Note: If you’re not interested in the long-winded, drawn out tale...be sure to at least scroll through to enjoy some exclusive pics by myself and (more importantly) Shawna Canavesio, photographer extraordinaire and all around awesome gal/friend!

October 20, 2003
Ok, it's very hard for me to know where to begin this story. Part of me says, "Get to the point quickly!" while the other part knows I can't do that no matter how hard I try. I'm long-winded, a drama queen, and have to squeeze every little detail I can remember into this because...well, I'm a writer at heart and it's in my blood. So if you're not prepared to read through a lot of unnecessary fluff, I suggest skimming 'til you see the name or word you want to see. Otherwise, hope you have a nice chunk of time on your hands....hunker down, folks, 'cause this one is a doozy!

I'm in California right now on my first trip away from home, on my own. Having a total blast with my girls Shawna, Nelly, and Von (for future reference, I love geeky nicknames and refer to the lot of us as the Cali Crew, Fab Four, and River Rats ). They are taking great care of me, and making sure I HAVE FUN at this difficult time in my life. They know how crazy I am about Orlando Bloom, and they knew that he was going to be in Beverly Hills on the 20th for the Hollywood Film Awards, and that I would be here on the 20th as fate would have it . So, it has been on the agenda to try and get a real life glimpse of Orlando since I planned this trip all those weeks ago, but because of my luck being as bad as it is, it was one of those things I didn't expect to pan out. Especially when I called the Beverly Hills Hilton for information Monday morning and was told unless I was a guest of the hotel or the dinner that I would NOT be allowed at the event . Being the pessimistic person I am, and very very easily discouraged, I told everyone what I was told and said we shouldn't even bother going down to the Hills. It's an hour drive, not to mention it's been BOILING HOT here in Cali since I arrived. But, of course, my girls wouldn't have it and we went anyways.

In what I can only assume to be a sign from whoever was looking down on me, we were in the car listening to KIIS FM, LA's radio station that plays "all of TODAY'S hits." And guess what comes on the radio? A song that is at LEAST 5 years old (probably more). What song, you ask? Why none other than the song I set my last (at the time) Orlando tribute video to...."Too Good To Be True" as sung by Lauryn Hill!! I immediately sat up in the car, squealed, freaked...told the girls why, and they also insisted that it had to be a sign. Little did I know how right we all were!

We drove by the hotel to see absolutely nothing going on, so we decide to go driving around. We got to eat at Pink's (great hot dogs, although I was too nervous to eat properly), and see some stars homes (we're convinced we were almost rundown by Jack Osbourne). That took up almost the whole day, and I finally decided I wanted to see Orlando badly enough that I would shell out the money to rent a room for us at the Hilton. I told myself this was once-in-a-lifetime, and it wasn't going to break me (I save my money responsibly ‘cause I’m boring) so, let's do it!

Not sure how long before 6 p.m. we ended up back at the hotel, but things were getting ready to get going. We parked in the parking garage, and ended up coming into the hotel the “back way”...and after walking a ways...we ended up in the TV crew press pit! It was just an area roped off, but my friends & I just kind of walked right into it and nobody said anything to us! Figuring I could save myself hundreds of dollars AND get a glimpse of Orlando, I said we should just stay there. But Shawna pointed out it was all video cameras, and us taking pictures from there would look weird, so we decided not to stay.

We went outside and around to the front of the hotel. The entire front was made of glass, and we made for the main entrance but weren’t sure we’d be able to get in because...well, there was a red carpet right there, ya know? Would they let us normal folks cross? Registration was just inside the door, so we tried our luck and entered the hotel. We crossed the carpet quickly, and as soon as we did, we noticed a "fan pit" right to our right. There were people standing there with cameras, markers, and stuff to be signed (one fan had a copy of THE FACE magazine with “Club Kid” Orlando on the cover). So instead of going to check-in, we just slip into the crowd behind the rope and decided to play our odds. SO glad we did!

