In any case, cheerio from the Front of the Line!
Our nice new meeting pavilions at the front of the theater:
Our previous meeting tent, that was demolished by weather and vandals:
5.08.2005
The View From the Front
As of yesterday's total hours, I have 129 logged and am officially first in line! I'm excited; I thought I'd be about tenth, so this is pretty neat. Of course, admitting that I'm geeking out on that fact makes me look even more hopelessly geeky than I already did... but probably most of the people reading this blog are either geeks themselves, or know me well enough that my reputation for insanity is well-established.
In any case, cheerio from the Front of the Line!
Our nice new meeting pavilions at the front of the theater:
Our previous meeting tent, that was demolished by weather and vandals:
In any case, cheerio from the Front of the Line!
Our nice new meeting pavilions at the front of the theater:
Our previous meeting tent, that was demolished by weather and vandals:
5.07.2005
Geeks' Natural Habitat
And now we present: the lovely Cinemark Legacy on a gorgeous May evening:
We've had some questions about what it's like waiting in line. Well, in-between duct-taping tarps in the rain during storms, we enjoy ourselves quite a bit. We've got a modded X-box and a TV, so we watch a fair amount of shows and movies, as well as play games. A few of us have laptops, from which we work, do schoolwork, and surf the internet (which mainly consists of checking weather reports to know when the rain will return). We've played dominos, go fish, poker, yahtzee, and the Lego Star Wars game. A TV has broken, a Dr. Pepper has exploded, and teenagers and a storm conspired to demolish our first meeting tent. We've been on the local news and radio stations, and a few DFW FanForce members were drawn into a comic in the local newspaper (I'm jealous).
Did I mention the rain? The cold, freezing rain?
But most of the time, we just sit around socializing. Yesterday, a reporter asked me why on earth we would do such a ridiculous thing for a movie. But this isn't, for me, about Revenge of the Sith--okay, it's about 10% about ROTS. About 20% more of that is for the entire Star Wars saga, the larger story and the fantastic universe that Lucas created for our imaginations to roam within. But when you come down to it, I spend time in this line because of these people. We don't just share Star Wars--we share a love of sci-fi in general, of great story-telling, of adventurous films and great villains in capes. We share laughter, blankets, and stories.
And here are some geeks in their natural habitat:
We've had some questions about what it's like waiting in line. Well, in-between duct-taping tarps in the rain during storms, we enjoy ourselves quite a bit. We've got a modded X-box and a TV, so we watch a fair amount of shows and movies, as well as play games. A few of us have laptops, from which we work, do schoolwork, and surf the internet (which mainly consists of checking weather reports to know when the rain will return). We've played dominos, go fish, poker, yahtzee, and the Lego Star Wars game. A TV has broken, a Dr. Pepper has exploded, and teenagers and a storm conspired to demolish our first meeting tent. We've been on the local news and radio stations, and a few DFW FanForce members were drawn into a comic in the local newspaper (I'm jealous).
Did I mention the rain? The cold, freezing rain?
But most of the time, we just sit around socializing. Yesterday, a reporter asked me why on earth we would do such a ridiculous thing for a movie. But this isn't, for me, about Revenge of the Sith--okay, it's about 10% about ROTS. About 20% more of that is for the entire Star Wars saga, the larger story and the fantastic universe that Lucas created for our imaginations to roam within. But when you come down to it, I spend time in this line because of these people. We don't just share Star Wars--we share a love of sci-fi in general, of great story-telling, of adventurous films and great villains in capes. We share laughter, blankets, and stories.
And here are some geeks in their natural habitat:
5.06.2005
Good Morning, Ewok Village!
Ah, the relaxing sound of the freeway that lulls us to sleep, the refreshing sound of the sprinklers that ease us awake at 2 am... Such is the life of the few, the proud, that call Ewok Village their home.
5.03.2005
Life in Line
Well, this is Day Four of the line. We're lining up with the DFW FanForce group to support Rainbow Days, a Dallas charity, and to get good seats! We've had tickets since the 15th, so this is purely for good works, geek companionship, and a good seat.
We pitched our tent at the Cinemark Legacy lot on Saturday and have been camping there ever since. Most asked questions (by the press, passers-by, and scoffing teenagers) include:
Where do you go to the bathroom?
How long have you been out here?
How long will you be here?
Do you still go to work?
Do you have a life?
