BlogMeet Goodness

Updates: first pix (and a report) at Baby Troll Blog! Head on over and leave a comment. More photos and commentary at The Breda Fallacy and Call Me Ahab. (What Breda says about wittiness of attendees and being a bit overwhelmed goes for me, too!) It turns out Frank W. James had excellent reason to miss the festivities, a much happier one than the "trying to get the crops above water" many of us were worried about. Mike (of Mike & Breda) offers interesting commentary on life sparked during the drive back and Breda has an update on the blogmeet and her trip there and back (be sure you look at her riverwalk photo. It's stunning).

My jaw muscles hurt from grinning! I expected a few folks; Breda and Mike were for-sure attendees and Turk Turon had delightfully surprised me with his vow to hop the next flight out of Turonistan; Old Grouch was almost certain to be there and we were hoping for Red and his spouse. So, counting Tam and me, eight.

...Which is what I told our waitress when we arrived at the just-opening bar. "More than six, we'd prefer you sat inside," she ruled.

So we did. There's a nice loooong bench seat fronted by small tables and chairs in a kind of an alcove along one side of the building, and I thought we might take up a quarter of it.

Then folks started showing up.
Then more.
And more.

And we filled that section of the brewpub.

All 23 of us!

Six blog-readers, commenters (including Rob K and Shermlock-- except it seems both of them are bloggers!) or lurkers, bloggers mentioned above plus Caleb, Mark Alger and SWMBO, a local and recently-retired blogger, a surprise guest, the redoubtable James R. Rummel, Jerry --and I have lost track. It was a wonderful time! If you were there and have been left out -- I am missing bloggers to whom I would very much like to link -- drop me e-mail and I'll add you (and a link, if applicable).

With 23 people at a long table, at any given time five or six conversations were going at once and people were moving around to chat with one another. It was chaotic, fun and a bit like a real-life version of blog-surfing!

Prizes: Breda won an unsual hat for showing up ('cos we all wanted to meet her and Mike!) and to help her fend off the Octopode Menace. Turk received the Rummel Award for Longest-Travelled[1], which is a drink of the winner's choice. Turk chose the Sampler: eight small glasses, each filled with a different one of the in-house brews.

My head's still spinnin'. There was much good eating (I had Steak Cheviche salad, yum!) and the last few of of us strolled down the Monon and Central Canal trails to the Turtle-Upholding sculpture, then back along Westfield Boulevard[2] for some shaved ice. (Note: do not pronounce "shaved ice" in a bad mock-Southern accent unless you are willing to giggle. Really). Tam was delighted to learn that "tiger blood" is a flavor. Ew.

It was a grand time and yes, we are planning another. See you there?

(Photos will follow -- I'm relying on the kindness of friends for them, as I left my camera at home).

PS: You know, us gunnie-gals are a good-lookin' lot! --And the fellers are easy on the eyes, too.
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1. Note this award is solely at the discretion of the committee-of-one who awards it.
2. Here's a Riparian intersection: It looks like a nice, square-ish four-way intersecton. It's not. Westfield Blvd. enters Southbound and departs Westbound; Winthrop Ave. enters Northbound and quits. The Eastbound street, I'm not even sure it has a name (Google thinks it's Westfield Blvd, too!) but it should probably be 63rd Street if it does. Does that seem right to you? Old Grouch illustrates it!