WOW!

[Luciana]

WOW! It was GREAT, what more can I say? I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to some of you, but that was not the point of the whole thing, I guess. :) I enjoyed each and every moment, there was a surprise in each corner.

The hotel was great, but why are all the doors so heavy! Great donuts too. OH!!! I lost weight! I'll have to find a scale but I certainly dropped a few pounds. I guess I was sooo excited about the whole thing that I forgot to eat. That kind of sucks because my one and only pair of pants in this whole earth doesn't fit me anymore...

The lectures by Michael Shermer and Phil Plait were by far the best, in my humble opinion (more on that later). Randi, however... he's The Man. A top quality entertainer.

And the Mystery Guest? That whole thing is still shrouded in mystery. For those who don't know it already, it was Carlos. Not the Swett one (it crossed my mind), but the Carlos who played the part of a guru for gullible Australians and crowded the Sydney Opera House in the 1980s. His performance was... he had me puzzled for a while. It sounded like pointless nonsense to me, until I finally realized that that was the intention and from then on I found it incredibly funny.

Hal: you're the best. You certainly are VERY tired, you should rest for a while.

Ok. Enough of that. When are you going to put up that website so we can post our pictures? And DO IT FAST, RIGHT??? ;) :)

Kittynh: were you there??? And I didn't get to see you? :(

LeFevre: you disappeared too!

UnrepentantSinner: after looking for you the whole of Friday, I almost posted here asking for help. Did you really think we wouldn't be looking for you? Wrong, man. And it was a pleasure meeting you.

LukeT: what can I say? He looks like a guy who has twin babies and whose wife is pregnant again. :) Other than that, he's great. :D

Lisa: Shadowman is a very nice guy, no wonder you can't spend 10 minutes straight without talking about him... :)

Me and Claus had a most erudite, enlightened and relevant live private message exchange throughout the not-so-exciting lectures. Something about hairy stars and strip poker, if I recall correctly? You know, something *mature* like that.

Girl 6 is the very personification of politeness and kindness. I intend to be like her someday. Her presentation was great, but I booed a part of it - when she said who the most prolific poster of the forum was. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Jedi Knight. So I booed. Sue me!

Linda: how did she keep her good humor through it all?? She's the greatest. Perfectly planned and organized. Congratulations, Linda.

AND THE PICTURES?!?

Oh, there's more I want to say, just wait! So many GREAT people that I met! I'll have an autographed poster of Randi in my room! YEAH!!!!

Come on, folks, spill it out!

[RichardR]

Originally posted by Luciana Nery
The lectures by Michael Shermer and Phil Plait were by far the best, in my humble opinion (more on that later). Randi, however... he's The Man. A top quality entertainer.I would add Chip Denham’s presentation on Homeopathy to that “best presentation” list. The BA’s was certainly the most entertaining. (Apart from Randi himself, of course.)

I didn’t see Kittynh either. Were you in the group photo?

LeFevre was there? And I never got to see UnrepentantSinner. And who were all those people in the “Forum” group photo – they didn’t all reveal their screen names, I’m sure.

[CFLarsen]

Originally posted by Luciana Nery
Me and Claus had a most erudite, enlightened and relevant live private message exchange throughout the not-so-exciting lectures. Something about hairy stars and strip poker, if I recall correctly? You know, something *mature* like that.

I know. That was weird. Writing with my hand! Good thing you left out my teddy-bear and the nail polish.....

But, all in all, I agree: WOW! That weekend will go down in history as the start of something....wonderful... :)

[Dinonychus]

Originally posted by Luciana Nery
Kittynh: were you there??? And I didn't get to see you? :(

LeFevre: you disappeared too!

I don't believe either one of them were there. I know I was expecting to meet Seelie there, but as we all know, she was a no show.

Girl 6 is the very personification of politeness and kindness. I intend to be like her someday. Her presentation was great, but I booed a part of it - when she said who the most prolific poster of the forum was. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Jedi Knight. So I booed. Sue me!

So did everyone else in the room from the forum, Luciana!

Linda: how did she keep her good humor through it all?? She's the greatest. Perfectly planned and organized. Congratulations, Linda.

If Linda doesn't take that one day off......

[Girl 6]

I saw her the first day of the conference! :D But, then I didn't see her again! :(

G6

[Linda]

Kitty was there the whole weekend...I talked to her every day. Her real name is Barbara Mervine and she's a delight.

[kittynh]

Honestly I was there! But I'm VERY shy! I loved every minute, and have just written Mr.Randi a letter about how this conference changed my life. For ONCE I was able to open my mouth and not have people look at me like I was some sort of nut case! I don't mean this to sound bad, but to me I cannot tell you how it felt to be in a room of like minded people when I heard about the Columbia disaster. Hal gave a moving short speech, and then with dignity we adjouned. In any other group anywhere there would have been a "prayer" or a "moment of silence". Instead, there was the calm reason of Hal, someone who also puts his life on the line for the greater good, someone who knows that the last thing the Columbia crew would have wanted was pity. It was dignified, and it was moving, and I was proud to be with such a group.

