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capri0mniSo now, the Gally report, continued. Where was I? Oh, yes. Went to bed Thursday night, wondering if the chair would work Friday morning.
Friday: So Audrey unplugs the chair from the charger, and goes to turn it on... and still nothing! She decides to open up the battery case to take a look at them, and when she touches the bottom of it, her hands are immediately covered with a black goop that won't wash off without a lot of scrubbing. So -- even though the acid in the batteries is in gel form, and is resitant to leaking and bubbling over, it must have anyway, or somthing.
The morning was wearing on, and I misremembered the start of registration as 9 am (was after 8, by this point) so I go to breakfast at the hotel restaurant in the manual chair (with help of very nice hotel waiter -- thank you, sir!), while Audrey goes to breakfast at Denny's.
Then, after breakfast, I park myself near the registration table, out of the stream of the milling crowds that are gathering (as I'm in the manual chair, I can't get out of folks' way as nimbly), and strike up a very nice conversation with LA Time Meddler Lin Daniel (the woman at the registration table with the "Hi, I'm Dory..." badge), about kitties we've loved, and the spiritual generosity of the universe. Can't help thinking: "Boy, I'm glad I had breakfast here... if I'd gone to Denny's, I'd be sitting at a table waiting for service, instead of making a new friend!"
(note: the exact timing of the following events is a blur. So, like the Doctor, I will just record them in "crazy paving stone fashion"... whatever that exact quote is.)
Finally get registered. Yes, Audrey and I are both on the list, which is something I'd been fretting about since August, as I never got confirmation in the mail.
At some point, Eric (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nexstarman) gives me a lift back to my room, and we pass by McGann slouching at the check-in counter. ... I have to take Eric's word for this, as I have no memory of it whatsoever -- didn't even hear folks saying: "There's Paul McGann!" to each other... Oh well, I must be celebrity-blind or something.
I decide that the first event I want to go to, is the "Marco Polo" recon, as this is likely my only chance to see it, and it is famous for being a classic. I think I get Audrey to push me there, but I tell her it's in "Carnaby Street" instead of "Height-Ashbury" (cute, how all the names of the conference rooms are changed to fit the theme of the con: "Fifteen Minutes of Fame," but it is confusing). So instead, I see the McCoy/McGann tribute, as well as getting to see Shaun and volunteers trying to get the video equipment to work... I love watching volunteers... must be because it brings back the days of my childhood when my mother was active in the environmental movement.
I am impressed with the TARDIS that's on display by the main stage -- especially how much smaller it is on the outside than the inside. ... You don't get the true sense of its scale on the TV, and it strikes me how big of a shock that first image of the TARDIS interior must have been to that audience, back in '63.
After the Sylv/Paul tribute, I hitch a ride to the conference room across the hall, and catch the end of the Marco Polo recon. I am struck by how much slower the pacing is, compared to modern tv... It really is as though the Beeb was filming a stage play... it has that sense, and I am reminded that the BBC drama department was behind Doctor Who from the beginning. It makes the cardboard sets seem much more fitting.
I think I run intogordon_r_d a few more times, and every time we part, he gives me one of those one-armed hugs from the back, and the wheelchair keeps getting in my way of truly returning his hugs. I vow to myself to give him a real hug before I leave.
Audrey returns from the medical supply place and tells me that my credit card was declined when she tried to use it to pay for the new batteries, but not to worry about it, as it may have been due to computer problems at the shop in question. So, the chair goes back onto the charger all day, and I continue "hitching rides" with people to get back and forth. It occurs to me that I ought to be dressed in tie-dye, and carrying cardboard signs that say things like: "Height-Ashbury or Bust!" so that I'd fit in nicely with the '60's theme. This idea amuses me.
Friday night, Audrey decides she wants to see the karaoke, so I go along. I am impressed with how good the good singers are, and how horrid the bad singers are. Pete (theta_g) makes a hit with his enthusiastic rendition of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". And someone I don't know does a fabulous filk of "piano man" only he's changed all the lyrics to make it about Spiderman: the movie. This tickles me.
