.. well, at least before the RU; look for a valedictory summation afterwards!
Some directions to events in CV:
Joe/Kathie’s BBQ, for those who are coming into CV on Thursday, will be at their rental venue in the valley, that evening (5 PM on): see her invitation email. Head east on Carmel Valley Rd; Valle Vista is about 1.2 mi from CVL and .5 mi from Blue Sky Lodge/Acacia Lodge. Once you pass the Corkscrew Café (on your right) make a left turn onto Valle Vista Rd.
Community Church of Monterey Peninsula, where the Saturday blessing ceremony will be held at 12 noon, offers the following directions:
-----------------
The address is:
4590 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel, CA. Here are the directions from the church website:
One mile east of Hwy. 1 on Carmel Valley Road, on the south side of Carmel Valley Rd., just before you get to the Carmel Middle School, and right next to Rancho Canada Country Club. (Yes - where the sign says "PLAY and PRAY"!)
The church’s website is: http://www.ccmp.org/contactus.html
--------------------
We could all meet at the CV Park lot around 11:15 AM on Saturday and go in a caravan – perhaps even doing some ride-sharing – but if you want to do your own driving, you now know the way. Maps indicate a 20-minute drive.
Hope you all remember that for anyone who just hates to see it all end, we are having a very informal open house up here in Boulder Creek on Sunday afternoon, August 1. It’s also a chance for those who have not yet seen our mountain forest paradise to come have a look, before you have to head for your various destinations. If you think you can do this detour, Mamma Wench would love to hear from you, so she can make sure We Have Enough Food!
As you are packing up this week, you can check this blog or other weather sources to see what you want to bring. And our RU Customer Service experts are available 24-7 via email for your last-minute questions or comments. Just contact The Wenches at
fran.soule@gmail.com
Julie@drysdaleconsulting.com
eileenhorne.uk@gmail.com
And we send you our love, prayers, and excited best wishes for safe and happy travels!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Here We Go: Monster Rally Carmel Valley
OK, monsters, are you ready to rock and roll? The time has come, as the walrus hath said, to talk of many things – last minute things, that is.
Teri and Al's blessing ceremony is set for Saturday, July 31st at 12 Noon at the chapel; we'll form a Conga Line of cars from the Carmel Valley Lodge to the church parking lot, so you might want to fix up carpools and meet at the park's parking area across from the lodge around 11:30 AM on Saturday. The ceremony is coming together nicely; Music Dave is the leader of the Wedding Band (aka "All You Need Is Love Orchestra") – and we may have some informal jamming by our family musicians too, at the park picnic.
Reminder: we will need a final picnic attendance count by July 20 latest, so we Wenches can do a complete shopping job on the Friday morning in CV. If you've chosen to invite friends who like chaos, just let us know how many by that date.
If Saturday is pretty fully planned, the rest of the time from Thursday through Sunday is mercifully unstructured. We remember most fondly the open times in former reunions; they get filled up in many creative ways and allow time for real visiting in smaller or larger groups. We did designate the Running Iron Bar/Grill on CV Road at Pilot Road, as a possible meeting place on Thursday evening, but it probably won't hold all of us, so let's just keep in touch by cellphone to see what everyone is deciding to do – and then choose your venue accordingly. Friday noon might be a good time for a bring-your-own group picnic lunch in some open area at the park; but again, it's your option. Friday evening some of the Elders will be having dinner together somewhere, but we'll keep you informed in case any of you want to invade our space!
For help in finding people you know, once you arrive in the village and settle in, here's my best info to date on who is staying where:
Carmel Valley Lodge (831-659-2261): Teri, Al & boys; Julie & fam.; Souffle & fam.; Rosie & Linda; Jude & MJ;
Blue Sky Lodge (831-659-2256): Fran & John; Jim & fam.; Melissa & Frank; Bill Cooper and Celeste; Marie & Bob; Lisa & Steve & Lucy
Acacia Lodge B & B (831-659-2297): Frank & fam.; Niki & Lee; Leenie & fam.;
private house: Joe & Kathie, Josh, Peter, Kim & David (use Joe's or Kathie's cellphone numbers to reach the group)
In fact, you would probably use cellphones for contact, but just so you know who is where – there you have it!
We imagine most of you will be settling in on Thursday, and we are driving down from Boulder Creek/Aptos that afternoon. Last one in the pool(s) is a monkey's uncle!
PS: Open House at the Boulder Creek Cottage on Sunday afternoon, August 1st: a chance to see it finally for those who haven’t been up in our redwoods yet and anyone else who cares to come up; a chance to eat up picnic leftovers (hah hah) or sandwiches and lemonade. Stop by on your way to airports or wherever!
Teri and Al's blessing ceremony is set for Saturday, July 31st at 12 Noon at the chapel; we'll form a Conga Line of cars from the Carmel Valley Lodge to the church parking lot, so you might want to fix up carpools and meet at the park's parking area across from the lodge around 11:30 AM on Saturday. The ceremony is coming together nicely; Music Dave is the leader of the Wedding Band (aka "All You Need Is Love Orchestra") – and we may have some informal jamming by our family musicians too, at the park picnic.
