I don't know if anyone has suggested this before, but how
about having some sort of semi-regularly scheduled event
like the Grex walk, only geared more towards the Synthesis
conference crowd.  This could be anything from hanging
out in a coffee shop at a pre-appointed time, hitting
one of the local bistros for a beer and conversation, or perhaps
going on field trips like the one Kami was trying to get going
(a visit to a local herb farm).  My schedule is pretty busy,
but I could probably manage to attend once or twice a month.

(Yes, this is probably pretty well restricted to the A^2/Ypsi
vicinity, but we have the same problem with the Grex walks.)

175 responses total.

saturday afternoons are good for me (I willl be going back to school in the
fall)

Gimmie a time and a place.  I am open 'cause me schedule is HECTIC, and I
am leaving in AUg for Art School

sat afternoons are bad for me.  sorry.  one thought.  some of us are under
18...

We've been trying to get something happening for a while. Isn't that right
Rob... ...

I am in Lansing, but it might be a fun road trip for us Lansingites.  (Personal
aside to Brett. I did get your letter, dear.  However, I am still computer
illiterate and can't get the hang of mail.  I am open to lessons on mail.  I 
will check here later.  Bright Blessings Arwen!

If there are a fair number of Lansingers here, we should plan for
a day when they can make it too.

For me, Saturdays are great, Sundays after 4 PM are fine, all evenings
should be okay.

At least two Lansingites, but I've told two others about the board (and 
they told two friends, and they told two friends, andso on, and so on).

Hey, isn't Lansing near that *other* school?

school? what school?  Another school of Wicca?  Blast them...burn them...:-)

there are several schools in the area, both public and private.  There
is also, I understand, a second-rate State University in East LAnsing.
But nothing like the glorious State University in the AA area, second
to none (EMU, I mean -- is there another school near EMU?  I forget).

(ROTFL)  psst!  psssst!  *****U OF M*****
<dang laughs again>

Isn't U of M in Dearborn?  Or is that Flint?

No, I think it is in the UP.  Or Minnesota...yes, that's it...
Minnesota

<sun is remaing FIRM on the belief that MSU is the best school, and now
that her little Sparty (her guinea pig) died today, she is not in a MSU
or U of M bashing mood.>

Condolences for Sparty.
May his (her?) furry little soul find its way to the Summerlands with
no obstruction (assuming, of course, that you believe in the Summerlands...
insert appropriate afterlive haven, if not).

to bring this all a LITTLE more on-topic...why don't we try and list when
we are available and possibly suggest a place to get together\
I am free on Saturdays and one other day during the week (which varies)
I will also be leaving in the middle of August.
mata ne

Weekends are best for me, since I'd be coming done from Lansing.  I'll be busy
both the 23rd-24th and 30-31 weekends.

So far it looks like weekends are the preferred time.  I believe that
dang said that Saturday afternoons were bad, though.  (Is that "all"
or "most"?)  I guess I'd prefer a mid-day roundup.  It also might
be better for folks that came in from Lansing.  (The post-Grex
walk lunch is usually late Saturday morning, if anyone would want to
make it a joint function.)

As for location, does anyone have any preferences?  Unless you
want to head to a local park, it would have to be someplace
that doesn't mind us hanging around and gabbing a bit.  Some
of us aren't legal (that's certainly not me I'm >= 30), so
it would have to be a place that allows minors.  (I'm more of
a coffee fiend, anyway.)  If we get together a number of times,
we'd probably want to rotate the location, anyway.

As soon as Kami reappears, my guess is that she'll have a few
more people that are interested in attending.  (Kami seems to
be one of the more social folk on this conference, so I'm
sure she'll have a few good suggestions.)

Hi!  I'm home.  I survived.  I missed everyone.  Arwen and Brighn, good to
see you here.  Arwen, does this mean there'
s some chance of me getting to meet you in person?  Brighn, you did decide for
sure to go to Starwood?  With whom are you camping?  Us? 

