Tok'ra Tau'ri Summit April 07 Sydney
May. 4th, 2007 07:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbottomsA bit of a report of my weekend in Sydney........
Okay, I thought I’d start this off at the beginning of my weekend, which started on Friday 27th April at 1pm when I knocked off work. I came home and made sure all my stuff was packed and that I had packed the necessities for my son’s stay with my lovely sister.
When all was prepared I had to drive to the local regional airport. You see I live in a rural town called Grafton about 10 hours north (by car) of Sydney. It’s a nice area to raise my son, Andrew.
So I get on my flight and travel the 90mins (how cool!) and I’m met by my friend Debs and her house mate Carol who kindly takes my luggage home while Debs and I go into the city for drinks and dinner. We have a few bourbons and beers at a local trendy spot before trekking downtown to a little Japanese restaurant call Musashi. By the way this was my first adventure into sushi and sashimi. We drank A LOT of Sake and I actually ate eel and raw fish. The scallops weren’t too bad, but I think I liked the Sake best. I could handle the fish but the eel was a little icky.
We next went to a local nightclub and had some more drinks before craving some much needed caffeine and graced the local Starbucks with our presence at which time I discovered I had an admirer – someone who worked with my friend. But he was too shy and I like a take-charge kind of man. LOL!
Anyway we managed to flag a cab down and got back to my friends and chatted for a while until we were practically falling asleep. The next day we just lazed around after waking up about midday. We had a Stargate SG1 season 10 fest because I hadn’t seen all the second half because the eps got taken form you tube (bugger MGM). But why oh why did they cancel the show when it was just getting good again? (bugger SciFi too)
So Sunday comes and we prepare for our day with Carmen Argenziano and Don S Davis and we head off early for the VIP breakfast and do all the signing in and stuff and collect our gifts and plaques. The mounted plaque was of Carmen and Don of course. We all had fun watching 200 again and then we had some trivia and I’m happy to say I won some small prizes – you know some chocolates and pens and a poster. Photo ops were done next and sadly I couldn’t afford to get them. But that’s cool.
Anyway, Carmen came out first and I really didn’t think I would like him for some reason but he was fantastic. He is very articulate and he looked wonderful. I never though he was very attractive as Jacob/Selmak but Carmen himself is a very good looking man in person. Because of his next project – an Arthur Miller play - he has been named King Carmen – it is very fitting I think.
Carmen regaled us with some of his previous acting jobs and his current recurring role on CSI New York. He told us of his close relationship with Amanda and the bond they created on the set. When asked what his favourite acting role was he did say Stargate of course and told us he wasn’t bullshitting.
Oh by the way, I had front row seats.
Carmen also told us of the time they were in Paris for a con. Himself, Don, Teryl and Chris Judge and they were walking down the street late one night to a deli because they just wanted a sandwich and as they were walking they heard someone yell out ‘Monsieur Teal’c, Monsieur Teal’c’ recognising Chris and proceeded to run up to them and then started yelling ‘Jacob Carter, General Hammond, Doctor Frasier’ all excited drawing a crowd and forcing them into a shop.
So after some very intelligent questions from the audience Carmen said they were going to do some improv. Now Carmen is in a very good frame of mind at the moment and one of the reasons he is looking so good and so happy became very apparent to all. You see Carmen currently has a gorgeous young actress at his side, who works with him at the Actor’s Studio, which is now run by the wonderful Martin Landau by the way. Eileen Grubba is beautiful, intelligent, talented and has the most infectious smile and laugh.
Eileen came up for the improv session and they called Don in to join them too and they pretended to be casting for the role of Jacob Carter. Eileen played Sam and Don was a casting director and of course Carmen tried out for Jacob. It was great fun to watch. Then Carmen and Don switched roles. It was absolutely hilarious. I got it on video very sneakily. Naughty Sandy. But unfortunately it didn’t come out too good.
Don is a really nice version of a dirty old man if that makes sense. LMFAO. The innuendo was rampant in the way he spoke but he was very amusing. This went on for a while and he had everyone in stitches. Then they asked for volunteers form the audience to join the improv and that was entertaining as well.
