I hope, by now, that everyone who was planning to attend knows that the NOLA meet up is postponed. Several turns of fortune, some good, some bad, changed people's plans. It has nothing to do with Orly stinkin' up the place three days before our arrival, or the radioactive floodwaters on the way to NOLA. It's just the fickle finger of fate pointing at us.

Now we just gotta figure out where and when the next one will be. The floor is open for suggestions.

Malibu. FEMA Camp 17.

I agree. -- let's do one in LA!

I thought we were going to re-schedule the NOLA meet=up for Oct.

Your hosts:
Ducky
Kate
Raicha
Wavey Davey
Foggy (honorary)
Moi
And several Fogbowzers from NorCal

(If I have forgotten someone who lives in the Big Smogsy I apologize.)

Now that sounds like fun!! Will there be shopping, the beach and perhaps the Getty museum? And I wanna go to the Roxy.

No. You will all be inmates of FEMA Camp 17. There is no shopping in L.A. Global warming has closed all the beaches. The Getty Museum is now closed except to Republicans. And the Roxy - - what's that?

Is the Roxy still open? We can go to Duke's Coffee Shop on Sunset, in Hollywood, for a snack, stroll past the Viper room and see where River Phoenix made his fatal mistake and on to Spago, where we can order overpriced food we can now find in any grocery store. Yes, LA is a glamourous city!

If anyone is interested, we could do a day trip to Ojai. Malibu is close.

Kimba, BB, isn't October hurricane season in the Big Easy? I still plan to visit NOLA soon.

You CAN, however, play table games in FEMA camps. In fact, it's recommended.

I hear scrabble is a fun one.

Hurricane season is June through Nov. BB suggested re-scheduling no earlier than Oct because it would be too hot. Now it looks like we're not re-scheduling NOLA, folks are planning something somewhere else. I just wish I'd understood that before I canceled my reservations.

We also have light rail that provides a nice way to hit the high spots of the city, from downtown to Pasadena to Universal City, Hollywood and the beach, without having to deal with traffic or parking. $5 for an all-day, all-lines ticket.

With many of my out-of-town visitors, we go to Pershing Square and the LA Central market for lunch, then walk to Little Tokyo and visit the "Go for broke" monument & perhaps the Japanese-American National Museum (some of the docents were 442nd soldiers), then walk to Olvera St where LA began, then to either Union Station to catch the light rail to Pasadena for dinner, or walk to Chinatown or Phillipe's (original French Dip). Makes for a nice day's adventure with no car hassles and some gentle exercise.

Uhh. I was thinking we should HQ a little west. Like just above the tsunami line in Malibu. We can go to Dukes at the Beach rather than Duke's Coffee Shop. The Saddlepeak Lodge for dinner as opposed to Spago. The grape vineyards of Malibu. (Yes we can.) We can see the depressed multi-million dollar houses of Bel Air and Brentwood, take in the Getty (yes) and UCLA. And generally do a Westside thing. Which most tourists don't fully appreciate because they are doing the tourist shtick to the east.

And, then, those of you who decide to escape The West Side, well you can hop the light rail and do the touristy stuff.

(And the really adventurous can take a trip into enemy country and sight see the offices of the worst lawyer/dentist in the known universe.)

I'm in!!!!!

I can't believe you forgot California's real estate refugee camp: Arizona. Sheesh. I will not flake out this time!

Y'all have ignored us suthunuhs. I will attend.

I'm in too, but it has to be August or later (and August in So Cal is probably not recommended). So, when???

August is good. It won't get too hot. (September and October are traditionally hotter.) We've also had a mild last 18 months because of a surprisingly persistent La Niña.

August is a great time of year for everyone in Phoenix to get the hell out of our burning inferno oven of a city. All opportunities to leave are welcomed.

Kind of the same with DC. Hot, humid and buggy.

August is good for me!

Let me suggest this place. http://www.countryinns.com/calabasas-ho ... 2/cacalaba Good rates. It's in Old Town Calabasas (the last cowboy town in L.A. County) and a short walk to a half dozen great restaurants. Not too far from FEMA Camp 17 and a short jaunt over the Santa Monicas to the beaches.

We should firm up a date soon and then someone can negotiate for group rates after we get an idea of how many will be coming.

I'm still planning on NOLA in October, I have friends I stood up and have to make amends with. I also bought a guidebook and want to see the sights and sites. Plus my sister BB.

FEMA Camp 17 in August also might be doable. I've really missed The Car.

May I humbly suggest Dallas? or Austin where they keep things weird?

I don't see those as mutually exclusive. I've also got a trip planned to NOLA in October (24 - 27) for a trade show, but I'm ready to party with everyone in August in LA! And if we end up with an ad hoc meetup in NOLA as well, very nice!

OMFG... that is where I had my first legal drink!!!!