Chicago: Become Familiar with its Distinctive Neighborhoods

I am not allowed to open mail (unless it's to me) because |_|bby (ladyboss) opens everyone's mail and date stamps it.

Fine with me.

haha-xpost

http://991.com/newGallery/Hot-Chocolate-20-Greatest-Hits-289357.jpg

"Every 1's A Winner" is unbeatable.

The UP (at least the Keweenaw, where I am from) is warmer than Chicago because of its proximity to Superior.

Also, I am back at work for the first time in 2 weeks and it feels... ok? I must be old.

I'm back, but I'm not working much, and not expecting to have to since the bosses don't return till late tomorrow. I would work if there was any, but alas, I am keeping myself busy by running Spybot and Adaware.

Haha. No bosses till MONDAY now. They're in Michigan and "the weather is too bad to travel."

Jeff/Jenny: where'd u get that train board game from?

I can tell you that (from what they've said) neither Jenny nor Jeff go to ILX at work anymore. Except Jenny during lunch.

i can tell you that you can get it (ticket to ride) by googling "ticket to ride" or possibly at that game store in the landmark theater mall thingie.

Yeah I guess I am more interested in finding local stores that have nerdball games like that. mattttttt got a WWII one lately that is pretty fun.

also recommended for people who enjoy transit games:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512bRbetipL._AA280_.jpg
best with more than 2 players, though

that store in the mall (where the theater and aveda salon are) should have it and more. we got carcassonnne discovery recently.

there is also a game store in the water tower place mall

or there used to be

carcassonnne discovery

Ha, I've only been talking about these kinds of games for a few days but that is like the third or fourth time I've heard that one mentioned.

there is a well-stocked game store in the burbs (skokie, maybe?) where we went once to get a carcassonne expansion. they had like 20 tables set up and there was a bounty of geeks playing games there. i was the only woman in the store.

no i could not smell nerd sweat.

So are people still interested in GAME NIGHT at my place on Saturday?

i don't really understand "game night" -- are we all playing the same game? are we playing "party games" like pictionary, etc? are we in corners playing different games? is there some kind of tourney?

i have to leave in a few minutes to pick up my friend visiting from japan but i must know the answers to these burning questions.

don't get played, gamer

i am interested in GAME NIGHT

though i don't really get excited about crazy games. i like old-school games

I'd be up for Saturday if I don't end up going to dinner with my neighbors from back home, who will be in town.

Games like the WWII one, while fun, are not the best party games. Only 2 or 3 people can play at a time.

"i like old school games"
http://www.bonitalake.com/images/Mens%20Shuffleboard%20League%20Jan%202006-3.jpg

i am not sure if i am up for saturday or not, because i might be hanging with friend from out of town...we'll see

i guess everyone has vetoed tt this week? that's fine.

I wish I could make it for game night, but for some stupid reason I am working at Catch that night.

Maybe next time.

I am up for game night!

I would be up for TT if it was a Bring Your Own Cocktail.

I haven't thought that far ahead, Amanda. We could all play the same game, or we could be in different rooms playing different games, or whatever you like.

Dan- they bought their games at the Century shopping center.

Shuffleboard is fun!

I might be having a mini-tt with a couple of work people (incl. Kevin, maybe?) in my 'hood. Anyone who felt like it could come out, too.

xpost thanks!

My mom gave us guitar hero. :-D

I just realized that it is Wednesday, and not in fact Monday, and that the weekend will be here soon. That is amazing.

Also I posted all the movies I watched in '07 on my blog.

i think once i get the new reel-to-reel up and running i may have to record a cover of 'gumboots.'

totally want to hear this. i kinda love paul simon.

a friend recently taught at the chopping block, so i could get some inside info on what classes are good if you wanted...or comical stories about instructors.

for xmas i got:
ipod nano yay yay yay from k
cd of bach mp3s from dad yay
sweater that would make me look like elmo if were ever caught dead in it, unreturnable
promised check that was later backed out of--thanks for the empty promise, mom!
juicy melon scented candles
notecards
something forthcoming in the mail that i think i'll actually like!

I played the Golden Tee-type bar version of cornholing (Bags) on new Years Eve, and it is very fun.

I think Saturday's good for games. Got Yahtzee.

Kr and I are doing Seafood 101 at the Chopping Block. That was one of my xmas presents for her.

I am back at work for the first time in 2 weeks and it feels... ok?

Man, I feel almost relieved. Finally, a situation I know how to negotiate. Sigh.

Jordan, How many??

I think I'll keep track of what I read/watch this year. (We'll see how long this lasts...)
SO FAR:
January 1 - ONCE

it seems like the purely veggie classes at the chopping block are few and far between, but some of the fundamentals classes might be good, like the knife basics dealie

There's an Indian vegetarian one coming up that looked interesting.

I got a Le Creuset casserole dish and an 8" All Clad fry pan, and I cannot WAIT to use the two in some kind of combination.

Veg-heads: I got this cookbook for my mom and it is hands-down 100% awesome to the max...

http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Cooking-Everyone-Deborah-Madison/dp/0767900146

Did you like Once, Sarah? We have that one sitting at home; haven't watched it yet.

We watched four episodes of Six Feet Under yesterday, and of course the last one on the disc was a huge cliffhanger episode that they didn't even create a "scenes from next week's episode" for.

I really enjoyed Once, though it was alot different than I was expecting. Afterwards, Nick and I pretended to sing the duets in the movie, which, since we didn't know any of the words, mostly just involved singing in gibberish and slipping into falsetto alot.

Once is my favorite movie of 2007.

I found a big orange Le Creuset teakettle at the Brown Elephant for $10

I liked Once, it was more subtle and naturalistic than most romance movies. The songs were a little samey but pleasant. Could have maybe used a little more plot.

I've been kind of annoyed lately at people who criticize movies because the music in them isn't hip enough or whatever. I feel like Once got some of that.

Sarah, I think it was about 134 movies, but I counted a whole season of a tv show as one entry.

Once is coming up on my queue. My first movie of '08 was Dead Man, which I loved.

people who criticize movies because the music in them isn't hip enough or whatever

can you be more explicit about this? are you talking about juno? i was ok with the music in juno, it was the music discussions and references that grated for me. i don't know if the music in once is hip or not, but it works great within the movie - he's a singer/songwriter, and the songs are pretty good singer/songwriter-type songs

Help! Help me figure out what to spend $200 at Amazon on. It's a funny amount, that -- much less than that, and I wouldn't mind spending it on lots of little things, books and music and such. But it feels like just significant enough of an amout that I should do something... significant. And yet, it's not enough to go buck wild with. Hmmmm.

i have a copy of the veg cookbook dan mentions and it seems to be filled with deliciousness. also, thorough in a pleasing way.

i have Once coming in the mail from netflix.

i had a problem with the end of 'once,' but i can't discuss it without a spoiler

I didn't think I was as crazy about the music in Once on its own, but then I saw the guy and gal from that movie at the Vic last month and it was a really good concert.

Kenan - get one of the El Bulli books.

ok i'm going to get this for sure, because I've been meaning to for forever and I think I may have the wherewithal to get it framed like I should. But that's only twenty amazon bucks.

I've been reading this, and it's subtly depressing but very good:

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Farmer-American-Memoir/dp/0671498037