Ladies and gentlemen,

As I celebrate my third year Organizing the Dining MeetUp, I look back fondly over many events where I regaled you with random stories, history lessons, obscure facts and even poetry ripped off from "Twas the Night Before Christmas" that tied into the restaurant, cuisine or date we were to visit same.

This time, I am not going to do any such thing. I am not going to mention that Emperor Yohannes IV -– who ruled Ethiopia from[masked] was born in mid-July. Nor am I going to mention that Haile Selassie –- the last Emperor of Ethiopia’s Solomonic dynasty -- was born on July 23rd.

Nope. No, I am simply going to say, "I am hungry." And "I want Ethiopian food." And "I hope you will join me."

That is all.

Ethiopia is Africa's second-most populous nation.

Ok. That is all.

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NEW RULES for RSVPing and "Maybe-ing":

There's great news at the Dining MeetUp ... we're growing! We have a lot of new members. Every event is filling up less than a couple of hours after it's posted. And so many people want to meet you that the Waitlist has more people on it than can attend in the first place. So to make sure the people who will attend can join us, we're going to start something new: RSVP CONFIRMATIONS.

2-3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE EVENT, I will send out an e-mail to THOSE WHO'VE RSVP'd "YES" and ask you to E-MAIL ME CONFIRMING THAT YOU'RE COMING. If you've RSVP'd "Yes" and you don't get back to me within 24 hours of the e-mailed confirmation request:
1) I'll presume you're not able to join us;
2) Your RSVP will be switched to "No;" and
3) Your spot will be given to a Waitlisted person who will definitely attend. WAITLISTING
Please never hesitate to Waitlist yourself if you want to attend, but all available seats are taken. When spots open up for an event, I e-mail the Waitlist. If you're among the first to respond and are committed to coming, I'll e-mail you back to confirm the spot is yours!

All that said...

PLEASE ONLY RSVP "YES," IF YOU ARE COMMITTED TO ATTENDING THE DINNER.

Please use the "MAYBE" option, if: 1. You're unsure of whether or not you can make the dinner; or
2. You're not totally committed to coming. (You can always change it later.)

IF YOU RSVP "MAYBE," please confirm "YES" or "NO" as soon as possible because events fill up quickly. In order to accommodate members who want to attend the event (but didn't get to RSVP as quickly), RSVPs still listed as "MAYBE" ONE WEEK before the event will automatically default to "NO" to make room for other potential attendees.

By the same token, the site will not accept "MAYBE" RSVPs within one week the event. *******

THE USUAL RULES

Three quick things you need to know:
1) Make sure you RSVP right away since our reservation is limited to 15 people.
2) To help defray the costs of the website, $1 will be added to your bill at the restaurant. Small price to pay for great food and great company!
3) If you happen to arrive at the restaurant before I do, the reservation is in my name (Charles).

Hope to see you there!

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THE PLACE
Abyssinia Ethiopian Restaurant
229 S 45th St
Philadelphia, PA 19104 [masked]
http://www.citypaper....