Future of the 2nd Saturday North Breakfast

[cmj685]

Guys,
As many of you know, I am getting ready to move to our Colorado home. Although the exact date isn't set in stone yet, it looks like it will be before the 2nd Saturday North Breakfast in July. That means that this next upcoming breakfast in June will be the last time I get to gather with you. After that, you will have to go on without me, which I am reasonably confident you can do . I will give the nametags to HammAR so that job will be taken care of. But I am wondering about a new facilitator/liason? In serving in that role for the past five years, what I have done primarily is to put the event on the MGT calendar each month a couple weeks in advance, and then post a thread a week in advance giving the specifics. I have also acted as a liason with whatever restaurant we were meeting at when necessary. That job isn't too much work since we have a regular reservation on the 2nd Saturday of every month. But if we aren't going to be there on our usual date (due to other events or weather cancelling our event) I like to call and give the restaurant a heads-up. Then the following week I call again to make sure we are back on the calendar (it seems that we are often dropped if we miss a week). That is about it for the job. Seriously it takes about 10 minutes a month or so for most months. It is wrestling the nametag onto HammAR that is most of the work. I guess I am wondering if, going forward, you guys want to have someone serve in this capacity or if you have a better idea? Please chime in here with your thoughts!
Mike

[hammAR]

This is a great way for one of the newer folks to actively participate in the "community".......
opportunity knocks, take advantage, or continue to sit back and whine that you do not feel part of the "community'........


Mike, thanks a ton for the effort and in providing a consistent means for the "community" to gather....
It will be a privilege to control the name tags.......

[cmj685]

It will be a privilege to control the name tags.......

I knew you would grab that opportunity!

But seriously, what HammAR said is exactly right. That is how this thing got started in the first place. I had gone to a lunch about five years ago with Joel and his inner-circle gang and it became utterly clear at that lunch that they wanted nothing to do with anyone who wasn't in their inner circle. Their disdain couldn't have been more apparent. So I decided, as a newby, just to grab hold of the reins and start something for the rest of us poor schmucks who didn't meet Joel's standards for being friends and colleagues. Nobody really knew anybody to speak of when we started, but when we met we found out that there were alot of great guys and gals associated with the forum and we really liked the time together. We have recently had a large influx of new people coming into the forum and it would be a great opportunity for one to serve his fellows and to get to know the greatest bunch of guys around at the same time.

[rugersol]

How 'bout Blue Heron, in Hugo?

[xd ED]

Mike,
The 2nd Saturday breakfast was my first opportunity to meet any of the 'locals', and the experience was quite the opposite of the encounter you describe with 'the inner-circle'. Although it's sometimes tough walking into a room of strangers, everyone I met was open and cordial.
Thanks for your time and energy to make it happen.
This is an event that should not die off.
In that vein, I'll do my best to fill your shoes.
If you'll send me the particulars- contact names/ numbers, general procedures, etc, as well as any other information that might be useful, I'll do what I can to ensure the event continues.

Ed

[cmj685]

Mike,
The 2nd Saturday breakfast was my first opportunity to meet any of the 'locals', and the experience was quite the opposite of the encounter you describe with 'the inner-circle'. Although it's sometimes tough walking into a room of strangers, everyone I met was open and cordial.
Thanks for your time and energy to make it happen.
This is an event that should not die off.
In that vein, I'll do my best to fill your shoes.
If you'll send me the particulars- contact names/ numbers, general procedures, etc, as well as any other information that might be useful, I'll do what I can to ensure the event continues.
Ed

You're the man! I will get "everything" to you by PM--which is one phone number (OCB's) and a two-step process to put the notification into the forum every month. Thanks for stepping forward. You are right, this shouldn't die! Too many great guys and gals aboard to let it die.

[hammAR]

Mike,
tell xd ED that I will be willing to assist until he gets a groove......(name tags and all)

and tell victor rugersol to take an effen hike.....with his hugo ....

[rugersol]

and tell victor rugersol to take an effen hike.....with his hugo ....

I was jest tryin' to improve the vittles, a bit!

Wait a second ... does KMart still have a cafeteria?!

[FJ540]

C'mon, if we didn't b1tch, piss, or moan - there wouldn't be more than three new posts a day and no one would have any clout.

I'd like a new or old venue change, but since I have no clue about the likelihood of making one of these ever again, I'll abstain from voting.

Mike, thanks for keeping the breakfast torch going for all the time you have.

[macphisto]

I've only attended the 2nd Saturday breakfast at OCB once, but I was a fairly regular attendee when it was at Perkins and Denny's. Everyone paying on their way into OCB is far less hassle than the places with servers. The food may not exactly be gourmet, but it's certainly edible.

[cobb]

Mike, thanks a ton for the effort and in providing a consistent means for the "community" to gather....

Same here, thanks for putting these together. My wife and I only made two, prior to OCB change. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy these casual get togethers, but for some reason my wife looks forward to these more than I, even when ttousi isn't present,,,,,did I just say that?
Hope some youngin steps up to take up the slack.

[cmj685]

Just a little history for you all. We started at Perkins in Shoreview (694 and Lexington) about five years ago, but they are so busy on Saturday mornings that they kinda' hinted that they would prefer we didn't meet there so they could take care of other customers. I never exactly figured that out since we were customers too, but that was the way it went down. We moved over to Denny's in Maplewood and had a regular backroom reservation...and the sweetest, best waittress ever who would come in special to serve us. But there was almost always a problem with the restaurant saying someone didn't pay. Part of that problem was that there was such chaos and so many of us for just one waittress, people moving around, coming later, etc. I am not sure that the restaurant really was getting stiffed but they said they did almost every month. Then a new young manager showed up who knew everything and wasn't shy to tell us so, and the guys got tired of him real fast. So we moved over to OCB. We did seem to lose some attendance when we moved over--we may have been averaging 25-30 at Dennys and it fell to about 15-20 average at OCB. But at least the paying at the door has spared us the charge that we stiffed the restaurant. We lost the service of the best waittress ever though!
You are welcome of course to move the breakfast anywhere you want as it suits you. Times of change like this are perfect for new out-of-the-box thinking!
Mike

[nyffman]

While I was initially negative toward the OCB location, I have seen the error of my ways. It has worked out very well, the staff seems to very cordial and not the least bit afraid of the fact that most if not all of us are likely to be carrying while there. It's turned out to be a good choice. And, did I mention, they have bacon?

[cmj685]

While I was initially negative toward the OCB location, I have seen the error of my ways. It has worked out very well, the staff seems to very cordial and not the least bit afraid of the fact that most if not all of us are likely to be carrying while there. It's turned out to be a good choice. And, did I mention, they have bacon?

I agree. The room is nice and big (we were really crammed in over at Denny's) and the staff and restaurant very welcoming.

On another subject, you have got to change that avatar! Worst.Avatar.Ever! Seriously I have problems sleeping at night thinking about that avatar.

[FJ540]

OCB has priced themselves out of their market with the current fee structure, and I take great offense that they require us to pay for the beverage bar as a surcharge for non-exclusive use of the back room. If I'm paying 8 bucks for breakfast, I'd like it to taste good. I won't be returning.