Ray's The Steaks Dinner, Mon Dec 5th, 7 PM

[Lydia R]

All the losers can join me at the Mexican place next door. 

If you're not kidding, I'm game. This would be a fun start for the holidaze...

We'll have to promise not to press our "noses" against Michael/Ray's window.

These restaurants share an entryway and, uh, maybe more...

Edited November 12, 2005 by Lydia R

[jasonc]

I don't know about that.  If anybody is to blame, it's the random number generator site guy and his so-called "Random Number Generator", if it can so be called.  Timings and distances between disk head seeks can be predicted!  Thread scheduling is practically clockwork these days, and don't even get me started about background radiation and atmospheric pressure variations.  Hell, I built a Microbarograph for a science fair back in High School at some point.  Granted, it didn't WORK.....

Anyway, The Universe totally screwed me on this one...Don's not the one at fault!

Matt's right about this one, what we need is a quantum random number generator and a person blind to the purpose of the task to sit in a sound proof room tapping his or her finger on a table. Any takers?

Edited November 13, 2005 by jasonc

[RaisaB]

Don and HillValley, are you guys raking in the money from planning these events and running this site? I did not think so. So consider this a huge THANK YOU for taking the time (which is more precious than gold) to do both! Your system is more than fair. I know what a pain is is to plan events and thank you again for all your trouble and time.

[DonRocks]

Don and HillValley, are you guys raking in the money from planning these events and running this site? I did not think so.

Total revenue to date: $0.00

[otello]

I am openly jealous of the lucky ones who will be attending this dinner for a worthy cause. We just had our group's second annual birthday dinner at Ray's last night. The House Special featured most prominently at our table, but I think next time I'm going to try that cajun ribeye (cowboy-style, of course). Thanks, Michael, for an amazing meal. As for the delicious wine we had, I will not tell the name, but rather give you a clue:

What follows the root-piercing drought?

Please PM me your guesses.

Good luck.

Edited November 13, 2005 by otello

[hillvalley]

Total revenue to date:  $0.00    

We've made that much?

To the lucky few....please check your PM inboxes and read your PM's. Info that you need is in my note.

I can send out the rest of the PayPal emails if a few of you send me your emails. I'd like to get it taken care of this week so once the nuttiness of the holidays begin we won't have anything to deal with

[hillvalley]

Do we need to tell you what our choice is between hanger Steak and salmon? If so...make mine steak.

Nope. The staff will take our orders at dinner.

[hillvalley]

For those of you in waiting-list purgatory don't give up hope. People are slowly moving up the list...number 6 is now at the top.

[Barbara]

For those of you in waiting-list purgatory don't give up hope.  People are slowly moving up the list...number 6 is now at the top.

I'm not going to hold my breath.

Barbara (The Goat)

[RaisaB]

Does that mean I am # 1 or # 4 on the waiting list? I was the 6th on the list but it said 10 since 10 spaces were requested in total. Just wondering....

[hillvalley]

