ronnie_suburban

Ok then. I see that we have a few folks who are still planning to shop Evanston on Saturday morning. But, as long as Tammy has it covered, I'm probably going to attend the Niles tour, since there is no reason for me personally to be there. I may or may not have the family with me (+2) but will notify about that asap. Once on the tour, I'll be happy to take a couple of people in my car, as long as there's room. Of course, I may not have room because I'll have quite a bit of equipment, including a smoker and a large cooler or 2, with me. Thanks, Tom. We will have access to the church beginning at 1 pm on Saturday. I plan to be there at least a few minutes in advance of that, even if it means cutting out of the Niles thing a few minutes early. =R=

RE: Equipment at the church: Freezer Stand Mixer Coffee makers Flat-top grill (that is not so easy to work with) Food processor Lots of dishes and silverware No Microwave No BBQ Grill No wine glasses I will bring a few things, as space allows. I'm bringing my WSM smoker but will probably need it at its capacity for the duration of the prep time. I will also bring some disposable plastic cups, some spices, some paper napkins and/or paper towels and a few other things. =R=

Just wondering . . . who is still planning on shopping in Evanston on Saturday morning? It seems, from the numbers, that many of our cooks are going on the Niles Tour with LAZ, which I have to say, sounds very interesting to me. I suppose that, as Tammy posted above, if all our cooks -- with the exception of one -- are going to be at Lao Sze Chuan on Friday night (or either event on Thursday night), she can distribute shopping funds there and folks can simply shop where they prefer on Saturday. So, please, if you're still planning on shopping in or near Evanston on Saturday morning, can you post here and let me know? I have absolutely no problem meeting folks at the market but if it's just going to be a handful of people -- who will also be at either Thursday or Friday night's events -- there may be no reason for me personally to be in Evanston on Saturday morning. Instead, I could just meet everyone at the church at around 1 pm, after the Niles tour. Thanks, =R=

Meat-wise, I've informed my butcher, Dave Zier, that some of us will probably be doing a little shopping at his place next Saturday. Of course, no one is under any obligation to shop there but he does have great stuff, IMO. In any case, if anyone does want to shop there and they might want something offbeat or unusual, please let me know right away, so I can let Dave know to start working on sourcing it for us. Thanks, =R=

← I will have to check again but I know for sure that there is a 6-burner cooktop, 2 ovens, a microwave, commercial dishwasher, 2-iron waffle station, some plates/tableware, some serving pieces, cutting boards and some utensils. Can't remember if there is a mixer or blender but I will find out. I will try to get a more detailed list together in the next day or so. And if any locals can bring equipment to the church on Saturday, it will most certainly be appreciated and come in handy. Also, I want to remind those who do know and inform those who do not know that the church is not air conditioned. Right now, the forecast for next Saturday is 79 F and partly sunny, so while that could obviously change, hopefully the weather won't be an issue. In any event, prepare to dress accordingly. None of the venues we considered had air conditioned kitchens and the few that had air conditioned dining rooms were much smaller than it appeared we would need. Unfortunately, from the 86 people who originally indicated they would attend on Saturday, we're currently down to 46 (paid and confirmed) and will probably end up at around 50. Had I known our group was going to be this much smaller than originally expected, we might have considered other options. Oh well, such is life. =R=

