It was good to see everyone last night - had a few suprises when nor4 & idealflyer showed up out of the blue!

For those of you who'll be around on the 29th - see you then!


Speaking of the 29th - is there a specific restaurant that's been chosen? Any idea on the size of our group - if its for lunch, I doubt we'd need reservations, but if it's more than 8 or so people, it's always good to make reservations in advance...

Count me in on that! Lynn and I are flying in from Puerto Rico on UA right before our planned DC lunch Saturday January 29th so could use some recent tips!

Also what is the booze allowance these days out of PR to USA? I was there 2 years back and recall it was large - about 6 bottles a person or whatever?

No idea what is the best buy from there - (Bacardi of course will tell us THEY are!) but if anyone attending the lunch needs a few bottles of whatever let me know, and I'll bring them along and charge you whatever our cost was. We buy our DF here at SYD upon arrival to save schlepping the heavy bottles half way across the world!

However I am guessing there is only a few bucks difference on a bottle of Bacardi or whatever bought there, than lowball retail in the USA?


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I believe we had picked Rio Grande. Don't know about the headcount though - but definitely seems like we might have 8 people. And yes I think we are doing lunch.

Too bad I missed yesterday's - but as things stand right now 29th should be good!

Ozstamps, I've sent you an email... I didn't post here 'cause I didn't think anyone would really care to know about things like Ron del Barrilito, Don Q, Nassau Royal, guavaberry liqueur and such. Then again, this *is* the FT DC crowd!

Right you are. We were also in the same room at the FT Post-Freddies party last year, although I'm not shocked you don't remember.

I'll update the first page & will call Rio Grande (at Reston Town Center?) next week & make reservations for the 29th for at least 10 people - maybe more.

ozstamps - what time are you planning on getting to IAD & what time should we make reservations for? I have no idea how far Reston Town Center is from IAD & don't know what your transportation will be - let me know when you find out. I'm out of town this weekend, so I won't check FT again til probably Tuesday or so...

Reston Town Center is at most 15 minutes away from the airport. (from the time you are out of the terminal building that is).

The airport access road (the road you will be on as soon as you are out of the airport) is basically a five lane highway going each way - with the internal 2 lanes being the toll free lanes and the external 3 lanes on either side being the toll lanes (they are divided by a barrier). From the airport you would be on the internal 2 toll free lanes. So you have to be certain to take the exit from the internal toll free lanes to the external toll lanes (you wont have to pay toll though) at the point where it says exit here for Reston Parkway - if you miss that - the next one takes you quite far east all the way to the exit for Route 7 at Tyson's corner - which mean you can probably add on another 30 minutes to the above timing (and yes I have done that!!)

Sam - thanks for your co-ordination on this, and for offering to make the booking. Make it for 12 might be the go? ^

As I mentioned I was happy to start a stand alone thread, but you guys seem to have this all together as usual. Apologies for hijacking your normally well ordered, once a month DINNER thread.

This is what has been suggested:

Oz Lunch Saturday January 29 at say 12.30pm start.

The locals all seem to like the idea of Rio Grande, at Reston Town Centre, (1827 Library St) and you folks have never made a bad venue choice yet in my many visits. ^

bhatnasx - I have NO idea how far it is from IAD either, but we are staying at Sheraton Reston, and they say they are very close to IAD.

If anyone is able to swing by and grab us from the Sheraton about midday or so that would be neat, unless it is walking distance - I have no clue. Stayed there before and I do not recall it being very near?

Mileage Addict I think has kindly offered to give us a ride to IAD on his cow-sh!t splattered John Deere combine harvester.

Lynn and I are flying that afternoon right after lunch for 24 hours in planes and airports to LAX-SYD, so it will be a VERY lonnnnnng day.

We arrive the evening before from Puerto Rico. Anyone wants us to schlep any hooch in from there please email me ASAP. Gator Gal has the lowdown on what to get first hand, from her "Elopement Run" last week. But she agrees there is only a few bucks a bottle difference to discount retail prices in DC in most cases.

Anyone wants some heavy stuff (books, 10 gross of Kangaroo scrotum money purses etc?) schlepped from OZ also let me know ASAP - we fly the mega run SYD-LAX-IAD this Friday, and also stay at Sheraton Reston, so I can store it there for a week if needs be.


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Looks like I am in town & able to crawl out from under the rock that weekend for lunch on the 29th!



FYI - The Reston Sheraton and the Reston Town Center are on opposite sides of the Dulles Toll Road (not really a walk) and both are about four easy miles from IAD.

Rio Grande it is! ^

Man... I'm just going to miss you guys (I have rotten timing!)... I'll be in town the 26th and 27th (and possibly the 28th).

geo1005 - well after a number of near misses over the years we WILL finally have that beer(s) together. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Thanks for the locale info ... sounds like that place will work pretty well re getting back to IAD.

techgirl - shame about the timing ..... be great to catch up with you again. Weren't you at the last DC Dooo? They'll make you an 'Honorary Regular' too at this rate.

bhatnasx tried to update post #1 with location and time, but FT kept timing out on him, and he has now dashed to left coast for a few days, but he is happy with location and dates above he said by email, so lets work to those.

You two are not living together are you? Or perhaps they are seperate rocks?

It's DC. People crawl in and out from under rocks all the time around here. Heck, goodness knows where Al Gore will show up next.

Quite simply.... Un-acceptable.

I'm in Vegas right now - I can access FT from here, so I'll update the first page...

down $150 over 2 days, so I'm not too upset yet...