And the votes from last Thursday are in... and by a nose, it's

Photograph & Schadenfreude

Back in the Year of our Dog, 1998, a Discworld Convention was held in the fair and mysterious City of Liverpool. People traveled from wide and far to cluster together around the main molecule, Terry Pratchett.
I was one of those people, and that year I was in a celebratory mood, as I was then currently working on the recipes for Nanny Ogg's Cook Book, which meant that for once in my sad little life, people wanted to talk to me, and take pictures and even on occasion ask for my autograph!
Anyhoo, at the Gala Dinner that year, I was asked to pose for the following piccy alongside the Creator of the Discworld himself, and a few others of the 'V.I.Ps'

Now At this point in the tale, I want you to imagine a nice, swirly, fast forward effect in the style of those old 'time machine' films, with calendar pages flying amok, until we reach a year later, 1999, and have landed at a Clarecraft Discworld Event in a landfill called Woolpit.
That year, was the second of my being 'almost famous' amongst the Discworld Gods, and I was greeted by them, and given free beer, was asked by many to let them have some details about the forthcoming book, and again, had my picture taken more times than usual.
At one point, I went to explore the locale with a then friend, and came across a stall run by the committee who were organizing the convention for the year 2000, and noticed a board covered with photos from the previous year's event. I stared myopically gazed at the pics until I spotted the one above. I then cringed, as I noticed that the make-up (which I'm not used to wearing) made me look somewhat like a ghost, and also, I just hate seeing photos of myself.
I also noticed from left to right, were: Colin Smythe, Terry Pratchett, Me, Stephen Briggs, and a very, very familiar face which for the life of me I could not put a name to...
It was at that point a helpful chap from the committee who shall remain nameless and had noticed my lurking came over. I pointed at the person and said that it was annoying me that I couldn't remember his name, and he replied that that was Graham Higgins, and I went 'Oh yes, now I remember, cheers!'
I then muttered to my then friend about how awful I looked in the piccy, and was wondering if anyone would notice if I hoofed the photo away with me, when the ever so helpful chap said
"The girl in the middle of the photo is Tina Hannan. She did the recipes for Nanny Ogg's Cook Book which is just about to be published" and carried on waffling about me and the book.
I politely put on my best non-scary smile, and tried my damnedest to look interested rather that amused, and let him carry on for a while. But then, then friend felt the need to stop him before the hole got too deep for him to ever climb out of, as others had begun to listen in and were trying not to laugh.
Amidst the gentle rumblings of a crowd guffaw, she gently tugged his sleeve, and when she at last got him to stop talking for a second, said 'That's her. That's Tina Hannan you're talking to!'
I continued with my best smile while the chap turned a wonderful shade of pink, which then bloomed to a very fetching maroon. He may also have possibly suffered an embolism at that point, as his face wobbled and he lost the ability to speak cohererently. Bless.
I've seen him since at Discworld dos, and he still hasn't managed to say anything other than 'ello'