GLEE Live, May 28, 2011 - Staples Center, Los Angeles

Hello!! It's not often that I'm able to post on things not related to Twilight...so, I figured, heck why not? Let's go ahead and add something on another one of my obsessions...GLEE!  It is a FANTISTICAL show!!!  I was hooked at the pilot episode aired...and have been enomored with it ever since.  Then one day...I get an email from American Express letting me know that I have an opportunity to pre-order tickets for the Glee concert! And then I forgot...of course.  THEN I remembered and asked my compadres if they wanted to go to the show and I was on the hunt for tickets :)  Thankfully, I found some...but they were in a WEIRD location...side stage in the Premier Level.  We decided to take a risk...we figured, whatever, there will be screens and we're just there to support the show and listen to the music :)

Well...the seats ended up being pretty darn good! Click on any of the pictures to see a larger view :)

Now...if you've ever read my blog before, you know that I have a love/hate relationship with my camera; love the kick-butt zoom...hate manual mode! But out of the over 200 pictures I took, these were the best :)  Unfortunately, my brain needed to move the details of the show out of my head to make room for more information so I don't remember the specifics about the show...but I will caption what I can :)  enjoy!

It is VERY difficult to focus in on 1 person when there are upwards of 15 people on stage at any given moment...LOL!!

Gosh darn that Finn...didn't face our direction enough!!

Costume change!! Almost every member was showcased in some way...so here's Brittany S. Pierce paying homage to her hero...

We got to see a little drummin' action from Finn :)

Then Mercedes popped up on the mini-stage across the arena

 

Costume change again :) This time they wore their "statement" shirts :D LOVE THEM!



Well lookey who we have here!  Blaine "Warbler"! :D

Wardrobe change! This time they came out lookin' like they were doing the show :)

Kurt & Rachel were doing a duet on the mini-stage across the arena...so they decided to get their sway on and goof off :)



Then it was time for Sam & Quinn to do "Lucky"



One of the funniest moments is when Brittany started hitting on Blaine...

Kurt was not too thrilled...



After he shooed Brittany away...he proposed that Blaine join the New Directions :D



Encore time! Quick change...Kurt ran to the mini-stage and did his "Single Ladies" routine!!

Then the boys came out and did "Friday"...who'd have thunk that Rebecca Black would make the Glee Live show??!



Final change and final songs...you'll notice that Blaine "Warbler" did end up joining New Directions after all!

Why ya crying Mercedes? Is it cuz Mike is yelling at ya? ;)



And there ya have it :D I had a blast...and yes, I love my camera...

Comic Con 2011 - Tips for the newbie!!

Hello Everyone!!

Wow, it's been a LONG time since I posted on my lil blogaroo...but I felt the need to impart some Twi-wisdom for the Comic Con newbie...especially when Twilight is involved.  So here 'goes!!

You may be wondering...who is this gal and what makes her qualified to share info?  Well, I'm me...and I went to Comic Con 2009 for New Moon and WOW it was an experience.  I'd read some postings on general CC experiences, but nothing from the Twi perspective...which is what I feel is my duty as a bonafied Twi-fan to help you out on  your journey into the unknown...

Q: What the heck is the difference between passes with Preview Night and day passes?

A:  In short...if you are lucky enough to have Preview Night passes then you have a PRETTY good shot at being in Hall H (presumably) for the Breaking Dawn panel.  Basically, those with preview passes will be able to get their badges/credentials on Wednesday night which means they can start the line for Hall H the day of the Breaking Dawn panel VERY VERY early.  Here's my tip...if you have a day-pass...get to the line for credentials AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE so that you can immediately run for the inevitable line for Hall H that's on the opposite end of the convention center.  Then RUN, yes RUN to the Hall H line (if you're lucky, have friends who already have their badges save you a place in line!) 

Q: What should I expect while I'm in line?

