A Minor LT Meet-Up, Sunday 20 April - Tealuxe, Harvard Square

At least four out-of-town LT members (and two progeny), will be in Cambridge, and meeting for tea and bookstore-hopping next Sunday. Anyone want to join us?

So far, it'll be myself, oakesspalding, MaggieO, AsYouKnow_Bob, and their two daughters.

We'd hoped to join at Tealuxe at three, but it sounds like an older British timing (5:00) may work better, for tea. (There are space issues.) Bookstores, before or after. I'll check with Maggie and amend the details, but if anyone's interested, please let us know!

Well, this sounds interesting. Although I live on Long Island, I will be up visiting relatives this weekend (Sat-Tues), and maybe I can squeeze the time in. The relatives live in Concord, Stowe, and Harvard, but a little more distant relative lives in Brighton.

Perhaps, a street address for Tealuxe? I'll google anyway.

0 Brattle St.

It'd be lovely if you could join us! :) 5:00 looks like the ideal time. Bookstore browsing, together or separately, may occur before.

Ironically, so far we're all out-of-towners. ;)

I'm going to try to make it (and I'm an in-towner!)

Does Oakes know they have an Eleanor Roosevelt quote on their webpage? Not exactly Libertarian Cooking!

I may try to swing by, though we're fleeing town the next day and so may be in the pre-vacation, last minute whirlwind.

Oh, good, Abby! I know you're local, but failed to check my email or my profile, before Talk, this morning.... so I didn't know. - Though I was (and am) hoping you could make it! :)

A_musing, between us, we supply all the libertarian cooking he needs! What other people do is their own business. (As it were.) But, I confess to not telling him... ;) Even a whirlwind, or whirlwind-driven human, would be a welcome sight. If you can, do come! No one would mind necessary brevity.

I'd like to try and come too...especially for any events that happen earlier in the day...like abby I'm a local...just a wee bit further south than she is.

I just found out about this group, I didn't even know it existed, heh.

I don't live all that far away, and I might actually be in town for the weekend visiting friends. I'm not sure I'll be able to come, but I'd like to try as well.

Dukedom_Enough and I will be there, providing nothing major occurs to thwart our plans! We are still out-of-towners being metrowest 'burbites'.

***APPLAUSE***

Delighted, indeed, on avaland and Dukedom_Enough.

Irisheyz and bluesalamanders: the same for you, as for others, above - if you can make it, wonderful; if it's only briefly, no problem; if not, though you'll be missed, worry not. :)

Anyone who can't make it can console themselves with the thought of the seat saved for another LT member's use! - Not a reason not to come, mind you, as bar-like crowding with you all is acceptable.... (at least to some of us!)

After all, Tealuxe's self-description is 'Tea Bar & Cafe' - isn't it?

I'll be there, perhaps with Lisa and Liam.

So, who's up for nametags?

Considering my inability to remember people's names when I was introduced to them 5 minutes ago, personally I think it's a fine idea ;)

Or, um. Maybe incurably dorky. Just a suggestion...

If we all come, won't Tealuxe explode?

T

Likely. The bubble teas will burst from the pressure of that many people.

LOL. Yes, it will! But I'm glad you're coming. :) :) :)

- And it's worth exploding Tealuxe, to see all and sundry. :)

Nametags.... dorky, maybe; but not useless. Votes, anyone?

If the weather is like today, can always grab the tea and sit outside.

Very good.

Name tags are very handy when there is a large group involved. When I went to a family reunion over in Poland a few months back I became a firm believer of them. Nothing more embarressing then not remembering the name of someone that you've just be introduced to.

IF the weather isn't all that great then we can use the Tealuxe as a meeting point and then move to someplace else more roomy in the same area once all the troops have gathered.

Oh...I also suggest that the name tags include both real life and LT name.

Ok, we need to decide who is bringing the name tags. Any volunteers?

This will be great! I'm looking forward to meeting all you LTers!

19 Irisheyz

I totally agree.

In large letters, although admittedly some of our LT names won't fit on anything in large letters *cough*

20 Maggie

I would volunteer, but it should be someone who is definitely going to be there, and I am almost certain, but not entirely.

Also I suggest a few dark-colored markers :)

How about clues rather than LT names. Bluesalamanders could be a lavendar lizard. Irisheyz could be two green "i"s.

If I'm going to be a lizard I will be a blue lizard, thank you very much :P

But I'd rather just have names, all the same.

Also, I should mention that if I'm coming, I'll be bringing a friend who's not an LT member, since I'm visiting him this weekend.

I'll bring name tags and a couple of black markers. Somehow, I seem to have this stuff around. . . :-) Maybe, i can find a LibraryThing button around here somewhere. . .

