Kitten Gathering 2004 - Chicago 8/13-8/15

[maudmac]

Okay, it looks official at this point.



Location: Chicago



Dates: Friday, August 13 - Sunday, August 15

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It's time! Time to start talking about the next Kitten gathering. Just preliminary stuff, brainstorming, suggestions, throwing out ideas and seeing what sticks.



Date-wise, probably summer, huh?



Location-wise...places like New Orleans and San Francisco have been batted around. Or maybe Las Vegas again. We sure had a great time there last year.



So, what do y'all think?



Also, as details get worked out and things get finalized, all the important information will be found here in this first post.

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Walking in space we find the purpose of peace. The beauty of life you can no longer hide.
Our eyes are open, our eyes are open. Our eyes are open, our eyes are open wide, wide, wide. -- Walking In Space

Edited by: maudmac  at: 7/13/04 10:28 pm

[urnofosiris]

Oooooh San Francisco. Me likes. I have fallen for that city in the one day I have been there, on the other hand Las Vegas would be great as well, as I really want to go there. I really like to come over, hum, I guess I'd prefer winter, but this winter would be too soon for me, so I'll suffer through the heat instead. It will be worth it if it means meeting some Kittens again and a few I have not met yet, like Holley.

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She's so anally retentive she wouldn't sit down for fear of sucking up the furniture.

--Patsy Stone

Edited by: DrG at: 9/20/03 12:07 pm

[fontaine13]

I'd vote for Las Vegas too since I've always wanted to go there and of course there's La Celine

"So unimpressed but so in awe, such a saint but such a whore"

[xita]

I'll say New Orleans, come I am selfish and I've never been there. Besides this would be the third Kitten gathering , first one in NY, second one in vegas, I would think something in the middle would be nice for a change.



I will say that February was not a good month for me. It would be hard again. I would prefer a june or august date, hotels are cheaper then too.

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose."

-Me & Bobby
McGee

Edited by: xita  at: 9/20/03 12:58 pm

[maudmac]

There's no doubt in my mind we'll have a fantastic time wherever we are.



Any time of year is fine with me, but I do think summer would probably be easiest for most Kittens to have time off from work. (Except for our antipodean friends who have that weird winter-during-summer thing. )



I love NO and SF both. They're very different cities, but each is exciting and charming and offers us a lot of good things to do. I liked Vegas a lot, too, and the pull of La Celine is very strong, but I do think it's fair to give other cities a shot since we've done Vegas already. Wait...no, not like that!!! Filthy, filthy minds.



The only drawback of NO is that in the summer there's the considerable heat and humidity, whereas SF is lovely in the summer. I've been in both cities during summer and there's a world of difference.



That said, though, I cast my preliminary vote for New Orleans. It's one of my favorite cities, it's beautiful....there's just something about it. It's...it's got a mystery...a haunting sense of secret things just around the corner...I can't explain it. New Orleans is a city to be experienced.



I don't care a whole lot, though. I'll go happily to whatever location we decide.

---

Walking in space we find the purpose of peace. The beauty of life you can no longer hide.
Our eyes are open, our eyes are open. Our eyes are open, our eyes are open wide, wide, wide. -- Walking In Space

[urnofosiris]

Hmm New Orleans would probably be no go for me, no direct flights and hot humidity? Eeek. Kill me now. Las vegas however...Can you imagine all of us at a Celine concert? That would be serious fun and it would probably be the only thing that could persuade Brian to show his face. Amber could not do it, but Celine? We all know how much he loves her.

Anyway, I cast my vote, I'll shut up now, but SF anf LV may be easier to reach for anti-atlanticans such as myself.

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She's so anally retentive she wouldn't sit down for fear of sucking up the furniture.

--Patsy Stone

[xita]

Out of purely selfish reasons, I am going to suggest a weekend. It's July 30th, 31st, and August 1st. That's a Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose."

-Me & Bobby
McGee

[WebWarlock]

Well if you want central, with lots of direct flights and lots of things to do while you are here let me suggest Chicago.



During that time will also be the Chicago outdoor film fest and the tall ships on Lake Michigan. Not to mention concerts at any of the 8 or so venues I can think of.



Plus all the bars (get drunk in every language known), clubs, museums, and restraunts.



Warlock

-----

Web Warlock

The Other Side,
home of Liber Mysterium: The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks: Available October 31st, 2003!

“Well-behaved women rarely make history.” - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich,
Professor Harvard University.

[emma peel]

I go along with xita's date of July 30 to August 1 for purely selfish reasons on my part.

Xita, I'd love to meet you in person some day.

I do so wanna go to a Kitten gathering next year. My gf has no interest...sigh...

