Seems like a funny time to have a private dinner at Powell's house with both wives there to keep the conversation civil.
Froomken writes in the Wash Post
The Bushes headed over to the Powell place for dinner last night.
Gwyneth Shaw of the Baltimore Sun filed the pool report: "On short notice, your pool scrambled to catch a previously unannounced motorcade to take POTUS and FLOTUS off-campus for dinner. They left the White House at 6:43 pm, and arrived just under 20 minutes later at a private house in McLean, VA. Former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and his wife Alma opened the door -- surprising the members of the pool, who had not been told in advance who would be hosting. Powell was dressed in a light-colored dress shirt and khakis (no jacket or tie); POTUS embraced him and, turning to wave at the cameras, removed his suit jacket and grinned. FLOTUS wore a light-colored pantsuit."
The private dinner, with just the two couples, lasted more than two hours.