There will, apparently, be an "Unfogged" sign
That's so cheating.
I believe the preferred term is "decadent".
Some people might take that as a compliment.
JM -- there was a sign at the first meetup, remember? Emerson made it.
"BrocksLandering" - Aw, what a sad way to be verbed.
Clown, at the first two or three meetups, I accidentally joined other parties for a little while before I worked out that those people were not you people. And this is how it should be.
When I was in NYC, I was the first one there, and was standing outside smoking a cigarette. I saw Becks walking in, and we just looked at eachother for a few seconds and were like "who are you?" It was very effective.
At the last meetup but one, I was loitering outside the bar we were meeting at, and a slight young man was also loitering there. I sorta looked at him, he sorta looked at me, he wandered away down the block and came back a bit later, and I, having decided he was not of Unfogged, gave him a bit of the evil eye. Turned out to be Teo. Sorry, Teo!
I made it, and Mr. B improved it. I am not a graphic artist.
"BrocksLandering" - Aw, what a sad way to be verbed.
Especially since it should be "BrockLandersing".
I once was meeting a number of people who comment here, expecting the group to be composed of two people I had previously met and the rest of whom I had not. Not seeing the people I would recognize, I decided that the group standing at the bar wasn't just made up of the ones I would not, and began pacing in and out of the restaurant increasingly anxiously, until one of them kindly stopped me by asking me some sort of clarifying question, I no longer recall precisely what.
I'm so annoyed not to be able to make this one. I want stuff to hold over people's heads, damn it! Well, perhaps people can congregate the night before our biggish deal in Philadelphia? I mean, think about the guest list—oh yes, there will be a guest list, and everyone but w-lfs-n will be on it.
He'll have to talk his way in.
And what night will that be, Scott? Your linked post seems to assume that your readership already knows when the MLA is (probably a warranted assumption).
Aw, what a sad way to be verbed.
He's kind of a tragic figure here, isn't he?
9: I totally remember that. It was very awkward.
Sorry. When I wrote that, they hadn't assigned us a date yet. The party will be—he says, conjuring it into existence—on Friday, December 29th. That's the night before the panel, which is at 8:30 a.m. the following Saturday morning. (They love us, they really love us!)
No, but really, I haven't even run the party idea by Dr. B. yet. So far it's a Scott and Holbo and Berube thing, hosted at a someone who lives in Philly's house—but it will happen, even if we have to rent a place.
Sounds like fun. I won't be able to attend, though.
I don't suspect most of the people on the East Coast I'd like to meet will. I mean, the MLA chose the best time to hold its conference. Who has commitments in late-December?
16.--Well, you were behaving strangely, Teo, and you didn't ask me whether I were from Unfogged after we met eyes awkwardly a couple of times.
(Sorry again about the evillish eye; 'twasn't personal!)
Have I ever mentioned that I'm painfully shy?
I'm not going within a hundred-mile radius of the MLA, as much as I might like to meet you all.
21.---Yes, and had I known that person was you, I would have been extra-welcoming. Sidewalks might not be either of our best milieux.
Jackmormon is not painfully shy.
So maybe she should have asked me if I was from Unfogged.
25: I seem to recall that at least part of this happened inside the bar, actually.
But you seemed to be skulking! And we first intercepted each other about a half-block before the bar, almost a half-hour early!
And we first intercepted each other about a half-block before the bar, almost a half-hour early!
I don't remember that part.
But but but, everyone who's everyone (sans Teo) will be there! And who knows, it may not even be held anywhere near the MLA. (And what's wrong with the MLA? Last year I went to parties, bummed drinks, and had a wonderful time. What do you have against wonderful times, eh?)
Okay, painfully shy people have to wear "Hello! My Name is ___from__Unfogged__" tags.
Scott, I'm in hiding from everyone who's everyone at the MLA.
31: That would solve so many problems. You have no idea.
You were for m-fun, weren't you, Teo?
32: And who would that be? And why?
I didn't weigh in at the time, but no.
35.--It would constitute a violation of my vow of secrecy even to name their names, and the reasons are fairly standard, I'm afraid.
Teo, I don't mean to be making light of your shyness, by the way; I hope nothing I said here really pained you. In some ways, this conversation illuminates for me how difficult some matters become for people who are shy; since you were too uncomfortable to make some sign to me, I misinterpreted your behavior as somehow furtive, and that misinterpretation brought up all of my "do not talk to strangers" defenses. I can totally see how that sort of response would make you even more shy in the future, and, frankly, that sucks, and I'm sorry to have contributed to it even briefly.
Okay, Teo gets to carry a sign. Everyone else has to use the codewords.
I hope nothing I said here really pained you.
Don't worry, I'm fine. And you pretty much nailed the problems with shyness. It basically just sucks.
Teo speaks the truth.
I'd totally go to the MLA party. Would work out pretty well, I could splt my (probable) trip up to New York for New Years into two legs.
I misinterpreted your behavior as somehow furtive, and that misinterpretation brought up all of my "do not talk to strangers" defenses.
With all the discussions of what's funny around here, would this story be even funnier if Jackmormon had misinterpreted Teo to the point of pepper spraying him? I vote yes.
