GISHWHES: Misha In The Wild

2016.08.01 - Bellingham, Wa.

This was my second year doing Misha Collins’ GISHWHES and I was excited to represent my awesome team in this fun and philanthropic event. 
One of the items added after the initial release was this one:

PHOTO. If you, dear reader, happen to be someone who knows my mother, don’t spoil the fun by telling her about this… My mom doesn’t care that I'm on TV, she’s just not impressed. However, she turns into your typical proud mother when you bring up gishwhes. She loves GISHWHES and she hates that I won’t let her be on a team (but come on, how bad would it look if my mom’s team won?) Anyway, she loves gishwhes—she also loves birthdays. It just so happens that tomorrow, Monday, August 1st, is my mother's 70th birthday. Let's combine two of her favorite things: birthdays and gishwhes. I have secretly planted a GPS tracking device on my mother. Help me surprise her between the hours of 11:30AM and 1PM by showing up and saying happy birthday to her! Follow this link http://bit.ly/2astpwS to see exactly where we are. (Hint: It’ll be in the vicinity of Bellingham, WA.) Take a photo of yourself with my Mom in the background to submit as proof you completed this item.

I was on summer vacation so off I went across the border to Bellingham (about 45 minutes from my place) to attempt to complete this mission.  The link took us to a GPS tracker that sat at a Woods Coffee in Bellingham the night before so I knew that would be our first destination.  Once we were across the border any kind of cell phone data would be ridiculously expensive so we were wi-fi only and hoped that Misha would choose places with lots of technology around so we could not get too lost.

We arrived at Woods Coffee to find a whole bunch of people standing around, many with gifts, balloons and cakes for Misha’s mom in honour of her birthday.  We had also stopped and picked up some treats at Safeway nearby (who shows up at someone’s birthday empty handed?).  People were hanging out outside on this beautiful sunny day and waiting to see what was going to happen next.  Everyone was pretty friendly and chatty and we quickly joined the group of happy GISH-ers.  About 15 minutes later people started leaving.  I used my Woods Coffee Wifi enabled phone and found that indeed the tracker had moved to a place called ‘Elisabeth Park’.  Off we went to the car and rolled out en masse. 

Without the use of GPS on the road we got a little lost and by the time we got to that park, there were only a couple of people around.  We struck up a conversation with another local GISH-er who had access to data and she confirmed that they had moved to Sqalicum Creek Park.  With her permission, we followed her to the other park a little ways away (hilariously off of ‘West St.’).  Upon pulling in we saw a mass of vehicles at the park and a huge mob of people around Misha and his mother, Rebecca.  Probably about 200.  We parked and walked back to the group, well aware that we only needed a photo of her in the background.  However, MammaMisha seemed quite happy and a little bit awestruck at all of the attention as people were taking photos with her, like, next-to-arm-around photos.  She seemed really sweet and very patient at all the attention (apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, that’s for sure). 

The crowd continued to grow and swamp both Misha and his mother and they were literally still in the parking lot of the park.  Cars and kids everywhere. Misha said later that something happened with the tracker and it actually arrived there before they did so there were people waiting when they pulled in.  There were  GISH-ers dressed in different costumes, even a dog dressed as Castiel.  I ran into another Vancouver friend of mine who had come down for GISHWHES as well.  People were really friendly and there wasn’t any fan discourse but it was pretty crazy with that amount of people.

Misha tried to move the group up the hill and away from the parking lot further into the park and he took a great deal of the crowd with him. After many attempts, finally managed to get a photo with Mom (Rebecca) in the background to complete my item but I kind of wanted a better one since it was really tough to get a decent photo with all the people around. Plus, I kind of wanted to see what was going to transpire.  My friend who I was with had never met Misha so she wanted to stick around to see if she could get a quick photo with him.  It was a beautiful day and a good chance to get some photos of Misha as well.  As I got close to Rebecca with my gift of cake, however, people really started to get antsy about getting gout of the parking lot, myself included. 