Janice

[La]

I would second Chicago, since I'll probably be moving back there next summer. There is a TON of fun stuff to do around Chicago.



But of LV, SF or NO, I'd have to say San Francisco, basically cuz I've never been there

~La



-But they are-are naked!

-Naturally! It's much too dangerous to jump through fire with your clothes on!"

~Lord Summerisle to Sergeant Howie in The Wicker Man, in regards to women jumping over a bonfire during on May Day

[Jennpurr]

Has anyone ever thought about Texas? Maybe Dallas or Houston, or something? I would really love to go to a kitten gathering, but finances are holding me back.



It would be cool I think if we could do something here?



Jen

||My Fan Fiction and More!|| ||My Yahoo Group|| ||September 11th 2001 - An on-line Memorial||
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"One thing I don't understand," Willow went on, laying herself down on top of Tara's legs, with her head resting on her stomach, "is how you don't just lock yourself in your room and play with yourself all day."
Tara laughed, which caused her chest to shudder quite expressively, and Willow to, "Mmmm," again. "Hellebore," Chapter 20 by Chris Cook

Edited by: Jennpurr at: 9/21/03 9:54 am

[cattwoman98111]

the date is good for me, and for selfish reasons i vote for SF. i am moving in 2 wks to Santa Rosa and the city is less than an hour away, money is tight so the closer the better.

however i have never been to New Orleans. hmmm, i may win the lottery, then i could help out all the kittens that dont have enought $. besides i know a few people in the hotel industry and may be able to work the discount angle for a few people.



I have never met any of the kittens and it sounds like a blast!



Catt

I want it. Give it to me. I love it. 7-Year Bitch

[Tempest Duer]

My vote also goes to SF, solely for the reason that I live in California and can afford to drive but not to fly. I don't have my summer calendar mapped out yet or anything, but I would love to meet you all in person.

Choosing not to decide is still a choice.

[Tiggrscorpio]

As SF is my home city, a Kitten gathering in the area would be wonderful. I'm also an Executive with one of the large hotel chains in the city, so I'd be glad to call in favors to help with hotel accommodations. I do have some connections throughout the country and may also be able to help if another location is chosen. Happy to help any way I can!

*****



"The toast is fine. Toast bread good...anything else bad. Bad! Evil!" Amber Benson referring to the food at The Friar Tuck

[sheila wt]

The dates xita suggested sound good to me.



I'd be happy with anything in the central part of the country, because it's closer to us (Texas would be perfect love that gay street in Dallas!). I don't even know if we'll be able to take some vacation time next year since money will be tight, but anything less than a 12h-drive from Tulsa would be a possibility.

--------------------------
"She had tasted Willow on her tongue, and she had worn Willow on her skin. There wasn't a shower in the world that could have washed that away." (Terra Firma, by Tulipp)

[emma peel]

Just a friendly kitten bump to see how many others might be interested, in a Kitten Gathering 2004 since there haven't been any posts for a while.

I wanna meet more Kittens!!!! (although I think there is one at my place of employment, but I don't know if she posts or not. ).

Janice

[Sparky]

Yeah Chicago! I'll give that a third vote. Chicago seems to get jipped, like we don't get that many conventions cept the Wizard World...I think people don't like us Chicagoians...we're not that bad. Otherwise anywhere, I've only been to a few states and never California or Louisiana so whatever. I've missed the last two and I WILL NOT miss this one. I don't care if I can't get off of work, screw work. It's ruined enough vacations for me!

She's my girl, she's my everything.

[maudmac]

Looks like we have five locations in the running right now.

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New Orleans: 2 votes



San Francisco: 4 votes



Las Vegas: 1 vote



Chicago: 3 votes



Texas: 2 votes

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Some of those votes were tentative. Mine, for example. I'll go anywhere, any time.



Are we pretty much agreed on the date, then? 7/30 - 8/01



There's no rush, of course, since Vegas ('03) was put together in a fairly short period of time and we have much more time to put this one together. But it's also not too soon to voice your opinions about the location and date, even if you're not sure you'll be able to come, or can only go if it's in a certain location.

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I have often been adrift, but I have always stayed afloat.    --  David Berry,  The Whales of August

[TexanZeppo256]

Hmm....



Either tonns of stuff to do ASIDE from meeting kittens and singing the praises of W/T in a central US location...



... or damn cheap room and board in sunny California...



Decisions decisions...



Well, I've never been to either one, so both will be ok for me, but my wallet is whispering "San Francisco.... San Francisco..." into my ear through an eerily detached voice... should i be worried?



Anyways, am looking forward to meeting all the kitties, especially since this will be my first Kitten Convention seeing as how i wasn't a kitty yet when the other two went down



Well, I think that's it. Lol.



