dc.sage Countdown to 1 Billion Party

Members of dc.sage will get together on September 8 at The Brickskeller in Washington D.C. to celebrate the 1 Billionth second since the UNIX Epoch. Please come join us to help commemorate and have some beer on what would otherwise be a mundane Saturday night. (dc.sage is a group of systems administrators, network administrators, and security professionals in the greater Washington D.C. area.)

Festivities will start at 18:00 (that's 6 PM) and continue until at least 10 PM ... I think that the actual moment of the 1 Billionth second will be at 21:46:40 EST. It's a good excuse to slip a second "beer night" into the schedule this month.

More about the 1 Billion Second can be found at www.electromagnetic.net.

The Brickskeller has food, music (a jukebox frozen in the '70's) and roughly 1,100 varieties of beer, mostly in cold bottles. They also have a full bar and a bearable wine selection ... but they are world-reknowned for their beer selection.

This event is not restricted to dc.sage members. Please feel free to forward this link and/or to invite friends, co-workers, and others who might enjoy lifting a glass with the local systems admins of D.C. Caveat: Attendees must be 21 or older, with proof of age (valid, government-issued picture ID) to attend. No exceptions.

RSVPs are always good, so that we can reserve a sufficiently large table. If you plan to attend, please fill out the RSVP form. If you forget to RSVP, stop by anyway ... we'll make room!

The rest of this page consists of directions to the event, instructions on how to RSVP, and of course, a list of frequently asked questions.

Directions

The Brickskeller is at 1523 22nd Street Northwest in Washington DC. It is in the Dupont Circle neigborhood, on 22nd Street Northwest between P and Q streets, and just south of Massachusetts Avenue NW. Metro RED LINE train to the Dupont Circle Station. At the station, you can use either exit (North or South).

From the Dupont Circle North exit, you will be at the corner of 20th and Q, facing roughly West. Walk due West 3 blocks (you will cross 21st St and Massachusetts before getting to 22nd). Turn left onto 22nd St. Halfway down the block you'll see the red awning on your left. Alternatively, from the top of the Metro station, you can turn left on 20th, walk down 2 blocks (crossing Massachusetts). Turn right onto P St and walk 2 blocks (counting streets on your right, crossing 21st St). Turn right onto 22nd. Halfway up the block you'll see the red awning on your right.

When you use the South exit, you will be on 19th just south of Dupont Circle, facing South. You want to walk North to Dupont Circle. Follow the Circle to your left (clockwise), cross New Hampshire Ave, and walk West on P St. Walk 2 blocks (counting streets on your right, crossing 21st St). Turn right onto 22nd. Halfway up the block you'll see the red awning on your right.

Driving

I recommend taking the Metro for several reasons. Firstly, parking in Dupont Circle is beastly on a Saturday night. If you show up right at 6 PM, you can often grab a street parking location on Massachusetts or 21st ... otherwise, you're going to be hunting, or paying for a garage spot. Secondly, most of us will be drinking ... drinking and driving is bad.

If you still need driving directions, here is a pointer to MapQuest.

Entering the Building and Finding Us

The Brickskeller has a big red awning over the entrance ... it's hard to miss once you get to the right street. Walk up the steps under the awning, through the glass doors. Take your immediate right and go through that door (big wooden door) ... there are more stairs that lead up to a second door on your right, and a hotel lobby in front of you ... which are not where you are going. Take the stairs down into the lower level. You'll be greeted by a host/hostess. Tell him/her that you are here for dc.sage. We meet in "the Back Room", usually in Section 8 or Section 7. If you come to a table full of geeky-looking people that might be us, you can ask "Is this dc.sage?" or "Do I cut down or across?" :) If it's the wrong table you'll get strange looks ... if it's us, you'll know.

Please use this form to RSVP if you plan to attend the dc.sage Countdown to 1 Billion Party

Your Name:
Your E-mail Address:

How many people are you bringing? (Count Yourself Too!)

What time do you think you'll arrive?

Are you a member of dc.sage?

Non-members of dc.sage are heartily welcome to these social events. Follow this link if you are interested in joining dc.sage.