I'll also be gone the 21-24th and possibly the 30-31 but don't know.  This
weekend looks ok.  I'd soonest combine with the grexwalk, possibly meeting a
bit sooner (yeah, right, as if I'm ever on time for everything) or staying
later, or just hanging out in the park talking (for those of us too old and
infirm or heat intolerant for long hikes in the 90degree weather).  As to
places to hang out and chat, there's certainly no shortage of cafes around
here.  I favor Sweetwaters on Washington and Ashley (I think), but they don't
have any real food, so Amers or Afternoon Delight or some such might be better,
and of course there's always Zingermans...  My other favorite is Barry's
Bagels, over on the West side of town.  Another time, we might caravan up to
Lansing, perhaps.  I rather like that restaraunt next to Triple Goddess Books.

digression- ooh, wierd, the gummi bears melted and ran together in the car.
Funky texture, but they taste fine.  Wild!   -end digression.

OK, we'll talk about this some more, I guess.

But definitely let's do something this weekend.

Cheers!  Kami

I haven't been following the "Sunday walk" topic in Agora, but
isn't there a special Grex to-do of some sort this weekend?
The motd (message of the day) says that it's at Island Park.

Hi Kami.
Did I hear that some Grexers will be at Starwood...?
COOL!!! I'll be there as well. Sounds like a group of Michiganders will
be camping at the camp I'm at every year, is anyone here camping with
Mouse and Ambre?

I've never been to Starwood before.  A little nervous, actually.  The people
I'll be camping with stay in the "faerie forest".  We're going to have a
largish group.  Also a really beautiful banner (I'm just finishing it...). And
I have an A-frame white tend with a green horse on one side and a red stag on
the other.  We expect to arrive late on Thursday.  I don't believe I know the
other people you mentioned.  Other names perhaps?  Where from?

Sunday walk?  Isn't Island Park the one with the Greek temple style building?
Did you mean the Saturday walk or the Sunday power-walk with Katie? Or did I
miss something here?

Cool, the Faerie camp is the best!
I had heard that there would be a large camp of Michigan people, just
wondered if anyone here was in that. I'll look for your tent down there!
Why are you nervous about Starwood?? That's a place to cool out and relax.

I was mentally merging the Saturday walk/Sunday party.  (I guess
I couldn't cope with the idea of a Grex event on Sunday.)  So,
does anyone want to attend the Saturday walk (walking is optional)
followed by lunch somewhere?  (I'm assuming that the walk is
still on in spite of also having a Sunday event.)  The last walk
that I attended started at about 10:00 or 10:15 at Gallup park
near the first parking lot near the entrance.  (There's a whole
topic on this in the Agora conference.)

frown...I want to go!!!!!!  Okay, no more kvetching....Yes, Kami...soon 
we will meet and have a cackle fest.  Weekends are best for me,too.  I
am also off Wednesdays...that great restuarant is The Traveler's Club and
International Tuba Museum.( I am not making that up.)  Saturday 7-23 at
Triple Goddess there will be a talk on protection spells by someone named
Arwen...don't know if she knows her stuff, but I am going...heehee

yes, all saturday evenings are bad for me.  during/after the walk will be
great (tho, i'm going to be out of town this and next weekends...)
gres is having a birthday party on sun (i will be coming back into town
for it) at island park, at 1 pm.  should be a big bash, and loads of fun.

re: #23--"cool out", that's the key.  I'm worried that it will be horribly
hot so that by the time I get my camp tidied up in the morning (the only time
I'm a fanatical housekeeper, ironically), I'll be too sick from the heat to
get to any programming.  Or that I'll just keep missing things I want to get
to.  Or that with so many new people, I'll be too freaked out to have fun
(right! after 10 Pennsics, uh huh).  Or, or... See, just jitters about a new
experience.  I haven't been to any large outdoor gatherings before, just
Merry Meet a couple of years ago, and that was pretty small and slow. Do,
please, come by and get me a few times if I'm being reclusive.  Or just drop
in for a camp-fire shmooze.

re:# 24- Whichever.  I do like to walk and talk, although my knee has been
kind of bad lately and it's rather warm out.  And I walk kind
of fast, I supose.  I don't know where this sub shop is, where the after-walk
debriefing is to be held, but we can always choose a different resteraunt if
we want.  The site for Sunday is lovely.  So I'm entirely open this weekend.

re:#25- Well, what's stopping you?  And would you prefer Sat. or Sun.?
Gee, I guess you won't be at Starwood then.  Sorry I can't be in two places
at once.  Have fun with your lecture.

re:#26- Actually, Sunday sounds like a good plan.  Some shelter from rain, too.

