ottawa foodies

(I'm sorry this is such a wordy post...)

As per this forum: ottawafoodies.com/forum/1982 , I created a followup survey, mostly to finalize a date.

The first survey eliminated about half the dates, and showed some preference to three different dates, but all three of those dates had two people that could not attend.

The first survey also had an overwhelming 80% of people suggesting Brittania Beach for the event. So, um, rule by majority.

I've posted the second survey here: www.surveymonkey.com

To address Fresh Foodie's concern about potluck versus planned picnic, there is a question that allows you to input what you want to bring, and also any food allergies. This way, you can declare what you're bringing and hold your territory, but it can still be a bit of a surprise (unless you don't want it to be). I think, as well, it'd be fun to play a guessing game of who brought what, based on personality, etc.

Again, I apologize for the length of this post--it's Friday, I'm tired and thus it takes me twice as many words to say what I want to.

I appreciate all your hard work on organizing this, I have indeed voted in that second poll.

LWB you are amazing

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm going to keep the survey up until tomorrow afternoon, and I'll give the results on Tuesday or so!

my input has been inputted
lol

(obi, can i merely express my delight that you suggested frisbee? thank you.)

and yep, survey closing tomorrow morning, results up in the afternoon. lots of things to talk about, undoubtedly.

LWB,
despite my stoic facade, I do sometimes cut loose and have fun so yes, you may
lol
cheers

drumroll please...

There were 18 surveys completed, and of the 16 who answered about what date worked best, 13 said Sunday, August 23. There were only three people for whom this date was a problem (one of whom didn't answer any other questions, nor leave an OF name...)

If you take the responses as RSVPs, there will about 33 of us, including spouses and children, which IMO is an awesome turnout.

So, the date that has been determined by popular vote is Sunday August 23. Hopefully that's enough notice that those who didn't answer the survey can make arrangements to come.

****
A few other things...

There are three people who are looking for rides, something that can be discussed closer to the date.

Possible activities that were discussed included frisbee(!!!), three legged race, hotswapping of books and other foodie goodies, as well as ice breaker games (nothing too dramatic and high-school like in its content, I promise).

Of great and somewhat imminent concern is whether the event is to be dry or not. And if imbibing is to be implied, then who shall be in charge of a liquor license? The Special Occasions Permit is only $25, and easy enough to apply for. I would say that however many adults there are chip in their share of the permit, but it should be determined who applies for it. Anyway, it's supposed to be applied for one month in advance.

Littler things of lesser concern include procuring charcoal and determining whether its BYOD&C (Dishes and Cutlery).

Feedback? Greatly appreciated. I imagine that there'll be more microscopic decision making on the forum in the next while.

lady who brunches That is awesome! I am totally flexible as to what others want to do but just to provide a comment or two:

I have my own dishes, cutlery, etc. if we choose that route. If plastic cutlery, paper plates, etc. are provided I would be happy to share the costs.

As for food did we agree if we would specify which dishes to bring or will it be a surprise? (Fresh Foodie may get his coleslaw tasting after all-;) When it comes to technology I admit I am a thousand years behind the rest of the world but if we choose to specify our dishes could we post some kind of sign up sheet? (We use Clearspace at our office and when we had our staff bbq a few weeks ago we posted a sign up sheet on Clearspace...) Not sure if we can do that here but I'm just throwing out an idea...

I have some intial feedback on that. Of the 18 people survey, only 11 responded with a dish in mind. Of those 11, 4 said "too early to tell" or "whatever is needed". So, there were only 7 people who actually said what they would bring (and yet no one answered coleslaw. i'm ashamed!)

Anyway, I think that's something that can be determined as the day gets closer. There were no duplications in the intial survey (then again, only 7 answers), and the answers varied between potato salad, bread, chocolate and sea salt cookies, and various ethnic dishes.

One option (and one of the "ice breakers" I was considering) was to have a blind matchup of who brought what. In other words, a list of the foodies coming, and a list of the dishes brought. The goal would be to attempt to score the highest number of matches. It would be a good way to gauge personalities and foodie likes/dislikes. (If we were to do this though, we'd have to decide ahead of time and draw up a list, because there's nothing like having Zymurgist spot Monty's steaks ahead of time and make the contest unfair).

i'd gladly chip in for the permit
usually organizers are the one to apply
because of my hours at work, if I had to, I don't think I'd have the time to

gladly BYOD,C,&B!

if I cannot find a ride, then my contribution would be along the salad line
lol, I'd even include a slaw of some kind, in addition

(caution! MY DISH sans slaw WILL BE SPICY!!)

