TwiBite

What’s a Nice Guy Like Lee MacDougall Doing in the Secret Upstairs Room of a Hollywood Hookah Bar?

2012-05-02T23:43:00.002-04:00

You know, I just can’t say the words Hollywood Hookah Bar without smiling. To be precise, it was a Lebanese hookah bar and restaurant in West Hollywood (as my friend Twifixx says, you just can’t make this stuff up) that hosted Lee last month for some fabulous acoustic music in their upstairs loft as part of a free program featuring up and coming singer/songwriters.

This is Pi on Sunset, the aforementioned Hollywood Hookah Bar
(yep, saying that still makes me smile).

Before telling you about the show, I must confess that I’ve finally come to the realization that I may be listening to Lee’s CDs just a bit too much. This was confirmed by my smug children the other day in the car when they kept singing the first few lines of each song right before it started playing and then asked if I could please put on something else. I know those kids aren’t clairvoyant (nor in possession of good musical taste), so it is entirely possible I may have a minor addiction. Since then, I’ve been more covert about listening to Lee's music, kind of like he’s my secret drug stash or a bag of chocolate covered Oreos.

Also, you’re not going to believe this, but…
LEE MACDOUGALL READ THE BLOG POST I WROTE ABOUT HIM!
I know this to be true because I heard it directly from the man himself and he totally made my day with his sweet comments. My first inclinations were to either do cartwheels across the room (which, trust me, would scar your retinas forever if you had to witness it) or hide behind a rock in utter embarrassment. After a few brief moments of self reflection, I made the only logical decision: write about him some more.

If you missed my post last month, “I Just Can’t Resist a Cute, Witty Brit with a Fabulous Voice and Killer Smirk,” just scroll down a ways or click HERE.

Just in case you still don’t know who I’m talking about, here’s a picture of the wonderful Lee MacDougall.

The Hollywood Hookah Bar program featured Lee and three other performers in the restaurant’s upstairs room, which was decorated like a funky version of the inside of I Dream of Jeannie’s bottle. They took turns performing a song each and then repeated the rotation for about 2 hours. In my wholly unbiased opinion, Lee sounded phenomenal and was totally in his element. He truly is an undiscovered talent. Two of the other performers were quite good and generously gave us free copies of their CDs. Everyone there was very friendly and it was a fun night of terrific music.

This memorable evening felt especially intimate because there were only 15 people total in attendance, including the performers and their guests. There were only two other “fan- types” in the room besides Twifixx, ZAnyMouse and me. How crazy is that? It was like we were just sitting in someone’s oddly decorated living room for a private concert.

It would have been too distracting and weird to take pictures during the performances, but Twifixx snuck in a couple with her phone while nobody was looking. She’s always got our backs like that.

Lee sang beautiful versions of a few songs from his CDs, plus my favorite song “Ships” and a fabulous, slow rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” I can't even say how surprised I was when Lee did a little “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” rap medley in his British Homeboy accent, but it was all kind of tongue in cheek and totally worked. It was so cute that he ended with a quiet little "yo."

Here’s our post show BookClub picture: TwiloveSue, ZAnyMouse, Lee, and Twifixx

(as you know, we refer to ourselves as a BookClub because it sounds so much more legitimate than admitting that we became friends because of Twilight and now run around at all hours of the day and night having fun)

I know you want to know, so I’ll just go ahead and tell...
Yes, Lee smelled very good when we hugged goodbye!

Lee, I hope you come back to California again soon!!

TwiloveSue XOXO

P.S. Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reblogging my photos and posts! I truly appreciate all of your wonderful comments and tweets. There are lots more pictures and adventures coming soon!

Breaking Dawn Convention - New/Old Pictures of the Twifecta

2012-04-25T02:31:00.001-04:00

Hello! I'm back again with more of the multitude of pictures I took at the Breaking Dawn convention last November in Los Angeles. Let me say, it's amazing how lucky one can get with a rented camera, second row seat and an itchy shutter finger. I hope you enjoy them!

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner

(I know you already knew that, but it just seemed like the thing to say here)

You can't make me say the R word

(but I think 17foreverLisa is yelling it right now at all of us)

I highly recommend going to a Twilight convention if you have the chance, especially the Breaking Dawn 2 Convention that will likely be held again this November. It's a great chance to get a glimpse of cast members' personalities and hilarious to watch them interact with each other.

I can't look at this picture without wondering what JennyJerkface is going to say about how Rob's holding the microphone

This is one of my favorite shots

Is it just me or are these pictures starting to look alike?

OK, I'll admit it, they are kind of cute together

Doesn't it look like Rob's kind of surprised, yet pleased, by the giant boob right next to him?

Aw look, he's doing the heart thing with his hands

Twi-daughter Nicole and I made a spur of the moment trip to Hollywood a few weeks ago to see the Avengers premiere. We got a good spot for seeing the arrivals, but not so good for meeting celebs.

Unfortunately, this was the closest we got to Chris Hemsworth.

We finally got to see the Twifecta cement footprints at Graumann's Chinese Theater and, of course, I had to put my hands and feet in Rob's (to the great amusement of a group of Japanese tourists).

I have many, many more convention pictures to share with you over the next several weeks of Rob, Kristen and Taylor, plus Jackson Rathbone, Peter Facinelli, Alex Meraz, Ashley Greene and more, so please check back!

TwiloveSue XOXO

P.S. I imagine many of you are are trying to cut back on the time suck known as Twitter, so I've decided to start spending more time on Twitter to try to keep things in balance. I doubt I'll say anything very interesting, but I hope you'll follow me and say hello every now and then.
@TwiloveSue

I Just Can’t Resist a Cute, Witty Brit with a Fabulous Voice and Killer Smirk!

2012-04-18T02:19:00.033-04:00

To quote Tink over at Robsessed:
“It’s common knowledge around here that Rob is our Oprah. When he reads something, we wanna check it out. Talks about a movie, we rent it. Mentions musicians, we add them to our playlist.”

And as an unapologetic Robert Pattinson minion… when I heard that his friend Lee MacDougall was headed my way on tour, I knew I needed to check him out. If you don’t recognize the name, Lee is another member of Rob’s epic circle of friends travelling around out there making great music along with Bobby Long, Sam Bradley and Marcus Foster.

Let me just say, Lee is ridiculously talented and his music blew me away. His voice is sort of a cross between Rod Stewart and the Beatles, and he describes himself in his Twitter profile as a “singer of short stories/guitar strumming wandering minstrel.” He truly has a gift for telling a musical story with melody, heart, and humor. It may also have won me over that you can hear his lovely accent while he sings... Lee’s CDs have pretty much become the soundtrack to my life over the past few months and even my kids are unconsciously singing along. And bonus for us that he’s a handsome guy with an adorable and humble personality.

***Private note to Lee in the off-chance that he ever sees this: I’m sitting in my little fangirl bubble right now trying very hard not to think about you reading this post and then running away from America screaming in terror, never to return again. Please don’t think I’m the scary kind of stalker (cause having a benevolent stalker is so much better… right?)***

Here’s where you can find him!
http://www.leemacdougallmusic.com/
@LeeMacDougall

Earlier this month, I saw Lee perform three times over the course of a week (please refer to the earlier declaration that I am benevolent and not scary. Don’t judge) and wish I could have gone to even more. In keeping with my unofficial tradition of non-timely and out of order posts, I’ll tell you about the second show now and save my reports on the private Lee MacDougall/Sam Bradley/Marcus Foster gig at Lake Arrowhead and Lee’s performance in the Secret Upstairs Room at the Lebanese Hookah bar for another day.

If you’ve never been to the Hotel Café, you absolutely must go if you have the chance. It’s one of those dark, classic Hollywood clubs with a back alley entrance, intimate performance area and great vibe - the perfect place to showcase an acoustic performance.

I brought ZAnyMouse along with me and we were super late getting there because I hit total Carmageddon on the way to LA. When we finally arrived, the first performer had already finished and Lee was on stage doing his soundcheck (aaagh!!). As we worked our way towards the stage in hope of finding a close place to stand on the side, a girl walked right over and asked if we wanted her seats… at the front center table about 3 feet from the stage. Then the waitress magically walked over to take our drink orders and Lee started performing. Seriously, I know that was my Fairy Godmother looking out for me again (in case you missed the last time she took care of me, you can read HERE about how she gave me a wristband to the Rob, Kristen and Taylor Meet & Greet at Comic-Con).

Lee sounded so great, performing songs from his CDs and accompanying himself on guitar. He always sings with great joy and it was no surprise to me it only took ZAnyMouse approximately 2.5 seconds to fall in love with him (er…um… I mean his music) like I had. It seemed a good part of the crowd was there to see the bands performing later that night, but there was an enthusiastic group there just for Lee and I think he really appreciated it. He even dedicated his last song to the "woo girls" down in front.

At one point when he came down from the stage to walk through the audience while singing "My Story," the whole room went dead silent because it was just so powerful. And in keeping with his humble/witty personality, he apologized afterwards for interrupting people’s conversations. He also told a funny story onstage about how he’d hiked up to the Hollywood sign the day before with his tour manager and friends to take pictures in front of the sign while doing the YMCA arm motions.

After the show, Z and I went out to the lobby to say hello to Lee before leaving. I started to introduce myself and I don't know what else I was about to say, but he interrupted me and said, "I remember you." I got all Bella-stuttery and said, "You do? No you don't.... Really?!" and then he smiled at me kind of indulgently and said, "It's only been a few days." I suppose it doesn’t take a long time to identify your stalkers, no matter how benevolent they may be. My picture is probably posted inside the merchandise booth with a warning sign.

Yes, this one... TwiloveSue. Be wary of her.

And don’t trust her shifty sidekick ZAnyMouse either.

We talked to Lee for a bit and, of course, got a little gushy telling him how wonderful the show was and how much we love his music. I believe Z even confessed that she hears his music while she’s dreaming. He was just so nice and never made me feel out of place despite my age (*cringe*) and utter lack of coolness. You can tell he genuinely enjoys being on tour and meeting his fans.

And to further prove what an awesome guy he is, he even replied to my thank you tweet later that week:

@TwiloveSue Great to see you again Sue! thanks for all your support. Hope to see you again v soon! xoxo
— Lee MacDougall (@LeeMacDougall) April 8, 2012

So, to sum up, your assignment is to find Lee on Youtube, buy a CD on his website and go see one of his shows ASAP because:

1. He’s an undiscovered talent and I promise you will love what you hear
2. He’s the nicest guy ever
3. Rob would want you to

TwiloveSue XOXO
aka The Benevolent Stalker

P.S. Thank you to Socalmom2four for performing her Tumblr magic on this picture I took at the Breaking Dawn Convention:
More original photos coming soon!

BD1 Convention – MORE New/Old Pictures of Robert Pattinson (Go ahead, I dare you to resist that smile)

2012-04-13T01:16:00.014-04:00

As I sorted through all my pictures from the Breaking Dawn convention, even I was astounded by the sheer volume. There are so many pictures that flipping through them is almost like looking at a video of the panel. Honestly, if I didn’t know myself better, I’d think I was some kind of compulsive freak. Good thing we all know that couldn’t possibly be true (this is where you nod your head in agreement). I just keep telling myself I’m doing it all for you and that somehow makes it OK.

If this smile were aimed at me or even remotely in my direction, I'm pretty sure I would agree to anything.

I’ve heard that there were a few other people on stage with Rob at the convention, but for some odd reason, I just can’t remember seeing anyone else up there. Huh. I’ll see if I can find some of those pictures for next week.

I also have to share this photo that the amazing Socalmom2four sent me today. She took one of the Rob shots that I posted earlier this week and did something truly magical to it (thank you!!!).

Just. Wow.

Lastly, please don’t forget to go say hello to my dear friend Mrs. P over at her second blog. Click HERE and head on over. She has the most hilarious take on life and I wish I could spend just one day inside her head.

TwiloveSue XOXO

Breaking Dawn Convention – New/Old Pictures of Robert Pattinson (Cause I Was Too Lame to Post Them 5 Months Ago)

2012-04-11T02:27:00.011-04:00

I have hundreds of awesome pictures from the Breaking Dawn Convention last November in LA that I’ve been meaning to share with you, but apparently timeliness is not my forte (why is that not surprising?). I’ll do my best to post some new ones every few nights, starting with Rob and then moving on to all the other cast members that were there.

I wish I could remember some funny stories to tell you, but I was quite dazzled by my sheer proximity to Rob and also have the memory of a goldfish. Luckily the whole panel is on YouTube if you want to go check it out (sigh).

Enjoy!

Make sure you check out Mrs. P’s latest posts at Walk With Mrs. P and also her new Zazzle shop, MaggieMart!

TwiloveSue XOXO

Where Have I Been?

2012-02-02T15:29:00.021-05:00

My, oh my, how time flies. It seems like I was just here a few days ago chatting about the Breaking Dawn Premiere and somehow two months have passed since then. The only logical explanation is that there was either some sort of time continuum anomaly or I fell into a vortex. There are now several boxes of Christmas decorations sitting conspicuously in the corner of my living room and my checking account is empty, but I suppose we’ll never truly know what happened. I hope everything is great with all of you and you weren't kidnapped and probed by aliens in my absence.

Rob, did you miss me?

I still have tons more pictures and stories from the Breaking Dawn Convention, Premiere and a few other events that I can’t wait to share with you. I’ll dust off the laptop over the next few days and get back into the groove.

In the meantime, here are links to a few of my favorite Twi-memories from the past year. I hope you enjoy them.

I met Robert Pattinson – twice!!

The Planets of the Universe Aligned, Karma Smiled, and I Met Robert Pattinson (Comic-Con, July)

Best Day Ever! (Breaking Dawn premiere, November)

You just can’t help but fall in love with 100 Monkeys

100 Monkeys Shows are Like a Box of Chocolates: You Never Know What You’re Gonna Get (May)

Monkey Play at the El Rey in LA (August)

Going Bananas with 100 Monkeys in Anaheim (September)

Twilight conventions are awesome
(I still can't believe I took this picture...)

Peter Facinelli Saved the Day and Vampire Bella Flashed Us (LA Twi-Tour, March)

Robert Pattinson Looked at Me and I Forgot to Breathe (Breaking Dawn convention, November)

Friends are forever: 17ForeverLisa, ZAnyMouse, Twifixx, TwiloveSue (me), Twi-Daughter Nicole, Twi-Daughter Megan

Say Goodbye to Reality and Proudly Wave the Twilight Freak Flag (Tent City, November)

The BookClub

I can’t even begin to find the right words to say how much I love my Twi-friends, both “real life” and “virtual”. Talking and laughing with you gals over these past few years has been priceless. We’ve gone to more Twilighty events than I ever imagined possible and I think I met every cast member at least once. It’s been a dream. I don’t know how we could even come close to topping the adventures we’ve already had, but I’m willing to give it my best shot in 2012 and promise to take plenty of pictures along the way. Thank you so much for your friendship and encouragement.

TwiloveSue XOXO

Tent City Warriors Part 2 – Yep, That Was Me Sleeping On National Television

2011-12-08T02:13:00.021-05:00

By day 4 of Tent City hobo life, I could officially say that I had seen the Breaking Dawn trailer at least 1,000,017 times on the big Nokia screens and spent way more time at Starbucks than I ever thought possible. However, I still hadn’t figured out why Summit wanted to know my blood type when I registered for my Breaking Dawn premiere wristband. Seriously, they really did ask us that. I speculated that it was either because Tent City residents were being considered as a vampire food source or they were preparing for emergency transfusions in case of blood shed during the frenzy to get close to Robert Pattinson at the premiere.

Me (on the right) with my best pals and partners-in-crime, ZAnyMouse and Twifixx - The BookClub.

Our camping mates (aka the HBG Girls, named in honor of Kristen’s hot bodyguard) were in charge of “media relations” for our group. Here’s Lyn_sey_Gail being interviewed while looking through our face-in-hole stand. I love it that Edward/Jacob/Faceless Bella were featured in lots of interviews and photos.

17foreverLisa, TwiloveSue, DangrDafne

TwiloveSue and Director Bill Condon

Our second to last full day of camping ended with a showing of Eclipse on the big screen and then, around midnight, we had to relocate camp (Tent City #1) across the street to the Staples Center Plaza (renamed Tent City #4 - don't you love their creativity?) so they could take down the ginormous tent and set up for the premiere. It was hard sleeping through the overnight construction noise (beep, beep, beep….), not to mention that it was soooooo cold. Yes, I know I'm a wimpy Southern Californian and anything under 70 degrees seems chilly to me, but I literally woke up a few times because my teeth were chattering so loudly. Imagine the Eclipse tent scene without Edward or Jacob and that was me.

We pretty much got used to seeing (and dodging) the media who were constantly wandering around camp, but they were especially difficult to avoid when we awoke to hoards of them on the morning before the premiere. Summit provided breakfast and brought several Breaking Dawn cast members to visit camp for one last PR opportunity.

Jackson Rathbone

Jackson cracked us up when he signed ZAnyMouse’s poster because he giggled and pointed out "I signed on Bella's butt! Shhhhh....."

We also met the actresses who play new vampires Tanya and Kate Denali. They were both super nice and quite beautiful, and took their time visiting everyone who wanted to meet them. I think they were a little surprised by all the Twilight love they were getting.

Twi-daughter Nicole and MyAnna Buring (Tanya)

TwiloveSue and MyAnna

Twi-daughter Nicole and Casey LaBow (Kate)

It was great seeing Boo Boo Stewart again because he is always so friendly and genuinely adorable. I swear to you, he IS Seth.