A:  What's that saying that the boy/girl scouts have? That's right..BE PREPARED! You're going to want to at least bring a blanket to sit on...I would not recommend bringing out an entire arsenal of camping gear for the line unless you are parked close or don't mind the trek back to the car before they let you into Hall H.  You'll definitely have a hard time breaking down a bunch of chairs and stuff before the line rushes in once the doors open!  Be sure to remember the essentials...drinks/snacks and reading materials!  You're going to be there for A LONG TIME.  Oh, you may also want to bring air freshener since you may have to use the lovely porto-potties.  An unfortunate side-effect to waiting in line will be the general and outwardly open discussion about how Twilight has ruined comic-con...and the hostility that may come with it.  I thanked my lucky stars that I did not have any Twi-gear on because everyone around me was UPSET that Twilight people had taken over the con; mostly they're upset that due to us, they wouldn't make it into Hall H to see the other panels.  If you're lucky, you'll find other Twi-fans in line and just grow a thick skin to the inevitable comments that will be said throughout the day.


No running? Fine...BRISKLY WALK to the closest seats to the stage!

Q: What happens when the doors open for Hall H?
A:  You will most likely feel the need to run...I don't recommend it...however, you may need to walk briskly through the sets of doors to get into the hall and find a seat as close as possible to the stage.  They'll try to lure you with food...IGNORE IT until you have your seat! 

Q: Can I bring a camera?
A:  Yep!! it's a fan convention after all!  But here's some advice...make sure your batteries are charged/new, know your camera's settings for low-light situations, have it ready at ALL times, and if you're brave enough to film video while they show clips of the upcoming film be sure to hide your camera well because if someone sees you filming...you may have to deal with the comic-con-thorities ;)

Here are a few pictures that we took with my Canon S1X IS (which is 1 step above a normal, point & shoot digital camera and 1 step below a Digital SLR)  Keep in mind that we used no flash (you MUST have a steady hand and take a lot of pictures...you'll end up with some blurry shots but you may be lucky to land a few good ones), low ISO and high shutter speed.

If you're sitting far from the stage and your zoom isn't that good there's ALWAYS the option to take pictures of the many screens they  have throughout the hall.

Q: Am I stuck in the seats that I find when I get into the hall?

A: NEVER! Always be on the look-out for seats that will inevitably open up as the day progresses!  More than likely, the Breaking Dawn panel won't be til later in the day...so as regular comic-connies leave the hall, quickly gather your things and move up.  You'll want to be as close to the stage as possible to breathe in that Twi-cast air ;)  of course, it'll also help out with any picture/video taking you plan on doing.

Q: What's the best way to talk to the cast?

A:  Get into the question line for the Breaking Dawn panel early! Oh and also make sure you have multiple questions...because odds are your question will be asked before you make it up the mic. 

Q: Is there anything else I'll want to do while I'm there?

A:  Yes...enjoy yourself and check out the schedule for the day!  You may find another panel that you'd like to sit in on...autograph sessions, booths in the general area are great to check out, people watching (there are some INTERESTING costumes that roam those halls).  But also be prepared to see some pretty high-powered Hollywood types there! Throughout the years, Comic Con has grown from the little comic book convention to the Hollywood red-carpet events!  Don't be surprised if your panel includes a majority of the stars...in fact, for us we had quite the surprise when producer Tim Burton brought his "little friend" out while he showed us never before seen scenes from Alice in Wonderland...

So always...ALWAYS have your camera out and be prepared for anything!

One other word of advice...watch out for Summit announcements about screenings!  A little bit before comic con, Summit announced that they rented out a movie theater and would show Twilight for all of the fans. Of course, as you know, they included a BUNCH of cast members including the Twi-fecta!!  This is the BEST opportunity you'll have to see them all, up close and personal :) again, have your camera ready and know your low-light settings...unfortunately I didn't do too well with the pictures but a few came out pretty good :)

Well...there ya have it!  Those are the little pearls of wisdom that I can impart for you, the comic con newbie!  Have fun, take lots of pictures and tweet tweet tweet all your updates! If you're going, lemme know...I'd love to RT ya throughout the day!

Team Robvierlielan...

Sure, Sure...I'm a Team robsessedward kinda gal...Robert Pattinson & Edward Cullen will always be #1 for me.

However, I have to admit...in recent months, I've needed to create a whole new team so that I can reflect my levels of obsession to the most precise degree...

Introducing, Team Robvierlielan!! Rob = well duh...vier = Xavier...lie = Charlie and lan = Kellan.  It's like the Super Hottie Team! ;)

I even made a banner...how pathetic, right? whatever ;) It was fun...AND I used the pictures that I took at the Eclipse Black Carpet, one of the highlights of 2010 :)

So? Whatcha think? Are you too a member of Team Robvierlielan? or possibly another combination team? If so, lemme know! Drop a comment with your invented team name, it'll be interesting to see what everyone comes up with!

