MammaDawg

The Impromptu Applause

2009-11-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

He was running late again, but I assured Mrs. B that he was right behind me. Knowing we wouldn't need the full half hour, and since we were her last parent/teacher conference for the day, it gave us some time for chit-chat.

Including how Numbnuts is so in awe of Einstein, how he talks about him constantly, or how he already knows how to do something because "he learned it from his brother."

Skinny Ass finally arrived 10 minutes later, just as we were about to get started. I'm really glad he was able to make it... it was wonderful to hear Mrs. B go on about Jacob (AKA Numbnuts).

How competitive he is - with himself - and wanting to be at the top of the class. How he never boasts or brags or tries to make anyone feel bad when he scores better than them.

How disappointed he is if he doesn't score 100% on his math tests, and how quickly he turns the pages to the weekly bulletin to see where everyone stands.

How it kills him that there's exactly one other student in the class, a good friend of his, that has got his AR score beat.

***

After reviewing his grades and all his school work, she asks if we have any questions. "I don't think so," I smile at her. "That was actually very thorough, thank you."

After a pause, I remember the Timeline Project he just brought back home. A project that required 10 events in his lifetime, events that we detailed with pictures and notes on a poster board. Where we practiced his oral presentation skills and did role play before he took it to school to submit.

"I can't tell you how excited Jacob was, though, when he brought home the grades he received for his Timeline Project," I said.

Of course, Skinny Ass has to mention the bit of drama we had about it. Since Jacob had lost the instructions, and didn't TELL us he had to have a minimum of 10 events until the morning of. And here we are, scrambling to fit everything in during the morning rush.

But all of this just sends Mrs. B into a dreamlike frenzy. It's as if she's stepped back a few weeks, remembering the day the presentations were given in class...

"Jacob, as always, wants to go first. He had his hand up when I asked for volunteers, but there were a couple of people that got to go ahead of him. Most of them were pretty nervous... reading straight from their notes on the timeline, looking up into the audience only because they suddenly remembered that they're supposed to make eye contact. But Jacob...?"

She throws me a knowing look that makes me chuckle before she continues on. "He was so comfortable up there. He followed the timeline, but totally ad-libbed it. He didn't just read from his notes - he told little anecdotes here and there, including stories about his brothers or his life at home. His eye contact and voice projection was great - he had his audience fully engaged."

Then she pauses to tell us that she specifically did not guide the students to clap their hands for each one's presentation, that they'd simply move on to the next one. Except when Jacob finished up and headed for his seat, you heard the sound of someone, a couple of them, slowly clapping their hands together.

"Soon enough, the ENTIRE class was clapping for him," she revelled. "Because even though they're third graders, even they know the difference between a standard presentation... and a Jacob Presentation."

***

My dumbass felt the sting of tears that threatened my eyes, at the simple joy and pride of this impromptu applause given to my 8 year old son.

This is my Jacob. The same Jacob that sends me love letters when he's happy, and posts hate notes on his door when he wants to be left alone. The same Jacob that surprises me with home made gifts on my desk, wrapped in white copy paper and bundled with scotch tape.

The same Jacob that pulls out the puppet theatre, lays out "programs" on my seat with snacks and beverages while he and The Little Shit put on 7 acts in the living room.

Yes... this is my Jacob. And no, I ain't talking about no werewolf, either ;)

TwiCon Las Vegas 2010 Roll Call

2009-11-04T09:12:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy of Twicon.org

Twilight. True Blood. The Vampire Diaries. Black Dagger Brotherhood. Guess who's going to the Vegas TwiCon, baby?!

And I'm not the only one - shout outs to my twitter peeps below. Roll call!!

Psst! Are you attending as well? Holla below or send me an email at mammadawg [at] gmail [dot] com with your Twitter username. When you're tweeting, don't forget to add @Vixen_Vamp's hashtag #TwiConVegas and follow the Twitter List below:

TwiCon Vegas Peeps on Twitter
http://twitter.com/MammaDawg/twiconvegas

Watch out, Sin City!!!

@Ashes_CDGirl

@briL740

@CurvyAmazon

@jesslenea

@Jinxie_G

@KimRocha

@purpleg8r

@vampbaseball

@Vixen_Vamp

@Wicked_Faery

@WookiesGirl

@WookieStyle

Vampire Geisha and the Dead Doorman

2009-11-02T19:14:00.001-08:00

Totally guilty of rockin' the vamp geisha outfit from earlier this year at the San Francisco Twi-Tour's Vampire Ball. When I met Kellan Lutz. *catches breath*

But HALE. I didn't wear it for (in singsong) Halloween...!

*grins*

Last year, I was the Mad Hatter Hostess and Hubz sported a top hat with white rabbit ears. Cute, right?

So this year, I figured - what the hell - I'mma bust it out for the party. Here's the pic I tweeted that night, but you can't see my fangs. :(

Actually, they're these custom-fit "Love Bites" fangs, and are really subtle. Take a looksie:

Did you see Hubz's picture? Every year, that fucker bitches at me about what costume he's gotta wear that Hallow's Eve. He moans and groans, complains when I apply his make-up... he is just ALL OUT grumpy.

But I think it's all a facade. Coz you should see the way he works his costume. *shakes head* He runs the local full-service hotel, so this costume actually fit him perfectly. And did you see them monster boots?!

Skinny Ass is already tall at 6'5" - guess he just wanted to make sure you wouldn't miss him. ;)

And you know I had to throw one in there of those nefarious monsters of mine ;)

Hope you all had a wicked Halloween!!

Help us Welcome Gil at England's "New Moon Rising"

2009-10-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

Calling all Twilight fans attending the "New Moon Rising" Twilight Convention in England... are you down to have some fun with us???

If you will be attending this event come October 16th - 18th, and you're up for some mischief to be had with the one and only, Gil Birmingham... holla!

The official "Gilstigator" - @lovegardenia - is looking to make sure Gil gets a warm welcome at New Moon Rising, and has cooked up a bit of mischief. But we need YOUR help.

