Hell's Half Acre

It's Thanksgiving up here in Canada...yay! I'm taking tomorrow off work, because I CAN. We are not eating turkey though, because Thanksgiving was never actually that big a deal for us growing up. Also, there is only two of us, and turkeys are big.

Sounds like the Supernatural convention in Chicago turned out to be a laugh riot. I can't wait for the sneaky youtube videos. It's funny, as more time passes since VanCon, I feel more and more ok with the fact that I might never go to a convention again - sometimes I think I SHOULD never go to a convention again. It's as though I've had my convention moment, and trying to capture it again would only disappoint.

That being said, I'm mad jealous at all those people who got to have a Jensen+Jared+Misha panel at Chicago...and I'm pretty sure that if there's another last minute ticket for VanCon in 2011, I'm going to leap on that thing like a dying man....and if my friend in Winnipeg finds a ticket too and decides to come out, then we'll be all over that thing like Finns in a sauna.

VILE VIOLENT VACATIONS UPDATE: 

Readers who were disappointed by the lack of chapter last week will be happy to know that I've got a chapter all prepared for this week. Not only that, but yesterday I spent a good part of the day losing focus and staring off into the mid-distance for long periods of time...this usually happens when my brain is writing faster than my fingers (it's either that or I suffer from petite mal seizures and mistake it as a sign of creativity).

Long story short though: At the end of the day, I was able to write a more detailed outline of just the last few chapters...which means that I'm in the homestretch writing-wise. I've got all the major events laid out....oh ok, i just lost time again. Dude, writing in my head is fun and all, but I seriously come out of it and it takes me a second to remember what I was doing.

So, yes, everything is neatly mapped out (and I can't stop visualizing the pivotal scenes), so writing the next few (and last few) chapters should be relatively easy. Therefore, I don't foresee any more breaks in the updating schedule. Also, once I'm finished writing, I'll start updating twice a week! So, that'll make people happy.

TIMELINE will also be updated once I finish my S5 rewatch.

 
( CONS ARE FUN! )

VanCon starts tomorrow. I'm not sure how I feel about my decision to go...I'm curious, and a little excited, but I'm also a little wary. Plus, there's the fact that I could have really used the time this weekend for working on my story (I'm down to a 3 chapter buffer people...it's stressing me out.) Of course, if I stayed home every weekend to write my story, I'd probably start resenting the story a bit.

Things I haven't done: Found stuff for people to autograph. I don't have photoshop and there are too many options...so, I think I'm just going to buy stuff while I'm there. I'm hoping for:
-a picture of Jared and Jensen that I could get them both to sign
-a picture for Misha.
-a collage picture, or a non-person specific poster that I can get other people to sign. (This might be the item that I can't find when there, if Creation only sells individual headshots or something.)

As for the rest of the convention, I'm treating it as cultural-anthropology in my head. 

Here are my preconceived notions about conventions (I mean no offense by this, I'm just being honest):
1. They are too expensive for what you are getting.
2. They are attended by rich people...crazy rich people.
3. I am going to be vicariously-embarrassed for a good portion of the weekend, as people around me forget that actors are people too.

Here is what I'm looking forward to:
1. The other actors' panels - J&J and Misha are always very well documented on youtube, but people usually don't bother recording the other actors. So, I know less about what to expect there and less about their personalities during panels.
2. The crew panels - I'm a huge knowledge-dork...and I absolutely love to hear about different jobs and professions and what people do for a living. Especially when it's people that really enjoy their jobs. On top of that, I'm curious about the film industry in general, as it's a pretty big industry here in Vancouver, and I want a new job.
3. Seeing everyone in person - it's going to be crazy trippy.
4. Perhaps meeting some people! - I'm somewhat reserved and then on top of that I have very strict criteria for who I'll chat with about Supernatural (no wankers!)...it also might be cool to meet some people from Vancouver, since I don't have any friends here who are into Supernatural.

Things I am not looking forward to:
1. The crowds
2. The noise
3. The fact that I have to stand in front of Jared and Jensen while they sign a piece of paper for me....I would be much more comfortable meeting them in more neutral territory...like say, passing them on the street, or seeing them in a bar, where I can dutifully appreciate the fact that I've seen them, but don't have to worry about embarrassing myself.
4. All the youtube videos my giggling is going to ruin...I'm really really sorry vidders! I have giggling-tourettes! To top it off, it's not even a sexy-giggle, it's a machine-gun laugh that allows my friends to find me in crowds.

Anyway, wish me luck! Hopefully when I get home at the end of the night, I'll have enough time to fire off quick reports on my days.

I'm going on a drive down to southern Ontario for the weekend - to return Monday afternoon at some point. I'll get to see my bro's new house! He just bought a small mansion (complete with in-ground pool). Nice to know some of us our wealthy (though, I guess he's not now that he has to pay that mortgage :-P ). The house actually used to belong to one of the Canadian actors who was in The Neverending Story movie. Crazy!

Anyway...still debating in my head what I should get the boys to sign at VanCon. Here's one delimma: I really like that thing that Jared does when Sam is all mad - when he spreads his arms out wide. (Most iconically, this can be seen when he confronts the crossroads in 4x09 I Know What You Did Last Summer). Of course, the problem with printing something like that out for Jared to sign, is that because he always has the Angry-Face or the Completely-Wasted-and-Destroyed-and-Angry-Face. 

So, I don't know...maybe I'll just buy things...

My favorite desktop wallpaper that I have is a picture of Dean sleeping from Dark Side of the Moon (just before he wakes up and those Hunters kill him)...but yeah, going on the knowledge that I might frame the autographs and display them somewhere - it might be kind of weird to have a framed picture of a dude sleeping.

So, yeah, I probably can't use my favorite screen-caps for the autographs. Sigh....

Am I the only one who finds that the Arms-Out-Wide stance is the sexist thing? I wish he would do it more often...

Jasminka has a great three part article up at The Winchester Family Business about the LA Convention. Check it out at these links: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

It basically confirms what I suspected: I cannot go to conventions. I just don't have the right personality for it.

I like the articles because unlike most convention reports, Jasminka does not get carried away by fangirlism -  she never loses sight of the fact that the person on stage is a PERSON, not just an object placed there for our amusement.

Anyway, I don't know if any of you are planning to come up here at the end of the summer for the next Vancouver Convention - but if you are, I hope you read this article to gain some insight into how to be respectful. (Unless you are respectful already, in which case, read the article to sympathize with Jasminka's bouts of vicarious embarrassment.)

Also, if any of you are planning to come up here for the Vancouver Con. I will not be seeing you there - but if you wanted to meet for coffee or something, keep me in mind. (Assuming I've been able to find another job and can still afford to live in this city by the end of August.)