Re: Monday night, I think the time to arrive is between 7 and 7:30. Or later, if you like, but not earlier...

what Jon said.

cereal:

Does anyone else need directions to my place?

I've scratched Lilty off the dinner list so I have, for TUesday night, Tom, Nora, Nilly, Jon B., Ellen, Theodosia, Nutty, Jen, DXM, MattTBF, vwbug, Emily, and Frankenbuddha. 13 of us!

I have now edited this post three freaking times. I must need more coffee!!!

There IS a daily 10:20 train out of town, so I CAN make it for Tuesday dinner. I swear I am reading the schedule right this time, so if there's still room for me at dinner, I'd love to go!

Ooh, yay!

Just letting everyone back east know that, barring any snags or screwups on the part of SuperShuttle or American Airlines (there had better not be - I do have a crossbow and I know how to use it), Nilly will be heading out of SF tomorrow morning at 8 a.m., so all you Boston folks, get ready.

And please ping me if any additional info is needed.

We had a fabulous party. I had a lovely moment on the driving tour last night, when I took everyone down to Baker Beach/Fort Point to get some pictures of Nilly in front of the miraculously fog-free Golden Gate Bridge, and I turned her around to see the San Francisco skyline, glimmering in the distance, no more than some high cloud, and she momentarily lost her English, and got it back enough to whisper "it's SO BEAUTIFUL!", so I turned Ripper around with the headlights on and got a picture of her with the City behind. I hope her flash works...

Off to ring Kristin, and dry hair, and begin organising for wine country run and getting Teppy, Laura and Jess to SFO tonight.

OK, Lilty, 14 for dinner.

Deb, I think Jon and I have it covered on this end (we have her itinerary) but if there are delays or what not, we'll be checking online both on the board and on the airline site (in case y'all are, like, at the airport and not on the board!)

Does anyone know- is Nilly checking bags? Trying to figure out if the best place to meet her is at baggage claim or try to get up to the gate (which can be a bit of a clusterfuck depending on which gate) I think we'll try for the gate, but have the baggage claim as a fall back plan, but we need to know if Nilly will be needing to go there in the first place!

Oy. I'm hungry and babbling.

Went to Trader Joe's and picked up kosher party snacks. Also, per Allyson's recommendation, kosher wheat pita bread for Nilly to nibble on.

Somervillians- we picked up 2 bottles of wine (one white and one red), 2 6-packs of beer and 2 six packs of Hansens diet soda. Feel free to bring along any other libation that you feel would be appropriate.

I think we have plenty o' snack food though (and, Theo, dairy free stuff).

Your directions said there's a liquor store fairly close to your and Tom's place, right Nora?

Nora, Nilly will most likely be checking bags. I don't think she could swing the two I saw as carry-ons.

I'm posting from Deb's kitchen table. SailAweigh, KristinT, Bev and bethb are here and we're going to assemble people to go on the wine country tour. Unfortunately, Kristin has to head out and miss the tour.

Here is my version of the attack of the cat. I'm staying with Deb's downstairs neighbor, who is a great person and a wonderful artist, and the only thing she asked me to do was to be careful not to let out one of her cats, who becomes a deranged Mr. Hyde cat if he gets outside. My attention was fragmented by the fact that, just before I was about to leave, I managed to chip off part of the bonding on one of my front teeth--teeth I had managed to break some years ago aided only by gravity and a sidewalk. So I was worrying about meeting everyone looking like I was trying out for the sequel to Deliverance and worrying with an unfamiliar lock, and even though the cat was in another room when I started opening the door, he sped by me and out the door. He ran behind the house and then back in front of the door, where I made the mistake of trying to shoo the cat in. Yes, the cat does become very wild outside. I was then dripping blood all over the concrete. Deb and Nic finally managed, using a broom and hose, to get the wailing, screaming cat back inside, while I kept saying, "She only asked me to do one thing--keep the cat in." The scratches all seem to be healing fine, though, and I think everyone has forgiven me except the cat.

Deb and Nic put together a wonderful barbecue, with chicken, artichoke and garlic sausages, beef and salmon, plus a fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil salad, green salad, and marinated fruit salad, plus Consuela's pie and Deb's Chocolate Decadence.

Nilly is, indeed, exactly as you'd expect. She talks as easily and as enthusiastically as she posts.