Weather for Cambridge - 30% chance of rain Sunday, highs in the high 50s.

Lovely. Thank you, avaland! Do you think you'll have enough, or should I scrounge for some?

Definitely, we need both LT monikers and real-life names.... readable, anyway. :)

I was at a library conference recently and you had to use three names to be sure whether someone knew someone or not—real name, blog and Twitter.

I have a hard enough time remembering one name...let alone 3!

I'll try to come. Sounds like fun! :-)

Hi!
I'm going to Boston tomorrow but unfortunately won't be able to join you all on the Sunday. However, I was wondering what bookstores you will be visiting and whether anyone has any good suggestions for second-hand bookshops. I'll be staying near Copley Place, but I understand it is pretty easy to get around on the subway.
Any suggestions?
Thanks.

pesserj - some possibilities for you in the downtown/Harvard Square area:

Brattle Bookshop - 9 West Street (just down from Boston Common)

Commonwealth Books - 134 Boylston Street across from the Common and 2 Milk Street (under Old South Meetinghouse

Harvard Bookstore and Raven Used Books - Harvard Square, Cambridge

Rodney's - Central Square, Cambridge

Also see this thread.

Thanks very much jbd1 - Much appreciated. I'll check out those recommendations.

(I did check out that thread, but I couldn't tell whether the bookstores mentioned were second-hand or where they were located... although it certainly made me want to book a longer trip to Boston sometime soon!)

Check out the 02116 area code LibraryThing Local page at http://www.librarything.com/local/place/02116. Some of the closest things to Copley (apart from the BPL, of course!) are Trident Booksellers and Cafe, Commonwealth Books, and my favorite, the Lucy Parsons Center. jbd1 mentioned Commonwealth, though I have trouble picturing a "downtown/Harvard Square" area. The T's not that good! (Though if you take the E line from Copley to the Symphony stop, you'll be just a couple of blocks from the LPC.)

Edited to fix link and mention T.

And as for the ostensible topic of this thread, I may show up, but I'm busy enough it's unlikely.

33 - yes, I should have said "downtown or Harvard Square area" - they're not the same thing, of course, but quite T-able.

Can someone give me directions via the T to this? Red Line to the Harvard Stop, I guess?

Yes. Here is a map and directions from the Tealuxe website:



This store is located at 0 Brattle Street, in the heart of Harvard Square. We are next to Urban Outfitters, at their entrance on Brattle Street. Across the street, is the Harvard COOP and the Gap store. Below is a map of the area.

If you get lost just stop someone and ask were the Harvard COOP is. They'll send you in the right direction! =)

It turned out I couldn't come after all - I hope you all are having fun and taking pictures for the rest of us!

The Tealuxe meetup went very well. Tim and Abby were there among about a dozen LTers, along with various children indulging their parents' bookishness. Tealuxe had no space for gathering, so we all got our drinks and moved to the little park around the corner, the one in front of Grendel's Den restaurant. Book purchases were displayed (of course there were book purchases) and conversations enjoyed.

I second what dukedom_enough said. The meet up was good. Lots of friendly conversation. Some pictures were taken and I'm sure they'll be making their way to the interwebs soon.

I took a few pics, but not many and didn't capture everyone's soul. I think that Tim and Avaland did a much better job at that. I'll download the few I did take tomorrow or the next day.

Sorry to have missed it. Ended up on shuttle duty with the kids!

> didn't capture everyone's soul

Whew!

"Whew" - Irisheyz77 didn't say whether or not she captured yours, though.

Do we dare post pictures without everyone's explicit permission? I even have video footage, although I haven't looked at it yet and I'd probably have to edit it, add titles and sound effects (just kiddin' about the sound effects). Will you take our word for it, that we were an amazing attractive and engaging group of bookish people standing in the middle of a small park in Cambridge?

***I put a magazine that MaggieO loaned me in a Harvard Bookstore bag yesterday. Turns out it must not have been our bag, has anyone come across it?

I think Abby & Sarah were the only attendees who actually lived locally - in the city, I mean. Eurydice or Oakes gets the prize for having come the furthest (Texas and Chicago).

Interesting conversations all around! The tea was tealuxe! (I had an iced Vietnamese spiced chai). Liam was unable to actually capture any pigeons, I think, but not for lack of effort.

If its permission you're wanted ms avaland...then permission you've got. =)

I don't think any of the adults who were there would have much of a problem with their pic posted...but I'd be wary of posting any with the kids. To many scary peeps on the interwebs these days.

Perhaps we should wait until everyone who was there chimes in on the subject though.

I don't have a problem with posting pictures of me.

