Well, I got dressed way too early, and left the house and hour and a half before I needed to be there, and did mental happy dances the whole drive up there (and hooted when I passed by Mo' Bettah Meatty Meat Burgers on Fairfax ). After a slight detour because of an accident, I finally got there.

When I got to the gate, I had a momentary thrill of panic as the guard looked for my name on the list. But when the guard waved me through, and pointed out the parking lot, the mental happy dances started again.

I got out of the car, finished my primping (and putting on my velvet top to cover up my tattoo--mommy wouldn't appreciate pictures of that ), and discovered two women getting out of a car nearby. I approached them with Czechoslovakian caution...

"Are you here for the Roswell party?"

And when the girl's face split into a grin, I felt the strangest sense of coming home...

Jezzie and her mom, Betty, and I managed to find the Studio Cafe. We were only a half an hour early. but we got a table, ogled the wonderful raffle prizes, and did general girl squeals as we babbled about the show and how cool it was to have someone who understood. Lena/Fehro recognized my name, and eventually I did sing the song in Swedish for her that I promised.

A girl walked in with antennae that she'd made, so Jezzie and I asked for a pair, and wore dorky silver headbands all night. It rocked. Thanks, Memental for making those, and Tiffanyiie for giving them to me. They were awesome. :)

As more and more people arrived, Jezzie and I decided to break the ice and mingle, so we moved from table to table and forced people to talk to us. The frightening thing was that some people recognized my posting name and one lady even asked to see the happy radish dance. And of course I whipped out the six golden radishes, proudly showing the ones for Majandra and Brendan--just in case. And I told everyone about my plot to drop a golden radish on the set somewhere...

I met Black Widow, who gave me a hug from Em, and two radish sisters, Caty (FehrCat), and Amber (PaceysGal), and babbled at them for a while. After making the rounds, Jezie and I dinnered, and then began discussing Roswell (again), as episodes played in the background (and half the group sang along to the theme song ).

There was also a girl who came in a Crashdown uniform with straight dark hair, followed by a camera from KTLA. For a moment, I thought she was Shiri, but she turned out to be Little Willow, in a costume made by her mom--a very cool accurate costume, by the way. :)

And then, Mikyelah came by, and we did the jumpy-girl-squealy thing hug thing. Again, the talking and the laughing, and the odd sense of coming home...

I was looking around when I spotted two new people come in, one in a stocking cap. Jezzie next to me muttered, "Oh, shit." And then it occurred to me that the guy looked like Brendan Fehr...at which point I realized his companion was one Majandra Delfino, birthday twin to my best radish sister...

Jezzie and I squealed and somehow managed to reach them first, without killing or maiming anyone (I think). She took her photo while I frantically grabbed golden radishes, camera, and journal. And then, when it was my turn...

They both smiled at me, as if I wasn't the biggest dork in the world (see picture Kara_the_dork). And my knees turned to green jello...

I shook as I shoved a golden radish (that I had so meticulously painted ) in each of their hands. And I turned to Majandra, beaming like a dork, and began to yammer. I mentioned hooting at PI and she grinned. I told her about Emily and the sprite drawing and my Christmas card about her family and the floods in Venezuela (they're okay!), and the Last Unicorn book that I sent her for her bday (but she hasn't gotten yet), and she thought that was cool and sweet. And then we bonded over the movie and how much it changed her life, and then I turned to Brendan.

First reaction--he was tall, and he had a beautiful smile. And he remembered the golden radishes I drew on the envelope of the non-drooling fan letter I wrote to him! Then, we took a picture, me between the two. I came up to his nose, and even she was about an inch taller than me (Dammit, I should've looked at her shoes...).