The Carmen said by for now and Don took the stage on his own and he talked and talked and talked and I think we might have got in about six or seven questions. But his stories were wonderful and some very heartwarming. Don told us of the story of him and Ruby who only got married in 2003 and how close he and Teryl are. In fact she calls Don and Ruby Mum and Dad.
Don has a lot of love for RDA too let me tell you. He could not have said anything nicer about the man. He praised Richard for his ability to put people at ease and how wonderful and true to life he made Jack O’Neill in all the ways important. Being a retired officer and veteran, Don was proud to say that Jack would have made a pretty good Air Force Colonel and the Air Force itself did too by awarding RDA a medal in honour of Jack O’Neill. They say it was his ability to always be there for his team and to make things happen knowing he was taking his team into danger but getting the job done and being able to keep up morale even in the worst situations.
Don got all teary eyed telling us how much he loved RDA which got a collective ‘awwww’ and then lightened things up by making a joke that of course it was in a purely platonic way, if you please. LOL! Well he has known the man for lots of years having also worked with him on Macguyver.
Don’s voice and smile filled the room and I swear no one could help but smile back and get drawn into the man himself. Don has a definite charisma to him and he is just a lovely man. He doesn’t think he is a very good actor though and just believes that he was always in the right place at the right time.
His favourite character is Jack O’Neill – no surprise there - and his favourite episode is also the one he most hates. Heroes. He said how hard it was for everyone to do that episode and that unfortunately it was the luck or ‘unluck’ of the draw because the execs wanted to kill of a main character and Teryl drew the short straw. But I move ahead of myself because he told me that at dinner.
Anyway, Carmen came back out and they had Eileen join them again and she did the Actor’s studio version of ‘I’m a little teapot’ sung by Eileen, which became a little ‘blue’ shall we say but very, very good. I wish I had of got that on video. I think that was when Don laid on the stage too. They talked a little more and then got Don to sing it too with prompting by Eileen. Then we all tried real hard to get Carmen to sing and he wouldn’t but we eventually wore him down. He sang ‘You Are My Sunshine’ and it was great. He started out very softly and smoothly while Don and Eileen danced and then all of a sudden sped up and he was soooo good.
After this wonderful performance they said there farewells for the moment and we watched some more shorts – oh I forgot – before Don left he stayed to watch a vid that a fan had put together (Carmen had his as his intro but because Don joined then on stage he really didn’t get his intro that way so it was more of a farewell) but anyway he liked it so much that he asked for a copy.
So then we waited for a while and chatted with some other people all the while taking charge a young fan named Gian Paul. He’d saved money for ages to get a VIP ticket and was so happy to be there. He was fifteen and the cutest little thing. The mother in me had to look out for him. After a bit f a wait we had the autograph session which was included in my VIP ticket and they both signed my plaque and had a quick chat with Don who just doesn’t know how to not talk. LOL! Then we said goodbye for the moment and we’d see them later that night for dinner at the Casino, Star City in Darling Harbour, Sydney.
OMG what an amazing night. There were only sixteen VIP so two table and we left a spot for the guests to join us. Well he had them pretty much for the entire night. When Don came in I smiled at him and said ‘Come on honey I saved you a seat’ and patted the seat beside me. LOLOL. Anyway Don sat and spoke with us through the entrée and main course. I did kind of monopolise him for a while. Bad Sandy! He is just a great man. We talked a little about the military and we did sort of touch on politics a little and he spoke of his wife Ruby and his dogs and how he has cut back on a lot of commitments to try and spend more time with his wife and dogs.
He talked about Teryl again and Heroes. He told us how Teryl is a professionally trained dancer and used to dance for Tom Jones apparently. He told us of their trip to the Moulin Rouge when they were in Paris and when Teryl and Carmen went onto the dance floor that people just made a space for them and not because they were recognised but because of how wonderful they looked dancing. Don was just so open and forthcoming about so many things. He talked about Ruby some more and his dogs. He’s a doll.
