Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Birthday Party Celebrations in Brazil - Xoanon @ 19:54 PST
Shelob writes:

Since you are reporting Bilbo's Birthday Parties from all over the world, here are some news from Brazil. We call ourselves The White Council - A Brazilian Tolkien Society. We have more than 3500 members all over the country.

In September 22, the São Paulo section of the White Council got together for a Celebration of Bilbo and Frodo's Birthday: The SP White Council's Hobbit Party. We had about 150 people for a Hobbit Picnic, Storytelling (featuring the tales of "The Three Trolls" and "Lúthien & Beren"), the exibition of Peter Jackson's The One Movie in a private DVD session, a Costume Contest, Elvish Dances, lots of contests, swordfight training and other Tolkienian activities. We also had a Used Books Campaign, hundreds of Children's books were donated by our members for an Orphanage.

We are sending some pictures attached... not very good, I fear. I (Shelob) am the one in the short black dress. Greetings from Brazil!

Namárië,
Shelob - Cultural Director of Brazil's White Council.

LOTR Clue Madness In Lyndhurst, NJ and Bethlehem, PA - Xoanon @ 16:21 PST
Maria writes: We're a small but very loyal band of LOTR Fans representing Lyndhurst, NJ and Bethlehem, PA. There were 8 companions when we started our celebration of Bilbo and Frodo's Birthday this past Saturday evening. By the time September 22nd officially began at midnight, we were down to 5 due to Chuck's bad cold and the sleepiness of 2 "little ones", Dylan (10) and Jessie (7). We played a rousing game of Lord of The Rings Roleplaying Adventure Game: The Mines of Moria, ate cake and drank our pints. For 2 weeks leading up to our party, Allison, Jason and Courtney worked on a handmade edition of Clue, Lord-of-The-Rings style. I've included a picture of this as well. BTW, in the pic of us sitting, we are (from the left): David, Courtney, Maria (me), Jason and Allison.

Birthday Party Celebrations Report: San Francisco - Xoanon @ 13:16 PST
Rebecca writes:

Having recently moved back to the Bay Area from Los Angeles, I took advantage of Frodo's and Bilbo's birthday to meet other Bay Area Ringers.

Coming from San Jose, I arrived at the Marin Headlands Hostel around 11 AM. People were already taking advantage of the food and searching for answers for the trivia contest.

The weather was pleasant and the hostel was much nicer than I expected. The decorations were impressive, especially the huge German Lord of the Rings poster. I had not listened to the soundtrack in weeks and it was nice to hear it again although now I have Enya and Smashing Pumpkins simultaneously stuck in my head.

I had planned to participate in the trivia contest, but I ended up talking to fellow fans and by the time I really looked over my sheet and was ready to start checking for answers, it was late and I decided to just continue my conversations. There were a number of Ringers who did not participate or rarely participated in on-line discussions and some of them had a different perspective than most of the fans I have previously met. There were also several younger fans. It is nice to see the love of Tolkien and Lord of the Rings being passed on.

Several fans came in costumes. Quite a few fans had a background in costuming and sewing and took the opportunity to share suggestions about the best places for fabrics, patterns, and other resources. Having not had time to make a costume, I settled for wearing a copy of The One Ring on a chain. I tend to play with any jewelry I wear and I started to slip it on my finger a couple of times to other’s amusement.

I helped correct and tally the trivia contest. We were a bit rushed and I was glad that my years as a math teacher’s assistant made me comfortable adding scores quickly.

I found some fans of both Tolkien and Babylon 5 and was treated to some imitations of Londo Mollari and Pippin Took. I noticed that Took seems to be a popular adopted name among fans.

I am on an e-mail list with Nikki Took and it was nice to meet her. She is really nice and a devoted Samwise Gamgee fan. It was also nice to meet Yarrow, Robert, Stacy, Lorraine, Ivy Took, and the rest.

I was impressed by how well the event was organized and how willing everyone was to help, especially with the clean up at the end.

Having learned my lesson at the TORN Oscar Party, I started taking pictures early. I'm going to use up my film tomorrow and if the pictures turn out I will post them. [More]

Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Ian McKellen In Seattle Report - Xoanon @ 13:20 PST
Laurelinda writes:

Screen names have been used to protect the "innocent". ;-)

THE LONG-EXPECTED PARTY

With friendships newly-forged at Barliman's Bash, we Seattle Ringers (now known as the NorthWesternesse), decided to hold a little party in celebration of our dear Bagginses' Sept. 22nd birthdays. Due to work schedules & other commitments, we had to hold the party a day early. Half the Shire received beautiful invitations, & we had the whole place in an uproar.

