before the process began, more than an hour later than expected due to printing problems I heard through the grapevine. But when it did start, and we made our way to the back of the queue, my number was called – so, I had to leave the comfort of my travelling companions and made my way down to the desk. Once reaching the staff beyond the table, I was told I was in the wrong place and had to go down a long corridor to join the queue forming at the other end of the hotel. I did as I was told. I joined the queue and waited… and waited. It seemed to take forever to take a few steps forward, there was so many of us. But we were all in the same boat and I would wait my turn. Although it was a little boring waiting in line alone – so I was very thankful when Anita came to stand with me in my queue.
About an hour later a member of the staff shouted instructions that if we had a Winchester Squeeze, to head up to the photo studio and not worry about registering until after – so long as we had our confirmation. I didn’t. Lynda had purchased one on my behalf, which I paid her for – so I had to find her in order to get my photo opportunity with the two main men – Jensen and Jared. So Anita and I headed up to our destination and found Lynda and Kate easily enough.
Now the nerves kicked in. I hadn’t been prepared to have no warning; I thought I’d have a while to stew about it. LOL. The butterflies in my stomach turned to crashing waves on a peaceful shore on an extremely stormy night. I started to shake. I was pretty sure I was going to throw up the only thing I’d eaten that day. But Anita was nervous too – so at least I wasn’t alone. My hand wasn’t steady at all, as we got closer and closer. Reaching the doors outside the photo studio I pretty much turned to jelly. So you can imagine the feeling that took over when walking into the room and seeing the two male Adonis’ perched on bar stools. I HAD to do a double take – they were real… REALLY real, and in the same room as I was.
Jensen was sat the furthest away, Jared the closest. So, as they were turned toward each other, Jared had his back to me but I could see Jensen’s face, so he was my focus. The rest of the room melted away and it was just him sat there talking… I knew consciously he was talking to Jared, but I was transfixed on his beauty. I know they say its skin deep, but this mans skin was damn near perfect. And the smile – so much more captivating up close and in the flesh. His eyes were a fixing point for me, so green, so… *sighs* It was mind blowing. I wish I could say I watched the people in front of me have their photos taken but I was so soaked up in the smiles on the boys’ faces in between the chat they seemed to be having that I’d be lying. Kate and Lynda were in front of me, but I have no recollection of seeing them have their picture taken. It was all a haze. AND then, it was my turn. AHHHHH! I’m sure my whole body was shaking as I walked toward them… Anita had gracefully given me the honour of standing next to Jensen and she would be beside Jared. I’m sure I was barely audible as I walked over and said hi, stopping between them but they both turned to say hi back. There was a strict ‘no touching’ rule so I was very conscious of putting my hand on the back of Jensen’s chair, therefore no eye contact made, but I wanted to be respectful of their wishes. I had no idea what to do with my other hand – that I wouldn’t get into trouble for anyway – so I stuffed it into my pocket. Click, and we moved on. You’ll see by my photo how ‘OH MY GOD’ I was about the whole thing.
So, I had the most amazing moment of my life – only to be followed by a horrible one. I went to the table, where all the bags were put when you walked into the room, to get my bag – to find it gone. Someone had obviously picked it up by accident, thinking it was theirs. Panic struck in my heart – everything was in that bag. My camera, my phone, my money, my registration number – EVERYTHING! The girls hadn’t realised what had happened and had taken off somewhere while I was doing a frantic search of the table, so I was alone again. I spoke to one of the photo studio staff and was told to go to the reception desk to make an announcement. I walked out of the room and headed to reception, who told me to see the concierge, who told me to back to reception. I thought the best thing for me to do was to find my friends – and it was relatively easy, Lynda was having a nicotine fix outside so I went out to see them and told them what had happened. They were all brilliant… if it weren’t for them I’d have surely had a nervous breakdown. Anita and Kate went to search for my bag again, in case I had missed it and Lynda dealt with the concierge, who fetched the duty manager, Adam.
I didn’t even have a chance to have time after my Winchester Squeeze to have a squeeeeee moment – an ‘I did it’ moment or a mini celebration in honour of my achievement of not crying, fainting or throwing up. Instead I had a disaster.
