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batskeetsFinally, the long-overdue Wil Wheaton recap. Let's see how far I get before *this* one gets eaten!
James and I arrived at the Beaverton Powell's around 6:00p, and it was pretty quiet. Quiet enough to make me wonder if we were, in fact, at the correct Powell's store. As I pulled into the parking lot, I made an offhand comment about how I was expecting it to be busier at only an hour before go-time.
James, who has had a longtime disdain for Wesley Crusher, in spite of my emphatic insistence that the character was just badly written, put on his best neener-neener voice and snarked, "See? I guess Wesley ISN'T THAT POPULAR!"
I socked him in the arm for that one. ;p
Thankfully, they started setting up chairs at 6:15-ish, so I didn't have to worry for long. I had already snagged a copy of Wil's book from the shelf, and I started reading through it, partly in the hopes that I'd have something cool and/or witty to say about his book when I got to the front of the autograph line. Actually, it didn't even have to be that cool or witty, as long as it wasn't anything relating to Star Trek or Stand By Me. Not that I don't love both those things with a disturbing fervor, but seriously: It's a book signing, not Gordie LaChance Day.
The book is hellafun--the stories were funny, and the writing flowed well enough that I was over halfway through the book by the time they started the show. They introduced Wil as "actor Wil Wheaton," so he made an appropriately sassy comment to the effect of, he prefers "writer" over "actor" these days.
Let me just say: this man is *hot*. He looked a wee bit disheveled that day, like somebody who just hopped off a plane might, and he has accumulated a couple laugh lines since his Star Trek glory days, but he's as disarming as he was when I was 12. Throw in the fact that he was sporting an "I'm blogging this" t-shirt, and lordy, I fan myself.
He spent a couple minutes introducing himself and his book, and being genuinely flabbergasted at the number of people who had come out to the signing. It was pretty crowded by then, with all the chairs filled, and a bunch more people standing in the back, and he just kept saying "wow," as he looked around the room at all the people.
He read a couple lengthy passages from his book, one about William Shatner being an ass to him when he was working on TNG, which was completely hilarious. I'd found myself snickering out loud when I read the passage the first time, but hearing it with Wil's voice and inflection behind it made it even funnier. (I like his Jonathan Frakes voice. ::rotfl::) The other passage he read was basically about, as he put it, "how [he] went from 'I'm not Spock' to 'I am Spock'". 'I'm not Spock' being the phase where Trek alums are constantly trying to prove that they are bigger than their Trek role, and 'I am Spock' being the phase where they accept that they aren't bigger than Trek and actually learn to enjoy it. It's more amusing when he explains it. ;p
After that, it was time to line up for the signing phase. They said that the line was starting over to the side, where a bunch of people were already standing, but then everyone in the center section with actual chairs basically decided to cut in line en masse, because we were there first anyway. ::rotfl::
Most lines are pretty annoying--people pushing up against you, invading your space, and generally being jackasses is no fun at all. However, I've found that waiting in line at a signing gives me a pretty good idea of what a famous person is like around their fans, because I can eavesdrop on the people in front of me, and see how famous folk react to the weirdest and most annoying of the fan base.
Wil was awesome, of course: he seemed so *normal*, which I suppose isn't surprising now that he's a writer-slash-actor, but he was somehow smaller than I expected, with a slight frame, jeans, and a well-loved pair of Chuck Taylors. He was terribly nice to everyone, and whenever he thought that he might have blinked or made a lame face for a fan photo, he'd be sure to hold them up for an extra moment, so said fan could take a better one. Aw. :)
As for me, I was as cool as a cucumber while waiting in line, and I just knew I'd say something hilarious, memorable, and completely awesome when I got up there. But then, the ladies in front of me finished up and were on their merry way with their autographed copies.
Wil looked up expectantly, right at ME, and I was twelve years old all over again. -_-;
I flung my eyebrows upward, completely surprised that it was my turn, in spite of the fact that I was clearly at the front of the line, because how on earth could it POSSIBLY be my turn? I took on a disturbingly familiar bashful slouch, and stepped up to the table.
