Natural wonders. Colorado is full of them, many only a hop, skip, and a jump from Denver. When StarCon announced that Robert Duncan McNeill was going to be the featured guest at the convention taking place in April, 1999, our RanDoM Flight and PTFever buddy Rosie, who lives in Denver, was ecstatic. "Come to Denver! Come see Robbie! Come see the Rocky Mountains! I'll be your tour guide!"

Sweeping mountain vistas. Wide open spaces. Fascinating geological marvels.

Robbie.

With that list of natural wonders, Rosie didn't have to do a whole lot of arm twisting. Over two dozen Feverites and at least three dozen RanDoM Flighters decided to make the trip. They came from around the world, as it turned out.

Whoops! As usual, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. Let me get back on track.
 

 ~Wednesday~

Jamelia and her intrepid con companion Katie Redshoes (this is the sixth time in a year and a half we've swept off to Conventionland!) decided to take Rosie up on her offer to come into Denver a couple of days early to do some sightseeing of the landscape kind before indulging in some stargazing. After months of preparation and lots of anticipation, the time arrived. On the Wednesday evening before the con, we boarded a nonstop flight to Denver at Philadelphia International Airport.

This is only the second time your dear old Auntie has ever taken a trip by plane. The first time: twenty years ago, in April, 1979, when Three Mile Island was threatening to spew radioactive fallout over the skies of New Jersey. My boss at the time insisted I needed to visit somebody, anywhere in the country but here. I flew down to Florida and had a very nice, and ultimately poignant, visit with my grandparents. Within four years, both had passed away; and it was the last time I had an opportunity to see my grandfather. Since that flight, I'd never flown anywhere. Mr. Make-It-So isn't much of a fan of flying in airplanes, despite (or maybe because of?) his being in the Air Force.

So the flight itself was a real novelty to Auntie Jamelia. The early part of the flight, the skies were clear. We flew over checkerboards of Pennsylvania farmland interspersed with bands of maroon that I didn't immediately recognize as wooded ridges. They were dark red because the trees are just starting to bud out this early in the spring. I'm sure that a few weeks from now, those ridges will be clothed in deep forest green. Here and there, a lake shone, reflecting the sky. As we flew into the evening, streetlights by the roads and in parking lots began to wink on, creating small pools of light on the pavement. I loved the way it all looked and tried unsuccessfully to identify which rivers and towns were below us.

Shortly after we reached Ohio, however, the friendly skies clouded up. The plane ascended further to fly over turbulence so that the country was obscured. That wasn't really a problem, however, because instead, we had recurring afterglow. The sun went down below the clouds and the curve of the earth, but the afterglow remained in the sky for a long time. It's a wonderful shade of deep blue I always associate with the color of the sky when dark is falling around Christmas time. You see it on lots of Christmas cards. Even when night came, a couple of bright stars shone through the window. Whenever there was turbulence, the pilot flew higher in the sky to escape it (and minimize air sickness, obviously), bringing the afterglow back for a while as we flew west. This happened several times, to my delight.

What can I say? I'm easily amused.

Once we got out past western Nebraska, the skies cleared. During the final descent into Denver, the ground came back into view. Now it was full night, and the lights of the towns we flew over as we approached the airport glittered as we flew into the airport. I caught sight of a "John Elway Cheverolet" dealership sign as we came into town. Even if I hadn't known I was coming into Denver, that would have been a pretty good tip-off about where we were.

After we landed came the next adventure. Walking in altitude. Your dear old Auntie has lived her entire life at sea level. Her brief excursions to what we Easterners laughingly call "mountains" have occurred far and far between. The last time was a trip up Mount Washington (elevation: 6288 feet) in New Hampshire, and that was over 20 years ago, when Auntie was in lots better physical shape. When she had to walk up the slanted walkway of the gate in Denver lugging her carry-on baggage, the thin air of Denver made her gasp for breath. After exchanging hugs with Rosie, we managed to get our baggage and headed for Rosie's house.

April in the Rockies. You never know what kind of weather you're going to get. Try snow. It was the heaviest snowfall Rosie had seen all season, since this had been a relatively snowless year. We got to the house okay, despite the snow, and spent the next several hours visiting. Rosie had warned her family: this weekend is Mom's time to play! Her husband Randy, gallant man that he is, helped her have her weekend.
 

 ~Thursday~

The next morning, the roads were clear enough for Rosie to take Katie and I for a venture into the mountains. "Real" mountains, as Rosie's husband Randy Randy said. And that they were. The fresh snowfall only enhanced the rocks and trees that helped frame the majestic slopes in the background. These are huge mountains! Some of the other, quieter vistas were just as interesting to me, however. I never got a chance to take a picture of the footprints of a rabbit, it looked like, in the fresh snowfall by a stream, but the image is burned into my memory.

The amazing thing, though, is how quickly this landscape can change. Very soon after we left the park, we went through Big Thompson Canyon. This is the site of a great tragedy where a cloudburst in the Rocky Mountains in 1976 caused the deaths of at least 139 people, caught in the canyon when a flash flood swept though it. One section of the canyon, the "Narrows," is a steep, rocky defile that served to funnel the water and increase its velocity and power. There's a memorial park in one spot that, even this early in the spring, has a quiet beauty and a hushed quality to it.

Almost as soon as you leave Big Thompson Canyon, you come out into a flat area broken by ridges of red rock. Right behind those ridges are a long line of sharply toothed rocks, almost like the back plates of a stegosaurus might have looked. Behind those, the plains really begin again. It's a lot like that on all the roads. As soon as the rock strata changes, the topography does, too--often radically so.

When we got home from that adventure, we had another one. Rosie's dad works for an airline, and we found out he would be able to get several of us into the flight simulators. Did we want to go? Of course we would! When would we ever get an opportunity like this again? To play captain, first officer, and . . . pilot? Katie and I were certainly game, as were Tex, Little Attila, Lillian, and Ms.Sandrine, who had come into town earlier on Thursday, to join us. They went in one cockpit; we went in another. It was virtual reality flying time.

I got to try to take off first. The trouble is, you have to be on the runway to take off. To stay on the runway, you have to use this landing gear steering thingie that's like a crankhandle, and I had to use my left hand to boot. Man, is it hard to do! Finally, Lowell, the guy taking Katie, Rosie and I through our sim, offered to get it in the proper place for takeoff, because I kept driving the dang "plane" off the runway when I was steering. At least I managed to do okay getting the plane off the ground, flying in the air, and landing. Maybe I'd do better in a Delta Flyer, you think? No stinking runways needed for the Delta Flyer! And if you do need to use a runway, I'll bet Tom has designed a really nifty controller instead of that stupid hand crank thing.
 

 ~Friday~

The next day, our same group drove down to Colorado Springs, passing through the Air Force Academy on our way to the Garden of the Gods in Manitou Springs. The Air Force Academy is in a spectacular setting. The Garden of the Gods IS a spectacular setting. Huge rocks of vivid red sandstone carved into fantastic shapes by the wind are scattered into the landscape, much as if they were cultivated by some divine being. The name of the place is very fitting. The place is now a park preserved by the city of Colorado Springs. If you're ever in the area, check it out, definitely.