I love the idea of a swap. We could bring cookbooks or gadgets to trade. Might be fun.
We could also make it a recipe swap if everyone brought a copy of the recipe for what they are bringing. I always love to get a copy someone's favorite recipe.
When I told my hubby about this he said "ooh! what do you want me to cook for it". Any excuse to fire up that BGE.

August 23rd is great! Most other weekends wouldn't have worked well for me but that one is spot on. I finally went and filled in the second survey, but also don't yet know what we'll be bringing.

re: liquor license... Would they actually allow us to get one for an outdoor event in a public park? I was under the impression that special event licenses were for less public establishments like workplaces and universities.

I'm marking my calendar now and already looking forward to it!

I think a liquor license will indeed be a bit dicy. We apply for them a fair bit for events at our farm but we have a Pavilion for which we apply. If the event is outside, it must be in a tent, marquee or cordoned off area with fences at least 3' tall. Also, fire, police and bylaw depts are supposed to be consulted in advance (phew!). Further, a license doesn't mean it can be BYOB. All of the liquor consumed for the event must be purchased under the license and is therefore subject to a levy at time of purchase. If there is any other liquor at the event that doesn't have a license tag on it (from the time of purchase), the event would be immediately shut down and there would be a hefty fine for the permit holder. I don't know if they ever grants permits for parks. Maybe, but there are hoops to jump through...

I didn't do the survey, but I think it's worth pointing out that August 23 is the final day of the Ottawa Folk Festival. That's a conflict for me since I already have tickets, but more importantly, it means that Britannia Park will be extremely busy that day. It's not necessarily a show-stopper, since the 'fest only occupies part of the park (i.e., not the beach or the picnic area to the south of it), but it does mean that parking could be very problematic.

Oh rats - that date is out for us. It is my in-laws 60th wedding anniversary celebration. We are going out for dinner, but I can guarantee that your food will be better as they have chosen Robbie's restaurant. Have fun everyone who goes!

re: liquor license.
we didn't have a problem getting one for our wedding at billings estate, which is a publically owned property. that said, we also had a coordinator working with us to speed up the process, and she was using internal mail to get the permit copies to emergency services, city clerk's office, and bylaw (then again, i too could take advantage of internal mail...ahem.)
the city's municipal alcohol policy outlines spaces which qualify, but states that we would need to have a secured area.

i'm alright with the event being dry. but if we want to imbibe, then perhaps we should find a space with a naturally occuring tent of sorts (and by natural, i really mean pre-existing).

re: location
bdm makes a very valid point. i'm fine with it being here, it's easy access by bus (85, 97). but it would be quieter, easier to find parking, less crowded to go to either mooney's bay or andrew haydon park (which were tied for second for location in the original survey).

do people have thoughts on this? how concerned are you about finding parking versus convenience of location??

i've also left the survey open for more people to give general feedback and rsvp (like fresh foodie, for example!)

Ooooh I'm excited! I did the survey - it could be 1 or 2 people for us. I have no idea what dish I'd bring at this point.

Aww, too bad on the dates - I'll be in India at that time :( And yes, I'll be eating authentic Indian food, but I'm sure the eats at this picnic will be pretty memorable (plus it will be in my own backyard!)

One point about Andrew Haydon - more parking, but icky goose droppings...(I was having to watch out for them on Canada Day. White skirt + goose droppings = icky)

Have fun!

While the date is potentially an issue (my Sundays are busy before 1.30) I will drop other plans in order to make it to this event. :) I hope that the location will be accessible by bus or, alternatively, bikable from Westboro.

At least goose droppings are eventually white, right Ms. Foodie?

Jagash, my partner & I can arrange to give you a ride...or alternatively there are lots of people coming from Wellington West/Westboro area.

Does anyone have a time frame in mind for the event? like 12:30 - 4:00 or something???

Ms. Foodie I so agree with the goose dropping issue. When my partner and I were together we were hunting down possible picnic spots one summer and Andrew Haydon Park got scratched off the list awfully fast. Too bad it is such a nice spot. I heard last spring the city was considering allowing dogs in the park to scare away the birds although I'm not sure that would help any. Hmmm bird droppings or dog droppings. Ick.

