(blowing mad love kisses at both Fay and Perkins)

Lee, have you got an evening after work free this week? Or should we wait until after the holiday? I need to get together with you on some stuff. I could make you dinner...

Fay, it's SF, the hotel is the fifties retro pink and green Holiday Inn Civic Centre, and all sorts of cool people are coming out for it, including AmyLiz and Deena.

The prom - if the weather permits - will start out poolside, with a full bar, and then move indoors for music and dancing. There may be some live music to go along with Noise's excellent disk-jockeying - and I've already demanded some classic Stones for me this time. People low on money will have houseroom, thanks to so many locals in the area. We'll have a three-room hospitality suite, complete with TV and DVD player and fridge, and the hotel is fine with our serving our own food in the suite, so I'm hoping to welcome people to the hotel on the Thursday with a nice spread of nosh, and Vortex will be in town early to help me as sous-chef.

Lee, have you got an evening after work free this week? Or should we wait until after the holiday? I need to get together with you on some stuff. I could make you dinner...

Unfortunately, I think the best I could do for the rest of this year is try to meet you on one of your feeding the south cats treks.

I've skipped and skimmed a lot. Are people already making reservations at the hotel?

There may be some live music to go along with Noise's excellent disk-jockeying

Though, sadly, as things stand now, not from me. My niece is getting married that weekend in Connecticut.

Lee, we'll confab. Maybe a cat-feeding night, or maybe a quick hookup and dinner at Max's, at Redwood Station?

Though, sadly, as things stand now, not from me. My niece is getting married that weekend in Connecticut.

There was much gnashing of teeth over this. I know, not avoidable, but still, damn it.....

Jon, tell Ms. FAQ to look for a package, probably from Amazon, after Christmas.

Either of those could work, Deb. I get off work at 6:00, so if you wanted to come down earlier than usual for dinner, that could work, or I could just join you and Nic somewhere at the usual time.

Email me, and we can work it out.

Sounds good. Right now, catfeeding schedule is tonight (shuddering at the horrendous weather, but the cats will be hungry, storm or no storm, so off we go), then Tuesday and Thursday. Either night looks okay for me so far - let me check with Nic, and I'll email you.

Now I'm thinking about the F2F. Fay got me all reminded, and everything.

Once we get closer, I'll put out a general request for input on the hospitality suite menu. I'm thinking a mix of veggie and carnivore (a ceviche with salmon and prawns? Puff pastry rolled around lamb and pistachios and mint, simmered in honey, with ras el hanout? classic caesar? all of the above and other stuff, plus a couple of sweets?), and a selection of liquids. Will also bring my catering urn to keep a big-ass pot of Starbucks Verona roast going in the hospitality suite.

Vortex will be in town early to help me as sous-chef.

We'll be there early as well. Not sure how early, but we're driving up.

Yay!

I'll also put out some feelers about maybe a few things people can get together to do on either the Friday or the Sunday. A wine country run? We did that with Nilly - three cars worth of people, IIRC - and everyone had a blast. A local spa day? Take the ferry to Sausalito/go to Angelino's for dinner?

Stuff like that.

There will be a place within walking distance of the hotel where one can buy sour cream and fresh veggies, right? I'm thinking of offering up my spinach dip for the Friday meet & greet, and it would be best for me to mix the perishable ingredients on site rather than bringing it pre-made in a container.