Washington DC Spring 2013 Meet up?

IS there any thoughts, ideas, etc, about a spring meet up in DC this year?

Are we going to let it pass to get more people to the festival?
What's happening, all? :>

I think this year's spring meetup is not going to be as big as previous years, since there is a HUGE meet up in Philadelphia in May (details HERE, you should join us!)

But we should still plan for at least the locals to get together for lunch and book shopping :-) Maybe early-mid April?

FWIW, the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association will hold its annual national conference in DC at the Wardman Park Marriott on the Wednesday through Thursday before Easter (March 27-30, 2013). There will be about 2,500 presentations and participants. There are sections for many authors and genres of books, along with dozens of other topics that fit the definition of "popular culture." Sessions are 90 minutes long with 3 to 4 papers of 15-20 minute lengths. I manage a section devoted to dime novels and children's series books and our papers will be on Thursday, March 28.

Perhaps this does not fit the ideal definition of a meet up location. However, book people within range of DC may be interested. Details may be found here: PCA/ACA National Conference 2013

A temporary schedule of the groups and presentations may be found here: PCA/ACA National Conference 2013 schedule

James

norabelle414 - I've always wanted to visit Philly, but my travel budget is nil outside of basic metro fare and gas for a while. *sigh*

I think Early April would work, as long as we miss the Cherry Blossoms, cause the crowd is really bad for that.

>4 gilroy: Well, the cherry blossom festival is March 20 through April 14 so I don't think there is any way around it. However, my idea is to go to Politics and Prose, which is not at all near downtown. I think we should be able to avoid most crowds. The Cherry Blossom Parade is April 13th so I think April 6th will be our best bet.

I can probably make it given there's time to block time off the calendar.

I have no idea what my schedule is like, but I'm interested in the meetup in general.

This totally fell off my radar! Is April 6th too soon? I'm thinking something really casual this time around.

Yeah, I think April 6 would be too soon for me.

On the other hand, I have a wedding to go to in the DC-ish area on June 8, if anyone wants to do something really casual at some point that weekend.

April 20th?

April 27th?

(PS I can totally do something the weekend of June 8)

I think I need to get through the next few weekends before committing to further April plans--I'm travelling for spring break, and then I haven't figured out whether I can even manage to visit my relatives for Easter the following week. But those weekends are theoretically possible, as far as I can remember.

Also, I just found out that the recommended accommodations for the wedding are in Rockville! This is definitely a sign that an LT meetup has to be scheduled.

I think we could manage something in June.

My guess is that with the giganto Philadelphia meetup so close to home, I won't also want to trek to DC in either April or June, but who knows, so I'll keep an eye on this thread.

I don't think we want to do June, just because it starts getting close to National Book Festival and people will feel forced to chose...

I like April, though I'm still having to work around other schedules...
the 6th and 20th is open as far as I know. I'm no good for the 27th.

I don't think of June as close to September at all, especially by comparison to the Philly meetup.

I can't do the weekend of April 20/21 because I chair the BookCrossing booth at the Kensington book festival that April 21 (Sunday).

I'm thinking to skip the trip to Philly as there seem to be too many people. All those plans sound rather chaotic there at this point. I prefer our smaller group down here. It's much less expensive for me, doesn't involve me driving long distances, having to drive home before dark, and is always much more laid back. Plus, I don't hear very well in large restaurants with tons of noise and people. :(

Any other April or June weekend for DC would be fine, I believe.

What about this: Two small, casual meet-ups. One on April 6, and one sometime the weekend of June 8.

Can anyone not make one or the other of those?

Well, it will depend on what time for April 6 now. I've just been registered to run in my first 5K. (eep! So not ready.)

Alas, no one else has responded to me. Maybe I'll just pick a park bench somewhere in DC and sit there all day reading and people can join me or not :-)

I think everyone is still worrying over the mega philly meetup.

Just let me know what bench. :)

What? You didn't tell me I could just sit on a bench beside you and read. I'm so there.

>21 Ape: You can sit on a bench in my general vacinity and read ANYTIME YOU WANT. You don't even have to sit next to me if you don't want.

Now I can't immagine why I would go all the way to Washington only to not sit next to you, even if my concentration and reading comprehension would plummet... :P

I can do June 8.

