Memo to self: keep handy brown paper bag to put over own head when camera is aimed during MS exacerbations.

JZ has the Look, the one all the books say women are supposed to get in pregnancy: blooming. I, in the same boat, looked as if I'd been impregnated by Willem Dafoe in "Shadow of the Vampire".

On topic, polls are good, place votes are good, date votes are good. Translation: I have no idea what either my health or schedule looks like for next spring at this point. I will vote in polls as they're posted based on that. Whatever will be, will be/sunrise, sunset/insert appropriate song snippet to sum up basic Zen about situation here...

Also on topic, I've noticed that there hasn't been much discussion on dates (The gorgeous JZ and the shower being a wonderful tangent.)

But if we're going to do anything on Thursday in regards to a poll, vote, or what ever, then there should be some more talky.

Just IMO, I would prefer to put the date question aside at this point.

It seems we have two date ranges to worry about depending upon whether we are in the north or in the south. Perhaps we should break the poll into two parts. If the F2F is in the north I prefer these dates, and can't attend on these other dates. If it is in the south then I prefer these dates, and can't attend these other dates. Does that make sense?

Or perhaps, when pitching a place, have a date range associated with it, which can be used to make a decision when voting for the place.

That would also work well.

I think having each location pimp recommend a date (or two) that would work best would be a good way to go. Customized for city, and that way people might be able to vote for their second choice city with attendable dates over first choice city on a weekend that they wouldn't be able to make it.

It seems we have two date ranges to worry about depending upon whether we are in the north or in the south... Does that make sense?

Well, ish. That mostly covers it, but it isn't the whole picture. Boston is going to have X and Y for graduations. East Pipsqueak could have Z for the dental hygenest convention. SF turned out really great, but I wonder how we'd have done without having to compete with Bay to Breakers for space.

Theodosia mentioned SomethingCon that does a place/date bid. I really think that is a solid idea.

Every year people get excited and people really want to go and people who have been saying all along that they could attend have to bail at the last minute for financial reasons.

If from the start "keep the cost down" was the driving force behind the bids we could truly end up with fewer people who have to drop out.

The way we have done it doesn't work great for maximum participation. Every date is going to exclude SOMEBODY -- maybe the date should not be our starting point. Lets try a new way and see if we get a better result.

I think having each location pimp recommend a date (or two) that would work best would be a good way to go.

Yes, exactly. There's weather, but also what Trudy said about being very attentive to cost, which might mean that dates for one city don't work for another.

I think having each location pimp recommend a date (or two) that would work best would be a good way to go. Customized for city, and that way people might be able to vote for their second choice city with attendable dates over first choice city on a weekend that they wouldn't be able to make it.

This, and what Trudy is talking about strike me as good points. Perhaps we are keeping the choice of dates and choice of places needlessly seperate.