Hello Everyone,
If you're in San Francisco, I hope you're enjoying the nice weather. I'm liking it, but it's also freaking me out a bit. Having grown up and lived most of my life in the Bay Area, it is deeply weird to be riding a motorcycle around at the beginning of February without a damn jacket on.
I've a bunch of bits and pieces of news for you this month. But, the biggest thing first -- progress is being made at Haight Street. I'm going to write a full update for the regular newsletter (right after I finish this note, in fact) so you'll find all the details there. But, if you don't have time to read it, the short version is that the "big pieces" jobs (the bathroom / lightwell job, the electrical, and the front exterior work) are all shaping up nicely. Even better, it's looking like permitting is going to be straightforward; even the historical preservation considerations for the exterior work. There hasn't been any construction progress so far but I think that will change a lot this month.
And now, on to the rest of the info for this note.
Sponsor Hoodies
The second run of sponsor hoodies should arrive tomorrow, or Friday at the latest. If you ordered one, you can give us a call or drop us an email on Friday to see if they've arrived. If you're out of town, we'll email you to let you know that they're here, and to set up shipping and payment details.
Anniversary Patch
Related to the hoodies, I'd love your advice about something I'm considering. I can have patches made with the anniversary logo. They'd be full size (11" by 10") and I think they'd be perfect for folks who want to, in essence, make their own Borderlands Anniversary garment. The catch is that, at a quantity of 25, they're going to be pretty expensive; $30 for sponsors and $50 for non-sponsors. I'd love one for my leather jacket, but I'm not sure how many other people would like one. So, what do you think? Am I just having a flashback to my (misplaced and dysfunctional) teenage love of motorcycle gangs, or is a patch suitable for a jacket or vest with the gorgeous anniversary logo something you think that people would like to have?
4th Year Stickers
We (finally) have the 4th year stickers for the back of your sponsor card. If you'd like one, stop by the store anytime and ask for one at the counter. If you live out of town, we'd be happy to mail one to you -- just reply to this note and ask us to send it. And, if you find that you're missing one from a previous year, we'd be happy to send that as well (assuming, of course, that you were a sponsor that year). As an aside, I'm super happy with the design this year. It's based on the grotesques that sit atop the bay windows of the Haight Street building, and Michelle Rapp once again knocked this design out of the park.
Borderlands' Wikipedia Entry
The entry about Borderlands Books on Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderlands_Books> is woefully incomplete and out-of-date. Jude mentioned that there might be someone (or a couple of someones) among our sponsors who has a good rep and experience editing Wikipedia pages. If that is you, and if you'd be willing to expand on the current page, it would make me very, very happy. If you're interested and willing, please do get in touch with me.
Penultimate Sponsor Note
If you haven't renewed your sponsorship for 2018, it's not too late (actually, it's _never_ too late -- we're happy to accept sponsorships anytime). But, if you haven't renewed, this note is the next-to-last one that you'll be getting. If you've decided not to renew this year, please don't feel any pressure from me to change your mind. I'm just terribly grateful that you were willing to support us last year. On the other hand, if you are planning on renewing: you're welcome to stop by the store, call, drop us an email, or use this link to renew your sponsorship - https://borderlands-books.com/buysponsorship.html
Upcoming Sponsor Events
The tug boat version:
(1) Saturday, February 10th at 4:00 pm - Tour and Tasting at Anchor Brewery. We have received a few cancellations, so if you are interested, please call ASAP to book your spot for this event. $26.00 per person, which includes tour and tasting. One guest only, space will be limited.
(2) Thursday, February 15th at 7:00 pm -- Sneak Peak of "Black Panther" at The Balboa Theatre presented by SF in SF.
(3) Tuesday, February 27th at 6:00/7:00 pm. - Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. Join us at the new store (1377 Haight St. at Masonic) for show-and-tell at 6:00 pm, and then join us for cocktails at HQ Bar and Restaurant at 1568 Haight Street from 7 to 10pm.
(4) Thursday, March 8th, time TBA -- Sneak Peak of "A Wrinkle in Time" with SF in SF at Balboa Theatre. Details to come...
(5) Thursday, March 15th at 6:00 pm at The Mint -- Karaoke with Seanan McGuire and Mishell Baker
(6) Friday, March 16th at 7:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels
(7) Saturday March 31st 7:00-9:00 pm -- Sponsor General Meeting at the Borderlands Cafe.
(8) Saturday, April 21st at 5:30 pm - Alcatraz Nighttime Tour. Currently at capacity.
(9) Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 pm -- Mark your calendars for our next Sponsor Social.