The crowd moved a little ways up onto the hill but then paused again as it cross-contaminated with Misha’s crowd.  I looked over at Misha and saw that he had West and Maison with him.  At one point I noticed he was standing with his hands covering … well, lets just say he was protecting himself from West’s flying hands and jumping body.

After a little longer there was finally a solid decision to move the party to the picnic area which had benches and tables.  Again, at that time, I had worked my way right next to MammaMisha but it seemed like a good idea to just get everyone somewhere safe.  Slowly but surely the throng of people shuffled and photo’d their way into the picnic area.  I was very close to Rebecca as we moved the group and as we finally got to the tables there were more people jumping in.  That was fine with me as I really had completed my Gish-ion and people were putting their gifts down onto a couple of picnic tables where Rebecca had set up.  

I did want to wish her a happy birthday, though so I kind of slowly worked in and right when I was next to her, Misha appeared from down the hill where he had been taking photos.  He came next to his mother, which is where I was, so he was right next to me. 

Misha hopped up on the bench right next to me and said that the idea of this GISH item was for the participants to get photos of them from a distance, since that was the task, to get them picking blackberries or something and they could go about their day.  This wasn’t quite a complaint as he was smiling and near laughing.  The crowd laughed along and I said in a loud enough voice for him to hear ‘Have you MET you?’  Anyone around him for 5 minutes knows that this is not how things work with Misha.  Ever.

Districted by his phone, Misha took a look at it and then asked the crowd if anyone knew anyone at the event in San Francisco.  There was an event there involving a water balloon fight at that time.  Looking quite concerned suddenly, Misha asked the girl who said she did know someone to call or text the person they know there right now and ask if the police are arresting people.  That certainly quieted the crowd for a minute while she made a call. Misha kept working his phone and then a few seconds later, obviously relieved, he says it’s alright.  The turnaround was so fast it makes me wonder if it was a prank from someone who would enjoy torturing Misha (gee who could that be? Haha).  Misha explained that he and his family are going to head up the hill and let people complete the task by taking selfies with them in the background, the what the item was designed as originally.  

He headed up there and I hopped up on the picnic bench taking photos of him, his mother and kids up the hill just kind of posing and laughing for the group to do what they originally set out to do.  It was sweet to see Misha with his family just goofing around. A few choruses of Happy Birthday were sung and everyone seemed pretty pleased.

The hordes had moved a little ways up out of the picnic shelter to get good shots of themselves with the group and there were just a few of us left next to the huge collection of stuff that people had brought for Rebecca’s birthday.  Two massive picnic tables covered in stuff. I started thinking about the Collins' getting all of this stuff out of there.  There’s no way they were going to be able to carry it just the two of them (with the kids but we all know how helpful kids can be).  But I also didn’t want to make any assumptions and stalk them to their car.   After a couple of minutes Misha moved like they were going to leave but then came back down to the tables, again right next to me. As he approached I asked “Hey, you want a hand getting all this to your car?”  Misha answered “That would be good, yeah.”  Okay. 

Myself and a few others started collecting stuff up, as much as we could carry to help.  I picked up a gift bag and a bunch of flowers, balloons, anything I could carry. Suddenly, West is there and asking his Dad to tie a balloon to his wrist.  Misha sat down directly in front of me and worked to tie a balloon to his son.  I’m standing there holding the bag (literally) and working to not drop everything on Misha and his kids. I noticed that my friend that I came down with was standing right across the table.  I started to indicate that she should take a couple of photos since I’m standing directly next to Misha.  She started taking some of him.  I’m started to gesture more, NO, BOTH! Which I’m not going to lie was difficult with my hands so full.  I hold the bag and balloons up so that I’m visible in the picture as she snaps a couple for me.

A girl nearby noticed that I was wearing a ‘Misha’s Minions’ shirt.  She commented that she liked it.  I told her thanks.  I admitted that I couldn’t resist wearing my Misha shirt, especially since the GISHWHES one I ordered hadn’t arrived yet.  Misha obviously heard and groaned/grunted in front of me.  Must be some kind of problems going on.
He sure didn’t sound too happy.

