REVFAP CHICAGO (and maybe Portland too)

Ayo Chitown!

So, if all things go according to plan, I will be in Chicago from August 5-8th and I think drinks with ChILXors would be in order. I have lots of official Young Democrats stuff to do while I'm there, but Thursday and Friday nights I should be free. I think one of those evenings (or later into the night) would be the best time to meet with ILX people. So, uh, reccommend me some good places to drink and lets see what we can do.

Also, I will probably be visiting Portland soon and would like to FAP with Portland ILXors, too. I'll update this thread with details when I have something more concrete than that.

I'm going drinking right now, so won't be able to respond for a bit.

Ok!

Aw I'm gonna be out of town that weekend, dang

homie i would've driven up for this but i'm gonna be in miami >:[

I could do that Thursday night for a couple hours. I am leaving the next day for Canada, but a few drinks never hurt anyone.

hell yeah

Alright, Thursday night sounds good, if that works for everyone else.

Portland is just fine, yet roasting this week.

I decided I'd like to stay in Chicago for a couple extra days beyond the scope of the convention, so I have some time to explore the city. Thing is, while my hotel is paid for during the convention, I'd need accomodations during any extra time I spent there and don't have the money to pay for such, so if any of you good people would be able to provide me with a couch or extra bed for a couple days, I would be totally grateful. Either before or after the convention would work for me. (After would open up the possibility of a Saturday FAP, which might be useful.) So if anyone can provide that, please webmail me. Thank you.

Hey! Would love to meet you, Rev. Pretty sure I'll be around.

So, looks like I'll be in Chicago through that Tuesday (the 11th), so a Saturday/Sunday FAP would be in order. (I'd rather have it after the convention is over, sorry Todd.)

Yeah, I will be meeting ILX's own Reverend in a very direct and matter-of-fact manner. He'll crash right here. Shit, not like I'm cramped for space or time or anything. :)

People should meet us and hang out that weekend.

Oh, Reverend, I will demand some small amount of rent. Bring beer. I do not get much beer lately. :)

I'm likely house-sitting in the middle of nowhere that weekend, alaz.

haha Kenan, will do.

So this is coming up. I'll be in town as of Wednesday. FAP on Saturday or Sunday is good, but beyond that, we need a time, location, etc. Help me out here.

Also what do I need to check out while I'm there?

Are you coming for Lollapalooza?

Was entirely unaware of it.

Anyone?

damn, unfortunately, i am leaving town friday morning. i won't be able to make a weekend FAP, but have fun!

:(

I'd do something Saturday or Sunday night, but I have lucked into a pass to Lolla so I'll be there for a while. I'm free during the week too, yay unemployment.

Bump this during the workday tomorrow and you'll probably get more responses.

Oh, and what do I need to see and do in Chicago? I mean, there are some obvious things, but help me be a better tourist.

Rev, I'm definitely still up for something on Saturday or Sunday. Lots of potential places we could go, depending on a number of criteria -- how many of us there are, whether we want food in addition to drinks, whether we want to sit outside, etc. Any particular preferences on your end? And are you still staying with Kenan during the weekend?

I'll also think of good things to check out while in Chicago, though given what I know of your musical taste, I'd say you shouldn't leave without having gone to Dusty Groove.

Rev, Mr. Jaq and I might have mentioned Chess studio/Blues Heaven - the tour was definitely worth the time. Occasional free concerts too.

hey guys what should Rev do? I will post some of my usual suggestions

Garfield Park Conservatory
Chicago Cultural Center
Something from the "Free Shit" section on http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/Home
Bookstores in Hyde Park
Ride an L line end-to-end
Superliga Final: Chicago Fire v. Tigres UANL (Mexico) Wednesday 8/5 7:00 PM

Hey, thanks for the suggestions! Food on Sunday would be good, come to think of it. I am staying with Kenan over the weekend, but I found out I'll be in town for two days longer than expected and still need to figure out where I am Tuesday-Wednesday nights. I'm sure I'll work out something.

i was a big fan of the museum at the art institute of chicago. not sure what's on now.

I don't think there are any "MUST SEE" places that I would unreservedly recommend to anyone, except just to get out and explore the various neighborhoods instead of sticking to the obvious touristy stuff downtown.

I'm better with making recommendations for specific kinds of places. Like if you're a beer connoisseur, then you really need to visit Hopleaf. That kind of thing. Or if there's a particular cuisine you like, I could probably recommend a restaurant within a neighborhood and price range, since I've lived here for nine years and have been to a lot of places.

Actually, if you're looking for something sort of unique to Chicago, you could go see an improv comedy show. Not that they don't exist in other cities, but the sheer number of improv teams, and the quality, is pretty high here. I'm most familiar with iO (formerly known as Improv Olympic) -- if you're interested, there are particular shows I could recommend -- but there are a handful of other venues, too.

On a similar theater-ish note, I used to always take out-of-town visitors to see Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, but it's been a few years since I last went, so I don't know if it's any good or not.

definitely go to dusty groove, but know that they close kinda early for a record store (like 8pm i think)
is it this weekend that we're talking about?

Obligatory "drink in the Signature Room at the top of the Hancock Building" recommendation.

The forthcoming weekend. I'll be in town from the 5th to the 13th.

I would be interested in knowing The FAP Plan when it is formulated.

You know, there was a Chicago thing that I was thinking about recently that I have never done but always intended to do, and I had one of those, "I'm going to take a day off work and do this thing" moments, and now I absolutely cannot think of what that thing was, or I would recommend it.

xp that's a long visit!

The first few days of that, I'll be occupied, so

Wednesday evening through Saturday morning, to be more precise.

