The Journey to Chicago Illinois for Glamorcon 23

Friday 18 August. 5:34pm PST (Petra standard time:-)

On board flight 258 Boing 777 in route to Chicago....

I'm flying today to Chicago for Glamorcon 23 at the Airport Holiday Inn. My day started around 4:30am PST when My brother Carey awoke me as he was getting his day started. I was flowing him to the Earthlink offices today to interview for a tech support postition.
We left Carey’s house around 5:30am or so to make the 46 mile drive from Rancho Cucamonga to the Earthlink’s offices in Pasadena. I flowed Carey’s faded blue Toyota pickup in my new (well at least for me) 1996 Dodge Dakota pickup. I bought the truck on the evening of Monday 14 August with help from my dad at a dealership in Ontario Ca. the Truck is the worst color possible for California, Black!
The dealer did install A/C for me so I dont' melt in southern Cailforina. Since the the truck is black with red trim, I named the truck Dodge Maul. It looks slightly evil. Oh well, at least I’m driving something newer then my beloved 1979 Mazda GLC. I’ll miss that little lovable car, but the drive out to Ca, and the GLC's extreme age just wasn't wise to bring it with me.

Anyway, back to the trip at hand. Its been eleven months since I last saw Petra back last September in Atlanta Ga. So much has happened since then. I’ve moved from Florida to California, and I’m applying for a new job at Earthlink, Petra has moved to the beach and she has weathered quite a personal storm.
I really hope to reconnect with Petra this weekend on a personal level, She is a really good friend that I havent' seen for quite some time, and there is so much to talk about and share with her.

On a side note, I’ve just played with the onboard flat panel color screen TV that gives me a flight map: air speed 624 mph , tail wind 55 mph, and time to destination! I've got 35 minutes till we arrive in Chicago Too Cool! This big 777 hauls ass! I like having on board Intel giving me up to date info and Global possitining. (GPS) outside tempature is -34 degrees (burr!) The engines have just started to throttle back so we must be starting our decent into Chicago O'Hare airport. This is just too cool! On the screen map, I can watch our position change real time. Coming into some turbulence (great!) but this big 777 flys much smoother then the little 737 that I had for my first leg of the flight. Going to sign off for now.
Peace and Honor.
-Wrighteous (at 26000 feet)

Friday evening - The Holiday Inn Bar

Ed Spohn and I went down to the bar in the Holiday Inn for beer and to hang out and relax after a tense week. I had just moved 2000+ miles across the country to start a new life in Southern Cailorina, so we went down to eat and share good beer and stories with long time Alpha male Tim Campbell. Ed had met him on a previous trip to Chicago, but it was my first time meeting many of the Alphas other than my close friends Ed and Craig Norton. Several of the alphas that were distantly absent from the weekend we all toasted and missed; such as Mr.C, Olathe native Jason, Jeff Jones from Phoenix and my UK chick friend Megan. One way or another we missed our absent Alphas. Tim had many a tall tale to tell, after which keep Ed and I drinking plenty an Guinness stout as the evening grew late. We finally crashed about 11pm or so, since we wanted to be on hand in the morning for Petra in any way we could. After a very tense two weeks moving from Florida to Ca, I needed the break and I think I polished off about 6 or 7 Guinness total. (yes really!)

Saturday - The Candle

On Saturday morning after we all had our various greeting hugs and welcome embraces, the immediate attention was towards Petra’s groovy candle that she had brought with her for the con. I remember Petra enthusatically saying “Oh touch it!” I think Ed, Craig and I just exchanged looks for a few seconds, like we were about to handle a Faberge Egg, Excalibur, or BB King’s Lucille. I was the first to pick it up, and the reverence I felt for holding candle that was Petra’s figure EXACTLY just scaled down was somewhat momentous. I held it close to me like a new born puppy or kitten whose fir is fresh, as when the world was new. It felt great to handle Petra’s figure in my hands, while the real deal looked on with much interest. I don’t think she realizes the impact that she has on men; I’m fondling her figure right in front of her. We passed her (the candle) around with considerable reverence. During the weekend I think she sold several. I held off my purchase, for I was waiting to hear about a job interview the next week, and I could always pickup one from her in LA. (or order off her web site)
BTW the candle feels great!!! If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. It is so choice! (Buller......Buller......:-)

