# Metro Atlanta Meet Up



## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

*Calling all Metro Atlanta Kindlers!*

I started the ball rolling on the last ATL meet up, so I thought I would continue the practice and see if I can drum up some interest in a mid-January gathering. Since I live an hour and a half outside the metro area (Ringgold, in NW Ga.), I try to get these things scheduled for when I will be visiting the city for conferences. I will be in ATL Jan. 19-22 and staying near Perimeter Mall. I have openings in the conference schedule that would allow me to attend a meet-up on Jan. 20 or 21 for dinner (6:00 p.m. or later) or on Jan. 22 for breakfast, brunch or lunch (anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.). Somewhere around Perimeter would be preferable for me, but I am not opposed to other locations.

So, anyone interested in gettin' together?


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Deborah and I are ready!

Okay, all you Atlantans who have got your Kindles since our last meet, chime in. We had a great time at our first meet.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

I'll try to come too.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Hey Sandy - got several new ones from Georgia and Atlanta in the Intro Thread, maybe an invite might get them there.


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## Four Lil&#039; Paws (Nov 30, 2009)

I'm game! Sounds like fun


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

Anju No. 469 said:


> Hey Sandy - got several new ones from Georgia and Atlanta in the Intro Thread, maybe an invite might get them there.


Yes, I noticed that. I also noticed that JimC has been spreading the meet up word in those threads. Thanks Jim.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Let's use this thread to keep up to date on the meet. I recommend that anyone intererested in the meet track this thread by clicking "Notify me of replies" under "Additional options."


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

JimC1946 said:


> Let's use this thread to keep up to date on the meet. I recommend that anyone intererested in the meet track this thread by clicking "Notify me of replies" under "Additional options."


...or they could click the NOTIFY button right under the last post.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Bump. Would everyone in the Atlanta area start thinking about having the meet on January 20 or 21.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

If I was there I'd go!  I'd also go to the DC meet-up!  I'd go to the NYC meet-up and any others going on out there, but personally would prefer to go to the one in California next year - that is if Betsy gets one going.


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

Just thought I would bump this to see if it would "kindle"   some interest in a January meet-up.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks, Paul. I've also been mentioning the meet-up to some Atlanta area folks on the Amazon forums. Some are Kindle owners, but the ones who aren't are probably about to jump off the fence. A couple of authors too.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

I'm planning to try to come. I live in Cobb, but if Perimeter mall area works best, I'll come there.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Thanks, gadgetgirl, we'd love to meet you. Keep watching this thread for more information.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Bump! This is shaping up to be a great meet-up. I'm getting some more interest on the Amazon community forums from folks who may not be too active on Kindle Boards or who don't own Kindles - yet.

Keep watching this thread for more information.


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## BasicGreatGuy (Dec 27, 2009)

I will do my best to attend. Sounds like fun.  Lots of Klowning around I suppose.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

BasicGreatGuy said:


> I will do my best to attend. Sounds like fun.  Lots of Klowning around I suppose.


Actually, it will be a very somber, subdued event.

NOT!!!

Looking forward to meeting you. Keep tracking this thread for more information.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

My 19 year old daughter requested and received a Kindle for Christmas so now we are a two kindle family, but I doubt that I'll be able to drag her to the kindle meet up with me.Of course I'll surely try.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

gadgetgirl003 said:


> My 19 year old daughter requested and received a Kindle for Christmas so now we are a two kindle family, but I doubt that I'll be able to drag her to the kindle meet up with me.Of course I'll surely try.


Bribes often work. If she'll come, my Kindler wife and I will spring for dessert. I'm not sure where the meet-up will be, but the first one was at the Cheescake Factory, and you know what their desserts are like.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

I don't think even cheesecake as yummy as it is will get her there, but you never know, it is worth a shot.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

I might just drag my husband along instead. He isn't a Kindler, ( He prefers audible.com)but he helps feed my habit with Amazon gift certificates.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

At the first meet, my wife came, but she wasn't a Kindler then. When the next price drop came, she jumped on it and has her own Kindle now.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

You and your wife look like a really fun couple.  I have yet to see another Kindle in the wild in Atlanta and I know that there have to be many Kindle owners here. It will be good to actually meet in person more people who love their kindles as much as I love mine.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

There were five of us at the August meet, and we had a great time. This one should be even more fun.


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm going to suggest that we meet on Wednesday, January 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Cheesecake Factory at Perimeter Mall.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

Sounds good.   I'm still trying to talk my husband or one of my kids into coming with me. They were all making fun of me on Christmas about getting together with other Kindle owners whom I haven't yet met in person. They think we are silly. LOL


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

sandypeach said:


> I'm going to suggest that we meet on Wednesday, January 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Cheesecake Factory at Perimeter Mall.


Let's put that date/time/location on the calendar. See y'all there!


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Great news: A prominent Indie author is issuing a Smashwords code for a free download of his book to everyone at the meet-up. More on this later.


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## Dana (Dec 4, 2009)

Tempting!


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Dana said:


> Tempting!


It's supposed to be!


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

JimC1946 said:


> Great news: A prominent Indie author is issuing a Smashwords code for a free download of his book to everyone at the meet-up. More on this later.


Have I met this "prominent" author?


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

sandypeach said:


> Have I met this "prominent" author?


Wild horses couldn't drag the secret out of me!

Well, maybe a free dessert would. 

Okay, it's Yale Jaffe, author of Advantage Disadvantage







. I'll be giving out a coupon code for Yale's book at Smashwords.

I'll be giving out a Smashwords coupon code for my own book Recollections: A Baby Boomer's Memories of the Fabulous Fifties







. I'll also give out a couple of paperbacks of my book as door prizes. By the way, I had my best month ever in December - more than a hundred copies in Kindle and paperback versions sold.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Just a reminder that the Atlanta area meet-up is on Wednesday, January 20, at 7:00 p.m. at the Cheesecake Factory at Perimeter Mall.

See y'all there! Be sure to bring your Kindles and covers. If you don't have a Kindle yet, that's okay, because you'll have a great time being with other readers and maybe even a few authors.


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

Bumping this up to keep it in front of Georgia Kindlers.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

JimC1946 said:


> Bribes often work. If she'll come, my Kindler wife and I will spring for dessert. I'm not sure where the meet-up will be, but the first one was at the Cheescake Factory, and you know what their desserts are like.


The bribe worked.  My daughter has agreed to come with me to the get together.  She LOVES cheesecake  We put a new decalgirl skin on her kindle tonight and I once more asked her to come with me to the get together next week. Her response was "Hmmm CHeesecake Factory? Okay. I'll go." I think the thought of her getting to eat at Cheesecake Factory combined with her getting to show off her new Kindle in its decal girl skin and M-edge cover to people who would appreciate it won her over.  We'll see you there next Wednesday.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

One cheesecake coming up!


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

Great news, gadgetgirl!  I look forward to seeing you both.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Just a reminder that the Atlanta area meet-up is on Wednesday, January 20, at 7:00 p.m. at the Cheesecake Factory at Perimeter Mall.

Be sure to bring your Kindles and covers. If you don't have a Kindle yet, that's okay, because you'll have a great time being with other readers and maybe even a few authors.

If the weather is okay, we could hook up outside the restaurant before going in as a group. The weather forecast is for a chance of rain, so if the weather isn't nice, we can wait inside the restaurant.

See y'all there!


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

Will have to see if i'm on shift.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Hello this is JimC1946's wife, Deborah.  Wednesday, we ended up in the ER and we will probably be in the hospital for a few more days possibly a week.  I apologize for not being able to come out the Cheesecake Factory.  I will keep posting when possible and update you on Jim's situation.  Thanks, Deborah


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Just wanted to check and see if there were any pictures!  Did the rest of you make it?

Deborah, please please keep us posted on Jim.  

If you are so inclined go to the Book Club's the One Year Bible and we have a prayer request thread there.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

JimC1946 said:


> Hello this is JimC1946's wife, Deborah. Wednesday, we ended up in the ER and we will probably be in the hospital for a few more days possibly a week. I apologize for not being able to come out the Cheesecake Factory. I will keep posting when possible and update you on Jim's situation. Thanks, Deborah


Deborah,
Thank you for the update. I have been worried about Jim since we got the news last night. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help. In which hospital is he staying?
We missed you last night. Hopefully we all will be able to be at the next get together
I'll be thinking of you both and praying for you.


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## gadgetgirl003 (Mar 22, 2009)

Anju No. 469 said:


> Just wanted to check and see if there were any pictures! Did the rest of you make it?