Any Comments, Questions, or Suggestions of Things to Do Later on That Evening ... Anything you type here will be sent to the organizers of SIG-beer (Rob, Brett, and John) and will be treated as private unless you want us to share it.

When you submit this form you will be returned to the top of this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. I don't like beer ... is there any point to my coming?
    Of course! The Brickskeller is a full-service establishment with an ample selection of wines, a nice selection of scotches, and a well-stocked ordinary bar.

  2. Um ... you missed my point ... I don't drink alcohol.
    Oh! Well, The Brickskeller also stocks the usual fountain soft drinks, several exotic non-alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, some label of bottled fruit drinks, etc. You should be able to find something you like.

  3. But I am underage! Can I come to the SIG-beer meeting?
    No. The Brickskeller's house rules are quite strict about this. You will be carded at the entrance to the tavern. If you are under the legal drinking age of 21, nobody in our party will be allowed to have alcohol. While this is unfortunate ... it's their beer ... they make the rules (something about the law too). If you will be joining us, please bring a valid, government-issued, picture ID).

  4. Is that part of Washington D.C. safe?
    It is safer than most parts of the city. You should not run up and down the street shrieking "I'm in the money!" I lived two blocks from The Brickskeller for over a year and never had a problem (and I tend to roam around at 3AM). However, it is always more fun to travel in pairs, or larger groups. If you are going to be arriving by Metro after dark and you want someone to meet you at the station, please note that on your RSVP. When the party breaks up, some folks will walk back as a group to the Metro station.

  5. I really hate using public transportation ... where should I park?
    You will be sorry. Parking in DuPont Circle on a Saturday night is only slightly better than parking in the circle during a weeknight - it is a nightmare. There are no good tips on where to find parking. You should be aware that the fire hydrants and "No Parking" signs are well hidden but extremely ticketable. Give yourself an extra fifteen minutes to find a legal parking spot and walk back to the restaurant (22nd and P - NorthWest).

  6. My spouse/significant other/best friend/casual acquaintance wants to accompany me he/she is not a sysadmin or even a technical person.
    Bring him/her along. All are welcome. There will be enough non-technical people there to keep it from getting too boring. Just be fair ... be sure to warn your spouse/SO/BF/CA that most of the attendees are fairly hardcore computer geeks.

  7. What about kids?
    Kids will probably be bored out of their skulls with us. Also, most kids will not be of legal drinking age. If they are not accompanied by their parent or legal guardian, there will be problems for the whole table.

  8. I forgot to RSVP but I am going to be able to make it. Do I just show up?
    Yup. When you get to the The Brickskeller ask to go to the back room to meet the dc.sage party. We are usually in an area called "Section 8".

  9. I am going to be late. Is there any point to trying to get there?
    Tonight, the special moment to celebrate is at 09:46:40 EST ... so if you are looking for a target time to arrive, before then would be good.

  10. Do I need to bring money? How much will I need to bring?
    In a word, yes. The beers are good and exotic at this place, and they have 1,100 or more cold and available. That means that they cost a bit more than your 50-cent drafts. In fact, the cheap beers run about $3.10 a bottle. From there, well ... I think the most expensive bottle on the menu is $150.00 for 3 liters.

    We figure up the check on an honor-based self-accounting system. You are responsible for what you order ... regardless of who consumes it (sharing is fairly customary, especially with beer). Each participant keeps track of what he/she orders. When it's time to leave, or time to settle up, he/she is expected to provide currency to cover: the food and drinks ordered, 10% Washington D.C. taxes, and a nice tip. The Brick does not tack on the usual pre-calculated gratuity to our check, and we do our part by making sure that our wait-staff is well-compensated. Waiting on a bunch of noisy tipsy systems administrators is not anybody's idea of a good time and definitely qualifies as hazard pay.

    Beer starts at $3.10, wine starts at $3.50. Mixed drinks start at $4.00 I think. Snacks and meals start at $4.00 and you can order a steak if you want to drop $15.00 for it. Those prices are before tax and tip.

    The Brickskeller accepts major credit cards, and we will do weird math if you run short of cash and need to put your tab on a credit card. There are also ATM machines at Dupont Circle if you took Metro.

Last Revised: $Date: 2002/02/17 23:35:50 $ $Revision: 1.5 $