I see we are back to Not Sleeping Well 101. And then upon rising, I lost my badge.

I didn't really lose it. At night when we get home the first thing I do is put the backpack in a dining room chair to have access for reloading, and then clip the badge to the backpack. I swear I did it last night, especially since when James went to the kitchen I asked, "James, is my badge clipped to my backpack?" and he said yes. But there was my backpack, with no badge clipped to it, when I got down to the truck. I raced upstairs and for twenty frantic minutes searched everywhere for it. Did I drop it coming upstairs? Leave it in the bathroom? Drop it in the bedroom? But James had said it was clipped to my backpack! Finally, after resigning myself to buying a two-day pass, I came downstairs. There was the badge, clipped to James' backpack. But he'd slept so badly he didn't even notice it.

So we were hellishly late, because I wanted to see Matt Smith, but I did make it. I think I was the penultimate person allowed in that room (the big Marriott Atrium Ballroom; why John Barrowman hadn't been here I'll never  understand). He was sweet and personable, but people persisted in asking him "Can you tell us some memories of how you felt when you and Karen and Arthur wouldn't be working together again?" Guys, it's not marriage or a love affair. It's a job. Of course, they had a good working relationship, but now it's over. And all the questions were Doctor Who-oriented. No one asked him about The Crown or the Sally Lockhart films he did. (Yes, I should have asked myself, but I was feeling very uncomfortable health-wise after my panic this morning and did not want to stand in line. My ankles have been stone-cold bitches this weekend.)

Then trudged to the Hilton for my next panel; found myself (literally) chilling in the new BritTrack panel room until I realized it was the wrong panel room. The Moffat-to-Chibnall panel was upstairs! 😀 This was a lively discussion about what we might expect for next season with not only a new Doctor, but a new "showrunner." The consensus was that Chibnall could do right by a woman as the Doctor. We are just hoping they will be all regular Doctor Who stories and not "the Doctor is female now so we have to comment about it again" stories.

Then back in BritTrack for "Classic Series Doctor Who" and everyone got to tell their stories of how they originally began watching the series. Some folks actually did see it when it premiered in 1972 (I didn't see it until February 1974). Some interesting stories from the younger folks who saw the new series and then went back to watch the old. Several people mentioned buying videotapes at Media Play and I was homesick for them all over again (and concurrently for playing trivia at Rockford's, as we always stopped at Media Play before hitting the restaurant).

This morning James had said he really wanted to see Alton Brown's panel, and, since he had several nonscheduled hours this morning and afternoon, I said "Why not? Just get there early." I decided I wanted to go myself, and since I had a free schedule at this time as well, I went to the Marriott to line up (I have a seat-in-line sticker because of my stupid knees and ankles). It was already a mob scene at 2:30; at least fifty people were already lined up just for handicapped access. James messaged me that he was coming over and I held a space for him as other folks showed up. He showed up having just been to the dealer's room. He had bought himself a t-shirt and a gift for me and a satchel to carry his phone and diabetes kit in, having tired of having a pouch bouncing on his waist and getting in the way of the arm of the power chair. Some people came by and asked why Alton Brown—with his interest in cooking—was at an SF convention! Well, because he's local? And because his show features scientific principles of cooking and there is a science track at DragonCon? How about just because he is FUN? (Really, people, we have wrestlers here, and Celtic performers. Why not a rock-star cook?) Anyway, the Marriott Atrium Ballroom (which holds at least 2,500 people) was SRO at 3:06 for a 4 p.m. panel. That is why Alton Brown is at this convention.

And, yes, truly this was a fun panel!!!! Not only was Brown here, but he brought "W" and some of the other cast members from Good Eats to tell us behind-the-scenes stories of building strange sets, maneuvering the camera and people through same, and accidents on the set (Alton Brown is actually bleeding on one side of his face during the Ghiradelli chocolate factory interview after being hit by machinery). Best of all, Good Eats is coming back! The new series will be called Return of the Eats, and, sadly (Brown said sarcastically) this means Food Network will have to cut down Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives to only 7 1/2 hours per day. LOL.

Some nice folks helped us with the elevator (James said he had no problems with the elevators today at all, and people were all very kind), so we went downstairs to "RetroBlasting Presents Indiana Jones: the Hilarious History." The hosts pointed out funny things and trivia about each movie (like the guy in modern-dress in the bazaar scene and the "really excited monkey," or the fact that Sallah was supposed to be killed off in Raiders and that the raft scene from Temple of Doom was supposed to be in Raiders originally). Apparently the Indian government took one look at Temple of Doom and wouldn't let them film there; it was done in Sri Lanka instead, and the tribal chieftain learned his lines phonetically, as he spoke no English at all. Oh, and Willie Scott screams thirty times in the film!

Supposedly there is an Indy 5 coming out, too, with Harrison Ford.

James wanted to see one last panel, so we went to the Westin for "Surviving an Apocalypse." He was a little disappointed. The description made it sound as if they were going to riff on stupid actions in apocalyptic films and it would be humorous, but instead it was a more serious discussion about the mistakes people make in these films—like letting the children get out of sight and then having to search for them—and how you could deal in a real-life situation.

Finally down the long length of John Portman Street to the garage and then home. That stupid panic attack over my badge had done me no favors; my heat rash was starting to heal—I even showed James last night—and now because I perspired so much and got aggravated it is worse than ever.

Labels: conventions, Doctor Who, food, friends, movies, television

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 11:19:00 PM

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