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Disclaimer: This article tells the tale of our trip from central Pennsylvania to Los Angeles to attend the world premiere
of "Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back" from August 14th through August 16th. The players: Myself (Brad), Chris, my girlfriend
Aimee, and, for a great portion of the trip, our friend in Los Angeles, Scott Kramer.
THE FLIGHT TO LOS ANGELES
Airline travel is always an adventure. There's just nothing like the unknowns as you enter that sliding glass door as your
journey begins. Will they hassle me about my luggage? Will the flight be oversold? On time? Will the food taste like
rubber?
Fortunately, our flight from Baltimore was fairly uneventful. So, 5 and a half hours, a bad movie, and a crying/vomiting baby
later, we found ourselves on the ground in the LAX airport terminal, around 10:30 PM Los Angeles time, waiting for Scott Kramer,
who'd generously offered us transportation around the city for the duration of our stay. In turn, we were able to bring
him into the premiere with us. One hand washes the other.
After a small miscommunication about where our meeting spot was, we were happy to see Scott come in the front door of the
terminal. He led us to his Grand Cherokee, and adeptly had us out on the highways and city streets, on the way to our
hotel for the duration: The Wydham Bel Age off of Sunset. On the way, we drink in the scenery, taking special note of some
of the huge supermalls they've got out there. Scott tells us that one mall, which I believe was called the "Beverly Center",
had an expensive ($13 per ticket) movie theater complete with plush leather seating. Ah, Hollywood.
Around 20 or 30 minutes later, without making a single wrong turn, we're impressed as Scott pulls us right up to the hotel
entrance. It's late, past 11:30 now, especially after waiting for an agent of some sort to finish her argument with
the poor desk clerk, so we opt to quietly check in, relax, and get some shut-eye before the big day. Scott takes off
before suggesting we might be able to get together early tomorrow to check out some of Los Angeles before the premiere.
THE WYNDHAM BEL AGE HOTEL
We're set up at some really nice digs here. The hotel is an all-suite joint that situates us with a couple of rooms up on
the 8th floor. Upon entering our rooms, they've got chilled beer, water, fresh fruit, and pretzels waiting for us. Not
bad. The rooms themselves are HUGE, definitely a comfy home away from home, with 2 televisions, a large living room area
with couches, an ergonomic desk chair (for those occasional News Askew site updates), a raised bedroom area, and a spacious
2 chamber bathroom. Living here for the next few days shouldn't be a problem at all.
We've got a small patio outside with a view of Sunset Boulevard, where we can see Tower Records and catch a glimpse of a couple of famous L.A. bars, the Whisky-A-Go-Go
(where a ton of famous rock bands, the Doors for one, played their first big gigs) and The Viper Room. Both are just a
stone's throw away. We won't even TRY to get in, though. It's gotta be next to impossible without knowing someone at the
door.
The bags dropped, the rooms checked out, and Leno on the tube, we make our ways to our respective rooms and crash, hoping
to store some energy for what's bound to be a late night tomorrow. Zzzz...
CHECKING OUT THE L.A. SCENE
This town just embraces and cries out "entertainment industry". You can't really look in any direction without catching
SOMETHING that reminds you of movies or music. From the porch off of our suite, there's a HUGE Mariah Carey
"Glitter" billboard (turns out this is one of the favorites in town, it's all over the place), not to mention a HUGE
Madonna ad for her upcoming HBO stint taking up the entire side of a huge building on Sunset Blvd. And that's just
scratching the surface.
After sleeping in a bit and attempting to adjust to the 3 hour time difference from the east coast, the three of us decide
to take a stroll up Sunset Boulevard, check out the late morning Los Angeles scene (around 10 AM west coast time), and
maybe catch a bite to eat. After all, our stomachs are telling us that it's well past lunchtime, and we're starving. So,
as we head up the street, we quickly realize that the old adages are right: NO ONE walks in this town. Cars are speeding
everywhere, and I think I'm catching folks giving me some funny glances that say "Where's your car?? What the hell are you
doing WALKING up Sunset Boulevard!??!".