Jagash Britannia is definitely bikeable - there is a bike path that goes along the Ottawa River practically from one end of the city to the other and it's a nice ride. I bike there from downtown and it's probably one of my favourite bike routes in Ottawa. (Although I am hoping for a ride the day of the picnic - will have alot to carry...)

lady who brunches 12:30ish to 4:00ish sounds good so people can come and go as they please.

Pasta Lover, not to derail the thread, but 90% of dog owners pick up after their dogs. ow many geese owners pick up after the geese?

I would certainly love a ride if possible, though it partially depends on if we will indeed be at Brittania and what time.

Ms. Foodie - You're cheating! Anything cooked in India is authentic Indian food. Even the Indian Chinese food. Actually, especially the Indian Chinese food ;)

Soooooooo. Good news folks: The amazing Pam has offered forth to book the rooftop patio of her apartment (Kent/Nepean downtown area) for the 23rd.

This is an awesome offer on so many levels:
-No parking worries
-No crowding Folkies
-There is a BBQ.
-We can imbibe without requiring a ridiculously hard to come by permit
-It's a rooftop patio, folks.

Basically, the rule is we leave the patio as clean as it was and be considerate of other residents wanting to BBQ as well.

So, whatd'ya say? Should we take Pam up on her very kind offer? (Because I think we ought to).

Pam that is soooo nice of you! What kind of chocolate do you like?....

I hope that is one big patio!

That would be absolutely awesome, thanks so much Pam! That would be great. Heck, I might be able to make it despite my normal sunday commitments even, due to the proximity of the location.

Sounds wonderful. We should go for it.

That seals the deal. We're there. Or, at the very least, I'm there.

Yup. I'm a fan of this idea.

in other news

if you haven't answered the survey yet, and you can't come on August 23, it would be much easier if you didn't answer it at all. it sounds harsh, but basically i want to be able to give pam a realistic number (and for the rest of us).

if you said you couldn't make the 23rd and you now can, if you could leave a message on my profile...that would be really nice of you. just so i can get approximate numbers.

thank you.

Wow! I'm so jealous! Although I WILL be enjoying myself on a cruise at the time....but generic cruise food vs. foodie's food? Well, I have no doubt in my mind who would win :(
Can we eventually plan another one of these so the foodies that couldn't make it out this time can come out next time?

PS. LWB - you're amazing for planning all this!

Sounds great. The park is better for those of us with kids, but we'll make do.

Pam for PM!

sorry if this isn't on topic, but thought you guys may be the ones who could help. does anyone know where to find kurt schmidt's in gatineau?
was told this was a very cool store, but can't find it anywhere.

Awesome! I'm glad you guys like the idea, because I LOVE my rooftop patio :) There are two gas grills up there and plenty of seating. I'll also book the party room for us in case it rains and we need somewhere to flee (because, uh, y'all won't fit in my 500 square foot closet - I mean - apartment).

I'll post some photos this weekend. It is plenty big!

The only rules, as LWB already said, are:
- we need to clean up after ourselves - leaving everything EXACTLY as it was
- be super duper considerate of other residents
- share the BBQs (if another group of people want to come up and use one, for example)

There are no "official" rules yet for the patio, as the condo association is brand spanking new, so we just have to use common sense.

For those with kids: the party room has books, a TV and POSSIBLY an xbox? I'll check it out. I'm sure we could also set up a game table or colouring table for the kids.

If anybody's down in Niagara, try to snag some pruned grape vines to throw on the grills. I went too early to take advantage.

There are two vineyards just ourside Ottawa. Countrymans Winery is one. Do they prune their vines? Would it be the same. I know they have a website and are in Ottawa a lot.

It's definitely worth paying them a visit to see what they do. Who knows? Maybe when I have a yard of my own I'll string grape vines up and around the fence just so I have something to prune. Can't say what effect the type of grapevine has, but the difference may be too subtle to notice anyway ;)

*raises hand for silence*

just a thought:
wouldn't playing frisbee on a rooftop pose a few risks?

I say the first catch should be made by that terrible service newB
*wicked evil grin*

Haha.

We could also see who all is interested in frisbee playing, as I believe there is a park in the not so far off distance from Pam's apartment. (Yes, Pam. I know where you live...you've only told me twice!)

