Simply put, awesome time despite the weather and Chris thanks for claiming the title of " that guy " because I thought I was " that guy " Hope the yard turns out o.k.

It was great to meet everyone, and I can't thank Chris and the Mrs. enough for offering up their place to us!

Root, sounds like you'll be eating bagels all week...everybody was up by 8am!

And come on, there were about 6 of "that guy"!

And everyone who drove their 914 is a whole lot braver than I am in the rain. It was blinding in the Subaru!

Chris, you were in no way inappropriate. You were a fun drunk and you didnt give me (or Scotty, or insert name here) any shit for puking all over your lawn
You have a wonderful estate, were an excellent and kind host, and should be proud of what you achieved

It was great to see that gang again and to meet some new folks. I am sooo beat. More later when I have time to rest.

That's not what I would have predicted!

Chris, thanks for hosting the BBQ this year. I remember driving to Charlottesville and seeing some teeners on your beautiful farm ...... oh yeah, I remember drinking wine, lots of wine and eating BBQ .... I think I met you and a bunch of other great people.. then I kinda draw a blank . Oh yeah, it was dark, I was slurring very well, laying on my car cover behind my car, flashlights in my face .... oh god ... it's coming back to me ! GREAT, GREAT P-A-R-T-Y!! Thanks again!!

Well, the board crashed before I could post this, so I am saving the post and will put it up tomorrow at work. I'm too tired to wait for the board to come back up.

Original post:
Okay, so here is it, 8:30 pm Sunday, and I feel like I am about to fall off my feet. That was a long drive home... And I WISH I had stayed for some bagels! I stopped to get *something* *anything* in my stomach and the result was nearly disaster. Left the farm at 10, got home at 2:30. I needed a nap, my son wanted to play. Nap never happened.

Here are some of the pics I took. Not too many pictures this year due to the rain.

Shortly after getting there. It had just finished POURING. I darted out between rain bands to get a few pics.




So, those three pics were right after getting there. Then there was this long period where stuff happened and I forgot I had a camera. Actually, I was playing with my new HD video camera, and watching the movie with Erin tonight I kept thinking "I don't remember that part... that part is a bit fuzzy..."

Sunday morning, after the fog started to burn off, we had this:
Our tent city (if you look close at the door to the red and black tent, you will see authentic Dr Evil vomit - watch your step!):

They did not rust away over night!

Chris' car reflected in Matt's bling'n hub cap:


Now, when I can figure out hoe to get video from my camera copied to my computer for editing, I'll put together the vid the Heidi and I shot.

The party was awesome. Not as many people or cars, due to the weather. I am guessing we had about 30 or so people there. The site was amazing. Chris is a funny drunk. It was great to see everyone one again.

I guess its time to start planning for next year...

Zach

I should have been the first to post as I was the first to get home.

But anyway, I made it safe. Glad to hear everyone else did.

Chris, there is always atleast one victim of my brew.

:-)


Thanks for having us.

do your brews usually induce memory loss? I swear I don't remember much.
Now I know to stay away. I believe ken tried to warn me about your brews when I first saw it. I should have listened

Zach, If you could please edit me out of any and all scenes in that movie, Id really appreciate it.

Of course. But, really, you did not do anything inappropriate - at least that I caught. I think the only footage that I have is kinda distant and you are having a convo with Matt and Rod, and a few seconds of you under the tent sunday morning looking just like the rest of us. :-)
Zach

I was sooo lucky. I got home and my son had just gone down for his nap 15 minutes prior. I had a couple hours to collect myself.

On a brighter note - it helped that I drove all the way home with my top off. The air did me good!

I also want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Slackin' for hosting the event. Their estate and mountain views were breath-taking. Everything was perfect and their hospitality made it seem as if they were professional event planners.

Thanks also to the planning committee for the coordination of times, locals, and fund-raising so that most of us there just had to show up and enjoy.

The party tent with the cars and campers in the background.
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Chris and his beautiful home. Definitely NOT slackin' in this shot.
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The Evil one rippin' off some devilish riffs.
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The camping area with a really wet stack of wood for the bonfire.
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(Special thanks go to Zack for getting the fire started.)

hole smokes. Im still standing... and able to walk. that MUST have been early.

This would have been a perfect shot if I had pointed the camera a little more to the right and Chris' neighbors weren't standing there. Sorry Gina.
Click to view attachment

Oh, fire is easy, even with wood that has soaked all day. If you can keep *something* burning to dry out the small stuff and then keep the small stuff burning until you can get the big stuff burning. I just kept feeding the small stuff into the (straw & card board) kindling. The straw was Ray's idea, and it was perfect. Once that fire got going, it would have taken a deluge to put it out. It was still burning when I left Sunday at 10.

Zach

ps - I have kept bumping into a sore spot on my finger, and could not recall what I may have done to it. I just remembered that I grabbed a piece of wood with a little ember on it. its the little things, sometimes.

Looks like it was a fun time, hopefully the weather wasn't all bad.
Shame I had to miss an ECC, hopefully missing this one will only make my car better for 2009!

Zach, don't your feet hurt too? You and Slackin' were walking through coals at one point?

My thanks to the Slackin's too. Great venue, great people and fun time. Nice to hear from MikeSpraggi, we were concerned about you getting home!

