What will YOU do on your last night on earth?

Around Bucktown:

Last night at the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce Christmas event held at The Southern, we got to mingle with neighbors and other neighborhood beings while being serenaded by the Wicker Park Choral Singers.

The food at the Southern takes a high-brow approach to various favorites you can find south of the Mason-Dixon line.  If you thought hush-puppies had no place at happy hour, you are OH so wrong.  As per usual, we got there early, redeemed our drink tickets and sought out a table to park it at so we didn’t have to “mingle”.  However a few people did find us (if for no other reason than the fact that they were probably eyeing the empty seats next to us)  Ipsento stopped by to school us on the importance of maintaining an internet presence (he’s the “Baron” of like, 3 neighborhoods on yelp), as well as our neighbors from Big Bite Catering.  We spent most of the night chatting with them about such popular topics as wheat-farming techniques and Mexican beer. (I think it’s safe to say Ray was the person most interested in the riveting wheat conversation).

If you’re looking to take in some culture before the world ends on December 21, 2012 consider Collaboraction’s “Our Last Night on Earth”, if you have enough faith, buy a ticket for the last scheduled show, on December 22nd.  What will you do on the last night on earth?

If you wake up on the 22nd and you still exist…and you figured you didn’t have to buy Christmas presents for your entire brood, not to worry!  You are not the sharpest tool in the shed but hey, there are still some great options.  If you are that uncle/aunt/grandmother/other random relative that prefers to gift ill-fitting clothing, buy an inappropriately sized shirt from Transit Tees.  They have CTA themed designs for any neighborhood or favorite bus line.

Around Chicago: 

Zoo Lights!  One of the most popular, and therefore stroller-heavy attractions of the Chicago holiday season.  It can be an incredible amount of fun if you just remember a few key points:

1. Do NOT try to drive there.  It’s easily accessible by public transit, and if you’re a novice parallel parker you will not thrive in the cut-throat Lincoln Park parking scene.
2.  Watch out for strollers, they pose a serious tripping-risk
3.  When in line to take pictures with “Edison” the Reindeer (his cousin Rudolph seems to have other engagements to attend), you must yield to the children cutting in line in front of you.  I KNOW  it’s not fair but Lincoln Park mothers will do just about anything to keep their cubs happy.
4.  If you wear glasses, I would suggest taking them off for a few minutes, Christmas lights look exponentially cooler when fuzzy!  But put them back on before moving – again – the stroller issue.
5.  Make sure you check the hours of operation – it would be a huge disappointment to expect the Zoo Lights spectacle and only get…animals.
6. Enthusiasm is key  – see the visual aid from our most enthusiastic employee

Around Ray’s:

Not much is going on around here, since it’s the start of the winter season everyone is enjoying a chance to relax.  Well, except for the business owner of course, who would prefer we be manically busy year-round with no consideration for the mental well-being of his staff (who does most of the work)

Maggie’s Rant: As usual, everyone bugs me, so just leave me the hell alone.

(The World Revolves…) Around Ray:

We think Ray’s obsession with storage unit auctions is waning, answering all of our Christmas wishes, and he is even, just a little bit, getting into the Christmas Spirit – throwing a party on Christmas Day for a large group of friends.  Of course, this means we have to work extra long days on Christmas Eve and Christmas to help him get ready. So he’s still pretty much Scrooge.