Only the fourth month of the year and already up to the fourth event of the year, 2014 was turning out to be one hell of a year for events. Not only was this event the fourth but also the second event with Amanda Tapping, anyone would think I was a fan… This event was another interstate event which meant it was time for another Adelaide road trip, so I went to work finished my shift at 7am headed home to pack the car and then off I went. I had a boot full of boxes for another fun packed weekend of helping out Dennys and Ken, plus my costume and other goodies. Although I was road tripping across by myself again, there were several other friends who were also making the trek and throughout the drive we were checking each other’s progress and managed to catch up with some for a Maccas stop in Ararat. Sometimes the journey to and from can be just as much a part of the convention experience as the event itself.
Arrived in Adelaide around dusk as there was a pretty amazing sunset, was crashing in a hotel with my good mate Jodie who was also my back-up exhibitor for the weekend with Den’s stall. I had several friends at the VIP Cocktail Party including my UK travel buddy Jen and whilst Jodie and I were out we decided to drive past the venue with my car playing the Spice Girls ‘2 Become 1’ very loudly, we perhaps drove past several times messaging the girls inside who could definitely hear us, sometimes it’s the little things. After a refreshing sleep and early the Saturday morning Jodie and I headed to the venue to set up, had to drop into a local Bunnings to buy a trolley to help cart all the boxes inside and whilst there were very tempted to buy a Sherlock wheelbarrow since Benedict Cumberbatch was a guest at the event, decided against it in the end but we did keep thinking about it over the weekend until we found out he wasn’t doing any photos with props.
Kept myself busy for the day working Den’s stall, chatting to so many amazing mates and chatting to others talking them into purchasing items from Den such as the amazing Amanda Tapping books as well as other prints of actors such as Ryan Robbins, Agam Darshi, Robin Dunne and more… We were also selling some incredible metallic prints of Amanda as well which looked amazing and I just had to have some for myself. Thanks to Jodie who manned the stall I managed to sneak away to the Amanda and Robin panel which as always was hilarious and I managed to capture some great photos on my camera, getting better at convention photography.
I was chatting with some mates at the stall and I mentioned I had this brilliant idea for a photo with Amanda but after the recent UK trip I was trying to avoid spending too much over the weekend so had decided against it but once I mentioned the idea to a friend of mine they were so adamant that I had to get this photo taken that they ended up buying me a photo token for it. Because of what I had planned for the photo I went and spoke with Amanda’s minder and asked that he ask her if it was okay to have the photo taken so that I had permission and she was aware of what was going to happen. The friend who had brought me the ticket was a VIP and wanted to see the photo get taken so I got to line up with them and then went in for the photo and we posed, I am so very very very happy with this photo as it is brilliant and definitely one of my all time favourites.
The photo as seen below is Amanda Tapping slapping me on the bottom and if you read my Blog regarding the AT7 event you will understand the connection or the story behind this photo. The funniest part about this photo is the fact that Amanda didn’t just pretend to slap me, she really did and then a large group of friends who were all VIP and lining up for photos or watching having had theirs were yelling out “Slap her harder!” It was entertaining and I can’t imagine what the rest of the people in those lines were thinking but the rest of us were having a laugh and enjoying ourselves. There were almost just as many laughs when I went to collect my photo with Amanda and it was up on the wall for all to see and everyone who saw it was having a laugh at it, because who wouldn’t it was amazing and hilarious.
So the Saturday was a great and then it was time for the Sunday where there was more fun ahead, working the stall and selling Den’s books and prints and also taken bids on the gorgeous Amanda Tapping poster we had on display, it was great fun because even though I was working I got to talk and catch up with so many amazing people plus chilling with Jodie, Den and Ken throughout the weekend. I attended the Sunday panel with Amanda and Robin as well and got more photos and had more laughs because those two are amazing and a great laugh. I also snuck away to enjoy Den’s panel which of course was gate crashed by Robin but they were amazing and it was a lot of fun as well.
My plan for saving money this weekend went completely awry because now I had my hilarious Amanda photo I had to go and get it signed by her as well, which then made me want a funny photo with Robin too. I also wanted Robin to sign my Amanda Tapping photo book by Den because he was featured in it and it had already been signed by Amanda, Den and Ken in England the month before. I walk into my photo with Robin and I ask him to pull a stupid face with me and he yells “Yes!” and gives me a high five, funny is so much more entertaining than the usual smile and pose. Photo done and as the weekend nears I head to get my autographs because Sunday afternoon is always the best time as things have started to calm down so I get my autos from Amanda and Robin, Amanda signs my photo ‘Naughty naughty girl!’ which is not the first time she’s called me that (or the last).
Throughout the weekend Den had been signing items for people when they purchased them and there had been one of the Amanda Tapping photobooks that had gotten a big smudge of silver Sharpie on it and so we had kept it aside and through the weekend we would get fans of Den’s to sign the book including ourselves, and then as the day neared it’s end we decided to try and get Amanda to signed it so rushed off to her as she was on her way out and managed to get her to sign it for Den, it was all for a bit of fun but we had a great time and it gave us a little bit of a challenge for the day.
This was another amazing weekend spent with fabulous friends and great fun times, it really was a great weekend and a reminder of how many amazing friends I have in the world of conventions. The weekend done and the car packed ready for the trip home Den and Ken invited me out for dinner before my drive home but when I got to the hotel they remembered they already had plans to go out with Amanda and others to go out for dinner so I hung around and chatted with them for a while as they waited to head out for dinner, I also sat and chatted with some friends who were at the aftermath which was at the same hotel bar. There was only one incident the whole weekend that I was upset about and it happened in that hotel lobby, in which something a little nasty was said about me, quite loudly whilst Amanda and other guests were in earshot and it was a little upsetting, unprofessional and most definitely uncalled for. Fortunately knowing who the comment came from I just shook it off, it’s a shame that it happened but I’m also not the kind of person who’d make a scene, so I just shook it off and kept chatting with friends.
It wasn’t long before I headed off to get some dinner and then started the long trek home, I had to be home and back at work by 11am on the Monday so I left Adelaide at around 10pm, stopped just over the border and made enough space in the back of my car to have a couple of hours sleep before continuing the drive home and getting enough time to unpack the car and shower before heading to work, but it was an amazing weekend and so worth it.
Complete Guest List: AMANDA TAPPING, Benedict Cumberbatch, Brian Krause, Connor Trinneer, Corin Nemec, Dean O’Gorman, Holly Marie Combs, Ian McNeice, Jewel Staite, John Callen, Nana Visitor, Robert Maschio, Robin Dunne, Sam Lloyd, Shannen Doherty, Stephen Hunter, Tim Rose, Mike McFarland, Rob Paulsen, Sean Schemmel, Todd Haberkorn, Agnieszka Garbowska, Amanda Dosckocil, Brad Walker, David Yardin, Dean Rankine, Douglas Holgate, Jason Palmer, Jon Sommariva, Justin Randall, Nicola Scott, Stewart Mckenny and Wolfgang Bylsma.
