The Annual SSS Outing: I mean, why not?

Gatherers of SouthSideSoxdotcom, allow me to lead you to an important discussion happening over on the Right Rail: The 2012 SSS Outing (aka: The Meet-up)(aka: The Meth-up). I'll let the details at the link speak for themselves; but I'll take a separate moment here to explain more about the history and what this whole outing business entails.

In 2009, I organized the first annual outing for South Side Sox and flew in to see it through that May. It was a different time for the site and only about twenty of us emerged with timid exhilaration, to meet at a game. In this "community" of people who gather virtually near-daily under one common interest and shared passion (and then wind up talking about everything else under the sun), meeting in person seemed a logical step.

For the twenty people who attended the first outing and the growing group of us every year since, this has become a truly special day of the year. People fly in from all corners of the country. It's difficult to describe how cool it is to join in person and put faces with names and watch live baseball with your best internet friends. Sure, there is a stigma and humor in that phrase alone. But I'm continually astounded by the bonds and relationships that form around this place. As a socially adjusted woman who moved away from my home team five years ago, I've made just as many lifelong friends on this lil' Sox blog, as I have made in Seattle.

Prior to that first outing, there were no pictures shared on the site and no ideas of one another's appearances beyond the basics of race and gender. Everyone lived up to their online personalities: laid back, sincere, passionate about Sox baseball, and hilarious. Amazingly, everyone is also incredibly good-looking, as you probably imagined. It's overwhelming, the conglomerate of really attractive people at this event. I'm pretty sure that's why people are always staring at us.

Anyway, Saturday, May 26th will be the 4th Annual South Side Sox Outing. It's an afternoon game. We'll have an impressive tailgate beforehand and likely party somewhere on the town after bringing home a Sox winner. Our section is reserved and I'm putting our deposit down by this week's end.

The deadline is rapidly approaching, but it's not too late to get added to the roster. Where you at, Sox Machine expats? If you want to commit to joining us on May 26th (Memorial Day weekend), let me know in the comments of the thread I linked above or by my email address, subterraneanhsa@gmail.com. I'm not hoping to add any maybe's at this point, so commit now if you want to come.

Whether you're a blabbermouth commenter, or a lurker here, I encourage you to join us for a fun day at the ballpark. Spirits are always high, laughter is shared, and we're 3 for 3 on Sox winners when we get together; a streak that we plan to continue next month!