It’s just after midnight here on the east coast. I’ve returned to our hotel room and am relaxing as my pictures upload to Flickr and am trying to process my day.
Really…really trying to process it.
Oh my goodness.
My day started later than usual (thank you, 5:45 shift!) so I was able to get up and around without a lot of difficulty. Once we had some light breakfast, the five of us went downstairs and promptly split up. The day was full of this dynamic, as we were interested in different things and had some priorities in conflict. That was okay, though; the age of wireless communication ensured we didn’t stay apart long. I was only interested in a single panel today, so I spent most of my time wandering and people watching.
Yesterday was nothing compared to today. The amount of people at the con multiplied tremendously. There was also a higher saturation of costumed folks, and many VERY impressive. Some not so much, but that’s how cons work. I didn’t see anything in the way of violence, anger, or even loud complaining. Everyone has been friendly. Many pleases, thank you’s, excuse me’s…you name it. Brad says he loves sci-fi because they take care of their own. This isn’t an entirely sci-fi convention, but that rule seems to apply. If you’re here, you’re family.
There are four main hotels and I only saw two today. Since I only went to one panel (Quantum Leap!) I camped out between the Marriott and the Hyatt. It was a great place to observe, as people were coming and going constantly. Anyone I asked to stop so I could take their picture obliged happily. Most of my day is a blur of this. At one point I told myself, “I’m just going to have to stop taking pictures of cool costumes. I have so many!” but alas, I didn’t. I skipped the Kevin Murphy panel and the Weasley Twins panel so I could attend the Quantum Leap panel with Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell.
QL was my favorite TV show for many, many years and it was great to hear the stars talk about the good times, the fan following, and the final episode. It was obvious that they got along fabulously and really enjoyed the con experience. It was held in the main ballroom of the Marriott, and it was completely packed. I’d heard horror stories of Q&A sessions but it was smooth and well-spoken. Afterwards, I had the option to going to a few more panels but I just couldn’t tear myself away from the people watching.
We got back together, ate, and attended a concert by the Super 8-bit Brothers. Although the rest of the gang eagerly awaited Weep (a band fronted by Venture Bros. creator and friend to the Nik(k)i’s, Doc Hammer) I absolutely had to rest, get some water (gotta counter-balance my near-empty flask), and prepare for tomorrow.
Saturday starts with a parade.
Rhys' Pieces 