Any Interest in TornaDope 2?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Remember last year’s TornaDope? Man! That was fun!

Is there anyone interested in doing it again this year? (There have to be at least six people with a definite “Yes!” or I’m letting the whole thing slide. I’m just That Way.)

I was figuring to have it back at Caesar CreekState Park since
A) It’s convenient for me
&
2. It’s pretty easy to get to.
If you’d rather it be somewhere else, maybe we can discuss your thoughts on the matter.

Probably the same set-up: Picnic lunch and then something else which would be followed by a campfire if you want to camp over. There’s no pressure if you want to bag out early, but everyone is welcome to stay. (Again, it’s a State Park. How am I supposed to kick you out?)

I’m figuring this year, since there’s no threat of cicadas, May 21 and 22 would be a good weekend. Why? Because they’re having the Fair on Caesar’s Creek that weekend and maybe it could be fun.

What say ye?

Oh yeah… if ye say “No, I don’t wan’t to.”, or “No, I can’t make it.” or anything else that starts with a “No”, I don’t want to hear it. It just brings me down, man.

-Rue.

2

Count me in. This year I even bought a campfire shovel. It’s cool, see, because you can fold it up and put it in an itty-bitty bag. Some people think I’m suffocating it by keeping it in the bag, but I just tell them I’m a mean person. And then I ask them if they need a babysitter.

3

Last year was a blast, count me in!

One down, five to go…

4

Hey, SkipMagic sneaked in and posted before I did! :smack:

Two down, four to go… Yay!

5

I’m sure everyone is jusr waiting to go home and check their social schedules to see what they have to move around so they can say “YES!”, but that’s OK. I’ll wait.
Hey Skip and Ms. Girl, if things don’t get going, maybe we can just have fun ourselves! Yeah! Instead of having the picnic over at the picnic place we could just rendezvous at the campground. It’s a thought.

6

Okay, but we gotta go hiking at least… maybe just a little bit. And we should (maybe, possibly, just a little bit) hit Jungle Jim’s for some more exotic dead flesh. Maybe they’ll have koala in this time? Gotta be cheaper than rattlesnake at $86 a hiss.

This time, I promise, I won’t try to kill you. Not even a little bit.

7

Hiking… check! (You do mean more hiking than just walking to the lake to throw some rocks in while it’s all raining, right?)

Jungle Jim’s… check!

This is so easy. Man, people are going to see all the fun we’re going to have and just want a big ol’ slice of the fun-pie for themselves!

And we’re up to three definite “yes”-es!
Skip
GorillaGirl
and this one other person from somewhere else. (I’ve been pimping this gathering far and wide. It’s on THREE different message boards and my Live journal. We should be getting people coming in from China!)

8

Jungle Jim’s? Tell Allison in the cheese department I say hello. She is really a wonderful cheese lady.

9

The lake was very rock-deficient, Rue; I think we helped it along. One of these days, with enough rocks, it might grow up to be a sea. And it will remember us fondly. (Plus, you know how you put some ice in a glass of water, and the water grows and grows until it spills over the top? That’s how a lake becomes bigger–except we use rocks. Scientific fact.)

ShibbOleth: you have to come tell her yourself. In the Cheese Culture, tradition states that all compliments must come straight from the originator. Truth. I wouldn’t make that up.

10

You know, Caesar’s Creek is one of the only places I know in Ohio. I travel there for work frequently. Are outsiders invited?

11

I’m from Missouri, Choosy, and that’s as outside as one can come–unless one is from, um… Kansas.

12

It looks like, one way or another, this thing is happening. So maybe it’d be a good idea for me to lay some direction on ya. If you’ve ever been victim of my directionating before, the dread should already be sinking in. But fear not! You have the might of the Internet at your fingertips and you can say “Rue don’t know what he’s talking about! I’m gonna figure my own way to the park!” I wouldn’t be hurt if you said that. I wouldn’t even correct your grammer. First you get to Ohio. Then you get to Caesar Creek State Park. Then you get to the Flat Ridge Recreation Area around 10:00 on Saturday, May 21st. Simple!

Caesar Creek State Park is at the junction of OH 73 and I-71. (More or less.) But the good news is there are giant brown directional signs that will take you right to the park going either way on I-71. If you’re coming in on I-71 things are so Jake.