Dona,
There were three of us there...Sandypeach, my daughter and I. I brought my camera but didn't get around to taking any pictures. We had a nice time, but were worried about Jim.


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## sandypeach (Oct 28, 2008)

Yes, we did miss everyone else.  I struggled through having dinner with two beautiful women.  It was tough, but someone had to do it.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Hi folks, this is Jim. Well, this isn't the way to do a get-together. and I apologize fot everything, It looks like I'm stable now and don't have heart failure or anything too serious. They may keep me in the hospital another day or so.

In any case, I think I'm ok now.

Cheers,
Jim


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

Thanks for the report, Jim.
All of us at KB are glad to hear that you are ok.
I am sure that those in Atlanta who have had the pleasure of meeting you are even more glad.
But we will keep you in our prayers for a full recovery.

Just sayin.......


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## Four Lil&#039; Paws (Nov 30, 2009)

I'm so glad to hear that you are alright, Jim! 

I'm sorry that I wasn't able to make it to the meet up, but there was just no way that my hubby and I were going to make it after getting off work with downtown traffic. If we can reschedule on a weekend, that would be great...especially since I would love to have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory! I've only ever eaten there once before a good decade ago


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Sounds like a good excuse for another meet-up with Jim missing the last one, besides, doesn't he owe someone desert


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Yes, I do owe someone a desert, and I promise to make good on it next time.

What started out as a quick trip to the doctor on Wednesday turned into a nightmare.  A year and a half ago, I had my third back surgery. It was a 12-hour operation by two surgeons where they put it some big titanium rods and screws, also they spent several hours boring through my guts to put in some plastic shims between the lumbar vertebra. At the end of the day, everything from L3-S1 was fused. There were some complications from the surgery, and in April 2009, I had more surgery to fix this. After all this, for the first time in about fifteen years, my back was virtually pain-free.

Until about four months ago, when the pain came back. X-rays and other images showed that the lumbar vertebra just above the fused levels had come out of alignment and was crushing the nerve roots. I had seen an orthopedic surgeon last month, and he said that before doing another surgery (law of diminishing returns), he wanted me to try pain management, starting with an epidural. The epidural that I had a few days later did not help, and the bad was so bad by now that I could hardly sleep. I went back to our regular doctor on Monday (two days before the meet-up), and she prescribed some heavier narcotic pain relievers until I could have the next back surgery. By now the pain was getting so bad that I could hardly sleep at all, and on on Wednesday afternoon (the day of the meet-up), I went back to her again. As it turned out, the heavy narcotics used to subdue the pain repressed my breathing and allowed fluids to build up around my lungs and heart. It was a little more complicated than that, but that's the main thing. Once it was apparent what was happening, the doctor sent me straight to the nearest hospital emergency room. That's where I was until early this afternoon.


So that's what I was going through the night of the meet-up. I promise you it would have taken that much to keep me away that night. Now I'm home, and doing much better with all the fluid off my lungs. Hopefully, I'll be able to set up the next surgery within a few weeks.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Jim, please please keep us posted!


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Anju No. 469 said:


> Jim, please please keep us posted!


Will do - thanks!


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

For the meet-up, Yale Jaffe had sent me a Smashwords code for his marvelous novel "Advantage Disadvantage." If you were at the meet-up and would like the code for a free download, please send me a PM.

I recently read "Advantage Disadvantage," and I posted my review at Amazon this morning. Highly recommended reading.


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## WendyRavenMcNair (Oct 29, 2009)

Hello all,
I found out about this thread through a J. Chambers from the Amazon forum and I'd like to know if I can participate. I'm in the Atlanta area but I don't currently own a Kindle. I did try to win some during the Amazon contest last year but no such luck. I'm hoping to own one eventually because I do have a story available on it and I plan on posting future stories on it as well so I can see first hand how my work comes across. I've never seen a Kindle up close and in person.

Regards


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Howdy, Wendy. My wife and I live in Tucker, and we both have Kindles. You're welcome to come over anytime for a demo.

And yes, "J. Chambers" on the Amazon forums is me.

Hopefully we'll be having another Atlanta meet-up before too long. I'm bummed that I missed the one last week because I was in the ER at Northside Hospital.


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## WendyRavenMcNair (Oct 29, 2009)

I hope you or the person you were visiting in ER has recovered. Thank you for the welcome and I look forward to the next meetup. Thank you.


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