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I Met Chewy: My Cincinnati Comic Expo 2018 Experience
- Date of Event: September 15, 2018
- Location of Event: Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, OH
I went to the Cincinnati Comic Expo today.A lot of fun.I met Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca of the Star Wars movies-Awesome!!), saw some other celebrities and cool items, and had some cool Star Wars pictures taken of me.There was a lot going on there and I didn’t experience everything by any means, but it was a very fun day.I’m a geek and proud of it.Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
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A Long But Rewarding Day: My Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2018 Experience
- Date of Convention: March 10, 2018
- Location of Convention: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
Well, aside from having to wait in line much too many times and being disorganized, Lexington ComicCon was fun.I wish I could’ve accomplished more, but I accomplished a lot.I met my hero Chuck Norris twice!!! On his birthday, no less.The first time to get his autograph and give him his birthday card I bought for him.And I got my picture taken with him later.Very kind man. All smiles, very appreciative, and when I told him he was the highlight of Expendables 2 for me (one of my favorite movies), he told me it was a lot of fun to do.He did appreciate the card. I wasn’t sure if security would allow it, but I saw someone before me had given him one, also.He definitely had the biggest turnout of fans, and deservedly so, in my opinion.He’s not done many of these types of events, so for him to be there was HUGE.I first met wrestling manager Jim Cornette.I almost missed his photo op.He was walking away, and I came up behind him shouting his name. He turned around and I introduced myself, and he was very gracious and cool.I told him I had already paid for the photo, and he said, oh let’s go back and get it done.He soon invited me over to his merch table to hang out, but I was not able to until near the end of my day. But when I did, again, he was beyond cool.I had some email exchanges with him recently over some DVDs I had bought from his website that were incomplete.He sent me complete ones later. He told me he appreciated me telling him.I bought a couple of other wrestling DVDs from him and he signed them, as well as the picture.Everyone I talked to was cool, but he was the most sociable one.I told him he was one of the last people I was seeing before heading home, and then work.I told him where I came from, and he told me to be careful driving home twice.Again, great guy.I also met Jonathan Frakes, who played Commander Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation.My encounter with him was very brief, unfortunately, but still, I’m glad I met him.He gave me a fist bump and when I told him it was a pleasure meeting him, he said “likewise”.He did a Q&A later, which someone filmed and I retweeted and shared the link on Facebook, but I wasn’t able to go because I chose to walk around more and get some more stuff.Next up was Wrestler/Actor Kevin Nash.I’ve been a fan of his for some time.Very smart and funny guy. Very tall, too.I first got my picture with him, and later went to his merch table so that he could sign the picture.Again, cool guy.When you see the picture, you’ll notice I’m not smiling. It’s only because I was trying to imitate his friend Scott Hall, who I’m also a fan of.I also met wrestler Booker T. I wasn’t sure if I would meet him, but I figured why not?His line wasn’t huge, and I’m a fan of his, too.I had seen him in person twice before at two different wrestling shows.He was very talkative, not only to me, but to anyone else he met. I got my picture taken with him, as well an autographed picture.Again, great guy.The last person I met was actor Billy Dee Williams.He’s most famous for playing Lando Calrissian in two Star Wars movies.Again, nice guy, soft spoken.I had to ask him if he thought he may star in Star Wars Episode 9. He said “I don’t think so” (Edit: He did star in Episode 9 later on.).I’m glad I was able to meet him because his photo op schedule initially was after I was going to be gone, but luckily, it got moved to right before I was going to leave.So that worked out great.I initially just got an autographed picture from him, but later got my picture taken with him.Again, I wasn’t able to see everyone. But I accomplished a lot and in the end, it was a great day.It’s not everyday you get to meet heroes of yours. And even give one of them a birthday card.Wow!!!Oh and my cousin Zachary went with me and he had fun too.Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
