It’s been mentioned on here before, ms. s and I have spoken to many of you about it in person, and now here’s the official announcement of our annual Winter Solstice Party. Being the heathen that I am, this has been an annual holiday tradition in our household for years. And this year, of course, the solstice marks the end of the Mayan calendar, so this shall certainly be the final one. No doubt. To top it all off, December 21st happens to fall on a Friday this year, as if we needed another good reason to party late into the longest night of the year.
Some basics:
• We live in north Berkeley, right near campus. The bonus of having the party during winter break is there’s plenty of street parking with the students gone. The downtown Berkeley BART station is about a 20-minute walk, uphill through the lovely UC campus. If you arrange it ahead, we can probably get someone to pick you up. And there are always cabs at the downtown station.
• The theme this year, naturally, will be Mayan/Yucatecan/Mexican food. We will have vegetarian and vegan options available, and will even have mild stuff for the spice-averse (but si, habaneros will be plentiful). No mayo. This is not a potluck, so there’s no need to bring any food.
• Next generation FKers are most definitely welcome (I’m looking at you, nm). They can enjoy the witty banter of adult conversation, or beat each other up with cushions. Both have been known to happen.
• Come hungry and thirsty, and make sure there’s a designated driver. There will be tequila.
• No ball games involving human sacrifice are planned.
• Oh, and this is not just an FK party, so try not to scare the natives.
All you FKers are invited, but we really need to have a handle on the head count. So if you want to come and think I may not have your email address from previous correspondence, please email me at coreylim75 at yahoo dot com so I can send you an official invitation, with address and RSVP options. Any other questions, feel free to post here or email me.
I will be there for sure. Need to check the Nurse’s schedule to determine how many of the rest of the Upgrade crew will be joining me.
Yay!
We’ll be out of town :-(
Boo!
Email sent. Hard to beat habaneros and tequila!
I’ll have my Skype on if y’all wanna call me from the party.
The Solstice Party to End All Solstices… we’re going to blow up the sun!
I don’t know about all that. But if they’re serving beans and the windows are closed, I wouldn’t light any matches.
Will be there.
Did the Mayans have gougeres?
How early did you get to the airport and was it well-judged?
Being risk averse about 1:15, and as you said it was more than enough time, but not ridiculously so.
The flight left on time, was half full so I had a whole row to myself, arrived 20 minutes early, and my bag was like the 3rd one off the carousel.
I think that means my return flight will crash.
Ms. s says she’s reviewed the evidence and is positive the Mayans had a form of gougeres.
Excellent.
OK, invites have been sent by email. If you didn’t get one and want in, let me know.
Do – re – MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
I used the one on your FK profile – if you didn’t get it email me with one I should use.
Oops, I did, my phone didn’t sync and chirp at me, thanks!
One here, please.
I did, to the email I have for you. If you didn’t get it, please email me with a current address.
Got it!
Sounds like fun…I hope you folks have a great time.
Me too.
Given the timing, I’ll likely roll alone around 7:30 or so.
Probably just me, no mrs llama or crias. Sounds like fun!
I’ll be there!! :)
It’s on my calendar!!
Oh, and is there anyone else who did not get to sign the Neshek banner? If so I’ll bring it to the party for the last round of signers. I’m happy to send it following the party.
I’d love to sign it.
I’d like to sign it, too.
If I send you a blank check, can you trace my signature onto it for me?
Yes, please do that.
I’ll drop it in the mail first thing in the morning.
If you can make it one of those giant charity-sized check your signature will be comparable to everyone else’s.
I can cash one of those, right?
I missed the bowling and I’ll be out of town on the 21st, so I guess someone please write “Poppy’s thinking of you, too” or something… :\
Gotcha!
Neshek’s going to be at FanFest, by the way, if you want to give him the banner in person.
Here’s the list of attendees on the A’s website (see the FAQ at the bottom):
I’m a maybe at this point. If I do make it, it’ll be just me.
Thanks, and go As.
…carpool…
Odds that TM beats anyone up with a cushion? 0.
I honestly have no idea whether we would be up for a party in a couple weeks. We’ll play by ear.
