PAX METAFITIANA

August 12, 2009 9:24 AM

Mefites going to PAX? (Seattle meetup?)

The annual Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle is Sept. 3-6 or thereabouts and I'm thinking about going. Are there gonna be Mefites? Who wants a meetup?

posted by grobstein to MetaFilter gatherings at 9:24 AM (68 comments total)

Um.
posted by Pax at 9:46 AM on August 12 [5 favorites]

I'm going to PAX East in March. Can we do some sort of a timeshift/placeshift thing?
posted by Plutor at 9:57 AM on August 12

PAX METAFITIANA may very well be the best post title ever.
posted by ocherdraco at 10:05 AM on August 12 [1 favorite]

I'm going to try to be there, too. A meetup would help me move in that direction.
posted by YoBananaBoy at 10:16 AM on August 12

How about a traveling meetup? We can all pitch in, and Pax can come to us!

Srsly: some day I'd like to attend PAX, assuming the whole thing doesn't take a turn for the worse, like E3. Not this year, but sometime.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:39 AM on August 12

Seconding PAX East. Money is incredibly tight right now and I can't go this September to West. I might not even make East and might have to go next year to 2010 West.

Hey... anyone interested in a cheap 3-day PAX West pass?
posted by Askiba at 10:48 AM on August 12

I was all gung-ho about going a few months ago, but it doesn't look doable now. Fortunately, it's going to come to Boston next year.
posted by ignignokt at 10:50 AM on August 12

Hey... anyone interested in a cheap 3-day PAX West pass?

Yes. Email sent.
posted by grobstein at 10:56 AM on August 12

I hope to go to Pax East too. I may try to volunteer. Given my experience dealing with drunks at beer festivals and students at a busy college library, it could be a good time.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:12 AM on August 12

I may be up for the PAX East, too. PAX was great last year but travel to Seattle is pricey!
posted by misha at 11:28 AM on August 12

Sorry to derail your meetup request. I'm sure PAX West will be great, too.
posted by Plutor at 12:04 PM on August 12

I'll be going for one day. A meetup would be cool....
posted by lumpenprole at 12:24 PM on August 12

This isn't about PAX, but what about an Eastern WA meetup?
posted by hippybear at 12:26 PM on August 12

I ought to be there, but I think I'm carpooling, so wherever the meetup ends up being, it would need to be within walking distance of the convention center, and I wouldn't be able to stay past when my ride would be leaving.
posted by Caduceus at 12:47 PM on August 12

I'm not going to PAX but I enjoyed the Pax-centric MeFi meetup last year. I'd be more likely to make it if it were on Thursday or Friday—I'm going to Bumbershoot that weekend.

People who want a meetup somewhere/sometime else: you should feel encouraged to start a new thread.
posted by grouse at 1:09 PM on August 12

it would need to be within walking distance of the convention center

How about The Nitelite?
posted by lumpenprole at 2:21 PM on August 12

I'm all about going to PAX this year, so this definitely interests me.
posted by potch at 3:22 PM on August 12

I'm going to Pax, and I live within walking distance of the Convention Centre so that location suits me. I might find it tough to make a meetup though, as Eastside friends have hinted that my house is the perfect location for a weekend-long base. I would definitely make an effort though.
posted by jacalata at 3:52 PM on August 12

Last year we pulled it off at the stumbling monk, I wont be able to make it this year, but it worked out pretty well.

You can order food to be delivered there, they just have fancy beer, and it is just a walk up the hill from the convention center.
posted by mrzarquon at 6:33 PM on August 12

The meetup at a pub stumbling monk last year was awesome, so I'll be trying to make this one.

(too long since I've been toa meetup. And I still have stuff people have lent me from the last couple. I am a bad mefite.)
posted by Artw at 7:55 PM on August 12

Crap, this time I don't have a mystery German.
posted by Artw at 7:59 PM on August 12

Ah, I'm off doing inlaw things that weekend anyway. Spare a thought for me.
posted by Artw at 8:07 PM on August 12

Oh good lord, I love the Monk.....
posted by lumpenprole at 10:12 AM on August 13

i am going to PAX.
posted by yeoz at 3:55 AM on August 15

I just moved to Seattle and was thinking of suggesting a meetup, so this is good timing for me. But not being familiar with PAX, I don't want to suggest a time...anyone?
posted by lunasol at 12:20 PM on August 15

Also: if anyone has suggestions of where to stay in Seattle for PAX? The conference hotels are overbooked and pricey.
posted by grobstein at 2:08 PM on August 15

Let's do it at the Stumbling Monk again; that was quite fun last year. The PAX attendees should really specify the time.

grobstein, the only hotels I know of in walking distance are either full or quite expensive. I just checked Hotwire for those days and the results were not encouraging (ditto). If you want something cheaper, you may have to commute.
posted by grouse at 2:50 PM on August 15

Thanks for reminding me to order my PAX tickets.

