DU gathering in Chicago on Sunday, Dec. 28

[prolesunited]

flush_bush is in Chicago visiting family and is interested getting together.

There's a gathering tonight:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=571048&mesg_id=571048

However, for those unable to make it then (like me), we'll have another event on Sunday at My Pie in Lincoln Park:
http://entertainment.metromix.chicagotribune.com/top/1,1419,M-Metromix-Home-!PlaceDetail-4887,00.html

So far, it's myself, flush_bush and probably ProfessorGAC. Anyone else interested? I would love to meet some people who haven't attended previous gatherings. We're not so scary, I swear. :-)

What time would be good?

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. flush_bush is a popular guy!!!

Too bad I can't make it Sunday -- the triplets' parents' annual holiday party and a great food event (their father is a chef), plus another chance to see the little ones.

And, no, we're not scary at all.

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. Kick!

:bounce:

[never cry wolf]

3. Sunday may be more doable for me

Than tonight. I should have time to make a decent dent in this project by then, i'll at least know how much trouble I am in better. I just separated the client's interior designer's furniture from their base CAD floor plan and the floor plan is ALL F**KED UP!!! I have to redraw everything from scratch.

ARGHHHH!!! How the hell hard is it to draw a 10' wide room in CAD accurately anyway? Why would an interior designer draw it at 10'- 1 7/16"??

Ok, enuf of my rant. Anyone have an idea of a time on sunday? If you're talking around lunch does My Pi have a TV for da Bearsss game?

[scubadude]

4. Where and when are you meeting? Both days please.

I'm too wiped out by the holidays to distill out the meeting place and time from all those posts.

My new wife and I are interested.

Ron

[ProfessorGAC]

5. Hey!!!! You're Back!

Cool! Maybe we'll see ya, Sunday.
The Professor

[greatauntoftriplets]

7. tonight is Moody's, 5910 N. Broadway.

8 p.m.

[Gato Moteado]

8. tonight at moody's on broadway at 8pm....

and again on sunday night at My Pi's on clark and fullerton. i don't know if we came up with a time yet for the My Pi get together...i'm assuming in the evening. 7 or 8pm would be good for me. what do ya think, sharon?

[ProfessorGAC]

12. 7pm is Too Late For Me

I live too far away, wake up too early in the morning, and am usually nearing MS fatigue collapse by 9pm. So, if its that late on Sunday, i will have to regrettably decline. But, don't let that be any sort of deciding factor. If i'm too much of a weenie to handle 10pm on a Sunday night, it's my loss.
The Professor

[greatauntoftriplets]

13. I have that "wake up early in the morning" thing, too, Professor.

People ask why I just don't sleep later -- when you can't, you CAN'T. Even at this time of year when it starts getting light around 7 a.m., there is something that forces me to wake up -- this morning it was a weird dream.

[prolesunited]

14. What time would work better for you?

Can people do 5 p.m.? Would that work for you Professor, flush_bush, steviet_2003 and scubadude + wife?

[ProfessorGAC]

16. I Think That Might Be OK

I might not stay long. Maybe a beer and scoot, but at least i'd meet everyone who's not been there before.
The Professor

[prolesunited]

18. What about 3 or 4?

Does that work for anybody?

[ProfessorGAC]

19. The Earlier The Better, For Me

Early to bed, early to rise, and all that!
The Professor

[scubadude]

20. Well, whenever it is let us know!

Babette and I would love to go. We also live a great distance.

Ron

[prolesunited]

21. PM me your e-mail addy

so I can get back to you. Love to meet both of you. :hi:

[never cry wolf]

22. Any time sunday is as good as another for me

Probably the earlier the better.

[Gato Moteado]

24. it's fine with me......

....you make the call, and let us know.

p.s. the meeting tonight at moody's was great!

[XNASA]

6. It would be difficult for me to make it.

We have a houseguest for the Holidays, yadda-yadda.

I'll see what I can do. Any excuse to hang out in my old 'hood.

Perhaps I might be able to make it.

Send me a PM noting the time Sharon, oh and....

We opened your gift yesterday. Thank you very much. They're delicious.

[GOPisEvil]

9. Dammit the Hell!

He just takes off for Chicago and leaves me here by myself! Hmph! x(

Oh well...I'll just hang out here, where it ISN'T freezing. :-)

[Gato Moteado]

10. i think you're more popular here than i am......