Turtle Man is gonna be there? Damn it, I miss all the good shit.
My first reaction too.
First baby: barely made it out of the house for Christmas two months later
Second baby: Stayed out late for Thanksgiving dinner with friends two days later
You will become an expert soon.
So, a couple years?
Yes.
Sweet. Do they sleep by then?
Not necessarily.
This.
Crap.
It’s surprising how productive one can be on staccato sleep. mrs llama birthed and nursed two kids and had terrible sleep while getting a phd in physics.
It’s kind of amazing that anyone can (or would be willing to) reproduce in grad school.
I agree.
Best time to do it. Postdoc is an awful time, and then you’re busy establishing your career. Also, you’re already used to being poor and not having nice things, so the financial hit is a big chunk of money but not really a big chunk of lifestyle. And in our case we qualified for
welfarehandoutsprograms for poor students; the institution covered a good chunk of daycare expenses and we lived in cheap (shitty) on-campus housing.Also, you are working a lot but you have far more latitude to set your own schedule.
Once they hit their teens though it’s hard to wake ’em.
Since they are talking by then….a whole new set of irritants arise. Like “Why?”
Why?
“Because daddy said so.”…..”Whyyyy?….Whyyy” “Go ask your mother.”…..”Whyyyy?”
The Why phase is still going strong for my 5 y.o. It’s a good thing, although occasionally annoying.
Yeah, most of the time they are just requiring us to do our job as parents.
Why not?
WHY???!!!
Because I said so!
YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!
Go talk to your mother!
She said to talk to you!
I’ll stop this car!
ARE WE THERE YET??
Why would she tell you that? she always tells me that I’m wrong…
Plausible deniability.
I’ll do it because I want to, but NOT because you tell me to!
WHY???!!!!!!
You will understand when you get a little older.
WHY!!!!!!!
Because if you don’t stop asking, “Why”, I will be sending you to bed with no dessert.
why
Thanks, and go As.
-sigh-
Just because…
Why?
Maybe. Spawn1 did. Spawn2 will be 2 in a few weeks – she still wakes up once a night and it’s becoming more challenging to get her back to sleep now that she’s talking and more aware of life in general.
in your bed? sure, they sleep much better there
Only true of Spawn1 . Spawn2 thinks of our bed as a trampoline and has never, apart from her first week of life, slept there.
Both crias slept in our bed, at one point we had a four-person family bed. Cria 1 moved out at age 3, Cria 2 is still sleeping in our bed. You get used to it, it’s not so bad, and frankly if it means they sleep everybody comes out ahead.
yeah, we have had weeks with breaks but, I am never surprised when the futurest of them all is in my bed when I wake up. I only notice him if he kicks me in the face. Which is more frequent than would be expected.
Yeah, the ol’ kickintheface is disarming. Why they sleep upside down or sideways is crazy.
I don’t think it”s crazy at all. I think it has something to do with aligning oneself with certain magnetic fields.
Why does their magnetic field run antiparallel to mine?!?
IF I ever have kids, there’s just no way in hell any of them are [safe] sleeping in my bed. The cats can do it, but only because they don’t mind occasionally having to get up and move. But it would probably be child abuse otherwise.
There’s a lot of things I probably said I’d never do when I have kids that I routinely do now. There’s a lot of things I used to do and said that I’d still do even after I had kids, that I don’t do.
Well, it’s a safety thing. I’m… “active” in my sleep. It flat out wouldn’t be SAFE for a child to sleep near me.
Active, you say?
Sounds hot.
Rawr!
All four members of the Upgrade Mob will be there.
Most excellent!
I am hoping to be there, but I have an all-night vigil the night before to celebrate the Solstice, and some years I have afterwards I sleep for like 18 hours. If I don’t fall into my ritual coma, I will be there? :D
The Socialist Party to End All Socialist Parties??!!
only if you come.
Am I going to get help or should I masturbate?
You should get help masturbating. Mutual masturbation is highly underrated.
I don’t disagree.
Unless the A’s re-sign Bobby Crosby tomorrow.
Yes, that might induce mass hysteria sufficient to lead to jumping off the roof.