Why would you do such an incredibly weird thing?
How on earth does this support charity?
I long to answer such questions with the age-old universal answer "42," but in fact the answers are...
1) Cinemark lets us in until about an hour after closing, then from about midnight until around 10am, we use the RaceTrack gas station nearby.
2) Four days. With the weather, it feels like fifteen.
3) Fifteen (until May 18th/19th at midnight).
4) Yes, we work. We sign in and out each day in a logbook that tracks our total hours, and some people bring laptops to finish work in the line. We don't just sit there for three weeks straight doing nothing!
5) Yes. If you're rude enough to ask such a question, you obviously have no strange passions in your life and I feel sorry for you.
6) Because it's the last of a series of movies that, for our group of friends, has been a big part of our lives. We don't worship the Force or name our kids Darth Vader (although I could tell you stories...), we just share a common interest that brings us together.
And the important question, #7: How does this support charity? Well, in a couple of ways. Our line tends to bring a lot of media attention, which in turn brings a lot of people walking by to gape at the people weird enough to sit in freezing, rainy wind outside. We tell these people about the charity we support, and enough of them donate pocket change or donate toward raffle tickets that we end up raising money. The raffle offers second place in the line (with no waiting!) and a variety of Star Wars-themed prizes. Also, a number of us are seeking support from family, friends, and amiable strangers who will pledge a certain amount of money per hour we spend in line, rather like a Walk- or Jog-a-thon. If you are interested in supporting any of us, please email me. More updates, and photos of our in-line shenanigans, to come!
We pitched our tent at the Cinemark Legacy lot on Saturday and have been camping there ever since. Most asked questions (by the press, passers-by, and scoffing teenagers) include:
Where do you go to the bathroom?
How long have you been out here?
How long will you be here?
Do you still go to work?
Do you have a life?
Why would you do such an incredibly weird thing?
How on earth does this support charity?
I long to answer such questions with the age-old universal answer "42," but in fact the answers are...
1) Cinemark lets us in until about an hour after closing, then from about midnight until around 10am, we use the RaceTrack gas station nearby.
2) Four days. With the weather, it feels like fifteen.
3) Fifteen (until May 18th/19th at midnight).
4) Yes, we work. We sign in and out each day in a logbook that tracks our total hours, and some people bring laptops to finish work in the line. We don't just sit there for three weeks straight doing nothing!
5) Yes. If you're rude enough to ask such a question, you obviously have no strange passions in your life and I feel sorry for you.
6) Because it's the last of a series of movies that, for our group of friends, has been a big part of our lives. We don't worship the Force or name our kids Darth Vader (although I could tell you stories...), we just share a common interest that brings us together.
And the important question, #7: How does this support charity? Well, in a couple of ways. Our line tends to bring a lot of media attention, which in turn brings a lot of people walking by to gape at the people weird enough to sit in freezing, rainy wind outside. We tell these people about the charity we support, and enough of them donate pocket change or donate toward raffle tickets that we end up raising money. The raffle offers second place in the line (with no waiting!) and a variety of Star Wars-themed prizes. Also, a number of us are seeking support from family, friends, and amiable strangers who will pledge a certain amount of money per hour we spend in line, rather like a Walk- or Jog-a-thon. If you are interested in supporting any of us, please email me. More updates, and photos of our in-line shenanigans, to come!
4.29.2005
Freaks or Geeks?
And here we are, myself as Pink Five (now officially dubbed "Pink Seven" by Trey) and Alex as The Ice Cream Maker Guy from the Empire Strikes Back. This was us leaving Celebration III on Sunday... thankfully, Alex's hairdye washed out before we got to my grandparents' house that evening!
4.28.2005
Adventures in Geekland: Episode I
So, here I am back from C3! We had a grand old time--check out the photos of Alex and myself in costume on the rebelscum website.
But by far the highlight of the entire time was... drumroll, please... meeting Trey Stokes and Amy Earhart of Pink Five fame!! Yes, indeed, my daydream of meeting them both and having them sign my freshly-painted Pink Five helmet were granted and I had a grand old time--but I must say that Trey's account is far more interesting and hilarious than my reproducing it here, so check out his blog account of C3. It includes a photo of myself in costume, so let the humiliation begin! ;)
More to come, including photos, once my husband uploads them... Keep looking here!
