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It has been established that there shall be a hatrack picnic in Gainesville FL on labor day. I am hosting, which is rather problematic since I don't know anything about Gainesville, but I was thinking of some sort of outdoor thing, maybe a cookout, on Monday.
Who all would be interested in attending? Icarus and Cor, Rakeesh, Saudade and Andrei, zgator, kaoishin00, lupus, and who else are CFCers? Can anyone suggest venues I can call and check on? Cheaper is better, of course, since we're all unemployed and students and stuff, like. I think if there's a park with a playground and some barbecue pits or something that would be cool! Playgrounds are fun! We can all swing and climb and stuff. I can bring my advanced technology super aerodynamic paper airplane kit for us to build and test. They are supposed to be way better in flight than ordinary paper airplanes. I have been waiting to make them with someone else for maxiumum fun value.
We want to play ping pong for sure, so maybe if we were close to the UF student center we could all crash it or something. Hackysack is also a must. This may turn out to be a sports themed picnic, since it was pointed out that hatrackers tend toward sedentary games and activities (like reading), (and fencing, hah!) Whoever doesn't want to play can just watch and chat with each other and consume all the food while the rest of us are busy!
So this thread is to ask these burning questions:
1) Who is interested in coming? 2) Ideas for fun stuff to do? 3) Ideas for venues from those of you who know Gainesville? 4) Anything else in the general vicinity of the inner planetary region of Sol?
[ August 24, 2004, 04:24 PM: Message edited by: ak ]
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Definitely little kid friendly! I see some kind of playground and park as main venue. The rec center was just an idea. It's probably not even legal for non-students to go there! And surely I will not miss meeting Mango and Banana under any circumstances! Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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Also I'll bring an acoustic guitar so we can play and sing. We really need to write a hatrack song. I wish I were talented enough to do that. Someone else who is should give it a go. Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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I'll also bring a telescope so we can look at the planets after sunset. Star parties are so much fun! Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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Wauburg is fun, it would prob be a good place to have it. I checked the policy and it says each student can have 4 guests...so with kaioshinn and I there we can have 8 additional people who are not students. If there are other UF students at hatrack we can add even more people.
The one problem with that is, they are usually closed on monday's. I am not sure if they are going to make an exception for labor day though. If they are closed then we will have to find a different place
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I called the lake 352-466-4112 and this is indeed the perfect spot. It's not open on Mondays, though so I propose a change to Sunday. Does that work for everyone?
4 guests per student so 5 people can get in on 1 I.D. If we have lupus and kaioshin that gives us a total of 10 guests which ought to be enough. If we have more than 10 for some reason, we will shang hai Jorge and duct tape him up and put him in the trunk to allow us 15. Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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Diane and I will be relatively close to there, in Tallahassee ('bout a 3 hour drive) next week. We'll be booked solid with work stuff while we're there. And we'll be out of the area by Sept. 1 or 2 - and heading to Tennessee for some R&R.
Have fun! Maybe next time. Posts: 4344 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I won't be able to make it. We left town right after the hurricane, we're leaving again this weekend to see K's friend down south, we're leaving the next weekend to see my parents and celebrate all the Sept. birthdays in the family and finally, we leave the weekend of 9/11 for a reunion type thing for K.
Sorry. I would love to do it because I miss Gainesville. If I thought I could get a decent job there, I'd live there.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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so sunday september 5th? That sounds good to me.
Now we just have to confirm how many people can come
Right now it looks like:
ak me kaioshin00 Icarus (maybe)
hopefully we can add some more people. The place is fun, they have a bunch of stuff to do on the lake...like free paddle boats, canoes, and sporting stuff.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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Yeah, and I'm totally dragging Saudade and Andrei, too! I called them tonight. Grisha thinks he can come. He's going to come to my house first and we'll drive down together. Also Jorge is coming, he just doesn't know it yet. Bwahahahahaha I'm getting really excited now. It's gonna be so fun!
Trying to find a bigger telescope to bring than my 3.5" reflector, I've got a 12" newtonian I can bring but my car's not big enough for it!
What would be perfect is about an 8" Schmitt Cassegrain or something. I don't suppose anyone ....? Maybe I can hit up some of the astronomy club or something. That's a plan.
Also I remembered I have enough Marriott reward points for a free long weekend at a Marriott anywhere. Hee hee, legacy of 3 months in California this spring. I am so checking on the nearest Marriotts right now. We can have night-before-the-party festivities and after party recap and so on there. Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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I loved Lake Wauburg when I was a student at UF! Do it there if you can. There's a play ground and a place to swim for the kids, and you can sign-out (for free!) canoes or kayaks as well. Unfortunately, I now live a little too far away to help you out with my student ID.
Darn! This could have been my big chance to prove that I'm "real" according to Hatrack standards.
Posts: 107 | Registered: Jan 2004
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A lot of these activities don't sound that good for my kids. Keep in mind they are developmentally delayed. While they would be fascinated by a telescope for about a minute, they would not really be able to grasp what its purpose was. And I'm not comfortable taking them both in a canoe or something like that. Though I am a good swimmer, I may not be capable of dealing with both of them if something goes wrong.
I'm not trying to limit what anyone else can do. I'm just a little bit worried about what we will do while you all are doing things I'm not sure my girls are up to. They don't have a lot of patience for things that are beyond them . . .
Anyway, we will probably Priceline a room and spend the night.
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Run and play and kick a soccer ball around and play beach ball and stuff like that? Think of some good activity for them there and I'll try to make it happen.
