Hey, one more chance to poach on a meet-up thread. I think nosflow is still in Idahow, but anyway, I could make it to a Bay Area meet-up on the July 31/Aug 1 weekend. Should one occur.
Shouldn't this post have been titled "Bear Minimum"?
3: I did consider it, but there's no minimum amount of hanging out with AWB that suffices, and I didn't want to give that misleading impression. I'm glad you noticed the two-bears thing, though.
I think it was suggested that we should meet up the night I get in, the 27th? I'm staying near the British Library, if that matters.
But only if that matters. AWB will stay fucking anywhere she damn well pleases. She's staying right now. Boom!
I stayed near the British Library when I was in London for vacation about five years ago. (Practically across the street, IIRC.) I remember trying to come up with an excuse to use the reading room, but I didn't have the commitment to come up with some good story about how I was there for research.
I could be there for research. It is relevant to my interests. It's just that so much is on the internet these days... The woman I'm staying with is legitimately looking at things that are nowhere else, so I feel I'll be welcome with her.
AWB, if you would rather do Thursday, do say. I am more than happy to have a quiet, childless night in (me in the pantomime horse costume*, C being Woody) on Tuesday, and C would be highly relieved, lol!
* - my kids really do have a pantomime horse costume, it's not something I made up for imaginary sexual purposes.
A White Bear visits London
Paddington, presumably.
Tuesday is probably marginally better for me than Thursday, but I can probably manage either.
If anyone wanted to do a Boston meet-up that's not in a bar, that would be ok with me.
Tuesday is fine! I just misread it in the other thread.
14: We haven't had a Boston meetup in a while, I think not since the Brock going-away meetup in January.
But where would we go, if not a bar? A pub? A tavern? A beer garden? The underside of a freeway overpass with cheap sherry in paper bags?
But where would we go, if not a bar?
Well, I was going to suggest that if AWB is staying near the British Library, the Londoners take her to dinner in Drummond Street - good, cheap South Indian veggie food. Isn't there an equivalent option in Boston?
But where would we go, if not a bar? A pub? A tavern? A beer garden? The underside of a freeway overpass with cheap sherry in paper bags?
My place--
BZZZZT
My parent's basement--
BZZZZT
This basement I found--
BZZZZT
The area under my friend's van.
A dinner meetup would be fine! I have no idea what's in the vicinity there. I'll probably also be bringing the woman I'm staying with.
Don't pay any attention to me, AWB. I can't get there anyway.
good, cheap South Indian veggie food sounds very nice ...
There's a decent cheap Italian restaurant not too far away on Lamb's Conduit Street.
I could make it to a Bay Area meet-up on the July 31/Aug 1 weekend
Incidentally, I'm going to be in the Bay Area over the Labor Day weekend, but I don't know whether I will be available for a meet-up.
There's a GREAT Sichuan place called Chillicool in Leigh Street, tho that's maybe a bit risk-takey if people are leery of hot spicy food involving offal and such.
If I can make it back from Oxford in time for food, _all_ of the above sound good. Sichuan, veggie Indian, Italian, whatever.
I'm not a fan of offal, but I do love Sichuan hot pot. As for dates, Thursday's out for me.
_all_ of the above sound good. Sichuan, veggie Indian, Italian, whatever
Perhaps you could meet up in a mall food court. It would make my day to know that happened. (Wait, does the UK have mall food courts?)
I could make it to a Bay Area meet-up on the July 31/Aug 1 weekend.
Sunday August 1st is the night of motorhome derby at the State Fair, so that is where I will be. Honestly, I can't understand why anyone would be anywhere else, so it is really just a question of deciding which section of the stands to meet in.
28: What would you expect, bare minimum, at a food court in a shopping-mall environment?
30: One functioning food establishment.
Wait, does the UK have mall food courts?
Certainly, but nobody has ever been known to enter one and come out alive.
My dad's idea of being an adventurous eater is going to the "Max Orient" at his local mall food court.
30: Sbarro or Sbarro-knock-off; Chinese steam-table place; that pretzel place with the lemonade; that cookie place; at least one of the big fast-food franchises (BK, McD's, Taco Bell; I'm not sure I've ever seen a Wendy's in a food court, now that I think about it); Dippin' Dots and/or other ice-cream-from-future product
The shopping centre attached to Victoria Station has a classic 'mall food court' in it. The food is mostly truly rubbish, as I have discovered on boozy trips to London via the Oxford Tube.