ET’s Bob Goen. Photo by me

Unfortunately, we didn't get there early enough to be right behind the rope. There were about 3 or 4 people in front of us, and even though Shawna is a beyond marvelous photographer, she's short! , so she was BEGGING people to just let her kneel in front of them, and saying she would give them free photos of anything she got (and she would get great pics 'cause she has a professional camera), but NOBODY budged . It really sucks when you realize some fans are just NOT the giving kind. So we were on our own. Nelly isn't a fan of crowds & Von isn't Orlando obsessed, so they stayed at the back, against a wall as Shawna & I planted ourselves in "the pit" and got ready for a fight!

Kurt Russell decides to do away with rules and visit with fans. Photo by me

While in the pit, we made friends with a couple of very nice blonde ladies who were behind us. I think they were hotel guests who just happened upon everything because they kept asking what was going on? Who is that? And since Shawna & I knew all about this thanks to an online community we were a part of, we had all the answers for them. That made them "decide to stick with us" since we "knew everything." They also saw the Orlando photo I was holding (hoping for an autograph) and inquired as to who he was. I told them, and they were amazed at how different he looked (knew him from LotR). I told them he was the only person I was there to see, and if I did, I could die happy. Since they were taller, they promised to keep an eye out.

Jennifer Tilly poses for the press on the red carpet. Photo by me

I saw and/or have pics of Bob Goen from Entertainment Tonight, Scarlett Johansson, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Tilly (really dark pic), Neve Campbell, Geoffrey Rush, Anthony Hopkins, and others. Before I knew it, flashbulbs had once again started to go off to our right (the photography line was to our right) and the ladies told me, "There he is!" and so did Shawna. Unfortunately, I couldn't see him over the heads of the 2 girls and guy in front of me, but Orlando eventually came into view, and I knew what Heaven was. *sigh*

Fellow HFA honoree, Scarlett J chats with fans. Photo by me

Orlando and Geoffrey Rush goof for the press.

He was dressed in all black. Nice, fancy, shiny (and kinda big looking ) black shoes, black dress slacks, suit jacket, buttoned up shirt, and his hair looked positively perfect , and I think he had "product" (as the Fab 5 would call it) in it, AS WELL as a zig-zag split (at least from the look of it in my "helicopter photos"...holding the camera up over my head, praying, and snapping). Bottom line: he looked stunning! And as he was going down the line, I saw him stop and goof with Geoffrey Rush, and he was smiling SO big and bright and looked so happy to be there....gah! My heart just skipped a beat.

The one photo I snapped of Orlando as he was signing for other fans at the pit with my freakin’ zoom as high as it’d go, D’OH!

Knowing him like I do (totally fan-friendly and always doing what he can for the fans)...doll that he is....AS SOON as he finishes posing for the last photographer, Orlando makes a beeline for the pit. In other words, the man starts walking right towards us!! AHHHHH! Of course, there were people in front of me, so I wasn't RIGHT there, but that didn't mean I wasn't going to try. As I held up the picture of Orlando I had in my hand, hoping to catch his attention (as I've seen fans do in London and at Disneyland), the blonde ladies & Shawna start pushing me forward. The blonde ladies say, "Go for it girl! There's your man!" while Shawna is saying, "Get in there!" I don't know how I didn't do my usual "lock up and miss out" routine, but I didn't. As he is finishing signing some stuff and taking some pics with the fans in front of me, I hold out my right hand, look him in the eye , and ask, "Can I get a pic with you please?" and I know I sounded desperate . As he is being PULLED by another fan away from me, he leans in for a picture with her and says in that lovely British voice of his, "Yeah sure" as he reaches for my right hand with HIS right hand, and grabs it. Yes, I held the tips of Orlando's fingers....I held his hand for a few brief moments....perish with me, won't you?

When he's done with that photo, he comes over to me or draws me closer to him (not sure exactly what happened). I turn around towards the pit and Shawna. Shawna says, "Give me your camera," so I hand her my digi cam. I lean towards my right, towards Orlando, and am grinning like an idiot as I feel his temple make contact with mine. Yes, you read right, we touched heads . Stupid, I know, but it happened and it's emblazoned on my mind!!! So we're leaning together and smiling (at least I assume he smiled...especially since Shawna told me we looked "cute") and Shawna attempts to take the picture of us with MY digi camera.

