This time we left the house at 4:30. As with the last time, all the way there I was thinking of chickening out, but this time Peter was with me.
Well...I could see right away that this time things were going to be different. For one thing, the line was all the way out the door and halfway down to Robinson's May. Aiyee! I tried to convince Peter to go stand in line while I got the tickets, but of course he opted to come with me.
This time they were a LOT more organized. They had signs posted with prices and price tags ON everything. The 8x10s around the top of the store....$9.50. Dude...I'm so going back there to buy the Batista one. *___*
So, I ordered 2 RVD Specials! LOL!! That meant, an autographed 8x10 and a polaroid. On the ticket, you had to put in your name and address (if you want to be notified of future signings...because DUDE!!! He plans to have them once a month! KICK ASS!!!) Then, we went out to get in line.
Blargh! We were standing right in the sun and it was hot and muggy. But at least this time the people around me were WAY cooler than the last time. This man started talking me up right away....we talked about everything from wrestling to marriage. It was funny. Peter was bored beyond belief....I have to give him major props for going with me and putting up with the whole thing. The man told me that he'd gotten there at 3pm, and the line was already at the door.
Now, this didn't really surprise me, but he got there late. Dude...he lives RIGHT THERE...but he didn't show up until 6:15. I swear, his arrival was surrealistic. I had my sunglasses on (because we'd already been standing there IN THE SUN for an hour and 15 minutes at that point) and sometimes when I look at things through my sunglasses it's like not real or something. Anyway...he was wearing shorts (I thought they were plaid, but I guess either they weren't or he changed inside...now I just can't remember) The thing I DO remember is he had on WHITE SOCKS and CLOGS!!! I marked so much for that. I mean, seriously....I loved him immensely in that moment. White socks and clogs. And...he was carrying his ECW TV Title belt. Walking behind him was a woman...his wife maybe? She was pretty...and small...and she was carrying a video camera...filming his triumphant arrival.
When Booker arrived, he walked in from the parking lot and got right down to business. RVD made his way along the whole length of the line...wearing sunglasses...he looked so hot. Waving, high-fiving....milking it for all it was worth. Very cool.
Ok...then the real wait was on. Dear GOD....I thought I'd die. I'm not kidding. We made it to the door at 7:30. At this point it becomes clear to me....NO SMACKDOWN FOR YOU TONIGHT!
Well...the man (see...he was probably almost 60...but he was really cool and I liked him) and I continued to make small talk. There was a passel of kids in front of us, eventually I chatted them up too. They were cute. There were some macho dudes behind us who wouldn't talk to me. Feh...whatever.
Along about 8, we were only halfway up to the corner. *sigh* And I start talking to the kids again. At this point, they say to me, "Who do you want to win in the Elimination Chamber"...so I say "JERICHO"...and they laugh. For some reason that broke the ice with the macho dudes behind me...and they start talking to me too. We start exchanging stories about "who's autograph do you have?" and dear god....One of them told me he ran into RVD at a sandwich shop in San Pedro. He said he was really cool! He finally admitted....he wanted Jericho to win on Sunday too. They were very impressed with the fact that I have Sean O'Haire's autograph....I think they were WCW fans. They said they had Goldberg and Sting...they got them at the Wherehouse right across the street from the mall back in WCW days. I felt special that I have Sean's autograph.
Somewhere along the line, we found out that the people in the front of the line....had been there since SEVEN AM! That's nuts!
When they finally let us over to the primo spot in front of the store it was about 8:45. The tension mounted. The same really cool guy was there from the last time. That guy deserves a prize. He's just so RVDish it's not funny.
Then we were inside the store!!!!!
They gave us a choice of pictures. WWE promo shots of RVD...and older ECW shots. For some reason, Peter chose a black and white of RVD and Bill Alonso (or whatever his name is...that's the guy with the whistle, right?) and I got the one with Sabu and Bill Alonso. Hee!!!
Ok..RVD is cool. Really cool. He was so beautiful up close. I can't explain it, but he was just beautiful. Melty beautiful.
There was this HUGE guy standing there...and they asked for our tickets. I handed over our "RVD Special" tickets..and they said "Stand there....against the counter." o.O Sure...no problem. So I swear, I'm RIGHT behind this guy...he's like HUGE....and he's totally dressed in black....black suit, black shirt, black tie...black GLOVES!!!!...dark glasses...and he's bald. He was frightening. And he was touching me!!!! EEK!!!!
So..then, it's our turn. I made Peter go first. RVD was so cool to him...he called him "dude"....HEE! He took his picture, and the made out the autograph to Peter. Then it was my turn.
Ok...I'm and idiot. We all know that. I hand over my 8x10 and he says, "Who do I make this out to?" So...I say, "Well, it's not for me, so make it out to Shanny." Then...I spelled it for him. So then...I kid you not, I bend closer so our heads are nearly touching, and say to him in a low voice, "The polaroid is for me." He chuckled, and for a moment it sounded naughty.
Well, it's my turn to get my picture, and I walk over. And I have to say right now I was not nearly as nervous as I was with Booker. I found that odd because I like RVD much more than Booker...but it felt ...I don't know natural in a way for some reason. So he says, "You gotta hold the ECW TV title belt"....And I don't know exactly what I said, but then he says, "Put it over your arm, like this"....Apparently at that point there was some sort of a reaction from me. Probably a squeak or something.
I look up, and the girl with the camera says, "Were you here last month for Booker T? You were weren't you."
*thud*
I said, "Yeah...I had the reaction to the belt."
She says, "Yeah, I remember."
So...and this really killed me the most of the entire experience...he looks up and says, "What was that?"
*dies*
Somehow between she and I we explained about me and the IC belt.
Ok...so here's me with the belt slung over my shoulder (for the record, it's not as heavy as the IC belt) and he did the full on R--V--D pose (with Peter, he didn't get to put the belt over his shoulder, and he only did half the RVD pose)...and I looked relatively decent in the picture. Not like a total geek.
You know...it was such a cool experience. I didn't even really notice that 4 hours had gone by.
Anyway....as for ring-used mdse...they had a raffle for a Booker T glove, but I didn't enter it. They had belt replicas...and they had autographed pictures for sale. This made no sense....Matt Hardy was $29.95....Jeff Hardy was $39.95...and Trish Stratus was $49.95! o.O
Then of course, Rey Misterio next month...and someone else the next month, but the man in the line couldn't remember who it was.
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