Montreal Comic Con!

Terry’s Montreal Blog Saturday Sept. 12 and Sunday Sept. 13

Saturday morning starts with a walk to the convention hall, Plaz Boneventure. The weather is beautiful and we hunt sticks. We need something to hold up the banner, can't use tape or push pins on the walls. We reach the convention center with no luck, so I go in to set up the car and Oli continues the hunt. The hall is buzzing with excitement. Lot's of vendors set up and still setting up. I think our neighbors are doing henna tattoos. Oli arrives with 2 poles, which look curiously like scaffolding braces. I don’t ask him where he got them, and he doesn’t volunteer the information, (but there is a major construction site across the street from the convention center. . .)

And we start rushing to complete the set up, the doors suddenly open at 10am for VIP's! Whoops! Who knew, the Internet said 11:00? All is well, people start lining up and the fund raising begins. It's a constant rush, Oli at the computer processing photos and signing posters and me snapping pics and setting the time circuits. Oliver is interviewed by a radio show which also has video on their website. We meet one of our followers from our blog, which is a rare thing! Before we know it, it's 5:30 and we are out of photo paper. We still take photos and emails so we can send the guest the photo. I'm invited to do a radio spot, an interview that is translated into French after each discussion point. My answers sounds so much better in French! The show winds down enough for me to introduce myself to Elvira. She is the sweetest, and commented that we were doing a good thing. She even came over for a photo in the car. The show ends with a photo shoot, a very excited fan wants pics from all sides. I pack up and then we are off to the hotel to refresh and get ready for dinner. We've been invited to Phillo's a Greek restaurant. The food is served in courses, family style. We enjoy some wine, great company and good food, lots of good food. Our hosts for the show and dinner, Oscar and Alex are wonderful. Feddy and his wife keep us entertained and Jason and Julia tell us all about Montreal, or Mount Royal’ (the city is built on an inactive volcano.) They all give us suggestions of a good iconic picture for the car, but then warn of all the roadwork throughout the city. We'll do our best to find a good spot before we depart for Chicago. Yes, back to Dave's garage for some needed work and then zoom to Danville, CA for the Concourse De Elegance.

On Sunday, back to the photo taking and poster selling. The show is extended 30 minutes; Brent Spiner and Peter Mayhew have graciously agreed to stay a bit longer. This was announced at 4:30. BY 5:00 both had left, so we start packing up and are ready to roll at 5:30. The elevator isle is cleared and Oli weaves his way to it. The elevator is locked on another floor so the hall manager Maryanna scrambles to find it. All is well, it arrives, Oli drives on and the elevator takes us up and down and up again. Yes, we passed the correct floor then back to the original floor and then to the exit floor. Away we go, down the ramp and onto the wrong highway, with a u turn correction we head for Ontario, then back to Montreal, then on the correct road to Toronto, Montreal. Both the GPS and phone route us through Canada as the fastest route. We drive 3 hours and have to rest. The hotel, is infested with flies so we leave, the manager offers a fly swatter. With a smile and a no thank you, I help him give me a refund! Credit card machines are so complicated;) We make our way to the next exit and stay at a Canadian lodge style hotel, with a billiard table for a buffet! Just like the Beverly Hillbillies!