...And I made it to the Gala this year!  Yay me!!!  Yay us!  Judy and Diane --and  Lali came and joined us for the DS Anthem!!!  Thanks guys!!!

That's all for now.  Just wanted to add my two cents worth for now!!!

That all sounds so neat! Do you have any pix to share with us?? ~DJ

Don't worry... I can't tell you how awkward I felt sitting at his table at the '05 fest. Oh, I was ever so grateful!
What a treat for me, being nothing short of one of his biggest fans (and that itself might be an understatement!!!).
I pretty much knew all but one at the table and unfortunately couldn't hear everything everyone was saying,
because it was so loud in there. I think that was the main reason why I had my head down the whole time, praying
he wouldn't talk to me. lol. Oh, I love the guy and I had a thousand questions for him! Okay, maybe not that much.
But I just felt terribly awkward and would have died had I had to ask him to repeat himself over and over again.
Maybe I'm just that self-conscious! Idk. I'd love to have another shot at it, if fate allows.

You know, it's funny, I'll refer to him here as Johnny, but NEVER call him Johnny to his face.  I *do* call him John though, and he seems fine w/that.  Wink  Most of the stars seem okay w/you calling them by their first names.  Never called Jonathan anything by Mr. Frid however.  Last time I saw him in person was at his one man show at Hofstra University and we called him Mr. Frid there.  But he'd probably even be okay w/being called Jonathan to his face.  Wink

Oh, really? Yeah, I just can't bring myself to call him "John" yet b/c I haven't known him for very long. Personally, that is. I'm  40 years his junior and was sort of brought up to respect my elders. No insult intended. I guess old habits die hard. Like, another favorite actor of mine is Adam Busch from Buffy. He's exactly my age, so if I were to meet him, I'd feel funny calling him "Mr. Busch," if you get my meaning. However, to the likes of Angelina Jolie (though she's a few years older than me), I'd feel awkward calling her by her first name. Figure THAT one out. I guess it has to do with their level of fame to me, also...

Oh! I just thought of a funny anecdote of sorts... At the 2005 fest, when we were sitting at John Karlen's table, my husband was trying to get his attention and kept calling him "Mr. Karlen". FINALLY, he said, "John?" and lo and behold, JK turned his way with a smile that seemed to say, "That's more like it." LOL! So, he DOES prefer being called by his first name.

He has, he's a diabetic and had a serious health scare a couple years back that actually put him in the hospital for awhile.  This is probably why he ditched 70 lbs before last year's Fest.  Plus the man just turned 73 in May!  Hey, I think the old man looks GOOD for being a 73 year old diabetic, LOL! He was my 'next-door' neighbor at the Fest, AND the rooms were adjoining (though I didn't take advantage of that!).   Grin"

Why the hell not?

I know his sense of humor can be acerbic....but it isn't usually grumpy.

He was grumpy, you say? Maybe he wasn't feeling well. I have a lot of family members with diabetes. My Uncle John is just a few years younger than John Karlen and he hasn't been feeling too well, himself. It's awful what diabetes can do to one, so if he appears to have "let himself go", I think the disease may be the culprit.

Also, believe me when I say that his photos do him no justice. John Karlen is a vibrant and delightful man to be around. He has a beautifully infectuous aura about him that just makes you want to smile from ear to ear. God bless him. ~DJ

94. You have more screen captures of the show than photos of your own family...           

Guilty!    ~DJ

    I know someone else who brought a blender to The Renaissance! Good idea. If room service, itself, costed an arm
and a leg, I'd hate to think how much a drink at the bar would be. Ouch! ~DJ

Ack! I still say I looked awful in that dress. I had bought one off of ebay, but it didn't fit me. It's gorgeous, too! Genuine
60's attire straight from an antique shop, apparently. I hope to buy more dresses from the guy, too. He's got dresses
ranging from the 40's on up. Woo-OW, are they beautiful threads, too!

Anyway, the dress I bought was, like, a size 12 or something and I'm just a (clears throat) wee bit over that. lol. So, I had
to buy one at the last moment. Wasn't satisfied with it, but I don't think it mattered TOO much. I had fun. Everything was
great over-all.

Neat collage, as usual, Jackie!!! ~DJ

By golly, youi're right! Apparently it was "This Property Is Condemned" he was in with Natalie Wood. Very sad movie. Most of her movies were, come to think of it.

Thanks! It's nice to be thought of! I was away for a while attending my first fest. Now, that I'm back, I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things, take care of my family and get into school. But you'll be seeing me around. ~DJ