Coming back on I-25 so we could check into the con hotel, however, we ran into two things: traffic and snow. We spent a little too long in Colorado Springs, which caused us to run into rush hour traffic that was compounded by snow flakes that just kept on flurrying until we had a full-fledged snowstorm. Rosie managed to contact Court on a cellular phone and was advised to get off the interstate and take side roads. The interstate through Denver was a complete mess.

This side trip turned into quite an adventure when we ended up in white-out blizzard conditions. With almost no visibility and street signs plastered with snow, seeing the right way to go was almost impossible. Rosie knew where we were in relation to where we wanted to be. She knew which street we needed to get onto in order to get back to the hotel. Finding that right street was the challenge. As Rosie said when she pulled into a convenience store to ask directions, however, it was a good thing none of us in the car were male. We didn't have any hang-ups about asking for directions. While we waited for Rosie, Tex and Little Attila, our south Texans, had a great time seeing the pretty snow accumulate on branches and trash cans, etc. They never see a flake at home. Personally, I think they believe we had the snowstorm just for their benefit. Rosie got good directions to find the road we needed, however, and we finally arrived at the con hotel in time for the MAJC/PTFever pizza party.

Neetz, the MAJC fan club president (it's Josh Clark's-- Carey's--fan club, and I'm a member of that club, too) served as our main hostess at the pizza party, but just about everyone in PTFever who was at the con by Friday night was there. Maybe everyone, for all I know! It was so loud that I couldn't think well enough to count! The pizza party was such a rousingly great success, in fact, that Hotel Security had to come up to get the volume down to a reasonable level. (Just a little word of advice: it shouldn't take a complaint from someone in the hotel for a person to accept a suggestion to keep the noise level down to a bearable level. You all know who you are.)

The best part, however, was that we got to meet all kinds of people for the first time, including JanK from Britain, DocJan from Australia, and Janice from Atlanta. Then there was Jan from New York and yours truly, who also is really a Jan. Lots of Jans there, that's for sure.
 

 ~Saturday~

Finally, it was Saturday. Convention day! Your dear Auntie Jamelia was forced to hang around the RDM fan club table most of the day, however, since she had been involved in planning and putting on a breakfast for the club's members on Sunday morning and had to collect the money for it. Christie Golden, the Voyager and genre fiction author, had her table right behind us, however, and we were able to visit a bit. She's as nice a person as she is a good writer, willingly signing her Voyager books, the Amazing Stories story, and a copy of her own book, "King's Man and Thief" for your Auntie. Apparently, Christie likes Tom Paris so much that she usually has a "Tom figure" in her books. I'm looking forward to reading "King's Man and Thief" to find out who it is in that book.

I did take time out to attend the stage appearance of Robert Trebor (pronounced like the name "Trevor," but with a B), who plays Salmoneus on "Hercules" and on "Xena, Warrior Princess." I've always gotten a kick out of his character, the anachronistic wheeler-dealer. Robert (there's that name again!) Trebor was lots of fun. His microphone didn't work right initially, and while the con staff was getting another for him, he declaimed, "I don't need one! I'm a stage trained actor!" (Frankly, he was doing an excellent job of proving it, but they got him the mike anyway.)

The part of Salmoneus was written for him. At first, he was only going to be on two episodes of Herc, but they kept on asking him back. The rest, as they say (and Trebor, too), is history. He came on stage with his hair and beard darkened. "Hollywood is a very ageist community," as he said. He needs to work. He's directed one episode called "Rock and a Hard Place," so, like a certain actor who plays Helmboy on Voyager, Trebor is branching out and expanding his possibilities for future work.

One thing he finds unique about filming in New Zealand is that the film crew doesn't have access to food and snacks all day at the "craft table," as is true of U.S. productions. Instead, everyone stops and has tea at 5 P.M. And, if there's still some shooting needed at the end of the day, overtime only happens if the crew votes unanimously to continue! Fortunately, the crew was kind to Trebor and agreed to put in the 10 minutes of overtime needed to complete that day's shooting when he directed his episode.

Another thing that he finds amazing is that, like movies, if there are clouds in the shot but the clouds move off, all filming stops until the clouds come back, for reasons of continuity.

Continuity. What an amazing concept!

Even though Trebor has to commute 7000 miles one way for the role, he's very happy playing the character. "Salmoneus has paid a lot of bills--given me a chance to travel to cities around the world doing cons--has brought me an international fan club." Robert Trebor, understandably, is very fond of Salmoneus. An earlier role which brought him attention was the "Son of Sam," David Berkowitz, in a television movie, "Out of the Darkness." I have a hunch, however, that the Son of Sam wasn't as much fun to play, even if it was good for his career.

There have been some things about playing Salmoneus that have been a tad--shall we say--uncomfortable, however. When he was dressed up as a woman in the episode, "Men in Pink," he had to shave his body hair. All over. "I never want to be a transvestite!" is Trebor's reaction to that experience. And then there are the "mossies." Apparently there are some very hungry mosquitoes in New Zealand who are particular fond of the taste of Robert Trebor flesh. When he first got to the set, his legs, from ankle to knee, were covered with welts in no time, despite his being slathered with insect repellent. He has to be covered in sunscreen, too. The skin cancer rate in New Zealand is very high. Finally, Trebor isn't very fond of having to "fly" in a harness for special effects shots involving being twirled by Hercules or Xena. The harness is "not fun"--"Especially if you're male!" He's done it 7 or 8 times, but "You never get used to it."

Ouch. Wonder if Robbie had the same problem flying as Captain Proton? He never mentioned it, but, then again, he had more serious concerns flying as Captain Proton. (Foreshadowing, a legitimate literary device . . . )

I asked Robert Trebor if there was a story to his name, seeing as it is a palindrome. Trebor, you notice, is Robert spelled backwards. He wouldn't admit what his real name was, but the explanation for changing it is simple. His birth name was already taken by someone else in Actor's Equity, so he had to come up with another name. "The only palindromic name in the business!" Apparently, there used to be an Elizabeth Htebazile, who claimed it was her actual name. Robert Trebor isn't quite sure of the veracity of her claim, but she's retired now, anyway.

Trebor has been spending the last 6 months or so working on a book. "Dear Salmoneus: A Guide to Love and Money." It's a book of letters "written" to Salmoneus. It seems that when Robert Tapert "asked" Salmoneus if he could develop a series "based upon his life," Salmoneus was holding out for a better deal. So, he recommended his good friend Hercules for the job. The rest, as they say is history . . .

He asked if there were any "angels" in the audience willing to sponsor a movie or a record deal. Seems that Salmoneus "wants" to make a recording. "Songs in the Key of Money." After the audience stopped laughing, someone asked Trebor to sing something. It was "If I Were a Rich Man" from "Fiddler on the Roof." He has a nice voice. Tevye is a role he wants to play, as long as it's in a quality production. I think he'd be good in it.

I really enjoyed Robert Trebor's appearance. It seems that I almost always enjoy someone else's presentation at a con, other than that of the guest I've mainly come to see. This one was no exception. In fact, I very much enjoyed Max Grodenchik the following day, too.

The rest of the afternoon (when I wasn't at the fan club table) was spent waiting on line for Robbie's autograph. Just as I was about to give up on getting Robert Trebor's autograph, he showed back up at the table. The people around me in line kindly allowed me to shoot over there, so I got Trebor's autograph, but not Max's, unfortunately. No time when he was available to sign. Maybe next time.

