The Lord Lieutenant has begun planning his whirlwind tour of the Xenaverse and can now announce several stops on the glorious tour. Details of these trips will be posted here and updated regularly. Also here for your perusal is the complete 1997 tour report.
March 8th Cincinnati--1st Southwest Ohio Xenite Carnival
June 19-21 Texas Xena Fest--a journey to the heart of the Lone Star State and fun and games with the Texas Xena Mafia.ATTENTION!!Due to circumstances beyond his control, the Lord Lieutenant was unable to be in Texas for this event. However, a report has been received at the Travel Office, so that all may enjoy what happened at the Fest!
July 17-19 Indianapolis--JUST ANNOUNCED! A return to Indiana for the 2nd annual gathering at the home of the fabulous Lady Delyla!
July 25-26 2nd Annual Toronto Xenafest--the Lord Lieutenant hopes to be a guest this year. ATTENTION! Due to circumstances involving the greater good of the Xenaverse, the Lord Lieutenant will unable to attend the Fest, which has been changed into a barbeque.
Late Fall TBA--another secret trip.
and more to be announced!
July 11-12 Indianapolis--Meeting and greeting Indy area Xenites
August 8 Toronto--Meeting and greeting our northern neighbor Xenites, in advance of their splendid Xenafest
August 17 Detroit--Hercules/Xena Con at the Novi Center. Your humble servant has been commisioned to be the official correspondant for WHOOSH! for this event!
September 18-22 SPECIAL REPORT! Lord Lieutenant's vacation to North Carolina and trip to the Clemson-Florida State football game.
October 3-5 Valley Forge--Hecules/Xena Con, with appearances by Robert Trebor, Hudson Leick, Ted Raimi and Renee O'Connor.
August 8, Toronto, Ontario
(reported by Emil Muz, Sub-Lieutenant of the Xenaverse and
Travel Office Secretary, the following being a transcript
of the events, as told to him)
Following the 75 minute drive from Niagara Falls, NY around
Lake Ontario, the Lord Lieutenant arrived in the fair
Toronto, and made his way to the Kipling subway station,
where he rode the rails to the heart of the city.
Alighting on Bloor Street W., he made way on foot along
the street, taking in the sights of this marvelous city,
which he had been absent from for some 10 years or more.
An additional point to be made, Toronto has possibly the
finest concentration of beautiful women on the entire
continent, an observation which was duly noted by your
humble chronicler.
After another subway ride further south, a tour of the
architectural wonder that is SkyDome was next on the
agenda. It is something that must be witnessed to be
believed! A short walk up Yonge St. brought us to the
Hockey Hall of Fame, and being a prime destination of the
Lord Lieutenant, its appearence was welcomed earnestly.
After completing the tour of the exhibits there, a side
pilgrimage to Maple Leaf Gardens was made, complete with
the requisite homage being paid.
As time was growing short, another quick subway ride was
made to the eastern side of the city, in advance of meeting
other Xenites who resided in the metro area. How pleased
the Lord Lieutenant was to see that a street festival had
been set-up in his honor in this neighborhood, which
appropriately enough, was the Greektown section of the
city. A short walk from the station brought us to the
rendezvous point, a fine establishment called The Court
Jester, and after indulging in a refreshment, your
correspondant was pleased to see the arrival of the first
of his hosts, Web Warrior Princess, followed by Seabear.
Greetings were made and we commenced to visiting and
sharing a refreshment or 2, at which point the food was
ordered. However, about this time, the arrival of Thodin
and Boobookitty interrupted us, and we all made more
greetings and salutations.
The only tragedy of the night was the unfortunate
over-indulgance of WWP in her refreshment, which caused her
to become giddy and lose some of her reserved bearing, but
it created an atmosphere of good cheer among all of us!
Soon after, the arrival of TrueNorth brightened our group,
although she was unable to stay with us for the duration,
due to her minor illness and other "contractural"
obligations beyond her control.
After the food and drink were exhausted, we proceeded to
take in the street carnival, and enjoyed ourselves
immmensely, until it was getting past the point of return
of yours truly, at which time we made our farewells, and
the Lord Lieutenant took leave of the city, making his way
back from where he had come that morning.
