Any news on bloggers meeting in Boston in December?

[beachmom]

The last time we discussed this, Sen. Kerry's birthday party was going to happen on his birthday -- Dec. 11th, which is a Monday night. Many expressed disappointment with this, so Tay Tay was going to find out if there were any other options.

I'm asking because my husband said it was fine for him to take the two days off -- 12/11 and 12/12, so that I could attend. However, I would need to get a plane ticket, and also find out if there will be any plans to have our own meetup on Saturday or Sunday. Obviously, I'm not going to book a flight until I know what's up. And, it's now October so the time is beginning to creep up on us.

P.S.

Just to be clear, I don't expect a "beer with JK" like last year. Those are not in my expectations, but I want to get some feedback that this event plus a get together with bloggers is going to happen. Also, I wouldn't mind finding out who is planning to attend. Thanks!

[rox63]

1. If it happens on the 10th or 11th, I plan on attending

I'm also awaiting details.

[MH1]

2. I plan to be there

assuming it's similar cost as last year for the ticket to the party.

Last year I was most excited (before the event) about getting to meet so many folks from DU. Of course what actually happened was WAY beyond my expectations, but I think it would have been worth the trip and the $$ even if it had just been what I expected. (Hey, just meeting the local DUers would make it worth it, they are actually quite interesting and pleasant people. ;-) )

[TayTay]

3. I meant to post on this and got caught up in other things

I have talked to some people on e-mail and such about this and was very worried about the timing of this event and about what people's expectations on this were. I will tell you what I know:

As far as I know, that Birthday Party will happen on Dec 11th, 2006.

The reason it is hard to pin down a date is because everyone and their brother is busy with the midterms and with mapping out travel schedules that might also include visits to states, some of which will figure in the early 08 primaries and some of which will not. (People are very busy.) That's why it's hard to get straight answers.

This is what I do know. If you come to Boston for Sunday (or even Sat. but let me do a schedule that has Sun - Mon in it) I can do the following:

Give you some tours of Boston on Sunday. (Ahm, believe me, I can make them wicked short at need. Seriously short. It's amazing how much biting cold, slushy snow and long treks can shorten your need to see things in town, LOL!)

We can get together on Sunday night and talk and talk and talk and talk. (This is a feature, not a bug!)

I can probably get people to come and talk to us in Boston on Monday. (Think of this as a mini-conference. This, I have been assured, is highly doable.) What people? Kerry people. (Staff.) Does this include a certain tall guy with nice hair? Unknown at this time. Will he show for his party that night? Yeah, but last year he just made it into town about an hour or so before hand. Who knows if he will be in town all day on Monday or not. (Too early to tell.)

There are about a zillion variables that go into this, number one being, for what purpose are we coming to Boston? The big, big purpose, the one that has to do with '08, is unknown. (Yeah, we think we know how it will go, but we don't know for sure.) Much of that depends on how things go in the midterms. (Which we don't know, sigh!)

What I am trying to say is, people who come to Boston are doing so to meet others from this forum (which is a treat, trust me) and to go to that Birthday Party. We can't promise anything else, cuz we don't know, cuz the people we would ask don't know either. (Vague enough for ya?)

I had a wonderful time last year. We talked a lot last year on this forum about the end of the meeting when we got to sit and talk with Sen. Kerry. (Which stunned the lot of us and still stuns some of us.) We didn't spend a lot of time talking about how insanely great it was to just sit around and talk with other people from this forum. (It was, honestly, magical. It is extremely rare in life to just meet people and have no awkward pauses in the conversation, no leaden 'getting to know you' moments. We met as long lost friends and that was worth the entire event, right there, even without the fairy tale ending.)

So, cards on the table, I would love to have people come to Boston. (The Park Plaza is having a sale for Christmas. Rooms can be had for $209 per night. If you double up or even get 4 to a room, that's not bad for a downtown hotel.) What I can't provide right now is an itinerary. I can't even tell you if we will be talking about '08 or not. I don't know at this point.