[Marc]

Darn, I was looking for you too Kitty. I'm from just a little south of you.

The printing of people's screen names were too small. I'd spot someone with one, but would have to be practically on top of them to read it. And those of you who didn't have your screen name listed, shame on you for lurking there! ;)

kittynh, I was looking for you, too. I never did find you.

That is why I suggested in Hal's Lessons Learned topic that we have an hour scheduled during the next conference where Forum members can gather and meet.

Girl6, you were a class act. I think your presentation will bring people who were at the conference to the Forum. Great presentation.

Ladies, if you didn't meet Patricio, you missed out. I'm surprised he didn't have women crawling all over him. He's as nice as they get, and very handsome.

Claus is much, much nicer in person than is he at the tvtalkshows JE board! :D

buddyh was the only one who dressed like his avatar. :)

Jeff Corey's hat kept staring at me.......

Lisa and Ed were great. I agree with whoever said they understand why Lisa is alway bragging about her husband.

Luciana was quieter in person than I imagined she would be. And she's a very stylish dresser.

Thanks to RichardR, I am always going to imagine Bugs Bunny speaking with a British accent.

UnrepentantSinner didn't do anything to live up to his name, or else he's good at covering his tracks.......:)

And 69Dodge! He actually drove his 69 Dodge all the way from New York to the conference.

I almost didn't recognize Paul A. without his pointy hat and beanbag chair....

So many more people I met. It was a real pleasure.

And what can you say about Hal? It just wouldn't have been the same without him. Our country is in good hands.

And Linda better take that day off......

[darling]

Originally posted by LukeT
buddyh was the only one who dressed like his avatar. :) I win a prize, right?

[RichardR]

Originally posted by LukeT
Thanks to RichardR, I am always going to imagine Bugs Bunny speaking with a British accent.Also, Buddy Holly!

[hal bidlack]

Originally posted by LukeT
...
buddyh was the only one who dressed like his avatar. :)

...

oh really?

[headscratcher4]

In my world, everyone on these boards speaks with a British accent....:)

Originally posted by hal bidlack


oh really?

Oops!

[Quinn]

Originally posted by LukeT
buddyh was the only one who dressed like his avatar. :)


I too take issue with this. ;)

Quinn

[Seelie]

Originally posted by Dinonychus


I don't believe either one of them were there. I know I was expecting to meet Seelie there, but as we all know, she was a no show.

[/b]


And I said why I couldn't come in the AM Forum before then, so no one should have been expecting me. No time off available plus no transportation funds equals no Seelie at conference.

Sorry. :(

At this point, whilst I am very sorry to have missed the fun, I'm very very happy to have survived my company's 20 percent downsizing ... At least for this week. :(

Back to work ...

[Lisa]

Yes, it was great to finally meet so many of you in person.
Eddie was initially somewhat skeptical about the whole meeting, but now he's looking forward to next year too.
My internet time is limited, since I'm currently sitting in the Dominican Republic. (I'm no longer South Dakota white. Ï've progressed to german tourist red)
To all who attended: thanks for the best weekend I've had in ages.

[Girl 6]

Well, for me, it was truly one of those memorable few days that I will never forget.

I was really very honored to have met all of you. And, I'm so glad that this crazy idea finally became reality. I get the feeling that this is the start of something wonderful. I can't wait to see you all again next year!

Tell your friends all about it, and start saving NOW! :D

G6

[Patricio Elicer]

Originally posted by LukeT
Ladies, if you didn't meet Patricio, you missed out. I'm surprised he didn't have women crawling all over him. He's as nice as they get, and very handsome.Hmmm,.. I'm afraid that with all this propaganda, the ladies at the 2004 AM will be disappointed.

Folks, let me tell you that Luke is indeed the great guy he seemed to be :D. His disposition to help others is admirable, he voluntered with the AM organization the whole time. He was also nice enough to make the herculean effort to talk with my non-english-speaking friend Fernando. Luke, Fernando asked me to say HI to you! :)

I'm still thrilled that I could meet in person most of forum members, though I wasn't able to really socialize with many of them, which I greately regret.

Lisa and Ed were very nice to me, we drank beer after beer while talking at the hotel bar.

Walter Wayne..., very friendly and gentle person, somewhat different from what I expected from a guy with a condom in his head :D

Claus Larsen is a gentle person, way too different from the tough guy he seems to be, judging from his posting style. He looks almost exactly the way I had pictured him. Or is it that the silver-haired men are so common in Denmark?

UnrepentantSinner,.. the Thursday night pizza at the JREF office was great!..., thank you. People literally devoured them, we were starving at that time.

Luciana, your gift has already been put into service, thanks! :)

Greetings to all others: RichardR, MarkB, Dinonychus, Charlie in Dayton, Girl6, Jeff Corey, budddhy........, it was nice meeting you all :) (sorry if I forgot someone)

Edit
Ahhh, I forgot to greet SkepticScott, sorry. Nice person,... and folks!,... he was driving an elegant and fine Lincoln :D