Vikki Anderson's Blog

by Vikki Anderson

I was fortunate enough to go to the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention from August 5-11. What a blast. Everyone was walking around in Star Trek officer or alien costumes and the Star Trek fans were really, really nice.

I had many photo shoots with my favorite stars and signed up for most of the breakfasts, lunches and dinners with the stars from the various Star Trek adventure shows.

I think my favorite was John De Lancie who played Q on TNG and Voyager and Brent Spiner who played Data on TNG. (Data has a new CD out called Dreamland which is really unique and a lot of fun. You may wish to get it as I did, but he also autographed it for me too!) What nice guys. Everyone was wonderful and knew we were serious about the shows. We had an opportunity to ask them, when they visited each table for 5 minutes or while they were on stage, any questions we wanted to ask of them including situations on their show or about their future jobs or guest appearances. But what was really interesting was that they all appreciated us keeping Star Trek alive for the last 40 years and said there is nothing like a die hard Star Trek fan. That is true.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic played all Star Trek theme songs and was really good, but they thought they were doing us a favor by staying an extra 45 minutes, but at midnight, it was time to move on. Then there was a dessert party (they were big at late night parties) and Tim Russ (Tuvok) had a three piece band. He sang and played the guitar and had a drummer and another guitarist. They were very good but so loud for that time of night. Apparently, Walter Koenig was dancing with all of the lovely ladies (he’s really short!) and later on, most of the stars were dancing and posing for pictures. We were not allowed to take photos at the meals except for when they first arrived, so that was really special. Most said they got so drunk and were letting anyone take pictures with them. I wasn’t there so cannot confirm this, but it sounds funny.

J.G. Hertzler (Martok) — hope I got the spelling right – was really funny and looks like an old Ted Danson. He played one of the lovable Klingons, but was so funny when he said he purchased a house in Ithica, NY and was going to have a Klingon Remove The Brush From My House party, and then a Klingon Sheetrock Convention and a Klingon Bring and Install Bathroom Fixtures Exposition. It would be funny if people show up.

I think the Doctor from Voyager was the funniest person there. He’s a born comedian and had all of us laughing almost every minute he was on stage. He told us of some behind the scenes pranks and Kate Mulgrew (Capt. Janeway) kept saying, “I’m a Roman Catholic, I can’t hear about this….” It was adorable. The Doctor is also an opera singer and apparently has several CDs out. He did 98% of the singing on the Voyager series which was also interesting.

One of the sites I will never forget is when a fan dressed up like the Borg (really good and scary and apparently he had won the best costume two years in a row) was actually feeding a baby bottle to his child. What must that kid think? Dad or Borg?

One of the freakiest parts of the experience was after the dinner party at the Star Trek Experience Party after Chase Masterson sang (what an angel), we went over to the two rides — one Klingon and one Borg ride. Well, everyone went on both since they are tearing down the Star Trek Experience from the Las Vegas Hilton in September, 08. When we were playing along with the show and we had to be rushed into a shuttle pod because they Borg were taking over the station, well, I thought I was going to die from fright. I was in the back of the group and the Borg started coming after us. I was really nervous. Those actors were really good. Then when we were in the shuttle pod and the Borg Queen comes onto the view screen (we had 3D glasses on – oh, excuse me, visors for our protection!) and she started to assimilate us, something poked us in the back and on the the butt indicating that we were being assimilated — that was really freaky. I guess I’m Borg now so watch out.

The temperature was 110 while I was there and aside from going out with my good friend Sunay to the Tournament of Kings (like Medieval Times) and to some grocery stores to get cheaper water and Coke, I stayed inside. (Tea was $4 a cup, a bottle of water was $4 and a can of Coke was $3 – breakfast with two pigeon eggs, toast and 2 slices of bacon was $16! Not that I am cheap by any means, I am just not stupid!!).

I met lots of wonderful people and had a lovely time. Meeting Leonard Nimoy, Michael Dorn, Kate Mulgrew, Alexander Siddig (God, he’s more gorgeous in person!), Brent Spiner, Avery Brooks (quite the metaphysician!), Nana Visitor (what a great lady and she was the most gorgeous one of them all) and many of the others from Voyager, Enterprise, Deep Space 9 and the original series was a true experience I will always remember. It was fun, educational and I met lots of people with the same interest.

There was one young child name James Tyberius Kirk – Kirk was his real name and mom was an original Star Trek fan. The poor kid, but he had grown up with Star Trek obviously and loved the name.

Then there was another 10 year old James who asked really interesting and intelligent questions to everyone. He kept saying he’s watched Star Trek his whole life….he always gave us a laugh and eventually Mr. Spock and the new Mr. Spock in the prequil that will be coming out on May 8, 2009 had him up on stage and Leonard Nimoy invited him and his family to the opening of the new movie. We got so used to him that when the stars would ask how old he was, we yelled out, he will be 11 years old next Friday!

Martok actually sang happy birthday to a fan in Klingon which was really cute too. Star Trek actors seem to be the nicest of all the stars as they know how much this show meant to us.

So, I am back and trying to finish up my Feng Shui book after editing two friends books, one will be published soon. Now if I only have time for mine….

Live long and prosper.