Bay Area/Northern California Downer's meeting?

[lindil]

What say ye?

I would be willing to call ol' saulotus, and i know a couple of us live w/in a couple of hours of each other any taker's?

[Faye Took]

I live in Southern California about an hour away from LA.

[The Fifth]

I live in Antelope, a small suburb right next to Sacramento. Perhaps I can come.

[lindil]

Greetings, faye and Fith

Saremento is not far frm me [2hrs]and only an 1 1/2 or so from SF.

LA area.... well Faye you are of course welcome to travel up! but you may want to consider a seperate Southern California Chapter [ and now I see you already have!] after all it IS a big state.

I know I can not travel down to LA with any ease, due to work, $ and family.

But hey we have a start, I will try and make some calls.

maybe if folks w/ an interest can also post what days/nights def work and do not work.

Sat/Aft pm is def the best for me. I could probably devote just about any Sat: 5pm-midnite or so.

Most Fridays also but only later 8pm ish to the wee hours is also possible.

*We can bring our most elvish music [self-created or others]
*poetry
*fanfics we love [ or are working on]
*any passage we particularly want to share
*perhaps a group performance [we could record and put up here somehow] of something from the LotR etc.

all in all I think it could be a delightful time, and I need to get my "road goes ever on" back from Saulotus anyway!

And if we get big enough we can all chip in to fly the ChiefWight himself out!

any other ideas, Takers?

[ October 02, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

[Brinniel]

I'm going to the Bay Area this weekend! Though that's probably too soon for any kind of convention, if anyone is able to meet me on Friday or Saturday, I'd be delighted. My sister's college hunting and I don't really have anything planned those two days......

[lindil]

Brinniel,
I just sent you a PM w/ contact info.
I am not sure if my family is going to the city w/ me or not but if they stay home I will have a bit of free time.

lindil

[GreatWarg]

I don't live in California, but I do have some friends that live in Fremont, CA that are regulars here in the Barrow-Downs, and one of them is constantly using my nick to go around in the forum [grr...] and is editing my poems and fan fics. Oh, and she creates poems also. Very nice writer. Sounds like an Elf if you've ever heard her sing any of the songs from Tolkien's books. Memorized the lot of them. What say ye, lindil? Wilt thou say yea or nay?

[lindil]

yea [ of course], unless she tries to nick my nick.
But who could imitate my posts with my bad spelling, scholarly pretensions and general long-windedness...

She is more than welcome to edit my fan-fiction though!

[ October 02, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

[Ithaeliel]

*Sigh*...

California... my true home. How I long to join you all. Yet I shall have no opportunity. One- I'm in terrible financial state, and two- There is no time I could squeeze it into. smilies/frown.gif I'd love to do it next year, though!

[Brinniel]

There has been a change of plans. I am not going to the Bay Area, so unfortunately I cannot meet any of you Californians until either summer or Christmas 2003. :(

[lindil]

Sorry Brinniel, I ended up getting car repairs in my spare time, so it all worked out.


An idea for the locals, does anyone know if there is a solid release date on the Expanded version DVD of FotR?


I have heard Nov. maybe we could plan a get together around that?

My house in Lake Co. is prob an option but I am 2 and 1/2 hrs north of SF.

So perhaps someone more central...

[GreatWarg]

You know what? She's already despairing over my bad use of grammer. smilies/biggrin.gif Perhaps around Thanksgiving Break for the schools would be best. The extended version should be out by then, and my friend is planning to get it (only so she can see more of Elrond *rolls eyes*) In any case, where will you be planning?

The-Fifth: lol! My friend lives in Fremont in a place called Antelope Hills! Are you sure you don't live in Fremont???

[Reyna Evergreen]

*sigh*

Is there ANY way to get a convention more up North? Say...near Canada? Doesn't necissarily (sp?) have to be this one, I'd just like to meet some fellow Downers without having to drive a day. New York, Buffalo...anything close to the border. smilies/frown.gif

Anyway...my english spelling bombs...I know...

[lindil]

Reyna posted: "Is there ANY way to get a convention more up North? Say...near Canada?"

Well reyna, when i saw the Seattle meeting, I just hit the 'new topic' button and thought locally.