SHE'S UP TO SOMETHING... ALL RIGHT THEN, KEEP YOUR SECRETS

A week before the party, TORn announced that Ian McKellen would be in Seattle for the AIDS Walk & Fun Run. I nearly flipped! LotR celebrities rarely find their way to the lovely NW. Film crews in general rarely find their way here, either, as it is much cheaper & easier to work north of our borders in Canada... which is why I'm still unemployed, but don't get me started on THAT, eh?!

Yes, Sir Ian was already in British Columbia working on the X-Men sequel, so we lucked out. "Hmmm," thought I, and immediately pulled up www.mckellen.com. I composed a personal invitation to our celebration & sent it with great hopes but no expectations. That was on Monday. On Friday, I received an email from Sir Ian asking for the address but making "no promises". I nearly fell out of my chair, but replied with the information, plus the scanned copy of the paper invitation, telling him I would TRY not to get my hopes up, & would be just as astonished & overjoyed at his arrival as everyone else at the party.

From Friday to Saturday, I died a thousand deaths. I SO wanted to deliver this surprise for my friends. Not wanting to get false hopes up for my fellow party-goers but not wanting them to miss out, I sent an email to them proposing that, since I would be seeing Ian McKellen at the AIDS Walk the next day, they should bring things to the party for him to sign, & I would take them to the event with me, get them signed, & return them all to the appropriate people at a later date. I did tell 2 of my good friends who were "on the fence" about attending. After finishing my pre-"AIDS Walk" volunteer work on Saturday morning, I rushed to Borders Bookstore to find some kind of gift for Sir Ian to show him our appreciation. Then I rushed home to make "Sam's Stuffed Mushrooms", then zoomed off to the party.

A PARTY OF SPECIAL MAGNIFICENCE

Upon arriving, I realized it would be awfully cruel to surprise our hostess, Queenie, so I made her sit down in a private corner & told her the news, stressing the "no guarantee" part. Then, with anxious eyes darting to the door every 60 seconds or so, we proceeded to enjoy the party. Queenie has a LOVELY house/yard that we have now dubbed "Rivendell Annex", though she prefers "Shire Annex". There is a pond in the back fed by a spring, with Old Man Willow bending over the shore & a little bridge on the far end above a little waterfall that burbles quietly, perfect for romantic moments.

Other guests were already enjoying food, drink, and good conversation while our musically talented Talagawen played her harp for us. As usual, I had the camera stuck to my face, wanting to catch those wonderful "fellowship" moments. People snacked on to-mah-toes fresh from the garden, other veggies, cheese & lembas, while sipping on the wine from the bottling of 1296 and some assorted ales.

By 6:00 everyone had arrived, so the DVD was ceremoniously plugged into the player & played. The TV room is situated half a floor down from the entryway, so there was "balcony seating" in the back. Queenie & I planted ourselves there to continue watching the door. Then my cellphone rang, & I ran outside so as not to disturb the movie-watchers. It was none other than someone working for Ian McKellen wanting further information on the address & contact info!! Still no guarantees, of course, but my hopes rose a little higher. Door-watching continued. A friend in-the-know warned me I was going to get whiplash! We were now plotting how fun it would be to respond to the knock with "No ThankYou! We don't want any more visitors, well-wishers or distant relations!" Pretty corny, I know, but we hoped he'd play along & not turn & walk away! ;-)

Another hour went by, & my phone rang again! This time it was Quickbeam from TORn saying that they'd heard about Ian's possible attendance to our party & asking if someone could be sure to take pictures to post on TORn. Uh... hello? Of course I would do that!! Silly Quickbeam. I reminded him that I was the person with the camera stuck to my face throughout Comic-Con & the BowlMoot. He remembered me, then, & knew everything was in hand, but also informed me that Ian was supposed to be attending a bookreading for a friend of his, & probably wouldn't show up until after that, if he did.

THAT'S NICE! ASH ON MY BIRTHDAY CAKE!