Updated lists . . . (a few more people have dropped out, via pm) Please note, these lists now reflect how many people have paid and are confirmed. They do not reflect those attendees shown here as 'probable' who have subsequently paid. To check your specific status, please view the 'Attendee Lists' at EventBrite.com (by following the sign-up links provided in the pm's I sent on July 9) Less than 72 hours remain to purchase tickets to these events. Ticket sales will end at 11:55 pm ET on Tuesday August 5. Thursday Dinner at Blackbird =R= +3 Alchemist newbie21 tammylc jesteinf +1 edsel prasantrin* +1* Jean Blanchard +1 santo_grace +1 HOLLY_L NancyH +1 nyokie6 +1 nsxtasy +1 Sam Iam +1 Elrushbo stuart_s daniellewiley +1 Amy Viny +1 white lotus +1 cat lancaster ricain + 1 REB +1 DutchMuse + 1 -40- (38 definite, 2 probable) 8 spots remain for Thursday's dinner 31 paid and confirmed Thursday Drinks at The Violet Hour =R= +3 HeatherM Alex tammylc +1 jesteinf +1 edsel tino27 +1 Lady T prasantrin* +1* Marmish* +1* newbie21 Jean Blanchard +1 santo_grace +1 HOLLY_L NancyH +1 nyokie6 +1 nsxtasy +1 Sam Iam +1 LuckyGirl +1 stuart_s* daniellewiley +1 Amy Viny +1 Aaron Deacon cat lancaster ricain + 1 karen m -43- (40 definite, 3 probable) 17 spots remain for Thursday's cocktail session 36 paid and confirmed Updated list for the Friday night dinner at Lao Sze Chuan: =R= +4 prasantrin +1 torakris tammylc CaliPoutine +1 Alex Sam Iam +3 Fresser NancyH +1 nsxtasy +1 jesteinf +1 tino27 +1 HeatherM santo_grace +1 Kerry Beal edsel Cathy2 nyokie6 +1 stuart_s HOLLY_L white lotus +1 LuckyGirl +1 LAZ daniellewiley +1 karen m hsm Amy Viny +1 Fat Guy REB +1 DutchMuse +1 -51- (51 definite, 0 probable) 29 spots remain for Friday night's dinner at Lao Sze Chuan 45 paid and confirmed Updated list for the Saturday dinner at Immanuel Lutheran Church: =R= +4 NancyH +1 torakris edsel LuckyGirl +1 Alchemist CaliPoutine Alex +1 tammylc nsxtasy +1 Kerry Beal Marmish +1 prasantrin* +1* tino27 +1 Sam Iam +3 nr706 +1 hsm Jean Blanchard +1 newbie21 HOLLY_L santo_grace +1 daniellewiley +1 Cathy2 nyokie6 +1 LAZ +1 maggiethecat +1 Elrushbo white lotus +1 Fresser cat lancaster Lady T Amy Viny +1 karen m +1 ricain + 1 elfin +1 Fat Guy REB +1 -64- (62 definite, 2 probable) 26 spots remain for Saturday's group meal 46 paid and confirmed Again, please take a look at the above lists -- and the lists at EventBrite.com -- and let me know if I have failed to record your status accurately. Thanks! =R=

It's official: the Maxwell Street Market Tour with David Hammond will begin at 10 am sharp on Sunday August 10. We will all meet outside the White Palace Grill, which is located at 1159 S Canal Street. I've added this location to the eGS Heartland Gathering Map - 2008 I hope everyone who is participating in the other events over the weekend will join us for this truly distinctive and delicious Chicago experience. =R=

Well, I did limit it to "the best place downtown." For the best beef anywhere, I'd probably give the edge to Johnnie's, although the one-two punch of Al's and Mario's is hard to beat. Taking the components separately, Johnnie's has the best beef and giardiniera and Al's wins on sausage and fries. But as I always say, Italian beef is more than the sum of its parts! PS-I'm also a regular user of the drive-thru at Al's on Ontario. But there I usually get just sausage with sweet peppers, neater to eat in the car. ← Gotta respectfully disagree with you on Johnnie's. For me, their beef and giardiniera are indeed excellent but still not as good as Al's. I do, however, like their sausage a bit more than Al's. And Johnnie's fries are downright lousy, whereas Als' are among the best available in the area. As I said, this is a contentious topic of discussion =R=

Updated lists . . . (additional people have dropped out, via pm) Please note these lists do not reflect who has paid, nor do they reflect those attendees shown here as probable who have subsequently paid. Thursday Dinner at Blackbird =R= +3 Alchemist newbie21 tammylc jesteinf +1 edsel prasantrin* +1* Jean Blanchard +1 santo_grace +1 HOLLY_L NancyH +1 nyokie6 +1 nsxtasy +1 yellow truffle +3 Sam Iam +1 Elrushbo stuart_s daniellewiley +1 Amy Viny +1 white lotus +1 cat lancaster ricain + 1 REB +1 DutchMuse + 1 -44- (42 definite, 2 probable) Please note, 4 spots are now open for Thursday's dinner. Thursday Drinks at The Violet Hour =R= +3 HeatherM Alex tammylc +1 jesteinf +1 edsel tino27 +1 Lady T prasantrin* +1* Marmish* +1* newbie21 Jean Blanchard +1 santo_grace +1 HOLLY_L NancyH +1 nyokie6 +1 nsxtasy +1 yellow truffle +3 Sam Iam +1 LuckyGirl +1 stuart_s* daniellewiley +1 Amy Viny +1 Aaron Deacon cat lancaster ricain + 1 karen m -47- (44 definite, 3 probable) 13 spots remain for Thursday's cocktail session Updated list for the Friday night dinner at Lao Sze Chuan: =R= +4 prasantrin +1 torakris tammylc CaliPoutine +1 Alex Sam Iam +3 Fresser NancyH +1 nsxtasy +1 jesteinf +1 tino27 +1 HeatherM santo_grace +1 Kerry Beal edsel Cathy2 yellow truffle +1 nyokie6 +1 stuart_s HOLLY_L white lotus +1 LuckyGirl +1 LAZ daniellewiley +1 karen m hsm Amy Viny +1 Fat Guy REB +1 DutchMuse +1 -53- (53 definite, 0 probable) 27 spots remain for Friday night's dinner at Lao Sze Chuan Updated list for the Saturday dinner at Immanuel Lutheran Church: =R= +4 NancyH +1 torakris edsel LuckyGirl +1 Alchemist CaliPoutine Alex +1 tammylc nsxtasy +1 Kerry Beal Marmish +1 prasantrin* +1* tino27 +1 Sam Iam +3 nr706 +1 hsm Jean Blanchard +1 newbie21 HOLLY_L santo_grace +1 daniellewiley +1 Cathy2 nyokie6 +1 LAZ +1 maggiethecat +1 Elrushbo white lotus +1 Fresser cat lancaster Lady T yellow truffle +3 Amy Viny +1 karen m +1 ricain + 1 elfin +1 Fat Guy REB +1 -68- (66 definite, 2 probable) 22 spots remain for Saturday's group meal Again, please take a look at the above lists and let me know if I have failed to record your status accurately. Thanks! =R=

I want to remind everyone that only a few more days remain to purchase tickets for the big weekend. As of 11:55 pm ET on Tuesday August 5, we will cut off ticket sales. Please do not wait until the last minute to purchase your tickets. I'm going to have an extraordinarily busy week next week (2 of my 3 work partners will be on vacation) and should you have problems making your purchase, I may not be available to help resolve them, if you wait until the last minute. It's definitely best to buy them in the next couple of days, before the weekend is over because once Monday hits, I will have very limited time, until we get this party started . . . Here are the current numbers: Blackbird: 31 paid/44 reserved The Violet Hour: 36 paid/50 reserved Lao Sze Chuan: 45 paid/54 reserved Group Meal: 45 paid/71 reserved As you can see, several folks who indicated they planned to attend have not yet purchased their tickets. If you've changed your mind or cannot attend, you do not need to post here. I simply want to remind those who still plan to attend that the window to purchase tickets will soon be closing. Thanks, =R=

The best place downtown to get a beef or a combo would be Al's No. 1 on Taylor Street, a classic Chicago spot in the heart of Little Italy. An Italian beef sandwich (or just "a beef" in Chicagoese) starts with thinly sliced, seasoned roast beef, dripping with juices, layered on a long roll. For a combo, they'll add on a fennel-laced Italian sausage, grilled over charcoal. For the best version, ask for it "dipped." The counterman will also ask "sweet or hot?" which means do you want sauteed sweet peppers or a spicy hot-pepper giardiniera mixture on it. I recommend the latter, if you can take the heat. All of this combines to create a drippy, messy sandwich that is far more than the sum of its parts. Lean forward to eat it. At Al's on Taylor, eating beef is facilitated by the fact that there are no seats, just a chest-high stand-up counter. After you eat your sandwich (get the fries, too -- skin-on, from fresh potatoes), stroll across the street to Mario's, the best Italian lemonade in Chicago. This is a refreshing, frozen, slushy drink that starts with just fresh lemons, cane sugar and water. There will also be strips of lemon peel and likely a few pips in your cup, so you know it's real. You can stop there, if you like, or get a flavored version. Bear in mind that all the flavors -- even chocolate -- begin with the same lemon mix, so get a flavor you think is compatible with lemon. Most of them mean added flavoring syrup, but a few come from fresh fruit, including watermelon, cantaloupe, tutti-frutti, coconut, pineapple and pina colada. For a short period in late summer, there is peach, and aficionados await it eagerly all summer. Half a mile from the Marriott is Tempo, an all-night coffeeshop with great omelets. Al's No. 1 Italian Beef 1079 W. Taylor St., Chicago 312/733-8896 Mario's Italian Lemonade 1068 W. Taylor St. No phone Tempo Cafe 6 E. Chestnut St. 312/943-4373 ← The "best" Italian beef is a subject of serious contention here in Chicago but I happen to agree completely with LAZ that Al's on Taylor Street is the very best of them all. It is, without question, my personal favorite. However, there are other folks who post in this very forum -- friends of mine, in fact (are you listening, molto e? ) -- who think that Mr. Beef or Johnnie's is better. Go figure! And the recommendation of hitting Mario's afterwards is also a great one. The line can be long at times, but it moves fast and it's well worth it, IMO. =R=

Right now, only 43 people have officially signed up for this event, so either a large number of people have changed their minds about attending or many people are waiting until the last minute to sign up. In any case, I'm guessing that we're probably going to end up with fewer than the 71 who have indicated that they plan to attend. =R=

I just want to remind everyone that we are definitely still on for our guided Maxwell Street Market Tour with David Hammond on Sunday morning, probably starting around 10 am. The tour should last 2-3 hours, depending on how often we stop, shop, eat, etc. The only reason I haven't posted more about it lately is because no purchase/ticket is required and there is no attendance cap. However, I didn't want people to think that it was no longer on, simply because I hadn't mentioned it in a while. I will be back to post some salient details about it in the next few days. I'm traveling right now but will get to it asap. Thanks, =R=

No, it won't. You can do it consistently in 25 minutes. The only construction on the route is on Ridge Avenue, which is under construction but still has one lane running northbound (it's one lane in Chicago anyway). Heading back to the Hyatt Regency, Ridge is closed southbound, so you will need to take an alternate route (e.g. Sheridan Road), but it will still take you 25 minutes. If you hit every light red (unlikely) it might take you 30, but no more. If you're going to Niles, it will take you a little longer, maybe 35 minutes, if you're going fairly early in the morning (before 10 a.m.). Later in the day on Saturday, it might take you 45 minutes. I drive both routes all the time on weekends (although I generally avoid it during the day during the week). There's no way it will take you an hour unless you get lost. Not on a Saturday morning. No way. Try it this Saturday morning and you'll see for yourself! ← This may be true but it's still best to allow extra time because one never knows if there will be a change in the construction pattern or an accident. And since some attending are out-of-towners, getting lost is a realistic possibility. I'm sure the last thing any of us want is to make fellow attendees wait for us to begin an event because we didn't budget enough travel time. This is Chicago during construction season. My advice is to allow plenty of extra travel time and should you arrive early, have a book or some other diversion at the ready. =R=

Hi all, As long as we are no longer capped out on any of the events, I'm not going to post links to the sign-ups here. Instead, if you haven't already signed up, please post here or send me a pm and I will pm you the link to the EventBrite.com sign-ups. And please, regarding the Blackbird dinner, sign up asap, so we can give them a breakdown, as early as possible, on how many of each meal type we'll be ordering. We'll continue ticket sales through Tuesday August 5, as originally posted. Thanks, =R=

Updated lists . . . (additional people have dropped out, via pm) Please note these lists do not yet reflect who has already paid Thursday Dinner at Blackbird =R= +3 Alchemist newbie21 tammylc jesteinf +1 edsel prasantrin* +1* Jean Blanchard +1 santo_grace +1 HOLLY_L NancyH +1 nyokie6 +1 nsxtasy +1 yellow truffle +3 Sam Iam +1 Elrushbo stuart_s daniellewiley +1 Amy Viny +1 white lotus +1 cat lancaster ricain + 1 REB +1 DutchMuse + 1 (+1 now in, due to a cancelation) -44- (42 definite, 2 probable) Please note, 4 spots are now open for Thursday's dinner. Thursday Drinks at The Violet Hour =R= +3 HeatherM Alex tammylc +1 jesteinf +1 edsel tino27 +1 Lady T prasantrin* +1* Marmish* +1* newbie21 Jean Blanchard +1 santo_grace +1 HOLLY_L NancyH +1 nyokie6 +1 nsxtasy +1 yellow truffle +3 moreace01 +1 Sam Iam +1 LuckyGirl +1 Darcie B stuart_s* daniellewiley +1 Amy Viny +1 Aaron Deacon cat lancaster ricain + 1 karen m -50- (47 definite, 3 probable) 10 spots remain for Thursday's cocktail session Updated list for the Friday night dinner at Lao Sze Chuan: =R= +4 prasantrin +1 torakris tammylc CaliPoutine +1 Alex Sam Iam +3 Fresser NancyH +1 nsxtasy +1 jesteinf +1 tino27 +1 HeatherM santo_grace +1 Kerry Beal edsel Cathy2 yellow truffle +1 nyokie6 +1 stuart_s HOLLY_L white lotus +1 LuckyGirl +1 LAZ +1 daniellewiley +1 karen m hsm Amy Viny +1 Fat Guy REB +1 DutchMuse +1 -54- (54 definite, 0 probable) 26 spots remain for Friday night's dinner at Lao Sze Chuan Updated list for the Saturday dinner at Immanuel Lutheran Church: =R= +4 NancyH +1 torakris edsel LuckyGirl +1 Alchemist CaliPoutine Alex +1 tammylc nsxtasy +1 Kerry Beal Marmish +1 prasantrin* +1* tino27 +1 Sam Iam +3 nr706 +1 hsm Jean Blanchard +1 newbie21 moreace01 +1 HOLLY_L santo_grace +1 daniellewiley +1 Cathy2 nyokie6 +1 LAZ +1 maggiethecat +1 Elrushbo Darcie B white lotus +1 Fresser cat lancaster Lady T yellow truffle +3 Amy Viny +1 karen m +1 ricain + 1 elfin +1 Fat Guy REB +1 -71- (69 definite, 2 probable) 19 spots remain for Saturday's group meal Again, please take a look at the above lists and let me know if I have failed to record your status accurately. Thanks! =R=

Thanks to our friend Alchemist, we now have the prospective menus for the Blackbird dinner. They are fairly set but as always, subject to minor changes if circumstances require it . . . . It looks like it's going to be quite a spectacular meal at Blackbird. Thanks again, Toby, for arranging this for us! =R=

