Western Mass Meetup, Saturday, April 5, 2008

March 19, 2008 12:19 PM

Western Massachusetts meetup, Saturday, April 5! Come to the Pioneer Valley and enjoy food, drink, and excellent company: Jessamyn and languagehat are expected to attend. Will you?

Starting earlier is probably better here amidst the Five Colleges. I propose 6pm at The Dirty Truth, a small Northampton bar with an excellent beer list and a small but good menu. Maybe later we can get ice cream at Herrell's! If we have a larger group we can look elsewhere in Northampton, or across the river in Amherst. I hope to see you there!

posted by Songdog to MetaFilter gatherings at 12:19 PM (157 comments total)

Can I get from Mt. Holyoke to Noho in that amount of time? My class ends at 5 at the earliest and I'm sure I'll be taking time to talk to students afterwards etc. Maybe 6:30 is better? I have forgotten how long it takes to drive anyplace around there but I'm game for pretty much whatever.
posted by jessamyn at 12:42 PM on March 19

On a Saturday you can usually do that drive in under thirty minutes, but I'm perfectly happy to start whenever people can get there.
posted by Songdog at 12:52 PM on March 19

I am so in. I owe languagehat a beer.
posted by sequential at 1:14 PM on March 19

And I'll hold you to that.
posted by languagehat at 1:32 PM on March 19

Let's say 6:30 so I don't have to run out the door, otherwise, looks good. Anyone want to peskily MeFiMail the people in the geographic region?
posted by jessamyn at 1:33 PM on March 19

To be clearer, I will be at Mount Holyoke, with my car. I need to get to Noho either under my own steam [two beer maximum] or get my car to Amherst (where I'm staying) and get a ride out with Songdog or someone else which is why 6:30 works. I can not remember if LH owes me a beer or I owe him one, so first pitcher is probably on me.
posted by jessamyn at 1:38 PM on March 19

I'll MeFiMail my nearest listed neighbors, a 34 mile range. But folks outside that radius are welcome too. Brattleboro? Boston? Hartford? Albany? Spread the word!
posted by Songdog at 1:45 PM on March 19

Oh man oh man oh man. What an exciting lineup, and I love the Pioneer Valley. Can I make this work? Hmmmmm.
posted by Miko at 1:47 PM on March 19

man, if only i could get out of work, i'd totally be there.
posted by brevator at 1:59 PM on March 19

It looks like it would be about a 3.5 - 4 hour drive each way for me (no way to take the train, I suppose?) but given that its a Saturday I find that I'm actually considering it.

I'll keep you posted.




(geez, that sounds really self-important, like me being there would make the difference for anyone. But I suppose it does matter in terms of numbers, whatnot, which is really what I mean .... I'm over thinking this, aren't I?)
posted by anastasiav at 2:13 PM on March 19

I can not remember if LH owes me a beer or I owe him one

"At the to-be-announced Western MA meetup (are you free on April 5th?) I will buy you a libation of your choice."

I have a long memory for offers of libations.
posted by languagehat at 2:22 PM on March 19

Also, please do come, Miko and anastasiav!
posted by languagehat at 2:23 PM on March 19

"geez, that sounds really self-important, like me being there would make the difference for anyone."

Well, it would make me more likely to show up, for one.

Not that I can, mind you, but it would make me more likely to.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 2:39 PM on March 19

dudes, i kind of sort of want to come too. this would involve renting a car and driving 5 hours, but i was sorta thinking of trying to get to boston this spring.
posted by loiseau at 2:50 PM on March 19

Oh man, there's a possibility I might actually be visiting family in NH that weekend. If I'm up there anyway, a two and a half hour drive for a pint or two may well be worth it.
posted by Greg Nog at 3:12 PM on March 19

"i was sorta thinking of trying to get to boston this spring."

I'm staying here with some friends, and they've got lots of room.

You could sell your paintings on the sidewalk, by a cafe where I hope to be working soon.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:15 PM on March 19 [2 favorites]

I think I might make it to this one. Anyone else from Boston going?
posted by backseatpilot at 3:17 PM on March 19

I'm going to try very, very hard to make this.
posted by Skorgu at 3:51 PM on March 19

LanguageHAAAAAT!!!
posted by Corduroy at 4:56 PM on March 19

Dang, wish I could be there. Got me all nostalgic for Northampton and Turn it Up! and Amherst and Route 9 and the Calvin Coolidge and hell all of it.
posted by wemayfreeze at 5:09 PM on March 19

Hurm. According to Google Maps, that's under two hours each way from Somerville...
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:30 PM on March 19

Yes that's right, you long distance travellers (Portland? Awesome!), Northampton is just a couple of minutes from Interstate 91 (Exit 18), and less than twenty minutes from I90 (Exit 4). You can do it!

