Rex B. Hamilton - see you at the TransWorld 2009 convention

[RexBHamilton]

Rex B. Hamilton looks forward to meeting you at the 2009 TransWorld convention


March 24, 2009


Greetings, Fellow Haunters:

This coming weekend, the city of St. Louis, Missouri calls us all to join in the annual merriment that is the TransWorld Halloween convention. I will be in the “Show Me” state from Thursday afternoon until Monday morning. You’ll find me and my fellow Scab 5 guru, Jeff “Samhain” Glatzer, in the Renaissance Crown and Suites Hotel after convention hours are over.

St. Louis will be a new experience for most of us. I haven’t visited the city in nearly 40 years and I’m quite curious on how the area has changed in the meantime. This will be my 13th visit in a row to the TransWorld show and I’m looking forward to a lot of fun.


-------


Jeff and I should arrive at our downtown hotel in the late afternoon on Thursday. I’m told that TransWorld is hosting a reception for attendees from 6 to 7:30 PM in room 100 at the America’s Center, the convention building. We’ll be there.

Our hotel, the Renaissance Crown and Suites, has been designated as the “Headquarters Hotel” by TransWorld for the convention. We hope it has a nice, big bar where we can all hang out whenever we don’t know what else to do.

I’ll have my laptop with me and I’ll attempt to blast out a few paragraphs every day to let you know what I’ve seen, heard and experienced. We will also be armed with “Fluffy Food.” Those of you who know what that term really means also know that they are cordially invited.


-------


This year, the TransWorld show will be its shortest ever - just three days. On the morning of the first day (Friday) I will probably do some sightseeing across the Mississippi river. My freshman year of college way back in the 60s was spent at Parks College of Aeronautical Technology in Cahokia, Illinois. The college was torn down years ago. I need to go visit its grave.

I hope to be on the convention floor most of the afternoon. I’ll have to duck out a little before closing time so that I can attend the IAHA Annual Awards Banquet in the Lemp Mansion Grand Hall, about three miles south of the convention center. I’m told that there will be continuous shuttle buses at no charge.

I’ve been told that the yearly Casket Basket Raffle and other activities, such as the annual IAHA Auction, will take place at other haunted conventions later this Spring.

In the latter part of the evening I plan to tour Creative Visions, one of the haunted product manufacturers in the St Louis region. Just to make sure you know, owner Mark McDonough has invited one and all to inspect his shop and share some laughs that evening. From what I can see via Internet maps, Lemp Mansion and Creative Visions are pretty much on opposite sides of Interstate 55 from each other. I’m told that there will be shuttle buses for this venue as well.


-------


Saturday should be a good one. From Noon until 2 PM I will pull my annual shift at the IAHA booth. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only IAHA member who has a perfect record in regards to booth participation. It is a streak that I cherish.

By rights, I should get into costume and make-up on Saturday so that I look the part when I man the IAHA booth. Even now, I’m not certain what type of character I should do in St. Lou. Time will tell.

The other Saturday date I have is a 9 PM admission ticket to tour The Darkness haunted house. Jeff’s ticket is time-stamped for 10 PM. I have told him that we will hang out backstage with the performers until 10, and then we’ll tour the haunt together. Overall, Jeff is much crazier than I am, so it will be informative to listen to what he has to say.


-------


Sunday will be a day of rest. I plan to have a nice time visiting the vendors and die-hard fans still thereself. In past years at TW, Sunday has been a time when can I engage in casual conversation with vendors since the show floor is more easygoing.

This will be the first year that I’ve spent the final evening at the convention. I’ve heard tales of conventions years and years ago where there were wild vendor parties that celebrated the end of an exhausting, extended weekend.


-------


A new city to scope out. An army of bars to check out. Many, many fellow haunters to meet for the first time, or meet one more time. Could it be anything other than TransWorld?


Very truly yours,




Rex B. Hamilton


13939 Clifton Boulevard
Lakewood, Ohio 44107-1462
216.226.7764 (home)
216.973.0050 (cell)
EvilLordZargon@msn.com