Send me an email at mammadawg [dot] gmail [dot] com for more info. And just for fun, check out the video below for Gil's very first acting gig - courtesy of the Gilstigator:

Don't forget to follow Gil on Twitter - he is uber cool about tweeting with his fans! More contact info below:

GIL BIRMINGHAM'S CONTACT INFO
Official Website
MySpace
Facebook
Twitter

The Wolf Pack, Saving Some Sexy for Me

2009-10-06T19:25:00.000-07:00

We kicked off Day 3 (Sunday) with the Charity Breakfast. Christian Cerratos, Justin Chon, Chaske Spencer and Alex Meraz spent time chatting with everyone at each of the tables. We had plenty of people covering it, so I cruised back to my post backstage.

The hotel staff was incredible - and even helped me bring some breakfast back for both me and Chantelle, the other volunteer backstage. (She handled the technical aspect with the banner signage, and I handled the Meet & Greet's with the VIPs and the actors.) Chantelle was delighted, "You even brought orange juice?!" I love that girl - we're like 2 peas in a pod. :)

Hannah and Hilly Hindi were actually heading onstage, but I caught a look of longing on their faces and offered some breakfast to them, too. "Just some fruit would be wonderful...," Hannah exclaimed.

I wish I'd known that when I was still at the Charity Breakfast - I would've brought back a whole plate for them. It's the least I could do - they are so sweet and professional, and handled the Q&A expertly.

This day was starting out soooo much better than yesterday or the day before. I was actually eating!! And you know what else?

I missed out on photo ops on both Friday AND Saturday coz it was so damn crazy. I was NOT going to make the same mistake on this last day. Went and bought tix for both the wolf pack and the "humans" - whaddaya think?

Me and the Wolf Pack: Alex Meraz (AKA Paul)and Chaske Spencer (AKA Sam)

ALL the photos they were taking looked HAWT - so when I got up there, I just asked 'em to "save some 'sexy' for me." *rawr* Mission accomplished.

Check out these pics that Chauntelle got of them during their Q&A - I absolutely love 'em. They totally capture the essence of each of their personalities:

Next up was Christian and Justin. I still remember introducing Christian to the VIPs backstage - I was giving her a quick rundown and letting her know that as soon as the VIP Meet & Greet was over, she'd be heading onstage for the Q&A.

"Wait, wait. I'm not going by myself am I?"

It was so cute. I assured her Justin would be arrive by then and she literally sighed with relief.

"I'd just be so much more comfortable with Justin up there with me - or... or Edi." She laughed and continued, "I know it doesn't make much sense, but... still."

If you follow both Christian and Edi on Twitter, then you can totally see how comfy they are with each other. :)

Their Q&A session was one of the most energetic and interactive ones I've seen yet - totally rocked the house! Photo ops followed, and after hollering "Last Call!" to everyone, I was able to get mine:

Me and the Humans: Justin Chon (AKA Eric) and Christian Cerratos (AKA Angela)

The con was about over and I was abso-freakin-ly exhausted. The girls found me before leaving for McDonald's - they are SO sweet! Karen hooked me up with dinner, which I devoured poolside with them after everything was over. It was so nice to just relax and chit-chat after such a crazy weekend. We'd been tweeting about this con forever, so it felt like we all knew each other forever already.

Now tell me - why the hell didn't we all take a picture together at the pool?!?!

I *heart* you guys. And this... wraps up the 2009 Phoenix Twi-Tour. Coming up soon? A special interview with the sisters behind "The Hillywood Show" - Hilly and Hannah Hindi.

*** Photo Credits: Special thanks to Chauntelle Chandler and Twi-tterpatted for sharing pics!! ***

PHOENIX TWI-TOUR
Part 1: From Green Room to Backstage
Part 2: Flirting and Feeding
Part 3: A Waltz with Gil at the Vampire Ball
Part 4: The Wolf Pack, Saving Some Sexy for Me

Broken Toe and a Blow Job

2009-09-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Did you hear about the speakerphone incident? The one that ended with a mischievous 8 year-old, trying to play Mr. Innocent as he grins and asks me, "Mom? What's a penis?"

Bet you're glad you're not me today, huh? *raises eyebrows*

I sent Skinny Ass to the doc coz his left leg had been acting up. Plus, the dumbass stubbed his toe over the weekend and it took on the color of my hair from back in the day - all black and blue.

He calls me on the cell phone to give me the scoop as he's leaving the clinic. I'm in the car, which automatically puts all my calls on speakerphone (via uConnect), and I've just picked up the last of the 3 monsters.

Just so you have a clear picture of what's going on here... phone calls override the audio in the car, so we have a carload of eavesdroppers with nothing else going on to distract them.

Hubz and I fuck around on the phone a lot, he likes to answer his phone with, "De Ja Vu" and I'll answer mine with, "Hooters."

Except there was none of that this time, he was kind of holding his breath - and after a couple seconds of dead air, he let loose.

"Yep. Doctor says the fucking toe is broken. And he also said that I need to keep it bandaged up for the next 6 weeks, and that you need to put my penis in your mouth so that...,"

O_o

I didn't hear the rest of his rant. I was hollering, "Hey! HEY! We're in the car!" and my 15 y/o was trying to cut him off.

"Dad. Dad! DAD! YOU'RE ON SPEAKERPHONE!!"

He finally shut up long enough to hear me tell him, "Numbnuts wants to know what a penis is."

Yeah, muthafucka. YOU handle that one.

We all agreed that Einstein would answer the phone if ever Dad calls again while we're in the car, just so he'd know upfront he had an audience. I seriously think Einstein got the worst of it, though... What teenager wants to listen to his parents talking about sex?

I'm just glad I didn't hear, "Why did the doctor say that Dad needs to put his penis in your mouth?"

A Waltz with Gil at the Vampire Ball

2009-09-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Game plan for the ball changed a bit, compared to the Twilight After-Party in Los Angeles, and the 1st Vampire Ball in San Francisco...

All the attendees got hugs in SF. In LA, the celebrities made rounds to all the tables for some chit-chat with the attendees.

And in Phoenix?

How about an encore from Mike Welch to open up the evening? And a special performance from Alex Meraz and his Capoeira Dance Troup?

This was absolutely... stunning. And I'm not talking just about the eye-candy. The talent, the strength, the TRUST... I've been scouring the net looking for a video, but who knew we were in for such a special treat?