So after we had kept Don to ourselves for near on two hours we dragged Carmen over and let the others have some of Don’s time. Eileen joined us as well. Lovely girl. Carmen is just fabulous. He is amazingly attentive and after he asks you your name he remembers it and after speaking with someone he’d turn back to me and ask me a question and say my name. We talked about family and he looked at pictures of my son and talked about his kids. My god he came back again later and I said something off hand about my son and he said, ‘Oh Andrew, right?’ Great man. We talked about a lot of things and had a few drinks. Eileen was great and would tell us lots of things about Carmen and then we’d ask him and he’d just laugh. And we’d laugh back.
After a while the organisers left and we were left with the guys and it was so great. Although the organisers were wonderful. I got some photos with Don and Carmen on my digital and it’s so cool that they did that. They were letting is all get pics with them.
By this time everyone was getting tired, especially Don and Carmen (possibly me too if my eyes are anyting to go by in the picture) and Don had to fly home the next day because is dog wasn’t well. Carmen and Eileen were here for another day. And one of the girls was getting all ‘Fangirl’ and kept asking silly stuff. She’d had a bit too much to drink I think. Gian Paul had said goodnight a little earlier. He had been the only male at our little table besides the actors and by the end if the night he had gotten a picture of each of us with him. What a charmer!
So we said out goodbyes and it was all cuddling and kissing. I think I have a new admiration for older men. LOL! Carmen is wonderful and quite sexy in person and Don is so lovable. And I love Eileen just as much so we did the cuddling and kissing too. Although I didn’t get any photos with her. But hopefully she’ll come up good in the vid.
Next, we made it to the car, fortunately Debs didn’t drink and we drove back to her place, had a cuppa and went to bed. I think it was some time after 1am that I got to bed. I had to get an early flight in the morning and then come home, get changed and go to work for the afternoon shift. I was totally buggered by this stage but it was all worth it.
This was only my second con and by far my favourite. My first was with Tony Amendola, David Nykl and Rachell Lutrell. They were good too but I was fortunate enough this time to get a VIP ticket. We are lucky too that we were bale to attend such an intimate convention and able to spend so much quality time with these guys. I think the only thing that could top this is to meet Michael Shanks or RDA.
Again, Don and Carmen were absolutely fabulous and well worth the money I spent on the ticket and airfare. I hope this wasn’t too boring (my first con report) and I was articulate enough for it to be a decent read.
When all was prepared I had to drive to the local regional airport. You see I live in a rural town called Grafton about 10 hours north (by car) of Sydney. It’s a nice area to raise my son, Andrew.
So I get on my flight and travel the 90mins (how cool!) and I’m met by my friend Debs and her house mate Carol who kindly takes my luggage home while Debs and I go into the city for drinks and dinner. We have a few bourbons and beers at a local trendy spot before trekking downtown to a little Japanese restaurant call Musashi. By the way this was my first adventure into sushi and sashimi. We drank A LOT of Sake and I actually ate eel and raw fish. The scallops weren’t too bad, but I think I liked the Sake best. I could handle the fish but the eel was a little icky.
We next went to a local nightclub and had some more drinks before craving some much needed caffeine and graced the local Starbucks with our presence at which time I discovered I had an admirer – someone who worked with my friend. But he was too shy and I like a take-charge kind of man. LOL!
Anyway we managed to flag a cab down and got back to my friends and chatted for a while until we were practically falling asleep. The next day we just lazed around after waking up about midday. We had a Stargate SG1 season 10 fest because I hadn’t seen all the second half because the eps got taken form you tube (bugger MGM). But why oh why did they cancel the show when it was just getting good again? (bugger SciFi too)
So Sunday comes and we prepare for our day with Carmen Argenziano and Don S Davis and we head off early for the VIP breakfast and do all the signing in and stuff and collect our gifts and plaques. The mounted plaque was of Carmen and Don of course. We all had fun watching 200 again and then we had some trivia and I’m happy to say I won some small prizes – you know some chocolates and pens and a poster. Photo ops were done next and sadly I couldn’t afford to get them. But that’s cool.
Anyway, Carmen came out first and I really didn’t think I would like him for some reason but he was fantastic. He is very articulate and he looked wonderful. I never though he was very attractive as Jacob/Selmak but Carmen himself is a very good looking man in person. Because of his next project – an Arthur Miller play - he has been named King Carmen – it is very fitting I think.
