From: Annie (annie@geekbabe.com)
Date: Sun Jul 14 2002 - 00:03:44 CDT
In this mailing:
Org List
Brunch
LadyLike article
Bars and things
Socializing
Administrivia
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Org List:
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Brunch:
Tina writes:
>>>I do think that the daily brunch idea will help spread out social time
>>>to include the "day owls" more.
>>I still question if a daily brunch will really work, since several people
>>report not arising until around noon and not getting ready until early or
>>mid afternoon. Comments?
>>What is the opposite of a night owl anyway?
>Well, I am usually quite a night owl, but I do eat breakfast, usually
>around 1 or 2 PM at DLV, usually in boy mode. Then I sleep some more
>and eat something light about 5 PM before starting to get ready for the
>evening. That's my DLV daily schedule: sleep, eat, party, with an
>occasional quick trip to the manicurist or to buy pantyhose. (No
>wonder I seldom make it to day events.) God, if I were independently
>wealthy I could live like that for a long time before burning out.
>But to answer your question regarding how successful brunch might be, I
>guess it depends on timing. I personally define brunch as that early
>afternoon slot. I'd be in boy mode and barely awake, but I would be
>there, because I gotta eat somewhere. What time do you think of when
>you hear "brunch"? Other girls?
LOL ... When I hear "brunch" from a Las Vegas buffet, I think of
breakfast with the price jacked up a couple bucks. :)
Seriously, I think of brunch as a late breakfast or lunch, or maybe
where you go to a breakfast-type place for lunch. :)
>And yeah, the brunch idea was inspired by the "day owls" calling for
>more daytime social activities. I certainly wouldn't expect real heavy
>attendance, but if 10 or 15 show up, that's successful by my
>definition.
>What do you think?
Actually, if one shows up it could be successful. :)
For DLV 2002, I usually ate late breakfast with whoever I was with at
the time, or alone if nobody was with me at the time. I'm sure if there
would be a defined place/time I would make it a point to be there at
least some of the days.
A designated brunch only takes somebody to designate a time and a place.
If I had a vote for time, I would say 11-ish. That's about the time I'm
usually up, ready, and getting hungry.
Comments on possible times, places?
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LadyLike article:
>Hi Annie
Hewwo :)
>Below is the draft for the article for LadyLike mag. Let's see what the
>gang thinks.
>Following your guidance, I am going to revamp what I drafted for Girl
>Talk. I could only go by the 2 issues of it I've seen, which had
>nothing about TG events, and I had heard one of their people was at
>DLV 2002.
+Draft of article for LadyLike magazine
+Diva Las Vegas 2002 the biggest and best yet
+The theme, Just Be You in 2002, perfectly captured the flavor of the
+biggest and best yet Diva Las Vegas, April 30 to May 5, 2002. This
+sixth-annual, six-day en femme vacation provided the novice and
+seasoned transgenderist alike with non-stop fun and opportunities
+galore to celebrate their feminine spirit.
+More than 80 sisters, significant others and a sprinkling of admirers
+attended at least one of the smorgasbord of activities and events.
+Participants hailed from all 50 states and one sister came across the
+Pacific from New Zealand. As well, there were six trannies and an SO
+from Ontario, Canada.
+Diva Las Vegas (DLV) is a different kind of TG gathering. It’s not a
+convention, there are no speeches or award presentations; no
+ultra-serious seminars or workshops; no formal banquets; no drag shows
+or pageants for the participants to enter; etc. People attend DLV for
+its entire run or for a day, or even a single event; whatever suits
+their schedule and pocketbook best. DLV isn’t backed by a big TG
+organization or a local club. While you’re asked to register (some
+locals don't even bother, they just show up), there's no fee to pay.
+It's billed as a holiday and that's exactly what the organizers
+deliver. DLV is put together by a loose affiliation of volunteers,
+mostly participants from past DLVs, and they plan the events and
+activities via email.
+DLV attendees pick what they want to do from a menu of events and
+activities. And there's lots of time left over to do your own thing,
+too. Signing up for some activities is required a week or so before
+DLV but you only pay up front for a few events where tickets must be
+purchased, and then, except for one show, you didn't pay until you
+were in Vegas. In most cases, sign up is only so organizers can give
+restaurants, bars/clubs, etc., an idea of how many people to expect.
+For the rookie trannie, and about half of the 2002 attendees were
+relatively inexperienced at going out dressed, Vegas is the perfect
+spot to get used to stepping out in heels. It’s a destination known
+for excitement and excess so a gaggle of girrrls hardly rates a second
+look. Probably many tourists saw the DLV ladies and figured they were
+just part of the non-stop Vegas show. And Vegas boasts amusements and
+facilities to match every desire and budget. At DLV, you go to
+comfortable, traditional Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Transgender venues as well
+as frequently step out into the mainstream at major resorts hotels and
+local malls. There's a big sister program in place to help newbies
+along the tranny track and participants with vehicles volunteer to
+chauffeuress sisters to the various spots DLV ladies gather across the
+city. This is no closeted event, attendees go and stay anywhere and
+everywhere. No beginner could leave DLV and not have moved forward in
+their en femme development by leaps and bounds.
