I have the locations of those who responded the first time around, but I don't have everyone's this time. The last time we noticed that we're scattered all over the place...from north of Baltimore to DC to the Potomac Mills area, so I thought IÂd suggest one of two things...

One get-together somewhere like Rockville, MD
.....or.....
Two get-togethers...one in MD, maybe Columbia, MD, and a second in Northern VA, say Vienna (Ballston area)

I'm also wondering about days/dates & times that everyone will be available. I know school starts shortly for some of us (my children start back August 25...MD starts early!), but perhaps we can find a day in the next month or so that will work for most, if not all, of us.

What are your thoughts?

A few others responded last time but have not yet responded this time around (bob_cville, chmpgntst, divamum, teched, tina999)...if you see this, are you still interested? [I don't have their emails to contact them directly.]

We're open and can do MD or VA... prefer dinner evening/weekend as we work/working on the house/other stuff during the day.

I'm in too!! I am in Northern Virginia, just down the road from Lsandler! Relatively new to Garden Web, but have learned so much!! Plus, Buehl, I would love to thank you in person for the brown pledge idea;)

Any other preferences on:

Location (one or two?)
Time of day (evening or day)
Weekend vs Weekday
Dates?????

Amberly no not a native but the sayings tickle me! I thought marylanders would chuckle the rest can think we are all wizards!
It is hour and a half to Rockville for me- depending on traffic. 20 minutes to Columbia.
How far is it for VA peeps to get to Rockville? or Columbia? Maybe we can decide a halfway point for the most of us? I can't make Mondays and I work until 5 but may be able to leave a bit early. My DD goes back to college on the 23 so any week after that is ok with me.
I hate to say it but the cost of gas makes me think twice about driving far.( especially today when we spent $750 on new brakes for DHs car- planned, and unexpectedly $350 for Cooper at the vet with more xrays tomorrow for him :(

Hey, I'm in Northern Virginia too! We are just beginning a diy remodel. I've already asked a bunch of questions and gotten great help from everyone here. I'd love to be included!

Fairfax Station is about 50 minutes from Rockville, without traffic. Columbia is about 80 minutes without traffic. Given the time/distance factor a Sunday would work out better. I won't be able to do a Sunday until Sept 7.

For logisitical purposes, would it be easier for a first meeting to have the Northern VA folks meet in NoVA and the MD folks to meet in MD? Then, we all could maybe carpool to a middle location at a later date.

So far, NoVA's are lsandler, karalouise, teddas, scootermom and happytobehome.

What do y'all think?

Hey Guys,

I'm in Northern Virginia too! So please keep me posted or at least in the loop here. I may not be able to make the 7th but -- if I can't -- there will be other get togethers I'm sure. I'm just in the planning stages of a kitchen and house rennovation and moving out these next two weeks.

Irishgirl (Falls Church)

I think it might be easier as well to do a split with NoVA and MD. How many Marylanders do we have?

I count me, buehl, cooperbailey, pcjs, alicinmd, and gneegirl. So that is, so far, 5 in NoVA, and 6 in MD. Should we do a separate post for an "all call" for others who may be interested?

Sounds good to me.

DC could go either/both ways as anyone else who would like to attend.

Is everyone OK with the split? It just seems like an easier way to get started.

Sounds good to me. An all call for each is a good idea too. How about meeting in Columbia for MD? Or somewhere closer to Buehl? She had to drive forever to get to the Inner Harbor and it was just a few minutes for both AliceinMD and me.

NoVAs...I live in MD but if you decide to do a get together during the week I could make it as I work in Vienna (at the Ballston Metro stop).

I'm OK with splitting the group...I'm also willing to drive a bit as I know this area is so spread out!

Is Columbia central enough for the MDers?

Careful, btw, on the "all call"....the PTB (powers that be) have recently taken to moving threads from Discussions to Conversations...including the get together threads...hence my ambiguous subject! So....if you cannot find this (or similar) thread someday...check Conversations!

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Conversations

I am a hair above the city line at York Road, so anywhere around 695 is fine for me. I used to work in Columbia, and that is only about 30-35 minutes for me.

Maybe we should post something like "...Need help with kitchen from anyone in Maryland (NoVA/DC) ASAP!!..."

OK...it looks like the NoVA's are going to meet over there...so MDers...Columbia....

Now, restaurant preferences, I have Celiac Disease which makes eating out an "adventure"...it works much easier for me if I can eat somewhere that has a "Gluten-free Menu" (Longhorn Steakhouse, Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse, Outback Steakhouse, Chili's, Chevy's, PF Chang's) I was thinking Longhorn or PF Chang's. How about the rest of you?

buehl-

Any of those choices is fine with me. Does anyone have preference for a date? I would prefer after school starts, if possible.

Hey- whatever works for you Buehl, I know you need to be super careful. I prefer not to meet until after Aug 23,when DD heads back to college. Not having littles anymore I forget, does school still start around Aug 25? Again the only time that is out for me is Monday nights. So you guys with restrictions pick.

I'd love to be included--I"m in Silver Spring and can easily do Columbia, rockville wherever--
after school starts is great..and probably can't make anything until Sep 16..
Haven't checked in in a while--have had a challenging summer--BUT renovations are clipping along and would really love to meet you all.
Kindly,
B

I'm just a stone's throw from Columbia and would love to join you.

We moved to MD from VA almost 3 years ago - I remodeled the kitchen in VA with the help of this forum - and it was a major asset when selling our home.

When we bought this house with its 1950's kitchen (please tell me - who in their right mind would put the dishwasher on the opposite side of the room from the sink.......) we knew it had to go.

