As you might have read, Mrs. Muffin, aka Cannoli and I hung out, more like highjacked, Bridgeboss' booth in the Orange Hall this past week. This assignment blessed us with the ability to be in Orange as the show came together and we got an inside, super secret look at all of the happenings - so I thought you'd like to hear about it:
- We just had plain old everyday badges, but after Jim called and vouched for us, we got to go over to Silver and trade in our commoner id's for the super powerful Orange Hall ids. There's sort of a ceremony when they give them to you. They have "Orange" stamped on them and some 4 year old somewhere used a magic marker around the edges so the security people know its okay for you to be in there before the patriotic music gets played. Just don't try to take anything out.
- Once we had that, we went to take stuff into Orange. There was like nobody in there. It was spooky. We rolled our cart in with some stuff and got grabbed by security - you can't take carts into the building via any of the doors except the big garage door on each end. While questioning about this, we discovered that actually you could take your carts in via this door or that door, but you had to carry them over the floor so that their wheels didn't touch down. I guess we should have bought carts without wheels.
- As people started to come in, it got really interesting.
- The OGR guys are really virile young men. There's a makeup artist in there that makes them look like aging baby boomers. That way they can "relate" to the rest of us. Take Ed for example. He had a full head of thick hair before they put on his skull cap.
- Mike Wolfe came in wearing a wife-beater t-shirt and when I walked by Andy was helping him strap on holsters and pearl handled DCS remotes. "I'll show you vision!"
- Speaking of t-shirts, the whole Lionel team was wearing them while they played rock-paper-scissors to decide if today was an orange or blue shirt day.
- As I rounded the corner, Jerry Kimble was using an atomizer and practicing the scales.
- Harry Hienke was weathering his booth.
- The hordes working the Nicholas Smith booth were chanting "Beat Ro, Beat Ro"
- Jack Pierce and the Mrs pulled that whole display for his lighted vehicles out of the back end on a Mini-Cooper. Somehow it unfolds like several hundred times
- Harry was walking around asking "Heh, can I weather that?"
- The Foley's from Mainne Benchwork were selling rides on their lift gate bench work. Up and down and up and down.
- I saw Dennis Brennan under the table with some big bags of kitty litter. What's with that?
- Jim from Scenic Express was spreading flocking like crumbs so you could find your way to his booth.
- I attempted to take an empty box to my truck before noon on Thursday and I am surrounded while the box got a cavity search to verify it was empty.
- Vince from Vince's Trains had a pile of Vince flags and he was running around laying claim to unoccupied territory in his never ending quest for dominance of the north end of the hall
- The TCA officials were explaining to Mike that they already had a Purple Hall
- At 6:15am Saturday "The Voice" uses the public address system to tell the sleeping campers that there will be donuts and coffee in the Orange Hall; then at 7:15am there are donuts and coffee in the Orange Hall and then at 7:45am that there were donuts and coffee in the Orange Hall. And the meet starts at 9?
- Ross Custom Switches arrived late, and Steve tried to back his trailer up the hallway and security was right on him. The only way they would allow it was if he would carry it up the hall. He was considering it. His hair was all unruly - very unusual. I expect a woman was involved.
- The Mrs and I got to see the sacred installing of the yellow arrows. It's done by a three man team and only a simple majority vote is required for each arrow - is it an "innie" or an "outie"? They'd vote and then stick it on the floor, and off to the next aisle. I heard Harry asking them if he could weather the arrows.
- So now its 1:30 on Saturday and carts are beginning to show up on the floor. I go get ours and on my way back in using the garage door I am told "no way" I can bring that in before 2:00pm. Then, after the security team huddles, they tell me that it's okay, but I have to carry it to the booth. No wheels.
- At 1:57pm, "The Voice" announces that the meet is over and security flies out of the building to the tune of Happy Trails to You. There must be a mid-afternoon special at Applebee's. Now you can use any kind of cart you want and through any doorway. You can park anyplace and block anything. There are carts everywhere! Plus, as a bonus, you can now pee for free - the attendants are gone too. Good thing I held it for so long.
