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Delenn
05-19-2003, 09:42 PM
Meanwhile, downstairs at the Saturn Awards… or, another take on what the rest of us (or me in particular) experienced.

(Sorry to be so late with this--home too late and worked all day. Hope it's not too repetitious. It's pretty long, too.

While Tiriel and the press team were getting the scoop upstairs at the Saturn Awards, the rest of us were downstairs in the fan line. There were about 20 of us, making up I think a little over half of the entire sci fi fan contingent there. Farscape was well represented.

There was not a red carpet as such. Celebs were supposed to come in from the valet parking area through the hotel lobby (open to the public) and then upstairs to the ballroom where the awards would be held. (Apparently the real bigwigs came in through another door, though, because we never saw Steven Speilberg). We were just inside the door cordoned behind a rope.

We mostly stood around waiting since most of us had gotten there early to get a good space. Stars straggled in for the most part. I personally did not know a lot of them (it doesn’t help not to be a Buffy fan).

But finally our guys started arriving, in separate groups but pretty much at the same time. They walked right up to the autograph line. Ricky Manning was first (cheers!) :joy: looking dapper in a suit, followed immediately by Claudia (cheers!) :joy: who was STUNNING (I wrote this and then discovered that chemicalx had used the same word but there is no other way to express it) in a wonderful sleek, very red pantsuit. For those who wondered, I estimate she might be about 5’7”or 5’8” or so and very slim. (I’m 5’8” and she seemed a little taller than me but she had very high heels on.)

I said to her, you look terrific as always. Thank you, she said. Not much reaction, though, she must hear it all the time. I should have told her I loved her suit. :D

No sooner had Claudia gone by then Ben and Fran arrived. (many more cheers!) :joy: :joy:

Fran was very friendly and talkative, saying to a few of us at once what a shame the show was cancelled and how her character was going to come back for more episodes and how disappointing it was. She also apparently knew about the gift to Henson. But I was beginning to have trouble concentrating on what she was saying BECAUSE BEN WAS COMING…:love:


I watched as he finished signing the autograph next to me, muttering something about CSI Miami, and looked my way.

“Hi,” we said simultaneously as our eyes met (wow!!!!!!!!).

Ben Browder actually looks a little different from Crichton. Ben has very alive blue eyes—there is a “light” (maybe that’s a sparkle) in them that I think you rarely see in John’s eyes. The only time I remember seeing it is at the end of LAMST when they finally knew they are going to meet up with Moya, and he turns and smiles at everyone in the back in D’Argo’s ship. Then John looks like Ben.

Ben’s pace also seems a bit slower. Must be the southern boy thang. He lingered a little puzzled over the picture I gave him to sign. I thought maybe something was wrong but he then said, Ah, that’s either from Meltdown or …[some other ep I can’t seem to remember]. He let me turn over the pic (actually it’s a Farscape calendar I’ve been having everyone sign) to check—yep, Meltdown. “Well, you know this stuff better than I do ;)” I said while he signed.

But then before he got away I had fulfil a personal quest and do Tiriel a favor at the same time. For unfortunate personal reasons I was not able to go along for the second part of Halloween night—you remember, where everybody serendipitously ran into Ben Browder in Hollywood!!! ( :( :mad: ) “Oh, and…” I said grabbing my Halloween photo of a bald and blue me, “I didn’t see you on Halloween, but this is what you missed…” ;) He looked at the Zhaan costume “Looks good,” he says!!! :love:
while I reach down for the infamous Scorpy poster from Halloween.

Remember the poster from Halloween, Ben. As he leans in to it and says yes, that’s what drew him over, I pointed out that Wayne had signed it at the con. So, looking at Alikhat next to me who had been there on Halloween, told him Tiriel who is with the press upstairs asked if he would please sign it, too. And he did.

So, we got it for you, Tiriel :aok: For the shrine.

Thank you, Ben!

Now as he moves down the line I take a nervous photo and wait for my hands to stop shaking.


They all head up the stairs, waving to us as they go (especially Ricky). :hi:


Shortly thereafter, David Kemper comes striding in, passing us by saying, he will stop by afterwards!!! No, now we will have to stay late. I guess he feels he is late.

We wait around for the missing person Brian Henson but we never see him. Later we find out he was a no-show. How disappointing, I thought he might personally thank us for the gift baskets.

So now it’s off to dinner to kill 2 hours. Tiriel and the crew are “stuck” there to do press conference interviews with the winners as they come out.

Cut to 8:00 pm or so. We’re back and waiting around again for the return trip to the valet parking. Eventually Ben and Fran come down; he’s talking to some people at the end of the line something about “the swells in winter.” They leave. Finally Ricky, David, and Claudia come down. David comes over, Ricky comes over, Claudia walks out in the background, waving. (Ben and Claudia did not win, for those of you who might not know yet.)

David has the Saturn statue. He hands it to one of us while he starts signing autographs. So the Farscape fans are HOLDING the Farscape SATURN AWARD! :bgb: Several people get to hold it while David is busy. I get to fondle it—it’s gold and metal and looks like Saturn and the rings, I think, are pebbled TEXTURE.

I get an autograph from Ricky (I missed him earlier) and David on cartoon Scorpy and D’Argo with John, respectively. They both say something about “Oh, good one.” Those guys really seem to have a special thing for Revenging Angel.

Well, good night, guys, congratulations!!!!!

And so, the evening ends :( ...

except for the Auto Club towing my car home.

Shipscat
05-19-2003, 09:46 PM
Great post. Thanks for telling us all about it. :)

Sorry about the car, though...

