spring invasion in Chicago

[Cap'n Pete Straw]

Forget April! Come on up now! Tomorrow is officially the first day of winter, so if you all hurry up here, ye might make it before the bad weather sets in!

Let's see... last night it was four! Yes -- the temperature was FOUR! You could actually count the temperature on one hand (unless ye have a hook). Hey, before you start complainin', just remember: that's 258.16 degrees Kelvin! Bring your bathing suits! Hurry on up, before it gets cold!

[LadyBarbossa]

Tomorrow's a bit of a short notice. Besides, the snow's not TOO bad.. snowing here & it's light... barely an inch at the moment. But, still praying for a white Christmas ((Yes, I said CHRISTMAS!... :: whips out sword:: anyone has a problem with that, I'll GUT YA!))

Maybe a minor invasion in Jan.. or Feb.. then a major one in April. I'm sure a few of us are itchin' t' have a little fun.

Though... I think next year.. we should do that... have a Pirate Christmas! What ya all think? :) Have a few drinks... raise a little hell... Open , :: clears throat:: presents... treasure chests & whatever we find that catches our eyes (if you have 2 of them. )

[Isabella]

No traveling for me in the near future, we're hitting the store tonight, and tomorrow 8-10 inches is hitting us! NOOOO! Normally I would say something sextual about eight to ten inches, but honestly the snow has me worried! Actually things are looking up, maybe it means I won't have to spend Christmas with my in laws! WAHH! MWHAHAHAH!

[Capt. Morgan]

Crazy pyrates! Hee hee! Ya'll just better remember to tell me when this here invasion is, or I'll not share me rum with ya! I was actually at this "little pub" over the weekend, for my sister's birthday, and a group of plow boys welcomed me home in fair style. A question was asked by many a pub patron... "When are the pirates coming back?!?" Yes, Pierre, they are ready for us, and you had better be there, mate!!

[LadyBarbossa]

THEY LOVE US!

Soon enough... soon enough! :) We'll return to the Pub & have a hell of a time!

I bet that they - at the Pub - were thrilled to see you back.

Rum? Nay.. Morgan, you bring the rum cake! damn that is good! Bloody hell, you have me HOOKED on it!

Isabella... send the snow back to Iowa! I want a white Christmas. I don't think the barely inch of snow we got the other night will last til Sat.

[Scupper]

Don't know about April. But I'll try to make it . Could aways use more Guiness and a good Boxey.(Thanks for the suggestion that night Dark Rose!). And I'll Stand ol Capt Morgan to all the IBC he can handle.

[Isabella]

LadyB: You can HAVE our snow, all nine inches of it. With an inch of sleet on top too. Our complexe decited "Oh let's send someone who doesn't know how to plow to plow." He scaped once, and then left. Niiiiiccccce...thank God we have 4X4! Our county decided not to clear our roads, and it's been fantastic driving. :) But you know what, it's okay. I was warm and there are people now without heat or wont' be home for Christmas, which means I am more fortuante than most. And for that I am glad.

[Cap'n Pete Straw]

All we got here was cold -- bitter cold.

The missus and I had to cancel our planned trip to Boston this weekend, for our beloved kitty (suffering from chronic renal failure) took a turn for the worse, and we've spent the past two days (including today -- Christmas Eve) in veterinary clinics. Poor kitty. :'(

But perhaps our biggest Christmas present was that the kitty took a turn for the better -- we were ready to say goodbye if it came to that, but the treatment seemed to work, and things are not as bad as we feared.

[Isabella]

Pete,

I'm so happy to hear your kitty is doing better! *hugs* It's hard to say goodbye to our pals furry and other wise, I'm glad yours is doing well. What is his/her name? We've got three furry children going through their teenage years currently, and I wouldn't trade those kiddos work the world! :)

Izzy

[Cap'n Pete Straw]

Brittany is our fluffy tabby (she's a scaredy-cat), but the sick one is Alex. He is a jet black shorthair. A really beautiful and very loving cat.

Alex will be on subcutaneous fluids the rest of his life, and all he seems to be doing right now is sitting in the warmest bathroom, sulking. He is super-low on energy. He starts a daily regimine of meds on Tuesday. We are forcing him food at the present time, and we are waiting for him to regain his appetite. Poor kitty.

Both cats are about 80 in human years.

[LadyBarbossa]

What shall we do at the Invasions? Hmmm?

I've FINALLY some cards from the Pirates of the Spanish Main collectable card game. Could play that. Rather addictive. My nephew & I played it already. Played it for 4 hours straight! :)

Watch pirate films perhaps...

Course, depends upon what Toby can find out with some certain events.

Anyone have suggestions?

A trip on the Windy Schooners? dinner at our fav plac &/or Dick's Last Resort?

[Merrydeath]

Our favorite haunt would be great, especially with a sing along.. then again I was thinking about Joes Crab Shack too!! It was very piratey inside with all the planking.

[Cap'n Pete Straw]

Crab Shack -- excellent idea! (I still need to scope out the Piper's place)

That puts me in the mind of a restaurant called "Bahama Breeze" which has a Carribbean/Jamaican feel, and a seafood-heavy menu. Their paella is to die for.

There is a bar/pub/I-don't-know-what on Route 20 called "Pirate's Cove" (iffen I recollect correct). It looks interestin' from the outside (Jolly Roger an' all), but is per'aps a dive within. I will take it upon meself te recconnoiter and see if it be sea-worthy. Watch this space fer a drunken review.

As fer the card game, me son an' I acquired several packs o' the cards fer Christmas. We have't played it yet, but plan to do so in the next couple days. Ye may be facin' a challenge, if I prove to be any good at it.