Again, a
wonderful time was had by all in attendence, even
those whose memories are hazy of the whole affair!!('LOL')
It was with a great sorrow that your chronicler had to
leave, but he intends to make it back at a point in the
future. This ends the story for now, however, as they say,
stay tuned...
Soon thereafter, the arrival of Sithus,
Sub-Lieutenant and Lord Armourer of the Xenaverse and Proud
Warrioress was met with great joy and greetings were made,
following which Proud Warrioress was appointed Officer of
the Watch for the duration of the Con. A repast was
arranged and commencement of the Council of the Xenaverse
was held, with writs, warrants and proclamations being
discussed and agreed to. Following this, a private
screening of the first episode, "The Furies", was arranged
and recorded for later enjoyment of other Xenites.
Following the screening of another episode (ADITL) and a
part of "Army of Darkness", the principals retired for the
night, with anticipation of the events of the rest of the
weekend running high. After a break for air and recreation,
several other famed Xenites were met with outside the Hall,
including Atalanta, of the famous Texas Xena Mafia,
Thunder Road, and BigKat as well as Mighty Might. Also, it
was the Lord Lieutenant's great privelige to meet one of
the most well-known of all Xenites, the illustrious
Cathbad. Photos were taken and then the way was made back
into the hall in time to see the first guest of the day,
Robert Trebor. The jovial Salmoneus graced the audience
with his humor and wit, answering questions and keeping the
proceedings moving along well. He was followed by the
screening of another music video and a trivia contest. The
Lord Lieutenant excused himself and made well to the vendor
area, where he called upon and greeted even more of the
merry band of loyal Pubsters. The arrival of the contigent
from the Northern Division of the Xenaverse allowed him to
re-acquaint himself with Thodin, Sub-Lieutenant of the
Xenaverse, Web Warrior Princess, Brewmistess of the
Xenaverse, whose appearance was a surprise, and TrueNorth.
Also arriving was the
wonderful Mother of the Pub, Roo; Kieli, Crju, Tx Trouble,
Onorasan and DutchXenaFan also were bid welcome. (As an
aside, the order of greeting may not necessarily be exact,
but is a close enough approximation for the continuity of
the story.) After all of the welcoming, a return was
made to the Hall, for a continuation of events, and much of
it was forgettable to the Lord Lieutenant, as it was
nothing that he had not witnessed previously during his
appearance at the Con in Detroit, so forgive him for
omitting details of it. There was a sense of anticipation
for the arrival of the beautiful Hudson Leick, and nothing
was going to dampen the enthusiaism. In the interim, the
Lord Lieutenant was informed of the occurances of the
evening previous in New York by those who attended and much
good mirth was shared. There was a sense of immediate
comraderie among all of the Pubsters in attendence, unlike
anything that could be imagined. All were there to enjoy
the company of others and share in the splendid time being
had. The Lord Lieutnenant attempted to co-ordinate the
activities for later in the evening and was quite pleased
to accept the graciousness of ScottBernard, who allowed the
use of his suite for the entertainment of the Pub faithful
later in the evening. More on that in a moment, as we come
to the event that all were awaiting, the imminenet arrivial
of Callisto herself! After everyone found a seat, and the Lord
Lieutenant being joined at his seat by the captivating
Kieli, Hudson made her way to the stage to a thunderous
ovation, and a sea of flashing cameras. She was
resplendant in a gold dress and her hair pulled back in a
ponytail, resembling for all the world a Barbie-doll. She
held the audience at rapt attention throughout her time on
stage, calling to her presence a girl dressed like
Gabrielle for a closer examination, posing with a sword
handed her by a person from the audience, letting out one
of her trademark screams and generally entertaining
everyone with her calculating demeanor. Following the repast with his
Northern comrades, the Brewmistress of the Xenaverse was
conscripted to join the Lord Lieutenant and acquire the
necessary supplies for the viewing of "The Furies". Having
procured the necessary items, the
pair returned to the Sheraton and made way to the temporary
Pub. Following the rationing of the drinks, it was time to
get the administrative aspects of the evening out of the
way and many were called and chosen to become members of
the Order of the Chakram, with
the Lord Lieutenant bestowing the honors and titles. Feel
free to peruse the list for a complete rundown of who got
what! Upon arriving at the
Convention Center, there was a re-joining of the group of
the evening before, and as many of the early activities
were a repeat of the previous day's, no one was in much of
a hurry to take their seats in the Hall, and so a great
deal of visiting with one another ensued. The Lord
Lieutenant was pleased at this time to make the acquatance
of other Xenites whom he had not met the day before, most
notably, CoyoteBlue and ViolaDiva, who showed him her Texas
State Flag, with many autographs of stars and writers
alike. Taking his seat, the Lord Lieutenant was joined by
Pretendreamer, who sat with him for the duration of the
afternoon. Soon, it was time to prepare for the arrival of
Ted Raimi, who entertained the crowd, which on this day was
larger than the one the day before. Ted was quite
enjoyable, as he had been earlier at the Detroit Con, and
many thought he was far more deserving of better treatment
than his character has received. Now the buzz was
rather apparent as the time approached for the arrival of
Renee O'Connor, and when she was announced to the crowd,
all rose as one to give her the welcome she so richly
deserved. She seemed overwhelmed by her ovation, her
concerns about no one wanting to see her quickly displaced
by the affection of the masses. She was resplendid in a
dress which accentuated her hair and looked wonderful.
