Someone once said "It's never too late" but I prefer " You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

The first House weekend has come and gone and it's unfortunate that some of the folks who wanted to attend could not. We hope that by starting plans now it will give everyone plenty of time to look ahead and, if they are serious about attending, make plans to be available for the event next year.

Of course it is always hard to look that far ahead with any kind of accuracy. Things do crop up at the last minute but knowing this far in advance should help you to block out that time and not schedule other activities on the appropriate weekend.

Right now we have no plans other than to do it again. We don't know when. We don't know where. All we know is that we want to do it. (Oooo, that sounds kinky :o ). We'd like to know, once again who is with us on this (or, are you interested in joining us next year if conditions are right for you)?

Next, we'd like to get an idea of what would be a good weekend for you? Some people have a fairly regular schedule and planned yearly vacations or family events that they attend. So give us a few weekends that, right now, you feel would work best for you.

We plan to have a weekend chosen by the end of December. It won't be written in stone but unless there is a chance at a significantly larger turn out by changing the dates, we won't be changing it after that. (God, does that make any sense?! :blink: )

This will also help us book rooms at a group rate, or at least be able to book with enough advance notice to actually get a room close to the event. Or, if thing go really well, maybe even book a large enough room ( a suite or, wishfully thinking, a conference room) to hold the event in and screen House episodes on a very large screen!!!

Next, we have some questions as far as the event itself. Since many more people said they were interested than attended, we were wondering what factors played into your decisions to not attend. Some of you have already let us know and I certainly don't want to get personal but I believe that some folks may have been edgy about running off to meet folks they'd only talked to on the internet. (Yes Virginia, that is creepy :lol: and we certainly understand those type of concerns)

I guess the question is, what situation or environment would make you more at ease in attending? Q more "public/ touristy" location where you could bring friends or family along? More people committed to attending? Somewhere closer to where you live? Whatever it is, we'd like to know so we can work at this and make it better and better each year.

Taru, Cathy and I will be doing this again next year, even if it's just the three of us again (Yes, it was just that good! :lol: ) but, we did talk about how great it would be if so and so were here or Gee, I wonder why they didn't come, they sounded so interested. Or gosh I wish she/he'd have been able to make it, I would love to meet her/him. Believe me, we thought about many of you over the weekend and, even though we had fun, we missed you folks!

So lets keep this ball rolling and make next year at least 5 times better!

Are we going international?

- Glad you had a good time... Going on about House with a whole lot of people sounds like fun. Wait... in real life. ;)

I'll make it too the next weekend I could of made it but my mom had to make family vacation during that time I hate vacation with my family its more stressful then just normal family time which is pretty stressful.

I've never been scared of strangers. I've been afraid of strangers with weapons but I think that fear's just rational.


Well my brother's graduating from college next year but thats in May, I have a group of friends graduating from high school aswell also in May so May's out for me possibly June, July, or August. but not near June 14 or Aug 21 or 22 cuz those are my brother's, father's and bestest friend ever birthdays

Where would that be exactly? I mean I'd be interested, but it would be a very extrodinary concidence that I'd have the chance for that :(.
Best wishes,
Chris

Well, AE, we could go international (believe me, I'd love to head off to Australia for a week or two!)but I don't think most of us could afford it. Plus I'd like to build it up to at least ten or twelve people first ;) :lol: .

I think it would be great to plan the smae weekned and maybe have you folks from england, Australia, and other part plan a get -together that same weekend. We could arrange some kind of conference call or video web feed so we're all kind of together. So maybe if you folks down under aren't too spread out you can plan to get together somewhere on the same weekend we do here.

AS far as where we'll hold it next year will kind of depend on the response we get. If the majority of people are east coast we'll find a central location in that area. If west coast, same thing. This year we had eastern PA, Mass. and Ohio so PA was middle ground and Taru was kind enough to offer her home for the festivities.

Basically we are trying to see what you folks want to do and what you feel comfortable doing as well as where they would feel comfortable doing it.

If we do it somewhere "touristy" it will be a more expensive venture for everyone since we'd have to pay fpr rooms, and most meals. In an area where there is a large tourist trade things are expensive. Unless we book off season and then things are still going to be costly.

The idea had crossed my mind t oeven doing a camping thing but I don't know how many would enjoy that and House viewing part would be tough, not to mention having to deal with the luck of the weather.

Anyhow, just let us know what you would be interested in, when would be a good time, where would be a good place and anything else you feel is important (spending limitations, transportation issues, School or other time considerations, etc.) and we'll try to make it as accessible to as many members as we can.

As far as House Weekend 2007, whenever and where ever doesn't matter.

Only reason I missed this year was because my debts got built up too much and too fast. :(

Next year, though... I'm there, Baby! :D

Sounds good, Rt!

Of course I'm not expecting you all to come jet-setting over to Australia. But a conference-call would be very cool.

