Current mood: 
jubilant
Here is a link to the video of my lovely Mark asking me to marry him! It includes the video that was shown on screen, shots of the actual proposal and then our thoughts and ‘behind the scenes’ musings!
Hope it makes you feel lilke you were with us…..
Current mood: 
loved
Soooo….this weekend is the geekfest known as London Film and Comic Con and the girls and I went to experience the whole thing again after having so much fun last year (see entry Everyone’s a little bit Geeky)
This year held out so much promise as none other than Dom Monaghan – my celebrity crush of the last 6 years was there. Now – admittedly Dom has been brutally shoved aside in my affections since a certain Irishman came into my life – but I still thought it would be a good laff and thrill to meet him like it was to meet Nathan last year.
So – Carolyn and I get up early to get to Earl’s Court, get our ticket and enjoy the show whilst we wait for the virtual queue to get anywhere near ticket 412…
We went to hear the villain dude from Casino Royale do a talk and in the question time – I bravely took the mic to ask him about his chip flipping technique…you see I have recently started to play poker and am DESPERATE to be able to do that thing he does…but it’s harder than it looks! Anyway – turns out that the pro poker players used to take the mick out of him as that trick is the EASIEST one to do!! He said he used to practise on planes to and from Copenhagen which wasn’t all that sensible as he used to drop the chips everywhere! Anyway – he was a fun guy and looked me right in the eye (luckily his are much nicer than in the movie – no tears of blood!!) when he was answering the question! Bless…
After wandering round the stalls, lunch at Nandos, wandering round the stalls, talk with Billy West from Futurama, wandering round the stalls, avoiding the alien and predator and wandering around the stalls…..
I FINALLY joined the queue to meet Dom at around 4pm. There were no photos allowed at all….major disappointment number 1. I knew this would prob be the case as he was by far the most popular guest there….but still was a shame. Part of the joy of these experiences is showing off the pic for months to come. Of course I could’ve paid another £20 to get it professionally taken – but even I am not that geeky…
The queue went ridiculously fast – so had no time to really pin down what to say before there I was – in front of the man I have watched countless times in LOTR, Lost and countless interviews. He’s made me laugh more times than I can count and I have joked with my girlfriends a zillion times about him. Even my flipping email address has ‘dom’ in it!! And I realise in that instant of being in front of him and looking him in the eye – that actually – he’s not a part of that. The fun and giggles I’ve had with the girls over the years are about me and the girls and the deepening and bonding of our relationship and Dom knows nothing about it. He is a complete stranger – even though we all feel like we ‘know’ him!
It’s the most bizarre feeling of emptiness and it completely takes me by surprise.
I have nothing to say….I’ve thought of this moment time and time again in the past few years and now that it’s arrived I have nothing to say. I say’ Hi Dom!’ and he says’ Hi Ruth’….’have you got a sticker?’ he says pointing to the pot in front of him whilst he scribbles on my picture. ‘What are the stickers for?’ I ask, taking one and reading it ‘I just made them as I thought they were cool.’ he tells me. ‘Oh right.’ I think I say I look him in the eye ‘Good to meet you Dom.’ I say as I pick up my signed pic. ‘And you too.’ he replies…and then I turn and leave….
No handshake, no hug, no laughter, no cheeky grin….
And that was that…. Now I know I met Nathan a lot earlier in the day. I know that Dom is more known than Nathan and had probably run out of steam to say or do something totally memorable to every person that day. I know the ’no photo’ rule limited the interaction – but I felt like I was in a factory line. That I really was just fan number 412…being processed.
Then of course I felt bad that the girls had come along to support me more than anything. Had hung around for HOURS for this one moment and then it was such an anti-climax.
The timing of this whole thing is wierd though. My life is on the brink of perhaps the biggest change and adventure I’ve ever had – and after all this time – now is the time I got to meet Dom. I joked to Mark that it was about getting ‘closure’ and actually it really was. Most of the things that I find attractive in Dom – the qualities of him as a person – are present FAR more in the incredible man God’s given me. I couldn’t wait to get home to him. This real man – who’s a part of my life everyday, who I don’t have to think of something witty to try and impress him, who doesn’t look at me with tired eyes and wish he was somewhere else.
Yeah – I’ll still watch the interviews…I’ll still quip ‘will you wear wigs?’ with the girls….
But my heart has found it’s true home….. and is glad….
