Palooza-bound

Could someone post pictures for those of us stuck on the Wrong Coast?

Urgh. Redeye out, redeye back? You Angelinos certainly do burn the candle at both ends! Hope to see you tomorrow, assuming my house isn’t flooded.

We finished and absolutely adored it. It was a delight. Thank you!!!

You’re, like, halfway through another, right?

Okay, no pressure. But we’re prepared to start offering bribes in convenient, hard to trace (edible/potable) form. California misses you!

OK, it’s morning of the big event. It was named Felberpalooza by Ann at the beginning and it’s what everyone knows it by so it’s just stuck.

The radar weather shows that Ernesto has pretty well moved past, leaving us with dryer if not good weather for the weekend. 1.4 inches of rain, is hardly a big deal, when Isabel came busting through she took out a couple of dozen trees, when Ivan dumped on us he washed out part of our driveway to the pond and worked at removing our dam. We needed the rain but it would have been better coming last week.

Things are quiet here (it’s not 8 yet), but we expect folks to show up soon. Adam thinks he’ll arrive by late morning.

We will try to keep you informed.

I just finished Schrodinger’s Ball and read in the afternotes about the great website called schrodingersball.com. What a thrill! A cool website about the book and the stupid stuff in it. How awesome!

Except it is a blog with one entry from May. That’s pretty weak. And sad. I’m sad. Thinking about boycotting all the sponsors for Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me because of this.

Good book, though.

Pictures, pictures, we want pictures! I’m bummed to be stuck here along the glorious coast of California while you all are partying together and with Adam.

One of my goals today is to have Bookshop Santa Cruz order “Schrodinger’s Ball” for me. I’d have done it earlier, but with moving and vacation there just hasn’t been time. Adam, any chance you’ll be up in northern California any time soon?

When we last saw the tailights of Adam’s car he was headed down the wrong road, but Murray assures us he’ll end up where he needs to be anyway,

It was a great time with Adam and just too damned short. (TELEVISION — I tellya!) But the evening is not over. In fact the Days Inn contingent is checking in before heading to the bar. Boy these are fun folks, and we all signed a bunch of books and pictures were taken and will be posted as soon as everyone gets back home.

Wish more of you could have been here. But we toasted you and tried to drink up your share.

Yes, but they are talking in a slurred, barely-comprehensible way, which is some consolation.

We want a signed copy by all the debauchers!

C’mon folks, dribble, scrawl, weep and lament into a copy for us!!!!

We’ll have it also scribbled into at the JSB event. We need a copy with everyone in it!!!

Murray- can ya give us a break on buying one back from ya? and mebbe a tee-shirt?

where are the pictures?

I want to buy some T-shirts! Please let me know who to send money to.

Susie, currently waving a 10 spot in the westerly direction.

I made it home from the “event” without falling asleep! I had to leave early (something about children locked out of the house) and I am really regretting not going on that bike ride. Tell me the ride was terrible so I can stop being angry at my children.

Thank you for hosting the event, Murray. We all recognize how much work you did to have everything ready.

For those of you that didn’t make it, you missed a chance to meet the lovely and talented: Ann, Dee, Cooper, Harold, the hard-working Murray clan, who am I forgetting … sleep-deprived, ugh … oh, some pesky sister was there, and of course, it was great to meet and chat with Adam.

I shouldn’t have started naming people … now I am certain I am forgetting people. Someone help me here while I take a 12-hour nap.

I hope you made it home in better shape than me, Adam. Thanks for taking time to hang with us.

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Well, I’m back and what a gracious and interesting group of people. I got to tell you, if you haven’t met Adam, what a guy! Really smart, rackishly handsome - all the dozens of pictures that we’ve seen of him don’t do him justice - entertaining and best of all… (okay, Adam, that’s about all the bullshit your ten bucks will buy. Next time, slip me one of those folding Ben Franklins.) But everyone there was funny and between Grouseland and the community center we sat around and talked and laughed for about 10 hours. It went by so quickly! Among the Felbernauts was a world champion female mountain bike rider (Debbye) that Murray got started several years ago (she did the rest).

Plus, this is a really smart group of bloggers. You gets hints of it quite often with the snappy one liners that go back and forth. We had a room of Renaissance people who have read, seen and experienced a wide variety of American culture, politics, et al. I think someone was writing down a list of books, and perhaps movies, etc. that the people were saying were not to be missed. I hope that list makes it onto the blog at some point. As they say in New England, “I tell you, I was some impressed!”

Murray, you and your family were excellent hosts. Thank you for all the planning, hard work and thoughtful touches. Adam, you’re a great sport. Thanks for taking time in your unbelievably demanding and hectic schedule to flying across the country to be with the gang. I hope you finally got some sleep. Maybe next time we’ll meet in Chicago, see a live show of Wait, Wait and elbow our way into Adam’s life in a more convenient fashion. It was great to meet all you people. I gotta run. If you weren’t there, you’re square.

P.S. No one got sloppy drunk. Sorry to spoil that illussion.

George C is a man of impeccable moral scruples and has served, and continues to serve this country with distinction and utmost integrity. (See, Adam, what properly greasing the palms will get ya? Thanks, George!)