I took a few photos of Robbie while waiting in line. He looked pretty yummy in a plain white T-shirt. He accepted a PTFever T-shirt graciously from Clara and Court, who had been instrumental in getting them made up, as well as various and sundry other gifts. I had one for him myself. I gave him a Trenton Thunder ball.

It's a souvenir baseball! Get your minds out of the gutter!

Actually, Robbie was pleased with it and signed the other one of the pair I'd brought along as a souvenir for me. He also signed a copy of the photo I'd taken at Shore Leave with Robbie flexing his "muscles" with the Bowie BaySox "tattoo" on it.

After that, it was time to view the completed "The Battery." I'd like to say I had a chance to really sit down and enjoy it, but when the movie started and the regular ticket-takers took their seats, a bunch more people came late. I helped Marianna (who did yeoman's duty with the ticket sales-- bravo, Marianna!) by staying and taking money for tickets at the last minute from those who hadn't purchased tickets beforehand.

I kept one eye on the movie, but I didn't get a chance to see much of the beginning, including the eye-opening "kitchen table" scene. Even though I couldn't pay complete attention, I must say that the movie--especially what I managed to see of that kitchen table scene--is a lot better with the sound effects. Loved those dishes clinking! The music for the movie was terrific, especially the Celtic melody used to good effect while the camera focused on the younger brother. Robbie used some bluesy guitar music very effectively, too, later on in the flick. Without putting in spoiler space, I can't really say more. Suffice it to say that despite the distractions, I felt the film was much better now that the credits, music, and all the sound effects are in. Robbie has a very cinematic eye. He's a good director. I hope he gets the chance to film the entire movie. (I just hope he doesn't decide to give up acting entirely to direct, however. He's too good an actor.)

After the movie, Kevin Atkins, the emcee of StarCon, introduced Mr. McNeill to the audience. Robbie bounded out, fairly energetic, even though he'd spent the previous day or so setting up for his son Kyle's birthday party, as we found out later.

Robbie told a few stories he'd told before. He told the $50 bet with Kate Mulgrew story, where Robbie delivered his lines at the helm in the same cadence as Garrett does with Harry (". . . Captain . . . we're in trouble, Captain . . . "), with the news that Kate STILL hasn't paid him his fifty bucks ("Kate can't leave Voyager. She still owes me money.").

He would like to do more Captain Protons, even though it seems like that holodeck scenario is done with. They were fun to do, although his "toasted buns" story shows that even fake space opera holodeck adventures aren't without risk.

Wait. You haven't heard the "Toasted Buns of Captain Proton" story yet? My, my. Well, just pull up a chair and listen up.

During the filming of one of the Captain Proton scenes, Tom is seen flying through space with his Captain Proton jetpack on his back. This meant that Robbie would be doing some blue screen work (filmed in front of a blue screen so that he can be matted into a space background in typical movie magic fashion), suspended from a harness (and having heard Robert Trebor's comments about working in a harness, one wonders if there's even more to this story than Robbie told . . .). Dick Brownfield, the special effects coordinator, came to Robbie beforehand and explained the rocketpack to him. It was to have lit sparklers throwing out a shower of sparks. If you've ever waved your hand near a sparkler, you know that the sparks themselves don't burn, it's the wire. Robbie accepted the assurances from the f/x director that there was no real danger to him. The only thing was, once these really big sparklers were lit, there was no way to stop them until they burnt out, but "Don't worry. There's no danger." Since Robbie was wearing fireproof pants, fireproof long johns, and had fireproof stuff spread on his "cheeks," however, he didn't think there would be a problem. After all, the special effects guys knew what they were doing, right?

So, Robbie is hauled up into position and has his sparklers lit (several jokes burst into Auntie's mind, here, but she will resist the temptation to tell any of them--she is confident that anyone with any kind of imagination at all should be able to come up with something just as funny and ribald now that she's mentioned the possibility). Captain Proton flies through ersatz space, signaling Harry "Buster" Kim on his wrist radio, delivering his lines, striking heroic poses . . .

. . . and then Robbie becomes aware that he's getting pretty warm. And five seconds later, he's even warmer. And then, he's like, really, really HOT! Like his butt is ON FIRE! He turns his head towards the camera and screams, "STOP!!!!"

The crew pulls him down and sprays his butt with a fire extinguisher. The fireproof pants and longjohns have been consumed by the "harmless" sparklers. Robbie has to "drop trou" right there, in front of the crew, while a nurse he's never seen before checks out to see how badly singed his "cheeks" were. At the time, it really wasn't all that funny, but with no permanent damage done, Robbie is able to laugh about it now. He certainly can't forget it, because Dan Curry, the special effects supervisor, gave him a picture taken just at the moment he yelled "Stop!" with the caption, "Don't worry, there's no danger."

Throughout this story, Robbie was miming the action. I'm sure, by the time you read this, that there will be convention photos all over the net of Robbie pretending to talk into his wrist radio, yelling "Stop," and, especially, displaying his butt as he bends over to demonstrate exactly where the sparklers had burned away his pants. (He has a very nice, trim butt, Auntie Jamelia would like to add. And no, don't bother going to Auntie's site for the pix. She was too far back to get any decent stage shots.)

A little kid asked Robbie if he liked B'Elanna Torres. Gently, Robbie said, "Do you mean, 'Does Tom Paris like B'Elanna Torres?' Yes, he does." Robbie asked the little boy who he liked best. "Harry Kim" was the answer. The audience howled, and Robbie walked to the other side of the stage for the next questioner, muttering, "Captain . . . " in a Harry Kim voice.

Practical jokes came up then, as the subject is prone to at cons. (An aside from Auntie: Paramount really needs to put out a new blooper reel, because everyone wants to know about bloopers and practical jokes. The TOS one is fading almost to invisibility.) Robbie said that the best one played on him, he thought, was during the filming of "Ex Post Facto" (a title his fan club always has to supply to Robbie, because he can never come up with it himself--but he acknowledges that "That's why I bring them. They help me with things like this."). Tim Russ told Robbie that he had spent a lot of time researching the mind melds as done by Spock in TOS. Tim was very serious, saying he was nervous about it because he wanted it to be really well done. Tim kept it up all day, concentrating on what he was going to do in the scene.

When it came time to shoot it, the director asked Tim if he wanted to rehearse it first. Tim said that he didn't. He was ready, so they should just go ahead and film it. Very solemnly, Tim bends down, carefully places his fingers on Robbie's face, leans over, and comes out with, "I FEEL GOOD . . ." in a James Brown voice. The crew erupts. Robbie goes "AGGGHHH!!!" and jumps off the biobed. "He was really loud!" added Robbie.

The best joke he ever pulled on anyone was early on in the series. Robbie was given a Voyager doll. The base is in the shape of a communicator, but larger. For a scene with Kate, Robbie had a prop man attach velcro to the back of the doll's base and came into the ready room yelling, "I'm taking over the ship, because MINE'S BIGGER!" (Auntie wonders if they swiped this line of Robbie's when filming "The Q and the Gray.")

