Saturday morning (August 18, 2007, I think) things began in earnest for the Dark Shadows Festival. Nancy had been rather annoyed about having certain gofering duties, to the extent that I expected something (unfortunate) to happen. There was mention of my going out to have breakfast with her & JF and others, either this morning or the next, but that wasn't the something that ever happened. I was up and finishing off the JF poster and a couple of info signs for the inside of his albums. Nancy could not find her car key. We turned the place upside-down (more or less) till the last possible moment and still had no luck, though it had to be in the room somewhere. I was sure it would magically appear...as soon as Nancy didn't need it. Finally she had to make calls and rearrange things and ran off to deal with the world. I made coffee and sat down and played armchair detective (after a few more futile searches with Malia).
After a lot of observing and deducing angles and possible actions, and triple-checking under the bed and behind places it really couldn't have been, I imagined what could have happened...Nancy tended to sit at the far corner chair and stick her stuff on the little lamp table. Nothing was directly under the table, but her shoes and a box were nearby. I didn't want to nose into anything personal, but I figured the only likely place for the key to be was in that box...if someone had turned near the table, it could have slid off, bopped the shoes/box edge and slid in. Odd, but possible. So I peeked into the box, under a purse or something, and there it was. One problem solved...
Then, caffeinated and tickled, I hauled off to the Frid tables. Not so easily done now, as crowds were milling about. I set up my stuff and JF's photo albums, put up Richard III on the corner, tacked up the poster, inserted the info signs, took pix, and played merchant most of the day. Helped sell or direct people to JF's DVDs, answered what questions I could, colored a lot. I never got around any of the DS actresses directly, although I did respond to Lara Parker (a joking remark) as I passed by with my dolly of stuff, to something or other she was asking about in general.
Lots of people. Lots of stories. Quite a few were a bit stressed over getting into the banquet. The banquet was the main event of the evening, and already sold out. Theoretically that was the one place fans would have some access to Jonathan...he'd be signing photos for banqueters and there'd be a relevant program. I heard lots of stuff about the banquet...I was a trifle worried myself since people said something had been mailed out to be filled in so JF could be prepped for the grand task of signing an evening away, and I'd been on the road for a week plus by this point. Nothing to do for it, if true...
I was sympathetic and flabbergasted about one fellow, though. He was desperate to get into the banquet...there was some problem; either he was too late to get tickets or something else had happened...anyway he was doing his most-ut to find some way to connect with Jonathan. Apparently he possessed all of a set of something, gum cards or such, and had all of them personally autographed except for Frid's, and he figured this was his only chance ever to complete his set. He wanted me to get JF to sign the card for him, if there was no way to get into the banquet. He'd give it to me and I could mail it back to him somehow. I could see his fear of missing an opportunity, but I was amazed that he didn't see what he was doing, either. I mean, we didn't know each other at all, and I told him I had no direct means to JF, hadn't seen him yet, and was very dubious about having any greater chance to get him to sign something than he himself had (and while I am the most honest and forthright being on the planet, he had no reason to think that...I could have just run off with his nifty memento and made a few bucks on eBay). Anyway I declined (good thing...I did think I'd see JF later, but I really never got to, more than the next guy) and tried to direct him to Jim Pierson. I wasn't sure what he could do, either, but he was the guy in charge.
Here's the early set up for my bit of JF's turf. 
I did sell the original pencil sketch of JF/Richard III just before packing up, and most of my DS magnets. That was very nice.
Malia and Robin are manning the DVD Central end of things....
They've got it all organized! Malia even ran her portable DVD player.
End-angle. Fans are browsing through JF's personal scrap albums of his career.
It was nice to have the "airy" end of the hall, rather than being in the midst of the crowds. As long as we got buyers drifting our way, of course.
Eventually the dealers began disappearing, since it was getting close to time for Jonathan to make his official entrance. My stuff takes awhile to pack (and I'm ever the optimist) so I was there to the last moment, selling a few extra DVDs and hauling all my stuff and Frid's stuff back to the room, including a few things others had left under the table, etc. Miss Reliable got it all nice and safe before scuttling back to the ballroom, pant, pant, pant...though I did start feeling not unlike a burro. Hee-haw!
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