I finally got my act together and fixed up a driving vacation around the pacific coast and back up through the desert. I also successfully talked Patrick into sharing the driving.

So, there are definite opportunities for mini-meets in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. I'm sure the SF mini meet will definitely happen and since it will be mid week it'll have to be dinner. The date will probably be 10/13 or 10/14 - let's get some venue nominations! Somewhere with parking would be nice for a change

If anyone in LA or LV is interested in a few drinks please shout. I understand there may be tuner kit queue jump opportunities!

Rob

Aaaaargh. I'm in Vegas 10/17 for exactly 22 hours. You guys will probably be long gone by then...

Doh!

Damnit. I'll be in San Diego, but not until a week and a half later.

I'm in Vegas 10/17 for exactly 22 hours

I doubt we'll have arrived by then. The plan is to start down the coast mid week, stopping at interesting places. I don't want to drive to Vegas on Friday night as I think the desert would lose some of its magic in a traffic jam. Most strip hotels don't allow Saturday check in so it's most likely we'll get to Vegas around Sunday or Monday.

Are you in town for a convention? Anything good?

Rob

Are you in town for a convention? Anything good?

Nah, pleasure. I fly into Vegas that Friday night to visit my friend who's finishing up a training course there. We take in as much of Vegas as one can take in over less than a full day, and then drive down to Phoenix to see a Hockey game. A couple days in Phoenix, then I fly into Boulder, CO to visit a friend who's in grad school out there, then a few days later I fly back to Philadelphia and sleep off the hangover/jetlag for several days. My first time ever being west of the Mississippi River, so I'm pretty psyched.

I would be down for a Vegas mini meet if it's over the weekend. I am always looking for an excuse to go to Vegas.

Grrr. Does it have to be SF?

To clarify: I am willing, if there is any demand, to bring a number of tuner kits over in my luggage for anyone in the area who would like one. The price will be the normal £110, but there will be no carriage fee! Assuming airport security doesn't get it's knickers in a knot over a bag full of electronics, of course.

If I get strip-searched as a result of this offer, SOMEONE'S going to pay

pca

Uh oh, be careful at the black jack tables.

[geo-cache, geo-cache ]

Parking? In San Francisco? Never. Last time we found a parking lot for an empeg meet we ended up in the sunset, which isn't really San Francisco. If we want a parking lot where we could show off installs and such we might as well wander out to the suburbs a bit. The Metreon in san francisco has a pretty reasonable garage, if we wanted to meet there. It's quite a geeky spot, but there isn't much point in going unless you're seeing a movie.

Anyone else have any reccomendations?

Matthew

Yes, that was my reason for saying "does it have to be SF?".

I say we go outside of SF a little to find a more relaxed setting with more room and free parking. Maybe Napa, Fairfield, Vacaville, etc.

santa cruz? Berkeley?

Problem being if this is on a week night... traveling around the bay area is a bad idea.

I know. It took me a little under 2 hours to get to the last mini-meet in SF from FF on a Wednesday night.
If we go with something that's ~ 45 mins - 1 hour from SF we'll all be better off.

I don't know, maybe I'm being unreasonable, but I'm just trying to avoid having to drive into SF as much as possible, my car doesn't like it.

If anyone in LA or LV is interested in a few drinks please shout.

Consider this your shout, then. 'course I may find myself in India about the time you're coming.

I can vouch for Donato's car not getting along with san francisco. Berkeley sounds like a great idea to me. I can check with the other members of my household but I might be able to have a barbeque that evening. We've got a nice deck and a hot tub (what's a trip to california with a hot tub?) and costco sells tri-tip by the pound. There's also a parking lot accross the street where we could park and check out installs, though we'd have to pay.

In Berkeley, there's also the Pyramid Brewery which would have parking and plenty of beer. Loren, can't we all just meet you at skywalker ranch and have dinner with George?

Matthew

There we go; now that's a great idea. Someone's house! Granted, Bezerkly isn't all that far from SF, but it isn't SF so it's fine with me.

I really shouldn't bitch because I know I'll go no matter where it is.

I'd offer my parents house too (after I clear it with them ), there's a huge backyard (all concrete with tables, etc) and a large driveway for parking (my Grandparents loved to have parties so they designed the house with that in mind), but I don't think everyone wants to drive to FF, plus there's no hot tub (although there is a pool, not that anyone would want to go swimming).

Should I make that long run-on sentance a little longer?

Well I'm glad to hear at least one person is in favor. I've checked out all the details, and Monday the 13th is the best for me. So who's up for a barbecue in Berkeley on monday the 13th around six or six thirty? I guess we should get confirmation from the headlining guests before we make any more plans. And I'm gonna have to get around to building that tuner kit before patrick gets here...

Matthew

Yep. I'm in.