Adam came and explained he wouldn’t want to make an announcement about the missing bag because people would be on the look out for it then, so he took a statement about what had happened, what the bag looked like and what I had inside. Once he’d taken that he said he’d check the studio room on the off chance someone had handed it back and left me waiting where I stood, across the lobby. When I saw him heading back to me, bag-less, I was convinced I wasn’t getting it back. But when he got closer he told me the bag had been handed back in but that the staff wouldn’t give it to him because it wasn’t his… so he escorted me across, back into the room, and the staff member passed me my bag. I didn’t think to get one more glance of Jensen and Jared while I was there – my mind was concentrated on my bag. In hindsight I wish I’d have got another glance to try and relive my moment, but I wasn’t exactly thinking straight. Once back outside the room I threw my arms around Adam – poor, poor man – and thanked him for his help.
Now, much calmer – I headed outside for a cigarette, I needed it. The losing of my bag took over any lingering feelings I had about being stood between the two J’s and so I lost that moment almost immediately. I do remember being almost calm – surprising myself – and happy, because I didn’t make an idiot out of myself. But the whole Squeeze was overshadowed by the fear I felt immediately afterward.
Anyway… back to queuing. Kate joined me this time, back in the line I was sent to in order to register. But the line was still moving slowly, and I had Friday autographs to get yet. It was maybe an hour later when Lynda and Anita found us – they were registered and I was still waiting. On initiative Lynda went back up to the place where registration was originally supposed to be and found that I was sent to the wrong place. So I had to go back up to reception, to queue for my registration pack. Luckily this queue was so much smaller and I was registered within 10 minutes… time for a phew! before going back up to the room to fetch my RichART ready for autographs. Kate and Anita weren’t lucky enough to get in for the early autos, so they went to the restaurant and we went to get in the queue for Jensen and Jared’s signatures.
Another dilemma ensued.
Having got my confirmation email I was assured I wouldn’t need to print it off in order to have the early advantage because they’d have my registration number wrote down. But this was before the event. Standing in line, we asked a staff member if we needed the print out in order to get them done that night and were told they had our names at the door, so we wouldn’t be required to have proof. But within 5 minutes, that had changed. Suddenly you needed your email confirmation in order to go through… I didn’t have it. So, disappointed I prepared to move out of the line. However, before going anywhere instructions were shouted above the noise to get as far to the right of the corridor as we could. Not having a chance to move I stood and watched 4 huge security guards walk down the corridor past me with Jensen and Jared in between them. Now I didn’t see much of the incident – I was concentrated on the boys – but I glanced at two girls on the wrong side of the wall. I heard orders of ‘get to the right’ and then my eyes were drawn back to the boys… Jensen actually looked worried (although considering his first experience at Asylum 1 who could blame him) and Jared was calm, chewing on a toothpick. But then, they were gone. I didn’t see the incident with the girls – but Lynda caught me up to speed. Apparently, they couldn’t have been more than 16; they were manhandled with brute force by the security guards and practically thrown back to the right side of the corridor. She seemed to get the impression that they froze in their position, deer in headlights… but I can’t say, I was concentrating on the sheer presence of the two J’s.
So, anyway, we decided to head up to the other autograph room to get the rest of the guests to sign our print and just collect our Jensen and Jared ones over the course of the weekend. We queued for 2 hours… we were so close to the door when the announcement came that the guests were tired and were leaving, but that we’d have priority the next day… so I guess it wasn’t so bad. But by this time the queue’s had taken a toll on my body. My feet were sore from being on them ALL day and my back was hurting, as it so often does with the pressure of being upright for a long period of time.
Exhausted, Lynda and I went to find Kate and Anita. They were sat in the restaurant right by the photograph table waiting for our Winchester Squeeze photos to make an appearance. I was just thankful to be sat down.
Kate and Lynda's was the first to come out, and it looked brilliant… but when we got ours, I wasn’t so impressed. Anita looks fabulous but there’s a distinct ‘I can’t believe it’ look on my face. Not sure, still, how I feel about it despite reassurances that it looks OK.