Note to self: we may need a bigger venue!
posted by Songdog at 5:49 PM on March 19

Well, if you head north there is The People's Pint...
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:01 PM on March 19

I am also having people over for chili this weekend [unofficially, please do not call meetup on this] so if people want to hobnob with some MeFites and others in Vermont on Saturday, send me an email and I'll send details.
posted by jessamyn at 6:23 PM on March 19

Hey jessamyn, do you know a bunch of people at the mt. holyoke library? My aunt Cleo works there.
posted by vrakatar at 6:56 PM on March 19

I guess I'm in. It feels odd doing a meetup since I tend to think of myself as more of an intermittent participant than a community member, but that must be impostor syndrome, since I have more posts than the guy who initiated it.
posted by abcde at 6:59 PM on March 19

For the record, meetups are low key, often include a lot of non-Mefites, rarely focus on just retelling MeFi stories, always have a lot of interesting people, often have some introverts, involve picture taking, beer drinking, food eating and sometimes shoutout making and are usually a pretty good time. So, if you're on the fence, I'd say try it out and see. If you see the dorks at the big table at the bar and decide you don't want any part of it, you can always just walk right back out again :)
posted by jessamyn at 7:05 PM on March 19 [1 favorite]

Fucking hell.

I'm unavoidably in NYC that entire weekend. God fucking damnit. Have a good time, kids.
posted by Ryvar at 7:48 PM on March 19

Oh, man, I'm so down for this. I think I will come and represent Troy, NY ("where Henry Hudson turned around"). If anyone else wants a ride over from the Capital District, give me a holler.
posted by pmdboi at 10:04 PM on March 19

This is so close to me, I'm not sure I can justify not coming. So, if I don't chicken out.... :)
posted by rosethorn at 11:24 PM on March 19

Weather permitting. Google maps says that if I avoid the pike, I'm looking at 2.5 hrs. from Boston-ish. Could be fun to make a day of it, find some small roads in central and western MA (and maybe some dirt trails). I'll have to ask my friend who rode his 250 out to Amherst how he went.

Any other mefites plan to ride out there? Knave? Whatever happened to knave? *needs to start the MeFi motorcyclistas gang*

"This is so close to me, I'm not sure I can justify not coming. So, if I don't chicken out.... :)"

No one chicken out! I don't know anyone ever who's regretted going to a meetup.

And hey, I'll finally get to meet languagehat without stopping by his house on my way to or from Ithaca. "I don't care who you are on what website, the police are already on their way."
posted by Eideteker at 4:26 AM on March 20

I want to come. But I'll be at my parents' house in CT that weekend. Will I make the trek? Stay tuned!
posted by Plutor at 5:34 AM on March 20

2.5 hours from Boston?

Dude. I have made it to my parents' house in Albany, from Quincy, in 2.5 hours. And that's just sticking to 17.5 miles over the limit.

Oh. Avoiding the Pike. Well, that's different - do you want to do so intentionally?
posted by Ryvar at 5:39 AM on March 20

There is an art to motorcycling.
posted by Eideteker at 6:02 AM on March 20 [4 favorites]

April 5th? Too far out to make a plan, but we will see which way the wind blows. I'll try to be there and represent the Peoples Republic of Brattleboro.

I've made it from Brattleboro to Storrow Drive in 2 hours, five minutes. Did 70 mph on Route 2. Watch out for the Staties if you are driving fast off the Pike.
posted by Xurando at 8:21 AM on March 20

Damn. I really hate to miss it (been dying to meet languaghat!) but it's the same date as a close friend's big 60th birthday party in CT. I don't think it's gonna work out. I'll hope for a redo later on down the road!
posted by Miko at 8:32 AM on March 20

I'm kind of an introverted dork but if people are coming from Boston for crissakes I can drive 15 minutes. But I may be the guy who walks in and sneaks back out. That bar gets really loud, but I can't really think of a better place.
posted by Camofrog at 10:46 AM on March 20

I think I will come and represent Troy, NY

Home of the Troy Haymakers, one of my favorite obscure baseball teams! How many people in Troy are aware that it used to be a major-league city?

This is so close to me, I'm not sure I can justify not coming.

You sure can't; you live in the same town I do. We probably bump into each other at the Big Y all the time.

Miko: Say it ain't so! Can't you convince your friend to have the party up here?
posted by languagehat at 11:12 AM on March 20

We probably bump into each other at the Big Y all the time.

Ever since I discovered you live in my town, I have to admit I do wonder every time I run into a guy with a hat.
posted by rosethorn at 11:51 AM on March 20

... a guy with a hat.

That's him!
posted by Songdog at 12:16 PM on March 20

I'm the guy without the hat, by the way.
posted by Songdog at 12:17 PM on March 20

A meetup held in the very town in which I work and live? Unpossible! I will try hard to be there. And I am a semi-lurkers, abcde, and yet I went to a meetup at Jessamyn's last summer and had a lovely and not-awkward time.
posted by chowflap at 1:19 PM on March 20

Mapquest says it's 300 miles one way for me. If anyone is going down from above or near Portland, Maine, I'd chip in for gas. I don't do well with highway driving but I am excellent at reading maps (okay, that's a lie, but I am a good road trip companion). Last time I was in Amherst (2005) was for some rather dull book contract negotiation training, and I flew into Connecticut and someone else drove me. I didn't get to see much of the town and what I did see was a union-oriented entertainment venue so something else would be fun.

Also should we out-of-towners get a hotel room(s)? That would seem wise if we're gonna tear up the town.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 3:51 PM on March 20

I'm the guy without the hat, by the way.

Thanks, songdog. Now every time I see a man I'll be thinking.. is he from metafilter?!

