Help! I am addicted to traveling to meet DUers.

[ThomCat]

Despite my disability, which makes traveling excruciatingly painful and difficult, I just can't stop meeting awesome people.

I've been to Wilmington, Albany, Boston, Williamantic (sp?), Columbus, and to many, many meetups here in NYC. Lots of people have traveled to or through NYC so I've been very fortunate to meet them here. So now I'm an addict. I can't stop myself.

I'm going to New Hampshire soon, and to upstate NY a bit north of NYC to visit DUers soon.

I want to find a way to go to all of those places again (and again), and I want to add Philadelpha, Milwaukee, someplace in Maine, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, several places in Texas and California, and a lots of places in between.

Gaaa! Help! I need an intervention! Or a travel budget. And a better wheelchair that I can somehow take with me when I travel.

[TZ]

1. Hey, I expect you down here on Jan 20, 2009!

I'm gonna be hosting a party for DU'ers in town at my Mom's house (she has a big place)!
:)

[ThomCat]

2. Please send me directions for how to get there on mass transit

and I'll find a way to be there. :)

Is there crash space or do we have to get hotels nearby?

[TZ]

5. For you...

There will be crash space...:-)

[ThomCat]

8. Yay!

[madinmaryland]

7. Do I dare show up??

:rofl:

[ThomCat]

9. If you and I are within a few miles of each other then you better!

:hi:

[TZ]

11. Yeah.

But don't wear any Dallas Cowboy stuff...My stepfather makes ME look like a casual Redskins fan (and he's a conservative too..he'll LURVE you!):rofl:
Oh wait..you can tell him the Brazilion joke..I don't think he's heard it more than once or twice....:D

[madinmaryland]

15. Thanks for giving me an idea of what to wear!!

If I just had not lost my cowboys watch last year.

I'll have my sweatshirt on!!

[Parche]

13. And I will be there

:woohoo: :woohoo: :hi: :hug:

[lizerdbits]

21. Where's my friggin invitation?

:P

[TZ]

23. Hey..

Do you wanna be ref between Clay and madinmaryland...that ought to be fun, don't cha think?:rofl:

[lizerdbits]

24. Is MIM a big guy?

Clay is tall, I don't know how strong he is, I might get hurt.

[jonnyblitz]

3. it's Williamantic, where the infamous frog bridge is plus the

heroin capital of Connecticut! I'll be your human spellcheck with trivia included. :P :hi:

[ThomCat]

6. Corrected. Thank you!

:hi:

And it's the Former heroin capital of Connecticut, or so I've heard. :)

Some awesome people live there, regarless of the towns repututation. I wish I lived close enough to see them more often.

The Frog Bridge is cool.

[jonnyblitz]

12. I am about a 15 or 20 (i think, maybe a bit more) minute car

ride away. Zornhau and LynzM probably are the DUers who live the closest to me, except for maybe Calico1 in Gales Ferry.Redstone isn't all that far if he lives in Old Saybrooke, but I am not sure if that is exactly where he lives. Then Sarabelle, Finnfan and Amaya around Hartford and Bigwillq in New Haven. But anyways, maybe Bridgeport is the current heroin capital. :shrug: I am not up on all that lately. :D

[KamaAina]

14. Um, no, it's Willimantic (no first 'a').

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willimantic

Willimantic is a census-designated place and city located in the town of Windham, Connecticut in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was estimated at 16,506 in 2005 and 15,823 at the 2000 census. It is home to Eastern Connecticut State University, as well as the Windham Textile and History Museum. The city was incorporated in 1893 as a section of the town of Windham. The city government was dissolved in 1983 with the area reverting back to the town. It is also the birthplace of U.S Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut.

I grew up in CT, though I've never been there; the closest I've been is Storrs (UConn), next door.

edit: Why was there a DU meetup there? It's about 10 miles from downtown Nowhere. I sincerely hope the heroin wasn't a factor...

[ThomCat]

25. Zornhau and LynzM live there.

I was up there twice to visit them. :)

[mike_c]

4. if you ever come through Humboldt County Norcal, be sure to stop in....

eom

[ThomCat]

26. I don't know where in NC that is, but it's a deal.

I was born in Craven County, but we moved when I was too young to remember. :)

[KamaAina]

33. NC = Northern California in this case

Humboldt is the large, rural county north of SF famed for redwoods and, um, certain other horticultural products... :smoke:

[ThomCat]

34. Ah! Cool. I'll definitely have to stop by.

I've never seen redwoods. :P

[Gormy Cuss]

41. Hey! You'd better spend time with us down here before going to see mike_c!

The redwoods and other horticultural specialities are quite impressive in Humboldt.:D

[ThomCat]

43. If I can find a way to get myself to California

you can bet I'm coming to the Bay area and looking you up. :hug:

[graywarrior]

10. I can't wait!!!!!!!!

:bounce:

[ThomCat]

27. Me either!

OMG, you're enabling my addiction! :P

[graywarrior]

38. I'm a drug pusher.

[SeattleGirl]

16. Add Seattle!!

I'd love to meet you! :loveya:

[ThomCat]

28. Definitely Seattle!

:hug:

How could I possibly forget. :loveya:

[easttexaslefty]

17. well, if you come to Texas

I get to meet you too!