1.  Shogun             

2.  mbk                 

3.  hannah             

4.  zoramargolis     

5.  jm chen             

6.  stephenb           

7.  bookluvinbabe   

8.  vandyhoo         

9.  Camille-Beau     

10. crescentfresh   

11. squidsdc           

12. silentbob         

13. heather           

14. DanielK           

15. banco             

16. pete               

17. Scott Johnson 

18. lackadaisi       

19. barbara         

20. corndog         

21. buckinghamilton

22. brr                   

23. NotQuickDraw   

24. MODWOP         

25. woodleygirl     

26. Jacques Gastreaux 

27. capital icebox   

28. nadya             

29. DC in DC         

30. JPW                 

31. giant shrimp     

32. babka             

33. crachers         

34. ustreetguy       

35. nashman1975 

36. connave         

37. kanishka         

38. gnatharobed   

39. johnb             

40. starfish           

41. cjsadler         

42. sam               

43. chica grace     

44. kitkatpaddywak

45. bilrus             

46. eoksala         

47. principia         

48. bougouni       

49. MMM             

50. mktye           

51. LittleWing     

52. eating out     

53. holdtheline   

54. twinkerlin     

55. hm212         

56. lizzie           

57. David M.       

58. BlackSheep 

59. otello           

60. AlexC         

61. RaisaB       

62. Al Dente     

63. hey brookie 

64. Cooter       

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Waiting List Top 10

6

35

61

14

43

47

60

49

45

4

Does that mean I am # 1 or # 4 on the waiting list? I was the 6th on the list but it said 10 since 10 spaces were requested in total. Just wondering....

When I refer to numbers I mean the number assigned to you in the lottery. Stephenb, who has #6 assigned to him, is now at the top of the waiting list.

The list directly above is now the top 10 on the waiting list. I'm not going to figure out which screen name goes with which number. Someone else with free time can do that. Is it clear now?

[RaisaB]

I am sorry for being such a bore, and thinking I was number one or four,

when now I can clearly see, that I am actually number three!

Edited November 14, 2005 by RaisaB

[hillvalley]

If you have not received a PayPal email from me it is because I do not have your email address. Please send it to me asap!

Everyone else.....pay your paypal please

[Mark Slater]

What follows the root-piercing drought?

Good luck.

And bathed every veyne in swich licour,

Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

[Heather]

And bathed every veyne in swich licour,

Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

I already PM'd this to Otello, but here's more:

Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne

A big thank you to Michael for his incredible generosity, and to Don and hillvalley for setting this up. Now I have to decide what wine to bring.

[StephenB]

I already PM'd this to Otello, but here's more:

Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne

A big thank you to Michael for his incredible generosity, and to Don and hillvalley for setting this up.  Now I have to decide what wine to bring.

I wol drynke licour of the vyne

And have a joly wench in every toun.

--the Pardoner's Prologue

And, as a potential guest of honor at Ray's:

Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,

And for to drynken strong wyn, reed as blood;

--The Summoner's Portrait

Edited November 17, 2005 by StephenB

[hillvalley]

How to keep your Calendar Diva happy and reduce her stress:

complete your PayPal transaction

[DanielK]

How to keep your Calendar Diva happy and reduce her stress: 

complete your PayPal transaction

Or, don't, and let the waiting list slide just a few more spots...

[DameEdna]

Or, don't, and let the waiting list slide just a few more spots...

How many notchs before the reservations diva gets to the last person on the list?

(i'm the +1), andi have a very, very, very positive attitude.

( i have been a very good boy)

[HillValley, can you move dameedna DOWN ten spaces on the waiting list for having

triple-spaced this post? Thank you! Rocks.]

Edited November 17, 2005 by dameedna

[Barbara]

[HillValley, can you move dameedna DOWN ten spaces on the waiting list for having triple-spaced this post?  Thank you!  Rocks.] 

What? You're gonna add GHOST members? We're ALREADY last! And you still owe me a drink, good buddy.

[hillvalley]

I suppose we could go to negative numbers....

Without looking at my list I believe there are about 20-25 members on the waiting list which means about 60 people have to be able to come to the dinner and then cancel for you to move to the top

I suppose stranger things could happen.

[otello]

I am openly jealous of the lucky ones who will be attending this dinner for a worthy cause.  We just had our group's second annual birthday dinner at Ray's last night.  The House Special featured most prominently at our table, but I think next time I'm going to try that cajun ribeye (cowboy-style, of course).  Thanks, Michael, for an amazing meal.  As for the delicious wine we had, I will not tell the name, but rather give you a clue:

What follows the root-piercing drought?

Please PM me your guesses.

Good luck.