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I Met a Hero: My Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2017 Experience
- Date of Convention: March 13, 2017
- Location of Convention: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
Well I met another hero of mine Sunday.Mr. Lee Majors, star of The Six Million Dollar Man, The Fall Guy, The Big Valley, Raven, several movies and TV guest spots, and most recently, Ash vs Evil Dead.Lee was appearing at the Lexington ComicCon in Kentucky.He was taking pictures with fans, signing autographs, and doing a Q&A with fans.I first got my picture taken with him, in which he called me boss (Wow!), and I thanked him for everything that he’s done. And he said thank you back to me.I then went to his Q&A shortly thereafter, where I was able to go fanboy on him, telling him that two of his shows, The Six Million Dollar Man and The Fall Guy, were on in reruns in the mid to late 90s, 5 days a week, and that I watched and recorded them.I told him both of these shows were two positive things in my life when I was in my early teens.He told me “Thank you” and then jokingly said “So you were the one watching?”The emcee jokingly said that I helped pay for Lee’s mortgage back then, and I said I was happy to do it, too.I asked Lee about working with wrestler Andre The Giant on a two part episode of Six Mil, and he had a lot of good, funny stories about him.Lee also talked about Kentucky a lot, saying “Go Wildcats” at the start of his Q&A.He’s not from Kentucky, but he grew up in Middlesboro, and graduated from Eastern Kentucky University.He said that when he went back to Eastern a few years ago to speak at a graduation, that he had a better turnout than Mitch McConnell did there that same day at Eastern.All in all, he had a lot of great stories.He later was doing a signing, which I also attended, because I wanted him to sign the picture that was taken of me and him.When I got to him, he said hi and then said “Oh I remember you”. Then he signed the picture, and while he was doing this, I told him that I meant what I said at his Q&A.He also told me that he had not noticed my Six Mil shirt when the pic was taken, but he liked it.Before I left, I told him I loved him, and he said “Thanks Lucas”.For me, as a fan of his since I was 13 or 14, this was a perfect day.I was so happy.And he could not have been more nice and professional.Lee Majors is a class act.I also saw several other great people there I’m a fan of, including several wrestlers and a few other actors, but Lee was the reason I was there.Perfect day.I will include pics from the event, including the one of me and Lee.Love and PeacePhoto Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
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3rd Time Around: Arnold Sports Festival 2017
Well I didn’t get a picture or autograph, but I still saw one of my biggest heroes ever for the third time.Arnold Schwarzenegger!!I went to his annual seminar on March 5, which always happens on the last day of his 4-day Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio.This festival was started by Arnold and a local Ohio businessman, Jim Lorimer, in the 1970s.It encompasses bodybuilding, wrestling, MMA, archery, and basically any sport you can think of.Hundreds of thousands of people come to this each year.It has expanded to several other parts of the world, but its main hub is always Columbus, Ohio.Arnold’s seminar is the best way to actually see him.He appears at several events throughout the week, but with this, he sits down and tells stories about his life, career, and talks motivation.One of his longtime friends and former bodybuilder himself and actor, Franco Columbo, was there, too.He actually walked by me to get to his seat in the audience, which was cool.He eventually got on stage with Arnold and talked some as well, which was great.Arnold did say that the sequel to his movie Twins is being written. This has been in the works for sometime, so to hear him say this in a public forum was cool.He has a drama coming out on video next month called Aftermath, which was actually shot in Columbus. Check it out when it’s released. It looks really good.Arnold said all is good with his life.If I could be as successful and as happy as he is, even in the smallest way, then I can say I’ve done well.I’ve been a fan of this man since I was 8 or 9 years old (I’ll be 35 this year. The same day he turns 70. July 30th.)He’s still getting new fans, too.A boy, 9-years-old I believe, told Arnold that he is his biggest fan and asked him who would win in a fight of Terminator vs. Robocop? Arnold asked the boy “Who do you think?” The boy said “Terminator?” And Arnold said “Alright”.Very nice man.I’ll always be a fan.Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
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My Name is On a Documentary!!