Because graduating from Smith didn't screw my brain up enough about men! ;)
posted by rosethorn at 5:27 PM on March 20

If you see a suspicious-looking man, Rosethorn, just sidle up to him, look side to side, and whisper "flameout?" You'll know by his response whether or not it's Languagehat.
posted by loiseau at 5:46 PM on March 20

*twitches involuntarily, reaches for torch*
posted by languagehat at 5:52 PM on March 20

yay chowflap, it would be fun to see you again.
posted by jessamyn at 6:12 PM on March 20

Ok, so when you run into a guy with a hat and a torch ...
posted by Songdog at 8:57 PM on March 20

I knew I should've said something to the guy with the hat and torch in Big Y this afternoon...
posted by rosethorn at 9:24 PM on March 20

Ah, I'm not living in Northampton anymore... kinda wish I was, though.

Have fun!
posted by defenestration at 10:07 AM on March 21

Pencil me in. As I missed the meetup at Jessamyn's last summer, I doubly look forward to meeting the faces behind the usernames. Of course, no-one lives right around here (near Keene, NH) but I'd be open to giving rides w/in reason. Guaranteed sober.
posted by Hobgoblin at 10:13 AM on March 21

If my brother doesn't have a baby before then, I'll totally be there. The DT is right around the corner from my apartment. I can probably offer someone a couch to sleep on, if anyone is coming from far away.

The Dirty Truth does tend to fill up quicking on Saturday nights. We might want to find a larger venue. There are so many places within walking distance that we could easilly play it by ear and move somewhere else, if space does become an issue.

Also, this is a shameless self-link, but if anyone wants to save some money on lodging in Northampton, you can Save 30% on The Pioneer Valley Inn & Suites (a mile from downtown) by buying a discount gift certificate from my radio station. this is me. Don't hesitate to call or e-mail if you have any questions or want information about what to see/do while in Northampton.
posted by TurkishGolds at 12:26 PM on March 21

I'd be open to giving rides w/in reason. Guaranteed sober.

I might take you up on that, Hob G. — depending if I'll be on the East or West Coast that weekend (Atlantic Ocean or Lake Champlain). Planning to come visit you soon, in any case.
posted by lelilo at 12:56 PM on March 21

LELILO Let me just check your D&B rating real quick...well, that's not too encouraging. Gee, aren't you ever going to get a real job ? Hope you can make it. Might not be too huge a detour to the shores of Champlain, but B.H. is a wee bit out o' the way. Drop me a mefimail. We wouldn't have to bounce around in the truck - I've gotten myself a real automobile.
posted by Hobgoblin at 1:39 PM on March 21

Here's a photo of me and Songdog from a previous meetup; that Greek fisherman's cap is my usual around-town headgear.
posted by languagehat at 3:25 PM on March 21

Ok. I am also a semi-lurking introvert, but this is too close to NOT go to. Posting this quick to commit before the shyness convinces me to remain a read-only member. Yay! Count us in for two, as I've even convinced the gf to come with (she reserves the right to beer, much beer, if needed).
posted by spinturtle at 6:27 PM on March 21

Vermont Transit Lines has a round trip bus to and from Portland for $125 round trip. Their number is 800-552-8737 and this is the map showing their routes. I would have to leave at 8:45 am to get to Northampton at 2:45 or leave Portland 11 am to arrive 6:45. Then presumably take a taxi to Amherst? I'd get in earlier and go check in at a hotel first.

They also come from NY and Montreal.

I'm gonna go check out the hotel info posted above. This looks doable and it's not my nemesis, Greyhound.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 8:10 AM on March 22

Der I guess it's in Northampton so I won't have to get to Amherst. Color me easily confused.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 8:22 AM on March 22

Count me in, I think.
posted by drumcorpse at 9:38 AM on March 22

We're on for 6:30 PM on Saturday, April 5 at The Dirty Truth in Northampton, MA (29 Main St.), but if everyone shows up who's hoping to we may need a larger venue. We can just take this as it comes unless people need to arrive later. Any thoughts on this?
posted by Songdog at 9:20 AM on March 24

Have someone bring some blue ribbon and some tags. If the party moves on from DT, tie the ribbon to something outside the bar attached to a tag that has the time of exodus and the location moved on to. Tie another ribbon around something near the new location. If the party moves again, attach another exodus tag. Rinse and repeat!
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:19 AM on March 24

Count me in as tentative, though I've said that about more local meetups in the past and have yet to make one. It's a long ride from the Boston 'burbs but I need to get out and meet new people.

Jonathon Coulton (w/ Paul and Storm!) is playing in Northhampton that Thursday. Shame he couldn't put his show off two days.
posted by bondcliff at 1:45 PM on March 24

Songdog, I think that we should confirm and add this to the sidebar. I'd be surprised if we all couldn't squeeze around one of the larger tables at The DT, especially since it's before the Saturday night bar crowd. In the event that we do have to move, I'm sure that their very accomodating staff would be willing to relay the message to anyone who shows up late and asks for our group.

