Bay Area/Northern California Downer's meeting?
 

What say ye?

I would be willing to call ol' saulotus, and i know a couple of us live w/in a couple of hours of each other any taker's?

I live in Southern California about an hour away from LA.

I live in Antelope, a small suburb right next to Sacramento. Perhaps I can come.

Greetings, faye and Fith

Saremento is not far frm me [2hrs]and only an 1 1/2 or so from SF.

LA area.... well Faye you are of course welcome to travel up! but you may want to consider a seperate Southern California Chapter [ and now I see you already have!] after all it IS a big state.

I know I can not travel down to LA with any ease, due to work, $ and family.

But hey we have a start, I will try and make some calls.

maybe if folks w/ an interest can also post what days/nights def work and do not work.

Sat/Aft pm is def the best for me. I could probably devote just about any Sat: 5pm-midnite or so.

Most Fridays also but only later 8pm ish to the wee hours is also possible.

*We can bring our most elvish music [self-created or others]
*poetry
*fanfics we love [ or are working on]
*any passage we particularly want to share
*perhaps a group performance [we could record and put up here somehow] of something from the LotR etc.

all in all I think it could be a delightful time, and I need to get my "road goes ever on" back from Saulotus anyway!

And if we get big enough we can all chip in to fly the ChiefWight himself out!

any other ideas, Takers?

[ October 02, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

I'm going to the Bay Area this weekend! Though that's probably too soon for any kind of convention, if anyone is able to meet me on Friday or Saturday, I'd be delighted. My sister's college hunting and I don't really have anything planned those two days......

Brinniel,
I just sent you a PM w/ contact info.
I am not sure if my family is going to the city w/ me or not but if they stay home I will have a bit of free time.

lindil

I don't live in California, but I do have some friends that live in Fremont, CA that are regulars here in the Barrow-Downs, and one of them is constantly using my nick to go around in the forum [grr...] and is editing my poems and fan fics. Oh, and she creates poems also. Very nice writer. Sounds like an Elf if you've ever heard her sing any of the songs from Tolkien's books. Memorized the lot of them. What say ye, lindil? Wilt thou say yea or nay?

yea [ of course], unless she tries to nick my nick.
But who could imitate my posts with my bad spelling, scholarly pretensions and general long-windedness...

She is more than welcome to edit my fan-fiction though!

[ October 02, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

*Sigh*...

California... my true home. How I long to join you all. Yet I shall have no opportunity. One- I'm in terrible financial state, and two- There is no time I could squeeze it into. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] I'd love to do it next year, though!

There has been a change of plans. I am not going to the Bay Area, so unfortunately I cannot meet any of you Californians until either summer or Christmas 2003. :(

Sorry Brinniel, I ended up getting car repairs in my spare time, so it all worked out.


An idea for the locals, does anyone know if there is a solid release date on the Expanded version DVD of FotR?


I have heard Nov. maybe we could plan a get together around that?

My house in Lake Co. is prob an option but I am 2 and 1/2 hrs north of SF.

So perhaps someone more central...

You know what? She's already despairing over my bad use of grammer. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Perhaps around Thanksgiving Break for the schools would be best. The extended version should be out by then, and my friend is planning to get it (only so she can see more of Elrond *rolls eyes*) In any case, where will you be planning?

The-Fifth: lol! My friend lives in Fremont in a place called Antelope Hills! Are you sure you don't live in Fremont???

*sigh*

Is there ANY way to get a convention more up North? Say...near Canada? Doesn't necissarily (sp?) have to be this one, I'd just like to meet some fellow Downers without having to drive a day. New York, Buffalo...anything close to the border. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

Anyway...my english spelling bombs...I know...

Reyna posted: "Is there ANY way to get a convention more up North? Say...near Canada?"

Well reyna, when i saw the Seattle meeting, I just hit the 'new topic' button and thought locally.

As they used to say at Sears [when no customer could hear you], You are Empowered!

[img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]


you can also try organizing more local tolkien events outside of the Downs.These folks will not be Downers to start with...

