Daytime or evening? Anywhere near BART, I'm probably in.
Do I need to promise to stay away to make it easier for VW to attend?
Evening is better for me. I can't fully commit to being there yet because my plans for that day won't be settled till the end of this week, but East Bay near BART sounds great.
How about Comal in downtown Berkeley? They have a gigantic patio out back. Another option might be The Forge in Jack London Square (although that's a little bit further from BART).
It is rather annoying that Comal describes itself as a "gathering place" rather than a restaurant or bar or whatever.
I just thought that was Bay Area decadence in action.
10: it's a good thing I didn't suggest Gather (also in downtown Berkeley), then.
" Gather is a place to experience Northern California food, West Coast wines, and innovative organic cocktails." isn't as bad, actually.
Sounds good. (Forge has good pizza but I don't know if they welcome long-term parking.)
10: it's a trap!
I can never seem to get over my association of Comal with Pedro Páramo. This is actually tempting, although I'll probably stick to my de facto no-meetups policy in the end.
(We have this longstanding joke, never fully elaborated and only alluded to, about the restrooms in the underground BART stations having been closed "until further notice," as of 9/11. Under what conditions will they be opened again to the public? The end of the War on Terror? The development of technology to neutralize any and all underground restroom terror? The Second Coming? We picture the Messiah discreetly opening the door after, at long last, successfully clearing out fifty clogged-up toilet seat covers from the can. Hallelujah! This is roughly how I feel about my social life.)
15.2: They're still scrolling that message on the platform displays as of yesterday - although maybe not frequently, as I never noticed it before.
A good date for it, as long as we wrap up before midnight.
If it's later in the afternoon or early evening, I could probably show up. Can't commit though. Comal has some tasty stuff.
Do it, Ile. You won't regret it. Or you'll regret it, but it will help you learn a valuable lesson about life.
Comal 6:30 works for me. Is there a separate bar and restaurant? Which are we going to.
There are three seating areas: front bar/restaurant, back bar/covered patio, open patio. We'll probably want to go for the open patio since it'll give us the most flexibility.
If we want we can head to this:
Sun 8/4 8:00 PM $10 - $20, sliding scale Berkeley Arts [2133 University Avenue Berkeley]
8 pm Uncle Braxton: Myles Boisen - guitar; John Shiurba - guitar
9 pm Phillip Greenlief Conducts Anthony Braxton's Composition 255, performed by OrcheSperry: Phillip Greenlief - conductor, alto saxophone; Joel Bremson - doublebass; Keith Cary - cello; Luis Albert Clifford Childers - trombone, euphonium, chromatic harmonica; Dax Compise - percussion; Tara Flandreau - violin; Michael Frost - viola; Joe Lasqo - piano; Christina Maradik-Symkowick - viola; Tim Onorato - electric bass; Tony Passarell - tenor saxophone; Amy Reed - electric guitar; special guest: Suzanne Thorpe, flute, processing
I would like to bask in everyone's wit and wisdom, which doesn't seem compatible with live music.
special guest: Suzanne Thorpe, flute, processing
"I feel like I really didn't play that well tonight. It reminds me of when I used to bring home a bad report card."
The Orchestra Play:
Asthma Inhaler, Bass Recorder, Bassoon, Bells, Birdwings Sound Effect, Body Drop Sound Effect, Bouncy Ball Pump, Castanets, Chickens Sound Effect, Child Sized Boot, Claves, Coat Hangers (2), Concert Bass Drum, Concert Tom Toms, Cornflakes (Small Packet and Large Packet), Creaky Door Sound Effect, Deck Of Cards, Double Bass, Drum Kit, Dutch Clog & Tambourine Jingles, Egg Shakers, Electronic Sampler, Fake Glasses, Film Canister, Bird Whistle, Finger Cymbals (2), Footsteps Sound Effect, Frog Clicker, Harmonica (Working), Harmonica (Broken), Horseshoe, Jews Harps (6), Kat Midi Controller (2 Octaves), Kitchen Knife with Sharpening Steel, Latchbolt Sound Effect, Mandolin, Maracas (I Pair), Melodeon (2), Nail Clippers, Nail File, Ocarina, One Note Saxophone, Orchestral Whip, Packaging Tape (1 Roll), Pan Pipes, Piano, Plastic Bags (2), Policeman's Whistle, Ratchet, Reel- To-Reel Tape Machine, Sticks And Twigs (Locally Sourced), String Can, Suspended Cymbals, Synthesizer, Tam Tam, Tasmanian Lottery Balls, Theremin, Timpani (3), Tin Whistle (5), Trumpet, Tuned Beer Bottles (11), Two Tone Whistle, Ukulele, Vibraphone Wind Machine, Wooden Cowbells.
