Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

Every one of the “Roberts Six” lied to get on the court.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

The real work of an opposition party is to oppose.

Giving up is unforgivable.

You are either for trump or for democracy. Pick one.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

An almost top 10,000 blog!

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Prediction: the gop will rethink its strategy of boycotting future committees.

We will not go back.

You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Meetups / Open Thread: Well Met

Open Thread: Well Met

by | 159 Comments

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twin cities meetup aug 13
.

From commentor GBear:

Twin Cities meet-up was nice. Six Juicers + one spouse. I’m going to embarrass myself by forgetting two of the names, but the folks I can remember were imonlylurking, newdealfarmgrrrlll, and Schlemizel plus spouse (she has the pictures). One of the guys recently returned from a teaching gig in China* so many regulars probably know who that is. Apologies for forgetting names. Glenn Greenwald’s name was never once mentioned.

Imonlylurking brought helium balloons and some other fun stuff that we never quite got around to. As I was leaving, I saw her giving all of the balloons and treats to a table with a couple of little kids. They looked pretty happy about the surprise gifts. I thought that was really cool.

*I think that would be Tissue Thin Pseudonym/JMN (and I’m happy to hear you’re back home safely, sir!)

***********

So who wants to propose the next meet-up in their city? And what else is on the agenda as the weekend wraps up?

Reader Interactions

159Comments

  2. 2.

    PsiFighter37

    Just what I thought, you all look like a bunch of Kenyan socialist lovers.

    Back in NYC for the first full day, mentally steeling myself to go back to the office tomorrow instead of to the beach. I can’t bitch much because I was on vacation for 2 weeks, but man, it is difficult to come back every year. More disheartening is how out of shape I am now…chocolate-covered macadamia nuts are my weakness in Hawaii. With a half marathon in 3 weeks, I need to kick myself back into high gear.

  3. 3.

    gogol's wife

    @PsiFighter37:

    How did you miss the meetup? I thought you were a necessary fixture at these things.

    I hope you brought home some macadamia nuts. I’ve never been to Hawaii, but a friend brings them to me, and they are fantastic.

  4. 4.

    Joy in FL

    If anyone is near Tampa or St. Pete, FL, I would be delighted to see us meet someday. I’m about 20 miles northwest of Tampa.

  5. 5.

    RobertDSC-Power Mac G5 Dual

    I’ve got the G4 Dual 1.25 fully up to date with an installation of Tiger 10.4.11. Now I’m just zeroing out the three other drives in the Mac and then it gets put aside.

    It’s hot here in LA. I’m glad to stay inside, but I need to get something to eat later. Bleh.

  6. 6.

    satby

    Missed the Sunday garden chat post because I’ve been canning and making jelly and jam for the last 2 days, trying to keep up with the tomatoes and apples. And I’m losing: 28 jars later I still have about 20 lbs of ripe toatoes (and more rotting away in the garden) and untold tens of lbs of apples on the trees whose limbs are breaking under the weight. They’re cooking, not eating apples that I usually leave for the wildlife, but every deer in the state could eat for a month before making a dent in the apple supply. But thanks to Tata in an earlier thread for her recipe for oven roasted tomato-basil preserves, it’s my favorite!

  7. 7.

    Belafon

    Being a good dad and having my breakdown at home over sending my oldest son off to college. the wife dropped him off yesterday morning, and then drove all the way home (12 hours) so that we could get our younger two ready for school tomorrow. Just because I know why I feel this way isn’t stopping my crying when I pause for a minute. It’s a good thing I don’t drink because I feel like I need one.

  8. 8.

    TaMara (BHF)

    I know someone mentioned in a recipe thread a while back they were interested in a Colorado meetup. I live in a town with quite a few brew pubs. Let me know…

    Speaking of Colorado, if you live here and you know someone who needs a part-time bookkeeping gig in Boulder, I know a company looking for some help. I’m filling in, but they need more help than I have time for. Email me at whats4dinnersolutions (at) live (dot) com and I’ll get you the deets.

  9. 9.

    RonzoniRigatoni

    @Joy in FL: Yah, I figger there’s a buncha us around here. I’m just south of the bridge where they dumped all the garbage of it’s construction (Palmetto Point), but the trash makes for some great fishing. This puts us about 34 miles south of TPA, a hop-skippena-jump from Adamo Drive (Rte 60?).

  10. 10.

