AT3 - some brief remembrances of the Cocktail Party
I posted some pics from the U.K. but did not really say much. This is all going to take me time to process because there was Scotland and Ireland all mixed in there. I also am trying not to read anyone else's report before doing this, so as to keep it fresh to my perspective.
The only person I knew at my table was atomicpagan, though I had asked for others to be there, perhaps too late. I never knew until five minutes ago that ladyireth was actually there, because I couldn't find her RL name on the table assignments...and things went hectic from there on out.
They dismissed us to eat by table, and let me tell, we obviously were not there nor were we paying the ticket price for the food! It was run-of-the-mill buffet stuff, half of which I didn't even care to try. Also, always a bit nervous before Amanda appears, so ate lightly. Jo's vegan dish came slathered in mushrooms - which are trying to take over the world and will eat you, if you ask Jo. Another gal got fish & chips, and a lady named Pat (more later) had a gluten-free plate with so much food, she shared it readily around.
Amanda came in with long, dark hair and told how she was most concerned about Olivia's reaction. She said she wore the Helen Magnus wig on and off for about a week, telling 3-year-old Olivia that mummy's hair was going to change to be like that. Olivia apparently expressed some disdain for the proposition, but when Amanda came home with it done, Olivia was in the bath and Amanda poked her head in. Olivia just commented something like, "Mummy dark hair like". (Should have taken notes, I know!) Then she began to circulate among the tables. She had a "handler" who timed her and told her when it was time for the photo and to move on to the next table.
We'd been told someone would tell us when it was our turn, but no one did. The first we knew it was supposed to be our turn, Becks came by and asked where several of our tablemates were (toilet) and didn't we know Amanda was supposed to be at our table already but she'd been taken to another table first by mistake? We answered we didn't know, and Jo even took a chance to go tell the other two ladies. One of them was already on her way back, and both got back before Amanda came over.
She looked at each person around the table and said hello before sitting in her designated spot (one chair away from me with Laura from Colorado between us). That spark of recognition just makes my heart skip a beat every time it happens! (Mini squee internalized.)
Amanda first asked how far we had all come/how long it took us to get here. I said I flew 11 hours, which shocked Miss Thang. I said, "Well, I live in California," to which she responded, "I know, but it only takes me 9 hours." (Mini squee internalized that Amanda remembers where I live!) I teased her that, "Well, First Class arrives before coach." She then proceeded to tell us she almost *never* goes first class. She said once (on a trip to the U.K. with Martin and Damian regarding Sanctuary) she was upgraded, and she just giggled like a schoolgirl over stuff.
At many of the tables she seemed to go around and ask each person why they had the "charm" (a wine glass marker make/obtained by the G4) they did to stimulate conversation. With a shy, retiring wall flower such as myself at the table, you can imagine she might have to resort to that at ours - NOT! (I really, really, really hope I didn't dominate the conversation TOO much, as I know others have complained about people doing that. But Amanda kept looking at me and talking/asking questions.)
Besides Jo and Laura-from-Colorado (I hope I got her name right!), there was a microbiologist at our table named Pat, who used to work at a brewery (even did taste tests twice a day) and who, like me, is into genealogy and was staying after the con to do research. I don't think I ever even *knew* the names of two of the gals - very noisy/hard to talk across the table - across from me (one of who was seated next to Amanda). Then there was an empty seat - can you imagine NOT SHOWING?!?!?!? - an Asian or Hawaiian lady, Pat, then another gal I can't remember - sorry if it was you! - Jo, me and back around to Laura-from-Colorado-next-to-Amanda.
We were not allowed to take any photos of Amanda while she was at our table, because obviously she's there to visit with us. We were allowed to take photos from our seats while she was at other tables. Wasn't easy, but I did get some. Will put them somewhere and advise where at some point. Just finally got all my vacation photos unloaded off the pro-sticks - yes, I said sticks plural - onto my lappie. I took about 1,0000 photos at AT3 (not all Amanda), almost as many in Ireland and a lot less (about 1/4-1/3 as many) in Scotland because of the rain, failure to bring all three batteries and failure to charge the ones I had before I went. *shakes head at self sadly* Not all of those photos turned out, but I have some good ones, I think.
Okay, lunch time is over...must get back to work!
ETA 1 - I did figure out on the way home that the reason it takes Amanda two hours less is that my flight goes over Vancouver and then down the Pacific coast of the U.S. - a two-hour flight.
ETA 2 - Before she left the table, I asked her something, which she answered - will try to remember that. And then I remembered, just at the last second, as they were whisking her away to ask her to tell us a little bit about Olivia, which she also did. (This ETA brought to you by the makers of Gingko Biloba herbal supplements for mental enhancement...)
