5th SWFL E-R.org Get-Together

[omni550]

It's time to plan our 5th SW Florida E-R.org get together!

We had a great time at our last gathering in Feb 2020, which SEEMS SO LONG AGO, details here: https://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/4th-annual-swfl-e-r-org-get-together-101636.html

WHO'S INVITED: ERs, OMYs, W*rkers, Spouses/SOs, (Maybe FLSUnFIRE will attend as a fully-retired member?!)

WHERE: TBD Somewhere in SW FL. Last time we all chipped-in for a private room in a restaurant near I-75 in Sarasota. Having a quiet, private room, and a dedicated server worked very well for our group. However, with Covid still lingering, we could probably find a workable outside location. (As I am located south of Ft. Myers, I welcome any/all suggestions if the list of attendees again makes it practical to meet further north along the coast.)

WHEN: TBD Hopefully, we can find a mutually-available day for those who wish to attend. I'm thinking possibly Sat. Feb. 12 or Sun. Feb. 20, if either of those dates work for most.

We'll likely be meeting for a late lunch (to be at the restaurant when they are not super busy, and to allow attendees travel and chat time).

PLEASE REPLY IN A POST:

• If you (and if a +1) are interested in attending

• Where you are traveling from

• Dates you are available (are weekdays and/or weekends OK?). (I realize football playoffs & Super Bowl on Feb. 13 may complicate planning.)

• Any issue with meeting at a restaurant near I-75 in the vicinity of Sarasota? OR Would meeting someplace outside be preferable?

omni

 

[pb4uski]

Either proposed date works for me. Live in north Sarasota but willing to travel.

If I recall correctly the Geckos that we met at in 2020 has an open deck in the back.

Not sure if I can convince DW to attend... I can't even get her to pay attention to our finances.

 

[omni550]

Either proposed date works for me. Live in north Sarasota but willing to travel.

If I recall correctly the Geckos that we met at in 2020 has an open deck in the back.

Not sure if I can convince DW to attend... I can't even get her to pay attention to our finances.

Good memory, pb4uski! There was an outside deck at Gecko's, tucked around to the left. Perhaps we can specifically reserve it, once we get a headcount and date nailed-down.

omni

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

12th and 20th both work for me; I'm excited to see you all again (and without my head hung in shame with the OMY albatross around my neck)!

 

[Patricia Lyn]

Might be able to attend

My husband and I just moved to Naples and we snowbird from Idaho. It would be great to visit with people about navigating retirement issues. I will keep an eye out about this meeting and let you know a little closer to the date!

 

[omni550]

My husband and I just moved to Naples and we snowbird from Idaho. It would be great to visit with people about navigating retirement issues. I will keep an eye out about this meeting and let you know a little closer to the date!

We're a friendly group, Patricia Lyn.

Sure hope you two can join us.

omni

 

[Dtail]

My DGF and I would be available on Feb 20th, but are in Vegas on the 12th.
We live in Tampa and would travel south.
Prefer outside seating, but open to inside and outside.

From other posts, there appear to be a decent number of ER members in the area.
I hope more of you can attend.

Thank you so much omni550 for arranging.

 

[Lagniappe]

I can attend, and either date works for me. I am driving from Naples. If we could sit outside, I would be more likely to come. Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!

 

[omni550]

Thanks, everyone, for the speedy responses.

• So far, it's looking like Feb. 20th works for everyone.
• Outside dining is preferable.
• Likely, we'll end up around the Sarasota area
• And, if everyone who has indicated a possible interest attends, we are up to 8 so far.

I expect a few more folks to be weighing-in in the coming days.

Stay tuned....

omni

 

[simple girl]

Hello all! We would love to come again and catch up with everyone!

RSVP'ing for myself +1 (Mr. SimpleGirl).

We can do either Feb 12 or Feb 20.

We are only comfortable with outdoor seating at this point in time.

We live in Sarasota so of course Sarasota works for us!

Regarding location - Gecko's was great, and I did help arrange it last time...regarding the outdoor space, I recall asking about that but it didn't work out for some reason. Unfortunately I can't remember why. We would obviously need to investigate further.

I do have another idea if Gecko's doesn't work out this time. It's called Stottlemyers. It is right off 75 as well, which is very convenient. Outdoor seating - open air restaurant tiki-bar feel - large place. I haven't been there yet, but I did call them and they actually will take reservations outdoors for large groups. https://www.stottlemyerssmokehouse.com/

 

[BeachOrCity]

Whoo Hoo.. Party Time! Glad to see the responses from my virtual friends who I got to meet IRL back in 2020 (or was it 2019??). I am flexible on dates and indoor outdoor and will try to talk my husband into coming. The room at Geckos was large enough to accommodate us all.

Just a suggestion to help make everyone comfortable. Antigen / rapid tests are only 15 minutes at home and are either Free or $10. We might want to ask everyone to take a quick test the morning of. Its just a suggestion, but I would be happy to do this.....would just allow those of us who are more cautious to relax. With the lead time, everyone should be able to get a test kit and put it aside to use before the event. I went to a dinner party last night where one of the hosts wanted to be sure he did not get covid before he left for antartica.... so we all rapid tested so he could relax and we could have a fun evening!

 

[Lewis Clark]

The February 2020 gathering was great fun and I have been looking forward to the next one. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend this year. Hopefully next time!