My Chair Finishes Charging Just as I am About to Go to Bed :::Wild applause!:::
Saturday: I am finally on my own, and as I toodle around at my own pace, it suddenly strikes me: something about this con is pleasingly familiar, but it takes me a while to put my finger on it. Eventually, I do: It has the same feeling in the air as my old high school, Poughkeepsie Day. This won't mean anything to you readers, as none of you attended with me, but this was a school where the whole cultural ethos was dedicated to fostering creativity and community spirit. The times I spent there were among the happiest in my life (in fact, the interview with teachers before I graduated -- the final goodbyes and what-have-you-learned-and-taught review -- brought me to tears). So the fact that being among "Who" fans brought that back is more deep and meaningful than I can express to a non-PDS alumnus/a.
gordon_r_d and I go to lunch at Beeps at some point ... It's a bit of an adventure to find curb cuts on both sides of the street, but that is not unusual. The weather is lovely, and we had a nice conversation. I was so thirsty that I opted for water rather than one of their famous shakes, thinking I'd get another opportunity to try one. I never did. Oh, well, lesson learned.
Am sitting watching "Reign of Terror" (another recon I always wanted to see), when Audrey comes to find me... my credit card had been declined again... so I go through a bit of a panic as I try to find my way back to my room and call the company to see what's up. Turns out, they put a security lock on the card, due to all the unusual charges that were cropping up in multiple states (It sure must have looked like a fugitive from justice on the surface of things). Another lesson learned: Next time, I'll either check in with the company sooner, to confirm charges before the lock's there, or call ahead and tell a service representative that I will be making these charges before I leave. I miss a good bit of the second episode, but am able to catch the end of the serial. Am struck, again, how much like stage drama these stories are, and I get to see (hear) the British acting tradition of saying "rhubarb" for crowd scenes. This amuses me, as it is a humorous detail that has cropped up in several of the Pro-Fun Troll Round Robins I have hosted. I notice for the first time (I don't know if I saw this on Friday, in the Marco Polo recon) that in the title sequence Doctor Who starts out as Doctor OHO, as if it were written in alien script, or perhaps Greek letters -- anyone have any info on this?
I miss the Paul Darrow and Sylvester McCoy and Janet Fielding panel, whichnexstarman tells me about, saying it would behoove me to get a video of it from someone, as history was made in Who fandom... on a par with the water pistol shootout between Troughton and Pertwee. (o_O) I also miss the costume contest, but I can't miss the woman in full French Regency (I think) garb walking through the lobby with a cell phone in hand. And it's also hard to miss the Dalek seen about the grounds, later.
That night, I checked out the Mystery Theater (take-off on MST3K) send up of the TV Movie. I intended to stay only for the first few minutes, but I ended up staying for the whole thing. I laughed way too hard.
Sunday: I plan to see "The Awakening: Women and Doctor Who" before I even knew thatalryssa and swiftangel are on the panel. The McGann panel is right before it, across the hall, so I peek in, just out of curiosity, and am there to catch someone ask him if he's had a good time, and his answer that he had a "blast." and that yes, he would like to maybe go to Chicago TARDIS. There is much happy applause, at this. And as a pro-fun troll in life as well as on line, I am tickled that the guest of honor had fun, himself. Because that really is what it's all about (along with the Hokey Pokey).
I get to meettrinalin finally, and get a good hug from her, and my pic taken, though I wish we had time for more than that ...
gordon_r_d and I slip across the hall to the "Women in Who" panel, and while we are waiting for Kate Orman to arrive, McGann pops his head in to thank alryssa for (iirc) the dinner the PMEB hosted the night before. The discussion, led by Orman, is a fascinating one, with a slightly different slant than advertised: not that women are gaining stronger roles in "Who," but that Doctor Who has always been a women's show. The Doctor may be the title character, but he never grows or changes through the series -- the stories themselves are about the women who are the companions -- how they change and grow and learn to deal with the chaos of time and space without being reduced to the romantic interest of the male lead. A bit of an argument arises over whether this dynamic is changed by the TVM, and the line "I'm half-human on my mother's side" (personally, I think the dynamic was changed -- but more by the repeated kissing between Grace and the Doctor in another scene than by one throw away line). However, as Orman pointed out, Grace is still the more active character of the two of them. This discussion gives me much to think about.
