The trip to Dallas this year was something I had been so excited about for a few reasons. Partly because it was the official start to my adventuring, I had never been to Texas, hadn't been to anywhere in the US other than the West Coast. More importantly to me, our main reason for heading to Texas was to attend another Supernatural fan convention. I don't pretend to be anything other than a giant geek, wouldn't even try too (nobody would believe me!!) but Supernatural has always been a very special show for me. It started when I was 19, I had been a fan of many different genre shows and movies up to that point but this was the first show that really gripped me when I was an adult. I had money, more independence - although I still lived at home - so I had more means to embrace my inner geek in a way that I couldn't have before.
By the time I was 21 I was in a job I loved, working for a book retailer - the same one that I have only recently left - and combining that with my ever present poor impulse control I ended up, while at work one morning, buying non-refundable tickets to my very first convention - on the other side of the world. I even managed to convince my then sixteen year old little sister to come along with me. That trip was the first time I had travelled abroad without an adult, first time that I had been the responsible one, and of course, first time that I attended a full-on genre convention. I can unequivocally state that it changed my life. Without that trip, that moment of insanity when I first booked the tickets, without meeting the friends, best friend, that I met there, without having that amazing experience - I wouldn't have had the confidence to do any of the other traveling that I've done since. Or if I had I'm sure it would have been at a much slower, more safe-boring-Becky pace, certainly not another trip less than six months later! As it was it has quickly became routine to go to a convention every year and after having been to Vancouver for the last 3 years, Dallas was going to be an exciting change of scenery, as well as being the home city for one of the shows stars.
Dallas in September, I am reassured, isn't as hot as Dallas in July or August - but even so, for a girl from New Zealand who normally travels to equally temperate locations, it was hot. And not just "Oh how lovely and warm" warm, more "How does anyone function here?" hot! It was quite a shock to get off the plane from Seattle, immediately the temperature change hit me. It's the kind of dry heat that we just don't get at home - and I'm pretty sure I haven't ever sweat as much in my life as that weekend! The hotel we were staying in was outside Downtown Dallas, about a half an hours drive north. The city, from the small section of it I saw on that drive, mostly of the freeway, showed a city that was very much built up commercial space, highways and strip malls. When we finally did make it to the hotel, I started to think about the most important things - was there a pool? Yes - I never ended up using it but thats another matter entirely. Did the air conditioning work? Too well - but once again that's another story. Which leaves the other most important thing - especially during a convention weekend - what was going to be for dinner?. Meals once the Convention weekend gets underway usually end up being few & far between, especially if, as often happens, you end up in a hotel room without a mini-fridge & far away from any local amenities. Dinner is usually the one meal that I tend to be most enthusiastic for and the best part of it is that we got to go out and experience some truly wonderful Texan food, including TexMex that first night. I have had the Pacific North West version of Mexican food but TexMex certainly seems, at least to my pallet, to be far spicier!!.
Now you've probably already guessed that this isn't going to be a specific con report like some of those I have eagerly read on Superwiki (these will provide you with far more info that I could ever hope too: http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/index.php?title=Supernatural_Wiki) I wish that I could be one of those people who take notes during panels, but for the most part I'm usually so busy laughing, groaning, cheering or occasionally wincing at the questions and replies that I am never able to focus on anything else! Thursday night, post the really amazing but really hot food - which taught me another important lesson, that I really cannot handle even the food termed "mild" - we went to take advantage of the early-check-in being offered by Creation. It turned out that this was a really good decision but more on that later. It is one of those funny things, being at a Creation Con. Its always hurry up and wait, we never turn up early enough to be at the start of the line, but are usually early enough that we don't end up spending more than a couple of hours in line. Its also wonderful how many people in the line have come so far, or not, to go to these gatherings. While I think the vast majority of the people attending this convention did come from either Texas or at least the Southern States, it also makes me feel better to know that their are so many others, like me, who have flown half way around the world to show their love for this program. Fangirls, and an amazing turn out of fanguys - which may be unique to Texas - are a friendly bunch and I have forged many enduring friendships over the past four years in the various weekend lines!
Friday morning, after deciding not to turn any alarms on, since we had already gotten our entry wristbands & lanyards & so didn't have to queue again to get in, the first panel wasn't until 1pm, we woke up and I had more than a small amount of panic to discover that it was almost 12. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I'm the kind of girl who panics when she feels like she's running late - I hate to be late, and after my amazing, extremely embarrassing experience at VanCon last year I was determined to be on time. I should also mention how this keenness & determination on my part perhaps comes off a little bit crazy & dare I say it unhinged. At least given my roommates reactions that's how I would suggest it appears to others. Sufficing to say, we made it down there on time - just, me rushing around like a headless chicken & my friends calmly readying themselves for the day. It was a comparatively short one as Fridays go, there were only the two guest scheduled to have panels. Chad Lindberg & Gabriel Tigerman. There was also of course the always amazing karaoke party but that wasn't due to start until 10.30pm. Even though I had seen both guys before, in fact there weren't any scheduled guests that I hadn't seen already, it is always so amazing to be there amongst your fellow fans & you never know what they are going to say - or do at a con!
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| Chad Lindberg - as seen between fellow attendees |
One of my favourite panels at any convention is Chad Lindberg's, he is one of my all time favourite convention guests, not because he's particularly funny or crazy - that would be Sebastian Roche - but Chad, like Jim Beaver is one of those guys who I could listen to talk all day. I just love his quirkiness, and how cool he is. Anyway I gush. Perfect way to start a Convention off!!
Gabe - Gabriel Tigerman - came on shortly after & he is a blast. He was only in two episodes of the show but he is FUNNY, especially when he is telling us all about his cotton ball phobia (?!) & I have a special soft spot for him since he's the very first celebrity that my sister and I ever officially met. It was at an autograph signing in the merchandise room during the Los Angeles Con, Lissy & went so red and he was very sweet, it was a very cool moment. The main thing that stays with me during a Gabe panel is that we laugh. Like out loud, falling over, going red, side hurting laughing. Do any of the specifics stick with me now, several weeks later? Not so much, but like I said - I'm never going to be that person who can do the blow by blow accounts! One of the other main highlights of that panel that does stick in the mind was the sudden appearance of Matt Cohen, wearing rather loud shorts and a tank top. Now Matt appearing wearing jeans & a shirt would have been exciting enough, but just the wonder that was the print of those pants - it was clearly overwhelming for the audience, myself included!
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| Gabe Tigerman |
One of the best parts of a Supernatural Convention for me are the Karaoke parties. Yes, they usually run late and are held when I normally I just want to be sleeping & no, I would never think of getting on stage with a mic myself but I seriously love just being one of the crowd. Everyone is pushing ever closer to the stage, singing, dancing & sweating together - including the celebrities which at any other time of the weekend are usually kept carefully separate from the fans. I especially love it when the crowd favourite songs come on. Be it Kansas's "Carry on my Wayward Son" or the B52's "Loveshack, "YMCA" or the "Timewarp" - the guy who performed that for us this year, was amazing, he was part of a theatre group that had performed the show & he was Riff Raff. Wonderful as the karaoke always is, after four hours my voice is always mostly gone, its generally well after 2am and it is so nice to stumble, or in my case hobble, back to your hotel room. This year, unusually for us, we had booked a room inside the hotel that was hosting the convention. Although there was always congestion at the elevators it was a nice change to be able to get to the room so quickly so you can pretty much stumble into bed after setting an alarm for tomorrow! Couldn't risk a repeat performance of that first mornings excitement.
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| Es & I, with the Karaoke kings Matt Cohen (l) & Richard Speight Jr (r) |
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