So I've uploaded the few photos that I took yesterday onto my flickr account. They are all listed as private (friends and family only) until I know that no one minds there mug visible on the interwebs. I've listed everyone's names as their LT aliases. To see them access my flicker photostream from my profile page and then add me as a contact. Please also send me a message to let me know who you are and I'll add you as a friend. =)

7326 Spalding, Oakes A. III 44 M Chicago IL USA
Checkpoints 5k 10k 15k 20k Half 25k 30k 35k 40k
0:21:48 0:43:43 1:06:12 1:29:29 1:34:34 1:53:11 2:18:19 2:45:02 3:11:42
Finish Pace Projected Time Official Time Overall Gender Division
0:07:45 3:23:08 4919 4312 1501

Sorry, format doesn't copy over... He finished 4919 overall (out of
22,000).

Sounds pretty good to me, congrats Oakes!

Congrats Oakes!

Sounds good to me too....definately far far better then I could even dream of doing.

#44

I've GOT your magazine. It's "Piecework" for Sept/Oct 1996.

I'm sorry I didn't write sooner. After we went back to my folks place in Stow, around 6 AM the next morning, my stepfather had a minor stroke, so between getting him an ambulance and tending to his immediate needs and my mother who has considerable dementia, my wife, Valerie, and I went into a very different modality which didn't include logging into LT. I had noticed that the magazine in my bag when I got home and thought that she was extending her interests.

My email is vpfluke@aol.com if you want to email me with your address, so we can mail it. On the other hand, on Thursday, Valerie is planning to drive back up to Stow, MA, to help look after my mother for a week.

P.S. You can post pictures of me and my wife.
-- Bob Campbell

PPS. Congratulations Oakes. In my better days as a racewalker, I have managed to do an 8 minute mile, once, but never 26 times in the same outing (my longest race ever was a 15 k, condsiderably less than half a marathon).

So sorry to hear about your stepfather vp. *hugs*

Likewise sorry to hear about your stepfather. I hope there's family in the area; sounds like your mother and stepfather are at the stage where they need someone watching more closely.

Bob and Valerie - I'm so sorry to hear about your stepfather's illness; I hope he improves rapidly, and I'm sending good wishes your way.

It was a pleasure meeting all of you in Cambridge on Sunday! I hardly ever talk so much - the result of being with people who UNDERSTAND:) The time flew by.

Congratulations, Oakes on your impressive marathon results!

Bob, yes, so sorry to hear about your stepfather. It may be possible if Valerie is going to be in the area for a week that I can bop over to Stow, although early next week I might be meeting a couple of Aussie LTers who are coming into Boston for a few days. Still, I'll email you with assorted information.

Avaland,

I put the magazine in one of the bags that Valerie will be carrying with her up to Stow, leaving here on Long Island, Thursday morning. I will send you a more private message of where she is staying in Stow.

Bob

>vpfluke

So sorry to hear of this.

>photos

Feel free to post photos of all Spaldings and Careys.

Oh, dear: my sympathies, Bob and Valerie.

It really was wonderful meeting all of you. :) My first attempt at a message disappeared, along with wireless connectivity. (Apologies.) Thanks to everyone for your flexibility and good-humor regarding arrangements, and the ultimately finite nature of Tealuxe's space!

My image is in your hands (though if you've got my soul - let's talk terms).

More in a few minutes...

J.

http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb243/avaland_photos/?action=view&current...

Short movie with me babbling during it. If I remember the order of appearance it's: dukedom_enough, asyouknow_bob, bob's oldest daughter, irisheyz77 (with the hat), eurydice, over to VPfluke and Mrs. Fluke:-), Oakes (with the hair), prosfilaes - break - then Tim and Liam. I am reflected in the window (not being photogenic at all:-) Abby & Sarah had not shown up yet, MaggieO and Axel (Lisa) were in the teashop. I had two other short clips which I filmed vertically (can't get used to using a camera to film something) and couldn't figure out how to flip them in imovie, thus didn't add them.






Abby and Lisa (Axel, foreground)
Dukedom_enough and asyouknow_Bob spellbound by the conversation ...or a bird in the tree....something...

And here is our lovely Avaland along with asyouknow_bob



and prosfilaes (with a random passerbyer in the background)



here is a shot of the outside of the tealuxe....where the gathering began.

Tim and vpfluke.....who I caught deep in conversation...

and this is me....though not at the meet up. ;-)

Irisheyz77,

The gentleman next to avaland in your first photo in 61 above is not me, but asyouknow_bob, who is much more distinguished-appearing than me. Thank you for the avaland picture!

Thanks for posting pictures, Irish! That's a great photo of you in front of Tower Bridge. (Hmm - maybe we should have a meetup there next time?)

oops...sorry about that dukedom. I'm horrible with names...

maggie - I'd love to have a meet up in London. Its such a great city!