Robbie was asked about the rumors about Voyager getting home this season. He admitted that once, in response to an interviewer's question, he said he figured they would get home well before the season ended because of rumors he'd heard. The interviewer printed it in an English magazine. Brannon Braga called him up and asked Robbie if he'd said it. Robbie said he had. Brannon told him that "everyone is really mad at you" for saying it. So, Robbie said he thought they'd get home someday, but not as soon as he'd told that magazine interviewer, and "Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you now!"

In response to a question about what movies he'd been in, Robbie had to admit that he'd only been in one, "Masters of the Universe." He'd been in other television shows, but because he'd been lucky enough to find long term work as Charlie Brent on "All My Children," in "Going to Extremes," and now "Star Trek: Voyager," Robbie usually was too busy to commit to making a movie. Robbie is still proud of his work in "A Message to Charity," a show he made when he was about 19, which is a segment of the "New Twilight Zone" show (and generally acknowledged to be one of the best of that whole series--interestingly, Robbie never needs help remembering that title).

A child asked Robbie if he has any pets. "I have three children. That's pets enough!" The family has a cockatiel, but as for any other critters, he has no time to take care of them the way he would want to. Except for his kids, of course. (Auntie Jam notes that children not only are more exhausting to care for than pets, but they're a dang sight more expensive, too.)

What is Robbie's favorite television show? Robbie chuckled ruefully and offered, "Major League Baseball?" From all accounts, that does seem to be his favorite thing to watch on television. Robbie's a major Atlanta Braves fan. The Braves just happened to be playing the Colorado Rockies that weekend and Robbie apparently watched a few innings waiting to be picked up for the con on both days.

Truthfully, Robbie doesn't get much chance to watch television. He's more likely to watch "Teletubbies," "Doug," or "Rugrats" with his kids than any show oriented towards adults. He sang a little "Blue's Clues" music for us, asking us to join right in if we knew it. ("We just figured out Blue's Clues . . . . Because we're really smart!" and "We just got a letter . . ." --"Gee, they both have the same tune. I just figured that out!" he claimed.) Robbie does try to catch "King of the Hill," and he watches "Voyager" when he can; but until filming is over for the season, he's usually on the set when it's on the air. Besides, as Robbie pointed out to someone who asked him what his favorite Star Trek novel was, "I work at Star Trek every day. I like to do something else when I'm off."

Would Robbie like to do a Voyager movie? He hopes so, after all, "I only did one movie ("Masters of the Universe"), and I'd like to do another." He thinks it would be really neat to combine the casts of the various shows. Maybe have the Enterprise find Voyager and bring it back to Deep Space Nine, as one person in the audience shouted out. Robbie added: "Have Captain Kirk roll out in a wheelchair." Robbie, of course, wants to direct as well as act in such a project (although he might have to arm wrestle Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton for the job--let alone all the other Trek actors who have been showing they know how to do this directing thing, too).

When he was asked if Tom gets his rank back this season, Robbie answered, "No. I hope he gets it back, though. When Brannon came to tell me about Tom getting demoted, he said that Tom would get his rank back by doing something heroic and redeeming himself in some great story. But I'm still waiting!" Not in the fifth season, obviously, since filming is done for the year.

Someone asked Robbie if there is any role he'd like to play. He quickly answered, "Blue's Clues." Steve? "No, I want to be Blue!" After the laughter died down, he said he really didn't have any one dream role in mind.

Robbie agreed that Tom Paris had been seen more this year than in many previous years. "I think it must have been all those gifts I gave Brannon Braga. Bribing works," commented Robbie, to general laughter. He went on, more seriously, that he believes that Brannon connected with the Tom Paris character better than Jeri Taylor had. He didn't think Tom was "Jeri's favorite character." She really couldn't relate to him and didn't know how to write for him (Very diplomatic of Robbie. Read: she hated the guy, IMHO). Brannon, however, is about the same age and can identify with Tom better. As a result, with Brannon now the main guy, the stories for Tom were better.

(Auntie Jamelia has to agree, here. We saw lots more of Tom, and the character was much better defined this year as a somewhat rebellious yet heroic guy with a quirky sense of humor. Just the way I see him. Gosh! Brannon Braga must be a genius!) At any rate, Robbie felt he had a good year this year.

Robbie has been the recipient of praise for his acting work from several fronts this season. One of the more gratifying was from Rick Berman, after the episode Robbie directed, "Someone to Watch Over Me" wrapped. I'll say more about this in the Sunday section of this report, but Robbie mentioned that Rick praised his acting on Saturday, too.

A young kid said that his friend wanted to challenge Robbie to a duel with bat'leths. Robbie looked at the kid and said that he couldn't, because he was "lethal with a bat'leth." So, thanks for the offer, but no thanks.

Another kid then asked Robbie if he could help him with a report he had due for school about Atlantis and the Bermuda Triangle (apparently, someone was SUPPOSED to be in the library and was at the con instead). Robbie cheerfully said, "Oh, yeah! You're in luck! You asked the right person! I know all about the Bermuda Triangle! I used to work in it when I was filming 'Going to Extremes' in Jamaica. And I used to fly through the Bermuda Triangle all the time going there." (Well, uh, not quite, Robbie. The Bermuda Triangle is in the Atlantic Ocean, and Jamaica is deep in the Caribbean, south of Cuba. Since the Triangle's points are Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Melbourne, Florida, however, you may have clipped the Florida corner on your flights, so you're batting one-for-two.)

Robbie then admitted that the person the kid really needed to talk to was Marvin Rush, Voyager's cinematographer, because he truly believes in UFO's, Atlantis, and the existence of the Bermuda Triangle. While Robbie never got abducted by aliens when traveling through the Bermuda Triangle, he said that Marvin Rush has been working on a serious, science-based show about such things, which he'd like produced. Since Marvin wasn't available at the con, however, I hope the kid had time to get to the library.

An adult asked Robbie what he thought Tom's ideal holodeck program would be. Robbie chuckled in a way that illustrated, quite clearly, that "Blue's Clues" was NOT what he was thinking about. Maybe playing baseball on a motorcycle with a rocketpack on his back and a protective pack over the cheeks? Robbie said that the Captain Proton action figures would have this feature to avoid getting a burned backside.

Robbie has been asked before about the difference between the character he played in TNG's "The First Duty," Nick Locarno, and Tom Paris. Nick was seen as being too much of a "bad guy," and the Voyager staff wanted to create a new character, without the specific baggage that Nick Locarno would have carried. When the questioner said that both were bad guys, in a way, Robbie noted that earlier in his career, he played the "nice guy" all the time. Garrett Wang has been getting that kind of role now and would like to play the bad guy sometimes. Robbie understands, because, frankly, he finds playing the bad guy is more fun! But Tom really "isn't too bad, though."

Early in his career, Robbie was in lots of commercials, particularly when he was based in New York during the "All My Children" years. He described a milk commercial, in which he was helping his buddy by holding a tire at the top of a hill in San Francisco while the buddy was changing a flat tire on a jeep. Seems as if Robbie's character got so distracted by a couple of pretty girls walking by (Typecasting, one wonders?) that he lost control of the tire and had to go bounding down the street after it. The tire knocks down a Harley, and a big biker dude comes out to confront the two guys. Our brave Robbie points the finger at his buddy. It did sound cute, but the real reason it was Robbie's favorite is that it ran for such a long time, he made lots of money on residuals. Conversely, his least favorite was a commercial for apple chips. He was supposed to be so impressed about how they tasted that he jumped out of his boots. He had to get rigged in a harness to be pulled out of his boots (see earlier references to Robert Trebor and Robbie's experiences with harnesses for some of the discomforts possible with THAT particular f/x device).  To add insult to injury, the product was so bad, Robbie admits, it failed almost immediately. He never made any money on the commercial.

