There And Back Again

My first day was interesting. I landed in Burbank at 10:10 local time. Made it to my hotel which is across the street from the Airport about 10:45. And I was Bored !!!! I’m not used to traveling alone. I usually have 2 traveling companions following closely behind me and believe it or not it was a little disconcerting not having them around. I called my Friend John and let him know I arrived and he told me he was going to try and get out of work early. So I took a nap and waited. He unfortunately could not get out early and with traffic being really bad due to some bad windstorms and California fires, he didn’t get to me till around 6. With check in for the Convention starting at 8, we didn’t have time for too much. I asked him to take me to Hollywood, I wanted to see Chewbecca and Graumanns Chinese theatre, at least we could steal John Waynes foot prints (I love Lucy reference). But guess what, They were having a movie premiere there!! Traffic was horrible! We pulled up in front, and I started snapping pics like the papparazzi. I didn’t care who was there. I think I have a pic of Randy Spelling, hahahah, big star, and One of Rod Stewarts sons. John felt terrible, he told me, traffic usually isn’t this bad. Oh Well. We went back to my hotel so that I could sign up for a weekend pass, and guess what, They wouldn’t let me!! Claiming registration wasn’t until Friday. But They at least let John and I into the Convention so I could sign up for autographs and photo ops with my Favorite Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica Actors. ($325.00 ) And I got a few free gifts, so The night wasn’t a complete waste. John and I, had dinner at the Hotel Restaraunt and had a really nice chat. He hasn’t changed a bit. I’m still waiting for my house in the hills with a beautiful swimming pool. He promised that to me, when he moved out here 5 yrs ago. I told him that i’m only going to give him a couple of more yrs. Thats all for now. I’m preparing myself for some major time crunching. I feel this convention isn’t set up right. I’ll explain that latter.
Namarie Max

ps Don’t forget to link with my flickr page to see some pics,, !

Yesterday was my Birthday and I just wanted to say, That I have the Greatest Friends and Family in the World! They have gone above and beyond to make that day special and memorable. Sue you are truely a Godsend to me. I didn’t think anything could top last year, but you did it. And I will never forget, but unfortunately I could never repay your kindness, love and Brilliance, But I vow to try every day of my life!!! Kari and Threse are just as special and wonderful. I’m not used to being treated this good from people, believe it or not, people just haven’t been that nice to me in my life. So To meet and become Friends with you has changed my life.

This last year of my life has been the most rewarding and Happiest time. Everything Has changed. I’m more Happy today than I have ever been! I went on an Adventure of a lifetime with the loves of my life, and have come to realize that I am so loved by so many people of all walks of life. And that has given me the confidence to move forward and come out of my shell and go on more adventures and meet more people {something I’ve NEVER wanted to do!} I now know That I have a wonderful life, its reflected by the people in it !! Thank you . 

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. Timmy has a girlfriend now and they have been going out for four months. She’s ok, but sometimes I don’t like her at all. 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.

April 12th, I leave for Los Angeles. I havent been there in 14 years! Hasn’t it changed? probably not too much. I’m attending a Star Trek/Battlestar Galactica Convention with a little Heroes thrown in for fun. It should be a good time. I will also get to visit with my buddy John, whom I haven’t seen in way too long. If plans work out, the twins and I will be back in May to attend the 30th anniversary of Star Wars. Now thats a bash, I don’t want to miss,,, I’ve been secretly buying us costumes to wear!!!!!There will be a Jedi Master, and his apprentice and a Sith Lord!…Can’t say too much, in case they read this, so long for now

 Namarie

It is official, Paris in September! I’m very excited, and desperately learning French. I always said that I would never go,unless I knew enough of the language to get by. So Sue and I, are cramming like crazy. I bought several books and a couple of cd’s. I can learn in my car, at work and at home, no excuses.  We want to do Paris in 4 days and then the rest of France the other 4 days. Hopefully that is possible, there is just so much to see.

April is still up in there. I haven’t made my mind up yet, about where I want to go. I did have an invitation to go to Scotland, but the invitee got cold feet I think,, She had second thoughts about invited a complete stranger, and a crazy American on top of that!! Mom found out Celine is done in Las Vegas in December and since we haven’t seen her yet, she is campaigning to go there and then on to the Redwood forest { which I’ve always wanted to see}.  I have very little time to make up my mind. But what a great feeling to have all these options open to me. Thats a blessing,,,, Namarie

In the next couple of weeks, I will once again be deciding what my new travel plans will be . I have to put my bid in at work. and I’m at a loss, New Zealand was so incredibly beautiful and the tour was wonderful. It really was a trip of a lifetime. And now I’m alone. My next trip will be solo. The boys will not be traveling with me.  Same school year, can’t take them out of it again, too soon. Too Bad. They were excellent traveling companions! I’m so blessed and incredibly lucky to have them in my life. Its Ironic, I think, how an experience such as travel, can have such an impact on one’s life, But NZ did!

  I don’t know where or when to go. I’m leaning toward Italy, but I so desperately want to see Egypt or Greece. Does anyone have any good suggestions? I’m thinking a good tour is the way to go, when one is traveling alone.  Sue and I are definitely doing Paris in september or october, we just have to talk Andy, her husband,  into letting her go with me, her boyfriend!!!!!  Taking suggestions for the first half of the year, starting today. Namarie My Friends

Well. . . Im back. Our journey through Middle – Earth has come to an end. I really miss waking up and seeing the mountains, sheep, and seeing Vic and Raewyn, and the tour group. Our journey was everything I dreamed it would be. I loved the entire journey especially meeting Bret Beadie, Daniel Reeve, Ian Brodie, Andrew Adamson, Chris Rutten, and most of all Vic and Raewyn. It was some much fun Horseback riding, climbing up Edoras in the rain and crossing the streams, going to all the sites because when you were there, it felt like you were part of the movie. I thought it was so awesome when we went to Gladden Fields our tour guide dressed up and when we went to Edoras our tour guide dressed up too. It was fun dressing up and re-enacting the scenes. This is a journey to remember for a life time. I thought it was great. The Vic and Raewyn gave us awards at our last night. I want to say, that my uncle is the greatest person in the world for succesfully guiding two hobbits through Middle – Earth. Namarie

Orodreth

Hey, I’m back home! I’m depressed that the trip is over but now I’m starting to get used to being home. My mom was the happiest person in the world when she saw Tom and I in the airport. She almost killed me when she hugged my brother and I. All of my friends wont stop asking me questions about the trip. Because of this amazing journey I am now a bigger Lord of the Rings fan than I used to be. Im starting to hang up my flag and Tom’s knives, and our action figures in my room. The room will look beautiful with all LOTR every where you look. The tour has changed our lives and will change many other lives for many years. Im miss seeing mountains now that im back and I also miss our tour group and especially our tour guides Vic and Raewyn. They were all amazing to me. Uncle Max got an awesome tattoo and that was the bravest thing he ever did!

Tim

Truer words were never spoken, but it doesn’t say it all. Back to the grind. Back to the grime. Middle Earth only exists now in my memories and my pics. I have over 1500 and its going to take a long time to download, I have been home 2 days now and thats all I’ve done so far. And it makes it hard to get back in the swing of things, I’m suffering from NZ withdrawal. The boys are already back at school. I don’t go back to work till the 10th of november, which is good, becuase I know I couldn’t handle that right now. In the next few days I will be adding stories from our trip, here. But then what,, this blog was only a journal of our trip to NZ. And we are done,, does it end there? I haven’t decided yet,,, Namarie Max
ps don’t forget to check out the pics with the link to the right or click here

some more pics to wet your appetitite or go to my link