A Boston Gathering!

If its the Norwalk, not sure if she could sustain enough energy to actually post a response.

Somerville? Yikes, over the river and through the hoods.

Okay, I will really try. I wish I could go Saturday but I'll be out of town (I sit around weekends waiting for plans to form, you get tickets to leave, boom, plans!!)

It'll be after 7 or so when I get there. I promise I will put forth a heartfelt effort to get there. Its drama for me when I head to Slumerville though.

P.S. Hi!!! To everyone. I keep meaning to spend time here and look around. I signed on like 4 times, but never got to post. I miss you guys!

Hi bored! The Burren is easy to get to - if your're taking the train just get off the Red Line at Davis and walk across the street (past Somerville Theater & Diesel Cafe).

If you're driving and need directions or get lost, give me a call!

PS - a lot of people go through Cambridge, etc. to get there - basically take Mass. Ave through Porter Square. In Porter, there will be "Joe Sent Me" on your left and a stone church on your right. Take a right before the church, left at the stop sign, and it will dump you right into Davis Square. The street becomes a one way so you have to think of the block like a rotary.

The highway "I don't want to drive on side streets" way - take 93 North to Medford/Route 16. off exit, go straight, staying on 16. About one mile, go around rotary, in at noon, out at 6 - still route 16. Set of lights at Foodmaster, take left. At 2nd set of lights you will be in Teele Square/slight fork in the road - take a right - go straight into Davis, Burren will be on your left after you enter the square

hot rum toddy for quinn, or a hot whiskey, water and lemon? either one will cure what ails you.

Pueo--The feelings mutual. It's good to see you around.

Hi c.i.!!!!! I knew I'd make it eventually, but I haven't had a lot of time to investigate. . . yet.

Today turned out to be a short one, only eleven hours. Time to soak my feet and spend some quality time with my pillow. Behave yourselves and don't drink too much . . . or too little.

(hee hee, I LOVE emoticons, hee hee)

Aaaahhh, that was nice! Until the band started to play <shudder>

you all have a good time then?

I'm still waiting for details ;-)

C'mon kids! What's the gossip? Who got drunk and danced on the table? Who actually showed? Just how bad was the band?

Mickey... anytime. Or I'll drop you a line when next I plan to be on our favorite pile of glacier poop.

Pics: http://groups.msn.com/littlekb/a2kgatheringjan03theburren.msnw

Sorry about the washed-out photo, marycat. Blame the digital camera!

The evening was a smashing success!

Littlek and her housemate Dascha met me at the Burren and we began enjoying the fine cuisine the Burren has to offer. Various people came by, asking if we were Jody or Cat and we quickly determined there was a similar gathering going on at the next table (It was some online book group. No, we didn't challenge them to a rumble). marycat then arrived and the new graduate was congratulated all around. We then saw a guy with a baseball cap with a piece of paper taped to it that said A2K?. This was our own jjorge!

He was welcomed at our table and we settled in for some serious good times as Sugar and her fiancé (a non-A2Ker, alas, it will be a mixed marriage) arrived. Her shiny new engagement ring was oohed and aahed at as we began to notice the band was setting up about every piece of equipment in the greater Massachusetts area. JerryR arrived as the band was hauling in its fourth guitar and second keyboard. If you've ever been to the Burren, you'll know it's not exactly the largest place in the world and, therefore, the band and its various accoutrements took up about 3/4 of the available space.

It was around this time that I had to leave, as I would possibly turn into a pumpkin or some other type of squash. The band then struck up a lively (?) rendition of the Bee Gees' "How Deep is Your Love" and it was then I noticed that the lead singer bore a remarkable resemblance to Seiji Ozawa, although with hair dyed brown. Seiji is the former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, so that readily explained the enormous number of instruments.

As I made my way out of the crowded Burren, it took long enough that I was able to hear and enjoy (?) two other tunes, Rick Springfield's "Jesse's Girl" and Lionel Ritchie's "I'm Easy (like Sunday morning)". Yes, folks, they were charging cover for a band to play the kind of stuff that most of us dial past on our radios as we head for the solace of something a little less ... schmaltzy.

I headed home into the freezing Boston night but did not hear any explosions or other evidence of excessive merrymaking by our group. Another of them will need to regale you all with the details of what happened after I departed. You know, the voodoo rituals and all.

Jes forgot to mention that I had gone and returned, realizing that I'd forgotten to pitch in for my part of the bill. I'd made it all the way home before realizing.

We all left shortly after Jes did. We went out the back door instead of fighting through the amazingly packed Burren. People waited in line to see this crap. The band wasn't even good. The harmonies were awful, the musical talent was mediocre. We continued on to the bar next door, small, crowded and quiet - aaaahhhh. I left next, dunno what happened after that first round at the new place.

Perhaps that's when the voodoo rituals and Santeria began.

(jjorge, blinking, shakes his head trying to focus his blurry vision, clear his blurry thoughts....looks around)

Oh yeh, last night I was north of the Rivah.
... there was that other rivah too - amber and foamy.

Ooh, whose been walking on my tongue in dirty, wooly socks?

Thanks for the reports! Do you think you'll recover in time for tomorrow's brunch?

I don't know - the boy and I wanted to stay for the band. Where else can you get the surreal entertainment of that whole set up, the anticipation of a heavy metal band lying in wait to blast your eardrums out and then the opening number turns out to be a BeeGees tune? And all for free!

Yep, shuffled on over to the Sligo next door and planted ourselves in a corner. Had some cheap beers and then 50 people crammed in through the door, making the crowd a little much. Had to go back to my South Shore home and so that was all for me.

The Beegees? at the Burren?

you guys are kidding, right?

The BeeGees...oh boy...sounds like a grand old time even though.

mikey, I wish we were joking. the weird thing is that it was packed!

Sugar - I thought you were staying in mefed.