Oh Lord, I’m stuck in Lodi again

My 100th blog post!

The last post was my 100th entry on Rolling in the D (it was supposed to be this one, but I didn’t get it finished in time, and forgot that I had already scheduled that Wordless Wednesday funny to go up.  Sigh).  I want to thank all of you for reading, for encouraging, for supporting, and for just being a friend (cue the Golden Girls theme).  When I started this blog, I honestly didn’t know how long I’d be able to commit to it; I think I read somewhere that three months is the average lifespan of a blog.  But I’m now into my seventh month!  I suppose you could say that I’ve beaten the odds; and that feels nice.  Your comments and feedback keep me motivated, so please keep ’em coming!  And thank you.

(Some administrative stuff: I’ve recently changed the “About RITD” link at the top to “Who am I?”, consistent with the way the blog evolved from how I originally planned it.  I always like to read about the writer when I visit other blogs, so it just makes sense.  Also, I’ve been consistently updating the Blog-Roll.  If you see any errors or omissions, let me know and I’ll get that straightened out!  Finally, I plan to make some cosmetic changes in the weeks to come… stay tuned).

I don’t live in Lodi, but I’m not far.
Image credit: Flickr user Heatherboo916

Anyway, I’ve written a century of posts and six months, and I’ve never met a single one of you in person!  That’s where the title of this blog comes in.

I think it’s about time that I meet some of (as we say in New Jersey) “youse guys”.  I’ve never been to FFL, AADE, ADA, RDS, or any of those other D-meetups* that result in a barrage of blog disclosures and Twitter hashtags, but I do spend a of time in NNJ and NYC (Northern New Jersey and New York City).  I know there are plenty of you out there in the same place, and I’ve already gotten a couple of “why haven’t we met yet?” inquiries, so how about it?  I don’t know a thing about planning events, and I stink when it comes to coordinating things.  Add the fact that we’re PWD’s when trying to pick a venue, and that makes it all the more difficult.  Where do people with diabetes gather to socialize?  Something tells me that a bar in Hoboken is highly inappropriate (even though we’d all probably go on our own, hopefully with a pocketful of glucose tabs and test strips).  The only gathering place in Lodi (which is actually about a half-hour east of me) is the establishment of questionable morals where Tony Soprano used to frequent, and that’s out of the question, too.  I only bring that up because it’s the title of this post and of a catchy song, but not a particularly lovely place.

So where, then?  Chelsea Piers?  Central Park?  Morristown?  Nyack?  Would it be a weekday-after-work thing, or a weekend-type gathering?  Would anyone be interested?  Would anyone come?  Let’s start a discussion here, and maybe we can finally know each other by more than profile pics or You Can Do This videos.

If you’re coming from afar, I’m sorry that I can’t cover your airfare, hotel, or other expenses.  But if you’re compelled to write a disclosure, I can offer you a spot on my pull-out sofa-bed (first-come-first-served), a cup of coffee from my beloved Keurig machine, and I’ll even buy you a Sugar-free Slurpee.

Let’s see if us locals can plan something in the comments below.  Or, if you’re not a local (or are just not particularly social), chime in too and tell me what kind of place you think makes for a good D-meetup.  Because I’ve never been to any, and you surely haven’t been to less than that.

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* Please don’t read into this sentence and think there is any bitterness behind it.  There’s not.  Being at home, where my wife and kids are the first people I see when I wake up and the last ones I see before I got to bed, is a blessing for me.  When that’s not a part of my day, something is missing.