Before I move onto the Okie school teacher, who is about as far from looking like an Okie school teacher as someone can get (no offense to male teachers in Oklahoma), I thought I would bask in the badass from Middle Earth:
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Photo courtesy of CBSwords.com via @HeirsofDurin
Everyone makes such a thing out of turning 40, but 41 can be pretty sweet as well. I had a baby at 41, and although I never would have planned that, it was one of the greatest things that ever happened to me. It’s kept me young at heart. My birthday wish for Richard Armitage is that he can always stay young at heart. The key is pursuing a passion.
Dear Rich,
Your ability to keep pursuing what you love with great heart and humor really has been inspiring to me personally. It’s been part of the catalyst for doing something that my SO begged me to do for years — writing.
Thank you for that, and I hope you have a wonderful birthday.
Signed,
One of your crazy fans
Before I tell you what happened at Comic-Con, I just want it clear that I was not planning on going. It was never a thought in my head. And when I’ve said I had no desire or plan to meet Richard Armitage, I have been serious. I love to make jokes about it certainly, and some of the pieces I’ve written, candidly, I’ve gone back to and laughed. Is it okay to admit I’ve laughed at some of my own stuff? I must sound arrogant, but oh well, I’m sure no matter what I do, someone is going to think poorly of me. The truth is that this blog started as a lark about an obscure English actor whom I never really thought would make it big, and therefore none but a very small number of fans would read it. (Sorry, Richard, I figured you were over the hill by Hollywood’s standards, but I was wrong, and I’m glad.)
My presence here was to have some laughs about this fangirl thing by casting myself as a nut, and to get out some thoughts about creativity and life. That more than a handful of people have read it was completely shocking to me, and my longtime readers know this is far from the first time I’ve said that. As for SO, he has given me good-natured hell about this place, and at first thought I was wasting my time when I “really should be writing! and not losing your story!” I understood that, but he didn’t understand that I had to get out of my comfort zone to reignite my creative thinking. And it’s been a blast. But never was it a real thought to communicate with Richard Armitage (the fake fan letters are a gag if some of you still don’t quite get it), send him gifts (never have) and certainly never to track him down (more on that later :D). Never going to stand at the stage door. Not happening, not part of who I am.
But I got invited to Comic-Con, and I really did want to go to help TORn and had no real expectation of meeting Richard Armitage at that madhouse let alone speaking to him. However, I am a person who likes to be prepared, so I figured if I went, I needed to be ready to talk to him or whomever if I got the chance. My friend, Heidi, who was a longtime AP reporter and now a freelance writer, explained how the process works with getting stories and asking interview questions. I loved listening to her, and thankfully, employed the techniques on the floor of the exhibit hall at Comic-Con with great success. The result of that will be coming up on TORn. And this was a labor of love. If I could do this sort of thing for a living, I would jump at the chance!
The only thing I will tell you today about my experience is I’ve learned a thing or two about being a Richard Armitage fangirl in public. I’m not sure when I’m going to post the experience, but it won’t be today as I’m traveling, and I doubt it’s going to be tomorrow since I’m whipped and need to do nothing for at least a day when I get back home. That won’t happen since I have a lot I normally do back home, but I’m going to try. Maybe I’ll get something up by Wednesday; just know I’ll try to get something up this week.
edit: I totally wimped out on this account. Not sure I’m ever going to tell it. Maybe a few years from now when it will be funnier to me.
Yep, I finally had a dream about Richard Armitage. Oh yeah, of course I did. ;-)
Last night I was dreaming I went to Comic-Con with hopes of seeing Richard there. In the dream, I envisioned myself interviewing people with an eye toward maybe seeing our guy. Heather, laden with camera equipment, was also with me and we were there trying to do our job — bringing reports and pictures to the fans. Then I woke up a couple of hours ago, and I really was there. :D
Seriously, awhile back I was invited by TheOneRingnet to come to Comic-Con, and thankfully, really was able to bring Heather with me. I want to take this opportunity to thank Larry Curtis for the invitation, and we will do our best to report as much as possible. Heather and I are also doing work for some other sites, and I can’t tell you how good it feels to do something you love as a job!
For those who read this blog, I will be over at TORn, so check there for reporting, and I may get over here some when I can. We’ll see. Right now the whole experience is surreal, and I’m trying to process exactly what is happening! But I adore a challenge, so stay tuned! :D
Note: I ask that you all understand I am not RAFrenzy this week, or should I say RAFrenzied. LOL! Tolkien and the creativity he inspires has put my imagination in overdrive. I told you all awhile back that I was going to do something else in the future, and I am. Creativity is a big part of that. But no worries. I will get pictures of Richard Armitage if I can get into Hall H and anything I get will be posted as part of TORn’s coverage.
Seriously. That scroll display on Entertainment Weekly is awesome, and you all know how I hate to use the word awesome. This deserves the description.
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bccmee has the panorama for download here.
TheOneRingNet (TORn) has confirmed the Brits don’t have to wait until the day after Christmas to see ‘The Hobbit.’ It had been erroneously reported by a news site and a blog in the UK that the release would not occur until Boxing Day, which was of course upsetting, and how patently unfair it would have been since most of the cast is British.
Some of you know that I have thrown in with the TORn staff to help report and write stories. I thank you for your support of me and hope you give support to TORn as well if you’re not already doing it. I also want to take this opportunity to confirm they are an extremely nice bunch with a great sense of humor and hard working as well. They are working feverishly on this Comic-Con event and will keep you posted in great detail as they will with all the news that’s coming in regard to ‘The Hobbit,’ and yes, Richard Armitage. :D
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Okay, so I published that picture again. Do you mind?
Scan courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.com
It’s a wrap for ‘The Hobbit’ filming! Other than heading to Comic-Con, I wonder if Richard Armitage will get in some skiing. Oh maybe free styling somewhere around Ruapehu:
Wait!
Dear Rich,
Forget I said that. We can’t have you breaking a leg before Comic-Con. We’re all beside ourselves to see you up there where you belong — onstage before a bunch of screaming fans. Be sure to take some Tylenol.
Signed,
One of your crazy fans, who knows what it’s like to break a leg and wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Ugh.
What was I saying about getting bored staring at the same picture? I lied. Richard Armitage is Thorin so deliciously in this picture, and you know I’m strongly affected when I use language like that. When have I ever used words like deliciously? Yep, I thought so. Never. And this might be the only time. ;-)
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But then I guess this isn’t exactly the same picture is it. Daria has done some magic on it! And for more of her magic, check out her DeviantArt profile or her tumblr.
The highlights on his face and hair make me think I could find him on a beach somewhere but obviously without all the leather. :D
Original scan provided from Ali’s wonderful iPad. :D And can be seen in a larger format at RichardArmitageNet.Com
Fandwarfing* hasn’t made sense to me until today. The photos of Richard Armitage as a dwarf, frankly, didn’t look like a dwarf. He has always looked like himself in stature — rather large. But ‘Entertainment Weekly’ has a new raft of photos from ‘The Hobbit,’ and one of RA actually gives the appearance of a dwarf. And I find, I quite like it. I guess “dwarves” really can be sexy:
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You can see the rest of the photos including couple of more with RA on the EW site here.
* a term coined by Calexora to express the hysteria which goes on when seeing the little people and more especially one little people. :D
Photoshop excellence by Heather
TheOneRingnet came through again! They have confirmed ‘The Hobbit’ cast, including Richard Armitage, will indeed be at Comic-Con.
I hope this settles it for some of you. :D
This is a great photo, but someone needs to talk to TORn about a more recent one.
Promo still courtesy of RichardArmitageNet.com
RAFrenzy 
