FOLLOW  YOUR  HEART

The Beauty and the Beast 2003 Convention

MONDAY

Nothing scheduled this morning so we go and help with the packing. Still a lot of loose stuff in the banquet room that must be put into boxes before being loaded into the truck. Everything must go this morning!

On the way, we're granted a wonderful,  unexpected treat. In a box, arrived late, lies a treasure that hasn't even been unpacked, and it's owner (JoAnn, bless your generous soul!) allows us, encourages us even, to take it out of the box and play around with it for a while.

Vincent's Winterfest costume!

That cream-colored ruffled shirt is just as soft as it looks, and the leather on the left shoulder of the vest is worn-out, right at the place where Catherine lays her head (and NOT, as some un-romantic minds might pretend, where the heavy side of the cloak rubbed!) Whith deep, wistful sighs we finally lay the treasure tenderly back into it's box and turn our minds again to more mundane things, like loading the truck!

More helpers join in, and the boxes pile up in the back of the truck and on the sloping pavement, waiting for Larry and Don to place and secure them. Another, much more serious  convention is already installing itself in some of the rooms we left, and its participants in business suits throw curious looks at that weird bunch of laughing people in strange T-shirts carrying cardboard boxes and plastic bins around. The last to go is Bubba, Chandler's life-size Vincent doll. I have the honor of carrying him in my arms, like a somewhat overgrown baby.

Now the people in the street are staring, while the last boxes are loaded and Bubba is carefully seated on the pile. The sales and auctions have been a success, for the truck that was packed full on arriving is now more than half-empty. A few more pics, a last wave to Bubba, and the truck's door is shut.

The Con people thank us for our help. We thank them in return, for the fun, for having been allowed to participate in  the behind-the-scenes "magic" that makes a Con happen.

We grab a quick lunch, then it's time to meet in the lobby for the Grayline bus tour of San Francisco.

Our own bus, our own tour, and our own driver, who seems to be very funny (too bad he speaks so fast!)

OK, I'm not going to clutter this page with "touristic" pics. You'll find much better ones on specialized websites! Just know that we see the Townhall, Golden Gate Bridge,  the Victorian houses, Golden Gate Park, go up to Twin Peaks for a breathtaking view on the city and the bay. There the drivers says something I don't get entirely about...French toilets. What the heck can that be? And then I see them, the oval-shaped,  paying, automatically cleaned cabins named in Paris "sanisettes". So here they're "French toilets". Hey, wouldn't "Freedom toilets" sound much better?

Group picture near the Japanese Tea Garden. Myhr's not on it (he's taking it)

But here he is! He has a wonderful success with kids at every one of our stops!

The adults hardly look twice. This is San Francisco...

We take a little walk on the Bridge and meet Jecris, walking back.

Back to the hotel, then off to Chinatown with Jecris and Pixie, for a delicious dinner and a bit of shopping. More adventures waiting for tomorrow.
 

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