The cruise ship version:
(1) Saturday, February 10th at 4:00 pm - Tour and Tasting at Anchor Brewery. We have received a few cancellations, so if you are interested, please call ASAP to book your spot for this event. $26.00 per person. From their website <https://www.anchorbrewing.com/brewery/tours>: "You’ll get a brief history of our company and a walk through three floors of our brewery. And yes, there’s a tasting session immediately to follow. Together, the brewery tour and the beer tasting last for about 1.5 hours." There will only be 10 spaces in our group so you're welcome to bring only one guest. Prepayment will be required - please RSVP by replying to this note and we'll make payment arrangements with you. 1705 Mariposa St, San Francisco, CA 94107
(2) Thursday, February 15th at 7:00 pm -- "Black Panther" at The Balboa Theatre presented by SF in SF. SNEAK PREVIEW -- "BLACK PANTHER" movie! Tickets $9 – pay via PayPal to sfinsfevents@gmail.com, and please choose "friends/family" option to avoid service fees. We'll be out in force to see the film, and it's so much fun to see it in a group! There will be a fabulous raffle for prizes after the movie -- please join us!
(3) Tuesday, February 27th at 6:00/7:00 pm. -- Sponsor Cocktails and Visit Borderlands West. We thought it would be nice to give you chance to see our new building and so, for the next few months, we'll be having drinks on Haight St. Join us at the new store (1377 Haight Street at Masonic) for show-and-tell at 6:00 pm, then join us for cocktails at HQ Bar and Restaurant (formerly Martin Mack's at 1568 Haight Street) from 7 to 10pm.
(4) Thursday, March 8th, time TBA -- Preview of "A Wrinkle in Time" with SF in SF at Balboa Theatre! More details to come, but if you know you'd like to attend, PayPal $9 per ticket to sfinsfevents@gmail.com, and please choose "friends/family" option to avoid service fees. Limit of 6 tickets per sponsor.
(5) Thursday, March 15th at 6:00 pm at The Mint -- Nebula Award winning author, singer/songwriter, snake handler, Borderlands sponsor, and all-around amazing person Seanan McGuire has graciously offered to return as our special host for Borderlands Sponsors' Karaoke Night, and she'll be joined by the incredibly cool & talented Southern California author Mishell Baker, who was also one of our Year One sponsors! This will be an enormously entertaining event, and we hope you'll join us to show off your vocal prowess (or your irrepressible attitude that's great, too, if you happen to lack vocal prowess). The Mint is located at 1942 Market Street, San Francisco, and we have reserved space for sponsors. Some pertinent info about The Mint: it is a bar, so this event will be for those 21 and over. There is no cover charge, but there is a 2-drink minimum. Guests are welcome, and please RSVP so we know how many people to expect.
(6) Friday, March 16th at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm - Roller Skating at Church of 8 Wheels. Housed in the 118-year-old former location of Sacred Heart Church (554 Fillmore Street at Fell Street in San Francisco) The Church of 8 Wheels welcomes anyone over the age of 18 to Friday night disco. Admission is $10.00 and skate rentals are an additional $5.00. Personal skates and roller blades are allowed and should weather dictate layering, there is a coat check at the door. This year, we've also reserved the small break area at the back, so we will have our own seating and area to set our stuff. We can have food, but they ask that we only bring and/or consume water. http://www.churchof8wheels.com/. Please feel free to bring as many friends as you would like. We'll follow up with drinks at The Toronado (over 40 beers on tap - http://www.toronado.com), 547 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117.
(7) Saturday March 31st 7:00-9:00 pm -- Sponsor General Meeting. If you've never attended, the General Meeting is sort of like a cross between a share-holders meeting and a big advisory board. Alan will outline where Borderlands and the Sponsor Program stands and then ask for comments, opinions and ideas. We hope to see as many of you there as possible, because this is where we get guidance on where we should go with the sponsor program, and Alan would love to hear your thoughts. If you can't attend in person, feel free to email with your comments (we'll email a report on the meeting a week or two afterwards). Obviously, the major topic this year will be our new building and what the process of moving will be like, so bring your questions and Alan will do his best to answer them.
(8) Saturday, April 21st, 5:30 p.m. - Alcatraz Night Tour. Unfortunately, we have passed the deadline for buying group tickets, but there are many more fun adventures to share in the coming year. The tour of Alcatraz Island at night is supposed to be much cooler than the usual daytime one. For those joining us; we are awaiting our actual departure time from the Park Service, but you will receive more info in the very near future. We can expect to leave sometime between 5 and 6 pm from Fisherman's Wharf. From the Alcatraz website: "Enjoy a tour of Alcatraz Island after dark on one of our Alcatraz night tours from San Francisco. The Alcatraz night tour is a unique program limited to just a few hundred visitors per evening. It includes special programs, tours, and activities not offered during the day. This tour includes: roundtrip ferry transportation, a live boat narration, a guided tour from Dock to Cellhouse, the Cellhouse Audio Tour, a keepsake souvenir brochure, recreation use fee, and a variety of special programs and presentations offered only at night."
(9) Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 pm -- Mark your calendars for our next Sponsor Social.
Teaser Alert: coming down the pipeline, many more exciting events in and around our fair store. . . include Bowling at The Presidio, a Sponsor party at World Con in San Jose, and a new location for our Fall picnic/BBQ with details to come. If you are interested in attending WorldCon 76 itself, you may purchase your membership here: https://www.worldcon76.org/membership/how-to-register
- Alan Beatts
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