She, too, captivated the audience with her charm and all
attention was focused on her words. During the Q&A
session,
she answered all with a smile and grace befitting one of
her lofty status! The session was marked by an appearance
of Ted on the stage, who came to banter with her and
generally give her a foil to play off of...it made things
seem much more entertaining. There was then an
announcement that Renee had a phone call and it was piped
into the Hall, a woman trying to diguise her voice as an
older woman's, until the release of the most famous cry in
all the Xenavese rang through--"Yiyiyiyiyiyiyi!!!" It was,
in fact our own Lucy, who called to lend her support. It
was THE surprise of the weekend and she and Renee chatted
for several minutes. Following the end of the session,
it was now time for the autograph line to commence and the
Lord Lieutenant passed the time until his row was called
chatting amicably with others sitting near him, being quite
surprised to meet the couple who had sat next to him in
Detroit immediately behind him! Old acquaintances were
renewed, and we waited for our audience with Ted and
Renee. The volunteers seemingly had not improved their
dispostion since the preceding day and made for a tense
atmosphere. However, nothing would deter the enthusiam and
when the row was called to make its way, all was forgotten.
Following the end of the
Con, arrangements were made to have dinner, and a large
contingent of Pubsters made way for the repast, the last
activity of the weekend. More great comraderie was shared
and at the end of the meal, sad good-byes were exchanged,
with much hugging and a few tears, as this was the end of a
glorious 3 days of fun and enjoyment with one another.
After dropping Macavity Cat off at the hotel, the Lord
Lieutenant returned to the Gonzo suite and reflected upon
the days events and retired for the evening, to prepare for
the journey home the next day.
A few photos
from the event! Rain and gloom gave way to sunshine and
warmth as the Lord Lieutenant motored from his home to the
Holiday Inn in suburban Cincinnati to meet up with the
others assembling for what was the first ever gathering of
Xenites in Southwest Ohio. The Lord Lieutenant was honored
to attend the festivities, which also coincided with the
celebration of the birthday of Avondaleguy, Sub-Lieutenant
of the Xenaverse and Commisioner of Potaedia, as well as
that of Tamrob, Xena Knight 2nd Class without portfolio.
As such, an all-star Pub contingent made haste to the
Queen City and at approximately 3pm the festivities began.
The Lord Lieutenant, as is his custom, arrived first and
soon after, Avondaleguy followed. Within moments of the
greeting, the quartet of BanCu, Xena Knight 1st Class and
Honour Guard Chieftess; Tamrob, Sabs Here, and Lindsee
arrived in the lobby of the hotel and greetings were
exchanged. While trying to decide how to pass the time for
an hour, we were quite surprised that the rest of the
guests had arrived early! Lady Delyla, Xena Knight 1st
Class and Amazon Princess; Ravenkai, Xena Knight 1st Class
and Artisitc Director of the Xenaverse; and Sithus,
Sub-Lieutenant and Lord Armourer of the Xenaverse had made
their way from points north and west, so the gathering was
able to proceed without further delay.