We could also try to come up with a plan B right now. The Northampton Brewery?
posted by TurkishGolds at 2:21 PM on March 24

We're on the calendar. The Brewery is on my list and may have more space, but I hear the food isn't as good. The Dirty Truth is also next to Fitzwilly's, for whatever that's worth.
posted by Songdog at 5:58 PM on March 24

I just booked a hotel so I'll be there for sure. You need at least one Maine-iac there! I second the suggestion of meeting at the original place and leaving word if we have to move. But as long as I know where to meet y'all, it's all cool with me. I'm takin' the early bus so I'll be in town by 3:00 and plan on checking out the shops/downtown after I get settled in my room.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:31 PM on March 24

My cell is 508-415-9074. People can call me if there's no one at the DT. It won't work before I leave the state, so don't call before :)
posted by jessamyn at 6:34 PM on March 24

The food at The Northampton Brewery is nowhere near as good, but they do have more space to spread out. Fitzwilly's is more of a restaurant than a bar, and probably won't be thrilled about accommodating us without advanced notice.

Another option would be The Bishop's Lounge -- right down the street on Strong Ave. They have a great back room with a bunch of couches, and a beautiful balcony. Before 9:00 we would almost certainly have the whole place to ourselves.

Anyway, I honestly think that the DT will be fine. We should just stop worrying and go enjoy their selection of a million beers.
posted by TurkishGolds at 8:10 AM on March 25

Whoops, I forgot about food. They won't have any at Bishop's. We'll be fine at The Dirty Truth. I'll stop worrying now.
posted by TurkishGolds at 8:12 AM on March 25

Sounds fun. Western Mass isn't that far from CT.
posted by smackfu at 9:43 AM on March 25

Thanks, Jessamyn, I wrote it down and stuck it in my wallet for when I get there, just in case. I'll leave the rest up to the locals (and maybe someday you all can come up here and we'll show you around, I missed the last Portland meetup but it sounded like fun). We could do a picnic at one of the state parks -- I seem to remember someone from here mentioning a summer "do" in Old Orchard area in July. This is really cool after 20+ years in the Midwest, I forgot how close everything is out here. And of course, the nice people. And the grinders. And all the cool old buildings. I do stay away from Route 1 in the summer tho'.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 11:49 AM on March 25

Hmmmmm! How did I miss this thread? Mark me as "tentative."
posted by not_on_display at 3:41 PM on March 26

Oh man, I was just on the lookout for a flimsy excuse to go visit the Happy Valley. Goddamn, am I gonna try to be there.
posted by Kattullus at 9:08 AM on March 27

Mark me as a definite. I am coming up from Suffield, CT and can give rides from most anywhere. I'm a teetotaler and spent much of my time in the Pioneer Valley, thus making me a super reliable designated driver who won't get entirely lost! Contact me via the email in my profile if you are interested in a ride.
posted by sequential at 11:11 AM on March 31

Mark me as a probably not. The logistics were going to be a challenge as-is, and despite my desire to meet languagehat and the western-Mass-ers, the promise of Mathowie and Jessamyn in Boston in a couple weeks has dulled the imperative somewhat. Sorry, folks.
posted by Plutor at 12:32 PM on March 31

In honor of missing this opportunity to meet langauge hat, I have apparently disavowed all knowledge of English grammar.
posted by Plutor at 12:34 PM on March 31

*handface*
posted by Plutor at 12:35 PM on March 31

I will indeed be up in NH that weekend, so if I can borrow a family member's car, I will be there.
posted by Greg Nog at 1:23 PM on March 31

I'm boggled that MeFi's grown big enough to make a meetup in my neck of the woods plausible... and of course it has to happen when I'm out of town and won't be able to make it.

Sigh.

(thanks for the memail, songdog; I'd have missed this announcement entirely otherwise)
posted by ook at 6:50 AM on April 1

jessamyn should call TPS and link the two meetups together; it'd be like an old-style d-dial or something.
posted by not_on_display at 7:58 PM on April 1

I suppose we could try and get video chat running between the two meetups ...
posted by Songdog at 8:53 PM on April 1

"Who said that?" "The guy behind the plate of fries?" "Those are fries?" "What'd he say?" "Pony request to turn the speaker up!" "They look like sweet potato fries." ...moan
posted by not_on_display at 9:42 PM on April 1

Current forecast for North Ampton on Saturday.

So there's a 40% chance of me showing up wet. Anyone want to bring a towel? Or at least 40% of a towel?
posted by Eideteker at 6:36 AM on April 2

Eidetaker,

I may be driving from the 'burbs. If you need a dry ride, drop me an MeMail. I don't know how late I'll be staying though, since it's a long ride home. This offer is open to anyone (up to 3 people) who is coming from the 'burbs along the Pike.
posted by bondcliff at 8:02 AM on April 2

I have a rehearsal that overlaps - will you likely to still be there at 9:00?
posted by plinth at 1:17 PM on April 2

I'll still be there at 9:00, I'm stayin' overnight. And I bought me a rain jacket t'other day and I'm bringin' my LL Bean rain hat, ayup (to support LanguageHat in his hatness). If ya don't like the weathah, just wait a minute. I also got a wicked deal from Concord bus lines instead of Vermont so I'll be in town at 1:00ish on Saturday. MeMail me if you want my cell number.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 2:33 PM on April 2

FYI - I had a conversation with someone this evening about The Dirty Truth and she mentioned that the plumbing in the women's was not really functioning and the men's room was revolting.
posted by plinth at 8:32 PM on April 2

So the bar is eponysterical, then?
posted by not_on_display at 8:41 PM on April 2

Western Mass Meetup,

We are monitoring your activities.