As a side note; I actually ran the idea by my parents for future reference, in case I ever wanted to have a gathering there in the future, and they said "Sure! Anytime!"

I'm up for "whenever", too.

I'm down with Matt's place.

Maybe i'll see if we can have the next large empeg meet at the ranch... i'm not holding my breath though =]

Ooooo, the ranch would be coooooool....

the ranch wouldnt just be cool. itd be coo.

Don't go getting your hopes up fellas. I'd say the chances of it happening are pretty damn slim. I've never heard of them letting private parties hold events there... evar. But, it couldn't hurt to ask.

theres gotta be some geeks who would be more receptive to the idea you could ask. :­p

Maybe if we could donate an empeg to George.....

Maybe if we could donate an empeg to George.....

You're talking about someone who writes his scripts longhand on note paper. Somehow I don't think he's going to be interested in a device you gotta hook up to a computer to add music...

Exactly... i left off my icon. heheh.

Maybe he would be more entertained by a schematic and the Hijack source code?

who's up for a barbecue in Berkeley on monday the 13th around six or six thirty?

Works for me. Post some details before next Tuesday as I may be travelling.

Rob

So who's up for a barbecue in Berkeley on monday the 13th around six or six thirty?

Sounds good to me, I'm in.

-Mike

So who's up for a barbecue in Berkeley on monday the 13th around six or six thirty?

Count me in. Get some directions up.

I'm in too.

- Jon

Berkeley Empeg Owner's Barbecue

When: Monday October 13th at 6:00PM

Where: Berkeley, CA

RSVP: PM on the empeg Board to matthew_k, or email to kocher at uclink dot berkeley dot edu.

Feel free to show up anytime after six. The general plan will be to check out installs in the parking lot while people arrive, then move inside for some BBQ tri-tip, BBQ tandori chicken and anything else we have to throw on the grill. For vegetarians there will probably be some kind of pasta, and grilled tomatoes and other vegetables. If you don’t mind, a couple bucks per person towards the food costs would be much appreciated by a Starving College Student.

It'll be BYOB, so bring something you'd like to drink. I'll cover the basics to get us started, but I won't have much on hand.

Directions: PM or Email to RSVP, and I’ll send you the directions.

Matthew

If you get a PM, I think you're coming. If you didn't get a PM, let me know. I didn't put anyone besides Rob as a Plus One, If you're bringing other people, let me know...

I'm only PMing directions as my empeg lives where the meet is, as you can never been too paranoid. If a week and a half from now you're thinking about coming and havn't rsvp'd just send me a message or get the directions from someoen who's going, no need to worry.

Matthew

For those of you who got directions already, apperently it was a bit too early in the morning for me to be doing logical work. I'll send out a revised edition this evening.

Matthew

What's the word on Socal? If you guys are willing to come down to San Diego, I know a great place for fish tacos. If not, is anything happening in Los Angeles?

--Nathan

We'll be in LA for a couple of days or so. There's a loose plan to go to Universal and Six Flags, if I can talk Patrick into it. It's not really tied down yet, but I'd guess we'll be heading out to Vegas on the Sunday to get good room rates.

Rob

Anyone else in the Valley, LA, OC, or San Diego want to pull something together? Speak up!

After doing all of the touristy stuff, what kind of food and drink are you curious about? LA's interpretation of a pub? Drinks with umbrellas near the beach? A classic Hollywood dive bar? A scene from =Swingers=?

Rob, I'll drop you an email with my phone numbers and stuff.

--Nathan

I would like to have participated, since I live in L.A., but I will be out of town that week. Have fun here guys. Six Flags is cool, Universal Studios is kind of over-rated IMHO. Being geeks, be sure and check out a Fry's, either here or in San Francisco. The Getty is good if you are into museums, and a walk around downtown Hollywood is good for a laugh or two. All-in-all though, there is surprisingly little to do in this town compared to, say, San Fran or Vegas.

It sounds like Los Angeles on Friday the 17th and/or Saturday the 18th, then.

--Nathan

I recommend the Getty as well. That is one F'n amazing piece of architecture. I guess the art inside was pretty cool too.

Ditto. I haven't been to the Getty, though. There's also the La Brea Tar Pits, which is good for an afternoon, and LACMA if you're into standing around looking at ugly paintings. If you know what type of food you want, I can recommend some good places -- Italian, sushi, vietnamese, korean BBQ, mexican, whatever. You're pretty much SOL if you want good Greek, though.

If you want to do some hiking, I can point you to some nice spots for that, too.

Anyone else here in LA besides ninti and I? I know there's gotta be some -- the Al & Ed's I had do my install has done a half dozen of 'em over the years...

Canuck -- I'm down in San Diego, but I get up to LA about one weekend a month.

--Nathan