Assembling in the pair of rooms housing the out of town
guests, we commenced to viewing the latest episode "When in
Rome" as well as general chitchat and mischief. Soon, some
of the assmbled wished to swim in the indoor pool, and so
way was made to that activity, while others took a brief
respite in the bar. While the swimmers swam, an
unfortunate accident occured when BanCu fell into the pool,
and she was certainly not dressed for swimming. While she
and Tamrob adjourned so that a change into dry clothes
might be made, arrangements were made to transport the rest
of the group to our final destination, Dave and Busters, a
large restaurant with many activities to partake in. Upon
arriving, we were shown to the private room set aside for
our festivities. Refreshment was arranged and several took
advantage of the billiard table which was the centerpiece
of this particular room. Finally, a repast was brought and
all ate til satisfied. Following this, the contingent made
way to the area in which many arcade type games were
housed. Dave and Buster's is billed as an adult version of
the popular "Chuck E. Cheese" and this highlighted that
billing. However, children are monitored, and the Lord
Lieutenant for one, did not even notice the few underage
youths there. After all had gotten their game playing
out of their systems (as an aside, the women seemed to have
an affinity for the motorcycle racing game, while the Lord
Lieutenant acquitted himself admirably on the skiing game),
we made way back to the Holiday Inn, through a torrential
downpour. Unfortunately, upon our arrival, Lindsee got word
that emergency at home required her to leave immediately,
so we said our goodbyes and well wishes to her and then
returned to the bar for some more visiting. Unfortunately,
soon thereafter, the Lord Lieutenant had to take leave of
the group, in order to make his way back from where he had
come, and made his goodbyes to all and arrived home at
approximately 11:50 pm. A joyous time was had by all in
attendence and it was hoped that the gathering would have
some sort of regularity to it in the future. Stay tuned
for details! PROLOUGE by
Emil Muz, Travel Office Secretary Atalanta and Tx Trouble's TexasFest--The Official
Report If you have attended any of the Cons or other Fests, it seems like you don't have the opportunity to really sit down and get to know the folks who you chat with, sometimes on a daily basis. Here, that was all we really wanted to do; give everyone a chance to relax and get to know each other more personally. Most of the folks tended to congregate out in the 100+ degree temperatures on the deck (why I haven't the faintest idea...probably since we smokers have the most personality 'G' (Tx Trouble is taking personal offence to this line!)) and banter away the hours on Friday night early Saturday and Sunday. Actually, we did it almost every day until Tuesday the 23rd. It was great fun sitting around talking, laughing, sharing and I will tell you no topic was left unturned. Also, many folks watched some of the eps, especially the Herc trilogy in the coolness of the house. No one will question their sanity in that case! Of course, we can't leave out those following the World Cup as friends got together to watch a few of the games. The only day in which formal activities were planned was Saturday the 20th. After the usual mornaing and early afternnon chat hour, many of the fester went to Laserport, the local laser tag establishment. Even though they had to battle little kids (for which the time in the Pub had been preparing us for) it seems most of the people had a grand time. TxT says you gotta watch out for that Ambrosia! She'll kick your butt at lasertag and be damned proud of it!! At 5 pm the catered Bar-B-Que started with a special appearance by Cowgirl Atalanta, and decked out Tx Trouble. While folks loaded their plates of BBQ, Trouble read the Lord Lieutenant's proclamation exalting the Fest. (Ed note: see the Order of the Chakram for details of the proclamation) Though the heat seemed to temper some folks appetites, many partook of the local delicacies. After dinner and a brief photo opportunity period, we gave folks a chance to cool down and handed out door prizes. I would like to thank Abbyrose, Anomaly, Deanlu, ScottBernanrd, Tamrin/Shayde, and Xena Fan Nr1 for their gracious contributions for the door prizes! This way everyone who pre-registered (so to say) received something...well, almost. We lost a few of the names in an accident but we hope we have everyone covered. Due to the temperatures and the lateness of the evening, many of the events were, uh...swept by the wayside. But that didn't stop some folks (like Mighty Might) from picking up a rope and trying to lasso "Gabby". Seems the rope had a magical draw for some folks since several tried their hand at it while the dance floor was laid out and saw little use. Yes folks, I will be the first to admit...it "is" possible to do the Texas two-step to Metallica 'VBG' After Abbyrose and I did dueling volume controls, some folks took up various forms of dancing, though most played shy and continued to sit around various areas of the yard and get to know each other better. Saturday night was one that I will personally put in my memory as one of the most meaningful, enjoyable times of my lifetime. I hope our guests have some of the same memories. To all our guests, a big thank you! Trish and I were truly honored at the time you took out of your busy schedules and spent all those hard earned bucks to come down to Podunkville to see us. We hope that each had as much fun as we had and we look forward to seeing you again soon!! Postscript by Emil Muz More trips to be announced!