One of the last Saturday questions had to do with Paris and Torres having a baby together. Robbie said he doubted it, but after running through the Tom Paris fertilization record--one with Kes in "Before and After" and three kidzards with Janeway in "Threshold"--he wouldn't totally rule out the possibility. Robbie said that Jeri Taylor wanted to show Paris and Torres as a "couple in space," while Brannon Braga isn't interested in a soap opera type of relationship, but prefers to deal with it when it's important to the story. Slipping into Tom mode, however, Robbie added, "But, of course, I'd be happy to help B'Elanna out . . . "

That was pretty much it for Saturday. Robbie was given a StarCon "award" for appearing on stage and accepted it graciously, quoting Sally Field, "You like me! You really like me!" And judging from the applause from the audience, we certainly did.

After this was over, there was a short skit. I didn't stay, I'm sorry to say, because Robbie apparently did a walk-on. It was a "Gilligan's Voyager" parody, and Tom was "Gilligan" in the intro they played for all of us on Sunday. Oh, well! By that time, I was tired and hungry enough to forego a possible Robbie sighting to get some food anyway.

A group of us went out to Applebee's, a chain restaurant geared towards families, for those who may not know. The food is okay. Nothing to write home about, exactly, but edible. I sat down and had a chance to visit with Jan K, Redshoes, and Taila from California. To me, the visiting with the other con goers is the real reason I'd even consider coming out from New Jersey to Denver to attend a convention. I've seen Robbie before--two weeks before in New York City, in fact. While I enjoy seeing him any time I get the chance, and I will definitely try to see him again given the opportunity, I would never travel out to Denver to see him if I were going to be alone. It's the friends you meet that make the effort of flying out worthwhile. I don't think I'm the only one who feels this way. Jan K came from England, and DocJan came from Australia! Maybe it's a Jan thing, do you think?

After dinner was over, we came back to our rooms to party again. This time, we kept the doors closed to avoid getting another visit from Security, and it worked. No big dudes came knocking to tell us to pipe down.

VoyBoyToy from Canada had been keeping a list of "Denver Suck-Up Points" for months in a chat room we all visit. You'd get a DSUP for singing "O, Canada," for example, or spelling that favorite word of Klingons "honour," or praising the Maple Leafs for a goal. You could lose a DSUP if you got outrageous, of course, and when Michael Weiss won the bronze medal at the World Figure Skating Championships over Elvis Stojko, all the Americans lost their DSUPs for a day until VoyBoyToy admitted that we shouldn't suffer because Elvis didn't skate up to his potential! All DSUP possessors came to the chocolate party, and boy, were those chocolates good! Auntie Jamelia has a particular weakness for semi-sweet/dark chocolate, and Voy's choices in that category were outstanding. There was so much, however, that we had plenty left over to do a rerun the next night. And we did. But that brings us to Sunday.
 

 ~Sunday~

On Sunday morning, RanDoM Flight had a breakfast for the members in a small room at the hotel. We had a wonderful time. The hard work that was spent in planning and executing the breakfast was worth it, IMHO. And special thanks to Rosie for her beyond-the-call-of-duty work in helping to negotiate and set up the breakfast. Auntie Jamelia had it easy, simply coordinating who was coming and collecting the money. Rosie had the hard job and did it well. Deb Stone, the fan club's representative who had to run the fan club table as well as bear overall responsibility for the club at the con (quite a job, I may add), complimented us afterwards about the breakfast.

After the breakfast was over, there was time to relax a little. I stood in line to get autographs from Mira Furlan of "Babylon 5," Leni Parker of "Earth: the Final Conflict," and Hal Walmsley, who was the Jawa who zapped Artoo Deetoo in "Star Wars." There was also a small group discussion with Christie Golden and two other authors, a horror fic writer and a woman named Julianne who has worked on Voyager, whose names I didn't write down, I'm sorry to say.

The topic was "Is Writing Media Fiction Selling Your Soul?" Christie Golden's position was that it wasn't, as long as you were doing something you'd love to be writing anyway. Christie admitted that her Trek novels have actually been what amounts to first drafts. Pocket Books doesn't give her much time to write them they way she does her personal projects, but despite this, I believe hers are the best pro Voyager novels I've read. She has the characters acting and sounding right. Her advice to fanfic writers who would like to write Trek novels: write your own books first. Once you have a track record, the publishers will be more likely to listen to other proposals from you.

There were other presentations from the actors and from other panels like the writer's panel. I wish I'd had time to go to more of them, but I didn't. On Sunday afternoon, however, there was a private fan club meeting with Robbie before his stage appearance. (Belonging to the fan club definitely has its rewards. The only really good pictures I got of him all weekend were at the fan club meeting because I was close enough to take decent shots with my camera.) Robbie was even more relaxed in the private meeting than he was on stage (and he was pretty loose on stage). We even were able to get individual pictures taken with him at the end of the meeting. It was a very nice gathering. I must compliment Deb Stone on setting it up for us. I had a great time.

Robbie came out on stage again around 4 P.M. He told a few of the stories he'd told the day before, about the "I Feel Good" joke played upon him during the "Ex Post Facto" filming and about his "burnt cheeks" from the Captain Proton jetpack.

The questions on Sunday tended to be a little more--Auntie has to struggle to find the appropriate word here, but the word "lascivious" comes to mind. One of the earlier questions was about clavicles. Namely, had Tom ever had his clavicle broken by B'Elanna. Robbie made much of this question by rubbing his own clavicles as the question was asked and grimacing, but then he said, "There's been a misunderstanding about this. Actually, it's Tom who's broken B'Elanna's clavicles."

The next questioner, someone I know (Annette, stop hiding! You ask the question, you risk being identified!), said to Robbie, "We've seen Tuvok's chest. We've seen Chakotay's chest. We've seen Harry's chest. When are we going to see Tom's chest????" Someone else then called out, "Take off your shirt!" (Auntie has her suspicions about who this might have been, and believe it or not, it isn't pjs.)

Robbie replied, "No, ma'am. There's waaaaaay too many cameras in this room! Sorry!"

Robbie was asked about his daughter Taylor's acting. Last year, in Cleveland, Robbie had related that his daughter had played the role of Kim MacAfee in her school production of "Bye, Bye, Birdie." He had been torn between being oh, so proud of her performance and worrying about her wanting to become an actress. Knowing how hard the profession can be, he said at the time that if there's anything else you can be happy doing, you should do that, because acting can be the cruelest profession.

At this point, Taylor is not asking to do any acting, which is a relief. Robbie believes that she remembers some of the hard times they had when she was little, before he got Voyager. She also sees some of her father's friends who are struggling. He believes she is aware it isn't always easy being an actor.

