Picture your friendly neighborhood programmer, sitting by himself in a bar, drinking Coke and playing NTN trivia. For an hour and a half.
The other five “confirmed attendees” failed to show.
I kicked ass in trivia, but that really wasn’t the point.
I am sorry to hear that Aura!
I was hoping to hear another kick ass story out of St Louie.
A pox on all of those confirmed attendees!
Atleast you kicked ass in trivia. Not all was lost.
Ok, not a pox, I am sure they have good reasons. In fact, maybe they were sitting playing trivia with ya, but noone knew anyone else.
Oh well. Don’t let this discourage ya Aura.
pat
Aura…now I feel even worse that I couldn’t go. Give me a little more notice, and I’ll be there for the next one. And then you can see the tattoo. 
“There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it.” - William James
If others were in Growlers playing trivia, they’d have to be pretty dense not to realize I was there too. I was playing under the name “SDOPE”, which should have been a rather large tipoff.
Sorry, I don’t get to go out unless I have special permission. But if there’s a national gathering here, I’ll make an attempt. I was busy last nite and tonight I was baking.
Hey Aura,
How far is St. Louis from Dallas?
Just a thought.
If you can do it I can (5 hours for me).
Had to work late.
Hey Auraseer, if you want to meet for lunch at Growler’s on Monday, your entree will be on me, OK? I’m really sorry I let you down, but I honestly did have to work late. The Man is keeping rastahomie down.
I feel so bad for you AuraSeer. I’m originally from St. Louis, and if I was still living there, I for sure would have come to meet you. And I love NTN Trivia, so I’d have played with you (although I’m sure you could’ve whipped my butt at it).
I hope you get to reschedule your meeting.
“The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you’re still a rat.” – Lily Tomlin
Un-fucking-believable.
Now I really feel like shit for not having been able to go. CatRimbaud and I consoled ourselves all night by hanging out and drinking together because we couldn’t make the trip… only to check the MB now and find this out.
What a crock of shit. I’m so so sorry, Aura. (“Me, too,” Catte says.) Just on the offchance that it makes you feel any better, there are two bee-yoo-tee-full girlies in Des Moines wishing that they could have been your dates for the evening.
:::smmmmmmooooooooooch:::
“…all the prettiest girls live in Des Moines…”
–Jack Kerouac, On the Road
Well, I was there, as was Tom Taylor. Where exactly were you Auraseer? I got there at aound 6:45 and no one else was to be found. A long table next to the fireplace was vacant the whole time. Were you sitting somewhere else? I didn’t see anyone who looked like your (Teeming Millions Homepage) photo. Tom left at around 8:00 or so, and I left shortly thereafter. I thought we were meeting at around 7:00. Did I get the time wrong?
Hokey? Sure, so what? Name tags got us together the first time in Houston.
Whoa, now. I was there. I had to work sort of late, but I mentioned that in the first thread. I rolled in about 7:40, looked around for someone vaguely matching your description (especially by the fireplace), and didn’t see anything. I sat at the corner of the bar with a Rolling Rock (actually, three Rolling Rocks) and waited, figuring that you’d have to pee sometime. After the first beer, I went up and asked the hostess for Cecil’s party, as I thought you’d said that was the name you were going to leave at the front. Nothing there, but the hostess was quite possibly the densest person in the place. After beer three, I asked a waitress if there’d been anyone here for an Internet meeting. She told me that someone she thought looked like you left around 6:30, and that two guys (who I now gather were J and Tom) sat at a table about 10 feet away from me for a while, then left.
My apologies for being late, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I had hoped it wouldn’t matter and the meeting would go long enough for me to make at least.some of it.
I even had the camera. I thought about taking my picture in front of Growler’s to prove I was there, but I think I would’ve had to stand in the middle of Olive St. to pull that shot off.
Nothing like a bad decision
Says who you are.
-Gin Blossoms, “Perfectly Still”
First, let me direct your attention to the thread where we agreed on a meeting time of six o’clock: http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/001914-2.html
I got to Growlers at around 5:45. I told the hostess I was meeting some people I’d never seen, that we all know each other via the Internet, and that the name they would ask for was Cecil.
I sat smack-dab directly in front of the fireplace, all by myself at a table for six.
I stayed at that exact spot until after 7:30. I left the table exactly twice, to talk to the hostess and let myself be seen in the main bar. Once was just after 6, when people were supposed to start showing up, and the other was just before I left. Other than that, I was in that seat the entire time.
Use name tags? All wear a funny hat, to be agreed upon style?
Auraseer, I got there at 6:30. Didn’t think I was going to be graded for punctuality. If you’re who I think you are, you left around 6:45.
I noticed that there was a ‘SDope’ up on the trivia tube - just the name, it wasn’t in use. When I asked the waitress, she directed me to the table that you had been at and mentioned that you had just left. By the time stamp on my receipt, that was around 6:45 or 6:50.
Stupid guy that I am, I figured that since a bunch of total strangers were gathering that there would be…some sort of a sign…at the table.
Anyway, jstring and I were able to hook up. Had a few drinks and a stogie and split for a party at around 8. Sorry I missed you, maybe next time.
Okay, it’s obvious that we missed each other, but did make the attempt. Maybe we could try it again after New Year’s.
Either that, or I’ll pony up this time, and offer Springfield as an alternate site. It’d be midway for St. Louis/Chicago, and maybe easier for Chris in Des Moines.
I’ll wait for any responses here before starting anything on my own though; only fair to Aura.
Nothing like a bad decision
Says who you are.
-Gin Blossoms, “Perfectly Still”
Flypsyde - Springfield is a good idea. My 'rents live in Loami so I can stay with them. Is Chantilly Lace (on South 5th Street, IIRC) still open? How about that Irish pub place north of downtown (Paddy O’Brien’s?)?
rasta-Yep, both still there. Actually, Chantilly has become one of the hotter night spots, as it’s one of the few places that still has a 3 o’clock liquor license.
Paddy’s is still there, as well. Not one of my frequent stops, but always open for a new experience.
I need to find a spot for us to meet that has the room and volume level we’d need. If you’ve got any suggestions, I’d appreciate hearing them. Not that I’m trying to yank the rug from Auraseer…
Nothing like a bad decision
Says who you are.
-Gin Blossoms, “Perfectly Still”
I dunno, Flypsyde. I haven’t lived in or around Springfield in 10+ years. Whenever I visit the 'rents I don’t make it much further into town than White Oaks Mall (hee hee).
I’m gathering that Chantilly could get mighty loud, so I’d look into Paddy O’Brien’s (or that Irish place at Town & Country Plaza).