You could feel Petra’s energy level continue to rise the entire weekend, so early on Saturday we threw around the idea to go out after the show and have a sit down dinner with Petra as the honored guest. She was initially hesitant, but as the day progressed she seemed more interested in the idea. Alpha Male Tom Servo made the arrangements at a local Italian restaurant that makes killer pizza. Towards the close of the show on Saturday she was asked by some of the Glamourcon people if she would be attending some of the organized parties that were going on, and she replied that she already had plans. Our dinner outing was the culmination of several years of positive Alpha love and support. It was very much a family outing, as Petra had 12 big brothers looking after her. She had two Amstel Lights; Ed, Craig, Tim and I all had Newcastle Brown Ales while the remainder of the clan had various soft and mixed drinks. Everything you’ve ever read about Chicago pizza is true. We were all blown away by the deep pan pizza pie that was brought out. Only Chicago natives Craig Stewart and Gregory Gusich were immune to its quality and size. We toasted Petra’s health many times and our friendship among the group. Gregory had the foresight to have the waitress bring out a piece of cheesecake with a candle, so we all got to sing happy birthday 3 months early to Petra! There were some raised eyebrows around the table, but I thought to my self, “who cares!!” Any chance to celebrate the life of such a wonderful friend and woman is well worth it.


Sunday 8:54 am - The Holiday Inn

Well, yesterday went better then I could have possibility dreamt of. The attending Alphas really had an outpouring of love to Petra. My role in the day was part travel host, part instigator and part Alpha male at large. I so wanted her to know just how much we all love her and support her.
There were several times during the day where either Ed or I would speak from the heart, and Petra would tear up. Many of the alphas feel a lot of emotion for her, and we all had to watch our selves from loosing our composure in public. This is not to say that anyone would have a problem feeling or expressing how much Petra means to each of us. I have never heard one negative thing about her. EVER. Matter of fact, when I walked up to her for the very first time she reached out to me to hug me and say that she was glad I was able to make it. I hugged her and said something that I’ve wanted to say for quite a while, “I’ve missed you...” Petra replied, “Wright, please don’t make me cry..” this was with in the first 30 seconds that we were together. I hadn’t seen her since last September in Atlanta, Ga.

Both days, Petra was always under Alpha escort and by Sunday convention organizer Bob started calling us the Petra Squad. Even the other Playmates started noticing that Petra’s table ALWAYS had people crowding around her. Karen McDougal even started looking over with interest and awe after her early morning rush evaporated. Both Craig and I went over at times to talk to her so she wouldn’t feel completely overlooked. The same thing happened in Atlanta the previous September. I enjoyed talking to Deanna Brooks and April Hunter during the weekend. Deanna is really down to earth and “real”, April Hunter is bigger then life and Klingons would be following her around. Sunday morning, as Ed and I were riding down the elevator to the lobby, April and her assistants boarded a few floors down and we said good morning to the red headed Amazon babe; at the next floor, an older lady and her two sons started to board. The older woman stopped dead in her tracks, and you could tell that she didn’t want to take her sons into the same elevator with us. April looked at them and then at us, knowing that we were facing age old stereotype mind sets, “it was like, don't’ look at her children, she has large breasts so she must like sex so that makes her a bad person!” The 3 or 5 seconds hesitation before the lady boarded the elevator, and immediately turned her back to April to block the view from her sons, was hysterical. Those of us that were in town for the con had a good time. After we all got off at the Lobby, April commented to us, “Oh, she has breasts, I must keep my children away from her”
Oh well.

Next entry: Friday, 25 August 2000


The trip went better then I could ever had dreamed for. Petra received such an out-pouring of love and attention that at times she was overwhelmed. On numerous occasions I saw tears well up in her eyes with happiness from such affection. I got to bond with many brother Alphas that I’ve chatted with for over a year now, but never had the honor to meet face to face. I was talking to Ed Spohn last night on the phone, and he observed that we couldn’t have scripted it any better. Much of the camaraderie happened on the fly as if it were naturally supposed to happen.

added on Monday 2 October 2000