Polaris 21 Report - July 6 -8, 2007

Polaris 21 Report. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

PLEASE NOTE: This report is the property of the author and may not be copied or reposted, in full or in part, without the author's prior written permission and No Video or pictures may be re-posted or linked without express written permission of the owner!

Last year was my first time at Toronto Trek (now Polaris) and I had a really great time. This year how ever was a blast and a half.

This year I stay at the hotel and it made it so must easier. Even though my roommates (Maggie and Christine) were determined to get me drunk and make a fool out of myself. However when that did not work, they changed their evil plans and made me laugh so hard that I couldn’t breathe. I thank you both for a great weekend!

I did my first panels and while I was nervous. I had a great time, especial thanks, to Justin and Marcus who made me sounds funnier than I was, during the Firefly panels.

And a big thanks to my cheering group at the Whendonverse Greek-Off, I firmly believe it was the reason I won (it intimidated the rest of the consents).

And I would also like to sincerely thank Margaret for being so sweet and to hold a place in line for me at the Katee Sackhoff autograph line, without her help. I would never have been able to make it to my last panel.

So as usual here is my full report full of details and long winded. But that’s just how I write them.

Friday July 6, 2007.

Ok, getting any work done on a day you plan on going to a convention is just not possible. I left work, got home and managed to waist half an hour trying to re-pack my small bag (I am a pack-a-oholic, I have expected this and now have moved on to blaming my Portuguese’s heritage, since the Portuguese are incapable of packing light. As a matter of fact whenever we go to the airport to pick up family members we can always tell when the Portuguese have arrived because they are the ones dragging the 12 giant suitcases full of everything including the kitchen sink. ) Next year I will just take a large bag!

We had to drop off my in-laws at the airport, so this made it easy for me to get a ride. But I managed to forget to print off directions to the hotel and once again we got lost (and yes I get lost a lot). I finally to the hotel around 6:00pm, checked in, dropped off my stuff and headed to register. I have also found that Polaris is one of the very best run conventions there is, so I was a little surprised that they had me on panels I cancelled and on ones that they never approved me for. But oh well, it was all cool with me. I checked in with Cindy at the Sunnydale Central table and then met Chris Mak in the dealer room (once again she had the very best table of stuff there).

I then headed to my first panel at 7:00pm, it was Buffy Season 8 and Beyond. This a panel I had canceled and I did not know I was on (had I known I would have brought my copies of the Buffy Season 8 comics) however it was a good panel and I got to tell the story of James Marsters reaction to seeing the scene of Buffy tied together with a naked Angel and naked Spike in issue # 4. Basically he hadn’t seen it until one of my friends showed it to him at Fangoria, he freaked out and demanded to know who had done it (written the scene) when he was told it was Joss he just hung his head and said “Oh, Joss, Joss, Joss.”

My second panel (at 8:00pm) was Firefly 101. It was a great panel and it was great to see all the Browncoats that came out!!! Justin and Marcus were great and very funny, and made me look funnier than I am.

The next panel was Whendonverse Greek-Off, I played last year and didn’t do so great. But I managed to do better this year (I won) nice to know I as big of a Whendonverse Greek as I think I am. Though I am convince that I won only because I had a large cheering group that made all the other consents too nervous to really compete.

We (Maggie & Christine) then went to have some dinner, we hit Harry’s Bar in the hotel, and got to hear the Klingon Karaoke (though I thought they actually did the songs in Klingon, man was I disappointed). The girls then went to catch another panel and I headed to our room for a bath. Since our downstairs bathroom is under renovation (the one with the bathtub, I take every opportunity I can when in hotels to sit and soak in a bathtub). The night ended after that since we were all tired.

Saturday July 7, 2007.

We all got up early (well early for us) at 8:00am. And Maggie was nice to go to Tim Hortons and get breakfast for all of us.

Christine and I then headed to the “The Women of Battlestar” panel. I have to says it was the only panel I did not like, first it was way to early for such an in-depth discussion and social commentary on women’s roles in a sci-fi series and second I just plane did not agree with their view point that the women of Battlestar were portrayed badly. Had it been later in the day and had I been more wake I would have argued with them.

Then it was “Who put the Fire in your fly” panel. Once again Justin and Marcus made me seem funnier then I am.

At 12:00pm the pictures with Ron Glass started, Ron was great and taller in person than I would have thought. My picture with him turned out great and some of the browncoats got to take a group shot with him at the end of the shoot. That was fun, and thanks to Sheliah for getting everything together!


We then headed out for lunch, but were back to hear Ron Glass Q&A that started at 2:00pm. Just before I went to hear Ron.

I managed to get Marina Sirtis autograph. She is so pretty in person, and very sweet.

Ron was great on stage, though he wasn’t able to answer my question of whether he was very the victim or participate of any of the partial jokes on the Firefly set. He said that he left that up to Nathan. I am convinced he just didn’t want to admit to anything that might get back to his follow cast-mates.

