BBH Summer Training Camp Barbecue - Attendance & Shopping List

[G-Girl]

Hi everybody! I am G-Girl and I will be coordinating this year's BBH Summer Training Camp BBQ. This post is intended to give everyone an opportunity to let us all know if you are planning to attend the get-together, how many people will be in your group, and provide a shopping list of requested items that you might be able to contribute.

This year's BBQ will be held on Saturday, August 7th, from 11:00 AM till 5:30 PM (between the morning and afternoon practice sessions), once again at Six Mile / Lake Rensalier Park.

Thanks to the Giants decision to delay officially announcing the schedule for Summer Camp until last week, we are now in a bit of a pinch for time. So, please take your next available opportunity to respond to this post, and help us plan another excellent BBH BBQ!

I will be regularly updating the list as you respond. And, in the near future I will make a second post with maps and directions.

The shopping list below is a continuation of a list used last year by vette for organizing the BBQ. I have made a few additions, a few deletions and some consolidation and reorganizing. If you have a

[jimv]

I'll be coming over with a Giant fan friend or my wife.  I WILL be bringing a 12 pack of assorted SHIPYARD ALES and can bring any paper goods you may need.  I'll be coming over from the Portland ME area.  Just where is the park where the BBQ will be held?

[slg11]

SLG1 & SLG2 (Mrs) will bring the hot dogs (Nathans & Heb Nationals) , sausage, & rolls.

[Webster29]

There is one thing I would add about Lake Rensalier Park.  For those who have net been there yet it is great for our purposes but if it has a draw back there is not a lot of parking space.   If you are going to the BBQ it would be my suggestion to get there by noon or perhaps just a bit later.   When you get into the afternoon hours the park fills up fast.  Last year if memory serves the access road to the park had cars parked on both sides making it basically a one lane rd.   And I believe there was at least one fender bender.

So come early and stay late.   You will be glad you did.

[Bill Brown]

My wife and I will bring a case of Poland Spring water and a case of Czechvar beer.

Bill

[G-Girl]

There is one thing I would add about Lake Rensalier Park.  For those who have net been there yet it is great for our purposes but if it has a draw back there is not a lot of parking space.   If you are going to the BBQ it would be my suggestion to get there by noon or perhaps just a bit later.   When you get into the afternoon hours the park fills up fast.  Last year if memory serves the access road to the park had cars parked on both sides making it basically a one lane rd.   And I believe there was at least one fender bender.

So come early and stay late.   You will be glad you did.

Webster is right about the parking last year. However, there were also two VERY large parties besides our there on that day as well. One party completely dominated the south side of the park (the side with the playground). In previous years we shared the park with at least one other group, but they were never quite as large.

Additionally, for some unexplained reason a considerable chunck of the parking area had been chained off last year. It reduced the available parking by at least 12 spaces. The combination of the three large parties and the reduction in parking was the reason that people began to park (illegally) on the access road, even though it was clearly posted as a "no parking" area.

There was an interesting observation made by Remembers Huff, however (BTW - we will miss you this year). In years past there was always a Parks Dept. Attendant in the blockhouse by the lake. He would make sure people only used the provided grills and obeyed parking rules. Apparently, cut backs on city funding may have eliminated the Attendant position, as no one ever showed up to stop either of the other two groups from bringing gas grills into the park. Or, as Webby already wrote, parking anywhere they chose.

There was even a small group that had actually staked out two of the choicest tables, near the parking area, early in the morning. They even arrived before Huff, who made our stake on tables pretty early himself. Then, they simply left the tables covered in cloths, their coolers and folding chairs, and didn't return for many hours. Our party was already rolling for more than four hours before they returned, late in the afternoon.

We will have to hope that other large parties are not also planning to use the facilities on the same day again. But, there is no way of predicting this in advance. I plan to set a new record for early arrival, and make absolutely sure we get good tables, under the shade of the cedars, not too far from the parking lot.

G-Girl

[RemembersHuff]

Nicely done, G-Girl!

If you can get a small group together to show up early and save tables, it's definitely easier to stake your claim -- it's hard to justify saying "that one's mine, too" to the 4th or 5th table as families start showing up and looking for a place to set up.

