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, and all the way at the end is a special video surprise!

December 3, 2003
The day started off innocently enough....we woke up and got on the road by 10 a.m. for the Los Angeles premiere of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. We arrived in Westwood by about 11:30 a.m., and we were very pleased that only about 60-70 people appeared to be in front of us. Shawna & Von went to "scope the locale," and when they came back, they reported that a friendly neighborhood cop had told them that the first 100 people would be allowed onto the Starbucks patio (Starbucks was on the corner/end of the red carpet) at about 4 p.m.

Fast forward many hours later, and we're told by the Starbucks manager that everyone has to have a receipt from the coffee shop to prove you made a minimum $5 purchase. I bought a couple of big chocolate chip cookies I barely ate (didn't eat anything ALL day, none of us did!), a gross strawberry/banana drink, and a 55 cent Venezuelan chocolate I'm still debating what I'm going to do with (I never did eat it and have no idea where it ended up). Everyone else made THEIR purchases, and we were safe.

Unfortunately, quite a few people showed up closer to the 4 p.m. hour and planted themselves with friends in line IN FRONT of us, so it was a mystery as to whether or not we were even going to MAKE IT in with the first 100 people. Lucky for us, when the receipts were being exchanged for green ADMIT ONE tickets, we ended up being 88-91! Talk about your close calls!

See how huge their sign is? I had no hope! Or did I? Photo by Shawna Canavesio

4 p.m. rolls around, we're allowed onto the patio, and it's playing the waiting game once more. Across the street, two different barricades were set up at the corners and tons of fans showed up and lined up there. The barricade over to our left across the street had girls with a HUGE hot pink banner that said, "Orlando! We came 10,000 miles for you!"

I had made a sign that said/says, "Came from Chicago to see The Bloom" so when I saw their big ass sign, clearly blowing my mileage out of the water, I became discouraged No way I could compete, so there was NO way luck was on my side this night.

Celebs finally start showing up around 6, if I remember right, and to our complete and utter DISMAY...they are going to EVERY OTHER FAN SECTION BUT OURS!! Yeah, us people who PAID to get onto the patio and WAITED IN LINE ALL DAY...we got ROYALLY screwed! Security was just NOT allowing ANY of the stars over to us at all. They waved, but that was it

When Orlando finally appeared, the fans went NUTS! I keep comparing what happened when he arrived to what would happen when the Beatles showed up...an "Or-lan-do! Or-lan-do!" chant started quite a few times, with not only females but MALES (well, at least one REALLY ... let’s say VOCAL one in our section) too!

Bless his beautiful heart...AS SOON as he gets out of the limo, Orlando RUNS to the end of the section of fans right next to his car and starts signing/taking pics/saying hi to the fans! Doesn't stop to pose for any press cameras or even really wave at the crowds...he just sprinted over and started. He worked his way down a healthy section of the crowd, and when he got...I'd say 3/4 of the way down, he found himself face-to-face with the "hot pink banner" fans. I watched him stop for them, give them hugs, turn and take pics (yes, HE took the pics!) with them....before his arm was practically yanked out of the socket by his "handlers" and he was whisked away. He looked apologetically at the crowds and made the "I'll be back for another round" signal with his right hand. And then he was gone!

Fast forward to a while later, and my friend Von (to my right) starts BEATING my arm like crazy! I heard fans going wild over to my left so I was trying to see what the commotion was about (practically impossible with all the taller people in front of me), and she points to in front of us and goes, "There he is!" I look and sure enough, sprinting (almost at a skip, I'd say ) across the street...not 15 yards from us, was Orli *sigh* He went over to the section of fans across the street he had NOT gotten to before. Went all the way down the line touching hands before stopping to take more pics and sign stuff, coming back the way he came.

