Chicago MMXII

http://www.benmeadows.com/images/xl/Pulaski-Axe-BEN-_i_9Y903_AS01.jpg

Unsurprisingly, there has been absolutely no announcements/preparations/planning related to this at my work. Which isn't to say I think these terrifying hippies and their anti-g8 communist riot terrorism looting bedbugs anthrax whatever are actually going to cause me any harm other than possibly some public transit irritation. I just think it's funny that out of all of the places to have concerns, an actual gov't building is just like "meh."

the library's going to be closed because i can't go downstairs and escort everyone up to the library who wants to visit one by one. but i also can't really work from home.

meant to post this a few days ago but here's some good news for my neighborhood/chicago in general: http://ecojusticecollaborative.org/breaking-chicago-coal-plants-closing/

Hey, that's great!

Nick, I hope you're getting paid for those days.

those two power plants were a big issue in the most recent aldermanic election. the company that owns them (midwest generation) sent out a p cynical letter "from the employees" basically saying "please don't take these jobs away from pilsen". of course most of the workers in the plants don't even live in the neighborhood, and the electricity they generate isn't used in chicago, it's sold to other areas.

Oh man, I hate that kind of manipulative evil PR bullshit.

oh i'm salaried so don't worry

Hmmmm... apparently he G8 summit is now going to be at camp david but NATO will still be here?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-g8-summit-to-be-held-at-camp-david-not-chicago-20120305,0,2787373.story

whoa

Oh, well I guess you suckers are all going to work after all.

I had actually taken off the week of the G8 summit so my car wouldn't get firebombed on the way to work; now I will have to reconsider my options.

Maybe you should keep the days off and schedule a vacation in Thurmont, MD.

#OccupyMaryland

my hotel room in thurmont has been booked.

http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2012/03/05/g8-moving-to-camp-david-one-less-summit-to-protest

LOL at this

http://www.chicagoreader.com/binary/c332/1330984856-nomoreg8.jpg

Wait

http://www.chicagoreader.com/binary/c332/1330984856-nomoreg8.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431528_10150569572611861_682376860_9518526_958449922_n.jpg

Pretty.

Oooh -- Wolcott's is gone and cool new french bar to open in its place!

http://troquetchicago.com/

$5 pints of Blue Moon just wasn't enough, I guess.

Wolcott's didn't last long. Did we ever go there? I can't even remember.

What does it mean to be a "French bar"?

We never went there. At least not according to my untappd.

Sometimes I go places without your untappd.

Yeah, Wolcott's was almost never full, even for big sporting events. There was even a short-lived Wednesday karaoke night -- I walked by one time, and it looked like it was just one dude mangling "Edge of Glory."

What does it mean to be a "French bar"?

Chicago Magazine:
“‘Troquet’ is actually the French word for bar,” Nicole Outrequin Quaisser says. “It will have your croque-monsieur in different varieties, and we will have traditional baguette sandwiches. And we will have something like a small plate, like a pork belly or veal breast with traditional french fries and some salad.” French, German, and local beers will be offered on tap, and chalkboard menus will give the place a traditional atmosphere.

From the owners of LM (the French restaurant in Lincoln Square), btw.

Tricky having that just two blocks from Fiuntainhead, though LM has its foodie fans.

Hopefully that area can sustain two such places. That particular intersection really can use a bar/restaurant. Wolcotts, for its shortcomings, was a good idea.

A brand new Mariano's is being built by my work, at Halsted and Monroe. That's only one block south of the Dominick's at Halsted and Madison. Sort of a weird choice.

Further retail updates while I'm at it: Wal-Mart is under construction at the former Pearl art store at the Chicago Brown line stop and a Target is being built near mu work on Van Buren about 4 blocks west of Halsted.

Also that CVS in the Century shopping ctr is going to be pretty huge.

xp Well, that one Mariano's at Roscoe/Western is right next to a Jewel.

it's 9:30 am, why does my stomach think it's lunch time?

the gut wants what the gut wants?

other neighborhood restaurant updates:
* the shitty thai restaurant at byron and lincoln closed, is being replaced by ... another thai restaurant. hopefully less shitty.
* a grilled cheese/soup/coffee place is opening on lincoln across from the jewel. i think this is the fifth restaurant that has been in that location since i moved to the neighborhood.
* big bricks looks to be doing pretty good business. would like to eat there sometime.

i think this is the fifth restaurant that has been in that location since i moved to the neighborhood.

Yeah, I think it was a teahouse? And then Indian?

I couldn't tell if Big Bricks was open yet or not when I drove by the other day. This was during the day, though. Seems like it would be a good place for a large gathering.

I had a good lunch at Apart Pizza yesterday: $5.35 for a decent-sized pizza and soft drink, good stuff to read, and good service.

it was a teahouse, a coffeeshop, an Indian place, and a sushi place

It's kind of an awful space for a restaurant...would probably work better as a store?

I actually wanted to go to the Indian place but didn't know about it until like a week before it closed.

yeah the Indian place looked alright. i think i hung out at the teahouse once during my work from home/school from home period.

I've wanted to, but I've never actually set foot in the Mariano's on Western. I take one look at the giant clusterfuck that is its parking lot and decide to skip it and go somewhere else. I suppose I should walk or bike over there.

I want to go to Big Bricks.

ok let's all go there for pizza and beer someday

Okay.

now you are talking real talk
i don't care what opened or closed, i just want to do something fun
THE WEATHER IS MAKING ME FEEL CRAZY

it's definitely the weather

So tired of people not being able to get their shit together. We were supposed to be practicing for an interview for a new project today and as of last night, we were told to get here early today to start practicing. Got in at 6:45 this morning and finally heard at 8:15 by the partner in charge of the interview that "something came up" and the practice was delayed. Same thing was emailed at 9:30 and 10:45. Now we were just told that we would be starting practice at 5:45 tonight, "so make whatever arrangements you need to be able to stay really late tonight". Yes because its always easy for everyone to completely rejuggle their lives because you are a horrible planner and completely unable to prioritize.

oh any pub quiz interest for tonight?

1) In The Year 2525 10 pts
2) Itchiest Oreganos 12 pts
3) Match- Virgin's Nasty Fear 14 pts
4) Chemical States Round 16 pts
5) Dead Or Canadian 11 pts
6) Pictures 15 pts
7) General Knowledge 22 pts

i'm pretty tired and have a long-ass day tomorrow but would go if other people do