It's getting closer to lunch, as we're noticing a ton of small, trendy streetside cafes readying their outdoor tables
with cloths and silverware. As we continue to walk, we notice something that's more our speed: "Mel's Drive In". The
chain was made famous from the Mel's of American Graffiti fame. Looks like a good place to eat (and, coincidentally, the
only diner I've ever seen that provides VALET parking. Good thing we're on foot after all.) We make our way in to spot a
very traditional diner, complete with those little pay per play jukeboxes at your table, some large photos of George Lucas
and crew as they worked on the film, and your typical cast of waitresses, servers, and busboys. Service was quick and
the food really hit the spot -- They were even kind enough to set me up with a lunch special a little early. Definitely a
good place to stop in for a bite if you're ever in town.
Stomachs full and content, we decided it was time to make our way back to the hotel, and late enough in the morning to now
contact Scott about that tour he offered us to some of Los Angeles' more famous sites. We stop by the Tower Records (which
has a Jay & Silent Bob advertisement on the wall outside) before heading back to the room and giving Scott a call about that
Los Angeles sightseeing tour. Scott's happy to oblige and before it's even noon, we're cruising the L.A. streets. First
destination: Mann's Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Parking costs a bundle in Los Angeles. Everyone drives and the folks who own the parking lots KNOW it. To park near Mann's
Chinese costs us around 8 bucks, even though we're only planning to be there for around a half an hour. The theater itself
is surprisingly accessible, though for a Wednesday in the middle of the day, surprisingly crowded. Due to some construction,
some of the prints are inaccessible, but we notice Nicolas Cage's recent imprinting, roped off to allow suitable time for
it to set, we assume. Another interesting block on the way in: C3P0 and R2D2. It's fun to walk around and spot blocks
from many of Hollywood's elite, but also tough to spot stuff due to the other tourists in the area. It was neat to look
at the imprints and imagine the stars there having them done.
After checking out that small area, we stroll up the street along the walk of fame, which stretches a lot further than
imagined. I'm not sure what the exact stat is mileage-wise, but the walk runs up each side of the road and features
stars of actors, directors, and generally anyone who ranked high enough in the entertainment industry to deserve one. This
area of town is less touristy, most folks walking on the sidewalk just casually walk over the stars, though we do catch a
guy silently filming Tom Hanks' star. We chuckle as we walk by Patrick Swayze's star, and also spot quite a few open
spots with blank stars, waiting to be filled in. Any of you aspiring actors and actresses out there, take note - There's
still room there for ya. I think you gotta pay for the actual star and its "maintenance fees", though.
Next, it's back to the car and the quest to catch a close glimpse of the famous Hollywood sign. On the way, we spot the
famous unmistakable Capitol Records Building (Those of you who saw "Ford Fairlane" probably know of the building we
speak), then, it's the start of the uphill drive towards the sign. Ironically enough, a popular route to check out the
sign runs right through a very residential area, thus, those living there obviously have had enough of the tourists (like us)
who head up this way for gawking and photo opportunities. A street sign on the way up reads "NO ACCESS TO THE HOLLYWOOD
SIGN". That doesn't stop us, though, so as we wind up the hill towards the site, we attempt to take some digital snaps
of the famous landmark. You'll see that some came out better than others. One group of folks in front of us actually went
the extra distance and jumped out of their car to pose for a picture with the sign in the background. That's dedication.
After a while, the sign is no longer in view as it's obscured by trees and buildings, so we turn around and head back down
the hill. It was nice to see the sign, even if just to say you've been there. On the way down, Scott points out a house
that's rumored to belong to actor Ned Beatty. Wonder how much HE hates the Hollywood sign looky-loos? Probably quite a
bit.
Scott takes us back into a busier part of Los Angeles and tells us that our next stop will be a spot from View Askew history. After
parking off the main drag, he leads us up to find the famous Golden Apple Comics, where Kevin and many other celebs have
done appearances and signings. Golden Apple's a very nicely organized shop, and it's easy to see why they attract the
talent. It'd be nice to have a shop that nice close to us here in Central PA. Cool place. They're definitely supporters
of Kevin's stuff, and have a plentiful supply of the View Askew books and stuff up on the walls. Sadly, no rare Simpsons
figures here though! After a quick walkthrough, we're back out on the trail to our final tour destination for the
afternoon. On our way out, Aimee spots Jim, the helicopter pilot contestant from last year's ABC reality show "The Mole",
outside of a skate shop acting in some ultra low-budget indie that they're filming. Our first LA celebrity sighting...of
sorts. And then, it's on to our final destination of the afternoon...
The LaBrea Tar Pits. Yes, what's a trip to LA without checking out a big 'ol steaming pool of tar? Memories of "Last
Action Hero" come to mind as we take a quick stroll around the pit, read the sign about it and check out the fake
mammoth family that's got a member trapped in it. Pretty amazing stuff really, a giant wad of tar right in the middle of
the city like that. Bubbling up and all. It was worth the stop, and best of all, it was free, and the parking was cheap!
After that, we decide we'd seen enough of LA, and needed a couple hours of downtime and prep time to get ready for the big
night, so Scott drops us back at the Wyndham and we've got some time to relax, check out the roof of the hotel (which
has a gym, a pool, hot tub, and a great view of the city), do a quick update and check of News Askew, and then, get ready
for our big night out on the town with Hollywood's elite. By 6 PM, we're ready to rock and roll, and Scott's right on time
downstairs. We're now on our way to the Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back premiere in Westwood, at the Mann Bruin theater!
It's all pretty surreal.
ARRIVING AT THE PREMIERE
As we spot Broxton, the street that the theater is on, Scott finds us a reasonably priced all-night lot and parks the Jeep. All the parking fees really make
ya wonder just how much the typical LA resident spends to park their car on a yearly basis. The excitement grows as we
round the corner, first spotting the walled-off area where the premiere's after party will be held, followed by an amazing
amount of people, including fans, reporters, and passers-by that have gathered for their chance to watch the big stars
walk the red carpet. There's literally HUNDREDS of people here already. Wow.
There's no mistaking it...This is the real deal. An all-out Hollywood premiere, right in the heart of Los Angeles! Cool
stuff. There's suavely dressed security guys all over the place, directing traffic and keeping anyone who hasn't got a
pass from even approaching the theater itself. We let the first guy who stops us know that we've on our way to the will-
call table for our tickets. After asking to see our invites just to make sure, we're on our way. That's where the big
ticket fiasco started.
Okay, here's how the typical Hollywood premiere process works - You receive a spiffy invitation in the mail inviting you and a
guest to attend. If you can make it, you're told to RSVP by calling an answering machine set aside for that purpose. From
this, the guest list is formed. Actual screening tickets are then mailed out to those that RSVP, or held at the will-call
table for you to pick up upon your arrival (of course, we knew nothing of this process until we were caught up in the middle
of it all).
Unfortunately, due to our distance, the usual RSVP process wouldn't have worked for us due to the slow mail time for items
going from the west coast to the east coast. We're told that Kevin's assistant Gail has our official tickets to the
screening, and that we need to obtain them from her directly. So now, the question was, where would Gail be? With the
time showing just quarter to seven, we had a full 45 minutes to wait, so we decided to step into a nearby pizzeria and grab a
bite, hoping that Gail would show up to drop off the tickets by the time we were finished.
One pizza later, still no Gail, still no tickets. The line at the will-call table has grown to enormous proportions, as
has the zoolike crowd occupying all four corners of the intersection. It's incredible. I decide to attempt another shot
at the will call table, only to discover other folks there having the same problem as us - Gail's got their tickets. Or so
they say! We're repeatedly ushered here and there in front of the theater. One security guy moves us to the ticket window,
followed by a different guy who tells us to move AWAY from the ticket window, and so on. We continually assure these guys
that we're on the list, are invited guests, and are waiting for our tickets to arrive. After telling one security guy that
Kevin Smith's assistant has our tickets, he has the nerve to not once but TWICE attempt to send us to the far corner of
the intersection, AWAY from the red carpet, telling us "Kevin Smith is over there". How juvenile.
After this process continues for about a half an hour, things start to look up slightly. We run into Ming out front, soon
followed by Malcolm Ingram who tells us that Gail is nearby. Still, with Kevin approaching and no tickets, and the
increased pressure from the security a-holes, we all feel like we're two steps away from being physically removed from
the area. I continue to make several trips over to the Will Call table, which has become an absolute nightmare, still
getting nowhere. Even though Chris and I are both on their list without a ticket, they don't wanna let us in.
On the upside to all this, damn if we don't have some fantastic views of the red carpet guests walking in! As we're standing
literally 1 foot away from the carpet itself, the likes of Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Biggs, Scott Mosier, Jason Mewes,
Alanis Morissette, Seann William Scott, and Ashton Kutcher (of That 70's Show and Dude, Where's My Car Fame) walk on by.
Kutcher stops to sign a ton of autographs for fans, seems like a cool dude. Chris is even lucky enough to catch Jack Black,
of the upcoming Farrelly Brothers flick "Shallow Hal", shake his hand and chat with him for a sec about his folk
rock band Tenacious D. Very cool indeed.
