I must give Lesley credit for this post - it was she who pointed out I would blog about bloggers meeting. Good point! And so I will.
Sadly, no one else was able to attend with me. People had all kind of excuses, including prior plans or wedding anniversaries - whatever! So I was on my own. I was a little nervous at first - people don't believe me, but I'm very shy.
I didn't arrive at The Dark Horse until a little after 7. I heard I missed a little drama - a reenactment of the conflict between frat boys and geeks. The Lost party was in the beer garden in back, but the organizers found it already occupied by a number of Steelers fans in town for the game. Apparently, when the Steelers play, their fans start drinking early and often. So they were a little rowdy and had to be moved to the bar area. Later, I heard that they would open the bathroom door while a friend was using the facilities. Fun times!
By the time I got there, the Steelers fans were gone, and the garden was decorated with the cover page shots of Lost characters from TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. "DHARMA cookies" and other DHARMA products were present, including DHARMA cozies. Appetizers were already available - Mr. Cluck's Chicken Wings, Paulo's Pulled Pork Nachos, Katesadillas, and Hurley's Hummus. We could also indulge in drinks such as Jack & Coke, Jin & Tonic, and Wrecks on the Beach. It was a cash bar, and I decided to drink Chardonnay. Perhaps I should have called it "Charliennay"?
MacCutcheon Whiskey was not available, and even if it had been, I don't think that any of us could have afforded it.
One of the organizers immediately greeted me. I think y'all would like Erika. She has a beautiful picture of herself with Terry O'Quinn at
Long Live Locke that you just have to see. I must be honest and say that I had not known of her blog until the announcement of this event, but I have enjoyed what I've read. She told me later in the evening that Lost has really changed her life - she changed her profession to become a freelance writer!
I met Bo and Mac (I think that is his name) while gathering some appetizers, and I was starting to get nervous. It looked like most people were with friends! My social anxiety was kicking in. I sat at an unoccupied table to eat and enjoy my Charliennay, but Mac called me over to the table where he was. He was with his wife (whose name sadly escapes me), a young couple (whose names also escape me), Bo and his friend Jake, and Maria (pronounced like Mariah of Mariah Carey but without the "h"). Maria was quite a character. She was an acting major in college and I believe has finished her MBA. She knew about this event because she is a long-time follower of Ryan from Zap2It. Needing a reason to leave Charlotte behind for the weekend, she flew into Chicago.
Later, we were joined by Wayne, a guy who bore a passing resemblance to Locke with his shorn hair. He also wore a shirt that had a geometric pattern similar to the DHARMA octagon which started a few conversations.
The conversation focused mostly on Lost, of course. Our favorite quotes (mine include "son of a bitch" and "Others 101"), our favorite characters (Kate is quite unpopular), and our hopes for the next season. Bo, it turns out, had attended Comic Con in San Diego, so he told us a little about that. He also attended the Comic Con the year prior, asking the first question, so I will have to look that up.
We also talked about other shows we enjoy, including Fringe, 30 Rock, and Mad Men. This was a little difficult for me because I'm behind on all three shows! We are also anticipating FlashForward, though no one really believes it can replace Lost.
We also talked about our favorite blogs, including Ryan's
Zap2It blog. And I did get to meet Ryan himself. Apparently, he has a "real job" and is also a blogger. I guess being a blogger doesn't pay well? I didn't get to spend as much time talking with him as I would have liked, but I must recommend his blog. He recently posted his theory that Hurley might be the true heir to the Island (I'm sure I'll have some thoughts on that later).
I did admit to Wayne at some point that I have a blog, and he promised to look it up. I felt a little foolish later, though. There was a raffle (I won diddly-squat), which gave away Blueray versions of
Lost and a book, which Wayne had given, because he had written the glossary for it. Oh. The book is called
Getting Lost, and appears to be edited by Orson Scott Card. A little investigation on my part revealed that Wayne is local author Wayne Allen Sallee. I've not heard of him because he appears to write mostly horror, which I don't read. But I am sure I will check out his book.
I left shortly thereafter, having thoroughly enjoyed my evening with other fans of Lost. We were a motley crew of folks, with some professionals, some suburbanites, some young, some not-so-young. It would be really cool to have something like this again.
I must give a shout-out to Brian who taught me how to make links. Thanks Brian!
