I’ll be picking up my niece in the wilds of West Virginia on the 22nd of August, and taking her home to New Mexico. My return will not be until Labor Day weekend. 
Wishing you all good things, eternal happiness, and tolerance.
And kitties!! 
Sorry it hear it that y’all have to back out. If anyone shows up to this one, hopefully we’ll be able to do it again next year and you’ll be able to make it to those. Have fun, both of you. (Or, all of you, as the case may be).
So, anyone else interested in joining us, now that we’ve had a few have to regretfully decline? I’m looking for somewhere other than Nodding Head on Friday night, in the hopes that Cosmo will be able to join us.
Even if you can make any part of the weekend at all, you will be welcome! So come and join a bunch of crazy Philadelphians.
I don’t suppose any of those bars/restuarants you mentioned have no smoking sections do they? I really want to join y’all, but I can’t stand being in a smokey atmosphere for any meaningful length of time.
Don’t worry Morgyn every place we’ve been so far during out dinners has been fairly smoke free once you get outside of the actual bar, and even the bars themselves aren’t that bad.
It’s not just the smell I object to, you see. I also have (mild) asthma and I seem to be somewhat allergic to tobacco products. Enough so that more than a few minutes around smoke starts making me physically miserable (irritated eyes, irritated throat, lots of coughing). At that point I’d be lousy company, and I don’t want to do that to friends.
Remember, I’m asthmatic as well, though I don’t think cigarette smoke bothers me quite as much as they do you. Fado, the place we’re thinking of for Saturday night, is (I believe) non-smoking. At least, I don’t remember seeing any smoke around the bar there. You shouldn’t have a problem with that. And Dim Sum on Saturday afternoon… definitely won’t have a problem there. I’ll see what we can find for Friday night and I’ll keep the smoke issue in mind. Not sure what we’re doing after dinner (probably we’ll catch as catch can rather than have anything planned), but you’re more than welcome to come to whatever makes you feel comfortable.
I’d forgotten you were asthmatic, actually. blush
Saturday sounds very do-able as a day trip, so I think you can expect me there. As long as I get good directions and remember to bring them with me this time. sigh
(I went to a friend’s up in Boston a couple weekends ago and forgot to bring HIS directions with me. Just had the Mapquest directions. This resulted in my driving through the Big Dig at about 2 in the morning. I’m amazed I was actually coherent enough to follow the signs well enough to get to his house. On the plus side, though, I got to drive on or by a bridge that looked to be as much light sculpture as anything else–gorgeous!)
If you don’t remember the directions, at least remember my cell number. Then you should be ok! 
Labor day doesn’t appear on either of my calendars. I have a hard enough time keeping track of the day and date as it is. If somebody could e-mail me a reminder a week or so before the event, I’d really appreciate it. My e-mail address in my profile.
I’ll either drop you a line about it or remind you at whatever Dope Dinner we have before then. (Which reminds me, we should look into restarting those some time soon, shouldn’t we?) Maybe both.
We’re getting a little closer to the date. Depending on the number of people that are planning on coming out for this, I am thinking of calling Fado around the first week of August to make sure we have a spot reserved for us. That being said, I need some hard numbers on who is definitely planning on coming, who is still a pretty positive maybe and who, unfortunately, won’t be able to make it. (Ok, so I don’t need numbers for the last one, but it would make me feel good to know that some of the people that can’t come would like to.)
I still haven’t settled anything for Friday night yet, nor have I for Saturday afternoon (we were thinking Dim Sum, for those interested). Still planning on a brunch at Chez TrueVerrain for Sunday morning.
If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me an e-mail or ask away here.
Good think you bumped this because I had had an idea but was feeling too lazy to search for the thread.
We have been discussing doing something “cultural” n Saturday and on my random wanderings through the city Sunday afternoon I walked past a place that is just screaming to be invaded by Dopers.
The Mutter Museum
Need I say more?
You’re a sick, sick man. But I’d be up for it if everyone else is.
I’m not sick. I’m just incredibly and unbelieveably morbid.
Then again, when my biology teacher took us there in 10th grade my buddy and I came off the buss with napkins on our collars weilding knives and forks
The Mutter museum is one of the things I love about Philly. I just wish it were bigger.
The DC area is home of the National Pathology museum, which dwarfs the Mutter. Highlights include-fragments of Lincoln’s skull, the preserved leg of an elephantiasis sufferer(the circumference of the thigh is more than 3 feet) and a very special set of partial dental records of soldiers from the Union and Confederate armies. The phrase “bite the bullet” was once a literal piece of advice. The pain must have been extreme. These bullets are flattened and bear textbook quality impressions of teeth.
OTOH
The Mutter has the big case of comparative brains. A fine demonstration of evolution, the case bears brains from a huge variety of species. The aligator brain is little more than medula oblongata. The dog brain lacks only a few outer layers.
And some brains still have the optic nerves and eyes attached. The eyes float on the preserving solution. By maneuvering just so, you may stare into eyes without a face.
Now the big question remains, do we eat Dim Sum before or after this visit?
Friday Night, August 29th
Meet and Greet… somewhere
Any suggestions, preferrably wheelchair accessible, since I’m not sure when Cosmo is coming in, if she can make it.
Saturday, August 30th
Possibility of Dim Sum in Chinatown
Possibility of some of the culture that Philly has to offer (the Mutter Museum has been proposed)
Or whatever else you’d like to do
Saturday Night, August 30th
Dinner at Fado
Again, a great bar/restaurant. The fare is an interesting take on Irish food and the time the Philly Dopers were there, we had a blast. We also managed to stay there for four or five hours. It’ll be fun, I guarantee.
Sunday, August 31st
Brunch at The Verrain/Pisces Suite
Not to worry, Verrain will be doing the cooking. I’ll just try to provide scintillating conversation.
Interest in celebratin’ for at least part of the weekend
TruePisces
Verrain
Frank #2
the WeirdNorths
ResIpsaLoquitor
Meros
tdc & moi
RTFirefly
Cleophus
twickster
Wintermute
Meros
Cosmopolitan
Morgyn
DocCathode
Zappo
Regretfully unable to attend
The AirmanRobyns
Lindyhopper
Now, did I miss anyone or anything?
Just bumping this to hopefully get a few more people interested in coming out and joining us for some or all of the Labor Day Fest. I’ll be calling to make reservations in two weeks, so if you want to get in, now’s the time to do it!
And is there anyone who’s status I have wrong above? Let me know so I can get an acurate count.
I’m probably pulling out of this one. Sorry, Am.
Damn.
As much as I really want this to happen, I’m starting to wonder if it should. It seems as though more and more people are not able to make it for various reasons.
Those that are still interested, let me know what you think I should do on this before I make commitments to places.
Let’s try some more shameless wh…advertising!
Come to Philadelphia for the weekend and you can see TP’s tits! You heard right! Dopefest attendees are now eligible for a free show courtesy of TruePisces’ magnificent rack! Or, if you’re of the straight female/gay male persuasion, our very own BOFH, Meros, will be available for both public and private entertainment!
[sub](Actual tit-baring dependent on alcohol consumption. Whore-Out-Your-Fellow-Dopers, Inc. is not responsible for injuries caused by jealous fiance or LARTs. Please don’t hurt me.)[/sub]
We still have 16 people. If more drop out, we could treat it as a large Dope Dinner.