Obi- do you play for fun, or with OSSC/OCUA?

I've always wanted to play ultimate with OSSC. It looks a lot of fun, but it falls on days when I can't. What is OCUA?

LWB, you're so creepy :)

Attached - pic #1 of rooftop patio!

Pic #2!

And here is a barbecue (there are two of these, but someone was using the other one when I was up there taking pictures).

Anyone who brings stuff to BBQ, please also bring utensils!

Big versions here:
farm3.static.flickr.com
farm3.static.flickr.com
farm3.static.flickr.com

It's a nice patio! Honest! They might even have the plywood taken down by the time of the meetup.

You sold me Pam!

LWB, if I do anything that involves that many letters as an acronym, there better be $$ involved, frisbee for me is fun and letting go, not a challenge

Pam, the patio looks great
hmmm a gas grill, ah well I will bring applewood chips

This looks very exciting!

How are we going to decide who brings what food?

Obi & Snoopy:
OSSC= Ottawa Sport and Social Club
OCUA = Ottawa Carleton Ultimate Associate (www.ocua.ca)

OCUA is a bit more "competitive" than OSSC, but it's really not. There are league fees but it's to cover leasing fields across the city, and you're guranteed a certain number of games in the summer with your team. I've played about four years now and really love it.

As for Food Film Director's question....I'm planning on posting either a google spreadsheet or another survey (with just one question) about that so that we can get a running list of who is bringing what. If you want to come and haven't done the survey, you can still respond: www.surveymonkey.com

There's a question there about what you want to bring (as well as # of people so that we have an idea of numbers), but a lot of people found it to be too early.

Meanwhile, I'm off to a wedding. Wheee!

"Who brings what food"?

As FF pointed out already, if it is truly to be "potluck", then each of us just brings what we please, and we all live with the results of that. Personally, this would be my choice.

Pam / LWB: hate to be that person, but is there a closing date on RSVPing? That weekend is very up in the air for me right now.

Man, you ask a simple question on the Internet and suddenly there is a party with an amazing location, a guest list and food! I love OF.

I know this is over a month away, but I'm already worrying about what food to bring!!!

Should we make cards or something explaining our dishes/listing ingredients for possibles allergies or things people might not eat for *ahem* moral reasons?

AND are we going to go by OF names or real names? Not that it matters to ME... Or we could have a guessing game "Pin the avatar on the right person"

love the idea of pin the avatar but since afew havve me on facebook that might not be fair

Hi, my name is Lady Who Brunches and I'm an OF addict (seriously, I go away for a weekend and feel like I miss everything).

*******

FOOD
As far as I know the only allergies are shrimp (can be around, cannot ingest), blue cheese (I do not envy this person) and melon (can be around, cannot ingest).

There are a handful of vegetarians, many an omnivore, and probably a meativore or two.

There's enough diversity in our tastes, I think, that we can do a real potluck without offending anyone or having people sick of cake by the end.

RSVP
As far as I'm concerned there's no deadline. At this point I don't see a huge difference between say, 36 (what we're at now) and 38 people.

NAME TAGS & GAMES
One idea that had crossed my mind was to match up Foodies with the food they brought. For example, everyone knows that Sweet Tooth works at the Candy Store (or if you don't, you do now). So, probably she'll bring something pretty sweet and sugary (not necessarily though). The question is, what food matches her online personality?

That way, it's a bit more fair given that Tiana/Pam/Fresh Foodie/Zymurgist all use their photos as avatars, and we probably have some of us on Facebook.

OTHER THOUGHTS??

Awesome!!!

I'm another one with a blue cheese allergy (cannot ingest anything cross-contaminated with penicillin, like say, Cambozola). I generally don't write it down as I can usually avoid it.

Pam, you live right near me! I'd love to see your place as I'm curious about what the units in your building look like. And hey, *some* of the plywood is down, too!

And I am another ultimate player with OCUA. Never played with the OSSC though.

Nanook - I keep almost walking right by now because I'm looking for the plywood tunnel :P I'm happy to show off my overpriced closet.

Everyone - the party room (or "Amenity Room" as they call it) is nearly booked! I have to put down a $250 damage deposit, so if we could all avoid mud-slinging and rock-star-esque room-trashing that would be much appreciated!

