FanX 2016, day 1

At the end of FanX this year, Theresa asked what made this convention different from the others. We decided that it was because we'd had more celebrity encounters than ever before.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

As always, I stopped in a day early even though I'd already pre-registered. I wanted to pick up my poster so I wouldn't have to carry it around the crowded Salt Palace the next day. I also hoped they'd have a smaller size t-shirt. They didn't. Oh, well!

The calm before the storm

Thursday, Theresa and I reprised our "Witches of Oz" costumes. We didn't expect to be as popular as we'd been in September, assuming that it wouldn't be the novelty it had been. To our surprise, we were still stopped a lot! It seems that people's love for The Wizard of Oz and Wicked is evergreen (see what I did there?). Our photo was even run again in a Deseret News article as one of "the best photos from Comic Cons past." I cannot begin to tell you how much that tickles me. My mom's gorgeous costume continues to delight, and I love to wear it!

This time, a photo of us ended up on the Salt Lake Comic Con Facebook page, too. Wicked!

We found Laura right away, in line for the Buzz Aldrin Panel

Buzz Aldrin was inspiring. The man walked on the moon! He took most of the iconic photos from that trip. The panel felt I imagine how it would be to have your grandfather tell you stories about "the good old days." (I say "I imagine" because I don't have any living grandfathers to compare him to.) He talked about training, and events during the mission, and how hard it was to come home and deal with depression and alcoholism, and how he's still a daredevil trying new things with his kids and grandkids. He's mega into skydiving right now. So cool. Totally worth the price of the ticket for the chance to hear him speak.

Behind him is a portrait constructed of Legos. It makes me smile.

LeVar Burton was surprised that a good 70% of the questions fans asked him were about Reading Rainbow. Don't underestimate the power of reading, LeVar! He was good-natured and candid. We all sang the theme song together. He talked about how he hated the visor he wore in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and that he liked the new movies as action flicks but felt they lacked Gene Roddenberry's social commentary and vision of the future. I wished I'd had the money to get his autograph later. If he ever comes again, I'm doing it. I want to meet him. Reading Rainbow and Star Trek: The Next Generation were huge parts of my Junior High life.

This was also the day that we convinced Theresa she needed to meet Mitch Pileggi because she LOVES The X-Files. We went to his table and Theresa told him how much the show meant to her as a teenager, I told him he was terrifying in Supernatural, and Laura, well, Laura said, "You have a hair on your shirt." She went to pick it off, but it was attached. SHE PULLED HIS CHEST HAIR!! He didn't even flinch, just calmly and casually tucked it back into his shirt. We should have walked further away than we did before we started laughing. I laughed until I cried. It was the best thing, ever. So, so funny and mortifying. Poor Laura. Good thing she has a sense of humor!

Theresa had also told him about a friend of hers who had a shirt with one of his catchphrases on it. As luck would have it, right after our conversation he was scheduled for photos, and Theresa's friend was the first one in line. She told us later he acted like they were old friends and gave her a hug; she figured for some reason he thought they'd met before. It made a lot more sense after we told her our story.

Most of Thursday was spent shopping and getting our bearings. And running into new and old friends :)

First stop is always the Utah Browncoats booth to buy tickets for the Doctor Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Sing Along.

Clockwise from top left: Jareth and Sarah from Labyrinth, Witches and post-apocalyptic Dorothy, River Song in Jurassic Park, Theresa, Laura and I on the last day, Ugly Concubines from Mulan, Witch "action figures" with BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Theresa's Rubix cube, and the Witches with Liv Moore from iZombie and hipster Ariel

The only Dorothy we could find. She was so excited to get a photo with us!

Ashleigh and David as a Doctor Horrible groupie and Captain Hammer 

As luck would have it, Aaron and his girlfriend, Anna, found us among the masses.
He took me to that first Con, so it felt good to reunite at this one, even if he did end up taking about five photos for random folks who kept interrupting our conversation. Good thing he's a good sport!

After the con that evening, Theresa and I attended a bachelorette party/bridal shower for our friend Ashleigh. We met Ashleigh at FanX last year, and she has become a dear friend. We're thrilled she's getting married to someone who tolerates her love for all things Star Wars. I liked getting to meet her family and hear about her and David's courtship. They're a kooky bunch, and we fit right in. Looking forward to the wedding!

One day down. Two to go!

FanX day 2
FanX day 3