What I don't know is who wants to come to Boston with those ground rules. We can't promise a beer with anyone, we can't promise that overwhelming reception that we had at the Party (which, ahm, some of us would rather not repeat. It was, ahm, overwhelming, honestly. We never expected to be on stage with the Senator as he gave a speech. Ahhhh.... I was shocked. Still am when I think about that. OMG. Believe it or not, some of us are rather shy. Seriously.)

Still want to come? It would be incredible to have each and every one of you. Last year was one of the best times I've ever had. And again, that was before the Birthday Party events. Honest.

[Blaukraut]

4. Can we promise out of town bloggers a beer with us locals?

That ought to count for something ;-) We're a very nice bunch, even though we don't always post like we are. :evilgrin:

[TayTay]

5. Yes.

I was afriad that all the chatter about last year meant that we were a lock to repeat this this year. Ahm, no. (Neither will we have no contact.)

Point being, this year is every bit as much a leap of faith as last year. (Oh, and did I mention how much fun that was, even before the Birthday Party and the beer after that?)

[Blaukraut]

6. See, I missed the 'before the party' bit.

Because we didn't get there until that evening. Not this year! I don't care if I have to stay at the hotel from Saturday til Wednesday. I'm not missing out ouf the fun to be had with my dear fellow bloggers. Boston will never be the same when we're done with it :-)

[rox63]

10. Any idea whether it will be at the Park Plaza again?

'Cause I'd want to reserve a hotel room in town. So if we end up going out for beers and dishing afterwards, I won't have to drive anywhere.

[TayTay]

13. If not there, then very close by.

I believe there are only 3 union hotels left in town and the Park Plaza is one of them.

This is one internet deal they are offering. Ahm, this is wicked cheap for Boston. If you can stand to share a bed with someone, it's $167.55 (Tax included) for a two night stay. (Ahm, seriously wicked cheap.)

Bed Type Room Features Rate Description Average Daily Rate Per Room
Double Bed Cozy Non-smoking Room, Shower Only, Inner View, Highspeed Internet For A Fee, Windows That Open Internet Only Rates - Fully Prepaid, Cancel Rules Apply, No Changes Allowed
Terms & Addt'l
Charges USD 149.00
+ charges & taxes
= USD 167.55

http://www.bostonparkplaza.com/promotions.shtml

Special Winter Rates:

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/gx/search/pre_decider_all.html?propertyID=97507&ratePlanName=WNTR01&IM=SOP_gx_97507_WINSALE_BOS

Specail Rate code is WNTR01: Very good rates.

[beachmom]

14. I guess the question is:

Who is going to get a hotel room (as opposed to going home afterwards)? Who is coming in from out of town?

Just from what you guys have said, I don't think we should wait for anything that official, because that won't be until AFTER the midterm elections which is really cutting it close. We need a tally of who is coming and who wants to share a hotel room. I definitely would like to split the costs, and obviously need to stay at a hotel.

[TayTay]

15. Hey Rox, that special I mentioned can lock in that huge room

like the one you had last year. (Was that a handicapped accessible room? Did it have a couch that someone could sleep on? I forget.)

Anyway, go check ut the special promotions and enter the WNTR01 code.

You can lock in a huge room like the one you had. Nice deal.

[rox63]

16. I'm tempted, but I think I'll wait a bit

I want to wait until the event is a bit more solidly scheduled. The room I had last year totally rocked, and I'd love to get one like it again. It had two double beds, plus a pull-out sofa and a couple of chairs. And two bathrooms. They were teeny-tiny bathrooms, but having two of them was great - no waiting.

[rox63]

19. I just tried that WNTR01 code on their web site

And I was told the code had expired. :(

[TayTay]

20. Damn, I got that in an e-mail

It didn't have a time ending stamp on it. I will have to call them. Sigh! I also got good rates from just going directly to the site and using a AAA discount. (But not that awesome room you had last year. That was a big, big room for such an old hotel.)

