Hello all!
Yes, it's me Braeby! That's right, I'm still alive, despite what you all must think.
I know it's been a long time, and I'm quite sorry for that. It's not that I forgot you, that could never happen, it's just... well.... life got in the way for a bit.
Let me summarize:
1. I lost my job, which is good and bad. Good, because it didn't make me happy and Bad, because I'm just not making any money right now.
2. My computer decided that it didn't like me anymore. It started crashing so often that I couldn't get through a blog post without it crashing and having to reboot my system about 6 or 7 times if I was lucky. It makes blogging hard when you don't have a computer. I was gifted an iPad 1 by my boyfriend when the iPad 2 came out and he bought the new one, but I could only blog using HTML and well... I'm just not that type of geek. Now I'm using a MAC laptop, but with no MAC experience, it's taken me a little while to get use to using it.
3. Ron and I just bought a house! YAY! I never realized just how much work goes into this process. Since he's the bread winner right now, I took care of everything. So between the legal stuff, the packing, cleaning, sanding, painting, moving, middle of the night emergency room trip, being sick and unpacking, it's been a stressful few months.
It hasn't all been bad though. There have been some fun things too.
Wishful Drinking
Never heard of Wishful Drinking? You should be ashamed of yourself!
Finally, after four hit novels, Carrie Fisher comes clean (well, sort of ) with the crazy truth that is her life in her first-ever memoir. In Wishful Drinking, adapted from her one-woman stage show, Fisher reveals what it was really like to grow up a product of "Hollywood in-breeding," come of age on the set of a little movie called Star Wars, and become a cultural icon and bestselling action figure at the age of nineteen.
Intimate, hilarious, and sobering, Wishful Drinking is Fisher, looking at her life as she best remembers it (what do you expect after electroshock therapy?). It's an incredible tale: the child of Hollywood royalty -- Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher -- homewrecked by Elizabeth Taylor, marrying (then divorcing, then dating) Paul Simon, having her likeness merchandized on everything from Princess Leia shampoo to PEZ dispensers, learning the father of her daughter forgot to tell her he was gay, and ultimately waking up one morning and finding a friend dead beside her in bed.
Wishful Drinking, the show, has been a runaway success. Entertainment Weekly declared it "drolly hysterical" and the Los Angeles Times called it a "Beverly Hills yard sale of juicy anecdotes." This is Carrie Fisher at her best -- revealing her worst. She tells her true and outrageous story of her bizarre reality with her inimitable wit, unabashed self-deprecation, and buoyant, infectious humor.
Before I found out that it was a show, I discovered the book and instantly fell in love with Carrie Fisher's writing. I mean, not only is she Princess Leia, but she's a writer, like me!
So, when I found out that Wishful Drinking was in Toronto I was thrilled and had to go. Ron was sweet enough to buy me a ticket in row D for a Wednesday matinee.
The show, like her book, was fantastic! She's had such a hard life, but her wit is so amazing that you find yourself laughing at things that really shouldn't be funny.
The show was over much too soon, as I could have sat there forever and listened to her talk.
Before the show started, I asked one of the ushers whether Carrie signed autographs after the show and she scoffed and said no. I felt rather dejected that I wouldn't get to meet her or that she wouldn't take the time for her fans.
After the show was over though, I cut through the parking lot next to the theatre on a whim and sure enough, there was a red velvet rope and a few people with books hanging around.
Turns out the usher was wrong!
After about 10 minutes, Carrie Fisher herself walked out the door!
She was extremely gracious and took the time to find out every one's name and sign a personalized autograph.
I go her to sign my copy of Wishful Drinking. She told me that I was sweet, beautiful and had a great name.
She also granted my wish of having my picture taken with her!
Isn't this a fantastic picture? She snuggled right into me and said "isn't this nice?"
Yes, Carrie, it was more than nice; it was a dream come true!
Geek Sewing
My awesome, Wonder Woman/Martha Stuart-esque friend Jocey (who you may have heard of numerous times on Bake Star Wars For Me) is teaching me how to sew! It's a very exciting process for me because it's something I've always wanted to do and once I get better, I can start sewing my own cosplay costumes. (Thrown Room Queen Amidala here I come!) But for now I'm starting much smaller. So far I've made a few pairs of pajamas,
a Superman purse
a corn dress (don't ask), a Batman/JLA t-shirt dress
and I've started working on a t-shirt quilt.
Pretty awesome, huh?
Fan Expo 2011
So, this weekend was Fan Expo. I didn't think that I would have the time or the money to go this year, with the move and all, but I had been working so hard that I needed a break. Fan Expo seemed like the perfect escape. Since I'm not online much these days, I felt like I needed to reconnect with my geek roots. Plus, it gave me an opportunity to wear one of my awesome geek shirts where people wouldn't look at me like I was strange.
It turned out to be the first Expo where I not only didn't dress up, but where I went all by myself. It was nice to set my own pace and focus my energy on looking at cool stuff and not for the other people I'm with. The downside of that is not being able to share my thoughts about things with people that would appreciate it.
I always think this guy makes an awesome Luke
I'm pretty sure this is my facebook friend Roy, but it's hard to know with the mask on.
These women are truly Wondrous
Not only are these great costumes, but something about The Flash's peircings, makes it that much more awesome!
April O'Neil cosplay!!
Michael Shanks (aka Daniel Jackson from Stargate-SG1)
He was so super nice! I didn't have any money left to buy a picture to be autographed, but he did chat with me and let me have my picture taken with him. I told him he was our favorite part of SG1 and he told me we had good taste :p
For sure one of the highlights of Fan Expo since I started going.
Is there a Doctor in the house?
Amazing Rouge and Scarlet Witch cosplay!
Axel and Kairi try out the new dancing game by Ubisoft
Remember this guy from Green Lantern? What an awesome prop!
Another Velma? Better or worse than my version from last year? You decide.
He has a PHD in Horribleness!
It's not every day you see Nick Fury cosplay! I was impressed!
Ok Hawkeye... don't do anything rash... I'm backing away slowly!
HADOUKEN!
Wait... what?
I almost left this picture of Steampunk Han Solo and Slave Leia out because these two were in a hurry and were quite rude to me when I asked them to stop for a picture.
This was an awesome painting outside of Batman scaling the side of cavern wall. It was really had to get a picture of becauswe people kept walking across it.
Now, on to the good stuff. Here is my swag!
New Supergirl, Princess Leia and Samantha Carter t-shirts for my collection!
I love kick-ass women!
An amazing Sailor Jupiter and Venus postcard
Of course a trip to Fan Expo wouldn't be complete without art from Laurie B!
As well as these, I'm having a commission done by her that will be coming my way soon!
This one will go perfectly in my kitchen alongside my Snap, Crackle, Pop!
Check out my Fantastic Phoenix!
Chun-Li
I am totally enamoured with my pictures of Prince Darien and Princess Serena!
I'm not a huge Hello Kitty fan, but these were too cute to pass up!
More cups for my collection!
I finally found Luke and Leia vintage figures that I could afford! Now all I need is Han Solo with his body intact!
Random Geekery
I was out and about the other day and I came across this hanging from a cross walk sign.
I don't know who put it there or how long it's been up but I had the sudden urge to punch the bottom of it...
Also, while unpacking, Ron and I discovered that we have way too many collectables for one shelf!
This isn't even all of it!
So, that's what I've been up to the last few months. How about you?
