Your Funny Valentine 2009 Report

Your Funny Valentine 2009 Report

When I was getting ready to write my Fangoria report I discovered that I hadn’t posted a Valencon report of any kind. I guess my son’s memorial that took place a week later, and all the detail that arise after a sudden death just put that completely out of my mind. So, even though I have forgotten so much I will try to give some highlights of that wonderful weekend. Please forgive the things that I am sure to get wrong.

Flew into Newark airport Fri. the 14th and caught the free shuttle to the Holiday Airport Inn. I called Charity on my cell and she gave me our room number. She was resting as she is always wiped out after a flight.

Charity snoozing in our room.

  Self portrait in room mirror

When she got up we explored the hotel. It was really nice. A restaurant, Bar and Grill, and snack bar. A exercise room, small computer nook and the rooms were really cheap - $56 + tax for the two of us. We met up with the rest of the group that evening to eat at the Bar and Grill because it was much, much cheaper than the restaurant.

Charity and Amy Sue in Bar and Grill. GraySunrise and Stephen at Holiday Inn Bar and Grill where a bunch of us got together and disrupted the place. It was so much fun gabbing with everyone.

The next morning we got together and boarded the two vans that we had arranged for the night before and headed to SOPAC. We talked to our drivers to arrange for pick after the concert.

It was a nice small venue with soft seats and not a bad one in the house. Steve came out and told us the schedule, which was pretty full. Our ticket entitled us to

- exclusive theatrical performance
- signed souvenir from Dragonball
- personalized autograph
- Q&A with James
- photo session (with professional event photographer)
- acoustic concert
- screenings
- free raffle for exclusive goods

So the plan was photo, autographs, the Q&A then a break before the play. After the play we could go and eat as we had an hour or so before the concert. He then introduced James. James came out dressed in dress shirt, jeans and black vest looking yummy. He was also wearing his Moonshot watch. He said Hi and then went up a short flight of stairs to the photo op area, and we started lining up by row as it was called.

  James headed to the photo op area.

When it was my turn, I got to watch the great poses that others were doing before I got to James. I just remembered something that was so cute. With the taller ladies he went up on his toes to be taller. I don't think I've ever seen that before and it just tickled the heck out of me. I told him about my son being killed by a drunk driver the week before, but everyone had urged me to come to the event as it was all paid for and how glad I was that I had. He of course stepped back shocked and said how sorry he was. I told him I needed a hug, so that picture was a little subdued. I left and since Steve was selling another photo op, if we wanted, I got one. The second was a really, really good hug. He is such a sweetheart.

  My somber photo after I told James about my son’ death.

  My really good hug for second picture. 
I told James how wonderful his fans were and how supportive they had been been to me and he said “Yes, they are the best.”

  James at the autograph table.

I had a small book of little known misc facts to give James. One of the facts that I called to his attention was about Shakespeare contributing many new words to the language. He was pleased about that and said that was one reason that he liked rap music because they made up new words. I had him personalize the picture that I had taken at the CD Launch Party in LA. It is always nice to have a little conversation with James.

The autographed Piccolo picture.

He was given some really nice gifts which pleased him very much. After all the autographs and James took his time and really talked to everyone it was time for the Q and A.

  Me in line to ask my Jacuzzi question.

For the first time ever I asked a question. I asked, "You have said that you prefer a bath to a shower. Do you have a nice Jacuzzi tub in your house or a regular tub?" James said "I have one bathtub in my house that is shared by my nanny and my niece, so it is a shower for me." I said "You'll have to work extra hard and save money to put in a Jacuzzi tub for you."

Steve piped up to say "I do." And I said "Shut up Steve, nobody cares about you."

I told Steve later that everyone does care about him, that I was just being a smart ass. He said he just loves rubbing James nose in the fact that he has a Jacuzzi and James doesn’t.

I remember the Q and A as being very interesting, but can’t remember any questions or answers besides my own.

After the Q and A, we took a break until time for the play. It was James and an actress whose name I can’t remember doing “Love Letters” They were at a table acting with the scripts in front of them. It was excellent. Funny and sad. I teared up at the end.

  Froggy and Rosie and others whose faces I know but
whose names I still can’t remember at SOPAC.

We were sent off to get something to eat before time for the concert. James was in fine form and was playing a guitar that he had named Chow. It turned out that squirl had given him that guitar and she was so pleased that he was using it. He said that Chow was an excellent concert guitar and traveled well. He said that luggage handlers had destroyed some of his guitars.

On the way out of the venue we collected our photo ops and Dragonball Evolution posters. Someone called the van drivers to pick us up and we waited around until they showed up and took us back to the hotel. Of course we were all still pumped up from the marvelous day we had had and headed for the Bar and Grill to have a snack and talk about our boy James.

Sunday morning we went to the restaurant because they had a breakfast buffet with a really good selection of food. I had to take the 11 am van to the airport and head for home. It was one of the best weekends I had ever had and just the medicine to buck me up for the coming weeks.