From: dagoura@MIT.EDU
Message-Id: <9401101713.AA26114@puttanesca.MIT.EDU>
To: JAP@LASPAU.mhs.harvard.edu
Cc: carolingia@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: 12th night 
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 94 12:13:21 EST


>So, any confirmed reports on how the event went?  I feel very sorry for
>the autocrat (I'm sure Denise can empathize).  Was the storm any gentler
>closer to the event?
>
>-Siubhan

The event went fine, though I do not know if they lost considerable
money due to cancellations.  

Rhiannon the Curious has been brought into the Order of the Pelican,
and Romulus Paxton was knighted.  Much effort was made to ensure that
no awards were made to gentles not present, thus even though all the
order meetings ran late, and Court started an hour late, the feast hit
the table right on time.

And while *you*, gentle reader, might have found the passage from mere
Carolingia too difficult, know that Their Highnesses of *Cynagua*
managed their journey.  (Yes, that's in the West. :)

The best part of the day was the feast, which managed to combine those
things least often in conjunction: great quality, great quantity,
promptness and authenticity.  Nice subtleties as well.  The first
remove had (in honor of Summer) had a bowl of berries and fruit, a
relish tray, heavy bread, two butters, and two tarts (mushroom and
spinach); the second remove (in honor of Autumn) had roast chicken
(which was so tenderly cooked that it had literally fallen apart in my
hand by the time someone drew a knife to carve it) with dressing and
apples-n-onions, and a sumptuous cream of mushroom soup.  About this
time people began to waddle out of the hall to stretch their legs and
further their digestion, reputedly causing one merchant to exclaim
"that must have been one hell of a feast!" to which was responded
"yeah, and we have two more removes to go!"  The remove of Winter had
roast beast served with pepper sauce and horseradish, and a tray of
loseyns -- which our table eyed longingly and returned to the kitchen
untouched.  Lastly, the remove for Spring had a berries-in-cream dish,
sugar cookies, more fruit, and a red sherbert in lemon skins.  Urrp!

I'm given to understand the fighting was very pleasant (I saw much
very splufty armor, which pleased me).  There were a number of classes
which I did not attend.

The snow was not severe around the site, though getting there was a
long, cautious haul; we left before dawn to encounter a minimal amount
of traffic.  We had intended to rent a motel room for Saturday night,
but found ourselves with crash space and much good company.  The drive
back was much easier, though through the first leg drifting snow was a
bit of a problem.

So I suppose that I'll next see most of you at Birka.....

   ...unless, of course, it snows. ;}

Happy 12th Night!

Tibicen Blackmane
dagoura@mit.edu

P.S. Thanks to all of you who wrote to offer us your reservations; I
relayed that info to the Gatekeeper.  The waiting list moved right
along as you might expect.