puszysty

I woke up at the ungodly hour of 5am to head for the airport. Called it reeeealy close, because my flight was boarding when I arrived at the gate. But hey, if I could pull that off everytime I fly, that'd be awesome. Wanted to sleep on the plane, but the lady in front of me had a dog with her that kept barking the whole time. Ugh. Direct flight though, which was nice.

Get to Atlanta, get on the train ok, but proceed to get very lost. I got Peachtree and West Peachtree mixed up (they're seriously a block from each other. Frakking ridiculous. What were the people in Atlanta smoking when they came up with street names?) and ended up wandering up and down West Peachtree looking for the hotel that was actually on Peachtree. Omg. The first guy I asked for directions was someone who was a doorman at another hotel. He sees my Michigan State Quiz Bowl Championship t-shirt and asks me what part of the state I'm from. Naturally I whip out the hand, and he proceeds to tell me he's from Muskegon, and asks if I'm down by Covert and Niles. Swear to god, I have met more people who know my area of MI in other parts of the country than I did when I actually lived in Michigan. They are everywhere!
He gave crappy directions though, and I finally found the place thanks to someone tending the gardens at a church. Wait there for blue_crow, Britt, and prophetkristy to find me. Go to the hotel to register, where I stood in line behind someone dressed as Carmen Sandiego, after 45 minutes of waiting get up to the front where they ask for a photo id, and my driver's license is back at the hotel. Frantically take MARTA back to hotel, grab driver's license (and keep it in my id pouch the rest of the weekend), and head back. Thankfully, they let me come to the front when I arrived again.

I attempted to meet the Squee Squad at the Walk of Fame, but since I didn't see them, I got my autographs. AJ first, then Kandyse (who had a minor line), and Hogan (who had none). I hadn't intended to get Hogan originally, but he wasn't even supposed to be there originally, so. I may put his up at work for a while, since I think he'll be the most easily recognizable to the attorneys in my office that watch the show. :) I was so nervous and had no idea what to say to any of them. I was just like, "Hi. Um, how does this work? ... Thank you. Nice to meet you."

I have to say though, immensely better than the Lance signing. That signing was so rushed, and he talked to the person in back of me when I was getting my book signed, whereas this was a lot more relaxed. None of them were rushed at all, I got to talk to them (well, as much as I could get out of my mouth), and they actually addressed me by name. Kandyse was the easiest to talk to. Did I mention yet how utterly gorgeous she is? Anyway, she had these bumper stickers that said "My other car is a Battlestar" (now on my car, btw), and after I mentioned that I found them amusing, she told me about how she'd sort of done them herself, taking the old 70s design and updating the font for the reimagined series. She's incredibly sweet.

After all that, I walked sorta by Nimoy and Shatner just to kind of get a peek (close as I'll ever get), and went down to buy a tote bag so I'd have something to carry my photos in safely. Got my money's worth on that one, since I hadn't even thought to bring a small bag, and ended up using it all con. Poked around one of the dealer rooms and forced myself to keep my hands off the board games.

Easily found the Squee Squad waiting in line for the panel and decided to join them. Talked, got to know everyone, and it was not awkward in the slightest. :D Everyone seemed to click really well.

Panel time! Panelists included: AJ, Trucco, Kanydse, Kate Vernon, Michael Hogan, Luciana Carro, and science advisor guy. AJ came out hobbling on one leg when the introduced him. Hogan came out after everyone had been introduced, in the middle of Kate Vernon talking about something. There was lots of general jibing at each other among the cast, which was great.
millari asked AJ what cut scene did he wish had ended up in the show, to which Kate Vernon immediately replied "his leg". AJ couldn't think of any, but talked about how the final Gaeta/Baltar scene was originally not in there.
Other highlights of this panel include: Kate's daughter calling in the middle, Hogan calling EJO and getting him on the phone for all of us- since he was off filming the Green Lantern and had to cancel. Kinda glad he did because the panels would not have been the same without Hogan
The moderator asking "Michael, when you were introduced as a love interest for Starbuck", then Kate, and once he caught on, Trucco, attacking Hogan
Kandyse declaring that she wishes Dee had hooked up with Anders (Steph demands fic!)
Felix's potential call signs: "Stumpy. Pegleg. The back door is open"
Something about a cut scene where Tigh talks about killing a Centurion with his bare hands
At the end, Hogan led us in a chant of "So Say We All"

Wish I could remember more of this panel, but I'm sure someone else's recap will jog my memory.

Afterwards, since all I had managed for lunch in my frantic registration attempt was half an overpriced turkey sandwich and I had stupidly forgot my granola bars in the hotel room, my sugar was damn low, and I rushed off for food, sadly unable to join anyone for dinner. I did manage to make it, after a granola bar back at the room, to the Highlander, one of the Diners Drive-ins and Dives spots. The one with the cheesesticks wrapped in pasta? That one. They were really good, but they also gave me a stomach ache that lasted for hours (especially bad when I had the leftovers of them on Sunday. I thought it had just been nerves on Friday, which is was partly, but apparently those had something to do with it. Damn shame.)

Crashed early, since I had been up since 5 freakin AM.