aaroads.com members you have met in real life

[yanksfan6129]

bugo i can't believe you don't remember our momentous summit in St Louis.

[Duke87]

It would be difficult to generate a complete list since there are some people who I know by their real name who probably have an account here but rarely if ever use it and I don't know what it is.

Not to mention that I've been to 35 road meets (3 of which were organized by me), in 13 states and 2 Canadian provinces. So, there are certainly people I've met at some point but don't explicitly remember who they are (sorry, not everyone gets to be special!).

[Laura]

I've met so many of you in real life, with many of those meetings forming into friendships outside of roads.

The first member that I met in real life was conveniently my husband Mike (mdroads). We met on February 2, 2010. Had we not met as co-workers, we would have definitely met at the Baltimore meet on April 17, 2010. Amusingly, had we met at a meet, I still think we would have married - I think us being the two closest attendees would have had something to do with us continuing to meet up to check out roads.

Excluding Mike, the two members I've seen most recently are Duke87 (Anthony) and Roadgeek Adam. We met up on Friday evening in Brooklyn.

The list of enthusiasts that I've spent time with outside of meets (in no particular order): MDRoads (Mike my husband), Duke87 (Anthony), Roadgeek Adam, Alps (Steve), Dougtone (Doug), mtantillo (Mike), cpzilliacus (Patrick), Tollbooth Rob, jpi (Jason), HB Elkins, Lou C., froggie (Adam), Canesfan27 (Adam), Dr. Frankenstein (Carl), codyg1985, Brian Reynolds, Mark S., Ian, Michael TS, Keith T, Allen Seth, Corey Dukes

We've also met if you and I were at the following meets together:
Baltimore (17 April 2010)
SEPA (Phoenixville) (19 June 2010)
Springfield, MA (13 November 2010)
South Jersey Invitational (18 December 2010)
SWPA XMAS Meet (26 December 2010)
ICC (hosted by Froggie) (March 2011)
Northern NJ (19 March 2011)
Central NJ (Turnpike) (13 August 2011)
Williamsport, PA (17 September 2011)
Bennington, VT (12 November 2011)
ICC meet (hosted by me: 2nd leg, first meet) (26 November 2011)
Richmond, VA (13 October 2012)
Doylestown, PA (8 December 2012)
Ashland, KY (6 April 2013)
Portsmouth, NH (1 June 2013)
Brick/Wall, NJ (29 June 2013)
Lebanon, NH (21 September 2013)
Pikeville, KY (19 October 2013)
St. Louis (15 March 2014)
Hampton Roads (22 March 2014)
Delmarva (23 March 2014)
NYC (28-29 June 2014)

[bandit957]

bugo i can't believe you don't remember our momentous summit in St Louis.

I had a summit with him in Tulsa that the Poo Kroo missed.

[oscar]

I've met a few forum members outside of road meets:

andy3175, in San Diego (before I joined the forum)

sdmichael, in Santa Clarita CA (ditto)

cpzilliacus, at the Roy Rogers restaurant under I-68 in Cumberland MD (but we wouldn't have recognized each other had we not met at a road meet -- I very briefly mentioned this chance encounter in my Manitoba meaderings post, but the ensuing discussion wound up being more about that encounter than about Manitoba)

lepidopteran and his wife, at some non-road-related social events (he also went to one road meet I attended)

[algorerhythms]

There's still a Roy Rogers in Cumberland? I thought that place closed years ago.

[rickmastfan67]

I've met so many of you in real life, with many of those meetings forming into friendships outside of roads.

The list of enthusiasts that I've spent time with outside of meets (in no particular order): MDRoads (Mike my husband), Duke87 (Anthony), Roadgeek Adam, Alps (Steve), Dougtone (Doug), mtantillo (Mike), cpzilliacus (Patrick), Tollbooth Rob, jpi (Jason), HB Elkins, Lou C., froggie (Adam), Canesfan27 (Adam), Dr. Frankenstein (Carl), codyg1985, Brian Reynolds, Mark S., Ian, Michael TS, Keith T, Allen Seth, Corey Dukes

What, you've forgot about me?

[Laura]

I've met so many of you in real life, with many of those meetings forming into friendships outside of roads.

The list of enthusiasts that I've spent time with outside of meets (in no particular order): MDRoads (Mike my husband), Duke87 (Anthony), Roadgeek Adam, Alps (Steve), Dougtone (Doug), mtantillo (Mike), cpzilliacus (Patrick), Tollbooth Rob, jpi (Jason), HB Elkins, Lou C., froggie (Adam), Canesfan27 (Adam), Dr. Frankenstein (Carl), codyg1985, Brian Reynolds, Mark S., Ian, Michael TS, Keith T, Allen Seth, Corey Dukes

What, you've forgot about me?