Not being nice has saved me the expense of pepper spray, it's true.
With all the discussions of what's funny around here, would this story be even funnier if Jackmormon had misinterpreted Teo to the point of pepper spraying him?
I vote no.
Matt, you're on the list. Just don't share the password and/or handshake with ben.
I'm not going to the MLA, so there's no need for all this secrecy.
Or … am I? And … is there?
We met, we ate, we drank, we talked, we over-tipped.
There was signage.
And why has there been no mention of Guy Fawkes today? The MLA conference, oooh, sure, but no time for gunpowder, treason and plot. Sheesh.
No one remembered or remembered.
Today is also the 51st anniversary of Doc Brown's vision of the flux capacitor.
B and I dropped off DominEditrix, and watched her get safely to the door. Next time, we're hoping for a goodnight kiss. We're gonna wait a couple days before we call her, though. We don't want to seem too eager.
49: What about burning the Pope in effigy?
I never kiss on the first date.
Yes, but what about burning the Pope in effigy?
I haven't even run the party idea by Dr. B. yet. So far it's a Scott and Holbo and Berube thing
Typical boys. You'll have to ask my husband's permission. And considering you stood us up tonight, Scott, well, I just don't know.
Sidewalks might not be either of our best milieux
This seems wrong to me. I think you want "either of our best milieu".
Teo -- do you exaggerate your shyness here for dramatic effect? I know I met you only briefly and in passing; but I did not get the impression that you were a shirking violet. -- My memory is that I was coming out of the bar and you were on the sidewalk, about to go in; you greeted me and asked if I was who you supposed me to be.
Teo is actually a 53-year-old perv wearing a court-ordered ankle bracelet. JM is in on the con because of certain things Teo knows about her.
I must've missed it: what does 'BrockLandersing' mean?
Tragically, he showed up at the bar at last week's Boston meetup, and failed to connect with the other commenters in the same bar. A sincerely lousy thing to happen, but on the other hand it preserves his air of mystery.
on the other hand it preserves his air of mystery.
And incompetence.
Brock Landers, international man of incompetence.
Okay, thanks. I wondered if something truly catastrophic or tragic had happened and I somehow missed reading about it.
Yes, something truly catastrophic or tragic happened. Please re-read 66. Are you just mocking me??
59: I didn't stand y'all up, B. I tried to swap a free week of gas for an evening's ride, but was rebuffed at the last minute because I didn't have the proper insurance. But it would've been grand. How many Jews have showed up to Unfogged meetups behind the wheel of Mormon youth-group mini-vans?
Plus, you know, I did drop DominEditrix a note in advance saying not to expect me.
Boo! Lame excuse. Too bad, though, about the Mormon youth-group mini-van; that really would have been excellent.
71: Not far enough in advance; I didn't get it until I got home.
I bet they wouldn't let you borrow the van because you don't have a short-sleeved white shirt and a tie and a clone with the same wardrobe. But it would have been fun to drive through the streets of LA in a Mormon minivan with B waving her new bras out the window.
70: No, no, not mocking! The way it was phrased, 'to prevent any BrockLandersing', sounded like something along the lines of 'to prevent any crashing and burning'. It just sounded so serious to my ears, like maybe someone got their jacket caught in the subway train and off they went. I'm talking about that level of tragic or catastrophic.
I'm talking about that level of tragic or catastrophic.
SO AM I! I implore again to please re-read 66. Just try to imagine something more tragic.
Boo! Lame excuse.
I know. Even lamer, though: they offered one of their Schwinns and I didn't take it. I could've been half-way to Los Angeles by now!
But it would have been fun to drive through the streets of LA in a Mormon minivan with B waving her new bras out the window.
One bra, one of the countless copies of the Book of Mormon stashed behind the back seats would've been even better. Alas!
75: I reread 66. I'm just not seeing that level of tragedy there. On the bright side, as LB noted, you retained your air of mystery.
BTW, Megan is my hero - she noted my bracelet slipping its catch and picked it up, thereby saving me hours of combing the pavement and/or hours of piteous sobbing because of the loss. Yay! Megan.
77: you obviously take me entirely too seriously. I am impressed by your earnesty, though.
79: Well, I wasn't sure. I apologize for the earnestness. I know it's not wanted here.
78 - Fat lot of good it did me. No goodnight kiss or anything when we dropped you off. Next time I'm gonna let you keep looking for your lost bracelet. In my pockets.
No need to apologize. I fear my being an enormous asshole is making me come across as an ass, which is the exact opposite of the intended effect. It's a long-standing problem I have IRL, too, so no real surprise.
Teo -- do you exaggerate your shyness here for dramatic effect?
Not at all, actually; in fact I generally downplay it. I greeted you because I recognized you (and had been looking for you for about half an hour). I would never, ever act that way with a total stranger, even if there were a high probability that I knew them from the internet.
Oh yeah -- I forgot my picture was online so was assuming you were going on a hunch.
81: But you got two lap dances and the rest of us only got one. Doesn't that make up for the no kisses?
If you're riding in Mormon youth vans you should probably wipe them down with bleach first, in case the chaperone happened to step out for a few minutes once.