    IowaOldLady

    @Belafon: Chin up, Belafon. Sending them off to college is right up there with leaving them in kindergarden. Skype is a good thing.

  11. 11.

    PsiFighter37

    @gogol’s wife: I brought some for my stepfather, who scarfs down nuts as his snack of choice. Didn’t do any for myself, because I get hooked on them way too easily, and they aren’t the healthiest thing in the world.

  13. 13.

    geg6

    Plans for the evening include making dinner. Doing pork tenderloin on the grill with a peach, white wine and rosemary sauce. Sides are the last of our fresh green beans and brown and wild rice. Dessert is chocolate ice cream from Bruster’s. Trying a new wine tonight, Enrico Serrafino Roero, obviously an Italian. You can’t go wrong in the state stores here if you always pick up the Chairman’s Selections.

  14. 14.

    Mike in NC

    One of the stops on Oahu for our tour bus was a macadamia nut plantation, and you could stuff your face with unlimited samples in the gift shop. We were only in Hawaii for a week because I needed to get back to DC for a new job.

  15. 15.

    Mnemosyne

    I was quite lazy yesterday, so today is my catch-up day: doing two loads of laundry, just made (and ate) semi-fancy lunch (tomatoes stuffed with quinoa salad), putting dinner in the crockpot soon before going out to run some errands. I’ve decided to add two narrow Ikea bookcases to the living room, but I can’t decide if I should go buy those today or put it off to a weeknight when Ikea will be less insanely busy.

  19. 19.

    Belafon

    @IowaOldLady: Oh, it’s mostly selfishness on my part. Even though I had to ground him once more AFTER he graduated from high school, he had become my best friend.

  20. 20.

    Suzanne

    All y’all look like very nice people. Minnesota nice, one might say.

    Any interest in Phoenix/Tucson/Vegas meetup?

  23. 23.

    MikeJ

    @? Martin:

    How hard can he be to find in a town that size?

    He uses an iPhone and doesn’t strip the exif data from pictures he posts.

  24. 24.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    That’s a pretty thuggish looking group. I’m thinking they prolly trashed the place and then made up the sugary anecdote in a coke and xtc-fueled afterparty.

  26. 26.

    cosima

    Scotland meet up? Just joking. I’m likely the only BJ lurker here, which is fine.

    Do have an open thread question: anyone read Chris Kluwe’s book? Beautifully Unique Sparkeponies, I think that’s the name? I’m not a football fan (American football, that is), and not a pro athlete fan-girl, but I’d like to throw some love his way by buying his book — provided it’s not awful.

  28. 28.

    Yatsuno

    Still upset with wifey wussing out on going. Oh well, it’ll happen one of these days.

    @cosima: Haven’t read the book, but he is an articulate writer and quite deliciously opinionated. Might be worth an e-purchase if nothing else.

  30. 30.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @Mnemosyne: Well if you decide to go to Ikea his evening or any evening this week(except Monday or Tuesday), stop by the Mongolian grill at the mall. Good cheep food and you can make it as healthy or as unheathy as you like. And make sure you say hi to the cashier, that’d be my wifey.

  33. 33.

    kdaug

    @master c:

    DALLAS?
    I know there’s a bunch of [mostly quiet amongst our neighbors] libs here.

    Hellz no. I won’t be so rude as to suggest Austin again, but maybe meet ya halfway? Waco?

  34. 34.

    gogol's wife

    @kdaug:

    That would be so funny, to hear about a BJ meetup in Waco. I don’t know why that strikes me as hilarious.

  35. 35.

    BillinGlendaleCA

    @? Martin: I figure you could just listen as you drive around, Cole’s house would be the one you hear a guy yelling “Rosie” or screams cause he injured himself, yet again.

  36. 36.

    Boudica

    @Belafon: Dropped my youngest off at Ohio State last weekend. Didn’t cry. Bawled like a baby when I dropped off my oldest three years ago. So, it does get easier…..of course it helped that he was a total pain during drop off…Mr Independent.

  40. 40.

    ? Martin

    @MikeJ: Even easier. So, I’m sure the idea of us descending on his house unannounced terrifies Cole to his very core, so give him a deadline – there will be a meetup no later than Halloween. If he won’t come to you in ‘burg, geg6 will come to his house with as many other juicers, goodie bags in hand.

  41. 41.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @cosima: I’m always looking for an excuse to come to Scotland for yet another visit! What part of the country are you in?

  44. 44.