When I saw them they also had one guy who was credited in the programme as "Miscellaneous Grunting".
http://www.spaghettiwesternorchestra.com/
I'm going to be mostly in Davis from the 9th-29th of August, moving out, and would like a Davis/Sac meetup.
(Will grunt miscellaneously if it helps.)
(Will grunt miscellaneously if it helps.)
Might be a nice touch if you cover M/tch's armadillo hymn/anthem.
Maybe this should be bumped to the top of the front page!
30: a meet-up that I can guarantee I'll attend!*
* Promise void if Josh shows up.
And Bruce Wayne never comes to parties with Batman.
The idea that Josh and VW are secretly the same person is... surprisingly plausible.
He has a nicer car. I have nicer bikes. Otherwise, sure, we're pretty much the same person.
But you have a nice new car, perfect for conveying you to Comal, I thought.
I will be there but may be a little late.
40: I do have a new car. My old family, though, is still around. Still, I'm going to try to make it.
Ah, premature live-blogging request. My bad.
Isn't all blogging technically live blogging?
I have it on very good authority that there is likely to be one former commenter in attendance!
Quick, somebody who's attending stop commenting! It will be sad to lose you, but x.trapnel will look really sharp.
I'm in Berkeley right now. I might eat something in the near future. In Berkeley. How's that for live-blogging?
VW, if you don't come, I'm voting for Adolf Hitler for President in 2016. Which you're probably in favor of, since you're an anti-semite. Which is why you won't come.
I am also in Berkeley! I have just eaten delicious deli food.
I'm in San Francisco! I'm making jam.
I'm in Berkeley reading comments by Josh and nosflow.
I'm in Los Angeles, living life, being fucking awesome.
I'm in Virginia. I just ate a sandwich and now I'm gonna go to the recycling center because the recycling people failed to pick up my recycling curbside, grumble grumble.
I'm in Texas, trying to figure out how to make chicken fried steak for Jammies's birthday dinner.
55: Think how much more awesome you'll be in the car, on your way to Berkeley?
I had to talk some drunk tourists with a weak grasp on geography out of trying to drive to Vegas on Friday night.
This jam probably won't set and it will be too sweet even if it does and it's kind of weird anyway (melon+almond) and ugh everything I do is awful.
You sound like you need a hug, Nosflow.
I had to talk some drunk tourists with a weak grasp on geography out of trying to drive to Vegas on Friday night.
Maybe they meant Reno?
I've just realized I'm going to fall just a couple thousand miles short of gold status on United this year with my current travel plans, and am trying to decide how pathological it is to try to alter my plans to correct that.
Oh no, they meant Vegas. They were German, so I doubt they've even heard of Reno. One of them even knew how far it was, but still thought it would be a good idea. Alcohol is bad for you.
Jammies is being interviewed outside our house! There's a (tiny) film crew! On his birthday.
59: That exact mood befell me last time I made jam. Virtual hugs, nosflow, chin up.
Not pathological. Pathological is when you start reading the mileage run forum on flyertalk, and buying fares like this one. Only 4.3 cents per mile!
At the recycling center, I accidentally dropped an empty bottle of wine and it shattered everywhere but no one even seemed to notice.
Argh, I will never go presidential again.
Jammies is being interviewed about our rain barrels and the impending heightened drought restrictions, for the local Austin news.
And no, I'm not buying that fare. I do have a few friends though who have taken the mileage game to the pathological level.
51: how late will you be there, Walt?
72: I have a friend who, just a week or two ago, booked a long and cheap flight to secure some sort of elevated frequent-flayer status for the year. It seemed insane to me. But then again, I HATE flying (and yet I'm flying at least twice this fall -- sigh).