Gilthalion did readings at [Border's?] I have thought of doing one for the Public Library [across the street]. Also you could engage in true guerilla organizing and put small little flyers/bookmarks in the copies of LotR/Silm/UT etc at your local bookstores. [email addy suggested, not your home phone] mentioning a local discussion or reading group or whatever you want.

The worst that could happen is they ask you to stop [ since you are not selling anything you are not really much of a threat.

best of luck and let me know if you try any of it.

[ October 06, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

[ October 06, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

[ October 06, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

Oh yay! Iv been waiting for something like this to happen! *jumps for joy*

I live just a couple miles north of San Francisco, ever heard of Mill Vally? Well, thats close to where I live.

Yay! I hope this plan goes through!

Oh no, wait, did you already have the meeting with out little me? [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

Well, in that case, is there going to be another one anytime soon? Im only availible on the weekends, Saturday would be most preferred. Hmmm... or, as mentioned before, Thnksgiving Break or perhaps Windter Break would be a swell idea too.
In any case, keep me informed! Thanks!

[ October 06, 2002: Message edited by: Daisy Sandybanks ]

Damn it! I'm all alone down here in Southern Cali! Humph not a surprise. Poo!

I live in the Bay Area. Fremont, California to be exact. But I dont think meeting people to discuss Tolkien would be my thing. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Maybe we could meet to go see The Two Towers together. But just being together and discussing things is not my specialty. Im a really boring person. I am tempted to meet you Lindil. But still my shyness takes presidence.

Seems we have a few people in sacremento and a few people in the San Fransisco area. Howabout a comprimise? Fairfield is about halfway between the two. Would anyone be interested in a "line party" like the ones that ToRN did?

I live in Chico, which is pretty central in N California. If we want to have a Two Towers viewing, there's a theater here that hires out fairly easily, and which I also have connections at, which makes it even easier.

Or, we could just go to a random theater in whatever town we're in while The Two Towers is showing... [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

You know there is an IMax version of The Two Towers? That would be something to do. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

That would be great indeed elendur!

Well we seem to have 2 types of of folks posting here [well 3 counting those who ive impossibly far away]

bay area:
Daisy Sandy Banks @Mill Valley
Elendur @ Fremont
Dwarin Thunderhammer @ [near] Fairfield
lindil is there on Sat or Fri PM
unknown friend of the great warg - fremont


No.CA:
The Fifth @ Antelope near Sac
Susan Delgado @ Chico [waay N of the bay area] what 4rs ?
Lindil@ Lakeport [1hr north of Calistoga or 45 min E of Hopland/Ukiah


So a couple of q's

#1 - who is willing to go where?

can The Fith and Susan realistically make it to the bay area [ at least as close as fairfeild?]

I almost feel it is pointless to ask wether the bay area folks want to head to the Central Valley, but would you?

Do we want something more or less in the middle Faifeild, is about as geographically central as anything so far mentioned.

Also for the eastbayers ridesharing is a possibillity.

#2 a> do we want to plan it around the Extended FotR release in Nov. [ i.e. in a home or rent a place to see it , I DO NOT personally have a lot of $ to do this]

b> 2 do we want to plan it around the Towers release in Dec.


#3 Do we want [in addition or instead of the movie thing] have a more traditional sort of gathering:
* recite elvish poetry
* read favorite passages
* play our music [I have a bit of M-E inspired stuff] [I can try my linsanwe out on you [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] ]
* read our fanfic
*other things of like nature I have not thought of.




Personally I would like to do something of the latter at least in addition to a movie event, but time wise I suppose that is not feasible w/ some folks possibly driving for hours to watch a 3 hr+ movie. So I guess what is realistic is that we start w/ a movie thing and then maybe we can do a get together seasonally ? And do the arsty-fartsy stuff later such as spring and summer when there will not be a movie or ext vers release!]

So if we do the ext FotR in Nov [ which I favor] we could possibly commandeer one of those party rooms in a restaurant and someone bring the DVD player [could be me] some one bring the widescreen TV [ I hope]
and we should be in [ unless someone wants to also bring a sound system, then we would be really in!]

=or=

we wait till Dec for the 2 towers.

