Vacation photos

Richard Armitage

I was asked to write my story of my Trip in London by My Friend Jenny from Australia's blog, here is my story

My Impressions on Meeting Richard Armitage @The Crucible

    Allow me a little background. I was never a fan of Richard Armitage!  I didn't know who he was that is until The Hobbit ! . Before the release of the Film, Peter Jackson every few months released picture of the Dwarves and I scrutinized the photos very carefully. I'm a huge Lord of the Rings Fan. film and since I was 7 years old Book fan too.  When they released the Thorin photo, I cried. He was so ugly, he looked like Worf from Star Trek and that's not a compliments. I hated the picture. The fan cry is overwhelming. I heard rumors that Jackson heard this complaint also, (don't know if that's true) but, something changed . I kept an open mind !  When Thorin turned around I gasped, He looked beautiful ! I could not believe how regal and majestic and unlike Worf he was. Armitage with his beautiful deep voice brought something to the screen that amazed me,,,,,    so after being disappointed in New Zealand trying to meet him for my Friend Jenny, I still wasn't a personal fan,, which means I love his work in The Hobbit but didn't take a personal stance with him either way.... then,,,, Juan died,,,, Juan was my partner at work for a long time. He was always kind, gentle and friendly, never had a bad thing to say to anyone. In a work place that has over a thousand people working in it,,I dare you to find anyone who didn't love Juan.  the night of his wake, I'm laying in bed reflecting and wondering what lesson could I learn from not only his death but his life as well... Life is so short, Juan got sick and died months later, he went that quick ! He never traveled, I don't know his reasons. I know he loved listening to my adventures traveling and my photos. So I thought I cant put everything off,, I need to enjoy my life and what would I do right now, I if I had a chance, and since its on my bucket list to meet everyone Actor who had a line of dialogue from LOTR/Hobbit movies, I would want to travel to England and meet Richard Armitage ! I knew he was starring in The Crucible At the Old Vic, I bought a ticket to the play the next day ! then worked my butt off for the other traveling expenses... 6 Weeks later,,,,,

 I bought a ticket to see the Crucible for Saturday night 30 Aug, for 2 reasons. I flew into London early Friday and thought I would enjoy a leisure day and be more relaxed on a Saturday night. Also Saturday night feels like Theatre night!  I thought I had a fantastic seat and the closer the date came the more excited I got. But then something happened , The Vic canceled a performance, and I heard Richard voice was going ! I panicked, what would I do if he canceled my show ? after traveling so far ! Life is so short ! money isn't important. I bought another ticket, for Friday 29th, double shot to see him perform, and 2x the chance to meet him.  I hatched a plan,, I would meet Richard, get a fabulous photo, take it to get printed and then Saturday have him sign it, Great Plan right ?!! But I never factored in the Army... The Armitage Army is a large group of Richards Fans. some are fanatical some not!  I left my hotel in my best suit, walked to the Theatre and went into the theatre. The usher showed me to my seat which was in the FRONT ROW! I couldn't believe my eyes,, The Old Vics production of the Crucible is in the round, meaning if you have front row, you feel like your siting on the STAGE !!!!  When the play started and Richard appeared I lost my breath, there he was, 3 ft from me, I could've kicked him. I was stunned.  There He was !!! He looked 12 feet tall !!! His voice is so powerful, I felt it. He commanded the Stage. I cannot stress enough how much his presence filled the room. the intensity of the play left me exhausted, I can only guess how he felt,,,,,,, but now nerves started I was going to meet him now.....

 I always try to prep myself when meeting famous celebrities, and I know a couple of ladies who have been to see the play previously, so they clued me in, on where to stand to have an optimum chance of meeting Richard,, Enter That Army,,, I was conned,, Since I was by myself, and Beyonce has nothing on my Vanity,not to mention I love photography, I wanted a beautiful picture, !  Richard moves through the crowd quickly, very quickly. The couple of army ladies asked if I wouldn't mind snapping pics of them with Richard, I said sure but would they then take my picture, perfect deal, right ? Remember he moves very quickly,, they approached him I snapped beautiful pics of them, One snotty female asked him to sign her poster with her pen, not his pen, he made a face at her Then He approached me ! Goose bumps, Thorin looked me in the eyes !!! I politely asked him if he wouldn't mind taking a picture with me, he said sure but where's my camera? I  didn't have it, I had handed it to someone to take my picture and in the excitement, or what, they left!  with MY CAMERA. I shook my head to him and off he was again,, I was pissed, The lady realized she had my camera really it was my phone by the way, brought it back to me and then had the NERVE to complain to me about the quality of her picture that I took !!!! I snapped on her, and said Richard looks fantastic in that photo, why do you care what you look like, plus I didn't get a photo !!!! I stomped back to my hotel !  Calming myself I rationalized that like Germany when I had dinner with 11 of the 13 Dwarves and no camera then, that I should just enjoy the experience, enjoy the few words we had, and at least I got his autograph, and then plot and scheme for Saturday night !

    Saturday night came along, I walked to the theatre and tried to sit in the front row again, and was kindly removed, I thought Saturdays ticket was better than Fridays, and found out it wasn't! Thank God I bought a ticket for Friday !!!    but this seat offered my the opportunity to really enjoy the play. Richard wasn't that close to me, and I saw different aspects of it, being in a different seat and different point of view ! but then I saw the ugly !  after the intermission, and towards the end of the play, I saw people leaving the theatre ! I was appalled ! They were leaving to get a primo spot in line at the Stage Door! I had no doubt ! remember the night before I had front row, I was one of the first out the stage door, and I was about 30 people back, I did wonder then how could these old ladies beat me out,, Now I knew how,, They left Early.  Before the show I watched a Lady with a cane, carefully find her seat, and she literally took forever too walk 30 feet ! but yet there she was after the play in Front , before everyone else ! Shame people ! if you are truly his fan, WATCH his performance, enjoy his performance and the rest of the cast! How Rude ! This night I was about 100 people back, so seriously thought, ! oh well I at least enjoyed the show, its too bad I didn't get to have a picture with him. I almost turned and walked away ! but something stopped me! I thought just stay, its a beautiful night, hotel isn't far away and who know what will happen! There he is again, exiting the door, and just like the night before, moving through the crowd very quickly, never raising his head, siging and posing for photos very quickly ! and before I knew it, he was standing in front of me!  not trying to make the mistake I made the night before, I never spoke to anyone, but him ! " Richard would you mind a picture? " Surely he said, and I snapped a quick pic. My heart was in my throat. He looked directly at me and directly at the camera ! Giving a perfectly Thorin stare !  I was thrilled,, Rooted to where I was standing,, it was then I realized he was still close and I could take video ! Quickly I turned it on, as he was turning back at me,, as he walked past thanked him again, and he blessed me ! I was blessed by The King Under The Mountain ! What's more fantastic than that could happen to a Hobbit Superfan  than that ??!! Nothing ! Mission Accomplished ! Its not a great picture, I went for speed and knew I would lose quality, I practiced a couple of nights before,, but its a Great Picture of me and Richard Armitage to me !!!!

The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug Review

My yearlong anticipation ended last night with the premiere of The Desolation of Smaug ! I was lucky enough to be able to attend a Hobbit double feature in HFR and Dolby surround. Here is my Review! With Spoilers !

               The film looked and sounded amazing? Having been in NZ twice and anticipating a 3rd trip it is so wonderful to see that once again Peter Jackson has used the countryside of New Zealand as almost another character! The landscapes are so beautiful and he really captures it beautifully!  I enjoyed the opening scene between Thorin and Gandalf at the Prancing Pony. In fact I really enjoyed the film including the New made for film only character Tauriel, up until Laketown. there the movie hit a wall. I got bored. Didn't care about Bards Family, nor did I enjoy the whole scene with the Dragon. I'm talking about the action sequences, not the Bilbo/Smaug interactions. Richard Armitage is fantastic, powerful and magnetic, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Sir Ian Mckellan is once again simply  Great. One of the finest actors Ive ever seen. I love Gandalf ! Loved his scenes in this film ! I hope The next movie which as a longtime fan, I'm sure will be the best of all three. !

You must Dream it to Live it

MTV is reporting that Guillermo del Toro is planning on giving fans a chance to be in the Hobbit. ARE YOU KIDDING ME.!!!!! Is this not fate. Hopefully the link works, but if not here is a transcript.

