As I sat down to write about my
experiences this at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo I quickly realized
I had too much to say for one entry.
This is now part 1 of 3. The
other two will follow over the next couple of days. One day I promise I’ll learn the art of being
brief…maybe ;-) Happy reading!
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I look forward to my weekend adventures at the Calgary Expo every
year. Each time as it ends I think to
myself it was the best year yet. 2017
was no different. It was another
fantastic year, with amazing guests, lots of time with friends and great
panels. I have no clue how the team at Calgary Expo will top themselves next
year but I can’t wait to find out. In
the meantime I want to share a few of my favourite moments from this year. They are a mix of celebrity guest moments and
just cool happy Jill moments.
1. OMG I’m 37 going on 16!
One of my
favourite guest announcements this year was when it was announced that Boy
Meets World cast members, Will Friedle and Rider Strong were going to be in
Calgary this year. I love that
show. I didn’t get to watch most of it
as it aired because we didn’t have cable but anytime I was babysitting on a
Friday night it would get put on. I got
to see the final couple seasons though while I was away at university. I was hooked.
As soon as it got released on DVD it ended up in my collection. I fully admit that I watch all 7 seasons at
least once a year. I also admit that
when I want something that will just make me smile I will stick on some of my
favourite episodes. Of all the tv shows
that I own this is probably the second most often watched in my house (the
first being MASH). I was not
disappointed by getting to meet them.
Both guys were super friendly.
Meeting them left me shaking and giggling like I was a teenager
again. It was so cool and fun. Their panel was also my favourite of the expo. It was fun listening them share stories and
tease each other. I do blame them for
the craving of pizza that popped up as they discussed the pros and cons of pineapple
on pizza. Hehehe. Both guys were super charming, funny and I
wanted the panel to last forever.
2. It is only crazy if your friends don’t agree to it!
This year was
definitely a year for seeing friends at Expo.
After the first day I quickly made the decision that I wanted to try and
do a selfie with all of them and tried to make that happen. This turned out to create a very fun time and
made me very grateful that my friends are all so willing to put up with my
crazy, even the ones who hate having their pictures taken. (The best part is it’s going to make a really
cool scrapbook page to match with the celeb selfie scrapbook page…it’s all the
people I love famous and not in one spot.)
This year gave me the chance to catch up with a good friend from high
school that I lost touch with. It also
gave me the chance to continue to work on building some of my newer
friendships. I have done the whole expo
thing on my own enough to know that it is way more fun with friends. Who else can you run to after meeting your
favourite guests, jumping up and down or near tears or who can you laugh with when
you are so tired from standing in line you can’t help but wonder what random
stains are? Expo is always fun but when
I get to share it with my friends it means that much more and usually means I
have a lot more laughs. I’m grateful
every day for the friends in my life. I’m
a very bless woman.
3. Can you come over and read me
to sleep, please?
I might have a
list of people that I would love to read me to sleep. They are people (famous and not) that have
voices that I could listen to forever.
After hanging out at a handful of panels I added a few more names to the
list. I have decided that I’m in love
with the voices of John Cusack, Adrian Paul, James Marsters and especially Wallace
Shawn. Truth be told Wallace Shawn has
been on the list for years but it was super cool to get to hear him in person
again. Just like when I listened to him
in Edmonton I could totally close my eyes and picture Rex from Toy Story. Also really you know he would probably do all
the voices when he was reading. LOL As much as I love watching these guys act it’s
totally their voices that have me captured.
4. Is this weird or is it just me?
You are never sure
what will happen when hanging out at the Expo.
I have experienced all sorts of different things from fun to crazy to a
little strange. This year all of those
happened in one moment. On Sunday
morning I went to get James Marsters autograph.
He greeted me and we chatted a little bit and then said hold on a second
so I can chug my drink. He told me what
it was, some sort of electrolyte juice stuff from England. He then upending the water bottle and downed
very nearly the whole thing in one gulp.
I just started giggling because when I feel awkward it’s my natural
reaction. I didn’t know where to
look. It was odd and distracting and
just thinking about it makes me giggle.
I totally had visions of him starting to laugh and me getting sprayed by
it. Every time I look at my Spike
autograph I know I’m going to laugh. He was
super charming and lovely but seriously what a moment and damn he can chug a
drink. LOL
5. I think I just travelled back
in time!
18 years ago my
very first boyfriend came to visit me in Lethbridge to meet me. He took me on my very first date to the local
theatre where we saw Dogma and I was introduced to Jay and Silent Bob for the
first time. He then took it upon himself
to educate me on all the movies I had been missing. I was hooked.
So when Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes were announced I messaged him right
away. We have stayed friends and I knew
there was no one else that would be better suited to share my photo with. It was totally cool to share the moment with
him and it is definitely my all-time favourite photo. It also helps that Smith and Mewes were super
sweet and friendly. I’m also glad to
have a friend in line while I waited for that photo. It made it a whole lot more fun and
manageable.
6. Did that just happen?
Two media guests
that I found myself a little star struck by were John Cusack and Jeremy
Renner. I found both to be quite nice
and friendly. Both autographs and photos
were quick, which is understandable when you consider the size of their lines
but I was still happy to have met both of them.
In another year they probably both would have been in my top moments but
this year they did have some big competition from unexpected sources. That being said I love the fact that I got to
tell both I admire them and their work.
7. I have the sweetest friends.
This one matches
up with number 2 sort of. One of my more
recent friendships is with the very talented artist Elisa Friesen. You can check out her stuff here. I met her through another friend and over the
last year or so we have gotten to know each other. I have had her create a couple pictures for
me and I love the look of the stuff she brought with her both to Edmonton Expo
last September and this year’s Calgary Expo.
Saturday when I decided I needed to get a thank you gift for one of the
guests I messaged her to see if she had anything. She didn’t but was quick to say she would
draw something for me. I was blown away
when she did this amazing little Jiminy Cricket sketch and a very short amount
of time. It was one of the sweetest
things someone has ever done for me.
Thank you Elisa for being so wonderful and for humouring my version of crazy.
8. Unexpected things happen when
you need them the most/you never know what will impact you.
This
memory/experience/moment is something that has turned in to part 2 of this
entry. It is also the reason I was
hunting for the thank you gift from above.
Meeting Raphael Sbarge made my entire expo. It started on Friday with the photo op,
continued through Saturday when I got his autograph and finished on Sunday when
I said thank you one last time. I’m so
grateful to have had the chance to meet him.
I have no doubt that my expo would have been a completely different
experience had the few moments I shared with him not happened, but more on that
tomorrow.
I will look back on the 2017 Calgary Expo with a lot of fond memories
and experiences. It is a weekend that
left me feeling recharged, lighter and happier.
It was the weekend I have needed for a long time. As I adjust back to my boring world it’s
always hard not to feel a little sad it’s all over but at least getting a
chance to write about it lets me carry the feeling and memories forward for a
bit more.
I want to end part one with a thank you. It is a thank you to all the staff and
volunteers that helped to make Calgary Expo great. I’m grateful for all that you did and do
because without you guys I don’t get the opportunities to have such amazing,
lifelong memories. You all have my heart
and gratitude.
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