Chicago: customers are advised to allow extra travel time

OK Amanda I am asking you.

I emailed you already so as not to bore people.

Sarah you could totally do that! I made some shoe bags for myself (so that I can shove my shoes in my bike bags w/o getting everything messed up) and I'm guessing you would just make a slightly larger version of that. I closed with a plastic toggle & cord but honestly, zippers aren't difficult either. The other thing you could do is buy ready-made bags you like & embroider something fun on those . . .

do you have a sewing machine or are you looking to do stuff by hand?

I should have taken you to my favorite crafty peoples store when you & nick were in town!!

By hand!

My craftiness is very limited. I'm excited by that stuff but suck at it. I can only handle really small projects.

Deej, if you want to help a thriving nonprofit org apply and get some grants and get paid on a commission basis, if that's anything that suits you, I might have a lead.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z128/ericzieg/your_image.png

ha!

Eric is an old black man with pink hair.

Eric: where should a group of 8 eat dinner in st. paul?

I emailed you already so as not to bore people.

I would not be bored by this.

I think that you could totally make those bags by hand. It will take a bit longer, obviously, but they would be so charming! You can do a draw string closure or a button or anything like that. I would avoid a zipper w/o a machine only because frustration could run high but it's do-able. Or explore the world of embroidery! You could do hankies or napkins or lingerie bags or travel laundry bags (one could be for "clean" and the other could be for "dirty" or something like that). . . . or kitchen towels or pillowcases . . .

I'll forward you the email, how about that?

Khyber Pass or, if you want to splurge, Heartland is fantastic ($30 for three-course prix fixe veg menu - maybe higher on weekend nights, but very good value for what you get). Other than that, Dara Moskowitz knows best.

You know those bags you put bags in? That are cloth and gathered at the ends like a piece of wrapped candy? Maybe I could find some blank ones and then put a design on them somehow.

Nick:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1338/998416066_fcddf1053b.jpg?v=0

THANK YOU!!! I knew you'd have some good options. Sadly, one of the people we're eating with is the pickiest eater I've met since my 5 year old self, so I'll leave it up to her.

Also: I'm totally on your team wrt Dara. She's awesome.

I just read her recent review of Dave & Busters. I mean, here is this James Beard award-winning food writer, really knows her way around cooking and wine, and she goes to this place and has a great time. I really can't think of a music writer equivalent of her. She's the best.

I want to have DM's babies.

I've really appreciated her approach to food & her writing is really fun to read.

I tried to do that Simpsonizer thing, but it didn't like the photos I submitted. Oh well.

I'll be your wing man, Jordan.

Also, in the non-productivity department, I keep trying to write this blog entry about baby names, but I just spent like an hour just inputting data into Excel, after which point I can't really justify ignoring my actual work anymore.

Did you guys do an automatic Simpsonizer thing? The one I did was piece-by-piece manual (hence the green lips).

yeah, i did it all manual, too.

http://simpsonizeme.com/

I don't have a photo with high enough resolution on this machine.

Mine was automatic, but they had options to revise stuff piece-by-piece aftewards. I didn't change anything though.

yeah, that's the one

I tried putting this one into it, but no dice.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/232/521904112_5c0365d2ca.jpg

Eazy - i'm interested, altho i don't have much grant writing experience ... but how hard can it be? i'll take some info

I did mine by scanning a photo. I tried customizing one first, but I think the camera don't lie.

Deej - send me an e-mail, or get my address from Jaymc.

I want a Dave and Busters FAP. Getting drunk and playing video games and skeet ball, I can't think of anything more enjoyable.

mattttt had a birthday party there a while back. It was fun, but there were too many little kids around getting the games all greasy.

I'd go back, because I still have one of their cards with some game credits on it.

LOVE skeet ball

Do they have good girlie drinks?? If so, maybe I should have my birthday party there. Oh, xpost.

Yes, they do. Answered my own question.

skeet ball

Ew.

I like the basketball shoot too. Much more enjoyable drunk.

and the race games that vibrate.

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/895/yourimageyy6.png

looooooooooooool

skeet skeet

"My name is Otto, and I like to get blotto!"

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1241/998809230_94ca5be73d_o.png

Heh, both of you!

That Simpson might have been accurate in 2003. I think in the photo I submitted, my hair blended into some tree branches.

aw. The simpsonizer keeps telling me to come back later. :(

It's because I'm jamming the place up trying to simpsonize my family.