The girl who plays Naomi Wildman--Scarlett Pomers--was mentioned. Robbie said that he really enjoys playing scenes with her. She is a sweet girl, very smart and mature for her age--almost a little adult. Still, he would prefer that his daughter not have the life of a professional actress at a young age. The hours are very long. He'd prefer that Taylor or his boys be involved with Community Theater and Kid's Theater, which is fun and not a job (involving cattle call auditions, which can be demeaning in the extreme to the auditioner, as the very term implies. Robbie didn't say this, by the way, but I know this to be so and I respect his position). Robbie started acting in Kid's Theater, as he related a few minutes later. If, when she's grown, she chooses to become an actor, he wouldn't fight her. "But I hope she wants to become a doctor."

About how Robbie became involved with acting: his mother is the one who was responsible for it, really. Robbie's family moved around a bit when he was a kid, following his dad's jobs from North Carolina to Maryland to Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Atlanta. When he got to Atlanta, his sister Kathy was being taken for dancing lessons to a place where they also were doing kid's theater, too. Mrs. McNeill told Robbie it was so she wouldn't have to worry about him being bored while he was waiting for his little sister to finish with her lessons, but he figures now it was because his mother thought he might make friends that way, since he didn't know anyone in Atlanta yet.

So, Robbie became a Munchkin in "The Wizard of Oz." He made some good friends, did a lot of plays, and the acting bug bit him. So, Robbie's advice to kids is, "Be a Munchkin if you want to get a start in acting."

A little girl, I think (Auntie Jamelia was too short to see, but from the gift, she guesses it was a girl), gave Robbie a homemade bracelet. He put it on his wrist, and a couple of times, Robbie waved his arm to show he still had it on. (If it seems that there were a lot of questions from kids in the audience, by the way, that's because there were. And Robbie, good daddy that he is, was unfailingly warm and polite to them, even when the questions were pretty off-beat. I suspect he'd like his own kids treated with respect, so he returns the favor--even when the kid likes Harry Kim better than Tom!)

Robbie mentioned that the director of the episode of the "Early Edition" episode he did, Scott Paulin, used to be an actor. He's now a director. He confided to Robbie he never really felt comfortable acting. Scott was always nervous. Robbie says he gets nervous, too. He is afraid he'll forget his lines, etc. One thing about directing that appeals to him is that the director is not the center of outsiders' attention, the way actors are. (The director, Auntie Jamelia notes, is also the one in control, which may very well appeal to Robbie.)

Robbie told us a little more about this episode of "Early Edition," which he'd been filming when he came to the convention in NYC. He costarred with Kyle Chandler, with whom he'd worked on "Homefront." Robbie's episode will air on May 1st on CBS. He plays a guy with a chip on his shoulder. "That's a stretch for me, right?" he commented sarcastically. He said that Kyle has a nice Harley-Davidson, which Robbie lusted over while filming in Chicago, since his own beloved Harley was home in California. One of the crew allowed Robbie to ride his bike during the shoot, which, while it wasn't a Harley, was certainly acceptable to Robbie.

He mentioned that he'd wanted to have his own motorcycle used in the filming of "Vis a Vis" instead of the Camaro, but he was overruled by the producers. Someone called out of the audience, "But you couldn't have made out on a motorcycle." Robbie shot back quickly, "Oh, yes, you can. On MY bike, you can," with the confident, self-satisfied demeanor and tone of voice of one who knows whereof he speaks--from very personal experience. From the row in front of me, Neetz then called out, "Is that an invitation?" to lots of laughter from Robbie and the audience.

And no, it wasn't an invitation. Down, girls.

Concerning his directing this season, Robbie said he had done an episode of "Allan Strange" that wouldn't be seen until Y2K, but that the little boy who plays Allan gave him a big hug when they wrapped the shooting. On Voyager, he was apprehensive about how well he'd act in the episode "Someone to Watch Over Me," since he was also directing it. There was a lot more of Tom in this one than in the previous episodes he'd directed, and he was afraid that he'd be distracted by having to do both jobs. Actually, it worked out fine. Rick Berman complimented Robbie on his acting in "Someone," saying he thought it was Robbie's best work of the season. Robbie believes that because he already was so focused on and invested in the episode as a whole, he was able to just act without thinking so much about it. Because it was "my show," he felt comfortable with it all. (Considering how fine Robbie's work has been all year, I'd say we have something to look forward to.)

"Someone to Watch Over Me," according to Robbie, is a musical comedy. ("See, I started as a Munchkin, and now I'm in a musical comedy!") Bob Picardo, of course, loves to sing on the show. He always says, "Oh, no, I really don't have the voice for it," and then proceeds to warble whenever he gets the chance. Jeri Ryan sings in it, too, I believe. Robbie kiddingly says that someday they're still going to do "Voyager, the Musical," with everyone involved.

Robbie got another compliment on his acting this season from another source. Robbie's dad called him the day after "Course: Oblivion" aired and told him he thought his acting was really fine in the episode, something he rarely does. Robbie hasn't had a chance to see the episode himself yet, but his father's praise obviously impressed him.

The subject turned to "how Robbie stays in shape." "Oh, yeah. That," he said with a kind of awkward smile. Jeri Ryan, he claims, "eats chocolate bars, donuts, and then gets into that spandex suit!" He seemed a bit jealous, because Robbie admits he had that "one bad year" regarding being in shape. He was downright "chunky," he says. The costume department had to really work overtime using all kinds of tricks to keep him from looking, well, chunky. Or too chunky.

Robbie usually is on the set when Voyager airs. During hiatus, he gets a chance to catch up. During Season Four, especially ("The Year of Hell" was the title of a two-part episode that season, but with his wife's pregnancy, Roxann's pregnancy, and the advent of Seven, I suspect Robbie might think that "Year of Hell" might apply to the whole year), Robbie never had a chance to watch the episodes. After the season, with his new baby Carter safely arrived and things settling down, he started to watch the shows. And watched himself get bigger as the season wore on. "Why didn't somebody say something?!" he cried. He's glad, though, that they're pretty forgiving on the show. It's not "Baywatch." The stories are more about characters, not gorgeous bodies, and the producers undoubtedly knew he had enough on his plate (so to speak) to bug him unduly about his appearance. Seeing himself onscreen was enough for him to get back in shape. "So, that's enough of that. Let's go eat!" Robbie said when he'd finished with the subject.

Robbie had been invited to do "Alien Voices" about two years ago. He was busy shooting "The Battery" at the time, so he couldn't rehearse. He's afraid that John deLancie is mad at him because he couldn't follow through on the commitment.

He also mentioned that there was going to be a 10" Captain Proton action figure doll coming out soon. An audience member corrected him: it's going to be a 9" doll. Robbie muttered something about how he wouldn't even touch that line, while making everyone in the audience laugh because they could pretty well fill in the joke themselves. (The man can be very naughty, no question about that.)

One woman came up who taught Robbie sign language for "Starship Voyager" (although he had to be very very careful if he used it. A slight deviation from normal could get him into really big trouble, as it meant something profane. Robbie gamely tried, anyway).