Then it was time to eat supper (dinner was served earlier). That was around 9pm. When everyone was thru eating, we informed the whole group of the goings-on, had everyone sign Sir Ian's gift, a poster containing the whole play of "Macbeth" on it, then decided it was time to cut the cake while we waited some more. And what a *magnificent* cake it was that Queenie had baked!! Decorated with flowers from her yard & fresh fruit & the yummiest frosting I've ever tasted in my life. I brought sparklers to give to everyone, & someone suggested using those as candles on the cake. Looked great, but the cake was a little gray & dusty afterward!! ;-)

After the cake was eaten, we had a lovely bonfire in the backyard & sat around discussing Tolkien, LotR trivia, differences between the books & the movies, our anticipation of The Two Towers & plans for a Line Party, our favorite characters, etc., etc.

WHAT HAPPENED, GANDALF? WHY DIDN'T YOU MEET US?

By 10:30, we stopped waiting & accepted the fact that Sir Ian "was delayed". One of the couples had heard a rumor that he would be at a certain bar in Seattle, though, so they left with the promise of calling us if he showed up. He did! Two of us decided to drive over there immediately, to hopefully get some autographs & give him the gifts we had for him. But we were also delayed & missed him by 10 minutes. Sigh.

Not to worry, there was always a chance to see him on Sunday at the AIDS Walk. I was volunteering as a photographer, anyway, since one of my friends was also walking for the cause. I was the only digital photographer in the group, so they asked me to "float". No problem! As I was snapping shots of the people milling around at the booths, getting coffee, donuts, water & balloons, I saw 4 kids who were unmistakably dressed as hobbits! Wearing my "Frodo Lives" hat & Elven Leaf Brooch, I walked over to them & said hello. They just LIT UP! An "older" person (me) had recognized why they were dressed that way & shared their excitement. One of the men in charge also noticed their excitement (maybe when they wrote "We Love You, Gandalf" in chalk on the pavement?) & made a point of keeping them informed of Sir Ian's arrival & where they might catch up with him to get his autograph. That opportunity presented itself after Sir Ian had spoken for a couple minutes about supporting the cause & then came down off the front of the stage straight to the kids. A crowd swarmed around. Not wanting to be greedy, I only handed him one item to be signed... the base to my Gandalf statue!

Soon, it was time for the walking to begin. Ian helped our local news anchor, Jean Enerson, to cut the ribbon with a huge pair of scissors & then we walked! I stayed in the general vicinity of Ian throughout, looking for photo opportunities. It was easy to find him, as he was dressed all in white, with a white fedora on his head. Once we were beyond the 4K mark, the crowd thinned, as some of the walkers had taken the short course. Ian was very adamant about going the *whole* distance. Thus, so was I. With the thinner crowds, it was easier to get close for a little chat, so I went over & introduced myself, telling him that I was the one who invited him to the party. He immediately assured me he would have come if it hadn't been so far from downtown Seattle, & I assured him that we understood & had figured that was the case...not to worry. We chatted for awhile, & he asked me what I thought about the 2 different DVD releases. I said I had no problem with it, but that it would have been nice to see the Extended Version in the theater. He proposed that a 3.5 hour movie might have turned more people away from seeing it the first time & it wouldn't have been as successful. I completely agreed on that score & that it was a sensible decision made by New Line. We also discussed "Gods & Monsters" briefly, & the fact that Brendan Fraser is actually *from* Seattle. Then, the conversation paused, & I couldn't think of anything brilliant to say, so I thanked him again for the graciousness that he & all his fellow cast members have shown to the fans & walked ahead a little.

Another fan had been tagging along around that time, so he & I walked the rest of the way together, keeping each other company discussing the movie & various websites. We reached the Finish Line first, ran into Talagawen, who had just shown up, then cheered on Sir Ian as he jogged the last few yards. Talagawen walked right up to him & asked if she could give him a hug. But of course! She was smiling a lot after that! He was then available for signing a few things, & I got 3 more items signed for my fellow party-goers. Then he was escorted to a private VIP section. I was let in briefly, so I could present him with our gifts. He thanked me but needed to sit down & eat. Talagawen & I didn't want to be annoying, but we DID still have a couple more things to get signed for other people, so we waited until he was leaving, then asked for a picture & to get the last items signed. We tried to make it quick because he obviously wanted to get out of there. But as usual for these guys, he complied with a smile for us! Thanks to his graciousness, I was able to get everything signed for the other party-goers. I still had a poster & a book of my own that would be more precioussss to me with his signature on them, but they will have to wait.