Carmen regaled us with some of his previous acting jobs and his current recurring role on CSI New York. He told us of his close relationship with Amanda and the bond they created on the set. When asked what his favourite acting role was he did say Stargate of course and told us he wasn’t bullshitting.
Oh by the way, I had front row seats.
Carmen also told us of the time they were in Paris for a con. Himself, Don, Teryl and Chris Judge and they were walking down the street late one night to a deli because they just wanted a sandwich and as they were walking they heard someone yell out ‘Monsieur Teal’c, Monsieur Teal’c’ recognising Chris and proceeded to run up to them and then started yelling ‘Jacob Carter, General Hammond, Doctor Frasier’ all excited drawing a crowd and forcing them into a shop.
So after some very intelligent questions from the audience Carmen said they were going to do some improv. Now Carmen is in a very good frame of mind at the moment and one of the reasons he is looking so good and so happy became very apparent to all. You see Carmen currently has a gorgeous young actress at his side, who works with him at the Actor’s Studio, which is now run by the wonderful Martin Landau by the way. Eileen Grubba is beautiful, intelligent, talented and has the most infectious smile and laugh.
Eileen came up for the improv session and they called Don in to join them too and they pretended to be casting for the role of Jacob Carter. Eileen played Sam and Don was a casting director and of course Carmen tried out for Jacob. It was great fun to watch. Then Carmen and Don switched roles. It was absolutely hilarious. I got it on video very sneakily. Naughty Sandy. But unfortunately it didn’t come out too good.
Don is a really nice version of a dirty old man if that makes sense. LMFAO. The innuendo was rampant in the way he spoke but he was very amusing. This went on for a while and he had everyone in stitches. Then they asked for volunteers form the audience to join the improv and that was entertaining as well.
The Carmen said by for now and Don took the stage on his own and he talked and talked and talked and I think we might have got in about six or seven questions. But his stories were wonderful and some very heartwarming. Don told us of the story of him and Ruby who only got married in 2003 and how close he and Teryl are. In fact she calls Don and Ruby Mum and Dad.
Don has a lot of love for RDA too let me tell you. He could not have said anything nicer about the man. He praised Richard for his ability to put people at ease and how wonderful and true to life he made Jack O’Neill in all the ways important. Being a retired officer and veteran, Don was proud to say that Jack would have made a pretty good Air Force Colonel and the Air Force itself did too by awarding RDA a medal in honour of Jack O’Neill. They say it was his ability to always be there for his team and to make things happen knowing he was taking his team into danger but getting the job done and being able to keep up morale even in the worst situations.
Don got all teary eyed telling us how much he loved RDA which got a collective ‘awwww’ and then lightened things up by making a joke that of course it was in a purely platonic way, if you please. LOL! Well he has known the man for lots of years having also worked with him on Macguyver.
Don’s voice and smile filled the room and I swear no one could help but smile back and get drawn into the man himself. Don has a definite charisma to him and he is just a lovely man. He doesn’t think he is a very good actor though and just believes that he was always in the right place at the right time.
His favourite character is Jack O’Neill – no surprise there - and his favourite episode is also the one he most hates. Heroes. He said how hard it was for everyone to do that episode and that unfortunately it was the luck or ‘unluck’ of the draw because the execs wanted to kill of a main character and Teryl drew the short straw. But I move ahead of myself because he told me that at dinner.
Anyway, Carmen came back out and they had Eileen join them again and she did the Actor’s studio version of ‘I’m a little teapot’ sung by Eileen, which became a little ‘blue’ shall we say but very, very good. I wish I had of got that on video. I think that was when Don laid on the stage too. They talked a little more and then got Don to sing it too with prompting by Eileen. Then we all tried real hard to get Carmen to sing and he wouldn’t but we eventually wore him down. He sang ‘You Are My Sunshine’ and it was great. He started out very softly and smoothly while Don and Eileen danced and then all of a sudden sped up and he was soooo good.
