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Carter writes...

Gathering Journal

Thursday:
Awakening to the sound of my alarm clock, I left home at about 10:30 and got to Union Station at 11:00 for a 12:05 train. Bored, I went window shopping for about 10 minutes before I got really bored, after which point I began to read the book that I brought for the train ride, Rogue Nation - an objective look at the development of American unilateralism and the origins of the divisions between the United States and the rest of the world (I highly recommend it). However, I ended up spending the ride talking about the state of Medicare, veterans' benefits, and Bush's chances of reelection with someone I met in the terminal. Needless to say, but that was the best train ride I have ever taken.

I got to Penn Station at about 3:50, a good 20 minutes late, and found my way to the hotel (I say "found" because I went out the wrong exit and had to circle the block to get to the hotel). Once I got there I checked in and immediately asked where I could find the accounting office - I wanted to once and for all finish the dispute between myself and the hotel regarding the $124.52 they stupidly took from me. After I went up to the 18th floor, where I was directed, and could not find the right office, or any office for that matter, I called the office.

They said that they would be happy to discuss the matter when I arrived at the hotel, and when I told them I had already arrived and was ready to talk when they were, there was a good pause over the phone, I was put on hold, and was told that the money was transferred to my account on Wednesday, and it was unlikely that the money would make it through the central bank and into my account before Monday (and it actually didn't show up until Tuesday), and so I found myself in the position of not eating for the duration of this my second Gathering.

That night I made it out of the hotel and to the Empire State Building, where I went up to the observation deck and had a very nice view. I tried the Skyride in the building, and while I was waiting a couple got it in their minds that I was a native New Yorker - I had to tell them otherwise; while I usually consider myself an actor with range, I can't pretend to be a New Yorker. The Skyride was none-too-impressive, but okay.

I got back to the hotel about 11:30 and went to bed.

Friday:
I got a wake-up call about 5:00 so I could head down to Times Square in order to promote the Gathering on "Good Morning America." Unfortunately two things weren't working in my favor - 1) the line was huge, even though I got there at 6:00, and 2) I learned later that they were filming in some park or another, so standing in Times Square would have been worthless.

I went back to the hotel and back to bed. I woke up in time to go to registration, and after that went with a group to a Kosher (sorta) Deli, where I met "A Fan," who ended up being my roommate for the remainder of the Gathering.

I hurried back to the hotel where I attended the Thom Adcox mug-a-guest. Now, I had heard from other Gathering reports that Thom sounded exactly like Lex; but I thought that they meant "really close." So when Thom spoke, I was a little surprised. For the rest of the Gathering, every time I spoke with Thom I had to try not to superimpose an image of Lex.

I stuck around after that for the voice acting panel with both Thom and Greg, and after that auditioned for the Radio Play. Now last year I auditioned and got nothing, so I wasn't expecting to get a part - if anything.

After the auditions I set out to find Thom the Franciscan chapel I had seen on my earlier expedition into New York (Thom had said during his mug-a-guest session that he wanted a tattoo of St. Francis or something related, and if I could be the guy who found the chapel that Thom went to to get inspiration for a new tattoo to show off at the next Gathering, my contribution to the fandom would be complete - so I took the mission to be greatly important, even though I was never officially assigned to it). Unfortunately, as I grabbed my camera for the trip, I slammed my fingers in my closet door and had to cancel the trip in order to run to Penn Station and get bandages for my fingers. They remain sore as I write this.

I got back in time for the opening ceremonies where we learned the location of the next Gathering, saw Greg's videos (for many of us… again), and so on. From there I went to the games of skill and endurance, but because nobody could find any jalapenos, the event was cancelled, so I waited around for the blue mug-a-guest.

I personally wasn't too surprised by the revealing of Lex's sexual preference. The only memorable moment for me was when Greg "answered" my question about gargoyle ejaculate and sunrise. Now, I had expected one of three typical Greg responses - A) "Yes, I'll answer that." B) "I haven't really thought about that," or "Let me BS that." C) "I don't care (such was his answer to my question about gargoyles being circumcised - I really hadn't meant to ask so many penis-related questions, the other question being about who of the clan was 'packing the most heat [Goliath - could have been Brooklyn if the beak rumors were true, which is why I asked],' but oh well)," or "no, I won't answer that." Instead, after the laughter subsided and Greg got his head out of his hands he said, "You're just creepy." Now later he would qualify that to me by claiming that he meant to say that the question was creepy, but I definitely heard, "You're just creepy." To be called "creepy" by Greg is like a badge of honor.