Ann,

Those were “ladies”, not ladies.

Is this thing working now?

Being from Boston and having relocated to Coeur d’Alene, ID I’m always surprised to see Coeur d’Alene mentioned anywhere. It’s in Northern Idaho. There is nothing here. There are certainly no ‘paloozas’ of any type felberian or otherwise. Of course, Tess’ boyfriend’s parents live here, but I mean other than that there’s nothing.

Just noticed CNN posting regarding the death of Steve Irwin (Crocodile Hunter). Strange that with all of the deaths I’ve been reading about lately, primarily related to the war, I’m most moved by his.

Going to the Palooza in the Woods was a nice break from my regular job at Floor Scrubbers, Inc.

Tess, in response to your question, there was plenty of Maker’s Mark left over; we added together the total available alcohol, divided it by the number in attendance, and realized that we would be dead five times over if we attempted to consume it all. So we slipped one of the bottles of Maker’s Mark into Adam’s luggage. Hope it wasn’t his carry-on!

Murray, thank you again for being such a kind, generous, and gracious host. The Pike-to-Bike ride was something I certainly will not forget soon, especially whenever I try to sit! (The bikes were fantastic, but it was an unexpected pleasure to sit in my car and re-experience the feeling of sitting on something that was not actively trying to force its way into my body.)

A question arose at the gathering: how many other redheads are involved in this site? It was strange to have three lovely redheaded ladies from three different parts of the country in the same room. (Photos, I got photos! I’ll post ‘em as soon as I mow my lawn. No rest for the wicked.)

To those happy few of us who made it there, I am very glad to have met you all. To those who were not able to make it this time, I look forward to meeting you at a future event! We were already tossing around ideas while out of Adam’s earshot…I will yield the floor to Dee, Ann, Cooper, George, or George’s Sister, who I believe were in on the nefarious planning.

Speaking of Adam, has anyone seen him or heard from him? My greatest concern is that he only made it about 300 yards down the road from where we last saw him and is at this moment trapped in the wreckage of his rental vehicle, trying to beat away some rabid raccoons with an empty bottle of Maker’s Mark.

(Not to imply that Adam would have consumed the alcohol before or during his drive. But it takes a constant act of will not to simply plow off the road on one of the semi-infinite number of twists and turns around Grouseland!)

Okay what did you people do while we were gone so that poor George can’t post here anymore and defend his (dubious) honor?

George — check your email line. If ever I leave that blank I get bounced. Or maybe your girls reset CyberNanny while you were gone.

The looooong ride home was made so much more pleasant listeing to the Tigers beat Seattle (Sorry, Ann)

Harold, I’m rationalizing that the grass is too wet to cut. Now if I could only find my USB cord to post the pictures.

tess,

I assume you inadvertently spilled the 2 cups of red wine into the stock for the beef stew with beans. Can’t think of any other reason for involving a middle agent.

George says it may be his ISP. Now that I think about it, every time we would joke about those Nigerian email scams he would get this rather furtive look in his eyes. Karma, man.

Great post, Harold. Nice to see pics of everyone…is that Cooper with his back to the camera? Hope nobody’s brain hurts too much after that confabulation of minds.

BTW, dee, I didn’t thank you for your contribution to the Hornet’s Nest Girl Scout Council for Jenny. That was very kind of you; it will be used wisely.

Actually, SeattleDan, I think that’s a stunt double, dressed to look much older than me and photoshopped in by that evil genius, Harold. It must have been something I said.

For those not aware, Adam’s show (hope Spike doesn’t see that) will premiere on September 16 @ 12:00 AM EST. Now if I can just figure a way to stay awake that late.

What a coincidence: my doctor just recommended Maker’s Mark and donuts.

Aw, shucks Cooper.

We’ll just have to time the Pacific Rim (to included Pete IVDL) Felberpalooza to coincide with your next vacation allotment.

O-kaaa–yyy.

so apparently we need Maker’s Mark and doughtnuts for the signing…

Can Do!!!

The Tigers beat Seattle? Was that a sporting event of some sort?

SeattleDan, I have a couple of T-shirts and signed books for you.

Cooper, the second doctor told me that as long as my bills were paid up, I could eat anything I wanted.

Low alcohol tolerance, Tess? Damn, I wish you were there! The truck-driving ladies in the hotel’s “disco” would’ve probably enjoyed your alcohol-addled presence, too!

Hell of a party, great people, good booze, and great cake. (Funny dog). As far as going dancing after they left me, that’s OK I don’t dance.

Ann,

Hey, face it; I probably am one of the youngest ones here. Remind me not to complain about how old I feel surrounded by college freshmen who look like they just came back from surfing. Or to batter them to death with their surfboards. Or to taunt them by eating food in front of them.

Harold and David,

You know, the funny thing is that I have an older brother who once had the liver of a concrete elephant and would down a bottle of champaign like it was nothing (did that once during New Year’s while the rest of my family was tipsy after 2-3 sips). Well, until his stomach lining gave out and he gave up drinking. Somewhere in me in a alcoholic waiting to get out! An alcoholic with no alcohol tolerance. And gets cranky while drunk. And hungry.

Mmmm . . . donuts.