I am pretty sure that this event will be at the Park Plaza, however, I tend to think they might be booking a bigger room this time. :)

[rox63]

21. I did it! I did it!

Ok, I just booked a 'deluxe' room at the Park Plaza for the nights of 12/10 and 12/11. This is one of the hugemungous rooms (375 sq ft) like I had last year. (for those who were there) Two double beds, plus a pull-out couch. (I hope. I had one last year, but they say not all of them have the couch) Who wants to split it with me? The total rate for the room is $189 per night, and I'm hoping to split it with at least one other person. The room I had last year also had two bathrooms. They were teeny-tiny bathrooms, but there were two of them. :)

[beachmom]

22. I would definitely be in, if I can find out for sure about the date

and so forth. As soon as that happens and I get a plane ticket, I would definitely be interested.

[TayTay]

23. The Boston Globe article today specified a 12/11 date

and I think that is real. So, we would love to have people there from at least Sunday on. (Sat might be doable as well, particularly if the airfare is good. We will figure that out as people check airfares. Also, check airfares into Manchester NH. Several of us live close to that airport and 'pickup' and 'dropoff' at that little airport is a breeze. If it's cheaper to fly into Manchester, consider it and we'll work out the details.

[beachmom]

24. I will do that. I saw the BG article after my last post.

My one last concern was the "price of admission" since it's a major fundraiser event. I'm hoping it'll still be $100. Your thoughts?

[TayTay]

25. Ahm, I wold go with that.

Also, considering that we offer 'in kind' help, I wouldn't worry about it too much. I will get more info, but the $100 is a good number. (If it becomes a barrier, let us know. We will try and work something out. We are valuable on a lot of fronts, but no one is expecting big donations from us. The 'in kind' stuff we do is very, very valuable.)

[fedupinBushcountry]

28. Beachmom

I am seriously thinking about going, I have a birthday in December and would like this to be an early birthday present hint, heck it could be my Xmas present too. But anyway I am trying to figure out how much it would cost.

I saw TayTay mention to look at flights going into Manchester, N.H. and found this site http://www.cheapflights.com/flights/Manchester/Norfolk-Intl/ they have round trip for as low as $178.

Also they have listings to Boston too.

[beachmom]

31. Fedup -- I found a round trip flight that in total costs $213 to Boston

I'll PM you the details. It's a nonstop flight.

[Blaukraut]

27. Rox, do they charge you upon booking or on check-in?

I know some hotels handle this differently. I'm definitely in, but if they charge upon booking, I'll have to wait until payday. In between Manchester tickets, hotel share, plane ticket for Germany, and spending money for over there, I'm a little tapped out this month. (could charge it, but prefer to use debit card)

[rox63]

29. I think they charge at check-in

My confirmation email says I could cancel up until 6:00 PM on 12/9 (for a 12/10 check-in date) without paying any penalty. They do require that you hold the reservation with a credit card #, though.

[Blaukraut]

30. that's no biggie then

Holding with a cc# is fine, as long as it can be paid in any form at check-in. Now we have to figure out how many people are going, how many rooms we'll need, and for how many nights, and who will book rooms.

[beachmom]

35. Make that a yes!

I just booked my flight -- I'll be coming in Sat. afternoon and leaving Tues. afternoon. I'm not sure if anyone else is coming in on Sat., but I definitely would like to team up on a hotel on any of the nights I'm in Boston.

I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone!!!

[rox63]

36. Ok, it's a deal!

I'm sharing my room with Beachmom for Sunday and Monday nights. We will have to find a place to put you on Saturday night, since I've only got the room in at the Park Plaza for Sunday and Monday nights. I've got crash space on my couch at home, but that's about it. I used to have a spare bedroom until I got a roommate earlier this year.

[beachmom]

37. Great! As far as Sat. goes . . .

I have a friend in the suburbs of Boston, who I haven't contacted yet. She is also a possibility. Between her or you or someone else in the area, I'm sure I can find a place. There is also if someone else decides to come in on Sat., and then booking another night at a hotel will make sense.