A HOBBIT'S TALE... BY LAURELINDA

That is my (looong) account of the weekend's events. I was able to snap some fabulous photos, & here is a link to them! [More]

Monday, September 23, 2002
Birthday Party Celebrations In Cali - Xoanon @ 21:33 PST
Here are a few of the pictures I took yesterday at the Birthday Party put on by BeastyBunny and Yarrow. (These can go along with Jatamansi's report; she was at the same party, although I don't know who she is.) They look a lot darker on my work computer than they did at home, so hopefully they'll look okay on your machine.

Birthday Party Celebrations: Nashville, TX - Xoanon @ 19:11 PST

Amy writes: On the night of Sunday, September 22, Ringers in Nashville, TN met at Boscos to toast the health of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. We exchanged gifts (LOTR bookmarks), signed a birthday card for the two hobbits, wrote messages in Sam Gamgee's journal, and planned future Ringer events. Among those who attended were TORn's own Thevina, Frodo Baggins, and I Voted for Mayor Gamgee, among others.

Birthday Party Celebrations Report: Newark, DE - Xoanon @ 19:04 PST
Cathy writes:

A good time was had by all at The Days of Knights fantasy shoppe in Newark, DE on Sunday. Throughout the day, there were LOTR board & card games going on, a Riddles in the Dark contest, LOTR jeopardy, a limerick contest and costume contest! A beautiful cake was brought out and everyone sang Happy Birthday to Bilbo and Frodo! Attached are some photos of middle-earth maidens, hobbits, Galadriel and Warhammer(?).

Now THAT'S A Poster! - Xoanon @ 18:46 PST
Take a look at a few of our lovely ladies from TORN (including our very own Tehanu). And just look at the size of their FOTR poster! Trust me guys...size does matter..

LegolasArcher sends along these great pictures from the same event...take a look at THAT poster again, and Tehanu playing the french horn!

Birthday Party Celebrations - Xoanon @ 18:39 PST
From: LOTRchild

Today was the District of Dark Whispers Fan Club Branch picnic in celebration of Frodo and Bilbo's birthday. I was told you guys are interested in what goes on in the LOTR fan club world, so here is my report of the event and photos.

The Baggins Birthday Picnic - September 22nd - The National Zoo

The unexpected happens when least expected. We get to the zoo and what happens? The zoo was celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.............it was jam packed. But we did find a picnic area that worked. Problem was, the parking lots filled up, so District of Dark Whispers members were having a heck of a time trying to get to us. Our members found a way though.

Members that attended our pot-luck picnic: Kyra, Blaze + the Gaffer, Neil + his son, Aggie, Tom, Cozy, Beryl, Kenny, Sean + his dad, Lisa, Shay, Fran and Rachel. We also had guests Jennie and Tibby. It was a great party! Blaze and the Gaffer brought an awesome cake, it was Bag End decorated with Gandalf, Frodo and Sam figurines. Before we cut the cake though, we did a Secret Hobbit gift exchange. Members exchanged gifts like Lord of the Rings action figures, bookmarks, key chains and books. It was a ball! We were going to hold a poem contest, but Blaze and I were the only ones that wrote anything, so we canceled it.

Then, the ultimate surprise. I was presented with the Academy Award of LOTR fan club branches, ³The Quest for the Ring² Nazgul sculpture. So again I thank all my members, I love them all:)

We were there for almost four hours, the time just flew by. It was a lovely day and it did not rain like was predicted. We all had fun and hope to do this again.

Ian McKellen At Seattle Aids Walk - Xoanon @ 18:28 PST
From: Peter

I just have to get this down before I forget about it, today was absolutely amazing. It all started when I went on the One Ring about a week ago, I scrolled down looking at all of the news like I do everyday when I stopped at one place, Ian McKellen to walk the Seattle Aids walk. I could not believe this because none of the other actors from LOTR had visited the northwest, or none that I had known about. This was my chance, this was my chance to meet Gandalf himself. So I thought about it a couple of days thinking should I go? or shouldn’t I. I finally said I am going to, so I went on the Internet and found out information about it. It’s on the 22, and I am going to go.