But the biggest news? It came from a question I thought would be a joke.
“Who do I have to kill or sleep with to get a role as an extra?” user Mike Moore asked.
“Oh my god, well that’s a good question only in that it’s asked often,” del Toro said, chuckling. “[But] I believe as the film comes to happen, in either of the two films, [fans] have a good chance of being there.”
You can (and should) watch del Toro’s hilarious response to the question below. But in the meantime, consider this: Del Toro wasn’t kidding. And it won’t cost you a dime, Mr. Moore.
“Sleep with a lot of people if you can! That’s a very good piece of advice. But don’t bribe anyone. It will be wasted money,” del Toro said, laughing. “We will set some rules and some contests and some fans will definitely get the chance of being extras. Go and apply for those roles!”

When this contest starts. I'm calling in all favors. If you know me, care about me, love me, heck hate my guts, and want to see me out of this country, please enter this contest on my behalf!!! I MUST BE IN THIS MOVIE. I'm going to move Heaven and Earth. I'M GOING TO BE IN THAT MOVIE. One way or the other. I wish he would have told us who we had to sleep with. I need names !!!! At least he also gave me another chance, he says to apply for the roles,,, My New Zealand friends are going to get a phone call from me,,,,,, What time is it there ? M

Hobbit Casting pt ll

Tom and I went to see the movie "Wanted" recently and while we both enjoyed it. We couldn't help but pay special attention to James McAvoy. Don't get me wrong, Angelina Jolie is "Devastatingly Beautiful" . Rumours are persistent that McAvoy will be Bilbo Baggins. And that my friends is of the utmost importance. I like him. He has an air of humility, boyishness and down to earth charm. And sometimes he has a smile in his eyes that lets the audience know he is in on the joke. Qualities he shares with a certain Shire dweller. He comes from Billy Boyds home country, Scotland. Also he is short, I don't think any of the Actors portraying the Hobbits were much taller than his reported 5 '7. According to IMDB he is a big Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica fan, coincidence?. I think not. Tom liked him too. I think he would be a fool to pass up this role. But what do I know. Next to nothing. Hopefully he is a nice guy, Peter Jackson only likes to work with people he likes,,, .

P. S. I will certainly post what kind of character he has, when I get to meet him, while filming the hobbit naturally,,,, fingers crossed.

Hobbit Casting

I've read that his favorite book growing up was The Hobbit. I think he would make a great Bard, the bowman who kills Smaug. We all know that The Hobbit is going to be the biggest movies of 2011 and 2012, so it's definitely not a big risk, and I think it will be bigger that 300. He loves to do characters that are costume roles, like Beowulf, King Leonidas . Gerard Butler would be perfect in it . One of my Faves. So I'm going to start the rumour now. Maybe Guillermo del Toro will cast him.

An Unexpected Party

Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro are inviting fans to a live Internet chat about The Hobbit on May 24 (May 25 in Australia/NZ).
Peter and Guillermo will answer questions and hear comments about the new adventure into Middle-Earth.
Weta are excited to be hosting this one-hour live online chat on their website www.wetaNZ.com. The start time for the different time zones are below:
Los Angeles (Pacific) - Saturday, 24 May 1:00 p.m.
New York (Eastern) - Saturday, 24 May 4:00 p.m.
London - Saturday, 24 May 9:00 p.m.
Paris, Berlin, Rome - Saturday, 24 May 10:00 p.m.
Sydney - Sunday, 25 May 6:00 a.m.
Wellington, Auckland - Sunday, 25 May 8:00 am

Text of PJs letter follows:

Several years ago - it seems a lifetime now - I invited 20 questions from fans right at the start of embarking on The Lord of the Rings trilogy. For me, it was an important and enjoyable moment, when I was able to begin a relationship that helped define our attitude to that unique project. It gave me a sense of responsibility that stayed etched in my brain for the next 5 years.
Well, the time has come again! With us right on the cusp of beginning pre-production on The Hobbit, and its companion movie, it seems fitting to do the same thing again.
It’s also fitting that our director, Guillermo Del Toro, will join me in answering the questions, since he will be bringing his considerable personal vision to these two movies. It’s my moment to hand the baton to Guillermo. It’s time for him to address your concerns.
So this is how it will work: we ask fans with an interest in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings to send one question to this website. Ask us anything! Guillermo and I will select and answer the 20 most common questions, so we can both attempt to address the key issues as best we can.
Our answers will be released during a one hour live web chat, hosted by Weta, with both Guillermo and myself logged on. In addition to answering your 20 questions - for the entire hour, we’ll take additional live questions and chat about the projects with anybody who’s interested.
Please send us your questions and Register for the live chat - and we’ll talk to you in a couple of weeks.
Cheers,Peter Jackson *
*information obtained THEONERING.NET


