By the pricking of my thumbs, another first weekend this way comes

[0rganism]

Where shall we DUers meet again?
In Horse Brass, Lompoc, or in rain?

This could be the last meet-up before 2008! choose wisely, luke...

[Greyhound]

1. Oh please, let this happen.

We're both desperately in need of a frikin break.
:bounce:

[0rganism]

4. I hear that

What do you think about RR's ale fest idea?

[Cerridwen]

8. Sounds perfect.

1) no smoking

Yep, I really hate that whole relaxing thing while I'm drinking; much better to be tense from nicotine withdrawal; brings out the friendly in me. Ya wanna see what I look like when I'm being friendly; keep reading.


2) might be standing-room-only (but it's the epidomy of a Big Tent Party!)

Yep, again. Why relax during down time when I can stand around not smoking and drinking? Relaxation on days off is overrated anyway. Truly my idea of a "break."


3) depending on the time of day and the turnout, we might have a hard time even getting beer

Even better. Who needs to smoke when you can't get a drink to relax anyway. Oh yeah, this is sounding better by the minute.


4) there's a possibility of snow tomorrow

Ah, the pièce de résistance; standing huddled around a 'roided out space heater with no drink, no smoking, and snow falling about my head and shoulders. Man, you Portlanders really know how to live!


So, if this is what you do to take a break, WTF do you do when you want to tough it out? Smash bricks into your head while your friends stand around and watch and cheer you on? Stand waist-deep in the Willamette during snow storms as you shove icicles into your eyes?


In case anyone reading this can't tell; I need a fucking break! That does not mean roughing it for a few hours to debate politics through chattering teeth and blue lips, drinking ice cold beer to further lower my core temperature wondering how long until hypothermia kicks in, so I can begin my work week with walking pneumonia.
I can get that shit staying at home. At least at home I can smoke and I don't have to share the heater.


Greyhound may be there; because as you can tell, I'm not pleasant to be around right now. Me? I'll stay home and see if I can find a place for us to live by Jan. 4th. Please, occasionally remind him we have a huge chunk of change we have to plop down on a place if we ever find a rental in this "pet-friendly" (if you've got several hundred to throw down in deposits, fees and a couplea thousand for rent) town of Portland who will rent to someone with 4 dogs. Thanks.


Oh yeah, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!




:banghead:



P.S. Sorry, Organism, this rant isn't aimed at you. I just needed to vent.

[0rganism]

9. Well, yes...

...it's a bit of a mixed bag. :evilgrin:

I was thinking, if it gets intolerable for any reason, we can always seek a normal pub in walking distance. Of course, if it's a total ice fest, that'll suck in a whole new way. But it could also be really fun.

I hope you can find someplace to live real soon; if "pet friendly" is key and you want to stay on the east side, maybe check around in the Reed and UP bedroom areas? Space might be doled out on a room-by-room basis, but you could end up with cheap dog-friendly rent and some interesting housemates for a few months while you look for something better.

[Reader Rabbit]

2. Ya know, the holiday ale fest is going on.

Just sayin'.

:P

[0rganism]

3. coincidence? perhaps....

Hey, it's like being in 10 taverns at once, without being in a tavern at all!

http://www.holidayale.com/

Four things to keep in mind for this venue:
1) no smoking
2) might be standing-room-only (but it's the epidomy of a Big Tent Party!)
3) depending on the time of day and the turnout, we might have a hard time even getting beer
4) there's a possibility of snow tomorrow

Of course, that last caveat kind of applies across the board.

[Reader Rabbit]

6. I was planning on going tomorrow around 1:00

I figured it won't be too crowded then, what with the Civil War going on.

[Trajan]

5. Feets don't fail me now ....

My foot is healing ahead of schedule .... so count me in on that basis ...

BUT .... If it get's icy-treacherous out there, I may have to opt out so I don't
re-injure my foot/ankle/leg booboo ....

[0rganism]

7. awright! you hear him, feet?

RR is going to the beerfest at 1pm, I think we should join her. :D

[Reader Rabbit]

10. I'm heading out around noon.

If anyone wants to meet, let me know where. I should be there by 1:00 p.m.

[0rganism]

11. Let's meet... umm...

the hard part is, I don't know when exactly I'll be showing up. It should be around 1:30ish, but I don't want to leave you waiting somewhere uncomfortable if the max is late. How about this, if you can find a spot in sight of the umbrella-guy statue, I'll pass by there first and hang around for a couple minutes, and you can holler at me. If you can't, no problem, I'll just wander around until I see you. Work for you?

[Reader Rabbit]

13. Will umbrella guy be inside the tent?

I can't remember. I was planning on going straight in, particularly if the weather is crappy. How about we meet at the root beer garden inside? I'll make a point to check it out every 15 minutes or so.

[Trajan]

12. Im sorry ..... I wont be coming this weekend ....

My foot is aching, and I had promised my daughter I would help her with a project ....

PLEASE have a great time, and maybe we can plan another day out before years end ....

[0rganism]

15. You were better off not coming, actually

The beer was goodgreat, but the fest was really not someplace you'd want to be on crutches, or even with a sore leg, especially not while getting ripped. SRO, for sure, and you had to carry your mandatory mug purchase everywhere you went.

I think RR's planning a full writeup, so I'll just offer this analogy: the holiday ale fest is to drinking what commuting on a major freeway in rush hour traffic is to working. Overall, people were polite but it was difficult to tell where any of the dozen or so lines ended and a group of drunken socialites began. Oh, and if you got in the wrong line, you couldn't get the beer you wanted, so there was a fair bit of mid-line merges and lane changing going on.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

14. I can't believe I forgot that Sat. was the 1st

:cry:

I had to work anyway, but I sure miss you guys. :(

[0rganism]

16. I was a bit shocked myself

I've been lapsing on the whole date/weekday thing, since last May. I really only snagged it by chance this time.

We could try for another meet-up later this month, perhaps in a place more conducive to discussion. Call it a "special Kwanzmasolstukkah get-together" or some such. Or maybe someone could host a genuine Festivus?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

17. Excellent idea

An end of the year bash. :evilgrin:

[Reader Rabbit]

18. December 15?

That way it could correspond with my 40th birthday! (And I can show you all the ass-kicking tattoo I got. Get your minds out of the gutter, you pervs...it's on my ankle!) :P

Is anyone interested in pub-crawling Woodstock? We've got some decent watering holes here.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

19. Now that sounds fun.

15th works for me.