One last round for 2008

December 7, 2008 5:58 PM

Boston, it's been too long. Is anyone down for one last 2008 meetup?

Was thinking it might be fun to come in from the cold and hang out one last time - after a year with some excellent Boston meetups - before Christmas blows us to all four corners.

When: tentatively the evening of December 17th, also known as next Wednesday. But subject to change based upon everybody's availability.

Where: Cambridge, presumably - I have no particular venue in mind.

posted by Ryvar to MetaFilter gatherings at 5:58 PM (93 comments total)

Added to the list of venue requirements: somewhere warm. There is snow on my car.
posted by Ryvar at 6:00 PM on December 7, 2008

I'll can be there on the 17th. By then I'll have finished 3 of 4 exams and I'll be ready to get away from MIT for a few hours. The Trident was a good meetup place last time, but I'd also be all for somewhere in Cambridge.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 6:18 PM on December 7, 2008

Suggestion: Fire & Ice in Harvard Square? Make your own stir fry, very good food.
posted by Melismata at 6:18 PM on December 7, 2008

I would probably come to this. The 17th sounds fine. I will probably take an exam on the 18th, though, so earlier and less ruinous options would be better for me.

I haven't been to Fire & Ice in many years (oddly!), but I have fond memories.
posted by grobstein at 6:22 PM on December 7, 2008

earlier and less ruinous options would be better for me.

Pretty opaque, huh? I meant, I'd prefer the meetup start earlier in the evening and not give me a hangover.
posted by grobstein at 6:37 PM on December 7, 2008

What is with my meetup luck? It seems conflicts always prevent me from making them...and there's another conflict on the 17th. Have a great time!
posted by Miko at 7:03 PM on December 7, 2008

Yes.
posted by danb at 7:31 PM on December 7, 2008

Fire and Ice @ 8PM sound good?
posted by Ryvar at 8:46 PM on December 7, 2008

Is it possible to come late? I often don't get off work until 9.
posted by nat at 9:08 PM on December 7, 2008

Friday the 19th? I just won't be getting into Boston till after 9 or 10pm on wends.
posted by filmgeek at 10:28 PM on December 7, 2008

Hey, I'll be back in Boston just in time for this. Fire & Ice sounds good. Count me in.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 11:02 PM on December 7, 2008

Okay, calling it at the Cambridge Fire & Ice @ 8PM on December 17th. Be there or be square.

nat: I think most of us would probably be splitting off anywhere between 10 or 11PM

Filmgeek: 19th conflicts with student schedules, and that evening's when I head over to my folks for Christmas week. Sorry, dude :(

Plutor: where are you, man?
posted by Ryvar at 2:00 AM on December 8, 2008

There's a 50/50 chance I'll be there. Wednesday night is rough, but I'll do my best.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:16 AM on December 8, 2008

Wed is bad for me. Oh, it's already been decided. =(

I will miss the chance to meet another (local) Nat. For this, I say the damn.
posted by Eideteker at 4:35 AM on December 8, 2008

I think I can make this.
posted by backseatpilot at 5:28 AM on December 8, 2008

Here I be!

Fire and Ice, good call. In this weather, anywhere within spitting distance of the red line is fine by me. I'm in, and if I play my cards right, maybe Mrs. Plutor will join us.
posted by Plutor at 5:28 AM on December 8, 2008

I'm in.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 6:28 AM on December 8, 2008

want to come. will try.
posted by lunit at 6:48 AM on December 8, 2008

Horace and I should be there!
posted by DiscourseMarker at 9:28 AM on December 8, 2008

Sorry, I'm usually busy Wednesdays.
posted by mkb at 9:45 AM on December 8, 2008

I would really love to attend this, as all-you-can-eat Mongolian-esque barbecue plus Internet friends-you-haven't-met plus blue drinks served in glasses the size of your head always equals a darn good time.

Unfortunately, Wednesday nights this month I'm running rehearsals for a group performing at First Night (at the Orpheum an' everything!) and I think my cast would notice if I didn't show up.

But definitely toast with something blue for those of us on the Blue who can't make it.
posted by Spatch at 10:58 AM on December 8, 2008

new baby. can't make it!
posted by Mayor Curley at 11:55 AM on December 8, 2008

I'll be there with bells on.

(Though I'll miss Spatch.)
posted by pxe2000 at 12:15 PM on December 8, 2008

::confused::

Should I put bells on?
posted by grobstein at 12:32 PM on December 8, 2008

I would like to come; I haven't made it to any meetups yet and it would be great to meet some of you. Not sure if Wednesday will work yet, but count me as a maybe!
posted by cider at 1:35 PM on December 8, 2008

I want to do this thing; will have to see --
posted by Countess Elena at 6:16 PM on December 8, 2008

boo: I have class Wednesday nights
yay: in the building right across the street from Fire & Ice

Put me down as another maybe, after 9:30, although given my recent run of meeting MeFites and other internet celebrities on Mass Ave (three in the last three days!), it kind of feels like all-meetups-all-the-time around here already.
posted by nonane at 6:22 PM on December 8, 2008

Yes/Likely:
Ryvar
martin X
Melismata
DanB
DiscourseMarker
Horace Rumpole
grapefruitmoon
Plutor
pxe2000

Maybe:
grobstein
backseatpilot
lunit
cider
Countess Elena

Later Maybe:
nat
nonane

I called ahead and talked to the host - Wednesdays are usually dead but we have a reservation for 5 people under the name "Justin" (5 because they require most of a group to be present before seating a reservation) - they'll let us scale that up to 15 people as needed.
posted by Ryvar at 7:02 PM on December 8, 2008

I'll be there.
posted by brett at 7:22 PM on December 8, 2008

Ryvar you are teh hawesome!
posted by DiscourseMarker at 7:37 PM on December 8, 2008

Put me down for 'yes' if you need to do another census for any reason.
posted by grobstein at 7:53 PM on December 8, 2008

Oh shi-

IT IS TOO LATE. NOW YOU WILL BE LOCKED OUT FOREVER IN THE COLD MAKING SAD PUPPY-DOG FACES AT THE REST OF US, GROBSTEIN.
posted by Ryvar at 10:01 PM on December 8, 2008

Possibly. Maybe. Perhaps. Perchance.
posted by initapplette at 10:10 PM on December 8, 2008

I've only been once, but if I remember correctly, there's a glass door out to a patio-type area on the lower level. So if we get seated there, people actually could make puppy-dog faces at us.
posted by brett at 5:52 AM on December 9, 2008

I think it might be too cold? But you're remembering right, there's a tiny courtyard that faces up into the walkway between Church St. and the Gap.
posted by grobstein at 10:30 AM on December 9, 2008

Put me down as a maybe.
posted by bondcliff at 11:49 AM on December 9, 2008

I will try to be there. If so, I will be answering trivia questions, because that's what I have become used to doing at meetups.
posted by not_on_display at 12:40 PM on December 9, 2008

Perhaps. Just committed to being at a thing in Boston at 7p for a little while, so I may be able to jet up to Cambridge on the middle-later end of things. Hubby might also attend.
posted by blue andrea at 1:13 PM on December 9, 2008

Man I love burgers from Fire & Ice. I know that is a lame thing to like from that place but they are great on account of how they pick up the flavorings of the other dishes.
posted by danb at 10:01 PM on December 10, 2008

Ok, you can move me from "maybe" to "as long as I recover from this head cold in time." Lucky thing the girlfriend and I decided to celebrate the end of her semester on Friday instead of Wednesday...

Although, if they have anything particularly spicy/potent (I've never been there), I may come even if I'm still congested. Maybe it'll clear up my sinuses.
posted by backseatpilot at 7:32 AM on December 11, 2008

Put giraffe and I down as "maybe". It seems like fun, but we're not the most out-going, meet-new-people sort of folks, and on a Wednesday no less. Hopefully we'll psyche ourselves up for going out.
posted by explosion at 9:41 AM on December 11, 2008

Got room for one more?
posted by xbonesgt at 12:28 PM on December 11, 2008

I'd like to be put as a maybe - but at this point it looks like there might be a wait list...
posted by moxiedoll at 5:18 PM on December 11, 2008

Sorry, that was poor wording on my part" the host didn't say we could *only* scale up to 15 - I had just named that as our likely upper bound because, at the time, it was, and he said they could probably handle that as long as we didn't need to all be part of the same service/bill/etc.

I got the impression Weds. night especially this close to the holidays is dead for them, so if everybody just shows up and we run with it I think it'll all work out. If it doesn't, we're all (or at least a few of us are) adults, so we can roll with it.

But yeah, moxie, c'mon over and we'll have a good solid love/hate-fest over The City of Presidents.
posted by Ryvar at 12:53 AM on December 12, 2008

*rereads comment*

Okay, I should not post when sufficiently sleep-deprived as to be indistinguishable from intoxicated. But I think you get my point. Come, have fun, at the worst we'll have An Adventure.
posted by Ryvar at 12:55 AM on December 12, 2008

My Wednesday meeting next week just got cancelled, so I should be there *on time*. See y'all then.
posted by nat at 7:53 AM on December 12, 2008

There is definitely always more room at meetups. And giraffe and explosion, don't worry, most of the people at the meetup aren't usually out-going meet-new-people sort of folks.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 7:54 AM on December 12, 2008

most of the people at the meetup aren't usually out-going meet-new-people sort of folks.

Except for me. I'm almost criminally out-going. Srsly.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 6:34 PM on December 13, 2008

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to make it after all -- turns out it bumps up against my work's holiday party. Sorry to miss you! Hope to meet some of you in 2009.
posted by cider at 6:43 AM on December 15, 2008

Crap, I'm going to have to pull out as well. I'm not very good at following through on these meetup things. Enjoy Fire and Ice, I love that place.
posted by Plutor at 6:52 AM on December 15, 2008

Boooo!
posted by Ryvar at 8:35 AM on December 15, 2008

:'(
posted by Plutor at 10:26 AM on December 15, 2008

I should be able to make it!
posted by Schmucko at 7:19 PM on December 15, 2008

I'm pretty sure at this point that Plutor doesn't actually exist.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 9:01 PM on December 15, 2008

Man, Discourse, I hope you don't make existentialist comments like that in public.
posted by Ryvar at 8:53 AM on December 16, 2008

Ceci n'est pas une Plutor
posted by Plutor at 12:07 PM on December 16, 2008

Yeah, I can't make it either. Maybe next time. Have fun!
posted by lunit at 8:35 PM on December 16, 2008

I've been having some bad luck with my brain, I'm gonna have to skip this one :(
posted by grapefruitmoon at 3:50 AM on December 17, 2008

Can't make it...perhaps we can meet again during the January doldrums?
posted by emd3737 at 11:57 AM on December 17, 2008

geez. anyone else still planning to go?
posted by xbonesgt at 12:12 PM on December 17, 2008

"Well, I'll be there," he said haughtily.
posted by not_on_display at 1:13 PM on December 17, 2008

We're still going! You all better show up, or else I will have stayed at work late for no reason.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 1:13 PM on December 17, 2008

"Well, I'll be there," he said haughtily.

Does Matt have a characteristic way of saying things?

Oh, sorry, haughtily.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 1:15 PM on December 17, 2008

I'm feeling better, so I'll be there! I think I have a sinus infection now, though. I hope they use paper napkins. I also have an eye appointment right before, so I may also be dilated and blind. Should be fun!
posted by backseatpilot at 1:17 PM on December 17, 2008

I think we've still got 10 confirmed and another 8 maybes. Should be enough people to have fun. I'm leaving work soonish.
posted by Ryvar at 3:06 PM on December 17, 2008

getting there a little before 8pm... I'll be the tall dude in jeans and a black sweater looking all lost and confused.
posted by xbonesgt at 3:16 PM on December 17, 2008

Don't worry xbonesgt, I should be easy to spot. At least once I take my sweater off. I'm not walking around outside in a t-shirt today.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 3:57 PM on December 17, 2008

If ANYONE is reading this..I'll be @ my hotel by 10...if you're staying, leave a message in the thread, and I'll come by.
posted by filmgeek at 6:00 PM on December 17, 2008

Huzzah!
posted by grobstein at 8:20 PM on December 17, 2008

That was fun but I wish we had gotten a chance to talk about video games.
posted by danb at 8:37 PM on December 17, 2008

Yeah, well, there's always next time :P

Huge, huge props to Melismata - that was an incredibly great venue suggestion. WTG.
posted by Ryvar at 9:05 PM on December 17, 2008

ha!

it was indeed fun. Good to meet some new people and finally put faces to some familiar names. Thanks y'all!
posted by xbonesgt at 9:08 PM on December 17, 2008

A great time!! Thanks Ryvar. Nice to meet you, xbonesgt, and others.
posted by Melismata at 9:27 PM on December 17, 2008

Weeeee! Great fun, thanks for organizing and/or showing up.