Edited to add: you bloggers and Senator Kerry are my priority for the weekend, so if there's plans Saturday night, then I'd like to spend it with you guys.

[beachmom]

7. So, is this the best schedule:

Fly in Sat., and fly out Tues.? Does that cover all scenarios, do you think?

[TayTay]

41. Yes it does!

We will have some fun, do some good work, make some contact and...

have some laughs. (Okay, I promise on that last one. honest.)

[Firespirit]

8. I am not sure myself how this event is going to go down

I work at the PAC and campaign committee, and the last time that this subject came up at work, the details weren't worked out about it. Like TayTay, I'm also not expecting it to be just like last year, because of the strong possibility that JK will have declared '08 candidacy shortly before the event. (Yes, let's be honest about that.) More people would want time with him this year. But as a staffer, I expect that I could get some sort of meeting with him and anyone in this group who didn't make it last year. This isn't a definite promise... I don't have the clout to make those... but it's an "I'll put forth my very best effort" statement.

[TayTay]

9. That would change things.

The problem is different from last year, especially if the Senator does run again. That works for us as much as the lack of scheduling time works against us.

I have spoken to people in Boston who would like to come over and introduce themselves and talk to us. They would be particularly interested in talking to the people who do come from other states (even current Mass residents who were brought up elsewhere.) This is, after all, a tremendous thing, just as it was last year. There would be much to discuss including what netroots are and how they can be utilized. (Gee, imagine the chance to talk about that with the, ahm, real, live netroots. What a concept.)

We hold a few cards. We hold a few cards with people who do scheduling. That's why the best way to look at this is as if you are going to a sort of mini-conference. (With beer, of course. LOL, LOL, LOL, as I actually don't really drink very much, the last time being, ahm, Dec of '05.)

There is also this weird vibe around lately. There is genuine apprehension about how the midterms are going to go. That really matters on so many levels. (Massachusetts' governors race just took a turn for the extremely nasty. There were rumors, just unsubstantiated rumors, that if Mass had a Dem Gov, then a certain high level official could resign and free up time to campaign for something else. No Dem Gov, well, maybe that's not such a good idea. Lieberman gets re-elected to the Senate and is the deciding vote. Hmmm, can you say, awkward? We attack Iran in two weeks which will be a critical moment in US history. Again, there are many, many variables here.)

So, if you come to Boston, come for the reasons people came last year, to have some fun and hang out with others whom you have been reading and chatting with for so long. Anything else is gravy.

[beachmom]

12. FWIW, I know a staunch Republican in Mass.

who in the past worked for the GOP party, did tons of volunteer work, etc. Anyway, she's already decided she's going to vote for Patrick. She voted for Bush in '04, but is done with him now.

I think Patrick is going to win, based on the polls you gave, as well as the fact that lifelong Republicans like him a lot.

[karynnj]

11. My husband and I will likely come.

I know that I will come. Like others said, it is fun to be with others. It is interesting to think how Kerry anouncing could really change things. Like others said, I don't have any expectation that lightning will hit twice. I appreciate that it happened at all and think that the validation that the 12 of you all uniformly gave that the Senator was the man all of you thought he was - a pretty high threshhold for him to meet, helps all of us.

[beachmom]

17. I am not feeling reassured based on comments here

I need official word of when this thing is going to be before I get tickets. I see that EuropeGirl came here for the New Hampshire dinner, but that was official and etched in stone.

This birthday party is not; nor am I reassured that perhaps a different time will be set aside for bloggers.

I'll keep kicking this thread periodically until we have definitive confirmation of when out of state bloggers should come to Boston. Hopefully, I'll still be able to get tickets at that time.

Thanks to everyone for telling me what they know. It's just that last time, no one got plane tickets until the official invitation had been e-mailed out. I will do the same.

[TayTay]

18. Good and true point

We don't know what is going to happen this year because it's a volatile year and it's hard to pin people down for what is going on in two days, never mind two months.

