Meeting Marta Kirsten at DragonCon

The Tap on the Shoulder

• On the third day of the show, as I was walking through the convention, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
• I turned around, and to my absolute shock, it was Marta Kirsten herself!
• Recognizing my fellow guest badge, she asked me if I knew where the autographing tables were.

The "D'oh!" Moment

• Being helpful and analytical, I immediately gave her precise, detailed directions: go down these stairs, across the street, all the way to the back, and then down the escalator.
• She thanked me warmly and scurried off.
• It took me exactly ten minutes of standing there before the realization hit me like a ton of bricks:
  • D'oh! I could have actually walked her there myself!
  • Instead of just giving her directions, I could have spent ten glorious minutes walking and chatting with my childhood crush. D'oh! D'oh!
• My dear friend Bill Harp and I were absolute, definite opposites in situations like this:
  • If Bill had been there, he wouldn't have hesitated for a second. He would have not only walked her all the way to the autograph tables, but by the time they arrived, he probably would have gotten her phone number and a promise to visit us in Portland soon! :)