Unfortunately, with security breathing down our necks, there was just NO way that any pictures were getting taken without
us getting booted BIGTIME, so we had to lay low during these events. Maybe next time we'll hafta ask for some sort of
special Kevin Smith website press pass or something, as it's tough to convince some skeptical security guards that you're
legit. Sorry for the lack of pics in that respect. On the other hand, there were enough cameras there to catch every
aspect, so we're running a ton of press photos for this section of the story. Just pretend we took 'em. Scott did manage
to break out his camera and have a passerby snap a quick photo of the 4 of us outside of the theater, though. Security
sure didn't like it though!
Finally, after the very tall and threatening Scott got the attention of someone at the Will Call table, they realized
that our parties, who were on Kevin's list (they simply referred to him as "the man" at the table), weren't getting in.
They wrote us up some tickets and a representative personally ushered us up to the front door of the theater, with only
minutes to spare before showtime.
THE JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK PREMIERE
The missing ticket fiasco finally over, we're personally ushered inside right with Kevin and his crew. Kevin catches a
glimpse of us walking in with him and waves. He's looking quite happy to be there, probably also relieved to have finally
made it through the enormous press line along the red carpet outside.
A large crowd of folks are still milling about in the lobby, but probably over 80% of the theater patrons have already found
their seats. Stacks of free popcorn and soda are over on the concession counter (Now there's something that you don't see
every day) but with our recent pizza consumption, we opt to pass it by and get seated before the fun starts. Chris and
Scott are marked for a totally different row than Aimee and I, so we part ways after we figure out where we need to be.
Chris and Scott get a little confused regarding their seating arrangements, and make their way towards the center of the
theater in their row. Chris discovers that he's sitting in some prime territory...As Alanis Morissette is seated directly
to his left! Amidst the confusion, he steps on her foot of all things! He apologizes profusely, but she's quite cool
about it. From here on in, though, Chris isn't moving a muscle. A few minutes pass, but the two discover the bad news -
They've happened upon the wrong area, as Seann William Scott and his crew's names have been assigned to that territory. They
make a quick move towards the right of the theater, with famous indie director Quentin Tarantino seated directly behind
them.
Aimee and myself, in the meantime, have luckily located our seats just a few rows up. Ming and his girlfriend are behind
us on the right. He congratulates us on finally getting into the place, and snaps a photo (though that wave I'm doing looks
pretty dumb, doesn't it?). Moments later, Kevin and daughter Harley Quinn are onstage, greeted by some huge applause.
Kevin opens up with his new "Say Hello/Say Fuck" bit that always gets some laughs, before handing her off to Jennifer,
and goes on to do a very brief introduction on the film, brings up Scott Mosier and Jason Mewes, makes a "Pearl Harbor"
crack at Affleck's expense, and quickly introduces the film. Before doing so, Kevin urges the crowd to actually PAY to
see the film again on opening weekend, as grosses are obviously important during that key period. Many have already seen
the flick in preview screenings, but hopefully everyone will enjoy it enough to see it yet again. The curtains open, and
the flick starts up (no previews at a premiere!)...And we're watching Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back!
We're not providing our own review of the film itself. There's been hundreds of reviews done on Jay & Bob, and we don't have
anything new to offer. Needless to say of course, it delivers in spades, was adored by the audience, and a hell of a lot
of fun. Kevin has taken everything that he's learned about the industry over the years, put a fun spin on things, got
together with his friends, and thrown it up on the screen. To say J&SBSB is a film made for the fans is an understatement -
This film is more of a love letter to the devoted fans above all else. Even better, for the uninitiated, the film's
still heavy on laughs and warrants further viewings after one checks out the previous films. Any way you slice it, J&SBSB
is truly a unique, inventive, and absolutely hilarious time at the theater.
THE AFTER-PARTY
We're a little shocked when, at the first sign of a closing credit (though the film's not even OVER at this point), a large
portion of the audience is out of their seats and bolting for the door. This isn't a sign of dislike for the film, mind
you, rather, just an attempt to be the first to arrive at the after-party which is within close walking distance. Personally,
I found this to be a rather rude gesture to the cast, crew, and execs who were kind enough to invite these folks to the
screening, but that's just me. I was surprised to see even more folks shuffle out when the end credits began to roll, not
only because it's polite to stay, but also because Kevin's credits are always entertaining AND there's a P.S. of sorts at
the tail end of the credits. Some folks stayed, naturally, including Ming behind us, so it was cool to see that not the
ENTIRE crowd just had their minds on getting to the after party. We'd soon learn why.