As they used to say at Sears [when no customer could hear you], You are Empowered!

smilies/smile.gif


you can also try organizing more local tolkien events outside of the Downs.These folks will not be Downers to start with...

Gilthalion did readings at [Border's?] I have thought of doing one for the Public Library [across the street]. Also you could engage in true guerilla organizing and put small little flyers/bookmarks in the copies of LotR/Silm/UT etc at your local bookstores. [email addy suggested, not your home phone] mentioning a local discussion or reading group or whatever you want.

The worst that could happen is they ask you to stop [ since you are not selling anything you are not really much of a threat.

best of luck and let me know if you try any of it.

[ October 06, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

[ October 06, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

[ October 06, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

[Daisy Sandybanks]

Oh yay! Iv been waiting for something like this to happen! *jumps for joy*

I live just a couple miles north of San Francisco, ever heard of Mill Vally? Well, thats close to where I live.

Yay! I hope this plan goes through!

Oh no, wait, did you already have the meeting with out little me? smilies/frown.gif

Well, in that case, is there going to be another one anytime soon? Im only availible on the weekends, Saturday would be most preferred. Hmmm... or, as mentioned before, Thnksgiving Break or perhaps Windter Break would be a swell idea too.
In any case, keep me informed! Thanks!

[ October 06, 2002: Message edited by: Daisy Sandybanks ]

[Faye Took]

Damn it! I'm all alone down here in Southern Cali! Humph not a surprise. Poo!

[Elendur]

I live in the Bay Area. Fremont, California to be exact. But I dont think meeting people to discuss Tolkien would be my thing. smilies/smile.gif

Maybe we could meet to go see The Two Towers together. But just being together and discussing things is not my specialty. Im a really boring person. I am tempted to meet you Lindil. But still my shyness takes presidence.

[Dwarin Thunderhammer]

Seems we have a few people in sacremento and a few people in the San Fransisco area. Howabout a comprimise? Fairfield is about halfway between the two. Would anyone be interested in a "line party" like the ones that ToRN did?

[Susan Delgado]

I live in Chico, which is pretty central in N California. If we want to have a Two Towers viewing, there's a theater here that hires out fairly easily, and which I also have connections at, which makes it even easier.

Or, we could just go to a random theater in whatever town we're in while The Two Towers is showing... smilies/rolleyes.gif

[Elendur]

You know there is an IMax version of The Two Towers? That would be something to do. smilies/wink.gif

[lindil]

That would be great indeed elendur!

Well we seem to have 2 types of of folks posting here [well 3 counting those who ive impossibly far away]

bay area:
Daisy Sandy Banks @Mill Valley
Elendur @ Fremont
Dwarin Thunderhammer @ [near] Fairfield
lindil is there on Sat or Fri PM
unknown friend of the great warg - fremont


No.CA:
The Fifth @ Antelope near Sac
Susan Delgado @ Chico [waay N of the bay area] what 4rs ?
Lindil@ Lakeport [1hr north of Calistoga or 45 min E of Hopland/Ukiah


So a couple of q's

#1 - who is willing to go where?

can The Fith and Susan realistically make it to the bay area [ at least as close as fairfeild?]

I almost feel it is pointless to ask wether the bay area folks want to head to the Central Valley, but would you?

Do we want something more or less in the middle Faifeild, is about as geographically central as anything so far mentioned.

Also for the eastbayers ridesharing is a possibillity.

#2 a> do we want to plan it around the Extended FotR release in Nov. [ i.e. in a home or rent a place to see it , I DO NOT personally have a lot of $ to do this]

b> 2 do we want to plan it around the Towers release in Dec.


#3 Do we want [in addition or instead of the movie thing] have a more traditional sort of gathering:
* recite elvish poetry
* read favorite passages
* play our music [I have a bit of M-E inspired stuff] [I can try my linsanwe out on you smilies/smile.gif ]
* read our fanfic
*other things of like nature I have not thought of.




Personally I would like to do something of the latter at least in addition to a movie event, but time wise I suppose that is not feasible w/ some folks possibly driving for hours to watch a 3 hr+ movie. So I guess what is realistic is that we start w/ a movie thing and then maybe we can do a get together seasonally ? And do the arsty-fartsy stuff later such as spring and summer when there will not be a movie or ext vers release!]

