April 6: Changes signing in Houston, TX

[Mickey Finn]

I'll be there, with bells on.

Ok, maybe not bells.

"but couldn't you consider just once making the Dallas/Ft. Worth area part of you route?"

Now you understand our pain when people like Eddie Izzard visit your fine, fine city.

(I grew up there. I'm not being sarcastic )

[SlimMason]

I'm strongly considering driving all the way from Huntsville to see Jim. Sigh, It is an aweful lot of driving. It can happen.

[Landing]

Its not really that long a drive from Huntsville, I used to do it all the time when I lived up there. Of course I would listen to audio books on the way down, that might have made the drive easier.   

[Seiya234]

I am going to see if I can make this happen....anyone from Austin going? Who all plans to be there?

I'm from Austin and I will be going. I've looked on GoogleMaps and it looks like a straight shot from here to thar on 290.

Also, SlimMason, that's only an hour away, from Huntsville to Houston. You should totally do it.

[Araris Dresden]

Are people gonna do a hotel thing or just going there and back the same day? If I do this, I will be coming up the night before. Might be easier if people want to meet up for dinner the night before than try on the day. Or maybe breakfast, I might not leave Austin till late...

[Gman]

WHY JIM WHY?  I mean Houston is a nice place and everything, but couldn't you consider just once making the Dallas/Ft. Worth area part of you route?  I mean there's this Legacy book store in Plano that attracts the likes of Stephen J. Cannell and Sarah Palin (like her or not she's a pretty big celebrity) on their book tours.  I just wish just once you got around to north Texas, we miss you over here.  I for one could never make a 6 hour drive south on a Tuesday. 

I got to meet Jim in Dallas last year at the ConDFW at the Crowne Plaza. He was here with David Weber. They both signed my books. I do wish he would hit Dallas again this year though. He was very nice.

[Aine]

Are people gonna do a hotel thing or just going there and back the same day? If I do this, I will be coming up the night before. Might be easier if people want to meet up for dinner the night before than try on the day. Or maybe breakfast, I might not leave Austin till late...

How about lunch that day?  It's what we did in Independence last year, then all went sorta en masse to the bookstore, which (in retrospect) probably looked like an invasion.  A geek invasion, but still...

[Mickey Finn]

I got to meet Jim in Dallas last year at the ConDFW at the Crowne Plaza. He was here with David Weber. They both signed my books. I do wish he would hit Dallas again this year though. He was very nice.

Was that only last year?

Geeze.

[Araris Dresden]

How about lunch that day?  It's what we did in Independence last year, then all went sorta en masse to the bookstore, which (in retrospect) probably looked like an invasion.  A geek invasion, but still...

Who eats lunch? Its breakfast, second breakfast, and all other meals that hobbit said! Anywho, that is probably a better idea. How would that be coordinated?

[Aine]

Who eats lunch? Its breakfast, second breakfast, and all other meals that hobbit said! Anywho, that is probably a better idea. How would that be coordinated?

If I recall correctly, everyone interested from the forum starts exchanging cell phone #s and then we pick one local (I nominate Landing) to find a spot that is close to the bookstore but can reasonably feed the most people, keeping in mind affordability and the vast differences in food preferences. 

Then that all gets scrapped an everyone starts frantically calling everyone else and no one knows what the heck is going on. 

[Landing]

I denominate myself and nominate Vijay in my place, Vijay says on the first page that he lives a mile from the bookstore and knows all the good places to eat. I don't really go into Houston much and have about as much knowledge as people from out of state do. 

[Aine]

Pffft.  That was, like, five pages ago.

*seconds Vijay's nomination*

[*V*]

I won't be getting off work until 4pm.  If its an "after thing" I can meet!

[Mickey Finn]

Depending on the weather, there's a Goode BBQ* right up the street. They're kinda famous. It's across the street from the Demon Disco Armadillo. ( http://blogs.sun.com/ruud/resource/Houston/armadillo.jpg and http://www.thearmadillopalace.com/ ) (Yes, those eyes glow red at night)

And a Burger King

I don't get off work til 1pm that day (have to go back at 9pm, unless my boss says I can make up the time, which she likely will), so I can't make lunch.

* http://houston.citysearch.com/profile/9953732/houston_tx/goode_co_barbeque.html
Street view (Disco Armadillo is behind "you") http://goo.gl/6nys

[Aine]

A late lunch/early dinner?

If the signing starts at 6:30 pm, what time is a good time to be at the bookstore?

We can work backwards from there to figure out what time to start dinner.  Maybe start at 2 or something and then just let people scraggle in?