We shall not disclose whether PBR will or will not improve your rankings in The List.
posted by the Cabal at 5:58 AM on April 3 [1 favorite]

Hrm, are we changing the venue then?
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 12:57 PM on April 3

I was just at the Dirty Truth last weekend, and while figuring out how to flush the toilet in the women's bathroom after I'd had a few was quite funny, the plumbing does work. It just takes a moment of staring at the toilet looking for the flusher before you realize there's a sign on top of/in the tank that says 'push me'.
posted by rosethorn at 5:47 PM on April 3

Thanks, Rosethorn. I have been relieved (heh) of my anxiety. Nuthin' worse than a non-flushing or overflowing hopper.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 5:56 PM on April 3

Thanks, plinth, for the good warning, and rosethorn for following up. I've not had to use either of the bathrooms and was trying to devise a circumstance by which to resolve the matter as a precautionary measure before Saturday.
posted by Songdog at 8:08 PM on April 3

The bathrooms at The DT may be a little bit weird, and the line is often longer that you'd like, but it's not a trashy dive, by any means. I am definitely going to attend, and I may come with a few lurkers in tow. I scoped out The DT a few days ago with the meetup in mind, and I think that it'd be ideal if we could get the big table closest to the front window. It's a busy bar, and that's the best table, so I don't know how likely that will be. I'd offer to show up early, but I'll be busy until at least 6 or 6:30.

I don't know how late these meetups typically go, but if anyone is interested in some great old-timey music, local heroes Rusty Belle are playing right around the corner for $5 starting at 10. It's a small club that's likely to be packed, but that could add to the fun.

I live literally right around the corner from The Dirty Truth and downtown. If anyone is coming to town and I can be of assistance in any way, please don't hesitate to MeMail me for my number.

Also, something to consider that no one has mentioned is that The Dirty Truth serves beer and wine only (well, food too). If any of you are going with a hankering for a cocktail, you will be out of luck.
posted by TurkishGolds at 7:02 AM on April 4

I've not found the bathroom to be gross per se, but it's a little bit strange that they haven't fixed the women's room toilet yet (it works, but you have to manually make it flush by pushing on something in the open, exposed tank). Also, I believe the sink in there only has HOT water. (The interior design is very fancy, so these dive bar-ish touches are strange. Don't know what's up with that.) But! Their beer selection is unparalleled, and the food is great. Don't be scared away!
posted by chowflap at 7:53 AM on April 4

So, to confirm, it's 18:30 Saturday (tomorrow) at The Dirty Truth in Northampton, MA?
posted by Eideteker at 9:20 AM on April 4

Correct, and Jessamyn offered her phone number up above in case you get there later and we've moved on.
posted by Songdog at 9:52 AM on April 4

Correct. Confirmed.

Oh my god, I just remembered one more potentially crucial detail that no one has mentioned. THE DIRTY TRUTH DOESN'T REALLY HAVE A SIGN. Well, it does, but it's the size of a coaster. If you're on foot, you'll realize that you're walking by a bar, if you're in a car, you probably won't. It's located directly between La Veracruzana and Fitzwilly's, both of which can't be missed.

Is this the kind of logistical info that someone should try to e-mail to everyone, or we'll just count on people figuring it out?

I look forward to meeting you all!
posted by TurkishGolds at 10:03 AM on April 4

I and spidernoise might make it, but it depends on everything going right tomorrow. Probably will be late, so don't break up unused chairs for kindling.
posted by Kattullus at 10:10 AM on April 4

Just for head count purposes, I may not be able to go, depending on how willing I am to cut into what turns out to be a badly needed block of Spanish homework (test on Monday). Call it a 50-50 chance.
posted by abcde at 9:39 PM on April 4

The big table right in front would be great; if any of us get there on the early side let's try to stake a claim, or at least a foothold, and congregate there. See you tonight!
posted by Songdog at 6:58 AM on April 5

I'm leaving Troy, NY right about now, so I'll be in Northampton around 3:30 PM. If anyone wants to go bookstore-hopping with me before the big meetup, give me a call at [phone].

Looking forward to seeing you all! :)
posted by pmdboi at 10:28 AM on April 5

I'm in South Hadley on my way into class meeting up with Songdog in Amherst maybe 5:30-ish. Will keep you all posted!
posted by jessamyn at 11:30 AM on April 5

I'll be there for sure, probably by 6:30 or so.
posted by bondcliff at 11:47 AM on April 5

Oh poop, I'm not gonna make it. Have fun!
posted by Kattullus at 2:26 PM on April 5

UPDATE: the cake is not a lie. Free cake from the Dirty Truth, because Metafilter is so awesome.
posted by drumcorpse at 7:25 PM on April 5

Hot dang! I missed out on cake? Cake?!
posted by Kattullus at 8:14 PM on April 5

Whoa, I left before cake? Darn.

Home safe, for all those concerned. This was one of my favorite meetups so far. Despite the noise, I feel like I got that perfect talk:listen ratio tonight. And I had several really nice, well-connecting conversations all around the table. If you showed up, pat yourself on the back, because you helped make an awesome meetup.
posted by Eideteker at 8:52 PM on April 5

It was way fun. There was "free" cake, yes. I can't wait to see pictures. Thanks, everyone, for coming to Northampton and making it awesome. It was so nice to meet so many cool people.
posted by TurkishGolds at 12:15 AM on April 6

Yes, that was so freakin' awesome. I wished I had more time to talk to all of you. There was a lot of people there, hrm?