So if we do the ext FotR in Nov [ which I favor] we could possibly commandeer one of those party rooms in a restaurant and someone bring the DVD player [could be me] some one bring the widescreen TV [ I hope]
and we should be in [ unless someone wants to also bring a sound system, then we would be really in!]

=or=

we wait till Dec for the 2 towers.

I vote for Nov, because a> it is sooner b> we don;t have to organize a round a theatre and their tickets [esp. if we tried opening night] Come to think of it I will try and get a M-E group going here in Lake Co. on opening night as there is only 1 theatre on this side of the county and at Midnight, every Tolkien -head around for miles will be there. So starting a group here should be as easy as a little flyer distribution.

So I am in for the Nov DVD in fairfeild as a first possibility.

what say ye all...

[ October 07, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

[Daisy Sandybanks]

Well, I'm up for it! Though there is the matter of asking my mom to drive me up there. Does anyone live in Marin County? Maybe, if some how, I could carpool with some one? I don't know, I'll talk to my mom about it, and I'll post her response later.
Heh, I'm guessing that you don't have an exact date planned yet, oh well.
Thanks again lindil for setting all of this up so far! smilies/smile.gif

[Dwarin Thunderhammer]

Yes I live near Fairfield. I'm not going to reveal my exact location in fear that I will be laughed out of town. I personally would like to have a get together for TTT. Edwards theatre has stadium seating and thx/dolby sound. It's a good theatre. Line parties were a service ToRN provided for people took hook up with other Tolkien fans in the local area. Thenamir had one in his hometown.

There are a plethora of good restraunts around the theatre. I'm sure we could rent a party room afterwards. We could meet, watch TTT and go to lunch afterwards.

There's also the option of renting a conference room at the new Mariott across the street. I would be willing to look into things further.

[ October 07, 2002: Message edited by: Dwarin Thunderhammer ]

[The Fifth]

This all sounds so very fun! Of course, if I can convince my mum, I can come to where you live.

[Belin]

Let's try again. I live in Northern California, about an hour away from Sacramento, and I can probably catch a ride with Susan Delgado at whatever time and location is good for her. The Bay Area is not, to my mind, a prohibitive distance, and seems to be the most central, but then, of course, the decision isn't really mine.

As for activities, my vote would be for doing something other than watching the movie again; we've all seen it, I think, and anyway, why would we be sitting in a dark theater watching the screen when we could all be sitting around in a cafe somewhere staring awkwardly at each other? smilies/wink.gif

Are you still interested?

--Belin Ibaimendi

[ February 02, 2003: Message edited by: Belin ]

[Susan Delgado]

Having had my car volunteered, I suppose I should speak up smilies/smile.gif

As Belin says, the Bay Area is not prohibitively far (about two hours), though I'd prefer someplace like Fairfield for ease of navigation, rather than go all the way into San Francisco or Oakland.

[ February 02, 2003: Message edited by: Susan Delgado ]

[Daisy Sandybanks]

Ah yes, well I'm up for it, like I said before. But transportation could be a bit of a problem for me. I live more near San Francisco than Sacramento, and Fairfeild is about 100 or so miles from where I live.
I wouldn't be terribly heartbroken if I wasn't able to go to this thing (if this even happens at all), though I would dearly love to meet a few of you in person. smilies/smile.gif

[ February 02, 2003: Message edited by: Daisy Sandybanks ]

[InklingElf]

::steps into the light::
I happen to be someone from California smilies/smile.gif
I live just on the boundary of SanFrancisco and Daly City-but my area code is still SF...
Nice to see some people appreciate the Bay Area! Thanks lindil!

[alquadae]

Lindil
I'll chip in. One way or round trip?

[Susan Delgado]

If we'd like to have chat about this, I have a room on IRC which I'd be willing to donate to the cause. Anyone interested?

[Daisy Sandybanks]

Yes, I think that'd be great, we could really clear up some things with a chat. When and where, Susan?

[Susan Delgado]

#Lake, and how does Wednesday, 5 Feb at 6 pm (PST, obviously smilies/smile.gif) sound?

