What an incredibly fraught day!! I knew it was going to be busy but I haven't EVER seen anything like it before!

We got there just before it started and got our virtual tickets for John Barrowman, they were already in the 800's! I heard that some people had been there since 5am, they must have been crazy. We got a ticket for James Masters too, Connor Trinneer was going to be an open queue and I was going to get a ticket for Lea Thompson but the crew member said that she'd just turned up so I could go up straight away. She was very nice and I said how much I loved the Back to the Future movies and she was very chuffed about that. I also got a nice photo with her too. I usually always hate the photo's of me from cons but I'm quite pleased with them from this con.

   

I then went over to Connor who was nice. I told him how much I was enjoying it and that Enterprise is my favourite incarnation of Star Trek but that I hadn't finished getting through it yet. He said he wouldn't give anything away. :) This photo makes me laugh, I look kinda terrified like I'm being held there aginst my will!

  

I wasn't planning on meeting James Masters as there were no personalisations, no videoing and no photos so I didn't see the point. I didchange my mind though cos I thought I'd regret it. I'm glad I did because he was so nice. Good handshake and happy to chat. Funnily enough, he was the one to make a comment about my t-shirt (familiar design? :D) as he had worked with John Billingsley in Seattle apparantly. Although he couldn't actually remember his name which was just so adorable, he had a bit of a senile moment!

And after that, it all fell apart! We found out that James Masters had a new lot of photo shoots added so we got a ticket for that so we'd at least have proper evidence that I actually met him. John Barrowman was getting through his autos REALLY slowly and then had to go and do a photo shoot which over-ran. We were queing outside for the James photo shoot and were told we were in the wrong quue and we had to go back near the end because we had the extra tickets. Not very happy, we hung around fo ages in the absolute chaos. Then we went back and there were just queues everywhere and no-one knowing what was going on. People could easily have pushed into the queue inside because there was no-one keeping an eye on it. The photo shoot itself was really rushed although James was still really nice and had amazing eye contact!

Then we decided to hang around to see if we were actually going to get a chance to meet John. He started to really pick up, probably because it was so regimental and everyone was going through so quickly. We did actually get to meet him and as brief as it was, he was still nice and apologetic. 



Collecting the photo shoot pics were also a disaster. No-one knew what was going on, it was just a free for all of them laying out all the photo's and you trying to get close enough to the table to actually find your photo!



Overall, I'm pleased with who I met but Milton Keynes is really not the place to have such popular guests. It is way too crowded, no-one knows what's going on, nothing is well sign-posted and it is becoming very elitist! I'm getting worried that Showmasters are becoming too greedy. MK isn't the place to do photo shoots, they just didn't think any of it through. I'm seriously considering not going to another Collectormania in that damned shopping centre but I know I'll probably succumb. I suppose it didn't help that the last con was so good, nothing could really compare to it.

 LMAO!!!

Ever wondered what REALLY happened to Herbert West? Well, today I found out! He's actually living over here, in Lemington Spa and is retired. Unfortuately, he's had a bit of an accident because we received a claim from him on his Mercedes (where did he get the money for that, I wonder?) I was absolutely cracking up at this piece of post from Mr West (not Dr unfortunately) and nobody else got it. What a waste. It's just a shame it wasn't actually one of our claims, maybe someone in motor will get a laugh out of it too.

And horray for the weekend! I thought it would never arrive!

OK, so it's April. It's now OFFICIALLY Spring. So would someone mind explaining this to me?

 









Absolutely crazy! I haven't seen snow like this for ages, it's probably over an inch think by now (which is a lot for here). I think it's beginning to ease off by now but it's been a great start to the day. I love snow! :D

UPDATE:

More pics, went for a bit of a drive to see how it looked elsewhere in the city. I don't think I have seen so many snowmen in my entire life!! It seems to me that people get more excited and genreally happy when it snows than in the glorious summer weather. It was great to see so many people out and having a good time. :)

 


The beach covered in snow!!!


Bransbury Park and just one of the many snowmen lying around.


                                          
                                           Me in Bransbury Park, slightly freezing but very pleased! :)

Well, I don't really know what to say about it. Overall, I thought it was very well executed. The acting was spot on, the script was excellent (as usual from the Coen's) and it looked stunning. I didn't know anything about it when I saw it so I think I enjoyed it all the more. Tommy Lee Jones was as natural as ever, Josh Brolin (who DID look a bit like Sheriff Jimmy!) made a good hero and it was a nice surprise to see Garret Dillahunt in a small role. I like to see him do comedy, he has a knack for it. It was, however, Javier Bardem definitely stole the movie for me. He's definitely up there with some of the best screen psycho's, just the intensity of the performance and the hollowness of his personality...really freaked me out.

But I have to say I was a bit let down by the ending initially. I'm kinda over it now because I just remember how great the film was but it really didn't go in the direction I expected. I could have sworn Moss wasn't actually dead, at least until his wife died. I couldn't believe we didn't get to see it, it just happened and he was dead. And then Chirgur gets away with it all!! That didn't bother me as much but the main problem I had was the kids behind me would not shut up so I was only half concentrating on Tommy Lee Jones at the end. It wasn't until the credits rolled that I realised I probably missed something really profound and that kinda pissed me off. Other than that I really enjoyed it, it's nice to see the Coen's going back to their darker roots.

