Number 20 Attend a Science Fiction Convention (in costume)

Date: September 5-7th, 2009

My adventure companion for this one bailed on me. We were going as Star Trek Enterprise women from the original series with the big hair and short skirts. I hardly ever get to wear big hair - I want my big hair! I've got two months to find a replacement! The convention is three days long so I have more than one costume that I want to wear. Friday will be my Enterprise costume. Saturday, I want to be Kaylee from Firefly. Someone once told me that I reminded him of Kaylee so I rented what I thought was Season 1 of the show - turns out it was the only season of the show! Bummer, I was really getting into it. I saw no physical resemblance between Kaylee and me so I guess he was referring to how we are both kind of annoyingly cheerful. Here's the costume on Kaylee (I've got most of it done already, just need to "distress" the coveralls some more)

Here's the BIG one: I want to enter and WIN the Miss Klingon Empire Beauty pageant!!! I'm working on this one... check back.

Update: I now have my Klingon name thanks to the Klingon Name Generator. I am:

Arizhel of Martok

Update, June 10, 2009: Checked out the rules of the contest and the wardrobe of Klingon women. I guess I cannot dismember a human for the talent portion of the pageant as I had planned due to safety considerations. Also, I noticed that all the fashion choices of Klingon women seem to have two things in common: cleavage and weapons. Okay, one down. Better look into Klingon weapons. I also found out who Martok was (just in case anyone asks).

Update, July 31, 2009: I'm IN!! I'm one of the ten contestants in the pageant. I saw the others had military ranks so I gave myself one too. I chose "Commander" since that was my rank at Space Camp. I also gave myself a last name too - Nosilla which is just Allison backwards. Now I have to think of a talent for the competition.

Update, August 1, 2009- Bribed Rick into going to the convention with me but he really doesn't want to go. I'm asking my dance partner if he'd like to go instead. He had loaned me an ethnography he'd written on Klingon culture so I know he might at least be interested in this stuff. Hey, he can probably translate from Geek to English for me. What a plus!

Update, August 10, 2009 - Message from Rob this morning: "Dragon Con is on !" Whoo Hoo! Finally, an adventure companion for this one. It's been like pulling teeth! I know technically, he is double-dipping in The List since he is also # 28 adventure companion but let's think of this as a reward for being such a good sport about being dragged into all of this, shall we?

Update, August 20, 2009: Dance partner Rob had an idea for my talent competition at the Miss Klingon Empire Beauty pageant. I was telling him about my new belly dancing class and he suggested that this would make a great talent and suggested that the Star Trek "fight music" would make it even more arcane. Perfect!!! My belly dance instructor, Jasmine, not only loves the idea but will actually be in attendance at Dragon Con with another group so she can come watch.

Update, September 5, 2009 - It's the day we leave for Dragon Con and despite my early order and many follow-up inquiries, my Klingon headpiece has not arrived from the Halloween Depot. Rick and I are off to the Acme Costume Company here in Savannah for help. INCREDIBLE place!!! The make-up artist there knows exactly what to do and gives me what I need with clear instructions how to use it. They have my business for life!

After the worst game of Count the Cows ever, we arrived in Atlanta about 8 and checked into one of the overflow hotels. It had a shuttle bus to the convention so we didn't have to worry about parking (which was outrageously expensive anyway). I put on my Uhura dress (right) which I discovered to be "granny length" by Dragon Con standards. I'm posing by one of the walls in our hotel lobby which we decided was decorated in "early bathroom." Right next to this pillar were some lovely turquoise chairs.

We spent a good part of the evening in the registration line because of some computer foul-up - Seriously??All those nerds in one place and no one could fix a computer??? Then we went to a showing of Joss Whedon's film/sing-along blog, "Dr. Horrible". I had never heard of this film but it seemed to have an enormous and dedicated following. A very upbeat experience, indeed!!

Saturday was costume Number 2- Kaylee from "Firefly." The night before, I had seen several Kaylee's and was determined on this day to have my photo taken with every one I ran into but could not find one other Kaylee the whole day!(but I saw dozens of Dr. Horrible's) So Rob went to his geeky stuff and I went to my cool stuff and we caught up with one another for dinner. I had gone back to the hotel to practice my dance and change for the Dawn Look-alike contest. I thought I was a pretty modest Dawn but felt quite awkward when I joined an elevator full of teenage boys from a church group from Kentucky who were definitely NOT there for Dragon Con. Who am I supposed to be? I'm Dawn, mistress of Satan, of course. I overheard one say to the other "That's abhorable." Me? Mary Poppins? Abhorable? What teenage boy even uses that word?? I hiked my fishnet stockings and two left sandals (don't ask) right outta that elevator!

The contest was a blast! The costumes were incredible- seriously, some of the girls must have invested hundreds on their costumes. They were stunning! Plus, the contest was hosted by Anthony Daniels who played C3PO in the "Star Wars" films. He was outrageously funny! Who knew? The picture to the right is me with a sword and a severed head of some Amy Whinehouse-looking person who cut me off in the line to the ladies room. After the contest, they gave us all invitations to an after-party for all the contestants hosted by the illustrator of the Dawn comic books, Joseph Michael Lisner. They said I could take a guest and Rob didn't seem to mind being around all the pretty girls so he went with me. It was in a suite at the very tippy-top of one of the hotels (can't remember which) which was incredible. They had a video of the contest going and alcohol was flowing...Rob insisted that I enter again next year JUST so he could go to this party again. That's us on the left on our way to the party. I got rid of that red wig right away. Rob is Lex Luthor and made this really cool glowing Kryptonite that he kept in that box. I got a little "fuzzy" on a lemony-lime concoction and then we headed back to our hotel. On the way, we ran into an old pal of mine from childhood and he let me take a picture with him. He was a little "fuzzy" as well and I'm not referring to that blue fur. I have my sword out because I was using it to push people out of the way who got into our path. Did I mention the lemony-lime concoction?

Sunday- For some reason, we both had headaches when we woke up. Anyway, this was Klingon day! Rob did a super job making me ridges on my forehead with this wax goo and spirit gum. (Yes, ladies, that's right- Rob gives great forehead) Lots of people asked to take my picture. so I guess I wasn't the only one who thought it looked good. This was shopping day for me, I headed to the vendors for trinkets and baubles and T-shirts. Wow! You could get just about anything there. Wish I had brought more money with me! Then on to the pageant!

Okay, I didn't win but like, the Dawn contest, this was SO much fun!! We had celebrity judges but I only really knew two of them, Dwight Schulz from "The A Team" and Alan Ruck from "Ferris Beuller's Day Off." Here are some photos













I'm threatening the audience because they are booing me.



Waiting with the "girls" to go on stage. My belly dance instructor was texting me good luck messages while I waited. Thanks, Jasmine!









(left)Doing my talent portion of the program- a belly dance with daggers.
(right) Some folks we met.

I'm not quite sure what this blue box was (I think I heard someone call it a turd-ass...or was it Tardis?) but I think it had something to do with Rob's religious practice. He came to worship it several times while we were at Dragon Con and seemed to have a kind of nerdgasm whenever near it. He even has pictures of it on his tie. The fact that he invited me to be in a photo with him and this object and even let me get inside made me feel quite special. This doesn't mean that we are married now, does it, Rob?