[Daisy Sandybanks]

I'll be there! That's perfect anyways, since I won't get home untill about 4pm and I won't have much homework for the next day either.

[Susan Delgado]

Great! Who else is coming? *looks around*

[lindil]

Seems like a fine time for a chat for me.

was Lake# supposed to indicate something re; the Chat?

I have only chatted [2 t's?]once so I am almost as ignorant as they come.

[Susan Delgado]

It's the channel, Lindil. after the thing connects, you put #Lake in the box that asks for the channel

[Susan Delgado]

Well, the chat didn't go so well. There were only three of us and all we decided was that it should be in Fairfield. Where was everyone else?

[lindil]

Sorry!

Family life completely distracted me.

Fairfeild is fine with me though.

Sat PM I hope?

[ February 07, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]

[Susan Delgado]

I work on Saturdays. Would a Sunday be better?

[lindil]

The rare friday night [like tonight works] but nearly every satruday I come down from lake co. to SF/East Bay.

I finish my work around 6/7 pm and have a few hours free after that before I have to drive back north.

That is really the only feasible time for me [c.7-10pm sat] , not that others should not give it a go if another time is generally workable.

[Susan Delgado]

Well, 7-10 I could actually do, maybe. I get off work at 515, go home, feed cats, get Belin and could leave town by 6. Depending where it is, I'd arrive anytime after 8 pm.

*rereads what she wrote* Although I'm not sure I want to be driving in totally unfamiliar places after dark.

[ February 07, 2003: Message edited by: Susan Delgado ]

[Susan Delgado]

After quite a bit of discussion, we have decided on Sunday, 16th March, at the Train Museum in Sacramento.

Those who are definitely going, as of now:

Susan Delgado
Belin, and possible companion
The-Fifth, and companion
Phrim

Daisy, Lindil, please let me know what you think.

[Daisy Sandybanks]

*sigh* I've gone through every possible situation in my head, and I can't find a way as to how I would get to the Sacramento Train Station on that date, or any date for that matter. Again, transportation is a big hassle for me... Im a bit dissapointed that I won't be able to join you guys, but once you do all meet, fill me in please smilies/smile.gif I would love to hear what you all thought of each other and what you all discussued.
Have a wonderful time you guys! I hope you all have fun!

[Susan Delgado]

Sorry to hear that, Daisy smilies/confused.gif
I'm going to bring my camera and take pictures and you'll have a full report, I assure you smilies/smile.gif

[ February 10, 2003: Message edited by: Susan Delgado ]

[lindil]

Hard for me to say yet, but it not being on a saturday night does not bode to well.

I will have to wait for a return from a Seattle trip in the first week on march and then when the dust settles i can ask my wife. But it does not look to good.

If in the future we can go for a Sat night then I can just go for it smilies/wink.gif .

[InklingElf]

Wow, you guys are actually planning to meet? A sad situation for me, because I can't...

[Ithaeliel]

I wish I could join you! The Bay Area is my one and only true home; I was born there and visit almost every year. Unfortunately my parents would definitely not comply, nor my schedule and schoolwork. Curse history!

I can only wish you all an enjoyable and safe meeting, and hope I could possibly do something like this during the summer.

Happy travelling!

[InklingElf]

Some day Ithaeliel...

BTW: I'm a big fan of MATRIX-Lindil you're new avatar is cool! Looking forward to MATRIX: RELOADED -and of course ROTK

[Susan Delgado]

We've moved it back to the Bay Area: Sausalito. It's stilll on 16th, though.

[ March 03, 2003: Message edited by: Susan Delgado ]

[InklingElf]

Susan: Sausalito's one my favorite places! It's a very nice place to live, and right next to the beach to! I could feel the anticipation smilies/smile.gif . I usually take my cousins there, because it is considered a tourist spot.

[Tar-Palantir]

Sittin' in the mornin sun

I'll be sittin when the evenin' come

Watchin the ships roll in

Then I watch 'em roll away again

Yea

I'm sittin on the dock of the bay

watchin the time roll away

Ooh

I'm just sittin on the dock of the bay

Wastin' time

Can't have Sausalito without a little Otis, right? smilies/biggrin.gif The 16th of which month? who all have you rounded up?