He was still working to tie the balloon to his son when his phone started ringing.  He answered it, still sitting in front of me, and finally finished with West’s balloon.  As he was talking Maison also wanted a balloon tied to her wrist.  Misha moved a little faster with this one and got it tied to his daughter.  As he’s talking on the phone and not paying attention really, he reached up in an effort to take some flowers from me.  Problem is, he wasn’t looking and I couldn’t let go of just what he was trying to get.  If I had I would have lost everything else in my hands to the ground.  He wraps his hand around mine and the flowers and tries to take them.  I don’t let go but I can’t say anything because he’s on the phone and I don’t want to interrupt him.  He tries again a few times, tightening his hand over mine and then letting go.  Finally, he gave up and starts toward the car, still on the phone. People were already out of the picnic area and the mob gathered around him rather quickly. 

I hung back a bit and I heard Misha finish his phone call and then tell us the make and model of the van that we were looking for.  Misha semi-leading the mob and me a little ways behind. I noticed as we walked a little Collins kind of next to me. Maison wasn’t walking with her dad, she had fallen behind in the crowd.  I leaned down to her and asked if she could see her Dad up ahead. I stayed with her just to be sure until we made it to the car.

We arrive at the car and Misha had to search for his keys.  The bunch of us with the items waited while he doubled back to find them.  I realized he was not only looking for his keys, but his wife as well. He located both of them and unlocked the vehicle.  The kids scrambled into the back.  People were asking for photos with him and he was happy to oblige in the parking lot, in front of the car and up the side.  He told us to just load it all into the small trunk area of his van and left us to it.  He then realized that he has also lost his mother in the crowd.  Locating her and seeming like he was getting ready to go he asked if anyone wasn’t around earlier to take photos on the hill.  A few people said they didn’t get what they needed.

He headed off to the front of the van and stood with his mom so people could take their photos of them.  More choruses of Happy Birthday were sung.  Whatever photos they needed people managed to get and then people started to ask for photos with him again and with Rebecca.  He happily and patiently obliged all questions for photos and as I stood patiently near the side of his van and waited for my friend to get a photo with him he seemed in less and less of a hurry.  I saw my friend get what she wanted and I was SUPER happy for her.  She came back over to me and I admitted that seeing him so casual, happy and not in a hurry made me think maybe I should grab a quick photo with him too.  It’s not often I get to see a wild Misha in street clothes.  Plus, I was wearing a Misha’s Minions shirt.  Too perfect.  

Most of the crowd has dissipated now and so I worked up the courage to go and ask.  Quickly my opportunity came and I asked him if I could grab a quick photo with him.  I smiled hesitantly and said that I’ve seen him on sets up in Vancouver but I don’t have one with my Misha shirt on.  He looks at me again and seems to recognize me saying ‘Oh hey, how ARE you?’  Brain….. ….. ….. …. …. … … … …. … ?!?.  I think I said good. There I was doing well, interacting with Misha like a normal person.  But then he kind of remembers me.  He threw his arm around my shoulder, I ducked down a little (I’m taller than him) and we snapped a photo.  I thanked him and left him alone from there.  I also noticed that Rebecca had disappeared from the area.  Missed Happy Birthday opportunity.  :( 

As we passed back by the van the kids were in it as well as Vicki in the passenger seat waiting patiently for her husband.  Windows and doors all open.  I came up the back side and just took a second to say ‘Thank you for putting up with us fans all the time.’  She thanked us for being fans.  When she asked I told her I had come down from Vancouver and we chatted a little bit about GISHWHES.  I didn’t want to keep her or make her feel awkward but she seemed happy to lead the conversation.  Keeping it short, though, I thanked her again and we left.

As we drove by we saw Misha finally making his way to the car. When I got home I saw a tweet cross my timeline, Chad Lindberg (Ash in Supernatural) had caught Misha on his way out and taken a photo of them at the car.  If we had stuck around another couple of minutes we would have seen him too! Ah well.  I guess that’s life sometimes. 

GISH on….


GISHWHES Bellingham 2016

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