Much later that night,gordon_r_d and I wander the hallways, trying to find ravenevermore's room for his room party. Along the way, we meet up with alryssa and mcganndoc. ravenevermore is not there (though music is heard playing), so the four of us troupe through the corridors looking for him. The fact that all the corridors look remarkably alike, and we are getting lost amuses me, considering which sci-fi show we're here to honor... as you can probably tell by now, I am easily amused. Eventually, the gathering comes together, and I nibble on some chocolate allsorts, and taste a jaffa cake for the first time. ravenevermore has come up with a potent alchoholic concoction which tastes remarkably like said jaffa cakes. As I do not drink alchohol, I take the others' words for it. alryssa picks out some mardi-gras beads for me, from whomiga's collection. The hard work that gordon_r_d put into the Stepmania game especially for this party is evident, and a grand time is had by all. I am deeply impressed that even after several "Liquid Jaffa Cakes" each (not to mention the booze from the hotel's bar, earlier), everyone there is just as kind and generous and creative drunk as they are sober. This means their kindness, generosity and creativity are deep and real, and not an act. I tumble into bed that night feeling that not only am I loved and supported, but that I am loved and supported by good people. Can't ask for more than that!
Monday: Audrey is up and packing early, and she leaves me to get breakfast in the hotel restaurant.theta_g and I exchange good mornings, and he joins me at the table. For the first time, really, since the start of the con, he and I have a chance to talk. It's a quality conversation, about the chances life throws at us, the limits on Murphy's Law, and "Life, The Universe, and Everything." He makes sure to hug me before we part as I am checking out, and he is off to the cricket game.
I get back to the room, to discover that Audrey will be ready to leave at 10:00, rather than 11:00, as she has been assuring me all weekend. This sends me into a rushed search foralryssa, mcganndoc and gordon_r_d to say my good-byes to. nexstarman gives me a good, deep hug, and compliments me on my hugging skills. Instead of simply saying "Thank you," I put my foot in my mouth and say: "I know." :-/
But I seegordon_r_d soon after, and finally get that full two-armed hug I've been wanting to get and receive all weekend. He and I sit quietly for a while, and talk about our chances of meeting again in the flesh, and soon (or at least, sooner than next year). I really would like that, if we can figure out how.
Then Audrey collects me, as she is ready to go, and Gordon watches as the luggage and I am packed into the van. I'm sorry that I didn't get one last hug fromalryssa, but I trust Gordon to pass my love onto her.
And then, the long road trip back to to VA begins, and I'm left with all these images and ideas in my head, which I keep silently to myself. Most of all, I have memories of hugs, which inspired the icon you see here (Photo taken bytrinalin -- thanks for letting me snag it!) My fandom is cuddly! and that's why I love it! I hereby set forth a "Cuddly" icon challenge: Make your own cuddly icon, with your own favorite cuddly Who image! I dare ya! ;-)
If I could do one thing differently next year, it would be to pay more attention to the schedule ahead of time... I pooh-poohed the idea of attending panels, this year, and I think I missed out on some interesting things because of it. The scheduled events are also great meeting places, and if I had a better sense of them, I might have spent more time with friends, and less time looking for them.
Ah, well... live and learn!
Friday: So Audrey unplugs the chair from the charger, and goes to turn it on... and still nothing! She decides to open up the battery case to take a look at them, and when she touches the bottom of it, her hands are immediately covered with a black goop that won't wash off without a lot of scrubbing. So -- even though the acid in the batteries is in gel form, and is resitant to leaking and bubbling over, it must have anyway, or somthing.
The morning was wearing on, and I misremembered the start of registration as 9 am (was after 8, by this point) so I go to breakfast at the hotel restaurant in the manual chair (with help of very nice hotel waiter -- thank you, sir!), while Audrey goes to breakfast at Denny's.