Hi everyone.I have something very cool to post, so here it goes:On Friday, I received a very cool and inspiring documentary DVD called The Resurrection Of Jake The Snake.A couple of years ago, one of my favorite professional wrestlers growing up, Jake “The Snake” Roberts (real name Aurelian Smith), reached out for help to another famous wrestler turned fitness expert, Diamond Dallas Page.Jake has had major drug and alcohol problems over the years and really did need help.However, with DDP’s help, Jake was able to make a major and phenomenal turn around in his life.He got clean and got back in shape.And most importantly, he got his life and his family back.This entire process was filmed and was later edited down into a documentary, which has received major buzz and is now starting to finally be seen on home video, ITunes, Google Play, etc.Anyway, to make a long story short, albeit an inspirational one, during this period, Jake needed to undergo shoulder surgery, but did not have insurance or enough money to pay for the surgery, which cost about $8,000.So, DDP came up with this campaign through an organization called Indiegogo, in which people could pitch in money to help pay for Jake’s surgery.And in return, they would get some perks, or prizes, if you will.Depending on how much you paid, you would get anything from a call from Jake, to an autographed picture, DVD with his matches, a shirt, a trip to see and hang out with Jake, and a mention in the documentary credits if it would ever come out.Well, I was one of the people who pitched in, and within the first 24 hours of the Indiegogo campaign being launched, almost all the amount of money it would cost to pay for Jake’s surgery had been raised.For the fee that I paid ($100), I got a personal phone call from Jake (four calls, actually, but more on that shortly), an autographed picture of him, a shirt of him, a DVD with several of his wrestling matches, and my name is on the end credits of the documentary.Pretty cool, I think.Most importantly, though, Jake got the help he needed, and for the most part, has been great ever since.Again, I grew up a fan of his and actually saw him when I was 8 years old at a wrestling show in Huntington, WV.As a fan, I was interested in the perks, of course, but most importantly, I just felt like helping him, even in a small way.I wanted him to get better.Thank goodness, he finally did.Like I said earlier, Jake actually called me not once, but four times, and unfortunately, had to leave a voice mail for three of those calls.This was because I had a bad phone at the time, and I didn’t hear or feel it when it rang.When I did finally pick up the third time, I first apologized to him for my bad phone.He was very nice to me and told me he appreciated my pitching in to help him.I told him I was a lifelong fan and that I was happy for him and proud of him.I actually later met him, too, and told him again how happy and proud I was for him.He thanked me again and complimented me on my shirt (I was wearing the one he sent me).Anyway, even if you are not a wrestling fan, I strongly urge you to seek out this documentary.Once again, it’s called The Resurrection Of Jake The Snake.Trust me, it will inspire you and may even bring a tear to your eye.It certainly did me.Love & Peace,P.S. Here is a picture of the DVD cover of the documentary, a screen shot I took of my name in the list of “thank you” credits at the end of the documentary, and a picture of me with one of my heroes, the man himself, Jake “The Snake” Roberts.Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
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I Met Arnold!! Arnold Sports Festival 2016
- Date of Event: March 6, 2016
- Location of Event: Hilton Grand Ballroom in Columbus, OH
Best day ever!!!I went to see one of my biggest heroes, Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger, speak at his annual seminar at the Arnold Sports Festival, in Columbus, Ohio.For those of you that don’t know, the Arnold Sports Festival encompasses many different types of competitions.Particularly bodybuilding, but also gymnastics, boxing, MMA, wrestling, and so many more.It’s a 4 day event, in which Arnold started with Ohio businessman Jim Lorimer, back in the mid 70s after Arnold retired the first time as a professional body builder (he competed one more time in 1980 in which he won the Mr. Olympia for a then record 7th time).On the last day of the event, Arnold speaks for roughly an hour or more with a crowd of about 300-400 people about his career, bodybuilding, nutrition, and just motivation in general.He usually takes questions from the audience, but he had to leave after about 50 minutes.He did talk about his upcoming movie 478, The Celebrity Apprentice, which he’s hosting this upcoming season, and he interviewed this year’s winner of The Arnold Classic bodybuilding competition, Kai Greene.But here is the best thing that happened, from my perspective, at least.I was sitting in the front row on an isle seat, and I swear he entered from a doorway right beside my seat!!And before he took the stage, he said “hi how are you?” to me!!! Yes to me.And at the end when he was leaving, I told him, as a fan, that I loved him, and he shook my hand, and said “good to see you”!!!I did not get a selfie, but hey, I’m not complaining.I got to speak to and shake the hand of one of my biggest heroes ever.Maybe next time I will get a selfie, though. Oh yeah!Even though I did not get a selfie, I did take pictures of him, though.I will post them below.I hope you enjoyed reading this almost as much as I did experiencing it.Love and Peace.Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
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I Saw a Hero of Mine in Person: Arnold Sports Festival Arnold Sunday Showcase Review
- Date of Event: March 8, 2015
- Location of Event: Hilton Grand Ballroom in Columbus, OH
Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of my biggest heroes.
