Brontoforumus Archive

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:


This board has been fossilized.
You are reading an archive of Brontoforumus, a.k.a. The Worst Forums Ever, from 2008 to early 2014.  Registration and posting (for most members) has been disabled here to discourage spambots from taking over.  Old members can still log in to view boards, PMs, etc.

The new message board is at http://brontoforum.us.

Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5

Author Topic: The Grey Fortress Jamboree  (Read 7891 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

SCD

  • Tested
  • Karma: 18
  • Posts: 1856
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #40 on: July 14, 2009, 03:33:56 AM »

Also, if this broody strike continues on some more well into august, how about getting a cabin somewhere and really playing it canuckistan-style?

It could be like a horror movie!  Six people from the internet meeting for the first time in a cabin in the deep haunted woods!  What could go wrong?
Logged

Mongrel

  • Emoticon Knight-Errant
  • kodePunc Team
  • Tested
  • *
  • Karma: -65340
  • Posts: 17029
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #41 on: July 14, 2009, 03:36:43 AM »

I forsee a problem.

A total lack of deep woods, haunted or otherwise. :humpf:
Logged

Büge

  • won't give you fleaz
  • Tested
  • Karma: -65304
  • Posts: 10062
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #42 on: July 14, 2009, 06:24:16 AM »

Well, I think the hotel is out because we don't have enough peeps. If Buge can stay with his relatives, then we are okay for space, since you and Fred can stay here and everyone else will just be coming for the Saturday.

This also assumes Buge's relatives don't live out in the middle of nowhere.

I may have one or two backup plans, but they're not assured.

As far as I know, no. He lives downtown, from what I gather. I still have yet to get a phone number so I can actually confirm everything... But I'm sure it will be fine. I have three different people who live in Toronto who are nice enough to let me sleep at their place, or have in the past. I'm sure at least one of them will have floor and blanket.

I forsee a problem.

A total lack of deep woods, haunted or otherwise. :humpf:

Willikers. My family has property up north, complete with mildew/rat poop scented accommodations.

Logged

Mongrel

  • Emoticon Knight-Errant
  • kodePunc Team
  • Tested
  • *
  • Karma: -65340
  • Posts: 17029
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #43 on: July 14, 2009, 08:27:39 AM »

Okay, So Buge will have one location or another. SCD & Fred, you're at my place, and everyone else plays interloper.

Cool. Accommodations are settled.

I will work on a list of potential saturday activities.

Also: Next time we SO need to crash that northern bog.
Logged

Mongrel

  • Emoticon Knight-Errant
  • kodePunc Team
  • Tested
  • *
  • Karma: -65340
  • Posts: 17029
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #44 on: July 14, 2009, 12:17:52 PM »

Ho-kay, here's a tentative list of possible Saturday activities:

Hockey Hall of Fame - $15
Pros:
- What kind of Canadian doesn't like hockey?!
- If Gary Bettman is in town for a news conference, you might just find an opportunity to punch him in the nose.
Cons:
- Oh who the hell are we kidding.
- If I can't afford to go to a game, you can be damn sure I'm not paying to see the museum.

The Ontario Science Centre - $18
Pros:
- SCIENCE!
- You might even learn something.
Cons:
- Not nearly as entertaining as it was during those grade school field trips.

Ontario Place - $17.75, does not include most rides ($33 for unlimited riderery, group discount of $104 for every 4 people available, so $26)
Pros:
- Still a variety of things to do on the cheaper ticket.
- Variety.
Cons:
- No 'real' rides (proper roller coasters and the like). There is a water park however (everyone who can't swim put up your hands!)
- Appears to have greatly tilted towards children since the last time I went. Small ones.

Fort York - $8
Pros:
- Pretend you're educated and give a damn about history!
- Short enough that it can be combined with another activity to make a two-part day (the main attraction, the military drill and review, cycles on an hourly basis)
- You might even learn something?
Cons:
- Not as much mileage here. Of course it is cheaper.
- There is an annual beer festival here. however, said festival will not be held on August 22nd.
- Ontario has history to learn? Lies!