+There was never a dull moment at DLV. Just feast your eyes of this
+roster of fun times:
+* The sensuous La Femme show at the MGM Grand;
+* Frank Marino’s spectacular Evening at La Cage at the Riviera
+* Drag performances featuring local talent, karaoke, billiards, and
+mixing and mingling at Sasha's, Goodtimes and Flex, all popular local
+party places;
+* Late-night club hopping and kicking up your heels on various dance
+floors;
+* A tour of strip hotels and a visit to old downtown Las Vegas in a
+caravan of six limousines filled with raucous Tgirls;
+* High English Tea at the elegant Four Seasons resort;
+* Open houses at Hidden Woman wig salon and a Glamour Boutique TG
+shop, complete with refreshments and money saving DLV discounts;
+* A mall crawl at an outlet center and a traditional retail mall,
+again with some shops offering DLV ladies discounts;
+* An afternoon pool party at one of the local gal’s homes in one of
+the neighborhoods where the real people of Vegas live;
+* Air tours of Vegas and a swing south over the Grand Canyon courtesy
+of a pair of DLV ladies who flew in for the week in their private
+planes;
+* A tourist excursion to see the spectacular scenery at Fire Valley
+north of Vegas;
+* A reception with gaming instructions for the DLV ladies at one of
+the resorts and ample opportunities during your holiday to test the
+theory that Lady Luck smiles on TGs;
+* A slumber party at a rented suite at a Vegas Residence Inn;
+* An afternoon reception hosted by a contingent of 20 Southern Belles
+who were on hand for DLV;
+* The annual DLV golf tournament (those scores really improve from
+the ladies' tees);
+* An SOs-only luncheon at an English pub;
+* Dinner at the Palace Station resort’s buffet restaurant, a wonderful
dinner at Sasha's with Michael Cagle entertaining, and evening meals at
popular Hamburger Mary's and Milanos .
+If it sounds like a hectic schedule, it was. Those who attempted to do
+everything either had remarkable stamina or needed a vacation to
+recover from their holiday. Perhaps that's why several DLV attendees
+lingered in Vegas several days past the end of DLV.
+But even with such a packed schedule, there was time to strike out on
+your own or with new found-friends. To help participants out on that
+score, DLV organizers have a comprehensive list of T-friendly
+eateries, shops, and amusements.
+While organizers recommended three Vegas strip hotels -- the Sahara,
+Imperial Palace and Boardwalk -- to DLV vacationers, they had also
+compiled a varied list of other hotels where trannies are welcome,
+ranging from luxurious resorts to budget establishments.
+To find out about DLV through the years and check out the trannie guide to
Vegas, visit:
+and be sure and prowl the extensive DLV 2002 photo gallery at:
+http://www.geekbabe.com/dlv/dlv2002/
+Planning is already underway, with tried and true favorite events and
+activities returning and some new fun times being added, for the 7th
+DLV in spring 2003. To keep up with the news, keep an eye on the web
+site and contact dlv@geekbabe.com to join the mailing list.
Thanks, Laura. This looks good to me. Comments, ladies? (Gentlemen?)
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Bars and things:
>>>What is the opposite of a night owl anyway?
>>+OHG: nacht uwila. Opposite: Party pooper.
>ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:)
>But in all seriousness, I'm confused? Are you and Tina talking about the
>standup bars in the casino's or the enclosed sitdown bars like Terrace
>and Casbar?
I was referring to what I think you mean when you talk of stand-up bars,
which have higher stools at the bar, as opposed to tables and chairs.
Every casino has (at least) one of them, the one at the Riviera being
called the Splash Bar, and that one at the Sahara whose name is the
subject of trivia questions. :)
I don't think of the Terrace (if we are indeed talking about the same
Terrace Bar, the back bar at the Stardust) as very enclosed. The one at
the Stardust that's roughly the same as the Casbar Lounge (awful pun, I
admit) is the Starlite Lounge, just to the south of the coffee shop.
These are indeed enclosed (or at least partitioned) sit-down bars with
tables which feature entertainment, much of which is too loud to allow
conversation.
>Is it wise to plan events in such open and visable spaces?
I see the casino bars being used only for smaller, perhaps recurring
informal get-togethers, not replacing the places we use for the larger
activities, such as Goodtimes, Flex, etc. I don't see any significant
risk as long as we stick to places known to be t-friendly, such as the
Sahara and IP. We have enough history at those two places to know they
will be relatively hassle-free. Sure, some of the newer people may shy
away from things like this.
>What about restrooms?
I think the usual guidelines apply here ... Do you *really* have to
go? Don't go in groups. Don't push things. You know the drill. :)
>Let me be blunt here. There are some Diva girls who can go anywhere and
>do fine. But there are most of the others who can't, and if they tried
>they would be scared silly or get in trouble. Do you want to be planning
>events and have only those few show up, or do you want to plan things
>everyone can go to?