Also, the Chinese steam-table place is required to yell at everyone passing within a thirty-foot radius to offer free samples.
Yes, please let's not to to Victoria Station to eat.
35: Wow! That reminds me of food courts back in the 90s and 00s.
Oh, I forgot a nicer-but-still-sucky sit-down place, like Ruby Tuesday or something.
35, 41: Also some sort of wild card. Perhaps an Orange Julius.
42: There's still an Orange Julius in the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, NJ.
There is (was) a food court in The Glades shopping centre in Bromley. We probably shouldn't bother going there though.
I love the idea of Sichuan hot pot, but am, alas, vegetarian and would spoil the game. No need to go all-veg, though South Indian is one of my favorite things.
44. What! Is there no food court at the Butts Centre (I beg its pardon, I can't remember what they call it these days)?
42: Chick-fil-A? not sure if they are only regional.
I will be in the Glades this Friday! The food court is super-tiny though. I have often eaten in Bromley but never there. We should not go there.
When they built The Glades, that food court was ridiculously exciting.
Chris, *I* still call it the Butts Centre, and it's been Broad Street Mall since before I moved here. No - they ripped out the food court a few years ago to make room for more shops. And the Oracle doesn't have one.
I think I may have made the comment before, but I think a meet-up at the Vince Lombardi service area on the new Jersey Turnpike would be the perfect Antifogged meetup. No pedestrians, bicyclists, gourmets or subway riders need apply.
And for those who do come the, the Travel Mart is off limits!
This particular rest stop has a Burger King, Popeye's, TCBY, and Cinnabon, not to mention a Travel Mart, both inside and outside the actual building. If you're into healthier food options, check inside the Travel Mart as they have grapes, cheese, carrots, yogurt, apples, and oranges for some nicely jacked up prices.
50: It's also the place I saw several inches of a woman's boobs sticking out below her tshirt hem and waistline.
51: She was on the way home from her job at the bank?
51. Below her waistline? I hope she never had to run for the bus.
51 sounds like the antithesis of a "Titties! Hooray!" moment.
Would lurkers be welcome at the London meetup?
"The lurkers support me from that table in the corner!"
Would lurkers be welcome at the London meetup?
They are welcome to attend of course, but may not speak.
They may pass supportive notes to commenters and take pictures, of course.
But no, King-Walters, "lurkers always welcome" is the seldom-observed mantra of the unfogged meetup.
seldom-observed
Whoa, there. It's completely possible there have been lurkers at every meet-up. You know, lurking.
I was a lurker when I attended my first meetup, and now look at me!
You'll have to decide whether my experience should be regarded as inspirational or cautionary.
Oh, right. Blandings. King-Walters: don't forget the tradition of dumping your beverage on a regular.
Blandings, I think I debuted the same night as a semi-lurker and now I can't shut up.
There isn't really a Boston meetup this weekend right? I'm up there but only for like a minute.
One man's lurking is another man's protecting the sanctity of off blog communication.
Whoa, there. It's completely possible there have been lurkers at every meet-up. You know, lurking.
Rather crossing the line from lurker to stalker.
Will certainly try to make it along to the London thing once a time/place is agreed. The veggie South Indian place near the BL is good if it's the one I think it is. (It's also about the only place in the area where you can take someone who keeps extremely strict kosher.)
I'm all for south indian. My office is a short stagger from the BL; there are not that many vegetarian options in the region, though there a pretty nice tapas place where you could doubtless veg a bit here. But will happily go to Drummond St. That will be cheaper and quieter.
Quieter is good. So who is it who knows the name and address of the drummond st place?
I should sell cars! I made a passing suggestion (in a subordinate clause) about how some people two hundred miles away who I've never met should pass their time, and they're all falling into line.
Awesome.
There are three or four South Indian gaffs on Drummond St. It used to be the best ones were Ravi Shankars and Diwani (unlicensed, bring your own from nearby offie). But I think a couple of others have opened since I was last there, so I can't say about those. If you go, go earlyish, they get crowded.
I think I should reply here about our Dublin mini-meetup (so far just me and AWB - any Irish lurkers, this would be an ideal time to reveal yourselves).
AWB, I see you're in Dublin 30th- 4th. I don't know yet whether I am around Sat/Sun of that weekend. I'll know after this weekend so maybe we should firm up plans then? I could definitely do the Friday anyway but that's the night you arrive so it might not suit. Otherwise there's Monday night (but I will have to be sensible, can't arrive in to work too shattered next day) or Tuesday night (won't look so suspicious if I'm tired but might not suit you on your last night).