....we'd probably get a bigger turnout if you were here. maybe you could fly in for a couple days. it may be freezing here, but austin just doesn't hold a candle to the windy city, my brother.

[GOPisEvil]

11. Ehhh...lack of fundage...

That's the reason I have 12 straight days off from work, yet I'm staying home. Otherwise, I'd fly up. Plus, somehow my body decided I need to be sick again. :grr:

[prolesunited]

15. Aww, poor baby!

:cry:

We'll drink a :toast: to you if that's any consolation. Feel better soon. :hug:

[greatauntoftriplets]

17. It's in the 40s here today.

Maybe heading to the 50s tomorrow.

:)

[KG]

23. dang, can't make this one.

:(

[Booberdawg]

25. I wish I had seen this sooner

I might have considered making the trip from Iowa, but not sure if there is time to make arrangements for my pets and a place to stay this close to the event.

Maybe could still make the Sunday one if I knew more details, but even that is getting too close to make plans.

[Gato Moteado]

26. i hope you can make the sunday meeting....

....it looks like it will be in the afternoon.

[Booberdawg]

30. Can't make this one

But would like to make one in Chicago sometime.

I hope you are enjoying your stay, flush_bush. :hi:

[prolesunited]

31. Certainly hope you can

another time. We'll get together in 2004. It could be a resolution that's pleasantly kept. :-)

[greatauntoftriplets]

32. Agreed!

We should give Booberdawg more notice for a get-together. This time was short for both.

[Booberdawg]

33. You can count on it.

:thumbsup: ;-)

Chicago is a bit of a drive for me, but doable with some planning.

I didn't realize this just went up the same morning I responded to it - I thought it had been up several days and I just didn't see it.

Would love to meet you too, greatauntoftriplets! :toast:

[greatauntoftriplets]

34. Yes, you are two states away. That is a long drive.

We are good people, don't bite. ;)

:toast:

[Booberdawg]

35. Just one state away

Iowa is right next to Illinois.

Unless I'm mistaken, I thought the meetup was in Chicago? It's about a 7 hour drive - I checked it, so I'd have to make it an overnight. I drive to South Dakota to see my sister's family once in a while so I'm used to it.

[greatauntoftriplets]

36. Yes, it's in Chicago, but you'd have to drive through Iowa and Illinois.

Guess you don't mind long drives. I hate 'em.

Edited to fix typo. Duh.

[Gato Moteado]

37. it's been enjoyable so far.....

.....i was born and raised here. left in 1990. i come back sporadically. there are so many things i miss. the winter is not one of them.

[prolesunited]

27. Anybody else interested?

Let me know and I'll PM you with the details. :hi:

[never cry wolf]

28. A kick for Sunday

:kick:

[TheZoo]

29. Would love to see pics

Of our Second City folks!

[prolesunited]

38. Last call!

I know there's more Chicago people out there. Let me know now because I'll be leaving mid-morning.

[Gato Moteado]

39. you're up early today.

nt

[prolesunited]

41. Umm...

If you're posting now, you evidently are too. I worked last night and then came home and went to bed. Not exactly an exciting Saturday night. :P

[Gato Moteado]

42. yeah, this is pretty early for me....

....i try to get extra sleep in the mornings, especially on work days. sometimes on the weekends i get up early though....today was one of those days.

[greatauntoftriplets]

40. Have fun!

Please post photos if you take any.

Have one for me. :toast:

[never cry wolf]

44. Almost last call

I will be here until maybe 2:30, if anyone wants info, you can pm me.

[Robbien]

45. Just saw this for the first time, would love to go! PM on the way.

eom

[Gato Moteado]

43. kick

come on chicago DUers. pizza and brewskis. don't miss it.

[never cry wolf]

46. One last kick

:kick:

[TheZoo]

47. one more kick

How did the meetup go? Any pics??

[davsand]

48. Firgures it'd be the weekend I was at the OTHER end of Illinois!

I'm headed back to St Louis/Illinois side later this week too. Maybe I need to throw up a thread...

Anyhow, I DO want to meet the Chicago gang. I've yet to make it up there for a gathering--and it is only about 2.5 hours from Champaign to downtown... If I can make it to Saginaw for FunDay, I can surely make it to Chicago! This is my New Year's resolution!

Laura

[greatauntoftriplets]

49. the get-togethers were this weekend, so you didn't miss anything.

We will have something else at some point in the future. Speaking for the rest of Chicago DUers, we would love to have you at an event.

