The Graddy Bash goes down rain or shine. There is shelter, but if it is storming you should probably expect to get a little wet since the Graddy Bash is outside. Stormy weather makes it all the more memorable.
Good Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Night / Or Whatever The Time Of Day May Be,
Believe it or not, it's your lucky day! No....no, no, no...you..you didn't win the lottery. And no, I don't have millions of dollars in an overseas bank account that I need to transfer to the US. It's your lucky day because you are officially being invited to Graddy Bash - The Dos (yes, that's Spanish for the number two) (and yes, the Graddy Bash now has subtitles).
At this point, you may be wondering "What in the world is this bashing graddy dos stuff?" In simple terms, the Graddy Bash is an event that happens every so often in Nashville that includes free food, cool people (well...only if you come), and fun times. It might be easier to explain if I just give you the facts.
Who: You (like how that rhymes?). Graddy Bashes are open events for all ages - so bring your friends, bring your kids, bring your parents, etc.
What: Free food, fun, and friends (that sounded really cheesy) (did you know there's a big debate over whether or not to put a comma before "and"? Obviously, I fall on the pro-comma side of the debate).
When: 6:00pm - 11:00pm Friday, September 25, 2009
Where: Percy Warner Park, Indian Springs Section (Please note, this is not the lake. This is the park where the Steeplechase takes place. You will need to follow the directions page to get there).
Why: Life is built on relationships. Any time you can get people from different walks of life meeting, communicating, and interacting a positive environment is created. And anytime you have free food, life is good.
How: Tell me you are coming and then show up (please don't send me "I might show up" - I only want to know if you are definitely
coming. A late "yes" is better than an early "maybe".) If you are replying for your family, let me know how many in your family are
coming. You can tell me you are coming using one of the following methods:
Call / Text Message: 918-557-1900 (if you send a text message, be sure to include your name in the text in case I don't have your name
in my phone).
Email: (Anthony is my first name).
Facebook: Send a message to http://facebook.com/pgraddy
As always, Graddy Bashes have a few basic rules:
- Rule Uno: Anybody and everybody is welcome and invited. Bring your friends, bring your enemies, bring your posse, bring your..., you
get the picture.
- Rule Dos: Graddy Bashes are alcohol free events (as in, there will be no alcohol) (the goal is for the event to be a comfortable
environment for everyone) (if you have difficulty being comfortable in an environment that does not include alcohol, you may be
pleasantly surprised by the Graddy Bash).
- Rule Tres: Graddy Bashes go down no matter what (if I'm the only one to show up, I will still have fun) (if the weather forecast is
rain with thunderstorms, it will make the GB even more memorable) (you can see how many people are planning to show up on the counter page).
Some final thoughts to close this invitation out. You can get complete directions on the directions page found here:
http://pgraddy.com/graddy-bash/the-dos-directions
Everytime someone responds and says they are coming, I update the Graddy Bash counter so everyone can see how many people have said
they are coming. You can find the counter here:
http://pgraddy.com/graddy-bash/the-dos-counter
You can pass this invitation on to others using this simple link:
http://pgraddy.com/graddybash
The Graddy Bash is now twitterized. You can follow, ReTweet (that sounds like a cartoon character saying "retreat" - if you talk with a lisp, I apologize, I did not intend to compare you to a cartoon character), and doing all those other Twitter kinds of things here: http://twitter.com/graddybash (if you are completely clueless about twitter, just send a text message to the number 40404 that says "follow graddybash" and you will receive text message updates about the GB).
All the best,
Paul Graddy
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Ummm....do I even know you?
A. It's possible. I do my best to send Graddy Bash invites only to people who have some type of relationship to me. However, since the
GB is an open event, you may be receiving this because your friend's wife's cousin's brother knows me. Here's a couple pictures from
the first Graddy Bash invitation that may help you recognize me:
http://pgraddy.com/pictures/uno
http://pgraddy.com/pictures/dos
If you don't know me, then there is no time like the present to change that.
Q. I don't believe in luck. I believe man is the master of his own destiny.
A. How 'bout we just say it was your ability to master your destiny so effectively that caused me to send you this invite?
Q. I went to Graddy Bash - The Uno and it was really lame. Why do you think I would want to come to The Dos?
A. Well, first things first. The first Graddy Bash, was not called "The Uno", it was just the Graddy Bash. I'm sorry you didn't have a
good time at the first one. The good news is that I've learned a lot from the original GB, and The Dos is an application of the
learning experience. If you came to the first one, the second round may be very different.
Q. The first Graddy Bash happened at J. Percy Priest Lake. The second one's going down at Percy Warner Park. What's your obsession
with the name Percy?
A. Is this seriously a question? It just so happens that a lot of the good parks in Nashville are associated withthe name "Percy". In case
you are unfamiliar with Percy Warner, you can read about him here: http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=W020 We
can just attribute the Graddy Bash association to coincidence...or..uh..luck.
Q. The last Graddy Bash happened on a Saturday. Why are you moving this thing to Friday?
A. Ah...this is an easy one. 8 letters: football. I'd rather the Graddy Bash compete with Friday night high school football rather
than college or the NFL. Oh...and it's probaby a good idea that Graddy actually show up at the Graddy Bash.
Q. I was really thinking about coming until the whole comma placement debate thing. Anybody who's aware of comma placement debates
probably doesn't throw a very good party.
A. You know...you may have a very good point. But, there is only one way to find out. I guess you'll need to show up on Friday and see
for yourself.
Q. What's the bathroom situation like this time around? You'd think this would be something you would include in the actual invitation
and we wouldn't have to ask about it.
A. UPDATE (SEPT 23rd): I would still recommend using the bathroom before you come, but there will be a privacy tent with a clean, portable camp toilet if you really need to go.
UPDATE (SEPT 21st): I'm working on possibly getting a portable camp toilet and privacy tent. Not sure if it is going to work out. If you have any concerns about the
bathroom situation, please let me know.
Unfortunately, the bathroom situation has not improved with this GB. In fact, it may have gotten worse. There are very few
bathrooms located in Warner Parks (and of the ones that are there, I'm not sure how many are actually open). My best advice is to make
sure you use the restroom before you arrive. I guess the good news is that there are even more woods around this time. You're right, I
probably should include this in the actual invitation.
Q. You sent me an invitation to the first GB and now you're sending me this junk again!
A. There is a simple solution to this problem. Simply say "Graddy, please don't inform me
about any more events because I really don't want to know about them."
Q. I've asked this before. I'm on a mailing list with 1,000 starving artists in Nashville. Can I send out a message to them?
A. You must really love those guys. The good news is that you are now more than welcome to send this invite out to them. Just make sure they know
that I need to know how many of them are coming by Thursday, September 24th.
Q. I'm a vegan. What's on the menu?
A. The plan is hamburgers and chips - typical cookout food. Feel free to bring your own food or let me know if I can pick up something special for you when you let me know you are coming. If you are a vegetarian, we can always go the grilled cheese route.
Q. Is there anything I need to bring?
A. If you have camp / lawn chair(s), I would recommend bringing those. Other than that, just bring yourself, family, and friends.