And a MeFi first?: I met a fellow MeFite (forgive my name-forgetting, I can't wait to see the pics, too.) who not only has the same first name but also the same birthday as me, same year an' everything! doo-doo-doo-doo (that's the Twilight Zone theme)

Metafilter: [insert something uplifting here]
posted by not_on_display at 12:48 AM on April 6

Man, y'all were keen people. I'm sorry I had to leave as soon as I did.

Also, those were some of the cleanest bathrooms I ever did see in a bar. The ladies' room had roses in it! The men's room had scalding hot water! Fragrance and sterilization, fragrance and sterilization.

It was lovely to meet you all!
posted by Greg Nog at 4:25 AM on April 6

I enjoyed the meetup quite a bit and was very happy to put some faces to names. In retrospect, perhaps it was not politic to loose an f-bomb to jessamyn shortly after meeting her, but at least I lent a sense of balance to the evening by flipping her off shortly before I had to leave.

I'm looking forward to photos.
posted by plinth at 5:42 AM on April 6

Now that I'm sorta awake, a few notes:

languagehat called me an old school user, so I guess I've "arrived".
plinth, while not an exact duplicate, could be amberglow's brother
jessamyn said to me: "I forgot you're wicked smart!" which, I guess, is the way I prefer things; smart, but not the kind to smack you in the mouth with his brain penis.

And, of course, the 411 on MetaChat-user IRC (not an official MetaChat IRC channel).
posted by Eideteker at 6:08 AM on April 6

What, no photos yet? Damn, I'm 56 years old, got home at 2 AM, and here I am posting in MetaTalk before 9:30 the next morning. You young squirts who took all those pictures (this has got to be the best-documented meetup in the history of MetaFilter) should have them all online and labeled by now. WAKE UP!!

I'm pretty sure that was the best meetup I've been to; the only drawback was the overloud music—I'm still hoarse from hollering. I met a bunch of great people (and had a great burger and beer), and I wasn't even the oldest—there were two guys older than me, and I got to discuss my beloved 1960 Senators (his beloved 1961 Twins) with one and Thelonious Monk with the other. I was privileged to hear Eideteker talk about the advances being made in knowledge of dreams, memory, and real psychology (as opposed to the Freudian stuff) and I talked dive bars with TurkishGolds; I showed off my curses book and got to see Jessamyn's admin view (the admins actually do know when you are sleeping! They know when you're awake! They know when you've been bad or good, so be good, for goodness' sake!). I look forward to doing it again, though I may try to get the diehards out of the bar before the manager starts glaring and looking meaningfully at the door next time.

And those of you who should have been there but weren't (rosethorn, Kattullus, I'm looking at you!)... tsk, tsk. Next time I'll send the posse after you.
posted by languagehat at 6:48 AM on April 6

It was great to meet you all. I'm glad I picked Northampton to pop my meetup cherry. My only regret is not getting a chance to talk to everyone. It was a much larger group than I expected and it was pretty loud in there. Some observations:

As he mentioned, not_on_display and I were born mere hours apart. Very strange indeed.

Jessamyn is just the sort of person an introvert like myself needs at a meetup. Very friendly. She called me a "generic dude", which believe it or not I took as a compliment. She's also quite the cartographer.

I felt like Bradjolina what with all the freaking flashes goin' off. I'm still seeing spots.

I didn't get any cake. I did, however, get about eight pounds of fish and chips wrapped in butcher's paper.

Consensus is the April fools prank worked. Perhaps too well.

All in all a good time. Thanks everyone!
posted by bondcliff at 6:56 AM on April 6

Oh, I almost forgot, extra special thanks to Songdog for putting it all together.
posted by bondcliff at 7:02 AM on April 6

languagehat: And those of you who should have been there but weren't (rosethorn, Kattullus, I'm looking at you!)... tsk, tsk. Next time I'll send the posse after you.

I tried, but the Christians kept spidernoise and me from leaving Providence! They seriously need to learn some rudimentary soundwork. No wonder the lions always won.
posted by Kattullus at 7:10 AM on April 6

bondcliff and not_on_display have exactly the same birthday! Not onyl born hours apart but likely miles apart too (well it's all miles, but tens of miles not hundreds, we think)

I had a super good time but I too am just dragging myself out of bed (and I'm staying with friends from college so I'm catching up on how the White Privilege conference went before grabbing the laptop) so photos will wait a bit. I hope someone took photos of my awesome map. We had MeFites who were born in all decades from the 40s to the 80s and every single person there was fun to talk to and had some wacky stories to tell about something! I think we had folks from NY, VT, ME, NH, CT and MA, so sorry you guys could come up from RI and represent, Kattulus.

