My kids will be 2 weeks shy of their 16th birthday, so eating at a barry type place won’t kill them. But they can’t stay.
P.S. Can I get into that hotel room action? I’d need two probably. I’ll e-mail Jane when I get home much later tonight.
I’m actually trolling for babysitters. Do you think either would be interested in making some extra dough? If you’re in the same hotel as us it makes the logistics a lot easier. (This assumes that they’re as wonderful and responsible as their Moms, of course).
You’d think that these damn employers would know that we just don’t have time to work. We have a ChiDope to plan, fercryinoutloud. Priorities, people, priorities! 
Put me down as a “maybe” for the Grafton on Saturday night.
UncleBeer and I are definitely in for drinking and noshing at Gundy’s on Friday evening. We will most likely be bringin’ fixins for two, count 'em, two plates of Chili Crack[sub]TM[/sub] and chips, since I think Tiburon and Gundy want a plate all to themselves. 
Kyla, I think you have two more geeks who would like to join you and bristlesage in your Field Museum jaunt on Saturday morning/early afternoon. Any thoughts on what time to meet? 11-ish, perhaps?
And of course we’ll be at the main event at the Grafton on Saturday night.
I want to do the Field Museum too. I hope they have corn and soybeans and maize and cotton and wheat and pumpkins…
Wikkit, don’t you get enough of that stuff in Iowa?
Ever eaten at a McDonalds in another country?
I used to be able to answer “no” to this question. But I had to break down and try the Samurai Burger at a McDonald’s in Thailand. It was a processed (but not deepfried) pork patty between to slabs of sticky rice (instead of a bun) with a small patch of lettuce and some kind of teriyaki glaze. Not as bad as a normal McD’s hamburger, but still a one time thing. So much good food to have in other places, so little time. Why waste a meal on McDonalds.
OK. I’ll be getting into Chicago on Thursday morning and leaving, sadly, on Saturday evening (gonna go see Mom for Mother’s Day, doncha know).
Canby, unfortunately, won’t be able to make it, as school considerations take precedence.
Ahem -
Finals Week begins the Monday after ChiDope for me as well, but I’m still really excited for it, so I’m pretty sure what I’m going to do is ride the bus from Madison to Chicago early Saturday morning and then ride it back late Saturday night. No hotel room for me.
So I got a job, and was abruptly fired in the middle of last week. I have since gotten a new job, but this will not start until the end of this week. I will not be able to come to ChiDope.
I might be heading north in the summer to see my grandparents, and presumably could fit in a Dopefest then.
Could you let me know who I’m supposed to contact for reservations(you or the hotel), who(if anyone) is rooming with me, and how much my share of the tab is going to be?
You can put my big shy butt on the Confirmed list. I live 3 L stops away from The Grafton (I’m at Kedzie) and I know I’d kick myself if I didn’t make this one. I don’t know The Grafton, but it must be close? to the Davis Theater.
Hubby may or may not come. He travels a lot, and while he Must Must MUST be home for The Matrix Reloaded the next week, he still might be gone the 10th. We’ll see.
I’ll be available for anyone who wants to talk about Kate Bush, Happy Rhodes or movies, mainly. Anything else would probably make me clam up for fear of sounding like a doofus. I’m not the world’s most articulate person. I do reserve the right to sound like a doofus anyway. 
OK, here is the new, improved revised reservation list.
I can only let you know which dopers are interested in sharing, I cannot room dopers. Those of you with “will share” next to your names, feel free to e-mail each other and if you decide to room, just let me know that I can eliminte a reservation.
The rate is 59.00/nite. With tax that comes to $66.38 per nite per room.
Payment can be made at check in with cash, check or any major credit card. I do not need any of that info before hand. You will need a valid ID for check in as well as a form of payment for the room.
If I have missed anyone, it is not a problem. Please just e-mail me and I will put you on the list. I will be forwarding the list to our reservation department this Friday April 25. I understand that there will be adds and deletions after this date but I want to try and keep them to a minimum, that is why I have put off forwarding this info to reservations.
Czarcasm (will share)
Priccar
Kyla
MEBuckner
Typo mna
Ruby
Wikkit (will share)
Shibb & family
Avarie 537
Daowajan (will share)
katiekilldare
Biggirl
Shadowfox
Iampunha
smackfu
Unsure/Maybe
Tygre
Garfield226
I’m getting excited about this!!
porcupine, that sounds fine. Shall we meet outside the museum at 11, then?
We’re getting pretty close to the event, so I guess this is my cue to request that anyone interested in stopping by for the Friday night Chili Crack and Plov-O-Rama at my place let me know here or by e-mail so I can have an approximation. Everyone’s welcome, as is everyone’s children and everyone’s food. I’ll send my address, directions and whatnot in a couple of weeks.
Kyla, 11 am it is.
So for anyone else interested, we will congregate at the north entrance of the Field museum at 11 am on Saturday morning, just to the east (towards the lake and aquarium) of the actual entryway. We’ll enter the museum at 11:15 sharp. If there’s a long line to get in (which is pretty likely on a Saturday), I’ll probably ask UncleBeer to kindly hold our place in the ticket line while we look for Dopers.
I’d plan for two to three hours to see the geeky highlights at the museum.
Here is a link to the main site for the museum, and here is a link to a map for parking, which also shows the general area if you’re not familiar with it. Note that the parking situation is a little wonky because of Soldier Field construction (which is looking hideous, IMO).
If you’re thinking of joining us, please post to the thread, so we can keep an eye out for you outside the museum. Also, think about getting on Gundy’s ChiDope cellphone distribution list - this came in handy last year at the Shedd Aquarium.
But I ain’t holdin’ purses. You gals are on your own there.