Being a Fan

Hi all!

Adina here. 

Richard Speight, Jr. and me, who is A-Dick-Ted.

I never made a post for DC Con, and I may or I may not, but it's a little out of date now. This photo op is from there. It was a very R2M weekend. But this post is not about that. 

This weekend, I attended an event. The event itself isn't important, but something happened that made me think about a topic I wanted to discuss here. That sounds vague and ominous, but it's okay. Bear with me, here, people. The first day, we did an icebreaker where we all had to introduce ourselves and say a little something about ourselves. I said that I was a "big fan of TV." I was told it was a copout, and I felt myself trying to defend it. (Afterward, I realized maybe I could have said "I go to fan conventions," but when put on the spot, I didn't think about that until after.)

So. Let's talk about what it means to be "a big fan." What does it mean to be a fan at all? Being a fan is on a scale, much like most things. There are the types of fans who can simply say "I enjoy this," and then there are the fans like me, who watch and rewatch, analyze the characters and the storyline, and want to discuss it hardcore, know who the actors, writers, and directors are, etc. There's everyone in between.

No one is more or less a fan of something because of their level of "commitment" to the thing they're a fan of. However, I wonder if there should be another term for the level of fan that I am. When I say I'm a "big fan" of something, I mean it. I'm deeply passionate and it becomes a part of me, a part of my personality. It's not simply "I like candles," or whatever. The average fan doesn't understand this level of dedication, of fan-ism. The concept of a fandom is foreign to them. 

Basically, I want the average person to understand that when I say I'm a big fan, I mean it, and it can drive certain big decisions- like where to go on vacation, etc. 

So what do you think, readers? Shall we try to come up with a new word and make it a "thing" for us hardcore fans? What kind of word? I've used "superfan" before, but it's just a qualifier on the existing word. I propose... passioner. I'm a passioner of TV; I'm passionate about it. Can we make "passioner" a thing?

TVD NJ or How I Fell in Love with Chris Somersaulter

TVD NJ was my last TVD con as a gold ticket holder.
Why did I go gold? Good question. It was Arielle Kebbel's fault. My special autograph item is a screen accurate Elena journal that I've been using to accumulate signatures from the cast of TVD and the Originals for a few years now. When I got of the front of Arielle's table, she wasn't even looking at me- that's how distracted she was. Ian had signed on one page in silver. The handler let the book close, she opened it up and signed right over his signature in black sharpie. Ian was on a really really tight schedule and had already left. There was nothing Creation could do for me. Accepting that she had ruined it, she signed again on another page. Since Ian's autograph always sells out, I figured the easiest way was to go gold one last time. I'd get a bunch of autographs and a nice close seat.
Honestly, I wasn't that impressed with the lineup. This show has an amazing female cast. The Originals has an amazing cast, period. This year there were no girls, and Daniel Gillies was the biggest star of The Originals. Sebastian Roche had dropped out and was replaced with... a pre-signed picture. Many people besides myself felt this was a new low. In fact, I looked at the schedule and realized I'd rather be at my job, since Chris Brochu <3 <3 and Micah would each have second panels on other days so I wouldn't miss anything.
I got to the con at 5 PM- just in time for autographs, karaoke sign up, and the end of Chase Coleman's panel. Karaoke was ultimately a high point, but a strange experience. Almost every other song was Chase Coleman. I didn't understand that since karaoke has always been when the FANS got to get up and shine. However, watching Chase, Micah, and Chris sign and dance to "Everybody" by The Backstreet Boys was worth it.
Friday night is also when I fell in love with Chris Brochu. Anyone who has ever driven anywhere with me knows I love Eminem. Chris whipped out his ... love of rap by surprising us with the rap from Fergilicious and I fell hard. Sharing a mic with him for "Lose Yourself" by Eminem left me smitten. And the somersault! I hope that's on video.
Saturday highlights included the double Chris panel, watching Chris Wood do a somersault to try and steal the Brochu love going on, Chris Wood's arms, and Daniel Gillies. He doesn't need to speak to be a highlight. When he does, it's icing on the cake. Last but not least was the Saturday Night Concert. While I already knew Chase, Chris, and Stephanie could sing, I was NOT expect David Alpay to show up looking 12x hotter than any photo I've ever seen of him, in a deep v-neck tee shirt, gently glistening with sweat and a goddamn Superman curl on his forehead. I swear to god, it was like watching Henry Cavill's brother play the fiddle, and it was giving me breathing problems. How am I supposed to handle it when a vision is summoned from my fantasies and placed in front of me? He was hot, nerdy, talented, and had nice arms. That is SO my type.
Sunday was the big two (and Matt Davis). Shout out to Danielle for doing my hair and makeup. Sunday was also when the a/c that covered the convention areas and the women's bathroom broke. While I had experienced this before at Supernatural 2012, all those bodies tightly packed together on the hours long line for Ian's autograph left an indelible mark on my memory. I hope to never smell it again.
PRO TIPS- Deodarent. Please.