Reminder: we will need a final picnic attendance count by July 20 latest, so we Wenches can do a complete shopping job on the Friday morning in CV. If you've chosen to invite friends who like chaos, just let us know how many by that date.
If Saturday is pretty fully planned, the rest of the time from Thursday through Sunday is mercifully unstructured. We remember most fondly the open times in former reunions; they get filled up in many creative ways and allow time for real visiting in smaller or larger groups. We did designate the Running Iron Bar/Grill on CV Road at Pilot Road, as a possible meeting place on Thursday evening, but it probably won't hold all of us, so let's just keep in touch by cellphone to see what everyone is deciding to do – and then choose your venue accordingly. Friday noon might be a good time for a bring-your-own group picnic lunch in some open area at the park; but again, it's your option. Friday evening some of the Elders will be having dinner together somewhere, but we'll keep you informed in case any of you want to invade our space!
For help in finding people you know, once you arrive in the village and settle in, here's my best info to date on who is staying where:
Carmel Valley Lodge (831-659-2261): Teri, Al & boys; Julie & fam.; Souffle & fam.; Rosie & Linda; Jude & MJ;
Blue Sky Lodge (831-659-2256): Fran & John; Jim & fam.; Melissa & Frank; Bill Cooper and Celeste; Marie & Bob; Lisa & Steve & Lucy
Acacia Lodge B & B (831-659-2297): Frank & fam.; Niki & Lee; Leenie & fam.;
private house: Joe & Kathie, Josh, Peter, Kim & David (use Joe's or Kathie's cellphone numbers to reach the group)
In fact, you would probably use cellphones for contact, but just so you know who is where – there you have it!
We imagine most of you will be settling in on Thursday, and we are driving down from Boulder Creek/Aptos that afternoon. Last one in the pool(s) is a monkey's uncle!
PS: Open House at the Boulder Creek Cottage on Sunday afternoon, August 1st: a chance to see it finally for those who haven’t been up in our redwoods yet and anyone else who cares to come up; a chance to eat up picnic leftovers (hah hah) or sandwiches and lemonade. Stop by on your way to airports or wherever!
Friday, June 18, 2010
June Update
Hola, amigos! Hope nobody is too disappointed about the cancellation of our planned Friday afternoon buffet at Baja Cantina; price and timing precluded that event. However, we definitely will gather together Friday midday for casual noshing and joshing. We are considering a BYO(Bag) lunch, possibly in one of the breakfast-rooms at the various B&B venues or even on the grass at the park; and now we have a nice stretch of Friday open for whatever floats your boats – or your water toys. With three pools in use in the village at our various locations, we may be doing a John Cheever swim marathon through Carmel Valley Village!
Thanks to everyone who has sent travel itinerary data to the Mamma Wench! N.B.: if anyone is driving to SFO on Sunday afternoon and could give the Sandlins a lift, it would be much appreciated (though not strictly essential – we all know about Niki’s bus fetish).
Important: Your participation will be required!
We are starting to volunteer people to take up the various tasks that will be necessary to make this blessed event happen.
Greg and Bryan will set up the picnic and BBQ area in the park.
Souffle and family will decorate the chapel, which should coincide with final music rehearsal for Dave.
Frank and Justin we are sure will be official event photographers. No press credentials will be required, and you will be given full access to, um, everyone.
And all you 'others' will be co-opted to help with picnic set up and clear up (Greg and Bryan will tap your shoulder - you will obey) - and other tasks that need doing!
Feel free to volunteer yourselves if you're very good at....flower arranging, balloon blowing, table setting, etc.
One other “service category” is already formed up: The Wedding Blessing Orchestra nominees are, according to the bride:
Dave L: lead vocals and guitar (borrow one from John?)
Heru: rhythm guitar, vocals
Danny: mandolin, vocals
Linda: ukelele, vocals
If John Soule can get himself together he will contribute something also; probably NOT the pennywhistle, but we’ll see. Dave will arrange for any jam-rehearsals as needed.
A List of Attendees is at bottom here; ALERT – Mamma Wench’s list needs completion, so if you know of someone else(s) who will be attending the Saturday events, please let the database lady know. We don’t want to run short of Chicago Hots or burgers (real or veggie) or Heaven Forfend, chips and dips. And a reminder: any contributions people want to bring along in the way of snacks, desserts, or drinks, will be much appreciated. The “Core Group” has contributed their money for this feast (well, there are a couple of you who will soon get nasty reminders yet) – so if you others want to help, food-wise or financially, you are cordially invited to do so.
The floor is now open for comment and suggestion – either here in the blog comments or by email to your lovely and loving Planning Wenches:
Julie julie@drysdaleconsulting.com
Leenie eileenhorne.uk@gmail.com
Fran fran.soule@gmail.com
CONFIRMED ATTENDEE LIST (Currently 56 total):
Attendees List: (currently 54 total)
(2)Jude & MJ Blau; (2)Fran & John Soule; (2)Paul & Phyllis Chace; (4)Teri & Al Chace + 2; (6)Joe & Kathleen Blau + Josh Pete, Kim & friend; (4)Frank & Linda Blau + 2; (3)Kathy & Dave Lambert + Rowan; (3)Eileen & Greg Horne + Lily; (4)Julie & Bryan Drysdale + 2; (3)Jim & Greta Blau + Seamus; (2)Rosie & Linda; (2)Niki & Lee Sandlin; (2)Bill Cooper & friend Celeste; (2)Melissa & Frank Colborn; (2)Marie & Bob Soule; (3)Lisa & Steve Christensen + Lucy; (5)Barb & Heru Lamb-Hall +3; (2) Mary & Rob; (1) Al Chace’s friend Danny; (2) Teri's friends Larry Levinger & Connie Carroll
Thanks to everyone who has sent travel itinerary data to the Mamma Wench! N.B.: if anyone is driving to SFO on Sunday afternoon and could give the Sandlins a lift, it would be much appreciated (though not strictly essential – we all know about Niki’s bus fetish).
Important: Your participation will be required!
We are starting to volunteer people to take up the various tasks that will be necessary to make this blessed event happen.
Greg and Bryan will set up the picnic and BBQ area in the park.
Souffle and family will decorate the chapel, which should coincide with final music rehearsal for Dave.
Frank and Justin we are sure will be official event photographers. No press credentials will be required, and you will be given full access to, um, everyone.
And all you 'others' will be co-opted to help with picnic set up and clear up (Greg and Bryan will tap your shoulder - you will obey) - and other tasks that need doing!
Feel free to volunteer yourselves if you're very good at....flower arranging, balloon blowing, table setting, etc.
One other “service category” is already formed up: The Wedding Blessing Orchestra nominees are, according to the bride:
Dave L: lead vocals and guitar (borrow one from John?)
Heru: rhythm guitar, vocals
Danny: mandolin, vocals
Linda: ukelele, vocals
If John Soule can get himself together he will contribute something also; probably NOT the pennywhistle, but we’ll see. Dave will arrange for any jam-rehearsals as needed.
A List of Attendees is at bottom here; ALERT – Mamma Wench’s list needs completion, so if you know of someone else(s) who will be attending the Saturday events, please let the database lady know. We don’t want to run short of Chicago Hots or burgers (real or veggie) or Heaven Forfend, chips and dips. And a reminder: any contributions people want to bring along in the way of snacks, desserts, or drinks, will be much appreciated. The “Core Group” has contributed their money for this feast (well, there are a couple of you who will soon get nasty reminders yet) – so if you others want to help, food-wise or financially, you are cordially invited to do so.
The floor is now open for comment and suggestion – either here in the blog comments or by email to your lovely and loving Planning Wenches:
Julie julie@drysdaleconsulting.com
Leenie eileenhorne.uk@gmail.com
Fran fran.soule@gmail.com
CONFIRMED ATTENDEE LIST (Currently 56 total):
Attendees List: (currently 54 total)
(2)Jude & MJ Blau; (2)Fran & John Soule; (2)Paul & Phyllis Chace; (4)Teri & Al Chace + 2; (6)Joe & Kathleen Blau + Josh Pete, Kim & friend; (4)Frank & Linda Blau + 2; (3)Kathy & Dave Lambert + Rowan; (3)Eileen & Greg Horne + Lily; (4)Julie & Bryan Drysdale + 2; (3)Jim & Greta Blau + Seamus; (2)Rosie & Linda; (2)Niki & Lee Sandlin; (2)Bill Cooper & friend Celeste; (2)Melissa & Frank Colborn; (2)Marie & Bob Soule; (3)Lisa & Steve Christensen + Lucy; (5)Barb & Heru Lamb-Hall +3; (2) Mary & Rob; (1) Al Chace’s friend Danny; (2) Teri's friends Larry Levinger & Connie Carroll
Thursday, May 6, 2010
MAY 2010 TO DO LIST
Greetings, RUers! We know it's been awhile since our last update; we have a few important reminders!
REMEMBER REMEMBER:
1. 'When do we Eat?' Please, core family, send the mandatory $100 food/venue (for Sat big party in the park) contribution by June 1st - we have a couple such donations but no more so far than would book half a dirty broken down picnic table down near the parking lot, and one sorry tortilla chip to split among us all! Bad News! You Snooze You Lose! Please gang, send your $100 payment to Fran either by check to Fran or by donating to the RU paypal account (click the DONATE button on the right side of this page to use your credit card) by end of May, nay, without delay! The monies are going into a separate local bank account, to be held for use when needed for the Saturday party.
2. 'Breathing is Painless'. Don't forget to breathe, everybody: it's only another RU.
3. ' I'm Leavin on a Jetplane...' Get your airline and accommodations lined up by the end of May; summer is almost here, in California -- soon flights and rooms will become unavailable or increase in price (aaggh!!!)...so those of you who are shillyshallying, stop with the dilly-dallying and get on the case! You know who you are... and we're lookin at YOU.
4. 'Yo Mama Is A Listmaker:' Once you have flight details and accommodation fixed up, email Fran your 'data' for the RU List database. When she's not knitting or making cookies, that ole Granny Franny likes cookin up a meaty spreadsheet, you betcha - it tickles her right down to her tiny toes. Humour her. When you send that info please also let the Mama-lister know what your pre and post RU plans might be: are you hanging out locally? Going to SB? Where will you stay? (What will you EAT??)
5. 'With Family Like This, Who Needs Friends?' You wanna spend alla the weekend talkin ONLY to ya family?? We didn't think so....so make sure you have sent all your friends and hangers-on invitations for Saturday!! Let us know if you need a copy of the invite! Do it do it do it dudes.
6. 'How Many Freakin People??" When you get RSVP confirmations from above pals and assorted hangers on, you gotta let Fran know - there's a whole other list thing going down, to ensure we get enough grub. (once we get your dollars that is - at the moment all guests will be eating blades of grass and sittin in the dirt.) Just drop her a little line saying for example: Jude + 30, or Jim + 2.
7. ' A Sense of Perspective is a Beautyful Thing'. It is only one weekend every five years. You will survive. Nay, you will be edified. You will sing, dance, laugh like hyenas, squish into the jacuzzi, eat far too much,and be happy.
8. 'Y'all Come, Folks' - We have decided that since there seem to be several non-core-group people coming in early this time, we shall throw the Friday Night group dinner at Baja Cantina open to anyone and everyone who wants to come and will contribute their share to the bill.
GET IT DONE!
Love from your planning wenches.
REMEMBER REMEMBER:
1. 'When do we Eat?' Please, core family, send the mandatory $100 food/venue (for Sat big party in the park) contribution by June 1st - we have a couple such donations but no more so far than would book half a dirty broken down picnic table down near the parking lot, and one sorry tortilla chip to split among us all! Bad News! You Snooze You Lose! Please gang, send your $100 payment to Fran either by check to Fran or by donating to the RU paypal account (click the DONATE button on the right side of this page to use your credit card) by end of May, nay, without delay! The monies are going into a separate local bank account, to be held for use when needed for the Saturday party.
2. 'Breathing is Painless'. Don't forget to breathe, everybody: it's only another RU.
3. ' I'm Leavin on a Jetplane...' Get your airline and accommodations lined up by the end of May; summer is almost here, in California -- soon flights and rooms will become unavailable or increase in price (aaggh!!!)...so those of you who are shillyshallying, stop with the dilly-dallying and get on the case! You know who you are... and we're lookin at YOU.
4. 'Yo Mama Is A Listmaker:' Once you have flight details and accommodation fixed up, email Fran your 'data' for the RU List database. When she's not knitting or making cookies, that ole Granny Franny likes cookin up a meaty spreadsheet, you betcha - it tickles her right down to her tiny toes. Humour her. When you send that info please also let the Mama-lister know what your pre and post RU plans might be: are you hanging out locally? Going to SB? Where will you stay? (What will you EAT??)
5. 'With Family Like This, Who Needs Friends?' You wanna spend alla the weekend talkin ONLY to ya family?? We didn't think so....so make sure you have sent all your friends and hangers-on invitations for Saturday!! Let us know if you need a copy of the invite! Do it do it do it dudes.
6. 'How Many Freakin People??" When you get RSVP confirmations from above pals and assorted hangers on, you gotta let Fran know - there's a whole other list thing going down, to ensure we get enough grub. (once we get your dollars that is - at the moment all guests will be eating blades of grass and sittin in the dirt.) Just drop her a little line saying for example: Jude + 30, or Jim + 2.
7. ' A Sense of Perspective is a Beautyful Thing'. It is only one weekend every five years. You will survive. Nay, you will be edified. You will sing, dance, laugh like hyenas, squish into the jacuzzi, eat far too much,and be happy.
8. 'Y'all Come, Folks' - We have decided that since there seem to be several non-core-group people coming in early this time, we shall throw the Friday Night group dinner at Baja Cantina open to anyone and everyone who wants to come and will contribute their share to the bill.
GET IT DONE!
Love from your planning wenches.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Happy New Year, RUers!
Ho ho ho: if you thought jolly chuckling was so last year, beware! We are launching RU Blog 2010 with an important event announcement; a verrry interesting new feature; and some discreet prods and reminders, of course.
Important Event Announcement:
Woo-hoo!! Teri and Al Chace are going to have a blessing-of-their-marriage ceremony at a local venue on Saturday morning of the RU! Watch this blog for further details.
Sample Picnic Invitation!
The Committee has created a sample invitation that you may use to send to relatives and friends you’d like to invite to attend the Saturday afternoon “Open House” picnic, which will also serve as a wedding reception (of sorts) for Teri and Al. If you didn't receive a copy with your last update email, please ask Fran for the file.
Any and all friends and friends-of-friends are welcome to come to this Saturday afternoon free-for-all “centerpiece” of the reunion. But you will want to notify them soon, we think, especially if they will need to plan to stay over Saturday night: accommodations are scarce up in that valley on summer weekends, as you know.
We emphasize that this Saturday afternoon event is the time to invite non-family friends/guests to join in our reunion; we hope to keep Thursday and Friday to the “core group” of 10 families who have been receiving this blog link in 2009 – plus the “adopted” family members who are being linked to this first 2010 blog connection: Niki and Lee, and the Foleys.
If any of you in-laws (SOB’s, SOS’s) who are now on this blog-link wish to invite your siblings, parents, friends, or other relatives of yours, don’t forget to include them when sending out your invitations.
Discreet prods/reminders:
(1) If you haven’t made your own reservations yet for July 29-31 in the Valley – or if you are planning either to come to CA early or to stay on somewhere after July 31 – we strongly urge that you secure accommodations ASAP. Using a credit card to hold them will not tie up any money, as long as you cancel (if –sniff – you must) in time for the deadline assigned.
(2) If money is an issue – and when is it not? – it would be wise to start saving now (see link to PayPal savings plan already set up, above right column).
(3) (Core families, please note): Plan how and when to send in your contribution of $100 to cover the picnic food and park reservation expenses. You can send a bit every month if you like, to the PayPal account. We’ll need it all in by July 15 latest.
(4) Scrutinize air fares often during the January/February “off season”; deals may be had.
(5) When you do have reservations/plans set, please email Momcat/Fran with details: there’s a list in the making! We’d like to know if you plan to come early/stay late, too …. And we assume each family will secure its own reservations, both in CV and elsewhere, as needed.
-------------------------------
Finally, just makin’ sure, here’s the tentative schedule outline we have in mind for the reunion weekend:
Thursday: arrival day in Carmel Valley.
Friday: open: (may plan some sort of event for the afternoon); Family Dinner in the evening at Baja Cantina, Mexican outdoor restaurant.
Saturday late morning: Teri and Al Chace’s Wedding Blessing Ceremony (invitations coming)
Saturday afternoon/evening: Big Picnic/Wedding Reception at C.V. Park.
Sunday: check-out; Lunch of Champions before departure, venue TBA.
Important Event Announcement:
Woo-hoo!! Teri and Al Chace are going to have a blessing-of-their-marriage ceremony at a local venue on Saturday morning of the RU! Watch this blog for further details.
Sample Picnic Invitation!
The Committee has created a sample invitation that you may use to send to relatives and friends you’d like to invite to attend the Saturday afternoon “Open House” picnic, which will also serve as a wedding reception (of sorts) for Teri and Al. If you didn't receive a copy with your last update email, please ask Fran for the file.
Any and all friends and friends-of-friends are welcome to come to this Saturday afternoon free-for-all “centerpiece” of the reunion. But you will want to notify them soon, we think, especially if they will need to plan to stay over Saturday night: accommodations are scarce up in that valley on summer weekends, as you know.
We emphasize that this Saturday afternoon event is the time to invite non-family friends/guests to join in our reunion; we hope to keep Thursday and Friday to the “core group” of 10 families who have been receiving this blog link in 2009 – plus the “adopted” family members who are being linked to this first 2010 blog connection: Niki and Lee, and the Foleys.
If any of you in-laws (SOB’s, SOS’s) who are now on this blog-link wish to invite your siblings, parents, friends, or other relatives of yours, don’t forget to include them when sending out your invitations.
Discreet prods/reminders:
(1) If you haven’t made your own reservations yet for July 29-31 in the Valley – or if you are planning either to come to CA early or to stay on somewhere after July 31 – we strongly urge that you secure accommodations ASAP. Using a credit card to hold them will not tie up any money, as long as you cancel (if –sniff – you must) in time for the deadline assigned.
(2) If money is an issue – and when is it not? – it would be wise to start saving now (see link to PayPal savings plan already set up, above right column).
(3) (Core families, please note): Plan how and when to send in your contribution of $100 to cover the picnic food and park reservation expenses. You can send a bit every month if you like, to the PayPal account. We’ll need it all in by July 15 latest.
(4) Scrutinize air fares often during the January/February “off season”; deals may be had.
(5) When you do have reservations/plans set, please email Momcat/Fran with details: there’s a list in the making! We’d like to know if you plan to come early/stay late, too …. And we assume each family will secure its own reservations, both in CV and elsewhere, as needed.
-------------------------------
Finally, just makin’ sure, here’s the tentative schedule outline we have in mind for the reunion weekend:
Thursday: arrival day in Carmel Valley.
Friday: open: (may plan some sort of event for the afternoon); Family Dinner in the evening at Baja Cantina, Mexican outdoor restaurant.
Saturday late morning: Teri and Al Chace’s Wedding Blessing Ceremony (invitations coming)
Saturday afternoon/evening: Big Picnic/Wedding Reception at C.V. Park.
Sunday: check-out; Lunch of Champions before departure, venue TBA.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
BLAU/SOULE MONSTER RALLY DISINTERRED
Brought back by popular demand and a cry of "Carpe Diem!" – RU 2010 lives again!
----------------------------------------------
Boo to you all! Just in time for Halloween, the Three Planning Witches have great news: the last weekend in July 2010 is now open in Carmel Valley! Due to some inaccurate information we were getting, we had thought that the annual CV Fiesta was scheduled for that timeframe; instead it is the following (first full) weekend in August. So get out your pencils and mark your calendars: RU-2010 is going to be in Carmel Valley from Thursday, July 29-Sun. Aug. 1 next summer.
We have reserved the CV Community Park Clubhouse and BBQ Patio (the same area we used for our last RU) for Saturday, July 31st.