Thanks to Songdog for driving me and languagehat around and everyone else for showing up from all over the place. I love going to big meetups with nerds who know how to do math because you're never stuck with some huge bill as everyone scratches their head unable to figure out who owes what. Such a pleasure.
posted by jessamyn at 7:58 AM on April 6

I'm gonna be hoarse for days from shouting over the general din (Gunga Din's nephew). There were enough of just us Metafilterians to have been too loud even if we'd been the only people there. So I now have high expectations for future meetups. Even The Dirty Truth seemed like the perfect venue - big table right at the front window, very friendly and accomodating waitstaff, good food & drink, just a wee bit too loud for me to hear all the good things you folks were talking about.
On the way back up Rt 91, Richard and I figured there had been 15 of us, not counting the friendly lurker fellow, who was really there with his girlfriend celebrating something, who introduced himself early on.
Truly great to talk a bit with The Hat and Jess and not_on_display and everybody else and looking forward to being able to connect with the one's I missed this time.
I really wish I'd been able to hear what Eideteker was talking about, but - another time. This is the most verbose I've ever been on The Blue, Gray or Green.
posted by Hobgoblin at 8:49 AM on April 6

STILL no photos?! All mine are dark, or of the bathroom.
posted by jessamyn at 12:16 PM on April 6

Sorry, LH, I completely chickened out. But if it was that well attended, perhaps we should have another one soon, yes? Though I'm a bit bummed I missed out on the opportunity to meet jessamyn!
posted by rosethorn at 12:22 PM on April 6

Here are my photos!
posted by Songdog at 12:27 PM on April 6

Great pix! I like the way you brought out my triangularity. (In that picture, she had just asked me to name a random MeFite and then hit the BAN button.)
posted by languagehat at 1:11 PM on April 6

I'm just pleased that you did, in fact, wear a hat.

And jess, thanks for the completely surprising shoutout!
posted by yhbc at 1:26 PM on April 6

...and I finally put some photos online. I got there a little late and did a lot of lurking (just like I do on the site! wow!) so I only caught about two-thirds of your usernames. You all could add notes if you want, that would be swell. Now where's sequential?
posted by drumcorpse at 2:24 PM on April 6

I finally put some photos online

Dude...
posted by languagehat at 2:56 PM on April 6

Eideteker: "If you showed up, pat yourself on the back, because you helped make an awesome meetup."

(I didn't show up. Did that help make it an awesome meetup?)

It looks like a very respectable good time. Or maybe that's the slick professionalism visible in drumcorpse's black and white square photos that's making me think that. Sorry I missed out. Hopefully the tentative roflcon-weekend meetup will become less tentative, soon.
posted by Plutor at 2:59 PM on April 6

...dude?
posted by drumcorpse at 3:02 PM on April 6

...dude?

Did you try, you know, clicking on your link? But that's OK, Plutor found them, and they're great, I'm going to make this one my profile photo if I can figure out how.
posted by languagehat at 3:26 PM on April 6

Couldn't upload your file. Please go back and make sure the file you're uploading is a JPG, GIF, or PNG.

Bah. I suck at computers.
posted by languagehat at 3:31 PM on April 6

Did you try, you know, clicking on your link?

Weird, I just cut and pasted my link from flickr. I guess that's what I get for not previewing. Thanks to Plutor for linking them correctly.

...It looks like a very respectable good time...

Don't be fooled. languagehat intimidated the waitstaff and demanded free cake, jessamyn got drunk and kicked songdog's ass, Eideteker popped a wheelie and smashed through the plateglass windows at the front of the bar, and I think somebody insulted a puppy.
posted by drumcorpse at 3:46 PM on April 6 [1 favorite]

Yeah, someone apologize to that Shih Tzu for me. I said a few things that were maybe a little uncalled for.

Those are some kick-ass photos, though!
posted by Greg Nog at 4:29 PM on April 6

languagehat intimidated the waitstaff and demanded free cake, jessamyn got drunk and kicked songdog's ass, Eideteker popped a wheelie and smashed through the plateglass windows at the front of the bar, and I think somebody insulted a puppy.

I had to leave at 9:00 and it looks like I missed the cake and all the real fun. Anyway, thanx to everyone for the great time. BTW languagehat was the fourth (not third) oldest MeFite.
posted by Xurando at 5:01 PM on April 6

Hi, Xurando! Too bad you had to leave, but I'm glad you could make it.

And thanks to songdog's invaluable technical assistance, my userpage photo is now actually of me. Thanks, songdog and drumcorpse!
posted by languagehat at 5:37 PM on April 6

Awesome time!

I just got back to Portland a little while ago. I almost didn't make it onto the bus from Northampton (too many people, not enough seats). Layover at South Station in Boston, yada-yada-yada. But hey, I got to see the Bee Movie twice on Concord bus lines (Jessamyn, that link's for you so you'll know what I'm talkin' about).

Note that I took pictures of people taking pictures of my steak! I can't wait to see Sequential's pics.

You all are great people and I had a wonderful time. I also have a bunch of pics of downtown Northampton, that I took this morning, if anyone's interested, as well as the room at the Hotel Northampton (taken before I messed it up).

I am very travel-weary, so if anyone needs me to put labels on pics I'll do it tomorrow.

Great to meet you all.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:12 PM on April 6

Greg Nog: ...Shih Tzu...
Gesundheit!

I musta had more beers than I thought, because abcde looked much more attractive to me than this.
posted by not_on_display at 6:54 PM on April 6

not_on_display: I musta had more beers than I thought, because abcde looked much more attractive to me than this.

Terrifying.