August 17 Novi Expo
Center
(as reported by Emil Muz, Sub-Lieutenant
of the Xenaverse and Travel Office Secretary, being a
transcript of the proceedings, as told to him)
Following the short journey overland from his temporary
base in Toledo, the Lord Lieutenant arrived at the scene of
the Hercules/Xena Convention in suburban Detroit.
Following the meeting and greeting of his retinue for the
day, G Force, Cemetary Man, and CM's loyal comrade, a
hearty breakfast ensued, as well as the conferring upon of
titles and honors. Once the repast had been completed, the
entourage commenced to set up the temporary command post of
the Xenaverse at the Novi Expo Center, a non-descript place
void of any charm whatsoever.
At 12:30, the crowd was
allowed entrance into the center itself, and there was a
mad sprint to purchase various and sundry items of
memoribillia. At approximately 1:20, the Con was began
with opening remarks from the representative of Creation,
who looked suspiciously like Bruce Campbell. Following a
video of clips from the shows, edited to a recording of
"Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting", Ted Raimi took
to the stage, entering with a series of pratfalls, and the
raucous cheers of the audience. Several members of the Ted
Raimi Fan Club were in attendence, and led the whooping-up
of the crowd. Ted was rather engaging and quite hilarious,
it made the Lord Lieutenant feel guilty that he had such
bad feelings for Joxer.
Following Ted, there was a
screening of Herc bloopers, and a trivia contest, involving
members of the audience. Joe LoDuca was next on stage, and
he discussed the music for the shows, which he composes and
scores. He enlightened us to the fact that there is
approximately 36 minutes of music per episode, not by his
choice. He took questions from the crowd, as Ted had done
also, and in the process explained how he was able to use
the wealth of modern technology to do most of his work from
his home in Detroit.
An auction of H/X trinkets followed, then the blooper reel
from Xena was shown. All of this was in advance of the
appearence of the wonderful and captivating Hudson Leick to
the stage. She appeared in a long, strapless black dress,
and explained to the mob that she had had an unforgettable
experience even making it to Detroit, and that we should
forgive her if she seemed a little tired. We quickly did,
as she held the audience in the palm of her hand throughout
her stint. She too answered questions, until it was time
for the autograph session to begin. During the time that
each row was called to the side room for their face to face
meeting with the guests, a video of the Top 10 villians
from the shows was screened.
A costume contest was held following this, a small
contingent of the crowd taking part, and was won by a young
woman in a beautifully constructed Xena costume. It wasn't
even a close decision. Another video segment, "Monsters We
Love" was shown, and then an electronic press kit for each
show was also shown. Thus ended the day, and the Lord
Lieutenant bade farewell to his loyal contingent and made
his way back to from whence he had come.
The Lord Lieutenant shall dispense with an overall
impression of the events of this day, as you can read more
in-detail reporting in his dispatch for WHOOSH! Please
feel free to peruse the report at your leisure.
September 18-22 Lord Lieutenant's
vacation
(as reported by the Lord Lieutenant
himself, being a recollection of the events as they
transpired)
The Lord Lieutenant took a well needed vacation from his
duties and traveled to the mountains of North Carolina for
several days. While this was not an official trip, a few
occurances are worth noting. While dining at the Hungry
Bear Restaurant in Cherokee, NC, the Lord Lieutenant took
notice of a young man wearing the approved garment of the
Xenaverse, the Xena t-shirt, and was quite happy that the
spirit of the Warrior Princess was evident in the sleepy
foothills town of Cherokee.
A trip to Clemson, SC to
witness his beloved Florida State Seminoles was also on the
itinerary, and was successful, both in the comraderie, and
the result of the contest. While en route back from the
game, he was surprised to hear a radio commercial for Xena:
Warrior Princess on KDKA out of Pittsburgh, the first time
he had ever heard a radio commercial for the show.