-Comfy shoes. Ian's line is always long. You'll be standing awhile.

-Listen to the volunteers. They're only trying to do their jobs, and while inter-staff communication is poor, they probably know something you don't.

-If they tell you to do your photo first, do it. Photo ops move fast due to the excellent Chris and his crew. They will not wait for you.

-Behave. Listen up screamers- Ian is happily married. Stop shouting for his to take his shirt off. Stop rushing the stage and creating dangerous situations for EVERYONE. Stop interrupting every sentence to scream something during his panel. We're all judging you. Why would you want to remember you as a hyena with no self control? If you were an actual fan, you'd be happy for him and Nikki and you'd BEHAVE.

The Pros and Cons of A Creation Convention

7.17.15 kicked off a little event fondly known to the fans as #TVDNJ or Vampire Diaries NJ, a Creation Entertainment event, and I (Ally) am going to review what that means to you- the fans.

PRO- Guaranteed seat. Regardless of ticket disasters, attending a Creation event guarantees you a seat, as they swear up down and sideways- they won't oversell the auditorium. It may not be a great seat, and it may be so tight to your neighbors that you long for the spaciousness afforded to a middle seat on an airplane, but it'll feel damn good to sit.

CON- Price. If you can't afford a Creation convention now, it'll be 20% harder next year. A gold seat in 2016 will be nearly twice as much now as it was in 2012 when I went to my first TVD Con. (In 2012, I paid approximately $329 for a TVD gold seat, and $649 for a Supernatural gold seat. In 2016, a gold seat SPN DC will set you back $929. When you look at how much gold tickets were in 2009, it's almost horrifying.

PRO- Christopher Schmelke. His name is in bold so you remember it. He is the best damn photographer you'll ever meet. One day he's going to shoot my wedding, even if I have to get married at a con for the privilege.

Photos are a very quick experience, but he checks for glare, blinking, and in my case- derp face.
It was my very first Ian hug, at TVD Chicago '13. To this day, I have no idea how or why my face did what it did, but I became a full on don't-feed-me-after-midnight Gremlin. Luckily, he caught it and I got to re-take the photo. Don't believe me? You don't have too. Chris saves the files so if, two weeks later you're really regretting not getting the jpeg of your super awesome Ian and Paul duo photo, you can paypal him $10 and he'll email you the jpeg. PRO TIP- GET THE JPEG. IT'S WORTH IT.

CON- The dutch auctions. I'm not a fan, but that could be because so many people opt NOT to read the instruction and end up causing unnecessary price jumps.

PRO- The fun. It's a high without drugs. Unlike most multi-fandom cons, they have parties. In the case of TVD, it was Friday Karaoke. (Somewhere online, you could probably find me closing out TVD NJ's karaoke with Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas!) and a Saturday concert where the celebrities and the AMAZING Stephanie Dizon and Samurai Fish performed. Honestly, I've made some of my best friends by attending Creation cons. It becomes almost like a family atmosphere, and before you know it, you're going to see your friends and not the stars.

Special shout outs to Vince- my personal favorite ticket guy. I'm so glad he understands my humor. Connie is super helpful so find her with your questions. Stephanie runs the show and is the coolest person you'll ever meet. She's also an amazing singer. Request something by Janie Joplin and she'll blow your mind. And of course, last but not least- Mandy. She recently got upgraded from volunteer to staff because she was THAT DAMN GOOD. Really. Just ask Richard Speight Jr.

Vendor Spotlight: Eldwenne's Fantasy!

Hi, all! Adina here.

Earrings, bracelet, and necklace made by Eldwenne.

Today's post is a special one. I'm doing a spotlight on a vendor that's at all the Supernatural cons. Jodi Zulueta - Eldwenne's Fantasy. She makes gorgeous jewelry that's inspired by Supernatural and The Walking Dead (mostly SPN). She also has some pieces that are not fandom-based. I am completely addicted to her stuff, and Jodi herself is so warm and lovely that you immediately feel like you've been friends for years when you meet her! 

Jodi has pieces on nearly every main and recurring character on Supernatural, including several different ones for Sam, Dean, and Cas. The gems are gorgeous and appropriately named. "The Determination of Sam Winchester," "The Tenacity of Dean Winchester," "Castiel's Grace," and more. "The Sacrifice of Mary Winchester" is a favorite of mine because I love the character of Mary, plus it's pink/purple and sparkly.

The Sacrifice of Mary Winchester

Lately, she's also been inspired by the actors of Supernatural, and produced pieces such as "Jensen and Jared's True Brothership," "Misha's Misha-ness" (really, what other word is there to describe him??), and "Osric's Originality."

Jodi also does stamped metal and leather with quotes. One of my faves is the Mystery Spot necklace: 

"Yesterday was Tuesday but today is Tuesday too"

And if Supernatural isn't your thing or you're not impressed with any of the quotes she chose to immortalize, or you just have a burning desire for another fandom or another piece, worry not! Jodi is always more than happy to do custom pieces. For my PiC, Ally, she made a bracelet that immortalized Logan Echolls from Veronica Mars: "Lives ruined, blood shed, spanning years and continents... epic." She made me two pieces from Friday Night Lights: a bracelet that says Texas Forever and a necklace that says Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose.

The bracelet is easy to see (#TexasForever), but you can get an idea of the necklace in the 2nd pic. I proudly rocked these at ATX Television Festival in June. Everyone was jealous of my cool jewelry.

So, if any of you are attending Salute to Supernatural DC in two weeks, or any other Creation SPN con this year, go to the vendors room and check out Jodi's stuff! Tell her I sent you!

Eldwenne's Fantasy

Father's Day, Fandom Style

So. Father's Day. Let's talk fictional dads. Mostly TV, though I may throw a few others in there as well. Who are some of your faves?

Here's a "new" dad, new to the TV universe anyway. And he's a good dad. He loves his daughter and his daughter's bestie, on the show, and in real life. While in Austin, I spotted the real-life counterparts acting like their fictional selves. Meaning? Ben was escorting Rowan across the street at a light, at a crosswalk, and he was holding her hand. First father to be celebrated here today is none other than Cory Matthews:

Next up is a man who had two daughters, but was a father figure to all the boys he coached. Celebrating Coach Eric Taylor!

From one of #adinasfaves, a little show that not a lot of people watched (which is why it died), but no one that has watched it ever has anything bad to say about it. That includes the people who worked on it--they all had such fond memories! Anyway, this dad not only provided for his family and tried to understand teenage girls, took in his kids' friends, and was an all-around good guy and good dad. Celebrating Jack Pryor! 

 

Last one, I promise. You can feel free to spam the comments with all your fave TV dads. 

But first. Though he wasn't called "Dad" until season 6, he was a dad before that. He was called "uncle," but he was the best parent his 17-year-old nephew had. He was called "friend," but he looked out for a young girl when boys started sniffing around. Finally, he was called "dad," by his daughter. (I know that's controversial, so I won't post the pic of them.) Celebrating Luke Danes!

ETA a few more. 

First up, a man who showed us that "Family don't end with blood [sic]" and that his boys may have been raised by someone else, but he fulfilled that father role for them in adulthood. We all felt like we lost a family member when we lost him, and the show is still missing something without him. Celebrating Bobby Singer!

A father who would do anything for his daughter, including rescuing her from a burning refrigerator. The man who made us smile and cringe whenever he asked his girl "Who's your daddy?" Celebrating Keith Mars!

Two parallel fathers from the same small Colorado town. One was faced with actually being a father when he lost his wife (and his two kids lost their mom). He grew as a father over the course of the series, though not without mistakes, and we applaud his efforts. The other, at first, was fairly one-dimensional, uptight small-town doctor. We soon realized he was much, much more complex (as the best characters usually are). He was always there for his two kids and was the best father he could be. Celebrating Drs. Andy Brown and Harold Abbott!

I lied. One more. He had one son to start the show, but soon gained another. Pretty soon, the rest of Newport looked to him as a father figure as well. Celebrating Sandy Cohen!

(Sandy and his boys, Ryan and Seth)

Okay, that's enough from me. Show me your faves in the comments!

For Those Still Unsure About ATX

The backbone of ATX, and what we really haven't talked about are the panels and screenings. The Gilmore Girls reunion brought a different type of fan, a celebrity type of fan, who was more obsessed with meeting the Gilmore Girl actors then the festival experience. We, on the other hand were in it full the full shebang, or to go ahead and QUOTE GG- We were "all in." (PAUSE FOR LUKE AND LORELAI FEELZ). Below are some short summaries of m schedule choices with my opinions heaving mixed in.

THURSDAY: (OPENING NIGHT) Insert Producers joke here.
Opening night was a screening of the Complications pilot- premiering June 18 on USA from Matt Nix (Produce or Burn Notice), starring Jason O' Mara (show killer, star of Vegas and Terra Nova), Jessica Szohr (Gossip Girl), Beth Reisgraf, and Lauren Stamile.
Complications started strong with a heart pounding opener that almost felt like it slapped me awake. Jason and Jessica play a doctor and a nurse, respectively, but this is NOT Grey's Anatomy. Things did NOT go how I expected and the last scene was a little weird. All in all, not exactly for me but I'd definitely recommend giving it a shot.
Tell me this though- what sort of DOCTOR and FATHER leave an loaded pistol in his doctor's bag on a table in his home? This was gun safety at it's worst. And yes, it's the little details that bother me.

FRIDAY: DAY ONE
Bunheads- Alamo Drafthouse
According to Adina and many other past attendees, not having a fast pass has almost never stopped people from getting into an event. We knew that the Alamo was small and that the festival sold out so we showed up and hour and a half early. (They had recommended 20-30 minutes officially.) To our surprise, there was already more than 100 people on line. We did not get in, but were karmically rewarded by meeting Sutton Foster, Kelly Bishop, and Amy Sherman-Palladino later that same day.

EW Presents The Final Finale w/ Graham Yost, Ron Cowen, Dan Lipman, and Marta Kauffman- Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental Hotel
This was probably the most disappointing of the panels I went to. Henry Goldblatt (The Editor in Chief of Entertainment Weekly) honestly wasn't the greatest moderator. His questions were predictable, and he had each panelist answer before he moved on to the next answer, even if it felt like the panelist was squeezing that answer out. Each questions related only to the panelist's specific show and their successful finales. There was no general discussion of finales and they gave the briefest of moments to touch on bad finales. (Maybe 20 seconds- tops, and I didn't find that acceptable with the enormous amounts of discussion HIMYM ALONE could have provided.) My highlight was finding out that Marta is hilarious.

Boy Meets Girl Meets World- Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental Hotel
Luckily, they let those with fast passes to this panel (like A-Squared) stay in the room after the Finale panel so we had kick-ass seats and were perfectly poised to score selfies with Ben Savage afterwards. I have met Danielle Fishel at BookCon, and we had already gotten a photo with Rowan and Sabrina with a bonus Michael Jacobs photobomb at Complications, so I wanted to complete my little Matthews family experience. After seeing this panel, I'm super excited that Adina is lending me the complete series of Boy Meets World to marathon, and I strongly recommend people to keep watching Girl Meets World. This show is going to keep getting better as it tackles everything from Maya's relationship with God to Shaun's relationship with Angela.

Friday Night Lights Tailgate
BA-NANAS. Go if possible. I fulfilled my festival goal of a photo with Adrianne. I experienced the EXTREME privilege of being front row at a Hep Alien Concert.

And despite the fact I've never seen an episode of Friday Night Lights in my life, I was definitely able to enjoy myself. Plus the location of the event meant  was finally able to try the famous Amy's ice cream, where we met AMY FUCKING ACKER. I COULDN'T EVEN DEAL. I superman'd a parking lot full of lawn chairs for the privilege.

SATURDAY: THE BIG DAY

Coffee with Amy Sherman-Palladino- Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental Hotel

Having learned from the Bunheads debacle, Adina showed up 2.5 hours early for this panel and STILL couldn't get in. We were quickly learning that anything Gilmore related was drawing a mob. Saturday was particularly there because ALL the Gilmore fans showed up and the 1698 fans needed to fill their day until the panel.

A Conversation With Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec- Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental Hotel

Fully frightened now, I got in line for this panel 2 hours early and it was absolutely worth it. This panel was another festival highlight for me. Carina Mackenzie was an excellent moderator, and since the three of them were friends and colleagues for so long, the conversation was casual, fun, and incredibly interesting. Julie could probably make a case that she's responsible for Kevin's career. I had no idea that she'd started as Wes Craven's assistant. I wish she'd explained how she'd gotten the job, but I got to have a special moment with her after the panel where I was able to tell her how her work has changed my life. Julie, if you're reading this- I'd do anything to be YOUR assistant. I'd be the happiest coffee fetcher in the land to learn from you!

Dawson's Creek Writer's Room- State Theater

I had a fast pass for this panel as well. Honestly, I've seen maybe a dozen Dawson episodes in my life, but the writers all went on to be incredibly successful show runners of other shows and I wanted to hear them. (Rob Thomas! I adore you! Thank you again for Logan's dress whites in the Veronica Mars movie! #MarshmallowForLife)

Gilmore Girls Reunion Panel- Paramount Theater

Quick shout out to the Amazing Anne, an honorary A Team member who held our places in the line while we went for food.

Some people went into this a little upset since a great deal of the stars only did press and didn't really interact with the fans. (Lauren, Alexis, Jared, Milo, Matt, etc. only did press. Melissa McCarthy did not attend.) Outside, it was hot as balls. Parts of the line smelled like Satan's asshole. Multiple people passed out and were taken away by ambulance. Jared sweat through his jacket! The event started 45 minutes late! And NONE of that matters because we met Genevieve Padalecki. If I was hit by a bus immediately after, I would've died happily. 

The panel was extremely touching, especially with the tribute to Edward Hermann and hearing how he had been the first cast member to RSVP for the reunion. They left a chair on stage for him and I absolutely couldn't handle it.

Apparently, when Amy did the first edit of the tribute, it was two hours. I'm fairly sure the entire room would've been openly sobbing.

Also notable- Jared is Team Jess, Milo is Team Dean, and Matt is Team Jess. No one like Logan since he was a dick.

*Pulls out soapbox. Shuffles notecards. Rips off jacket to reveal a Team LOGAN shirt underneath.

Logan was ALSO funny, adventurous, handsome, charming, well-read, and rich. He challenged her. He loved her. I loved him. Everyone else is an idiot. Do we not remember how mean Jess was to Rory and her loved ones ALL THE TIME? Do we not remember how he crashed her love car from Dean? Logan may have been a dick, but Jess was an asshole. A very smart, handsome ASSHOLE.

Anyway, for those interested here is Entertainment Weekly's coverage of the panel

SUNDAY: CLOSING DAY

Suits- State Theater

Now completely full of fear due to the insane amount of people who couldn't get into the GG panel, I showed up more than 2 hours before the Dawson's Script Pilot reading. (They were promising a surprise cast and I knew it would be epic.) Luckily for me, the Suits season 5 premiere screening was in the same location beforehand. ATX decided to give us queue cards to hold our spots in the DC line and let us go inside to watch Suits. Having seen maybe 2 episodes of Suits ever, I was was surprised to find I could follow the episode and it was really good. Considering it was a drama, I laughed a lot. Note to self- plan a Suits binge watch.

Dawson's Creek Script Reading- State Theater

I wanted to see this one so bad, I ditched my final fast pass to Teen Wolf: Watch Your Pack, which I had picked solely for Shelley Hennig and Holland Roden. The women on that show are fierce.

The reading was even more epic than I imagined. I hope to God it's online somewhere for posterity. I want to download it to my iPod for when I'm having a bad day.

Mae Whitman as Dawson. Patrick J. Adams as Joey. Kerr Smith as Jenn. Abigail Spencer as Pacey. Arielle Kebbel as Tamara, and more. The whole cast was phenomenal. I was howling in my seat! I'm planning a Dawson's Creek marathon now, and my reasoning can be directly linked to this event.

By the time I got to the Teen Wolf brunch four minutes after it started, they were already out of food. This was a blessing in disguise. I went to hang out in the hall and met Shelley Hennig and Tyler Posey! Then, like the amazing best friend she is, Adina tipped me off that Christopher Eccleston had been added to The Leftovers panel and I was able to meet him too. This was a special moment for me because it allowed me to cross #20 off of my bucket list. (Meet the 9th, 10th, and 11th Doctors.)

ATX TIPS FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS ONLY BEEN THERE ONCE:

1. Read the Situation. Don't chase the celebs. Don't interrupt them in private moments or interviews. BE COOL. BE POLITE. They are people too, and they are NOT obligated to be in your selfie.

2. Hydrate. There is ice water everywhere, often flavored with fruit slices. Take advantage whenever possible. Try and eat. Preferably BBQ. (I can recommend Stubbs and Blue Ribbon.) We were running around a lot, and skipped quite a few meals. 

3. Sunscreen. Trust me.

4. Go to the FNL Tailgate. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Not both.

5. Carpe Diem. You are in a unique situation. Do not be afraid to seize your moments since they may never happen again.

That's probably the last I'll bring up ATX for now, but we have a lot more stuff coming up. Follow me on Twitter @AJ_The_Fangirl!

As Close to Heaven as a TV Fan Can Get

Hello, all!

I am the other half of "A-Squared," also known as Adina. 

As Ally noted in her post, this past weekend we attended ATX Television Festival in Austin, TX. This was my third time attending and it was a little different. First, I had a bestie attending with me and I could finally show her all the fab things I've discovered about the festival and about the city the past two years. 

The other thing that was different this year was the crowds. Our small and intimate festival became a little crowded this year, mostly because of the headline event for the weekend: the Gilmore Girls 15-Year Reunion! (Which was magical and everything I hoped it would be.) 

I had some small problems with the festival this year, which I detailed in a long email to the people in charge. However, it was still amazing and beautiful. I adore Austin, I adore the festival, and I already bought a badge for next year. I already miss it!

I had a packing list because I was starting to think of things to pack before I prepared my suitcase and I didn't want to forget anything. One of the biggest things that I learned from previous years is that Austin is hot in June! Like low-90s kind of hot. So this year, I packed mostly dresses. I was much happier in my flowy dresses than I was in pants (even capris)! I also remembered sunscreen, in various SPFs, which was very helpful in the blazing TX sun!

The food in Austin was another thing I was looking forward to: Tex-Mex and BBQ. Now, I know, that's all over Texas, not just Austin, but I'd only ever visited Dallas for a brief time previously. If you're in Austin, a few good places are Mijo's on 11th St, Blue Ribbon BBQ, and of course, Stubb's.

Now, the good stuff and the reason we went: ATX. ATX Festival is not a con, it's not a fan event. It's a place for industry and viewers to come together and geek out about TV. There are panels for topics such as casting, directing, writing, music in TV, finales, audience, etc.  There are screenings and panels for shows that are new (upcoming), current, "cancelled too soon" and reunions. 

I first found out about the festival through a Google news alert, believe it or not. One of my favorite shows is American Dreams, which few people remember and definitely falls into the "cancelled too soon" category. Well, in late 2012, the festival was promoting a reunion for this incredible show for their upcoming event in June 2013. I knew very little about the festival, but I knew I had to go. I actually found the original article, so you can check it out. I made it happen, and it was more than I'd hoped it would be. 

(I have homemade DVDs for S3 since it's not available commercially and I made my own coverart. This is signed by the cast and the writers.)

I figured the festival would be a one-time thing, so I didn't buy in advance for the following year (2014). Well, as programming started to be announced (Everwood and Hey Dude in particular), I regretted that and bought a badge online. In 2014, I already knew this would be an annual thing for me so I didn't waste time and bought a badge immediately. 

I had also been telling Ally about the festival for years. She decided not to attend in 2014, then regretted it once they announced a Roswell reunion. We weren't making that mistake again, and I got a badge for her for 2015. A-Squared Takes Austin was in motion!

One of the festival traditions is a highlight, a Friday Night Lights outdoor screening tailgate party. Everyone votes on the episode they most want and we bring chairs and blankets and there's music and food and FNL stars and more. 

Well, this year, they didn't have just any live music. There was Delta Spirit, sure, but more importantly was a special appearance by a fictional band: Hep Alien! (Zach, Lane, and Brian from Gilmore Girls)

Todd first introduced them as their fictional counterpoints: "I'm Zach, this is my best friend Brian, and that little lady back there on the drums is my wife!" Then he dropped the whole "Hep Alien" thing and introduced them as their real-life selves: Todd Lowe, John Cabrera, Keiko Agena. Not pictured is the real Dave Rygalski, dubbing in fo John who doesn't actually play the bass. They encored with Where You Lead, and it was EPIC.

There's plenty more to talk about for the weekend, but I'll leave you with these tidbits for now.

ATX Television Festival For Newbies- Let's start at the very beginning! A very good place to start!

Hello world! I'm one half of A-Squared, but you can call me Ally!

Firm as a Christmas ham. #noregrets #hisidea

This past weekend (June 4-7) we attended ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas. This was my first time attending, and my partner-in-crime, Adina's third visit. ATX had a reputation of being a small, intimate festival celebrating the medium of television by bringing together industry professionals, actors, and fans. Needless to say, I was obviously intrigued so Adina bought me a ticket.

THE PACKING LIST: THE FINAL VERSION

(Before I packed, I consulted Adina. It was going to be my first real trip to the Southwest)

• Denim jacket
• 1 Pair of sneakers
• Purse
• Hairbrush
• Toothbrush
• 1 Book
• 1 Kindle Fire HD
• Deodarent (I wish more people had packed this. Some of the lines we were in smelled like we we wading through a sea of gym socks. Parts of the line for the Gilmore Girls panel stank like Satan's Asshole. That probably explains why so many people fainted.)
• ** Flat Iron
• ** Hair dryer
• Pack of makeup remover wipes
• ** Bug band
• 1 Pair of flip flops
• Hat
• 1 Pair fuzzy socks
• 6 Pairs of underwear
• 3 Pairs of socks
• 1 Set of pajamas
• 1 Swimsuit
• 1 Swimsuit cover up
• 4 Bras
• ** 1 refillable water bottle (While I'd still strongly recommend brining this, it ended up not being used because just about everywhere we went, they can huge water coolers and cups for public use.)
• 1 Pair of shorts
• ** 1 Nice shirt
• 2 T-shirts
• 3 Pairs of sandals
• 1 Skirt
• ** 1 Sweater (Too damn hot for a sweater! It was glorious, compared to the freezing cold NJ that we left.)
• 1 Pair of leggings
• 1 camisole
• 5 Casual dresses
• Breathe Right strips
• ** Hair spray
• ** Static Guard
• Body Wash
• Tooth picks
• Shampoo and conditioner
• 2 Pairs of sunglasses

**= ITEM NOT WORN OR USED

Has anyone spotted the glaring problem with this list? Anyone? Anyone?

I'll give you a hint- 3 letters- S P F. That's right. I didn't bring sunscreen. This was more a result of being A- too cheap (Have you SEEN the price of sunscreen these days?) and B- horrifyingly broke in the days leading up to the trip than a simple incident of forgetting sunscreen.

Another notable is the last item on the list: 2 pairs of sunglasses. Adina was a festival veteran, and since it was on her packing list too, I took it as gospel and went out for more sunglasses. This ended up being one of my better moves because I lost one pair before I had my first Texas dinner.  Austin is HOT and BRIGHT. My second pair of sunglasses and generous friends with sunscreen saved my life.

The whole time we were there, the weather was 90+ degrees and I think it rained maybe 15 drops total. It was a huge relief for us, A- because we were very much ready for warm weather but it was way too warm to bother with my hair dryer and flat iron. I just braided my hair back every morning to stay cool.

In the end, for me attending ATX was worth every dollar spent and day off work. I'll tell you about my festival experience tomorrow by Adina prepares to tell you her story!