Since I live about an hour away from Seattle, I got up early in the morning; I had a friend who had never seen the movie come with me. She barely knew who Ian McKellen was. When I first told her who was going to be there, I think she thought it was one of the other actors, so she was telling everyone that the young one was going to be there. When I got there there were groups of people milling about, I registered and went over to a stage where I knew he was going to be giving a speech. There were a few groups of people waiting, including another group of die hard LOTR fans who had brought a whole bunch of stuff to sign, and a group of kids who were dressed up as hobbits. They had wrote on the pavement in chalk “Thank you, Gandalf”. We waited patiencly, as they introduced a whole group of politicians and other important people in the community. After a woman who was living with aids finished her speech she said that she was very proud to introduce a man that some of us may know, who made a special trip down from Vancouver where he is filming the second X-Men movie. She then went on to say “I am proud to introduce a real superhero, Sir Ian McKellen”. Everyone cheered. And he gave a short speech about how important the aids cause was to him. He spotted the message in the chalk and said “What does that say, oh, Thank you … Gandalf.” “Gandalf is not here” and then he said the famous line from the Balrog, mines of Moria scene. “You shall not pass!!!”. And everyone of course cheered after this. He then jumped of the stage and ran right over to the people who where dressed as the hobbits and started to sign and talk with them. A group started to form, asking for autographs and photos. I, being kind of dumb, had not really brought anything to sign (though I had a permanent marker, just in case) I walked over, and stood by waiting. Then I ran over trying to find something to sign. People where having weird stuff signed, some people had posters, shirts, books, and one person had her ASB card signed. I decided to have a free water bottle from a local medical center signed. He signed it, and I took it back, happy as a clam that I had met Gandalf himself. He stood there for about 10 minutes until everyone was happy. He then ran over to the start of the race, cut the ribbon, and the walk began. During the race he continued to take photos and talk to people, being very polite and nice to everyone. I was very happy about everything that had gone on.

Later when we had decided to go shopping in downtown Seattle, I had an unexpected experience. I walked out of Nordstroms, and I saw Ian Mckellen again, he was just walking down the street, looking like a regular person with no one talking notice. Though he did look a little bit out of place, he was wearing all white and a had a hat with a striped band around the top (I would have photos, but I was having problems with my digital camera). I did include some photos of my signed water bottle, witch I took a home. It was very interesting seeing him walk down the street, looking a little lost, staring up at all the tall building. This was a very interesting day that will be memorable in many ways, he was a very polite man, who definitively loves his fans.

Birthday Party Celebrations Report: San Jose, CA - Xoanon @ 18:21 PST
From: Jatamansi

September 22, 2002
A Celebration to Remember

Today, as we all know, was Frodo’s and Bilbo’s combined birthdays – but it was also my 23rd birthday as well! This is my report of the day’s events, which centered around the picnic/potluck north of San Francisco that was held in the hobbits’ honor.

I woke up this morning at 4:30am to get ready to catch a shuttle to the San Jose airport from Monterey, where I was to meet Anissa (Evermind Greenleaf) at approx. 8am. At about 8:15, Anissa drove up and we were on our way, after a brief stop at a grocery store for pies, sausages, and hairspray (don’t ask). Everything was going great – virtually no traffic – until the freeway rather suddenly ended. Signs were non-existent – and the two of us were now taking the ‘scenic route’ to the party. On this little detour, we stumbled upon China Beach (which I have now immortalized in pictures, which I’m sure means nothing to y’all), and while taking said pics, I was able to bat my eyes successfully into getting directions to the Golden Gate Bridge from an unsuspecting jogger (which was our intended destination before said scenic route). Turns out that had there not been such heavy fog, we would have seen that we were less than 2 miles from the bridge. Oops. So, we drove thru a reeeally nice neighborhood, then thru the Presidio until we practically tripped over the bridge. And I must say that driving across that bridge with fog so thick you can’t see the top is absolutely breathtaking! Too bad I didn’t think to take pics…

Eventually, we found our way to the Marin Headlands Hostel. It was beautiful, and what a gorgeous day for a party!! A banner welcoming the “Fellowship of LOTR Fans” hung over the entrance, and there were various guests hanging about, dressed as hobbits, elves and yuppies, organizing and decorating. ;) Anissa and I checked in at registration, then brought our goodies inside. We milled about, decorating and setting up as the other guests arrived – and we packed the place!!