Looking forward to seeing a lot of you FKers tomorrow night!
For anyone who’d like to sign the Neshek sign, I have to take someone out for a birthday dinner at 6-ish, so I might not make it to sslinger’s until 8 or so? If you think you’ll be to sslingers and have to leave before 8 or so, let me know and I’ll drop it past his house on my way to dinner.
Can someone sign “Bojan” on it for me?
Will do, gladly.
And “Aron,” too, please?
And me/Mrs. N/Yoenessa (I didn’t love tm, this is probably my final blog-name for her)
And “Mayank.” But be sure to put that last “k” on there or he might freak out.
Heh.
Thanks a lot
Yes, also someone put “Mike V” please. I can’t make it out tomorrow.
Thanks, and go As.
Too bad, but that’ll leave more pork & tequila for the rest of us. We’ll sign it for you.
I’m sorry. I really wish I could make it out there, but this is my weekend with the boys and I’ve already used up the “watch the kids” quota for Saturday night.
Thanks, and go As.
Oh absolutely, the boys come first, although there will be some kids here and yours are welcome.
I was granted the 24th off, so I will be either travelling or preparing to travel to Southern California.
Sorry.
ed
I guess the PDs always have someone one working 24/7, huh? Never thought of that before, although I have in fact been arrested on two different holidays.
well, every court day, no one really calls us when they are arrested.
Well, once that happened to me, before he was arrested, I arranged turning him in that caused a) great confusion and fussing by most of the staff at the juvenile hall and b) an epic under reaction by the deputy that booked him.
Still one of my favorite people, that deputy.
“Murdered eleven people, raped seven, two of which were already dead, and stole a helicopter? Okay, just sign here. Oh hey! It’s your birthday. Happy eighth birthday, kid.”
We still aren’t in position to be that far from home. Sorry as well.
Totally understand. We’ll all look forward to meeting her next year.
I was at work for 13 hours today and I don’t even get to take Monday off, so now that I’m home, I can’t face going out again. So I’m a no-show. Next year, I hope to be there, and hope you’re all having a super time!
You suck, White Christmas girl. Your absence was noted with dismay, and drunk-to, heartily.
Pix or it didn’t happen.
It happened, and it was great fun. The churros were fantastic.
Did anyone get a pic of DFA’s bag?
I recall meeting sslinger, andeux, Dial C, aardvark, witch, AV, DFA, TDF, Kyli, desmartia, and assorted spouses and significant others…am I missing anyone? Nice to meet and see all of you.
Thanks sslinger, but a word of advice for next year: MOAR FREE KRAUT at the spread.
I hope that little Ayn Rand thing is only there for ironic effect.
llama put it on the bag so that he was less embarrassed carrying it around
lol
In what universe does that make something less embarrassing?
Maybe it’s a badge that you earn at Rand Camp?
win
heh heh heh
Good to see you DFA.
If I have to carry around the “Standing Up For Working Families” hipster messenger bag, I get to have fun with it.
Yes you do.
And I haven’t taken it off.
Nice.
Good to see ya, hombre!
The pickled onions were the kraut family representative for the night. Great to see you, thanks for coming!
upon further review, churro is a kind of kraut
clearly not peer review
This reminds me that I was at the Dickens Fair yesterday, and arrived at Mad Sal’s Dockside Ale House in time to get a good seat for the music hall performance. Among the other classic songs of the genre, they did a song which mentions kraut:
but the saucy lady doing the song sang the last bit of the chorus as “cu-cum, I-come, you-come” along with some sight gags involving a very large cucumber.
thank you both from our hearts! we had so. much. fun. xo, jesa and G
So glad you could make it, and helped keep the late night candles burning!
I am so sorry to have missed this. First I got sick, then I threw my back out. While vomiting. Fun times. I remain optimistic that a buzzard will not eat my liver tomorrow.
Well that injury sounds familiar.
That’s a great lead sentence.
You and your family were missed, and sorry to hear about the back. That’s no fun.
That was a lot of fun. Sorry I had to leave early.
Glad you made it here, and there will be other opportunities for late nights.
Thanks for putting on a wonderful party! Great as always to see everyone.