Heather was the first to get the reference, which is to the Prologue of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Here are the first four lines of it:

Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote

The droghte of March hath perced to the roote

And bathed every veyne in swich licour,

Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

Now, for the answer. The root percing drought is in the month of March. March is of course followed by April. Aprile is the name of the great wine on Michael's list, a Super Tuscan-styled Napa gem. As of last week, it was set off on his list all by its lonesome. Choose this orphan on your next visit. A perfect compliment to the House Special.

[hillvalley]

Pay For Your Freakin' Dinner or risk losing your spot

[shogun]

Pay For Your Freakin' Dinner or risk losing your spot

Turns out I don't have to go to class anymore! Lemme know if somebody isn't on their game!

[hillvalley]

If you did not receive a PayPal reminder from me last night you are all set

[hillvalley]

I imagine that by now those of you who are on the 2nd half of the wait list have given up hope. Fear not my friends, all hope is not lost.

Thanks to a number of people canceling and addition 10 spaces that were added over the weekend, the following people are now at the top of the waiting list:

bilrus

zoramargolis

woodleygirl

starfish

twinkerlin

To those of you who found a happy PM in your in box this morning, please respond asap so I can fill the spaces if you cannot make it. You have until Tuesday evening to let me know if you are joining us. After that bilrus becomes a happy man.

To those who are now at the top of the waiting list, congrats! I will let you know if a space opens up.

To the 27 or so of you who linger, don't give up hope yet. You never know when a last minute cancellation will come along....

Edited November 28, 2005 by hillvalley

[Barbara]

Even with 10 spaces added (hanging from the chandeliers, perhaps?) I am without hope.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Rather that scour a wine shop or move a bunch of stuff out from in from of my wine horde (stuff strategically placed to prevent consumption of wine before its time), my plan is to stop by Ray's over the weekend (during the afternoon) and buy a bottle of wine or two off of Michael's excellent wine list for consumption on the evening of the 5th.

[hillvalley]

For those of you who just found out that they will be joining us please do not send me money via PayPal. I will send a request email tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks!

[Michael Landrum]

Rather that scour a wine shop or move a bunch of stuff out from in from of my wine horde (stuff strategically placed to prevent consumption of wine before its time), my plan is to stop by Ray's over the weekend (during the afternoon) and buy a bottle of wine or two off of Michael's excellent wine list for consumption on the evening of the 5th.

And some extra, too, I hope, in case some break.

[Michael Landrum]

Even with 10 spaces added (hanging from the chandeliers, perhaps?) I am without hope.

On Tuesday the 6th, I will reserve a table of 12--first-come, first-serve, at 8:15 PM for people on the wait-list who do not make it in on Monday. Same menu (leftovers, really), same price, same donation to charity--just no BYOB.

Do not PM, do not e-mail, and do not call if you are not on the waitlist (there will be surprises later for those who did not get to participate). Call the restaurant--703/841-7297 beginning at 2PM (not sooner) Tuesday the 29th--say the phrase that pays (Don Rockwell rocks well when well-rocked on well scotch) and have your credit card handy.

Edited November 28, 2005 by Michael Landrum

[StephenB]

What time do we gather for the dinner on Dec 5?

[MelGold]

What time do we gather for the dinner on Dec 5?

7 PM

[hillvalley]

For those of you who just found out that they will be joining us please do not send me money via PayPal.  I will send a request email tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks!

Just wanted to clarify my previous post: Please Do Not Send Me Money Through PayPal Until You Recieve A Money Request!

The amount you send does not include paypal fees. This event would cost me about $75 if I did not charge you all PayPal fees. For those who have already sent money I will let you know how much you need to bring to cover the fees. It's only about $3 a person.

Thanks

Edited December 1, 2005 by hillvalley

[hillvalley]

Practice random acts of kindness: Pay Your Paypal

If I don't have your money by 5pm Friday I am offering up your spot to Woodleygirl

[Woodleygrrl]

Practice random acts of kindness: Pay Your Paypal

If I don't have your money by 5pm Friday I am offering up your spot to Woodleygirl

YIPPIE!!!!