Speaking of... we got a nice surprise when Kiowa Gordon dropped by the party unexpectedly. VERY cool.

Hmnnn... can you imagine dancing side by side with one of the Twilight celebrities? How about Chaske Spencer, Christian Cerratos and Kiowa Gordon?

Check out this vid from New Moon Movie:

And where was I while this vid was taking place?

Right outside, with the rest of the gang - waiting for their cue to join in. I can't remember who went first - Mike? Then Justin?

But I do remember Gil Birmingham being last. He was flirting with me again, which made me laugh - and I poked him in the chest and said, "You need to quit. For reals."

Except Val pulled me aside, without one word, one look.

Aw shit.

You know I had to dig at Gil, "You're not allowed to talk to me anymore. You're getting me in trouble."

Which, of course, led into an impromptu dance in the hallway.

He'd follow me to ask what happened, and I'd sidestep him. And we'd do it all over again - I think we busted the most awkward Waltz ever like that - lol. But this ain't much compared to the exchange Gil had with Curves in the Road...

Maybe you'll be wearing some polka dots for Gil when you see him. *wink*

Afterwards, I never got a chance to change outta work clothes - but I partied with the girls anyway. Why the hell didn't I bring my camera down?? I took so many pics with other people, but didn't have one for my own.

But I scored a copy of this one from @stephaniequin:

Amanda, Odette and Stephanie

And my tweeples... The Phoenix Twi-Tour Twitter Coven:

Chauntelle, Michael, Odette and Karen

UP NEXT: Sunday, the last day of the con.

*** Photo Credits: Special thanks to Chauntelle Chandler and Twi-tterpatted for sharing pics!! ***

Just Say No to MaryJane

2009-09-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Damn... Did I really write all that?

I mean, I know I wrote it... just trippin' that I actually posted it. My head was in a whole different place then... [Pause] And you didn't give up on me, did you? You're still here... even after all my drama.

I freakin' LOVE you guys.

Did I tell you, that when I was in Phoenix, I was talking to some ladies behind me at Starbucks, when one of 'em busted, "I google stalk you, you know..."

Whoa. O_o Wha-?

Turns out she googled something about the convention, and my blog was the first link to pop up. Tripped me out. It was kinda neat - and maybe a little nervewracking - to meet someone who recognized me as "MammaDawg."

lol - I had a great time chatting with them - gawd help me - I can't remember their names, though, damnit. I met soooo many people at the convention - we were gonna hook up on Twitter or TwiFans or TwilightMOMS afterwards, you know? Except...

Yeah - it's all that damn weed I used to smoke.

*snort* And you think I'm kidding, don'tcha? ;)

Anyhoo - I'm back. I think I just needed a break... There's still a few things I need to figure out, but fuck it. I'm not gonna let it keep me from doing what I wanna do. God love all my tweeples for help keeping me sane - you know who you are. *mwah!*

Shattered Walls

2009-09-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

e done did it to me again.

It doesn't matter how high my guard is up. Or how thick the walls are. That big ass tat on my back? There's a reason why I have the ghetto version of "smile now, cry later" inked forever onto my skin.

And too many of them to list as to why I don't cry very easy. Especially not in public. But for some reason... whenever I enter this house...

Not immediately, but gradually... a gentle, subtle warmth starts to wrap around me after I've settled in. Like a "welcome home" greeting - regardless if I had just visited last week or last month. There's never a guilt-trip, never "Why haven't you come to see me?" or "I wish you'd come around more often."

The river doesn't flow during every visit... but today...? Today he heard me. Saw me. Understood me.

Took me right back to that first night in Phoenix, when I asked myself, "What the FUCK am I doing here? Away from my family? I don't need this shit."

He put his hand on my shoulder, empathized with me about the stupid riff I had going on with Hubz that morning. Hugged me in comfort as I thought about the last three days...

Finding out my great-aunt had had a massive stroke, and was fighting to stay with us every minute in the ICU.

Funny. I don't call her my great-aunt. I call her "Grandma." It's the Filipino way. Never mind that I only met my mother's mother once - when I was still in grade school. Her and my Grandpa were visiting from the Philippines.. and ovarian cancer claimed her before I got a chance to see her again.

I met my father's mother twice before she passed on. Last time was when I was in 6th grade. So... come to think of it, she may not technically be my "Grandma," but my great-aunt is the closest thing I've got to one.

And now she's officially half brain-dead. Had a successful surgery to release some of the swelling in her brain, but hasn't opened her eyes since last Thursday. But she's still fighting...

And He knows all this. He knows what's in my heart, probably even better than I do. And knowing that He's there, knowing that someone truly GETS what's going on with me...

Sometimes it's just the lightest touch, the offer of comfort and love - and that's it. The dam's broke, leaving me shuddering silently and shaking with sobs. No one may have seen his hand reach out to me... but that doesn't mean I didn't feel it.

It doesn't matter that there are people all around me. Sitting in front of or behind me... nobody takes leave because they're doing the same thing:

Praying for love, patience, guidance, strength.

I've been a bit MIA... trying to get my shit together. Effectively not talking to Hubz, who doesn't seem to want to discuss the stupid shit that we seem to do, that drives the other crazy. Spending time with my mom, who's here visiting on account of Grandma.

I'll be back... hope to see you on the other side of this shiznit.

Flirting and Feeding

2009-08-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

(Continued from "From Green Room to Backstage")

First up onstage was the hilarious, Edi Gathegi. Who admitted to just watching New Moon in a private theatre with Stephanie Meyer - which he actually tweeted so make sure you're following him on Twitter! After his Q&A, we called up his VIPs to do their "Meet & Greet" backstage again, but Edi's lunch had actually arrived.

I asked him if he wanted to eat before or after, reminding him he had to run out to photo ops right afterwards... and he proceeded to wolf down his sandwich. The VIPs were kind enough to let Edi have a moment to himself...

Which he ended up being all kinds of naughty with me. 0_o

OMG that boy is a flirt! But he is SO easy to talk to. Funny and down to earth - and BUILT. He gave me a super tight hug (Kellan - watch out - Edi's hugs might be tighter than yours!)

Anyhoo, I dished it back to him and he threatened to "tell him."

