I think Redbear and his wife are still on board, too. Just find a 5th and you'll be good. Look on the bright side... you get all the benefits of having me on your team without me actually taking up a spot on the roster. What a steal! :grin:
Sorry to not be around lately. Things have been kind of crazy and I have some updates. The most important one is it looks like we will have to reschedule the 24 hour hunt for a variety of reasons. #1 is we had a scheduling mixup somehow and we already have another event at the Mason Lodge that day. #2 is my girlfriend needs me to go out of town with her that weekend. #3 is I've been too busy lately to get very far on developing the hunt or publicize it much. #4 is it looks like we're going to sell the Mason Lodge building anyway and if we do, we won't need to do fundraisers.
However, we do still need to do treasure hunts! And in the meantime I had what I think might be a brilliant idea. Has anyone seen the sight www.thisisnottom.com or others like it? It's a like an internet treasure hunt where there's a puzzle you have to solve, and when you do, it takes you to a new page and a new puzzle. From what I can tell, it seems to be pretty popular. So here's my thought. The first step is to reschedule the hunt out a ways, maybe to September again. Step 2 is to create a string of puzzles on the Mason Lodge website. The plan is that I will tell people the date of the hunt, and generally what it is about, but if you want to register your team, you'll have to solve the puzzles to get the registration info and instructions on where to show up that day. I'm hoping that people will start forwarding the link to the website around and we'll get lots of people trying to solve the puzzles, even if they're not local. But once people get to the point of getting the registration info, how can they not register? Step 3 will be to put some Google ads on the site. If it catches on well enough, and we get lots of people trying to solve the puzzles and going to the site, maybe we'll generate enough money for the prize and we can have a lower registration fee. And really, this doesn't even have to be a fundraiser in the end so maybe we can even make registration fee if the ads generate a decent prize, or if we can find sponsors.
So does anyone have any experience with Google ads and know how much money they might generate? Or does anyone know of anyone who would want to sponsor the hunt for some ad space on the puzzle pages?
As for creating the puzzles, I think I can do it, but if there's anyone with any experience building websites that would like to help, let me know. We wouldn't even have to use the Mason website. It's just that I aleady have easy access to that domain.
I apologize for any inconvenience to anyone that rescheduling will cause, though it looks like a lot of people were starting to have a conflict with the date anyway. In the meantime, if I can get some help, maybe we can still get the puzzle site going by the 18th so people can still spend the day puzzle solving.
On another topic, I do have a game night going on at the Mason Lodge this Saturday night. It's supposed to be for my singles club, but it doesn't appear that too many of them are coming, maybe a dozen at the most. If anyone else wants to come by and play games,then come by. I am asking people to chip in $5 to help cover the cost of renting the building. We're getting there originally at 5pm to do some cooking. At 6pm we're doing an international potluck and then the games will probably start about 7pm. The lodge is at 1044 Front Ave. in St. Paul, just south of Como Park, a block east of Lexington near Gabe's.
Possibly. The plan is to have the building sold before winter so that we don't have to pay the winter heating bills again. Anyone want to buy a Lodge building?
I would absolutely LOVE to go to game night this weekend - I would absolutely LOVE to go discin' this afternoon!
I don't think I'm going to get to do either. My Sister-In-Law is turning 50 (Red Hat Time?) and my wife has shouldered the burden of arranging / hosting a surprise party this Saturday. By proxy I have that burden as well. IF I can get this afternoon off, I'll probably be calling BFG or some of the usual suspects to find out if anyone is outside today.
Edit: Nix that. I'm on schedule for Good Friday services at Church this afternoon. The Romans just HAD to pick a beautiful spring day to nail someone to a tree. :eyeroll:
I can kind of empathize with AW - my parents have an old historic township hall near their house, and they eventually decided they had to shut down the place in the winter because of the cost to heat the ol' place up. Their monthly meetings are done in home dining rooms now. How old is the Mason Hall?
The Masonic hall in SSP suffered the same fate. It was badly in need of repairs and there wasn't enough money to do that. They abandoned it after failing to sell it and the county claimed it for non-payment of back taxes and the city paid the taxes and bought that property and also the old NSP property next to it and razed both and made a parking lot for city hall. Evenutally the city sold it to a developer and town houses were built there, most of which stand empty.
Our building was apparently built in 1902, though I think it was originally a church or something. We didn't get it until 1946. At this point my lodge would just look to rent space for our meetings. If we sell the building we'll have lots of money and we still have enough people to fill all of our offices and such, so there's no need to merge with another lodge.
If we sell the building we'll have lots of money...
Sounds like that may be a pretty big IF right now.
I complained a week or two ago about the taxable value of my house plummeting, but when I checked with a financing agent about renegotiating the mortgage, I found out the houses are selling for a helluva lot LESS. I'd have to PAY someone $20K just to get rid of the property right now. Scary.
Ours is already paid off so we can sell it for whatever amount will work. We're probably also in a better position to do a contract for deed if necessary. Plus the commercial market is a bit different from the residential market. So we're hopeful we can sell it in 6 months. Otherwise we'll have to keep up the fundraising after all.
I'm sure the map to the gold was buried UNDER the lodge somewhere (now under a parkinglot) that tells where it's hidden in Kaposia Park (probably somewhere along disc golf hole 15).
