All you other Browncoats - well, double dumbass on you.  You missed out.  There couldn’t have been more than 150 people there, so with all the cast members attending parties on Friday and Saturday night, there was plenty of face time with each of the guests.  The event probably seemed really lame to the stars themselves, but for me it couldn’t have been a better venue.  Completely worth the time and money.  Will be smiling thinking about this weekend for a long time.

 

I got to have nice long conversations with Jewel, Ron and Nectar.  Also spoke with Morena but remember surprisingly little about that conversation.  (Probably because that jackass PA kept dragging her off to talk to other people.  Annoying.)  I think Rook got to talk with her more than I did so he’s probably got some good stories.  Never did get to talk to Adam Baldwin for more than a few seconds.  Rook hit it off really well with Mark Shephard (Badger) who is an Apple geek who messes around with their Pro Tools.

 

It was really great to hear them talk about how much the show and the experience still mean to them.  The cast is still really close.  Morena was Jewel’s maid of honor and Jewel spent a few days at Nathan’s place before the weekend.  They all mentioned how Firefly was different and better than their other experiences and how each of them would love to do more.   Jewel said to stop asking about a sequel because it is heartbreaking to keep having to tell people that it isn’t happening and that she would sign on in a heartbeat if it did.  Ron said that he wants to do it more than we want to see it.  Really nice to see that the show that means so much to me still means so much to them -- makes the show even better.

 

Highlight of the weekend was getting to spend so much time talking with Jewel and seeing how she and Morena interact.  I thought it was generally guys who give each other sh*t!  Nope.  Though when I saw Nathan two years ago at the Big Damn Flanvention, he was the target (and instigator) of everything.  

 

Nathan dropped in for a bit on Sunday but Rook and I missed it because we were back at the snazzy Motel 6 eating left over Tony Roma’s and watching the Pats come back against the Colts to keep their undefeated season alive.  Sucked to miss Mal, but I would do the same thing again.  If only the Motel6 had a DVR in the room.

 

Also got to see the Celtics season opener and then talk to Ron Glass about basketball for quite a while.  He’s a big Laker fan, but apparently more of a Kobe fan than a Laker fan.  Gave him a lot of crap about the Celtics getting Garnett and being relevant while his Lakers will either lose Kobe this year and become no fun to watch - or they’ll keep him and have, at best, a first round exit in the playoffs.  Ron repaid me by ruining my autographed picture of him by writing “Go Lakers” on it.  Well, at least he remembered me from the night before.

 

Though Ron remembered me a bit too much the second night.  I had FINALLY managed to get some time with Jewel.  We were, naturally, talking about dogs (she autographed a photo to Kaylee.)  As Jewel is answering one  of my questions, I suddenly get tapped on the shoulder and pulled away from the conversation - by Ron who wants to introduce me to someone!  Where was he the 20 minutes I was standing there by myself?  I am talking to Jewel and he chooses then to pull me away??

 

By the time I got back to the conversation, it had turned to talk of tattoos!  (One of the fans there had a SERENITY tattoo in chinese characters on one wrist and FIREFLY on the other.  Strange - but he was a very nice guy.  Bought me a $6 bottle of water.)  Apparently Jewel has two tattoos and we now know where and what they’re of!  

 

Anyway, big props to Rook.  I’m back there listening for about ten minutes while Rook and three others are talking to her, then Rook cuts the others off and throws the conversation back my way!  Wingman?  Nice!  I don’t remember exactly how - but it was pretty smooth and got me some good quality time.  Rook rocks!

 

An unexpected highlight was meeting Nectar Rose.  She plays Mr Universe’s Love Bot in Serenity.  Super nice with a great personality.   She definitely made many fans over the weekend.  

 

Never talked to Fanty -- or was that Mingo?  Also didn’t talk to Johnathan Woodward who was very entertaining - perhaps a bit too much so for me, but there are quite a few pictures of him on the photos page.

 

All in all got plenty of stories.  Way too much to recap every cool thing that happened, so give me a call if you are interested in hearing about the details.  Ask about the Rook moment or what show I saw being filmed at the Hollywood Highland Mall on Monday morning or the Janeway/SevenofNine riff or .... see?  You should have gone.  Remember this for the next time.  

 

Rook, anything you want to add?