It was a true hobbit’s party – food was everywhere, laughter filled the air, and there was much merrymaking to be had. The more musically inclined gathered around the piano, while cooks bustled about the kitchen in preparation for the Mushroom Cook-off (which was much anticipated!!). There was a corner for the smallest hobbits to color in their specially made coloring books (I picked one up for my daughter – great job on those!), while several ‘enthusiastic’ young gentlemen demonstrated their fighting prowess in the street – and yes, the incoming cars were quite intimidated by the ferocity with which the fighters defended their territory! Some of the more opportunistic revelers ‘quality tested’ the refreshments and goodies, while many others conspired with each other for answers to the Trivia Game. I helped many with their answers while also setting up the poster for the birthday people.

To explain: As today was also my birthday, I thought it was only right to celebrate in hobbit-fashion by sharing the joy with everyone. So, I made a poster for the 5 hobbits celebrating birthdays during this special time. Robert, Lisa, Alissa, and Ashley (NikkiTook’s niece) all gathered for a group picture on the steps with the poster (that they graciously signed!), which was made of various pieces of other fans’ art (since I’m only good for coloring). Thanks to everyone for their help in making this a special day! :)

After this, everyone made their way to the food inside, where not a soul could complain about the hospitality of the table! Fruits, breads, meats, appetizers, desserts – and mushrooms, of course! – covered the table. There was so much food that we couldn’t even finish it, if you can imagine! Eventually though, everyone was able to roll themselves away from the table to continue the hunt for trivia answers, which took us all over the hostel in search of clues. And let me tell you, it was hard!! Elijahfanatic and I had a heck of a time finding all the clue-containing scrolls… The trick with the trivia game was that you had to get answers from the other guests or from strategically hidden scrolls – you couldn’t answer them yourself. It turned out to be a great way to meet each other, and many props go to Yarrow and BeastyBunny for tricking us into being social!! Also, thanks to Jeff, Stacey, Ivy Took, LegolasArcher, BeastyBunny and Elijahfanatic for the help with my quiz!

At about 1:30p, the Mushroom Cook-off began. I may have been stuffed from lunch, but the mushrooms were just too tempting! The 1st place winner was an amazing shiitake mushroom wonton. Yum!! The cook had her choice of prizes, and I think she took home one of the WETA Workshop pieces that were available. But before the results were announced, a toast was made to Bilbo, Frodo, J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson, the cast and crew of LOTR, and to everyone who came out to celebrate – may the hair on their toes grow ever longer! :D The cake was also cut at this time, and it was beautiful – it looked just like the one from the movie, though the story behind that is rather… interesting! ;)

After the toast, cake, and while the prizes for the cook-off were being awarded, I was on the team furiously – and I mean furiously!! – tabulating scores from the trivia game. We scored it two ways – those who collected answers got points for others being right, and those who answered the questions got points for being right. Well, it turns out that my wealth of useless LOTR knowledge finally came in handy when I came in 3rd place as a Trivia wizard for answering questions for people! One downside, though – someone had already nabbed the Pippin WETA bust that I’d been eyeing all day… so, I had to ‘settle’ for a set of the updated Topps cards (90-120). Oh, darn! ;)

Things began to wind down after that, and a door prize raffle was held. My number was called near the end. It was slim-pickins by that point, but I chose an ornament of Sam. However, the forlorn look on both NikkiTook’s and Ashley’s faces convinced me that they’d enjoy it more than I. After all, hobbits are supposed to be the ones giving out mathoms on their birthdays, right?

By the end of the day, I’d given out 1 Aragorn Topps card, a Sam ornament, a card gamer’s magazine, 4 birthday cards (though mine is MIA…), and most of a pumpkin pie – but I think I walked away with some great gifts in the form of lots of memories (and pictures!) of a fabulous birthday, and some fantastic new friends to go along with it. Thanks to everyone who made my 23rd birthday and 1st big fan gathering such a wonderful experience!! Bilbo and Frodo would have been so lucky to have friends such as you! :)

Namarie, Jatamansi

PS: Anissa and I did not take the scenic route on the way back, for those that are curious. ;) Also, I’ll have pictures up just as soon as I can!

Sunday, September 22, 2002
Bilbo & Frodo Birthday Celebrations - Xoanon @ 21:37 PST
Ringer Spy Willow writes: A LOTR birthday celbration goes terribly wrong when an elf gets caught in a tree. The pictures are a bit blurry simply because we moved every time the camera went off.

