Got some time. Good to know.

OK, the word from Eva, at Group Reservations at the actual hotel, rather than at Central Booking for the chain:

There is no reason for anyone to be having any kind of problem with a non-smoking room. Eva herself runs the hotel's internal block booking stuff, and put in the original order; she went back and looked and confirmed that she hadn't specified X number either way. She says there's absolutely no shortage of non-smoking rooms.

She gave me a number to get a code for this stuff, but we've been playing phone tag.

Looks as if it's already ironed out, but we'll confirm that in the morning.

Thank you Deb. Non-Smoking rooms are one of the few things I get really picky about. I have an allergy to cigarette smoke that's usually very very mild, but sleeping in a smoking room like that will almost gurantee that I'm congested.

I got to hug smonster. And Katie. And juliana. And JZ. And Sparky. (This is starting to feel like Romper Room) And Hec. And not only did I get to hug deb, but I also have a new (to us) vaccumm!

Dinner was grand, yummy Afghan food, and I think my teens talked everyone's ears off. We skipped out on dessert with it being a school/work night for my clan and here I am online instead of tucked in bed. Oh well.

Buffistas are good peoples.

Thanks deb! I just can't deal with smoking rooms.

So, anyone want to room with me for the F2F? There may be baby with me, but he's a good sleeper.

Oh, thank jebus, for the non-smoking rooms. Thanks, Deb!

I'm waiting to see what the deal is with Tom's flight and hotel for JavaOne before making any reservations, but there's still some time. But I'm really excited so I want everything done NOW NOW NOW! Hmm, his company Xmas party is tonight, perhaps I will harangue his boss about nailing down details ASAP. For my own planning purposes!

(note to Tom who may be lurking. KIDDING!)

Mmmm, Afghan food and cheerful, mellow conversation with Katie Bee; K-Bug and C. being smart, funny, quirky teenage girls (and doing so ridiculously well at socializing all night long with a tableful of grown-ups, about a million times better than I would have at 15); smonster doing incredibly graceful belly-dancing twists and arcs of her upper body to Italian dance music; juliana gorgeous in black velvet; MG, deb and Sparky entirely too far away at the other end of the table; Sparky's DH at the Steps of Rome with his lascivious lemon sorbet and unwillingness to play "Gay or Eurotrash?" (really, why would the man refuse to fellate a lemon peel in public to lure the caffe owner, why?), but still utterly charming. Plus, possibly the best cup of coffee I've ever had in my life. OMG so freaking good.

All Thursday nights should be like this, only Katie Bee and the MG's should stay for dessert, and MG and deb and Sparky shouldn't sit so far away next time.

only Katie Bee and the MG's should stay for dessert

They should also play "Green Onions".

I called and reset my room (thanks Deb!) The guy got kind of shirty when I insisted on a new confirmation ("It's been reset in the system, it should be fine"), but I don't care. So, now I have a non smoking room, but it has a king bed instead of two doubles *sigh*

NoiseDesign, I have the same problem with cigarette smoke that you do, so I'm glad to have the non-smoking-ness of the rooms confirmed. Though I'm still not sure if I'll be staying at the hotel or begging couch space from a localista.

Also, quiet yay for ChiKat and BF maybe-hopefully being able to come!