[InklingElf]

:hums along:

Susan:Hope your trip goes smoothly smilies/wink.gif. Would love to live there someday too.

Wish I could go with everyone too-but no! Too absorbed in this oh so busy sched! Sad, very sad for me-even my age! :falls to despair:

:sings: Some-day when I'm awfully low... :stops: oh great I'm getting carried away again...

[lindil]

Well chances of me doing a sundat right now are between .001% and zero.

I started work a few weeks ago on A guide/encycloedia' to M-E that incorporates HoME and UT and Letters, and it takes about 4-6 hrs a day, so if I try and do anything JRRT related on top of that [sat pm excepted smilies/wink.gif] I will most likely be wifeless!

Glad you like the Avatar. I looked around for it for a long time and then Alk [ and lady lindil had to help get it working].

My brother in law is a bigwig at the CG studio were they are making the final scene for Matrix III. He says it is a mindblower and will turn all of your pre-conceptions on their head.

[ March 07, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]

[InklingElf]

I'm totally amazed lindil. MATRIX is like [one of the] best movies I've seen since Gladiator! Oh I can't wait! I'll be able to watch that in Metreon-Sony style smilies/wink.gif [in SF].

I started work a few weeks ago on A guide/encycloedia' to M-E that incorporates HoME and UT and Letters, and it takes about 4-6 hrs a day, so if I try and do anything JRRT related on top of that [sat pm excepted ] I will most likely be wifeless!

I wish I hhad that much time on my hands so I can start working on the Silm Ainulindale Project!

[lindil]

You may think you wish that, till your eyes get blurry, your precious HoME HB's spines crack, one after another, you must keep all of the new tolien books you got turned around so that they are not 'discovered', and you get annoyed researching the 4 variations of Afteryule in PoM-E!

Oh well.... Such is life... smilies/smile.gif

[mark12_30]

Oy, lindil... I read your post and see myself, except with me it's RPGs... I know how it is to be passionately obsessed with a project, while the spouse paces restlessly in the background!

Eru Iluvatar have mercy on us, give us wisdom and understanding and guidance, and preserve intact and healthy our family and our Most Sacred Oath.

[InklingElf]

I see your point there lindil :scrambles after her HoME books and hugs them: smilies/biggrin.gif

But well those are the pains of hard work-and achievement

[Susan Delgado]

LAST CALL:

The meeting will be this Sunday, 16th March, at Treviso in Sausalito at around 1 PM. Anyone out there who wants to come and is reasonably able to do so, should. smilies/smile.gif

[lindil]

Wish I could make it smilies/frown.gif , but do take digital pics and have a great time!

[InklingElf]

Like what lindil said-take lots of pictures! I should like to meet you all someday [when I'm older]. Enjoy! Sausalito's a great place.

[InklingElf]

:sighs: Well I'm off to my interview tommorow for creative writing in SOTA [School of the Arts]. God willing, I hope I will make it.

[lindil]

Well, I had the great and good fortune to attend a mini-subchapter meeting of the Bay-Area's Downers Club last night [to make for my absence today] and if anyone who reads this and is planning on going to Sausilito, and has a printer, if you would be so kind as to read my little post here, as a token of my humble presence which could not attend.

I had the great and good fortune to attend a ' private mini-subchapter meeting of the Bay-Area's Downers Club' last night.

I was most fortunate to meet my second BD'er last night, just scant minutes off of my usual Sat. night Northward trek up Highway 101 and back home.

Tar-Elenion received me warmly into his apartment and we immendiately got down to 'business' smilies/smile.gif .

I had been away from a certain mutual project [not the Silm/TftE] for more hours than I like and whose size and scope seems equal only to my ego [on less watchful days], and T-E graciously suggested we peep in to see what had transpired overt eh course of the day, curious of course himself.

Tar-Elenion, reminded me much of myself, if I had been 'smart' enough to remain single, that is smilies/wink.gif, and if I had retained that soft-spoken demeanor which I once possessed for 10 minutes or so back in my tweens. Thorondil may remember the moment when in 84 after hearing Dark Star an the AOR FM station [ a never to be repeated experience I can tell you - we sat in silence as the DJ very quietly and humbly recalled the days when 'we talked very softly...'

