Otakuu made it safely to Christchurch (albeit after paying a huge fee for excess baggage – there’s going to be some frantic re-packing going on tomorrow!), and we’ve been to the first meetup of our trip, and had the first public viewing of our presentation. And angela7715 only found two mistakes in it… (too late now, anyway, because the CDs have been burnt, and I don’t have time to re-do them).
It was a fantastic meetup. A huge turnout – as well as otakuu, lytteltonwitch, and I, the gwilks were there, and rarsberry, and angela7715, and keenreda, and Marcie130. MrPloppy even came along.
Our presentation was admired (and constructively, if belatedly, criticised), as was Baby Bally, my travel journal was passed around and signed, and we received many good wishes from everyone for our journeys. There were even a few books on the table!
I contributed Jesus and the Adman by Rhidian Brook and Book Book by Fiona Farrell, and managed to restrain myself from browsing the piles myself (the thought of the pile of books I’m already trying to cram into my suitcase was enough to resist temptation),
Afterwards, lytteltonwitch gave us a lift home, and she and otakuu came in for a quick cup of coffee and to go through the box of stuff I had for otakuu (which she groaned loudly at the sight of 
). Of course, as always happens, we got chatting, so it was after 11 by the time they left. Lytteltonwitch will be back early tomorrow morning with otakuu’s suitcase, and otakuu herself will return later in the morning after doing some last-minute errands in town. And then just before lunch we’ll head to the airport.
And now, I really must sleep! But I wanted to write up tonight’s meetup, even if just briefly, before the excitement of tomorrow pushes it out of my mind completely.
One more photo before I go: Baby Bally is already showing signs of following in his father’s footsteps, having been spotted firmly attached to a beer bottle:
