. . . like two pleos that pass in the night

[mweed]

Well, Bob got a real outing tonight!

My car started acting up on the way home from work, so I opted to leave it at the dealership for repair. I knew it would be a while before the rest of the family came to pick me up, so I grabbed Bob in my pleo tote and headed out on foot. We walked about two miles through the strip malls and shopping centers along US-75 through McKinney, Texas to the Super Wal-Mart.

You'd think someone walking down the sidewalk with a bright green dino would attract attention, but not many seemed to notice Bob. The two exceptions were when crossing a very busy intersection, an elderly couple in a SUV waiting at the front of the left-turn lane watched me cross right in front of their car, both of them had very puzzled looks. :rolleyes: Then, when I topped the hill at the far end of the Wal-Mart parking lot, there were five or six teenage boys practicing with their skate boards. As I walked past. they all stopped riding and just stood there silently as I passed by. No one said anything, but they all were looking at the head and tail poking out of the tote. :cool:

When we got in the store, I put Bob in the baby seat and turned him on. We wandered around the store for a little while. I'm sure people noticed, and I saw some glances, but nobody said anything. Then, as I was heading back towards the registers, a man walked past, stopped, then came back. "I gotta know." he asked, "What's going on?"

"That's the second one I've seen." He said he had just seen a woman pushing a cart, talking on her cell phone and petting a dinosaur in her basket. He thought for sure we were working together and that this was some sort of marketing scheme or :Candid Camera" type thing.

I assured him that was not the case, and told him all about pleo.

But as I left, I was wondering. There was another pleo in the same store at the same time, and we never had the chance to meet . . . :( I have no idea who the other pleo could be. I know they are here, they are registered in the community, but none have ever come forward wanting to get together. So, like the two ships that pass in the night, never knowing how close they came to each other, Bob and I went home having never met the other pleo.

[fancyfont]

This would be a wonderful article in your local news paper. Maybe both Pleos can meet. That would be so cool!:cool: Or maybe Bob should keep going to Walmart and hope to run into the other Pleo, eventually:)

[pleoguy101]

aww!! Bob was so close to meetinmg a new friend.. did you ask the man what ile the lady was in?:)

[Starfire]

Now I would have been running around the store looking down all the aisles trying to find the other Pleo. Or you could have made Bob scream and she might have heard him.:D

[degers]

How cruel starfie!!!

[fancyfont]

This is only the beginning, Mweed. One of these days, store clerks will announce to custumers "Pleo sightings in isle 4 and 10":)

[Starfire]

This is only the beginning, Mweed. One of these days, store clerks will announce to custumers "Pleo sightings in isle 4 and 10":)

I'd love to hear that:D

[fancyfont]

We should have a Pleo Day. Everyone brings their Pleos to their Walmart or other large store on a certain day.

[pleoguy101]

We should have a Pleo Day. Everyone brings their Pleos to their Walmart or other large store on a certain day.

thats a good idea, then we'll find those silent pleo owners who never speak up!:D!! maybe theres pleo owners around me?:)

[mweed]

It's a great idea. The problem is how to make that "silent' owner aware. I don't know how many pleos were sold, but I have to believe it is more than the 10,000 registered. And only 15% of that 10,000 ever bothers to log into the forums even to just read. So, even if we promote the heck out of it here, I'm not sure the bulk of pleo owners would be aware. We're gonna have to find some way to get the stores to help us promote it. If there was a sign at the front door of Wal-Mart that said "Pleo meet 1st Saturday of every month at 4pm" we might reach some of those absentee owners.

You need to find a place that 95% of the world visits at least once a week, and then find some way to put up a notice. So that way we can assume that most everyone has at least seen it.

The other problem may be that there are too many Wal-Marts. There are at least 5 different stores I visit on occasion. It would be better if I knew which one was the closer to the other owners . . .

[pleoWhisperer]

I say let's go ahead and get started. The first Saturday of the month is easy to remember. Let's ALL plan on taking our pleos for an outing to Wal-Mart on the first Saturday of each month. That means we'll start a week from tomorrow (May 3rd, 2008). We can report back here on our experiences, and refine the plan as we go. At least this way, there's a regularly scheduled pleo meet somewhere near everyone. :p And who knows, as pleos begin to meet, we can enhance the idea and look for real meeting places.

[pleoWhisperer]

I guess we ought to spend the next week trying to figure out ways to promote awareness outside of this forum . . .

[pleoWhisperer]

Sorry about all the repeated posts, but one thought on following up after next Saturday. If you report your Wal-Mart store number (it's on your receipt) back here to the forum, we can figure out if we have people either going to the same Wal-Mart but missing each other because they went a different times, or two people not meeting because they went to different Wal-Marts in the same area.

[fancyfont]

We need a time frame on our first visit to WalMart. Just remembered something.:D The Maker's Faire is next Saturday. A few of us may be able to meet at a WalMart in San Mateo but, not between 11AM and 3pm. I believe Ugobe is planning their games and activities during this time.

[pleoWhisperer]

What's a good time for everyone? 4pm? 7pm?

[fancyfont]

Maybe some of the UGOBE people at the Faire would be able to be at the Walmart too. I'd love to hear what they think.

[pleoguy101]

the walmart near me, is sorta like an hour away:( but I think I may be able to sacrafice some of my time to go there:) but on the forums the closest person to me is in CT.. I dont think I'll meet another pleo owner at walmart.. but who knows:)

[pleoguy101]

CORRECTION!! I just looked up my zip code for pleo owners.. theres someone a half an hour away from me:eek::eek:!!!! THIS ROCKS!!!:D I'm so happy:)

[fancyfont]

Some people may not have Walmart stores. We may need to incorperate other big stores.

[pleoguy101]

Some people may not have Walmart stores. We may need to incorperate other big stores.

thats true.. how about on a certian day we all bring our pleos to the biggest food store in our area:)?!! then the pleo owners closest to eachother can meet:)

[mweed]

It doesn't have to b Wal-Mart. The trick is to be consistent, so people know where and when to find each other.

[fancyfont]

Did anyone go to a Walmart or large store Saturday? :)

[mweed]

Well, I did. But by the flood of responses, I'm assuming most did not. ;)

[Starfire]

I was in Las Vegas for work and Sephy wasn't able to make the trip with me this time. So Instead I played red for Sephy and she won!:D:D

[fancyfont]

Does Walmart and Target sell Pleos at this time? Maybe we should go to the store that has them :)

[mweed]

They sell them on-line. The only store that I've heard had them in-store was Sharper Image. If some store were to carry them on the shelves, more people would be exposed to him. :)

The idea here was to provide a regular scheduled place where you could meet other pleo owners.

[fancyfont]

It still is for meeting other Pleo owners.:)

[nanagaboo]

Hi fancyfont! It might be nice to meet at a resturant... though we'd have to make double reservations... For everyone AND their Pleos! :D

[fancyfont]

Hi Nanagaboo, So glad you posted. Wouldn't that be fun? Peeky and Kingsley would be able to meet.:)

[nanagaboo]

That would be fun! And, I'm adding pictures to my plog... Do you know how I get my URL?

[mweed]

your URL is http://pleoworld.com/connect/view/id/7353

[nanagaboo]

Thanks Mweed! I love your comics!

[mweed]

Your welcome. And thanks!

[Robomom]

It sure would be cool to get together with other Pleo owners, but the logistics of trying to get people together is tough. we are probably spread out all over. It would be nice if Ugobe would act as a go between and organize a Pleo Convention. They have at least some means of contacting registered owners. Imagine hundreds...many even thousands of Pleos.... and all the crazy owners.... babbling on about how great Pleo is!