Having a meet is more work than it appears. As a result, your President is tired. But it was so much fun that it was definitely worth it.

Unlike the London meets where folks live a reasonable distance away and public transportation is available, the Presidential Meet required a great effort on everyone's part just to get here. The prize for the longest journey goes to Bagpuss who came all the way from Yorkshire via Toronto to eat hamburgers and watch fireworks with my bearded cousins. But we had other long distance travellers as well. Xantief had a 2000 mile drive from California. Phred and his wife came over 1100 miles from Florida. Spy rode his Harley through a rainstorm to get here from Wisconsin. Affy drove in from Indiana. Lady C and Lord C made the trip from central Kansas. Even the two Missouri researchers had long drives. It is nearly 300 miles from here to broelan's house near St Louis and healingmagichands, who is the closest to me, still had a two hour drive. Then they all had to turn around and drive home. So, thanks to everyone who participated.

If the meet began when the first person arrived and ended when the last one left, then it was a week-long event. At the height of the gathering, I had people sleeping in both of my guest rooms, on the sofa, on the back porch and in a tent pitched in the back yard.

The actual meet event that everyone was looking forward to took place on the evening of July 4th when we all went to my bearded cousin's for hamburgers, hot dogs, home made ice cream and fireworks. But we had an evening meal together on the 3rd, then went to tour my library and see the few sights Webb City has to offer the next morning. We gathered back at my house for a lively afternoon of beer can chicken and hillbilly rules croquet before heading out for the cousin's.

We had homemade wine from Kansas, delicious home baked French bread and bagels from Lebanon, a special coffee cake from St Louis and California pistachios, which I managed to pretty much hide so now I have them to munch on myself. Did I mention that I really like pistachios?

Most of the group went back home on Wednesday, the 5th. Bagpuss and I did some sightseeing in the area on Wednesday and Thursday. Since this was his first trip to the US I wanted him to visit as many states as he could. Due to the location of Webb City, that is fairly easy. We toured a cave in Arkansas, saw the second largest steam shovel in the world in Kansas and visited a town in Oklahoma that still has mountains of tailing piles and shows what much of the area looked like at the height of the mining boom.

Then on Friday I drove Bagpuss to St Louis where he caught a bus back to Toronto. We wandered around the Gateway Arch, which is one of the coolest monuments in the US. I wanted to take him up inside it, but there was such a crowd and the wait was so long for the trams, that we didn't have the time before his bus left. At least he got to see it and the riverfront. And he got to eat biscuits and sausage gravy, fried okra and hushpuppies for the first time.

Of course the most important part of any h2g2 meet is just sitting and talking and enjoying each other's company. There is never a lack of things to discuss when we all get together. We all have souvenir tee shirts and Lady C made souvenir bracelets for the women. I hope everyone also has happy memories of the event.

Phred was the official chronicler of the event and has photos to share. You can find a link to them in his Pilgrimage To The Ozarks piece also in this edition of The Post.

Well, it was great. I'm glad I did it and I wish all of you could have joined us.

The h2g2 Presidential
Election 2005 Archive

Hypatia

13.07.06 Front Page

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