I think next time we should be adventurous and discuss other sorts of games... Board games, word games, reindeer games...
posted by nat at 9:59 PM on December 17, 2008

Agreed!

Next time: one (or some multiple thereof) of us should bring Scrabble.
posted by Ryvar at 10:56 PM on December 17, 2008

It was fun to see you all and to meet the ppl I hadn't met before, even with the gauzey veneer of robitussin and guinness shrouding my ability to converse coherently.

I think we definitely should set a meetup at the Sunday Blues Jam at Johnny D's sometime.

And that someone should bring a kickball, and we can all play four-square. Scrabble would be too difficult among 15 people!
posted by not_on_display at 4:44 AM on December 18, 2008

I'll see what I can do about posting photos later this weekend. If I'm as diligent as I was with the ABQ meetup, they'll be up by spring.

Totally down for some blues jamming late January. I'm heading to Boston's Little Cousin (aka NYC) for a weekend in the middle of the month, but any other time would be excellent.
posted by backseatpilot at 6:22 AM on December 18, 2008

Yeah, much fun. Fire & Ice was a great choice--Melismata rules! I'll see about getting *my* pictures up later today.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 7:56 AM on December 18, 2008

I had a good time, too, sitting across the room, throwing raw shrimp in your general direction.
No, not really. I'm sad I couldn't come.
posted by Plutor at 8:17 AM on December 18, 2008

Apples to Apples is the greatest game ever and would be the best meetup game ever.

(Yeah, I'm sad that my extensive games collection and I were stuck at home last night.)
posted by grapefruitmoon at 8:54 AM on December 18, 2008

Speed Scrabble with multiple sets would actually work ok with a pretty big # of people. Plus it's more portable than traditional scrabble.

But grapefruitmoon is right, apples to apples would work well. Sad I didn't get to meet you, hope to see ya next time (which won't be until Feb for me).
posted by nat at 9:59 AM on December 18, 2008

Photos are up people!
posted by DiscourseMarker at 10:13 AM on December 18, 2008

Spatch, here is your blue drink.
posted by DiscourseMarker at 10:19 AM on December 18, 2008 [1 favorite]

I look bruised and sweaty in every picture. awesome!

and Apples to Apples is a great idea, but I've never played it with more'n 6 people - how well does it scale up?
posted by xbonesgt at 11:17 AM on December 18, 2008

I've played it (apples to apples) with 12. Still works, but is ... noisy.
posted by nat at 12:18 PM on December 18, 2008

No, not really. I'm sad I couldn't come.

Aww. Well, you were missed, dude. Next time, though (or else) ;)
posted by Ryvar at 1:44 PM on December 18, 2008

Great meetup, thanks for coming everyone. DiscourseMarker: you'll be pleased to hear that I did not sleep through my exam today.
Apples to apples gets a bit slow with more than 10. We should totally play set.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 1:46 PM on December 18, 2008

martinx: yeah! I hope you did well :)

I'd never heard of Apples to Apples before, but it looks pretty cool. As long as I get to be the judge, of course. I want to decide who lives and who dies. /crow
posted by DiscourseMarker at 1:55 PM on December 18, 2008

I'm sad I couldn't come... but it's just as well because unless you talked about TEH LEGEND OF ZELDA I don't know from video games. apples to apples, though? I KILL at that.
posted by moxiedoll at 2:05 PM on December 18, 2008

Oooo, Apples to Apples does look fun! I bet most of us could kill at that. But then the laws of physics would change around us... may be dangerous.
posted by not_on_display at 7:51 PM on December 18, 2008

Nah, then we'd just be like all the other meetups-- only one survivor, no photos. (Thanks for the photos, DiscourseMarker!)
posted by nat at 10:40 PM on December 18, 2008

*runs in panting*

I... have them... the photos...! Phew!
posted by backseatpilot at 7:08 PM on January 12

Yeah, photos!
posted by DiscourseMarker at 11:05 PM on January 12