I don't actually know the wedding schedule, so I'm not sure how much of June 8 I have available as compared to June 9. But I'll be around that weekend, anyhow.

My first grandchild (a boy!) is due on June 6th. I can't promise, but I'll certainly try to come both days if at all possible.

Just noticed this thread. Weekend of April 6/7 is out for me. As is the weekend of June 8/9. I'll try to check back in case another date ends up being selected.

Is April 6/7 happening?

Sorry I missed everyone this past Saturday.
5K drained me worse than I thought it would. I am still wincing and ouching two days later. :)

For June 8, the wedding I'm going to is at 2:00 and then into the evening. So I think either the Friday night (June 7) or the Saturday morning (June 8) would be best for a meetup, or both!

I'm available at both of those times.

Yup, me too. My only concern right now is that some of mrsdrneutron's family may be visiting.

29> I do a 5k _walk_ - AIDSWalk - every summer. Yeah. I schedule a couple of days for returning to the fully upright position afterward - and a massage, if I can.

Not for the Spring/Summer meetup, but...

The National Book Festival folks released the list of authors they've signed up for this year's festival. Big names include Margaret Atwood, Marie Arana, Taylor Branch, Don DeLillo, Khaled Hosseini, Barbara Kingsolver, Brad Meltzer, Joyce Carol Oates, Katherine Paterson and U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey. Also of interest to me, Justin Cronin, author of The Passage and The Twelve.

And even better, they're adding a pavilion for graphic novels and science fiction on Sunday!

http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/

They had the graphic novels booth last year. I was able to see and hear Craig Thompson who wrote Habibi.


Photo by SqueakyChu! :)

Ooh, lots of good ones.

> 34

They had the graphic novels booth last year. I went to hear Craig Thompson, author of Habibi.

So, let's start with plans for a Friday evening meetup on June 7--Mark and I will actually be getting to DC around 1:30 in the afternoon, but I assume you're all working? Bookstores, dinner, more bookstores, dessert? Despite all the previous meetups, I feel like I still don't know anything about the city, so I'm hoping someone else has ideas for where exactly to go.

I can probably skive off work early on June 7th, but I'll have to check my calendar on Monday.

I think you've been to almost all of the bookstores in DC, except Politics & Prose. It's a bit further out but it's a good one and it's in a pretty neighborhood. So we can go there if you want, and/or any of the other bookstores.

Ooh, it would be great if you could get off from work a bit early! And it wouldn't even have to be *too* early; I figure it will probably be 3-ish by the time we can get back downtown after detouring up to the hotel in Rockville to drop off luggage.

And it looks like Politics & Prose might even be in the right general direction, so that sounds like a good option to me.

Of course, I don't mind repeating bookstores either, especially when more than a year has passed. So we could always spend some time in the Politics & Prose neighbourhood and then head somewhere else too.

I've got approval to leave early on the 7th; I'll probably leave around 1 which means I could be downtown at 1:30 or farther north by a bit later than that.

You've probably already mentioned this but I forget: are you going to be around on Sunday as well, or just Friday afternoon and Saturday morning?

Yay! That is super early :D

We'll be around on Sunday, sort of. My bus leaves from Union Station at 5:30, and I'll probably aim to get there at 4:30 to eat dinner. Ideally we could find something to do in the Rockville area by the hotel, because we probably won't be ready to check out until the last minute, which doesn't leave a lot of time for a trip downtown and then back up to retrieve luggage and down again. I have to check when Mark's flight is, but we should at least be able to do a brunch/lunch, if you (or Madeline!) have ideas for a place?

Where are you staying, Zoe? What are the plans for the weekend? I'll pop in and out if my grandson hasn't been born yet and has no imminent chance of arrival. There's no sense in just sitting and waiting. If all of you are here in Rockville, I can pick you up by car. My car seats five and we can go where we want. It depends what you like to do. Then again, I might not be free at all! But I do want to see all of you...even if only for a little while. I can't miss Philly and this! :(

I have to check the name of the hotel, but I think it's right by the Twinbrook metro?

I certainly hope you'll be able to find time for visiting at some point during the weekend! We'll be sure to leave some flexibility in the schedule. It seems like Friday will be Politics and Prose (and surrounding neighbourhood? And possibly another neighbourhood as well, depending on time?), and Sunday will be pretty much anything that's easily accessible, which may vary based on whether you're available with your car :D

That's great, Zoe! It's within walking distance of my house (or I can reach you and Mark by car in about two minutes)! :D

Who's going to be around that weekend?