After Ron’s Q&A, I was able to get Erick Avari autograph, and then I got Ron’s. I did manage to hit poor in the noise with my Serenity poster (talk about feeling bad) but I swear it wasn’t on perhaps. I was holding one end and he was holding the other (since it is kept rolled up and won’t lay flat) well he bent down to blow on the signature just after he signed it and I just happen to let go to get a picture, and sure enough it smacked him in the noise. He joked about me wanted to remove his noise, I apologized to him, and was really embarrassed!

After smacking poorRon in the noise, we caught the tail end of the Blood Ties Presentation. It looks like a really good show, and it even looks like it is shot in Toronto, even though it isn’t. (The books are based in Toronto, and the TV show is shot in Vancouver). I look forward to seeing it.

We went to the “Heroes: Are You On the List?” Panel next. Great to see how many people are enjoying the show (the room was packed). And expect for the “Lost” bashing, it was pretty good. I look forward to more Heroes panels next year.

Then it was dinner time, Maggie, Christine and I went to Milestones for Dinner, we had a great long relaxing dinner. Then made our way to “The Masquerade”. Ok, the only wrong was the CSI contest they had going, they 2 people go up and solve a murder CSI style, the first one was OK (William SHATNER did it). But the second guy went on and on and on and on and on and on. He finally had to be told to rap it up. I swear just a little while longer I would have been ready to confess!

Last year I was in The Masquerade, so I didn’t get to see it, but this year I got to enjoy it. Everyone was great, and some were so funny!!! The Spartans were a crowd favorite (cute guys dressed in almost nothing, hmmmm I wonder why….)

We then headed back to our room. Christine who was very disappointed she could make the Once more with feeling sing-a-long, put it on her iPod, the episode (not just the music) and had us singing along. Cindy, Justin and Colleen joined a little later (oh did I mention we had booze?) We had a great time talking and singing to OMWF. Though con security had to tell us we were being too loud. The get-toghter broke up around 2:00am and I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. Of course the booze might have helped.

Sunday July 8, 2007.

I had wanted to get up early so I could make it to the auction (there were some great Buffy / Angel figures up for auction). But I had a hell of a time waking up, (hmmm I wonder why?) I did manage to get up throw on some clothes and get to the auction just before it started. I am glad I did too, since Ron Glass showed up to auction off the Sheppard Book stuff. He was great, and helped raised the price of things. Sheliah was the lucky winner of the one-of-kind Sheppard Book figure. It was a really good little figure! I won both the lots of the Buffy & Angel figures. Like I was going to let anyone else get them after getting my ass out of bed for them!!! Ha!!!

I headed back to the room and woke up the girls! As I matter of fact I walked in turned on all the lights opened the curtains and said “WAKE UP!” I am half surprised they didn’t start throwing things at me!!!

We all got dressed and Maggie once again was sweet enough to go get us breakfast.
While Christine and I finished getting ready. I checked us out just before 12:00pm since that was the only time I would get a chance, I had so many things to do, that were one thing after another that I would get another chance.

Then I headed to get my photo taken with Katee Sackhoff, and even though the line was long, it went really quickly. She was also great, and very petite.

She smaller in person, then I would have thought.

I was concerned I would be late for my “Someone Put a Spike in Me” panel. I greatly enjoyed doing this panel because I just love talking about Spike! The scary thing is, even if no one had shown up I would have still been there talking about Spike to an empty room! I know it’s sad! The great thing about this panel is everyone got to share their favorite Spike moments!

I had to miss the Geek-Off Championships! To make be able to get Katee Sackhoff autograph, and had it not been for Margaret holding a spot for me. I might still be there waiting (it was a long line). But thank goodness for Margaret!!! This was the only time I had to eat anything, so I wolfed down some pizza while waiting in line.

Oh and the funniest thing happened while we standing in line to get Katee autograph. Marina Sirtis walks out of the autograph room, stands on a chair, asks for everyone attention and says that Katee line was going to be longer than an hour, and so instead of us standing there waiting we should go and see her Q&A, she said that she was very funny and we would enjoy it. And also if she looked out and saw an empty room she would be very upset and not come back to Canada. It was so funny of her!!!

I was still late for my “WANT IT! GIVE IT TO ME NOW!” panel. Poor Chris Mak was all by herself there for a while. I would have thought that more people would have wanted to show off their collectables. But still it was great.

Right after, was the Katee Sackhoff Q&A, which was great as well. She was sweet and funny, and said Frak a lot! I left a few minutes before it ended because I wanted to get my photo with Katee before they packed all of them away.

And while I was invited (and wanted to go) to the Browncoats get together after I was just too pooped. And headed home!

All in all it was a great, really great weekend.


Magie