It’s been a banner week here at the Wellingtonista Towers for drinking networking opportunities. Yesterday was the VIP night at Beckon, tonight was a Ponoko showcase at the Paramount, and tomorrow we’re meeting up to discuss our evil plans for world domination.

Beckon was flush with Wellingtonistas. Martha was there to represent Babylicious, Tom was there for that other site, photographing the event for Texture, Hadyn was there to look cool, and I was just grateful to have a reason to leave the house that wasn’t a job interview. Turns out it was bloody lucky we went along, because as well as being able to glimpse all of Beckon’s lovely stock (the place was rather full, making a proper look too much of a shuffling challenge, but I’ll definitely be back), four out of the five spot prizes were won by Wellingtonistas. And it wasn’t rigged.

Then of course, tonight was the showcase evening for the very clever people who’ve been part of the beta users for Ponoko. Seeing the furniture, toys, jewelery, lampshades, chessboards and other awesome things that people had designed which were cut out with a frickin’ laser beam made me wish that I had design sensibilities instead of just an obsession with apostrophes and organising leagues. But on that note, check out the very cool tables that Jeff designed, not just because they’re awesome, but because he’s the Xero captain in the Wellingtonista Quiz League and come Tuesday, after we kick their ass, he’ll need all the positive comments he can get. And it was great to get to meet/see again various other members of the Wellington interweb community – I’m convinced that Sue knows/pimps everyone in the whole wide world, and it was amusing listening to Alan and Stephen Judd catching up on old times (like that time that Al Gore invented the internet).

If you would like to join the Wellingtonista on their next social outing, we invite you to stalk us tomorrow night. We’ll be meeting at a secret bar location, at 5.30, to which I’ll give you two clues: it was once a mystery bar, and you haven’t got a hope in cell of finding it…