My shoes were too wet for that to be a problem, and I was taking care to make sure my footing was safe. I do have a big black mark on one of my Chucks that must have been from trying to kick the burning log back up on the fire though.

next time we have the chance to have a camp / bon fire, I am going to bring some cut up oak pallets. They make some of the best fire wood ever, and I have a few taking up space.

Zach

Chris,
Excellent event! Your place and hospitality is first class. The tent was a BRILLIANT idea. It was good to meet a few more new faces. Thanks again.

One of the few pics I snapped w/ my cellphone (I forgot my cameras):
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SCOTTY! This was a pensive moment where he may have realized he exceeded his alcohol limit Right before we poured him into his tent.

Scotty, I will always bring you water, man

When I was playing with the video camera, right before we tried to start lighting the bon fire, I have a little footage of Scotty. Looking at that footage, you could tell he was going to loose the battle. It was just a matter of time. He said nothing, it was just the way that he slowly looked at the camera, without seeming to see anything.

LOL.

Zach

I think all the memories that are going to come back, have.
I can officially say I only remember 47% of the evening.

Can't wait for another one, so I can actually meet you people and remember it.

I think zach started off the strongest with his dislexic raffle ticket reading, but
scotty and I quickly took the lead.

I also wanted to thank the good Dr. and zach (and others I cant remember
who ) who donated to the raffle. quite generous.

the tent finally came down this morning. which is good because I still felt
queazy every time I looked out the window and saw it.

I hope you didn't get totally screwed on the expenses. I hate figuring out the check at group lunches because you always get screwed.

As the days wear on, images from this weekend's event flash across my mind. I thought I was the only one that had an out of body experience, I mean I kept it all inside, but there was a point where all I could do was crawl to the back of my car and ball up on my car cover, thinking "this can't be real!". Now it sounds like we were all just guinea pigs unknowingly taking part in some sick secret government experiment .......... so when can we do it again, huh??!!

Uh you guys sure that's me ?? I don't remember laying on a table at all I think I was probably over by the vollyball court warming up for the game...yeah that's it vollyball..............

Thanks man, tell Noel I said thanks too. I seem to remember her being there in my moment of need too. I blame Ray for that whole episode, non of this happened until his contribution

Sounds like I missed a good time..... we're just now getting gas in Charlotte.

-Mike

pics

more
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Click to view attachment
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even more

still more

Hey Root, did you leave your red chair at the event again? I didn't see it before I left.

Fini

I was so bummed since the party because I didn't get to hang out or even see the fire... I love fires. but then, apparently I did:




once again I have idea what happened.
I think someone slipped me a roofy.

You and I were trying to light it for a while with your MAP torch

Yep! Got my red chair this time!
I only leave it at your place.
The Ibanez got soaked in the trunk from the deluge, I couldn't get it tuned all night! "That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

not to complain - but i think the band needs to select about 30-40 songs - get music sheets - make copies and pass around - and practice them - for ecc2009

We were VERY uncoordinated......its not like we dont live near each other, or have jobs, or are trying to become physicians, or.....

If Scotty brought drums it would have worked because I would have been the only one with a loud enough amp

I think I remember at least 2 songs....one short Pink Floyd song, and one 3 hour Grateful Dead song... ;-) Next year it'll all be better when it's dry, there are drums, the guitars are dry, it will be good.

Zach, in the midst of all the festivities, you didn't forget the "chalk outline" paint job on the Kaiser did you?

I think you should pick a longer Dead song next time.

Crap. I didn't die, did I?
No, no recollection. Pics, or it didn't happen.

I chose to stop drinking about the time that we started playing with fire. I'm glad I did. Probably saved me from joining the "I puked at the ECC" crowd. From when I light the cigar I bummed off Mike to when we started the fire the party is a bit of a blur. Once the fire started going, I remember stuff again.

So, did I fall and someone did my chalk outline, or did I chalk outline someone who fell?

Zach

Hahah, I didn't think you were that far gone.

You were talking Kaiser paint jobs, and somehow from our shared Baltimore driving experiences we agree upon:
Flat black paint, and a chalk outline on the hood.

Something like: http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/dbu0063l.jpg

Sure beats camo =D

The last three pages of this thread are classic. With all the different recollections floating around, it's a pretty sure thing that no convictions will result.

BTW, Does this hurt?....

Nice event. Sounds like a good time was had by all.

That AWESOME.

I'm glad you reminded me of it.

Zach

It was. The camaraderie, food, and setting were top notch. Unfortunately I missed an opportunity to explore the wonderment of the technicolor yawn with the best of the best.

I think I should have brought a full keg of Oatmeal Stout.

That was my drink of choice for most of the afternoon, until it kicked.

Zach

So it sounds like the shirts got passed around a bit. Anybody have an idea who has my shirt? XXL with Mike on the front. If somebody could PM me, would appreciate it.

-Mike

IIRC, it is still in the box. Matt Plasket has the shirts (unless Rick has them again now).

Zach

the shirts came out great!
even the wife thinks they're cool.

can someone tell me how I got mud on the back of mine. I can just imagine.

My wife said the same but then added "God, it stinks like smoke and mud - get it away from me."

The shirts were 5 degrees of awesome. Big props to Chris for the design, and Rick for getting them made.

I have created the master planning thread for ECC 2009.
ECC 2009 Master Thread. Go and check it out, lets start getting next years event orged up proper.

Zach