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!

Heh. I was having an achey night last night, and sitting upstairs in the Lady Psychiatriste's booth at Vesuvios before dinner with juliana brought back a bunch of weepy-making stuff, so I was all bittersweet and boring through dinner. But dinner was wonderful, the company was superb, and I loved the hot Italian boy at the Steps of Rome snogging on me. Of course, what he really wanted was for my daughter to come back, but I'll take it.

Yeah, the idea of anyone having a problem getting a non-smoking room in San Francisco, of all places, is beyond absurd. Hell, I didn't know they even offered smoking rooms anymore.

I hadn't anticipated any problem finding a non smoking room in San Francisco. I can see why Sparky was thrown at the notion. Yay for getting that cleared up. I've stayed in smoking rooms on trips before and vowed to never do so again, because yuck!

I still love my smoking friends, but smokey linens are another matter altogether