    Higgs Boson's Mate

    @Jane2:

    One Kitty is warming up to me and she’s allowed me to pet her a few times. Other kitty is very skittish so I’m figuring that it will take a while before we’re friends. MaryG says that I’ve made great progress with them so I’m practicing patience and incremental kitty-befriending.

  47. 47.

    cosima

    @Siubhan

    I’m about 20 miles outside of Aberdeen, between Banchory & Aboyne. We live in an idyllic little enclave that is so idyllic it’s pretty much impossible to comprehend in this day & age, at least as an American. I’m guessing from your handle that you’re in Ireland? I love an excuse to take the train down to Edinburgh to while away some time — let me know if you’re up for an across-the-pond meet-up…

    I’ll check back here tomorrow — it’s late here!

  49. 49.

    fka AWS

    Not that I’m in the immediate vicinity, but I’d drive for either a Chicago or an STL BJ meetup should anyone organize one.

  51. 51.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @cosima: Ireland? Alas, no — have never even been there, although I would dearly love to. I’m in Atlanta, Georgia. (And the handle was meant to be closer to Scots Gaelic, although I invented it when I was 10 years old, so it’s far from authentic!)

    Aberdeen is the only city of the four major Scottish metropolises that I have never visited. I’ve been to Edinburgh several times, Glasgow twice, and Dundee once. I truly do plan a trip to the UK, probably in spring 2015, and will keep you and other lurking Brits/expats posted via Anne Laurie. It would be lovely to have a Shortbread Social. (Or a Whisky Welcome.) (Or a Haggis Homecoming.)

  52. 52.

    Yatsuno

    General blog advice: if you can get to a meet-up, do eet. The several we’ve had in Seatown have been massive blasts and a half. I’ve also gotten to meet blog denziens I never would have otherwise. Just organise and go!

  53. 53.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Joy in FL:

    I may well find myself in Tampa-St. Pete in early or mid-November. Will send out the signal via Anne Laurie if I decide to go. It would be fun to meet some of the Floridians.

  55. 55.

    Yatsuno

    @SiubhanDuinne: That opportunity has Betty Cracker written all over it! I hope that happens, as I might be in surgery recovery then and will need to live vicariously through y’all for a spell.

  57. 57.

    The Dangerman

    @Yatsuno:

    Still upset with wifey wussing out on going.

    Should have been in the virtual prenup; must attend all meetups within state of Minnesota.

    ETA: And Wisconsin (given Minnesota is mostly water and wild and similar stuff).

  58. 58.

    Jane2

    @cosima: I’m seeing a spring meet-up….I’m planning to visit Belfast and the burial of the maligned Richard III if they can ever quit fighting on where to inter him. Scotland’s mere inches away (on the map)!

  59. 59.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Yatsuno: I want to meet BC in person almost more than I want to meet Cole. If you’re recovering from surgery at that point (or even if you’re not), I expect we can put together a pretty plausible narrative about a Tampa Bay meet-up.

  61. 61.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @fka AWS: I would never think of you as a stalker-creeper. As far as I’m concerned, respond to anything all you wNt — I often don’t get back to threads until they’re on life support.

  63. 63.

    Yatsuno

    @SiubhanDuinne: Might be, might not be. I’ll know more after the 4th of September. I’m barely working much the next two weeks, it’s gonna be sweet. Plus I got to dump the boss from Hades, which is a totally different story.

  64. 64.

    PsiFighter37

    There have got to be enough people in NYC to do a BJ meetup here. Anyone have thoughts about an early/mid-October meetup that lives in the Big Apple?

  66. 66.

    greenergood

    @cosima: No you’re not the only Scotland lurker!! Anytime you fancy a Scotland meetup, let me know. But I’m also looking for a NYC meetup in November when I return to the land of my birth to placate my ageing Reagan-loving Mom for a month, and desperately need to communicate with BJ-type people, as opposed to Mom-type people.

  68. 68.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @fka AWS: Saw that, and I’m glad she still Roolz. Any chance of photos one of these times? (I think you told me a while back that she either doesn’t like having her picture taken or always moves and blurs the exposure. But at some point you may catch her unawares.) And I’m not sure we’ve (I’ve) ever seen a picture of young Tulpen.

  75. 75.

    Dee Loralei

    Those always sound like so much fun. And everyone always looks so nice. I’m up for a Memphis meet-up if anyone else is.

