Thanks to Candi Santora for her pictures & her report! Gatecon 2008

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Waking up at 7am to a cloudy sky and temperatures in the lower 50’s, my mom and I got dressed and headed out for breakfast at McDonald’s down Burrard St. I had Cinnamon Melts with 1% milk and my mom had and Egg McMuffin with tea. After we were done eating, we returned to the hotel and grabbed our badges and cameras from our room and hurried down to the lower level. It was around 9:30am when we got to the first Q&A panel that had Andee, Dan Payne, Corin and Cliff. They were hilarious! I loved it. It was a great start to a beautiful day.

Immediately after them was RDA’s Q&A panel in relation to SG-1. He had us laughing the whole way through with his sarcasm, jokes and stories. He’s a really a remarkable person with a great sense of humor and a sweet kindness. At about the middle of his panel, we noticed Garry show up and hang by the doors to watch for a while. We were on the other side of the ballroom, though, so we couldn’t flag him down. Near the end of Richard’s panel, Michael Greenburg, who Garry had introduced me to the night before, showed up on stage with RDA and carried on a little while he had something to tell him as well. At the very end of his panel, Dan Shea showed up and pulled a few great jokes and stories with him, like when he and Richard were playing ice hockey and Dan whacked the puck right into RDA’s skates which caused him to fall down face forward and blow out his knees. Ouch!

When it was over, almost everyone cleared out for the ten minute break, so we decided to set out in search of Garry for a good morning greeting. When we had checked the new itinerary they had posted in the lobby on the 3rd floor, it didn’t have Garry’s name anywhere for the day so we had no idea what was going on with him; he was originally scheduled in a Q&A panel. Since we couldn’t find him anywhere, I gave him a ring on his cell phone and he picked up saying he was getting ready for the Q&A. Evidently he had been “backstage” in the main ballroom where we had just left. So we booked it back downstairs and sat down right when they were about to begin. This was a huge panel! It had Dan Shea, Dean Haglund, Garry Chalk, Gary Jones, Dan Payne, Alex and Garwin. What a spectacular time it was with all of them up there. They were all funny and all so nice. Everyone’s stories were great. When it ended, we looked for Garry again but didn’t find him until we were waiting for the elevator. My mom had spotted him just outside, so I walked out and met up with him just to see what was going on. He said he was going to get lunch, and after that he had photo sessions to do. In the mean time, my mom and I figured we’d get some things done that we needed to do.

We picked up our photos with the other guests that were taken on Friday and had a couple autographed for another $15 each. I was only able to get Corin at the time. I also went to the Legends dealer room to pick up Captain Watson’s book “Seal Wars” and asked him to autograph it. He was very nice. One of the SSCS crew members inquired how I knew about the SSCS and I told him I had stumbled upon on it on RDA’s website and also through Facebook. And we went on about where I was from and if I had seen the documentary yesterday. Then we took our things back to our room and came back down for RDA’s photo session. While in line, I spoke with a nice gentleman from the area and we talked about Stargate, the cancellation of Atlantis, the banquet since he wasn’t there, and where I was from. Richard’s photo session got off to a great start. He was so kind and nice to everyone, even the babies and toddlers; that was so cute! When it was my turn with him, I was about ready to pose when he had to adjust his pants or shirt or something. I backed away and laughed and patiently waited until he was done fussing around.

 

After the photo was taken, I shook his hand and told him, “By the way, my brother, whose name is also Richard, wanted me to tell you he said hi.” RDA was pleased and smiled, “Thank you. Where is he?” I shrugged and said, “Not here! He’s probably at home playing video games.” I laughed. “He’s a big fan of yours, though,” I added. And RDA joked, “He isn’t such a big fan if he isn’t here.” I laughed and thanked him for the photo and he thanked me for coming. My mom was after me, so I waited for her. Since Garry’s session was still going on, we decided to go for some ice cream for lunch. We headed down Burrad St and stopped at Darryl’s Coffee Shop and Native Art. Everyone there was so nice! We got big bowls of vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup and sat by the window to watch the people go by on the street as we ate. It was really good ice cream! We left and came back to the hotel and got Cliff to sign our photos with him. Afterward, we sat down in the lobby on the 3rd floor and waited for Garry to finish his photos, which was probably about an hour. In that time, we picked up our photos with RDA as well.