After this wonderful performance they said there farewells for the moment and we watched some more shorts – oh I forgot – before Don left he stayed to watch a vid that a fan had put together (Carmen had his as his intro but because Don joined then on stage he really didn’t get his intro that way so it was more of a farewell) but anyway he liked it so much that he asked for a copy.
So then we waited for a while and chatted with some other people all the while taking charge a young fan named Gian Paul. He’d saved money for ages to get a VIP ticket and was so happy to be there. He was fifteen and the cutest little thing. The mother in me had to look out for him. After a bit f a wait we had the autograph session which was included in my VIP ticket and they both signed my plaque and had a quick chat with Don who just doesn’t know how to not talk. LOL! Then we said goodbye for the moment and we’d see them later that night for dinner at the Casino, Star City in Darling Harbour, Sydney.
OMG what an amazing night. There were only sixteen VIP so two table and we left a spot for the guests to join us. Well he had them pretty much for the entire night. When Don came in I smiled at him and said ‘Come on honey I saved you a seat’ and patted the seat beside me. LOLOL. Anyway Don sat and spoke with us through the entrée and main course. I did kind of monopolise him for a while. Bad Sandy! He is just a great man. We talked a little about the military and we did sort of touch on politics a little and he spoke of his wife Ruby and his dogs and how he has cut back on a lot of commitments to try and spend more time with his wife and dogs.
He talked about Teryl again and Heroes. He told us how Teryl is a professionally trained dancer and used to dance for Tom Jones apparently. He told us of their trip to the Moulin Rouge when they were in Paris and when Teryl and Carmen went onto the dance floor that people just made a space for them and not because they were recognised but because of how wonderful they looked dancing. Don was just so open and forthcoming about so many things. He talked about Ruby some more and his dogs. He’s a doll.
So after we had kept Don to ourselves for near on two hours we dragged Carmen over and let the others have some of Don’s time. Eileen joined us as well. Lovely girl. Carmen is just fabulous. He is amazingly attentive and after he asks you your name he remembers it and after speaking with someone he’d turn back to me and ask me a question and say my name. We talked about family and he looked at pictures of my son and talked about his kids. My god he came back again later and I said something off hand about my son and he said, ‘Oh Andrew, right?’ Great man. We talked about a lot of things and had a few drinks. Eileen was great and would tell us lots of things about Carmen and then we’d ask him and he’d just laugh. And we’d laugh back.
After a while the organisers left and we were left with the guys and it was so great. Although the organisers were wonderful. I got some photos with Don and Carmen on my digital and it’s so cool that they did that. They were letting is all get pics with them.
By this time everyone was getting tired, especially Don and Carmen (possibly me too if my eyes are anyting to go by in the picture) and Don had to fly home the next day because is dog wasn’t well. Carmen and Eileen were here for another day. And one of the girls was getting all ‘Fangirl’ and kept asking silly stuff. She’d had a bit too much to drink I think. Gian Paul had said goodnight a little earlier. He had been the only male at our little table besides the actors and by the end if the night he had gotten a picture of each of us with him. What a charmer!
So we said out goodbyes and it was all cuddling and kissing. I think I have a new admiration for older men. LOL! Carmen is wonderful and quite sexy in person and Don is so lovable. And I love Eileen just as much so we did the cuddling and kissing too. Although I didn’t get any photos with her. But hopefully she’ll come up good in the vid.
Next, we made it to the car, fortunately Debs didn’t drink and we drove back to her place, had a cuppa and went to bed. I think it was some time after 1am that I got to bed. I had to get an early flight in the morning and then come home, get changed and go to work for the afternoon shift. I was totally buggered by this stage but it was all worth it.
This was only my second con and by far my favourite. My first was with Tony Amendola, David Nykl and Rachell Lutrell. They were good too but I was fortunate enough this time to get a VIP ticket. We are lucky too that we were bale to attend such an intimate convention and able to spend so much quality time with these guys. I think the only thing that could top this is to meet Michael Shanks or RDA.
Again, Don and Carmen were absolutely fabulous and well worth the money I spent on the ticket and airfare. I hope this wasn’t too boring (my first con report) and I was articulate enough for it to be a decent read.