"Tell who?" I asked. Edi grabbed my left hand and said, "Him."

I laughed and with a wicked grin, I told him, "Oh hell - what are YOU talking about. I'mma call him tonight and tell him myself."

I wish you could've seen the way his eyes bugged out. I was LMFAO.

Apparently, Gil Birmingham pulled the same stunt with me when he got backstage. I narrowed my eyes at him and gave him shit. "What the hell. Have you been talking to Edi??"

Apparently, not - lol.... but if we thought Edi was a flirt... Gil kicks his ass, hands down. Did you know, Friday night, after the concert, Gil kicked it poolside by the firepit with over a dozen lovely fans? Guitar and all - and hit on the beautiful @curvyamazon and @vixen_vamp.

I bet some of you are wishing you went to Phoenix now. ;)

After the jump? Click "continue" for more on The Wolf Pack - Alex Meraz, Gil Birmingham and Chaske Spencer

Gil joined Chaske and Alex onstage for the Q&A - and afterwards, Alex gave us a preview of what to expect from his dance troupe later that night at the ball.

Impressive. Sexy. Beautiful. Inspirational.

My favorite part? After they were all done onstage, Alex picked up trash from the stage and helped put the chairs back. It made me think of his lovely wife, Kim, who I got to meet earlier in the Green Room (really sweet and pretty!), and what a beautiful couple they make together.

When the three of them returned backstage, I had all of them (Gil, Chaske & Alex) standing around a 10' round table, banners ready for signature. Instructing each of them where to sign, I realized to myself, "OMG. I'm standing inches away from these incredibly sexy actors, and they're eyes are all on... me."

It took me two milliseconds to reign it in and push that thought out - the last thing I needed was to turn into fangirl right there and then. Can I just tell you? How these pics don't do them ANY justice?!? Gawd... I've no idea if it registered with them, but... whew! Can I get a drink in here, please? ;)

Mike Welch came back to do his Meet & Greet with the VIPs, and when it was over, I told him security would escort him back to the Green Room. Except... he kinda dawdled a little bit, until he asked - ever so shyly - if it'd be alright if he just chilled backstage with us until photo ops started in 15 minutes.

0_o

WOW. I was floored. I told him he was more than welcome to hang out here whenever he wanted... but security said they needed him for some signatures so begrudgingly, he made his way through the back doors.

But c'mon, now - tell me that wasn't sweet?! Later on during autographs, I actually got to sit next to Mike for the last bit to "feed" him items to be autographed. You know how it goes - the fans give their item (picture, magazine, book, etc.) to the "feeder" - who passes it on to the actor.

He was soooooo generous. Said yes to just about every request made, no matter how tired or hungry he was. Apologized to everyone for the long line and thanked them all for waiting. I TOLD you he was a sweetheart!!

Coming up next... the Vampire Ball.

*** Photo Credits: Special thanks to Chauntelle Chandler for sharing her pics!! ***

(To be continued...)

From Green Room to Backstage

2009-08-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

Even with all the changes that happened with our special guests, I was still keyed up for my third round of Twilight Conventions: The 2009 Twi-Tour in Litchfield, AZ

My first post? "The Green Room." And who comes in before everyone else? Catherine Hardwicke, Director of the "Twilight" movie.

I was sitting at the table when she arrived, and she walked over and put her stuff down, still talking with my supervisor, Val. But when her eyes found me, she gave me a curious look, which I returned with a smile and stood up to introduce myself.

She has the most GENTLE handshake, and was so warm and friendly!

Not five minutes later, Val comes back in to let me know that "my presence has been requested backstage." I'm not quite sure what led up to the change, but I was actually relieved. I had only been in the Green Room for an hour and was starting to go stir-crazy. I kinda need to stay active!

The rest of the day? PURE INSANITY.

Everything was running late - the auditorium wasn't set up yet, registration was late - everyone was SUPER grumpy. OMG. People were giving attitude left and right. We had all newbies in the auditorium so I started assigning spots for security, giving the scoop to our first-time volunteers.

Later, I found out that since I'm "backstage" - I don't have to worry about working security. "That's someone else's job." But... since we were so short-staffed, I couldn't seem to help myself. Problem is, I missed most of the dialogue for both Catherine and Edi Gathegi's Q&A sessions. *sniffles*

Autographs was, again, nuts. We even had to move it out of the auditorium and into the hall. Can you imagine how difficult it is to keep people from taking pictures when the talent is sitting... right... there...?

Now it's about 10pm, and everyone is anxious for the concert to start. I'm done with the autograph line - completely missed any photo ops - and finally head back to my post backstage.

Going in, I notice someone's having fun making shadow puppets behind one of the big screens. And when I step behind the black curtain, I find all of Goodnight Juliet kickin' it there, just chillin' out and having a good time.

"You know you're putting on quite a show there, right?" I told the guys. Which just got them even MORE animated and hyped up. I chatted with Niki (Lead Vocalist and Founder) for a bit, who was both texting and tweeting at the time - she's super sweet and her hair is just gorgeous!!

After a bit, Mike Welch takes the stage with his version of Bohemian Rhapsody and more, and soon... it's Candace Charee and Gil Birmingham.

Wickedly talented, Gil played a couple of original songs for us - which he confesses he'd never before played in public. I wish I could've stayed for the whole concert, but it was midnight, my dinner had just arrived, and I was about to fall over.

I snuck back to my room and called Hubz again to give him the final low down for my first day.

*** Photo Credits: Special thanks to Chauntelle Chandler for sharing her pics!! ***

(To be continued...)

I Will Never Forget

2009-08-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

"You can take the girl out of the ghetto but you can never take the ghetto out of the girl."

True that. lol - had a party the other night on my other twitter account with one of the top trending topics: #iwillneverforget

#iwillneverforget all the craaaazy shit I got into when I was younger. Like running away and crashing my EX-BF's sister's car in pile up

Or when the cops came to my apt looking for my roomie's BF. #iwillneverforget being handcuffed in my kitchen, saying "That's not my bong."