The
Lord Lieutenant enjoyed his brief respite, but longed for
the familiar comforts of home, and his beloved Pub, and was
glad at returning to both. Preparations were immediately
begun for the long-anticipated trip to Valley Forge, and
the glorious Convention there.
October 3-5 Valley Forge Con
(as
reported by Emil Muz, Sub-Lieutenant of the Xenaverse and
Travel Office Secretary, being a transcript of the events
as told to him)
October 3--The Prolouge
The
Lord Lieutenant and his retinue made their way overland
from his home to the site of the last big event of the
Xenaverse Social Season, the Herc/Xena Con at Valley Forge,
PA, outside of Philadelphia and having arrived without
inicident and following the securing of the perimeter of
the Holiday Inn at King of Prussia, proceeded to set up the
Fabulous Gonzo Suite therein, with the blessing of the
shrine to Xena and Gabrielle being undertaken by the Lord
Lieutenant himself. Following the offloading of supplies,
the temporary Command Post of the Xenaverse was
established, and a reconnisance of the area was made, a
determination being made of the proximity of the Valley
Forge Convention Center from the CP and more supplies being
acquired.October 4--First
Day
Another day greeted the retinue, and after
another repast, it was time to make way to the Convention
Center. Upon arrival, the Lord Lieutenant's party was
harkened by the message that other brave Xenites had
arrived and were awaiting us within the Hall. Pubster
Extrordinaire, BanCu, greeted the retinue and after a
careful examination of the merchandise and exhibits within
the Hall, ArianaXWP, and CyberKathy were met and greeted.
Other famous Pubsters were also acquainted with the Lord
Lieutenant: Pretendreamer, ScottBernard and Xenclair. The
Con opened with remarks and the screening of a video,
followed by a presentation of slides by Sharon Delany, the
Fan Club coordinator, which was not well received by the
Lord Lieutenant.
Also, greetings were extended to
Abbyrose, Mistopholees, HeyDino and RinahNJ, as well as
MacavityCat.
Following her
appearence, the autograph session began, and this is when
the Lord Lieutenant became quite cross at the people who
Creation had rounded up for the marshalling and ordering of
the crowd, and leaving him briefly with a bad feeling for
the whole experience. As he was not permitted to hand his
camera to another person to have his picture taken while
getting his autograph from Hudson, he had a brief flash of
anger, which later made him ashamed at his behavior, as it
certainly came across poorly in front of her. In fact, he
was forced to put on a weak smile for both her and Robert
Trebor, as not to betray his disgust. He immediately made
his way from the hall and back to the front of the building
to vent his frustration to the fellow Pubsters assembled.
All was resolved in a short time and arrangements were
made for the evening's festivities. The Lord Lieutenant
was graciously invited to join several smaller groups for
dinner, but elected to join the Canadian quartet, along
with HeyDino, for the duration, and agreeing to re-join the
larger group later.
Following this and a toast from Thodin, to the
Lord Lieutenant, and a toast from His Humbleness
to our host, ScottBernard, the viewing of "The Furies"
commenced, followed by a screening of "Army of Darkness".
At the conclusion, the party broke up and many went their
separate ways, with the command that all present attend
upon the Queen of the Amazons on the following day, and the
Lord Lieutenant giving Abbyrose a lift
back to her hotel. Upon arriving at the Gonzo Suite, the
Lord Lieutenant took a few private moments to reflect on
the day's events and prepare for the next day's
festivities, and then retired for the night.
October 5--Day Two
As a new day dawned, the Lord Lieutenant was pleased to
accept the hospitality of the Clan McGab at the Valley
Forge National Park for their 1st World GabGames. A hearty
good time was enjoyed and brightened additionally by the
appearance of Momma ROC herself, Sandra Wilson, who mingled
with the crowd, signing autographs and taking photos with
all who wished and generally delighting the assembled
gathering. Following this a return was made to prepare for
the afternoon's activities and the imminent appearance of
the Queen of the Amazons herself.