Oh no! I thought I added you and pghgal_90! That was a really fun evening (and so delicious!)

[SSOWorld]

I've met so many of you in real life, with many of those meetings forming into friendships outside of roads.

The list of enthusiasts that I've spent time with outside of meets (in no particular order): MDRoads (Mike my husband), Duke87 (Anthony), Roadgeek Adam, Alps (Steve), Dougtone (Doug), mtantillo (Mike), cpzilliacus (Patrick), Tollbooth Rob, jpi (Jason), HB Elkins, Lou C., froggie (Adam), Canesfan27 (Adam), Dr. Frankenstein (Carl), codyg1985, Brian Reynolds, Mark S., Ian, Michael TS, Keith T, Allen Seth, Corey Dukes

What, you've forgot about me?

Oh no! I thought I added you and pghgal_90! That was a really fun evening (and so delicious!)

Sounds like I missed something

[Laura]

I've met so many of you in real life, with many of those meetings forming into friendships outside of roads.

The list of enthusiasts that I've spent time with outside of meets (in no particular order): MDRoads (Mike my husband), Duke87 (Anthony), Roadgeek Adam, Alps (Steve), Dougtone (Doug), mtantillo (Mike), cpzilliacus (Patrick), Tollbooth Rob, jpi (Jason), HB Elkins, Lou C., froggie (Adam), Canesfan27 (Adam), Dr. Frankenstein (Carl), codyg1985, Brian Reynolds, Mark S., Ian, Michael TS, Keith T, Allen Seth, Corey Dukes

What, you've forgot about me?

Oh no! I thought I added you and pghgal_90! That was a really fun evening (and so delicious!)

Sounds like I missed something

Hehe. On the evening after the STL meet, Alps and I met up with them in Pittsburgh at Primanti Brothers, a classic Pittsburgh food institution

[PHLBOS]

Cutting & pasting from Laura's meet list; I met you if you and I were at the following meets together:

Doylestown, PA (8 December 2012)
Monticello, NY (23 March 2013)
Portsmouth, NH (1 June 2013)
Brick/Wall, NJ (29 June 2013)

[Dr Frankenstein]

Note: If I don't remember talking to you, you might not appear on the list even though we've been to the same meet once. If we did talk, my most sincere apologies, my memory is failing me! Like some people here, I'm including roadgeeks who aren't AARoads.com members. Italics denote either that, or that I don't know their username.

Northern NJ, March 2011
Alps (Steve Alpert)
Dougtone (Doug Kerr)
tollboothrob / Rob Sargent
Lou Corsaro
Roadgeek Adam (Adam Moss)
Laura (Laura Bianca-Pruett)
MDRoads (Mike Pruett)
Duke87 (Anthony Costanzo)
mtantillo (Mike Tantillo)
Michael Temme-Soifer
Keith Thomas
baugh17 (Mark Sinsabaugh)
hbelkins (H.B. Elkins)
yanksfan6129 (Scott Davis)
dlainhart (Dylan Lainhart)
Compulov (Leigh Koven)
Daniel Case
A tow truck driver
Montreal, May 2011
oscar (Oscar Voss)
webfil (Félix)
New Haven, July 2011
vdeane (Valerie Deane)
Doug Krause
Bob Malme
Central NJ, August 2011
Ian (Ian Ligget)
Janko Dialnice (John Housty)
Adam Winkler
Kevin Brownlie
jeffandnicole (Jeff Taylor)
Watertown, NY, September 2011
brianreynolds (Brian Reynolds)
Philip Cousin
Chris Jordan
John Krakoff
Golden Horseshoe, ON, December 2011 (not a formal meet)
AsphaltPlanet (Scott Steeves)
Bennington, November 2011
Zack Lewis
Delaware Water Gap, March 2012
Travis Fuguet
Sarnia/Port Huron, August 2012
DanTheMan414 (Dan Garnell)
rawmustard (Brian Rawson-Ketchum)
A.J. Bertin
cbeach40 (Chris Beach)
Brandon (Brandon Gorte)
getemngo (Sam Scholtens)
haljackey (Ryan Stubbs)
Richmond, VA, October 2012
Shawn De Cesari
wriddle082 (Billy Riddle)
Takumi (Michael Elmore)
Sanctimoniously (Elric Naslund)
jpi (Jason Ilyes)
WillWeaverRVA (Will Weaver)
Chris Curley
Potsdam, NY, November 2012
cu2010
Rochester, November 2012
Nick Dubanow
Portsmouth, June 2013
PHLBOS (Chris Commans)
cpziliacus (Patrick Ziliacus)
adamjackson (Adam Jackson)
Brick/Wall, July 2013
dgolub (David Golub)
Upper-Middle St. Lawrence, September 2013
Thomas Westphal
place-saint-henri (Serge Del Grosso) (I'd actually met him long before, but not in a roadgeek context)
Lebanon, NH, September 2013
deathtopumpkins (Connor Lauzon)
Burlington, VT, November 2013
froggie (Adam Froehlig)
New York, June 2014
codyg1985 (Cody Goodman)
SSOWorld (Scott Onson)
corco (David Corcoran)
C.C. Slater/Otto Yamamoto
Dan Murphy

...I just surprised myself with how long that list actually is. Holy shit. That's 63 roadgeeks, 17 road meets (Quebec City is not mentioned because I met no one new there), and at least 3 informal gatherings!