You can email me at the above address which I will start checking regularly (I don't always).
Diwani (from the reviews I read) didn't look like the kind of place to linger over a talkative meal. Chutneys has a website and one can make reservations. Ravi Shankar looks good too.
I don't see how anyone could consider anything other than the Joyce Kilmer Service Area on the New Jersey Turnpike. I have never seen a poem as lovely as that service area.
Quoth Wikipedia: "Perhaps surprisingly, the Looking for America book describes the Edison, Lombardi, and Kilmer rest stops as possible hot spots for heterosexual, homosexual, and prostitution activities respectively."
Sounds like family fun.
But that pretty much describes all of America. We're pretty frisky here.
Prostitution is neither heterosexual nor homosexual?
I consulted my Eating-Out-in-London equivalent of Journ O'List and they said:
Overall: Veggie-ness is the Drummond Street "thing", as is keeping costs down by any means necessary. (I have eaten round here several times, and never had a terrible meal, but can't really remember where was good and where not.)
Ravi Shankar:
Student-level cheap, BYOB, amusingly hapless staff (sez my friend that you can't take anywhere)
Diwanai: mid-ground cost, HUGE DOSAS, linger-time quite poor
Chutneys: slightly pricier, also does HUGE DOSAS, not BYOB (my friend you can't take anywhere can't go back because he walked into a glass door here)
Y'all should decide, as I know absolutely nothing about London restaurants. I figure we'll probably wander from food to a bar, no? How many of us are there?
Emir, sounds great! I can't meet up the 30th, as I'm going there to see a friend on his birthday, but let's find a time! I have no idea what to do in Dublin for five days, so any advice would be lovely.
If you want a food with a bar in the same place there's this gastropub which is agreeable and close. Might well need booking, though. Also caters for carnivores.
And so does this place. It has a flash site, with music, and in meat/veggie space is in a horrible grey and shitty street in east london. You must book and bring your own booze. But it is the best Indian food I know outside the Red Fort, and about a tenth of the price.
Tayyabs is indeed tremendous and absurdly cheap, but quite a trek east including an unfun fiddly walk -- also not at all sure there are nice pubs or bars nearby afterwards.
What's a fiddly walk? It sounds downright mirthful.
That's a Lambeth Walk. A fiddly walk is one that I can never exactly remember without looking it on on the AZ.
I'm liking the gastropub idea, because it allows people to be a bit more flexible w.r.t. when they turn up, whether they eat, how long they stay etc.
The post title keeps keeps evoking A.A. Milne memories from when I was very young (I really liked the Shepard drawings for the bears one).
Whenever I walk in a London street,
I'm ever so careful to watch my feet;
And I keep in the squares,
And the masses of bears,
Who wait in the corner all ready to eat
The sillies who tread on the lines of the street,
Go back to their lairs,
And I say to them, "Bears,
Just look how I'm walking in all of the squares!"
The common Cormorant, or Shag,
Lays eggs inside a paper bag.
The reason, you will see, no doubt,
It is to keep the lightning out.
But what these unobservant birds
Have never noticed is that herds
Of wandering bears will come with buns
And steal the bags to hold the crumbs.
OK. I am in the Fellow now (free wifi) and they say there is no real need to book for half a dozen people on a tuesday night. On the other hand, it is reasonably noisy. But there is a real alternative to the indian veggie joints on drummond street.
And the people at the next table have just been served some nice looking food. This gets my vote. Outvote me at your leisure
And AWB must approve the veggie bits of the menu of course
I'd rather have a curry, but then, I'd almost always rather have a curry.
I'm easy. Also I don't mind where we eat.
85: Even for breakfast, I've heard.
I've had cold leftover curry for breakfast; mmmmm.
What's the story, my people? Let me know when/where I should be.
Honestly, I am willing to be told where to go. Indian would make me happy. The Fellow looks nice too.
I don't know that part of London at all, so I am sorting of hoping someone else will decide!
I have decided. You're all going to the Fellow, per Nworb's hard-hitting investigative work at 84. You're welcome.
(Uh, 6-ish?)
Sometimes it takes an intervention. (You ever have one of those days where you spend hours wandering a city with indecisive people, stopping in front of every decent place to eat and getting apathetic responses, and eventually stumble into the shittiest restaurant around out of sheer exhaustion?)
(Never mind, AWB, next time you're over we'll take you to Ravi Shankar.)