You’re other choices are pretty much coming in on I-75 (north or south) the west on OH 73, or over I-70. If you come over I-70, then you can pick up either I-75 or I-71 and you’ll be north, so you’ll want to go south. If you’re on I-75, you want to be just south of Dayton and find the Wayesville exit. That’s exit #38 (OH 73) just north of Middletown and you’ll want to go east (follow the big green signs that say “Waynesville”). Waynesville borders Caesar Creek State Park, so you just cruise through town and look for the big brown park signs.

If you’re coming along I-71, I can give you some pretty good directions. Like so:

  • Going north on I-71, get off at Exit 45. There’s a big sign that says it’s the Caesar Creek exit. (There are big signs all over the place, so the whole trip is fairly foolproof.)
  • You turn left from the off ramp onto OH 73 so you’re going west. (If you’re coming down I-71, you turn right onto OH 73 (still going west) and you’re a whole 1/4 mile closer to the picnic area.)
  • You tool down OH 73 for 4.2 miles to Oregonia Road. The big green sign that says “Oregonia Road” is right after the big brown sign that says “Park Office, Boat Ramps, Visitor Center” and you have to turn left.
  • 1.1 miles down on Oregonia there’s a stop sign. You turn right onto Oregonia (no, I’m not joking) at the stop sign. (Again, there’s a big brown sign to help you find your way.)
  • In a mere 2.5 miles there’s another stop sign with a mini-mart across the street form you. This is the World Famous “Spillway Party Supplies”. Stop on in. If you dare. But you’re running late, so don’t dawdle. A right turn puts you on Clarksville Road.
  • The spillway is .8 miles ahead. You can dig for fossils there. I’m sure that’s way fun.
  • Only another .3 miles (all uphill) and you are (ta daaaa!) at the Flat Fork Ridge Recreation Area! The picnic shelters are the first (and only) right when you get into the parking lot. (As long as all the milage adds up to 8.9 miles as you get off the northbound I-71 off ramp, all the numbers are what I mean. If they don’t tally, when you get off I-71, you got about 9 miles to go.)
    OK. Now you’re at the park. Now what?

Well, the first thing you should know is:

I should be rolling into the Flat Ridge Recreation Area (that’s what the big brown sign that points to the picnic area calls it) about, oh… 10:00 and try to start the charcoal by 11:00 so we should have hot hot dogs by noon.

But where is the Flat Ridge Recreation Area? Well, if you check the park map you can view online, it’s down there at the bottom, the picnic area on Clarksville Road between the Visitor Center and the Spillway. On the map there’s a little picnic table, but in real life, there’s a big sign on the side of the road with an arrow pointing at it. The picnic shelters could be reserved, but there are two of them, so one will probably be available. We’ll just take what we can get. (Hey, it worked last year.)

If you’re not sure you’re going in the right direction, don’t panic. There are great big signs on the highway to get you to the park (I think they even have them from I-75) and once in the park there are big signs to get you to the Visitor Center. Flat Ridge Recreation Area is right near the Visitor Center, so when you get close to that, there are also signs that say “Flat Ridge Recreation Area”.

If these directions are no help what so ever, let me know. I might be able to help.

13

Choosy, we might be past the Golden Age of DopeFests, but the rule is:
If ya wanna come, come on then!

The other rule is:
If someone winds up being an ax murderer, it’s not the Chicago Reader’s fault, so don’t go whining to them.

14

Wow, a real live Dopefest within easy driving distance! Unless Mrs. Striker makes plans for that weekend,we will most likely be in attendance. BUT, it is the weekend before her birthday, so if I can put a couple of coins together we may be headed for more exotic locales like… Indiana (we’re gamblers). Couple o’ questions though:

Are wives, husbands, other various and sundry s/o’s allowed to attend? And what about the little ones? Where are the policies and procedures posted?

Also, is some sort of pot luck item expected to be brought forth? Should we have a list to make sure there is no pot luck item duplication? Plates? Napkins? Plastic cups? Sorry, I come from a family that gets a little antsy about such matters.

Well, anyway, it’s a good excuse to head to Jungle Jim’s either way!

15

Theodore, bring whomever you want. The more, the… more. And the kids, they’re Jake too. That’s part of the reason I decided the park would be a good place, they let kids in and no one gets carded. (The Little Woman showed up last year and she brought my progeny along with. There is a playground right by the picnic shelters.)