Similar to my first meeting a BD'er [the now retired and northwardly moblie Saulotus/Bobwehadababyanditsaboy], Tar-Elenion is extremely knowledgeable well beyond my many years.

As we attempted to make a bizarrely instructioned scanner to do our bidding [the ostensible reason for my visit] I took surreptitious moments away from the marginally successful process to peer into volumes [all in their immaculate dust-jackets which seemed to be right off the shelf, despite some being 20 years old! and well read].

'Tolkien's Legendarium' was in particular finally seen by myself, the ultimate in HoM-E scholarship, and T-E was gracious enough to honour my request to copy the chapter which I have been desiring to read eversince I caught wind of it:On the Construction of "the Silmarillion" by one Charles Noad.

The meeting, as it went through it's phases reminded me much of my time with Saulotus;
timeless - stretching into the the late hours with me feeling as if only an hour or so had passsed.

Humbling for me, like the meeting with Saulotus, Tar-Elenion's scholarship runs deep [see his 'Aragorn's Anscestors' and 'Kings of the Noldor and Canon' in the TftE public forum if you wish for a taste in comparison with that most famous of internet Tolkien personalities], I learned many things in a short space, and came away inspired and ready for my long trek home to the hidden fastness, called by it's shirelike officials 'County of Lake'.

Interestingly enough we each left the encounter no wiser about each other's personal life than we started, excepting of course the volumes that seeing another person can tell you about them, and for us, recalling in a way perhaps that wise DJ of old, it was not only enough, but subtly and peacefully so.

When I arrived there hours later at 2am I was still warm at heart and eager to hopefully meet some day, not only my other fellow Bay Area BD'ers btu also the other 2 of the Downs 'top 4' scholars Jallanite and Aiwendil.

Oh and in addition, I learned that the Downs had hosted one of the great luminaries of the Elvish Language [and a published author to boot!] for over a year without me even noticing! And, no I won't say who it was [at least not in open forum smilies/wink.gif]... you will have to search it out yourself!

I wish I could go into more detail re: the many byways and 'snakeshands' of our conversations [when not about the poorly designed scanner software] but my time has expired, and I must rouse the family for Liturgy.

To all at the Meeting at Sausilito:

May you have as enjoyable a meeting as I have been able to have on both occasions, and may your Eyries receive you at the end of your journey home!

[i]'The dwindling Men of the West would often sit up late into the night, and awaken early before dawn- exchanging lore and wisdom such as they possessed , so that they should not fall back into the mean and low estate of those , who never knew or more sadly still, had indeed rebelled against the Light.'

[ March 17, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]

[Raefindel]

I've been watching this thread and I'm glad you guys were finally able to meet.I've been able to meet with 3 BD'ers but only one at a time and so I'm rather envious of your long expected party. Would anyone else care to share their thoughts on your meeting?

[InklingElf]

Right away lindil! Although I didn't participate in the trip aswell...

Raefindel: Good for you! Yes, I would share my thoughts, but nay-school will start in a few minutes! And I have a field trip to attend in Pier 39.

BTW: My interview in SOTA went well . The first thing I had to do was a prompt-which was to write a reflection on a poem: [i]Intro to Poetry, and I forgot the author. I ended up writing one FULL page. When I was called up, I was shaking my bones off! But it was fine-I felt confident as I left the room. By the way: it was on the Saturday you guys were meeting in Sausalito smilies/frown.gif .

I'll see everyone later!

[Susan Delgado]

Well, ok. Belin and I met Phrim in a cafe early Saturday morning (8:00). We stared awkwardly at each other for a while, then I left for work Belin and Phrim visted local historic monuments. After I got off work, we had dinner at a burger place which is an icon here. After that we went back to the cafe we'd met at that morning and talked a little. After we left there, we went back to Phrim's hotel room and played cards until about midnight. That was Saturday.

