Wine, bourbon, pomegranate liqueur---it's all good! The pomegranate liqueur might actually be medicinal; apparently the juice has a high concentration of anti-oxidants. :D

I offered my place near Jasper. What's become of starrsville? She was heading this up...

I can drive to Jasper, too. But someone mentioned central Georgia as a good drive for people from Alabama. We had a few last time. Maybe when all attendees are identified we can pick the location that's most convenient? We're lucky to have so many possibilities!

I'm here. There was a chance that I was going to have to go to Charleston on business on the 23rd & 24th, but now I don't think I will.

I'm fine with all three locations options...
Atlanta
Griffin
Jasper...
would all work for me.

I think it exhibits true "Southern Hospitality" from kswl and Guy18 to offer their places for a GTG.

Someone, please take the "bull by the horns" and tell us when and where! It appears right now that Saturday, June 24th is good for us!

I love the potluck idea.

Just let me know what our share is.

i'2

Well, darn, I'm going to miss it again! On June 24 I will be on a TGV train from Paris to Arles.

Y'all have fun. I would say I'll be thinking of you on that day but I probably won't ;)

Where is Ole Southern Belle? Are you coming from Alabama??

How about our teachers from Roberta?

Ira, would you "do" a GTG?

Does AnthonyGA actually live <i>in</i> Georgia?

I was thinking people might come for lunch and stay all afternoon. If we have it and DH is at home, he will either want someone to play tennis with him or enlist a crew to battle the beaver dams in the creek, so . . .be prepared.

Let's locate the GTG to best serve those driving from out of town, if that applies. Otherwise, Guy, we can flip a coin! :D

kswl-Are you in Atlanta or Griffin? I have to be honest and say that I probably wouldn't be able to make it to central Georgia (meaning Griffin?)as I will have just driven up from Fla. and my time is limited. The place near Jasper is a vacation cabin. But don't base the plans on me.

I'm happy to have it. Just so everyone knows, we are down winding mountain roads, and the place isn't at all fancy (not that that's what people would be coming for!) There is a lake and a waterfall hike, if anyone's interested in some activities. As far as my house is concerned, it's just a little place in the woods. But partner and puppy and I would be happy to host!

AnthonyGa lives in Paris.

I originally suggested the weekend of the 24th so Guy could come. Would love to meet him in person.

K, if we don't have it in Griffin, can I come some other time to battle beaver dams? :-)

We are in Griffin, and that would be probably a two-hour drive for you. (We're about 40 miles from downtown Atlanta, but I always tell people it is an hour because the Jonesboro traffic can be surprising.)

Jasper it is, then, unless we suddenly have a contingent from AL.? Guy, we can be a backup in case you get to your cabin and find raccoons living in it, or squirrels, or any other problems from the high winds of a few weeks ago.

Starrsville, we would LOVE to have you come and battle beavers. DH is now known as &quot;ANTI-BEAVER.&quot; We have endless discussions about wetlands, EPA designations, creek run-off, etc. and every free weekend he gets a hoe and breaks down at least one dam. Not to worry, the beavers start immediately to build it back up again, sort of man vs. beaver and they have more stamina than we do. Old-timers speak nostalgically of the time when you could just blow up the dams with dynamite, and still claim that you can shoot the beavers pretty easily with a pistol. DH, thank God, has stuck to the rake and hoe methods! We have one very long creek and a feeder creek on 12 acres, and they have at least four dams in various stages of construction along the bigger creek at all times. When they're all at full size (about 4 ft. above the bank) the creek floods, part of the land gets like quicksand (or quickmud) and kids get stuck in it in the golf cart. :( A few months ago they got stuck--at night, of course---and called hs friends on their cell phones to pull them out. Of course the &quot;rescuers&quot; got stuck, who called more friends, who got stuck, who called a third set of friends, who also got stuck. They finally called an adult at about 11 pm who came and got everybody out. Down here that is actually an <i>activity</i> called mud-bogging.

Life in the country.

k, you make me smile!

Okay, so do we have a plan?

June 24th?
Potluck?
At Guy's in Jasper?

Sounds like we are making progress! :-)

I talked to dd yesterday about the GTG and she was excited to meet some GA Tech students, but thought the GTG was in Griffin. I'm not sure Jasper will work for us. On the map, it seems out of the way. I googled for hotels and didn't find much either.

So, would Atlanta area restaurant for lunch work better for everyone that would like to come?

Atlanta is a good location and has many good restaurants---Maggiano's was a great spot for the last GTG! My thoughts--and probably Guy's--were that it would be nice to meet somewhere where we could relax a bit and have more room and possibly a longer time for those driving long distances.

The staff at Maggiano's did not hurry us out or in any way make us feel rushed, though. Maybe we should go there again? Guy, could you drive to Atlanta?

Don't base your decision on my comments. DD and I had planned to visit Ga Tech in August, but when I saw the GTG, I thought we could change our plans.

I have been to several GTG's and it does seem harder to mingle and meet everyone in a restaurant where you have to be seated. It seems you just talk to the people at your end of the table.

if we did it at Maggiano's, we could use a private banquet room. Everyone would just have to pay up front and would not be able to cancel after we guaranteed the reservation. A contract would have to be signed which is no biggie if we have everyone's money already.

If anyone wanted an alcholic beverage, then we could each do our own at the bar downstairs, couldn't we?

Budman, don't forget us!!!!!!!!!!!

Is there a state park or other place in any of the areas that we could rent a shelter and have a picnic?

Stone Mountain have anything we could use?

Stone Mountain in June is like, well, I am not sure it is like anything else in the world. Think hordes of people. Think giant outcropping of granite and about 90 degrees.

Stone Mountain is at its best in the fall.

I do like the idea of a private room in a restaurant. Would the inflexibility of the arrangements be a deterrent?

sorry, I hit post before I was finished. . . It wouldn't stop us from making reservations but would it deter someone else?

I could do Maggiano's in Atlanta. Sounds good.

A park also sounds nice to me. What about Piedmont Park? Are there any pavilions there (I've only been on the perimeter) or any other in-town parks? That way we could do a picnic. But if it's not practical, I understand.

Is there a verdict? Who's gonna make the decision and get it on?????????

OWJ has lots of email addresses, I think! Unless she lost them when her computer crashed.

Here's the link from the GTG in September if it will help to jog anyone's memory....

http://www.worldisround.com/articles/216365/index.html