Orlando

I hate the interstate. Hate, the interstate.

I drove up to Orlando with a friend who decided that it'd be a great idea if I did all the driving despite the fact that I become a nervous wreak when in large amounts of traffic (and the fact that my car's rear view mirror fell off, didn't help.)

Two hours and a mild panic attack later we were in Orlando where we met Cristine (another friend of ours) Cristine brought her Rygel mask with her... that was her first mistake, her second mistake was letting me hold the mask.

Cristine and I quickly discovered we don't stand in lines very well. Three minutes into the line I already had the mask on and was harassing Stormtroopers who just happened to be there as Stormtroopers tend to be.

After five minutes or so of standing between two Stormtroopers saluting people and telling them to vote Rygel for Dominar in '04, I was back in line, this time close enough to the actors to actually chat with Paul... well kinda chat with Paul. There was a table dividing the line from the actors so I was half laying across this table straining to hear him. It was then I noticed that Paul looks WAY different then Stark...somehow I missed this fact when in The Chamber wearing my very dark contact lenses.

Paul and I chatted mostly about theatre and accents. In The Chamber when Gigi first approached me with her very thick Aussie accent I immediately went into an Aussie accent that I couldn't get out of all evening! (it was my goal not to slip into an accent in Orlando) Paul said it was alright I went Aussie because he tends to go Yank in the States. He also mentioned how he didn't really want to do theatre anymore because he doesn't like doing the same thing every single night, he likes film better. (don't ask me how we got on this topic..) The line kept moving and someone approached Paul for an autograph so I shut up and moved with the line.

I paid for photos with the cast and autographs (I got photos with me in the Chiana makeup but I wanted pictures with me as me as well...)

You know how I said I don't wait in lines well? Well it was in the line that I realized these actors pretty much do the same poses with everyone, and I know that when I take thirty million pictures with strangers I go on autopilot. Hand on shoulder or waist, smile at camera, thank person, move along. (Along with stage shows I do a lot of Renaissance Festivals and the occasional Pirate Reenactment, so lots of pictures get taken with tourists and such.)

Lani is first in line so I give him my little tabs that say what I bought and when he stands up to take a picture with me I ask if I can kiss his cheek. To his credit he didn't even act the slightest bit surprised.

"Sure."

Did he hear me? I mean he didn't even raise an eyebrow, so I repeated the question.

"Is it alright if I kiss your cheek?"

"Yeah no problem."

Grinning like a loon I got up on my tip toes and kissed his cheek (Lani is tall! They're all tall!) Photos started going off all over the place, and Marshall... the person taking the photo for me still hadn't snapped a shot.

"Uhh... sorry, the camera hasn't charged yet." It's a camera he got from work that promised to be a high tech digital camera... but I don't think Marshall checked the batteries before borrowing it.

Lani just grinned and replied, "Take your time, I'm in no rush."

He crouched down a bit so I wasn't so much on tip toe and I stood there lips pressed to his cheek, slight stubble tickling my nose, trying desperately not to giggle. Marshall's high tech digital camera finally worked and I left poor Lani alone (at least for the moment).

Next was Gigi. I mentioned I was the girl who dressed up like Chiana from The Chamber and she remembered me, we chatted for a moment about various things before we took a picture. I don't remember who initiated the hug, but we hugged for the picture and once again many flashes went off as people in the line took photos as well.

Now Paul... *g* When he got up to take the picture he automatically tucked me under his arm and crouched down to my level. (I'm not that short! They're all just really tall!) I quickly asked if I could dip him.

"What?" 

"Can I dip you?"

"Uh... I'm bigger then you."

"I know. Don't worry I won't drop you." As I give him my most reassuring grin...

"Make sure you've got a wide base with your feet there."  He demonstrates with his feet planted firmly apart and knees bent. 

I adopt the same stance, "Wide base, got it." 

"You've got a wide base right?" 

"Yep!" I grin again.  

