Birthday plans...
Jul. 19th, 2012 03:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sorcyressSo, in about six weeks1, I celebrate my birthday! I will be turning 23 and stuff, which means I will once again enter the prime of life.
Now, I haven't had a proper celebration for my birthday since 20092, which is just ages ago at this point. I was like, in college then and everything. What the hell. And the party I had was in Maryland, meaning I've never really thrown a proper celebration for all my Boston peeps.
This must change.
So I've been having a bunch of ideas3, and none of them have really quite been clicking properly. Then the other night, Sparr and Genni and I were biking home from Squares, and talking about big group bike rides (which Sparr has been doing some with SCUL members). And it all fell into place.
I want to have a party that consists of a lot of biking around through pretty areas to places, and then doing things for a bit in those places, and then biking to more places. So for example, we could bike over to the xkcd playground and play there for half an hour or so, and then bike to the Cambridge Common to host an impromptu mini-Contra dance (or Squares, or couples, or SCD, or _all of them_...), then take a nice leisurely ride down the Charles River Bike Path for a while, until we reach some fabulous destination and all sit by the river and watch ducks for a bit, and then we get back on our bikes and go splash around in Spy Pond or something, and etc etc etc.
The party would clearly end with everyone biking to Dinosaur Sashay, where there would be a typical "eat food, hang out, play games, etc" thing. That way, my non-biking friends could still come celebrate the fact that I am awesome and deserve celebration.
As for my friends who are only sorta-biking friends, I figure I could do Careful Planning so that they could meet up with the party as it roams around Cambridge/Somerville/Arlington/Boston or split off as suits them. I would want my full loop to be somewhere between 25 and 40 miles, but I recognize that not everyone is down for that much riding (even split into parts). So in a perfect world, I'd have a hyper-organized itenerary, or rather, a lot of "We'll get at place X when we get there, but then we promise to stay there until 4 PM, also watch my Twitter feed, I'll say if we're running super late". People could even meet up with the traveling party at a location, and then take other forms of transit to meet us at the next location.
So what I am most looking for input wise is people to tell me that this is a good idea5, and whether it's a thing they'd be interested in doing, and most importantly, some cool places where 10-20 people (honestly, I would be a little shocked if I got as many as 10) can hang out for 45-90 minutes or so and be entertained and happy.
(Secret alternative idea: August is hot, maybe I will host a party at DS that goes until 8 or 9 PM, and then the biking will be late night bike ride adventures held after the party, when it is darker and cooler and there are fewer cars.)
I would probably be aiming to do this on the 24th or 26th of August (a friend has already date-grabbed the 25th).
Places I think would be good visiting spots: The Cambridge Public Library (maybe I will check out some children's books and we will have storytime and snacks in the nice cool air-conditioning), The Randall Munroe Sweet Ass-Playground, the Cambridge Commons (for circus arts or dancing or lounging or also playground), the Charles River bike path (all the pretty!), the Minuteman bike path (more of all the pretty!), JP Licks (ice cream!) (this would probably be the second-to-last stop if done during the day, to cool down with ice cream before my party proper), Spy Pond, Menotomy Rocks Park (maybe a little bit of hiking or looking for turtles in the lake, or playground), The bike path alongside the Mystic River (especially the cool little observation tower), the big field out near Magoon Square (with the illogic gate!), the cock block (also in Magoon Square, and just to be immature and laugh at them), Winter Hill (because I'm crazy, but I also have a bike with decent gears and I like conquering hills)...
Yeah. Lots of ideas! Where else is a nice place?
Going to crosspost this to Facebook as well, as much as I hate the beast. If you read it in both places, please answer here, I pay way more attention to LJ.
~Sor
MOOP!
1: August 28th.
2: 2011 there was a hurricane, and my party consisted of six people and three pints of ice cream hanging out in Davis. Satisfying, but not really a proper spree. In 2010, I turned 21, and had VERY IMPORTANT THINGS to get done because of that.
3: See also "the amazing drink-mixing party"4 which I wanted to do for my 21st, but never got around to, or "let's all go to Salem and get RITAS, you guys have no idea how amazing and important this is" or "more barefoot dancing plz" or "SCIENCE MUSEUM!"
4: Everyone shows up with the ingredients to make their favourite mixed drink. They show me how to make said mixed drink. They give me a sip (to taste) and then they enjoy. Ideally, they leave the bottles behind when they leave, but that step is not necessary. At the end of the party, I have gained knowledge(mixing drinks), knowledge(what I like), and alcohol(sufficient to make a drinks cabinet). Theoretically, I do not drink enough to get drunk, and everyone is happy.
5: I mean, only if you think it is a good idea. Do not lie.
Now, I haven't had a proper celebration for my birthday since 20092, which is just ages ago at this point. I was like, in college then and everything. What the hell. And the party I had was in Maryland, meaning I've never really thrown a proper celebration for all my Boston peeps.
This must change.
So I've been having a bunch of ideas3, and none of them have really quite been clicking properly. Then the other night, Sparr and Genni and I were biking home from Squares, and talking about big group bike rides (which Sparr has been doing some with SCUL members). And it all fell into place.
