A little sad to have James go off to work this morning; even though we usually go to mostly different tracks there is always breakfast in the morning and going home at night, and the rare track where we meet up (like the Lost in Space panel). Since there was no chair to load and traffic is light on Monday and we no longer have to miss the runners at Cumberland Mall, I decided to luxuriate and sleep until 7:15. Today would be a very light schedule: I had originally planned for breakfast, a panel in the Hilton about service dogs, and then the last three panels in the Sheraton (which I was looking forward to if just for the working air conditioning).

Well, it was the plan. I started having stomach cramps at 6:45. [expletives deleted]

About 7:30 I was finally better and clipped on Tucker's leash to take him out. We were down in the cul-de-sac when Max came gamboling out; Max's family lives down at the end of the street and they do not let him run loose. I couldn't imagine how he got out. He used to be a small plush puppy; now he is a big adolescent dog, pure white, and a happy, friendly boy. I let him play with Tucker for a while, then went to the front door and rang the bell. No one answered, and Max wouldn't come when I called him, although he'd romped up to me at first. So I trudged back to the house and got an old leash and came back, only to find Max actively ignoring me now that I had the leash. I finally went back up to the door and pretended to be turning the knob. He came up to the door and I hooked him on the leash, then put him in the back yard and shut the gate. I have no idea how he got out, only that he did, because his paws were all wet with mud from near the gate.

I was already tired from chasing Max around when I fed Tucker and put him in the dining room, made sure Snowy had seed, and then headed downtown. When I got to Atlanta Road, I couldn't cross because there was some type of road race going on! Nice if you guys would have warned people; when they used to have the race at Cumberland Mall, they had signs up weeks in advance. I had to go down Windy Hill Road to cut over to Spring Road and get back on target.

I was off the freeway and almost at the hotel when the Florida car in front of me on Ivan Allen tried to turn right, which was the wrong way on a one-way street. Of course horns blared at him, and he swung wide trying to correct himself, almost sideswiping my car. So by the time I got downtown I was quite awake thankyouverymuch! Parked behind the garage again and they only charged $20.

As I got out of the car I heard Alice Spivey say, "There's a familiar car." She and Ken, with Jessie Elder, were there for the day. Alas, Aubrey also had to work today. We chatted a bit, then I headed for the elevator, the "Luke Skywalk," and breakfast (with a brief pit stop). Lonesome eating breakfast alone. Funny, we usually run into Laura Hayden there at least once, but not this year.

I decided I wasn't that interested in the dog panel, and instead went to the Hyatt to wait for the Art Show/Artist's Alley to open. The art show was pleasant enough, and I saw some cute dragon cartoons, but there's never much any more to attract my attention. Lots of fantasy fairies, not as much "intestinal art" anymore thankfully, some steampunk, lots of cute animals—not one spacescape! Didn't see anything at the print shop I wanted, but went back into Artist's Alley to pick up three of the "Hogan's Alley" magazines (devoted to comic strips) that I looked at on Friday. The editor was selling them three for ten. I also got a print for James' birthday; it is themed like a World War II "keep 'em flying" propaganda poster, but with Luke Skywalker and an X-wing instead of a pilot and his fighter plane. The artist is a history teacher and we chatted for a few minutes.

Okay. Karen Gillan's at the convention and I haven't seen her yet. Like the second Sleepy Hollow panel, I went to see if I could get in. I could. It was a fun panel, with all sorts of questions not always about Doctor Who. She talked a bit about her modeling career, her cousin Caitlin who played young Amy Pond in "The Eleventh Hour," shaving her head for Guardians of the Galaxy (they made her a wig out of the hair so she could wear it until her hair grew back; its just at her shoulders now), doing a new film called The Circle with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson, also that she will be in a Western, working with Matt Smith and Arthur Darvill (they teased her like a sister), her admiration for Alex Kingston, her vote for scariest monsters (yes, Weeping Angels), what part she would most like to play (Lady Macbeth), and other entertaining topics.

And then it was time to trudge over to the Sheraton for the last two panels of the day. At least it would be cool. Compared to Saturday, and even Friday, the Marriott was practically deserted. I was able to leave the Atrium Ballroom and walk over the skywalk to the Hilton with no trouble (the Hilton was still full of lines for science and space panels, though), then down Courtland Street a block to the Sheraton. It was like a ghost town, not even a couple of dozen people milling around. I went downstairs and bought memberships for next year, hit the bathroom, and then perched in the Macon Room for "British Telly You Should Be Watching" with Roberts Bowen and Ray, someone named Gareth, and another woman, and track head Caro Brown, who was finally getting to eat her lunch.

This is an annual panel, but they did it a little differently this year: "If you like [fill in the show], you might like..." naming more shows. Doctor Who produced Blake's 7 and Survivors, Downton Abbey included suggestions for Upstairs, Downstairs, Duchess of Duke Street, The Crimson Field, etc. and so on. Everyone contributed and some folks took notes.

Finally, the feedback panel, which used to be called "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish." I've always loved going to this panel because it's with a bunch of folks I love, plus since it's the last panel, everyone is tired and things sometimes get a bit looney. It's when the track runners take suggestions, ask you to do panel reviews, discuss what works and what doesn't. Usually leftover snacks get passed around, everyone looks shellshocked, and it's one more hour in Narnia until it's time to exit the wardrobe. It always leaves a lump in my throat.

James texted me that they were letting him out early near the end of the panel, so I asked if he would go to Kroger and pick up some milk and a banana. In the meantime I drove home and walked the dog.

James came home with more groceries than milk and a banana, and then we did the usual Labor Day supper at Longhorn, and stopped at Barnes & Noble before we went home. Like Caro I was practically falling asleep at the table, and we weren't in the bookstore long.

Labels: conventions, friends, television

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 9:42:00 PM

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