One thing that does get on my nerves is why people seem to treat the cinema like a bloody restaurant. Popcorn, okay. Tub of sweets, sure. I can even accept a tub of icecream but when people start bringing in crisps, hot dogs, nachos, sandwiches...I just think, why?! They are so loud and disruptive, it really gets on my nerves. And the guys behind me totally didn't get the movie, talked all the way through it trying to work out what was going on.

As far as trailers go, nothing really screamed out at me. Vantage Point looks fairly good but I think that might just be down to the editing of the trailer. Things We Lost in the Fire definitely doesn't look like my sort of film. Sweeney Todd is a bit of a problem for me, I really want to see it but I have never been good with throats and clearly there is going to be a LOT of throat cutting in this movie!

And I'm very excited about it! Kevin's last film, Clerks II, is probably my favourite of his so far but 'Zach and Miri Make a Porno' is shaping up to be a pretty good sounding movie. I was happy to hear that Seth Rogen had been cast as the title lead, even though we'd been led to believe otherwise. I have enjoyed his performance in both Knocked Up and Superbad and think that he is well suited to Kevin's style of comedy. I'm less familiar with Elizabeth Banks but I've never doubted Kevin's casting ability to date. We also know that Jason Mewes has a role in the movie somewhere and that can only be a good thing.

But the news that has got me most excited is that today it has been confirmed that Jeff Anderson will also be playing a role in the movie. This pleases me to no end, I think he is an incredible actor who never really seems to do anything. Randal is my favourite character in all Kevin's films and I also love Now You Know which was his own film. It'll be great to see him do another role, I just hope he has a pretty big role that he can get his teeth into.

They've started filming now I believe and I think it is due out in the States some time in Autumn. From the way Clerks II went, this means we probably won't get it here until early next year but I look forward to it with anticipation. :)

It all went better than I expected actually. Got up at the ungodly hour of 6:30 to meet Mel seeing as I had no idea where I was actually going. The bus turned up pretty much on time although we got there a bit late. The buildings actually really nice although it's got that new carpet smell to it. I thought it might be healthier now that we don't have a food trolley but turns out we are about 30 secs away from a little food shop! Not good. My desk is OK although a bit smaller than my last one. My main complaint is who I'm sat with. I'm opposite the complaints team and that's all they do...complain. And Kat is so loud it was driving me insane. Then she had the guts to complain about us stamping the post too loudly! Bloody ridiculous if you ask me.

I was supposed to go to a screening of Walk Hard tonight but just feel too tired, plus the film has never really appealed anyway. Got my Death Proof DVD today so might watch that later although I do feel like something a little more light-hearted. Our flights are booked for Florida now and the villa too so we are well on our way, can't believe how soon it is either! I'm dying just to have those two weeks off, no matter where I am.

What a crap day. Work just seemed to be non-stop. I felt like I was the only one doing anything and they won't let me have the 7th March off which is really frustrating! And then they ask me if I can do overtime tomorrow, and what do I say? Yes. Well, having thought about I have decided that I can't be bothered and they can stuff their time and a half. I've been dying for a lie-in for what seems like forever and I'll be damned if I'm going in to do other people's work. They won't miss me, I know it.

As if that wasn't horrible enough, I STILL can't seem to get rid of this bug or whatever it is. I was getting better but I still don't feel like eating much. I went to the doctors but he was bloody useless and didn't have a clue. All he said was come of the medication I had just started and if I'm not better in a week or so to have a blood test. NOT the suggestion I wanted to hear as I have a (totally rational!) fear of needles. If the prospect of a blood test doesn't make me better I don't know what will :( Problem is, although I feel kinda lazy and tired , my brain just won't switch off and I just want to write something. I guess that's why I'm here, reeling off all this boring information.

Ah well, tomorrow is another day! Lets hope some sleep will brighten me up a bit. 

This year seems to have gone by incredibly fast even though I’m not sure a lot happened. I had less time off than ever before and yet here we are, about to head into 2008! So what were my highlights of 2007?

January 8^th – I watched a little movie called Re-Animator that would have a rather large impact on my life, especially later in the year. In the process I also ‘discovered’ one of the most talented actors ever: Jeffrey Combs.

January 17^th – I quit University. Not officially but this was the day I made up my mind and told the folks. It was a horrible decision but one that I felt was right. Only time would tell…

January 24^th – Having only left University for about 5 days and looking for a job for 2, I got an interview with a job agency and, after hours of waiting and migraine-inducing boredom, I get offered a job at Zurich Insurance to start immediately. I accepted and nearly a year later I’m still there and still love it.

February 4^th – This was a big deal for me at the time, OK? I’d been wanting to ask Kevin Smith a question on the board for eons but, usually due to time differences, I always missed out. FINALLY, I catch one and he answered both my questions: one on how he picks his soundtracks and the other about Re-Animator. Knowing that he was a horror fan, I was just curious if he liked it. Turns out it was a ‘staple of his youth’ and a ‘constant go-to title’ though he hasn’t seen it in a while. I knew there was a reason I liked that guy.