I called my brother to let him know that I had met RDA and told him everything we talked about with my brother wanting me to tell him he said hi. While I was on the phone, my mom had caught Garry exiting the photo session room and had him come over. “I’m on the phone with my brother,” I told Garry. And he leaned into my cell phone and my face and said, “Hello there in Pennsylvania.” My brother said, “Hey!” And then Garry had to run off for a moment for something. So I told him other stuff that had been going on and asked him what he was up to. He and some peeps were at a birthday party for his friend’s son, so that was cool. At least everyone back home was a having a good time too. Garry came back and couldn’t believe I was still on the phone. I just laughed and told my brother we had to get going soon and Garry said into my phone how much the call was costing me and for roaming charges. My brother laughed and knew what he meant.

Once we hung up, my mom and I escorted Garry downstairs and outside. We sat on a bench in front of the hotel near the fountains. Garry had his camera on him, that he jokingly referenced was his phaser because of the way it looked, and said he wanted a photo of my mom and I together, so he took a nice photo. He asked if we had been to Stanley Park yet, and I answered embarrassingly, “No, not yet.” He had been pushing us to see it ever since Wednesday. “Okay, then let’s go. It’s only five minutes away.” Okay! So we hopped into his car and drove off to the park. It was really beautiful and huge! He gave us a tour around the place and then suggested he take us up a mountain for a view overlooking the entire Vancouver area. We ended up stopping at a couple views instead, and they were all simply breathtaking. And quiet. You didn’t hear any birds or crickets or insects. I absolutely loved the scenery and was so appreciative of Garry taking the time to show us around more even though we were under a time constraint. He took us all the way up to the ski slopes where they’re going to hold the 2010 Winter Olympics and we caught a Bald Eagle swooping around in the tall grass up a hill. Being my favorite bird of prey, it was so awesome to see my first wild encounter with one while with my mom and Garry. It was priceless for me. But those slopes are deathly steep! We turned around and headed back down the mountain to another place with another spectacular view where many trees had been blown over by the harsh windstorms. Passing an ice cream parlor, I said, “All right, ice cream!” And Garry asked, “Do you want to get some?” And I answered, “Oh no. We had some earlier for lunch at Darryl’s Coffee Shop down on Burrard Street.” “Oh, okay. I know the place,” he said. I think it put him in the mood for ice cream, though. Walking down a path, we bumped into a family of wild raccoons. They were so cute! Garry and I whipped out our cameras and started taking photos.

Then we walked a little more and Garry took more photos of my mom and me with his camera and then we took turns taking photos of him with my camera. We headed back up and bumped into the raccoons again, taking more photos of them, and continued walking until Garry wanted to stop to buy an ice cream cone before we left. If we hadn’t had some ice cream earlier, we’d have joined him with the snack but we declined and went back to his car. It was starting to get late now and he needed to get back to the hotel to help with the auction that began at 6pm. Once we parked next to the Sheraton Wall Center, we hugged and kissed before breaking off from Garry, and went to our hotel room to grab stuff, drop off my camera since most of the memory card was full, and come back down to the grand ballroom. Garry showed up not long after and was a riot with the microphone. He was really into being the auctioneer and I could tell he was having a blast with it. The other actors that were there to help auction stuff to raise money for the SSCS were Richard, Captain Watson, Dan Payne, Corin, Alex, “Anubis,” Gavin, and surprise guest Tom McBeath.

 

Totally awesome! I was really hoping he’d show up some time during the convention. It was hilarious how they all teased each other, especially when Dan Payne or Richard picked on Michael Shanks who wasn’t even there to defend to his self. Ha ha! And Garry got yelled at by Richard for speaking too loudly into the microphone. Really, he doesn’t even need one because he knows how to project his voice, but he was just having fun rattling off the numbers and encouraging people to bid higher. In the end, we all raised over $30,000! A pretty impressive number, one that Richard was almost in tears over. I couldn’t believe the money people spent on some of the items. I think the highest was $4,000. Unbelievable! But it was for a great cause. After the auction, I was able to get photos with Tom, Captain Watson and Dan Payne while Garry hung out and got photos with other fans. We went up a level to the elevators and while we were waiting for one, Garry caught up to us and said he’d be up in a minute; that later turned out to be some other fundraising he was doing but we weren’t aware of it. I asked him if he had auctioneered before and he said yes and he always loves doing it. I told him I could tell and that he was great at it.

