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This blog will pay for itself.

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Technically true, but collectively nonsense.

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Gastritis Broke My Calculator

You are here: Home / Archives for Balloon Juice / Meetups and social events

Meetups and social events

Looks Like She Made It! Congratulations, lamh. (we all yell: Surprise!)

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Congratulations, lamh!   SURPRISE!

You thought you were done, but we have one last quiz for you:

Looks Like She Made It! Congratulations, lamh. (we all yell: Surprise!) 1Looks Like She Made It! Congratulations, lamh. (we all yell: Surprise!) 2

Cue the music, and then we have cake!

dmsilev baked this lovely cake for you – for real! – and extends his congratulations to you for making it through the grad school grind.  It’s a lot of work, and something to be proud of.

Technically it’s an orange chocolate ganache tart.  We talked it over, and we definitely think there’s enough to share.  I think this is one group activity we can all get behind.

*****

If there’s a song or a GIF or an image or a photo or a movie or anything that you’d like to add in your comment as  “gift” to lamh – and you’re not a front pager – if you send it to me by email or put the link in your comment, I can turn it into a real thing in your comment, rather than a link.

*****

Update:  I am very disappointed that no one spelled out “Happy Graduation!” or “you made it!” on squares of toilet paper with colored markers or sent lamh on a pretend vacation.

Oh, and because I screwed up the time zone, I will pin this post to the top at 8pm (blog time) which is the earliest lamh should get out of her final exam.  (Just for a couple of hours until, hopefully, lamh arrives.)

Looks Like She Made It! Congratulations, lamh. (we all yell: Surprise!)Post + Comments (174)

Seattle GOTV Meet-Up: Proof of Life

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Seattle GOTV - HE Wolf & Casey L

From party-planner and GOTV goddess CaseyL:

The Seattle GOTV Meetup yesterday went very well. H E showed up with a green balloon (Yay, H E !) and I had made a table sign, so people could and did find us easily.

Attending were:
H E Wolf
CaseyL
thalarctosMaritimus plus one (lurker)
Opiejeanne and Mr. Opiejeanne

Not a bad turnout, for a meetup where we’d be putting people to work!

There was of course a lot of social chatter, and then we got down to business. Thanks to the tips suggested by PostcardsToVoters, plus H E’s amazing organizational skills and motivational talk, we got 18 postcards done and mailed – and sent folks home with postcards and stamps and information on how to sign up at the site to get addresses.

I should also say that Elliott Bay Brewery was very friendly and helpful, letting us into an area not usually open until later in the day so we could push tables together, set up our impressive piles of Stuff, and put up the table sign AND the balloon!

We didn’t get many photos, as we were more focused on socializing/working, but here is what we do have.

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Seattle GOTV Meet-Up: Proof of LifePost + Comments (26)

Seattle Meet-Up Reminder: SUNDAY, February 16

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Note from ace party-planner CaseyL:

The Seattle GOTV Postcard Meetup is this Sunday Feb 16 at 12:30, at the Elliott Bay Brewery in Lake City.

Would it be possible for you to post a reminder about it?

There was talk, when this was announced, of doing simultaneous postcard-writing meetups in other cities. This would be a good place to leave a comment, if you’d like to arrange one of those meetups!

Seattle Meet-Up Reminder: SUNDAY, February 16Post + Comments (28)

Balloon Juice Meetup – Santa Fe, February 4

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I have reserved a table at La Boca for Quinerly, O. Felix Culpa, and me for Tuesday, February 4, at 12:30 pm. If you’d like to join us, please comment here.

I have the sense that our separate page for meetups isn’t working well for announcements. Or perhaps it’s just that there aren’t that many of us in New Mexico.

Anyhow, here’s another chance. Come meet Quinerly while she’s here!

Balloon Juice Meetup – Santa Fe, February 4Post + Comments (26)

Quinerly In New Mexico – Meetups

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Green balloons

Quinerly has landed in Las Vegas, NM, for a train ride. She’ll be in Santa Fe for a month – January 27 to February 27 – and we should have a meetup while she’s here. She particularly likes La Boca restaurant, so let’s start with that as the venue and, arbitrarily, the week of February 3. La Boca is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

With the new site, we have a new option. Instead of one or a few posts getting buried, you can always see what’s happening with the meetup by clicking on “Balloon Juice Meetups” under “Calling All Jackals.” The meetup information will have a link to this post, where you can comment. The Seattle meetup post is set up already, so you can see there how it works.

Also, if you’d like to meetup with Quinerly in one of her other New Mexico destinations,

  • Gallup – February 27 to March 1
  • Farmington – March 1 to 7

comment here, and we’ll (that is, WaterGirl will) put the information in the appropriate meetup pages.

Quinerly In New Mexico – MeetupsPost + Comments (12)

Meet-Up Proposal in Seattle (with Bonus GOTV Action!)