On Sunday, we left Chico at 9:30, hoping to get to the Bay Area by the time Daisy's bus arrived at 12:35. However, the navigators directed me to windy mountain roads instead of staying on the interstate, so we actually didn't arrive until almost 2 pm. Daisy was only a little annoyed, and the drive was lovely, so I guess it was all right. We had lunch at a little Italian cafe, then wandered along the pier by the harbor for a while until Daisy had to catch a bus home. while we were there, was saw an actual floating Taj Majal.. It was someone's private residence (so said the rope stretched in front of it. Phrim took a picture of Me, Belin, and Daisy sitting in front of it. After we left Daisy at the bus stop, we drove back north and arrived in Chico about 830 that night. Such was Sunday

Monday, we left at 10 to take Phrim back to the airport, which is about and hour and a half away. we spent a couple of hours there, saw Phrim off at the gate, then Belin and I came back to Chico (arrived about 5), had lunch, and saw a movie, Chicago, which was very good.

That was it. It was a lot of fun. smilies/smile.gif

Pictures (http://www.phrim.com/calipics/)

[ March 21, 2003: Message edited by: Susan Delgado ]

[lindil]

Glad you all could do it!

Actually I was begining to wonder what had happened!

Well hopefully I and a fwe other locals will be in on the next one.


lindil

[InklingElf]

I'm glad for you all! [really] I saw the pictures too -- it looked like you really did have some fun. smilies/biggrin.gif

Despite happy news however, I can't help [because I have a cousin in the army who's in Iraq right now] but to talk about the war on Iraq... Today on AOL I was able to pay tribute and "raise a flag" for the troops. I'm planning to write a letter too. There's certainly no point in protesting now [like what happened in San Francisco last night], it's not improving anything at all!I'm sure all of you saw the news last night. I hope the army maintains safety [and also the innocent people in Iraq]. God willing, this will end sooner than expected.

[Susan Delgado]

Hopefully! Your meeting was much more Tolkien related than ours was, Lindil smilies/smile.gif

Here's the edited chat transcript of something that happened to us while we were still in Chico:

I am MartyrofHejis, Belin is Ibaimendi, and Phrim is just Phrim smilies/smile.gif

Ibaimendi: I'm always happy to share Jory, Marty smilies/smile.gif
MartyrofHejis: ooh, we saw him in the cafe on Saturday, guys
TheXPhial: cool
Ibaimendi: yeah, we did
* Phrim shudders at this story...
Ibaimendi: he wrote something in there!
MartyrofHejis: ya, he was writing
Ibaimendi: I don't know if he noticed we were looking at him
Ibaimendi: or that I was saying "hey, it's Jory John" in my pseudowhisper
Ibaimendi: hehe
* Phrim guesses he did, since random annoying dude made such a ruckus
MartyrofHejis: lol
MartyrofHejis: he has now been dubbed "Random Annoying Dude"! smilies/smile.gif
Ibaimendi: no, no, no
MartyrofHejis: not jory
Ibaimendi: we need something with a different acronym
MartyrofHejis: other guy
MartyrofHejis: ooh
MartyrofHejis: rad, no!
Ibaimendi: Jory=rad. Random Annoying Dude=not rad.
MartyrofHejis: While we were sitting, talking quietly, a guy came up to the couch and aked if he could sit down
MartyrofHejis: he seemed quite normal at first
* Phrim laughs at the term "rad"
Phrim: well
* Ibaimendi occasionally uses the term "rad"....
MartyrofHejis: he started talking
Phrim: he never seemed quite normal, to me at least
MartyrofHejis: well....
MartyrofHejis: anyway
MartyrofHejis: he started talking
MartyrofHejis: To Me
MartyrofHejis: he would not shut up
Ibaimendi: nothing he said made any sense
MartyrofHejis: he wanted very strange information
Lush: talking about what?
MartyrofHejis: he kept trying to get us to rent a hostel in San Francisco
Lush: maybe he was on drugs
MartyrofHejis: and he was very interested in Phrim's flight back home
Ibaimendi: we considered that, Lush
Ibaimendi: but we think maybe he was just insane
MartyrofHejis: yes
Lush: i try to rent out hostels to people when i'm on drugs, myself
Ibaimendi: lol
Lush: i also see Vingilot in the sky
MartyrofHejis: then, we escaped the cafe, thanks to Pheim
MartyrofHejis: Phrim
Ibaimendi: but I'm sure you're much more interesting when you do
Ibaimendi: yeah, Pheim was no help at all
Phrim: Martyr took out a deck of cards so he looked up 20 kajillion card games on his computer and suggested we play them
MartyrofHejis: yes smilies/smile.gif
Ibaimendi: and he told some joke about a street somewhere
MartyrofHejis: ya, i never uunderstood that
Lush: damn, i thought the people i met were strange
Ibaimendi: it wasn't funny, and it also made no sense
Ibaimendi: I thought it was a very funny experience
MartyrofHejis: after we escaped and went somewhere else for a couple hours, we came back and he was STILL THERE
MartyrofHejis: we decided not to go back in
Ibaimendi: quietly tapping away on his laptop
MartyrofHejis: yes
* Phrim was seriously freaked out
Ibaimendi: as we were leaving, he'd asked if he'd driven us off
Ibaimendi: I don't remember if we lied or not
* Phrim did :-)
MartyrofHejis: i said nothing, just kept moving
Lush: did he smell funny?
MartyrofHejis: he was addressing me the whole time
MartyrofHejis: not really
Ibaimendi: did he, Marty?
* Phrim did not sniff him, sorry
MartyrofHejis: yes, i was closest to him
Lush: insane people tend to smell funny
MartyrofHejis: you guys were across the table
Ibaimendi: he also wanted to know if we'd met on the internet, because people that go on the internet are _wierd_, he said
Ibaimendi: completely unlike him
MartyrofHejis: he only talked AT you, not TO you
Ibaimendi: he not being wierd at all...
MartyrofHejis: lol
Phrim: you should've taken his offer to let Jory sit with us :-)
MartyrofHejis: yes, come to think of it...
Phrim: then we could've assumed the role of weirdo freaky people :-)
MartyrofHejis: hehehe
Ibaimendi: oooh, we should have
Ibaimendi: now that would have been a much more interesting conversation
MartyrofHejis: possibly
MartyrofHejis: certainly less frightning
* Ibaimendi wasn't frightened, what was the guy going to do to us, seriously?
Lush: man
Phrim: he wasn't going to do anything
MartyrofHejis: he wouldn't shut up, and he was, just...igh
* MartyrofHejis wasn't really afraid
* Phrim thinks it'd be hilarious if Jory was eavesdropping on us and wrote an article :-)
* Ibaimendi thinks so too.....
MartyrofHejis: that'd be cool

[Raefindel]

I enjoyed seeing your pictures, Susan! It sounds like everyone had fun.

[Susan Delgado]

Oh, we did smilies/smile.gif

[GaladrieloftheOlden]

If any of you live in LA or SF and will be there in the second half of April, I will be stopping by both of those cities. Please PM me if you will be, because I have no chance of meeting a BDer where I am...the closest one is like 2 states away ): ...except the one 3 blocks away. But I was the one who showed her the BDs anyway... smilies/rolleyes.gif

[lindil]

Hi GaladrielotO,

I am in SF almost every Sat, and usually have at least an hour or so I can spend loosely aroung lunch time or more frequently after 7pm or so.

Due to the obvious concerns of the admins, we should try to drum up a third party though, assuming those time slots work for you.

Groundskeeper Willie?

[Daisy Sandybanks]

I live just a few miles north of SF, actually. I would love to meet more Barrow Downer's. Im usually never busy on Saturday's, and getting to SF is not a problem for me. So, Im up for it if this goes through. smilies/smile.gif
I also am off for one week (April 14th - 20th) due to Spring Break.

[ April 03, 2003: Message edited by: Daisy Sandybanks ]

[MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie]

Wow, I just realized that this thread existed when I was reading through the "I met a fellow BD-er". Sorry for not answering you lindil, I have recently started to visit this part of the forum. I don't think I can visit anyone outside of the city for a while due to various reasons but I'll be happy to meet anyone if they're in the city. Just PM me.

[elfearz1]

Oi! No one lives near me! I wish I lived in the bay area smilies/frown.gif I love it there.

[lindil]

Hey willie and daisy, a get together soon would be great. the next week is not good, but perhaps the following sat.

I need to get birthdays off my plate, and get clear on my sept scedule.

but perhaps the 6th of sept?

eve's are best for me.