Then, after breakfast, I park myself near the registration table, out of the stream of the milling crowds that are gathering (as I'm in the manual chair, I can't get out of folks' way as nimbly), and strike up a very nice conversation with LA Time Meddler Lin Daniel (the woman at the registration table with the "Hi, I'm Dory..." badge), about kitties we've loved, and the spiritual generosity of the universe. Can't help thinking: "Boy, I'm glad I had breakfast here... if I'd gone to Denny's, I'd be sitting at a table waiting for service, instead of making a new friend!"
(note: the exact timing of the following events is a blur. So, like the Doctor, I will just record them in "crazy paving stone fashion"... whatever that exact quote is.)
Finally get registered. Yes, Audrey and I are both on the list, which is something I'd been fretting about since August, as I never got confirmation in the mail.
At some point, Eric (
nexstarman) gives me a lift back to my room, and we pass by McGann slouching at the check-in counter. ... I have to take Eric's word for this, as I have no memory of it whatsoever -- didn't even hear folks saying: "There's Paul McGann!" to each other... Oh well, I must be celebrity-blind or something.I decide that the first event I want to go to, is the "Marco Polo" recon, as this is likely my only chance to see it, and it is famous for being a classic. I think I get Audrey to push me there, but I tell her it's in "Carnaby Street" instead of "Height-Ashbury" (cute, how all the names of the conference rooms are changed to fit the theme of the con: "Fifteen Minutes of Fame," but it is confusing). So instead, I see the McCoy/McGann tribute, as well as getting to see Shaun and volunteers trying to get the video equipment to work... I love watching volunteers... must be because it brings back the days of my childhood when my mother was active in the environmental movement.
I am impressed with the TARDIS that's on display by the main stage -- especially how much smaller it is on the outside than the inside. ... You don't get the true sense of its scale on the TV, and it strikes me how big of a shock that first image of the TARDIS interior must have been to that audience, back in '63.
After the Sylv/Paul tribute, I hitch a ride to the conference room across the hall, and catch the end of the Marco Polo recon. I am struck by how much slower the pacing is, compared to modern tv... It really is as though the Beeb was filming a stage play... it has that sense, and I am reminded that the BBC drama department was behind Doctor Who from the beginning. It makes the cardboard sets seem much more fitting.
I think I run into
gordon_r_d a few more times, and every time we part, he gives me one of those one-armed hugs from the back, and the wheelchair keeps getting in my way of truly returning his hugs. I vow to myself to give him a real hug before I leave.Audrey returns from the medical supply place and tells me that my credit card was declined when she tried to use it to pay for the new batteries, but not to worry about it, as it may have been due to computer problems at the shop in question. So, the chair goes back onto the charger all day, and I continue "hitching rides" with people to get back and forth. It occurs to me that I ought to be dressed in tie-dye, and carrying cardboard signs that say things like: "Height-Ashbury or Bust!" so that I'd fit in nicely with the '60's theme. This idea amuses me.
Friday night, Audrey decides she wants to see the karaoke, so I go along. I am impressed with how good the good singers are, and how horrid the bad singers are. Pete (
theta_g) makes a hit with his enthusiastic rendition of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". And someone I don't know does a fabulous filk of "piano man" only he's changed all the lyrics to make it about Spiderman: the movie. This tickles me.My Chair Finishes Charging Just as I am About to Go to Bed :::Wild applause!:::
Saturday: I am finally on my own, and as I toodle around at my own pace, it suddenly strikes me: something about this con is pleasingly familiar, but it takes me a while to put my finger on it. Eventually, I do: It has the same feeling in the air as my old high school, Poughkeepsie Day. This won't mean anything to you readers, as none of you attended with me, but this was a school where the whole cultural ethos was dedicated to fostering creativity and community spirit. The times I spent there were among the happiest in my life (in fact, the interview with teachers before I graduated -- the final goodbyes and what-have-you-learned-and-taught review -- brought me to tears). So the fact that being among "Who" fans brought that back is more deep and meaningful than I can express to a non-PDS alumnus/a.