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Message from commentor (& experienced meet-up planner!) Casey L:

H.E. Wolf and I would like to propose a Seattle meetup, but more of a working meetup than a social one. We want to get together with a smallish group of Seattle area jackals and do postcards for the “Postcards to Voters” political action group.

I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with them (I first heard about them on BJ) but in case not: People sign up online with the group, who then send them lists of voters in targeted cities, along with the wording to be used on the postcards. The postcards can be downloaded from the P-2-V site, or people can buy and use their own, within stated guidelines.

H E Wolf and I want to host a meetup during which we would explain the process, distribute and complete a small batch of cards, and also send people home with “starter kits” (5 postcards and postage) for them to complete and mail on their own. (We will pay for the cards and postage.)

The proposed dates are over President’s Day weekend: Sunday the 16th or Monday the 17th, at 12:30. The proposed location is Elliot Bay Brewery on Lake City Way in North Seattle (parking is free, a major consideration).

If you’re interested, leave a comment below, or send me a message via the ‘Contact Us’ link & I’ll forward it.

Meet-Up Proposal in Seattle (with Bonus GOTV Action!)Post + Comments (42)

Quinerly In New Mexico

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Valued commenter Quinerly will soon be on the road again, and she’d love to meet Juicers during her travels. Here’s her schedule:

  • 1/27 Arrive Santa Fe 1/27
  • 2/27 Arrive Gallup
  • 3/1 Arrive Farmington
  • 3/8 Leave Farmington

She also plans short trips to Las Vegas (NM), Albuquerque, Abiquiu, Taos, Bosque del Apache (and the Owl Bar in San Antonio), Los Alamos, Corrales, Moriarty, Belen, and Mountainair.

If you’re interested in meeting her at any of these times, reply in the comments or email me at “Contact us.”

We will probably do a meetup when she is in Santa Fe. You can also suggest dates in the comments. I’ll do another post when we get closer to the time.

Quinerly In New MexicoPost + Comments (7)

Seattle Meet Up Proof of Life: The Up Meeters!

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Both CaseyL and OpieJeanne sent me after action reports and pictures from last night’s Seattle Meet Up.

CaseyL:

What a great gathering!  HinTN is so delightful, we should get him to move here to the PNW so we can see him more frequently.  We also had two new people:  EthylEster and Jonathan (aka informationdriveway, though he comments, when he does, under his RL name).  And of course the Seattle BJ regulars:  me (CaseyL), OpieJean and Mr. OpieJean, ThalactosMaritimus (whose husband stayed home because the Writing Muse was with him), DanB, and BeautifulPlumage.
We ate and drank our way through the Saffron Grill, where the food is wonderful and so are the staff.
Of course there are pictures.  They’re glare-y because of light coming in through the window, so sorry; and one is blurry because our waitperson studied at the John G. Cole School of Photography.  And I took one of our GoH, HinTN, that is a hoot because he looks like “I Am Not Amused” – which is not at all true; he had a blast (we all did).
Thank you Adam, for alerting us to organize this shindig, and for posting this report on the festivities.
I should also mention that Yutsano, who could not attend in person, called in via cell.  We had him on speaker, and I held up the phone so everyone could say Hi, but we couldn’t really hear him, so I chatted with him for a bit and then held up the phone so we could all say goodbye.
CaseyL
(Harry HnTN, Guest of Honor, Looking Stern.  Self explanatory.)
(The Whole Gang:  From left: Jonathan, BeautifulPlumage, ThalarctosMaritimus, CaseyL, HinTN, OpieJean, Mr. OpieJean, Dan B, EthylEster.)
(Also Whole Gang Tho Blurrier: From left: HinTN, OpieJean, Mr. OpieJean, Dan B, EthylEster, Jonathan, Beautiful Plumage, ThalarctosMaritimus, CaseyL)
(Subset of Whole Gang: DanB, EthylEster, HinTN)
OpieJeanne:
I got a couple of photos at the meetup last night. The Saffron Grill is a nice restaurant with an Indian, Mediterranean, and “American” menu. I only glanced at the American choices and went for the Tandoori prawns. Everything was delicious and the company was great.
(The first one is Casey L. standing and the guest of honor, HinTN.)
(The second photo is Beautiful Plumage on the left and Thalarctos Maritimus on the right, but she’s not really a polar bear.)
opiejeanne
Open thread!

Seattle Meet Up Proof of Life: The Up Meeters!Post + Comments (63)

Seattle Meet Up Update: The Meet Upening!

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Despite the complete failure of the staff here at Balloon Juice Actual to get the initial post about a potential Seattle meet up posted in a timely manner, commenter CaseyL has reached out, informed me that a meet up will occur tomorrow night, and provided the details:

We managed to come up with a plan for tomorrow’s meetup, and would appreciate it much if you could do a post tonight so that more of the Seattle area BJers hear about it:

Reservation is at:
Saffron Grill
2132 N Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98133
At 6:30
There is a FREE parking lot
For 8 people (I will call them and change it to 10)
Under the name: Casey.