Orlando signing for and visiting with other fans in the pit.

Doll, doll, DOLL that he is....after she snaps, he asks, "Did you get it?" Shawna replied with, "I don't know" because she wasn't sure, and Orlando looked as if he was ready to try again. Unfortunately, those rude fans I spoke of earlier (or maybe it was his handlers....since this experience, I’ve seen how Orlando gets pulled by many people in a thousand directions at any given time, so I no longer hold anyone specific at fault...I’m just generally bitter ) had other plans for him and pulled him and his attentions elsewhere. And as more proof of my horrible luck....I grabbed my digi cam and checked for the picture only to find....nothing. It decided to be a you-know-what and NOT take the pic. *sigh* I was in such shock from the disappointment that I burst out crying, effectively drawing attention to me and my friends. The security guard who had thrown out an autograph collector early on for not having a room key then asked us for ours, which we didn't have. I'm standing there crying on Von's shoulder, and he's basically kicking us out. He didn't seem to want to as he told Shawna we weren't doing anything wrong, but his boss was on him to make sure non-guests were cleared out. I then decided I didn't want to shell out the money for a room and that we should just go, so we left the hotel lobby.

As we're walking out, I stop and look through the big glass window as Orlando is attentively listening to and answering the questions of the first reporter in the press crew line. I know I must've looked absolutely pathetic standing there staring at him...I had just been crying, I felt absolutely miserable, and I imagine it looked like a bad movie (I don’t know why, but Andrew McCarthy in Mannequin when he’s outside the store window in the rain pleading with the mannequin came to mind ). When I finally managed to draw my attention away from his lovely face, I noticed 2 girls casually dressed like us were standing on a platform with camera crews in the pit! I got ticked and said, "We might as well go do what they are doing." So we did.

Orlando attentively listens to a question from a member of the media. Photo by Shawna.

Orlando offering a smile to a reporter. Photo by Shawna.

We went back into the hotel the way we had come from before, and Shawna & I went into the video crew press pit. Shawna immediately got up on the platform and put her God given, remarkable photography talents to use as I just kind of tried to get into a position where I could see Orlando. It was surprisingly not difficult. I also whipped out my digi camera and proceeded to take pics. Some came out, a lot didn't (darn machine!), but I'm very happy with how everything turned out in the end! As Orlando made his way down the line of interviewers, Shawna captured some really unbelievable moments, and I even caught a few cute ones myself . Not to mention, watching Orlando with the interviewers was an experience. As my friend Nelly said, "He listens with his whole body," which he really does. He gave everyone equal and undivided attention, and was very honest and wonderful the whole time. We found out later that BECAUSE he was spending so much time with the interviewers in line, the awards actually started before he got in the ballroom! Just more proof of how generous Orlando is...wanting to make sure everyone got a chance, ya know? We hoped maybe we could catch him at the end of the line and try a re-do of my pic with him, but he was immediately surrounded and whisked into the ballroom before anyone could get to him! And so it was the end of Sonia's Big O Adventure!

Easy to tell which is my photo, right? Orlando surrounded by more people.

All in all, my meeting with him was no more than 30 seconds, but it is completely etched in my memory for all eternity. And all thanks to my amazing friends Shawna, Nelly, & Von who kept hope alive every time I didn't. Not to mention Shawna's unreal Orlando photos!

All in all, though I am a bit sad I don't have my pic WITH Orlando, I got to see, be close to, and touch the man!!! How in the BLUE HELL can I complain? I can't! Plus, this whole thing wasn't supposed to happen in the first place, so maybe the good Lord will bless me with a "re-do photo op" sometime in the future. But even if he doesn't, I can die happy because...Oh My Will! I saw, touched, and met Orlando Bloom!

Sorry this was so long, but it's just my style. Hope y'all enjoyed it, and big thanks and HUGE *HUGS* to Shawna for the awesome, accompanying photos!