And, I'm in for a meetup.

Grobstein check your memail.
posted by silkygreenbelly at 9:39 PM on August 15

Anyone want to suggest a time? Friday is going to be crazy hectic for me, so Saturday or Sunday would be best.
posted by silkygreenbelly at 6:42 PM on August 16

We should arm-wrestle over Friday versus Saturday/Sunday.
posted by grouse at 6:58 PM on August 16

Jonathan Coulton is playing Saturday. I vote not Saturday.
posted by gc at 11:31 PM on August 18

I'm going to PAX and at least one other MeFight Club (the "official" MetaFilter gaming community) member is going that I know of for sure. Possibly more.

I had a lot of fun at the Stumbling Monk last year even though I couldn't stay long. I'd be into doing it again!
posted by tittergrrl at 2:53 PM on August 19

Whoa whoa whoa! There's an "official" mf gaming community? Where do I sign up?
posted by silkygreenbelly at 10:07 PM on August 19

Let's go for Saturday evening, Stumbling Monk, 7:30.

We can get some kind of food for the first part of the evening. And it should be possible to see JoCo for those who want, since he doesn't go on till 12:30. I'm going to call it.
posted by grobstein at 5:16 PM on August 21

(People who went last year: do we need to reserve space? Is there a local who can take care of that?)
posted by grobstein at 6:09 PM on August 21

The monk opens at 6, rarely does it fill, and they'd laugh at reservations
posted by mrzarquon at 6:44 PM on August 21

Excellent, I'm in! Do we have a sign or will this be a more 'wandering around asking people if they're friends of mathowie' situation?
posted by hugsnkisses at 7:41 PM on August 21

There probably won't need to be a sign. The Monk isn't exactly filled with people, so just look for the big gaggle of geeks (vs the big gaggles of hipsters).

They have no food, other than some small bar snacks. But there's a vegan restaurant down the hill that's pretty good, and up the hill is the heart of Capitol Hill. We could, um, stumble to Molly Moon's for ice cream.

Whether I'm going or not depends on a number of things, most notably my 10th wedding anniversary being that Friday.

(Traffic PS to locals: remember the Olive Way exit off I-5 north is closed because they're shoring it up to get the digging machines ready for the light rail extension. Also, there's PAX, Bumbershoot, and the UW-LSU football game all that night.)
posted by dw at 11:01 PM on August 21

There's also Capn Blacks right next door to the monk which does great Po'Boys and really good Chicken And Waffles.
posted by lumpenprole at 10:12 AM on August 24

Chicken And Waffles.

. . . things I wish I'd got to try before I became vegetarian.
posted by grobstein at 12:07 PM on August 24

Is captain blacks new? I lived in that hood for two years and didn't notice it then.

Also, it looks like work may have me in the area next week, I am trying to have it scheduled to run up to the weekend, so I can just spend the weekend in town.
posted by mrzarquon at 11:23 AM on August 25

Yeah, cap'n blacks is brand new. They are part owned by the former lead singer of Pretty Girls Make Graves. Thus making them a condensed nugget of Capitol Hill in the Aughts for better or worse.

Great patio, though and Grobstein, they have a Portabello Po'Boy that's pretty good.
posted by lumpenprole at 12:07 PM on August 25

I've never been to Seattle. This could be the perfect excuse. Tentatively pencilling it in my agenda ...

Not to sound sacrilegious or anything about the Penny Arcade Expo, but if I do make it up I won't go to the expo but I would like to see more of Seattle during the weekend. Any mefites who would be willing to show me around?

Also, if anyone else would be coming from PDX, we could coordinate transport.


(And yes it's the weekend before PDX's 10.2 but what the heck.)
posted by spherical_perceptions at 10:45 PM on August 25

PAX! I will be there and I am psyched about it. I just moved to Seattle from the east coast this July and have no social life to speak of. I will try my best to remember and show up, although, er, I may be in costume. And I'm not sure that I want to miss Freezepop. Oh dear. We'll see!
posted by Mizu at 2:46 AM on August 27

Oh man, I totally spaced out and forgot to get a hotel room... If anyone has floor, tub, toolshed, or sofa space in either a hotel or a pax-adjacent location, I will ply them with beer and gratitude to the nth degree. MeMail or e-mail if you'd be so kind.
posted by potch at 1:07 AM on August 30

I'm glad we have this meetup scheduled. If anyone wants to drift around together at some point during the show, too, maybe we can coordinate via #mefi on Twitter?
posted by grobstein at 5:16 PM on August 30

Well, I for one will be dressed, on Friday, like some sort of deliberately hipster version of the Prince from Katamari, complete with rainbow headphones, red scarf, lime green hoodie, purple pants, and purple chucks. Say hi if you see me! I'll be at the Anamanaguchi show definitely, and my pattern at gaming cons involves playing endless rounds of Apples to Apples. I am not adverse chilling with strangers, nor to being the "lighthouse".

