Page 1 of 4

Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:54 am
by jacob
It's been a while...

Location: My place.

Time: Saturday, September 1st 2018, 2pm-... (until usually 6 or so)

Directions: PM or email me for the address. You need 5 forum posts to send PMs. You can get here by car (parking in the street) or by the L pink-line to the terminus ending with a 30 min walk along Historic Route 66 or alternatively chancing that the bus runs on time. You can also take the blue line to Austin and then take the bus down. Uber also goes out here.

Free stuff: DW recently Kondo'ed her entire wardrobe and the sparks of joy weren't really flying, so if anyone is interested, there are ~15 plastic grocery bags full of clothes to go through/take away. Condition somewhere between used and like-new. Size 8-12. LMK soon if anyone is interested. Otherwise they're going to the thrift store to avoid having this small mountain of bags sitting in the living room for the next 3 months. There is also an alu-double boiler, a cast iron (lodge) chicken fryer, a lifeline jumprope (vinyl), for anyone who wants them. Maybe some books. Bring your own books if you have some you want to get rid of. In my experience, people tend to be interested in free books. Not so much free stuff.

Potluck: A traditional way to show off your cooking/baking/brewing skills or just your ability to source cheap popcorn from Home Depot. You don't have to bring anything but if you do bring something, the traditional rule is that it must not have cost <$5. That should be enough to feed an entire family for a day on a good ERE budget :mrgreen: If you spent more, people will laugh and point fingers :lol:

Questions: Bring a list of questions if you have them. People tend to forget their questions in all the excitement of meeting like-minded people.

TV documentary: *Fair warning* If you show up, you might be on Danish TV :o During that week, there will be a Danish video-journalist making a documentary about ERE/FIRE for a weekly Danish show called Temalørdag---maybe compare to PBS 60 minutes. Mostly, it'll be about how we live on $11,000/year and how I spend my days being FIRE'd. Later, she'll go back to Denmark and film some people there (I don't know who) and maybe I'll come with and talk to people over there.

I figured that this would an opportunity to show how ERE meetups work and what we talk about during these meetups. I know/understand that many don't want their boss or family to see them appearing on a FIRE program on national TV, but I figure that this risk is small for a US meetup when it's appearing on Danish TV?

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:10 am
by chicago81
you meant
must not have cost >$5
right?

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:23 am
by jacob
Indeed :)

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:33 am
by Seppia
I was already fantasizing about a lavish ERE meetup where people only drank french champagne and ate dry aged prime tenderloins.

Sad I'm missing this

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:19 pm
by Jason
After which they try to play Monopoly but everyone quits after they buy one house and save enough cash.

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:36 pm
by IlliniDave
I'll be up that way around that time, but I have a strong aversion to cameras. Unless I have a fish to hold, :lol:

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 3:02 am
by FBeyer
Bring a fish then… Seriously what 's the hassle?

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 8:25 am
by 2Birds1Stone
Considering coming in from NY for this. Am I crazy?

ETA - Free peanuts/pretzels from the flight count towards potluck?

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 10:12 am
by Astra
Well, this is strangely tempting...

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 10:29 am
by jacob
For the out-of-towners/anyone flying in w/o a place to stay, we do have the option overnighting. There's a spare bedroom with a futon, a foldout couch in the living room, and/or a tent in the backyard. First come, first serve.

In other news, since there was no interest in the clothes, it was dumped at SA. The rest of the OP listed stuff is still here. Also added a baking sheet and some 1 gal glass jugs suitable for making wine to the outbox.

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jun 13, 2018 5:00 pm
by Jean
I'de be interested to come. I'de spend the three weeks before the meetup beetween Chicago and the black hills, and the two weeks after beetween Chicago and isle royal. I'de be happy to meet some forumite on the way.

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:15 pm
by jacob
I'm told that insofar you do not want to appear on TV, it's possible to accommodate such wishes to a large degree. So don't let your fear of publicity deter you from showing up. We'll work around it. We'll talk about it before the camera gets switched on. As far as I understand it, the process is very organized.

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2018 2:25 pm
by Jean
I won´t come, a trip worth flying over the pond would be to expensive.

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 5:42 pm
by ru55man
This is tempting, I'd love to stop by!

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2018 6:14 pm
by prognastat
Wish I lived in the area, if I did I definitely would be visiting.

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:45 am
by jacob
There's a carpool coming in from Detroit. PM me if interested and I'll relay the details.

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 5:04 pm
by Allagash
Elwood: There are 106 miles to Chicago, we have a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses.

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 5:11 pm
by vezkor
@allagash well, thanks for deciding my entertainment for the evening. The Blues Brothers is one of my wife's favorite movies :D

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 6:24 pm
by jacob
Awright, meetup is ~two weeks away.

First, read the OP post. It still holds. In particular, some have expressed interest but still don't have the address. If that's you, PM me for directions. (Turns out you don't need 5 posts to PM me. I'm special :P :? )

Note that potluck can be anything or nothing. Don't feel obligated. It's mainly a chance to show off your DIY skills or what a cheapskate you are. It's a good conversation starter. We tend to have some pretty random contributions. It's mostly snacks and drinks. However, I'll be contributing five bird houses (literally) for those who need a bird house in their life (birds and batteries not included). As for the free stuff, the book giveaway is by far the most popular. Random stuff is hit/miss---you might be hauling it back again insofar the minimalists don't want it or we can swing by Salvation Army if you really just want to get rid of it.

Current headcount is 7-12 or so.

Re: Chicago ERE Meetup 20180901 (TV-edition)

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 11:17 am
by Eureka
Off topic, but I don't think anyone needs 5 posts to send PMs. At least I got a PM from yet another journalist who had only one tiny post.