I've never done it myself, but I've always heard good things about the architectural boat tours (I think there are a couple different ones) -- a good way to see downtown, learn a little Chicago history, etc.

I'd be up to FAP somewhere along the Red Line since I'll be downtown post-LOLlapaloozLOL Saturday night... Of course that still leaves many many options.

xp yeah the boat tours are fun, be sure to get on the architectural society-run tour if you go

Rev, I assume you won't have a car and will be relying mostly on public transit?

Yup.

Take a stroll on the lakefront. You can go for miles.

What does FAP mean?

you got it dude, thanks for not posting any pictures

no likey pictures?

o wait i get it
you don't wanna see pictures of what fap look like, right?
that makes more sense

moody's moody's moody's

is moody's a place to FAP?

Moody's is not a place to FAP.

Ok, it's not "quite nice" for a date, no. It's "quite nice" for a few dudes hell-bent on drinking some beer.

I did have a nap there, once. That was quite nice.

I got a hilarious injury there once. That was also quite nice.

lol people getting all snippy about moody's

Nick, remember when you asked if there was a thing that ppl can't understand why someone would/n't like? The answer is Moody's.

Jesse and I had some mini-burgers at the place just a block up the street once, and they were awesome. But they were not in a garden-setting, so.

fact: their food is middling
fact: their beer is not "good beer"
fact: their beer garden is nice
fact: their beer is inexpensive

i don't see how this does not add up to "would not eat dinner there, but would enjoy some beers there"
why do some people hate this place for being merely ok?

don't get it

(just trying to build up some anticipation for revfap btw)

People get snippy about Moody's because it's over-hyped, and many of us are incorrigibly of the type to get downright shitty about things we feel need to be taken down a notch.

The irony is plain for anyone to see, obv. Not that it matters much. I'm speaking only for myself on this one.

The two things Moody's gets hyped for: the burgers and the beer garden. The burgers I wouldn't know about, since I don't eat meat, but the beer garden is one of the largest in the city, and it's nice and shaded, and so I think it deserves the attention. The only real problem with it is that it can get pretty crowded some nights.

It is possible to:

Find Moody's overrated on on any or all points.
Still enjoy meeting friends in the beer garden at Moody's.
Still have warm and fond feelings for and about people who think Moody's is great.
Still like fun.

I must try one of their burgers soon. I have heard:
They are the bee's pajamas
They are the pope's diarrhea

I must decide for myself.

They are the pope's diarrhea-stained, bee-filled pajamas.

Interesting how when you combine two extremes, you don't get a neutral outcome.

The pope's bee-stung, diarrhea covered knees inside of his cat-hair pajamas.

Incidentally, I dreamed last night that I put my cat in socks and pajamas and sent him on a hike through the NC Appalachians in the winter. He also had a wire armature around him for some reason.

(sorry, off-topic)

Unless you are suggesting that while The Rev is in town, he should wear socks and pajamas and a wire armature and do some winter hiking in NC.

I've never been to Moody's and have no opinion.

I have walked, run, biked, and bused past it many times and I always thought that it looked strange for a bar.

Okay, if Moody's is unacceptable to some ppl, are there good alternatives? I'm sure there has to be more than one hangout-worthy bar in Chicago.

Oh, I was just being a dipshit. Moody's is fine for all of your purposes. It's just fun to rag on it.

Alright then: 7PM Sunday @ Moody's?? Does that work for everyone?

I can do that.

someone bring a photo of me and put it on the table

Sure. There are definitely a few other alternatives, but I think Moody's probably makes the most sense, especially given the proximity to where you'll be staying.

preferably this one: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30208499&id=1309983927&op=1&view=global&subj=1367529924

huh i meant this:
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1810/139/121/1309983927/n1309983927_30219520_4677.jpg

Hahaha. I am actually very tempted to do that.

The day that picture no longer makes me laugh will be the day that all laughter dies in this world.

Back on things to do, go see the Z-pod: http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2009/08/the-zpod-has-landed-delayed-but-worth-the-wait-hadids-burnham-pavilion-is-a-small-structure-with-big.html

Attn Chicago people, the Rev just posted this on Twitter:

Help! I have no hotel info and nobody's number.

Though he might be directing that more to the convention goers -- sounds like he's found some folks since then.

Naw, I'm good.

And that was completely directed at convention-goers.

Cool, hope you have a great time! And good to see you survived airport hell.

tommorrow iirc

Rev: Looking at my phone, I see a text you sent like a week ago. Sorry I missed that. You are the first person who has texted me besides AT&T in like, three years.

You're still coming over today, right?

Nevermind. I called him. Amazing, this technology thing.

We're still on for tonight, I presume? I wonder if we should designate a Plan B in case it rains or is just plain too hot. Ordinarily, I'd suggest just going inside, but the inside of Moody's is so dark and usually smells like a deep fryer.

I don't know what we're on or not on for. I should call him again and see what's up. I though I'd her from him a long time before now. When is checkout time at this hotel?

We're on. Moody's 7pm. Everything is go.

And if Moody's gets on people's nerves, there's that little bar Jesse and I went to that one time that's about a block up the street. It was a nice little place, and the mini-burgers were delicious and cheap.

St. Andrews Inn?

Could be, yeah. Sounds about right.

Yeah, that place is decent. See you in a couple hours.

Jeff is asleep and I'm still kind of http://the-op.com/images/105-lucille2-phone-tn.jpg so we are probably not going to make it out to meet The Rev.

The Reverend, I'm sorry. You seem like a nice person and I would have enjoyed meeting you.

Aw. miss u boo

All plans are go.

Rev: just sent you directions to my place via Facebook mail.

We may be a bit late.

Lollapalooza almost killed me.

If you guys are doing something tomorrow let me know.