Rochester Get Together III
 

Im placing this here for all future get togethers.....a place for those who cant attend to party with those who can.

First up.....Rochester/Canada
July 22-24 of 2005

we gonna set up whatever webcam thingees here?

yup.....thats the plan
and Pics as they are created

Also a place for Non Chat comments....heh

please don't put the camera in front of my bed like hal did at the last big meet-up...everybody got all my belches and farts all night long...

I am glad I saw this thread. I will be sure to check in here often.

I'm sorry I missed that... sounds charming. :lol:

The TFP community isn't just sweetness and light
It is also belches and farts long into the night.

I don't think this will be considered classic poetry, but then again the subject wasn't all that classy either :lol:

Aw man. Anything coming up in seattle? (highly doubtful)

Probably not until you arrainge it

I hear Prince Edward Island is a great spot for a TFP meet up. What do we have here, maybe 5 of us in the Atlantic Canada region? Any Bostonians and or Mainers could add to that number.

First arrival in Rochester....Monkie is in the house

First Pic
 

Sooo.....heres Monkie....Gettin Sloshed

Mmmm... can't wait to get there :) leaving early in the morning (hopefully)

although I wonder if you guys will go through all of the liquor before anyone arrives.. Maybe I should stop at a liquor store first

Got plenty of booze to start....and a liquor store down the street.....just....bring yourself

this time tomorrow I'll be joining her!!!

have I said WOOOHOOO lately?

Slightly Buzzed
 

Wine....Friend

whats she doing with the arm we cant see :crazy:

Ahhh nice monkie......

You're the second most lovely women in the Flower City right now!


Tec, you're, ah well, umm, DID YOU CUT OFF MONKIE'S ARM............ :lol:

we need rum and cherry jello jello shots!!!!

I'm so excited! Got my suitcase ready to be packed...gotta go to the store and get some last-minute things...yay!

sweet!!!

it has begun!!

i'll b checking this out ALL weekend!

good idea...no room in the vehicular transport...

Oh monkie.......one more thing

don't forget how jealous I get!!!!!!!!



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/08...02080dpi1a.jpg


:lol:

Joe... I'm sure Tecoyah has enough kisses for both of you...

*whine* I want to be there too!

I can't even be on chat. Damn camping...

well, no, camping is good too, but... bah. :(

Come camping in Rochester! Tecoyah has a big backyard... it wouldn't be that much of a detour.

The Place
 

This is the before....if we live....we will post the after

Part 2
 

and more.....

I believe, Charlatan, that Cello's idea of camping includes enjoying the quiet night sounds, such as a stream trickling over stones. She wouldn't want to look out the tent flap to take in the glorious sight of the moon as it rides just past full, and see some guy standing at the edge of Tec's porch relieving himself into the flower pots :lol:

Actually, I have the presumption that TFP stands for Toilets For Piddling, (at least while at Tecoya's Fine Party), and that scenario will never happen.

But the visual gave me a grin

Oh sweet. So flyman's coming after all............ :lol:

ah, a gathering in upstate ny--'twould be a nice thing to be there this weekend--maybe even check in on ithaca--but sadly i am caught in the moving drill for a couple more weeks. so i'll check in from time to time here to monitor events and by doing that assume my usual party position on a sofa somewhere, smoking cigarettes, holding a beer and not quite knowing what to do.

Paddy ... even if you DO get jealous ... I've had a days head start .... :D


UnclePhil has arrived ... the golf clubs are safely in the house .... gettin ready to roll ...

Monkie... don't worry about Joe... He's had Tecoyah all to himself in Rochester for years, he's just jealous that he didn't act on it.

I don't know whether to believe that wine came from the cupboard at Moe's or not - Amonkie has this glow about her, and I don't ever think I've seen her eyes so deep and brilliant at the same time.

or maybe it's the company - that Tecoyah seems to have a certain something . . . not that I see it of course, or even that there would be anything wrong if I did . . . ahem, better just post the damn thing

Awesome! I wish I could have come to Rochester, but I'll definitely be in chat for awhile, and have my own party at home. :lol: Cheers!