But by far the highlight of the entire time was... drumroll, please... meeting Trey Stokes and Amy Earhart of Pink Five fame!! Yes, indeed, my daydream of meeting them both and having them sign my freshly-painted Pink Five helmet were granted and I had a grand old time--but I must say that Trey's account is far more interesting and hilarious than my reproducing it here, so check out his blog account of C3. It includes a photo of myself in costume, so let the humiliation begin! ;)
More to come, including photos, once my husband uploads them... Keep looking here!
4.13.2005
Master of Disguise
So, it's less than a week until CIII, and we're still completing costumes. Not that we like to cut it close or anything...
Alex's initial costume idea isn't ready, so we'll try to have it ready for DragonCon next year; until then, it's a secret! He's got two back-up costumes planned, to be revealed while we're in Indy--stay posted and I'll post some photos and fun info on his--hilarious--character.
My costume is no longer secret, as I'm so excited I keep blabbing about it (as evidenced by previous post). I'm working on my Pink Five X-wing helmet right now. We had to buy a medium-youth size football helmet ("not for use after ninth grade" says the warning sticker; do you think it's okay for a 26-year old to wear?). My head was too small for either the X-wing costume helmets or the actual fighter pilot helmets we found on Ebay (plus, yaknow, the used football helmet was 40 bucks cheaper!).
I've got to mold on the ear pieces, add the visor shield, paint it, and add the "Chicks Rule" sticker. And I've got a minor amount of work on the clothing, but nothing much. I couldn't find pink boots in time; I'll have to buy some next winter.
To understand how costume-crazy we are, for Celebration II three years ago, we spent two weeks sculpting a Saesee Tiin alien head for Alex. We bought actual ram horns online, made a metal frame for them, and used floam (that Nickelodeon-brand foam), canvas, latex, and paint to create the thing. It weighed something like ten pounds and gave Alex a huge headache, but with the face paint and Jedi robe, it was quite impressive. (I'll post photos for it when I get my other computer back on the network.)
Not that we're weird, or anything...
Alex's initial costume idea isn't ready, so we'll try to have it ready for DragonCon next year; until then, it's a secret! He's got two back-up costumes planned, to be revealed while we're in Indy--stay posted and I'll post some photos and fun info on his--hilarious--character.
My costume is no longer secret, as I'm so excited I keep blabbing about it (as evidenced by previous post). I'm working on my Pink Five X-wing helmet right now. We had to buy a medium-youth size football helmet ("not for use after ninth grade" says the warning sticker; do you think it's okay for a 26-year old to wear?). My head was too small for either the X-wing costume helmets or the actual fighter pilot helmets we found on Ebay (plus, yaknow, the used football helmet was 40 bucks cheaper!).
I've got to mold on the ear pieces, add the visor shield, paint it, and add the "Chicks Rule" sticker. And I've got a minor amount of work on the clothing, but nothing much. I couldn't find pink boots in time; I'll have to buy some next winter.
To understand how costume-crazy we are, for Celebration II three years ago, we spent two weeks sculpting a Saesee Tiin alien head for Alex. We bought actual ram horns online, made a metal frame for them, and used floam (that Nickelodeon-brand foam), canvas, latex, and paint to create the thing. It weighed something like ten pounds and gave Alex a huge headache, but with the face paint and Jedi robe, it was quite impressive. (I'll post photos for it when I get my other computer back on the network.)
Not that we're weird, or anything...
4.12.2005
Adventures in Geekland (Prequel)
Well, it's that time again... I know it's not the last week of school, but it might as well be, since I am leaving for a week-long vacation--Star Wars Celebration III in Indianapolis-- in less than a week, and most of my major projects are due the day after I get back or the following Monday. Yikes.
I can't get online much right now since my husband is working from home (and our router is on the fritz)--suffice to say, completeing two online classes and testing code while not actually online is interesting... difficult... impossible!
Maybe I should work some more on finishing my costume... To see how immensely geeky I am, check out my costume's inspiration, two Star Wars fan films:
Pink Five
Pink Five Strikes Back
Return of Pink Five (Trailer)
I can't get online much right now since my husband is working from home (and our router is on the fritz)--suffice to say, completeing two online classes and testing code while not actually online is interesting... difficult... impossible!
Maybe I should work some more on finishing my costume... To see how immensely geeky I am, check out my costume's inspiration, two Star Wars fan films:
Pink Five
Pink Five Strikes Back
Return of Pink Five (Trailer)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