TwiloveSue and Boo Boo

Twi-daughter Nicole and Boo Boo

ZAnyMouse and Boo Boo

After Boo Boo finished pictures and autographs with us, I was talking to his Dad (a huge, scary looking guy who also functions as his body guard) and complimented him on what a sweet, friendly kid he has and how he wins over everyone he meets. His Dad smiled and said, "That's because he's drunk." So funny.

Peter Facinelli was super handsome, but you could tell his heart really wasn’t in it. Maybe he was mad that someone made him wear a bunch of make-up.

Apparently Peter was having some sort of a dilemma deciding where to sign my poster.

Twi-daughters Nicole and Megan with one of the new Wolfpackers (couldn't find his name on IMDB, but he plays either Brady or Collin). While they were having this picture taken, his Dad (trying to coach him on proper fan etiquette) reminded him, “Both arms, son.” The girls later said they felt just a little awkward and creepy cause he was so young. Yeah, right. Welcome to my world.

By the time afternoon hit, we were exhausted from the excitement and general lack of sleep of the past several days, so decided to just relax for awhile. And that is how ZAnyMouse and I ended up sleeping on television.

So much for my efforts to avoid getting caught on camera, because several people emailed me by the end of the day to say they spotted me on the news and various websites in this and many other shots. CullenaryCurser even sent me a link where our sleeping picture won the dubious honor of being one of the “16 Most Unsettling Photos from Twilight Premieres”. Yay us. At least I held on to my last shred of dignity and declined to put on a wedding dress in the Yahoo Twilight Lounge and have my picture taken with cardboard Edward.

Eventually we decided that rather than wait to tear down camp at 6am the next morning, it would make way better sense to check into a hotel to get a good night's sleep before the premiere (although I was just a teeny bit ashamed for abandoning camp early). There were no more activities scheduled at camp and we weren’t due back until the next afternoon to be herded into metal pens on the black carpet.

If there were an award for the best tent sign, it would definitely have gone to the gals from Robsessed for this one!

See you next week for my next post… the Breaking Dawn premiere!!

TwiloveSue XOXO

Tent City Warriors Part 1 - Say Goodbye to Reality and Proudly Wave the Twilight Freak Flag

2011-11-30T11:09:00.017-05:00

If you think I told many people that I know in “real life” about my plan to live in a tent for a week crammed into the center plaza of a downtown LA entertainment complex with hundreds of other people just for the privilege of watching some young actors (whom I may or may not actually get to talk to) walk into a theater to see the premiere of a movie about vampire and werewolves (that I may or may not actually get in to see), well, then you would be wrong. I made all sorts of vague excuses to friends and clients as I packed up my Sharpies, Poptarts, and Edward blanket and escaped reality with my little gang of 14 warriors.

Camping out for the premiere was both an exhausting emotional roller coaster and an exhilaratingly awesome celebration with friends of all things Twilight. True, there were a few dark times that I passionately wanted to hurt someone, but I still consider it to be one of the best weeks ever. Once we got past the ridiculously unfair wristband distribution process (believe me, Summit heads should roll for that) and finally settled into our cozy little campsite, life was good. We were very bummed, though, that part of our group got separated from us in the wristband inquisition and we weren’t able to camp right next to each other.

Twi-daughter Megan, Twifixx, TwiloveSue, Twi-daughter Nicole, 17foreverLisa (yes, that really is my tent with the Edward sheet draped over it. Don’t judge.)

Because the premiere was scheduled on one of the two weekends per year it actually rained in Southern California, they built huge tents over the three Tent City camping areas for us.

Home Sweet Home (I spy Twi-daughter Nicole, do you?)

Over the course of our time camping, there were surprise visits from 12 cast members and other people associated with the movie. Every single one of them was very friendly and gracious, taking time to meet and thank us for our support of the movies.

Tinsel Korey with TwiloveSue

… and with Twi-daughter Nicole

On the first night of camping, Kellan Lutz brought 40 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts to hand out to fans, but the Nokia Center security wouldn’t let him because they said it was some sort of a food violation. They must have feared that either he was going to try to poison us or the crowd would be overcome by a sugar rush and attack.

I think ZAnyMouse looks awfully comfortable here, don't you?

Kellan was making such a funny face in this picture with Twifixx and Twi-daughter Megan that I had to include it.

Doesn't our gang look cozy? Each night we got to watch a different Twilight movie on the Nokia Center screen. It was hilarious listening to all the comments people were shouting out, but I could have done without the drunk hockey hecklers when the game got out at the Staples Center. I'm sure most of us have watched the movies more times than we'd ever admit even to each other, but believe me, the cafeteria walk and parking lot strut on the big screen never get old.

17foreverLisa with the lost portion of our posse: Bethth1, Mama_Cougar, TatooMickey, and Papa_Cougar

Kiowa Gordon showed up late at night to play a little acoustic music with his band, but we were so tired after being up for over 24 hours that we slept right through it (even though he was apparently right next to our tent for a little while). I'd like to think, though, that I would have sensed Rob's presence and awoken even from a coma.

The absolute coolest surprise was when Stephenie Meyer showed up to pass out autographed books and pose for pictures. She took her time to personally give a book to each person and thank them for being there. It meant so much to me to be able to thank her for the great impact she’s had on my life.

TwiloveSue and Wyck Godfrey

On the second night, we were treated to a concert by six bands from the Breaking Dawn soundtrack and emceed by Charlie Bewley. Charlie is one of those people who have personality plus and he was very entertaining, as always.

I don’t know why I think this picture of Charlie pretending to hang himself is so funny. There’s just so much wrong here.

You know the rule, every post ends with an awesome picture of Rob to send us merrily along our way with a smile on our faces and a song in our hearts.

TwiloveSue XOXO

Breaking Dawn Premiere: Best Day Ever!

2011-11-21T03:47:00.022-05:00

I have SO many pictures to share with you from my time living as a distinguished resident of Tent City and then attending the LA premiere of Breaking Dawn (plus tons of great shots from the BD convention the week before), but I’m going to start with the very best part… not only did I get to spend a wonderful week with great friends, but I accomplished my #1 goal - I had my picture taken with Robert Pattinson!

TwiloveSue and Rob

I probably should have been more specific in my goal setting to say that I wanted him to hold me in his arms and be gazing adoringly at me without the camera being right in my face, but this is good too. TwiloveSis pointed out that I don’t look very happy in this picture, but I think the expression on my face was a combination of sheer elation and shock, plus the fact that I was trying not to have crazy eyes and a jack-o-lantern smile.

And not only was I lucky enough to get a picture with Rob, but so did my dear friends…

ZAnyMouse (Z, please forgive me for unintentionally photo bombing you!)

Twifixx

17foreverLisa

Our evening on the black carpet was a total blast and we got autographs with many Twilight actors and other celebrities over the course of the evening, but you know there was one person we kept our eye on from afar… Rob! Last year at the Eclipse premiere he ran out of time and never made it down to our end of the carpet before he had to go in for the movie and we were so worried that it would happen again. We were on a virtual emotional roller coaster as we watched him inch his way towards us as time ran out.

As the movie start time passed, we were so disappointed to see Rob still working the press line across from us and only occasionally stopping to wave or smile in our direction.

So near and yet so far

We even got captured in the background of some of the interview shots across from us and were starting to worry this was the closest we were going to get to him.
I love this one of me right next to Rob’s ear

If you look closely, you can see 17foreverLisa, Twifixx and Twi-daughter Megan

As he got to the end of the press line and near the theater entrance, we were just about to give up all hope and then… he turned around and came back!! I am completely convinced that this was due to 17foreverLisa’s earlier plea to Rob’s representative Stephanie. Thank you, Lisa, we all owe you big time!

On a side note, I learned by experience that you’re not allowed to touch Rob on the black carpet. When it was time for our picture, I innocently started putting my arm around his back and the security guard quickly pushed it back down (come on, you know I had to try). I can’t remember much about what I said to Rob other than to thank him for coming back over to see us and I do believe that I told him I love him. What can I say? I was caught up in the moment. Luckily, he just chuckled and thanked me without running away in fear.

Twi-daughter Nicole has the dubious honor of being able to say that Bodyguard Dean got mad at her. She batted books and posters out of the way while trying to take Rob’s picture with Lisa and I guess Dean was alarmed by the sudden movement and thought maybe she was starting a rumble or getting ready to jump the chest high barrier. Earlier while we were waiting for Rob to get to our spot in line, we tried to get the girls around us to calm down and stop pushing and screaming every single time Rob breathed (trust me, he breathes a lot and the screeching was unbearable) because we didn’t want them to lead Rob away before he got over to us. So when Nicole was getting her autograph, she told Rob that we had tried to keep everyone calm as not to scare him. He laughed and said “it didn’t work.” Honestly, I can’t say enough how sweet, friendly and charming he was as he worked his way through the frenzied crowd.