Miramax has rented out a nearby parking lot and put up a 10 foot black tarp around it to create a wall around the large
rectangular space. As we make our way through the crowd (spotting Mewes in his "pimp gear" and Afroman signing autographs),
we notice than an enormous line has already grown outside of the space. Loud music is pumping out of the place, and far up in
the line, we spot the door being worked by security, letting in only VIP guests such as Harvey Weinstein and Quentin
Tarantino, whom we see walk by as we arrive in the line. Our assumption is that the goal is to allow VIPs entrance into
the party to get comfortable and find something to eat and drink before us vultures get in there. This is certainly a new
experience for us, having never been to a Hollywood premiere party before, so we're not sure if this is a usual occurrence,
or something that's just being done for this particular shindig.
After about 15 minutes of standstill, security slowly starts letting in folks, approximately 10 at a time. After around
45 minutes of waiting in line, with a LONG line of poor folks behind us, we're in. The parking lot really has been
transformed into a cool little space, with lit pool tables, two large bars stocked with everything from the hard stuff to
fresh on tap Guinness to Smirnoff Ice in bottles. In the back, they've got a trailer making In And Out burgers to order,
an ice cream sundae bar, and a large table of finger foods and other junk. Service is fast and good, the bartenders are
courteous and efficient, and we've all got food and drink in our hands within a minute of entering. Not bad at all. Folks
are also carrying some spiffier food around on trays, and happy to hand us fresh bottles of Ice as soon as ours have dried
up.
After drinking in the atmosphere (as well as some booze), we start to survey the people scene. There's tables around the
edges of the lot, all reserved for VIPs and their guests, where many celebs are making a quick appearance or parking for
the evening, greeting folks as they come up to chat. Some other celebrities are mingling around the floor: We spot the
very tall Will Ferrell chatting with a friend, Brian O'Halloran getting an earful from Quentin Tarantino, and Scott Mosier
making the rounds.
As more and more people start to swarm in, we start to wonder...What's the next step? Everyone's pretty accessible, but
with a lot of the VIPs sitting at their respective tables, it's a bit awkward to just interrupt. Luckily, we run into
some familiar faces...Will Wilkins, an avid News Askew reader who's been doing a lot of video captures for the website,
introduces himself and chats for a bit...We also catch Ming and his girlfriend and chat for a while.
Next, and this is definitely one of the coolest moments of the night, Brian O'Halloran recognizes us and is kind enough to
stop by and chat for a while. Brian's a big fan of the News Askew website, and even asks about my recent appendectomy and
about how I'm feeling (we'd mentioned this on the site earlier in the week). Brian introduces us to Eddie McGee, who you
might remember as last year's "Big Brother" winner. Eddie's starring with Brian in a new flick called "Drop Dead Roses",
which is how the two became friends. We spend a good 10 to 15 minutes talking about the website, the new flick, and Brian
insists that we make it to the Vulgar premiere if one is held. Eddie's also a really cool guy. We spend a couple minutes
talking about his plans and he mentions that he's hoping to act in some more stuff after "Roses". I'm dying to chew his
ear off about what went down on Big Brother last year, but figuring he's heard enough of that from everyone else, I don't
mention it at all.
After Brian and Eddie move on, Scott notices none other than Cock Knocker himself, Mark Hamill, standing only about 5 feet
from us. Scott wants a picture with Mark, so he walks over to introduce himself. As always, Mark's very gracious, and
chats with us for a while after Aimee snaps the picture (he poses voluntarily, very cool). I congratulate Mark on his work
in the film, and we spend a few minutes discussing the break in secrecy and the whole scenario of his cameo getting out.
Mark had originally hoped that his role would remain uncredited and a big surprise, unfortuntately, the story broke when a
stunt coordinator let it slip. I assured him that it wasn't us that let the cat out of the bag! He then goes on to
entertain all of us with a very animated story about keeping things secretive with his family around Christmas time. A
very gracious, fun, guy. It was cool to get the chance to talk with him again, and out of his costume this time!
