I know! we should have an opera recital,
accompanied by bagpipes!
(and perhaps a bit of Vogon poetry to finish it off…)
Sadly, I am going to have to send my regrets.
I’m involved in a community theatre production, and at tonight’s rehearsal, the director informed us that we’d be rehearsing Sunday afternoon.
And I was really looking forward to seeing everybody again. And seeing some Dopers for the first time. 
Well, folks, have a good time, raise a glass for me, and I’ll look forward to the next one!
Ah, sorry to hear that, Spoons - I was looking forward to catching up.
So was I, Cat. But there will be other times. I may have to visit Calgary at some point to deal with some legal questions my sister (who lives in Calgary) has; if that happens, I’ll let you know, and perhaps we can arrange something then.
Spoons, sorry to hear you can’t make it, we’ll miss you. At least I could reassure Beth that at least it wasn’t work related.
For the benefit of the out of town dopers, I made aGoogle map, witha flag showing where the Ricky’s is located.
I’ll be there.** Serious Lark** is nursing a cold, and still TBD at this point.
That map put Ricky’s in Petcetera when I opened it in my browser. Not going to refer to the kitchen at all. Nope.
So what goes on at these dopefests? Joke answers and serious welcomed. Do we wear name tags?
I’m really not sure if I can make it now. Way too much stuff to do, my to-do list keeps getting bigger! I’ll try but if I can’t you guys have fun.
Well, you’ve been around less than a year, so there may be squid involved…
Good job, trupa. Here’s hoping serious lark can make it, too.
What goes on at a Dopefest? Well, we chat about stuff. Sometimes people discuss board goings on (especially if we’ve just had a meltdown or something), sometimes we just talk about general stuff. There haven’t been nametags in the past; someone often puts a sign on the table or something indicating which group is us, since we’re often strangers meeting strangers.
Oh yeah, and everyone brings me chocolate. I don’t recall now how that tradition started, but if youse know what’s good for youse, you’ll keep it up.
Question since I cannot be there: Should I mail mine, or just bring double next time?
Or is that the goat, hrmm… I can never remember…
Well, better stick to the squid, the goat got us barred from that otherwise excellent pub down in in mission …
Well, gregorio, I can only speak for the Calgary ones to which I’ve been, but there is usually food, some beer or wine depending on your preference, and conversation that is usually a bit better informed, funnier, and more interesting than I get in everyday life, my lovely wife excepted. We meet real life people whose posts we may have been reading for a while, and get to find out more about them.
There are legends of Dopefest long ago, usually somewere in the states, that turned into prolonged events, featuring outrageous flirting and more ™, drinking to intoxication until breakfast time, and then relocating to a waffle house, but, sadly, the dopers in Calgary tend to be more sedate, more often than not married with kids (like me), polite & well manered (sometimes like me) , but who might go so far as to tell an off colour joke or two. We usually wrap things up when our butts get numb from sitting too long, or when a critical mass of babysitters turning into pumpkins in achieved.
I always thought name tags were a good idea, but we never introduced them. Perhaps I can bring a printout of the main page as a table identifier.
Oh, don’t worry about the proximity to pet-ceterra, it means the fajitas will always be bresh & tender…
Cat Whisperer, any chance you might give these folks at Ricky’s a heads- up about the teeming hordes about to descend upon their unwary establishment?
Hmm, tough call. Probably bring double next time - and it better be the good stuff. None of that waxy American crap. 
I don’t…think we need to warn them - they’re usually not very busy, and a table of eight (if I counted right) shouldn’t be too much. I could check, though.
We could do ‘Schwanda the Bagpiper’…
I have to confess, I was a bit worried because I’ve never heard that area referred to as the North Hill. Clicked on the map and laughed out loud - it’s “the place just up the hill from the Jube!!” I know it well.
Oh, what a drag! I keep telling people that theatre ruins lives but do they listen?
Looking forward to meeting some lucky day in the future, possibly when I get to a (hypothetical) gig in Calgary.
I’ll see the rest of you folks tomorrow.
I can’t make it now either. I have a job interview at 8:15 on Monday and I’ll get home too late on Sunday night.
Ah, I should have realized your points of reference. Yeah, it’s about a block away from the Jube.
Sorry to hear that, Floaty. Well, I’ll see the rest of you tomorrow.
Well, looks like I won’t make it. My husband is home tomorrow afternoon and he’s not really in to ‘internet friend meet ups’, so I probably shouldn’t even ask. If anything changes, I’ll just show up!
Okey dokey - so table for six then.
Worst experience of my life. Screw you all.
I knew all that dancing on the table would be a bad idea. Even so, it was good to meet you all so I know to avoid you in the future.