I want to have a party that consists of a lot of biking around through pretty areas to places, and then doing things for a bit in those places, and then biking to more places. So for example, we could bike over to the xkcd playground and play there for half an hour or so, and then bike to the Cambridge Common to host an impromptu mini-Contra dance (or Squares, or couples, or SCD, or _all of them_...), then take a nice leisurely ride down the Charles River Bike Path for a while, until we reach some fabulous destination and all sit by the river and watch ducks for a bit, and then we get back on our bikes and go splash around in Spy Pond or something, and etc etc etc.
The party would clearly end with everyone biking to Dinosaur Sashay, where there would be a typical "eat food, hang out, play games, etc" thing. That way, my non-biking friends could still come celebrate the fact that I am awesome and deserve celebration.
As for my friends who are only sorta-biking friends, I figure I could do Careful Planning so that they could meet up with the party as it roams around Cambridge/Somerville/Arlington/Boston or split off as suits them. I would want my full loop to be somewhere between 25 and 40 miles, but I recognize that not everyone is down for that much riding (even split into parts). So in a perfect world, I'd have a hyper-organized itenerary, or rather, a lot of "We'll get at place X when we get there, but then we promise to stay there until 4 PM, also watch my Twitter feed, I'll say if we're running super late". People could even meet up with the traveling party at a location, and then take other forms of transit to meet us at the next location.
So what I am most looking for input wise is people to tell me that this is a good idea5, and whether it's a thing they'd be interested in doing, and most importantly, some cool places where 10-20 people (honestly, I would be a little shocked if I got as many as 10) can hang out for 45-90 minutes or so and be entertained and happy.
(Secret alternative idea: August is hot, maybe I will host a party at DS that goes until 8 or 9 PM, and then the biking will be late night bike ride adventures held after the party, when it is darker and cooler and there are fewer cars.)
I would probably be aiming to do this on the 24th or 26th of August (a friend has already date-grabbed the 25th).
Places I think would be good visiting spots: The Cambridge Public Library (maybe I will check out some children's books and we will have storytime and snacks in the nice cool air-conditioning), The Randall Munroe Sweet Ass-Playground, the Cambridge Commons (for circus arts or dancing or lounging or also playground), the Charles River bike path (all the pretty!), the Minuteman bike path (more of all the pretty!), JP Licks (ice cream!) (this would probably be the second-to-last stop if done during the day, to cool down with ice cream before my party proper), Spy Pond, Menotomy Rocks Park (maybe a little bit of hiking or looking for turtles in the lake, or playground), The bike path alongside the Mystic River (especially the cool little observation tower), the big field out near Magoon Square (with the illogic gate!), the cock block (also in Magoon Square, and just to be immature and laugh at them), Winter Hill (because I'm crazy, but I also have a bike with decent gears and I like conquering hills)...
Yeah. Lots of ideas! Where else is a nice place?
Going to crosspost this to Facebook as well, as much as I hate the beast. If you read it in both places, please answer here, I pay way more attention to LJ.
~Sor
MOOP!
1: August 28th.
2: 2011 there was a hurricane, and my party consisted of six people and three pints of ice cream hanging out in Davis. Satisfying, but not really a proper spree. In 2010, I turned 21, and had VERY IMPORTANT THINGS to get done because of that.
3: See also "the amazing drink-mixing party"4 which I wanted to do for my 21st, but never got around to, or "let's all go to Salem and get RITAS, you guys have no idea how amazing and important this is" or "more barefoot dancing plz" or "SCIENCE MUSEUM!"
4: Everyone shows up with the ingredients to make their favourite mixed drink. They show me how to make said mixed drink. They give me a sip (to taste) and then they enjoy. Ideally, they leave the bottles behind when they leave, but that step is not necessary. At the end of the party, I have gained knowledge(mixing drinks), knowledge(what I like), and alcohol(sufficient to make a drinks cabinet). Theoretically, I do not drink enough to get drunk, and everyone is happy.
5: I mean, only if you think it is a good idea. Do not lie.
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no subject
on 2012-07-20 02:25 am (UTC)But seriously, you probly shouldn't take my biased opinion on it; i love bicycling and have done it in the high nineties before so i don't think i can quite be trusted ;D
no subject
on 2012-07-23 04:27 pm (UTC)Other concern: I haven't biked in ages, and I'm terrified of city biking. If you had the time or inclination to take me out biking once beforehand so I could see if that was an easily conquerable fear or not, that would be awesome and appreciated. Metaphorical hand holding the first time I do something is often extremely effective in dealing with things that scare me, and I'd love to be part of the bike adventure. If not, I will see about joining Nurit in accompanying you on the bike path portion of the outing.
no subject
on 2012-07-19 08:45 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2012-07-20 12:32 am (UTC)no subject
on 2012-07-21 04:21 am (UTC)Also vote for 26th rather than 24th because 24th is a workaday.
I want to see the randall munroe sweet ass park at some point.
I think it is Magoun square. Not magoon. Magoon does look funnier, especially in combination with Cock Block.
no subject
on 2012-07-24 01:07 pm (UTC)The fewer cars on the road, the better bikewise for me - I am still a very scared and klutzy biker (read: have done about 2 minutes of biking on roads with cars on them). However, in light of this, I may well decide that I should just show up on foot, so it should not be a heavy factor.