A personal, comical yet expected missed Robportunity...take 1

I've been reading lots of blogs lately...not surprisingly, blogs having to do with Robert Pattinson. Coincidentally, many of these blogs are run by fans who have been lucky enough to meet him in various locations; whether it be "the right place at the right time" or "sure, I sat outside the set for 9 hours in the freezing cold" or "twitter told me to do it", they are all part of a highly desirable group called "the freaking luckiest people on the planet"...well, that's what I call them anyway.

In case you're wondering...I'm NOT one of those lucky people. I am merely a person with a kick-ass camera who came close to "meeting him" on the Twilight Saga: Eclipse Black Carpet. See that picture up there? I took it. Was I anywhere near him when I took it? No, not really...thus, the shout-out to the kick-ass camera. It gives the illusion that he was mere inches away from me, when in reality, for this picture, he was feet...ok, more like tens of feet away (it pains me to admit it; I prefer to live in the world of make-believe).

In order to counterbalance the lucky with the unfortunate...I decided that I would give you my accounts of Missed Robportunities because 1) they're pretty damn funny and 2) those of you who have not met Rob can commiserate with me. See? I provide levity! And you'll get a couple of installments, because yes, I'm that unlucky!

Let's jump into my personal time machine to May of 2009...location: Vancouver.

::queue time travel music::

Before we continue, let's take a moment to establish the cast of players: Romy - the twi-hard, Peter - the twi-hard's husband, Susan - the twi-hard's friend, and Cris - the twi-hard's friend and Susan's husband. They are ALL aware of my Twilight/Team Robsessedward obsession...Susan's even read the books.

Now let's continue...

Many of you will remember that Vancouver in May of 2009 may as well have been known as "Vamp City" because Eclipse was deep into production. We were there, not for Eclipse, but on a mini-vacation before a cruise to Alaska (of course, being the diligent twi-fan that I am...did my homework and found out as much as possible to hopefully spot a vamp here or there, I'd even be happy with a wolf). It didn't take long for me to find their frequented establishments...and lucky for me, one in particular was within walking distance to our hotel on Robson - one that I thought for sure would give me the highest possible odds at catching a glimpse of Rob...because, the boy's gotta eat, right?

That's right...the one restaurant that Rob was almost always spotted at was Glowbal in Yaletown (don't hate me for "giving" this away...come on, it was posted EVERYWHERE). Being ever-so-sneaky...I forwarded the menu to my travel companions and tempted them with Glowbal's tantalizing dishes and drinks, with no mention of Rob whatsoever (they didn't need to know my ulterior motives...muahahahah).

One beautiful evening in Vancouver, we sat down to try to figure out where to eat. I suggested Glowbal...and much to my delight, they agreed. Sometime during our trip, I fessed up and mentioned that I wanted to eat there because a certain sparkly vamp likes it. Maybe they took pity on me...or just wanted to shut me up ;) We arrived...were seated on the outside patio and started going over the menu. I looked around...nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary; well, unless you count the 2 Twilight fans who kept walking back and forth sporting Twilight shirts, bags, and books (here's a tip: if you want to meet them, try to blend in and look normal...or at least stalk while you're eating at the restaurant like me ::giggle::).

The waiter (who was particularly dishy) came to take our order...that's when I heard Susan say, "ask him", to which I quickly replied "ummm, no that's ok" to which the waiter replied, "it's ok...ask me". LOL! Obviously he knew what/who we were talking about...although he may have been surprised that "mature" fans (not a tween, not a Twi-mom...in the Twi-between) were inquiring about the actor. I looked up at him while he told us that Rob wasn't there that night...he usually shows up on the weekends or after late-night shoots; but of course, he told me what Rob's favorite meal was (truffled spaghetti with kobe meatballs). I quickly replied, "oh really?" in my most convincing tone (because, of course, I already knew that). We ordered our food, me trying the Pattinson special...ate and enjoyed the evening.

It was 9:30pm and time to go...Susan had an obsession with bananas. This obsession would prove to be my ultimate downfall.

