I had to stop veganmofo because of a recent tragedy It’s been really tough, sad time, and I certainly haven’t been feeling like blogging. Everyone has different coping methods for the hard times in life and they will offer you up helpful suggestions like drinking or the bible. For me, when things are just too dark to deal with I always turn to Star Trek. If you’re not a trekkie it probably sounds totally ridiculous. But honestly it really helps to immerse myself in a world where there isn’t hunger or poverty and everyone works to better themselves and do the right thing. I have been a fan for a long time. In middle school I went to a couple of conventions, I even met Wil Wheaton and Majel Barrett Roddenberry. My bff Amanda and I both had a gigantic stack of Star Trek trading cards…. that we traded with each other. We also once recreated an episode in my Mom’s basement. I’ve gotta get that on youtube, I was Worf and she was Data. The rest of the cast was played by 11 year old girls too, except I made my Dad come to town to act as an admiral. Last year at Vida Vegan con someone came up to me and said “aren’t you that smurf that likes Star Trek?” and it was pretty much the best thing ever.

When I heard they were going to have a convention in Austin with the entire Next Generation cast a few months ago I was so stoked. And then after everything that’s happened the timing became fortuitus. Like the universe was looking out for us. On Thursday I really didn’t even know if I felt up to having fun but we already had our tickets and Amanda was driving into town from Houston so of course I was going to go. It ended up being the perfect thing.

So excuse me for a minute while I geek out.

The first night after looking for shit to buy we got to see the Women of Star Trek Panel with Marina Sirtis and Gates McFadden. When we were kids these ladies were heroes to us. It was so amazing to hear them, and learn that they are hilarious, kind, liberal, artists and feminists. Just exactly what I would want my childhood heroes to be. They did tell some sad stories, like McFadden getting fired by the producers in the first season for wanting her character to have a deeper relationship with her son than just mothering him. Those producers eventually got fired themselves and she made it back in the third season. I also learned that Marina Sirtis, who at the time looked like this, was told she was getting fat by the producers and she had to spit out all that chocolate she eats. Sad sad sad.

The next day we got to see Patrick Stewart, talk about whatever he wanted and then answer some questions. He is so adorable and so funny. He talked about how he is really excited about comedy these days after doing extras and the daily show.

Then later, the highlight of the whole weekend’s programming, the entire cast came together to talk about their experience. I knew Michael Dorn was vegan, my friend Daniel even asked him about it, but I learned during that panel he’s single because no lady can get through the Marina Sirtis’ screening process. There was also one part where a fan said that really the only reason she wanted to ask a question was so she could stare at Patrick Stewart, he got up and did a little model style posing and then Marina ran up to him and said he had amazing abs too and tried to lift up his shirt. She really reminds me of me and I think I would totally pass her screening process so now I want to marry Michael Dorn. I did shake his hand later and I don’t think that’s going anywhere. We told his assistant he should go to Counter Culture. It was so cool to see how much the cast loved each other. And singing Reading Rainbow with LeVar and the whole audience! And learning that 80,00 dollars worth of costumes were stolen from the set of their first movie by a guy that was trying to trade them for KITT, the car from nightrider. The police and the costume director busted them when they were making the trade in the desert!

The last panel was the Men of Star Trek and it was here that I decided to ask a question. While I stood in line waiting for it to be my turn I got so nervous that I really thought I was going to puke. That has never happened to me before. I almost changed my question to “Has anyone ever vomited on you before” but I kept it together and I told them about the Kirk VS Riker: Ultimate Ladies Man in the Galaxy debate at the Alamo and then I asked them who was their most memorable love interest. Jonathan Frakes talked about his Imzadi (aw) and then Michael Dorn talked about Jadzia and it was so sweet I started to swoon. Poor LeVar only ever got with holograms and Data picked Ishara Yar, sister of Tasha. I thought he would say the Borg queen. There were a lot of jokes about him being fully functional.

Seeing everyone walking around the Comic Con in their costumes was a lot of fun. At one point I told Daniel to meet us by the escalator and as I approached I heard the Imperial Death March and looked up to see a bunch of stormtroopers descending down the escalator. Then when they got to the bottom they did a choreographed dance. Check out the little Boba Fett in the back row! And that R2 unit totally talked shit to me.

The other thing that happened is almost too exciting still to even talk about. We stood in line for about an hour and then we turned a corner and suddenly there he was, Patrick Stewart standing just a couple of feet away from us. This was not like meeting any other celebrity for me. We couldn’t even talk. He put his arms out and we got on either side of him. Then after the photo he started to say something, looked at my dumbstruck face, and just laughed. Then Amanda and I both cried. You will never see a picture where I look happier than this. I mean, I look high. It was amazing.

LLAP

And stay safe East Coasters!