Y'all take care

---------------------------------



There she is! There she is... ahh... Not so wounded as we were led to believe... So much the better. --Khan, "Star Trek II: WOK"



From The Land of Tolerance,

---The Texan Zeppo

[WebWarlock]

Oooo! Maybe the normal Chicago/Midwest Kitty gathering we have could be attached to this.



We usually hit a Cubs game and then hit a bar, mostly a low key event, but I guess not this year!



I think we some guests of honor too. I am sure Amber and Aly would be busy, but I would love to be able to shake Chris Golden's hand.



Warlock

-----

Web Warlock

The Other Side,
home of Liber Mysterium: The Netbook of Witches and Warlocks: Available October 31st, 2003!

"I don't want to believe. I want to know." - Carl Sagan

[Darcy]

I'm still holding a grudge against states that wouldn't ratify the ERA, so New Orleans is waaay at the bottom of my list. The weather is also a factor. I hate hot, since you can always put on more clothes for cold, but you can only take off so much for hot before you'll get arrested.



I'm torn on the date. July 29th is our 20th anniversary, and I've been kind of hoping we would be getting legally married (again, but this time in the US) then (if the Massachusetts Supreme Court ever issues a decision). On the other hand, a Kitten Gathering would be a wonderful way to celebrate!



Chicago, San Francisco, and Las Vegas should all work for us. I'd also like to put Canada on the table in honor of their being the first country to permit same-sex marriages for non-residents. Any Kittens who've been wanting to get married could do so at the Gathering. I'd like to see Canadian tourism rise as a result of the marriage issue.



Plus we do have that whole "US-centric" thing going; it would be nice to acknowledge the number of Kittens outside the US. (World Science Fiction and Fantasy conventions are required to be held outside North America every few years.) Toronto was lovely when we were married there; if we go West Coast, Vancouver is an option. So I'm complicating things a bit - but we have months to debate and decide, right?

*****************
I don't care if it is an orgy of death, there's still such a thing as a napkin! - Willow in "Superstar"

[katydid0317]

I will vote San Fran. I just moved to San Diego, so it won't be as far. NO is way too hot over the summer to enjoy anything.



Katie

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She practically had genuine molded plastic stamped on her ass.

[skittles]

Chicago, please.

skittles



...In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. -- from Desiderata, Max Erhman, 1927

[xita]

Oh, I am glad you guys are agreeable to the date cause I am not sure I could make it otherwise.



I don't think I would like any special guests at this gathering. Kitten gatherings have become about meeting the friends we have made on this board not so much about anything else. Guests would distract and and attract people I am not sure I would want there.

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose."

-Me & Bobby
McGee

[maudmac]

Word. I really, really don't want any kinds of guests there at all. To me, Kitten Gatherings are about us and just us.

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I have often been adrift, but I have always stayed afloat.    --  David Berry,  The Whales of August

[Tempest Duer]

Whatever you all say. I'm "one of us..." I think...

I believe in the madness called "now."

[maudmac]

Of course you are, Tempest Duer. You very are.



I just meant that I don't like the idea of there being any special guests-of-honor or anything like that. As much as I would love to shake Chris Golden's hand, too, I'd much rather have it be just us, Kittens.

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I have often been adrift, but I have always stayed afloat.    --  David Berry,  The Whales of August

[emma peel]

Hmmm...Canada sounds like a possibility to me...I might be able to get girlfriend to go then, since I've tended to run away from "commitment" for years, even though I've been in a monogamous relationship for years. I have a hangup or something with the word "commitment" 'cause I mentally substitute "institutionalize" instead. (You know what I mean-i.e., "to commit" someone. Damn dysfunctional family crap, grrrrrr).

Anyway, I'd try to go to any location for Kitten Gathering 2004.

Janice

[Shadow]

Gosh, now this is something I don't wanna miss... guess Europe is out of question for location? I would love to see US but getting there is going to be very, very hard. There's plane and visa and... but I'll try.



And as for location... I think New York's out cos been there done that. And since I've never been in US any city is going to be great.

_____________________________________________

"They say true friend knows song in your heart.

You're my song when I'm torn apart."

Lifetime, Me

[WiccansIllusion]

I'm gonna go ahead and throw a vote in for Chi Town. Well mostly because I live here..althought New Orleans is a pretty tough choice but any other sort of trip would have to wait.



And yep, tons to do. Sears Tower, John Hancock building, Michigan Avenue shops. Art museums etc etc...

I am walking out in the rain I am listening to the low moan of the dial tone again and I am getting no where with you and I won't let it go and I won't get through, with both hands...ani d