I don't need to mention that I registered for the live chat. thank God I'm off that day. I also submitted a question. Can anyone guess what my question was? I felt a little guilty asking it. I'm not the type to be pushy or force myself on anyone. But this is really important to me. And I can't help but remember the old adage " Squeaky wheel gets the oil!". So here was my question.
What can I do, to become an Extra? I also added that I could carry coffee, make breakfast, message tired Directors feet. Being very versatile, I can pretty much do anything. I'm very good at sitting/standing around in the hot sun, cold snow or torrential downpours, doing absolutely nothing! End of Question. I think I was the first question submitted. I'm beyond the moon excited . I'm also going to send a letter to Guillermo's website, asking for the job. I will posting my letter here probably tomorrow or next. You have to register and they get back to you with a special code in order to do this. Fingers Crossed. You have to dream it, To live it. Namarie

Mt Ruapehu

Volcanic activity at Mount Ruapehu is increasing and an eruption could occur at any time, scientists warned on Tuesday. The volcano, famed as a location in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, last erupted on September 25 2007, spitting two metre boulders distances of up to two kilometres. Ruapehu’s elevated alert level has not been changed, but scientists said on Tuesday that activity within the mountain was greater, with high levels of gas spewing out, a warmer than average crater lake and ongoing volcanic tremors. “The volcano remains in a status of unrest and the possibility of further activity remains. If further eruptions occur, they may occur without warning,” Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) said in a statement.


This is a place that we visited, when we were in New Zealand. The sites of Mordor, Emyn Muil and Mt Doom, were all filmed here. The spot where Sam and Frodo were lost amid volcanic lava flows and where they first met Gollum. Gollum's fishing pool, where Andy Serkis was careful not to plunge over the waterfall! This was the spot were we hit a blizzard. See the pics below.

12 MAY 1993

05 MAY 1993
Originally uploaded by Gandalf.
This is the day that changed my life forever. The Twins were born. We almost lost Thomas, he was born second and he had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. He was born not breathing and a little blue. Thank you Lord for giving Tom the strength to fight his way back. Both Boys were so tiny, they could fit in the palm of my hands. My first thought upon seeing them for the first time, was that they looked like tiny little birds, they even chirped. This event truely, changed the course of my life. I'm so blessed. Happy Birthday Boys.

The Greatest Thing

This post was initially posted March 19th, 2007 from Thomas
Hello there,
It has been four months since I was able to smell the flowers in hobbiton, climb and see the mountains, and been able to live a lifetime chance. Many things have changed since New Zealand. I still have been doing good in school. I’m about to go to High school. I just got done with a basketball league and my team came in first. I’m in baesball now, I just tried out for a team. I don’t know what team I am on. I still miss New Zealand and I always think about it and I wish I could go back to it. I look at pictures and I almost start to cry because I miss it so much. Some people still ask me how much fun my trip was. I say it was the greatest trip of my life. It was the greatest trip cause I was with two of the greatest people in the world. I met some of the coolest people I could meet. I think when I get older I will go back and smell the flowers of hobbiton. The people I miss in New Zealand is Vic and Raewyn, they were the greatest tour guides in the world. I miss Heather and Vivian too though. They were two fun people to hang out with. The greatest thing I miss is, my Uncle successfully guiding two young hobbits through Middle - Earth. Namarie.
Your Friend, Thomas
P.S. I love you very much Uncle Max… you are The Greatest Uncle in the world.

Welcome

My New travel blog!. The old one didnt have as much ability for as much content as this one does. Hope everyone enjoys it. This is going to be my accounts of all my trips from all over the World. Since it's new. I will be reminiscing on old trips. Here is a link to my old blog.

http://blogs.bootsnall.com/BGyrion/