Why not put it on the ballot, Debet? If it's untenable it will be voted against. Since we're voting anyway.

Holy shit, -t just used "untenable" in a sentence. That's hot.

It's been voted down three times so far - I'd as soon see some later dates added without getting too unwieldy.

Debet, I just handed Margaret two consecutive weeks for sample purposes; it's interesting, isn't it, that Memorial Day is cheaper? But it is, and I expect that's standard.

Thing is, if she asks what dates we're looking at and I answer with sixteen possible weeks? Her head will explode and she'll be dead, and therefore unable to show me around the rooms.

I want to float my Prom idea past people. It seems to me that one of the biggies - I know it made me nuts in DC - was the requirement of the larger hotels to use their inhouse catering staff. Eight hundred or whatever bucks for soggy lettuce and dead shrimp rolls?

If we had an old fashioned rehearsal room, with PA and dance floor, we could hire a bartender, stock it, and dance the night away. And I could cater the damned thing. Not only would it be a fraction of the cost, since I wouldn't charge anything over the cost of the food itself, but I can guarantee better nosh than the hotel catering.

I don't know about out west, but back east, hotels with cooks/catering and bar staff are notorious among wedding planners, for requiring that you use their cooks/catering and bar staff. They don't just rent the facility.

If we could find something walking distance to the hotel, I'd be all for that.

brenda, I'm running a scheme in my head. Just an odd little scenario. It's very rock and roll.

It involves three or four limos.

No, I'm not kidding. Using the money not needed on the catering for a posh ride between the hotel and the prom.

Of course, if we ended up with a SOMA hotel, it would quite possible be easily walkable, since most of the rehearsal space in SF seems to be in SOMA.

What? I'm an old rock and roller.

Let's pick a date first. That's a democratic process thats going to take a couple of days.

Then lets discuss various cities in a general way.

THEN lets talk to caterers, etc. and develop proposals.

Then we can make a ballot and vote on it.

ie-- jumping the gun and running around and trying to make plans that will never be will just lead to tears and recriminations

I think that sounds like a blast, Deb. And also, delicious.

THEN lets talk to caterers, etc. and develop proposals.

The problem there, Trudy, is the cyclical nature of "let's be vague for a few weeks while not actually knowing what we're asking the hotel for in the first place" scenario.

If I'm doing the research, I want to know - as far in advance as possible - what people want as a chosen end result. That gives me a better handle on what to ask for, and leads to fewer surprises later on. As for tears and recriminations and whatnots, not in my world. For all we know, it'll fetch up in Vegas and all this will be moot anyway. But if I'm gathering information, I'm doing it from the starting point of assuming it'll end up here. Yes, aware it may not - but without that starting point, why bother?

Your footwork, cold-calling etc mileage may vary. That happens to be mine.