Stan is the man with the plan. Does it please you? 6pm? The Fellow?
Sounds OK to me, I'll probably be a bit late, as I'm travelling back from work in Oxford, but other than that, sounds good.
It's about a 12-minute walk from where I'll be staying, so it's super-convenient for me!
As long as you all are taking orders, you are commanded to proceed to Highbury and enact this.
97 - I had one of those days in Pisa, with my inlaws, C's 90+ year old grandfather and 3 small children. My inlaws (who have been to Pisa many times) wouldn't go in any of the restaurants with a view of the tower because they were "too touristy", so we went further and further down windy back streetswith them turning their noses up and ended up in a shitty, dirty, greasy little pizzeria. The inlaws wittered on about how "authentic" it was, whilst C and I quietly discussed whether our pizzas had been microwaved.
Hmmm - okay, the Fellow. I have yet to determine what time C will be heading home on Tuesday, or whether he will want to come home and change or whether I can meet him on the train, or what, but will be there as soon as is humanly possible.
If it's more convenient, we could say 630 or 7. I am accustomed to drinking alone, but I hate to reserve a big table. I may have my hosting friend with me.
It's pretty much 15 mins from my work. I can be there for any time (to help with the decisiveness of others).
Re Dublin: I'll send you an email soon with a couple of suggestions for places to see. Should know in a day or two what days I am around that weekend.
16-18: KR and Fleur were threatening to have us over for karaoke, but then you two (Blume and Sifu) were away, and they didn't want to do anything without you.
Right, Tuesday it is. Is there a sekrit identification ritual?
Conveniently, I look like me. Usually the SOP is to ask everyone in the bar if they'd like to sex Mutombo, but I bet you can identify us.
And let's say 7pm, just to make it easier for everyone. (I may be napping.) Can someone make a little front-page post about it?
re: 108
Last couple of times I think we've just sort of managed to recognize each other. I can give you my mobile no, if you like [although I'll probably arriving later than some others, depending on traffic getting back from Oxford].
Right 7pm at the Fellow, though I will probably be there earlier, since work is five minutes away.
The foodie tables are to the left as you enter
I can always tell people off of the internet. They sparkle in the sunlight.
re: 114
I thought it was your preternatural senses, particularly your eye for body movement and a person's carriage, acquired through all those years of Sicilian knife-fighting?
"His shoulder droops slightly on the right hand side, and there's a fine callous on the tip of the forefinger; looks like habitual mouse-user, and his sotto costola strike will be slow and telegraphed ..."
My patented 'wandering around the bar looking puzzled' trick allowed tierce to identify me without difficulty last time.
116: Noone wanted to say anything, but actually, it was your breath.
And you are known by how you run syllables together.
Yes, M/tch is famous the world over for his vowel movements.
His vowel movements in bars, especially.
Does a wild M/tch have vowel movements in bars?
119, 120: Au contraire. I'm best known for my resistance to diaresis.
123: Sure, you resist until you get kidney problems.
Sadly - because I very much enjoyed the last one - I can't make tonight's meetup. LB, it's true we didn't have any difficulty spotting you but I seem to recall you also told everyone that you'd be wearing a slim cut mini and a fascinator, and that you'd be doing chin ups on the hatstand ...
Have one for me, those who are going.
Leaving now, so will see those who are coming in about 45 minutes.
125: And that was all perfectly accurate, right?
Just getting dressed after a badly-needed nap. Am wearing a green T-shirt, a cream sweater, and the wrinkled face of someone who just took a badly-needed nap.
I am blond, and will be with two brown-haired sisters.
You know what's hot? Hitler in a Bavarian sauna.
I have the owner of the 'hatstand' as my witness ...
Sorry, not going to make it - C only arrived home about 7, tired and miserable. Don't want to drag him out, don't want to leave him. Kisses to AWB.
135: if you drugged him and brought him over in a wheelbarrow he'd never know the difference!
we made it. There is even a lurker whose name I have not caught, but was apparently drawn by Tove Jansson
Tove Jansson is at the meet-up? If you had announced that beforehand, I bet C and asilon would have been drawn to it too.
Presumably the lurker is King-Walters from up thread ?
139: If they'd announced it beforehand, I'd have been drawn to it! Moomins all the way down, I always say!
Where's the drunken liveblogging, you bastards?
Hey, yeah! You'd better have a good excuse.
Do they have dead animal ale? I'll be disappointed if they don't.
Good excuses:
1) knife fight
2) group make out session
3) ?????
