Supersonically lazy this time - caught the 11am shuttle.  While I was sitting in the lobby waiting, I found myself eyeing (yet again) the peppermint green Vespa and thinking "that could be quite cool".  Arrived too late to queue for Supernatural OR get into the Charles Vess panel.  Turnips.

I really DO want a better camera - that feisty Nikon D90 in my amazon wishlist, I think.  When I get back I'll go to Harpers and handle one, see if it's light enough to heft, and how the grip feels.  You can't tell these things from the picture.  I can't get anywhere near the same quality of shot with my Coolpix as I could with my old fashioned SLR and multiple lenses.  Frankly, the optical zoom is barely worth having.

ANYWAY - there was actually a queue for the Fulfillment Room (again, *giggles at the name*).  The girl in front of me had about a dozen tickets-for-stuff.  I handed over my meagre single pink ticket and got a True Blood knapsack, book, notebook and red teeshirt.  Go me!

I sauntered past Ballroom 20, which was emptying following the Dr Who panel - and wondered why they'd put American Dad in there, but kept Supernatural in the smaller 6BCF (incidentally, the room numbering system at the Convention Centre is frankly bizarre).  I did look at the queue for Supernatural - but with only 30mins before the panel, and the end of the queue still outside, I couldn't face the slow deadly shuffle again.  On to the Exhibit Hall to spend some money!

I took a slow turn through Artists Alley (mentioned by Scott Kurtz the day before as "thank god I'm not in there anymore").  Saw some nice stuff, got a black and white stylised Batman print (signed by the artist), saw Billy Mumy setting up a table, and was tempted by the guy offering to draw customers in Manga cartoon style for $10, but managed to restrain myself (in retrospect I slightly regret that).

I edged around the Warner Bros booth again - still hoping for a Harry Potter bag for Amey, but this time they were for a cartoon series.  So thought I'd see if EJO was still at the autographs booth, and found to my surprise that Michael Hogan (Saul Tigh) and James Callis (Gaius Baltar) were there too.  Took some sneaky pictures (MH seems to have lost a lot of weight).  James Callis was sitting there all alone so I thought, oh what the heck, dug out my $30 and approached.  "A fellow Brit!" he exclaimed "where are you from?".  Bless my sausages, he'd heard of Woking, and even done some filming there (unless he says that to everyone about their home town!).  He actually took time writing a message, and spelling my name right "what a lovely name!" - very smooth, very polished, very - to be honest - fake.  But at least I'd spoken to someone and offered my appreciation for their work (because he was, very truly, both slimy and charismatic as Baltar - even if very actor-y in person, and slightly boss-eyed).

Then it belatedly occurred to me that Den might be interested in an autograph (I know, D'oh to the maximum).  I texted Brett, and Han because I only had about 6 numbers in the new phone (not sure why my saved texts copied over with the SIM but the address book didn't).  While waiting for a (helpful) reply I spotted a young boy with a Gir drawing (did I mention it was a special Children/Star Wars day?).  I started after him to ask where he got it (it really was very good).  Little devil moved like a greased eel!  Finally caught up with him and his mum and asked.  They gave me directions and I set off hopefully... but never did find it.  On the way I stopped at Unshelved and bought the new book from Bill himself this time.  Very perspicacious - signed the book and said "that's an unusual name - cruel parents?".  LOL! 

I used the book to keep Batman and Baltar flat while I continued to cruise for spending.  This was the point where I realised I should have activated my travel money card!  However, I did get a free action figure - with the expression of my choice.  A guy with an inpenetratable accent himself had three stabs at deciphering what I said ("cross") until I gave up and bellowed "ANGRY" at him instead.  Maybe cross isn't a word Americans use to mean mildly angered?  And by now I was at the end of the hall, without having encountered Gir, so I sat down to read and eat lunch.  Quite by chance close enough to the California Browncoats table to see Nathan Fillion turn up.  The queue was damn near instantaneous.  And he was signing for donations to charity - aww!  I sneaked a few pics then finally heard back from Han with Den's number (which is now saved in the new phone Just In Case). 

Unfortunately the booth was now totally mobbed as Mark Hamill had also shown up (took me a while to recognise him).  After a to and fro of texts with Den he decided against EJO.  Spotted Nathan Fillion in the lobby on his cell phone, but too polite to approach/photograph while he was "off duty".  Actually, I recognised the bloke he was with first.  Interestingly, people were just walking past him with no sign of recognition.  Must have been the sunnies. 

Then I realised my money was getting low, and decided to activate the money card.  Big fat fail.  My mobile shows as on AT&T, texts send and receive, money is being debited from my credit, but it won't let me phone.  I knew that idiot in the Vodaphone shop was wrong "Oh, no it'll be fine".  PFT!  So now I have very limited cash left to satisfy purchasing needs at the Con. 

I carefully folded $30 to get a Michael Hogan for Den, cruised past Warner Bros again, and got a Human Target/Vampire Diaries for Amey, saw they were also giving out Chuck posters but couldn't find the right line for that, back to the autographs booth, and everyone had gone :(

OK, serious final shopping commences!  Penny Arcade T shirt for goddaughter (Some people play tennis - I erode the human soul).  Jill Thompson drawing and patch of Scary Godmother (and she kindly let me take her photo).  Stopped at Real Life and said hello to Liz Dean (I can't believe I said I recognised her from the cartoon - it was in truth more a process of elimination).  MrOblivion posters.  And oops, not enough for the taxi back.  The autograph place was selling off unsigned Star Wars pics cheap so I got a couple for Den.  Then realised that one of the $1s was a $5 so I HAD had enough for the taxi.  And now I no longer did ($6.61 exactly! - needed $7.60!).  Tried again for a free New Moon poster NOT FOR ME, then the Exhibit Hall was starting to close so I trudged to the place the hotel shuttle said he picked up from.  And waited for 50 mins.  Of course, I couldn't even ring them to ask if he was still coming!  Gave up in the end and trudged back through the city (at one point passing Mark Buckingham in conversation on the sidewalk - t'was the UK accent that caught my ear).

Trudge trudge trudge.
Ooh, a fig tree!
Squashed figs all over the path - less ooh.
Photographing flowers.
Stopped by a security guard due to my suspicious behavious (vis a vis flowers).
Walk on. Walk on.  Walk on.
Number pics.
Building pics.
Buildings reflected in OTHER buildings pics.
Uphill to hotel in less than an hour.

Supped on rest of cake and pomegranete juice (to offset).  I had carrots for dinner!  Treat!  Only $80 in the safe - there goes the segway trip :(  Blogged for the day before.  Bed.