Happy Birthday, Helen!!! (Oct 22)

[Marie]

Ken's pickup truck really offsets the good Prius mileage!

[LadySekhmet]

Well...at least I'm less than a month late...

Happy Birthday, Helen!! I hope it was a good one!!

I'm sorry I missed it. I've been trying to finish up a project and somehow I seemed to have leapt from August to November.

[thunder]

Nice to see you back, LadyS. Hope the project went well

[Helen8]

Thanks, LS. Not to worry. I can take it. I'm usually the "belated" one with my birthday wishes.

[LadySekhmet]

My NY resolution is to be better connected this year. Last year I felt like I was running from pillar to post.

Yes, thunder - well, my project was submitted. I will let you know if it comes to anything. lol.

[Helen8]

LS, do try to stay connected. I, for one, enjoy reading about your occupational exploits: The OE.

[LadySekhmet]

heeheh... thanks! I can share OE (hehehe! what a great phrase), but I don't want to go overboard and become annoying. I just messaged a fellow LG re something about Egypt, and I sent her the link to a movie review I did for an ancient history blog last March (yikes! a year! where did the time go??). If anyone is interested, I can send you the link via PM. (or put it under members only?). Sadly last year was mostly taken up by conferences, a semester adjuncting, submitting a copy of my dissertation manuscript into the great black void of academic peer review for potential publication (where did it go?? Is no news truly good news? Or did they just forget about me?), and hopefully, something that I'm excited about - but that I don't want to talk about until I actually see it in black & white (just in case it goes sideways...). Oh, embarassing myself with a person of the opposite sex (yay, me!) and sometimes falling asleep on the couch. hahaha!

Oohh...and I know you'll appreciate this, Helen. I saw Hiddles in person (literally 5 to 6 feet away from me!) at Wizard World Philly in June. He was walking. He's so tall and lovely. (oh, and Chris Hemsworth - he was nice, but - Hiddles was fantastic!!) Sweet Loki, Helen, he is .... no words. I couldn't help it. I squeaked. Then I smiled. Then I waved (but only a teeny wave). Like an idiot. My friend laughed at me. Thankfully, I was only one in a sea of females, so I didn't embarrass myself. He did look very tired and very done with having to sign things and take photos. I think that WW ran him ragged, but from what I heard, he was fabulous and stayed in the evening to make sure everyone who paid for autographs and pix got them.

[Helen8]

I am so green with envy, LS. Lucky you. Did you have the presence of mind to take a pic(s)?? PM me if you did.

he was fabulous and stayed in the evening to make sure everyone who paid for autographs and pix got them.

Actors who play villains are the nicest!! Thanks, LS!

[LadySekhmet]

Sadly, I did not take any pix of him. I could have - as we were all just waiting for him to appear. It just felt weird, and I wanted to see him without having my phone out like a creeper. lol. Besides, he looked tired. He gave us all a wonderful smile and a nod, but he was on his way from the autograph booth to the photo booths. I think it had been a very long day as it was almost 4pm when I saw him, and from what I heard, he stayed until 9 or 9:30 (well, after the con ended that day) to sign autographs.

I did *not* pay the $500 for the photo/autograph meetings. It was a little out of my budget (aside being crazy expensive!), plus was saving $ to go to Ireland for friend's wedding later in the summer.

I feel like a bad fangirl. First, I had a chance to go hover outside at the red carpet sidelines at the 2014 Olivier Awards, while I was in London for a conference, but I chickened out. And then this - I didn't buy the $500 ticket nor did I take a photo. Clearly, I'm falling down on the fan girl job. lol.

[Helen8]

Sometimes, it's just enough to be in their presence. Oh, who am I tryin' ta kid.

LS, the memory of it will live with you. Don't beat yourself up about it.