Royal Ontario Museum - $28 ($22 if we can get at least 10 people... which may be possible if a few locals tag along)
Pros:
- SCIENCE! and History!
- Huge. This is definitely an all-day activity.
- Newly redesigned and expanded with loads of neat stuff to see.
Cons:
- It's still a museum. If you don't like them, you don't like them.
- Huge. This is definitely an all-day activity.

The Art gallery of Ontario - $18
Pros:
- Pretend you're cultured!
- Completely rebuilt, with a newfangled design by everyone's favourite comedic Canadian architect, Frank Gehry.
Cons:
- Yeah, I'm probably the only person who would even take this option seriously.
- Mongrel take your goddamned 'school field trip' locations and sho-

Random Toronto Beach/Lakeshore Park - Free!
Pros:
- Plenty of space.
- Relaxing.
- Can't beat the price.
Cons:
- Lying around on a pile of sand all day isn't always that great (especially in cases of bad weather).
- Can't bring your own BBQ
- Swim? In Lake Ontario? Are you kidding me?

Centre Island <- (warning: home page plays annoying music). $6.50 for the ferry ride to Centre Island. Theme Park admission Free, individual ride tickets less than a dollar.
Pros:
- Old school theme parks are sometimes fun and charming. This is one of those times.
- Can alternate freely between theme park and beach.
- It's neat to get on a quiet island out in the lake, while still keeping a pretty nice view of the city. And the beach here doesn't smell half so much like Toronto.
Cons:
- Currently closed due to strike. Of course if the strike is still on in late August, we'll have far worse things to worry about.
- If you're looking for roller coasters or impressive rides, this ain't the place. Think of it more like a beach-with-benefits.
- You can't swim here either.

The Toronto Zoo - $21
Pros:
- A day of animals!
Cons:
- A day of animals!

Canada's Wonderland - $40
Pros:
- If you want RAWR ROLLAR COSTARS I AM A REAL MAN, this is the place. Show off your inner Saxton Hale.
- It is a hell of a lot of fun.
Cons:
- It costs HOW much?
- Transit time to and from downtown is FOREVER because the damn thing is out in VAUGHAN. Expect to have to get up early and spend at least an hour each direction getting there.
- Depending on the volume of park attendence that day, most of your day could easily be spent waiting in lines.

Random trail wander in Toronto - Free!
Pros:
- There are actual green spaces in this town?
- WE R EXPLORARS
- Can be combined with other functions
- No real defined goal.
Cons:
- Hope you don't mind exercise.
- No real defined goal.

The CNE - $15 ($11 if you pre-purchase online), individual ride prices vary.
Pros:
- Has a small number of actual roller coasters and other 'real' rides. Not THAT much, but the best you'll get downtown.
- Extemely wide variety of pavilions and attractions, many of which do not cost extra.
Cons:
- Individual rides usually require an exorbitant number of tickets.
- Everything will be trying to sell you junk here.

Shakespeare in High Park (play will be 'The Tempest') - Pay-What-You-Can!
Pros:
- The apex of the 'pretend you're cultured!' attractions.
- Outdoor theatre >>> Indoor theatre
- I was meant for the stage
Cons:
- What do you mean not everyone likes Shakespeare?
- Outdoor theatre >>> Indoor theatre... unless it rains!
- What the hell did I say about the 'school field trip' destinations?!?!

Toronto Chinatown Festival 2009 - Free!
Pros:
- Casual street festival, can be combined with other attractions or destinations.
- The questions of 'what's for lunch?' is solved for you.
Cons:
- Weeaboos need not apply
- Actual entertainment value unknown at this time. I wouldn't gamble the whole day on this.

Ballet in the Park (ballet wil be Romeo & Juliet) - Free!
Pros:
- Like the High Park Shakespeare Dream thing, only with more dancing.
Cons:
- Like the High Park Shakespeare Dream thing, only with more dancing.

There may be some smaller events as well. I'll ask Koipond if he's heard of anything else.

Post your first and second choices or suggest alternatives, I guess? If you wish to propose a "combo" choice, then hey, go for it.
Logged

SCD

  • Tested
  • Karma: 18
  • Posts: 1856
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #45 on: July 14, 2009, 02:13:12 PM »

The grey fortress jamboree?  More like the "mediocre people from neopyoko and geo tour fun tourathon marathon!"

Thanks I_M, that sounds like a pretty damned stuff-ed day. 

I like the ideas of shakespare in the park and maybe sometime in chinatown

However I must also insist that we come up with Toronto bingo cards with facts of life, things encountered during the locations - and some sort of prize like the winner doesn't have to buy the booze. 

..So you can't swim in lake ontario?

What's up with that?  I jump off the bridge into the mouth of the rideau canal every now and then.  Should I worry about gaining an appendage?
Logged

Fredward

  • a romantic soul
  • Tested
  • Karma: 2
  • Posts: 893
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #46 on: July 14, 2009, 02:44:17 PM »

The Ontario Science Centre - $18
Pros:
- SCIENCE!
- You might even learn something.
Cons:
- Not nearly as entertaining as it was during those grade school field trips.
- Not shaped like a giant golfball.

:humpf:

Shakespeare, walkin', and Chinatown all sound good to me. But I'm pretty happy with anything not Zoo- or hockey-related. And I probably won't complain if we do go to either of those! :shrug:
Logged
Quote from: Brentai
It's never easy to tell just where the line is between physical malady and the general crushing horror of life itself.

Mongrel

  • Emoticon Knight-Errant
  • kodePunc Team
  • Tested
  • *
  • Karma: -65340
  • Posts: 17029
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #47 on: July 14, 2009, 04:07:47 PM »

Yeah, I'm pretty much down with any option, since they'll all be fun (other than maybe the Hockey HoF, which was more of a joke suggestion, really).

If people do want a 'beach' option, I kind of think it would be cool to go to Centre Island. It's closed now, but I'm pretty sure that if the strike's still dragging on, they'll have back-to-work legislation in two or three more weeks at the most.

Re: Lake Ontario, hey where do you think all the stuff that gives Toronto it's 'unique' scent goes? :whoops:

Okay okay, well, I was actually kidding. Toronto's beaches are sometimes sketchy, but survivable. The daily water quality report can be found here.

Anyway, we'll see what everyone else is up for. Sorry if my bad jokes made anyone think that swimming was in fact not really an option.

P.S. Hanlan's Point is a nude beach, usually populated by fat gay men (in case anyone looked at the map thought "Hey, that beach looks nice.").
Logged

François

  • Huh.
  • Tested
  • Karma: 83
  • Posts: 3313
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #48 on: July 14, 2009, 04:18:09 PM »

Okay, so... My car needs 500 dollars' worth of brake repairs before I dare take it out of town, a bus ride would be eleven hours (!!!) of gruesome motion sickess, and a train ride would set me back over 200 clams.

Yeah, I'm definitely not making it.

:painful:
Logged

Mongrel

  • Emoticon Knight-Errant
  • kodePunc Team
  • Tested
  • *
  • Karma: -65340
  • Posts: 17029
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #49 on: July 14, 2009, 04:28:02 PM »

 :;_;:
Logged

SCD

  • Tested
  • Karma: 18
  • Posts: 1856
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #50 on: July 14, 2009, 06:03:44 PM »

Zed:

How much does a bus ride to Ottawa run ya for two way?

Fredward: any centre of science not shaped like a golfball is nary a science world at all
Logged

François

  • Huh.
  • Tested
  • Karma: 83
  • Posts: 3313
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #51 on: July 14, 2009, 11:29:01 PM »

The Greyhound website won't tell me the Saint-Hyacinthe/Toronto fare, and when I saw that it'd be 10-15 hours each way, I kind of figured it was a waste of time to call. I really can't ride a bus that long; just the thought of it makes me nauseous.

Checking the Montréal/Toronto connection (which is a shorter distance), there's a 21-days-in-advance round trip at 69$. I can afford that without problems as long as they don't gouge on Saint-Hyacinthe/Montréal, but given my unpredictable schedule it's still a big sum to gamble with. (A refundable ticket is 151$, and frankly at that price I'd rather spring the extra fifty bucks for the train. If I could.) Plus there's a chance I might spend the entire weekend lying on the hotel room floor, trying to get the world to stop spinning long enough to try and absorb some solids. I can take cars, boats, trains and subways, but buses fuck me up. I could barely handle the two hour ride back when I visited my father in Québec every two weeks, and I'd have to endure at least ten hours, twice.

Any way you look at it it's kind of a nutty expense to make.
Logged

Mongrel

  • Emoticon Knight-Errant
  • kodePunc Team
  • Tested
  • *
  • Karma: -65340
  • Posts: 17029
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #52 on: July 27, 2009, 11:36:24 AM »

So any word on preferences? Looks like the strike's going to be over by the end of this week, so beaches should be free and clear, if that's more anyone's thing.

Still waiting on opinions from everybody but Fred & SCD. Course, this isn't nearly the rush that figuring out accommodations was.
Logged

François

  • Huh.
  • Tested
  • Karma: 83
  • Posts: 3313
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #53 on: July 28, 2009, 01:56:45 PM »

Holy customer care, Batman! Via Rail's coming out of a strike; their way of saying "we're sorry, please come back" involves 60% off every ticket bought until the end of the month, for use before December. As far as I know all their seats are refundable until 24 hours before departure, so this might be a Thing.

Now if only their website could stop shitting itself for a second. I wonder if their server monkeys are back to work yet.
Logged

Fredward

  • a romantic soul
  • Tested
  • Karma: 2
  • Posts: 893
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #54 on: July 28, 2009, 02:46:34 PM »

oh shit yes I would much rather take the train than the bus.
Logged
Quote from: Brentai
It's never easy to tell just where the line is between physical malady and the general crushing horror of life itself.

Büge

  • won't give you fleaz
  • Tested
  • Karma: -65304
  • Posts: 10062
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #55 on: July 30, 2009, 08:36:29 AM »

Update:

I talked to my cousin who lives on Jarvis and Bloor. He's not going to be there on the weekend in question. He did, however, say that if his neighbor is home that weekend, he will give said neighbor a copy of a key so I can stay at his place.

Cross your fingers, lads.
Logged

Mongrel

  • Emoticon Knight-Errant
  • kodePunc Team
  • Tested
  • *
  • Karma: -65340
  • Posts: 17029
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #56 on: August 02, 2009, 11:16:43 AM »

Why do I get the sudden horrible feeling that this is going to involve punching my apartment far over its carrying capacity with little to no notice? 

 :nyoro~n:
Logged

François

  • Huh.
  • Tested
  • Karma: 83
  • Posts: 3313
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #57 on: August 02, 2009, 11:23:02 AM »

Well, for me the train wasn't a Thing after all. The options to buy the cheapest tickets were gone, and the discounted stuff was still at least 140$.

"Oh hey, our union workers are back, let's celebrate by offering a discount to rich people."

 :humpf:
Logged

Mongrel

  • Emoticon Knight-Errant
  • kodePunc Team
  • Tested
  • *
  • Karma: -65340
  • Posts: 17029
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #58 on: August 02, 2009, 12:29:42 PM »

I am somewhat relieved but greatly disappointed.  ::(:
Logged

SCD

  • Tested
  • Karma: 18
  • Posts: 1856
    • View Profile
Re: The Grey Fortress Jamboree
« Reply #59 on: August 02, 2009, 01:23:47 PM »

I am still game
Logged
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5