I’ve been a fan since was a little kid.
I’ve always loved his movies and basically everything about him.
I never thought I would ever be able to see him in person.
Well, that finally happened.
He and a local Columbus businessman, Jim Lorimer, started the Arnold Sports Festival in the 1970s, to showcase all kinds of sports and athletes, particularly bodybuilding, which Arnold first made his name doing.
It has gotten bigger each year (it’s a 4 day event and it encompasses A LOT), and Arnold is always there to give out awards and to speak.
Well, I decided to finally go to his seminar that he does on the last day of the festival.
He speaks for roughly 45 minutes to an hour, or more depending on what he’s talking about, which is usually about how the event has gone, the main bodybuilding tournament from the previous night (The Arnold Classic), and current or upcoming projects, if any.
He takes questions from the audience sometimes too.
I was not able to ask him a question, but just seeing him was a huge honor for me.
I’m very glad I went and I will go again.
I love you Arnold!!
Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
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I Met Mr. Eric Braeden (Victor Newman)
- Date of Event: January 16, 2015
- Location of Event: WOWK-TV 13 News in Charleston, WV
I met a very gracious guy last night at work.
Actor Eric Braeden, star of Young & The Restless, visited WOWK-TV’s studio to be interviewed on 13 News at 7. He was there to promote his meet and greet at the Charleston Town Center, which is today from 2:30-4:30.
Before he was interviewed, I was able to meet and talk with him briefly.
He autographed a Y&R DVD for me and I had my picture taken with him.
For anyone who does not know, Eric Braeden has been on Young & The Restless since 1980, playing the role of businessman Victor Newman.
He has appeared in several other TV shows, including The Rat Patrol, The Six Million Dollar Man, the original Hawaii Five-O, and Gunsmoke.
He has also starred in several movies, including Colussus: The Forbin Project, Escape From The Planet Of The Apes, and Titanic.
Mr. Braeden is also active on Twitter. His hashtag is @EBraeden. He actually tweeted me last week, which was cool.
It was an honor meeting him.Update in 2023: Mr. Braeden I can say has been very gracious to me since this meeting, occasionally giving me life advice. Great man.
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I Met Jake “The Snake” Roberts
- Date of Event: December 14, 2014
- Location of Event: The Inner Geek at Ashland Town Center Mall in Ashland, KY
Moments like this do not suck.
I met one of my biggest heroes, wrestling legend and WWE Hall Of Famer Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Saturday at an autograph signing in Ashland, KY.
I have been a fan of his for 25 years and will continue to be a fan for life.
Jake has gone through a lot, especially in the past few years, and I am happy for him, and proud of him for coming out the other side.
It was a pleasure to meet you Jake.Photo Gallery (click on thumbnail to view larger image)
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My Last WWE House Show to Date
- Date of Event: September 16, 2011
- Location of Event: Big Sandy Superstore Arena in Huntington, WV
While going through my archives preparing to type my reviews for this web site, I had forgotten about this WWE house show (non-televised event).
I was thinking my last WWE house show was in March of 2011 (I’m typing this in 2023.).
But I was wrong.
Then I did remember some of the matches.
I remember Dolph Ziggler wrestling.
I remember seeing Sin Cara wrestle.
I also remember seeing Alberto Del Rio wrestle.
I’m sorry I don’t remember much else, but I did find the results and have posted them below, courtesy of the great website thehistoryofwwe.com, along with my ticket stub.
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A Long But Rewarding Day: My Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2018 Experience
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I Met a Hero: My Lexington Comic & Toy Convention 2017 Experience
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3rd Time Around: Arnold Sports Festival 2017
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My Name is On a Documentary!!
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I Met Arnold!! Arnold Sports Festival 2016
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I Saw a Hero of Mine in Person: Arnold Sports Festival Arnold Sunday Showcase Review
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I Met Mr. Eric Braeden (Victor Newman)
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I Met Jake “The Snake” Roberts
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My Last WWE House Show to Date