There is a bar in the party room with a small fridge for drinks. I'll pick up a few bags of ice.

Um, one thing I should say is don't assume I have anything! I don't keep condiments, for example, because I never eat anything requiring them.

Is there a loo? I'd feel guilty asking to use yours Pam.

Even if we don't declare what people are bringing, might I request that someone/someones acquire paper plates, disposable glasses ect so that we don't wind up having astounding soups without spoons and fingerfoods without plates? I will have my hands full with my particular addition for the meetup, yet I thought I would mention it.

I am happy to contribute a big stack of chinette (sp?) paper plates.

Foodntravel, that'd be great.

I'm assuming it will be BYOBeverages?

Pam :: I'm going to start making a list of what we need and who will bring it.

(As an aside though, I'm not super concerned about having everything planned out by yesterday. I'm getting married/weddinged in four weeks, so that's what's on my plate).

BYOB though feel free to bring some for others, ot atleast that was the impression I was getting. Excellent on the paper plates foodntravel, thanks for that.

Good luck on the wedding fron Lady who Brunches.

There is one upstairs for the rooftop patio AND one nearby the party room :) Loos are covered.

LWB, consider me RSVP
although as my love life is in transition, I might be two
:D

Pam, I am more than willing to toss in, say 20$, to help cover the deposit and if it isn't needed, let's calling it a thankyou for hosting

the frisbee things seems to be getting a tad competitive... here, I should point out I am 47 and haven't been in shape since coming to canada....something in the beer...e..errrr..water
so take it easy on the old man

chef Obi, what is your schedule like MWF at 6am?

We can get you in shape over at the Aikido dojo. And even old guys like you can start out no problems :-) We've got a newbie the last couple of weeks who is 60 or 65 and is doing just fine. I myself am less than 5 years younger than you though I've been at it 5 years now.

We also have evening classes, but then you won't get to meet me :-)

Schedule : ottawaaikikai.ca

Oh, and Aikido is non-competitive. You will only have to compete with yourself - which ultimately you will find to be the biggest challenge of your life.

We now return you from this shameless plug ...

zym,
Fridays are def out
doubles the rest of the summer

my preferred styles is wing chun and shanghai black tiger

considered akido, very seriously...still am

I know it's craziness but for the last few years thought about muay thai (nutty things that addles your mind while working a thai resto)

oh hmmm
yes
back to the normal craziness on OF

I will certainly have fun talking with you in person Zym, I am a Jodo practitioner and know a number of foks at the Aikikai.

Based on the commentary in the Umi Cafe thread, I think someone ought to invite Naomi to Ottawa Foodies Summer Meetup.

I took a look at the survey today and the following people are in:

YES
Sweet Tooth
Food Film Director
Harry's Mom
Pam
Hungry Librarian
Fresh Foodie
Martha
Itchy Feet
Chef Obi
Trachino
Zymurgist
Momomoto
Tiana
Food & Think
Chimichimi
Karey
foodntravel
Sourdough
Pasta Lover
lady who brunches
Mousseline
Sweets

MAYBE
Jagash

There are 39 guests total, 21 of us, plus spouses/children; 9 children, 12 spouses.

There are only a few people who need rides...Obi (who lives near Main & Lees), foodntravel (Altavista) and Pasta Lover (who didn't specify where they are, but said she could take the bus as a worst case).

I don't think we need to RSVP what we're bringing for food, but we should try and organize who is bringing....

plates(foodntravel)
cutlery (lady who brunches has lots of forks at home, no knives or spoons though)
cups for drinks
napkins
condiments
salt n pepper (pam)
name tags (lady who brunches)

I'm also assuming that people who want to BBQ can bring their choice meat/vegetarian entree, and that the potlucking will be primarily salads, finger foods, and desserts....correct?

lady who brunches oops I neglected to mention that I live downtown so if the meetup is at Pam's (who also lives downtown) I could get there by foot.

As for the extras I could bring napkins.

As for the bbq part I am agreeable to bringing my own meat or whatever.

Lady Who Brunches - Unfortunately, I'm a NO SHOW... in the end the date didn't work for me.
:-(

What about serving amounts?

Should we make 40 sample size servings or 10 to 20 meal-size servings?

If we make 10 meal size servings that should be plenty, on the theory that one meal size serving is about 4 sample size or 2 snack size servings...