65: In reality, anytime a neighbor is interviewed for the news, it means that someone nearby is a serial murderer. That river you love so much? Dumping ground. Killer probably puts his victims on tubes with a decoy coozie and beer.
I have no idea how many miles I've accrued on Alaska so far. I should check. It's probably a lot.
Happy birthday Jammies!
Baseball fans: Did you see this trippy animated short about Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter while (he claims) high on LSD? Good soundtrack.
67: damn, Flyertalk is a strange, strange, Ballardian world.
Not so long ago, I and other employees of the startup were told that we had to join Emirates Skywards. no ifs or buts, just marching order, meet the bus. I think the idea is to pool miles for people who go to the Middle East more often.
When we were in Berlin on our honeymoon we ran into a friend of mine who had popped over from NYC for the weekend on a mileage run.
So weird! And, yes, Ballardian! Although I've only read one book and some stories of his.
I'm in a car. On a boat. Not getting miles, but the 3G is impressive.
I'm in Oakland. Nearly made it to Berkeley, then turned around. But I'll be in Berkeley by 6:45 or so. I think a couple of non-blog friends are joining us; one shares an alma mater with neb.
Wow. I had no idea that there were people racking up as many flights as possible for the sole purpose of making other, later flights more luxurious. Something something perverse incentives.
I always go for the same damn analogy, but people sure are the T. Rexes from Jurassic Park who will test every inch of the fence until they find the weak spot.
I actually don't recall you ever using that analogy before.
If you fly that much it helps to have tiny arms.
But god help the poor T rex that needs to retrieve something from the overhead compartment during the flight.
Anyhow, I think the summary is that you should definitely do a mileage run to keep your status, essear. And liveblog it.
T-rex flies by other means.
I'm still in Oakland. About to leave this Peet's and go look at one more place, then to the meetup. I have a sweet rental car. THIS IS AS LIVE AS IT GETS.
Ghostride Bave's rental whip! Meetup freeway shutdown!
I was in regular Oakland, but I went home.
I went on a hunt for when I might have used that analogy before, and reread an amazing thread where Brock is like "quit making fun of my eating habits. The egg isn't even that bad compared to the time I ate a hamburger from the bottom of a fish tank, or ate a pillow because I was tripping balls." I'm paraphrasing, but not much.
On the bus. Isn't liveblogging great?
Jealous, but I think my niece flying in from Wisconsin takes precedence. Have fun!
I'm here, at the bar in the back. Turns out they don't serve food on the patio, but we'll figure something out.
73: I have a car, so I can be there arbitrarily late.
Well, I was in Fairfield, but I just decided to turn around.
I will be in the trans-bay tube soon.
94: Right in case people want a retro-laugh starts here at comment 135.
27 comments later: Yes, with the bun [re:fishtank burger]. I'm not sure what else goes into "and everything". I can't say I recall for sure, but I don't think there was any ketchup or mustard, for example. Just your typical burger/pickles/bun. Maybe cheese, who knows.
This is the opposite of the direction I intended 135 to lead.
101 was to 99 and only accidentally popped up after 100. That said, unless I can get my younger boy in bed pretty soon, I'm probably home for the night. I'm sorry to be so old.
Turn around and head back to Berkeley, I assume you mean.
99: like not eating food.
I'm underwater!
106: Actually, if vw doesn't show up, we have a better chance of fitting at the table my name's down for!
97: we'll start heading to the bar now.
I have now migrated the six feet to the first table on the patio. In case the confused-looking dude who just wandered through is one of us.
I'll be there in 10. Remember Lord Castock's prediction that I look like Lee Majors from the Viking.
On my way; be there in around 1/2 hr.
I just washed the dishes and took out the trash.
Better than washing the trash and taking out the dishes.
I just ate a little more ice cream cake, since the kids are in bed.
I got rid of a bunch of stuff from the garage today. Very little feels as good as that.
We went to our first gay wedding today. It was likes regular wedding, but with two dudes! Now Zardoz will grow up thinking weddings with women in them are kinda weird.
