Lemming wrote:I set myself the mission of remembering as many of the names of people I met as possible. Limited memory capacity meant that was always likely to be at the expense of forgetting everything else.
So, here's my list of people I recall saying hello to (in alphabetical order):
08-420, Arsonist, AzLaker, BigGuy, Bleak, BlueBerry, Cammam, Cattales1960, Chillers2, Cisco, Colina, Dave J, DC, DHBlues, FlyByNite, Ftcarer, Gapie, Hestia, HighlyBlessed, HullDJ, Hunter, Islandgurl, Kermit, Lafe, LiquidSwords, Marco, MK101, Nizzle, Ohm sweet ohm, Philly-Rich, Rasa, Red Eyed Indian, Rufus, SeniorHippies, Soulrider, Steven, Stuart1976, Trad, TuttiFlutes, Twichaldinho, Uncle Ron, Willjay, WolfDangler, Worsall, xLuckyLisax, Yogibear.
Sorry if you were there and I missed you off this list. You were all great company. Thanks for being there.
Saturday 16th April 2011
Our greeting was a "welcome home!" at the familiar
Escape apartment. This made my, already broad, grin, even wider. The weather looked great and anticipation for The Gathering was rising. Home indeed. Life is good.
Impatient to get in the right frame of mind, as it were, and having picked up a few basic provisions from the AH supermarket, I dragged the girlfriend into Basjoe so I could stock up. I doubt James recognised me and I didn't have time to explain. Soon back across the canal to the apartment, I rolled a joint and began typing a quick message to the Forum using the PC on the landing. The joint was Heaven Haze in a king size paper using Jamaican as a filler. As a one-time tobacco smoker I grew up with mixed joints and enjoy this nostalgic style. I managed to type one paragraph into the first post of my live report whilst I smoked that first joint.
In my neighbourhood of prohibitionland, weed is whatever I can get when it's going so the concept of a menu is still a sweetie shop for me, even after 20 or more years of visiting Amsterdam.
Everything after this for the following week is a bit hazy ...
A quick dinner and we headed for the Nes and our first T&T, the "4-20 Opening Party". Rounding the corner into the narrow street after which the NesCafe is named, I had a slight feeling of apprehension. With any T&T there is always the chance that nobody will turn up.
On walking in I immediately recognised AzLaker, BlueBerry, DC, Gapie, Hestia and Islandgurl and was introduced to Arsonist, BigGuy, Philly-Rich and Trad. Later Bleak and Marco joined us. So, rather than nobody turning up, we had a fantastic turnout. Looking back in Travel Plans I see about a dozen people said they'd be there and, in the event, about a dozen turned up. Not necessarily the same dozen but, hey, still gratifying after I billed this gathering as the "Ultimate T&T" in honour of FBN's presence.
Within no time I had a pint in one hand and a Volcano bag in the other, courtesy of DC. Cheers mate!
From then on a serious session ensued. All kinds of pipes, bongs and joints were in circulation. And then there were the Volcano bags. Oh, those Volcano bags. DC and his crew seemed to be running relays, bringing out bags two-at-a-time.
You want bud reviews? I have no idea. It was all good and, in combination, indescribably so. Thanks everyone!
I see Arsonist posted this pic of a few of us there that night:
https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/viewt ... 79#p222779
In the next exciting episode we all have dinner at Hestia's and get pics of The Cup. Stay tuned!
great memories...