  76. 76.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Dee Loralei: I get to Memphis now and then. Nothing specific planned at the moment, but I’ll give a shout-out next time I know about a trip.

  77. 77.

    geg6

    @? Martin:

    Hey, I should totally do that! Cole’s only about an hour away. I wouldn’t even need a mask. Just me and some of the ‘Burgh peeps (maybe Kay will be visiting her daughter who live here) showing up on Cole’s doorstep, goodie bags in hand. He’d be so terrified that he’d probably break a leg.

  78. 78.

    NotMax

    @greenergood

    A group of us was banned “fer life” from a pub in Peterhead in 1974.

    The heinous crime? Playing moonlight football (soccer) in the empty car park after closing time. (And being sports averse, I was only watching.)

    Always sort of wondered what it would be like to return today. Would be a real hoot to have the proprietor shout out “You’re still banned” all these decades later.

  79. 79.

    gogol's wife

    @eemom:

    He’s always been better than Corner Stone. Speaking of which, where is Corner Stone? (I can’t believe I said that.) I miss Cassidy too, but at least I know why he’s not here.

  80. 80.

    Belafon

    @IowaOldLady: The school had a system yesterday. At nine, you were supposed to show up for move-in. When we got there, a large number of fraternity and sorority kids were waiting (most had “Greek Squad” t-shirts on). They came out and unloaded the car and took everything to his room. Fully unloaded and in his room in under 5 minutes.

  85. 85.

    gogol's wife

    @Baud:

    I have no recollection of your having offended me. What did you say? (I’m not easily offended by virtual people.)

  86. 86.

    eemom

    @gogol’s wife:

    where is Corner Stone?

    hiding behind the door waiting for someone to (1) notice he’s gone and (2) give enough of a shit to want to “stalk” him like we did the General.

    Gonna be a long wait.

  87. 87.

    Mike E

    @Belafon: How big(minuscule) is the dorm room? My daughter’s is exactly as tiny as I imagined it, I really hope she and her roommate get along!

  88. 88.

    gogol's wife

    @Baud:

    All I remember is our agreeing about green-balloon-ing the NSA.

    Have to go now, so no answer doesn’t mean offense.

  90. 90.

    greenergood

    @NotMax: You’d probably be safe now from closing-time bans – for one thing, closing time’s a LOT later, though when it IS closing time, the landlord (aka proprietor) still has a shout. If you’ve not been to Peterhead since 1974, you’d be amazed at the difference, mebbe not so much at P’head, but Aberdeen has reaped the rewards of the North Sea oil business. Full of fancy buildings and Amurricans in Stetsons, though not so much as 15 years ago – still, property prices in A’deen are v, v, high. Cosima’s in a beautiful part of Ecosse, near Aboyne; me, I’m on the west coast, near Glasgow and just down the road from Britain’s ‘independent’ nuclear deterrent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Trident_programme
    Happy trails!

  92. 92.

    eemom

    @Redshift:

    We need to have another DC-area meetup. Who’s in?

    I’ll be in if someone else organizes. Last time I tried to organize I picked the worst possible day of every four years.

  93. 93.

    Klare

    @Belafon: After our daughter went to college I hid in the laundry room & cried like a baby. They come home though, and really, they just keep getting more & more cool from here.

  94. 94.

    Baud

    @gogol’s wife:

    It was in one of the troll threads. I meant to agree with your comment and I then realized it might have seemed like I was accusing you of concern trolling. No biggie.

  99. 99.

    Belafon

    @Mike E: It wasn’t very big, maybe 11×16, and his room lost some head space because one wall was sloped. Luckily the beds were bunked and recessed into one wall, and the closet next to the beds was pretty deep (though it has no door), allowing him and his roommate to store a lot of the moving containers. With two desks, a bookcase, two dressers and a fridge, there was a small amount of space in the middle of the main area. And their’s was one of the larger rooms.

    Luckily, my son had been able to FB with other freshmen and so he was able to find someone with a similar personality to share the room with.

  101. 101.

    raven

    @Mike E: Very low, did two batches and was careful to cook everything just right. It payed off for me to go to Atlanta, the shrimps were very good and the tiny red spuds were a big hit. I compromised with Sam’s frozen ear corn and I”ll be dammed if it wasn’t really sweet and tasty.

  102. 102.

    Mike E

    @Belafon: Whoa, his room has Miss E’s beat. She “lofted” her bed to put the dresser and various storage units underneath it. Her desk/cubbie and wardrobe take up the rest of the space at the foot of the bed. Cozy.