More On Sala At Collectormania - Xoanon @ 17:56 PST
From: Nathan

Here's a BRIEF report of Collectormania 2002, Milton Keynes, UK. Unfortuanately, Tom Baker was unable to attend the event in the end (NO!!!!!!! -Xo). Alas, Sala Baker was there! He signed a TTT poster for me and my brother, which cost £10.

He has HUGE hands!!!!!

My brother asked him "Did you play Lurtz?" because the showmasters who set up the event state - SALA BAKER, WHO PLAYED SAURON AND LURTZ.

...Obviously they didn't know Lawrence Makoare played Lurtz (sigh....)

Sala's reply was "Nah, but my mate did..." (obviously referring to Lawrence Makoare). I'm heading down there tomorrow, I really want to ask him if we see Sauron die at the end of RotK...

There are loads of Trekkies, Whovians, Jedis and (a few) Tolkienians there, lots to see and buy - including Decipher LotR RPGs and CGGs at reasonable prices, so if you're in the area, tomorrow's the last chance to meet the Dark Lord of Mordor!!!

Saturday, September 21, 2002
Sala Baker Makes The Rounds At Collectormania II - Xoanon @ 13:50 PST
Natalie writes: I was at Collectormania II today supporting the Sev Wide Web (Fraud of the Rings Cartoon) and met Sala Baker. He is a really nice guy - he was quite happy to pose for photos, some people had bought the United Cutlery replica swords and he posed with a 'Glamdring' sword for them.

I got him to sign my 'Fraud of the Rings' print which he did and said he had seen one earlier in the day. He was so impressed with the cartoon that he went over to the Sev Wide Web table later in the day to see the other toons, I wasn't there at the time but there are photographs somewhere =)

I have attached a picture of Sala Baker and myself and also a pic of the signed print.

Thursday, September 19, 2002
Medieval Times At Old Port of Montreal - Xoanon @ 10:36 PST
FAMILY PACKAGE: 30% (2 adults - 2 children)
FAMILY PACKAGE: 30% (1 adult - 3 children)
REGULAR PACKAGE: 10% (2 adults)

Presented in St-Adolphe d'Howard in the Laurentians during the summer, this show attracted up to 25 000 people.

The guests of the "Théâtre Médiéval Sire d'Howard" will take part in an innovative event. They will be part of the aristocracy representing their valiant knights by wearing their respective colours. The King will entertain his guests in his heated Big Top and they will be overwhelmed by a live combat with swords and horses. The evening will soar with colour and surprises from beginning to end. The Théâtre Médiéval Sire d'Howard: the experience where you are... the hero!

Bring the whole family and take advantage of the PACKAGES for the shows from October 17th to 27th, 2002 at the Théâtre Médiéval in the Old Port of Montreal. Buy your tickets by clicking on this link. [More]

Birthday Weekend Celebrations: Chapel Hill, NC - Xoanon @ 09:30 PST
You'll have a blast at our Bagginses Birthday Bash! Medieval weaponry seminar, medieval costume seminar, trivia contest, LOTR TCG swiss constructed tournament ($5 entry fee for that), winner of the tournament wins a copy of a Sting sword! Pizza, cake, and softdrinks! Sign up for our line party for the Two Towers!

Borders Books and Music
1701 Chapel Hill Rd.
Chapel Hill, NC
Sunday September 22 at 1 P.M.

Hope to celebrate with you! Don Weinstein, Decipher volunteer Rider of Rohan Raleigh, NC area

Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Birthday Weekend Festivities - Xoanon @ 11:02 PST
From: David Lenander

This Saturday, Sept. 21, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Mythopoeic Society Rivendell Group will assemble to celebrate Bilbo's & Frodo's birthday and talk about things Tolkien, from the original Hobbit to the new films.

Location: 1636 Van Buren Ave. , St. Paul, MN. Time: 2:00 p.m.-whenever.

For more info: www.tc.umn.edu/~d-lena/RIVENDELL.html or d-lena@umn.edu

Besides the film, we'll talk about the new _Annotated Hobbit_, the new _Tolkien Calendar_, sing Tolkien-inspired songs, and possibly play some Tolkien board or card games. Did I mention eating? Hobbits don't have to, goes without saying. However, No Old Winyards, and pipeweed must be smoked outside. I'd be interested in listing other Baggins Birthday Celebrations on my web-page.