From: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org (alloy-digest) To: alloy-digest@smoe.org Subject: alloy-digest V11 #169 Reply-To: alloy@smoe.org Sender: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-alloy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "alloy-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. alloy-digest Tuesday, August 8 2006 Volume 11 : Number 169 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Alloy: At the pub with Crackers pt 1 ["Keith Stansell" Subject: Alloy: At the pub with Crackers pt 1 Some held up my first attempt at this - breaking it up in parts. Mary, I didn't get your message until tonight, but as it turns out - Crackers gave me a big ol' hug before I left - so I'm passing it on back to you. I was in Toronto last week at the HQ of the company I work for. That's how I ended up being near Hamilton. I had hoped to also meet up with Ian, but he had to work that night and wouldn't be able to make it to Hamilton. Perhaps we'll meet on another trip. I left with plenty of time to spare, but unfortunately forgot a highway exit when I transcribed my Mapquest directions, so I ended up 15 minutes late instead of 30 minutes early. I met up with Crackers at the Winking Judge pub in Hamilton. This was a nice cozy pub where Cracker's band sometimes plays. After walking in I instantly recognized Crackers with his trademark black glasses frames. He instantly recognized me with my - er - trademark bald head. .on to part 2 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 10:39:33 -0600 From: "Keith Stansell" Subject: Alloy: At the pub with Crackers pt 2 . So I sat down at 7:45 and felt like Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense because the bar keeps just never seemed to notice me at all despite my sitting at the bar with an obvious lack of beer. I apologize to Crackers if I seemed a bit distracted those first 10 minutes, but I really really needed a beer to calm my nerves after getting lost and then looping through Burlington in order to get to Hamilton. Crackers came though for me and got the attention of the staff. They have a nice selection of microbrews there - I had a tasty amber. It is a bit strange meeting someone you've known for 10 years, but have never actually met. I guess online old friends really are like "real world" old friends because the conversation came naturally just the same. Crackers and I talked about everything - Alloy, Dolby, music, beer, drinking in Utah, Donny and Marie, comics, George Takei, US celebrity vs. Canadian celebrity, US currency vs. Canadian currency, politics, Dolby tour, fall Dolby tour, the distance between Hamilton and Whistler BC, vacuum tubes, electric pianos and I'm sure much more that I've forgotten. Our conversation flowed so well that at one point a stranger, who didn't know Crackers or me, came over and complemented us on our conversation. He wasn't being sarcastic; he just thought it was really neat how two guys could just sit down and have such a great conversation. We probably kept a lot of the regulars entertained with the scope of what we talked about. Sort of like a radio show I guess. We went on for hours - nearly seven hours to be exact. Somehow I managed to nurse 3 beers over the seven hours. My nipple sure got soggy. (credit: Emo Phillips for that line). I didn't want to have too many because I had an hour long drive back to Toronto and it is a 3 day weekend there, so the police would be out in force. The night ended with Crackers at the poorly tuned piano taking requests from people in the pub. Some songs he declined to do, but could have he said if asked two beers earlier. Crackers thought that would be a good album name: "Two Beers Too Late". He did a pretty good job of some Billy Joel but really kicked in when a regular requested one of his own songs. It was a song about Joseph Stalin. It was past last call and 2:30 in the morning - so I finally had to make a request - to say goodbye. I got back to my hotel around 3:30 and got about 3 hours of sleep before leaving for the airport. My tip for anyone with an international flight out of Toronto's airport terminal 2: give yourself 3 hours and be prepared to stand in line surrounded by confused people for two of those hours. So - as usual, a good time was had - because Alloy people are the coolest people on the flat earth. Here is a picture taken "two beers earlier": http://keith.stansell.com/Keith_Crackers.JPG ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 10:40:10 -0600 From: "Keith Stansell" Subject: Alloy: At the pub with Crackers pt 3 Does anyone want to challenge my record? I think I hold the record for most Alloy members met in person. If anyone could challenge me I guess it would be Lunesse. Even if she has met more, I think I have her beat if you add in the criteria: "and consumed beverages or diner with". Here is my list in order of appearance. I think I got everyone - let me know if we've met and I left you out: Dennis Alexander, Beth Meyer, Erik Habbinga, Teresa Adams / Alexander, Stephen Tilson, Brian Clayton, John McJunkin, Elaine, Chris, Melissa, Thomas Dolby, Russel, Monya De, Trent, Michelle, Ben B, Greg Mike, Mary Brown Lunesse Crackers A very cool group indeed - -Keith (no longer the sole inhabitant) Stansell ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 20:17:45 -0600 From: "Keith Stansell" Subject: Alloy: In Today's Rocky Mountain News RUMORS AND HEARSAY: . . . Thomas Dolby is at the Boulder Theater on Oct. 12 . . From: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/spotlight_columnists/article/0,2777,DR MN_23962_4891394,00.html That is a great date - the day after my four er four - the day after I have a big birthday. A couple of days before someone else's birthday as well. - -Keith ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 7 Aug 2006 21:24:47 -0700 (PDT) From: Melissa Jordan Subject: Re: Alloy: In Today's Rocky Mountain News Coolness, Keith! Alas, it's looking like I'm going to miss out on the autumn tour, unless Mr. Dolby swings very nearby my home base, thanks to my dang eye. But I will be looking forward to everyone's reviews!! And thanks, mucho, Keith for sharing your meet-up with Crackers. Very cool. I'm afraid I've only met a handful of the Alloy folk, but everyone has been delightful, indeed. Hey - we never did hear a review of the London experience from Lissu! Calling Monaco! Hello, hello? Are you receiving?? :-) Cheers, Melissa http://merujo.blogspot.com Keith Stansell wrote: . . . Thomas Dolby is at the Boulder Theater on Oct. 12 . . - --------------------------------- Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2"/min or less. ------------------------------ End of alloy-digest V11 #169 ****************************