[froggie]

Central NJ, August 2011

We actually met at this one...I made an appearance for the lunch but did not go on the tour.

[hbelkins]

A tow truck driver

It's not a laughing matter, but I couldn't help but laugh at this.

[Duke87]

List of meets I've attended:

Highland NY, 10/03/2009
Baltimore, 04/17/2010
SE PA, 06/19/2010
Providence, 08/07/2010
Springfield MA, 11/13/2010
Kearny NJ impromptu, 02/05/2011
ICC take 1, 03/06/2011
Newark/Northern NJ, 03/12/2011
Montreal, 05/28/2011
New Haven CT, 07/23/2011 (hosted)
Central NJ, 08/13/2011
Watertown NY, 09/10/2011
Williamsport PA, 09/17/2011
Bennington VT, 11/12/2011
ICC take 3, 12/04/2011
Utica invitational, 02/11/2012
Stroudsburg PA, 03/24/2012
Ottawa, 08/25/2012
Rochester invitational, 11/24/2012
Doylestown PA, 12/08/2012
Monticello NY, 03/23/2013
Portsmouth NH, 06/01/2013
Brick/Wall NJ, 06/29/2013
Cleveland, 07/13/2013
Binghamton NY, 08/10/2013
St. Lawrence Valley impromptu, 08/31/2013 (co-hosted)
Pikeville KY, 10/19/2013
Burlington VT, 11/09/2013
Delmarva, 03/23/2014
Nashville, 03/29/2014
Corning NY, 04/05/2014
NYC national, 06/28/2014-06/29/2014
Appleton WI, 08/16/2014
Quebec City, 10/11/2014
Merritt Parkway, 10/18/2014 (hosted)
NJ Turnpike impromptu, 11/01/2014

[bugo]

bugo i can't believe you don't remember our momentous summit in St Louis.

I don't remember a lot of things about that weekend. My short term memory was impaired.

[vdeane]

My meet list (* means mini meet):
Syracuse, NY* (Aug. 2009)
Rochester, NY (Sept. 2010)
New Haven, CT (July 2011)
Central NJ (Aug. 2011)
Watertown, NY (Sept. 2011)
Montreal* (May 2012)
Ottawa (take 2, Sept. 2012)
St. Lawrence County, NY (hosted; Nov. 2012)
Rochester, NY* (hosted; Nov. 2012)
Monticello, NY (Mar. 2013)
Brick/Wall, NJ (June 2013)
Binghamton, NY (Aug. 2013)
Lebanon, NH (Sept. 2013)
Burlington, VT (hosted; Nov. 2013)
Corning/Elmira, NY (hosted; April 2014)
NYC (day 1 lunch and start of tour; June 2014)
Quebec City (Oct. 2014)
Merritt Pkwy (Oct. 2014)

[Alps]

I've met so many of you in real life, with many of those meetings forming into friendships outside of roads.

The list of enthusiasts that I've spent time with outside of meets (in no particular order): MDRoads (Mike my husband), Duke87 (Anthony), Roadgeek Adam, Alps (Steve), Dougtone (Doug), mtantillo (Mike), cpzilliacus (Patrick), Tollbooth Rob, jpi (Jason), HB Elkins, Lou C., froggie (Adam), Canesfan27 (Adam), Dr. Frankenstein (Carl), codyg1985, Brian Reynolds, Mark S., Ian, Michael TS, Keith T, Allen Seth, Corey Dukes

What, you've forgot about me?

Oh no! I thought I added you and pghgal_90! That was a really fun evening (and so delicious!)

Sounds like I missed something

Hehe. On the evening after the STL meet, Alps and I met up with them in Pittsburgh at Primanti Brothers, a classic Pittsburgh food institution

It was so delicious.

[Dr Frankenstein]

A tow truck driver

It's not a laughing matter, but I couldn't help but laugh at this.

That was the intent.

[getemngo]

For my first couple years, every single meet I went to had Brian Rawson-Ketchum, AJ Bertin, Dan Garnell, Brian Reynolds, and H.B. Elkins in attendance. The only roadgeeks I've hung out with outside of meets (or meet weekends) that I can think of are AJ, both aforementioned Brians, Alps, Cody Goodman, and Brandon (since Flint wasn't really a meet).