Mark's son, Nathan, walks over and introduces himself to us. He's a big fan of film, and we chat for an extended period of time
about some recent films as well as some classic favorites (The Evil Dead series, for example). He's also a big Kevin Smith
fan, and one of the reasons his father appeared in J&SBSB. Most of the time flies by as we get involved in a very lengthy
conversation about films (not about Star Wars, though!) and by the time Mark and his wife are ready to go, it's getting to
be around midnight.
By now, things are already starting to die down...These parties sure do go quick and end early! Some extra lights
have come on and the DJ's stopped playing. The bars immediately stop serving and close up shop. The food disappears,
and probably close to 75% of the folks that were here an hour ago have disappeared. After our marathon gab sessions, Aimee
and I decide it's a good time to find the bathrooms.
It looks like they've got two portable trailers set up in a walled off area within the party space, men and women. As per
most parties, the men's line is noticeably shorter than the women's, and it looks like I've got a short wait. As I'm
about to go in, Jason Mewes himself comes strolling up, looking for a way to jump in line, before opting to either just
hold it or go elsewhere. Right after that,Jennifer Schwalbach Smith herself appears, says hi and jokingly threatens to
jump in front of me in line when she sees the lines at the women's trailer. We've only met on a few occasions, but Jen
recognizes Aimee and I right away, and is very gracious as always.
By the way, and this is just an interesting aside - These are the NICEST portable toilets you will EVER see. Walking inside,
it feels like a permanent bathroom...Hell, there's about 4 urinals, a working sink with running water, and even some pictures
up on the wallpapered walls. Impressive. I guess that you can't have Hollywood's elite urinating in some smelly little
shack, though. Anyway, thought some of you might be interested to know that...It certainly impressed us.
After the bathroom run, we run into Kevin outside, who is very gracious and spends some time chatting with us. We thank him
and Jennifer for inviting us out and tell them how much we enjoyed the film and our time in Los Angeles. As things are
winding down, it was a very nice opportunity as things have been so busy, we've had little time to talk over the past
months. It's a very satisfying way to end the night. We spend a final few moments hanging out with Amy Noble (who's got
the first line in the film) and her date, as well as Ming and his girlfriend, and notice that the place is even emptier
still. So, we head towards the exit, say our final goodbyes to Kevin, Jennifer, and Malcolm Ingram (who we see for the
first time at the party), and we're on our way, back to reality.
It's late, and we decide we'd better get back to the hotel for some much needed sleep before the flight home tomorrow.
The streets of Los Angeles are much quieter, darker, and emptier at this hour of the morning. You wouldn't even know you
were in Los Angeles, really. Very eerie. Unfortunately, we try and go out a different way and end up making a wrong turn,
heading out towards Santa Monica for about 10 minutes or so before realizing we're going the wrong way. No big deal, though,
it's simple to turn around and we make it back to the hotel to crash.
Thursday morning, the reality of heading home from our beautiful suite is quite depressing. After all, we really just got
here! Aimee and I are up early, so we order some breakfast from room service (they put peppers in the friggin hash browns,
though, major bummer) and then take a walk up to the roof of the Wyndham. What a breathtaking view! It's early and there's
only a few folks up there poolside, so we're lucky enough to be able to do a short hot tub session, looking all around at
Los Angeles around us, from the roof. Ahhhhh...Life is good.
THE TREK HOME
Scott, ever the on-time and reliable one, meets us outside the Wyndham right at noon as we bid goodbye to our home away from
home. Our flight wasn't set to go out until 2:40, so once we reached the airport, we'd have plenty of time to grab a bite
and watch the dust gather. So, we bid our goodbyes and said our thanks to Scott, and were on our way through the baggage
check and to the US Air terminal. Yet again, our flight was right on time, so we opted to have a bite to eat at
McDonald's, then waited to board. After an unsuccessful attempt to get us bumped into the very empty first class cabin,
we were on our way home. The perfect opportunity to gather some thoughts and begin writing the epic that you're reading
now...
We'd like to extend special thanks to the following individuals, without whom this trip would not have been possible or as
enjoyable: Kevin Smith, for the invites and the flights out west, Gail Stanley, for her help in getting it all
together, Scott Kramer, for his timely pickups and skillful navigation around the Los Angeles area, and the great folks
we chatted with at the premiere and party: Mark Hamill & Family, Brian O'Halloran, Eddie McGee, Ming, Amy, Will, and, of
course, Kevin & Jennifer. Thanks to you all for another fantastic and memorable trip. Looking forward to seeing you all
again soon.
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