I be heading out to play a round of disc golf in CG!!! today!! played around yesterday and was the Worst round I have played in a few times!!! lol :angry: :angry: :angry:
The total time for hiding and hunting eggs should be no more than two hours. Then be sure to refrigerate the "found" eggs right away until you eat them. Eggs found hours later or the next day should be thrown out — not eaten!
I don't know... that could very well be real. I checked a site that has images of the ticket stubs and posters for pretty much every Dylan show, and "Xcel" is spelled incorrectly on the poster they have scanned. I wouldn't put it past them to misspell the venue on an official poster.
Incrediblemagpie..I LOVE YOU!!! You made this kitty very happy and can't wait until the 25th when I can show you my gratitude... all because of paisley!!!
As I said before, I am a Minneapolis native so I would be a great asset!
Let me know!
Steph
However, we do still need to do treasure hunts! And in the meantime I had what I think might be a brilliant idea. Has anyone seen the sight www.thisisnottom.com or others like it? It's a like an internet treasure hunt where there's a puzzle you have to solve, and when you do, it takes you to a new page and a new puzzle. From what I can tell, it seems to be pretty popular. So here's my thought. The first step is to reschedule the hunt out a ways, maybe to September again. Step 2 is to create a string of puzzles on the Mason Lodge website. The plan is that I will tell people the date of the hunt, and generally what it is about, but if you want to register your team, you'll have to solve the puzzles to get the registration info and instructions on where to show up that day. I'm hoping that people will start forwarding the link to the website around and we'll get lots of people trying to solve the puzzles, even if they're not local. But once people get to the point of getting the registration info, how can they not register? Step 3 will be to put some Google ads on the site. If it catches on well enough, and we get lots of people trying to solve the puzzles and going to the site, maybe we'll generate enough money for the prize and we can have a lower registration fee. And really, this doesn't even have to be a fundraiser in the end so maybe we can even make registration fee if the ads generate a decent prize, or if we can find sponsors.
So does anyone have any experience with Google ads and know how much money they might generate? Or does anyone know of anyone who would want to sponsor the hunt for some ad space on the puzzle pages?
As for creating the puzzles, I think I can do it, but if there's anyone with any experience building websites that would like to help, let me know. We wouldn't even have to use the Mason website. It's just that I aleady have easy access to that domain.
I apologize for any inconvenience to anyone that rescheduling will cause, though it looks like a lot of people were starting to have a conflict with the date anyway. In the meantime, if I can get some help, maybe we can still get the puzzle site going by the 18th so people can still spend the day puzzle solving.
I don't think I'm going to get to do either. My Sister-In-Law is turning 50 (Red Hat Time?) and my wife has shouldered the burden of arranging / hosting a surprise party this Saturday. By proxy I have that burden as well. IF I can get this afternoon off, I'll probably be calling BFG or some of the usual suspects to find out if anyone is outside today.
Edit: Nix that. I'm on schedule for Good Friday services at Church this afternoon. The Romans just HAD to pick a beautiful spring day to nail someone to a tree. :eyeroll:
I can kind of empathize with AW - my parents have an old historic township hall near their house, and they eventually decided they had to shut down the place in the winter because of the cost to heat the ol' place up. Their monthly meetings are done in home dining rooms now. How old is the Mason Hall?
Sounds like that may be a pretty big IF right now.
I complained a week or two ago about the taxable value of my house plummeting, but when I checked with a financing agent about renegotiating the mortgage, I found out the houses are selling for a helluva lot LESS. I'd have to PAY someone $20K just to get rid of the property right now. Scary.
omg...there's gold in them der hills!!!!!!
has to be left somerwhere...
hope you have a nice getaway with your girlfriend.
what weekend was it supposed to be? next weekend?
then glad it got changed. I had plans that weekend.
in the meantime I had what I think might be a brilliant idea
in general, what a great bold strong confident statement - nice! :smile: :goofy:
what is the masonic lodges website?
do you write this stuff down somewhere?
<edit> I meant not in the Cooler - hehe
great movie. diggs up a Wal-Mart.
Click here: http://www.dougpatton.com/custom/flash/rapeasterbunny.swf
Saturday April 25 (after Ian's party)
The Pearl - 9:30pm to 1:30am
Blue Fox in Arden Hills
I hope everyone had a nice Easter weekend.
APRIL 25th...IAN's SPECIAL GEOCACHING EVENT!!!!
http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC1HMNE
To honor that accomplishment, we will be "Crowning" the King on Saturday, April 25, 2009.
I have the first coin that Im thinking of selling.
http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-St-Paul-Minnesota-Watch-Check-760A-1a-NGC-MS-63-RB_W0QQitemZ150338327217QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item150338327217&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A8%7C294%3A50
http://cgi.ebay.com/Bob-Dylan-Concert-Poster-St-Paul-10-25-2001_W0QQitemZ300307540475QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item300307540475&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A8%7C294%3A50
I am a commercial real estate broker, let me know if you need help.
Its not my market. I work the NW area but I have partners that work the Saint Paul area.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_032105_01/index.asp
The total time for hiding and hunting eggs should be no more than two hours. Then be sure to refrigerate the "found" eggs right away until you eat them. Eggs found hours later or the next day should be thrown out — not eaten!
spell wrong and mean Elvis Presley?
way to go IMP!
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30262844/?GT1=43001
Score one for us ugly people - maybe I'll finally get that kiss I've been wanting all my life now :sheepish: