…and a great time was had by all!
(And by “all,” I mean: Thanks (in order of appearance) to The Admiral, Bill, Reid, Niel, Becky, Carnese, and Peggy!)
Oops
Okay, so I messed up. Again. But we’re used to that, right?
So, “What had happened was…”
Something was niggling me, in the back of my mind; but I didn’t act on it. The niggling went something like, “What if they’re closed on that Saturday?” (“They” being 57th Fighter Group, where we scheduled the inaugural Atlanta How Not To Sail meetup.)
But I thought, “Nah… I’m sure we’re fine. And, hey, if they’re closed because they have new ownership again, we’ll just go somewhere else nearby.”
I could have called, Just to be sure there wasn’t some random issue at a place that’s usually open from 11am until midnight. But I did’t.
So, The Admiral and I get there about 15 minutes early. It’s overcast and breezy but nice. There aren’t too many folks on the patio.
And we find out there’s a buy-out, and the joint’s closing at 2pm for a private event.
Two Meetups in One!
No worries. Being a #HowNotToSailer (or even a normal sailor) requires improvisational skills.
What did we do? Well, first, I ordered The Admiral and I an adult beverage. (She believes she’s very patient with me, and I hate to disabuse her of this notion.)
Then, we waited for everyone who we suspected was going to arrive…and made sure all had a cold beverage. We gave out a couple of “I survived the 2024 How Not To Sail Atlanta meetup” t-shirts to Patrons Bill and Niel, along with koozies and stickers for anyone who hadn’t already been burdened with same.
(None of these items are currently available in the How Not To Sail store. You just gotta be there.)
We tipped well, and about a quarter of an hour after the place was supposed to be closed, we left…
Downwind
…and went about a hundred yards away to Downwind Restaurant and sat on the deck overlooking the tarmac. Where 57th is at (actually a few feet below) taxiway level at the southwest end of the airfield, Downwind is closer to the middle of the airfield and is on the second floor of an old naval air station building.
Our friend #HowNotToSailer Peggy joined us there after prior commitments. (And apologies, Peggy! I forgot to take another picture. Of course.)
Downwind restaurant is a unique hidden gem. I’m not sure they even have a website, but their contact info is:
2000 Airport Rd #201, Atlanta, GA 30341
(770) 452-0973
(Closed Sunday. Friday evenings are Adults Only.)
What’s Next?
I don’t know yet when or where the next meetup is…but I’m looking forward to it! So keep an ear out for the podcast, and you can also sign up for the email list to make sure you don’t miss the next doin’s in your neighborhood.
Haven’t heard the podcast about losing my boat yet? It’s a real humdinger, as you can imagine. Check it out!