The fishtank burger thread really was fantastic. Apparently I was in a hotel at a time? Funny how I was in hotels for most of the memorable threads.
Zardoz will remember going to a wedding at this tender age because Sifu is doing experiments to alter the baby's brain.
Wait seriously with all the almost competitive gay-friend-having-ness between you guys, this is the first wedding?
I'm going to be a bit late for the meet-up as I am coming down from a 3-martini drunk and also am 3,000 miles away.
Lee Majors was the one famous alumnzir from the university whereof I went to the extremely half-assed lab school.
one shares an alma mater with neb.
Does that mean also with me and trapnel? Or is it that other place neb went later?
I just went to Costco and bought some stuff.
Now I'm thawing some of the salmon my cow-orker gave me last week. Anyone have suggestions for good salmon recipes?
130, marinate in soy, ginger, green onion and brown sugar (proportions to taste) 15 min then broil (or cook on grill). Simpler is lemon, parsley and dill on top while cooking.
Since the meetup is in California, I declare on-topic the fact that a dinner conversation this evening led to a discussion of Lance Loud from the 1973 PBS "reality" show, An American Family. I don't think he came up at all in the recent "gay on TV" thread, but it was certainly a thing at the time.
Or rather: there is not enough liveblogging happening. I'm watching the movie Shanghai Calling because it was, apparently, directed by the husband of someone I knew in high school. It's... okay, I guess? And I'm drinking a mix of amaretto and rye because these are the only kinds of alcohol in my apartment.
And despite it being a weekend I'm feeling guilty for not working today because my girlfriend has been hard at work all day.
Relax, as a couple you're way above quota.
This is like the least liveblogging any meetup ever has had, isn't it?
Now Bave, DaveW, Walt, rfts, nosflow, and I have adjourned indoors for food.
Sorry, didn't have smartphone with me.
I ended up just baking the salmon, like I usually do. Anyway, it was good.
Brown sugar is one of those things that always sounds good but is never in my kitchen. I'm tempted to acquire some and try ydnew's suggestion.
Brown sugar always turns into a rock in my kitchen.
I do have some brown sugar. (I don't have most of the other ingredients involved in ydnew's recipes, which is why I didn't try them this time.) I should try cooking salmon with it some time.
There will be bart service tomorrow.
123.1: I know! Weird, right? But I think the case.
Hello! That was a very fine meetup. Jane was there for the early part, mainly running around and around in circles chasing another little girl around the fire pit, and also gathering whatever you call those bits that palm trees shed as gifts for me. Then she left with Snark.
That was, you'll be unsurprised to learn, me.
146, have you considered leaving some coal out in said kitchen? You might get diamonds.
foxtail/snarkout/Bave: Who was that guy who wrote those stories that sounded kind of interesting?
The Ugly Chickens, or am I thinking of the wrong guy?
So it was great meeting you guys. Why didn't anyone mention sometime in the last 10 years that you are all lizards that hunger for human blood?
I don't speak your lizard code, essear. I only use the languages of this planet.
160: How many have they killed already?
Would a (hypothetical, definitely not me) write-in third-party candidate be more successful if they were anti-lizard-people or pro-lizard-people?
Wait seriously with all the almost competitive gay-friend-having-ness between you guys, this is the first wedding?
I have several gay friends who got married in Germany, but I wasnt there for any of them.
120, etc.: We went to five same-sex weddings in the few months between the original court decision and the vote on Prop 8. Lots of people were getting married before election day, given the uncertainty about what would happen. Also, the very first wedding our son went to (around age 8 or so) was a non-state-recognized same-sex wedding for friends of ours years before the California court ruling. He seems to have adjusted just fine to the idea that there are all kinds of different couples, and that's just the way things are.
Although at one point when our son was growing up, it so happened that all of the various churches he attended - my church, my wife's church (we were alternating between the two at the time), my parent's church and her parent's church - all had women pastors at the same time. We had to have a little talk with our son to explain "Yes, honey, men can be pastors, too."
I've mostly aged out of the goes-to-weddings, gay-straight-or-otherwise bracket. I am, though, becoming a discerning observer of divorces.
For whatever reason my gay California friends have not gotten married, by and large.