Looking unsure, but willing, he let me dip him... only one problem, Cristine's camera ran out of film (I love you Cristine's camera.) so Paul being the wonderful person he is, stood up, once again tucked me firmly under his arm and waited patiently while Cristine tried to change her film as quickly as possible. Once the camera was fixed he dipped himself again and stayed dipped as Cristine snapped a few shots to be sure the photo would take (because apparently sometimes the first shot in a roll of film won't develop. *shrug* Oh and when I say he dipped himself, I mean it. *g* I don't think he completely trusted me to hold his weight so he stood to one side of me and then bent himself as far backwards as he could go. If nothing else, Paul seems to be very flexible. *g*)

Anyway, Paul was a sweetheart and in those four minutes or so it took to take ONE photograph, he forever won my admiration. *g*

Now all of my goals were achieved, I had autographs and pictures with all the Farscape actors at the event... but only an hour had past and darn it we intended to stay the full four hours since it took two hours to drive up there and two hours back, might as well stay in our destination at least as long as it took us to get there.

Cristine decided she wanted a poster signed so we all stood in line again and the people from Cristine's carpool convinced her to put on her Aeryn costume (it really doesn't take much to convince Cristine to put on the Aeryn costume *g*) so we stood in line her in her Aeryn costume, me holding the Rygel head... then a Dark Jedi (yeah there was a Dark Jedi there) took off his black leather robe and I asked if I could wear it. He was agreeable so I put the Rygel mask on, then the robe and walked around like a thug for awhile saying "Yotz" whilst walking with that ever popular "gangsta limp," told ya I don't stand in lines well. After about ten minutes of that I gave him his very hot robe back (probably the reason he took it off in the first place.)

It was also then that I realized Marshall unwittingly locked my keys in my car. (I gave him my purse to hold in his camera bag and he put the camera bag in the car not realizing the keys were in the purse. I not realizing he put his camera bag away, locked the car and we obliviously went on with our lives until Marshall decided he wanted to grab his camera again...) There was a guy walking around with Paul's video camera so Paul has my entire AAA saga on film. I called AAA using my dad's card to unlock my car, since my father was two hours away they said tough noogies, then Edo (a friend of mine who just got off of work and showed up in the nick of time) let me use his card and AAA decided they liked Edo enough to come unlock "his" car. Uh anyway, going back on topic now...

I don't remember the exact order of events for the rest of the evening, but more goofiness with the Rygel mask occurred, including a Rygel puppet show.

Edo while standing in line noticed that the actors had a large screen behind them that people could walk behind and was just tall enough that someone my size could hold their hand in the air and have it be visible over the screen.

"You should do a Rygel puppet show."

"What? Oh no, that'd be rude, I don't want to interrupt the actors while they're signing autographs. They've been very nice so far, but a Rygel puppet shows over their head would be intrusive and disrespectful."

"Nah it'd be funny."

"No, we really shouldn't... *pause* *attempting to resist urge* *failing miserably* Where's Cristine?"

The guy with Paul's camera followed us behind the screen (I'm not quite sure why he was following us so much... probably because me and Cristine were being huge goofballs the entire evening) and with the Rygel mask on my hand I slowly raised my arm.

The Rygel Puppet Show -

Rygel peers over the screen, looking both ways and bobbing about. (we hear a few muffled giggles from the line)

Suddenly a pulse pistol appears at his left! Looking alarmed Rygel begins to run down the stairs. (aka, Loren stood behind the screen and lowered Rygel down with big bobbing steps)

A few seconds pass and Rygel peeks up again, the coast seems to be clear. suddenly the pulse pistol appears on his right! Once again Rygel flees for his life!

A few more seconds pass and for the third time Rygel peeks up, a fist comes out of nowhere and knocks him out.

Puppet show over. :)

We hear a lot of laughing but unsure of the cast's reaction we sneak back from behind the screen humming innocently. Edo informs us that the cast seemed amused by the puppet show, not annoyed as I feared they would be.

The night is drawing to a close so we decide to take a group shot with the actors and our entire group. I some how am lucky enough to end up between Lani and Paul for the photo.

A perfect ending to a perfect day. :)

Sorry so long winded guys, if it makes you feel any better this could have been even longer, I tried to give you the short Paul-centric version. (since this is for a Paul Goddard website g*)