[ProfessorGAC]

50. My Apologies!!

I missed the gathering on Sunday. My MS flared up on me Saturday afternoon and my legs were like two 100# bags of oatmeal all day Sunday and today. I just couldn't have endured the 90 minute drive each way and dinner. I would have been miserable company anyway. Too much pain, too much frustration.

So, sorry if i kept anybody waiting. I kept thinking i would be able to make it but by 2 o'clock, i just knew there was no way!

Sorry again.
The Professor

[never cry wolf]

51. No apologies needed Professor

Although I would like yo meet you at some point, you are dealing with quite a bit more than trying to find a parking spot.

Here's a quick recap of my first meeting with other DUers. I arrived 20 minutes late and flush_bush made it 5 minutes after me. Another 10 minutes Robbien showed up (she had been closest to being on time but no one was there yet so she went for a walk people watching.) After a while Prolesunited showed after a frustrating search for the elusive parking slot in Lincoln Park.

So, it was disappointing only in that it was a small gathering and that more DUers could not join at such short notice. Everyone there was as nice as I had envisioned, however. We chatted, I had a coupla beers as did Robbein, Proles with some wine. Shared a pizza, which was tainted with some sausage on the vegan half, unfortunately for Proles.

I was the first to leave so I don't know if the others hung around for a bit, that was the only other disappointing part for me, I wish I would have had more time to get to know these nice people and talk some more DU. I hope everyone made it home ok and FB, have a safe drive back to Houston.

There will be a next time. I want one to rival the Boston best. gathering. ever.

Thanks to all!!

[ProfessorGAC]

52. A Good Goal, Indeed

And, thanks for understanding. (Also again to Sharon who PM'd me.)

Yeah, i'd like to see the Chicago gathering grow, if only one time, to include all of us.

Damn this disease. I really wanted to go yesterday.
The Professor

[prolesunited]

53. I really enjoyed meeting

a new group of DUers as well. I haven't met a single one yet that I didn't like or feel an immediate kinship with. How often can you sit down with a group of virtual strangers and have the most interesting and insightful conversations without running out of things to say? It's an amazing thing.

We talked for awhile longer, probably driving the wait staff crazy for tying up the table so long. I think the tip was generous enough to cover that inconvenience. Then, we went to Tower Records, where flush_bush shared his musical tastes. Robbien had to leave, but we poked around some more, each spending more than we should but less than what we wanted. ;-)

BTW, I should have read the fine print on the parking garage. It's only $9.25 on weekends, much better than the $20+ that I thought it was going to be.

The fact that more people couldn't attend did not diminish the pleasure of meeting those that could. I'm sure with more advance planning, we'll be able to pull the Chicago tribe together. Until next time.

[never cry wolf]

54. I agree wholeheartedly

How often can you sit down with a group of virtual strangers and have the most interesting and insightful conversations without running out of things to say? It's an amazing thing.

The fact that more people couldn't attend did not diminish the pleasure of meeting those that could. I'm sure with more advance planning, we'll be able to pull the Chicago tribe together.

This was my first DU meeting of any sort, you guys popped my cherry, so to speak. You may have noticed I am on the quiet side and I am usually pretty shy with strangers but felt quite comfortable with you all. Thanks for being gentle!! hahaha.

[greatauntoftriplets]

55. Sorry that I could not be there to meet you and robbien.

Now that your cherry is er, uh, popped, maybe you will join us the next time!

[never cry wolf]

56. I am sorry I could not make Friday

I look forward to the next time!

[Gato Moteado]

60. the people from the friday get-together.....

...definitely need to hook up with the people from the sunday meet-up. i have a feeling the next chicago DU gathering will be a big one. everyone was great. mopinko needs to get the hubby online....he's a DUer at heart i think.

[Gato Moteado]

59. it was a great time.....

thanks for setting it all up, sharon. i hope next time we make a trip to tower records we can buy ten times as many CDs. if we're gonna spend money, we might as well spend it on something worthwhile like music. you can never have too much!

also, in future chicago get-togethers we will need to consider more vegetarian friendly places. though i'm not a veg right now, i plan on cutting out as much meat from my diet as i can in the near future.

[Gato Moteado]

58. it was great meeting you steve....

....i'm sure we'll hook up again in the future.

[Gato Moteado]

57. the most important thing is your health....

....there will be plenty of more gatherings in the future. i wish i could have met you....i'm sure i will next time.

i hope you're feeling much better today. stay healthy...i'll catch ya next time i swing thru town.