Saturday was more of a blur… but I will try and remember it as best I can.
We got word that the extras were going on sale Saturday morning at 6 am. Lynda and I wanted a Misha photo op for definite. I needed a couple of Jared autographs – one for myself and one for a friend – and I needed an extra Jensen autograph for my neighbours daughter, who couldn’t be there with me. Plus Anita and Kate wanted their singles with the boys. So, despite going to bed at 1 am – maybe later because Lynda kept asking me about the following days schedule – I was up at 5 am. Now for those of you that don’t know me won’t know that I don’t function on less than 7 hours sleep… so that was an achievement for me. I sat up in bed for fear of staying there the whole day if I lay back down. But when Lynda used the bathroom, I was stupid enough to lie back on the bed… my eyes closed and I forced myself back into an upright position. I had to move or I would simply waste the whole day… so I climbed from the comfort of my bed and began to function – barely. I washed, brushed my teeth, dressed, put my trainers on (having learned the lesson with my heeled boots the day before) and applied a small amount of make up. Then we made our way down to the queue Anita was sat in waiting for us. We asked her to get our Misha photo op, a Jared autograph and 2 Jensen autograph’s for us, gave her our money and then went for some much needed breakfast – with the promise of returning for food for her and Kate.
I was already feeling the effects of no food – light-headed, sick and dehydrated. So we headed for food. I think it took me half an hour to force a croissant down my throat and an OJ before we headed back to the girls to find they were almost at the front of the queue – having got there early enough.
Meanwhile, there was one hell of queue forming outside the hall where the talks would take place and I feared we wouldn’t get seats good enough to see the boys talking. But – as if it was fate – we collected our extras and headed to the hall only to get some great seats.
We had to wait a while for the guests to arrive because they were travelling in from another hotel and I was still feeling faint, but I focused on getting past it. I needed to see Jensen and Jared, but it was easier said than done given the heat in that room. Half an hour later than scheduled, Doug came up on stage to introduce all the guests and I took pictures, but they didn’t come out so good because I was shaking so much…
After all the screams, woohoo’s and applause had died down all the other guests left the stage, leaving Jensen and Jared up there with Doug, the MC, who got Jason Manns on the stage almost immediately afterward. Doug then decided to announce the coffee lounge winners before the boys started their session – I’m at a loss as to why. It just prolonged things and we were eager to hear anything the on screen Winchesters were going to say. He reeled off the numbers as quickly as he could and at the end of announcing the registration winning numbers for Misha’s coffee lounge, Jensen said, “That’s the longest European number I ever heard, but somebody is going to get a message.” And he slid his phone open.
Doug then reeled off the coffee lounge winners for Jared and once done, Jensen shouted, “Bingo!” Causing rapturous laughter to echo throughout the room.
Doug then asked him his house number and Jensen replied, “What? Oh, it’s in there.” Before the MC continued to read out the winning registration numbers that had won a coffee lounge with Jensen. But halfway through he realised what a grand waste of time it was and announced he’d put the numbers on a board out in reception, to which he was met with applause. He left the stage and Jason took over.
Jason: Hi guys.
Jared [laughing]: I don’t know what just happened.
Jason: I don’t either. Did you get those numbers? [Pause] I think I’m supposed to facilitate a little bit of this uh, panel. I’ve never done that before, I’m a little nervous.
Jensen: Well, this should be interesting.
Jason: I wrote down a couple of questions just to start it off.
Jensen: Very professional Jason.
Jason: What is your address?
To which the audience were wild with laughter and applause.
Jensen: That’s probably not… uh, probably pass. Let’s pass to the next question.
Jason: Uh, phone number?
More laughter from the 1600 people I’m sure were all packed into the same room.