My mom and I went up to our room and got ready for dinner since we were starving. We headed down to the Denny’s on Burrard St. I had the Club Sandwich with French fries and a Coke. After dinner, we strolled back to the Sheraton and found Garry mingling with some people from the convention at the Bar One in the lobby. I couldn’t believe he was still there. While Mom went up to the room to get ready for bed, I hung out and waited to see what Garry might be up to since it was only around 10pm. When he was done gabbing with Alex and some other people, he gave me a big hug and asked where my Mom was. I said she had gone up to the room to call it a night and that we had already gone to dinner. He said he was beat and just wanted to go home to bed as well. He explained that he was still there because after the auction he had done more fundraising with some of the guys. I didn’t know that. Garry told me he’d bring one of his watercolor paintings for tomorrow, and I was very surprised. I said he really didn’t have to if he didn’t want to but I was pretty excited about it. I thanked him and told him how sweet he was while we hugged and kissed cheeks. Then we parted ways and I told him to drive safely and to get off of his bad leg. So no nothing else went on but everything he did for us today was far more worth it. I came to the hotel room and got ready for bed. Tomorrow will be just as fun for sure except that it’ll be the last day.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

One more fabulous day! Our morning began with an overcast and rain, so my mom and I figured we’d eat at the hotel’s café for breakfast despite how ridiculously expensive it was. I got the Continental Buffet and picked out cold cereal with milk and a croissant. When we were done, we immediately headed down to the grand ballroom for one of the Q&A panels. This one had Colin, Corin, Dean and Gary Jones. It was just as funny as yesterday. The panel that quickly followed that one was with Cliff, Gavin, Andee and Steve. Again, more jokes and great stories that I simply can’t remember. Then it was time for a 30 minute break so we walked about a little and checked out some stuff before we came back for RDA’s MacGyver Q&A panel. It was the last one before the convention’s closing ceremony so no one would be missing it. Right when we sat down, I noticed Garry walk in from the other side. I got up and walked over to him since it kind of looked like he was starting to look for someone when he began walking in front of the stage. I said good morning and we hugged, and he told me that he had a painting for me. I argued with him about him criticizing his artwork too harshly. I was so excited to see it but he didn’t have it on him right then, probably because he wasn’t sure if he’d find us right away. Then we walked together over to where my mom and I had our assigned seats according to our VIP pass numbers. I sat down and he sat in the empty row in front of us. Right before RDA’s panel was about to begin, Garry got up and said he’d quick grab my painting and walked out. Richard came on stage through the Stargate and all the jokes and stories came tumbling out again just like before. He’s so comical!

Garry returned with his painting in a bag and handed it to me and sat down right away. I think he was nervous about it. I said, “Thank you so much, Garry!” and took a peek at his artwork and thought it was absolutely wonderful. “Do you like it?” he asked. And I answered, “I love it! It’s beautiful! Thank you so much!” But I couldn’t go into detail with RDA on stage; I didn’t want to be a distraction. Garry deserved a hug and a kiss for it, though, so I waited until Richard was being asked a question from the audience and I got up to half hug Garry from behind and give him a kiss on the cheek. I thanked him again and said I loved it. I don’t care what anyone says; Garry rocks!

A couple surprises happened during Richard’s hilarious panel. Someone had asked him about him and Amanda Tapping kissing and that seemed to be Amanda’s cue to come out on stage. I couldn’t believe it! And they kissed and hugged with the audience “ooooing” them and cheering. She was one of the main characters I wanted to see so I was thrilled. Amanda’s as funny and sweet as I thought she would be. The other surprise was Richard’s daughter Wylie who was there. She was so cute! RDA asked her to the stage with them when his panel was ending. Immediately after that, they introduced Don S. Davis’s wife, Ruby, on the stage and she gave a heartfelt speech about her husband and personally thanked all the fans there for their condolences and support. It was very sad but very sweet. It just made me wish even more that I could’ve met him.

