Bloomington was on the coast, but we didn't have a sandy beach, just a cliff where the water could be reached by climbing down the rocks. The city was having a music festival that was running from 4-10pm. I had to work late and somehow didn't make it there until nearly 10, but the party was still hoppin'.
Neil Gaiman was there. He read part of a book then did a meet and greet. I got to go up and briefly shake hands with him.
I had one of those glass tables with an umbrella, and I was sitting at it with a friend. Somehow I became the local expert on our shores, so people kept asking me questions, but I didn't mind. Johnny Depp was part of a group of guys who were climbing down and/or jumping into the ocean. Orlando Bloom came up to me and asked me a question about how they were playing in the ocean, because he wanted to join them. All the excitement about going into the ocean was happening around my table.
The girl I was sitting with said she wanted to go in the ocean too, so I said I'd show her a place that wouldn't be so busy with rowdy guys. She put on her swimsuit, but I just stayed in my regular clothes. I hadn't brought a change, and I would just show her how to get there, not go in.
Most of the shore faced west, but I took her to a section that was to the north. I was showing her which rocks to climb on when a huge wave came in and got me soaked. I left her to go find a towel.
I sat in my towel and dried off for a while, when I decided I wanted to stare at the sea for a bit then go home. Neil Gaiman had a tented area by the shore, but it was after the meet and greet, so people had to leave him alone. As I was standing next to it looking out at the setting sun, Neil was doing weird stuff, like sniffing along the ground like a dog.
Then he set out some cheap freebies for people to take. There was stuff like foam 3-D puzzles, plastic thingamabobs, and pencils. It was the type of stuff you'd get for tickets at an arcade. I browsed the stuff and picked up a foam puzzle, but realized it was the one he was personally working on, so I put it back. I ended up picking up a couple pieces to this plastic Design the Interior of the White House set.
When I returned to my friends, Marc and Jada were signing books of lyrics for Winafreds songs. We had seen ada signing them earlier, and when she had tried to give us one, we told her Marc already gave it to us. Really, we just didn't want to take the book without Marc signing it. So when we saw them signing, we wanted a book, but we couldn't ask for it. Marc did give us a book that he signed especially to us, with something that said we were included in some of the songs. But he got my name wrong! I wondered if I should correct him, but decided not to and just accept the gift graciously.
Lots of stuff in that one that really just reflects things in life and thoughts in my head.
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