That Time I Met Sam Winchester (AKA Jared Padalecki)

Today is the series finale of the show, SUPERNATURAL. I've truly enjoyed watching this show about two brothers and the family business of "saving people, hunting things" and it reminds me of the time when I actually got to meet one of the demon hunting brothers.

Before the divorce, I used to watch a lot of television.

A. Lot.

There were shows that Mr. Ex and I used to watch together (ex: The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones), shows we used to watch individually, and shows we used to watch together, but eventually, he or I dropped out. Supernatural was that third option. For him.

To put it into perspective:

• Mr. Ex and I met in 2001
• Supernatural started, on the WB network, in 2005
• Mr. Ex and I got married in 2006
• Our marriage ended in 2018
• Supernatural is ending, on the CW network, in 2020
  
• I watched this show during my marriage
• This show lasted longer than my marriage

To say that I was hooked from the get-go was a no-brainer. I was a fan of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. I watched both of these shows until they ended. I was pretty much digging the whole supernatural world anyway, so when I saw trailers for this show, with major eye candy from the lead actors? HELLS YEAH, I was all in.

Little did I know that I would be all in until the very end.

The classic 80's rock.

The 1967 black Impala known as Baby. With the hidden floor full of weapons.

Two hawt guys hunting demons every week...and all the help they would get along the way.

This was a no-miss weekly show for me.

In 2015, Mr. Ex had come across an ad for the Supernatural Convention. I had no idea a convention existed for this show. The only convention I was familiar with was San Diego ComicCon. But the fact that a convention was centered around this one show that I loved? How fucking awesome was that? I was going to go, come hell or high water. And I could get pictures taken with my favorite brother? Color me out of my mind with excitement.

Until we looked at the price. <whomp-whomp>

I honestly don't remember how much it cost for the convention itself, but for both of us to go and get a picture with BOTH guys wasn't in the financial cards. Unfortunately for Mr. Ex, he had to go out of town the weekend of the convention, so he couldn't go anyway.

So, he paid for me to go.

To the convention and a pic with Sam Winchester, aka Jared Padalecki.

My Golden Ticket

Needless to say, I was STOKED. I got my pic taken with Baby.

Me 'n' A Baby

Well, at least ONE of the Baby's. There were a couple of them there on display.

Picked up some keepsakes.

This sticker is plastered on my laptop

---

This necklace hangs around the rearview mirror in my car

Watched the panels in the conference rooms. And enjoyed the cardboard eye candy that was Jared.

Especially the one with both Jared and Jensen (Dean Winchester). I don't think those two have ever worked together before this show, but at this point, they were as close as real brothers. When responding to questions, Jensen was kind of to the point and a little straightforward. And then Jared would jump in and further expound on that response. Their chemistry was amazing to see and they were SO humble, and grateful, and excited to meet and greet their fans.

And, oh yeah, I got my pic taken with Jared.

For the record...he's tall. I'm like 5'5 and Jared is around 6'1, 6'2 I think. And he was willing to do just about anything with his fans. Crazy, cheezy, whatever...he was down for it. I wanted to emphasize the height difference, so I suggested the back to back pose.

"I'm kinda tall. You want me to bend down?" he'd asked.

"No, no! This is perfect," I'd said.

And it was.

He was so approachable and friendly.

And now, after 15 years, we're at the end of the road.

15 long years of the Winchester boys killing demons, finding their Mom, losing her again, finding their Dad, then losing him again...then seeing him again...then losing him again...losing friends...having a couple of them come back...then losing them again...Sam dying, only to have Dean bring him back by making a deal with the devil...Dean dying (like, at least 200 times in that one episode) and then Sam bringing him back by making a deal with the devil....killing Death...gaining an ally in an angel...fighting God. Literally.

Shit, I'm tired just listing all that. Can you imagine how tired they are? And that's not half of what went down on this show.

I was invested from Day One because it reminded me of me and my older sister: two brothers against the world. Two sisters against the world.

Granted, our mother wasn't killed by a demon.

And our father wasn't a demon hunter.

And they're both still alive, Thank God.

And we aren't demon hunters (even though our world is full of demons).

In the end, this show was about family.

What would you do for your family?

What would you do to fight for your family?

Would you fight their demons? Would you go through Hell? Fuck yes.

That's the kind of Family Business I can get behind.

Thank you Jared and Jensen for being part of such a great, fantastic show.

I will ALWAYS be glad I "joined the hunt".