And two weeeks after that, also at Triple Goddess, someone named Brighn will
be talking about dreams.  (Starwood is an invalid excuse that weekend.)

Uh, oh, why does everyone want the weekend of the 31st? How can you be in two
places at once (when you're not anywhere at aa-all)?  Road trip maybe?  Hey-
maybe on the way back from Grand Rapids! (Oof!  I must be nuts!)

Sundays are BAD unless I have more than a one week notice.  I tend to
work on Sundays and need to tell the person who makes the schedules
when I am not avaiable.  I always have Aturdays off.  I am leaving
sometime around Aug. 20th
laters

OK, folks, we

(try again)
OK, folks, we are running out of time.  Let's start proposing specific times.
No one time is going to work for everyone, but that's life.  Now, I'd vote
for meeting at one of the general grex functions, especially the one at 1:30 on
Sunday. That excludes fireball.  Who else?  Is it otherwise acceptable? Who
would prefer the Saturday morning walk?  Arwen and Brighn, can you make it to
either of those times?  Come on folks, time's a-wasting.  I'd like to see you
all.

I'm seriously considering attending the Saturday morning walk
tomorrow (16 July).  I'm not sure about Sunday yet.  (Not
that this is THE OFFICIAL TIME, but some of you might see me
there.)  I usually bop back and forth between Kami's discussions
on paganism/horses/society/etc. and talking shop with a few of
the hackers that show up.  (I'm a reformed computer "weenie",
but I still speak the lingo.)  If you like conversation on
Synthesis sorts of topics as well as just about anything else under
the sun, you can usually find it on a Grex walk.

Kami, why don't you pick a time and let's see who can show up.  I happen to
know that Brighn isn't going to Starwood, so maybe the weekend after that on
Saturday?  I have no clue why I thought it was important that Brighn wasn't
going to Starwood...oh never mind...I am thinking out loud and in public NOT A
PRETTY SIGHT>   Wherever, I will need really specific directions
  How about the 30 at 11:00am?  Place?

Especially since Kami IS.

Well, a few folks showed up at the walk.  Fireball brought his
tarot deck and we finished off the day by a trip to Crazy Wisdom.
(Actually, everyone else did.  I had to bail right after lunch,
so I missed the book trip.)

I should make the walk on the 30th, the great not-quite-Pagan holiday
of KateMas.

Haven't got the 30th scheduled yet, sounds reasonably probably.  I'm rather
fond of Sweetwaters or Barry's Bagels, which is right next to Little Professor.
I will be at the picnic this afternoon.

Yesterday sounds like fun.  Sorry I couldn't make it.  Hey, bringing Tarot, etc
sounds like a concept.  Ah, are we talking about combining with the walk again,
or skipping it?  I'd prefer to join it if I can.

Arwen, thanks for mentioning what Brighn hadn't yet- I just arranged an extra
CB radio, thinking I was going to be carravaning with him, too.  Brighn, what
happened?
Oh, Arwen, can you ammend your suggestion to 10:AM or 11:30?  That is, either
for the walk or after it?  Directions are in Agora, item (5?).  See ya!

I won't make the picnic, but I can make the walk of the 30th.
(I'm trying to get some overdue chores in before I get my
wrist worked on this week.  Nothing major, but I'll be a
"leftie" for a few weeks.  Otherwise I'd really like to
have attended.)

I try to make it to the walks (and unless I am too tired) I always do.
I am also happy to bring my cards with me.
laters

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