Once he was finished, he had to come back across the street, right? Well, Von and I were there. She was trying to tape the thing with the video camera, and I didn't have my zoom lens camera with me and wasn't about to waste my energy with my digi cam, so I decided I'd hold up my "Came from Chicago to see The Bloom" sign

I held it up, and OH MY WILL! I think he saw it! He pointed right over at us (in our direction), smiled, and made gestures and mouthed that he WANTED to come over, but couldn't. He did a little apologetic pout before security made sure he went back to the red carpet! AHHHHHH! I think OB looked at me and wanted to come over!! My night was complete. It had to be. The movie was minutes away from starting, NO stars had been allowed over by us, so I had to be satisfied with my OB sighting for the night.

Robin Williams in an attention getting suit! Photo by Shawna.

Adrian Brody smiles at the fans! Photo by Shawna.

Since we were right by the entrance of one of the two theaters the premiere was being held in, we got to see LOTS of stars go into the premiere (Robin Williams, Rob Schneider, Adrian Brody, Joel from Good Charlotte, Kevin Smith just to name a few), and RIGHT before the movie was SCHEDULED to start at 7 or 7:30 p.m., practically EVERYONE from LotR walked by real fast into the theater. Including dear Orli, who waved at our ignored and lonely section and smiled And before I knew it, it was over! He was gone, as was everyone else. The movie had begun....what was left?

Well, we'd heard that the week before at the Last Samurai premiere, Tom Cruise came and signed/took pics with fans during the movie since he'd seen it already. So, Shawna/Von/Nelly decided we should stick around and play our cards. I was so frustrated with the fact we PAID to be there, stood in line ALL DAY to be there, and then weren’t really allowed any access to the actors while other fans were (I blame it on security, not on the actors themselves) that I really didn't want to stick around 3.5 hours and wait for the movie to let out. And even if we did, I was convinced everyone would just sprint out of the theater into the awaiting limos! But of course, majority rules, so we stayed.

I was complaining to my friend Von as we sat down on the hard a$$ concrete that had ALL our feet and backs aching by the end of the night....I said we might as well go because we were all tired, hungry, achy, and kind of disappointed at the scattered nature of what had happened....and she said no, we were staying. Not 10-15 minutes after she said that, the fans who stuck around in my section start going nuts!

Sir Ian McKellen stops for a smoke before visiting with fans. Photo by Shawna.

Sir Ian McKellen had come out of the theater, and bless his heart, he came over the red rope to sign autographs for fans! Then, Sean Astin came out as well as Dom...I don't believe they stopped for my section...but they were seen...and then, NUTSO CUCKOO again as the beautiful brown eyed Brit appeared. And guess what? He stopped to sign and take pics too!

Orlando runs over to the fans. Photo by Shawna.

Funny thing is, there were BUSHES in front of the guardrail of MOST of our section, so people were kind of THROWING things at him to get signed and he was such a doll as he signed them and threw them back! I have video of him doing this at least once and offering up a heartbreaking WINK as well Well, everyone was going crazy, so I decided to stick in my spot which was behind the guardrail/bush and hope he came all the way around. At this point, I had NO idea where any of my girls were, I was too flustered for words.

As he's coming around the corner, everyone BUM RUSHES the rail. I felt like I was going to die. It was SCARY! These fans were NOT kind, people. They just pushed and shoved into me, trying to steal any spot, not caring who they were hurting. One of the cops saw that the rail was kind of buckling and...as he looks AT ME (like it’s MY darn fault) and says, "Back up! If you don't back up, we're leaving!" I say to him, "I can't! I can't!" but the pressure did ease up a bit, enough so I could breathe again AND so some...other fan...snuck up in front of me

So OB is coming around the corner, and I know I can't get a picture with him (pretty much my whole GOAL on this night because of my previous photo disappointment) because this girl is between him and I, so I decide to hold up my stupid sign. As he's coming around signing and snapping pics (again, he knows how to use a disposeable!), he's pretty much right in front of me, k? And he LOOKS UP AT MY SIGN!!! He reads it...with this adorable expression of befuddlement...as if to say, "WHY would anyone come from Chicago to see ME?!?!" Then he LOOKS DIRECTLY AT ME...IN MY FREAKIN' EYES...and this is OVER the tops of people and AROUND them as well....and he says to me with a smile, "Thank you for coming!"

