Posted by Helen on: 10.09.2006 /
We want to make it easy for our bloggers to meet each other and spend time together at the conference.
The meal times seem like good times to get together, so Eliza is going to make dinner reservations for Thursday and Friday night for all bloggers who’d like to have dinner together. We’re thinking of Friday as the main “bloggers’ dinner”, since not everyone will be here yet for Thursday.
We’ll probably go to the Olive Garden opposite the Courtyard Marriott on Thursday and we’re in the process of choosing a restaurant close to the conference host church for Friday night.
We need to know how many people want to participate in order to make reservations. Please post here if you are interested in a) the Thursday night bloggers’ dinner b) the Friday night bloggers’ dinner and c) if anyone else will be joining you.
The host church has a big lunch room and box lunches will be available on Friday and Saturday. We will probably designate certain tables as available for those bloggers who want to eat lunch together.
The conference schedule is now up - as you can see, Peter, Bruce and I will be doing a workshop about the blogs on Friday afternoon. We’d love to meet any bloggers who come to it, so we hope you’ll introduce yourself. The three of us (and Peter and Bruce’s wives) will be at the Friday night dinner, but Peter and Bruce can’t make the Thursday night one.
I know Jim wants to meet bloggers. He will be very busy during the conference so I’m not sure whether he’ll have time to attend either of the dinners. He will probably be in the lunchroom for at least some of the time during the lunch breaks.
Marty was helping Eliza and I plan blogger activities at the conference. As it turns out, he is not going to be able to come, unfortunately.
If you have questions please post them here.
Comment by: John Smulo
1Helen,
This is a great idea. I’ve run into a bit of a problem with making it to the conference,but I’m going to do my best to be there. If I am I would very much like to be a part of this.
On another note, even if I am able to make it there I noticed there’s too many good workshops to choose from. Will you be recording them?
Comment by: Bruce Logue
2Helen, my wife and I will be arriving at Seatac at 5:something. Would love to join you all on Thursday IF we can get there in time. Friday night is definately a go for us. Sign us up.
Bruce
Comment by: Marty
3What a fabulous conference/schedule. I too hope the many programs will be recorded and made available. I am in the middle (at least I wished it was in the middle - as if I am moving to a positive end) of selling my house - which makes this an inoportune time for me to be able to come - but I very much look forward to hearing the reports on the conference.
Comment by: Mike O
4Wow, what a lineup! Will there be a short writeup on each of the workshops so we know more about the topics before we commit to one?
Zack and I will be there for Thursday and Friday dinners. Also, I’m thinking of hitting the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit during the day on Thursday. Still not sure if I can, but this could be a fun time if there were others that wanted to go together.
Comment by: jim
5Mike
Check the workshops page on the conference site.
wwws.wiredparish.com will be recording all sessions
We are also trying to see if we can video the main sessions
Comment by: Mike O
6Thanks, Jim. My wife is getting jealouser and jealouser the more she finds out about what Zack and I are going to!
Comment by: Peter Walker
7I think you can count Jen and me in for Friday night’s blogger dinner. Thursday we’ll probably be rolling into town around 2am, so I don’t imagine you’ll still be at dinner unless you’re all notorious lushes. Which isn’t necessarily bad.
Look forward to seeing you all!
Comment by: Mike C
8Thanks for organizing this Eliza. I will be at the conference and would love to join you all for the Friday night dinner.
I’m looking forward to it!
-Mike Clawson
Comment by: Paul
9Sounds awesome - would love to have joined you - drools jealously in corner :)
Comment by: Rachel
10I will be there for dinner on Friday night. I’m looking forward to meeting all of you!
Comment by: Julie Marie
11Have a wonderful time guys - take some group pictures and post, maybe? I’m really sad I’ll be missing meeting you all, but the “perfect storm” that has swept into my life precludes travel. Every time I thinik I’ve got my footing, along comes another rogue wave. But this too shall pass.
Comment by: Pam Hogeweide
12count me in and my two friends for fri night. not sure yet what time we’ll roll in on thursday. kid schedules to work out for us moms.
thanks helen (and eliza and marty!) for organizing all of this!!!
Comment by: Doreen
13Don’t forget to blog from the conference :)
Comment by: Mike O
14Doreen, I wanted to meet you! Crap.
Comment by: DonnaV
15Hey Helen….I’m one of the friends coming up with Pam…looking forward to meeting you & the other bloggers!!
