LJ Idol Presents:

I'm on the edge of my seat! There's a shoot-out in the poll https://therealljidol.dreamwidth.org/1058515.html and another happening in the Immunity vote from the Jury!

A couple votes could throw this thing wide open! So make sure to get yours in as soon as you can. The poll closes tonight at 9pm EDT.

***

I mentioned going to the Pen Show this weekend, but there are a couple cool stories from it. We got there in time to see the live recording of the Pen Addict Podcast. (my wife's favorite podcast) As in we got to the hotel, checked in, put out stuff in our room, came back down and were about the halfway point for the line waiting to get in! Then they let their Kickstarter supporters in first - so we were in the last group to get seats! :o

One of the hosts is a huge fan of the band Neutral Milk Hotel, and so is Cynthia, so she wore one of their shirts. After the show, she was wanting to leave so we could eat. But I kept saying "Let's just hang out here for a minute", and then went back into the room and was standing in the back for a couple minutes as the hosts broke down everything and were talking to their old friends.

After those couple of minutes, Cynthia decided that we should leave, so I walked out of the room - and I noticed that Brad (the host who likes NMH) was saying his goodbyes. SO I said "Just one more minute"... and he came out as we were standing there. We got to talk - and Cynthia pointed out the shirt and told him about how we'd just barely got there on time, and what a big fan she was. Brad started tearing up when he saw the shirt. They took a picture and after that it was just a cool story for us. Apparently it wasn't just a good moment for us - on the new podcast, he mentions that meeting, and how the whole con, and the live recording, was just a really emotional thing for him - and then said that it was meeting us after that show that tipped him over into actually crying tears of joy. He then went on to talk about "this is why we do it" (the podcast).

So Cynthia got to hear that she was an embodiment of what makes their podcast worthwhile. :) I'm glad we waited.

***

Another story that was more of a "WTF" kind of funny. (it seems like I've told this story, but I can't find it. Maybe it was on FB or in an email. So apologies if you've heard this one before)

We were at a table looking at the merch, and talking to the woman who was watching it. (She told us that it wasn't her table, that she was keeping an eye on it for a friend).

After looking, and chatting, for a bit - Cynthia wanders off to the next table. I hang back to write down what she was interested in, so I can remember it for her birthday/Christmas list. (I keep a list year round to make it easier when it comes time to buy her stuff) Normally, I would just jot it down on my phone. This time though, I figured, I'm a pen show - I should use a pen! So I had a scrap sheet of paper in my pocket, and one of my own pens - so I took them out, wrote everything down and rejoined Cynthia.

A couple minutes pass and the woman from the table walks over with a panicked look at her face, asking if either of us had "accidentally" picked up one of the pens and put it in our pockets.

We said "No". Neither of us had actually picked up or handled anything on the table. She asked "Are you sure"... and then kept asking a few times every time we said that we were sure.

Apparently one of the pens had gone missing, and now she was frantic to find it.

And we had been the last people at the table... someone asks her to describe it. She does. It sounds like the pen I was using. So I check my pockets just to be sure that I don't have an extra pen... I don't. I let her know that I used my own pen while standing at the table, and take it out. She got an "OMG" look on her face "It looks JUST LIKE THAT!"

I have my own OMG moment, because what are the chances - and how can you even start to resolve this... (there are certainly ways, and we will get to one of them in a moment, but that was my thought at the time). All I could think of right then was "Oh great - I'm going to be accused of stealing my own pen and embarrass my wife by being kicked out of the pen show/cops called...."

Fortunately, one of the other vendors happened to be hanging out nearby and looked over at her table. He reached over to the spot where the pen was missing and said "Is this it?" It was sitting *where it was supposed to be*. She was shocked "Wha... really? Yeah, that's it!" and then everyone laughed at the mix-up.

Cynthia offered up, "Well, if nothing else, I doubt they have the same ink!" Which is true. I had a standard cartridge in mine and most people there would have something far nicer. The woman wrote with both of the pens, and her eyes got wide and then she laughed, "It's the same ink!"

(it later turns out that it wasn't, but it was *really* close.)

Fortunately, the tester from the table had been the personal pen of the table owner - and was far more scratched and battered than mine. Holding them side by side, it was easy to tell the difference. But had it not reappeared... I could have been the Pen Thief!

Which would have been an interesting way to quickly end the weekend!