Thanks much!

–CaseyL

Open thread!

Seattle Meet Up Update: The Meet Upening!Post + Comments (20)

August 14th Seattle Meet Up!!!!!

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Apparently this slip past everyone that was asked to put up a 14 August Seattle Meet Up post. I apologize to HinTN, OpieJeanne, and the other folks interested.

HinTN is going to be in Seattle this week and would like to arrange a now, because we here at Ballon Juice Actual dropped the ball, last minute meet up for tomorrow night. So if you’re interested, please sound off in the comments and start working out where you want to connect.

I’ve emailed both HinTN and OpieJeanne to apologize for dropping the ball and to make sure they know I’m putting this up now. I’ll also repost tonight in the hope that you all out in Seattle can still pull this off despite my screwing it up.

Open thread!

August 14th Seattle Meet Up!!!!!Post + Comments (61)

Open Thread: Proof of Life, NYC Saturday-Night Meetup

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From Guest of (dis)Honor NotMax:

Couple of fuzzy pix the waitress was kind enough to snap for us. Fingers crossed that others who also took photos will be submitting
them.

Picture 1 [at top], beginning from far right, down that row and returning to the front of other row:

Chacal Charles Calthrop, Sam, JAFD, Chigail, Blanche, Paul W., Tom Q, Susan, Aaron, RedDirtGirl, arrieve, NotMax (dark shirt, snowy beard)

Picture 2 – reverse angle.

Tom Q, Susan, Aaron, RedDirtGirl, arrieve, NotMax, Chacal Charles Calthrop, Sam, JAFD, Chigail, Blanche, Paul W.

Here’s a few more, lifted from JAFD‘s comments:

Open Thread: Proof of Life, NYC Saturday-Night MeetupPost + Comments (41)

Bonus Last Reminder: NYC Meetup Today!

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Samwise will be too busy doing this to make it…

…but for the rest of us, here are the details one last time!

The place: Tír na Nóg, 254 W. 31st Street
(across from Penn Station, just east of 8th Avenue)

The time: Beginning at 6 p.m.

Should you need it to find the table, reservations have been made under the name Jack Alfolk. (Say it out loud.)

Looking forward to schmoozin’ with y’all.

I may be as late a 7:00, but I have faith you will all survive the harrowing hour before I appear.

Open thread, I suppose!

Bonus Last Reminder: NYC Meetup Today!Post + Comments (17)

Last Reminder: NYC Meet-Up, This Saturday, July 27

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Note from NotMax, Guest of (Dis)Honor:

The place: Tír na Nóg, 254 W. 31st Street
(across from Penn Station, just east of 8th Avenue)

The time: Beginning at 6 p.m.

Should you need it to find the table, reservations have been made under the name Jack Alfolk. (Say it out loud.)

Looking forward to schmoozin’ with y’all.

Last Reminder: NYC Meet-Up, This Saturday, July 27Post + Comments (30)

Open Thread: NYC Meet-Up, Saturday July 27

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Update from visiting fireman NotMax:

Time keeps on ticking, so maybe we can (metaphorically) nail this puppy down.

The date: Saturday, July 27

The place: Tír na Nóg
254 W. 31st Street (across from Penn Station, just east of 8th Avenue)

The time: How does 6 p.m. sound? Earlier? Later?

My plans are to attend a matinee in the afternoon, which lets out about 4:15. I’m willing to arrange the reservations.

If desired, BYO balloons.

Lurkers, spouses and friends welcome, as always!

Open Thread: NYC Meet-Up, Saturday July 27Post + Comments (13)

Lovely Weekend For The Park (+NYC Meetup? pt. 2)

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As I am generally asocial, I’ve spent my very long weekend reading, writing, playing video games (Hollow Knight for me, FFXIV for the husband), and wandering around. I got some gorgeous shots of Central Park.

Oak Bridge facing south
Oak Bridge facing south

Somewhere in the Ramble, looking out on the lake
Somewhere in the Ramble, looking out on the lake

It’s been a touch on the hot side, but the park is nice and cool if you stay out of the sun.

So speaking of New York City, let’s try to nail something down for a meetup this month. NotMax will be in town!

Checking on interest in a NYC area meet-up.

Shall be arriving in the area July 23, leaving August 7. Only date I know of at this point which might be iffy is the 28th.

Would be satisfied with the same spot as last year as it is convenient to all mass transit, but certainly not married to the idea.

Possible dates, time and location all subject to jackal recommendations, consensus and convenience; please, please chime in.

My preferred dates are July 26/27, or August 3/4. No preference on venue, although I hear the place from last year was good.

Open thread as well, I suppose. Bonus Samwise below the fold…

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