After Rob went into the theater and we were all blissfully basking and sighing in the afterglow, security came over and gave us all tickets to the movie! There’s no better way to watch a movie than in the same room with all the actors and it was a fabulous ending to an equally fabulous day.

Do we look exhausted and happy, or what? 17foreverLisa, ZAnyMouse, Twifixx, TwiloveSue, Twi-daughter Nicole, Twi-daughter Megan

Needless to say, all of the time and effort to attend the premiere was so worth it. I had the ultimate Twilight fan experience on the black carpet with my best friends and would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

TwiloveSue XOXO

This Happened

2011-11-15T07:59:00.001-05:00

Well hello there.

Mrs. P is here. Everyone sit up straight, please.

How are we all doing? Are we all well rested and fed? Did we watch the Breaking Dawn premiere in LA? Did we see all the photos from said premiere?

Well get on that...because we have something to talk about first.

I must digress, though, and remind you all that our beloved TwiloveSue tented herself (along with her posse) in the middle of that mayhem and has so many photos and AMAZING stories to share.

She just needs to sleep indoors first and compose herself. She is understandably frazzled. It was THAT AWESOME.

Now, back to my story.

Last night while I was watching my twitter feed and having myself a good giggle, I saw this photo.

Do you see it? Let me help you.....

I've circled two things. One is a pen. The other is MY FACE!!!!

Holy crap on a cracker. I immediately started tweeting like a mofo...asking who did it. WHO was brave enough to ask the Stew to slap her John Hancock on my kisser???

No response.

Then I got a little nervous because in the torrid history of TwiBite, we haven't been super kind to the Stew. We may have called her Spicy, I might have thrown her and Rob in a burning forest or two during a TwiBite challenge to see who you all would rescue first (you all rescued him). I even threw them both off a boat and you all gave the life preserver to Rob (except for Lisa who decided to sacrifice herself to Davey Jone's locker because she just couldn't choose.)

Aaah. Memories.

Then I was told to check my text messages.

So I said, "Surely. Let me fire up the old mobile device and see what someone has sent me. I'm game."

This was there.

Let me make it bigger.

ROBERT PATTINSON SIGNED MY FACE

ROBERT FRICKEN PATTINSON SIGNED MY FRICKEN FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dangrdafne from

Dangrdafne Days of Delirium

Got Robert Pattinson to sign my face!!!!!!

That happened.

It really did.

Let's tell her how awesome she is, in the comments!!!!!

Peace, Love, Stew didn't sign me and I can't say I blame her,

Mrs. P

Breaking Dawn Convention: Robert Pattinson Looked at Me and I Forgot to Breathe

2011-11-07T17:04:00.007-05:00

Normally I’m not prone to shaky hand syndrome around Twilight actors and certainly never forget to do something as important as breathe (after all, I have been doing it practically my whole life), but this past weekend at the Breaking Dawn Convention in LA nearly did me in. Twi-daughter Nicole and I scored second row center seats to the convention and had a truly incredible experience. We visited with lots of great friends, immensely enjoyed all of the panels, and took lots of amazing pictures. But…. it’s quite likely that the world stopped that evening when I looked through the camera lens and saw this image looking back at me:

Breathing? What’s that?

Imagine my surprise when I later found out that there were three other people on stage with Rob. I'll have to look through my pictures to find some shots of those other unknown people and all the other Twilight celebs from earlier that day for future posts. Today, it's all about Rob.

I owe Twi-daughter Nicole my eternal gratitude for taking most of the pictures during the Twifecta panel. My hands really were shaking, so I handed the camera to her with the instruction to “take tons of pictures.” She did me proud and we could literally make one of those action flip books from all the photos she took. I could probably also do a whole post on the multitude of interesting ways Rob holds a microphone.

I’m now preparing to once again become a citizen of Tent City and attend the Breaking Dawn premiere, which proves that Rob was correct this weekend when he said that “Twilight fans are literally on the verge of being clinically insane.” I think he meant that in a good way.

TwiloveSue XOXO

P.S. I’m honored if you want to copy any of these pictures or repost to your own blog, but would appreciate it if you credit the source and not edit out the website tag. Thank you!

More Twilight Actors Making Funny Faces: The Jackson Rathbone Edition

2011-11-01T23:46:00.012-04:00

Because I just can’t leave well enough alone and am probably the most easily amused person on the entire planet, I’ve decided to continue last week’s post of Twilight actors making funny faces (you can catch it HERE if you missed it) with a special edition focusing on one of my favorites, Mr. Jackson Rathbone.

Because I operate under the assumption that you’re bound to get at least one good picture if you take enough of them, I have tons of photos from going with the BookClub to see 100 Monkeys perform. And I have to say, Jackson is a goldmine of interesting expressions. I don’t know what it says about me that these amuse me so, but I hope they make you smile too.

I also can’t resist again including some pictures of my very favorite funny-face-maker, Robert Pattinson (photo sources unknown unless indicated on the photo).

And we simply must end with a gorgeous shot from the recent Breaking Dawn fan event in Stockholm (photo source: Robsessed). I think we can all agree that Rob should definitely wear black more often!

Rest assured that I’ll be snapping pictures like a maniac this weekend at the Breaking Dawn convention!

TwiloveSue XOXO

P.S. Be sure to go Walk With Mrs. P!

If You Take Enough Pictures of Twilight Actors, You’re Bound to Get Some Funny Ones

2011-10-26T03:19:00.017-04:00

When I attend Twilight events, I tend to frantically take a ton of pictures in the fervent hope that I will somehow miraculously end up with a few gems. Basically, I try to compensate for my lack of skills and knowhow (and cheap camera) with volume. Believe me when I say that for every one good picture that I take, there are many, many more blurry and undecipherable ones. I also occasionally end up with some funny shots that I keep hidden away in the vault (that’s the super secret folder on my computer where I stash all my Twilight pictures so that my family will never realize that I have more pictures of Robert Pattinson than them). Until now.

As I anxiously count down the days until I race off to the LA Twilight convention and Breaking Dawn premiere, I’m opening the vault to share some pictures with you that, in all good conscience, probably should just be deleted. Sure some of them are kind of unflattering, but I know that you, my fellow Bite Packers, will accept them with the same good humor and shared love of all things Twilight in which they are offered. Enjoy!

You know there’s no shortage of pictures showcasing the many funny faces of Rob. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are entire websites dedicated to them. In honor of the many new ones yet to come during the Breaking Dawn press tour, here are a few of my favorites (sources unknown unless indicated on the photo):

And to send you off with a dreamy smile on your face, here’s a picture from this week’s Breaking Dawn fan event in Paris (borrowed from Robsessed). I could probably just stare at this picture of ParisRob for hours (and maybe I shall. I think that would be time well spent, don't you?)

TwiloveSue XOXO

Getting Cozy With Bobby Long

2011-10-04T12:29:00.013-04:00

I would like to officially say that McCabe’s Guitar Shop is my favorite place EVER to see a musician perform. As I’ve mentioned before, this tiny venue is literally the back room of a guitar shop with 100 folding chairs set up in rows. All of the walls were covered with guitars (shocking, I know), ukuleles, banjos, and I’m pretty sure I saw a digeridoo. The room had no elaborate lighting, curtains, or anything fancy - just a small, beat up stage with a mic stand, a chair, and a piano in the corner. You just can’t beat it for an intimate, acoustic set to show off an artist’s true talent.

When Twifixx, ZAnyMouse and I saw Bobby Long perform two weekends ago, we could have taken the most amazing pictures if cameras had been allowed in. However, once Bobby started singing, I got lost in his music and picture-taking was the last thing on my mind.

(source: Gibson.com)

(source: buzzinemusic.com)

Let’s just pretend that the above pictures were from the show, shall we?

He wore a brown/tannish plaid shirt rolled to the sleeves with a Hank Williams t-shirt underneath and rolled up jeans with navy blue socks and brown dress shoes. OK, so that doesn’t sound quite so stylish when I describe it, but take my word that it worked out just fine.

Does Bobby's unique and riveting fashion sense remind you of anyone else? (source Paul Froggat)

I'm still holding out hope that someday we'll see Rob perform live (source: Sofar Sounds)

As with the last show we saw at McCabe's, Bobby was very comfortable in the small venue and even joked that he could say anything he wanted because he knew it wouldn’t end up on youtube or twitter (or as he says with that adorb Brit accent… twittuh). Bobby’s voice and guitar playing were nothing short of amazing.