Going by my Facebook friends list, there's around 30-35 roadgeeks I've met in person.

[mtantillo]

I can't even really keep track...I've been going to meets since 2000. I've met quite a few people. I only recently started becoming much more friendly with people and doing stuff outside of formal roadmeets within the past couple of years. Many of you may know I'm a cancer survivor...and that kind of changed my outlook on life. After that point I decided I didn't really care if other people didn't think being a roadgeek was "normal"...it was normal for me and that's all that mattered. Also, on my off-weeks of chemotherapy, I took a few roadtrips those were some of the happiest times of a rather low point in my life, so I've embraced the hobby more so as a result now that I'm all better...especially since the first thing I did the day after I learned I was officially in remission was go to a road meet (Richmond).

Meets I specifically remember attending and approximate dates:

-Raleigh, April 2000
-Utica, October 2001
-Greensboro, Spring 2002?
-Raleigh, October 2002
-Raleigh, Summer 2004
-Gastonia, Spring 2005?
-Pikeville, Spring 2005
-Albany, Spring 2006
-Elmira/Corning, Fall 2006
-Poughkeepsie, Spring 2007
-Greensboro, Fall 2007
-Milford PA, Spring 2008
-Providence, Summer 2009?
-Baltimore, April 2010
-Phoenixville, June 2010
-Springfield, Fall 2010
-Rochester, September 2010
-Northern NJ...Fall 2010?
-New Haven, June 2011
-Central NJ, Summer 2011
-Williamsport, September 2011
-Bennington, November 2011
-Richmond, October 2012
-Doylestown, December 2012 (Santa holding a Send Help sign on my birthday...a memorable meet)
-Ashland, Spring 2013
-Portsmouth, Summer 2013
-Chattanooga, Summer 2013
-Lebanon NH, Fall 2013
-Pikeville, Fall 2013
-Maryland House (unoffical impromptu), January 2013
-Hampton Roads, April 2014
-Delmarva, April 2014
-NYC/NJ National Meet, June 2014
-Stamford, October 2014
-Quebec City, October 2014
-NJ Turnpike "invitational" meet, November 2014

[SSOWorld]

For those that forgot - I'm actually going to mention the meets you may (or may not) have met me at as well.  It's a much shorter list since I kept away for most of the early years of the hobby (doing my own thing)

2008 - Chicago/Milwaukee Day 2
2009 - State College
2010 - Providence, RI
2011 - Wausau, WI
2012 - Joliet, IL, St Louis
2013 - Dubuque, IA, Los Angeles (US 99 tour)
2014 - St. Louis, IL Valley (Starved Rock), NYC/North Jersey, Appleton/Green Bay

[froggie]

Thinking some more about this topic....there are at least 6 hobbyists where the first time I met them WASN'T at a road meet:  bugo, Alex, Steve Riner (HighPlainsTraveler), Steve Anderson, Scott Kozel, and Darkchlyde.  I have NEVER seen the first four on the list at a roadmeet.  Not to say that they haven't attended meets...just that I was not present at whatever meets they may have attended.

On another note, I had an odd tendency for awhile to "crash" roadmeets...where I showed up at a meet, announced or unannounced, and left almost as quickly.  Two of the SWPA meets between 2003-05, Raleigh Spring 2008, one of the SEPA meets (the one where it took over an hour to take care of the bill), and most recently Nashville this past March are all examples.  My personal favorite was Raleigh 2008 where I showed up halfway through lunch, completely unannounced, with SEVERAL surprised looks in the crowd.  If only I had a better camera at the time...

[hbelkins]

My personal favorite was Raleigh 2008 where I showed up halfway through lunch, completely unannounced, with SEVERAL surprised looks in the crowd.  If only I had a better camera at the time...

I don't know that your appearance there was completely unexpected. IIRC you had indicated that you would be traveling through the area, so it wasn't a total surprise.

As for crashing road meets, there's only one that I've showed up for unannounced, that being the SWPA meet after Christmas in 2010. I didn't decide until the night before that I was going, and no one would have known I was going to be there unless they were watching Facebook, when I could still post my location -- and was actively doing so during my travels-- via one of the GPS apps on my iPad.

OTOH, I have missed a couple of meets that I had planned to attend. One was the July Columbus meet a few years ago. I was up late the night before and was also sick with either a cold or severe allergies, so I ended up sleeping in. The other was Cincinnati last fall; I ended up oversleeping. I also didn't attend the I-26 Asheville meet that Brian Reynolds mentioned in another post; I was in the area but was on my own itinerary that day.

I've also been to a few meets where I didn't stay for the tour after lunch. That was back when I wasn't doing any overnight travel and wanted to get back home before it was too late.

[Alps]

I tried going unannounced to Starved Rock, but I ended up announcing it. I'll try to troll a meet in 2015.