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For the benefit of those who might want to help out but don't know what's involved, can someone who has done this give a brief rundown of what the organizers (note the plural - nobody should have to do it alone) need to do?

Well, yeah, there is that.

I screwed up the "corrected" version, too? Sorry, it's been an unbelievable week. It may be a few days before I'm fully functional again.

I screwed up! See, that's why I can't run this thing 10/25 is leading the poll (8 votes when I looked, 9 now). 10/18 only has six votes. Sorry about that. C-2 is available then, too.

OK, folks - the poll has been running for a week, and it looks like the leading dates are: (corrected) Sunday, 10/25 - 9 votes Sunday, 10/4 and Sunday, 10/18 - 8 votes each Saturday, 10/24 and Sunday, 10/18 - 6 votes In order to get this done before the picnic spots have all been claimed, can we go ahead and work with these dates? Pat, you checked site availability earlier. Can you see what's available on those dates? I tried checking online and apparently I'm doing it wrong C-2 is the preferred space, but didn't we go elsewhere for one picnic? Unless something changed this week, we have Heather willing to organize, Legant tracking food, and foodtrip a willing, but inexperienced, volunteer. Can anyone else help out? There's no breaking ground here; it's a well-trodden path, we just need some help with the heavy lifting. And it's a GREAT way for newer members to get involved. (Not running anything, just kick-starting the process)

Then set up the poll, and we'll find an organizer to fit the date.

OK, let me be the first one to step up and proudly admit that I really, really want one.

I have volunteered for NOTHING. September is going to be ridiculously, insanely busy for me at work; if I run it, there will be no picnic. Don - as poll candidates, how about every Sunday in October (4/11/18/25)? September's too soon, November too cold. Oh, and was that a pun, or did you just set the theme?

August is almost over - isn't it about time to start planning the Fall Picnic? Assuming the usual October Sunday options, I'll put in my requests: 10/4 is inconvenient but possible, 10/11 not possible, 10/18 would be great, 10/25 not possible.

A friend of ours just had "a great lunch with the kids" at a new Elevation Burger location. Since she lives in New Jersey, it sounds like the expansion is going well.

According to the latest Red White and Bleu email: And their wine tasting for the weekend - bubblies for the Fourth:

I had several people ask - did you have the donuts? They were awesome! - so don't sell yourself short. Heavy, yes, but delicious. Damned good food all around. One issue - I stopped eating because I was very full. I didn't stop drinking. This was a problem. The number of typos I've had to fix in this one message is ridiculous. Next picnic, please remember, drinks must be accompanied by food! If you're too full to eat more, don't drink, either. I'm crazy drunk. Besides that, the chicken was awesome. Jacques Gastreaux's pork was amazingly good, considering how simply seasoned it was. The tres leches cake was astounding. Xcanuck's pate reinforced my desire to learn how to make the stuff myself. Jake was pouring great stuff - enough to make up for not bringing ham. Good times, people. Good food. Good drink. Good company. A good day all around. Thank you all.

Forgot to mention ... instead of duplicating mac & cheese & bacon, we're bringing ribs.

That would be a very great tragedy.

I'll have a small Weber charcoal grill.

Ooops, sorry, I didn't see that Crackers is already bringing mac & cheese w/bacon. I'll come up with another idea.

NQD and I are possibly +2. We're bringing a burner and propane, as mentioned above. Also, to me, fried chicken calls out for mac & cheese on the side, so we'll be bringing some of that, too. Sorry, it's not vegetarian; there will be bacon involved.

I'm bringing my turkey fryer stand/burner and a full tank of propane. Antonio said he's good on the pot and oil.

I've only done it once, but slicing was probably the easiest step, with my mandoline slicer. Just be very, very careful.

There were two pork butts on the list, Scott and Thistle, depending on smoker status. So, Thistle, is your smoker working?

There won't be much smoke. It's pure charcoal, no wood, no deliberately generated smoke. You'll notice it if you're standing right there, but if your concern is neighbors, it won't be an issue unless you have someone directly above you. The greatest amount of smoke will be from lighting it, but it won't last long. Heat is probably more of an issue - there's a lot of charcoal, and it's completely open. If you're cooking in a small area you'll have to keep kids, pets and drunks at a reasonable distance.

Yes, I've run into that at Asian restaurants before. But when an appetizer is two pieces - two autumn rolls, for example - and placed directly in front of one of three people at the table, I think there's less of an expectation of sharing. And when it's dessert, pre-made, simply plated and served cold, there's no reason to serve one at a time. Maybe it's not an error, but it's an annoyance.

We live close by, but just had never gotten around to going, and when the review came out decided we'd go before the rush. Well, we missed - last night it was slammed. Still very, very tasty. The Green Paradise Spring Roll was a hit, the Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Roll was a big hit. Certainly not as tasteless as Wristband unfortunately experienced. Maybe Saturday lunch isn't the best time to go? I do agree that the minced clams were excellent. First service problem due to the crowds - starters for three came out individually, not together, as also happened with dessert later, and I was at first given the wrong dish, but it was quickly replaced by the correct item. Second service problem - entrees came out way too soon, before we had finished our starters. The Country Banquet Vermicelli was also tasty - not exceptional, but was described as "pure comfort food," which is exactly what was wanted. Sleeping Duck on the Pond was a delicious soup - well, OK, tasty but nothing special until the hot sauce was added, which kicked it up into delicious. The duck leg on top was as tender and succulent as any confit, but the meat was not as well-seasoned as a confit; that doesn't make it bad but makes it less good than it could have been. Duck in Tamarind Basket was also very well cooked; the tamarind sauce was too sweet for my taste, but tamarind sauces often are. Cow on the Open Field was simple chunks of beef on a bed of onion and watercress; the beef was good as is, but drizzled with fresh lemon juice and dipped in the salt/spice mixture as instructed, and it became probably the hit of the evening. I was warned that it was hot, and afterwards told that some found it too spicy. I have no idea what they were talking about; it wasn't at all hot. Caramel Custard is always a tasty dessert, but my aunt's flan sets a standard I've yet to match in any restaurant. Two were ordered, one forgotten. My ginger ice cream was delicious and full of fresh ginger flavor (as it should be, but isn't always). The bowl was too small for the amount of ice cream, which led to spillage over the side as it began to melt. Beverages were a forgettable glass of wine and two excellent salted lemonades. Overall, a very good meal. We weren't blown away, but we were impressed, and left quite happy and with every intention of returning. Service was the weak point; in addition to the specific mistakes mentioned above, there was a strong feeling that they were trying to speed up the pace of the meal, and there were tiny glitches throughout. Someone did make a point of apologizing, blamed it on being very busy, and suggested we give them another try on a weeknight. And everyone was very pleasant, helpful, and knowledgeable, just a bit overwhelmed. Total bill: $98.96 for three starters, four entrees, three desserts, one glass of wine, two non-alcoholic drinks, and one coffee. We'll definitely be back, probably on weeknights, and we'll be bringing others with us.

What is your budget?

Well, you've got about two more hours to get down there. Veal bratwurst, kielbasa, merguez, rabbit terrine, sopressata, calabrese, something like bresaola but made with beef heart, a smoky duck salami, and a few other charcuterie items were all being served in the tasting room, along with five wines. Jamie also gave us a sample of his prosciutto, which he said he's just getting into. I'm no prosciutto expert, and I can't give an informed comparison to the best stuff from Italy, but that was a damned tasty piece of meat. Some of these items are regularly on sale at Red White and Bleu, some are not. They're still experimenting to see what will sell.