In between songs, he talked about what inspired him to write each one and went off on lots of very funny and strange tangents. In the course of the evening we learned that Barnes & Noble banned “The Bounty of Mary Jane” (he seemed both surprised and pleased by that), his blood type is B (not sure if that knowledge will ever come in handy, but make a note in case), and he reminisced about going on family trips to old graveyards in France when he was a kid. He also cracked himself up by saying that when he turns 40, he's going to wear suits every day, shave and shower every day, and have a couple of kids that his manager will babysit for him. I think half the time even he was surprised by what he said. I would also like to mention that I absolutely LOVE British slang.

After the show, Bobby hung around the shop to pose for pictures and sign autographs. While he appears a little introverted onstage, he's even shyer in person. He seemed very appreciative of everyone's support and made a point of thanking each person for coming to the show.

Bobby and TwiloveSue

Bobby and ZAnyMouse

Bobby and Twifixx

I couldn’t decide whether or not to include this last picture of Bobby because it truly was taken accidentally. Then I remembered what pervs you all are, so here it is. I started to take a photo of him signing autographs, but lowered my camera when someone moved in front of me. The picture took and this is what I ended up with:

My camera apparently has a mind of it's own.

This is the only photo I could easily find of Bobby and Rob together. I say “easily” because, frankly, I’m pretty lazy and gave up looking very quickly. (source:ADifferentForest.com)

And I’ll end with a picture of my other Favorite Brit, who I’m going to pretend was one of those shadow people in the loft above the stage during the show (source: ThinkingofRob.com)

TwiloveSue XOXO

P.S. I was so surprised when I Googled for Bobby Long images and several pictures of Scarlett Johansson came up. Apparently she made a movie called “A Love Song for Bobby Long.” Huh.

WaxRob is Temporarily Unavailable for Leg-Hitching

2011-09-23T01:27:00.021-04:00

When 17foreverLisa visited me during Comic-Con week, one of the must-do items on our list was to make the pilgrimage to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in Hollywood to pay homage to WaxRob. However, we were disappointed to learn that he was away on an extended vacation. Do not fret though, because the kind staff member we spoke to reassured us that a refurbished WaxRob would return in time for the November premiere of Breaking Dawn (we were quite obviously not the first people to ask her this question). Apparently he is at some sort of wax figure rejuvenation spa, recuperating from all the groping, hair tugging, and leg-hitching that he’s been mercilessly subjected to over the past year (I may or may not be referring to last year’s BookClub field trip). He’s not at rehab, despite what you may have heard. Hopefully Rob’s doppelganger will return not only well-rested and ready for another year of Twitard-inspired shenanigans, but also will more closely resemble the perfection that is the real life RPatz.

Memories of our last visit… (TwiloveSue, WaxRob, Twifixx, ZAnyMouse) While WaxRob was a little “off”, he was still kind of intimidating and took our breath away.

There is a resemblance, right?

Even though WaxRob couldn’t be there to play with us, his wax friends still showed us a good time.

Luckily we were there to save Tony Hawk from impending doom (17foreverLisa, Twi-daughter Nicole, TwiloveSue, ZAnyMouse)

Twi-daughter Nicole and I would like you to meet my real life sister, TwiloveSis (I gave her the opportunity to pick her own Twilight blog name, but she deferred to me. So trusting…) and Sir Elton John, an old friend of the family.

Lady Gaga and a couple of her little monsters

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day because it makes me look innocent and Lisa look lecherous. It’s also concrete proof that you really can’t take her anywhere. And I feel kind of sorry for Brad, cause Angelina doesn’t seem to care at all about what Lisa’s doing to her man.

You just can’t fake this kind of terror

Here's Lisa having a staring contest with MJ. It takes a true optimist to even consider competing against a wax figure, let alone the King of Pop.

Is my kid talented or what?

Sure, we know Captain Jack Sparrow

Mrs. P and Forrest Gump go together like peas and carrots

It's so hard to believe that Dwayne Johnson is this big in real life!

Despite what you may have heard, this was our first time behind bars

We spent the rest of our most wonderful day checking out Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Hollywood sign, eating at the In-N-Out restaurant where Rob said he used to sit in the parking lot and read scripts (yeah, we’re not freaks at all) and then Twifixx joined us for a BookClub “meeting” at the ZAnyMouse House.

Good friends, good times (and isn’t Z’s backyard beautiful?)

The real thing

Thank you to ZAnyMouse and TwiloveSis for letting me use some of your pictures!

TwiloveSue XOXO

End of the Road for Our Feet and 100 Monkeys in San Diego

2011-09-15T15:54:00.017-04:00

We ended our BookClub 100 Monkeys Stalking Adventure with a show at the San Diego House of Blues. While I was sad to say goodbye to the Monkeys, my feet were silently cheering. They probably would have done a happy dance, but were just too exhausted to even bother. I still can’t believe how many hours over the long weekend that we spent standing in line or squished up in front of a stage, but it really did go by quickly. Let’s face it… it’s not like I was going to spend that time solving world peace anyway and quality time with such great friends is a very worthy endeavor in my book.

Partial BookClub: ZAnyMouse, TwiloveSue, Twi-daughter Nicole, Twifixx (Twi-daughter Megan arrived a little while later)

There’s not much left to say about seeing 100 Monkeys in concert that I haven’t already gushed about in many other posts, so I’ll just get right to the pictures.
Jackson and Jerad

Ben G. and Jackson

I love Jackson's dancing, but you've got to wonder about the decision to wear flannel on stage.

Jared solicited ideas from the audience for the night's improv song. He ended up going with "Aunt Irene" in honor of his aunt that was there attending with his whole family. Jackson's lyrics were hysterical and he ending it by thanking Jared's parents for "making love and creating Mohawtie."

Jackson and Uncle Larry

Since this was the last show on the tour, there was a extra energy and sense of fun as 100 Monkeys wrapped it all up in my home town. They closed out the night in a fabulous jam session with Kissing Club and Bleeding Horse Express. It was cool watching them have so much fun together and finish in a big way. Jackson and Bradley, the lead singer of Bleeding Horse Express. We enjoyed seeing this group from Vancouver open for the Monkeys several times and apparently Jackson liked them a lot too because he produced their new CD.

Jackson was videotaping us again. Hopefully there will be a tour DVD out soon!

And before presenting our closing Hot Rob picture, I’m feeling a little nostalgic and want to thank all of you for your sweet and encouraging blog comments this year. Sharing my pictures and talking with you guys about my little Twilight obsession is always a highlight of my day and just as much fun as going to the events themselves. I would also like to give special thank yous to the BookClub for being such amazing friends, to 17foreverLisa for being the best enabler ever and a big, sloppy wet kiss to Mrs. P for letting me play on her blog. I love all of you Bitepackers and will use you as an excuse to double my stalky efforts for the rest of the year. Let’s just see where my husband’s Twilight tolerance ends, shall we? (just kidding ~ sorta)

Don’t forget to go Walk with Mrs. P! Today she gives us a breakdown of the Breaking Dawn trailer as only she can.

Mwahhh!!
TwiloveSue XOXO

P.S. Here are a few last shots from the show that made me laugh

Jackson seems to be wearing the ears of some small, unidentifiable primate.

Bradley wore this interesting shirt for their last song. I don’t recall seeing it for sale at the Monkey merchandise booth, though.

100 Monkeys and Refrigerators at Best Buy

2011-09-08T12:45:00.011-04:00

On the last day of our 100 Monkey marathon weekend, we caught the guys at an in-store appearance at the Best Buy in San Diego. Being the conscientious (not obsessive) fans that we are, we arrived nice and early to stake out our spots. After our eagle eyes quickly spotted the 5 empty chairs and table set up in the appliance department, we then proceeded to mill about the store trying not to look like fans stalking the appliance section of a major retail store. You know, it’s a lot harder to kill an hour and a half pretending to shop than you’d think. Here we are, looking not so inconspicuous… (top row) TwiloveSue, ZAnyMouse, Twifixx, LuvsmesumEdward, Jaymes805, (bottom row) Twi-daughters Nicole and D.

Jared was the first to arrive and seemed perplexed that no other band members were there yet. After a little while, he emerged from the employee break room wearing a Best Buy t-shirt, customized with cut off sleeves. All of the employees seemed happy to see him and he posed for pictures with many of them. It turns out that he worked at that exact location for two years in his pre-100 Monkeys days (that's your Monkey trivia for the day).

Eventually the rest of the guys arrived (about 30 minutes late), looking very tired but happy to be there. The Bens looked especially worn out, with Ben G. wearing the same clothes from the night before (not that we’d ever notice something like that…) and I’m pretty sure Ben J. had recently been turned into a zombie. Jackson and Uncle Larry looked just as polished and put together as always.

They sang acoustic versions of several songs for the small but enthusiastic crowd and then signed autographs afterwards. It was so funny to see all of the other shoppers wander past the appliance section wondering what in the world was going on. It was a very fun and casual way to see them perform and they sounded extremely good. I always tell people that CDs just don’t do justice to them. 100 Monkeys really do need to be experienced live.

