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A Meet-Up on the Way from One Important Place to Another
While on the way from one place to another, @stad and @neutralobserver happened to be passing through beautiful downtown Troy, Michigan, so we got together for lunch. It’s a nice way to have a meet-up. It’s a chance to just talk and get to know people. I learned several things:
- Stad writes under a pseudonym. It is not a masculine name, which led to my questioning if he were writing romance novels.
- He’s about to start writing romance novels, but no, had not in the past. (I never got around to admitting that I have one of those started, too, because why not?)
- He’s much taller than he looks in his avatar.
- Neutral Observer makes the worlds best burritos. I have Stad’s assurance of this. He even started detailing the process at one point, but I doubt I’ll get them to put the recipe in the You Will Need Group.
- “Cell phone photos are today’s equivalent of relatives carrying around a carousel of slides from the old days.”
- Once you retire, you have no time to fool around anymore, because there is just too much to do with life.
- Neutral Observer has picked up a soft, Southern dialect from living in the South, but no, she’s from out west.
I’m sure the huge, mega-meet-ups are a lot of fun, but I’ll take the opportunity to talk with you one-on-one(ish), if you happen to be in town.
Published in Meetups
Pics or it didn’t happen.
Oh, it happened! neutral observer and I had a great time with Arahant, and a wonderful meal to boot.
Jimmy, there were three of us there, and the only one anyone would want to see is Neutral Observer. I mean, you can see Stad in his avatar, and I have inflicted enough pictures of me on Ricochet. So, we skipped the picture-taking step.
I wrote a Romance novel.
Was Stad wearing a t-shirt advertising his love of beer?
I second this idea. Having done big, medium, small, and one-on-one Meetups, I can attest they are all fun! I’ve spoken with members who’ve organized big Meetups, and I’ve learned it takes a lot of effort to make it all happen. However, miniMeetups can be as simple as, “Hey, we’re going to be in XYZ town on the Umpteenth of Whatever month. Anyone game for dinner (or lunch, as was in our case)?
So yes, we had a blast at lunch! Arahant rocks, and we wish we didn’t have to get back on the road and head to our first stop on the way home to South Carolina. We could have spend hours talking with him . . .
No, his T-Shirt said, “Be careful. You could wind up in my next novel.”
I wore my tee that says, “Careful, or you’ll end up in my novel.”
No plans to introduce a character named “Arahant” in any story . . .
It’s mutual. We barely scratched the surface, just buzzing over several topics.
Wouldn’t be believable anyway.
If any Ricochetti is traveling through Flagstaff, I am good for a free lunch! Just send me an email.
Gary
We’re just the kind of folks who’d drive 1900 miles for a free lunch. See you soon!
But seriously, we’re doing a swing out west this September for neutral observer’s gazillionth high school reunion in Denver, so it will be a consideration. We still don’t have all the details fleshed out yet, but we plan on going to Santa Fe afterwards, then heading back on a more southernly route through Arizona, Texas, etc. back to South Carolina – unless the other nine or ten people going to the reunion decide “Meh, why bother?”
I could make him believable . . .
@arahant, you have met a great couple. Always ready for a great conversation on just about any topic. Love these mini meet ups.
I don’t know if I believe that.
I like to think that he meant to write “Stud” but there was a typo and by the time he noticed it was too late.
You’ve met Arahant too? Just sayin’ . . .
Perhaps I typed “Stud”, and neutral observer changed it, hmmmm?
Takes one to know one . . .
Blondie and MartyB are also super couple to hang out with. If you can even find “The Quay” on a map, give ’em a shout if you’re traveling close by . . .
I met Stad and Neutral Observer at one of the Atlanta meetups. Ate dinner with them, actually.
And what did you learn?
There’s a downtown Troy? I thought Troy was the Somerset mall….
They’re both smarter than I am.
Small Meet-Ups are terrific. Let’s do more of them.
I am heading to Columbus, Ohio this weekend for Origins if anyone wants to meet up.
I would love to see a group or thread about travelling Ricochetti where we can try and coordinate mini-meetups.
Try this one.
http://ricochet.com/groups/ricochet-meetup/
Does that mean you are buying lunch or you are willing to eat a lunch paid for by the visitor? ;)
That’s a low bar…..
The small meetups are great! I have had several in my work travels with 2 to 5 people and it’s a great way to meet incredible Ricochetti
@judgemental