Greetings to the McGann Librarians!
I recently had the good fortune to attend Chicago TARDIS 2004 and meet Paul for the first time (after a long 2 year infatuation with the man). He was my introduction to Doctor Who (of which I am now a convicted fan) and Doctor Who was, subsequently, my introduction to the rest of Paul's work.
I greatly admire the man as an actor ... and as an extremely charming, endearing, and DROP DEAD GORGEOUS man!
I met a couple of you at the con (and was in one of the audio groups with one of your members who played the dragon--please, forgive my terrible memory when it comes to names: I am surprised I remember my own sometimes!). In fact, it was Laura--I believe--who first told me about the McGann Library (forgive me if I have pulled a random name out of the air here).
Now that the holidays are over and I have had an opportunity to reflect on that strange and wonderful weekend I wanted to stop in to say hi and share some of my own Paul experiences at the con.
I noted the thread with the record of the brunch discussion with Paul. Alas, All Access had sold out the week before I sent my membership submission in! However, I ended up as the only female at the table just behind Paul having brunch with Jason, who was very kind and quite a sweetheart himself. My only quibble was that the conversation quickly shifted to an hour and a half discussion between Jason and the men at the table about American football ... a subject of which I have neither interest nor knowledge. Jason, however, seemed to be enjoying it so much that I hated to interrupt him.
As much as I enjoy Jason I admit to being quite jealous of Gwyn and her seat just to Paul's left *sigh*. Maybe next time
.
After the brunch as the last people were scrambling to get a picture taken with Paul I struck up a conversation with Rob Shearman (who I had spoken to quite a bit over the course of the con) who, being the wonderfully sweet person that he is, helped me corner Paul just before he went to sign autographs and captured two amazing pics of Paul and I ... well of Paul anyway, as I look as if I had recently had a lobotomy in one of them. But I suppose that is the effect of having his eyes on you and his arm around you.
The "lobotomy" picture is such an embarrassment to me that I am considering photoshopping myself out so I can look at Paul and the look he was giving me (OMG *melts*) without my drunken grin intruding upon it. The other, however, turned out quite well. It was the second taken and is a much closer shot, the result of Paul whispering "get in closer" right next to my ear .... I asked him at that moment whether he was talking to Rob or me and if I should care one way or another
.
I had accosted Paul in the hallway just after he checked into the hotel that Friday and, trembling, I am sure, asked if I might shake his hand. He shook my hand and asked my name--which I very nearly could not remember--and said "will you be here over the weekend. Can we talk sometime over the weekend?" to which I think I nodded clumsily and perhaps voiced a timid squeak.
After he had walked off my legs began to get so trembly that I walked up to the bar, sat down, and phoned my friend (the one who first introduced me to Doctor Who and Paul as the Eighth Doctor). He answered and my first words to him were, "I am never washing my right hand again." A barrage of laughing followed.
The next day I accosted him again just after he had finished his first autograph session and was walking back to his room. I asked him if I could get a photo with him and, comically exaggerating his fatigue from the long autograph line, he came over next to me and practically collapsed against my right side and started looking around dazed for a camera.
Finally, after the Brunch when I returned to the autograph line I was able to get him to autograph the picture of him and I taken the day before. I am considering enshrining it on the wall ....
Anyway, here is the "get in closer" picture. I have about 130 images of him from the con sitting on my hard drive now, of which the non-lobotomy pic that Rob took I shall include here .
Anyway, greetings again from a fellow McGannatic.
Rob's pic of "Paul & I"
I recently had the good fortune to attend Chicago TARDIS 2004 and meet Paul for the first time (after a long 2 year infatuation with the man). He was my introduction to Doctor Who (of which I am now a convicted fan) and Doctor Who was, subsequently, my introduction to the rest of Paul's work.
I greatly admire the man as an actor ... and as an extremely charming, endearing, and DROP DEAD GORGEOUS man!
I met a couple of you at the con (and was in one of the audio groups with one of your members who played the dragon--please, forgive my terrible memory when it comes to names: I am surprised I remember my own sometimes!). In fact, it was Laura--I believe--who first told me about the McGann Library (forgive me if I have pulled a random name out of the air here).
Now that the holidays are over and I have had an opportunity to reflect on that strange and wonderful weekend I wanted to stop in to say hi and share some of my own Paul experiences at the con.
I noted the thread with the record of the brunch discussion with Paul. Alas, All Access had sold out the week before I sent my membership submission in! However, I ended up as the only female at the table just behind Paul having brunch with Jason, who was very kind and quite a sweetheart himself. My only quibble was that the conversation quickly shifted to an hour and a half discussion between Jason and the men at the table about American football ... a subject of which I have neither interest nor knowledge. Jason, however, seemed to be enjoying it so much that I hated to interrupt him.
As much as I enjoy Jason I admit to being quite jealous of Gwyn and her seat just to Paul's left *sigh*. Maybe next time
.After the brunch as the last people were scrambling to get a picture taken with Paul I struck up a conversation with Rob Shearman (who I had spoken to quite a bit over the course of the con) who, being the wonderfully sweet person that he is, helped me corner Paul just before he went to sign autographs and captured two amazing pics of Paul and I ... well of Paul anyway, as I look as if I had recently had a lobotomy in one of them. But I suppose that is the effect of having his eyes on you and his arm around you.
The "lobotomy" picture is such an embarrassment to me that I am considering photoshopping myself out so I can look at Paul and the look he was giving me (OMG *melts*) without my drunken grin intruding upon it. The other, however, turned out quite well. It was the second taken and is a much closer shot, the result of Paul whispering "get in closer" right next to my ear .... I asked him at that moment whether he was talking to Rob or me and if I should care one way or another
.I had accosted Paul in the hallway just after he checked into the hotel that Friday and, trembling, I am sure, asked if I might shake his hand. He shook my hand and asked my name--which I very nearly could not remember--and said "will you be here over the weekend. Can we talk sometime over the weekend?" to which I think I nodded clumsily and perhaps voiced a timid squeak.
After he had walked off my legs began to get so trembly that I walked up to the bar, sat down, and phoned my friend (the one who first introduced me to Doctor Who and Paul as the Eighth Doctor). He answered and my first words to him were, "I am never washing my right hand again." A barrage of laughing followed.
The next day I accosted him again just after he had finished his first autograph session and was walking back to his room. I asked him if I could get a photo with him and, comically exaggerating his fatigue from the long autograph line, he came over next to me and practically collapsed against my right side and started looking around dazed for a camera.
Finally, after the Brunch when I returned to the autograph line I was able to get him to autograph the picture of him and I taken the day before. I am considering enshrining it on the wall ....
Anyway, here is the "get in closer" picture. I have about 130 images of him from the con sitting on my hard drive now, of which the non-lobotomy pic that Rob took I shall include here
.Anyway, greetings again from a fellow McGannatic.
Rob's pic of "Paul & I"