Upon checking local hostelries, we find that although we can't get a group rate in high season, all reservations are open and available at the moment. We urge you to investigate the links provided in the right column of this page, select your choice of accommodations, and if possible put a tentative hold on it via a credit card.
If you are interested in sharing a larger accommodation site with others in the group, please send an email to fran.soule@gmail.com and she will give you more data on some very nice 4-person cottages in the heart of the village – and can put you in touch with other attendees with whom you might make such an arrangement. (There are some people not on this send-list yet who might be interested in the savings inherent in a shared cottage deal.)
The next blog update will probably go to a more expanded contact list of likely attendees that includes the older grandchildren, surrogate family members, very close friends, and such.
One final caveat: we calculate that each of the 10 units of our "core group" (you know who you are, because you are receiving this send) will need to contribute $100.00 to the general fund to support this gathering. This total of $1000.00 will hopefully cover (a) the estimated cost for the Big Picnic foods ($700) and (b) the rental fee for the use of the park facilities ($350). To ease the pain of this expense, we propose to set up a PayPal account ASAP into which you may, if you choose, contribute a little bit of your share each month. (If you prefer to do it in one lump sum, the P/P account is where your money should go.)
Indeed you might want to set up your own separate savings system to cover your costs of transportation and accommodations, just to ease the pain of the expense involved in this trip. And please, if you are in need of financial or air-miles help, let our Planning Wenches know what you need and we will see what can be done to help. (If you can offer such assistance, please let us know that!)
So get ready to do the Monster Mash with all of us Grateful Undead next July!
----------------------------------------------
Boo to you all! Just in time for Halloween, the Three Planning Witches have great news: the last weekend in July 2010 is now open in Carmel Valley! Due to some inaccurate information we were getting, we had thought that the annual CV Fiesta was scheduled for that timeframe; instead it is the following (first full) weekend in August. So get out your pencils and mark your calendars: RU-2010 is going to be in Carmel Valley from Thursday, July 29-Sun. Aug. 1 next summer.
We have reserved the CV Community Park Clubhouse and BBQ Patio (the same area we used for our last RU) for Saturday, July 31st.
Upon checking local hostelries, we find that although we can't get a group rate in high season, all reservations are open and available at the moment. We urge you to investigate the links provided in the right column of this page, select your choice of accommodations, and if possible put a tentative hold on it via a credit card.
If you are interested in sharing a larger accommodation site with others in the group, please send an email to fran.soule@gmail.com and she will give you more data on some very nice 4-person cottages in the heart of the village – and can put you in touch with other attendees with whom you might make such an arrangement. (There are some people not on this send-list yet who might be interested in the savings inherent in a shared cottage deal.)
The next blog update will probably go to a more expanded contact list of likely attendees that includes the older grandchildren, surrogate family members, very close friends, and such.
One final caveat: we calculate that each of the 10 units of our "core group" (you know who you are, because you are receiving this send) will need to contribute $100.00 to the general fund to support this gathering. This total of $1000.00 will hopefully cover (a) the estimated cost for the Big Picnic foods ($700) and (b) the rental fee for the use of the park facilities ($350). To ease the pain of this expense, we propose to set up a PayPal account ASAP into which you may, if you choose, contribute a little bit of your share each month. (If you prefer to do it in one lump sum, the P/P account is where your money should go.)
Indeed you might want to set up your own separate savings system to cover your costs of transportation and accommodations, just to ease the pain of the expense involved in this trip. And please, if you are in need of financial or air-miles help, let our Planning Wenches know what you need and we will see what can be done to help. (If you can offer such assistance, please let us know that!)
So get ready to do the Monster Mash with all of us Grateful Undead next July!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Welcome to the RU 2010 Blog!
Greetings, Prospective RU-People! One year from now, we hope to be together for a wonderful party with all of you and all of our relatives and friends! We've created this Blog as a "meeting place" for RU news, information and opinions. Take a look around, take the poll, respond to the questionnaire at the end of this post, and share your comments!
(Editor's note: I promise that future posts won't be nearly this long. We may just Twitter the rest of them!)
Please read the FAQ below before completing the questionnaire at the bottom. These are the comments we've heard from here and there in the past.
--------------------
Why Northern California?
There are several reasons: two of this year's Gang of Three (Eileen, Julie, and Fran) live there; and many of the probable attendees are based in CA, including some of the exended-family and friends. Additionally, cross-country travel is a real issue for some of the ageing folks - in all seriousness. However we recognize that times are tough and it is not fair that all the travel expense be borne by non-CA's: so we're putting out a call for some kind of 'RU assistance funding' for the core family who really must be with us. (More on this in the Questionnaire, below.)
Why do we propose a time length of 3 days? Would people prefer 4 days? (see Poll)
In past times, the 3-day timeframe seems to have worked pretty well; and in addition, cost of accommodation is a major factor – although we have some ideas on possible cost-cutting in that area. (More on this in the Questionnaire, below.) Also many of us cannot afford to be away from our homes for any length of time, so we have positioned the dates over a weekend to help eliminate work and school problems. However, this timeframe is open for discussion, so please vote in the poll!
