Walker Stalker Fail

I'm too clueless to stalk celebrities. It's a shame, too, because I live in an area where they do a lot of filming for The Walking Dead. If I were any good at being a "Walker Stalker," as they're commonly known, I'd have lots of opportunities to practice. But sadly I don't have a firm enough handle on what's happening around me to be much use as a celebrity stalker. Take this afternoon's adventure as proof of my point.

Today I was having lunch at the Senoia Coffee Shop, which is across the street from where they're currently filming Walking Dead. I know that multiple cast members are onsite because friends have met them this week, pictures of them have been taken at this very coffee shop within the past couple days, and I can actually see the cast members' trailers from the table where I'm sitting outside the restaurant. It's not as if I don't have a heads-up that there might be a celebrity sighting. Despite that, I've got my glasses off and my nose buried in the notebook I'm writing in.

The server had just dropped off my chai latte when two girls walked up to the restaurant with a dog. As usual, I ignored the people and focused on the animal. I said, "What a cute dog!" One of the girls said, "Excuse me?" I replied, "I like your dog." The girls gave me a strange look, tied up the dog, and went into the coffee shop. Then a herd of excited fans ran over. They told me the girls with the dog are Maggie and Tara from WD. The fans seemed shocked that anyone could be as oblivious as I was and not recognize the stars. Join the club. I was pretty disappointed in myself. Although, to be fair, he's a really cute dog.

So, to sum up, in my one brush with greatness, I managed to make two stars of one of my favorite shows think that I didn't know who they were. Technically that was because (at the time) I didn't know who they were. Well played. I can hardly wait to see how I inadvertently insult the stars of my other favorite shows. Maybe someday I'll meet James Spader from The Blacklist and ask if he used to be thinner when he was on Boston Legal. Or maybe I can ask any guy from Game of Thrones if he stuffs his codpiece. And I shudder to think what kind of ridiculousness will pop out of my mouth if I ever meet anyone from Grimm. Maybe from now on I should just stay home and leave celebrity stalking to the professionals at TMZ.

Do Not Mow

It looks like Walking Dead might be revving up for some more filming in Senoia, Georgia this upcoming week. The now-familiar sign is back on Route 16 that says the street in front of the Senoia Library will be closed all day from September 23 until the 29th. It was shut down like that a couple weeks ago for WD filming, but I didn't want to jump to any conclusions.

So yesterday, I drove down the street to see if there was any other sign that there might be zombies invading Senoia this week. Sure enough, the lawns lining the street had "Do Not Mow" signs stuck in them. Normally that wouldn't mean much to me, but according to people who live in neighborhoods where they've filmed before, the WD producers sometimes pay homeowners in filming locations to not mow their lawns. This makes it look like the homes aren't being taken care of after their owners turn into mindless feeding machines.

Who would have guessed that during a zombie apocalypse, yard maintenance is the first thing to suffer.

It's a (zombie) wrap

The zombies have left the building. Driving by downtown Senoia today, it was clear that this round of Walking Dead filming was done. The trailers and cars and signs redirecting traffic were all gone. Which is kind of scary because it means all those zombies are roaming the countryside, perhaps on their way to your community. Actually, they're probably going to Atlanta.

It makes sense that they'd have to finish up if any of the Walking Dead cast members are going to attend DragonCon in Atlanta this weekend. If you've never been to DragonCon, may I recommend that you slip into your Star Fleet uniform, jump in the car, and make your way to Atlanta. They do this massive sci fi/fantasy convention every year over Labor Day weekend, and it's crazy. Think tens of thousands of your best friends overflowing from multiple huge conference hotels, all talking about sci fi/fantasy movies, TV, books, gaming, and everything else you can imagine. I've never experienced anything quite like it. Bring your camera, your autograph book, and money for double espressos to keep you awake for the 24-hour festivities.

This year, some of my favorites are scheduled, including Data from Star Trek TNG, Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Monroe from Grimm. How can you help but have fun with a crew like that?

Have a happy DragonCon weekend!