Thursday, February 19, 2009

Oxford to Dublin: An Experience in Three Acts (Act Two)

Scene: Interior Chapters Bookstore, four-thirty February 17th

I have a seat. I have bought the equivalent of my plane ticket in Neil Gaiman books (all of which are justified even though it was later announced he'd only sign one). And I decide to go to the toilet beforehand so I don't, you know, have to in the middle. Because that's awkward. So I leave Fawkes-the-Cane at my spot and wander. Lack of cane is important, because walking by a shelf it's not there to tell me that I am walking behind an info desk and there is a STEP. So I toppled over the step. I don't know why. Maybe my day was too perfect up to then.... maybe it was a take-the-cane lesson or maybe it was an accident. The injury count last night when I removed make-shift bandages was two bruised knees (danger--I am praying for no infections), one cut wrist and one cut finger. All hurt. Sigh

But that's okay. I had some sticky gauze pads in my backpack, so I fixed best I could went down the street (really...) to the restroom and had to get staff to help me regain my seat. Look, people, I came from Oxford for this.
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Neil and Amanda were amazing. He read from the Book-N0t-Yet-Available (Who Killed Amanda Palmer?) and she played the uke. I love that she played 'Dear Old House That I Grew Up In'  because I understand it well, feeling much the same about Mom and Daddy moving. It's weird....
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The line was long but we were pretty far to the front (I heard people were there until ten or so) and in line I met a woman from Ravelry who had seen my post about the event! So cool! She had crochet Neil a bee, which is adorable.

I thought about giving the ' I came from Oxford, had my laptop and phone stolen Saturday, fell two hours ago, turn twenty on Saturday and have to lug all these back' ramble to get stuff signed but the rational part of me knew that to be horribly unfair and also nearly too much to be believed (and yet all true). Instead I got Fragile Things signed, because of how much I adore "The Problem of Susan"  and did ramble a little for something else that is secret until someone gets it. Neil said I'm mad for coming, he should meet Mom. I also got to tell him about the time Katie and I decided he was a god. If there were world enough and time I would have also rambled on about how the short story books kept me company whenever I was lonely in London this summer. How reading Neverwhere this fall made me long to be back in London and how I won't get to see Coraline in theatres because it's out now at home and in May here :(
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Amanda was lovely as always and signed my postcard and took a picture even though that took far too long. It was an amazing moment.  I hate devoting so much space to Neil and less to her because she's such an amazing person, but my rambling to her has mostly happened at other events :D
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Dani and I got food at a nice little place with almond croissants and then I took a cab to my couchsurfing host Nodis's house. She was so sweet, with a nice little flat and an air mattress. She told me about moving to Ireland from Germany and burnt me Terry Prachett audiobooks! I zonked out by eleven, though. I probably should have slept before the coach Monday evening. Oh well.
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All-in-all an amazing, amazing day that I wouldn't trade for the world. But maybe would cut part out of.
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Good night, Dublin

Next: Coming back

Act One

14 comments:

  1. [...] Photos More Photos « Less to do with Disability than Sense and little Sense Oxford to Dublin: An Experience in Three Acts (Act Two) [...]

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  2. [...] Flickr Photos More Photos « Oxford to Dublin: An Experience in Three Acts (Act Two) [...]

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  3. You got linked by Neil on Twitter! (Lovely photo of the ferris wheel, too.)

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  4. A jealously-inspiring tale of ecstatic-yet-respectfully-reverent fandom, also discovered through Mr. Gaiman's twitter.

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  5. Via Neil's Twitter. "The Problem with Susan" is one of my favourites too. NIce blog.

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  6. I LOVE AMANDA TO PIECES!!!

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  7. Hi Chelsey
    Glad u liked the photo I took of you and Amanda - I'm just sorry it took so long to take it because I was tired and braindead. Love the blog. Well cool.
    O-R

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  8. This is really strange but I think I used to know the girl standing in front of you in the que for the book signing, small world... glad you enjoyed my city by the by, only good news to come out in months

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  9. [...] Oxford to Dublin: An Experience in Three Acts (Act Two) « Sense … [...]

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  10. Hello Chelsey from the girl who was in front of you in the queue! I see you were tweeted by Neil, how cool is that? It was great to meet a fellow Neil, knitting and Ravelry fan. I hope he liked his bee. I now love Amanda Palmer she was so lovely.

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  11. great review. well done. it was all a little overwhelming wasn't it? I love the pic of the ferris wheel beside my house!!! :)

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  12. [...] Oxford to Dublin: An Experience in Three Acts (Act Two) Scene: Interior Chapters Bookstore, four-thirty February 17th I have a seat. I have bought the equivalent of my plane [...] [...]

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  13. [...] Oxford to Dublin: An Experience in Three Acts (Act Two) « Sense and Disability Pictures of Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer at a reading/performance! Yay! (tags: books misc music) [...]

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