I vote for Nov, because a> it is sooner b> we don;t have to organize a round a theatre and their tickets [esp. if we tried opening night] Come to think of it I will try and get a M-E group going here in Lake Co. on opening night as there is only 1 theatre on this side of the county and at Midnight, every Tolkien -head around for miles will be there. So starting a group here should be as easy as a little flyer distribution.

So I am in for the Nov DVD in fairfeild as a first possibility.

what say ye all...

[ October 07, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

Well, I'm up for it! Though there is the matter of asking my mom to drive me up there. Does anyone live in Marin County? Maybe, if some how, I could carpool with some one? I don't know, I'll talk to my mom about it, and I'll post her response later.
Heh, I'm guessing that you don't have an exact date planned yet, oh well.
Thanks again lindil for setting all of this up so far! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Yes I live near Fairfield. I'm not going to reveal my exact location in fear that I will be laughed out of town. I personally would like to have a get together for TTT. Edwards theatre has stadium seating and thx/dolby sound. It's a good theatre. Line parties were a service ToRN provided for people took hook up with other Tolkien fans in the local area. Thenamir had one in his hometown.

There are a plethora of good restraunts around the theatre. I'm sure we could rent a party room afterwards. We could meet, watch TTT and go to lunch afterwards.

There's also the option of renting a conference room at the new Mariott across the street. I would be willing to look into things further.

[ October 07, 2002: Message edited by: Dwarin Thunderhammer ]

This all sounds so very fun! Of course, if I can convince my mum, I can come to where you live.

Let's try again. I live in Northern California, about an hour away from Sacramento, and I can probably catch a ride with Susan Delgado at whatever time and location is good for her. The Bay Area is not, to my mind, a prohibitive distance, and seems to be the most central, but then, of course, the decision isn't really mine.

As for activities, my vote would be for doing something other than watching the movie again; we've all seen it, I think, and anyway, why would we be sitting in a dark theater watching the screen when we could all be sitting around in a cafe somewhere staring awkwardly at each other? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Are you still interested?

--Belin Ibaimendi

[ February 02, 2003: Message edited by: Belin ]

Having had my car volunteered, I suppose I should speak up [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

As Belin says, the Bay Area is not prohibitively far (about two hours), though I'd prefer someplace like Fairfield for ease of navigation, rather than go all the way into San Francisco or Oakland.

[ February 02, 2003: Message edited by: Susan Delgado ]

Ah yes, well I'm up for it, like I said before. But transportation could be a bit of a problem for me. I live more near San Francisco than Sacramento, and Fairfeild is about 100 or so miles from where I live.
I wouldn't be terribly heartbroken if I wasn't able to go to this thing (if this even happens at all), though I would dearly love to meet a few of you in person. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[ February 02, 2003: Message edited by: Daisy Sandybanks ]

::steps into the light::
I happen to be someone from California [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
I live just on the boundary of SanFrancisco and Daly City-but my area code is still SF...
Nice to see some people appreciate the Bay Area! Thanks lindil!

Lindil
I'll chip in. One way or round trip?

If we'd like to have chat about this, I have a room on IRC which I'd be willing to donate to the cause. Anyone interested?

Yes, I think that'd be great, we could really clear up some things with a chat. When and where, Susan?

#Lake, and how does Wednesday, 5 Feb at 6 pm (PST, obviously [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]) sound?

I'll be there! That's perfect anyways, since I won't get home untill about 4pm and I won't have much homework for the next day either.

Great! Who else is coming? *looks around*

Seems like a fine time for a chat for me.

was Lake# supposed to indicate something re; the Chat?

I have only chatted [2 t's?]once so I am almost as ignorant as they come.

It's the channel, Lindil. after the thing connects, you put #Lake in the box that asks for the channel

Well, the chat didn't go so well. There were only three of us and all we decided was that it should be in Fairfield. Where was everyone else?

Sorry!

Family life completely distracted me.

Fairfeild is fine with me though.

Sat PM I hope?

[ February 07, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]

I work on Saturdays. Would a Sunday be better?

The rare friday night [like tonight works] but nearly every satruday I come down from lake co. to SF/East Bay.

I finish my work around 6/7 pm and have a few hours free after that before I have to drive back north.

That is really the only feasible time for me [c.7-10pm sat] , not that others should not give it a go if another time is generally workable.