Potch: If you're still SOL by Thursday evening, get in touch with me. I live in Fremont but it's not that far. The roommate is a grumpy man but he'll get over it.
posted by Mizu at 2:37 AM on August 31

I am flying from NYC to be at PAX and I would love to meet Seattle MeFites! Can someone MeMail me walking directions to the Monk or maybe pick me up at my hotel (staying at the Grand Hyatt, no I do not have any more space in my hotel room)?
posted by TrishaLynn at 4:33 AM on September 1

Directions for people coming up from the convention center / downtown:

Walk up pike or pine, you know you are walking up because it becomes stupid steep.

Take a left on Bellevue Ave, walk until you get to a deli at an intersection that usually has interesting political cartoons justifying eating their sandwiches, and bear right on east olive way, keep walking up east olive until you find yourself next to the monk.

Or just take Bus #43 on Pike St, and get off around the boylston exit (it follows the same route as the walking path)

This is where it is on google maps.
posted by mrzarquon at 7:37 AM on September 1

I'll be at the meetup on sat. I might even bring a sign!

I'm also looking to trade my badge for money if anyone wants it.
posted by silkygreenbelly at 8:03 PM on September 4

*lifting to the top of everyone's Recent Activity*
posted by jacalata at 8:05 PM on September 4

If I bring games, will people be excited or board?
posted by grobstein at 5:29 PM on September 5

Was that a pun?
posted by hattifattener at 6:09 PM on September 5

Stumbling Monk has games, too.

I'll be there around 8.
posted by dw at 6:25 PM on September 5

Going to a 7:30 panel, then heading up with a few other mefites.
posted by potch at 7:02 PM on September 5

I'll be arriving after the Omegathon, since one of my friends is in it (and she just whupped everyone in Halo 3 earlier).

I'll also be arriving dressed as a Weighted Companion Cube. I do hope they let me in.
posted by hugsnkisses at 7:25 PM on September 5

by budget time very well I'll be there with whycurious around 9pm. Games are fun I actually have my Harrow deck (pathfinder rpg) in my bag if anyone wants me to do a reading.
posted by silkygreenbelly at 7:41 PM on September 5

If you're wondering where the mefites are... We're the group where everyone is on their iphones.
posted by silkygreenbelly at 10:29 PM on September 5

Arrived rather late, think I missed y'all.
posted by grouse at 11:58 PM on September 5

I think so— it broke up around 11:30 when half the crowd left to go catch Jonathan Coulton.
posted by hattifattener at 1:25 AM on September 6

If you're wondering where the mefites are... We're the group where everyone is on their iphones.

heh.

No doubt that would have been me too if I made it. Filthy habit.
posted by Artw at 10:55 AM on September 6

So, um... anyone experiencing flu-like symptoms? Because I'm not feeling all that hot right now myself....
posted by dw at 5:17 PM on September 8

Yeah, I came down with flulike symptoms on Monday night, as did a friend who attended PAX but not the meetup. My SO who didn't attend either seems to be about a day behind me. In my case the disease proper ran its course overnight but I spent today in bed feeling like crap from the aftereffects.

I got some surreal dreams with the fever, though.
posted by hattifattener at 9:53 PM on September 8

I seem to be okay, but two friends I played games with and shared several meals with seem to be sick.
posted by grobstein at 10:07 PM on September 8

Yea, I've been sick since Sunday morning with a mild flu. Mostly better now but trying to decide if i should go back to work tomorrow...
posted by jacalata at 10:17 PM on September 8

Yeah, I came down with flulike symptoms

It was YOU!

Actually, I'm in the same boat as you -- running a fever yesterday, but it broke overnight and now I'm dealing with the sore throat and the gunk. Whew. I think it was just a cold at the meetup, not H1N1.
posted by dw at 8:12 AM on September 9

Just FYI, my doc doesn't think I have H1N1, just a bad cold. Symptoms don't quite line up with flu.
posted by dw at 4:58 PM on September 9

I ended up not being able to make it, or get tickets to PAX, so I thought I lucked up. But I still ended up flying out of seatac on monday, so I might end up sick like the rest of you out of sheer luck.
posted by mrzarquon at 5:26 PM on September 9