gordon_r_d and I go to lunch at Beeps at some point ... It's a bit of an adventure to find curb cuts on both sides of the street, but that is not unusual. The weather is lovely, and we had a nice conversation. I was so thirsty that I opted for water rather than one of their famous shakes, thinking I'd get another opportunity to try one. I never did. Oh, well, lesson learned.Am sitting watching "Reign of Terror" (another recon I always wanted to see), when Audrey comes to find me... my credit card had been declined again... so I go through a bit of a panic as I try to find my way back to my room and call the company to see what's up. Turns out, they put a security lock on the card, due to all the unusual charges that were cropping up in multiple states (It sure must have looked like a fugitive from justice on the surface of things). Another lesson learned: Next time, I'll either check in with the company sooner, to confirm charges before the lock's there, or call ahead and tell a service representative that I will be making these charges before I leave. I miss a good bit of the second episode, but am able to catch the end of the serial. Am struck, again, how much like stage drama these stories are, and I get to see (hear) the British acting tradition of saying "rhubarb" for crowd scenes. This amuses me, as it is a humorous detail that has cropped up in several of the Pro-Fun Troll Round Robins I have hosted. I notice for the first time (I don't know if I saw this on Friday, in the Marco Polo recon) that in the title sequence Doctor Who starts out as Doctor OHO, as if it were written in alien script, or perhaps Greek letters -- anyone have any info on this?
I miss the Paul Darrow and Sylvester McCoy and Janet Fielding panel, which
nexstarman tells me about, saying it would behoove me to get a video of it from someone, as history was made in Who fandom... on a par with the water pistol shootout between Troughton and Pertwee. (o_O) I also miss the costume contest, but I can't miss the woman in full French Regency (I think) garb walking through the lobby with a cell phone in hand. And it's also hard to miss the Dalek seen about the grounds, later.That night, I checked out the Mystery Theater (take-off on MST3K) send up of the TV Movie. I intended to stay only for the first few minutes, but I ended up staying for the whole thing. I laughed way too hard.
Sunday: I plan to see "The Awakening: Women and Doctor Who" before I even knew that
alryssa and swiftangel are on the panel. The McGann panel is right before it, across the hall, so I peek in, just out of curiosity, and am there to catch someone ask him if he's had a good time, and his answer that he had a "blast." and that yes, he would like to maybe go to Chicago TARDIS. There is much happy applause, at this. And as a pro-fun troll in life as well as on line, I am tickled that the guest of honor had fun, himself. Because that really is what it's all about (along with the Hokey Pokey).I get to meet
trinalin finally, and get a good hug from her, and my pic taken, though I wish we had time for more than that ...gordon_r_d and I slip across the hall to the "Women in Who" panel, and while we are waiting for Kate Orman to arrive, McGann pops his head in to thank alryssa for (iirc) the dinner the PMEB hosted the night before. The discussion, led by Orman, is a fascinating one, with a slightly different slant than advertised: not that women are gaining stronger roles in "Who," but that Doctor Who has always been a women's show. The Doctor may be the title character, but he never grows or changes through the series -- the stories themselves are about the women who are the companions -- how they change and grow and learn to deal with the chaos of time and space without being reduced to the romantic interest of the male lead. A bit of an argument arises over whether this dynamic is changed by the TVM, and the line "I'm half-human on my mother's side" (personally, I think the dynamic was changed -- but more by the repeated kissing between Grace and the Doctor in another scene than by one throw away line). However, as Orman pointed out, Grace is still the more active character of the two of them. This discussion gives me much to think about.Much later that night,
