This is only the 3rd day the thread is up, the event isn't until November and there are almost 100 posts already :o -- most of the posts are from people putting the weekend on their calendars. I certainly doubt with that much interest, you'd only get 9 takers for anything you suggested. ;)

If it's dinner, my vote is for Friday as long as I find a flight Thursday night and can get Friday off from work, of course.

It would be a real pity to have between 18 and 32 interested in The Ivy because that would really rule it out. With 18 it would be possible to do 9 on Friday and another 9 on Sunday. Even nine is a bit of a squeeze as the table normally seats 8 and it's the largest table in the main restaurant (they actively discourage large groups). We managed OK last week though so it's entirely possible.

I've not dined in the Private Room myself yet but I know others who have (including Wingnut who had his last birthday bash there) and I get very good reports.

I was at that DO in the Ivy last weekend - and it was fab, so anything to get back in there.

Put me down as a maybe :) with very strong inclinations (if there's such a thing :) )

SarahWest, I'd be delighted to see you again and join you for lunch or dinner at The Ivy, in either the main restaurant or the Private Room. Actually, depending on interest, the Private Room might be preferable, as I recall the main restaurant can be noisy at times. :) YHM.

I love London, especially the Tate Modern. Any art fiends in the mix?

Put me down as "tentative": looking for the right fare on AA from SEA.

I hope my glamorous jet-setting wife can join. She starts Otolyrngology surgery residency in SoCal in July, so it will be a bit before I know her availability.

Great idea! Too bad we're not scheduling this for summer: Hyde Park would accomodate a lot of FT-ing picknickers.

^ ^ ^

Last Piccadilly Line for me Saturday night. ;)

I really enjoy art, but art on the edge. In the US, any city's MOMA or small experimental sites with killer/amusing/sentient art is usually a winner. Am not a fan of "modern" art classified as post-Flaubert.

What is Otolyrngology? and where in SoCal (we do have great FT dinners here)

See you in London, or SAN

mmm.. brunch at the Tate Modern cafe!

Otolaryngology is the the ear, nose and throat speciality. A good one to have in the family. :)

Where in So. Cal? My bro did his residency at UCSD.

I'm up for any good meal, but can't we leave the the middle of town once in a while?

lala

Thanks for the friendly words, lili. Otolyrangology surgery is also known as "Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT)" surgery.

To know what Oto surgeons work on, try this friendly mental exercise: imagine your head cut off at the neck. Now pop out your eyeballs; that's the domain of Ophthomologists. Also suck out the brain and anything to do with it: your mind belongs to the neurosurgeons. What's left is what Otolyrangologists are interested in: facial plastics and reconstruction, nose stuff, sinus stuff, weird tongue-cancer stuff.

My wife is starting Oto surgery residency at UC Irvine July 1. My late interest in frequent flying is a function of the fact that I will be commuting back and forth between Seattle and Irvine (as well as the fact that I adore visiting places like NYC). It will be cool to be back in California: I lived in San Diego from 1973-1975 and in SoCal/OC from 1981-1984. Bet it's changed a bit since I was a kid.

Sounds like the Tate Modern would be right up your ally. Visited in 2003 as an unofficial "celebration" of the start of Gulf War II (not really, bought tix 6 months prior...history got in the way.) Some crazy, audacious, breathtaking installations: check out the photos I shot of this Anish Kapoor temporary sculpture, hundreds of feet long:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ideapod/tags/tate/

Anyway: hope to catch you in merry old England. Will depend a lot on finding the "right" fare across the pond. :)

-KF

I would love to do a really good curry for dinner.

Makes for great dinner time conversation and fun vacation slides, just ask TPML.

Good luck getting a cheap fare out of SEA on AA. I haven't bought a SEA-LON ticket for under 650 in a year and most are 700-900 bucks. I'm just going to bite the bullet and see if I can get a rollover when the time comes.

lala

Mmmm. Brick Lane or Southall anyone?

Yum.

Maybe I'll leave on Thursday and stay until Monday.

I'm with you there Spiff.

Thanks for the kind words, SanDiego1K. Not a single FTer knows me personally yet - and that is indeed something I would love to change. See you in London! (<-- 99% sure I'll be there)

It's way too early to say for sure where we will end up, but curry/Indian is on the list of potential food options for the Saturday night - it's London, how could it not be ;)