Jensen: Uh…
Jared: You can’t really…
Jensen: Again, I uh… don’t think I can…
Jason: Well, if you guys are going to be difficult…
That’s was how they opened and it was so funny to watch. But I don’t plan on writing out the whole transcript because I’m sure someone else has done this talk, so…
I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much in my whole life. I have to say, the chemistry between the boys is evident even when they’re not acting. That’s not something you can’t fake. They’re just such good friends and I think that helps to emulate their close brotherly relationship on screen as Dean and Sam. I was blown away by how at ease they were even under the spotlight with all of us hanging on every word. Jared naturally is a ham, but Jensen – the shy guy that everyone knows he is didn’t make an appearance up there. That’s one of the many reasons I was happy Jared announced he was going to be there because I’ve seen Con’s in the States and they’re always funny as hell when they’re together. I’m not saying that Jensen wouldn’t have been funny on his own – because I caught a bit of his solo talk on Sunday and he was – but I think there’s something to be said for the ease he felt sharing the spotlight with his on screen counterpart.
Once the J2 stage talk was finished – and it ran over… Lynda and I headed up to the Sandringham room for our autographs, assured that we’d have priority as one of the 300 picked for the Friday night autographs we didn’t get. As mentioned, I’d brought an extra Jared autograph for a friend, and I was made to wait even longer once I’d got to the front of the queue in order to get a photo for him to sign. But Lynda continued on. Now, I made a conscious decision to talk to every one of the guests, I didn’t know what I was going to say – but I wanted to speak to them.
My first autograph was with Samantha Smith [Momma Winchester] and while waiting I couldn’t help noticing how absolutely gorgeous she was. She’d had her hair cropped short, which REALLY suited her and would account for why she looked different in WTLB. A light bulb went on immediately – that’s what I could say to her. So, I put my print down on the table in front of her and said, “Your hair really suits you short.” And she asked, “You think so?” And I responded, “Definitely.” She thanked me. I thanked her for coming and I walked away. It doesn’t sound like much, but I wanted to say something.
Next was Amy Gumenick [young Mary Winchester]. She had straightened her hair and while she still looked completely beautiful, she looked completely different. So when I walked over and handed her my print I said, “Your straight hair makes you look completely different.” I know, obvious… following my thoughts, but I don’t know a lot about these actors so I went on instinct. I’m sure she smiled, maybe nervously. LOL. I thanked her for being there and she thanked me.
Misha Collins [Castiel] was next on the hit list and as I approached I heard a girl in front say she was sorry she hadn’t brought him a gift. And he jokingly replied, “That’s outrageous. Next year it’s going to be mandatory, more gifts for Misha.” Which I thought was pretty funny. Now, I already had my Misha line prepared because I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. I decided not to talk about his ‘24’ role because I was sure someone else would’ve mentioned that to him, instead I went for the one film I’d seen him in that made me really hate his character. I know, what the hell was I thinking? So – when I approached – I said, “I’m thankful you play Castiel on the show. I didn’t really like your character in Karla.” And he asked why not. And I said, “Because he was evil, and you were so convincing.” He smiled, made eye contact and said, “He wasn’t evil, he was just misunderstood.” To which I laughed and thanked him for being there before moving on…
Next was Matthew Cohen [young John Winchester]. As I was queuing, I smiled at the young lady sat being him – his girlfriend – and she smiled back. Now Matthew had grown a beard… making him look different… and extremely handsome. But I knew I’d come across as a lecherous old lady if I said anything to that effect to him, so instead I said, “Your beard makes you look like Kerr Smith.” And he replied with, “Who’s that?” Who’s that? I thought. Damn, now I had to explain. “He starred in My Bloody Valentine with Jensen.” I said. “Hmmm, then maybe I should shave it off.” He responded. “Oh no,” I assured him. “It suits you.” Then I said thank you, and walked away toward the long Jared line.
Now this is the point I started to tremble. I reminded myself that while he felt like a younger brother to me because of watching him play Sam for 4 years that this giant – in stature and presence – young man wouldn’t know me from Adam. So I took a moment, collected my thoughts and I don’t know where it came from but the most idiotic sentence came tumbling out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop it… I said, my nerves a great visual display in my words, “God, you’re almost as tall as me stood up.” I know… and I see you shaking your head in embarrassment. I promised myself I wasn’t going to mention how tall they were because they probably get it all the time, but it was there before I could stop it. I could almost feel the big L for loser burn into my forehead once the words were out. But Jared smiled and said, “Yeah.” With a little giggle. He probably had the same thought as me… IDIOT! LOL. I waited for him to sign both autographs and then said, “Thank you so much for coming this year.” At that point direct eye contact was made and I melted a little inside. “You’re welcome. Thank you.” Was his response and then… I floated away. I’m sure my feet were on the floor, but I could barely notice.