I think we need to consider everybody who attends DLV when planning our
activities, but I don't think we need to restrict what we plan to just
those that are comfortable for everybody. Since 1997 we've had a good
mix of activities that were "safe" and those that were daring. A daily
social hour may be considered daring for some, and very ordinary for
others. There are options, such as boymode, for those who aren't ready
for such things in girlmode yet.
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Socializing:
Yvonne writes:
>I for one also think that we need more time to socalize, to get to know
>other attendees as DLV grows in attendence. When DLV was smaller, it
>was easier to get to know everyone - there weren't that many to get to
>meet, but as the size grows I'm finding it harder to have the time to
>socialize to talk to get to know others in DLV, not to mention
>remembering everyones names.
>The name tags really helped!
I think as we grow the name tags will become more and more important. I
know some people don't like them, and I would like them to remain
optional but encouraged.
However I would like to think of ways of encouraging people to wear
them, since they not only identify people by name, they clearly indicate
who is with our group.
Comments? Ideas?
>I've found socialing at bars at times difficult. Part of the problem is
>the physical set up of the in-line bar seating, many don't have many
>tables or booths for people to sit or gather to socialize around it.
It's been said that one key to getting people to mix and circulate is to
not have enough seats for everybody. I've noticed that Goodtimes will
vary the amount of tables they have out from day to day, and I would
assume it's according to anticipated crowd level. Bars such as Goodtimes
and Flex will generally want people at the bar as opposed to sitting at
tables, for several reasons ... easier to serve, people at the bar will
tend to order/drink more, those at the bar will play VP.
>Many had to stand along the bar, or along the walls, which is not a bad
>thing, but I found it hard to join in to socalize with the different
>people because of the lack of room/space to join in, or the crowding
>that happens when people stand and talk to each other, and a bit more
>difficult if you had to hold your drink.
Thinking back looking at Flex and Goodtimes, I think those were about as
good as we could expect for a bar-type place. There was a choice of either
bar or table seating in both, although limited, and the layout of both
places makes it easy to circulate.
>Loud music does distract and makes it harder to ear what is being said.
I don't really think we had problems with that this year. The singer who
was on at Flex just prior to Karaoke was, imao, much too loud for that
venue, but that was the exception.
In 2001, however, people did vote with their feet at the LVL when the
music was cranked too loud to allow conversation.
>If we attend a show, there is some socalizing as you arrive early
>before the show and some after the show before some leave to do other
>DLV events or their own thing, but for most of the time we are quiet
>and watching the show, and can talk briefly to those seating around
>you, and not much socializing.
>Some events already have promoted socializing like the Tea, Slumber,
>and Pool parties, and even specific events like Golf, Valley of Fire,
>and Limo tour, where there was socializing as the event was occuring.
>But not everyone attended all the events, and not everyone is here from
>beginning to end of DLV.
>The other time it was good to socialize and to get to know other
>attendees was over a meal at a table, like at HM's, and Milano. The
>group that went to Milano's when Sasha's was packed had fun socializing
>to each other, for a few it was the last evening for them in LV, and
>was a good place to say their good-byes. It was easier to hear the
>other person and no distractions, and some of us was starved and needed
>to eat something. It was also hot, and Milano's was open and had AC!
>So, thinking about what I just said, we have alot time to socialize
>already. Maybe we need to try to include a daily time gathering before
>or after daily DLV events to give time for those who want to get
>socalize better ... like some sort of 'DLV socializing/snacking/coffee
>shop thingee or DLV happy hour before or after events?
>The bad side is what happens if you are the only one there?
>>Even though those casino bars are known to us to be reasonably safe, I
>>think they are a bit too visible for some of the newer people, those
>>who comment that they are uneasy walking thru a casino or hotel lobby.
>>I think that to use one of these for a default after-hours or mid-day
>>meeting place would have the effect of excluding a significant number
>>of our people.
>I agree with this also. The visability, variablility of changing
>conditions by those that come and go that drink at the bar, would be on
>my mind, and I wouldn't be able to relax as much compared to going to
>Flex or Goodtimes
>>Another factor is the layout of these bars. They are sit-at-the-bar
>>type places, mostly in one row. The one at the IP does have more
>>corners, but for the most part, conversation is possible only with
>>immediate neighbors.
>I agree. Along with in-line bar sitting, I also remember thinking to
>myself, as I was passing several of the casino bars, that they really
>dont have room to gather as a group to stand and talk to others, but
>just enough room to sit at the bar. Those that did kinda blocked the
>walkway that goes around the bars.
>But then again all bars are mainly in-line sitting, with a few tables
>or booths to sit at.
>A small group after the La Femme show stopped at the casino bar to get
>drinks, and had stood and socialized in a group. I felt the eyes of
>people walking by as they read us but didn't say anything to us, some
>stared, some pointed fingers pointing us out to their friends, some
>smiled and giggled, but the one thing I noticed is that our group and
>others that stood in the walkway, basically blocking people trying to
>use the walkway through and made us more visable.
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Administrivia:
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