Some of you saw my fangirling last Friday over on Facebook, because of this:
Thanks to Cake Wrecks I've gotten to meet a few celebs and "online famous" types over the years, so I like to think I'm a
little better at keeping my cool. Heck, back in CW's hey day I even got to turn down David Letterman and a host of other shows, which still gives me a warm glow inside.
(I have an aversion to TV cameras. But no regrets.)
When it comes to people I actually admire, though - fame or no fame - I can still devolve into that stammering 12-year-old in line for a Carman autograph. (Which may literally be the most embarrassing thing I can admit to you right now - so I've decided to just embrace it.)
I often say that Adam Savage is my "Maker Hero." His work over on Tested and his One Day Builds are the stuff many of my dreams are made of, and no one inspires me to learn and make and just DO more than he does. His enthusiasm is infectious, he leads by example, and I like that he's one of the few celebs out there who
gets cosplay - especially since I've met other "nerderati" who turn up their noses and made/make me feel somehow lesser for partaking.
So yeah, that was a definite fangirl moment.
Little did I know, it was about to get
so much better.
Less than five minutes later, I saw I had a direct message over on Twitter. FROM ADAM SAVAGE. Inviting me & mine to the Mythbusters show that night here in Orlando.
I'll pause here to let you imagine my reaction.
Here's a hint:
If I say any more I'll just embarrass myself (further), so let's skip ahead a few hours:
The seats Adam reserved for us were incredible, but this was my first attempt at a live stage show in
years, and I was determined to manage it Xanax-free. So, John and I left our two support friends up front and retreated back to a lovely open section near the edge, where I could watch in comfort:
See us?
Ok, now see if you can spot Jamie.
The show was a delight: a fun mix of audience participation, semi-dangerous stunts:
(... and actually dangerous stunts)
Video clips and Q&As:
And even a little knife-throwing:
My favorite was when they dressed an audience member in a full suit of medieval armor, stood him in front of a blast shield, and hit him with a paintball barrage from a custom rig that fires 4 guns at once:
(Many thanks to my friend Missy for letting me use her pictures, btw.)
The whole thing felt pretty intimate and low-key, though, almost like a convention panel. (If panels had giant paintball gun rigs.) Both Jamie and Adam seem exactly the same live as they are on camera, with the slight exception that it's clear Jamie doesn't relish speaking in front of large audiences. No big surprise there, but it may help explain why this is his "farewell tour." And really, the thought that Jamie's overcome something I struggle with myself only makes me respect him more.
I especially liked how both guys went out of their way to include and encourage the young girls at the show, and Adam's mini-rant on the need for a Wonder Woman movie drew well-deserved cheers.
Ah, but that's not all! After the show we were led back to a large practice room with maybe 50 other people, where we got to meet the guys and take pictures.
I had to say my name twice (since my voice gave out), but as soon as Adam realized who I was he yelled "Cake Wrecks!" and gave me a big hug. Then he proceeded to tell the room at large about the site, and after a quick chat, had someone take a picture of us together with his own phone.
I was pretty stunned by it all, and my friend Missy laughingly said later, "He seemed more excited to meet you than you were to meet him!" That's the trouble with being more of a "Kermit flailing on the inside" kinda girl, heh.
[Kermit flailing on the inside.]
And best of all? NO PANIC. I think these Hashimoto's meds are helping!
I try to do a couple of reader meet ups a month, and usually when I meet you guys we greet each other like old friends. We hug and we laugh and we get right to the geeking out. Sometimes, though, there are tears, or a little stammering, or John will tell me later that this one was shaking from nerves, and I never noticed - because I was nervous myself.
It makes me want to be better.
I think inside we're all still 12-years-old sometimes, desperate for that connection and approval from someone we admire. I see it in myself with various artists and writers, and when I see it in fans, it makes me want to do everything I can to just not screw that up. Because I've met childhood icons who obviously didn't give a damn, and then I've met people like Adam Savage - and I always, ALWAYS, want to be like Adam Savage.
(Well, mixed with a healthy dose of Felicia Day. :D)
So thanks again, Adam, for being awesome to this fangirl, and thank you guys for freaking out with me. See, I knew you'd understand.
! Sweet!)