And #iwillneverforget when some perv suckerpunched me, and beat on and kicked the shit outta me while I fought for my sight to come back

Click here for the full deal. Don't say I didn't warn ya. ;)

Camping Miserables

2009-08-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know what happened. First, we were planning on heading over at 3am to get in the panel line. But with all the tweets about how big the line was getting, we started to panic and decided to camp out.

Overnight. 0_o

What the HELL were we thinking?!

If you were following me on Twitter, then you saw the sic ass suite we got hooked up with at check-in. The people in line with us were hella cool - and we even made friends at the badge pick-up line to hold spots for us.

But Thursday morning was... awful. Horrendous. The staff tells you one line will open up at 9am, but they decide to open it up at 7:30 instead. The other line tells you 9am, but they don't let you in until after 10am.

So what were my overall thoughts on the whole thing? As I told Katherine and @Vixen_Vamp:

Best part of the whole thing? Johnny Depp, and Rob's facial expressions - cracked me up! Taylor is just ALL grown up and Kstew seemed like she was on crack. WTF is wrong with her? She looks like she's uncomfortable in her own skin.

Rob was sweet and someone asked if he would ever do open mic again and he said he'd love to... Except he's a lil scared to go out there, he must just be a p*ssy or somethin. I about fell over, LMFAO!

It was neat - seeing the original trio in person and all, but now that I've done it - I don't think I'll ever camp out for comic-con again. SO not worth it.

I even ditched the Twilight Experience so we could roam all the halls and visit the different booths. It was fun scrounging up all kinds of free stuff to bring home for the kids. I might bring them next year - they would have a blast - especially seeing all the cool costumes and the stormstoopers walking about.

***

But even if this is already old news with the drama around TwiCon... I won't leave you empty-handed. You've probably already seen the footage, but just in case - here it is, split up in parts:

***Props out to Hall H Coverage for the videos!! ***

Faery under the New Moon

2009-07-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

You know I can't stand crowds. I try to stay away, but... looks like I've succumbed to the madness. I'm heading out, folks - got one foot out the door already for the San Diego Comic-Con, baby...

Lining my ass up at the butt-crack of dawn with my homegirls from back in tha day - just so we can see the New Moon panel and Mr. Rob Pattinson in the flesh. Don't worry - I'll behave. It's actually my friends that I'm worried about... o_0

I have a confession to make... I've been cheating on you... All PFach's fault. I set up a new Twitter account to help support him for that bet against Rob DeFranco, and started tweeting with real life friends. Who, of course, don't know anything about MDawg.

Then I started tweeting with all my Twi friends over there, too - a couple who I'll actually get to MEET this Thursday!! I'm so stoked - Violette and I met at Twifans and have been emailing each other back and forth. Homegirl is going to Vancouver soon and taking the ultimate tour over at TwilightSetTours.com. How cool is that?!

And the admins over at @CullenBoysAnon and @Twifans - can't wait to meet these two ladies, especially Kim over at CullenBoysAnonymous.com. We "met" when I posted about meeting Kellan up at the San Francisco Twi-Tour. Turns out she actually found me through a google alert when I showed you guys those "Emmett PJ's" that Hubz got me for my birthday - what a trip!! I *heart* Google.

And of course, can't forget my TwilightMOMS. :D

So I'll be going on vaca - mixed this up with a bit of family time and a weekend soiree in Vegas for just me and the Hubz. Let's see...

-Quality time with the kids and family in SD

-Twilighting with friends at Comic-Con and the "Twilight Experience"

-Party time in sin city with the Hubz

I think the next couple of weeks might be a whirlwind, but I have a feeling I'll have me a blast. Or a helping of @billy_burke - seeing as he confirmed his attendance on Twitter. ;)

Follow me over here for updates during Comic-Con and this whole crazy ride - will get back to tweeting at @MammaDawg when I get back. Looking forward to tweet ups with ya - and if you're gonna be at Comic-Con this Thursday... holla!!!

Half-Blood Prince Spoiler Free Review

2009-07-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

I was stupefied. Me. I just sat there, staring at the screen – but not seeing the end credits… Not ready to believe that it was actually over. It couldn’t end like that.

But I was snapped out of denial when the 300 people in the sneak preview screening around us started to get up out of their seats. It was a full house of Harry Potter fans, some of whom had lined up starting at 2pm for a 7:30pm showing. 2pm. We’d all won free passes from the newspaper to see HP6 a little over 29 hours before its official release.

We’d get to see it before the rest of the world did.

Like previous Harry Potter films, The Half-Blood Prince delivered. The screenplay, the visual effects, the cinematography, the actors’ performances… Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix is absolutely wicked, and Tom Felton drips with hostility as Draco.

I wanted to cry with Hermione, and when Ron was trying out for the Quidditch team? That was one of my most favorite parts.

Well, that and when Harry drank the Felix potion. OMG – Daniel Radcliffe’s delivery?! Superb. Brilliant. It still makes me laugh and it's hours later!

But like all book-to-film adaptations… There. Will. Be. Changes. I expected them, and I’m almost always okay with them. But there was one, big change in The Half-Blood Prince that did not sit well with me…

It was as if someone had hit me with the Confundus Charm.

I’d been getting tweets, asking how the movie was. What did you think of it? Was it as good as we thought it’d be?

When we left the theater, this is what I tweeted:

"Just got out of HP6 and am driving home... I guess I'm a bit... stupefied. But - does it deliver? You bet it does."

The 45-minute drive home felt twice as long. I wanted that book, damnit! In the car, the boys and I hashed out the scenes and talked about our favorite parts. The 8 y/o about died when he found out his 15 y/o brother literally jumped out of his seat. I won’t tell you when, but if you can picture a guffaw from Emmett, then you can appreciate Numbnuts laughing at Einstein. ;)

When we got home, I tore the house up looking for my copy of The Half-Blood Prince, frustration pouring out as I confirmed my suspicions.

You know I had to tweet through it:

"Tearin' the house up looking for the book - Half Blood Prince"

"I knew it. I KNEW IT! Ugh! I thought I was getting the books mixed up, but no - that wasn't it..."

"They changed the ending - it's the same, but then again... it's not. You gotta let me know when you see HP6!"

But I promised… No spoilers. *tortured cry*

I'm hoping, maybe, with this heads-up, you'll have a different reaction. I'm trying to rewind and see it in my head - not thinking about the ending - and asking myself, "Was it still a good movie?"