Upon arriving at the table, Ted was seated first and
while he was signing autographs, put his pen down to
stretch his hand and make small talk with the people...this
led to a gap in the line and when it came time for the Lord
Lieutenant to approach the table where Renee was sitting,
he found himself the only one there! She took a moment to
inspect him, looking over his attire and the pins attached
to his hat, commenting, "Just checking everything out!" and
smiled at the Lord Lieutenant, causing him to be rather
uncomfortable with the attention. He was able to stutter
his appreciation for her work and thanking her and shaking
her hand, retreated from the Hall, to the assmbled Xenites
in the front of the building, floating all the way. It was
the perfect end to a glorious weekend, and one which he
will long not forget! Also, the Lord Lieutenant was made
acquainted with Mainlander, who had come all the way from
New Zealand for the event. October
6--Postscript
Following the dismantling of the Fabulous Gonzo Suite and
temporary Command Post of the Xenaverse, the Lord
Lieutenant made his way back from whence he had come,
leaving Valley Forge somewhat melancholy and sad, knowing
that the people he had met were among the finest in the
world. The trip itself was uneventful and he arrived home,
weary from the road but in high spirits. The conclusion
was that the VF Con was a rousing sucess, from the
standpoint of gathering together Xenites to revel in and
celebrate the show, and enjoy the company of one another.
Many new friendships were formed and old ones renewed, and
all came away with a sense of joy and love. Thus ends the
report, and it is humbly dedicated to all who shared in the
festivities. May they all be blessed with good fortune and
great health throughout their days. February 7-10 New York City
(as
reported by Emil Muz, Sub-Lieutenant of the Xenaverse and
Travel Office Secretary, being a transcript of the
proceedings, as told to him)February 7--Day
One
The Lord Lieutenant arrived at LaGuardia
Airport, following his flight from Columbus, where he had
stayed overnite and was bused into the city, arriving at
Grand Central Terminal, upon which he transferred to a cab
and was driven to his destination, the home of his good
friend from college on Hudson St., Greenwich Village,
alighting at her door at approximately 10:30 am. From
there, they proceeded immediately to Manatus Restaurant for
breakfast. Following this, the subway was incorparated
into the travel plans for the first of many times during
the journey, riding the rails to Battery Park, the jumping
off point for the ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and
Ellis Island. Although the day was crisp, it was sunny,
and made for a glourious experience, following in the path
of many millions who got their first glimpse of the USA
from the same vantage point.
After viewing both sites, a
return to the subway was made, and a trip to that wonder
which is the Empire State Building was made. The
spectacular views from the 86th floor observation deck left
the Lord Lieutenant in awe. After a return to Hudson St.
for some rest and relaxation, dinner was taken at Cucina
Della Fontana, on Bleecker St., an enjoyable repast being
had. Following the arrival of a professional collegue of
the host, they made way to the White Horse Tavern, just 2
blocks up Hudson. The White Horse was the favorite hangout
of the poet Dylan Thomas, and its early 20th Century charm
was quite evident and enjoyed by the Lord Lieutenant
immensely. After several rounds, goodbyes were exchanged
and a return to the hosts' domicile was made, after which
they retired for the night. February 8--Day
Two
Arising on the morning, the Lord Lieutenant and
his host made their way by subway to the Upper West Side,
for a brunch date with the same lady who had accompanied
them the night before. The trio walked to the Royal
Canadian Pancake House on Broadway, where
a large repast was enjoyed, all three stuffed beyond their
wildest imaginations. Another subway jaunt found them at
Rockefeller Center, and then a casual stroll up 5th Avenue,
taking in the stores and the scenery. They then turned
towards 57th St., headed towards Broadway, and more sights
ensued. Upon arriving at Broadway, their companion bid them
goodbye and the Lord Lieutenant and his host made their way
on foot south along Broadway to Times Square. Finally,
weary from the walk, they returned again to Hudson St. for
the night, stepping out briefly later in the evening for a
quick bite to eat just arond the corner. February
9--Day Three
On this day, the Lord Lieutenant was
alone, as his host was working. He made way back uptown to
see up close some sights he had missed the day before.
Arriving at Penn Station, he viewed Madison Square Garden,
then walked to the New York Public Library, where he viewed
an exhibit on the Romanov Dynasty. After more walking he
arrived at Times Square and luncheoned at Oli's on 44th St.
