Canberra meetup

[aldebaran]

Sorry, I forgot you've got your dance class. How about 12:30pm then? Just in time for lunch in the pub.

[Choreocrat]

Ooh, that's not an unpleasant thought (for those of us who love pub food...). I'm in on that one.

[aldebaran]

King O's make nice pizza.

[Prof Eumides Blakehurst]

Currently either day is fine for me, but I thought we were aiming for Sundays ? Will O'Malley's be closed on the Sunday ?

See you all there!

[aldebaran]

Do you like the chances of a pub being open on Easter Sunday? You don't? Neither do I.

[Choreocrat]

That's what I figured, as well. Easter Sunday's a bit of a risk. I haven't tried to go anywhere on Easter Sunday for some time (I'm usually at the National Folk Festival, but not this year), but I figure it won't be much more than the 24-hour supermarket and Dendy that are open.

[GypsyGurl]

Hello there - back on board after a very loooong absence. Glad to see local meetups are happening - will try to get to one in the near future.

BTW I note Folkie was mentioned - I will be at it again this year performing with my Tribal Bellydance troupe Tribalista Sistas but will also be making an appearance a'la Steampunk Gypsy style @ some point in the evening in between some great theatrical Gypsy Cabaret Bands (Rapskallion, Mr Fibby, Bizerka & Lolo Lovina) on Saturday evening in "The Majestic" if anyone is around. 

[Choreocrat]

Iv'e heard great things about Rapskallion. I'm not at the festival this year - due to my own rules, as said above - but I'll be at King O's this Saturday at 12:30, with whoever turns up. My ring-ins who came last time won't be there this time, but another one will likely turn up - she's quite enthusiastic.

@GypsyGurl - I hope you can come to some other meet-ups. Keep checking in to help organise one you can get to.

[GypsyGurl]

Hi Choreocat! This weekend is obviously out for me but will try for another post Folkie craziness is over 

[aldebaran]

I'm there and hope my lousy mood will have worn off, so I can be halfway decent company.

[aldebaran]

So we had another fun little meetup this weekend.

Let's talk May...Steampump is on in Melbourne and I guess some of you are going to that. I'm getting married that weekend. So the first weekend in May is out. Shall we aim for the following weekend, 15 or 16 May? Do we want to go to King O's again or try someplace else, like the Phoenix?

[GypsyGurl]

Date should be OK for me - will double check & come back to u to let u know if I can make it 

[Choreocrat]

Either afternoon of the 15/16th May are good for me. I'm happy to vary location. The Phoenix, the Wig and Pen, whatever.

At some stage, a trip out to the George Harcourt Inn would be appropriate, but it's well out of the way for most of you, particularly from Queanbeyan.

[aldebaran]

At some stage, a trip out to the George Harcourt Inn would be appropriate, but it's well out of the way for most of you, particularly from Queanbeyan.

I have a car...

[Prof Eumides Blakehurst]

Hmmm, sorry I wasn't around again (seems I shall continue to preserve my mystique!) - I get to claim injury this time. 

Otherwise for May - the 15/16th is generally OK for me - I will have a sister-type birthday on one of the days, but don't know which one yet. Any venue is fine with me.

I'll be going to Steampump for the weekend of the 8th May - driving - and can take people there and back again assuming that all our travel timetables line up.

Finally - there is the Lifeline Bookfair on Friday 16th April - I'll the there early and can also provide transport, tea and pastries!

[Choreocrat]

Wow! That sounds like a good offer for the bookfair! (Did you say you lived in Belconnen?) I have to be early, so that suits me well - I'm volunteering for the Jane Austen Festival as well, and have to run off there to let someone else come out to the bookfair.

Am investigating Steampump now. Until Aldebaran mentioned it, I had not heard of it.

Edit: How did I not know about Steampump?! Hmm... now let's see if I can work out a way it keep that weekend free.

[Prof Eumides Blakehurst]

I do indeed live in Belconnen - I can fit three other people without squishing, four more if everyone in the back is on friendly terms. 

I usually have a thermos of tea and something to eat (croissants or danishes or something) to keep me ticking over whilst in line. We can easily make a picnic of it!

For Steampump, I was thinking of taking a day or two off on either side of that weekend as there are a few physics and chorister friends to catch up with and more shopping to do apart from just Steampump and farnarkling with steampunks (mainly my young apprentice!). So I'd be looking to drive down on the Thursday or Friday and come back on the Monday or Tuesday. That way I can take down and bring back more stuff than airlines like, as well as types of things that airlines don't like! 

If people can fit in with that then you're more than welcome as passengers to and/or from Steampump.

[Choreocrat]

I'll take you up on the opportunity for the bookfair (I'll have to see about contributing something other than my presence...).

Steampump would be great, but I can't justify taking *another* weekend off my thesis/teaching responsibilities. Between sickness at Easter and the Jane Austen festival in under a fortnight, I keep taking days off that I shouldn't. I'm not supposed to have weekends.

[GypsyGurl]

15/16 May is fine at this stage for a meetup.

I note that the resident Historical Dance group Earthly Delights have a Victorian ball planned for that weekend...could be a fun Steampunk outing? I have been meaning to get to one but haven't yet managed it.

I would love to go to Steampump but also cannot manage the extended leave as we have a big 3.5 month trip to the UK planned for later in the year and that is using pretty much all my planned leave for the rest of the year. 

[Choreocrat]

Yes, that's our Victorian ball - and June is steampunk. It'll likely be an interesting take on it (it still mystifies the organisers a little), but (more) people who have good costumes is great!

[GypsyGurl]

Yes, that's our Victorian ball - and June is steampunk. It'll likely be an interesting take on it (it still mystifies the organisers a little), but (more) people who have good costumes is great!

Well mayhaps we should organise to make an evening of it in June then? 

[aldebaran]

Victorian and SP balls! I am so there!

We could meet up for an early dinner in Civic and then go on to the dance. Hm? Hm? We could go to Pide House, or Zen Yai, or...what other good restaurants are in the city?

[GypsyGurl]

Hmmm....sounds like a nice plan.

Tongue & Groove has vaguely Industrial Steam feel and very nice pizzas!

Otherwise a favourite haunt of mine (and one I don't get to as much as I would like) is The Parlour Wine Room http://www.parlour.net.au/
Although they don't do full meals they have divine tapas and make great cocktails as well as having a lovely selection of wines...

[Choreocrat]

Oh, my. That's just a couple of minutes' walk from my office!

That sounds very interesting. Tongue and Groove is also good.

I still need to work out what a SP gentleman might wear to a ball. Goggles don't seem appropriate, somehow for me. I'll wear a sidearm, but likely not to dance.

I'll be at both balls, and shall have to make sure I promise you all a dance.

[aldebaran]

Thanks, Gypsy, I haven't been to either of those places and happy to try them out.

I'm thinking about wearing my wedding gown to the May dance, because it is Victorian-inspired.

I want to punk it up for the June dance. Goggles, knee-length skirt (that's short for me), and hopefully I'll have my tartan corset by then. Also, I'll be stealing my fiance's Taipan boots for the night, because they fit and I don't own a trashed-looking pair of boots.

I'll be at both balls, and shall have to make sure I promise you all a dance.

I'll take you up on that.