RescueFarscape
05-19-2003, 09:52 PM
WOW:thud:

Thanks Delenn. Wonderful post.:bgb:

you got to hold the Saturn award:D that's cool.

waltersgirl
05-19-2003, 09:53 PM
i saw the girl's post over at the Dom about DK going, "here, hold this". i was crackin' up. it sounds so DK. nice report D, and i'm *so* jazzed that you got to meet Ben since you missed him last time.;)

DentArthurDent
05-19-2003, 09:53 PM
So sounds like some stark terror [amazement] followed by some boredom followed myy more amazement, Thanks for the report, uh, sorry bout the car? It seems that your group always has interesting background to go with your tales from FarFanScape... ;)

Arthur Frelling Dent

Dominar of Action
05-19-2003, 10:03 PM
::sigh:: No no no, I'm not jealous. Oh, no, not one little bit ....

:D

Thanks for letting us live vicariously through you!

aeryncrichton
05-19-2003, 11:30 PM
Lovely, thanks so much for telling us!!! *g*

uisceboo
05-20-2003, 12:46 AM
"the swells in winter..."
:D
he's talking about surfing!

Kerlin
05-20-2003, 12:56 AM
Oh, see here I thought he was talking about frost heaves... :D

(I can't help it, I live where it's winter 9 frelling months out of the year...)

Thank you very much for your post, Delenn, and for allowing us to live vicariously through you!

Elle
05-20-2003, 01:48 AM
OMG, you got to hold the award :lol Gotta love DK :D

Thanks for sharing, Delenn !!! *sigh* :love:

ajshipper
05-20-2003, 04:43 AM
Thanks for posting, Delenn!!!!!!!

I am so glad you had a chance to meet Ben. Sounds like everyone had a great time.

Congratulations to Farscape!!!!!!!!!!!!!

VBKatLou
05-20-2003, 05:18 AM
Oh I'm so jealous now :lol . Thanks for the report Delenn. It's so nice that those of us living in the boonies can still receive a bird's eye view of the event.

And if you have time, please let us know what happened with your car. I really ..... really want to know (guess what episode I just watched ;) ).

JA_Shipper
05-20-2003, 05:37 AM
Man, I wish I lived near LA. Or had lots of money so I could jet to LA. ;)

Sounds like you guys had a great time! Go, you! :D

Suse

Selena
05-20-2003, 05:50 AM
Originally posted by uisceboo
"the swells in winter..."
:D
he's talking about surfing!

Either that or some Shakespearean line I don't recall the rest of. :lol

Great report Delenn! Thanks a bunch.

GeekedOut
05-20-2003, 06:14 AM
Wow, sounds like you had a time. And maybe the magical Saturn touch will give you magical pwoers now....!

PkTechSquirrel
05-20-2003, 07:43 AM
How cool is that? Thanks for the report, and sorry about your car. 'Scapers make real world sacrifices for this show. This has to mean something to someone, Right???

Chaym
05-20-2003, 09:21 AM
Thank you so much for the wonderful report Delenn and for letting us live vicariously through you.

I can't believe they knew about the Henson basket and let y'all touch and hold the Saturn. Oh, the wonderful description of Ben :love:

Sorry about your car :(

Thank you so much!! (And to all the other Scapers who attended.)
:bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

AnnieBW
05-20-2003, 10:39 AM
Did anybody get inside to hear DK and Froonie's acceptance speech?? I'm dying to hear what they said!

- Annie

Mirth
05-20-2003, 11:33 AM
that is so frellin cool... :)
except for the towing thing....

Delenn
05-20-2003, 08:38 PM
Thanks, guys, glad you appreciated the report :) A few reponses:

I actually did not hold the award myself but I did feel it up some.

Thanks a lot, waltersgirl, I do feel like mission accomplished.

We really did have a great time. Getting autographs there was a lot less rushed than at the con which was like seeing Santa Claus :santa: in The Christmas Story.

From the little I heard of the context, Ben was talking about surfing.

And if I have magical powers from touching the Saturn, GeekedOut, then I am going to conjure up a fifth (and why stop there) season of Farscape.

AnnieBW, I don’t know about the acceptance speeches—I don’t think Tiriel was actually inside either (you would have to ask her). They were in the press area, like behind the scenes at the Oscars.

Okay, about the car. My 1980’s Volvo which I am attached to and reluctant to get rid of often gives me a problem. I only just had a lot of work done on it. Driving to the awards, I noticed the temp gauge going up, up, up—what is that???!!! So I prayed “please, please please just get me there” (a mantra) and I was able to pull in to the (above mentioned) valet parking area with my engine smoking.

A quick look under the hood revealed the problem--the screws had come off the housing around the fan behind the radiator and it was leaning on the engine behind it!! (I wonder how that happened, my mechanic “the automotive genius”--he actually calls himself this). I jerry-rigged it closed with paper clips but it wasn’t “air tight.”

They let me park it there to cool until I could move it into the cheap parking next door (they said I had to move it because they were going to be very busy later—tell me about it). I moved it to the other lot later and just made it into a space. So the paper clips didn’t really help. I probably still needed water but in any case I did not trust it to get me home at 9:30-10 pm, a half hour of stop and go city driving partially through a not-so-great part of town. So I knew the whole time I was going to have to be towed home.

Anyway Monday morning I took it to my mechanic (1 block from my house) and they fixed it in 20 minutes at no charge (you’re darn right no charge). So, it’s running now, I made it to work late, stayed late, and posted my awards report late.

There you have it folks, more than you ever needed to know about my car. :snore:

grapeshot
05-21-2003, 08:41 PM
my my my! yeah, if this sacrifice to the gods of karma gets us a fifth season, why it'll be a very small price to pay!

Thanks for the report. I enjoyed reading all about it immensely. (I'm sure I would have collapsed from stress had I been there.)