Christine here.

Mom spoke to the Lobster House--they have that date available. The guest list is pushing First Crush's limits and we may end up at LH. One good thing about LH is that there's a bar where people can hide to surprise Dad--FC is all one room. We can also let people buy their own drinks at LH--FC serves wine and beer but no mixed drinks. I think the food is better at FC, Nel likes LH's rooms. Nel reminded me that the food at Tony and Pat's party at the golf course was kind of terrible but everyone had so much fun they didn't care.

Christine here.

I spoke to Tom at First Crush. $10 or $15/head was for lunch--I don't know where he got the idea we wanted lunch. Anyway, dinner looks like it's going to be $30/head. The current guest list is at 34.

update

Christine here.

Currently, we have three rooms in the Clarkson Inn, booked from the Tues before to the Tues after. I don't really imagine anyone will be here that long, I just wanted to book them, in case. They are $150/night.

Tony and Pat now want to come. I'll get more rooms for them.

Auntie Ev wants to come--I don't know if she's looked into tickets yet but I will suggest she and Cat talk.

Tom, from First Crush, is doing a couple of menu options, based on $10/head and $15/head. The restaurant is closed Sun nights so we could book it for a private party on Nov 25. It holds 40 people.

The benefits I see to doing it Sunday night include people not trying to travel on the worst travel day of the year. It would mean Peter and his crowd and Suz and Maya would have to take Monday off work.

That's all I know for now.

clarification

Christine here. Ok, I'm just making sure of the plan--we children all come home for the actual day of dad's birth. We have a small party, just family and maybe a few people around here. I'll book a couple of rooms in the Clarkson Inn. We give dad the gift of golf somewhere cool--doesn't have to be Pebble Beach. Pete, what other cool golf place would dad love to play at? You can be in charge of that part, 'kay?

the love boat 2007

okay so i've never been on a cruise but this could be totally cool for everyone.
betcha didn't know you could play golf on a cruise...
nice and relaxing thing to do in november.

-suz

suggestion

Christine here.

Do you all remember how yucky it can be here in November and how there's nothing to do? No fun golf, yucky weather, yuckiness? This is just a suggestion but maybe November isn't the best time to have everyone here--by that, I mean spending money to import people from foreign countries to hang out in yuckiness. What if Dad and Mom went somewhere fun? like California and got to play golf somewhere supercool in November instead? Don't you think Dad would love to play golf on his birthday somewhere like Pebble Beach?

We could maybe still have a small, family-sized party. I guess I'm starting to wonder if Dad would really like a big party. Like I said, totally just a thought, I'm willing to be persuaded either way but I figured preliminary brainstorming could include all sorts of wacky ideas.

this is me vetoing mama lucias

ok, garlicky salad and spaghetti is depressing the hell out of me. i am much more down with nellie's idea of the hanawa falls firemen's hall. that way i can also relive drinking pabst blue ribbon out of a can with cathy colburn when we were 15 at the same time that i celebrate dad's 70th birthday. dad deserves better than lousy red and white table cloths and wine bottles turned into candle holders.  i'm just saying.  oh and this is me, catherine.

places to have this event

From Christine.

More to keep track of things than for any immediate action.

Mama Lucia's 265-3224
35-50 people
buffet--say, baked ziti, salad (house or caesar), pizza, lemon chicken, strawberry shortcake, tiramisu

They probably won't close the restaurant, unless we get that many people. I said 35-50 but that's just a guess right now. I also said Sat, Nov 24, at 6 pm.

The owners are out of town until mid-Aug. They will call me back and quote prices.

A couple of things--the caesar salad, last time I was there, was so garlicky/anchovie-y as to be inedible. Dad often says he doesn't like Italian food. On the other hand, there is the long-running joke that we are Italians, what with the number of times a week he gets spaghetti and what with the number of children.

tina turner

wouldn't it be cool if she showed up to sing to dad?

suz's thoughts

hi there!

okay so i looked into getting blackpool rock with a message inside. i'll check to see if i can get it in yellow and blue. is the blue navy blue or royal blue? this would be cool.

i told nellie last night and she was sooooo excited we were doing this and especially that we are all coming home. that part she was really happy about. peter get the monday after thanksgiving off now. we all know how you are! heehee!

mom suggested to have the party at the firehall in hannawa falls. linda's wedding was really nice there and she had it catered by angelo's.
mom and i were talking about if all these people come all this way to the party, we should maybe have a weekend event kind of thing.
like the party on saturday and then sunday we trek to lake placid for dad's actual birthday and all do something there?
i don't know. what do you guys think? i was thinking (i know this is ridiculous but wouldn't it be cool if we got a band?)

a photographer would also be nice...eeeewww laird chaifee. christine - do you know any photography/art students that may want to hang around over thanksgiving break? i dunno...trying to be cost effective.
but taking pictures is important especially since we'll all be together.

we can also upload photos post a blog and have lots of fun with this. kind of a good way to organize the party since we are all so far apart.

love you all.