HIGHLA-L Digest - 2 Sep 2001 (#2001-252)
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Sun, 2 Sep 2001 22:00:00 -0400
There is one message totalling 151 lines in this issue.
Topics of the day:
1. My turn: Reunion part 2
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Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2001 09:23:45 EDT
From: Dotiran@aol.com
Subject: My turn: Reunion part 2
Sorry about the "funky" formatting problem in the previous post. I tried to=20
clean it up for this second part. The biggest problem seemed to occur=20
wherever I had quotation marks in the text. Argh.
__________________________________
The auction ran late, so I had to run to catch the bulk of the session=20
already in progress in the Theater where Gillian and Donna were showing=20
Highlander:TS Behind the Scenes footage. I often think that if DPP just=20
marketed every inch of film left lying on the cutting room floor for lo thes=
e=20
many years, our purchases would keep the franchise going indefinitely.=20
At the Gala, Jim Byrne filled the room with his haunting and vibrant blues=20
sound. He is such an amazing talent. The guests of honor, including Adrian=20
Paul (who stayed long after the final note had been played) seemed to be=20
enjoying themselves as much as the fans. Security was blessedly unobtrusive,=
=20
yet fans, who were honored by the presence of the GOH were, for the most=20
part, quite respectful of their privacy.
On Sunday morning Ginjer Buchanan and Donna Lettow led off with a Highlander=
=20
Story Hour. GB read from an unpublished novel about Fitz. DL read a chapter=
=20
from the unpublished Barricades. What a treat.
This was followed by a screening of Methuselah=E2=80=99s Gift with commenta=
ry by=20
Nadia Cameron-Blakey, Elizabeth Gracen, Ken Gord, F.Braun McAsh, Adrian Paul=
=20
and Peter Wingfield. The stars were all so clearly wrapped up in seeing the=
=20
powerful episode that, at times I think they forgot they were to be doing=20
commentary. At one point PW said quite dramatically and with obvious=20
sincerity =E2=80=9CGod, I miss this show.=E2=80=9D Several of us in my row s=
aid quietly,=20
=E2=80=9Cjoin the crowd.=E2=80=9D
I actually won three autographs in the lottery. I gave the one for AP away=20
because I didn=E2=80=99t want to be selfish. I had just seen the man and sho=
ok his=20
hand and gotten his autograph last month at Origins in Columbus, and I knew=20
there were several of my friends who were brokenhearted at not winning the=20
lottery. My problem was choosing among them for who should get my ticket.=20
But I also won for JB and EG. I really wanted to get Jim Byrnes autograph o=
n=20
my =E2=80=9CThat River=E2=80=9D cd which I had lugged from home for that pur=
pose, and I was=20
happy to finally to get a chance to tell him how much I appreciate his many=20
talents. Afterwards, I lined up early for an autograph from Elizabeth Gracen=
.=20
I knew that her autograph session coincided with the opening of the next=20
Adrian Paul session, this one with Stan Kirsch, and I did not want to miss=20
it. The line was long ,but I was one of the first 5 people to get in line.=20=
=20
EG was on time for her session (kisses, hugs and thanks EG), and so they=20
started to move us in 5 at a time to the autograph room. About three people=20
into the line she looked up and said something like =E2=80=9Cgee, I just not=
iced you=20
all seem to be in a rush. I couldn=E2=80=99t figure it out, but now I know.=20=
Adrian=20
PAUL is onstage right now and you all want to hurry down there. O-K- she=20
said,=20
I=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6..will=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=
=80=A6.just=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6..have=E2=80=A6=E2=
=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6to=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=
=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6.sign=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6v=E2=80=A6=
=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6.e=E2=80=A6
=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6r=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6..y=
=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6.slow=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=
=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6ly=E2=80=9D
I was in front of her by then so I just put my face down at her eye level an=
d=20
said very quietly, =E2=80=9Coh you are VERY naughty.=E2=80=9D She just laug=
hed out loud and=20
said, =E2=80=9Coh yes I am.=E2=80=9D She was enjoying herself. I got her to=
sign the=20
cookbook which she and the Contessa have just put out, and which I had just=20
bought in the dealers room.=20
Racing at full speed, I managed to enter the Q and A as the flashbulbs were=20
still going off after the introduction of AP and SK. It was at this session=
=20
that we were treated to the story of the hilarious cream pie food fight. It=20
is part of the endearing contradiction of these men that you can have seriou=
s=20
professionals, perfectionists ,in fact, who ,nonetheless, are at times=20
capable of acting like littleboys.
Hunger pangs were striking,but it was time for An Hour with Jim Byrnes and=20
Peter Wingfield ,and I simply couldn=E2=80=99t miss that. They sat drinking=20=
beer=20
(once charmingly served by Ocean Hellman, which brought a collective sigh=20
from the audience as memories were evoked). It was casual, informative and=20
occasionally near ribald. (JB isn=E2=80=99t shy.)
Elizabeth Gracen and Nadia Cameron-Blakey spent an hour with us next. And=20
that hou rwas followed by more Highlander:TS Behind the Scenes footage=20
brought by Gillian and Donna, some of which had not been seen before. The=20
wallet replacement and the telephone booth footage with =E2=80=9Cevil=E2=80=
=9DDuncan was=20
priceless. Watching Duncan/AP =E2=80=9Ceat=E2=80=9D a fake bloody tongue was=
gross fun as=20
well.
The closing of the convention was spectacular and poignant.The closure was=20
important and touchingly done. All five major stars (AP, PW,SK, EG, and JB)=20
stood together for a =E2=80=9Cphoto op,=E2=80=9D but it was much more than t=
hat.=20
It was a =E2=80=9CReunion.=E2=80=9D=20
It was a Farewell.=20
Many of us wept openly .=20
Champagne was bubbling onstage, and Gillian Horvath gave a beautiful toast=20
that included a thanks to us as fans.
These impressions don=E2=80=99t even begin to cover the other joys of the we=
ekend,=20
the drive around LA with friends, the dinner at Marina Bay, the late night=20
giggles with roommates, a party with my =E2=80=9Cclan,=E2=80=9D meeting new=20=
friends from ATH=20
,HiDef , and many of my email lists, and old friends from AOL and my best=20
buddies from the Holyground Forum (formerly Rysher forum) at our delightful=
=20
and well organized breakfast, or the heartbursting pride and joy I felt=20
seeing my good friend and fellow Hoosier , (Big) John Bierly, presiding with=
=20
such gentle confidence onstage.
Giant thanks from an overflowing heart to Lynn and all the organizers and=20
volunteers who made possible the memories of this weekend. =20
PEACE
Rottie
My first webpage occasioned by Reunion:
<A HREF=3D"http://hometown.aol.com/dotiran/myhomepage/index.html">Reunion 20=
01-Rottie</A>=20
Dorothy aka Rottweiler=20
PEACE/APFC=20
Adrian Paul: Rottweilers? "I like their intelligence. I like their strength=20
and their faithfulness. I also like their affectionate nature." (AOL chat)=20
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End of HIGHLA-L Digest - 2 Sep 2001 (#2001-252)
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