Edit: Shepherdess says there's a playground and a place for kids to swim and stuff there. Looks like we're going to the North Park. I plan to get there about 10 am near opening time and secure a good place near the water to cook and eat. Will bring a big hatrack sign to mark the spot. Hardcore guests can join us then. Casual guests are invited for 11am. Lunch will be around 11:30 or so because it rains an awful lot in the afternoons there, and there's no shelter. That should give us plenty of time to eat and socialize and play before the afternoon shower comes at 2 - 3 pm.
Menu is hotdogs and hamburgers/cheeseburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, chips of various kinds including fritos (since they burn so well in the fire pit), soda, and koolade. Will definitely cook some sort of homemade dessert(s) to bring with me. Haven't decided on what yet. If anyone wants to bring something, that will be great. Or just bring yourself, that's also great!
[ August 26, 2004, 05:49 AM: Message edited by: ak ]
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Icarus, Life jackets come with the canoes, and are required attire, in fact. Believe me,the lifeguards don't want to be going in after you, either!
Also, the swimming area is really not deep, and is just on the shore of the lake, so even waders would have some fun. I'm sure you could use some life jackets in the swimming area if you're worried about your girls there.
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Due to a change in plans, I will be attending your picnic! hooray! I will finally be a real jatraquero! No guarantees on how late I will stay though, as it is a long drive back home. But i shall stay later the more fun we are having. So there's some incentive for you.
ak, now you must be sure to bring saud and andrei, I am dying to meet them.
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Okay, that means I have to get a phone interview this week or next from Iraq. If I do that she will come. If I get called back she said she will make a cake. The evil mistress has spoken. I told her what you said, AR. It looks like things are up to me now.
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Just so you know, there is a home game that weekend. The chances of finding a hotel on Saturday night are probably slim to none. Sunday night should be fine.
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the game is just one of the fluff games (middle ten state) so I don't think the hotels should be all that tough...though it is a night game so it would be good to call ASAP.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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I'm about an hour and a half away from Gainsville. I know I don't know many of you, but I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to come!
Posts: 117 | Registered: Aug 2004
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We're building a lean to shelter in the woods and filling it with leaves.
Well, if our other lodging plans fall through, that is.
I've got 10 zillion Marriott Rewards points from staying 3 months in CA this spring, and there are 3 Marriott hotels in town and they're all 3 blocking out that weekend because it's a football weekend. Sucks, neh?
Hey, does anyone know the Marriotts, what ward they go to and stuff? Maybe I should invoke the awesome power of the RSnet! <laughs>
[ August 27, 2004, 05:04 PM: Message edited by: ak ]
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Ela, JaneX, Shlomo, Narrativium? Are you going to be back in the country in time?
Please everyone, post to let us know even if you can't come. I want to be sure everyone who might make it has seen this thread. Thanks!
I talked to Jorge for a long time last night and warned him about the clear duct tape and stuff. He agreed that sounded kinda fun! Woo hoo! (Being duct taped all up by me and Saudade, I think he meant, not going to a party. He's still pretending to be antisocial about that. O.O I'm learning more shocking facts about my fiance every day! Strawberry! My goodness! And the various stories involving phalanges! <giggles>)
[ August 29, 2004, 10:57 AM: Message edited by: ak ]
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Grisha, dearest, I hope you can manage to make it after all! <still hoping ... hope, hope, hope> It would be so great for you to be here with all of us! Also, what good is a Tatiana without her Grisha? That's not a good combination at ALL! Posts: 2843 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
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Icarus, are you on AIM under a new name? Or just not on right now? Was going to tell you the real story behind Jorge's shocking revelations! O.O
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Not on, right now. Hatracking between chores, such as preparing kids and present for a friend's party this afternoon. Too busy to use subjects!
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Okay, Icarus, I showed Jorge your family pictures last night and told him some about you guys. I think he's coming around and warming up to the whole idea of a hatrack picnic. As for the shocking revelations, they are hilarious! I will just wait and let him tell you himself at the gathering.
[ August 29, 2004, 12:03 PM: Message edited by: ak ]
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One of my fiances who is a UF student. You'll love him! I am trying to lure him onto hatrack, too, though he really should be studying and not wasting so much time here like the rest of us!
Oh and I must announce that there have been several requests to ban pictures at this event. The press will not be invited, and whoever brings a camera is asked to please honor the wishes of the participants vis a vis capturing their souls in little electronic boxes. We have some seriously camera shy folks here. <waves> And the evil mistress will most likely put a hex on any pixels that do manage to make it out of the park. So thanks for honoring that.
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Strike "share" and make it "take" and it's a deal!
Um hurricane may change plans a bit. If the hurricane changes the party plans, we will have it in Birmingham at my house instead. Final decision on location will be made Friday afternoon.
I have 2 more guests coming, my brother in law David and my niece Katie who started FSU this fall. They'll be in Sanford, FL and headed back on Sunday and said they'd love to stop and have lunch with us. David's great fun, too. You guys will love them!
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Okay, right now if everyone makes it who has suggested they might come, we have 20 people max. I doubt every one of these will come through, but we probably should have 4 I.D.s ready just in case. We need another UF student or 2. Anyone have any ideas?
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Also if anyone is planning on bringing something foodwise, please post it here so we don't have too much overlap. I'm bringing some sort of homemade dessert. Not sure what exactly yet.
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I have a bunch of friends that go to UF and would be willing to lend their IDs, only problem is that with the holiday weekend many of them will be going home. So they're not a sure thing, but a good possibility.
Count me in for veggies! ...if I can make it after all. Ack, life is so busy at the worst times.
Posts: 117 | Registered: Aug 2004
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I would love to do it because I miss Gainesville. If I thought I could get a decent job there, I'd live there.
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