I didn’t even post an entry last week, how bad is that? First week since I started this blog that I neglected to post, and I feel shitty about it. I went to Orlando, Florida from April 4-7 for EyeCon, met Amy, one of my correspondents from the SUPERNATURAL on the WB web list, had a fabulous time as her roommate, and really should have posted about it sooner, when I could remember more.

Amy isn’t the best driver in the world, and we got lost driving from the airport to our hotel, but it gave us plenty of time to shmooze and get to know each other better, so I didn’t mind. She kept apologizing and I kept telling her it wasn’t necessary. I meant it, too; there was no hurry since events didn’t start at the hotel until evening.

It was hot the first day I landed (I took off in rain from NY at exactly 6:10 AM, just as Jet Blue promised, after a brief ride in a town car from Riviera Limo Service, cost, $62.40 including tip). Amy was waiting for me in the luggage pickup area holding up a giant sign with pictures from SUPERNATURAL; I was wearing my WATCH SUPERNATURAL t-shirt, which had been missing for about five months in the basement. We hugged enthusiastically.

Amy and I are very alike in many ways. For instance, once we left the room and BOTH of us forgot our room keys! She’s 38, unmarried, lives at home and works as assistant manager in Carters, a baby/children’s clothing store. She’s college-educated and could do better, but I gather jobs aren’t plentiful where she lives.

We got together with two other friends from our list—Karie, who made me a bunch of full-color SUPERNATURAL badges to wear, and Jace, a good-looking but overweight guy I immediately bestowed a bear hug on, as I’d promised in one of my e-mails to him. He is sharp, intelligent and funny, and I liked his wicked sense of humor very much. Karie is going to be a horse vet, and is going to be buying a house in Kansas for herself and her menagerie while she continues her veterinary studies. Jace works for the government with disabled people somehow. I never did quite understand exactly what he does for a living.

As far as EyeCon is concerned, the $65 spent on the cocktail party was a waste. I had a Diet Coke. I did wander around the room snapping photos of Jim Beaver, Samantha Ferris, the actor who played Andy Gallagher, and the actor who played Ash (Chad). We weren’t allowed to take photos WITH the actors because we were expected to PAY for those, so there was a type of policing going on that really pissed me off, preventing us from doing that. And pictures with the actors weren’t coming cheap, either!

I did a lot of waiting in line, but that’s the nature of the beast for these kind of events. I had to do a lot of it when I went to DARK SHADOWS cons, too. Problem is, I’m older now and less comfortable standing, thanks to the neuropathy and back pain. The longest wait was for the photo op with Jared. He was originally supposed to be there the entire weekend, but filming the show intervened, and he only spent about 11 hours total at the Con. As it is, he had a two hour breakfast with four ladies who paid a bundle to hang with him (via eBay and an auction held at the Con; two gals got him for $900 apiece). I think the eBay winners paid at least twice that, and they were supposed to flank him at the banquet dinner (horrible chicken for $85, and I got stuck at a table with Harry Potter fanatics, of all things!), but since he didn’t make it for that, they got him for breakfast on Sunday.

Amy went nuts in the dealer room! She bought cards, t-shirts, photos, and so many fanzines! I didn’t want to buy any of those, since there’s so much great fan fiction to read on the net. Why buy what you can get for free? I purchased two t-shirts, a few photos and that was about it. I brought plenty of money along with me, but since the trip itself was expensive enough, I felt guilty spending too much of it. I bought several of Amy’s meals since she refused to just accept cash from me.

Speaking of meals, Amy and I, or Amy, Jace, Karie and I ate breakfasts mostly in an IHOP just down the road from the hotel. Our hotel was attached to a mall, so we ate lunches in the food court there. The hotel restaurant was expensive, so why not take advantage of the food court with its many delicious choices? It’s a good thing we didn’t need to go outside much during the weekend, because the weather was continuously stormy, with frightening thunder and lightning flashing through skylights overhead. I guess it’s for the best I wasn’t there to visit Disney.

Our panel with Jared was hilarious. Lots of fans gave him presents, but they stopped that at the photo shoot, because it was slowing things down. He’s such a puppy boy, and so excited to be engaged to his long-time lady love, Sandy McCoy. She was there all weekend, and on Sunday I got her autograph and gave her a set of eight pretty glass coasters that had LOVE etched on them as an engagement gift. I also gave her a copy of my book, “The Snowman.” She accepted my presents with so much enthusiasm and gratitude! She is a bundle of nerves and energy onstage, all giggles and jumping around, and she entranced the crowd. Her first words to us were, “Sorry for taking Jared off the market!” One woman at my banquet table had a nasty comment to make about her, but I assume that’s just jealousy. There are also a lot of J2 folks who believe Jensen and Jared should be a couple, and Sandy is a usurper to that relationship. Get over it, people, the boys are straight and they’re not fucking each other except in your fan fiction!

The line to get a photo with Jared was the longest to wait on, of course. I conversed with some folks from Buffalo who knew I was from Long Island—my accent gave me away. LOL! We were seriously rushed through our photo ops because Jared had to catch a plane back to Vancouver, but when it was my turn, he slipped an arm around me, pulled me close and the two of us smiled. As I backed away, I reminded Jared about my visit to Vancouver when I gave him a basket, but he didn’t seem to remember me, which was kind of disappointing. Perhaps if I’d had a little more time to talk to him, it would have jogged his memory. He REALLY seemed eager to talk to all of us, but with so many waiting and so little time, it was just impossible. My photo actually turned out pretty great. My hair cooperated, for once! (I’ve since had it cut, since it was just a little too bushy for my liking. I also think I like it a shade or two lighter.)

After that, we were even MORE rushed through the autograph line, but I ended up with two autographs from Jared, one on the script I bought on eBay for over a hundred bucks, and one on the SUPERNATURAL Season 1 Companion book (the Season 2 Companion book just came out, and I’m bringing it on the plane to San Diego tomorrow for something to read).

Before I knew it, Amy and I went to sleep Sunday night, knowing we had to get up super early the next morning to get me to the airport to catch my insanely early plane. Unfortunately, the hotel-provided clock radio, which had worked for us every other morning, did NOT go off and we awakened much later than we’d planned to, forcing us to rush out the door. It all worked out, because by the time I was done with all the preliminary crap, it was time to board the plane. This Jet Blue pilot left right on time and even got us in early! Because I was one of the last in the airport, my suitcase was one of the first out, which was way cool. I contacted Riviera and had to wait in the chilly morning air with my suitcase for over 25 minutes. He finally showed up and drove me home in record time. I had the rest of the day to catch up on all the e-mail on my computer and pet Snaps and Bugsy, who were thrilled to see me.

After a completely boring work week, I’m off tomorrow on another trip—this time to San Diego with Brad to see Doris and Sidney. Two trips in one month! Call me Travel Slut!

Love, Robin