  103. 103.

    NotMax

    @greenergood

    Really, really liked Aberdeen. And Hogmanay in Stonehaven even more. Also spent several days off the beaten track; cannot recall the proper spelling of the place, but it was pronounced Ach-na-gott.

    Quickest take-off ever experienced was on a flight from Dyce to London. Winds were blowing off the North Sea at 100 mph. Took what seemed 3 seconds to become airborne.

    London was in the throes of periodic mandatory power outages due to a coal strike or some such. Was an odd experience there to walk into the office later on and book another flight by candlelight.

  105. 105.

    bemused

    @JoyceH:

    We have the same thing going on in our house with two kitties and our Sammy girl who just turned 5 months old. The kitties seem to have an instinct when it’s safe to hang out near puppy and when she wants to chase them. Then they head for higher ground. Puppy still doesn’t seem to be a bit scared of their hissing and batting so I don’t think the kitties have yet resorted to using their claws on her.

    Does Jazzy have biscuit color on her ears?…looks like it in the pics. Our puppy does too which is the first Sammy we’ve had with any biscuit color. This past week was a surge in losing baby teeth…four in a row.

  106. 106.

    Mike E

    @raven: You do realize how close you got to Brunswick stew, don’t you? Shoulda scooped up a squirrel/rabbit/possum on the drive back ;-)

  108. 108.

    Just Some Fuckhead, Thought Leader

    @eemom:

    It’s gotten to the point that your comments are one of about 5 things that, imo, don’t suck about this place. How effed up is that?

    It’s always been that way for me.

  109. 109.

    Belafon

    @Mike E: He said his friends had decided that his room would be the congregation room because a lot of the others are smaller.

  116. 116.

    fka AWS

    @raven:

    Nah, not even close. This was a straight up low-country boil. Spuds, corn, onions, garlic and shrimps.

    AKA, a crawfish boil without the fun.

  121. 121.

    Belafon

    @gbear: Oh, I know that. Luckily, Simpson College is a small school, less than 2000 students. They have a pretty strict no-alcohol policy, but the flip side is they frequently schedule things for the students to do.

  122. 122.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Dee Loralei: Thanks! What a nice thing to say, and you’ve always been someone I’ve wanted to meet in person. Had hoped to be able to meet you on previous trips but always ended up getting booked up with official duties on business travel. There’s much to be said for retirement!

  123. 123.

    PurpleGirl

    @PsiFighter37: It has been a while since the last meet up. I’d show for another.

    See the comment from Greenergood (?) and we should hold one in November, so she can attend. (And make it an advance on my birthday.)

  126. 126.

    gogol's wife

    @gbear:

    Yes, I like the faux-church aura they’re trying to lend to it!

    He’ll be fine. Best time of his life.

  128. 128.

    JoyceH

    @bemused:

    Does Jazzy have biscuit color on her ears?…looks like it in the pics.

    Think I’d have to give her a bath to tell for sure; she likes playing in the dirt. She’s got a biscuit bit on the top of her head and another bit on her back; dunno if that will translate from puppy coat, the breeder thought not. It doesn’t really matter to me, I picked more for personality.

  131. 131.

    bemused

    @JoyceH:

    Our puppy’s ears still have some biscuit color which is adorable. We didn’t pick for color either but did want a girl. She is a cuddler and very affectionate. She and our older Sammy just had a bath so I have to take some pics to send to the breeder before these country dogs get dirty again!

  132. 132.

    Full Metal Wingnut

    Just enjoyed four awesome months in NYC with the fiancée. Downgraded to DC for second to last grad school semester. First evening back. Oy.

  133. 133.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    @eemom: I’d be interested if it’s on the Maryland side somewhere. A DC-Baltimore meetup maybe?

  134. 134.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    @Klare:

    They come home though, and really, they just keep getting more & more cool from here.

    Definitely true with our kids.

  137. 137.

    Mnemosyne

    @BillinGlendaleCA:

    I ended up deciding to wait until later this week since I could not psychically handle Target and Ikea on the same day. If I have a chance to eat at the mongolian BBQ, I’ll say howdy to your Mrs.

    Also, too, why is the Eagle Rock Target so much better stocked than the (much bigger) Glendale Target? Better staffed, too — the people at Eagle Rock are much nicer and seem to know what they’re doing, unlike Glendale. Feh.