Love the folding tables idea -- it could cut down on the # of picnic tables you need to claim, and it keeps the group in a smaller area, much more sociable.  Another thing that could help things from getting too spread out: I'm pretty sure that when I was talking to some of the Water Dept. people about park regs (yes, because Lake Rensselaer is under their auspices, it's the only Albany park run by the Water Dept. instead of Parks & Rec -- keep that in mind if you need to contact them about anything) they told me that folks were welcome to bring in their own charcoal grills, only gas is prohibited.

If people have the means to transport extra charcoal grills in their trucks or even car trunks, you could consolidate the food prep/cooking area (and be assured of at least some grills not encrusted in crud).  If you'd like me to call the city to doublecheck on the grill regulations, I'd be happy to. 

And if I could manage to get you folks the loan of a large half-drum type grill, would someone be able to travel within a 15 mile radius of UAlbany to pick it up and return it? Some of the local volunteer fire depts. have them here and I could ask around.

Webster's right about the parking, they've closed off a small but handy overflow lot that we used to use and are apparently letting it go back to nature -- maybe more picnic space eventually, but fewer places for cars.  It's not a bad idea for people to leave some cars at the college and car-pool over to the park. (The other drawback is that it's a bit of a stroll to the restrooms, especially for Lenn, Drake, Weeze and any other elderly members.)

Sorry I'm going to miss this one, I think it's only my second absence in the 'modern era' of Albany gatherings.

If you need any Albany-area info, feel free to shoot me a note here or to get my email address from one of the many regulars who has it.

[President Rick]

Nice work, G-Girl.  And pilamaya!

(President) Rick and wife Phyllis plan to attend.

coming from Ohio, we can bring desserts [brownies, etc.] and paper towels.

and....it looks like there will be four from the Owens family.  Our son Brian and his [soon to be] bride Adrianna [wedding is July 23!!] will be joining us.     We'll bring extra desserts.

[tomeee]

wolf road is quite a walk from suny its been a while but I think its fuller road you are thinking of.

[jimv]

The map G Girl sent to me shows that it's off Fuller Rd.

[President Rick]

mea culpa.  it is fuller road.  how could I forget that [all those nights at the Frat House].     see, back in the day, it was always dark when we drove to albany.  sorry.

[Boog Man]

G-Girl...you can count me in! Then again, as I am your brother-in-law, I guess I couldve just called you to tell you that. I'll be making my traditional "crack of dawn" departure from New Hampshire to be in Albany just in time for some coffee and a walk through the Dutch Quad to catch the morning practice. So this year, I'll bring some stuff that I can readily toss in the back of the truck, like a couple bags of charcoal and lighter fluid.  I'll also bring some condiments...ketchup, mustard, relish...I got it.

[TuckerF]

Mark me down for the day.I'll bring the fruit platter /watermelon. Looking forward to seeing you all.

[mbigblue]

I'm not cross checking anything on the list right now because I'm not sure if I will be making it to camp this year.  I will probably know at the end of july if I can go or not.  If I do make it, I will bring whatever is left from the list. 

Thanks for your time G-Girl,

Frederic

[RemembersHuff]

Just thought of something else regarding your leftovers:  there's a shelter for homeless families right up the road from the park on Washington Ave. Extension that's open 24/7.  One of the programs at the non-profit where I work involves collecting extra produce from gardens and farms and delivering it to missions, pantries, etc. and I've made many deliveries to this place.

http://st-cath.org/SCCC_Published/homeless.htm

It's literally 5 minutes from the park by car -- just go right at the first light past the Home Depot, take another sharp right to the access road running parallel to Washington Ave. Extension -- drive past the Albany Police Dept's Pine Hills station and Marillac's driveway is the next left.

I don't have any particular contacts there, as I just show up with fruit and vegetables and give them to whoever is on duty at the desk.  My guess is that they'd gladly accept any unopened packaged food -- I'm not as sure about meats, salads, etc. but you could always contact them ahead of time to explain the BBQ and ask what food donations they can or can't accept.