Would love to see more pictures. Got any new ones?

just gonna throw a bunch of pics up for now.....you can try to guess who everyone is.....heh

And a few more.....

A couple more

the results of the first annual TFP Open Golf Tournament are in...the winner is...(drum roll, please)...uncle phil, by three strokes...

we hope it will get bigger and better next year...

I only see rexes, tec. And oh, how I want to see the real pics.

So what were the scores from the TFP Open? Who participated? Where did you play?

"my my!!! that's a cute curl you have there!!!"

During the course of this party... A surprise bridal Shower was held for Shanifaye.


The game: A wedding dress model show

The Models:

Paddyjoe and Uncle Phil

Shani just can't choose ... they're both so adorable ... so they must kiss the lucky bride

Paddjoe's dress came complete with a bouquet to toss for the ladies...


Guess who Won?

oh man! This is so great!! Keep these pics coming :D

:)

Sweetpea

Awesome pics, everyone! I can't wait to see more!!!

the only ppl that i could recognize was amonkie and shani :kiss:

those are some funny pics of the tp wedding dresses!! :lol:

Charlatan and Uncle Phil were the only participants in this year's open.

Suffice it to say, that Phil kicked my butt by three strokes...

This year we played the Shore Acres (or something like that) course... The weather was exceptional.

we'd rather keep the amazing scores to ourselves... don't want you all to be jealous

Both Phil and Paddy looked exceptional....it was so much fun and so nice to see the GUYS participate in it hehehehe

I cant wait til I can get home and see all the pictures I got to take!!!

I am disturbed and yet strangely...exilerated...

Must...go...shower...

Well just remember. DON'T drop the soap............................ :lol:

Has Mrs. Joe seen these yet?


She's not going to let you go over to that Tecoyah's house to play anymore... he's such a bad influence...

You people need help.

Friday night, as we got ready to walk to the docks to pick up Charlatan and Kramus.

Oblar, Shani, and onesnowyowl:


http://photos21.flickr.com/28263913_6977233d85_o.jpg


Maybe Shani will show us what she saw:


http://photos22.flickr.com/28263914_2dd1cd0ffd_o.jpg


Charlatan made it through alright, but customs wouldn't let his pal 'Abdul' Kramus through. Took over an hour:


http://photos22.flickr.com/28263915_4fc4ab6bf0_o.jpg


Charlie was true to his word, and brought bags and bags of Dressed Ruffles with him, which snowy quickly snatched up and growled at anyone who came near:


http://photos23.flickr.com/28263916_6d86f0a361_o.jpg


Finally Shani said "the hell with this", and made her move. It was a really long day........... :D


http://photos21.flickr.com/28263917_296b2eca0e_o.jpg


And naturally, while all this was happening, uncle phil was calmly waiting for Moes to open:


http://photos21.flickr.com/28263918_955cfbe357_o.jpg




enjoy....more later!

It looks like you guys had so much fun!

If there's another next year, I will SO be there. Even if I need to sneak into the states! hehe...

JEALOUS!!!

Phew...

Glad I made it home in one piece.

The pics look great so far! Boy, that was fun :)

pj...best thread ever...

*bastard*...........i so wanted to be there to piss in the flower pots man..........




:D

/me is making ribs tonight, people...

/me wants to eat those ribs - uncle phil is a master with the bbq :)

phil truly is a master baster...
http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/attachm...id=12167&stc=1

them be ribs...

Next up....Denver

Sept 28th....Saturday.
Looks like Chat and webcam goodness....Silvertiger will Host

PSstt... i think it's the 24th now... but should be a fun weekend to hear about :)

I can't believe I just found this thread!? Awesome pics! I aim to be in some by the end of 2005 (that's a hint to the Toronto crew).

<buzzer sounds> nope .. its the 24th .. Saturday September 24th .. my pad at around dinner time.. Show up whenever .. we'll be hanging out.

