Delft: Report

From: kim@lspace.org (Kimberley Verburg)
Subject: [F] Delft Apricot Muppet Meet Report
Date: 07 Oct 1999 00:00:00 GMT
Message-ID: <38082b8c.52480906@news.lspace.org>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.pratchett

Attendees: Arwen Lune, Daniel Proost, Jeroen Burger, Jeroen Metselaar,
Jos Dingjan, Leo Breebaart, Michel Lanting, Robert Collier, Rolf Milde,
Uwe Milde and me.

On the last Saturday of September, Rob caused a meet. Everyone except
Arwen had already arrived and made themselves comfortable in Grand Cafe
Verderop when I ran in late courtesy of the Dutch Railways. Jos and me
ran out again to prepare an edible birthday surprise for Leo: it was an
apricot flan with a criss-cross pastry topping, leaving convenient holes
for the candles. While lighting the candles, I discovered that I'd
seriously underestimated the amount of heat this number of candles would
generate, half of them were swapping wax with each other before we could
get the rest lighted. Jos took the blazing mass back with me at his
heels wondering how setting pastry on fire would affect our popularity
with the cafe staff.

A quick count by Leo revealed the number of candles to honour his years
was 69. No one believes me when I protest that I didn't do it on purpose
and I would like to remind anyone getting ideas that the flan and
candles were from Eelco (who was not present). With a single hoom, the
flames were blown out, creating a rainbow splatter of wax across the
flan.

Being the responsible people we are, a bottle of suntan lotion, SPF 15,
was handed over in case of candleburn. Like a surgeon, Leo got busy with
a Leatherman's pliers to painstaking remove the candles, wax drippings
and partially melted holders.

(I would hate to create the impression that all we do at Dutch meets is
make Leo's life a misery. These extended descriptions are solely by
popular request of fellow plotters and others. Suffice to say, we were
looking more forward to Leo's birthday than he was.)

Jeroen M. had brought along his video camera supposedly to record the
fiery flan and gift giving for the benefit of absent plotters but for
some reason the only .avi to have made it to his web site is of a
squishy blue toy. Uwe named it The Embarrassing Toy Of The Evening
although I can't say I was in the least bit uncomfortable. However, the
red glow and heat had to be coming from somewhere because the candles
had already been blown out.

The toy was passed along from hand to hand along with Michel's CCDE
photos and various people evinced great and occasionally destructive
interest in the Lego, both real and edible.

Half past seven had arrived and it was time to walk to dinner at the
Carousel in the rain. Waving the package Karen had sent, I asked
everyone to observe the behaviour of Jos and Leo because a fair vote
would be held on the matter later and then I would decide what would
happen to it, "One Kimberley, one vote." - Jeroen B. Jeroen M. had to
leave after an hour which forced an early vote as to the fate of the
package, the soft-hearted meet attendees unanimously decided that the
package should be opened by Jos and Leo. Two of the gifts were
expandable-in-water aliens, which prompted fond memories of the
expandable nekkid wimmen at a Brussels from the rest of the table.

After dinner, it was geeking as usual at one end of the table while the
others discussed intelligence and how pre-conceptions survive the
transfer from online to Real Life meetings. Arwen took her balls out to
juggle and Rob dissected Mr. Boing.

Next Sunday, the hardened core of brunchers carried on the meet: Arwen,
Jos, Leo, Rob, Rolf, Uwe and me. Rob had generously bought crumpets in
England for the deprived folk here. Leo's first toaster had received an
afp obituary and this was an excellent opportunity to test its ugly
orange successor. Two slices of white bread were sacrificed in the first
attempt which produced smoke and a persistent acrid smell. Fortunately,
the unpleasant smell appeared to signal the appeasement of Philips, the
God of Charcoal, because everything worked after that including the
launch button, stealth pop and nifty rack to toast buns on.

Rolf, Uwe and Arwen left in the early afternoon and we started doing the
planned Cool and Interesting Things. However, my toppling of the Twisted
Speed Jenga tower with the removal of the second brick wasn't cool or
interesting, although the three remaining spectators would no doubt
disagree.


QUOTES

"I do believe you're old enough to be my father." - Arwen to Leo

"You've defragged your book cupboard." - Jeroen B.

"Revenge of the Bastard Tentacle Creepers." - Jos

"Maybe he lost his Sparc." - Jeroen M.

"It's not burnt it's flavour-enhanced." - Leo
"You've been in America too long." - Jeroen B.

"We're going to do two slices to see if they reproduce." - Jos

"Their CD player is stuck." - Kimberley
"That's the disco version." - Jeroen B.

"And now you get a whole generation of Americans that can't suck." -
Jeroen M.

"Masturbation version of the supersoaker." - Jos

"There were many Kimberley-shaped holes in my shelves." - Leo

"The co-efficient of spreadability." - Rob


Rolf and Uwe's photos: http://www.rumil.de/afp/delft1.html
Jeroen M.'s photos: http://www.wxs.nl/~jgmetsel/Delft/delft.html

-- 
Kimberley Verburg        kim@lspace.org
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