LOST andalone in Margaritaville

A margarita tastes better when it is served

in a glass from the LOST Prop Warehouse

in Hawaii.  There are two in the set.

Best as I can determine, the glasses were used in 

the Season 1 episode, "Exodus, Part1".

They are background props, holding some

sort of snack - nuts? on the bar

during the Jack and Ana Lucia encounter.

(I can barely detect the colored rim of the 
margarita glass when I enlarge the photos.)

"The Numbers" Wristband

I am always on the lookout for

MORE LOST.

I recently admired a wristband that

Jo Garfein was wearing at the LOSTie

party at The Barracks, featuring

"The Numbers"

I ordered one as soon as I returned

home.  It is wider than most

of my LOST wristbands,

measuring almost an inch wide.

You can purchase one here:

http://store.jacvanek.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=797734385373

Autograph Quest Continues...

My quest to obtain autographs

from all of the LOST cast and guest stars

continues. I received Susan Duerdan's 

autograph in yesterday's mail.

Ms. Duerdan portrayed Claire's mother,

Carole Littleton.

Friends are the BEST Gift, But Presents are Great Too!

This is my friend Rob. He is AWESOME.

(photo courtesy Bonnie Green)

(He is also very tall and calm, the exact opposite of

short, spastic me.)

Rob is a LOSTie as well, and was one of my

housemates at The Barracks.

He has an amazing collection of LOST

memorabilia, he purchased quite a few items

from the Official LOST Auction. 

Rob is also quite the wordsmith,

and his blog entries are always

informative and entertaining:

My Mind Bloggles

Rob approached me during the LOSTie

party at The Barracks, stating he had

a surprise for me. A short time later, he brought out one

of the screen-worn "Juliet shirts" he had purchased

during the LOST Auction....

Juliet fan, Jo Garfein enjoyed the moment

(photo courtesy Bonnie Green)

Note: Rob is also the person responsible for my twitter

avatar. He photographed my Head-on-a-Stick

wearing the other Juliet shirt from his auction lot.

I thought the opportunity to actually hold Juliet's shirt

was the surprise. I was WRONG-O.

A few days later, Rob presented me 

with an intriguing package.

The package was heavy for its size.

 I opened it and could make out a curious

shape beneath the bubble wrap.

 SURPRISE! It was one of Jin's handcuffs

from the lot that Rob purchased from the 

LOST Auction.

 You can read all about the handcuff lot here:

http://robperrin.blogspot.com/2010/09/lost-auction-jins-handcuffs.html

It was so cool to hold and handle the handcuff,

it was the first time I had ever held one.

I was surprised by the weight and thanked

my Miss Goody-Two-Shoes mentality that I

have never been arrested.

Like the Juliet shirt, I assumed that Rob brought

the handcuff simply for the purpose of sharing

some of his LOST props with his friends in person.

I was WRONG-O again!

Rob gifted the handcuff to me. For ME! TO KEEP!

Just wow! I was, and am still overwhelmed with his generosity.

The first thing I did upon arrival home

(after kissing the kid and dog)

was to properly frame the handcuff 

for display in a shadowbox.

It is one of my most prized pieces of

LOST memorabilia - not only because

it is so freaking AWESOME,

but also because is is also a symbol

of the amazing friendships I have made

through LOST.

Thank you, Rob. You are my hero.

$10 Commission Sketches by Ryan Dunlavey

Artist/illustrator Ryan Dunlavey offered

$10 Commission Sketches a few months ago.

I ordered three LOST-themed sketches.

They arrived last week.

You can see more of Ryan's work
on his blog:
http://www.ryandartist.com/art.html
and his tumblr:
http://ryandunlavey.tumblr.com/

Of course, Desmond was my the first selection.

The second subject I chose was Miles.

I don't have many "Miles items"

in my collection.

The final subject was Squirrel Baby.

It turned out to be my favorite of the three sketches.

I still want a Squirrel Baby doll!!!

We Have To Go Back!

My trip to San Diego and Los Angeles had to end sometime,

and I shared a cab with Kiwilostie

to LAX.

I haven't been in an airport

or boarded a plane in the last seven years

without thinking about LOST and looking for references.