Bring stuff if ya can , preferable munchies you like :)

I have drinks bue can always get more..

How to get to my place:

from I-25 North of 120th -
1. Come south on I-25 past 84th Avenue

2. The next exit after 84th avenue is the boulder turnpike (US36), if you take that exit it goes downt he hill to a stop light .. when you get there take a right (you'll be headed north)

3. This street is "Broadway" but shortly turns into "Greenwood Blvd" which veers left. Follow that street and up ahead on the right side you'll see a 2 story white house. Address is 7470 Greenwood Blvd.

4. If that sounds too complicated just get yourself to 84th and huron and head south on hurn .. follow that street until you see "7470" and that's me.

From I-25 from South (or from US-36 coming from Boulder)

1. (For you south denver folks) - Follow I-25 north and when you get to the US-36 exit to go to boulder take it.

2. Take the Pecos st. exit (from I-25 its the 1st exit as you head toward Boulder, from Boulder it's the next to last exit before you merge with I-25)

3. From Boulder take a Left (north) on Pecos, if you came from I-25 take a right (north) on pecos, follow it north to "Del Norte"

4. Turn Right (east) on Del Norte, and follow it around and down the hill till you get to "Greenwood Blvd."

5. Take a right (south) and head to my pad (7470 Greenwood Blvd.) Its the only 2 story white house ont he entire street and It will be on your left (east side)

Hope that directions were understandable .. if not .. you can always mapquest or google earth it :)

If you get lost .. just call me (303) 430-9786.. and we'll get ya straightened out.

See you all there

Silver Tiger (Dan)

Heh heh heh.

rubs hands gleefully

:D

We need a So. Cal get-together.
Or maybe I just need a ticket up Toronto/Chicago/Canada way.
Honest to gosh!

Or....springtime in NY....keep your eyes open

Sultana, we will gladly accept you in Chicago. I think we're planning for spring :D

Bondage Ewok
 

Who'd have known that a little alcohol and some m&ms could loosen up an ewok so much.

These little critters can get wild when they want to. I guess after a hard day battling stormtroopers, when it's time to play, it's time to play.

Monkie, Shesus, and I present to you.......


Bondage Ewok!

Quite a fun night indeed ... wonder if any more pictures will appear :) Thanks again Shesus and JJ for lettin me crash .. and SecretMethod for comin over as well... great to see all of you and watch the snow fall.

Monkie, I'm glad that you had a good time. I'm glad that you came in and it was a fun day and night. I'm sure more pics will appear soon....


Hopefully in March we can have a bigger get-together. I will be posting something shortly about dates and see who is interested in coming to Chicago. :D
As for now, I need more sleep to recover from the fun times of monkie's visit :p

Yeah ... sleep... that was one thing that didn't happen :D

Damn... the monkie is getting around. :D

Shesus and Hothead. Post your March plans for Chicago when you can... I would really like to try and make it there.

OK, I'll post this here and see if there are any bites. Then I will make a more solid thread later. So Chicago talks and talks, but there is rarely any get-together action. Well, it's time for action. While March is typically chilly, I think that is a month that was decided upon for a get together.

The dates I was thinking of (and others that have talkes about it) are around Saturday the 18th or Saturday the 25. The 18th would be 2 days after my birthday, what a good b-day present for me ;).

Anyway, anyone that has any other dates or can accomodate these dates, let me know. I hope we can get a lot of people here. JJ and I also have some space to sleep people in our apt. building. We have a 2nd bedroom and a couple of guest apartments in the building for a reasonable price. There are also many hotels around us since we are right downtown.

Let us know....

Weekend of the 18th works really well for me too! :)

I can't absolutely commit, but that's the best chance for me as well.

I might make a meetup, WOOHOO!

Rochester Get Together III
 

OK.....Looks like June 30th - July 2nd....with the Independence Day weekend holiday extention as a bit of padding. This does not mean we have to party for five days (though this is an option)....and as always, spouses and friends are welcome. Short of a Great Lake Tsunami......this should be the biggest party yet, so......