The way things are looking, I'll be waiting for the NBF to meet up with people this year. (Might have a 5K that weekend, but it will depend on my knee/ankle.)

Me, likely.

Yay, I'm looking forward to this!

In an attempt to convince Stephen to come, I claimed that Nora could provide accommodations and Madeline could provide books to make up for the fact that he'd have to miss his library booksale :P. Somehow I suspect that even these inducements won't be enough.

Small change of plans that probably won't affect anyone: I'm now taking ALL of June 8 off of work because I have to get fingerprinting and such done at the zoo that morning. So I'll be free even earlier and I'll already be in the area.

So, we're scheduled to arrive by train at 1:35 pm on Friday June 7. We're staying at the Hilton Washington DC/Rockville Hotel & Executive Meeting Ctr, which looks to be *right* beside the Twinbrook Metro. What would be a reasonable timeframe for getting to the hotel to drop off luggage and then getting back down to Politics and Prose?

Sorry, looks like I'm begging off for the 8th - family calls.

Oh, too bad. I'll see you in September, I hope.

So we are going to Politics & Prose tomorrow? I have an appointment for fingerprinting, etc. at the zoo at 10am. I'm guessing it will take about an hour? I suppose if you force me I can hang out at the zoo and/or bookstore for a couple hours while waiting for you ;-)

Yup, Politics & Prose tomorrow! You should probably get lunch somewhere in there, and also bring a book (though I suspect that entertaining yourself at the zoo/bookstore won't exactly be a problem ;)). I can't imagine we could get there before 2:30, and 3 would be more realistic.

I assume your phone number is the same as before? We'll be leaving at around 10 in the morning and potentially packing crazily before then, so I'm not sure how much internet time I'll have beforehand. But basically we'll go to Politics & Prose as quickly as possible.

Yup same number!

Excellent! Yay, meetup!

Also, are you free for a Sunday lunch-y meetup as well? Madeline can't come tomorrow.

I'm free all weekend.

A word of advice about the Metro Red Line (which is notoriously bad!)...

From this morning's Washington Post...

"...work across the system will lead to longer waits at stations on all five lines...Trains will run every 24 minutes between Shady Grove and Glenmont...Saturday and Sunday...The delays will all begin at 10pm Friday and last through the system's closure Sunday night.

Plan your travel time on the Metro accordingly and carefully!!

Thanks Madeline! I will keep that in mind for Sunday.

Have a great time, everyone! Please take plenty of photos.

Zoe took some yesterday but I expect she won't have time to post them until she gets home on Sunday.

I knew that LT's favorite shutterbug would be up to the task. :-)

No! No! I'm having a bad hair weekend!! :)

Hehe, I think it will probably be Monday for the photos, since my bus doesn't get in until 10:10 tomorrow night.

Fortunately part of our meetup yesterday involved a stop at the CVS for some hair-control product, so I can bring that along! Problem solved :P

:/

We'll see!

I'll have to wait for Zoe's picture to see if I had bad hair day today or not!

It was fun seeing the three of you. Looking forward to the *big* meet-up at the National Book Festival in September.

I've posted the meetup thread for the National Book Festival in DC!
http://www.librarything.com/topic/155277

Squeak & Zoe;
I would imagine that with humidity you both have not 'bad hair' days but 'big hair' days. Huge difference. :-)
Enjoy my dears,
belva

My bad hair days are now gone. I found my hairdresser, and I'm back in my old curls. Hurray!

Hehe, I also got a haircut a couple of days ago, but I wouldn't be so bold as to say that my bad hair days have ended! She always makes it look so nice by straightening it, and I really can't be bothered.

Thank you, Belva, for reminding us of that difference :D

> 72

Yeah. That's what happened to me. This time I told my hairdresser not to make it straight (which she did anyway), but I told her that *I* was going curly. I'm tired of taking time to straighten my hair. Not enough time in my life for that. That's why God gave me curly hair in the first place! :)

(My daughter straightens her hair, though.)

If it makes you two feel better, humid days are the only days my hair looks decent. Any other day it just looks like string.

Yeah, well, I'm balding, so there! :P