[Section excluded - could be construed as submitting an original idea].

After our session was broken up at almost 2 AM, I went to bed.

Saturday:
I wasn't going to be deterred from my mission of finding Thom his Franciscan chapel, fingers wounded or not. I got up early and, because I had no clue where I had seen the place, I tried to retrace my steps from Thursday's sightseeing. I went from the hotel to Times Square to the Chrysler Building and back to the hotel twice, and unsuccessful both times. As I walked by the hotel, about to begin my trek all over again, I decided to start the trek over by going up 31st Street instead of 33rd, and lo-and-behold there was the chapel, no more than four minutes from the hotel. Having wasted 56 minutes chasing my tail, I went back to the hotel moderately embarrassed.

I found Thom and told him of my success and where he could find the chapel, and from that point on I will consider any tattoo he gets of or related to St. Francis a direct result of my efforts; and you can't take from me those things which I tell myself - truths, half-truths or total lies - they're all mine!

After that I went to the panel hosted by Dylan, Allaine, Ellen and Patrick. It was good for me to be a part of the discussion as I got to hear from four accomplished writers that the techniques I've employed so far in my writing seem to be similar to those that they have used. BTW - if any of you are tracking the events I attended throughout the Gathering, don't worry if you think you're seeing a strange pattern; I did end up spending pretty much all of my time in the London Suite.

In following that pattern, I attended Kathy's workshop, which was also great to attend. Although it's unlikely that I will anytime soon complete the work that I started in the workshop, I'll keep it in my list of projects.

After that panel I checked to see the list of those who were cast in the Radio Play, and there I was on the list. The downside was that I was going to miss the OtherCon panel on writing adult themes (not that I ever intend to write such themes, but it would have been good to sit in on anyway). So I headed to auditions and expected to get one of the clones (I had figured out from the audition sheet that we were doing "The Reckoning"), but I got Thailog. I was very, very excited. When I rehearsed my maniacal laugh, Thom kept coming in, and after rehearsals he insisted on joining in with me during the play, saying that it's what Sevarius would really do, and I wasn't about to stop Thom.

The play itself was good - I personally thought that I did marginally well (after I did my roar I lost my voice, and before that something had come up in my throat which threw off my voice) - but overall I had a lot of fun participating.

From there was the banquet, and I found myself sitting at Greg's table. The conversation was, well, scattered and not as lively as it could have been, but overall it was a good table to be at (I can't remember everybody I was sitting with… Revel and Spacebabie were there… I think).

The masquerade ball was fantastic - some great costumes there, Vinnie and the Owens standing out in my mind. I had expected more of a ball near the end, but I guess everybody just wanted to do their own thing at that point.

I skipped on the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and opted to join my illegal roommate A Fan in watching episodes of Gargoyles. We did that until about 1:30, after which point I went to bed.

Sunday:
I checked out at precisely 11:49:42 AM and had enough money left to make final bids on artwork (and won both bids). I stopped by the auction for a while, mostly to get Greg and Vic to sign my Radio Play script (Thom had signed it earlier).

I went down to the Atlantis Q&A long enough to hear the audio tape Greg played last year - the jokes and Gargoyles puns in it were no less humorous than the first time I had heard them. I headed over to Penn Station at about 1:40, and with my unreserved train ticket was able to get a spot on the 2:05 train headed back to DC - and it was almost 30 minutes late.

The train ride down was not nearly as good as the ride up. I was completely flanked by screaming or otherwise mischievous toddlers and children, and the PA system in my car was broken, letting out a piercing noise from the leg between New York to Newark. I got to read a little bit of my book, but the screaming coming from the kids made it impossible to concentrate.

The train pulled in to Washington at about 7:30 - a good two and a half hours later than scheduled, and my ride didn't show up for another 15 minutes after that. I arrived home at about 8:00 just in time to catch a Simpsons repeat and thus concluded my journey.

Greg responds...

Sounds pretty good. One thing I will say about the creepy thing is that it makes you memorable...

Response recorded on January 05, 2005