Chime In Folks

Guess I better stash cash.....

oh well crap....count me out....the 2nd is my bday and we are leaving for my bday trip on the 30th

ya'll have a drink for me ok?

I'm in for at least one evening. My wife, son and I are planning a long weekend road trip around it. :)

I'm in for the 5 days, my soon to be employer just doesn't know it yet :)

It's too far away to be certain if I can make it. I will know more as we get closer to the date.

/me will try, but the holiday weekend is not the best for me...

What a copout!! :p

We plan on making it from Chicago. If all goes as planned, onodrim, SecretMethod70, shesus, and I will be carpooling across the wonderful eastern midwest in order to be there.

If WE can make it, you better be there.

Not distance... time. That is a very busy time for me. Most likely I will be there but family comes first.

One of these words doesn't belong ;) The only thing "wonderful" in the midwest is Chicagoland :D

I will try my hardest to attend this gathering. Hopefully my mother in law can take the kids for the weekend, and maybe her son too. ;) I just realized that July 4th is a Tuesday. Which means I am off from July 1st through July 5th. :thumbsup:

See above ^^^ :D

Hush, heathen. Both Kansas City and St. Louis are amazing. :p

if I'm in upstate new york (and I plan to be)
I'll be there.

So Far...So Good...
 

Way early yet but....I like lists

ngdawg...............yes
amonkie...............yes
Shesus.................yes
Jumpin Jesus.........yes
onodrim................yes
SecretMethod70....yes
fresnelly...............yes
ziadel...................yes

uncle phil.............maybe
sportswidow05.....maybe
Charlatan............maybe

ShaniFaye...........no



excellent start

I said yes???

MMMM, maybe I'll run my ship aground at Rochester and make it, otherwise I'll probably be working.

Add me to the "maybe" list. I'm going to attempt to get enough fundage to go. With the new job, it's looking better, but I have other bills to pay first.

Here's some breaking news of intrest for our Canadian buds. Looks like a car pool might be in order for those of you that are planning a trip to Rochester this summer.

link: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/...WS01/601110337


Mayor shuts down ferry, vows to 'stop the bleeding'


Brian Sharp
Staff writer


(January 11, 2006) — Rochester taxpayers likely will be saddled with debt for many years to come and the city will sap reserves, in a stunning announcement by Mayor Robert Duffy Tuesday to shut down the problem-plagued 2-year-old ferry service between Rochester and Toronto.

Duffy ended weeks of speculation in deciding not to back further borrowing to shore up ferry finances and provide for its first full season. Duffy said the financial risk was too great to go further in debt.

"We as a city are bleeding," Duffy said, estimating the city will be faced with repaying $30 million once the ship is sold. "We are now going to stop the bleeding."

Duffy said he will ask City Council to borrow $9.5 million from the city's $12.4 million insurance reserve.

While ferry officials had spoken optimistically about the opportunity of next season, Duffy painted a grim financial picture. One telling figure: In the ferry's best month last season, ship fuel expenses exceeded ridership revenue.

"This is the right decision," Duffy said.

The city backed a $40 million loan, created Rochester Ferry Co. and bought the ship last February. Rochester Ferry then hired Bay Ferries Great Lakes LLC to manage the service. A delayed, midseason startup hurt ridership and revenue during what was the second partial season for the ship. The service lost $10 million in 10 months, exhausting its reserves.

Last month, then-Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. sought to shore up ferry finances, proposing the ferry board be allowed to borrow $11.5 million more — which would have brought the total debt to $51.5 million. City Council backed the idea but delayed action until Duffy could weigh in.

Duffy said Rochester Ferry was out of money by late October, leaving Bay Ferries to cover what has grown to $2.5 million in expenses that must be repaid by the city. Duffy, who never rode the ferry, said he expected the community would be split over his verdict, but he was "at peace" with the decision.