For today’s Rob picture I’ve brought back an old favorite because there is no such thing as too much Rome Rob.

TwiloveSue XOXO

P.S. Don't forget to go Walk with Mrs. P!

Going Bananas with 100 Monkeys in Anaheim

2011-09-02T01:14:00.017-04:00

Our second 100 Monkeys show of the Monkey Mania Marathon weekend was at the House of Blues in Anaheim, located right in the heart of Downtown Disney. It was kind of odd being right next to Disneyland and not going into the park, so I bought myself a pair of Mickey Mouse earrings and that made me feel a whole lot better.

At the time we orignially bought our tickets, we were overcome with a weak moment of unexpected logic and declined to buy the VIP package that included watching the sound check and early admission into the venue. However, we did buy overpriced HoB merchandise and food to qualify for the “pass the line” line and get in ahead of the rest of the general admission ticket holders. It worked out fairly well and we ended up in the 3rd "row" of standing people from the stage.

Here we are! Twi-daughter Nicole, ZAnyMouse, Twi-daughter Megan, me (TwiloveSue), and Twifixx

It was a super tall stage (granted, I am short and everything looks tall from my perspective), making it pretty easy to see the show above everyone’s head. We were crowded so closely together, though, that I could only take a picture of whatever was directly in front of me as long as nobody was bumping me or holding their camera up into the air. I ended up with many very funny shots of well-focused hands holding cameras, heads cut off, and a whole lot of things I can't identify at all. Perhaps I shall make a coffee table book from them someday to finance my Monkey travels. People around us pushed like crazy when Jackson hopped off the stage a few times, but it was still a fun group. Well, except for the drunk dirty dancing wannabe lesbians… but I'm thinking that's a story best left untold.

Jackson Rathbone

Ben Graupner

Jared Anderson (aka Mohawtie)

The Monkeys maintained the same high energetic pace as from a few nights before and played many favorites, including “Orson Brawl” and “Ugly Girl” (love it when they get to the “funkified” part!). They also played “Keep Awake,” which we hadn’t heard in awhile and it was a huge hit with the audience. The improv song was named Hurricane and Jackson’s trademark song dancing did not disappoint (go search it on youtube!).

Towards the end of the show, I was so surprised when Ben G. threw a guitar pick into the crowd and it landed right into my hands without me even trying to catch it. I gave it to Nicole, who promptly gave it to Megan because she knew Megan would really like it. I thought that was so sweet and a great example of how much our little group has come to care for one another. And in a wonderful stroke of karma, Jared threw his guitar pick into the crowd to Nicole!

Jared, Uncle Larry, Ben Johnson

Yup, I do believe he is looking at me

At the autograph signing afterwards, I chatted with Jared and Jackson about what they were going to do after the tour was over (“what’s a vacation?”), Ben G. shook my hand and Ben J. gave me a high five when I said I would see him the next day. Uncle Larry hugged me and called me baby. Obviously that means he wants me to marry Jackson and go on tour with them to Europe.

Jackson is always so heartfelt with his emotions during the "Thank You" song

We wrapped up the late night with a BookClub slumber party at my house, but we were too tired to eat the snacks, drink the wine, or do much more than go to sleep. I know… I’m so ashamed.

I think this is my favorite picture of the evening

TwiloveSue XOXO

P.S. Our Rob picture of the day is this fabulous new Water for Elephants still. Don't you just love it?!

Monkey Play at the El Rey in LA

2011-08-30T23:28:00.010-04:00

When we heard that 100 Monkeys were going to wrap up their 45 city tour with several Southern California shows, we just couldn’t resist throwing all good judgment to the wind and making a long BookClub weekend out of it. Having unlimited wealth, no responsibilities in life, and a complete lack of priorities (only one part of this sentence is actually true), we decided to hit the road and become the 100 Monkeys version of Deadheads (but with daily showers).

The first of our four Monkey encounters was at the El Rey Theatre in LA, a fabulously renovated art deco theater from the 1930’s that makes you think old time Hollywood. The five of us (Twifixx, ZAnyMouse, Twi-daughters Nicole and Megan, and me) got spots in the center right up against the stage, the perfect location for maximum Monkey enjoyment. As always, it was a highly energetic show with the very enthusiastic crowd dancing and singing along the whole time. Every time I see the Monkeys perform, I’m convinced that it was the best show I’ve ever seen them do and this one was no exception. Jackson learned some mighty fine new moves during his travels these past few months and the band clicked together better than ever.

Yes, that really is a camera on Jackson’s hat. It took me awhile to notice the flashing red light and realize that we were being recorded every time he looked our way.

In honor of my good friend kiTT (who I’m convinced is the originator of Jared’s nickname “Mohawtie”) and thanks to a terrific suggestion from 17foreverLisa, we made neon green signs to try to get Jared to choose "Mohawtie" as the improv song. His sister was in the audience and he went with her title of "weightlifting snowman," but at least we made Jerad and Jackson laugh.

At the autograph table afterwards, Jerad told us that he would have picked our song title if his sister hadn't been there. I’m sure Jackson could have come up with some very interesting lyrics for that one! When Nicole gave them the Mohawtie sign to autograph, Jared drew a cute picture of a fish on it and then jokingly stuffed the page into his shirt. I'm not sure why he did that, but it was pretty funny and then Jackson acted like he was afraid to touch it. When Uncle Larry signed the page, he asked Ben J. what "Mohawtie" meant and Ben told him that it was because "Jerad has a mohawk and people think he's... we'll... you know.... hot" and then he looked really embarrassed from saying that. I thought it was such a generous and personal touch for the guys to stay after the show for an autograph line when it was so late and they were clearly exhausted.

We’ve seen 100 Monkeys perform quite a few times now and it’s hard to explain to people exactly what it is that keeps us coming back over and over again. I guess the best way I can put it is that it’s a chance to escape from real life for a bit with my two best friends (and future commune co-dwellers) and our wonderful daughters to dance and smile with a group of multi-talented guys who are very easy on the eyes and seem just as happy to be there performing for us as we are being there listening to them. What’s not to love?

And speaking of easy on the eyes... here's a favorite shot from one of the best magazine shoots EVER! I realize he's not a member of 100 Monkeys, but it just isn't right to leave him out of a TwiBite post.

TwiloveSue XOXO

P.S. Thank you to ZAnyMouse for naming my Monkey posts!

Random Comic-con Chat

2011-08-19T00:57:00.015-04:00

Comic-con week began with a bang when 17foreverLisa flew halfway across the United States to brave a whole week with my family and attend the festival of nerds known as Comic-con. Nearly a year had gone by since the one time we'd ever met in person, but when we saw each other again it was as if no time had passed (I’m feeling so poetic right now).

TwiredJen, 17foreverLisa, and TwiloveSue (aka Jen, Lisa and Sue) at the San Diego airport. You know, I can't help but notice that we fail at having super secret online identities since all three of us include our real first names as part of our screen names.

Jen and I surprised Lisa at the airport with an embarrassing Rob sign, balloons, and a box of her favorite beverage (wine) decorated with Rob, Kristen and Jackson pictures. We had a great lunch at Seaport Village next to the bay (yes, Lisa overcame her fear of being eaten by killer whales!) and had a fun afternoon on the Old Time Trolley Tour through San Diego. I'll save the story of our BookClub fieldtrip to Hollywood (and all the embarrassing pictures) for my next post.

Because we take our Twilight extremely seriously and lost all sense of logic years ago when Edward first walked into the cafeteria, we then spent the next three days waiting in line for the Breaking Dawn panel. It was a little frustrating since Comic-con security didn’t quite know what to make of us being there so early (yeah, nothing weird about that). We kept trying to tell them it was only a matter of time before our group of thirty would grow to thousands.

Eventually they accepted our presence and went from threatening to call the police to “trying to work with us” to making us the official line and providing shade and bathrooms. Ah, the power of well-behaved Twilight fans and perseverance…

I know this sounds nuts, but it really was a fun experience and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat. We held back on purpose to be second in line as part of our on-going plan to avoid the press at all costs. The group in front of us was inundated by media interviews from every news outlet and blog known to mankind and I’m grateful to them for representing our fandom so well. They were well-spoken and provided an interesting human interest story rather than the freak story I would have been. Trust me when I say that.

TwiSis Crystal, LuvsMeSumEdward, Twi-daughter D, Mary Lou, 17foreverLisa, and Allye – doesn’t this look cozy? ZanyMouse and TwiredJen made special trips to the convention center to keep us company in line.

Twi-daughter Nicole, Allye, Lisa

I will admit, though, that outside the San Diego Convention Center was not the most peaceful and comfortable place to sleep. It was cold being right there next to the water (what can I say, I’m a wimp and anything below 65 degrees is cold) and I can’t even say how happy I was when the trolleys across the street stopped running around midnight. That is, right until I realized that once the trolleys stopped, then the freight trains started. Seriously. Freight trains!!