[ThomCat]

29. Cool!

Are you near any of the cities in TX? I know I'd end up hopping around the state. :)

[WolverineDG]

42. Come to Austin!

Loads of DUers in Austin & I'm only a 3 hour drive away. :)

:loveya:

dg

[ThomCat]

44. Yay! I would get to hang out with you again!

I haven't seen you in forever. :hug:

:hi:

[WolverineDG]

57. A year of Sundays!!!

:hug:

:loveya:

dg

[easttexaslefty]

48. Not far from Dallas

but I would travel across the state for the opportunity to meet you!

[ThomCat]

51. Wow

:blush:

Thank you. :hug:

I wouldn't make you do that. I would love to come to the dallas area. :)

[yellowdogintexas]

58. DFW would be a good central location or Austin. only 3 hours apart

there are lots of us here in the Metroplex

[yellowdogintexas]

40. me too! nt

[ThomCat]

45. I knew I'd be busy if I manage to get to Texas.

:)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. What about Minneapolis-St. Paul?

There are a lot of DUers here. But if you want to come it would be a good idea to wait until we have performed an exorcism to get rid of the Republican cooties.

[TZ]

20. Maybe I can kidnap ThomCat and take him with me....

If I have to go back to Mayo..That would be the only good thing..I would LOVE to come back and visit y'all again!
:hi:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

22. I hope you can come back, but without having to see any doctors.

:hi:

[ThomCat]

31. You have my permission to kidnap me and take me anywhere.

:loveya:

[ThomCat]

30. I might enjoy helping with that excorsim.

I used to be a vocal activist. I can wave signs, chant loudly, and rally people pretty well. :)

[Haole Girl]

19. When did you come to Texas?

[ThomCat]

32. I didn't. That's why it's on my wish list.

:)

:hi:

[Haole Girl]

35. opps

Read that too quickly! Glad to know it's on your wish list! :hi:

[elshiva]

36. When did you come to Maryland?

When are you coming back, hon?

:hug: I'd love to meet you. :)


buffy

[ThomCat]

37. I haven't yet.

But I hope to. :)

[elshiva]

39. Oh, please come to Maryland, ThomCat.

Please, really like you and I know some nice restaurants in the Timonium and Towson areas near where I live, near Baltimore. I'll take you out for a meal, dear friend. :)

buffy

[ThomCat]

46. Where in Maryland are you?

:)

[bertha katzenengel]

47. We'd love to host you in Maryland. However . . .

I'm not sure how (for lack of a better way to put it) to get you into the house. One has to climb stairs or a sloping, rocky yard to get to the door.

But if you can get here, surely we'd figure it out!

:hug:

[ThomCat]

52. When I travel I have to do it on crutches.

My wheelchair is not portable.

If I'm going to be there for a few days and I'll need a wheelchair then I find a place locally to rent a folding manual one and I'd ask someone to pick it up.

But I can handle stairs on crutches. I'm just slow and un-graceful. :)

The only difficult part about traveling, really, is the pain. If the trip is too bumpy, or the seats on the train/bus/plane hurt me, or if there are air-pressure changes then I'm in agony when I arrive and it takes me half a day (minimum) to recover. :(

[bertha katzenengel]

65. We would love to have you.

Seriesly!!1!11!

There are a lot of DUers around here. We're 35 miles outside DC...

[1gobluedem]

49. Why do you hate Michigan?

We are full of DUers, you know. :hi:

[ThomCat]

53. If I'm invited then I'd love to come to Michigan!

:hi:

Where in Michigan are you? I have some friends in Ann Arbor I'm dying to visit.

I manage the telecom for offices around the country, and one of those offices is in Ann Arbor. The staff there are awesome and really like me. I've hung out with some of them when they've come to the home office in NY, but I've never been able to get out there to visit them.

[1gobluedem]

61. I live in Ann Arbor

A wonderful, wonderful place.

[raccoon]

50. I'd love to meet you, ThomCat, if we ever are in the same neck of the woods.

If you ever come to SC or if I ever go to NY, which I don't anticipate right now, but who knows. :hi: :hug:

[ThomCat]

54. If I can get to you, I would love to meet you.

:hug:

It seems that I have to get well enough to travel. I have a busy itinerary. :P

[Connonym]

55. If you hurry you can get here in time for my DU Labor Day party tomorrow

I'm making chocolate truffle cupcakes (aka Thomcatnip)

[ThomCat]

56. OMG!

I really wish I could be there! :9

But I'm buried in committments this weekend so I'm here.

[suninvited]

59. Let me know

when you get to Texas !

:bounce:

[ThomCat]

60. I certainly will!

:hi:

[fizzgig]

62. i hope to meet you someday

colorado is a long way for you to go just to meet me (although i dare say i'd be worth it ;)), so i guess i'm just going to have to get my happy self out there sometime soon :D

[ThomCat]

63. I was just saying yesterday that I've never been up in the mountains.

:)

I don't know how well I'd survive the air pressure change. I might have to crash in a hotel room for a day before I'm fit to be seen again. But I'd love to see the mountains and come meet you.

:loveya:

[fizzgig]

64. i'd be more than thrilled to show you around

:loveya: