a test picture of our hotel

a test picture of our hotel
Originally uploaded by jackli.

ok a correction

eric jankowski actually does not stink.  although, he may or may not have boogers... anyway, we're meeting up with eric and another friend joe lambert who'll be arriving by train at the block party.  they're gonna get in pretty late, but i'm assuming they'll be sufficiently trashed.  i could barely sleep last night i was so excited.  the weather's supposed to be just tremendous (albeit a bit on the hot/humid side).  leaving in 1 hour..... !!!!!!!

old man jank is a...

eric jankowski is stinky mcbooger pants

 

and i am packed and ready to head out!  we'll be leaving around noon -- pete's picking up the folks from canton, driving to ace-deuce where i'll (hopefully) just be getting off work.  this promises to be a great trip, even pete's mom helped with our...delicious beverages... donating old "plain" vodka, rum, and other et ceteras.  i'll be meeting an assortment of people -- some from high school, some recently graduated -- and i have to say, i'm quite excited.  the guest list includes kristin (and maybe lindsey! my junior year prom date), caitlin, timm's girlfriend who'll be moving this weekend to chicago to teach at a british school, and matt, who tutored biochem with me.  since it's getting to be late, and considering i have to be up around 6am tomorrow, i should probably call it a night.  au revoir!

tentative itinerary

looks like we already have a fan of "the real trip: chicago!" all the way from the philippines! welcome idolngbayan!

anyway, here's the schedule as it currently stands...

Fri:
Noon - leave
4 - arrive, check-in to hotel, drink
5 - block party, drink
11 - leave hotel for ridiculously swanky bar, drink
4 (am) - crash at hotel, recover from drinking

Sat:
10 or later - watch (or play in) beach volleyball tournament (http://chicagosocial.com/events/index.cfm?content=eventdetail&calid=516), drink
Afternoon - shedd aquarium? (http://www.sheddaquarium.org/) Field museum? (http://www.fieldmuseum.org/)
5 - block party, drink
11 - lounge/jazz club/second city?, drink

Sun:
Morning - no drinking!
Noon - checkout, chinatown for lunch?
Afternoon - depart =(

crucial trip information

in case everything gets lost somehow, we'll at least have these directions:

Take I90/94 (Dan Ryan Expressway) Exit at Garfield Blvd (W 55th St.), head East
Park at 320 E. Garfield Blvd., Chicago, IL 60637 (University of Chicago) CTA Station $2/day
Green Line north to Clark station ($1.75/person)
Walk SW to Randolph & LaSalle (171 W. Randolph = hotel allegro 312-236-0123)
Block party - Walk W on Randolph to Desplaines, South on Desplaines until Madison
Beach Volleyball - Walk 0.2 mile NE from ALLEGRO HOTEL to CLARK/LAKE CTA (BLU/BRN/GRN/ORN/PRP/PNK)
Take CTA BROWN LINE TRAIN (BROWN LINE - COUNTERCLOCKWISE)
Depart: CLARK/LAKE CTA (BLU/BRN/GRN/ORN/PRP/PNK) At 10:25 AM
Arrive: SEDGWICK CTA At 10:31 AM
Walk 0.8 mile E to 1600 N LAKE SHORE DR


Danceclubs:
$$$$Rednofive - http://www.rednofive.com 440 N Halsted, Chicago, IL, take randolph to halsted
$$$Excalibur - http://www.excaliburchicago.com/ 632 N. Dearborn - Chicago, IL 60610 take clarke north to dearborn
$$$Sound-Bar - http://www.sound-bar.com/ 226 W. Ontario, Chicago, IL 60610 if RSVP $10 admission instead of $20
Blues club - 2548 N Halsted, Chicago, IL, take Red Line to Fullerton station from Clarke station

Food:
Harry Caray's - http://www.harrycarays.com/# 33 W. Kinzie Street, Chicago
Bin 36 - http://www.bin36.com/index.php the tavern has plates to share
Ben Pao - http://www.benpao.com dinky looking chinese restaurant
Ed Debevic's - 640 N. Wells St. www.eddebevics.com/
Rock Bottom Brewery - http://www.rockbottom.com

Misc:
Chicago cab - 312-829-4222
Hotel Direct: 312-236-0123
Confirmation No.: 1097949615

Kristin: 59th St. and Stony Island

Metra Rail: right next to Kristin's house

and now a picture!

this is a test mobile post!

we will be blogging on the go... let's see if this works!

the start of things...

so you may or may not have heard, that pete, katie, tara and jack are taking a trip to chicago. check back here for daily (maybe hourly?) updates!