 

[boog]

I plan on attending (solo). Traveling from Ocala. Either date is ok but would prefer the 20th. Looking forward to it - thanks Omni for your efforts!

 

[38Chevy454]

I would like to try and make it. Coming from over on east coast Cape Canaveral area. Either date could work for me, sounds like 20th is likely date.

 

[youbet]

DW and I will be camping at Myakka River State Park on the 20th and if the details work out (we’re meeting some other folks there) would like to join you.

 

[Gocubsgo]

I would love to attend and finally meet those that helped me matriculate last year. [emoji6]

I’ll be traveling from the Nashville area but my schedule is pretty flexible these days… so either date works for me.

 

[omni550]

WooHoo! Looks like we're up to 16 possible attendees!

It's great to see so much interest...including quite a few newbies and out-of-towners.

Most folks have indicated a preference for Sun. Feb. 20.

Gecko's, where we've met the last few times, due to busy season and Covid, isn't taking any reservations at all. I just spoke to their manager. If we decide on Gecko's as our location, he suggested that I call Gecko's early the day of our get-together to alert their staff of our group size and planned start time and the staff will work to accommodate our group on the expansive patio. This might mean waiting a little bit for tables to clear and be rearranged for our group. (We can probably get drinks at the indoor/outdoor bar and mill around a bit, chatting, until we are seated.)

I'm leaning towards choosing Gecko's as they are conveniently-located to I-75, and we've had great experiences with them in the past. And, fwiw, their current "no reservations" thing seems to be a common occurrence these days.

omni

 

[simple girl]

WooHoo! Looks like we're up to 16 possible attendees!

It's great to see so much interest...including quite a few newbies and out-of-towners.

Most folks have indicated a preference for Sun. Feb. 20.

Gecko's, where we've met the last few times, due to busy season and Covid, isn't taking any reservations at all. I just spoke to their manager. If we decide on Gecko's as our location, he suggested that I call Gecko's early the day of our get-together to alert their staff of our group size and planned start time and the staff will work to accommodate our group on the expansive patio. This might mean waiting a little bit for tables to clear and be rearranged for our group. (We can probably get drinks at the indoor/outdoor bar and mill around a bit, chatting, until we are seated.)

I'm leaning towards choosing Gecko's as they are conveniently-located to I-75, and we've had great experiences with them in the past. And, fwiw, their current "no reservations" thing seems to be a common occurrence these days.

omni

Sounds like an excellent plan. They have large groups for football games on Sundays, so I suspect that plan will be handled well by them.

Looking forward to it!

 

[omni550]

Thanks for all the responses. Looks like we'll have another great turnout, 14-18 people!

Here's the plan.

Date & Time: Sun. Feb. 20, 2022, *2:00pm - 4:30pm-ish

Location: (same place as in 2020, with easy access to I-75)

Gecko's Fruitville --- outside/patio
351 N Cattlemen Rd
Sarasota, FL 34232
ph. 941-378-0077

*As I mentioned upthread, Gecko's is not taking reservations due to staffing/covid. I will call when they open (11 am) to alert the staff of our group size, planned start time, and request that the staff try to accommodate us outside as we have planned. (This is why I've pushed our start time a bit later.)

Attendees, so far:

1 pb4uski
2 FLSUnFIRE
3&4 Detail +1
5 Lagniappe
6 omni
7&8 simple girl +1
9(&10?) BeachorCity (+1?)
11 boog (Ocala)
12 38Chevy454 (Cape Canaveral)
13&14 youbet +1 (camping at Myakka)
15 GocubsGo (Nashville)
16? Sarasota Cycler (if his schedule allows)
17?&18? Patricia Lyn +1

Anyone else in the area is welcome to attend. Just let me know, please.

Restaurant website:https://geckosgrill.com/ (They have several locations...we will be at the FRUITVILLE one.)

NOTE: I will do a 'roll call' of attendees the day before to get a final headcount.

omni

 

[dm]

Since we moved to SW Florida we are generally booked up in February. I have friends and relatives I don’t even remember wanting to visit me. Well it’s actually my wife’s fault, she likes company. Well some of them anyway.

Maybe next year.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

Going through my calendar trying to fit in all the living and excited to see this event on Sunday. Forecast looks perfect for being outside... remember your shades and sunscreen!



Looking forward to seeing again/meeting you all! You may not recognize me with my post-FIRE perma-smile!

 

[Gocubsgo]

Well… COVID has finally hit close to home. Had dinner with three of my neighbors on Sunday to watch the Super Bowl. All of us are triple-vaxxed and vigilant about masks when out and about. Two of them (host couple) have tested positive as of yesterday. I feel fine, have no symptoms, and have tested negative (God bless the Binax) but will be quarantining at home for the next week to be sure. Hate that I’m going to miss meeting everyone but I don’t think you’d be lining up for hugs! Stay safe and *fingers crossed* I’ll see you next year!

 

[Buckeye]

I'll keep an eye out for this next year. We are in the Orlando area but we have a wedding celebration (outdoors at a lake, thank goodness) to go to.

 

[wdwwildbill]

I'm a bit to far living in New Orleans but maybe next year I can make a weekend out of it. Would really like to meet you guys !!!

 

[latexman]

Bummer. The wife's two cataract surgeries kept us in NC. Maybe next year we'll be in our condo in Bradenton.