Home Sweet Home

Nicole and I are huge Dr. Who fans and this picture from the BBC website of Nicole shows the beautiful Cosplay dress ZanyMouse made for her. Nicole had her picture taken tons of times over the weekend by other Who fans and also was interviewed for a BBC special. Is ZanyMouse incredibly talented or what?

My goal for Comic-con was to get as close to Robert Pattinson as possible and Nicole’s goal was to meet Matt Smith (he plays The Doctor on Dr. Who). I still can’t believe we both met our goals with flying colors (you can read about when I met Rob HERE – sorry to keep bringing it up, but I still can’t believe it!). Thank you again to my anonymous friend-who-shall-not-be-named that gave us the hot tip on where to find Matt!

Matt and Nicole

Sue and Matt

It was so cool to meet up with two of my Twilighty friends who also happen to be fellow Whovians, Dangrdafne and MissTejota.

I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that Nicole and I are total geeks, so we were truly in our element at Comic-con. While I was there first and foremost for Twilight, it was pretty exciting to meet actors from Star Trek and Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was so sweet and gave GREAT hugs. Sigh.

Sue, Nicholas, Nicole

I have plenty more pictures to share in my next post, but here’s a lovely one of Rob to hold you over in the meantime. I may have used this one already, but does it really matter?

TwiloveSue XOXO

Comic-Con: Twilight Stars Look Fabulous at the Crack of Dawn. Me? Not So Much.

2011-08-09T00:13:00.017-04:00

As part of my diabolical plan to confuse you by doing my Comic-con posts in a completely random order, I’ll now tell you about our surprise early morning visit by Twilight cast members and save the adventures of line camping and other Comic-con talk for another post.

At about 6am on the opening day of Comic-con, Summit surprised us by bringing Nikki Reed, Ashley Green, Elizabeth Reaser, Boo Boo Stewart and Julia Jones to visit the line and deliver us breakfast. Needless to say, the crowd went nuts and nobody was interested in the food. Not only were there several thousand people in line by that point, but there were news cameras galore, spectators everywhere, and enough security to thwart a small country's revolution.

As security escorted the stars through the line, it became sort of a free-for-all to get a Breaking Dawn mini poster and coffee mug, meet each actor, and get an autograph or a picture. Despite the chaos, all of the actors were very calm and friendly, cheerfully posing for pictures and signing as many autographs as they could while security rushed them along and news cameras were shoved into their faces.

I spy Ashley Greene somewhere in the middle of all this mayhem.

There she is!

I’m sure I’m stating the obvious by saying that actors and actresses look so much more amazing than normal people to begin with, so when you put them next to people who have been camping out for multiple days…. well, in my case, the comparison becomes extraordinary (and not in a good way). Everyone else looks pretty good, though!

Twi-daughter Nicole and Nikki Reed. Nicole is a huge Dr. Who fan and proudly wore this awesome Tardis dress made by ZanyMouse.

Julia Jones and TwiloveSue

Twi-daughter Nicole and Boo Boo Stewart. Turns out he's a big Dr. Who fan too.

Elizabeth Reaser, TwiloveSue, Twi-daughter Nicole

The day’s autographs: (top l to r) Bill Condon, Rob, Taylor, Kristen, (bottom l to r) Boo Boo, Nikki, Elizabeth, Julia, Ashley. (I’m still in shock…!). Note that all I could think of to weigh down the poster corners for this picture was my spare change. I’m classy that way.

In case you were worried about Mrs. P’s fate after reading about how kiTT found her on the shores of the East Coast ready to cross the Atlantic in a bottle (hop over to TongueTwied for the full story HERE), rest assured that Mrs. P made it to San Diego in plenty of time for Comic-con.

She camped out in line with us for three days…

… got herself signed by Julia Jones (I hope that wasn’t too awkward)….

…and scored plenty of CC swag!

And because every post simply must end with a hot picture of Rob (this is a hard and fast rule, after all), here’s a shot from the Teen Choice Awards that pretty well demonstrates the smoldery yet incredulous look Rob gave me at the autograph session when I confessed my dorkiness to him. If you missed that post, you can read it HERE.

TwiloveSue XOXO

P.S. Don't forget to go Walk with Mrs. P today!

Comic-con: The Planets of the Universe Aligned, Karma Smiled, and I Met Robert Pattinson

2011-08-04T03:17:00.016-04:00

I attended Comic-con a few weeks ago with one goal in mind: to get as close to Robert Pattinson as possible (without getting myself arrested or becoming the lead story on Access Hollywood). Silly me, I thought my best bet would be to camp outside Hall H for three days and try to score a front row seat at the Breaking Dawn panel. Little did I know that pure, dumb luck (or as I prefer to call it, fate) would be the key to my success. I’ll tell you more about being a crazy line camper and all the other fun things we did at Comic-con in another post because right now I have to tell you about how I MET ROBERT PATTINSON!!

I’m still in shock…

On the first day of Comic-con after several cast members visited us in line and Summit brought us breakfast, they held a raffle for the first 300 people in line to have a chance at 50 wristbands for a private autograph session with Rob, Kristen, Taylor & Bill Condon. Unfortunately, I didn't win, but my most awesome friend 17foreverLisa did along with one of the girls in the group in front of us. The rest of us were super bummed, but we still tried to be happy for the ones who won (believe me, it was very hard and I’m sure my eyes were glowing a bright green).

When they finally let us inside for the Breaking Dawn panel, it was total chaos and the back of the line basically went nuts trying to run in front of us and we also saw that the front rows were already blocked off for studio execs, the deaf, and all of their family, friends and neighbors (don't even get me started on that...). Our group got split up in the stampede, but Twi-daughter Nicole, 17foreverLisa and I did manage to get 2nd row seats together.

Before the panel started, I turned to Twi-daughter Nicole and said, “I wish I could have met Rob today, but I know it will happen sometime." As soon as I said that, a lady tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was leaving right after the panel and could she have our seats in exchange for her wristband to meet Rob!! I nearly died on the spot. Luckily she didn’t ask for my firstborn child, because Nicole was conveniently right there with me and I would have gladly traded her into a lifetime of servitude for a wristband. It’s quite likely that woman was my fairy godmother.

After the panel was over (more on that next time - it was fabulous!!), Lisa and I scurried off to the secret room to line up for the signing. They let us go in a few people at a time and I swear to you, I almost couldn't breathe when I saw Rob mere feet away. Taylor, Rob, Kristen and Bill were seated at tables all in a row and we were each given a Breaking Dawn poster to have autographed. We weren't allowed to take pictures (they threatened us big time) and the dictator-like woman in charge kept saying they had to leave in 7 minutes for another engagement. We found out afterwards that they ran out of time and the back part of the line never even got to see them. Can you imagine? I'm so glad we hurried.

Luckily there were some official photographers on hand to capture it all (note: none of the pictures in this post were taken by me and I believe all are APwire)

I met Taylor first and he was very adorable and friendly. We just made surface chit chat about Comic-con and his upcoming movie Abduction. I don’t remember much because, for some reason, I was having concentration issues.

Then, I moved down to Rob’s table and said hello to him with a big, dopey grin on my face. He smiled and said hi (I’m pretty sure I heard a choir of angels singing in the background) and then he asked me "what does it say on your shirt?" I moved my CC lanyard out of the way and basically leaned forward with my chest stuck out (I'm such an idiot) and he read out loud "Ciao Volturi" (it had a cartoon picture of Alice in a yellow porche) and then he laughed and said, "that's funny."

You'd be very impressed at how cool and normal I acted (I think). I thanked him for coming to CC and said I was looking forward to seeing Breaking Dawn. I also told him that I was one of the dorks who waited in line for the past few days for the panel and he gave me a really funny, smoldery look, like "no you didn't...!" and stared straight into my eyes and smiled. I kind of shrugged and rolled my eyes and said, "I know...."

I told Rob how much I’ve enjoyed all of his movies and that it was really great to meet him. I also joked that I wouldn’t talk while he was signing his name because I didn’t want to make him mess it up (or something stupid like that) and he laughed. I tried not to be too gushy, but I’m sure I was. Then we said goodbye and I moved on to Kristen’s table.

I didn’t talk much to Kristen and Bill because it felt kind of awkward. I basically just said hi and that I enjoyed their movies (plus my brain was not working so well at that point) and then I floated out the door.

Wow. I still can't believe I finally met Rob and am so relieved that he was just as wonderful and gracious as I'd imagined. He was quite gorgeous in person and I didn’t even notice the hacked up haircut because I was so busy looking into his eyes. He most definitely has magical powers.

TwiloveSue XOXO

'Round the Birthday Bases : Home Plate!

2011-07-27T16:00:00.003-04:00

Well hello there!!!! Mrs. P is here to

Welcome you to

HOME PLATE!

If you arrived here after rounding Third Base, we need to take care of some business first.

