Grand Slam Page 2

It wasn't just me and bad pics LOL Elaine had trouble too. :>((

When the line diminished to just a few, we took our places with excitement! Since our little PEACE auction last year which featured some shirts Adrian signed for us (and we raised some good $$) went so well, he had agreed to sign a few extra things for us this time too. Even though it really made the con people at the autograph table very mad!!!!

Just a few people were left in front of Adrian when he glanced up and saw us. He grinned and said, "Hey Girls!"

Elaine piped in, "The Calvary is here to save you."

He chuckled and replied, "My Angels are here."

Carmel came down to join us, she was still feeling quite ill. (which we later found out was very serious!) It was so kind of her to arrange this for us, and at one point I looked up and saw that she and Victoria were snapping away with their cameras. I can't wait to see those photos ladies!

First Carmen, then Elaine, Gail, me (Riley) and finally Uschi were in front of the table. The con people turned off all the spot lights, just leaving some glaring large autoshop type. Ugh. How flattering! LOL Hard to see too. The noise level in the ballroom increased substantially as people came back in for the Costume Contest.

We each chatted back and forth with Adrian, he looked amazing, even after signing hundreds of autographs. He told me he was practicing a new type of Chi to rest his hands after all those autographs. He said that he was a bit brain dead, so any suggestions we had for the signatures was a good idea.

(Sorry, can't tell ya what all he wrote, but we'll have an upcoming

PEACE auction and you'll enjoy Adrian's humor!)

The noise from the ballroom became a loud song from the musical "Annie"(none of us can remember which one!) but Adrian got such a comical look on his face as he leaned back in his chair and peaked through the curtain to see the stage. He looked like a young boy being "birichino" (naughty).

"Annie?" he incredulously queried us. (It seems that someone had put together a bit of video with characters from various SciFi shows)

"At least it's not "Tomorrow!" I retorted.

He laughed all the harder and rolled his eyes. Our various conversations continued in a louder voice trying to outshout the video song as we placed each item down for to sign. I mentioned to him that since he had a birthday coming up soon (he gave me THAT look!..but in a fun way) and that we once again had prepared a special Birthday page for him.

"Oh no!" he cried, shaking his head from side to side. "After the last one, I'm not sure what to expect from you guys." He slid both arms out in front of him with his hands clasped together and still shaking his head lowered it until he touched his forehead to his arms. He gave his head a little shake...and when he raised back up, he was still smiling.

I know my face must have looked scared to death...because he said, "No, it's ok. I love them! (Whew!!) We laugh so hard and I've gone back in many times to look at them. My family too!" I can't recall all of it, but he did mention how much he liked that we include Budino.

"Wait until you see this one!" I told him. Victoria jumped in to rescue me, saying she'd seen it and knew that Adrian will like it.

If you haven't seen it, or put your pin in the World Map...

or signed the Guest Book....be sure and check it out!

Then I made my big mistake. Er.....yes me! As Adrian was readying to sign another shirt....I told him that the last one he signed that said "I'm a lil Devil, really!" was a hit. Everyone loved it. So, I suggested that he sign a similar one, this time in Italian.

"Eye-talian?" he asked.

"yeah, that'd great."

"EYE-talian??" he asked again. His eyes were wide, a small comical grin and he over emphasized the first syllable and drew the word out slowly. Gail was poking me in the side! Ouch!

"Uh....uh." I stuttered. Then it dawned on me. (MP...you warned me! LOL)

He was watching my face, grinning such a huge grin I could barely focus as he asked, "Don't you mean "It-alian?"

"I'm a Hoosier, what do you expect?" I quipped. (Now before anyone from Indiana starts a letter writing campaign to have me drawn and quartered...I Do have a bit of a Southern accent, and it was just the way I'd always pronounced Italian. I meant no disrespect. None, nada! My bad)

Whew! He laughed again and signed the shirt.

There was silence for a moment as the loudspeakers died out, and we managed a few more words in peace and quiet before the next song. We were all sooooo involved in the conversation, that it did not dawn on any of us what was happening. My own brain managed to comprehend that a new song was playing and i found myself singing under my breath. As I stood in front of Adrian I watched him begin to sing quietly too. I heard Uschi singing ..then...Gail, Elaine and Carmen joined in. Adrian smiled and sang a bit louder as we all chorused "Princes of the Universe." What a moment!

(BTW.....he's a GOOD singer!)

(I really felt honored that Adrian knew us, knew of the work we do for PEACE and for our group and he really seemed appreciative. His words on my photo with him seemed to say just that.)

It was time to end the fun. We knew Adrian must have been exhausted, but he appeared just as fresh as he had many hours earlier for the photo sessions. He took our hands, each of us and thanked us for coming. Amid hugs with Victoria and Carmel, Adrian was just getting up from the table. when all the lights in the area were turned out. Total silence and quite dark.

I said the first thing that came to my mind....."Thank you Lord, my dream has come true. I'm in the dark with Adrian!"

After the Q & A....it was time to let off some steam!

From left: Jubie, Carmen, Gail, Uschi

From Left: Nora, Elaine, Riley, Uschi

Uh..what happens in Burbank....stays in Burbank!!! ROFL