Is End of July the best time?
This time slot worked well last time, simply because school-age kids seemed to be able to accommodate to it. We know fares are at a premium in summer, although there may be airline price wars. (See questionnaire for possible assistance in this cost.) However, if there are reasons why this time will not work at all for you/your family, please let us know!
Who is invited?
The Blau-Soule parents and kids (you know who you are!), their significant others and their offspring; all recognized "extended family" – and for the Saturday Picnic, everybody else you love! And of course any or all of us can be free to make further plans for the Sunday after the RU or any time before or after it that they may decide to add onto a CA visit.
"When do we eat???"
The 'foodie events' of the RU are not yet settled; but for example the picnic on Saturday will be catered by the Gang of Three (via a big trip to Cosco and Trader Joe's.) The idea is simple, crowd-pleasing, easy eatin'. One eve we can all head out for a Go-Dutch meal, as we did last time at that fun Mexican place near the mouth of the valley. Actually that place was quite good so who knows, maybe we'll vote for a return gig - or find another - TBD. (If you need special diet, either let us know and we'll see if we can accommodate, or you might choose to bring your own stuff.)
Okay, how will we fund the food above?
In a later newsletter the committee will set out a budget and ask for advance input from all of you. We're thinking of setting up an RU2010 PayPal account. In this way your portion/contribution can be staggered in small amounts per month over the year, to take the sting out of it and add up nicely by next summer. All thoughts welcome as to how we might diplomatically handle contributions to the Saturday picnic fund from the "extendeds," who can number in the dozens! They gotta be fed but we don't think we want to hit them up for their share via PayPal. Maybe we just ask them to bring particular foods/goods to the picnic.
Can we stay with Mom and John in Boulder Creek?
Sorry gang. The parental units are not going to have guests to stay throughout this period - they are getting older ,wiser and tireder! ... and also don't want to be worrying about guests when there's quite a lot to manage day to day with this many people coming and going. Sorry about this, but anyone eager to see BC (we hope you will be!) perhaps before or after the RU, especially those who haven't yet made it for a visit to the little house in the woods, can stay in local B&B/lodges/motels up there, at good rates, no problem! We might also organize a group day-trip up there to look around, during the actual reunion time -– it's only about an hour and a half drive from CV to BC.
Where will we stay in Carmel?
It need not be the same place as last time, unless you choose (the Carmel Valley Inn was nice enough to invite us back again, which was a bit of a surprise, after that raucous event!) In future blog posts, we will provide rates and ideas about accommodation – including the possibility of a big house rental for SOME of the core family (those who can handle cohabiting again after all these years...or those who can't afford otherwise.) This might provide us with a good gathering point and might work out cheaper per night than motel-hotel accom. It remains to be seen if such a thing is rentable for a short period – but we'll do the research. In the meantime, check the links on this page for the Blue Sky Lodge and the Carmel Valley Lodge, as well as 2 B&Bs that look nice.
How do I voice my opinion about the above?
Copy and paste the following questions and reply to the committee ONLY: fran.soule@gmail.com, eileenhorne.uk@gmail.com, julie@drysdaleconsulting.com. We will collate everyone's responses and use the responses to prepare for the number of people, accommodation requests, etc. While we welcome your general remarks in the Blog Comments, please email us your responses to the Questionnaire -- this will make it easier to consolidate opinions and will also keep your responses private.
----------------
QUESTIONNAIRE:
1. Will you be attending RU2010, Thurs.-Sat., July 22-24 (or with extension to Sun., July 25) in Carmel Valley?
2. How many will be in your group?
3. Would you be willing to stay in a cost-effective 'group house' if we could find such a thing for short rental? Just Y or N, please. We will send out data once we find something that looks possible, and you can then decide for or against.
4. Roughly how many 'extendeds' would you plan/hope to invite to the Saturday picnic who would actually make the trip and/or stay over Saturday night? (no lists necessary,for now – just an approx. number).
5. There will be those from further away who will struggle with costs of travel/accommodation. Can you help, for example with air miles or a monetary donation? Even a little will be useful, but we need an estimate of about how much you might be able to offer over the course of the next year; we'd need to have your total contribution by about April 1st, to make it available to the needy ones. (Please indicate if you are among that group for whom flights/accommodations will be a big problem for you and your family in financial terms .... this information will be kept entirely confidential.)
6. If you live in CA, can you offer free sofa space/guest accommodation to family in the days surrounding the RU, if needed?
7. Is there anything important that we have failed to include in this questionnaire? Do you have additional questions? Ask!
Please keep your answers simple, and to the point!
(Editor's note: I promise that future posts won't be nearly this long. We may just Twitter the rest of them!)
Please read the FAQ below before completing the questionnaire at the bottom. These are the comments we've heard from here and there in the past.
--------------------
Why Northern California?
There are several reasons: two of this year's Gang of Three (Eileen, Julie, and Fran) live there; and many of the probable attendees are based in CA, including some of the exended-family and friends. Additionally, cross-country travel is a real issue for some of the ageing folks - in all seriousness. However we recognize that times are tough and it is not fair that all the travel expense be borne by non-CA's: so we're putting out a call for some kind of 'RU assistance funding' for the core family who really must be with us. (More on this in the Questionnaire, below.)
