| My Audience with the King of Gondor page II |
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| The Bookstore We knew from the moment we arrived that it was standing room only. The first such and such amount of people to arrive got a card with a number. We were not one of these people so we figured our feet and legs were in for it. We knew the moment we crossed the threshold that we weren�t going to be getting into the back part of the store were Viggo was. I found myself behind a boy in a center aisle of the store, leaning against a rack of other poetry books. I looked for Kevin Max, but didn�t see any. I did see an illustrated book of Poe (didn�t get to look at it though) and I discovered that Tim Burton has a book out. I have decided that he is a clever director, but I hate his Nightmare Before Christmas style drawings. Didn�t look at it long enough to decide about his poems and short stories. The library is my friend. I also had a fun time talking to the kid. Mom told me later that she thought it was wonderful how we could talk to eachother, but it was easy because we talked LotR and Halloween ect, which are subjects I enjoy, haha. We waited here between the shelves for a long time. One of the staff made us part so that there was a center aisle, but people kept coming and filling it up. If I had a dollar for every time the dude had to come make the people leave, I could have bought another Viggo book! Haha� Anyway, it was VERY HOT in there. The Boy and I sat down for a while, and that was cooler, but we had to get up because the Aisle Clearing Guy was afraid we were a fire hazard (or something). The dude also gave the rules again, adding that we must turn off all cell phones and pagers, and that Viggo wasn�t going to sign anything but his own books. Kyle was already mad because of the wait and the heat, and this REALLY ticked her off. I am sure I haven�t seen a smile on her face since the drive over (except a few wry ones). I didn�t have much time to feel bad though, cause It started. |
| Poems of the King You�ve probably seen at least one interview snippit of Viggo. You know how his voice is pretty low and quiet, and that he tends to�mumble. Try listening to him somewhat nervously reading poetry in a crowded and hot bookstore while a guy constantly shooes people away lest they become a Fire Hazard. I couldn�t hear much of the first few poems (was glad I bought the book), and I heard none of his comments and introductions which he said even softer and mumblyer. Then I remembered hearing that there was air conditioning and speakers in the kid�s section. I took a journey to see if this was true, found it so, and reported it to mom. She didn�t want to loose our place (and it was cooler where Kyle and her were standing anyway) so Tommy and I camped out in the kid�s section, and read along using my book. This was one of the best parts of the evening. I love being read to, I love poetry, and once Viggo got into it he stopped being nervous and mumbled less. And I was right under a speaker. Yay! It was very pleasant to look at his paintings and photos, listen to his soothing (it is!) voice reading, and read along. The only bad part of this experience was the people sitting acrossed from me were looking at a book of art that looked to be mostly nude (the art section was right next to the Children�s). Nude in an ugly way, not in the Greek and Roman way. But other than that, it was delightful. After this was more waiting. We found out that there was another line outside, and IT was the signing line! I ran out as fast as I could, (left outside the store, down the front, then left again around the side) but still ended up way in the back. Mom and co. joined me and we settled down for the longest wait I have ever had. |
| Continued the next day: |
| Waiting� We waited in a kind of hallway, with a door to the street on each side, tiled floors, and skylights. It was very like a mall except there were no doors to stores. There were lit up posters advertising stores, and it was by one of these that we waited most of the time. The only things I had to read were �Return of the King� and �Coincidence of Memory�. I had frankly had my fill of �Coincidence of Memory�, so I read some �Return of the King�. Just my favorite parts and some of the appendixes. Then I got to talking to the nice people in front of us. Two guys and two girls, all in their late twenties to mid thirties. Very nice and funny. One of the guys had one of the Barbie-style LotR Aragorn dolls still in its box. The really scary looking ones, haha. He was hoping that since we were so far back in line (there were only about thirty people behind us) Viggo would sign his doll�s box. I was just hoping we�d get there before Kyle exploded or Viggo had to leave. Time passed. A store guy visited us in our exile to hand us pieces of scrap paper. He explained that we were to write down what we wanted Viggo to put in our books. The ladies in front joked about writing �Will you marry me?�. The store guy was amused and encouraging ;-) He also told us that Viggo was determined to keep signing until we had all met him. Which I think was very nice of him, even though he was making a fortune off of all the books being sold, even though he was sitting and we were standing, and even though people were giving him food and drink. Still nice of him, cause I have been to signings where the people just leave. DcTalk left and no one told the line. We stood there for no reason. So I think Viggo was nice. We eventually reached the window on the side of the store and I got my first glimpse of Viggo. From the back. His hair was combed back (normal length) and blond. Not in a bad way though, from what I could tell. I pointed him out to The Boy I had talked to in the store (his mother and him were a few people behind us). The ladies pretended to get all excited when he half turned and we could see his profile. Then the line moved and so did we. More time passed. We finally reached the end of the hall. I remember looking back and thinking �A two minute walk in two hours time�. I was feeling poetic, you see. There were mariachi dancers in the street. I wasn�t very interested at the time on account of I had just found a bench type thing (it was really a flower pot thingy) to sit on and didn�t want it to get taken, but the little I saw was good. We rounded the corner and were now in front of the store. There was a little curb under the big front windows so I sat down next to the Brunette Lady (the shelves at the front for displaying books were so tall that we couldn�t see The Man Of The Hour over them). I read a notice saying that the store was gonna be moving after something like twelve to fifteen years in that building, Pity. It was a nice store. |
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