gordon_r_d and I wander the hallways, trying to find ravenevermore's room for his room party. Along the way, we meet up with alryssa and mcganndoc. ravenevermore is not there (though music is heard playing), so the four of us troupe through the corridors looking for him. The fact that all the corridors look remarkably alike, and we are getting lost amuses me, considering which sci-fi show we're here to honor... as you can probably tell by now, I am easily amused. Eventually, the gathering comes together, and I nibble on some chocolate allsorts, and taste a jaffa cake for the first time. ravenevermore has come up with a potent alchoholic concoction which tastes remarkably like said jaffa cakes. As I do not drink alchohol, I take the others' words for it. alryssa picks out some mardi-gras beads for me, from whomiga's collection. The hard work that gordon_r_d put into the Stepmania game especially for this party is evident, and a grand time is had by all. I am deeply impressed that even after several "Liquid Jaffa Cakes" each (not to mention the booze from the hotel's bar, earlier), everyone there is just as kind and generous and creative drunk as they are sober. This means their kindness, generosity and creativity are deep and real, and not an act. I tumble into bed that night feeling that not only am I loved and supported, but that I am loved and supported by good people. Can't ask for more than that!Monday: Audrey is up and packing early, and she leaves me to get breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
theta_g and I exchange good mornings, and he joins me at the table. For the first time, really, since the start of the con, he and I have a chance to talk. It's a quality conversation, about the chances life throws at us, the limits on Murphy's Law, and "Life, The Universe, and Everything." He makes sure to hug me before we part as I am checking out, and he is off to the cricket game.I get back to the room, to discover that Audrey will be ready to leave at 10:00, rather than 11:00, as she has been assuring me all weekend. This sends me into a rushed search for
alryssa, mcganndoc and gordon_r_d to say my good-byes to. nexstarman gives me a good, deep hug, and compliments me on my hugging skills. Instead of simply saying "Thank you," I put my foot in my mouth and say: "I know." :-/But I see
gordon_r_d soon after, and finally get that full two-armed hug I've been wanting to get and receive all weekend. He and I sit quietly for a while, and talk about our chances of meeting again in the flesh, and soon (or at least, sooner than next year). I really would like that, if we can figure out how.Then Audrey collects me, as she is ready to go, and Gordon watches as the luggage and I am packed into the van. I'm sorry that I didn't get one last hug from
alryssa, but I trust Gordon to pass my love onto her. And then, the long road trip back to to VA begins, and I'm left with all these images and ideas in my head, which I keep silently to myself. Most of all, I have memories of hugs, which inspired the icon you see here (Photo taken by
trinalin -- thanks for letting me snag it!) My fandom is cuddly! and that's why I love it! I hereby set forth a "Cuddly" icon challenge: Make your own cuddly icon, with your own favorite cuddly Who image! I dare ya! ;-)If I could do one thing differently next year, it would be to pay more attention to the schedule ahead of time... I pooh-poohed the idea of attending panels, this year, and I think I missed out on some interesting things because of it. The scheduled events are also great meeting places, and if I had a better sense of them, I might have spent more time with friends, and less time looking for them.
Ah, well... live and learn!
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no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 11:32 am (UTC)*cuddles Ann*
*cuddles McGann*
no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 02:50 pm (UTC)... Anyone up for an "Operation: Snowgrouse" kidnap mission?
no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 03:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 03:47 pm (UTC)Do you have a wealthy admirer
we could send the ransom note toto whom we could apply for funds, perhaps on educational or philanthropic grounds?no subject
Date: 2004-03-05 05:06 am (UTC)Operation: Snowgrouse -- step one:
Date: 2004-03-05 09:37 am (UTC)hitpotential donor for theransom notegrant proposal.no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 01:20 pm (UTC)Yeah, I know - it was lovely seeing you. And thanks for getting the detailed account out. :-) (Still waiting on
I have memories of hugs, which inspired the icon you see here (Photo taken by trinalin -- thanks for letting me snag it!)
You're welcome! I like the icon! :-)
no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 02:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-04 04:44 pm (UTC)I wish... I think it was more my impromptu Dory impression that got his attention...
*dies of embarassment*
*CapriUni ressurects Alryssa...
Date: 2004-03-04 05:56 pm (UTC)Hey, Don't knock it! At least you got his attention... :-)
Re: *CapriUni ressurects Alryssa...
Date: 2004-03-05 09:43 am (UTC)"Hi. I just wanted to make sure I got a chance to thank you and say goodbye before I left."
So, even if it was your Dory immitation that made an impression on him, it seems pretty clear it was a good impression.