Unfortunately, by the time we got through with the first set of autographs there was only enough time to grab something quick to eat before heading for the next session. For this one Lynda and I were queued together, so we could play off each other… and this was where the fun really started.
First up was Charles Malik Whitfield, who smiled that gorgeous smile at me as soon as my print went down on the table. Although having not planned what I was going to say, what I conjured up was straight from my heart so came out relatively easily. I said, “You’re sadly missed. You gave us some really great moments in the show.” And he aww-ed and thanked me before we got talking about him going into Birmingham dancing the night before – which we had heard on the grapevine that day. He told Lynda and I that he’d had a great time and we asked him to come along to our party that night so we could get a dance with him. Then I moved on – not wanting to take up too much time.
Fredric was next in line and his beautiful set of eyes were instantly connected to mine. I said something along the lines of, “I loved the Yellow-Eyed demon and I miss him.” Gracefully, he thanked me. Then I told him we had a photo with him the next day. And he said, “Well, I’ll look forward to that.” With a beaming smile.
Richard was next. Now in his stage talk – the bit we caught – he asked whether his beard suited him. So, stepping up, I said, “The beard suits you.” He thanked me and then Lynda took over – asking him if his wife liked it. He replied that she did and Lynda continued to say that she bet she liked to tug on it. LOL. He laughed. Then our dear Lynda continued, “We’ve got a photo with you tomorrow. Can I tug on your beard?” And I’m not really sure what his reply was because I was still taking in her question, a little shocked. LOL.
I moved on to Gabriel, but I barely had a chance to say a word before Lynda distracted me. The girl behind her had given Richard a photo to sign that she’d thought was Jensen from upside down – causing all three of us to laugh as Richard signed the picture, ‘I’m not Jensen’. Gabriel – hearing our laughter – asked what was going on so Lynda swiftly explained causing him to smile as he signed my print and hers.
Jensen was late to the signing – having to grab some lunch after going over with the photo studio. But as I was finished with Gabriel, he walked into the room so I walked backward toward the long queue for his autograph in order to get all the eye candy I could muster. But as the line got shorter, despite having a distraction with the two lovely ladies in front of us, I was bricking it. I had absolutely nothing prepared to say… my mind went blank. What the hell was I going to say to the guy that plays my favourite character ever played on TV? I was going to fall over my tongue. I was going to choke, and I was going to do it with style.
So, in order to take the emphasis off the fact I was walking up to Jensen Ackles, I distracted myself by asking Dave – one of the many weekend helpers whom we’d seen loads that day – to sign the back of my autograph check off list. But by doing that, I think I may have pissed Jensen off. I really feel that he was not impressed with my lack of focus on him because when I stood in front of him and said, “I bet you’re sick of looking at your own face.” It went down like a lead balloon. I got nothing back. I was deflated. I had managed, in my 5 seconds with Jensen, to piss him off. The one guy above everyone else that I wouldn’t want to have that affect on. I had that sinking feeling. The I want to die feeling. But I was still stood there. Then it happened, a light at the end of the tunnel. Lynda passed him her tin of mints, aptly named Perky Nipple mints – in the shape of nipples. Holding the tin in his hand he looked it over, but it was evident he didn’t get the joke. Uh-oh. So I took the opportunity to salvage myself in his eyes. “Why did you think you were brought back from hell?” I asked. He looked me dead in the eyes while I spoke – direct eye contact people, direct eye contact – and after a second of delving into his memory it clicked in his mind. “Oh… because of my perky nipples.” And hurrah! Mini wave in celebration of me… I got Jensen to say Perky Nipples! Except I later realised I’d referred to him as Dean, when he is in fact the actor not the character. However, I took comfort from the fact he answered as the character and not the actor. So, in my own unique way – and thinking – I got Dean to look at me! LOL. If at all possible, I floated on higher ground than when I’d had my moment with Jared. But Lynda was horrified, hardly believing he didn’t get the joke. And this will sound mean – but I’m glad he didn’t get it, because it meant I got an extra second or two with him and put right my initial mistake.
Time for a quick cigarette and then into the main hall for Jared’s solo stage talk. Again, he was hilarious. And I promise tomorrow to have a transcript for that. But I need to go through it and type it all up. Tomorrow – you get to hear about Sunday – our photo op’s.
Sunday ran relatively smoother, all we really had to do was stand and pose for photos. But I wanted to catch the Jason and Jensen stage talk, naturally. Except we had a Fredric and Richard photo op at the same time so… it wasn’t going to be so straightforward to get everything I wanted.
So… we’d gone to bed at about 1:30 – after having a drink in our room once Anita and Kate had left us for the evening and once I’d written a brief account of the day, to remember the pivotal bits for you guys. But it was 7:30 get up, which was better for the sleep deprived little ol’ me. I got up without incident, had a wash etc, got dressed and Lynda straightened my hair. Today was photo day and I was not going to look like a mess in something I would look at consistently over the coming months or years…
Once we were ready we headed downstairs, again skipping breakfast, to make it in time for our first photo pf the day – Charles Malik Whitfield. We were queued early enough that we didn’t have to wait too long – of course it didn’t help that all the guests arrived late due to traffic. Anyway, Lynda and I walked into the room for the photo we were sharing and Charles greeted us with a smile as we made our way over to him. With no hesitation he threw his arms around us, then ‘click’ it was over. So we headed to the main hall to catch a snippet of Richard’s stage talk before queuing again for our next photos.
Let me tell you, Richard Speight Jr is truly funny – although he did manage to give some straight answers to some questions, the one about Donnie Wahlberg being good looking was the one that sticks out for me. A girl asking a guy if another guy was handsome, you just know where it’s going. LOL. He told us a story about how Donnie would talk about being on tour with the New Kids and that Richard would know what it was like and Richard was like, “I played in a bar for beer, that’s nothing like selling out Wembley.” Which I thought was particularly funny, having been a New Kids fan.
Then it was time to queue again. For Richard and Fredric’s photos. At this time I was antsy, Jensen was about to be on stage with Jason and I did not want to miss that. So, I queued patiently… Fredric was first up. He threw his arms around Lynda and I and announced, “I love photo day.” Giving us a big squeeze as he spoke, which I loved. I was looking forward to meeting Fred so much, and he did not disappoint.
Then Richard strolled over and although I can’t be sure, I think Lynda had a tug on his beard [LOL] while I was worried where I was putting my hands… *rolls eyes* I should’ve been paying attention because ‘click’ and it was over.
So… I rushed out of the room toward the main hall to hear Jensen, and Lynda left me there so she could find Kate and Anita.
I remember hearing someone ask Jensen about those red shorts he wore in After School Special and I distinctly remember him replying that he had shopped for them online – oh yes, Jensen had not only willingly wore THOSE shorts, but he’d picked them. I think that just shows what kind of guy he is. He’s fully prepared to make a fool out of himself in order to get a laugh and that’s exactly the guy I expected him to be. A lot can be said for someone who’s willing to laugh at themselves. A very attractive trait in my opinion.
The follow up to that question was about the boy he hits with the ball, he took a moment, looked out to the crowd and smiled, “Again, my idea.” He confessed. I don’t mind admitting laughing out loud, because that was the funniest thing I’d ever heard. He did however admit that it looked like it hit him harder than it actually was.
Now I didn’t catch the next question, I’m sure Lynda came in and told me she was going to check out – but I did catch his response so… from what I could gather he was asked if he had any pets. He replied that he received a phone call off Danneel telling him she’d brought a dog. I think he replied something to the effect of, “Why buy a dog when there are plenty that need rescuing?” To which she replied, “He needed rescuing.” LOL. He then asked her what kind of dog it was and she replied that it was a cockapoo. I can still see the frown on his face as he’s sat up there. “A cocka-what?” He replied. “A cockapoo. It’s a cross between a cock-a-spaniel and a poodle.” He said he was hoping it’d be this huge manly dog, but he was wrong. Then he showed us a picture off the front screen of his phone – putting it right up to the camera lens – which I thought was really sweet. Icarus, a lovely white little adorable thing.