I'm jealous of y'all!
posted by loiseau at 7:09 PM on April 6

I musta had more beers than I thought...

abcde asked very politely, and seemed a little let down when sequential said his face-obscuring skills would be more "MS-Paint, Perez Hilton" style.
posted by drumcorpse at 7:15 PM on April 6

I had a great time! I was very glad that so many people attended. When I first walked up to the bar, there was an ambulance and a cop car out front. I thought for a second that perhaps some angry banned member had taken a shot at Jessamyn, but happily that was not the case.

A sign of how awesome everyone is: when we counted up the amount of money everyone had thrown in for the check, we were way over (the long-suffering, free-cake-bestowing waiter got the "extra").

Next time I'll bring one of these -- the Dirty Truth is super-loud (and my ears are old and wrecked by the rock and roll musics).

Woo-hoo Metafilter!
posted by chowflap at 7:43 PM on April 6

Awesome meetup on many levels. Everyone was great. For some reason, everyone I ended up talking to at length was a fellow coder--a couple of lines of Lisp written on a coaster seemed enough to draw us all to one corner.

Incidentally, though I thought I was originating the gang sign, apparently the same one was already around (and stolen by MoFi) as early as 2005. Glad to help it along, though.

(I'll freely identify myself as the Nolte-disguised one; I just didn't want the only pictures of me on Flickr to be comically scruffy ones an hour after a week in bed with the second-worst cold of my life.)
posted by abcde at 7:58 PM on April 6

A sign of how awesome everyone is: when we counted up the amount of money everyone had thrown in for the check, we were way over

Going out with people who have jobs and can do math is terrific. I wound up only uploading four photos and two of them are from the men's room.

Has anyone heard from sequential? He has more good photos (and many of the shoutouts, I think).
posted by jessamyn at 8:02 PM on April 6

I just finished uploading 300 mb of photos. I didn't finish editing everything, adding tags, or even properly identifying most people, but feel free to check them out.
posted by sequential at 8:16 PM on April 6

drumcorpse: On the contrary, as I told sequential, bad photoshops are at least as funny as good ones--but yours is so good as to be uncanny and thus better still.
posted by abcde at 8:17 PM on April 6

sequential, you've hit the motherlode! A veritable pile of photographs!
Mine are all tagged up now, much thanks to songdog for the help.
posted by drumcorpse at 10:15 PM on April 6

Great meetup! I had a lot of fun. Sorry I had to skip out early (I missed the cake!). Thanks especially to Songdog for pulling the whole thing together.
posted by pmdboi at 11:44 PM on April 6

Sequential, holy cow! Awesome pics! I love the ones of the funky clock too.

Hey if we all wore shirts like Songdog's at meet-ups, people would think we were from a softball team called "Metafilter." His shirt was way cool. Thanks so much for organizing this, Songdog!

Also, it was interesting that there was a guy who came up to us and asked what we were doing and he turned out to be a long-time Metafilter reader.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 3:05 AM on April 7

There are some nice photos up - thanks to those with the wherewithal to take them and post. Songdog - you win the prize for taking the least unattractive picture of me in years. Drumcorpse - remember that woman in the black and white striped top who was asking you about the group? She was totally flirting with you.

Again, it was a lot of fun to meet and geek out a bit.
posted by plinth at 7:04 AM on April 7

sequential, you've hit the motherlode! A veritable pile of photographs!

So where are they?? Christ, this thread is conspiring to make me feel like a cretin.

[NOT CRETINIST]
posted by languagehat at 12:09 PM on April 7

Pssst, Languagehat, look in the "photos" sidebar at the top of the thread.
posted by bondcliff at 12:48 PM on April 7

Pssst, Languagehat, look in the "photos" sidebar at the top of the thread.

D'oh! Thanks.
posted by languagehat at 1:41 PM on April 7

It's pretty understandable why it took him a bit longer. Some jerk stabbed his camera with the business end of a lacrosse stick, and he had to carefully pry it out.
posted by CKmtl at 2:35 PM on April 7

Thanks to everyone who came! It was great to meet you all, and I'm really enjoying the fun and fantastic pictures that people have shared. I hope it won't be too long until the next meetup 'round these parts, and that those who couldn't come on Saturday can make the next one.
posted by Songdog at 7:07 PM on April 8

Sorry for the delay, folks — I was wandering New England, also settling my dad (age 94 next month) temporarily into a nursing home. But here are some more photos from the event.

For those of you who weren’t there — remember, we are not the beautiful people photographed in LA and NYC by DaShiv. Just a bunch of ragged New Englanders at the end of a long (very long) winter.
posted by lelilo at 3:29 PM on April 11

Too bad these photos aren't in smell-o-vision!

mmmm, herbal essence beer... droooool
posted by not_on_display at 8:23 PM on April 11

Thanks, lelilo! (Damn, that was a good burger...)
posted by languagehat at 5:35 AM on April 12

Oh, keen! And, once again, my eyes are closed.

I don't know if you guys knew this, but keeping your eyes closed all the time is the new black.
posted by Greg Nog at 9:35 AM on April 12

You managed to take a picture of me where I don't look like an expressionless dork. Who knew all along the secret was purple?
posted by bondcliff at 12:34 PM on April 16

Hey, bondcliff, there aren't any dorks at a MeFi meetup (at least not in New England). We're all deeply interesting, truly fascinating folks (albeit occasionally expressionless perhaps due to the long winter).

You look good in all the colors, but that Dirty Truth place only had enough available light for purple.
posted by lelilo at 9:48 PM on April 17