Well, of course, it is! It's still entertaining, still follows the story... [Pause.] So why the hell do I feel... shortchanged?

So. *clears throat* When you’ve had a chance to see it, holla! Please?! We need to talk!!

Who's Your Brand of Potato Chips?

2009-07-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

I can win free tickets to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? On Monday, July 13th - before everyone else?

All I have to do is name my favorite characters, huh? Hmnnn...

Severus Snape. I very well may just re-read the entire series (again) just because of Snivellus. And Alan Rickman's portrayal is perfect - every time I see him on HP, his delivery is bloody brilliant.

Or wait. It might be Sirius Black. I could kill Bellatrix myself, except... that cackle of hers is frickin' wicked!

But how can I forget the original trio? Ron, Hermione and Harry Potter himself? Or Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, of course!!

No, wait. Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall. Yes.

*gasp* Mr. and Mrs. Weasley!! I can't leave out Harry's surrogate parents?!!

Forget it. I could go on and on and on. Thank goodness you didn't ask for our ONE favorite character - I'd be stuck like potato chips. You can't have just one. ;)

What about you - who are your favorite characters??

A Widow, a Robot and a Sister

2009-07-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

It must be these triple digits, trying to escape from the heat... I mean, why else would I go so much... especially with ticket prices these days?!

I've been using entertainment guide coupons and buying passes from Costco instead of paying full price for tickets at the movie box.

I won't give up any spoilers, but in the last couple of weeks, we've already seen 3 new shows - one for the kids, one for the, *cough* um, boys, and a chic flick for me:

UP
A house? Flying with balloons? Honestly, I wasn't very excited to see this one at all. But we wanted to take the kids and you know what??

OMG - it was so cute! And sad, in a way... but it entertained all of us - from the 4 y/o to the 40 y/o (Hubz), who normally sneaks in a nap when we take the kids to the movies.

TRANSFORMERS 2
The boys and I had been waiting for this one. We even watched the first one the night before to prep for it. And... WOW.

It was good. Really good. I was even roarin' with laughter at some points. Right up until the last 30 minutes, when some broad behind me kept knockin' my chairback.

It happens, right? You're switching positions, trying to get comfortable - you accidentally kick the chair in front of you. Ah shit. So you move a little slower, try to be more careful.

Okay. No biggie. We've all been there, done that. I wasn't gonna trip.

But THIS bitch.

She kept going and going. And going. WTF? As if she was trying to count up to 100 by kicking my chair in beats.

I finally turned around, looked her dead in the eye - willing her to do it again, and turned back around - nice and slow.

And enjoyed the last half hour in peace. But c'mon now... why do people have to push you like that? I don't wanna have to get in your face, but if you give me a reason to... *shrugs* I'd be happy to oblige.

MY SISTER'S KEEPER
I just read this book a couple of weeks ago. I'd meant to just read a few chapters here and there, before watching the movie. But in the first couple of chapters, it was already pulling on my heart strings.

I couldn't put it down!

An incredible, powerful story of what this family has gone through. One daughter diagnosed at 2 with leukemia, her older brother proving NOT to be a match.

And the parents decide to design a baby - a perfect match - who decides 11 years later that she's not going to donate anything anymore, and hires a lawyer to sue her parents for the rights to her own body.

It was a little different from the book, and they changed a few things - which was to be expected. But I was okay with most of them - it didn't take away from the story, and the screenplay still worked.

EXCEPT FOR ONE THING.

You might've heard it already, but I don't want to spoil it for you if you haven't. UGH! It was so frustrating, it just cheapened everything in the story. Okay, I'm gonna quit now before I break my promise!

*shakes it off*

We've got two more shows coming up that I can't wait to see: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and The Time Traveler's Wife.

Hmnn... I just realized... when HP6 got pushed back and Twilight took its place, I hadn't even heard of it yet.

"WTF is Twilight? I don't give a shit about no 'Twilight' - I wanna see The Half-Blood Prince!!"

Who would've thought? ;) Happy Independence Day!!

Remembering the King of Pop

2009-06-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

I've hated believing that everything always comes in three's. If someone announces a pregnancy, or a new baby is born... or when someone passes away.

First Ed McMahon. Then Farrah Fawcett.

And now... Michael Jackson.

*long sigh*

As @aplusk puts it, "I plea to the press to respect his wishes of maintaining the anonymity of his children."

Oh hell yeah.

I count myself lucky to have gotten a chance to actually meet the King of Pop umpteen years ago. I think we were juniors in high school and I was helping a friend, Rachel, close up shop. A candy shop nestled in the middle of 14 acres of waterfront shopping and dining in beautiful downtown San Diego.

It was closing time and Rae had already locked both doors. I'm standing outside one of them and she comes over to let me in. That's when I see a huge ass motherfucker outside the other door... and practically go nuts when I see that she's about to let him in, too.

What happens next? Check out the rest of the story here.

lol *shakes head* I will never forget how kind and gracious he was... Never mind Ms. Thing who was with him.

Rest in peace, Michael Jackson... our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family...

Pounding Peter Facinelli

2009-06-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

You know what I've noticed after attending a couple of Twi-Tour Conventions?

We'll be going back and forth with Q&A, some really great questions... some NOT. *shakes head*

But to break it up, one off the celebs will do something different... and if you can imagine a ballroom full of estrogen and screaming females...

Then you can imagine what happens when this crowd gets pysched up.

And of course, who is it that always goes out of his way for his fans?

Peter Facinelli.

He's actually walked into the audience to hand select an attendee with a question. I've seen him call someone up on stage and give up his seat for her while she nervously twirled her hair to ask a question that's almost slipped off her mind.

And of course... you saw what he did for "Orange," at the LA Twi-Tour, right? Who wouldn't want to be pampered by Peter, Edi and Kellan - all at once?

You gotta give it up for celebs like Peter who genuinely appreciate their fans. So when he made that bet about getting 500K followers in Twitter - we just had to round up some support and help him get to his number:

Eyes of Amber, Rob My World, The Danger Magnet, Random Acts of Rob, Twilight-Headed, Robsession, Super Secret Twilight Blog, Twitarded, ROBsessed, Cullen Boys Anonymous, Twilight Moonlighter, Robsten Lovers, Why Not? Twilight, RPattz and Me, @gcgonc, and @LaTuaCantante_

In case you missed it, you can click here to catch the video he made about the bet, uppin' the ante with his Twilight director's chair. As of yet, he's at about 229K - and we still need to get him to 500K.

What can you do to help? Two things:

1) Follow Peter on Twitter
2) Add the hashtag (#peterfacinelli) to keep Peter as one of Twitter's Top 10 Trending Topics

And if you're not already on Twitter, now would be the perfect time to sign up and get connected. When you get there, holla at me at @mammadawg and so we can dish. :)

Now... let's get ready to deliver the pounding Peter's asked for! ;)

Introducing Jean-Claude, Micah and Zsadist

2009-06-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

Some of you might say that I've been, uh... a little, uh...

Unfaithful.

Boy - does that one word just drum up some steamy scenes from Olivier Martinez and Diane Lane?

All of you know by now that I'm a bit of a Twihard. ;) But just because I love the community that's been built with Twilight - doesn't necessarily mean that I can't fall in love with any other vampires. Or... wereleopards. ;)

Right?

MattDaddy.net is the one responsible for introducing me to the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. I have read 16 of the 17 books published in a matter of months - OCD kickin' in again, I know.

And at some point in my life, I'd love to read them all over again. *shakes head* Yes - I'm nuts. But something about these books just puts me in my happy place... I can't wait to see it hit TV next summer!!

In the meantime, however, the girls have insisted that I start the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. So while I was waiting for LKH's Skin Trade to hit the shelves, I picked up the first 2 books of BDB.

And fell in love with these vampire warriors.

When I finish with the BDB series, I think I'm going to check out LKH's Merry Gentry series...

What about you? What books have you been into lately?

Win Peter Facinelli's Twilight Director's Chair Backing

2009-06-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

If you're already a part of Twitterville, then you've already heard about the bet between Peter Facinelli and Robert DeFranco.

With the deadline looming in, midnight on Friday, June 19th, Peter is still short of his goal to gain 500,000 followers.

If he loses, he has to give up the backing of his director's chair from Twilight to Rob.

But if he wins... Rob has to dance down Hollywood Blvd - wearing a bikini - while singing Beyonce's "All The Single Ladies," and holding a sign saying "Twitter Me".

Not to mention, one lucky follower will win the backing of his Twilight chair. Hear it straight from Peter himself:

And follow him at @peterfacinelli - let's make sure one of us gets that chair instead of Rob. And seeing Rob do his thang on Hollywood will SURE be a sight.

Who else is following? :)

After-Party Escort

2009-06-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of the 2009 Grand Slam/Twi-Tour Convention (Part 4 of 4 - FINAL)

I’d already gotten my autographs during the San Francisco convention, but a friend gave me an idea when she asked if I could get Kellan’s autograph for her.

On her picture with him.

So you KNOW I had to do the same. I turned in my two autograph tickets and brought her pic and my black & white one for him to sign. He chuckled when I told him people were hating on me coz of that single picture.

Hell – even the photographer told me he was getting emails about that picture in particular. ;)

But now the autograph line had almost reached its end, and the Twilight Pass holders were already seated in the After-Party room. Refreshments were set up, with a cash bar for anyone wanting something stronger.

Do you remember the Vampire Ball in San Francisco? This would be similar – not quite as good, but still… Each of the four celebs would be making their rounds, chit-chatting at each of the tables – bodyguards (BG) in tow.

And since Sheryl and I had no particular assignments, we decided to accompany the bodyguards as they made rounds with the celebs. She got Edi.

And you already know who I got. ;)

I don’t think he noticed me at the first couple of tables. But after the third table, he looked right up at me. I motioned for him to follow his bodyguard, and then I pulled up the rear. That became our little system - BG in the front with me at the back.

A few tables down, BG calls time and Kellan looks up at me like he doesn’t know where to go. I laughed and motioned for him to follow BG.

He started lagging at one point and I almost walked on top of him. I had to nudge him forward and that’s when I caught a whiff.

DAMN HIM FOR SMELLING SO GOOD.

Omigod - it stopped me and literally – LITERALLY - made me blink and catch my breath.

And since I don’t like being disarmed like that, I silently told myself to keep my distance.

WTF?

I know, I know… I’m an idiot, right? I can actually hear you screaming at me right about now. ;) But seriously – I needed to keep myself in check. Not just because I was working…

But for ME. Gotta hold on to something, right?

So now… we’re about halfway through the room and what does Kellan do? He breaks one of the company rules, even with the BG standing behind him.

Where am I?

Standing across the table from him. An absolutely incredulous smile on my face as I give him cold eyes. I think he froze for a half second when he registered the look on my face.

It's three long seconds later before he's done with his mischief. Afterwards, all he has to do is step to his right to follow the BG to the next table. Short and straightforward. But instead… he steps to his left, walks all the way around the table to meet me on the other side.

So I wait. And when he gets to me, I sorta pinch him in the upper arm and start giving him shit.

“You know you’re just making my job harder, right?”

We laugh it off but thankfully, he decided not to pull any more stunts after that. (Whew!)

Sheryl’s watching me from across the way, and mentioned later that me and Kellan actually looked really comfortable together, like old friends. (Huh?) She says she even remembers him reaching out to put his hand on me.

Wha--?! Did I miss that? Part of me was already thinking that my OCD on Kellan’s been busted – that my little OMK bubble has burst.

And now I know it has, coz DAMNIT wouldn’t I remember if he’d reached out and touched me??

It took me a while but I finally put it together. It was towards the end, when I ditched Kellan and BG for a few minutes to catch up with some friends at one of the tables in the back.

When Kellan and BG caught up with me, I happened to be walking by one of the tables, laughing to myself as one of the other girls was stretched out on the floor.

Amused, Kellan whispered to me, “What is she doing??” as he walked up beside me.

His hands lingering near my elbow before reaching my shoulder.

Shit. And I can hardly remember it.

That's what I get for distancing myself, right? It's okay, though, coz it would NOT have been cool for me to bust out into fan mode. Uh... no - lol.

