I wish I wasn’t so shy. Sometimes it can be down right embarrassing. While attending the Wizard World Portland Con this weekend I got the opportunity to meet Henry Winkler (Happy Days), Dean Cain (Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman) and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Burn Notice).

This was the first time Wizard World brought their con to Portland, Oregon and the little I saw I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn’t think it was going to be well attended (almost as much as a bust as PopCon LA had been), but was surprised by the size of the crowds. My biggest complaint was how they only used one floor for everything. It got very crowded in the autograph area and very confusing which line to stand in since the lines intertwined.

Henry Winkler is just the sweetest man and I loved his positive, uplifting, and enthusiastic panel. I actually got up the nerve to ask him a question. At his autograph table, he was standing up shaking hands and giving hugs. Dean Cain is just a cutie and super friendly. He chatted with my friends (Elaine and her friend Barbara) and I at his table and shook our hands and personalized our autographs. I look forward to seeing him again at Phoenix Con later this year. Had a great time at his panel too, and I learned new things about him. I did not realize he was a screenwriter. Will have to ask him about screenwriting next time I see him. "Ugh! I come all this way to go to these cons and pay all this money - open your mouth and speak Anne!"

I was only able to attend Saturday (so we crammed in a lot in a short amount of time). In addition, it was the only day Bruce Campbell could attend and I really, really wanted to meet him, since I absolutely love him in Burn Notice. I went to his panel and had a great time. He is quite the comedian and had the audience in stitches. Then my friends and I stood in line for hours to get his autograph. I finally get to the front of the line. He asks what I do for a living and I swear what came out of my mouth was not English. *Facepalm*

Oh well, maybe I can make up for some of my awkwardness next weekend at the Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC). I am looking forward to being a "Minion" again this year. 

I don't know who to blame, although I lean more towards blaming the democrats and the President; however, I feel the Republicans are just as much at fault for where we are today with massive debt and outrageous overspending. I also just do not understand, President Obama supported sequestration and even signed it into law, but now he is against it and blaming the Republicans for not stopping it. Ugh! All I do know is the "do nothing" Senate, which has been controlled by the Democrats for the last four years, has not passed a budget and it's ticking me off that both parities are playing political hardball with our livelihood. 

My husband is a federal employee and it makes me righteously indignant when the general public assumes all federal employees make $100,000 a year. I wish!! My husband is a good man, who works hard for what he earns. He appreciates having a job, never calls in sick, always shows up on time, and frankly works his butt off to support his family. He works overtime when asked and does job that some might think were beneath them. Yes, he makes a decent wage, but a large chuck of that goes towards federal taxes, medicare, medical, vision, and dental insurance, social security, and a small retirement savings plan. There are those who assume we don't live within our means. We pay rent and utilities, buy groceries and clothes for for three growing teenage boys, purchase fuel for the vehicles, and do occasional house and vehicle maintenance. We drive a 7-year-old pick-up truck and borrow my parents van from time to time. How are we overspending? Unlike the government - we can't print more money or live beyond our budget. We have been given advice to make cuts in our spending - not to go out to movies or dinner, bring lunch from home, cut out extras (i.e. premium cable channels) - but why do we have to make sacrifices when Congress doesn't? We were also told to FIND money - take a second job or sell unwanted items. Any one want a 1996 Bayliner Capri Bowrider boat? 

It also makes me mad when talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh poo-poo the fears of us federal workers. Yes, I know there is a lot of fear mongering going on at there on both sides of the aisle, I also understand there is a lot of misinformation floating around, i.e. teachers losing their jobs, and police and firefighters losing their job - when that is not possible, since their salaries are controlled by state and local taxes and not the federal government. However, what about those who work supporting our armed forces? 

Why the cuts in our wages? Why not cuts in foreign aid, especially those countries who want to destroy us? What about no free rides for those who are in this county illegally? Now, before I am called a racist or worse - I have ZERO problem with immigration. America is the great melting pot - my problem is ILLEGAL immigration. And I don't think taxpayers should pay for food stamps, medical, housing, schools, etc. for those who are breaking the law. Period. 

Yes, I am worried. I am worried how to pay for the surgery I had in January. I am worried about feeding the boys, although if furloughs hit, our income could be reduced enough to qualify for reduced school lunch. How's that hope and change?

Yes, the federal government must get a handle on spending and it is well past time that the President begin working with Congress to find real budget solutions, but why take it out on those of us who work hard at keeping America running? 