[StephenB]

What is the parking situation at Ray's

[bookluvingbabe]

What is the parking situation at Ray's

It's in a strip mall so there is quite a bit of space out front.

I also suspect we'll have a higher than normal percentage of people either car-pooling or taking Metro in order to drink more wine.

I know I'll be taking Metro.

Jennifer

[curiouskitkatt]

Ill be taking metro as well...perhaps we could metro-pool. What stop do you board?

[hillvalley]

Is anyone from Upper NW planning on driving and/or not drinking? I would love to carpool, and would offer up my car. All I need is a driver

[Jacques Gastreaux]

It's in a strip mall so there is quite a bit of space out front.

I also suspect we'll have a higher than normal percentage of people either car-pooling or taking Metro in order to drink more wine.

I know I'll be taking Metro.

Jennifer

Even though Ray's is in a strip mall with parking out front, there are several restaurants in the strip mall and my experience is that parking is tight.

[DanielK]

Anybody who wants a ride from Southern MoCo (rockville, potomac, bethesda, chevy chase), drop me a PM. My wife is already the designated driver, so we can take 2-3 more if you don't want to drive...

[squidsdc]

Is anyone from Upper NW planning on driving and/or not drinking?  I would love to carpool, and would offer up my car.  All I need is a driver

I'll post when I know more, but I will either have my car here (19th & L) to drive over and hubby will metro, or hubby will drive in from SS (thru upper NW) and pick me up. So either way, we'll have a car where we can take passengers--

[otello]

is this event still fully subscribed?

[hillvalley]

You're kidding, right? There are over 20 people on the waiting list.

[Principia]

FYI to anyone thinking about coming to the dinner via transit:

The 38B, 4B and 4E Metrobuses all drop off either right at the mall, or very nearby, as does the ART 61. It's also only about a third of a mile walk from the Courthouse Metro, if you're so inclined and the weather permits.

I will second Jacques' note that there is not much parking compared to the quantity of patrons one would expect for the number of restaurants there.

[Capital Icebox]

By 7 p.m., you're not likely to snag a parking spot in front of Ray's, but I have always had luck parking on the side streets off Wilson, keeping in mind it might help to arrive a little early for a warmup at Guajillo.

If you're taking the Metro, I would add what someone advised before -- Take the Orange line, get off at Courthouse and walk downhill to Ray's. On the way out, keep walking downhill and take Rosslyn. It really is a short walk if you're so inclined (you will probably spend more time waiting for a bus in the cold than you would walking).

[MelGold]

After this wonderful dinner the walk uphill might do some people good. Feel the burn!

[Jacques Gastreaux]

If you're taking the Metro, I would add what someone advised before -- Take the Orange line, get off at Courthouse and walk downhill to Ray's.  On the way out, keep walking downhill and take Rosslyn.  It really is a short walk if you're so inclined (you will probably spend more time waiting for a bus in the cold than you would walking).

This advice is important. If, on the way to Ray's you should happen to exit the Metro at Rosslyn, you face a walk up a very long steep hill. Ray's is almost exactly half way between the Rosslyn and Courthouse Metros but the walk from Rosslyn will seem much longer due to the exteme incline.

[DanielK]

I am not a wine collector, so I have nothing to bring on that front.

However, I am more than happy to bring a bottle of single malt for pre- and post-dinner sampling, if a some of you would be so kind as to pour me a glass or three of some vino during dinner.

I could bring the other half of the bottle of Ben Nevis 10yr that I had at the picnic. Other bottles I have lying around: Oban 14yr, Dalwhinnie 15yr, Glenmorangie Port Wood 12yr, Macallan Elegancia 12yr, Glen Garioch 15 yr, Balvenie DoubleWood 12yr. I think they're all Highland malts.

I only want to bring a single bottle, so if someone has a particular request, speak up...