Just look at the little light....

OK. We should be good to go now.

What's our theme, you ask?

Well it's none other than FORKS!!!!!

Let's start with a birthday message from TwiloveSue!

FOOORRRRKKKS!!!

Forks, Washington will always hold a special place in my heart not only for being the home of my favorite books and movies, but also because it’s where so many online Twi-friendships became “real life” friendships. The Twitarded invasion of FOOORRRKKKS last fall was proof that our virtual friendships were true and that you could know and love someone before meeting them in person. It truly was the trip of a lifetime.

TwilightCupcake, 17foreverlisa, TwiredJen, StarlitViolets, Mrs. P, Truebldtwilight, TwiloveSue

Mama_Cougar, TwiloveSue, 17foreverlisa, LivingWEdward, Mrs. P, DangrDafne, CullenaryCurser

17foreverlisa, StarlitViolets, TwiloveSue, Musingbella, Renabug1

A whole flock of Twitards (picture borrowed from Twitarded)

Note from Mrs. P : I'm the one on the far left with my hand on my hip thinking I'm all sorts of sexy. **face palm**

I’m so happy to be part of this very wonderful birthday tribute to my Forky friend 17foreverLisa. She truly is the embodiment of the warm and generous community that is Twitardia and proof that it is indeed possible for Diet Pepsi addicts to live in harmony with Diet Coke addicts. I’m so proud and grateful to call her my friend.

Happy Birthday, Lisa. Love ya!!!

TwiloveSue XOXO

Next up, we have a Forks message from Munkee:

Lisa--
You were the first person I met in Forks. Somehow I had gotten lost on the way
there--I drove an hour in the wrong direction and arrived just in time for the
movie. I walked into that huge, dark room, all by myself, and somehow found
your friendly face. You gave me an enormous hug and made me feel right at home.
I know you don't keep up with the blog much these days (you either P), but I
really loved reading it and appreciate so much the time and effort you made to
write it. Happy Birthday, Lisa! It's cool to know there are kindred spirits
out there. A shitload of them, apparently! And your present is in the mail.

Love,
Munkee

We now have a birthday message from Twifixx:

"Happy Birthday, Lisa! It was great meeting you in So. Cal. and including you in your first Bookclub Meeting with the Serial Killers. I'm glad your ComicCon trip was awesome and successful! ---Twifixx (Linda)"

Here we have a beautiful message from LivingWithEdward!

Mrs. P, Twired Jen, LivingWithEdward, and Lisa

Happy Birthday to the best bloggy mom anyone could ever ask for. So many of us never would never have met without Lisa having accepting and welcoming us into what has become the best community the fandom has seen. Twitarded has spawned our lovely lot, and Lisa nourished and loved it, helping to connect a lot of us all together. Lisa, today we honor your special day and celebrate the woman who we owe our new friendships, bonds, and sisters to. We love you long time and hope for nothing but the best for you. Happy Birthday Lisa, and many many more!

Next we have a birthday message from Honolulu Girl!

I want to wish Lisa a very Happy Birthday and hope that she has a great time with family and friends celebrating.

Here is a photo of Lisa with Twilightcupcake

Another note from Mrs. P: I'm the idiot in the background over Twilightcupcake's shoulder.

**double face palm**

Last up we have a contribution from Twired Jen!

Dear Lord...there's that "R" word again. OK...hold still. This won't hurt....

Well, I guess the only one left is me.

Dear Lisa,

We've had more laughs and more conversations than I have hairs on my head...and that says a lot. There really isn't anything I can't talk to you about and there really isn't anything I can't depend on you for. You're part of the reason this blog was the success it was...I know that. You were the first TwiBite Challenge...you were the first person I spoke to most mornings, and you were my loudest cheerleader. It's absolutely impossible for anyone to realize what we've been through and what we've overcome. You can choose your friends...you can't choose your family.

I choose you.

Stay 17 in your heart forever. Love is love, no matter what.

Cullenary Curser and me in the background,

Twired Jen and Lisa up front.

Peace, Love, Look How Far We've Come,

Mrs. P

P.S. Lisa, we've got all the bases covered:

Now go head on over to the other bases!!!!

Batter Up www.rathgasm101.blogspot.com

Starting Pitch www.thecoldshower.wordpress.com

HomeRun www.dangrdafne.blogspot.com

First Base www.robmusement.blogspot.com

Second Base www.twilightjunkiesanonymous.blogspot.com

Shortstop www.pattinsonpost.tumblr.com

Third Base www.sotwired.blogspot.com

Home Plate www.twibite.blogspot.com

Extra Innings w/Grand Slam www.tonguetwied.blogspot.com

The Dugout www.twikiwi.blogspot.com

7th Inning Stretch www.robzsinger.blogspot.com

The Beer Vendor www.musingbella.blogspot.com

The Outfield www.moondancewithRob.blogspot.com

Derelicts Underneath the Bleachers www.twitarded.blogspot.com

The Press Box www.mamacougar.blogspot.com

The Locker Room www.edbrella.blogspot.com

Spring Training www.starlitviolets.blogspot.com

Wish Me Luck!!

2011-07-18T02:10:00.004-04:00

TwiloveSue XOXO

11 Things I Learned on the Twitarded Trip to FOOOORRRKKS

2011-07-13T01:54:00.018-04:00

Last Fall, I went with the gals from the fabulous Twitarded blog and over a hundred of their crazy, Twilight obsessed followers on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Twilight Mecca of Forks, Washington.

My family thought I was absolutely nuts because I had never met a single one of these people in person and mostly only knew everyone by their very creative online screen names, and yet there I was traipsing off to another state to hang out with them. I even made arrangements to room with three of these ladies based on a very lively Twitter conversation. How lucky was I to end up rooming with the awesome 17foreverlisa, Mrs. P, Cullenarycurser and our bonus next door neighbor (the one person I actually knew in “real life”) TwiredJen?! My sister’s worry that they would all turn out to be cartoon-headed 60 year old men who live in their Moms' basements turned out to be completely unfounded. In fact, I’m nearly certain there wasn’t a single serial killer in the bunch.

And now, here are 11 things that I learned on that trip, just in case you're considering making the pilgrammage yourself. Sure, it’s true that most people make top ten lists, but I decided to go with eleven in hope that this will convince you that I’m kind of over-achievery instead of just wishy-washy.

1. Twitards are the friendliest and most accepting people in the world. It was like we had all been called home to the mother ship to reunite with old friends. We were an instant community of women who completely “got” each other.
Snarkier than you, Dangrdafne, Myg, JennyJerkface, LatchkeyWife, VitaminR

Latchkeywife, 17foreverlisa, TwiredJen, SnarkierthanYou, Twilightcupcake, Jenny Jerkface, Truebldtwilight, TwiloveSue, Mrs. P

2. The Welcome to Forks sign is very cool in person.Cullenarycurser, Mrs. P, JennyJerkface, SnarkierThanYou, TwiloveSue, TwiredJen, 17foreverlisa

3. I have no self control at all when tempted with a store full of Twilight merchandise. None. Whatsoever.
4. The town of Forks deserves an E for Effort for embracing the world of Twilight. Even though Bella Swan doesn’t live in the Swan House, Dr. Cullen doesn’t work at the hospital (he does have a parking place, though) and none of Twilight movies were actually filmed in Forks, it still felt right.

5. Vampires really aren’t allowed on the Quileute side of the treaty line.
6. There are Hos in the Hoh Forest.17foreverlisa, Cullenarycurser, Mama_Cougar, tatoomickey, TwiloveSue, TwiredJen, Mrs.P

7. TwiredJen does a great New Moon Bella impression.
8. Chief Charlie Swan does not patrol Highway #101 between Forks and Port Angeles, but the Washington state troopers do and they will give you a ticket if you speed. Believe me, I learned this the hard way (and am eternally grateful to my passengers for being sweet & demure and not getting us arrested). The Gang (picture borrowed from Twitarded)

9. You should never turn your back on the ocean at La Push beach. CullenaryCurser was taken out by a rogue wave that came out of nowhere. I wasn’t sure if I should try to go help her or take a picture. Luckily she has a great sense of humor. TwiloveSue, StarlitViolets, 17foreverlisa, Twilightcupcake, Truebldtwilight, TwiredJen, Cullenarycurser, Mrs. P

10. The mushroom ravioli at Bella Italia tastes better than it looks
11. Watching Twilight for the 17 millionth time with fellow Twitards was hysterical, like having your own Rifftraxx soundtrack. This was the funniest group ever and only we are allowed to make fun of Twilight.
If you’re still trying to decide whether or not to go on the FOOOORRRKKS trip this year, my advice is to DO IT! It’s something you just have to experience at least once and I’m so glad I did. It was one of my best decisions ever. To (mis)quote a recent circus movie, I wasn’t running away, I was going home.
TwiloveSue XOXO