Comment by: Doreen
16Thanks Mike. I too was looking forward to meeting everyone. Unfortunately, if I miss another week of my Friday afternoon class, I’ll fail it. :(
Comment by: Esther
17Hey, I thought I could celebrate your birthday at the Conf., Marty. Eliza is going to make the chocolate angel cake, right?
Anyways, I’ll join both Thursday and Friday nights’ dinners. On Thursday night, Florence and her husband, Craig, will join the dinner as well.
Comment by: Julie Marie
18Esther!
I am so glad you are still out there :)
Comment by: Marty
19Hi Esther - great to hear from you again. I liked you before - but anyone who remembered my Angel Food Cake with Chocolate icing is very special :-)
Comment by: Florence
20Craig and I are the Florence and Craig Esther mentioned (in response 17) and we plan to join you all for dinner Thursday. I posted a few times in the atheist-Christian dialog (that’s how I met Esther) but those blogs are time-intensive to follow and I work full-time. (Not to mention my computer had some sort of gremlin and I could not register for just plain conversation.)
I look forward to meeting you all in person! It should be fun!
Comment by: Henriet Schapelhouman
21Tamara Dull and I would like to join you for dinner on Friday. Looking forward to meeting everyone.
Comment by: D.G. Hollums
22I am planning on attending the Friday night blogger’s dinner along with a fellow blogger Markus Watson ( http://stretchychurch.blogspot.com/ ) We are very excited about meeting everyone! So, please put two of us down for Friday evening dinner! Thank yall so much!
Comment by: Eliza
23I’ve sent email to everyone who posted here saying they might come to one or both dinners.
Please let me know if you posted above but didn’t get that email, or if you didn’t post above but are now thinking you’ll be able to join us.
It’s going to be fun to meet so many of you!!
Comment by: Rachel
24Thank you so much for coordinating all this, Eliza! It will be great to me you and the other bloggers in person!
Comment by: Jim
25Thank you for coordinating this! Please sign me up for the Friday night blogger’s dinner
Comment by: Jim Henderson
26Eliza
I spoke with Pam Sardar and I think she is able to make the Thursday night dinner- Can you include her and her husband Sunil and send me the info again on location etc
Thanks - Jim
Comment by: Winn
27Helen,
I think I can make the Friday evening dinner. What do I need to do.
Winn
Comment by: Helen
28Great, Winn! I’ll make sure Eliza knows.
Comment by: Eliza
29Thanks! I noted the names above & have sent emails with info (via Jim H, for Pam and Sunil for Thurs; directly, to Winn and Jim T).
Friday night’s dinner is now full to capacity. We still have room for a few more on Thursday (that’s today, already!)
Comment by: Cat Bismuth
30Please count me in for Friday night! I can hardly wait…\
Comment by: D.G.
31Hey I can not find an email telling me about the Friday night dinner, what is the address again? Thanks. D.G.
Comment by: D.G.
32Never mind I found it. Thanks!
Comment by: Pastor David
33I am thinking about you all tonight as you begin the conference. Wishing I could be there with you, and praying that you have a great time and find much enlightenment.
God Bless,
David
Comment by: Eliza
34Yesterday I got to meet (& share dinner with) Mike O, Zack (Mike’s son), Helen, Jim, Sunil and Pam Sardar & their 2 yr old boy, Pam Hogeweide & her friend Erin, Esther & her friends Florence and Craig, Christine Wicker…did I forget anyone? It was alot of fun, neat to meet people and we had some interesting conversation (and got rained on, hey it’s Seattle).
Unfortunately, things were hopping busy at the hospital today, I was there for more than 12 hrs & just couldn’t make it out to get across Lake Washington for any of the conference, including the bloggers’ dinner. :-( I had really wanted to meet a few more people & catch at least 2 hrs of the conference. I hope the dinner arrangement worked out OK. But, hey, at least I had the luxury of being there last night, I feel so lucky to have met so many neat people here (& in that I include both those I met and so many more!). There’s still another 6 hrs of conference tomorrow - but also 14 patients to see in the hospital… I hope those of you attending the conference are finding it fulfilling, and that you’ll write about your experiences and thoughts afterwards!
Comment by: D.G.
35Markus and I wanted to say thank you so much for allowing us to come and commune with you all last night! I have been reading this blog and rarely comment on it…and I honestly thought that a blogger dinner was a dinner for anyone who blogs..or has their own blog…so we were a little bit surprised just like those around us at our presence among yall!
But it did not take long for us to enjoy the discussions, love, and community that this blog has! It was so much fun and we appreciate yall allowing us to join yall. Take care and God bless!