Let me call some folks on Tuesday and see what I can get for a date or even news on this. Then we should know more where we stand.

[sandnsea]

32. But the birthday is set, correct?

In reading Beachmom's post, it looks like she's not sure the birthday is set. But that's a yearly event, isn't it??

I'm not going, I just read that and didn't want a mixup to discourage folks.

[TayTay]

33. Dec 11, 2006

That is the date of the Birthday Party. That is a Monday.

You will be missed. :-( (Okay, :cry: But, that doesn't mean I'm a big softie.)

[WildEyedLiberal]

26. If I can't reschedule my exams, I won't be able to go

However, I'd love to talk to everyone - maybe if I can't go I can call and talk to you guys that way. Maybe a conference call for those of us who probably can't make it? That would be the next best thing. I still really want to go, though. :(

[ElizabethDC]

34. I have the same problem.

My exams aren't out until Dec 16th, so there's no way I'd be able to go :(.

[beachmom]

38. What about a deathly illness that suddenly overcomes you?

No, I wouldn't suggest you not be completely truthful, but I got walking pneumonia for real when I was in college, and my "no make-up exams" professor let me make up the exam. Of course, I did look terrible and obviously was telling the truth, but still . . . .

Second best would be a conference call!

[WildEyedLiberal]

39. Ha - I'd have to submit proof that I was treated

While I *have* faked a migraine to get out of class before (oops, did I admit that out loud? :blush: ), I don't think I could probably fake pneumonia. Also, I'd feel like I'd be tempting karma, and come down with some hideous illness for real if I did that. :D

Now that I know it's the 11th for sure, I *can* ask my professors if they'll let me take an exam later in the week (Wednesday, since I wouldn't get back till Tuesday at the earliest). I have an exam on Monday AND Tuesday, so I see very small odds of this happening, but it's worth a try. If not, I definitely want to call in and say hello to everyone (including hopefully the man of the hour, if that comes to pass for you guys).

Argh, I want to go SO BAD - it kills me that I'll probably have to miss this for muthaf#&king school. :grr: I really can't wait to graduate.

[Island Blue]

40. WEL, what if you got a US Senator to write a note for you?

Would that work?

[TayTay]

42. Depends on what your exam is in

Political science:

Please excuse WEL from being late for her political science final exam. She was up late having a beer with the last Democratic Nominee for President of the United States and time got away from us.

Politely,

.....


I would have bid money for that one. (Great surreal moments in life, #13151)

[WildEyedLiberal]

43. Well, it's modern history

They're sort of related...

My professor seems like an old hippie, maybe he'll be sympathetic.

The Tuesday exam is in logic. That one's hard to call, but my professor seems cool (well, as cool as a logic professor can be.)

I really should have done that, last year. I wouldn't have let my prof keep the note, though.

[WildEyedLiberal]

44. Great idea!

I might keep the note, though. :D

[TayTay]

45. I made a reservation for a room too

The register said it can sleep 5, but that's a bit of a stretch. Still, it's nice to know that we have it and can squeeze people in, if need be.

[blm]

46. UH - what about sharing with

a husband and wife? If we promise to keep our hands off each other?

;)

[TayTay]

47. This is a possible.

We could room share and make, ah, liberal use of the 'Do Not Disturb' sign. (LOL! of course.)

Sure. Sign up an we can sort the rooms out later. Just to advise, there is an inexpensive rate for a single room with a double or Queen bed for around $139.00.

We need a thread of who is coming to Boston. Then we can start to allocate rooms. Give me a day, I am so busy right now my head is spinning. (Any volunteers to ask this: I can check back in on Thursday and help to do matching and stuff.)

[wisteria]

48. I am seriously considering coming in December also.

Would you reccomend I book the flight and reserve the room now? Are all those coming staying in the same hotel?

[beachmom]

49. Not sure where you're coming from, but the flights are cheap now.

I think later on the price will go up.

[wisteria]

50. PA.

I have also considered driving. I don't mind it as flying is something I do only when I have too any more.