The rest of the questions were a bit of a blur. I can only think that the questions and answers weren’t nearly as interesting as the ones I remembered, and that’s why I forgot. I think I was also a bit of a nervous mess because my photo with him was next. I went to my queue; I didn’t want to miss this photo opportunity, especially given that my very good friend Lynda had suggested that I have Jensen to myself, while she had Jared. I was elated, but bricking it at the same time. Thankfully, when I got to the end of the line my two buddies Kate and Anita were waiting there, so they would take my mind off the nerves while we waited. Unfortunately all distractions went out of the window when I walked inside the room. There he was… my Dean, except he wasn’t Dean but Jensen. I waited nervously in line and when it was my turn, and I was walking toward him, he looked me in the eyes and said hello. I said ‘hi’ in a highly excited voice but he didn’t seem to notice as we turned for the click. However, as he was talking to – I can only assume – his PA, he told the photographer that he’d been talking and he’d have to take the photo again. Then he looked around at me to make sure I hadn’t made my escape, thankfully I took my extra couple of seconds with Jensen and that’s why I looked really excitable in the photo of us. LOL. Like, eek, I get longer with Jensen. Hehe.
Lynda, Kate, Anita and I then took the opportunity to have some lunch and a much-needed drink before the afternoon started.
Our Misha photo was first on the agenda. The line went down pretty quickly and we were in the room in next to no time. Misha was gracious. He put his arm around us as we stopped next to him and when we walked out of the room, Lynda turned to me and said, “We’ve been officially touched by an angel.” Which I thought was pretty funny.
Now this is the part where we went for a cigarette and then parted ways. Lynda had to go and get her Jared photo while I waited for my Jensen photo to be printed off. I wandered around in a bit of daze I think once I got it – extremely happy with my over all Jensen experience.
We had our Samantha photo, which went off without a hitch and then went into the main hall to listen to Misha talking until it was time for Jensen’s closing ceremony speech.
Misha was extremely funny. Like hilarious funny. And I have to admit, it wasn’t something I expected. But it was a nice surprise. I’m actually at a loss as to how they get any work done on set with all the jokesters they have in the cast. LOL. But I’m thankful they were all so nice. I think, had they not been, it would’ve tainted the show for me and may have affected how I felt about watching anything they were in. But thankfully, they were all pleasant – and it was so easy not to be because of the Friday disaster.
Unfortunately, due to autograph sessions running over, Jensen wasn’t able to do his final talk, so Misha took over – he auctioned off the script and it was funny to watch him take on an auctioneer persona. But when it was all said and done – and each actor came on stage for their final goodbye – Jensen came back on stage and said a huge thank you to us fans. And this is exactly what he said – “Hey guys, we just want to say thank you so much for coming out. I know it was kind of a long weekend. I apologise for the autographs and how quickly we were getting some of you through but we just wanted to make sure we got everyone that paid for the autographs so apologies, but I hope everyone is happy. Secondly, I just want to say, on behalf of all of us, thank you so much for your support, for watching this little show that we love so much. We forget what we’re doing sometimes when we’re doing it for so long in such a little small corner of the world so to come here and get this kind of feedback from people as gracious as you are it really means a lot to us, all of us, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for coming this weekend.”
In closing, I want to say that I personally didn’t care about the ‘no touching’ rule. I think it was completely understandable given that we’re strangers to them. I was just happy to be stood next to them because that was an opportunity I didn’t think I’d ever get. Yes, the queuing was a little annoying, but it was all worth it! I’m being completely honest! I think some of us forget that – although they seem like family to us because we watch them every week – they have no idea who we are.
Overall, the whole weekend was a triumph and I can’t wait to go next year – Jensen and Jared or no Jensen or Jared. Bring on Asylum 4.
Thankfully the celeb guests are usually so wonderful it makes up for it. 