I wasn't disappointed.

The seat assignments on my boarding passes

for the return flights

home seemed the perfect ending to the week.

All I needed was a couple of bottles

of vodka.....

Walt Disney Studios Tour

Monday morning brought an end to our stay at The Barracks.

After a dash to the post office to mail home the assorted

banners, boxes, posters and swag, we loaded up into several

cars and began a caravan to Burbank and a tour

of the Walt Disney Studios. Comixguru is employed 

by Disney and was extremely generous to

arrange a tour for us.

I dozed most of the way, but was awake long enough

to realize that everything I have heard about

Los Angeles traffic is TRUE. Double ugh.

Our first stop on the tour was the commissary.

We had a delicious lunch - the options were

AMAZING - much more appetizing than

the Lean Cuisine frozen entree I

usually eat at my desk.

The tour through Disney Studios
was wondrous and magical, with happy memories
from my childhood sparked at every turn.

(photo courtesy Rob Perrin)

(photo courtesy Rob Perrin)

(photo courtesy Rob Perrin)

When we entered the Animation Building
we discovered a directory of the current offices
of the people who inspired magic and wonder
for me as an adult - Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.

(photo courtesy Rob Perrin)

(photo courtesy Bonnie Green)

(photo courtesy Bonnie Green)

Eddy Kitsis and  Adam Horowitz also
were listed on the directory.
It took every ounce of self-control
to NOT "go visiting".


We were then led to the holy grail for
LOST fans - Building 23.
Michael Emerson leads this tour
(from the LOST DVD Extras)

The LOST sign has since been removed, but
my friends and I lined up in front of
Building 23 with a mixture of awe and reverence.

(photo courtesy Ian Knight)


 and two members of the group paid homage
 to Damon Lindelof by planking.

We lingered there as a group for awhile,
reflecting on the impact
LOST has made on us.

Sunday at Comic-Con

I decided that I wasn't up for the long lines 

and forever waiting for any of the panels

scheduled on Sunday at Comic-Con.

(The long confinement in the "staging area"

from the previous day had taken its toll.)

I headed to the Con and just walked around

for a bit. I had two missions in mind....

score some swag for my friend Bonnie's

granddaughter and head to the Mondo booth.

Through some stretching of the truth...

okay- flat out giant lie, 

I talked a woman manning the Phineas & Ferb

booth out of posters and the much-in-demand

bags. Mission one accomplished.

I then headed over to the Mondo booth.

I knew that Kevin Tong, Daniel Danger and

Rob Jones were manning the booth at

various times, and I wanted to meet

some of the artists behind the DCaaPB 

LOST prints.

(photo courtesy Chris Leaning)

I was fortunate enough to meet all three artists

and purchased Kevin Tong's

"The Invisible Man" for my son 

and Daniel Danger's "Cowboys and Aliens"

for myself.

DCaaPB introduced me to not only some

fabulous LOST art but also to some amazing artists.

I have since purchased additional

(non-LOST) art by almost all of the artists

involved with both Series 1 and Series 2

of DCaaPB. 

Saturday (Not) at Comic-Con: Cowboys and Aliens World Premiere

 Early Saturday morning, Bonnie, Scoutpost and I 

boarded the #8 bus (LOST connection!!!)

just down the block from The Barracks

to make our way to the line for the

Cowboys and Aliens World Premiere.

The information sheet indicated that the

line formed at ten, which translated to:

  people were probably already in line at dawn.

A transfer from the bus to the trolley and

a short time later we were just blocks away from

what would be a very long wait.

There were already about 6-8 in line ahead 

of us.  Some of our housemates arrived

a bit later and joined us for a photo op.

(photo courtesy Bonnie Green)

Hours and hours later, we began to be admitted 

into the "staging area" in groups of 5.

Security was thorough: our bags inspected,

bodies scanned, and IDs checked.

We were each given a wristband-

my was gold, which indicated I was

of legal age to consume alcohol at the after-party.

(note: waaaaay old enough)

The "staging area" was a huge ballroom-sized area.

It would be our home for the next 7+ hours.

Refreshments in the form of soft drinks and 

Teriyaki Jerky - huh? were provided for us.

