Just wanted to attach a clip I found showing me competing in the Office Olympics!!
I'm in the "that's what she said" huddle toward the top of the screen in my brown sweater. Also you can see me better in the race for office supplies, I'm number 104. This was fun to see. Sorry you have to watch commercials first.
http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/#mea=174904
Oh, and if you are really good you will catch a look at Asa in the background of Skeet Schruting!! He's in a gray pullover.
Another clip, see my question to Mr. CFO listen for "Mandy in Find-lay, Ohio" at around 8:10 during the Cast Q+A in front of 4,000 people!!!
http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/video/#mea=175334
Later!
Wow! This weekend was an absolute fantasy!! Asa and I went to Scranton, PA to attend the first annual Office convention!!! It was all I had hoped and more!
Here's a brief summary of the highlights!
Friday!
Our first stop was registering at the Radisson and being lucky enough to get a chance to register to compete in the Office Olympics (based on the season 2 episode of the same name). Oh but I wasn't lucky enough to receive a random autograph session appointment in my packet.
On to the Scranton Anthracite Museum and coal mine tour. It was rainy and cold but we had a great time. I even got to re-enact the museum scene from Michael and Dwight's "Lazy Scranton" video!
I remember when Michael asked on the show if once you get down in the mine, "is there like laser tag or something?" Well there wasn't but it was an amazing tour. It's hard to imagine that people really did and still do in many places work in those conditions. The old companies used to get these people in debt to them off the bat. They had to purchase their tools from the company. If they did not meet their quota for the day they did not get paid! If they died on the job they would throw their bodies on their family's lawn. If you accidentally break a cart, door or let a donkey get hurt you owe them about $100 for it. If the accident killed you your family then then owed the money and had to send their sons to work. At $3 a week, it was impossible!! The horror stories went on and on. One little kid said, "Man it's like the holocaust!"
After that we enjoyed a great dinner at Farley's (mentioned on the show) and took pics of the original Dunder-Mifflin seen in episode 1.
The next morning it was rainy and disgusting! But they moved most things inside. We first attended the ribbon cutting and somehow got lucky enough to sit in the second row!! Just in front of Greg Daniel's parents!!! The cast came out and wowed us with funny anecdotes and comments from their character's perspective. One highlight was when Ed Helm's (Andy) sang " Take a Chance on Me" to Angela!
We then went to participate in the Office Olympics. It felt like Survivor. I lost the first game by a push pin!! we had to run to a table of supplies and gather certain things (15 paperclips, 1 highlighter, 8 pushpins etc.) then run back to our desk organizer and organize them. I was one pushpin short!!! So the girl next to me won. When we turned around we were surrounded by cameras and microphones!! VH-1, MTV, NBC, the TV Guide Channel. If I had won I would have been talking to them, but it's okay I want to save my 15 minutes for something else. Although there's a good chance you will see us on the Season 4 DVD they said. I remember when I was counting out paperclips someone stuck a microphone right near my head. No wonder I couldn't count! I stunk at Office H.O.R.S.E. and at Skeet Schruting (again a camera was on me) Flonkerton (The Icelandic sport of box of paper snowshoe racing) was a blast! The guy from NBC 24 Toledo followed me around the whole time, I was such a nervous dork in my interviews though!!! It will air sometime next week. Asa and I both lost big but we loved our free Dunder Mifflin Infinity T-shirts.
We then walked to the Mall at Steamtown to get our pics in front of the famous Scranton Sign from the opening credits. Then it was on to the trolley museum that was really nice and featured costumes from the show!! Including Michael's Miss-terious suite, Pam's "Casino Night"dress, Meredeth's pelvic cast dress, Phyllis's wedding dress and many more. I had to pose with and smell Jim's outfit. It was the one he wore when he told Pam he loved her!
Then we went to the train museum which was beautiful, interactive and so much fun! After that we stopped at the Banshee for a Pepsi for me and a Yuengling (the local favorite beer) for Asa.
We split up and I went to the Cast Q+A there were 4,000 people there! They picked two of my submitted questions and said my name and town in front of everyone!!! Awesome! They even showed a blooper reel of season 4 so far. My favs were Jim taking off his shirt for the "French beach" scene and cracking up and especially when Michael told the office he ordered Pizza by Alfredo and everyone cheered and went ape, Oscar was on the floor convusing and Andy was beating people up. I laughed so hard it hurt!!! The whole thing was amazing!
After that it was on to the look-alike contest and Scrantones concert. The concert was the highlight for me. I was only feet from the stage and the cast sang for us!! They were amazing! They gave us in the front high fives! Here is a clip from the girl directly in front of me of the amazing finale!
My videos better but not edited yet! Besides my screaming in it is ridiculous!!!!
Sunday began with the bloggers breakfast and I was in the front row!! It was very informal and Kevin (Brian), Meredeth (Kate), Bob Vance (Bobby) and the CFO (Andy) came. At the end I got a quick vid of me and Brian!!!! Then I accidentally spilled water on him!!! AHHH! He was so nice though. I got a sig from Bob Vance then they were all herded away and I was interviewed for yet another TV show. Crazy!!!
Next was the Writer's block Q+A also amazing! Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) made a surprise appearance!!! Greg polled the audience about choices they could make for the show, Awesome!! For the big finale they showed us the first act of Thursday's episode!!!! Wow!!!!
This was an amazing experience! Worth every penny! I have about 5 videos of footage I'll cherish. I love this show more than ever!!! I'll edit out some highlights soon!
So, Asa and I have been having some bad luck for the past few months but things are finally beginning to turn around I think. For instance, Asa just took me out driving Lyndsie for the second time and I managed to get through the gears and even make turns. I'm feeling a lot better. Also, that one day when Asa lost his phone and mine completely broke. Well Asa's old phone has shown up, and even though I got my new one wet. It seems to be working for now. Phew!!! Good things.
Random. Why is the big new today, Dumbledore is gay?? That is so stupid I can't even tolerate it. The last thing I want to do when reading a good book is think about each character's sexual orientation. Yeck! I don't want to think of Dumbledore with anyone!!! I hope they are no announcements about Dobby, Hagrid, Ron or even Professor McGonnegal! I just don't want to know!!!
I have carved two nice pumpkins this Halloween season, unfortunately neither one has survived to Halloween. It must be the warm weather, but at least I have pictures to remember them by.
(Check back will add soon) or see at:
http://www.lifewithhugs.blogspot.com/
Mine is the cat by the moon on the left. Done freehand using kitchen knives.
The beheaded horseman that you can see in the flickr photos on the main page I did with a great pattern and special pumpkin tools. It took me like and hour and a half I think. The delicate little limbs and things began to shrivel the next day. :( Also check out the pumpkin by Asa, the cool skeleton pirate pumpkin.
I just uploaded a clip from Sean and Elizabeth's Welcome party before there wedding. It features some scary tricks by Scott and a friend of Sean's.
Finally, I leave you with a clip from The Office on Thursday. Just one example of why I love that show so much. Someday I'm gonna meet the people in that scene. I'm obsessed. I think this is funny even if you don't know the personalities and back stories of all the characters.