This is Orlando Bloom reaching up to sign my dang sign!! Photo by Shawna.

A mesmerizing shot of Orlando’s mouth, and hand holding my sign as he autographs it! Photo by Janelle M.

I have no idea if I was conscious at this point, but I BELIEVE I smiled and nodded. I was kind of in a statue state...standing there with my hands in the air holding this sign...and the most beautiful man in the WORLD looking at me and acknowledging my existance. Then....he asks me, "Do you want me to sign it?" I have NO idea if I nodded or he took the initiative, and in all honesty, I don’t believe I did ANYTHING! I think I stood there looking completely helpless and mental! D’OH! But, God Bless him, he REACHES UP OVER PEOPLE and (with his own Sharpie...how much of a doll is he?!?!) AUTOGRAPHS MY SIGN!!!!

When he's done, I pull it down and start freaking out to Shawna who was next to me (I knew she was there...at some point while waiting for OB to come around to where I was, I saw her next to me. She had been ready to try and take a picture of OB and myself but that girl snuck in front of us). So I'm prepared to read a hastily signed "Orlando Bloom" on my sign, right? Do you KNOW what is written in beautiful black scribble handwriting nice and BIG on my sign??

The sign that got me my Orlando autograph.

A close-up of the autograph.

Yes, folks, he THANKED ME FOR COMING IN WRITING!! Could you NOT die?!?! I should've thanked HIM for being BORN, but of course, you don't have anything to say 'til the moment is gone. And yes, there is a VERY VISIBLE HEART above the "OB" and then the "X" is next to his name (at first, didn’t know why, but apparently “X” signifies a hug so I’m all a flutter about it ).

Signing a very grateful young fan’s bear. Photo by me!

Since he was still going down the line for people, I ran down to the end to snap some photos with the digi. Got some nice ones too As he's coming down, a man and his 4 or 5 year old daughter are next to me, and they had been DESPERATELY trying to get OB to sign this teddy bear for the girl (you can see it...the big red thing...in Shawna’s pic of OB autographing my sign)! They had it held out to him, but the man's reach wasn't quite long enough, so I grabbed the bear from his hand and held it out myself since I was a bit in front of them. It ended up right in Orlando's face, and he grabbed it as the man was pleading with him to sign it.

"Yeah, sure, but where?" The man was asking for a signature on the tag, but bless his beautiful heart, Orlando turned it over and signed it on the back. He put it back in my hand, I gave it to the man, and that man was SO happy he'd gotten it for his daughter! And that girl was SO proud! She was showing it off to everyone from Shawna to the security cop stationed at the Starbucks door! And that made me smile

Mugging for the crowds across the street. Photo by me.

Orlando hung around for a bit more as he waited for his limo. He kept gesturing to the crowds across the street (throwing his fists up in the air and making goofy faces, shouting "I love you!" to them), said hi/bye to Liv Tyler who got in her limo right in front of us, and was just all around adorable. Then he got in a limo and was gone....and I was left with my goofy ass sign announcing my touristy ways with a GENUINE and UNIQUE ORLANDO BLOOM AUTOGRAPH!!

Oh, and the great part? My friend Von managed to get OB SIGNING MY SIGN....ON VIDEO, as well as some really great awesome footage after that. Not to mention my friends Nelly AND Shawna both snapping a pic of Orlando SIGNING MY SIGN, too!! Can you believe that?!? I have 3 momentos of that ridiculously lucky & historic moment!! It’s funny...my whole goal had been to try and get a photo of myself with Orlando...NEVER thought about trying for an autograph, but I’m SO unbelievably grateful for it! It’s true when it’s said, “When one door closes, another opens!” *sigh* I'm forever indebted to my fellow River Rats for making this happen for me! *BIG THANK YOU HUGS* to them!!