Sarameg, I like fruitcake too! Especially if it doesn't have the stupid candied fruit, and instead has raisins, dried fruit, and nuts. And lots of rum.

At Fisherman's Wharf, during the holiday season? Dicey. Depends on what the food is, I guess, and how long you need the place.

Gah. We booked ours last week: $5000 for 65 people, drinks and dinner at a restaurant in Fisherman's Wharf.

Good luck, Juliana --- you're gonna need it. Places are disappearing fast.

I've given my brother boxers. Preferably the most obnoxious embarrassing ones I could find. It's all about the attempt to embarass a pretty unflappable brother (That he shares pictures with his family that would be considered blackmail for most says something. Gold lame boxers, easter bunny ears, nothing else and pretending to lay an egg in the back yard, hello?) This was more fun when he was in the Army, but there is still mileage to be had over his son going into hysterics over daddy's silly shorts.

Her and my sister are it for anyone that's given me clothes twice in my adult life.

Having already bought her a t-shirt, now I want to buy ita jammie pants so I can make her list.

ION, I keep forgetting to go to the vet's to pick up Ozzie's prozac. I hope I don't forget tonight, since he is now completely out, and out=scary.

I've given my brother boxers. Preferably the most obnoxious embarrassing ones I could find.

Every year for Xmas I give my brother the ugliest/tackiest/goofiest boxers I can find. The year Spider-Man was out (or maybe Spider-Man 2; I disremember), I found boxers at Target that had Spidey on one leg, and the Green Goblin on the other leg, and they were fighting.

Mind you, this was on the *front* of the boxers.

I included a note to my brother that said "Frankly, nothing says 'Merry Christmas' like Spidey and the Green Goblin engaged in homoerotic battle right across your Johnson."

When my nephew was little, my sister tortured him for weeks telling him all he was going to get for Christmas was socks and underwear. In fact, that was what she was getting for everyone. My sister is lavish when it comes to presents, but lo and behold, each of us had at least one box that was socks and/or underwear. It has now become a tradition. Mostly the guys get funny boxers and I get socks since my sister would never dare give me underwear that I'd have to open in front of everyone.

Ah, Steph, isn't it great to have brothers? There was one pair with a wolf in midbite. You can guess where. It kinda freaked his girlfriend at the time out. She wasn't used to us.

Well, the gift is for Tim. He doesn't wear jewlery, buys books, movies and music at an astonishing clip, has beautiful clothes, doesn't need any knick knacks, I can't make something with the alotted time, and I know he does wear comfy loungey pants when he's up late writing.

Other than comfy flannel jammies, I'm unsure what else he'd like. I could toss in some homemade cookies.

You know your friendship. If you think it's good gift for that friend, it's a good gift, regardless of who the friend is. I did figure it was Tim, because his birthday is the same day as our anniversary (Scott's and mine).

(Although it might also be the anniversary of the day Tim promised to kill him, too.)

(Something Scott says he'll refuse to accept until it's actually broadcast.)

(Then he usually cackles, "You'll never get me, Minear, at least not on FOX," then tells me to post that in Minearverse, and I ignore him, saying, "Aren't you dead, yet?")

OK so I don't know SF. Can't you do low-end but yummy food. Pizza+Soup or Salad? Soup+Salad? Chinese? (not junk food - decent quality of above.) I mean even in in SF you ought to be able get first rate pizza (white pizza, goat cheese ect. ) for eight bucks per person - not including the space. Don't offer too many choices. Umm there is a thread on making light that tells how to set Pizza ratios. Your quanties would be a little bigger, cause they are talking snacks and you are talking means. But one large pie should serve four peaple easily. SF is famous as gourmet city. Surely you have a Pizza place in town that is not horribly expensive, but is as far above pizza hut, as a good steakhouse is above arbys.

Comment 60 in this thread gives TNH's rules for ordering Pizza:

[link]

The whole thread is interesting, full of tips on throwing a Science Fiction Convetion Party.

There is a very important assumption here that may not be true in your case - the object of the food is to amuse people, not provide a meal. Obviously if this is to be a meal, the quanties have to be meal quanties, and the rules about small flimsy plates to keep people from eating too much don 't apply.

Still I bet a lot of these tips help if (like me) you don't have a lot of big party throwing experience.

I think the gifting of jammies depends on the friendship. I'd say in Allyson's case, I'd do the same. I would LOVE to see a "bloodstain" pattern on jammies, 'cause that would be cool.

ita, DH saw your krav headshots and said to me today, "She knows I don't beat you or anything, right??! Right?" Then I told him about the pinky.

"Time To Murder and Create" (Wire In The Blood).

I don't remember really, but I'm sure it's been done on an L&CSI:SVU or whatever.

This might be even weirder, but I think Lee's "inside pants" thing might be the way to think about giving jammies that takes it out of bed. If you see what I mean. My aunts have given me flannel inside pants that really aren't sleepwear. But really, homemade anything is better most of the time.