Ok, got it. I went back an edited the above list. =R=

Updated lists . . . (additional people have dropped out, via pm) Please note these lists do not yet reflect who has already paid Thursday Dinner at Blackbird =R= +3 Alchemist newbie21 tammylc jesteinf +1 edsel prasantrin* +1* Jean Blanchard +1 santo_grace +1 HOLLY_L NancyH +1 Nina C.* +3* nyokie6 +1 nsxtasy +1 yellow truffle +3 Sam Iam +1 Elrushbo stuart_s daniellewiley +1 Amy Viny +1 white lotus +1 cat lancaster ricain + 1 REB +1 DutchMuse + 1 (+1 now in, due to a cancelation) -48- (42 definite, 6 probable) Only 'wait list' spots remain for Thursday's dinner, although it's likely that some who have signed up will drop out, especially since we still have 6 "probables". Thursday Drinks at The Violet Hour =R= +3 HeatherM Alex tammylc +1 jesteinf +1 edsel tino27 +1 Lady T prasantrin* +1* Marmish* +1* newbie21 Nina C.* +3* Jean Blanchard +1 santo_grace +1 HOLLY_L NancyH +1 nyokie6 +1 nsxtasy +1 yellow truffle +3 moreace01 +1 Sam Iam +1 LuckyGirl +1 Darcie B stuart_s* daniellewiley +1 Amy Viny +1 Aaron Deacon white lotus +1 cat lancaster ricain + 1 karen m -56- (49 definite, 7 probable) Only 4 spots remain for Thursday's cocktail session Updated list for the Friday night dinner at Lao Sze Chuan: =R= +4 prasantrin +1 torakris tammylc CaliPoutine +1 Alex Sam Iam +3 Fresser NancyH +1 nsxtasy +1 jesteinf +1 tino27 +1 HeatherM santo_grace +1 Kerry Beal edsel Cathy2 yellow truffle +1 nyokie6 +1 stuart_s HOLLY_L white lotus +1 LuckyGirl +1 LAZ +1 daniellewiley +1 karen m hsm Amy Viny +1 Fat Guy REB +1 DutchMuse +1 -54- (54 definite, 0 probable) 26 spots remain for Friday night's dinner at Lao Sze Chuan Updated list for the Saturday dinner at Immanuel Lutheran Church: =R= +4 NancyH +1 torakris edsel LuckyGirl +1 Alchemist CaliPoutine Alex +1 tammylc nsxtasy +1 Kerry Beal Marmish +1 moosnsqrl +1 Osnav +1 prasantrin* +1* tino27 +1 Sam Iam +3 nr706 +1 hsm Jean Blanchard +1 newbie21 moreace01 +1 HOLLY_L santo_grace +1 daniellewiley +1 Cathy2 nyokie6 +1 Nina C. +1 LAZ +1 maggiethecat +1 Elrushbo Darcie B white lotus +1 Fresser cat lancaster Lady T yellow truffle +3 Amy Viny +1 karen m +1 ricain + 1 elfin +1 Fat Guy REB +1 -77- (75 definite, 2 probable) Only 13 spots remain for Saturday's group meal Again, please take a look at the above lists and let me know if I have failed to record your status accurately. Thanks! =R=