  138. 138.

    Randy P

    Nobody in this thread has mentioned Philly but I know I’m not the only one here. At least one other person has periodically echoed my calls for a meetup here.

  142. 142.

    catpal

    @Randy P: if there is a Philly area meetup I would definitely try to be there. I’m so tempted to drive to the Burgh too especially if Kay and JC were there.

  143. 143.

    donnah

    My oldest son, freshman year. He had the opportunity to introduce himself online to his roommate weeks before school started. There were a lot of funny coincidences between them.

    Both are named Nick. We live in Dayton, OH, the other Nick lived in Cincinnati, but on a street with the same name as our street. They both liked the same music, had the same type of computer, were both poets, and had the same taste in clothes and wore their hair long and shaggy.

    One big difference: our Nick is 6’2″ tall, and his roommate Nick is 5’5″ tall.

    They’ve kept in touch since graduation five years ago. I think they’ll be friends for life.

  144. 144.

    PsiFighter37

    @Randy P: There used to be a great blogging scene in Philly, at least when I was in college 5-7 years ago. Not sure how much of it exists anymore…

  147. 147.

    Mnemosyne

    @Southern Beale:

    The fish taco and margarita reference makes me assume it’s somewhere in my Southern California neck of the woods — that’s not the kind of thing you’re going to get on the East Coast.

  148. 148.

    MomSense

    @Southern Beale:

    It looks a bit like a spot on the bold coast here in Maine but I don’t think that is where it is. The dune vegetation isn’t right.

    @Mnemosyne:

    Hey, there are two places just in my little town where you can find great fish tacos and margaritas also, too mi casa!

  149. 149.

    Mnemosyne

    @MomSense:

    Hey, there are two places just in my little town where you can find great fish tacos and margaritas also, too mi casa!

    You just think they’re good because you haven’t had them in So Cal. ;-)

    Also, the scrub looks quite a bit like So Cal does right now — things get very brown this time of year as fire season approaches. Channel Islands, maybe?

  153. 153.

    Joy in FL

    @Mustang Bobby: that might work. I have only read this far in the comments. There’s one person earlier in the comments who is south of Tampa. I’m north of Tampa. Lakeland is about 30 minutes northeast, I think.
    So maybe Tampa would a good central location.

    I am not savvy about contacting who is interested on this kind of chat. Maybe someone does know how to do that?

  155. 155.

    cosima

    @Siubhan, greenergood & NotMax —

    Stonehaven on Hogmanay is allegedly a good time. In all of the years we’ve been here — just down the road from Stonehaven — I’ve never managed it. One of our daughters played footie for their women’s team (14+ yrs, I think), so we were there constantly, and couldn’t be dragged back for extras back then. Now she’s off at uni, so I think I could do it. On the other hand, I read in the paper the other day that Simple Minds will be performing at that, so perhaps this isn’t the year to do it… But then since that same daughter will be home for the holidays, and she’s not seen the Flaming Balls !!!! either, we will probably make the effort.

    Ach-na-got…. not sure about where that might be. There are many Ach-Na places.

    Anyway, greener, which part are you in?

    And yes, Ireland & Scotland are only separated by a wee bit on the map, and via plane it’s a quick & painless trip.

    I will put a plug in here for IcelandAir — they operate a pretty fabulous route from several major cities in the US to Glasgow, via Rejkavik (no idea how to spell that & too lazy to look it up). So much cheaper than the other carriers. Nicer & cleaner aircraft. The stopover in Rejkavik is pretty stress-free. And if you’ve not been to Iceland (as we hadn’t), then a few days’ stay there is easy & interesting & lovely. I just booked our daughter’s holiday flight home, and it was about half of the cost of British Air’s. The other carriers — any that are linked with Air France — are avoided by us whenever possible, for many reasons.

  156. 156.

    donnah

    @Belafon:

    Oh, please do share! :-) When I read that you had help moving in, I laughed because my youngest son is a senior at a local university and on Tuesday he went to volunteer to move new students in. The school gave all of the volunteers bright yellow t-shirts so they could be identified. He spent the whole day carrying stuff.

    I had to leave my two oldest sons at their university of choice and I remember how it felt. I know it’s good and I know it has to be done, but it can be rough.

  159. 159.

    phillygirl

    Philadelphia, yessss. And my favorite bar allows dawgs, tho I don’t think you can bring a cat.

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