Just got in, very nice evening. Good food, good not-too-awkward chat. Very little beer drunk, so no danger of hangover tomorrow. Tierce didn't stab anyone.
I stabbed hundreds of people, but all out of ttaM's eyeline.
I still have all my glasses. It was a nice evening.
I enjoyed it! Now I have this fantasy that I should be able to show up in any city in the world and interesting people should take me to dinner and make me laugh.
Top prize goes to the waiter at Addis, who has perfected (a) not letting anyone catch his eye ever and (b) the enactment of his utter disdain for this so-called fine-dining malarkey! But the food was very nice, even my "well-chopped" and somewhat catfood-esque lamb's stomach.
Yeah, his casual toss of random cutlery and then stalking off with nary a word was a highlight.
Sorry to flake out, everyone (esp. AWB of course), but work and flat-moving commitments prevailed.
Also apologies: had to stay late and deal with gold.
That's what's hard about being a dwarf, I suppose.
Sorry, 156 should of course have read "Nibelung, please".
Sorry it didn't work out to meet you, GY and ajay! Moving flats of flaky gold always spoils things.
I love all the signs around here that just say "LADIES," apparently indicating underground restrooms that are no longer available for use... laydeez.
Sigemunde gesprong /
æfter déaðdæge dóm unlýtel /
syþðan wíges heard ajay ácwealde /
hordes hyrde.
Now I have this fantasy that I should be able to show up in any city in the world and interesting people should take me to dinner and make me laugh.
I may (or may not) be relocating to a place where I literally know no one, based on some interviews I have upcoming. The most likely candidate is about an hour north of San Fransisco, so I may be begging Bay Area mineshaftians for social contact outside of work, especially if I wind up moving ahead of Mrs. Chopper and the Chopperettes.
GY, did you know that stuff or did you have to look it up?
Good luck with the interviews, Chopper.
The most likely candidate is about an hour north of San Fransisco,
On the one hand, moving halfway across the country to a place where you don't know anybody is always stressful. On the other hand, that'd be an awesome place to end up.
Good luck, Chopper! (My oldest brother lived in Healdsburg and Santa Rosa for years, and it is really nice up there -- although that is more than an hour north, I guess.)
There was a time when I could have read 159. Quite frustrating that now I can't properly.
Oh, I can read it, so can you. I just haven't a clue what it means.
Thanks, guys. I'm hugely stressed out about it. I've only lived in two places, the first for 18 years, the second going on 19 years. Plus uprooting the family (my wife's sister and family moved here to be close to us! Her mother bought a condo to use when visiting in the summer and holidays!) and dropping them in a new place with zero social network while I'm off at my (immensely exciting! exactly what I want to do! if I get it!) job working insane hours for the next 6-9 months before the pace slows...oy.
But on the other hand, it'll be two years since I've had regular employment, and I'm getting ZERO traction locally, so what's a fella to do?
i.But on the other hand, it'll be two years since I've had regular employment, and I'm getting ZERO traction locally, so what's a fella to do?
Go for it! Good luck, Chopper!
(Sorry to drop in after not commenting much in oh the last two years or so, but I can't stress about this anywhere else where IRL folks are likely to see it, lest things explode on me unnecessarily before a decision is made.)
159: Ginger Yellow wæg,
fremu folces cwen, firen' ondrysne;
nænig þæt dorste deor geneþan
swæsra gesiða, nefne sinfrea,
þæt hire an dæges eagum starede;
ac him wælbende weotode tealde
handgewriþene; hraþe seoþðan wæs
æfter mundgripe mece geþinged,
þæt hit sceadenmæl scyran moste,
cwealmbealu cyðan!
170: Indeed. If Magic Johnson or Front-page poster Bob showed up, we'd be killing the fatted calf. (insofar as that can be done in blog comments.)
I'm still waiting for my CARGO, Ogged.
God, Magic Johnson--I think I barely overlapped him in my lurking days, before I started commenting. You've got a memory like a horse, LB. Of course, I still remember Walter Sobchak, so I guess I'm guilty too.
You've got a memory like a horse, LB.
Obsessed with carrots and lumps of sugar?
I don't know why Horse came out of my brain there. The phrase is "memory like an elephant," right? My brain isn't working as well as it once did.
I remind people of a horse fairly often -- that could have been it. And I can sympathize with the brain thing -- I've been feeling stupid for the last year or so. I just don't seem to be thinking about anything unless I actively have to.
