Amanda Palmer and Adventures with Amy

I had an experience Monday night. It was a vastly good and awesome one.

Road Trip are cool.

I traveled with one of my best friends in college all the way to Cambridge, MA to see Amanda Palmer at her BIG release party of her new book, The Art of Asking. It was a midnight event, starting with the meet-up at Harvard Square and the mini concert she gave, then the march to Porter Square Books, where there was another mini book reading/concert, followed by the wait in line to get and met her in person (with autographs).

Amy and her Ukelele(signed by Amanda and Neil! (SQUEE)

Not having been to something like this before, and only just recently gotten into Amanda music, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleased and surprised. Amanda is awesome. She is someone I would like to sit down and have lunch with, shoot the shit with.

I also didn't know anyone, except Amy. How awkward would I feel? Could I talk to other Amanda fans? I know what your thinking, Dear Readers. Aren't you a Theatre Person, Cindy? Aren't you on stage singing, dancing, acting? Aren't you not afraid to act like a fool onstage?

Yes I am. But I am also originally a shy and quiet wall flower. Sometimes I regress. So, would I be able to fit in? Would I be awkward around the countless strangers there?

Yes and Not at all!

There are fandoms I am quite familiar, Anne McCaffrey and Meatloaf. Others I have grown into like Doctor Who and Sherlock. Others I am new to, as is Amanda Palmer. I know only of her album, Theatre is Evil and that she is married to Neil Gaiman. Amy turned me onto Amanda's work by way of a Mix Tape (remember those days?), and as I get deeper into the Amanda's fandom I am finding it like giant family. I mean, you get hundreds of strangers meeting in the middle of Harvard Square to cheer Amanda Palmer on and suddenly you have old friends who've just met (think Gonzo on that one). That how it was Monday night.

I met fellow Whovians, Sherlockians, hailing from the Rochester area, just to name some of the common grounds while we waiting. The time in line past without notice, the cold didn't seems so cold (for the most part), and new friendships were formed. I got to meet two fantastically sweet people who happen to be celebrities. Neil was handing out calendar pages to the crowd (what a sweet man), so that when we got out of line to watch/listen to the reading and some more music, we could get into the same place in line. We celebrated Amanda's book release, sung songs, hear readings, buy books (after all books are cool), and meet Neil Gaiman. I'm glad I could experience it and be a part such a fandom as well.

See a bit of the fun that was had that night.

Jason Weebly sings of Giraffes

Amanda performing in Harvard Square

Serenading Neil for his Birthday

See if you can find me. I'm wearing a blue zipper hoodie!

Okay, also today is ROW80 check-in. True be told, not a lot of work was accomplished in the last few day.

The road trip to Cambridge has put my NaNoWriMo on hold and my house is a mess. But, it's not a bad thing, sometime you need to take some time. This week is for catching up. With the night creeping in faster, it gets dark by 5:00. Sometimes it feels like there are not enough hours, especially when the days are shorter.

Current Goals:
      *Writing/Editing: get caught up on NaNoWriMo, blog regularly, and edit The Audition to completion.
      *Social Media/Visiting: get back up to visiting 3 blogs a day.
      *Reading: finish reading Oryx and Crake (Margaret Atwood). Start The Art of Asking (Amanda Palmer) and The Year of the Flood (Margaret Atwood).

This Week:
      *Reading: making excellent work of Oryx and Crake.
      *Theatre: beginning work on The Mousetrap auditions in December.
      *Blogging: with the above blog, getting back on track with weekly blogging.

Such a great week, Dear Readers. I hope yours is equally great. If you are curious, go here to visit with other ROW80-ers. I must go and write  A LOT for Road Trip, my NaNoWriMo.

Mr. Gaiman and me (Fan Girl moment)