Why do we propose a time length of 3 days? Would people prefer 4 days? (see Poll)
In past times, the 3-day timeframe seems to have worked pretty well; and in addition, cost of accommodation is a major factor – although we have some ideas on possible cost-cutting in that area. (More on this in the Questionnaire, below.) Also many of us cannot afford to be away from our homes for any length of time, so we have positioned the dates over a weekend to help eliminate work and school problems. However, this timeframe is open for discussion, so please vote in the poll!
Is End of July the best time?
This time slot worked well last time, simply because school-age kids seemed to be able to accommodate to it. We know fares are at a premium in summer, although there may be airline price wars. (See questionnaire for possible assistance in this cost.) However, if there are reasons why this time will not work at all for you/your family, please let us know!
Who is invited?
The Blau-Soule parents and kids (you know who you are!), their significant others and their offspring; all recognized "extended family" – and for the Saturday Picnic, everybody else you love! And of course any or all of us can be free to make further plans for the Sunday after the RU or any time before or after it that they may decide to add onto a CA visit.
"When do we eat???"
The 'foodie events' of the RU are not yet settled; but for example the picnic on Saturday will be catered by the Gang of Three (via a big trip to Cosco and Trader Joe's.) The idea is simple, crowd-pleasing, easy eatin'. One eve we can all head out for a Go-Dutch meal, as we did last time at that fun Mexican place near the mouth of the valley. Actually that place was quite good so who knows, maybe we'll vote for a return gig - or find another - TBD. (If you need special diet, either let us know and we'll see if we can accommodate, or you might choose to bring your own stuff.)
Okay, how will we fund the food above?
In a later newsletter the committee will set out a budget and ask for advance input from all of you. We're thinking of setting up an RU2010 PayPal account. In this way your portion/contribution can be staggered in small amounts per month over the year, to take the sting out of it and add up nicely by next summer. All thoughts welcome as to how we might diplomatically handle contributions to the Saturday picnic fund from the "extendeds," who can number in the dozens! They gotta be fed but we don't think we want to hit them up for their share via PayPal. Maybe we just ask them to bring particular foods/goods to the picnic.
Can we stay with Mom and John in Boulder Creek?
Sorry gang. The parental units are not going to have guests to stay throughout this period - they are getting older ,wiser and tireder! ... and also don't want to be worrying about guests when there's quite a lot to manage day to day with this many people coming and going. Sorry about this, but anyone eager to see BC (we hope you will be!) perhaps before or after the RU, especially those who haven't yet made it for a visit to the little house in the woods, can stay in local B&B/lodges/motels up there, at good rates, no problem! We might also organize a group day-trip up there to look around, during the actual reunion time -– it's only about an hour and a half drive from CV to BC.
Where will we stay in Carmel?
It need not be the same place as last time, unless you choose (the Carmel Valley Inn was nice enough to invite us back again, which was a bit of a surprise, after that raucous event!) In future blog posts, we will provide rates and ideas about accommodation – including the possibility of a big house rental for SOME of the core family (those who can handle cohabiting again after all these years...or those who can't afford otherwise.) This might provide us with a good gathering point and might work out cheaper per night than motel-hotel accom. It remains to be seen if such a thing is rentable for a short period – but we'll do the research. In the meantime, check the links on this page for the Blue Sky Lodge and the Carmel Valley Lodge, as well as 2 B&Bs that look nice.
How do I voice my opinion about the above?
Copy and paste the following questions and reply to the committee ONLY: fran.soule@gmail.com, eileenhorne.uk@gmail.com, julie@drysdaleconsulting.com. We will collate everyone's responses and use the responses to prepare for the number of people, accommodation requests, etc. While we welcome your general remarks in the Blog Comments, please email us your responses to the Questionnaire -- this will make it easier to consolidate opinions and will also keep your responses private.
----------------
QUESTIONNAIRE:
1. Will you be attending RU2010, Thurs.-Sat., July 22-24 (or with extension to Sun., July 25) in Carmel Valley?
2. How many will be in your group?
3. Would you be willing to stay in a cost-effective 'group house' if we could find such a thing for short rental? Just Y or N, please. We will send out data once we find something that looks possible, and you can then decide for or against.
4. Roughly how many 'extendeds' would you plan/hope to invite to the Saturday picnic who would actually make the trip and/or stay over Saturday night? (no lists necessary,for now – just an approx. number).
5. There will be those from further away who will struggle with costs of travel/accommodation. Can you help, for example with air miles or a monetary donation? Even a little will be useful, but we need an estimate of about how much you might be able to offer over the course of the next year; we'd need to have your total contribution by about April 1st, to make it available to the needy ones. (Please indicate if you are among that group for whom flights/accommodations will be a big problem for you and your family in financial terms .... this information will be kept entirely confidential.)
6. If you live in CA, can you offer free sofa space/guest accommodation to family in the days surrounding the RU, if needed?
7. Is there anything important that we have failed to include in this questionnaire? Do you have additional questions? Ask!
Please keep your answers simple, and to the point!
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