"I'd rather take the hit right now and maybe gain some credibility," he said, noting it was only the 10th day of his administration, "as opposed to next year with an inflated debt, maybe even more uncertainty."

Projections for 2006 showed that, even if the service doubled its ridership, increased ticket prices by 20 percent and had no major, unplanned expenses, it still would come up $2.7 million short. That is the amount owed on the initial borrowing, an amount that doubles in 2007. Duffy said he thought that was a "best-case scenario" but that losses likely would be higher, leaving too little money to continue in 2007.

Support from council

"I think the ferry board did not see it as a best-case scenario, we saw it as a reasonable scenario," said City Councilman and ferry board president Benjamin Douglas. He noted the debt would be similar under either scenario and thought it was worth giving the ferry a chance to prove itself. But he added, "I respect (Duffy's decision). I'm not going to second-guess that decision." Johnson, the main backer of the project, was visibly disappointed Tuesday but declined comment, saying "I have the benefit of time" and that "I'm a private citizen." He said he may comment later.

City Council members expressed regret Tuesday but said it was Duffy's decision to make.

"No big decision is without risk," said City Councilman Bill Pritchard. "I think the community was rallying very hard a year ago for us to save the ferry the first time (after previous operator Canadian American Transportation Systems shut down). We tried it, and it didn't work out. There is going to be an expense to that."

Council President Lois Giess said the ferry was seen as an economic development tool, particularly for the Charlotte harbor area, which is Councilman Robert Stevenson's district. Stevenson said he wanted the ferry to continue but recognized it became unfeasible. He suggested that the terminal could be used for festivals, shopping and maybe even converted into a hotel.

Just what damage the ferry deal has done to the city's image remains to be seen, City Councilman Adam McFadden said.

"If we are going to be a business-friendly city, we have some growing to do," he said. "We're not totally lost, but we've got some growing to do."

County Executive Maggie Brooks said that while she had hoped the ferry would have succeeded, she supported Duffy's decision.

In a prepared statement, Toronto Mayor David Miller called Tuesday's news "a regrettable development."

Dissent

Members of Johnson's former staff were more open about their disappointment with Duffy's decision. Some of Johnson's staff spent years on the project.

"I'm very disappointed that (Duffy) was not willing to take a chance," said Linda Kingsley, who served as Johnson's corporation counsel. "Rather than taking a risk on a little more debt, he chose to let a really valuable asset go."

Lisa Raitt, the president and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority, said in a statement that the decision to end service was "disappointing" and "unfortunate." She said with two shortened seasons under CATS and city direction, the ship was "never able to realize its full potential."

Thomas Richards, the city's corporation counsel, said shutting down the current operation should not mirror the mess of liens and claims seen in 2004. There are only two significant contracts, he said. One, a three-year deal with Bay Ferries that allows for breaking the deal, and another in which Rochester Ferry must pay $250,000 annually to the Toronto Port Authority for docking the ship, plus per-passenger and vehicle fees.

"It's much cleaner than when CATS fell apart," he said.

Richards said the service being shut down is far different from the one first sold to citizens. The initial business plan relied on freight and a 12-month season, both of which were proven unrealistic. Other assumptions were for a money-making enterprise, or time-saving trip. Richards said, "As far as I'm concerned, they were never valid. But people bought them."

The city now will aggressively market the ship for sale — hoping to get nothing less than $20 million for the ship the city bought for $32 million last February. Duffy said Bay Ferries, which once expressed interest in owning the ferry, no longer appears interested. The same ship would sell new for $52 million today, officials said.

"I'm not here to second-guess what was done before," Duffy said. "I stand by what we're doing now."

In making his decision, Duffy said he asked four questions: Can the city afford to operate the ferry? Is there a sound business and marketing plan? Is the ferry likely to succeed? Is this the best way to spend so much money?

The answer to each of those questions, he said, was "No."

BDSHARP@DemocratandChronicle.com

Includes reporting by staff writers Joseph Spector and James Goodman.