Chicago: Totally hands-free!!!

I agree about the reason for wedding gifts. It's a celebration.

Oh Nick, pish posh. It's important to your friends because it's important to you, no matter where you/they live. But it's not more substantial than any other topic at risk for discussion on this thread on any given day. Do sit down and have a glass of water, I think you're getting overwrought.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1393/777022389_6cf1a30f90.jpg?v=0

I wasn't actually complaining about the content of the thread, I just thought it was funny how people were suddenly talking about 10 different things at the same time, so that the posts weren't relating to each other.

Also, apologies to all if I was getting in a huff. I can't help being defensive as I'm married obv., loved getting all the pressies, and hope to some day also have babies (and also expect I'll be getting pressies then).

xp Oh yeah, because that is TOTALLY different from normal.

I want to have a campfire. Where in Brooklyn should I do this?

You guys are ILXing circles around me today. Jeez.

Ok this is why we need new threads: you go away for a few hours, 50 posts happen, you come back and can't see where you left off, so you have to load the entire thread and it takes literally minutes. Amirite, people?

rooftop

Awwwww Sarah I don't think corporations being traditional/conservative and backward-looking is anything to do with being, or GETTING, married! And wedding pres are a lovely way for people who love you to feel they've contributed to your life...and vice versa.

Also, my sister's labor is being induced today!! There should be a new clan member by around evening, altho I guess we'll see how it goes.

I've also been known to just set marshmellows on fire with a lighter, blow them out, and stick them on the choco/graham cracker combo. You can put the choco graham in the microwave for a few seconds to get it a little meltier.

the only time i ever had a problem finding a parking space in oak park was during christmas shopping season or if there'd been a recent snow storm. and even then it only meant parking closer to oak park ave rather than harlem.

why are we talking about this?

xpost- Where in Brooklyn should I do this?
in front of the grand army memorial.

He was talking about parking in Evanston.

But maybe you knew that...

Anyway, I'm going to go see if the boss is in a good mood so I can ask for 3 days off at xmas even though I technically have -2 days left for the year.

Is it okay for an employer to give free smores to employees that have babies if they don't provide free parking?

Gas stoves really ought to make perfectly good s'mores, you've got an open flame and everything...but I want beers and campfire smell and all the lovely outdoorsness, so I guess I'm going to have to wait.

i think i've been to evanston twice. four times if you count the time i passed out on the purple line and rode to wilmette and back.

i drove there once, did not have trouble finding a parking space. i remember we took sheridan all the way up, salivating over the mansions up there. i can't imagine living a life of opulence like that. fuck, i barely remember what it's like to have a stocked pantry at this point.

I see what you're saying about wedding gifts being part of the celebration, except for the fact that a) a lot of the time you're basically just picking whatever hasn't already been picked on the registry (i.e., no personal input) and b) it's not like you get to see the gifts being opened or anything.

I will say, though, that I personally like to find things not on the registry that I know the couple will enjoy, anyway.

Also, when I said that I realized the purpose of the gift was to offset the cost of the wedding, I think I meant that the purpose of spending so much money on a gift was to offset the cost of the wedding. I basically didn't start going to friends' weddings until a couple years ago, so someone had to explain to me that $50 was an absolute minimum and I was kind of o_O at first. But now I totally understand that compared to what the couple spends on the wedding, it's not that much at all.

xxxposts That was what was most tempting to me about the Dan cabin, but then he said you couldn't have bonfires there. :-(

John, your gift was seriously perfect for us.

I'm glad you liked it. :D

xp We have a perfectly serviceable fireplace!

BTW I'd still be willing to host something there but it would take some serious planning.

What would be involved in the planning exactly?

There are all KINDS of graham crackers out there Sarah, it's not a decision to be made lightly.

The fire ban might be over by now. Plus, you could still do a small campfire. Dan's just a good boy about the rules, I made a lovely, roasty, toasty fire on the beach when I was up in August.

p.s. I would feel terrible if I caused a forest fire in the Keweenaw. But the beach was all rocks!

Ok, I'll bring s'mores supplies for all.
NOW What planning is left?

xposts

Timing, mostly. It's about 450 miles away. So, getting a weekend set, figuring out rides, that sort of thing.

Hey sister, I ain't going to be the one that burns down Middle Point. The land association people hate my family enough as it is because of their skirting of the septic tank rules.

Would November be too late?

Depends. There is a very good chance of there being a foot and a half of snow on the ground then, and our place ain't winterized.

So, hypothetically, that would leave:

this weekend - v unlikely, amirite?
weeked of oct 6
weeked of oct 13 - nick and I are busy
weeked of oct 20
weeked of oct 27 - trying to force s.o. else to throw a halloween party then

Ok, I will chill out for a little while.

I was just so excited about going to starved rock and then it turned out there was no room in the inn!

Yeah, advance notice is more what I meant I guess. I think maybe shooting for the springtime would be best/easiest. I might be going up there the weekend of the 20th but if I do I'll be out in the woods most of the time.

Oh, ok.

I think the other thing is that if I went up there, I would ideally want to take both Friday and Monday off work. Otherwise, with driving, you're only there for a day and a half.

This is a very good point.

Hey John or anyone else who knows these things:

Which of these places is easiest to access via public transportation?

http://fpdcc.com/tier3.php?content_id=45

PS:

http://media.twango.com/m1/large/0006/73cb22e9ef1a4c1baee4bb59efc2048e.jpg

I would also be intersted in knowing that.

And yes, that is a very good point. Speaking of time off, I just got those 3 days off! WHOO HOO!

Spiderpug

(can he swing/from a web/no he can't/he's just a pug etc.)

Ok this is why we need new threads: you go away for a few hours, 50 posts happen, you come back and can't see where you left off, so you have to load the entire thread and it takes literally minutes. Amirite, people?

this happens to me several times a day, most days. new thread, anyone?

Jenny, I didn't look at that link that closely, but I'm pretty sure that North Branch Trail System is the only one in Chicago proper. You can get there by taking the Red Line up to Bryn Mawr and then the #84 Peterson bus.

Ohh my poor mother. She just called me b/c my sister is, completely unsurprisingly, being a giant baby. Also, DIDN'T take any Lamaze classes, as it turns out, and has no idea how to handle contractions or how to focus on anything else when she's in pain, and is totally refusing to pull herself together. I realize this may sound like a harsh judgement of someone who's IN LABOR RIGHT NOW, but this is so, so Kati all over that it's 100% unsurprising...I'M FINE I DON'T NEED YOU GO AWAY LEAVE ME ALONE OMG OMG WHAT'S HAPPENING HELP ME SAVE MEEEEEE SOMEONE MAKE THIS NOT MY PROBLEM HEEEELLP!!!!

xp to Jordan ahahahahahahahhaaa

I solve that problem by not reading anything above the cut.

err... xp to Julia.

John are any of them accessible via Metra?

I told my mother to slap her, that'll give her something else to focus on.

You should consider becoming a doula.

I know, how has the world gotten this far without my help? It is a mystery.

It looks like that same North Branch Trail also has a Metra stop very close (the Central stop on the Milwaukee District North Line). As for the rest, I couldn't tell you, without consulting my big Chicagoland atlas.

Thank you John. You're my fact-checkin' cuz.