We left the restaurant and made the trek to a mini-mart on Robson that we thought closed at 10:00 (once there, we found out it actually closed at 11:00). We bought breakfast goodies for our room and made our merry ways back to the hotel. I had just joined the twitterverse and knew that it had powers...powers to tell me where Rob Pattinson may be...and the computer was calling me. I left my group, bought time on the house computer and twitted away. Nothing in my regular feeds, so I did a search on Robert Pattinson, which usually results in a smattering of pictures from the set to "how to look more like the man you're girlfriend really wants". And that's when I saw it. The words that would haunt me forever...

"Rob Pattinson is at Glowbal!" posted at 10pm.

...it was 10:45...we left the restaurant at 9:30...

I had missed Robert Pattinson by 30 minutes...because of bananas. ...bananas.

I RAN back to the room...hoping to find my group still awake and ready to out. I was quickly disappointed when 1/2 the group had already gone to sleep. I blurted to my husband that Rob was at the restaurant, hoping he'd go with me (WTF was I thinking?!) but of course, he didn't want to go but told me to go if I wanted to (oh yeah right, like I'd go alone!). So, I went to sleep...devastated...and hating those damned bananas.

Woke up the next morning. Saw Susan and told her the late-night events while she sat at breakfast and exclaimed, "why didn't you wake me up?!" to which I quickly replied "there was NO WAY I was going to wake you up to go to the restaurant!". And I swear...that's when she said, "you totally could have" as she took a bite from her banana...that damn banana (that's how it played out in my head anyway).

So, there you have it...my first missed Robportunity. The moral of the story is...don't let your friends drive you bananas ;)

Adventures of Pocket Edward - Nevada trip

Wow, has it been a long time since I ventured out of the pocket or what??! Yes, there have been opportunities for me to make appearances but for some odd reason...people tend to look at me funny...and those who take my pictures! So, I find myself in the pocket/purse too often...maybe those who take pictures of me shouldn't care what others think?! I'll have to pass that info on ;)

Well, the owner of my pocket/purse had a birthday in Vegas over the 4th of July weekend and I got to go! I didn't get to have any fun with the slot machines because security kept yelling at my pocket/purse owner for taking pictures...but, I did have fun at other places!

It all started at The Mad Greek Cafe in Baker, CA. This place has been showcased on The Food Network by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives (yes, it's all 3 of those) but don't let the tacky decor fool ya! They have THE BEST gyros around!!

::sigh:: no mountain lion here...only lamb gyros

Then it was off to Vegas where I spent most of my time in a back-pack...but I did get to play at the Valley of Fire Nevada State Park! It was hotter than hell and I'm sure I'd have sparkled a lot of my manufacturer had included embedded glitter ;)

It's like playing Where's Waldo...

As you may have guessed...the Valley of Fire has some really cool RED rocks in it! I got to hide in lots of cool places (cool because seriously, I would've melted in the Nevada desert heat!).

Here I am! Lookin' all stealthy in this cave meant just for me!

I was pleasantly surprised when other people (not just my pocket/purse owner) started posing me in interesting situations...

Better hold on tight, spider monkey... ::giggle:: I've always wanted to say that

I dunno about you...but I'm feeling pretty bad-ass right now...

There's this pretty cool rock formation called Elephant Rock...and I felt strangely compelled to bring it water. I'm not quite sure why...something kept telling me that I had to bring water for the elephant ;)

Whoa, this elephant is looking a bit parched...I may be too late.

The sun was too unbearable for my pocket/purse owner...one could only tromp around in the desert wearing jeans and slippers in 105 degrees for only so long (yes...I'm serious, jeans...in the desert). We headed to Overton, NV and found a McDonalds with a RedBox in front of it. Lo and behold, I saw this rather devilishly handsome man on the cover of a DVD...

This just didn't feel right...my heart belongs to Bella. This Tyler guy can have this one.

The trip was over...time to head back to California with less money in our pockets (well, not my pocket anyway) but not before we stopped at Bob's Big Boy in Baker, CA.

Dude, there's NO WAY you're fitting in to ANYBODY'S pocket...

I'm not big...I'm pocket sized!

Whoa...maybe I partied too hard in Vegas after all?!

Someone really should try to do something with your hair...

I look like a birthday candle on top of this gigantic burger!

That was my 4th of July adventure! Nothing too fancy...just a few shots to remind you all that I exist :) Catch ya the next time I'm let out of the pocket!