[Groop]Long Con Report Part 1: Responses to Posts

[Larry Steller]

Shane:
Cool pix!!! The con is such a sensory overload, a lot of those
pix showed me more than I took in being at the con in person!!!
-------------------------------

Thomas Gatto wrote:
>What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow?

Mark beat me to the punch, but I STILL have to ask... African or
European?
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Grace H. & others:
HI! A lot of hands went up when Mark asked how many attendees at
the Groo Panel belonged to The Groop, it looked like 30 or 40
people!!! I'm sorry I didn't stand up then and there and say
"please hang out after the panel and introduce yourselves!" I
thought most would come by after and say hi to those of us in
"Groop Orange", but I know it can be a hassle to get from panel
to panel or meet friends and family! OH WELL!!! 

Next year I think we should arrange a pre-Groo panel meeting for
all Groopies to meet and say hi(whether Posters or ever-welcome
Lurkers)! Thanks to all in the Groop who support us, whether by
posting comments regularly or rarely, or simply lurking, we're
all equally Groopies!!! (BTW, Gary STILL hasn't noticed that I've
caved in and started saying Groopie instead of Grooper...)
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Eric Chun:
Great Con pix! Can you email me the Groop shot of us all watching
the panel? Whatta Rogues Gallery!!!
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Nate wrote:
>Larry, my wife loves you. And I think you're one hell of a guy
too.

And I love you both! Shane too! You guys were as cool as
expected! Nate demonstrated how quick-witted and talented he is,
that sketch he whipped out for DICK'S LAST RESORT is brilliant, I
wish I thought to take a picture of it for posterity! Chett is
lovely, fun-loving and vibrant, they're both mutually lucky to
have each other (they are perfect together!). 

I wish we could have spent more quality time together, but 
you guys were WORKING, so I totally  understand. I'm glad 
you're getting the success you richly deserve, I know 
BLAMBOT will only grow from here!!!
-------------------------------

Shane!!! I spent less time with you than with Nate & Chett, but
you ESPECIALLY impressed me at DICK's! I hereby nominate you for
the post of The Groop's Minister of Offense and Overkill (MOO),
for your OUTSTANDING and OVEWHELMING napkin barrages! 
-------------------------------

Charles Klein:
While on the subject of Napkin Barrages (DICK'S LAST RESORT
encourages tables to throw wadded up napkins at each other),
Charles is hereby nominated for the post of Groop
Sergeant-At-Arms, for his unflagging determination in keeping me
supplied with an endless supply of napkin balls!!! 

It was great meeting you, Charles, and I hope you make it every
year! It was a blast!!!
-------------------------------
Nate also wrote:
>Gary was much more normal than I thought he would be.  
>A deep down nice person. 

Yeah, it's easy to read his posts and expect a totally drooling,
excessive fanboy. The man has a long, successful career and
totally BUSTS all stereotypes of government workers;  from what I
can tell he really works his butt off and truly cares about The
People, that much is clear! He's got a fabulous family, a loving
and muy tolerant wife who is a fun and delightful person - she
and Claire were as much fun to hang around with as Gary! They've
got thoroughly well-grounded, well-adjusted kids; it was a
pleasure to finally meet Claire and see that she's also a bright,
fun youngster with what would HAVE to be a solid future ahead of
her. 
 
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More Nate Quotes:
>Scott carried around a box of comics on his shoulder seemingly 
throughout the con... that just didn't look comfortable at all.

Yeah, he does that EVERY year, it gets so you can't recognize the
man without a box perched casually on his shoulder. 

Scott too is a cool guy. Thoughtful, kind and generous, he very
much enriched my con experience this year, another good friend to
have. THANKS SCOTT! It was delightful to watch Scott in action,
shmoozing with the pros and dealers, and his in-con filing system
was a wonder to behold. Let's just say that the box he lugs
around all day every day is in a constant state of flux! How do
you do it all, dude?

>We had a blast at Dick's Last Resort.  There is now a standing 
>document that the Groop was in Dick's -- the waiter asked me to 
>draw something on a placemat when he found out I was an artist. 

>He asked for a hot babe, and he got one... except I added 
>GROO behind her, ogling her, and above them, 
>"DICK'S LAST RESORT - THE GROOP WAS HERE 2002".  When it was
done 
>he hung it on the wall.  

I mentioned Nate's sketch earlier, but it bears repeating: fun,
fun, fun! Knowing Groo (especially early Pacific Groo) the jury
is out whether he is ogling the busty babe or ogling the beer
she's holding!!! If anyone out there finds themselves in Dick's
Last Resort before next year's con (ROCKO?), please try and
locate the sketch and take a picture for us!!! 
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Ruben:
About the Birthday Card, Gary and Carolyn Kelly were the
Masterminds of the Plot, they could tell you more. I was merely
an extra beast of burden, helping to make it happen, along with
Shane, Nate and Chett (The Blambot Booth was the official
Birthday Card Storage Depot). The card celebrated not just 20
years of Groo, but also Mark's 50th and Sergio's 65th Birthdays.
Sergio ended up with it in his possession, although Mark is
equally the owner of this particular fan-produced collectible. 

My favorite story about the card is that (this is third-hand,
now) apparently Gary asked Shane if he could send him this
birthday card to bring to the con, but Dessesbo neglected to
mention that it was not exactly Hallmark-sized, but rather a
Giant Poster. It worked out fine, of course, but these minor
details...
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That's all for the moment, I'll now start work on my even MORE
long-winded con report. Hopefully I'll get it out tonight!!!

=====
-Larry Steller

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