Me: "Hi..." *hands over the book*
Wil: "Hi! I LOVE your shirt!"
Me: "Oh, thank you..."
Wil: "Yeah, love the Teen Girl Squad."
Me: "Yeah..." *mumblemumble*
I've always been a bit of a mumbler. A few years of theatre and choir experience have helped to combat this, but when the pressure's really on, my words start running together into a verbal soup. This, of course, multiplies tenfold when I'm talking to a hot guy, or speaking in a foreign language. God help me if I ever meet Katori Shingo.
Me: "So, um, I'm enjoying your book."
Wil: *scribbling an autograph* "Oh, thanks..."
Me: "Yeah, it made me laugh... which is hard to do if you're not British... or, uh, a Japanese man in drag..."
Wil: "Well that's pretty good; I don't have either of those things!" *smiles, finishes scribbling and hands the book back to me*
Me: *insert annoying nasal whine* "Well, Thank you!"
Wil: "You're welcome."
And, I was off, feeling something like the biggest loser in the universe for not having said something cooler, but still completely FLOATIE FLOATIE WOO! over having met the object of my middle-school affections. In fact, I was so wrapped up in residual fuzzy feelings that I almost FLOATIE FLOATIE WOO!-ed out the door without paying for the book. ::rotfl::
So, in conclusion, Wil Wheaton rocked my face off. If you have the chance to see him do anything, don't you *dare* miss it, or I'll sock you one, too. :D
James and I arrived at the Beaverton Powell's around 6:00p, and it was pretty quiet. Quiet enough to make me wonder if we were, in fact, at the correct Powell's store. As I pulled into the parking lot, I made an offhand comment about how I was expecting it to be busier at only an hour before go-time.
James, who has had a longtime disdain for Wesley Crusher, in spite of my emphatic insistence that the character was just badly written, put on his best neener-neener voice and snarked, "See? I guess Wesley ISN'T THAT POPULAR!"
I socked him in the arm for that one. ;p
Thankfully, they started setting up chairs at 6:15-ish, so I didn't have to worry for long. I had already snagged a copy of Wil's book from the shelf, and I started reading through it, partly in the hopes that I'd have something cool and/or witty to say about his book when I got to the front of the autograph line. Actually, it didn't even have to be that cool or witty, as long as it wasn't anything relating to Star Trek or Stand By Me. Not that I don't love both those things with a disturbing fervor, but seriously: It's a book signing, not Gordie LaChance Day.
The book is hellafun--the stories were funny, and the writing flowed well enough that I was over halfway through the book by the time they started the show. They introduced Wil as "actor Wil Wheaton," so he made an appropriately sassy comment to the effect of, he prefers "writer" over "actor" these days.
Let me just say: this man is *hot*. He looked a wee bit disheveled that day, like somebody who just hopped off a plane might, and he has accumulated a couple laugh lines since his Star Trek glory days, but he's as disarming as he was when I was 12. Throw in the fact that he was sporting an "I'm blogging this" t-shirt, and lordy, I fan myself.
He spent a couple minutes introducing himself and his book, and being genuinely flabbergasted at the number of people who had come out to the signing. It was pretty crowded by then, with all the chairs filled, and a bunch more people standing in the back, and he just kept saying "wow," as he looked around the room at all the people.
He read a couple lengthy passages from his book, one about William Shatner being an ass to him when he was working on TNG, which was completely hilarious. I'd found myself snickering out loud when I read the passage the first time, but hearing it with Wil's voice and inflection behind it made it even funnier. (I like his Jonathan Frakes voice. ::rotfl::) The other passage he read was basically about, as he put it, "how [he] went from 'I'm not Spock' to 'I am Spock'". 'I'm not Spock' being the phase where Trek alums are constantly trying to prove that they are bigger than their Trek role, and 'I am Spock' being the phase where they accept that they aren't bigger than Trek and actually learn to enjoy it. It's more amusing when he explains it. ;p
After that, it was time to line up for the signing phase. They said that the line was starting over to the side, where a bunch of people were already standing, but then everyone in the center section with actual chairs basically decided to cut in line en masse, because we were there first anyway. ::rotfl::
Most lines are pretty annoying--people pushing up against you, invading your space, and generally being jackasses is no fun at all. However, I've found that waiting in line at a signing gives me a pretty good idea of what a famous person is like around their fans, because I can eavesdrop on the people in front of me, and see how famous folk react to the weirdest and most annoying of the fan base.