ETA 3 - and mi prostituta favorita atomicpagan reminds me that she won the centerpiece from our table, which had a gate with a picture of Replicarter in it and a little MALP.
The only person I knew at my table was atomicpagan, though I had asked for others to be there, perhaps too late. I never knew until five minutes ago that ladyireth was actually there, because I couldn't find her RL name on the table assignments...and things went hectic from there on out.
They dismissed us to eat by table, and let me tell, we obviously were not there nor were we paying the ticket price for the food! It was run-of-the-mill buffet stuff, half of which I didn't even care to try. Also, always a bit nervous before Amanda appears, so ate lightly. Jo's vegan dish came slathered in mushrooms - which are trying to take over the world and will eat you, if you ask Jo. Another gal got fish & chips, and a lady named Pat (more later) had a gluten-free plate with so much food, she shared it readily around.
Amanda came in with long, dark hair and told how she was most concerned about Olivia's reaction. She said she wore the Helen Magnus wig on and off for about a week, telling 3-year-old Olivia that mummy's hair was going to change to be like that. Olivia apparently expressed some disdain for the proposition, but when Amanda came home with it done, Olivia was in the bath and Amanda poked her head in. Olivia just commented something like, "Mummy dark hair like". (Should have taken notes, I know!) Then she began to circulate among the tables. She had a "handler" who timed her and told her when it was time for the photo and to move on to the next table.
We'd been told someone would tell us when it was our turn, but no one did. The first we knew it was supposed to be our turn, Becks came by and asked where several of our tablemates were (toilet) and didn't we know Amanda was supposed to be at our table already but she'd been taken to another table first by mistake? We answered we didn't know, and Jo even took a chance to go tell the other two ladies. One of them was already on her way back, and both got back before Amanda came over.
She looked at each person around the table and said hello before sitting in her designated spot (one chair away from me with Laura from Colorado between us). That spark of recognition just makes my heart skip a beat every time it happens! (Mini squee internalized.)
Amanda first asked how far we had all come/how long it took us to get here. I said I flew 11 hours, which shocked Miss Thang. I said, "Well, I live in California," to which she responded, "I know, but it only takes me 9 hours." (Mini squee internalized that Amanda remembers where I live!) I teased her that, "Well, First Class arrives before coach." She then proceeded to tell us she almost *never* goes first class. She said once (on a trip to the U.K. with Martin and Damian regarding Sanctuary) she was upgraded, and she just giggled like a schoolgirl over stuff.
At many of the tables she seemed to go around and ask each person why they had the "charm" (a wine glass marker make/obtained by the G4) they did to stimulate conversation. With a shy, retiring wall flower such as myself at the table, you can imagine she might have to resort to that at ours - NOT! (I really, really, really hope I didn't dominate the conversation TOO much, as I know others have complained about people doing that. But Amanda kept looking at me and talking/asking questions.)
Besides Jo and Laura-from-Colorado (I hope I got her name right!), there was a microbiologist at our table named Pat, who used to work at a brewery (even did taste tests twice a day) and who, like me, is into genealogy and was staying after the con to do research. I don't think I ever even *knew* the names of two of the gals - very noisy/hard to talk across the table - across from me (one of who was seated next to Amanda). Then there was an empty seat - can you imagine NOT SHOWING?!?!?!? - an Asian or Hawaiian lady, Pat, then another gal I can't remember - sorry if it was you! - Jo, me and back around to Laura-from-Colorado-next-to-Amanda.
We were not allowed to take any photos of Amanda while she was at our table, because obviously she's there to visit with us. We were allowed to take photos from our seats while she was at other tables. Wasn't easy, but I did get some. Will put them somewhere and advise where at some point. Just finally got all my vacation photos unloaded off the pro-sticks - yes, I said sticks plural - onto my lappie. I took about 1,0000 photos at AT3 (not all Amanda), almost as many in Ireland and a lot less (about 1/4-1/3 as many) in Scotland because of the rain, failure to bring all three batteries and failure to charge the ones I had before I went. *shakes head at self sadly* Not all of those photos turned out, but I have some good ones, I think.
Okay, lunch time is over...must get back to work!
ETA 1 - I did figure out on the way home that the reason it takes Amanda two hours less is that my flight goes over Vancouver and then down the Pacific coast of the U.S. - a two-hour flight.
ETA 2 - Before she left the table, I asked her something, which she answered - will try to remember that. And then I remembered, just at the last second, as they were whisking her away to ask her to tell us a little bit about Olivia, which she also did. (This ETA brought to you by the makers of Gingko Biloba herbal supplements for mental enhancement...)
ETA 3 - and mi prostituta favorita atomicpagan reminds me that she won the centerpiece from our table, which had a gate with a picture of Replicarter in it and a little MALP.