What we didn't plan on was that a remodel wouldn't solve all the issues b/c the kitchen is in the wrong location and we are now facing a renovation.

Since I have young ones, evenings and weekends are best.

Buehl just a thought when you pick a place where you can eat the food safely- maybe pick a restaurant where we can be loud and linger- remember how long we were at Changs?although we weren't very loud.

Either one would, I think, work (PF Chang's or Longhorn)...Longhorn is less "formal" so perhaps it would work best. But, do we have any vegetarians in the group? I don't know if Longhorn has any vegetarian foods (other than salads!)...

Days...so, are weekends best for everyone? Or weekdays? Pcjs & KitchenRedo2 have said weekends...anyone else?

I could do evenings, or weekends- but weekends would probably be better for lingering...

I can do weekends. Or I can do weeknights.

How about my place?

I'm on Capitol Hill, just a couple blocks off the freeway very close to the new stadium. My kitchen is just about finished. It's a small house, but if it is just for cocktails or something it should be good for at least 20 people. We have two kitties and two kiddos. A playground and a dog park are right across the street. Street parking isn't too bad, but it is limited to two hours. Alternatively, Eastern Market metro stop is only a couple blocks away.

Louisa smith03 -I also live on Capitol Hill a half block off East Capitol. We are about 90% done with our kitchen/house renovation. Please send me an email (see My Page) I would love to get together with you sometime.

If everyone was up for meeting on Capitol Hill I would welcome visitors as well, although our house still has some finishing and decorating work remaining.

-robin

Robin and I will work out a date -- robin will be out of town for a couple weeks so it will be after school starts up again. We'll let you know when we've got something put together in our neck of the woods!

OK...MDers...we now have...

Location: Columbia, MD
Weekend evening

Date: after school starts. Howard County schools start August 25 with the next weekend Labor Day weekend...I'm assuming that weekend is out... The next weekend is out for me unless we meet Sunday night (9/7). But, Berf cannot make it until 9/16...which pushes us out to 9/20 or 21... I'm afraid if we wait that long we'll lose steam...even 9/7 seems far away!

Thoughts? This Sunday (8/17)? Probably too short notice...is Labor Day weeekend out?

Sunday is fine - prefer later/dinner as we need to get some windows in in the basement (well, assuming that goes well, we'll be there as long as we don't have a big hole in the house - if not can another DIYer stop by first and help - we've done through wood, but never basement masonary).

I can't do this Sunday, or next, as it is the day before school starts. Labor Day weekend is fine with me, or any other after that.

This weekend is out for me too, next weekend is bad Labor day weekend works. The weekend of the 25(no calendar in front of me) I will be away for work.

Oh well....I thought if we could get at least 4 of us this weekend we could do a Meeting Part 1 and do Part 2 after the 16th (so Berf can attend)

This weekend doesn't work, but Labor Day weekend and after is fine.

Since it looked like no one else could make it, my parents are taking us out to celebrate my husband's new job. One weekend in Sept we are busy but haven't picked it yet. Other than that we are free as we aren't planners anymore. Labor day weekend sounds the best for most everyone.

I'm a NoVa person -- I live in Vienna, which is actually a few metro stops away from Ballston (that's in Arlington -- Buehl, what a huge commute for you!).

But in any case -- NoVa people, what do you think? I am crunching a little bit with time, but would love to meet sometime. Sunday evenings might be good (won't my DH love this? "What, you're going to MEET those kitchen people??").

At this point, I'm free most Sundays after Labor Day. Weeknights are a possiblity too, though.

I posted over in the nova forum but I am up for a starbucks lounge somewhere after school starts!

buehl-thanks for trying to consider my schedule--I say pick a date, time and place and I'll just try to work it out. You're right I think--bumping it too far down the road may result in it not happening at all. kindly, b

Does Labor Day weekend Sunday in Columbia still sound good to all the MDers?

yup Im good. what time?

I'll have to wait until it gets a little closer. My DH just asked me last night if we wanted to go away for the weekend (it's our 17th anniversary the 31st). First, we need to see if we can get one of the grandparents to come down to babysit....so I'm up in the air right now.

scootermom, where in Vienna are you? I live in Vienna also - wouldn't it be funny if we already know each other? We live off of Park Street near Cunningham Park ES.

It's looking good for Sunday, 8/31. My DH wants to "go away" Saturday night only....

So shall we make it official that the date is Sunday, 8/31, at ______ time? Buehl, you pick the place since you have dietary considerations.

Hey November, we are indeed neighbors!! Too funny. I live behind Thoreau MS.

Anyone, anyone...

Sunday sounds great.

buehl, and all you other MDers, are we on for Sunday in Columbia at (insert restaurant and time here)??

I think I am...How about PF Chang's at Columbia Mall at 7:00pm

Sounds good to me. Shall we have roll call?

So far:

amberley
buehl
kitchenredo2
cooperbailey?
berf?
pcjs?
alicinmd?
gneegirl?

I am afraid I need to pass on this visit. I was looking forward to seeing Buehl again and to meet the rest of you. I apologize, something has come up that requires my attention. Please have a great time and keep me in the loop for next time. Seu

We're in as long as my stomach holds up - I haven't been feeling good for the past week, but should be ok by Sunday. Someone else is dragging a husband along, right?

Hope you feel okay to join us on Sunday pcjs! If others are bringing spouses, I will "drag" mine along as well. He would be very happy to talk to someone else NOT about kitchens :).

I am going to do a new post to try to get a bit more attention to see if we can get any more confirmations.

I posted a new thread-

Here is a link that might be useful: Help from Marylanders thread