I'm all settled from returning from a fantastic long weekend in Nova Scotia for Hal-Con and some family visits.
Had pretty good flights down and back and, with the exception of cold rain on Monday, the weather was near-perfect.
My Dad and I arrived in Halifax Thursday afternoon and got our car, turning Q104 on immediately!
The first stop was to Oceanview, where I surprised my Nanny Perkins.
I hadn't seen her in almost two years, before she had to move to long-term care. I was very impressed by how good she looked, especially compared to Christmas 2021. We stayed for a little bit, leaving just before dinner. I promised I'd be back soon.
We went for our own dinner at The Mic Mac Tavern. This was my second failed attempt at finding fried clams, so I settled on a delicious open-faced meatball sandwich.
The next day, my Dad and I drove out to the Annapolis Valley (sky roof open because of the Summer-like weather) to spend some time with the MacLellan side of the family.
I got to visit my Grammy MacLellan's gravesite, which a few appointments prevented me from doing over the Summer.
Then, we stopped to spend the afternoon with my Uncle Sean and Grampy MacLellan. He came in a little later after a doctor's appointment, so I was able to see my Aunt Shelagh for a little while too.
Chatted about work and my Dad growing up, got lunch, and saw some fun old photos of everyone, before getting a photo with my grandfather on the way out.
We said goodbye and my uncle followed us back to Dartmouth.
Saturday was the first day of Hal-Con. I had spent the night before, and the days leading up to my flight, getting everything ready. I had a rough schedule, binder sleeves for autographs, two nerdy t-shirts to wear (Avengers and Game of Thrones), and a good knapsack with plenty of room for swag. I was pumped!
Once we were all in the building, I bought autograph tickets for the weekend (finally, and very happily using several years of Christmas and birthday gifts from both of my grandmothers to do so 😊).
First up was a signing, and it was a big one!!
Timothy Zahn is a legendary Star Wars writer, specifically known for Heir to the Empire and the rest of the original Thrawn Trilogy. He was the guest that drew me to Hal-Con in the first place, and I have never "fanboy'd" so much in my life!
After that, I stood in a series of rather long lines. My father was incredibly patient.
The waiting was totally worth though, because at the end of the line (pardon the pun) were James Marsters and Juliet Landau (aka Spike and Drusilla) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel.
Both were very nice and chatty, treating me to a behind the scenes story of how/why they were cast in Buffy (she liked him) and the intended (and, in my opinion, kind of better) plot for the show's second season.
A little earlier, while we were finishing lunch, a massive group of Star Wars cosplayers were gathered for photo-ops outside the convention centre. Some seriously awesome costumes!
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| This needs to be a real Star Wars character! |
The afternoon and evening were all about panels. Star Wars-related, mostly and a very random but interesting one about Egyptian Mummy gothic fiction. In between, I got more costume photos.
For dinner, me, my dad, and uncle went to The Narrows Public House, a really nice old restaurant with probably the best bologna sandwich I've ever had.
Hal-Con Day 2 started with me getting two more autographs. Luckily, it was far less crazy than the day before. I met Oded Fehr from The Mummy and Mummy Returns, and Arthur Darvill from Doctor Who and DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
Afterwards, I went on a bit of a shopping spree. Spoils included a stack of books by local authors, a t-shirt from The Quarrelsome Yeti, a really nice small wallet perfect for gift cards, and a shot glass.
There were a couple events later in the afternoon, but I wasn't sure my feet would hold out that long so we left.
We took a drive to the Halifax Seaport, saw a couple cruise ships, and got some snacks at a farmer's market. We got back to my grandmother's house, where my Uncle Sean packed his stuff, said goodbye, and drove home.
That evening, after searching since Thursday afternoon, I finally got fried clams for dinner! My Dad and I then drove to see my Uncle Bryan.
Before catching our flight home the next day, I paid my Nanny one last visit and brought her a coffee. She was at Hymn Sing, so that was an experience. But it was nice to just sit with her for an hour.
Then, we left.
It was five years since my last comic convention and around two since I last saw any extended family, so I definitely needed this.
Cheers!
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