The room continued to fill.....

(photo courtesy Bonnie Green)

...as preparations were made outside for the arrival of the stars 

(photo courtesy Scoutpost)

We spent the time chatting, charging our phones, reading,

a lot of wandering around - I can't sit still for that long.

Finally were were led through the doors.... 

(photo courtesy LOST_4815162342)

and onto the red carpet to enter the theater.

(photo courtesy LOST_4815162342)

Bonnie, Scoutpost and I posed briefly on the red carpet.

I offered a little homecoming queen wave to our

adoring fans.

(photo courtesy Bonnie Green)

Our little group was among the first in line,

so we were given first choice in seating

once inside the theater. A large section was 

marked "Reserved", and we chose the first row

adjacent to the VIP section.

(phot courtesy Bonnie Green)

(photo courtesy Bonnie Green)

It was all so exciting! I tend to bounce like a human 

Bobble-Head out of enthusiasm 

and I almost spilled

the complimentary popcorn and drink.

We watched the red carpet arrivals streaming 

live on the screen and as the theater began filling with VIPS.

  

I almost gave myself whiplash looking around for

celebrities.  They were EVERYWHERE!!!

Grant Bowler aka Captain Gault of the Kahana

on LOST was seated two rows directly behind me.

Rob McElhenney aka Aldo of the Others on LOST

was seated across the aisle.

The lights dimmed and Jon Favreau took the stage and

began introducing the cast and those associated with

the film. I cannot express the overwhelming

thrill it was to have the idols of my childhood, teens,

heck - MY ENTIRE LIFE

on the stage LIVE in front of me.

I took a few photos with my iPhone 

(cameras were not allowed)

the Stars....

Daniel Craig! Harrison Ford! Olivia Wilde!

The Executive Producers....

Steven Spielberg! Ron Howard!

The Writers....

Damon Lindelof! Bob Orci! Alex Kurtman!

The Co-Stars....

Keith Carradine! Clancy Brown!

so many more.

I left out a ton of people -

full cast info here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409847/fullcredits#cast

Damon Lindelof was seated about 5 rows behind 

our group just before the move started. 

He joined Adam Horowitz and a few others.

The movie was fantastic - though it was difficult to 

concentrate at times, knowing that so many of my 

idols were seated just feet/yards away.

(I saw it again a few days after returning home

to catch everything I missed in my starstruck coma)

Following the movie, I seized an opportunity

to speak to Damon Lindelof in the lobby.

(I had just exited the restroom as he was passing by)

Lame-o me tapped him on the shoulder and

said some stupid fan-gushing nonsense.

He was very gracious and did not

call security. 

But damn! I get so overwhelmed,

I always forget to ask for photo.

A fabulously catered after-party was held

in the courtyard just outside the theater and

we were treated to a variety of food stations, 

an open bar and music.

(photo courtesy Patrick McKinley)

(photo courtesy Bonnie Green)

Most of the celebrities left immediately after the 

screening to attend other parties/events.

But a few stayed and mingled.

I spotted Grant Bowler and his friends just a few

feet away. My friend Bonnie was brave enough

to approach him and posed for a photo.

But I chickened out of photo op.

 He was so incredibly good looking and I am an idiot. 

My friend Mib saved the day and had him sign my sketchbook

 He returned it to me and kissed my right cheek. Swoon!

I am fine with regular autograph session, 

but prospect of approaching celebrities in 

social settings is daunting to me.

So I am extremely grateful to Mib for her

courage and to Grant Bowler for being  so

understanding and kind to this fangirl.

We had a wonderful time at the party.

I even danced!

(and there is proof in form of

 an incriminating video floating around the 

world wide web somewhere.)

YIKES!!! 

Postscript - I forgot to mention that
premiere attendees received a 
Cowboys and Aliens go-cup
after the movie. They were
out of the nicer, covered travel cups
by the time I claimed mine.
I chose the holographic
Harrison Ford giant Slurpee cup....

I later made the trip to a 7-11 to pick

up the Daniel Craig

and Olivia Wilde cups.

(I wanted the complete set.)
Earlier in the week, 
LOST_4815162342 purchased
a light-up wrist blaster cup for me.