I never considered myself a fangirl. I mean sure, I have my favorite television shows and favorite actors, but I never in a million years thought I would enjoy going to a sci-fi convention. Remember the SNL clip, where William Shatner pokes fun at the people attending Star Trek conventions? I guess he received some dissension from this skit, but come on, it was funny!! 

Anyway, that is kind of what I thought sci-fi conventions were all about; a bunch of nerdy people, dressed up in outlandish costumes and really needed to get out more or as Shatner put it, “get a life.”

Then it happened, I attended my first con and I was hooked. I love the energy and excitement of the attendees. I love the chance to talk to the actors, get autographs and pictures, and to walk the same halls as some of my childhood heroes. I love meeting new people and connecting with friends. I love listening to the panel discussions and hearing all the background stories we don’t see on screen.  I love the costumes and am in awe at the amount of time some of those fans put into making them (although, I admit, I will never show up at a con in a costume. No way, no how).

The first con I attended, my youngest sister and we were sitting on the floor waiting for the next panel to begin, and this man in a miniskirt and fishnet stockings, watched past us and we could see up his skirt. I don’t think my sister and I have laughed so much in our entire life.

Since that first con, I have attended several more across the U.S., some focused on a specific movie, while most focused on science-fiction and fantasy. There are those who believe the cons have lost the original draw – bringing comic book collectors together and they would like to see it go back to less about the media stars and more about the comics. I will probably get in trouble for saying this, but “get a life!” Yep, I am there for the media stars and the fangirl moments!!

Took me long enough, but I finally finished another of my season five project scripts. Guilt by Association can be read by clinking on the link. 

In addition, I wrote Our Little Secret, a short fan fiction story for Séverine, who wanted a late third season Lee and Amanda story.

Happy Reading!! 

Dates for the 30th SMK Anniversary celebration have been set and registration is now open. The dates will be October 4-5, 2013 at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn at Universal Studios Hollywood. It's a FANtastic weekend for the fans of the show and a chance to meet the cast and crew of SMK. There are autograph sessions, a WB tour, a celebration dinner and drinks, and a Q&A panel. Click on the link for more information and details.

If you are interested in reading about the 25th SMK Anniversary celebration you can read about it here.

Several years ago, I was involved in a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was part of the rude mechanicals, which perform the silly play-within-the-play. I was ‘tailored’ made for the role of Robin Starveling, and had a terrific time with this character, as I have always been somewhat of a ham.

Someone most have mentioned that “Scottish’ play during the course of rehearsals, as the show had more then it’s fair share of accidents on stage, as well as off. The largest incident involved me. In the first scene together, the mechanicals were supposed to walk onto the stage and crash into each other for comic effect, unfortunately, as I was falling forward, the actress playing Snug, the joiner, flew her head back and my nose collided with her hard noggin.  I heard a loud “crunch” and blood began to rapidly pour from my nostrils. Another cast member, took me to the restroom to help stop the bleeding and to get me cleaned up. I frantically asked her, “Is my nose broken?” She shook her head, but I think she was just trying to keep me calm. As I looked in the mirror, I could tell my nose was a lovely shade of black, purple, and blue and under my eyes, I looked like a raccoon.

Later that night, I went back to my dorm. My roommate took one look at my face and drove me to the nearest hospital. The emergency room triage nurse asked, “Did you break your nose or has your nose always been there?” Everyone thinks they’re a comedian.

There is not a whole lot that can be done with a broken nose until the swelling goes down, so my nose was immobilized and I was sent back to school. A week later, my nose was reset, although, to this day I don’t think it was ever set straight.

For the rest of the run of the show, I was the not the ‘butt’ of everyone’s jokes, but the ‘nose’ of endless gags and humor. I received not a ‘break a leg’ card, but a ‘break a nose’ card from the cast on opening night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream posters around the auditorium had a piece of tape across Shakespeare’s nose, and the day after my nose had been set, I walked into my Theatre Tech class to find everyone with tape of their noses. It’s a good thing I had a sense of humor and could laugh with them for I knew they were laughing with me, not at me. I still laugh today.

I mean, seriously, who flipped over her desk in first grade? Who walked into a tree branch slicing her eyelid open (yep, you read that right - I sliced open my eyelid)? Who punched herself in the nose, while trying to take something apart?  Who broke her baby toe on a footlocker? Yeah, that would be me.

And whoever said I was graceful?