What is your Gathering attendance "excuse"?

[Sandrock74]

I am planning on going to the Michigan Gathering next month and I was just wondering what all of you "veterans" tell your nosy friends, neighbors or relatives? I'm only going to be out of town from Friday-Sunday but since I haven't gone anywhere since 2005, people are going to ask questions, I can predict it. I just don't want to make up a needlessly complex story that will cause more questions or a too vague story which will keep them asking me questions.

Worse comes to worse, I'll just tell them to get bent but then I will seem rude. This also falls on my birthday, which makes this not just another weekend to kind of complicate matters.

So, I was just looking for some advice.

By the way...my 600th post! Yay!

 

[baldadonis]

I travel quite a lot so people don't usually think too much of me being out of town. My usual response is I'm that I'm just going out of town to visit some friends, which is true anyway. If they ask for more details, and its someone I don't think would react positively to the actual truth, I'd probably say they are friends from college or grad school. That's been more than enough information for me, and if anyone inquired further, I think they'd have earned a well deserved "none of your beeswax."

Congrats, on getting out to your first gathering btw. I'm sure you'll have an amazing time.

 

[Snail Shell]

Animation convention.

Snail Shell

 

[Texas_Tickle]

I just usually say I'm going to visit some friends. Which technically is not a lie.

 

[Iris]

I sooo want to attend a gathering..... will you welcome me with open arms.... 🙂

 

[Comfort Eagle]

I'm off to a tickle torture party!

Everyone assumes I'm joking.

 

[Skipadeedoodah]

I bounce back and forth between REALLY wanting to go and REALLY not wanting to go - so when it all averages out I guess I'm still on the fence *sigh* oh well - if I were going, my excuse would just be that my fiance and I were going to spend the weekend in Philly (I'd go to NEST cause it's closest to me) because he likes the historical stuff. Good luck!

 

[AffectionateDan]

I don't make excuses. I just don't volunteer information. I tell those that need to know that I'm going out of town to see friends in Philadelphia, Connecticut, New Hampshire, San Jose, wherever the hell I'm going. That's all they need or really want to know. If you start concocting elaborate reasons why you're leaving town, then you're gonna hafta REMEMBER all that shit. Screw that noise.

 

[-Hari-]

I havent had to make an excuse yet, nor will I for quite a while ide imagine, but when i do, il have to travel deep into excuse land to find a good reason why im flying to another country..


Hari

 

[Artoo]

Housemates/Friends etc: "Right, I'm off to a fetish party."

Parents/Family: It hasn't come up yet, I guess I'd say that I'm going to meet up with some friends and have a bit of a laugh. 😉

 

[totally_evil]

I tell my friends the truth. "I'm going to the tickling party I organised." Most of the time I'm the one who's organised the gathering, or helped organise it.

My dad and sister I tell the truth to, my mum has never asked. The joys of not living with them.

If nosy neighbours ask it's none of their business.

 

[kered]

I've told people I'm visiting friends. If they press the issue I tell them I'm going to a tickle party. They usually get defensive at that point and say "if you really don't want to say, then don't" to which I reply that I'm going to visit some friends and that usually ends it.

 

[BellaRisa]

I don't make excuses. I just don't volunteer information. I tell those that need to know that I'm going out of town to see friends in Philadelphia, Connecticut, New Hampshire, San Jose, wherever the hell I'm going. That's all they need or really want to know. If you start concocting elaborate reasons why you're leaving town, then you're gonna hafta REMEMBER all that shit. Screw that noise.

Thank you. One of the cool things about being an adult is that it's no one's business where you go or why you're going 😎

 

[Deleted member 66627]

Seeing friends from a community I'm a part of.

"What community?"

"It's a forum."

"What do you discuss?"

"General Discussion."

"Ah."

 

[TklDuo-Ann]

I don't make excuses. I just don't volunteer information. I tell those that need to know that I'm going out of town to see friends in Philadelphia, Connecticut, New Hampshire, San Jose, wherever the hell I'm going. That's all they need or really want to know. If you start concocting elaborate reasons why you're leaving town, then you're gonna hafta REMEMBER all that shit. Screw that noise.

That's about the same as Drew & I. For those that constantly press for more info., we just tell them that it's an online group of TV show & movie fans. We've used the same line forever. So, we don't worry about forgetting. We even have a new version of the TMF should one of us slip up and mention it...Television & Movie Fans Club. Since we do spend a fair amount of time gabbing about shows and movies, it works.

 

[Artoo]

We even have a new version of the TMF should one of us slip up and mention it...Television & Movie Fans Club. Since we do spend a fair amount of time gabbing about shows and movies, it works.

At a UKTF munch, we were trying to come up with a decent acronym that we could use as a cover.

United Kingdom Tiddlywinks Fedaration
United Kingdom Team Fabulous
United Kingdom Tickling...oh shit, not that!

 

[Sandrock74]

That's about the same as Drew & I. For those that constantly press for more info., we just tell them that it's an online group of TV show & movie fans. We've used the same line forever. So, we don't worry about forgetting. We even have a new version of the TMF should one of us slip up and mention it...Television & Movie Fans Club. Since we do spend a fair amount of time gabbing about shows and movies, it works.

LOL! I like that...and it smacks of the truth. Why didn't I think of this?

I already told my roommate that I may be going out of town for that weekend (kinda testing the waters) and he just grunted acknowledgement and kept playing his XBox. I'm not close enough to the neighbors that they are any concern. I have enough varied friends that if I just say I am going to see "friends", everyone will assume I'm seeing someone else. That's where keeping it simple comes in handy. I guess I'm just thinking of my family, since its on my birthday, so they may ask questions. Then again, maybe not.

Maybe I'll just tell everyone I'm off to a Star Trek convention. That seems to scare everyone away.

 

[milagros317]

I just tell friends and family the truth but not the whole truth. In other words, I say, "I'm going to Philadelphia on Friday and I'll be back on Monday. I'll be seeing some friends there."

"What friends?" is met by "Nobody you know, I met them through the internet."

Any further questions are met with MYOB (mind your own business). 😀