 

After her speech, they showed a wonderful slideshow of Don with photos, his fantastic artwork, and thoughtful quotes from his loved his ones. Then they called every guest from the convention to the stage for farewell and thanks. My mom and I thought the tall, skinny dark guy was “Apophis” but weren’t 100% sure. He had facial hair and a lot of hair on his head so he really wasn’t recognizable. When all of the thank you’s were done, they played the Family Reunion slideshow to end the convention and everyone was clapping along and having a good time. Some, like Garry, were dancing off of the stage and out of the room. It was funny.

About 2:30pm were autographs from the other guests in the grand ballroom. My first stop was Alex. I handed his assigned volunteer a U.S. twenty dollar bill but they didn’t have change for the $15 autograph. I said I didn’t care but Alex insisted he give me a dip with a kiss. Ha ha! Okay! I got a hug from him first since he said he does that for everyone and then he autographed my photo with him. Then he came around the table and dipped me and kissed me on the cheek. He’s so sweet! Since Garry’s line went down, I made him my next stop. I thanked him again for the painting and told him that my watercolor painting is crappy which was why I don’t have many, and that his talent with it was much better than mine. I’m a lot more comfortable with acrylic paint. I asked him to give us a call if anything was going on tonight. He said he wouldn’t be done until 8pm but I had a feeling it wouldn’t carry on that long; it was probably an estimated time. My last stop was Colin, who wasn’t accepting payment for autographed photos with the fans so that was cool. And that was about it for us at the convention.

My mom said Legends was accepting post cards from fans for Richard, so we grabbed one at the hotel gift shop with an Orca jumping out of the water in Vancouver. We thought it was fitting for someone who participates in the SSCS campaigns. And I had an idea to get a post card of Stanley Park for Garry, since he so graciously took us around there and it was such a great park, and to put it on his car so he’d find it when he’d leave incase we wouldn’t see him again. We took the post cards back to our room and I drew a little harp seal pup on RDA’s with a nice message and Mom added a message as well. On Garry’s we both signed it and wrote nice things to him. I added a little dog paw print and the Russian word “NYET!” in filled bubble letters. We put it in a ziplock bag to keep it dry. After we dropped off RDA’s at Legends, we walked out to Garry’s car that I had spotted earlier only because it was right outside the hotel and carefully placed it under his driver’s side windshield wiper. We walked back inside the hotel and grabbed snacks at the gift shop. Then we headed to the South Tower to print out our airline tickets in order to get back home. Well, once we got to the Business Center and started filling in information on a computer for the tickets, we realized we needed our passports and we didn’t have them on us. So we trekked it back to the North Tower and I hung out in our room to start typing up Sunday’s report while my mom went back to get our tickets printed. It was about 6pm when my mom returned and said she wanted to go down and try to search for Kate Ritter (the one who controls RDA’s official website), so we took off down stairs again and stopped at Legends. A crew member told us Kate hadn’t been there all day and had no way to communicate with her so we let it be (which was disappointing for my mom) and went down another level. Getting off of the elevator, we happened to find Garry standing around with some Gateconers and chatting. He hadn’t found his post card, and it looked like he was ready to leave, so we decided to hang back and not let him know we were there. Once he walked out of the hotel to his car, he got in and we saw he noticed something on his windshield. So he reached out of his door and grabbed it. A minute later (probably after he read it), he turned off his car and got back out. We had already walked out of the hotel and he saw us. We laughed and approached him as he said he was looking for us. He gave us two big hugs and kisses and told us we needed sleep since we were getting up at 3am. He hadn’t been home enough to be with his wife and dogs all weekend, so he was heading there for the night and wished us well. We said our good byes and headed back into the hotel while he drove off to go home.

We were getting hungry since it was past our regular dinner time and went off to find the hotel’s dinner restaurant. It was located in the South Tower so we went back there and had really good supper! I had the Seafood Linguini with Pepsi and my mom had the Caesar Salad and the Seafood Linguini with Pepsi and hot tea. The seafood was muscles, clam, shrimp and I think chunks of crab. It was delicious. And then we returned to our room in the North Tower and started packing. I also called William to make sure he was going to pick us up at our hotel and drive us to the airport and he said it wasn’t a problem, so we’ll be waiting for him.

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