MeFites offering seasonal refuge and open homes

November 2, 2017 11:54 AM

As folks gear up for holidays, I know some will be avoiding family for various reasons, so I wanted to set up the second annual thread to facilitate seasonal connections for support and good company (here's the first, from last year).

Same as last year, I'm proposing that:

1. Potential hosts who would like to open their tables and/ or beds write their home cities in a comment, and note what day(s)/ which holiday(s) they're opening their homes, and let people contact them directly
2. Potential guests contact a host directly via MeMail or email to coordinate and to check that everything will work out (food allergies and preferences, dishes offered, style of meal and topics that could be discussed that might cause discomfort or arguments), before exchanging contact information.

Also, you may want to review your location settings, where you could remove the lat-long and only enter a general text description or adjust the lat-long to provide some location vagueness, for the benefit of you and/or your guests.

posted by filthy light thief to MetaFilter-Related at 11:54 AM (24 comments total)

Thank you, I was thinking of starting a thread if no one else did. It's nice to know this is a possibility.
posted by NorthernLite at 12:01 PM on November 2, 2017 [1 favorite]

The rotation is to the wife's family this year (Louisville, KY) but if anyone happens to be in southern Alabama for Thanksgiving then my tribe's Powwow is a lot of fun to go to and mingle or loiter about at. If you notify me in time I can see if my family has an extra ticket/wristband or two.
posted by RolandOfEld at 12:25 PM on November 2, 2017 [8 favorites]

Awesome. I'll repeat my comment from last year:
I don't know how helpful or relevant a bed in Toronto would be to anyone, but my oldest daughter is away at school so we have a spare room over your Thanksgiving. It's not Thanksgiving here, so I won't be doing a turkey or anything, but hey 2 years of chef school so I can cook you a nice dinner? We have 2 other teenaged kids and a great big nervous dog and guitars everywhere and there will probably be beer.
posted by chococat at 12:42 PM on November 2, 2017 [8 favorites]

If you are queer-identified in the Milwaukee area and need somewhere to go for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas, I know a few people hosting things. Please memail me.
posted by AFABulous at 3:58 PM on November 2, 2017 [2 favorites]

I have no idea what I'm doing for Christmas but I'm in Phoenix and I won't be hosting family, so if you need somewhere to be that day hit me up. I'm also thinking of planning a pre-Christmas friends-only Candlenights, and of course you're all invited.
posted by WidgetAlley at 6:19 PM on November 2, 2017 [3 favorites]

Also, there is a high likelihood I will be away from my apartment on both Thanksgiving and Christmas (still in Phoenix, just not at home) so if anyone is coming through or needs to get away and wants a safe place and a loving kitty, let me know.
posted by WidgetAlley at 6:21 PM on November 2, 2017

would like to open their tables and/ or beds

Well now this a whole new Thanksgiving custom isn’t it?
posted by bendy at 10:24 PM on November 2, 2017 [19 favorites]

I'll be in San Antonio, Texas with my parents and brother on Thursday and a few days around then as well. We always have more than enough food and plenty of space for one or two folks. I mentioned last year that I had thought about inviting some internet folks to their house for Thanksgiving but thought better of it and my mom's response was "why?" so, let me know via memail if anybody would like to come eat at least three types of pie with the fam or hang out with me somewhere nearby wherein you can vent your spleen that has built up during your Texan turkey day.
posted by Mizu at 2:56 AM on November 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

We would be happy to have guests at our home in Syracuse NY. For Thanksgiving, it's likely to be just the two of us so there's room for multiple guests at the table and we could even handle some overnight guests. Christmas will be a bit more crowded but we'll be happy to squeeze you in at the table. There's probably going to be a holiday party sometime in mid-December and you're welcome to come to that as well. Just don't feed the dog; it gives her gas.
posted by maurice at 8:48 AM on November 3, 2017 [4 favorites]

I'm in Tallahassee, Florida. We do Thanksgiving at my in-laws, Christmas plans are yet-to-be-determined but will be in town, and we host an annual New Year's Day open house and board game day at my apartment. If you're in the North Florida/South Georgia region and need a place to hang out, my door is open (the roof is being held up by temporary supports -- thanks, Irma! -- but the door is definitely open).
posted by PearlRose at 8:54 AM on November 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

If you're in Northeast Florida (Jax/St. Augustine/Daytona area) during the holidays and looking for somewhere to go, MeMail me.
posted by saladin at 9:13 AM on November 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm in Northridge in Los Angeles, and our Thanksgiving is always Friendsgiving, we usually make a game/movie afternoon/evening of it. We always have room for more, there will be vegan options (including a Field Roast), we have elderly dogs and two of them are snugglers.

