Back to Fourth Day
A really sad day. We knew the convention was over, so we packed with reluctance, went to Mickey D's for take-out breakfast, and came back to the room and talked. (No wonder my voice is raspy. . .)
There was a great rush for the exit, Anne Marie was staying to take a bus tour to Disneyland, but everyone else was leaving. Bev and Johanne were transferring to another hotel, and I had a twelve o'clock flight back to Philly. So we hugged at the curb as the shuttle arrived, and Clive Leatherdale happened to be there. He bid me farewell and kissed my hand! Oh, God, he is so charming, and that British accent is to die for! I am desperately in love (for only about the third time in the convention, the first being--always--Benjamin, and the second being Sean John Hillen, the author of Digging Up Dracula. . . note how all of them have accents. Hm.) I know I'll never wash that hand again. ;-)
Two mundanes on the shuttle looked at me, all in black with my Dracula's "D"ragon shirt on and asked if I'd been at the vampire convention. duh?
Lucky for me I got to the airport early, there was a huge line at the counter. Eventually, though, I got on the plane and snoozed most of the way home. The movie was Father's Day. At one point, one of my seat mates startled me considerably by pointing to the Gothic cross I was wearing and asking "Are you a sister?". Since I was partially asleep, I said, "Yes, but my brother lives in BC", causing them to look puzzled. Then I realized what she meant, and laughed and said "No, I'm not even Catholic." Neither of them spoke to me for the remainder of the flight. :-)
Hardly any problem in Philly, I'd checked my bags through against my better judgement at the ticket-taker's insistence, but the gate where I landed was about two gates away from where I caught the next plane and even USAir managed that one without a hitch. I watched at the window to make sure my bags got transferred. Once again, it was precisely an hour flight and I dozed. We landed in Toronto on time (wow), right to the minute! I'd anticipated a huge line at customs, and being stopped and questioned--got through in about five minutes and all I had to say was "souvenirs". They weren't interested and waved me through. Whew. Caught the bus to the subway, which never happens to me, almost right away instead of missing it by five minutes and having to wait half an hour. Was home about 11:30, when I'd told Hopper midnight at the earliest, and I scared the heck out of her when she came in a few minutes later, anticipating having time to make coffee and relax before I got home. *grin* A suitable ending to a wonderful trip.
Thus endeth the fifth day.