Updated lists . . . Please note these lists do not yet reflect who has already paid Thursday Dinner at Blackbird =R= +4 Alchemist newbie21 tammylc jesteinf +1 edsel prasantrin* +1* Jean Blanchard +1 santo_grace +1 HOLLY_L NancyH +1 Nina C.* +3* nyokie6 +1 nsxtasy +1 yellow truffle +3 Sam Iam +1 Elrushbo stuart_s daniellewiley +1 Amy Viny +1 white lotus +1 cat lancaster ricain + 1 REB +1 DutchMuse + 1** -49- (42 definite, 6 probable, 1 wait list) Only 'wait list' spots remain for Thursday's dinner, although it's likely that some who have signed up will drop out, especially since we still have 6 "probables". Thursday Drinks at The Violet Hour =R= +4 HeatherM Alex tammylc +1 jesteinf +1 edsel tino27 +1 Lady T prasantrin* +1* Marmish* +1* newbie21 Nina C.* +3* Jean Blanchard +1 santo_grace +1 HOLLY_L NancyH +1 nyokie6 +1 nsxtasy +1 yellow truffle +3 moreace01 +1 Sam Iam +1 LuckyGirl +1 Darcie B stuart_s* daniellewiley +1 Amy Viny +1 Aaron Deacon white lotus +1 cat lancaster ricain + 1 karen m -57- (50 definite, 7 probable) Only 3 spots remain for Thursday's cocktail session Updated list for the Friday night dinner at Lao Sze Chuan: =R= +4 prasantrin +1 torakris tammylc CaliPoutine +1 Alex Sam Iam +3 Fresser NancyH +1 nsxtasy +1 jesteinf +1 tino27 +1 HeatherM santo_grace +1 Kerry Beal edsel Cathy2 yellow truffle +1 nyokie6 +1 stuart_s HOLLY_L white lotus +1 LuckyGirl +1 LAZ +1 daniellewiley +1 karen m hsm +1 Amy Viny +1 Fat Guy REB +1 DutchMuse +1 -55- (55 definite, 0 probable) 25 spots remain for Friday night's dinner at Lao Sze Chuan Updated list for the Saturday dinner at Immanuel Lutheran Church: =R= +4 NancyH +1 torakris edsel LuckyGirl +1 Alchemist CaliPoutine Alex +1 tammylc nsxtasy +1 Kerry Beal Marmish +1 moosnsqrl +1 Osnav +1 prasantrin* +1* tino27 +1 Sam Iam +3 nr706 +1 hsm +1 Jean Blanchard +1 newbie21 moreace01 +1 HOLLY_L santo_grace +1 daniellewiley +1 Cathy2 nyokie6 +1 Nina C. +1 LAZ +1 maggiethecat +1 Elrushbo Darcie B white lotus +1 Fresser cat lancaster Lady T yellow truffle +3 Amy Viny +1 karen m +1 ricain + 1 elfin +1 Fat Guy REB +1 -78- (76 definite, 2 probable) Only 12 spots remain for Saturday's group meal Again, please take a look at the above lists and let me know if I have failed to record your status accurately. Thanks! =R=

This is true. I set up the sign-ups so that either option was available. Unfortunately, it appears that security issues can pop up regardless of the chosen payment method. =R=

My paypal boycott is going just about as well as my microsoft boycott. =R=

we have the green light...we are going to open for business on Wednesday July 30...let me know when you are going to stop in E ← Woo Hoo! Congrats, Eliot! =R=

Hi all, It has come to my attention that a few people are having some trouble with Paypal, which is the site to which EventBrite.com re-directs you to make payments for our events. My own personal experience with paypal is that it can be highly annoying at times but no more so than right after you first set up an account and try to pay for a bunch of stuff. This has already been the experience of a few people who, after trying sign up at EventBrite.com, had their paypal accounts temporarily frozen, 'for their own protection' It can be a multi-step process to have the account 'unfrozen.' Unfortunately, there is no better alternative. So, please do not wait until the last minute to purchase your tickets or open a paypal account. It doesn't look like we're maxed out on any of the events, except for the dinner at Blackbird, but if you try to sign up and are delayed in doing so for 'security' reasons, please send me a pm to let me know and I will hold your spot(s) for couple of extra days, until you get the situation resolved. Thanks, =R=

Awesome! Thanks so much for all the work you put in! How'd you do it? I think I need to learn that skill! ← Hi all, I want to thank nr706 for performing his documentational magic on that information. Also, I posted upthread that I was going to make hard copy hand-outs for everyone of all the informational maps but I've reconsidered. These documents are large and doing so will waste a lot of paper, toner and time. So, since we are all members of the eGS, I'm going to urge everyone here to fend for themselves and bring the information with them, electronically. The files should be easily downloadable to your mobile devices. And of course, those 'old-skoolers' who want print outs can simply make them for themselves before they depart for Chicago. Again, here are all the links: Evanston Lunch Map (.pdf), (Direct link to Google maps) Shopping Map - eGS Heartland Gathering 2008 eGS Heartland Gathering Map - 2008 21 days to go! =R=