OMGosh We Met Charlaine Harris Travelogue

The OMGosh We Met Charlaine Harris Travelogue in which Dallas loses her s**t (her phone and her camera) and Object demonstrates that she can to navigate (so there).

By ObjectDesire

Tuesday, January 6th
9:00am Depart Dallas for Houston. We have packed the infamous portable gps system but left the binoculars at home. Object is at the wheel for this trip.

9:45am Decide we are really very hungry. Stop at IHOP and gorge on omelettes and pancakes. Waddle back to car and continue trip.

1:15pm Arrive at the Museum of Fine Art in Houston. Tour museum. See some intriguing short films by Asian filmmakers that loop continuously on screens of various sizes. Very cool exhibit. Eat (again) at museum cafe (soup and sandwiches).

3:15pm Have time on our hands so decide to stop by the Murder By The Book store that is sponsoring CH's visit. There is a race to see if Object's gps system or Dallas' daughter (on phone) can provide directions first (it is a tie). Dallas holds gps system and says, "I don't know," each time Objects asks what the screen shows (she really does not like this technology). However, we drive right to the store with only one wrong turn.

3:30pm Enter store. Three minutes later overhear bookstore owner talking to Houston Library. He says, "Charlaine will be here in 5 minutes. Her flight was late." Dallas and Object freeze in place then begin to stealthily move about the store while staying within earshot of phone conversation. We settle in to wait. Dallas whips out phone to call daughter, sits in chair in corner of store and whispers. Objects selects some books and loiters near front door. Fifteen minutes later, she steps to counter when clerk announces to owner, "They're here." Dallas leaps to her feet when bell rings on shop door. CH breezes in door, locks eyes with Object, and says, "Hi!" Object squeaks out an awestruck hello. CH is whisked to back of store. Dallas loiters near back and hears owner thank CH for coming even though she is "really busy with True Blood."

Stagger, stunned out to car. Look at each other and squeal with delight. This time have directions to downtown library from store clerk (gps system is silenced). Clerk's directions turn out to be a bit loosy goosy and Object pulls over when the street we are on dead ends into convention center. Dallas reaches into her purse for phone to call daughter, reaches into her pocket, gets out of car and dumps contents of purse into seat, looks under seat and searches camera bag in back seat. Uh oh...

Object calls book store. "Has anyone found a phone?" Store clerk says, "Does it have a dangly thing on it?" When told yes, Object hears him tell someone, "I guess it is not Charlaine's phone."

Pass library on way out of downtown. Object navigates smoothly back to bookstore.
Store clerk tells Dallas the phone was found in the parking lot behind a car. We just cannot figure that out...but then fantasize that phone was given to CH and we call her later.

5:15pm Arrive back at library. Finally settle on parking garage after circling block a few times. Enter 4th floor conference room where first few rows are already filled. Dallas is only person in the room (so far) that is wearing a "Fangtasia" t-shirt which draws friendly comments from some women on front row. One of these women is wearing a t-shirt that says, "Please Don't Kill Bill." We settle in for a long wait (event begins at 7pm). Many folks are talking back and forth about the books and the TB series.

6:00pm Object goes down to library coffee shop to get refreshments. On elevator back up, two women enter after Object. One is wearing a Fangtasia T. When she turns, it says "444 Industrial Ave, Shreveport, LA" Object knows that this is a t-shirt that was sent out by HBO before Christmas to some TB fans and starts to ask about the shirt. However, two more people enter elevator and one of them is Charlaine Freakin' Harris!!!! Off the elevator, the woman with t-shirt whips out her phone and begins to call people to tell of her close encounter.

Back in room, place is now packed and long line has formed to purchase books. Dallas has already picked up our "will call" books to be autographed at end of CH's talk.

6:45pm Dallas finally decides to stand in line to purchase additional books. Objects looks up and people up and down the line are smiling, and chatting with Dallas (who claims to be someone that does not strike up conversations with strangers when standing in lines). One woman hugs her.

Dallas returns to her seat and explains that …. ("OD wanted me to write up what happened to cause all the commotion ( hugging, laughing, talking etc ) in the book line – let’s just say I found that there were many, many fans and readers of my blog at the event, I am honored and humbled by the nice comments. A fan, a few people back in line even mentioned our tour of True Blood Northern Louisiana filming locations a few weeks back and that actually caused the stir")

7:15pm Every seat is filled (288- maximum occupancy by the fire marshal ) and we are told that there are attendees in an overflow room watching by close circuit . Charlaine begins her talk by describing herself as a housewife with a "very active inner life." She is charming, warm, intelligent, and funny. Her comments are brief and the second she mentions Q&A, Object shoots up her hand and is granted the first question, the gist of which is what CH thinks about her readers spending hours analyzing her every written word looking for clues as to what will occur in next book. (Transcript of Q&A, video and photographs can be found at HERE)

8:00pm Talk is over and everyone is waiting for their turn to get books autographed. Dallas and Object are numbers 32 and 33. Everyone is excited and conversations in line flow freely. Thanks go out to "Flat Biscuit" for agreeing to add one of Dallas' books to hers to get autographed (we were each allowed only 6 books).

8:45pm Our turn arrives and Charlaine graciously chats with us as she autographs. Dallas tells CH about her blog and blogtalkradio show. CH comments, "very interesting!" Another attendee agrees to take our picture with CH.

8:52pm We exit conference room, ecstatic and giddy. Elevator doors open to whisk us downstairs, but Dallas says, "My camera!" She returns to conference room to find the young couple that had taken our picture frantically looking around for us. We make it downstairs but are stopped in lobby by LTBiD fans that want their pictures taken with Dallas. She is again shocked that she has her own set of fans at this event!

9:10pm Re-enter I45N and head back to Big D. We talk non-stop for 4 hours, analyzing what CH said, and speculating what it all might mean.

1:00am Arrive home, tired, but very, very satisfied with our day's adventures.