WANNA CATCH UP?
Day 1: A Serenade for the Door Girl
Day 2: Promoted to the Main Scene
Day 3: Covering Doors and Crowd Control (Twi-Tour - Part 1 of 4)
Day 3: Photo Ops Frenzy (Twi-Tour - Part 2 of 4)
Day 3: Autographs Mayhem (Twi-Tur - Part 3 of 4)

Dark Intruder

2009-06-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

It swirls into the room like a dark, heavy cloud. Doesn't matter where I'm sitting or what I'm doing... it will find me, as if it has fingers curled out, reaching for me blindly in the darkness.

And when it finally hits me, caressing my skin and marking its territory just isn't good enough.

Looking for a way in, it wants to wrap its familiar arms around me. Slowly suffocating me with its strength, daring to penetrate through my walls to find my core. My essence. My very being.

You know "it." Is it the same for you?

Is it anger? Loneliness? Tension? Frustration?

Yes. Yes, yes and yes... But what is it that eats at me the most?

The disconnect.

Autographs Mayhem

2009-06-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of the 2009 Grand Slam/Twi-Tour Convention (Part 3 of 4)

Coming into this, I knew I’d have to put in my time, work my way up. I worked my ass off, determined to let the higher-ups know that I was serious about my assignments. That I wasn’t just there for the celebs or to hang out with the fans.

Oh – that was a big piece of it – hell yeah – but I am all about getting the job done first.

And at the autograph line, my job was at the front of the line with one other girl. Just the two of us between the fans and the celebs. Could it get any better than this?

If I only knew. ;)

Before long, we ended up redirecting the line and I no longer needed to clear the doorway. During all this, Hilly and Hanna Hindi walked through, along with Jacob Jost, Drew Lorentz and Joseph Lewellyn. I got to chat with them a little bit, and secured my next big thing:

Interviewing “The Hillywood Show” cast members.

Eeeek! Lol – I’m so excited. I’m actually still working on my interview questions for them but heads up – I’ll soon be posting that special interview, right here at MammaDawg.com.

But now that the autograph line was in order, it freed up some of my time so I was able to walk around and check out how everything else was going. We had four tables set up, laid out side-by-side, one for each of the celebs.

And I got to hang out right across from them.

Later one of the supervisors came to me for help – the line had stopped and she was asking if I could please go and get it taken care of.

Looks like one of the ladies bought TEN autograph tickets from EACH of the celebs, and was getting her stuff all mixed up. The biggest hold-up was at the end, with Mike. Though it wasn't his fault at all.

She was getting confused as to what needed to get signed and what had already been signed. So I stepped in and helped her get moving along.

Mike was so sweet and patient. I can still see him, all smiles and not irritated by the hold-up, whatsoever.

I told you he rocks. :)

This lady had TONS of posters and pictures and trading cards and stuff, so I helped her and her assistant carry all their stuff back to the auditorium. By this time, it was almost 8pm and I knew the After-Party would be kickin’ off as soon as autographs were finished.

And guess who got the okay to work the event? ;)

I asked for a quick break to grab a bite to eat and ran up to my room. Bread, bread and bread is all I ate the whole weekend, and I had two hopia’s before heading back down. But I was hot and wanted to change, so I slipped into a short-sleeved blouse and freshened up before THE highlight of the day – the Twilight After-Party.

You know... the part where the celebs cruise the entire room, table to table, to greet all of our special guests? Not even the Gold Pass members were granted entrance to this special event - you had to have a special Twilight Pass to attend.

Unless of course, you happen to be working the event... ;)

(To be continued...)

WANNA CATCH UP?
Day 1: A Serenade for the Door Girl
Day 2: Promoted to the Main Scene
Day 3: Covering Doors and Crowd Control (Twi-Tour - Part 1 of 4)
Day 3: Photo Ops Frenzy (Twi-Tour - Part 2 of 4)

Photo Ops Frenzy

2009-05-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of the 2009 Grand Slam/Twi-Tour Convention (Part 2 of 4)

I was clearing people out of the doorway, and when fans had finished taking their photos with Kellan, I’d show them the way out, answering questions about how/where to pick up their photos.

I can’t remember exactly how long it took before the line diminished. But at the end, I surprised my mom with a photo op ticket. She was stunned.

“What? What do you mean I’m taking a picture with him? No, no, no… I didn’t even do my hair… Or make-up!”

But she was stuck. And she knew it. :) All she wanted was a glimpse of him and now she was about to meet him. And get stuck with evidence. *wicked grin*

Now you have to know one thing about my mom. She’s sweet and generous, and always thinking about other people. We laugh together like we’re sisters, and she’s my BFF.

But she’s also, in some ways, very old-fashioned. And conservative. Holding hands when my dad was “courting” her was practically out of the question.

And here she is. About to walk into one of Kellan’s bear hugs. No - scratch that. A "Kellan Crush."

She had no choice. He pulled her close and took her arm, placing her hand on his abdomen. I don’t think she’s ever touched anyone, besides my father, so intimately.

And now we got it on film – lol!

~ All my mom wanted was a glimpse - and I surprised her with a photo op ticket for Kellan Lutz ~

I’m up next, and since I got THE BEST photo ever last time, I wanted to get a comfy, kickback photo with him. Something like my pic with Ashley.

But noooooo. He wasn’t having any of that. He pulls me in tight, uber tight where it’d be awkward to leave my hand on my hips, so I tentatively pull it forward.

Kellan must’ve sensed my hesitation and was like, “Oh NO. You are not about to be outdone by your mom.”

Then he grabs my hand and places it on his chest, literally pressing my hands into him. Body just molding into his.

We relaxed and Chris snapped the photo. And the whole time, I’m like, “Ah shit. Here we go again.”

~ Gettin' a "Kellan Crush" ~

*sigh* So maybe I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, but hell – I ain’t gonna lie. It was still fun. :)

But it wasn’t over yet. We were told to get back to the auditorium. Double time.

The autograph session was about to get started.

(To be continued...)

WANNA CATCH UP?
Day 1: A Serenade for the Door Girl
Day 2: Promoted to the Main Scene
Day 3: Covering Doors and Crowd Control (Twi-Tour - Part 1 of 4)