10 meal size servings?
If everyone does that, then by definition 90% of the food won't get eaten.

Not entirely true, Zymurgist. There are 20 RSVPs, but nearly 40 people coming, including spouses, kids, et cetera (actually, I'm fairly sure there are no et ceteras coming...heh). If everyone brings 10 servings, then there are 200 servings. In which case its 80% that is wasted.

Which, gives you the answer you want:

If you're bringing a main dish, bring 2 or so meal size servings (2 x 20 = 40)
If you're bringing a snack, dessert or side dish, bring 4 or so snack size servings. On the theory that people will take less of these...

Does this make more sense now...or am I still off my rocker tired? (I corrected Momomoto earlier that 'southerly' wasn't a word. It is. I need to go sleep for 48 hours, please).

Turn that maybe into a definitely on my part. I will drop other commitments in favour of this get together. Don't be too hard on yourself Lady who Brunches, you do have more then a few projects on the got atm. (And that's without me knowing what you do for a day job!)

That's along the lines of what I was thinking 2 to 4 regular portions. Will still be some leftovers for leftover swapping :-)

I too won't need a ride to Pam's place
I live just south of the Golden Triangle
and my lastest love interest lives but 4 blocks a way
I might drag her along but if I do, then it might be 4 of us :S

LWB - I have an "et cetera" coming! A friend of mine is visiting from London UK and will be staying with me. He's neither a spouse nor a kid, soo :)

Also, yes, you have more than enough going on - chillax, dudette :)

Oh in the survey I said I was bringing hubby and kid but then I was all "mom needs some time without them" so I'm coming without them. I'm coming from Orleans if anyone needs a ride.

Don't forget me! And man. 10adult portions split in halves and thirds should be plenty. If some bring salads some bring meats or dessert etc. I'll bring my big ole Saran wrap for leftovers. A plate of foodies leftovers has got to be worth its weight in gold!

I don't know about other peoples kids but it looks like I'd be responsible for almost half of them. My kids won't eat much so don't bother counting them in the food total (one is nursing). Note if someone brings blue cheese (I know there is an allergy) my son will eat most of that - or bacon.

Looking forward to this - hope nothing gets in the way.

I have been following OF since arriving in Ottawa eight months ago. I love it!

To Pam & LWB:

Is it too late to join the meetup? Is there room for one more and a spouse?

Oh this sounds like fun.
Is it too late to join the party?
I would be coming by myself (possible plus one)
I could bring something tasty to eat

Certainly not too late for people to join in, this is partially a bump for the newcommers.

For those joining in, just a few bits of information that were relayed in the 83 posts beforehand.

Date August 23 (Sunday)
Time 4:30 onwards
Location Pam's rooftop patio

Bring your favourite dish and anything that you want to grill.
BYOB.

As it stands, I have cutlery covered, Pasta Lover said that she would bring plates. We need someone to bring cups, and probably napkins of sorts.

RSVP would be appreciated here - www.surveymonkey.com

lady who brunches foodntravel mentioned they would bring plates and I offered to bring napkins. The info was posted further up this thread. Since it is getting a little long I can re-post the info:

plates(foodntravel)
cutlery (lady who brunches has lots of forks at home, no knives or spoons though)
cups for drinks
napkins (Pasta lover)
condiments
salt n pepper (pam)
name tags (lady who brunches)

So it looks like we need cups and condiments.

thanks pasta lover. i know that you said you'd bring something! :)

I can bring knives and spoons I have a billion!

Er, can we edit out my address from that post?

Sorry, I'm a little paranoid :)

We should send cell phone, ring number, address info etc by email, perhaps?

Sorry 'bout that. I'll send a PM to Fresh Foodie to get him to edit that post ASAP.

Through email or private messages on the site, once we know who all is coming.

You can add me to the list of RSVPs LWB, I will probably stop by for the food, ahem, I mean the people lol. What? I'm a sucker for good food and now I guess it will give us all a chance to put the faces to the names.

Not sure what I'll be bringing yet...was there any mention of peanut allergies?

As it sits, the only allergies are blue chese and shrimp.
There are a few vegetarians and individuals who do not eat pork, but I think as long as everything is clearly labelled, we'll all survive.

I still plan to be there with the new time. How many accompany me depend on the state of the kids at any given moment.

This looks to be a great event - thanks again for organizing, and hosting (lwb and pam respectively.)