April 3^rd – What started out as a stressful morning became a brilliant evening. I was finally going to see Kevin Smith. It was my first time to London alone, a city I’ve never been particularly fond of. The train was fine but there was no way in hell I was taking the Tube so it was a taxi. He got me lost but I eventually got to Fopp where I met up with the View Askew boardies. After drinks and hours of talking we headed to the Prince Charles Cinema where I spotted Kevin’s wife, Jen. I ran up and gave her a birthday present which she was thrilled with and gave me a badge in return. The Q&A itself was brilliant, no duff questions and Kevin had great answers for everything. The Bruce Willis story was a definite highlight but there were too many to recall. Unfortunately, the 3 hours didn’t feel anywhere near long enough.

September 28^th – Not a particularly special day in itself, went to work as usual but I had entered my second decade. 20 years of age, no more teenage years, no more childish antics, a time to be responsible and mature. Or maybe that’s when you’re 21…yeah, that’s what I heard.

October 20th - Probably the highlight of my year. The London Expo. My first time there and I have to say it was a totally bizarre con. If you're not a cosplayer, you're in the minority! But I was there to meet Jeffrey Combs and that's exactly what I did. It was fairly brief although I'm sure it's the longest I've ever spent time with a guest. I enjoyed every second of it! My one regret? The fact that I ignored Billy, Richard and Jackie! If only I'd seen The 4400 BEFORE the con :( Full report at my myspace blog. 

2007 also brought a bunch of new people into my life.

• New View Askew boardies that I met and had a good laugh with, particularly Paul even if he did try to steal my badge.
• My new colleagues. June, a never ending source of entertainment and hilarity, it will be a shame to see her go part time. Amy, even though she’s now left it was great to have someone to talk to films about, even if she didn’t like Herbert West. Mel, first impressions clearly are deceiving as we now get on much better than I ever thought we would. Steph, a manager who runs everything by us and enjoys a laugh, what more could you ask for? Nick, well OK, no workplace is perfect.
• And finally, the internet in general. Thanks to the London Expo, I ‘met’ Elisa who has been a never ending source of knowledge and really helped expand my Jeff familiarity to what have become some of my favourite characters. And also for just being someone I can chat to and for getting me out of MSN hibernation after about 10 months!

So what does 2008 hold? My work moving to Whiteley. The travel will be a pain but it should be interesting. A Florida trip in March? Fingers crossed. My 21^st. More conventions? Who knows. If it’s as uneventful as this year seems to have been I will be more than happy! J

Hope 2008 brings good things to all.

This has been the shortest Christmas of my life! Welcome to the real world, I guess. Went back to work on Friday and it was like I'd never been off :(

Christmas itself was pretty good though, with the obvious exception of my Nan. I really don't know what her problem is. We always take it in turns as a family to open the presents and I personally love to see how people react. My Nan, as soon as she got her present, couldn't care less about anybody else...or she'd take your present before you'd even had a chance to have a good look at it and tell you all about it!! I don't even think she said thank you but whatever, I've been told not to let it bother me.

It was a bit of a DVD Christmas, I think I got something like 16! The best being: The Marx Brothers Classic Collection, A Clockwork Orange Special Edition, Whose Line is it Anyway?, Monty Python Series 2 and 3 and The 4400 Series 3. I also got a really cool Digital Photo Frame keyring so I can have up to 70 pics on it, a Discworld diary, a dance mat, a new stereo, loads of Sharpe books and a Jeffrey Combs mug that my mum had made for me. That had me in hysterics. :D

Christmas dinner went OK although I haven't really had much of an appetite for about a month now, I can't seem to shake whatever it is that I've got. 

I heard the other day that we're going round my Aunt and Uncle's for New Years which should be good although last time I went I ended up ill :S Not really the way I like to start my year!

So, I'm sat here watching Muppets Christmas Carol (my main xmas movie) and chatting on MSN. Probably gonna watch Elf after this, never seen it before but think I'll probably like it. The only other movies I usually watch at Christmas are Gremlins and Night at the Opera, guess I'm running out of time for those!!  

Went to the cinema yesterday to see St Trinians. Have to say I wasn't really looking forward to it but it was actually pretty good. It went quick enough and had some laughs, Rupert Everett and Colin Firth were great as always. Emma, who I went with, got me a brilliant Wyatt Earp book which I can't wait to read.

I've got Stigmata next to me which she really wants me to watch but I just can't be bothered. Not exactly a Christmassy movie, is it? 

Well, only half a working day to go and then it's time for Christmas. I hope I have more of an appetite on the day because I still don't feel 100%. Hope everything goes OK, I know everyone's getting a bit stressed about my Nana coming over because she is absolutely infuriating but Christmas is the time for family, I guess. I'm sure it will be fine :S

P.S. I should also apologise that my 't' seems to be playing up so some of the words may not look quite right!