META: RACC-con 2012: The finalising of details

[EDMLite]

On Feb 25, 11:52 am, Scott Eiler <sei... at eilertech.com> wrote:
> Hearing no counter-proposals, I think it's time to start planning.  Rob,
> were you going to take the lead?  Everyone else, Rob (or whoever)
> probably needs to know now if you can or can't make it, and if Best
> Western of Benicia is okay.

Yes, I'll take the lead -- which I take to mean...
-- Everyone will make his or her own arrangements for travel and
accommodations.  (But I'm happy to seek a group hotel rate if we
have 10 or more people who want to take part, and I'll help
provide transportation from the airport/train station/bus station/
Portkey to Benicia).

-- I will seek a venue for holding a general meeting/group writing
session/group therapy session.  (Currently, I'm thinking the
Benicia Library, though I'm open to other suggestions).

-- I will keep track of who is coming and going, and set up
activities/tours for those who express an interest in them
(more on this below).

Here is what I need from those who want to attend:

-- Your name and contact information

-- Your travel information.  (Anyone who'd like to
can also let me know if they'd like to share a room
with someone to share expenses).

-- Any vital information you feel I need to know:
("I only eat zoo animals," "I am offended by the
color orange," "I have always wanted to
watch Saxon Brenton while he is sleeping...")

-- Any writing-related activities you have in mind
(from a group reading of the Cosmic Plot-Device Caper
to sitting around deconstructing "Twilight" fanfic).

-- Any other activities in which you'd like to
participate.  You can be vague ("I'd like to go on
a hike") or disturbingly specific ("I've always
wanted to harass Eagle at work.")

To give you some ideas, here are a few trips I've
taken with people who have visited the Bay Area:

General San Francisco Tour (Union Square,
Fishermen's Wharf, Chinatown, North Beach)

Golden Gate Park (a very large park with art
museums, a science museum, a windmill and
a herd of buffalo).  It's adjacent to the Haight,
which is a good place to go if you'd like to
imagine what SF was like in the '60s...

Winery tour (I've also taken people to tour
our local fortune cookie, jelly bean and tofu
factories, but wine seems to be popular)

Trip to Muir Woods (think the Endor Forest from
Return of the Jedi, and you've got the idea)

Bicycling across the Golden Gate Bridge

Kayaking with seals off Sausalito

Hiking Angel Island (the West Coast's
answer to Ellis Island)

Sadly, I have not succeeded in getting anyone into
Lucasfilm or Pixar.  But I'll keep trying.

The only two activities I'd need to schedule well in
advance (so let me know if they interest you)
are:

Alcatraz (those tours sell out mighty fast), and

Baseball — don't know if anyone is a fan, but
the Boston Red Sox will be coming to town to
play the Oakland Athletics.  It's hard to find a
less-expensive seat in baseball than at the
Oakland Coliseum.

--Rob Rogers
--Is excited to have people visit his hometown
--Though he secretly fears they'll hold an
intervention to get him to finish his issues
of "Beige Countdown."