I want to go to Australia I supposdley have family their. never met them but my mom has. I'd go to Australia if I had the chance, and my dad knows some model from their. the only people that i know from their are on here and I'm not sure if you really exist you're like a god or spirit not sure if you exist but i have faith that you do.

How do you people feel about Chicago? I realize it can be pricey, I don't have enough room in my place to keep people unless you want to sleep on top of each other. But I would prefer somewhere that I can get to by train.

I love this idea, but I have a very low chance of being able to go. I don't have the funds for that sort of trip. I don't have a vehicle reliable enough for a long trip. For the record I am in the Evansville Indiana area.

I mean, I don't care where we have but I think it be cool to have it in the middle of the country like chicago, memphis, or new orleans or any where really but I vote those places because I know I have a place to stay in those places.. Ok so I'm selfish and I know I won't get my way most likely, and if I have to I will save up money for a hotel and to get there. There's stuff to do in those three places the boringest one being Memphis (probably because I grew up there). I live in the South Loop in Chicago and can navigate the CTA (and is relatively cheap) and their's always stuff going on up here. (I just moved here at the end of August, but there's alot of festivals in the Park during the summer (or that's my understanding) Plus the Lincoln Park zoo is free, and their's the Lake. New Orleans, my brother lives their, and it's New Orleans. Memphis is good I guess, I've lived there too long to find the appeal. The other nice thing is these places are sort of in the middle of the country.Maybe we should pick a place that if their are alot of people who are from a general area, have it around their.

I'd love to attend. Real life got in the way last time. June or July would be best for me, with parts of May and August possible.

I'm in the DC area. I like road trips and would be willing to provide rides for others. I'm less likely to go if it involves flying, but I wouldn't rule it out.

DC in the summertime can be a bit on the hot, humid, and icky side. But having it around here could have some advantages: being the nation's capital, there's pretty good transportation to get to and from (Southwest has cheap flights into Baltimore, OK train access), and while hotels can be pricey I know a decent one near my place that's $80 a night for a double. I've got a futon and a little floor space. Most importantly, I work at a university, so I think I could swing access to a room with a large screen projection system for viewing House DVDs :-)

Of course, I understand that the last party was on the east coast, and we might want to spread the goodness around.

Actually the first one was initially going to be in DC but that just didn't happen.

Chicago sounds good as well. I don't know if we have any other Chicago folks around the board who can maybe help plan activities and such. I know we have a few from the DC area and the room with a large screen is too tempting!!! :D

So once agin we need to get a vague head count and see where the majority of folks reside and try to find the best central location.

I will say that hotels were very hard to find last time. Or should I say reasonable hotels with decent rates and non-creepy rooms and locations. Of course waiting until two weeks before didn't help! :P

Plus, many of the Bed and Breakfasts had great rooms, locations and rates but were all booked up. The sooner we get things set the better chance we have of getting deals on rooms and making it a little more affordable for everyone.

The soon we get a location , the better chance we have of getting better room rates and planning some outside activities.

Two more weeks of scholl then I'l lstart back on this again and see if we can move to the next step.

I say lets do DC this time. Maybe another year do Chicago, I'm still learning the city and just moved here at the end of August. So maybe consider Chicago for 2008 or 2009. I have enough miles for a free ticket to anywhere in the US so. I would only have to pay for one way. (Yes, I just remembered that)

Are we still doing this? It turns out no family vacation this summer. So if we are count me in as of now, I'll be willing to help, if needed.

Sorry for the late reply once again prpl. Really, I'm not ignoring you :( I would love this to still happen and I think doing it in the midwest might be nice. It would allow folks from both coast a chance. Still sucks for the overseas people but if we can ever get this going maybe we could coordinate the weekends and do a web conference of something.

Right now though I have a feeling that until schools out it's going to be tough to nail anything down because people are so busy. The biggest thing is picking the weekend so folks can plan ahead. then we need a location so they can make travel plans and save or make arrangements to share rides and lodgings.

I'm going to put forth the weekend of August 17,18 and 19 or the following weekend of August 24, 25, and 26. That is just before school for most of us that attend and give us plenty of time to choose a location and set aside for travel expenses.

The two cities that seem to be up for consideration are DC and Chicago. I think Chicago may work better because it may be a bit more central than DC and allow more people to afford to come. But DC is good too and I know we have six or seven people that live very near and thus it wouldn't be such a burden in the travel department.

So, any input from anyone considering coming would be great. Let's get this ball rolling again! Taru, Cathy and I had such fun and I'd love to get to meet more of you folks. After all, it's so much easier to discuss House than it is to type out stuff on a computer! :D

Let's do this!!!!

I know their's a train from Chicago to DC that I can take. I also may not be in Chicago this summer, I don't know where I'll be. Either Chicago or Memphis, and I'm excited for DC. Although if it's August towards, the end I might have moved back for the school year already.