Like last year, it’s a “sharesie” picnic. I got the charcoal and some hot dogs. The rest is up to you people. Bring a little something to share and it’s Loaves and Fishes time and everyone comes out ahead. (Note: You can NOT have too much cheese.)

But the campfire portion of the outting… that’s called “The Carouse” for a reason. Last year Skip kept me up all night with his drunken singing and carrying on. The kids and the easily offended might want to take pass on that. (Ha! Yeah, it was a wild time! We ate meat cooked over a fire and chatted. There wasn’t even a Tallent Show. But I was nearly run over, but that was “an accident”… as far as I know.)

We’ll worry about who’s bringing what and duplicates thereof as things get closer to Go Time. Unless it really bugs you. Then you’re in charge. (Again, note: You can NOT have too much cheese.)

16

Huh? What was that bumping noise? I have no idea.

“Why did I decide on having this thing at the park”? Good question, and I’m glad you asked. It’s at the park in case underage kids wanted to come too. Having a gathering like this is traditionally held in a restaurant or bar, but then someone always whines “I can’t go to a bar! I’m just a kiiiiiiiiiiid!” and since this is at a park and not a bar, even punk-assed, snot-nosed kids can show up. Speaking of “snot-nosed kids”, even little kids (like mine) can show up. Not “show up” in the “drive their own selves in” sense, but the “be there too” sense. And little kids like parks, and this is a park, so even little kids would have a good time if you, the responsible adult, wanted to bring your kids along. It’s just so wholesome and family-friendly I can hardly believe it.

“But why this particular park”? Because it’s convenient to me. That’s what it really boils down to- my convenience. And it’s easy to get to and it’s also close to Cincinnati and Dayton, plus Columbus isn’t all that far away. I figured people could just cruise in from pretty much anywhere in the bottom left corner of Ohio and it’s be no big deal. As a bonus, if it rains, (like last year) we’re under a shelter and won’t get wet.

Yes, of course people can come from further afield. That would be lovely!

The whole campfire thing? That’s really just for me. I’m at the park already, so why not just stay and then I can have a campfire? It seems like the best way to go. And then people can just show up for the picnic part of the day, show up for the picnic and the campfire, or camp over if they want. Whatever people want to do is Jake with me.

So remember people, there’s only… what? six weeks to make up your mind on this thing. You know you really want to come. You really want to.

17

Last year we even scared away a raccoon. You, too, can feel ferocious (like a king of the jungle, only without walking on four legs–but you can walk on all four if you feel like it) and scare off woodland creatures.

18

I think I will actually be attending, if we do go to Jungle Jim’s. Maybe if we don’t. I’ll bring along my husband, too.

19

With things rapidly approaching (Look! Blue shift!) I was thinking getting a headcount would be a Good Thing (not that Martha said she was coming or anything).
So far we have, what?
Me (and the Little Woman plus Soupo and Katcha for the picnic and just me for the camping over)
SkipMagic
GorillaGirl
ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks? (Are you still thinking about it?)
Theodore Striker (and the Mrs? plus progeny?)
Elysian (and husband) (I’m pretty sure the Jungle Jim’s run is going to happen. One way or another.)

Realize, saying you’re coming is slightly less binding than a Blood Oath. And by “slightly less binding” I mean “it’s not a contract in any sense”. If you say you’re coming and something comes up and you don’t make it, we’ll miss you like crazy but that’s about it. And if you don’t say anything and you just feel like showing up that day, that’s super!

So, if you could give me:

  1. a (tentatively) definite “yes”
    and
  2. if someone’s (or several someones) coming with
    and
  3. what you’re bringing to the picnic portion of the fun (“I dunno, I was just gonna pick something up on the way” is a valid response. As long as you’re not picking up roadkill or something icky like that.)
    and finally
  4. if you’re thinking of camping over

Like this:

  1. Rue DeDay- Yes! (But I think I could figure out who is coming just from the name at the start of your post. I’m smart like that.)

  2. wife + 2 kids (ages 5 and 8)

  3. hot dogs and buns (plus the charcoal)

  4. Me, yes. The rest of them, no.

20
  1. Definite “yes”!!
  2. My husband will be joining us
  3. We will bring fruit salad and cookies
  4. We will be camping – and maybe fishing too :slight_smile:

This is going to be so fun, I’ve been wanting to go camping for a while.