Wil was awesome, of course: he seemed so *normal*, which I suppose isn't surprising now that he's a writer-slash-actor, but he was somehow smaller than I expected, with a slight frame, jeans, and a well-loved pair of Chuck Taylors. He was terribly nice to everyone, and whenever he thought that he might have blinked or made a lame face for a fan photo, he'd be sure to hold them up for an extra moment, so said fan could take a better one. Aw. :)
As for me, I was as cool as a cucumber while waiting in line, and I just knew I'd say something hilarious, memorable, and completely awesome when I got up there. But then, the ladies in front of me finished up and were on their merry way with their autographed copies.
Wil looked up expectantly, right at ME, and I was twelve years old all over again. -_-;
I flung my eyebrows upward, completely surprised that it was my turn, in spite of the fact that I was clearly at the front of the line, because how on earth could it POSSIBLY be my turn? I took on a disturbingly familiar bashful slouch, and stepped up to the table.
Me: "Hi..." *hands over the book*
Wil: "Hi! I LOVE your shirt!"
Me: "Oh, thank you..."
Wil: "Yeah, love the Teen Girl Squad."
Me: "Yeah..." *mumblemumble*
I've always been a bit of a mumbler. A few years of theatre and choir experience have helped to combat this, but when the pressure's really on, my words start running together into a verbal soup. This, of course, multiplies tenfold when I'm talking to a hot guy, or speaking in a foreign language. God help me if I ever meet Katori Shingo.
Me: "So, um, I'm enjoying your book."
Wil: *scribbling an autograph* "Oh, thanks..."
Me: "Yeah, it made me laugh... which is hard to do if you're not British... or, uh, a Japanese man in drag..."
Wil: "Well that's pretty good; I don't have either of those things!" *smiles, finishes scribbling and hands the book back to me*
Me: *insert annoying nasal whine* "Well, Thank you!"
Wil: "You're welcome."
And, I was off, feeling something like the biggest loser in the universe for not having said something cooler, but still completely FLOATIE FLOATIE WOO! over having met the object of my middle-school affections. In fact, I was so wrapped up in residual fuzzy feelings that I almost FLOATIE FLOATIE WOO!-ed out the door without paying for the book. ::rotfl::
So, in conclusion, Wil Wheaton rocked my face off. If you have the chance to see him do anything, don't you *dare* miss it, or I'll sock you one, too. :D
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no subject
Date: 2003-08-20 07:37 am (UTC)All sorts of sordid imagery, there.
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Date: 2003-08-20 01:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-20 01:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-20 09:45 pm (UTC)Comments regarding your story about my hot husband
Date: 2003-08-21 09:26 pm (UTC)I read your story about meeting Wil at Powell's because Wil forwarded it to me.
See, he was so excited that someone thought my husband was 'hot' that he wanted me to read what you wrote.
First, I loved your story. You are a great writer yourself. What I love about the way Wil writes is that it's very conversational and you practically feel like you were there yourself. I wasn't able to come up there, so you really helped fill in what it was like. Thanks!
Second, I love that you noticed his 'well loved' pair of Chuck Taylors. Wil loves them so much, that when they have become too loved, he puts them in the "Chuck Taylor Graveyard." I like to call that under the bed.
I can assure you that you are not any kind of "loser" for not saying something cooler than you had hoped. Wil is so happy and grateful for all the support he has gotten over this book. It was awesome of you to be there.
And yes, Wil is hot. Why do you think I married him?!
Sincerely,
Anne Wheaton