There will be several late arrivals. Please come if you can.
If he doesn’t make it, is there anyone else qualified to demand beer?
For anyone needing to make a Metro connection:
Take the Orange line to Ballston Metro
Catch the 23A bus in the direction of Crystal City
Ride for about 16 minutes and get off at S. Quincy and 28th St.
Walk 1 block west to Toro Tapas
So what happened to everyone? By the end of the night we had a decent showing, but we were sure missing everyone who didn’t make it.
Quick administrative note: the next thread I start will have “AAAA” in the title instead of “AAA”. I have no idea what the extra “A” stands for, but I do know that putting it in will allow us to use the board search function to find it. See (hopefully) everyone next month.
Where the hell were all you people???
So we make a reservation for 18 people, and what… like 10 show up? WTF is up with that? Despite your absence, we had a great time, but would it have KILLED you to get off your lazy butts and drive over to Shirlington for a few hours to have a few drinks?
I mean, we KNOW there was nothing decent on TV to watch, what were you doing? Was Geraldo back on Fox news? Was there perhaps… new commentary offered on the numerous syndicated news networks? I THINK NOT! Was there a particularly nasty toenail you had to clip? Your cottage cheese collection needed tending? Just couldn’t tear yourself away from that new bottle of Breck you just picked up? COME ON PEOPLE! I must take this opportunity to register our extreme dissatisfaction at the number of people who actually showed up for this lovely night of tapas eating, beer-drinking and revelry. It’s not like most of you lived that far away.
Your further refusal to show up at such events will not be tolerated. If we don’t know where you live, we can find out. Be sure of that. Consider yourselves warned.
–
TeleTronOne and Birdgirl
Oh and by the way MUCH thanks to the cool people who did come…RTFirefly and, MrsRTFirefly, asylum and company, anita vacation, and Lucretia and Bluesman (BluesClan), and of course US, (birdgirl andTeleTronOne).
You guys missed an awesome party!!
BG and TTO
My apologies. I was ready to step out when my bf asked me not to go because it was cold out and he wanted me home. So I stayed.
He sounds cute and all, and you probably had a nice cuddle on a rainy night, but come on…I know we scared him once before, but this is starting to sound like he’s developed PTSD. 
I had a lovely time. It was great to see RT and Mrs Firefly, Bluesclan and TTO again. I was honored to meet Asylum and SO, and the devastatingly beautiful birdgirl and her very lucky boyfriend. The food was fabboo, the mango margarita really hit the spot, and the no-shows missed a great party.
Hey, birdgirl, chill out just a moment. (BTW, it was a pleasure to meet you and your friend!) Chewing people out for not showing isn’t the ideal way to encourage them to come out for the next one.
So we missed a bit on the count*. No biggie. We had a good time, and that’s the main thing. (At least, Mrs. F. and I did, and the rest of you seemed to be!) Good food, great company, excellent drinks, what more could you ask? 
Anyhow, it was a pleasure to see TTO, Anita, Asylum, Lucretia, and Bluesman again, and get to meet some of y’all for the first time, including Asylum’s lovely SO. I’m looking forward to the next one. IIRC, we’re thinking of Annapolis or downtown DC.
*[sub]Looking at the list and the thread, I’d say 18 was pretty optimistic; 12-14 was more realistic, and then the weather got yucchy. It included some folks who hadn’t posted to the thread since weekend before last (tramp, ultrafilter), some who were clearly iffy. (IME, anyone who hasn’t previously been to a Doper gathering is a maybe, at best, unless they’re pretty emphatic that they’re coming. And the list included three people from Balto and points NE who were clearly iffy even before the weather got ugly.) [/sub]
cough
Note to self: Posting nasty messages on SDMB after drinking too much is not the way to make new friends. :smack:
Ah well, it was still a good time, and I was dissapointed that everyone couldn’t make it. I suppose I should just be forbidden from making reservations in the future.
Oops, forgot about this. I would’ve liked to have joined y’all, but I’m in the middle of trying to save money right now, so it’s probably best that I didn’t. Maybe next time.
Considering that we drive for over an hour, and usually much longer, for every DopeFest we attend, I think taking a miss on one is fine.
I admire Dopers who trek long distances. The PA Dopers especially (like Zappo and Airman, Robin and baby Doors for instance) and the Fireflys, who live on the moon. Last night I had to admit that the farthest I’ve travelled was to move Weirddave to Harve de Whatsits in preparation for the lovely Ginger’s arrival. I intend to correct that by making the next AAAA Society meetings, wherever they are, and then to Dave Woo’s Ribfest in June.
I forgot to mention that when I got home there was a message from Pantellerite saying that they got to the hotel later than he’d hoped. I sure hope I’ll have another chance to meet another fellow rock-hound (since it runs in my family).
Yeah…
Let me once again apologize for the little rant there.
I was sorry that Ginger and Dave couldn’t be there, and I appreciate them usually taking the time out of their day to drive to whatever far-off land the day requires.
I was somewhat upset that I didn’t get to meet some of the people who ended up having to cancel at the last minute, but there’s always next time.
But… on the other hand, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten belligerently drunk and done something silly, so it all evens out in the end
You NOVA folks missed out on a good time though, after all the marylanders headed home, the night for us locals was just getting started
Big thanks to all the folks who showed, I enjoyed seeing all of you again, or, as the case may be, meeting you for the first time.
Oh, and birdgirl, thank you for your gracious hospitality, but next time, I recommend proofreading anything we post after some of the beer has gotten a chance to wear off
We were all set to come, but then I looked at Ginger and said “Why should we go, they’re all nasty poopy-heads” and she said “Yea and they smell of wee and sick and don’t brush their teeth” so we decided to stay home instead. Nya-nya. 
Oh boy are you gonna be sorry you said that! Now we’re gonna bring our wee and sick smell over to your house and the reek will stick in the drapes and ruin your appetite forever. And besides, you’re the nasty poopy head anyway. Pbttttt
There’s nothing new with the Doper wee and sick at our house. I’ve become used to the stench.
I forgot this:
I’m rubber, you’re glue.
I’m glad you got the message! A combination of:
SLOW Students +
Bad Weather +
Traffic =
Late Arrival (~8:20) in DC
So, having missed Anita’s very nice invitation, I found myself having to shuttle students to dinner. My new plan was to get them fed, get back, call the restaurant to find out if y’all were still there and how to get there (note: I was gone, or almost gone and no longer reading the boards, when the Metro advice rolled in), and take off, but…
Did I mention the SLOW students? I wasn’t back in the hotel until nearly 10:30 pm and decided, dejectedly, to not bother calling.
However… My SO, who thought it sounded like great fun AND having now visited DC is already ready to go back, is more than willing to make the trek north with me next time something is planned! So–someday soon–I will make it.
(Unless it’s between May 12 and June 5 when I have to teach Field Camp.)
The AAAA Society meets on the last Friday each month, so you’ll miss the next one. A number of us are going to Dave Woo’s Ribfest on June 14th in NY and there’s still room in the van if you’d like to join us. The MAD Outdoors club should have several events this summer, and I hear that Jonathan Chance is hosting something in late June (but I can’t locate a thread about that).
I’m hoping that my pregnant sister, Geobabe and her hubby, Unclebill will make an appearance here sometime in the next couple of months and that’s bound to draw a crowd.
Stay tuned.
Jonathan Chance’s party is the 28th. As that’s the day after our normal day, I’d like to propose that we change the dinner in June to another Friday or postpone it til July sometime.