OHMIGAWD.
ALLMYDREAMSCAMETRUE.
Well. Most of the Neil Gaiman related ones.
Tonight was 'An Evening with Neil Gaiman', an event that was a part of Luminato. I found out about it back in february when Holly and i couldn't get into Coraline. Anyways, Amy got us tix but then wasn't coming, so I got Leah to come with. It was my birthday present to myself, after Sims3, and boy, was it worth the EXTREMELYCHEAP price!
First, I met Leah at Union and we walked over to Jane Mallet, the one that's attached to the Bluma. We got to our seats (near the back but not that far from the stage so it was really good) and waited happily for Neil to come out. He had a nice intro, then read a bunch of the first chapter of the Graveyard Book. Then there was Q&A with the host dude, then Q&A with the audience, then he read Blueberry girl (which made me cry) and a story from the Who Killed Amanda Palmer? book. THEN came the signing.
First of all, there were at least 500 people there. Second of all, Leah and I managed to get pretty close in the line. We waited about an hour, maybe ten minutes longer. But we waited and talked and I got intermittent waves of nausea from nervousness and excitement.
Then I got up to the front. He was talking to the two nice women right in front of us, and he kept looking at me (LIKE I WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION). THEN I handed him my copy of the Graveyard book and quietly added that I had some presents for him. And he was all "Oh, right, you asked about presents, right? You twittered me!" and I beamed. And then I handed him the printout of the silly poem Leah and I wrote for him back at the beginning of april, about his hair and the bees who are free (i posted it here, if you saw...). I had also drawn a picture of him, which was of him with his hair turning into snowflakes and wisps of smoke (that's the grey bit in the side!) and bees. And he saw it and went 'oh, it's me!' which amused me, especially since I drew especially scruffy neil. and then i gave him a book bound by my mum, a blank one for him to write notes or ideas or short stories in. and he was all "oh, she binded this--bounded this well--blahh, lost the ability to speak," which was adorable and sweet. THEN he gave me a hug in exchange for the presents, then he signed my Graveyard Book (drew a little tombstone 'round my name like all Graveyard Book signings!) and then I thanked him profusely and moved to let Leah get Amy's book signed. So she did, and then she quickly added "I know it's only one item each but this one is for her friend who got us the tickets so i was wondering if maybe it would be okay if you signed something for me too? only i really wanted to get something signed, if it was really quick..." and then he was like, "Oh, slip it in, i'll pretend I was tricked!" which was SO VERY NICE OF HIM so now I have Amy's Good Omens signed and Leah got Neverwhere signed and we left shaking and shocked and excited to sit in a Tim Hortons till our legs worked again, an hour later. (Also he said he liked Leah's Doctor Who pin!)
*siiiigggghhh* My stomach is still all wobbly. He is just the most amazing, and sweetest, and kindest, and best to his fans man ever. Of course that sentence made no sense, but I'm still broken from the extreme happiness.
The best part is that he was SOVERYINSPIRING so now I actually feel like writing again and I'm less depressed than I have been the past few weeks, though that might fade away tomorrow. But who cares, Neil Gaiman hugged me!
Well. Most of the Neil Gaiman related ones.
Tonight was 'An Evening with Neil Gaiman', an event that was a part of Luminato. I found out about it back in february when Holly and i couldn't get into Coraline. Anyways, Amy got us tix but then wasn't coming, so I got Leah to come with. It was my birthday present to myself, after Sims3, and boy, was it worth the EXTREMELYCHEAP price!
First, I met Leah at Union and we walked over to Jane Mallet, the one that's attached to the Bluma. We got to our seats (near the back but not that far from the stage so it was really good) and waited happily for Neil to come out. He had a nice intro, then read a bunch of the first chapter of the Graveyard Book. Then there was Q&A with the host dude, then Q&A with the audience, then he read Blueberry girl (which made me cry) and a story from the Who Killed Amanda Palmer? book. THEN came the signing.
First of all, there were at least 500 people there. Second of all, Leah and I managed to get pretty close in the line. We waited about an hour, maybe ten minutes longer. But we waited and talked and I got intermittent waves of nausea from nervousness and excitement.
Then I got up to the front. He was talking to the two nice women right in front of us, and he kept looking at me (LIKE I WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATION). THEN I handed him my copy of the Graveyard book and quietly added that I had some presents for him. And he was all "Oh, right, you asked about presents, right? You twittered me!" and I beamed. And then I handed him the printout of the silly poem Leah and I wrote for him back at the beginning of april, about his hair and the bees who are free (i posted it here, if you saw...). I had also drawn a picture of him, which was of him with his hair turning into snowflakes and wisps of smoke (that's the grey bit in the side!) and bees. And he saw it and went 'oh, it's me!' which amused me, especially since I drew especially scruffy neil. and then i gave him a book bound by my mum, a blank one for him to write notes or ideas or short stories in. and he was all "oh, she binded this--bounded this well--blahh, lost the ability to speak," which was adorable and sweet. THEN he gave me a hug in exchange for the presents, then he signed my Graveyard Book (drew a little tombstone 'round my name like all Graveyard Book signings!) and then I thanked him profusely and moved to let Leah get Amy's book signed. So she did, and then she quickly added "I know it's only one item each but this one is for her friend who got us the tickets so i was wondering if maybe it would be okay if you signed something for me too? only i really wanted to get something signed, if it was really quick..." and then he was like, "Oh, slip it in, i'll pretend I was tricked!" which was SO VERY NICE OF HIM so now I have Amy's Good Omens signed and Leah got Neverwhere signed and we left shaking and shocked and excited to sit in a Tim Hortons till our legs worked again, an hour later. (Also he said he liked Leah's Doctor Who pin!)
*siiiigggghhh* My stomach is still all wobbly. He is just the most amazing, and sweetest, and kindest, and best to his fans man ever. Of course that sentence made no sense, but I'm still broken from the extreme happiness.
The best part is that he was SOVERYINSPIRING so now I actually feel like writing again and I'm less depressed than I have been the past few weeks, though that might fade away tomorrow. But who cares, Neil Gaiman hugged me!