Okay here goes. I left my office in San Jose on Friday and arrived in SF at 6:00 p.m. I had a dinner reservation at one of my fave spots and was meeting seven other Amazons there and this Amazon was one very nervous lady. I arrived at Plouf (the restaurant) and chatted with people until just after eight. Then walked outside and this person who I barely had time to recognize as Kendaa walked up to me and said "Lillian"? I let out a truly Amazonian shriek, grabbed her in a hug and started to cry (I'm a little sentimental in case no one knew). Hugs and tears and kisses ensued. I think I almost hyperventilated. It took a bit for our table to be ready but the cute french waiter boys took real good care of us. It was a gorgeous evening so we sat outside. Cass had made name tags with favorites on them and Whisper handed out Ares rings and Con memory notebookds. I think I had too much champagne but, oh well, it was fun. After everyone else went back to the hotel, Whisper and I stayed, had desert and a good talk.

The next morning, I arrived at the hotel at just before nine (and yes, I was a bit hung over), and was greeted by this group of Amazons. I was one of the designated picture takers so I took some shots, then sat down, whereupon Kendaa handed me this bag---A Sov survival kit. which got me misty eyed again. I had to read the label on each thing and open it.

The breakfast was wonderful. Thanks AW, for organizing the restaurant. The waiters were totally cool and we had the whole back basically to ourselves. After breakfast, we had games organized by Whisper. the first was 'We're all nuts" (or a name like that), where we all picked chestnuts out of a bag that had a letter on it. (I had "R"). People were to find people with letters that spelled names having to do with the show, e.g. "Sov". Our group-Ares (perhaps a forshadowing of my conversion to Smithosinanism later that day) won. Yipeeeeee.

The next game was the one with the things related to the show. One of the items was a battery. I didn't figure out til someone told me later that day that it was supposed to stand for Ares' line "Charge" in "Stranger and Stranger". It was a very clever game.

Then there was the good egg bad egg game-a tribute to beanstalks and bad egs.

Kendaa gave me a box of dark choc tim tams (to go with the one Stripe put in my Sov kit) and THEY ARE SCRUMPTIOUS.

After the games, we got together for some hysterical group portraits. A waiter took the pics and then another came along and them started "directing" the shots. Very cute.

at about 11:30-12-We piled in the cable car for the convention.

A note here--one of the NICEST things was the opportunity to meet Bastet-our master scribe.

We got to the con and there was a line but we were let in pretty soon. It was a GLORIOUS day weatherwise. Then another line for photos. I am SOOO glad I picked up photos of Tim Omudsen and Kevin Smith to autograph.

As others have said, the nmerchandise was almost ALL xena but I did get a "Big Guy" herc shirt which I intend to sleep in.

The bloopers of both shows were hysterical, as were the musical tributes, my favorite of which was to Callisto (to the song "maniac"-how appropriate).

The talk by the editor was fascinating-I love finding out about the technical aspects of this stuff. The slides for upcoming eps and the Bitter Suite stuff were extremely disappointing.

There was an intermission in the middle of the day and Kendaa and I (and I think 'Shana) went to get some food. (Ares beef hot dogs-NO DO NOT GO THERE. lol.)

Anyway, after the music tribute to Eli, Tim Omudsen came on and all I can say is WOW. The man has presence and he is a major babe. He told this hysterical story of a practical joke renee and Lucy played on him (that ted raimi put them up to ) and he did this bit about how there was an edited out scene where he kicks Ares' butt in Chakram and how he could do it any day. He was charming, responsive, articulate. What can I say, he almost outthudded Smithie. Almost

Then there was the tribute to Ares and ...HE walked on stage with that Kiwi accent and those eyes and that charming voice. He called on me and I asked him what his fave Herc ep was (since I was tired of all the xena questions). He said the Hind Trilogy. He seems very happy with the way he has been portrayed this year so far on xena.

Uh oh, I forgot to talk about the auction, at which I managed to pick up a framed thing with two autographed 8x10 pix-one by Lucy and one by Kevin Sorbo. It will look terrific in my living room.

The autographs. Because we were a smallish crowd I think most got autographs. There were,as always, the annoying ones at the front of the line who gabbed and gabbed, regardless of the fact that it might result in some not getting autographs.

But Tim and Kevin were soooo gracious about it. Even at the end, Tim insisted on personalizing every pic (which actually doesn't take all that much time). And Kev (Whisper, Kendaa and 'Shana' witnessed this I think). I gave my pic to his fan club pres. He had been signing someone's shirt so he didn't realize I had given him the photo. I pointed it out to him and he signed it. Then he looked at me and gave me this...smile, with a twinkle in the eyes, and said "cheers mate" (which I think he said to everyone). I managed to say "thank you" and he just grinned, eyes still twinkling and said "Oh, my pleasure", in that accent of his that I just find irresistable.

At that point, I basically floated off the stage and then went and found areswriter who was holding my pic for me. She, Whisper and I took a cab to the hotel to change for the Cabaret. I put my stuff in areswriter's room. She had been going on since the previous evening about a gift that was mine but that I couldn't have unless I "got it". I was mightily curious. Well, in her room, she pulls out this bundle becuase it is obvious to all that I have totally thudded over Smithie. I unwrap it and it's this beautiful off white sweat shirt that, on the front says "Converted Smithsonian". This was touching enough. Then I turned it over and it said "Hugs from your hercules forum family". Okay, tears again. That was so nice. I decided to wear that to the cabaret instead of dressing up as I had planned.

Well folks, my detailed account of the cabaret will have to follow but this is my account of Friday night and Saturday. It was one of the most special experiences I have ever had-As I said in another post, this is what the Net is supposed to be about.

Lil