And then Majandra apologized for wearing her retainer, and Brendan showed how much her friend he was and called her a dork. So I told her not to worry, that I still wear mine too. More bonding. They were so cool. :)

Then, I asked Brendan (shyly) if I could hug him, and he gave me the best strong hug (both arms). So I walked off, clutching my camera and journal. Then, Jezzie and I hugged and squealed and shook and almost cried. And then we got back in line again, to get autographs for Emily, and for Jezzie to get a pic with the M&Ms she'd brought with her. Then, when Brendan went to get something to drink/mingled, I ran up to him (with no shame ) and got Emily's autograph. And since I had his attention, I asked him if he liked philosophy ("I could do that"), and explained my dream that I had about him and I discussing philosophy and walking his dog, and he smiled indulgently (no, I'm not a dork, really...). Then I asked if he liked Wolverine (he does!), and blathered about the Roswell Elementary stories and M&M M&M fights and Michael having Spiderman valentines. Then I blushed and thanked him and went back to Jezzie. Amber was in front of me, and she and I squealed while she shook and I hugged her.

Then Brendan was signing the cup he drank out of for this one girl's mom and he needed a pen, so I raced up and handed him mine (yes, I still have it, and no, it's not for sale ), but he needed a felt tipped one. :(

So after more shaking and almost getting to Majandra, my tour was called. But Jezzie told Majandra about Emily being her bday twin (thanks, Jezzie, I dove you!), and a really spiffy girl behind me got Em's autograph (thanks to you too ).

Brendan and Majandra totally rocked, and were very much at ease with their wonky fans (or maybe I was the only wonky dork ). They posed, laughed, and joked with us, and were so friendly, like we were all buds or something. Which makes me like them all the more, since they didn't clam up or anything. Thanks again, you two. :)

So off I went, still reeling, with Mala and Vigie on the tour.

What did we see? The Evans' kitchen (with the laundry still hanging there), Max's bedroom (and the window everyone crawls in), the high school hallway (the girls' room is also the guys' room), the eraser room (Mala and I got a pic of it ), the patio and the Czech table, Liz's bedroom, the Crashdown (I sat at a booth and went behind the counter), the back room at the Crashdown, the roof balcony, the Valenti living room, and Mr. V's office (Mala went into throes of ecstasy ). And then we got to see Michael's new apartment! We stepped over a motorcycle in pieces on his 'porch', and then got to explore his new pad. I sat on the comfy squishy couch that M/L mack on, and saw Brendan's Metallica poster up on the wall. And there was a bag of M&Ms on the kitchen counter .

While on the tour, I learned that one girl was the ex roommate of an old friend of mine from high school at UC Irvine. My world is way too small.

And of course, on tour, I asked about Tess (she won't break M&L up, don't worry), Michael's drawing ability (*sniffles* Only a one-shot deal for his vision), and at Vigie's insistence, told our tourguide/script writer Karen about the REs. So now they now, Em. :)

Then, back at the Studio Cafe, still reeling, I bonded with Vigie and Mala, discussed REs and Fanfic, and plotted with Mik to hit KK at some point (Trinity, we're coming to get you!). And babbled about how Emily was probably still waiting up for me, and how she'd die when I told her. :)

Then everyone came back, and we got the last great surprise--we were gonna watch "Sexual Healing"! Oh, the hooting. The raffled off items while Karen got the director's cut (I won nothing, but it was still awesome), and then, we settled back, 70 of Roswell's biggest fanatics, to preview the episode.

It rocked. Just the ambiance of being able to hoot in the company of comrades, and think, hey, I was just on that set. I was NOT disappointed in any way with the ep (if you want spoilers, email me). And after the ep and standing ovations for Lena (Fehrocious), Kim (London2LA), and our gracious tour guides (Karen and Neil--spiffy Roswell people), we all parted with promises to see each other at the FF party in the summer.

So Jezzie, her mom, and I walked out, still hooting, and parted ways with promises to do lunch. And the whole drive home, I did mental happy dances, and thought, thank God I painted those radishes... :)

And when I got home, I delivered the news to my two best radish brethren, Emily and Crow, and hooted and squealed until 2 am. As well as all day at work on Sunday, and Monday, and today. And I got my pics developed at a one hour photo place, because I needed them. I needed physical proof to convince myself.

I still can't believe it. And I know some flack is going around about the party being cliquish or whatever, but y'know what? It was still one of the most awesome nights of my life. Thanks, Lena and Kim, and Neil and Karen, and Jason Katims, and Majandra and Brendan. And everyone that I talked to. And my radish brethren, for being so awesome.

And William Sadler, for persuading me to watch Roswell. :)

See y'all at the FF party in August.

Lookie!! Pictures!!

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