UPDATED Below.
Jen14221 asked me over on Facebook about the Buffalo Bloggercon that’s still tentatively a go, I guess, for this coming Saturday evening. I say “tentatively” because I haven’t heard much by way of interest in this in my past postings about the event (aside from Paul, and I may have even annoyed him by floating the notion of a date change last time I posted on this topic). Many, if not most, of the folks who have contacted me regarding this particular Bloggercon have given regrets for various family or work related reasons, and believe me, I totally understand! While I thought that picking a date in December several months in advance might help that cause, it hasn’t turned out that way, and in the realm of Real Life in and around Casa Jaquandor, this weekend has turned out to be completely packed as well (although not so packed as to render impossible my attendance on Saturday night): between tonight and Sunday, we’ll have three events at our church (four if you include the regular Sunday service), one work-related Christmas party, two events at The Daughter’s school, The Wife’s out-of-town work meeting, and the weekend grocery shopping. Where did all that come from? Is there something about this weekend that stands out, sore-thumb-like, on the calendar for people looking to schedule stuff? Ye Gods!
So anyway, is there sufficient interest to bother, or are we better served waiting until sometime in January or February when we’re not all inundated with Christmas-related events and family stuff and expenses? I’m honestly asking here — while I think that our Bloggercons have become way too infrequent, I also know that we’re all pretty busy people to begin with, and anyway, there’s a reason why organizing bloggers has occasionally been likened to herding cats. I also freely admit my less-than-impressive skills when it comes to event planning. (My involvement in the planning of our wedding, way back when, mainly consisted of, “I wanna wear a black tux with a white tie”, “Hmmm…I like the chicken better than the steak and it’s cheaper too”, “Mmmmmm, carrot cake!”, and “Nice invites, except that’s not my actual middle initial.”)
The first Bloggercon I ever attended was in January 2006, and it was a great time for all, in downtown Buffalo. Now, I know that it’s become an “unofficial Bloggercon” to gather at a particular bar and watch the State of the Union address, but I don’t think I’d do that one — nothing against the company involved, but frankly, even if Kate Winslet showed up on my doorstep to watch the SOTU with me, and even if when she did she was wearing a pair of overalls and bearing with her several tubs of Cool-Whip, I’d probably turn her away, so low is my desire to listen to George W. Bush orate about anything at all.
But anyhow, was anyone still planning to go to this Saturday evening’s proto-event? Or should we live to fight again another day?
UPDATE 12-7-07: Well, the consensus seems to be that this date is bad, and something early next year would be much better. Fair enough; this one didn’t work out, then. Maybe next time.
Kelly, I’ve known for months that date was booked for me. So no BfloBlog – not that that ever stopped a party.
I vote to plan a fun event in January. But that’s just me. This weekend is packed!
I vote for a Jan event. I would be happy to help plan it. I am sure J W-L could help too.
Yeah, me too…I’ve already told you it’s bad for me. 🙁
When you listed off all activities you had going this weekend I mentally added: “And a partridge in a pear tree!” Pace yourself and have a good time!
Sorry, Jaquandor, but it looks like Val and I cannot attend Saturday, either; indeed, Saturday is normally bad for us because of Val’s work schedule.
IF something is scheduled in January, we are interested in attending it.
This is your sister writing, who doesn’t live in Buffalo and doesn’t even know what you are talking about. But I want you to go to _The Golden Compass_ and write about it since I can’t see it until after I turn in my frickin’ grades – and I want to know what you think about the new (earlier) ending. So skip this thing and write about a movie that I anticipate with almost as much excitement as I anticipated LOTR (please). And say hello to Deb and Haley – I am coming back east some time in early spring, after the hell that constitutes holiday travel.
January is good for me. I will be spending this evening looking for my grill in the garage for the game tomorrow.