Following the repast, he traversed the Theatre District,
stopping to pay homage at a sight familiar to Xenites, the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre, scene of the now-closed Grease
show. The Museum of Modern Art was next on the agenda, and
the Lord Lieutenant took in the exhibits therein. Upon
returning to Hudson St. he enjoyed a few hours of quiet
reflection, before preparing for the evening's festivities.
After dinner at the White Horse, he arrived at Times
Square to meet his host, and they ventured to Radio City
Music Hall. There, they enjoyed the 6th Annual ESPY
Awards, and following it, took a cab back and retired for
the evening.February 10--Final Day
On the
final day of the visit, the Lord Lieutenant was again alone
and rode to the Financial District, arriving at the World
Trade Center. From there, he walked to Wall St., and
looked in at the New York Stock Exchange, and then across
the street to Federal Hall. Soon, lunch approached and he
enjoyed a sandwich, before travelling up Nassau St. to the
Brooklyn Bridge. After crossing the bridge into the
Borough of Brooklyn, he traveled back via the subway to
Greenwich Village, and hiked up Broadway, doing some
shopping and admiring the sights. Returning to Hudson St.
for the final time, he gathered his belongings and
re-traced his journey back to the airport for the flight
home. He arrived at the Lord Lieutenant's home at
approximately 10:30 pm, still heady from his visit to the
City that Never Sleeps. Final Thoughts
The Lord Lieutenant was greatly impressed by his visit to
New York, and looks forward to visiting again in the
future. Many things were left undone and he now has a
reason to go back. While there were no meetings with
fellow Xenites, much to his dismay, he hopes that he will
be able to do so at a time when it is more convienent for
all.March 8--1st ever Southwest Ohio
Xenite Carnival
(as reported by the Lord Lieutenant
himself, being a recollection of the events as they
transpired)June 19-21 Texas Xena
Fest
(as reported by Atalanta, Madam Chief Justice
and Sergeant at Arms of the Xenaverse, being a recollection
of the events as they transpired)
The following report
was submitted to the Travel Office by Atalanta, Chief
Justice of the Xenaverse and represents her experiences as
co-hostess and organizer of the event. The report has not
been edited, except for spelling and clarity. Any errors
in fact, either intentional or not, are hers alone.
How's about we cut to the chase here. I'm gonna make this as concise as possible since the theme of our little get together was "no matter how many show up, we're gonna have fun!" This was a mantra that Trish and I had in the months leading up to the Fest. I hope that this became true for everyone who attended and that they left wishing for for more time together.
First let me give our honored guests: Abbyrose, Ambrosia, ArianaXWP, Atalanta, Blackfoot, Blushes, CoyoteBlue, Cyberkathy, Deanlu, Debi, DutchXenaFan, Gabfan, Lavaya, Lady Delyla, Lindsee, Linda, Lostway, Machma, Mighty Might, Moonshadow, Proud Warrioress, Red Xena, ScottBernanrd, Snooperboy, Tater, Tamrin, ThunderRoad, Tx Trouble, ViolaDiva, and Xena Fan Nr 1. Actually, we had a grand total of 38...several folks couldn't resist at the last minute. It was very hard to keep count with folks coming and going, but this is a fairly close count.
Next up was Ari's Tricky Trivia Time...now folks, let me tell ya, this gal can prepare the best trivia contest that definately challenges the best of them. She started out with folks first participating in groups, then she went for the jugular in the individual rounds. Wow! Talk about toughies, but it was an excellent contest. The winning team included Deanlu, Lindsee, ScottBernard, and Snooperboy...each receiving 2 bookmarks generously donated by Xena Fan Nr1. The individual round winner was Snooperboy and he received a photo portfolio of various XWP actresses and actors donated by Anomaly, who unfortunately couldn't make it. It was a fun time had by all we would like to thank Ariana XWP for doing such an excellent job and especially for carrying it off even though she was feeling a tad bit under the weather. We'd also like to thank Moonshadow and Cyberkathy for being judges...they didn't have an easy job with this group!
Well, it sounds like the Festers had a wonderful time in Texas. The Lord Lieutenant regrets his inability to join in the proceedings, but is pleased that Atalanta was gracious enough to share her rememberences of the weekend with the Travel Office. A well written report!