Christmas Eve is chili and hot chocolate, and Christmas Day is often going to the movies and out to eat, and the more the merrier.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:14 AM on November 3, 2017 [6 favorites]

As with last year, I'm happy to offer my apartment in SW PDX for 1 or 2 people who don't mind sleeping on a couch or air mattress for Christmas and/or NYE (I have Thanksgiving plans), but parking is tight so I recommend using public trans if convenient (bus stop is a couple blocks away).
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:47 AM on November 3, 2017 [1 favorite]

Please; will someone come visit? I need help with sanity:
Monsters 1&2 need someone to play with them. I don't have enough time to wear them out and any help in playing with them is appreciated.

There will be a traditional turkey meal at my mom's house and since there's just the two of us, any help in eating it will also be appreciated.

You will be introduced as a friend or cow-orker since she's 87 and doesn't understand internet friends. Mom is friendly and welcoming, yet clueless about the world.

Caveat: remember that she's 87 and doesn't have much of a reality base either, so be prepared for interesting comments that really don't mean much.

Memail me.
SEastern NC area.
posted by mightshould at 4:34 PM on November 3, 2017 [5 favorites]

There is a chance The Empress will be in NYC for Christmas. It's going to just be me and my parents, but it will be Monday, so I don't know if Mom will want to revert to my visiting there, or if we will hold to our new custom of "fuck it, let's just meet for lunch and then go home and sleep." Either way I plan to take that whole week from Christmas to New Year's off work and just stay in New York doing Fuck-all, so anyone looking for a tour guide can hit me up. I MIGHT also have sleeping quarters if the roommate is out of town, I don't know yet.

Have discovered I am walking distance from an artisanal cocktail bar at a whiskey distillery, though.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:22 AM on November 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

Sydney town is available for American Thanksgiving and Christmas and probably New Year's for meals. Heck, if you are a Mefite and want to hang out just memail me. I can't quit you people!
posted by jadepearl at 2:13 AM on November 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'm not doing much of anything festive for either holiday here in Savannah, just spending my time off from work doing endless repairs on the falling-down old house I bought. It's still not liveable (lack of funds) so I'm continuing to rent nearby and I have a spare bedroom. I'm close to the downtown historic district. Come on over, y'all.
posted by mareli at 7:38 AM on November 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

Here in Western Colorado, my wife and I haven't got anything planned for Turkey Day. We will be doing White Friday though - we'll go to the mountains to play in snow (snowshoes/skis) and then spin up to Glenwood Springs for a soak in the hot springs.

If you have interest in joining us and our friends on Colorado's Best Side, memail me and let us arrange it.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 12:33 PM on November 4, 2017 [1 favorite]

If you're in Melbourne, Australia, I'd be happy to have you at my Dad and I's Christmas lunch. My dad is Jewish but he's also an excellent chef.
posted by daybeforetheday at 11:18 PM on November 5, 2017 [2 favorites]

Huh. There is also a chance I will now be in town for Thanksgiving as well (or instead of).
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:17 AM on November 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

We're pretty busy with a major in-flux of family at Thanksgiving, but it'll quiet days around Christmas. We're pretty casual, but we take food seriously. We're in Rio Rancho, the extensive suburb north of Albuquerque. We have two young boys, a friendly dog and a cat who will love any and all attention at our home, though we'll likely be lounging and eating with my parents-in-law, who are lovely, welcoming folks. We'll be watching Hallmark/Lifetime movies, playing games, lounging and/or romping with the boys.

There's always a chance for a bit of snow, but nothing like Colorado, and it'll generally melt away in a day or two, but if you want snow, it'll be near by.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:20 AM on November 6, 2017

RhysPenbras and I are holding a queer- and poly-friendly casual afternoon supper open to any Mefites in or near Buffalo, NY on December 24. There will be dairy-free, vegan, and nightshade-free food options, everything labeled with ingredients (we are the house of fun food issues!)

Notes: we're up three flights of stairs, and the cat sheds enough that cat-hair tumbleweeds blow across the hardwood floors immediately after we've vacuumed. We are not set up for overnight guests, or a late night, but we there will be SO MUCH food. There might be board games; there *will* be puns. Adults only please (awesome teenagers are fine, but our place isn't kid-friendly - nor is our language).

Memail me or RhysPenbras for details.
posted by okayokayigive at 9:03 AM on November 7, 2017 [2 favorites]

Toledo, OH. Smoked turkey and all the trimmings for Thanksgiving. Middle Eastern food Christmas Eve, German food Christmas Day. Lots of wine and laughter!

I have 2 spare queen beds, plus a couch. Also 2 big, licky dogs. If you want to relax, be spoilt, and enjoy the holidays with a bunch of food nerds, my home is open.
posted by MissySedai at 9:39 PM on November 14, 2017 [1 favorite]

I can't put people up, and I plan on doing something in the late night on Thanksgiving, but I am available in the NYC area. Meet up elsewhere (I can check if Best Bar In The World is open), I can pull a meal together (I was just going to do Turkey Paprikash if it was just me, but i can adjust), whatever.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:49 AM on November 15, 2017 [1 favorite]