Robbie was asked what he liked to do at conventions. He doesn't have a lot of time to himself, but when he first was doing them, he liked to pick up the work of local artists and crafters as souvenirs. He also likes to go to the local baseball game, in season. "I was going to take in a few innings of the Rockies/Atlanta Braves game, but I got enough Love from my fan club." (Oh, dear! We deprived him of his game because of our adoration! Oh, well. Maybe some time we can give him our Love AT a game, huh?) Robbie had to say, rather sheepishly, that he did have a chance to watch a little of the game on television, however. "The Rockies had a really bad inning. Sorry," he said (managing not to look too sorry). A bad inning it must have been, seeing as the final score was something like Braves 20, Rockies 5.

The next questioner got him back. "How about those Broncos," the guy said. Robbie's first response: "Next question!" Then he added, "The Falcons. That Super Bowl was so embarrassing. Well, maybe not for you guys . . ."

Robbie has a reputation for being the one who breaks props. He broke three in the first season, although Jonathan Frakes allegedly holds the record. (Auntie Jamelia feels compelled to add, however, that in her opinion this is less onerous a reputation than the one Beltran has of being "most likely to blow a line," especially a technobabble line.)

The next questioner asked if Robbie had anything to auction for charity, the way Roxann had done with a picture the previous year and the way Jeri Ryan had. Robbie said he was sorry, but he didn't. The woman suggested he sell his shirt. Robbie demurred. "Did Jeri Ryan sell her shirt?" he asked. "I don't think so." The woman was insistent, but Robbie said, "No, no! Next question!" He then checked with his fan club and found that the screening of "The Battery" took in about $950. The audience applauded at that, since the proceeds all go to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Robbie demonstrated, when pressed, how Garrett, Robert Beltran, and he do their "Lord of the Dance" impression. It's quite funny. Robbie has improved his stepping and posing since last year. Garrett did a better job at Raleigh last January, but Robbie must have been practicing, because he was much more animated this time. He even looks a bit like the real guy who dances it when he strikes the final, fist-in-the-air pose.

Someone asked Robbie if he'd ever been in Colorado before. He had. He had been in the touring company of "Into the Woods" that played Los Angeles and then moved on to Colorado Springs. That was the last city he appeared in the play, in fact. He recalled that because of the altitude, and because it was a musical, the actors had to have oxygen backstage to help them through the performances. (Obviously, Robbie doesn't need to rely only on "Star Trek: the Musical," for his musical comedy credits.)

At this point, the lady who wanted Robbie to auction off his shirt for charity struck again. She yelled at him again to "take it off" and waved her credit card in the air. "$3000!" she cried. Robbie was much too attached to his shirt to take the $3000. He said that "maybe when I'm going to the old Trek actor's home, I'll auction it off. My leather chaps for riding my Harley. Pictures of Jeri Ryan on a Harley!"

The lady quieted down--for a while.

Robbie was asked by another fan about the scene with Neelix in the mess hall during "Parturition," in which the angel hair pasta got thrown about. Was that fun? "Oh, yeah, it was fun for a few minutes. Then it got cold, and we had to do matching takes. It was really uncomfortable after a while." He was asked about other fun scenes with Neelix, and Robbie was stumped. He turned to the members of his fan club for help, and Auntie Jamelia is pained to admit she couldn't. It was only later she remembered the scene in which Neelix gives Tom a cup of cooking oil in place of coffee in "Waking Moments," and the scene in which Tom has to take the Pleeka Rind and Grub casserole in "Real Life" because he's out of replicator rations, or the scene in which Harry and Tom jazzed up Neelix's resort program with babes in bathing suits and hunks playing volleyball when it was first introduced. Oh, well. Next time, maybe I'll be more helpful.

A question came up about "The Killing Game." I think a fan wanted to rewrite it so that Tom/Bobby would fight Klingons. Robbie was quite happy with the storyline as it was. He added, however, that it's funny, sometimes, to hear the extras in their Klingon costumes when they talk, "Say there, let's have some lunch," in a rather, shall we say, non-Klingon kind of voice. Gruff, not at all. "Not like you, true Klingon!" Robbie backpedaled, when one of the becostumed con goers seemed to be taking offense.

Robbie was asked by a kid if he wanted to be captain. Robbie didn't think Tom would. "That's a lot of responsibility. Paris wouldn't want to be captain. What about you?" The kid said he would. "Good for you!" Robbie said.

Katie Redshoes got a chance to ask a question next. "In what way is Tom Paris most like you, and what do you find most admirable about him?" Robbie answered that Tom has Robbie's sarcastic sense of humor. That ironic humor was something he brought to the character that wasn't there originally, but it works well for the character. He's also the guy who speaks plain English when everyone else is busy spewing out technobabble. Tom's most admirable trait? Robbie thinks that Tom's willingness to break the rules for a cause, to do what's right, is admirable. It's sort of part of the Star Trek legacy, he agrees, that Tom is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of all. He pretends he's not, but he really is willing to sacrifice himself for a cause. Robbie likes that about Tom.

Robbie was then asked if he wanted to write any scripts for Voyager. He said he actually had tried (which was news to Auntie Jamelia), but writing is a solitary thing. Robbie prefers collaboration, which is one reason directing has such appeal for him. Writing scripts "is not my forte." He has given them some general story ideas, including one which may have influenced "30 Days."

One little kid then came up and said he just wanted to say "hi." This touched Robbie. The guy just melted, you could see it.

This seemed to be the cue, however, for Credit Card Lady to jump up and scream, "Take off your shirt!" again. Robbie countered, "No! You take off yours. Wait! Wait!! NO!!! NO!!!!"

Robbie quickly dashed off stage before Credit Card Lady did something crazy like jumping on stage to rip off his shirt, or worse, taking him up on his suggestion to rip off her own. And that was the end of Robbie's talk.

After Robbie, I sat in on Max Grodenchik's talk. He plays Rom, Quark's hapless, very much non-capitalistic Ferengi brother on "Deep Space Nine." Max started out by putting in his prosthetic teeth and saying, "Moogie," in his distinctive way. He talked a bit about the make-up process he's had to undergo. He notes that when someone says, "Oh, you look just like Rom!"--it's NOT a compliment! Seeing Max out of makeup, Auntie Jamelia would have to say that while she can tell it's the same person, it's doubtful she would recognize him on any old street. Knowing he was at the con, however, Auntie recognized him immediately when he was near the autograph tables.

The make-up took a long time to put on originally, but they got it down to about 2 hours after a while. "It's harder to look beautiful than you might think!" The make-up is important, as it makes Max feel like Rom and helps him move and walk in a certain way that is essential for playing the character.

Max was asked about what he considers Rom's most admirable quality. Rom really always tries to do good. He knows the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition, but he often rejects them when following them runs counter to the greater good, since they are oriented totally towards gaining profit. Rom will follow them as long as no one is hurt by them. Max notes that Quark is really too Ferengi, a pure Capitalist, while Rom's weakness is he's too adaptable and too easily led astray from himself.

Thanks to Katie Redshoes, I understand that the first time Max and Armin Shimerman met was at their auditions. Max said he was "sulking" outside because he thought he'd really screwed it up when Armin, who now plays Quark, came along and tried to cheer him up. "I think it's down between you and me." "How do you know?" "We're the only two short guys in there!" The rest, as they say, is history.

"What does Moogie call you?" asked someone from the audience. "Late for dinner?" Max answered innocently. Then he added, "Rommie" is the nickname she usually calls him.

DocJan from Australia asked Max about his scene in "Star Trek: Insurrection" which was cut out of the movie, although Max still has his name in the credits. He was a Trill in the "spitball" scene in the library, which was severely truncated in the final release. Maybe next time Max will get to stay in, as Armin did in "First Contact."

Someone asked Max if he had any projects in development. "Wow! I'm flattered you think that I look like somebody who would have projects in development! That sounds more like Kevin Costner or something." Right now, Max would appear to be open for offers.

One thing he appreciates is that he's had a great job playing Rom. He's visited all over the world. In Londonderry, he was in a taxi going to an appearance when he asked which is the proper name for the city. Max had heard both Derry and Londonderry used. The taxi driver explained that it depended upon religion. "Well, I'm Jewish, so what do I call it?" Catholics called it Derry, and Protestants used Londonderry. Max was dating a Catholic at the time. The driver said, "You can call it Derry, then!"

At a con in Scotland--"Where, SUPPOSEDLY, they speak English!" according to Max--he was told that a true Scotsman wears kilts with nothing on underneath it. Max wore red shorts, pointing out that he's a true Ferengi. "They leave nothing to risk!"

Max had several more stories and was very entertaining, but Auntie Jamelia must confess she didn't take as many notes as she wanted to. She kept dozing off from being exhausted after four days of being on the go, go, go all day and most of the night. Sitting still didn't help, either. So, she slipped away before Mira Furlan got on and stood outside with most of the rest of Robbie's fan club, who were standing around while Robbie signed for everyone who wanted an autograph. He was due to take a plane home in a short time and had a newspaper interview to complete, but he still signed for everyone.

That, I think, tells you a lot about Robbie and the kind of guy he is. Max, I'm told, did the same the previous day, but I never got a chance to get his autograph because I needed to be at the table because of the breakfast. Next time, I'll make a point of getting Max's autograph.

That night, a group of us slipped off to Applebee's again to eat dinner. We had a good time gabbing away, and then we adjourned to the room of Kim, Monica from DC--not that one--and VoyBoyToy for Chocolate Party 2, the Sequel. I was sitting in a chair and nodded off around 11:30 P.M. I'd just about reached the end of my endurance. Old Auntie Jamelia is no longer young in body, although she tries to remain so in spirit. Before going to my room I took a side trip, however, to visit for a few minutes with Neetz and JanD from New York. Then I crawled into bed, absolutely dead to the world for the next few hours.
 

 ~Monday and after~

The next morning dawned clear and warm. No sign of snow in the Denver sky that day. A few of us went to breakfast, and then it was time to go to the airport to fly away home. Katie's good captain and her son were there to greet her at the gate. Mr. Make-It-So was there for me, too. A quick hug goodbye, and it was homeward bound on the last leg of my journey.

I just crossed the bridge over the Delaware River and started getting a sore throat. I think I'm allergic to my home state after spending five days in Colorado!

The next day I got the rest of my pictures developed and sat down to enjoy them. The pictures of the Rocky Mountains are beautiful. While some are majestic, one picture I have of some rocks and trees with snow on them is already a favorite pic, and there's very little grandeur about the background. It's just a nice picture. My Garden of the God's pictures were nice, too, although the overcast sky dulled them a bit. The grandeur of the setting still came through as far as I'm concerned. They were souvenirs of one of my best vacations ever.
 

 ~Postscript~

I would like to say that the golden glow from my trip to Denver lasted a long time. In some ways it has, but there was a damper on my afterglow that I can't ignore.

I'm not going into great detail about the tragedy at Columbine High School, in which two kids managed to kill a teacher and a dozen fellow students before turning their guns upon themselves. I also promise not to go into total rant mode about gun control, even though Auntie Jamelia at her most protective goes absolutely crazy about the subject. I will say that I don't believe registering and restricting the possession of automatic firearms that are of questionable use for sport to keep them from those who might be mentally unbalanced or from kids who don't have a clue about consequences is a great evil, nor is it anti-American. I know all about the Bill of Rights, and the way I read it, the right to bear arms isn't absolute. So there. If you don't agree with me, fine, but don't bother to write me to try to change my mind, either. Thanks to a great personal tragedy in my own life which I have had to spend the last 30 years living with, you will never change my mind about this. My heart goes out to those who have suffered loss--ALL of those who lost someone dear to them, in fact, due to such weaponry.

So, why do I bring the subject up at all?

Beyond the obvious thought that some of the students at Columbine might have spent some of their last hours of life having fun at a Star Trek convention, there is another connection that I feel needs to be pointed out.

Star Trek, from its inception, has had to do with the idea that human beings can overcome their most violent impulses and progress to the stars, and in doing so, also leave racial and other prejudices behind them. The one glaring thing about this incident is that, by glorifying Hitler and embracing hate, those alleged to have caused this tragedy espoused a cause that is antithetical to the "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" principle that has become a cornerstone of Trek. They lost their way in life through hatred, losing their own lives as a result. While it may be argued that revenge for perceived or actual slights may have had as much to do with it as any other factor, it's also true that to be able to kill someone, the basic humanity and right to life of the victim must be denied by the murderer, or that final step can't be taken. Any excuse will do, from what I can see.

It's obvious. Hating people for something they have no control over, like the color of skin they were born with or where their ancestor once lived, is simply stupid. Even a thing we do have control over, such as which faith we choose to follow, is an absurd reason to hate. There are many ways to spiritual enlightment, and anything that makes a person put something above their own selfish impulses is okay in my book.

As a culture and as a race (and Auntie Jamelia is using the term "human race" to mean all of us, because we can all interbreed and are one species, biologically speaking) the kind of hatred, rage, and destruction that was unleashed here is simply something with which we can't afford to indulge ourselves any more. The world is too small a place for it. Just look at the pictures of Earth taken from the moon during the Apollo missions. It's all one place, a beautiful blue orb that hangs in the hostile environment of space. It's a miracle, really, that life exists here at all. Everyone living here is worthy of respect.

So, for those who like to make fun of Trek, Trekkers and Trekkies, remember this. We believe in tolerance and embrace diversity. People in Klingon, Starfleet, and Bajoran costumes may be playing dress-up, but they aren't, as a rule, into murdering each other. We believe in having fun, and we've learned to embrace not only the brotherhood of mankind, but also that of Klingons, Bajorans, etc.--peoples who live now only in our imaginations. Quite a leap of faith, but a wonderful one that I hope comes true some day.

Life is not Star Trek, true. At times like this, I wish it could be.
 
 

Auntie Jamelia (A.K.A. J.A. Toner)
 
 
 

Acknowledgements: All the members of PTFever and RanDoM Flight, Robbie McNeill, Robert Trebor, Max Grodenchik, and all those appearing and attending the con. Thank you for a great time. Katie Redshoes, as always, it's been wonderful. And Rosie! Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

I have quoted those present at StarCon as accurately as possible. I did not have a tape recorder and relied on good notes. The quoted material should be very close to verbatim; however, I'm not Seven with an eidetic memory and I could have jotted things down incorrectly in my notes. For any errors due to this, I apologize profusely, but I never said I was perfect! I've tried to paraphrase the rest of the comments as close to what was actually said as I could. Any mistakes, as well as the opinions expressed here, are my own.
 

Janet
 
 

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