Ye ask what else shall we pirates do? Well, per'aps we should drink. I checked the local King's edicts, and I fear te tell ye that there be severe penalties in these here ports fer commitin' the usual pirate hijinks (the local constabulary frown most seriously upon plunder). But I be up fer a night o' comradery an' spirits.

[Isabella]

Izzy looks dizzy at the talk of Seafood.

Do they have anything non fish on the menu? I'm happy attend a restraunt as long as I have something to eat. Maybe dinner rolls? I know I'll bring mustard packets and Arby sause in my purse! I'm kidding. Really tho, if they have a chicken dish a seafood joint would be nifty with us.

[LadyBarbossa]

Ahhhh, not t' worry, Isabella. I'm sure we will all come to a good agreement. Otherwise, we'll just check them all out spanning 2005. :)

The Pirate's Cove sounds intreguing.

oh, Merry! What a fantastic idea, too! Joe's Crab Shack!

I have a feeling we are up for one hell of a fun year!

Pete... I accept yer challenge! Would be fun & to see the faces of th' others as we demand rematches!

LOL... ANYPLACE is nutty with us around. :)

Our usual haunt is fun with all the sing-songs & .. well, if crazy enough.. dancing, too. Aye. For some that remember me dancin' in the aisles to one of the Irish songs that was heard on "Titanic".... Jack & Rose were in a duel of the feet dance. T'was fun!

[Isabella]

Dancing!! Woo! I'll bring my jolly roger pasties and fire breathing equiptment! :) :) Oh wait..that's not what you ment! Dancing sounds really good! :)

Wow this is sounding nifter and nifter every time I read this thread!

[Cap'n Pete Straw]

Bahama Breeze definitely has non-seafood available -- but it's a more limited menu.

Still must check out the "Pirate's Cove" place (also need to play the board game by the same name which my son received)... but it's hard to check out bars with the kids in tow... Although I have actually not yet ascertained if this is an age-restricted bar or a family tavern... (or a strip club ....) Keep watching this space for the up-coming drunken review!).

Have now played "Pirates of the Spanish Main" twice with my son. Wiped the floor with him. Fun game. Yes, addictive. Went out last night and bought more decks (and two for my younger daughter, who wants to join in the fun). Several places are now sold out and awaiting the next series.

[LadyBarbossa]

Yes, it is hard to go to some places with twirps in tow.

Oh, dancing pirates... granted we saw them in movies like "Muppet Treasure Island", but still.... to see a group of us in a Line Dance doing the Electric Slide of some other jig elsewhere would be a riot! :)

"Oh, Aye! I can't wait for "Pirates of the Crimson Coast"! Bought 5 more packs last night. Got the great ship the La Resolucion. Though... I prefer to have the Revenant. & get the character Calico Cat... though, the name is cheesy, she's a wicked character! I got the Countess.

There are a few more packs here. Hopefully I can get a few more. I still want the Revenant & Calico Cat. El Fantasma would be cool with his ghost crew.. but... Calico Cat is far better.

Oh, mentioned this under the Rabble Rousing... Last weekend of Feb .. in Oshkosh WI there is a historical Trade Fair on the periods from 1750 to the western frontier which I imagine is post Civil War. Maybe an Invasion of sorts with that. Though, not sure if we would all dress up, but more likely go as a group to check out the info, look for merchandise, etc.

[Cap'n Pete Straw]

If it be line dancin' ye want... That's be how I met Mrs. Straw!

Sadly, the number of line dancing locations in Chicago has seriously dwindled in the past 10 years. A few that would have supported a pirate invasion no longer exist....

The Cadillac Ranch was on my original list of places to suggest (Hidden agenda: it's less that 3 miles from my front door!). They have an excellent Southwestern restaurant (Carmalita's), with a bar that supports karaoke (this still remains a possibility). On Friday nights they have line dancing (with lessons early in the evening - I cannot recall the cover charge). Downside: The country/western line dancing crowd is NOT likely to support a bunch of rowdy pirates showing up (perhaps not as rowdy as in "Blues Brothers", but equally unsupportive). It's more of a single's meat market kind of thing ... highly supportive of bachelorette parties. And the music is loud.

I mention Charlie's Chicago only before someone else naively discovers and suggests it. Line dancing, yes. Cowboy hats, yes. Drinks, yes. Assless chaps? Welcome in! Men dancing with women? Not so much. Big burly men with big bushy mustaches Two-Stepping with other also-mustachoed men? Of course! (Have I painted the picture yet?) Groups of people coming in and doing their own thing? No. Find somewhere else.

Although I drove past it just yeaterday, I have not yet been to the Sundance Saloon. There's a live country music radio show broadcast from it on -- I recall -- Friday nights. Sound like fun, but cannot personally recommend a place I haven't visited.

I therefore do NOT recommend a line dancing place. Plus... er... the pirate thing doesn't feel like such a "fit" for me in a C/W place as it would in an Irish pub or a Carribean theme restaurant.

.. but that be my two doubloons worth.

[darkRose]

Youse all know my choice...a place where pyrates be welcome and the music be good....and heck they put up withus a couple times allready....and no it is not just down the street anymore...:)

roguespierre

[LadyBarbossa]

Aye, we be QUITE aware, Pierre. :) & a fun place it be, too.

Though.... tis a pity that the HMS Bounty is not there. :angry: Oh, well.

Maybe there will be another wicked Tall Ships fest again in 2005.

Still awaiting word as well on a Pirate Fest in the Quad Cities. Haven't heard a peep from that since Labor Day weekend.

[Isabella]

I just realized something, that we already had an engagement to go to the StarWars Celebration 3 in Indy in April 20-25th. I am really hoping that this Welcome home isn't the same weekend, or else we're outta luck. Can we start talking about maybe "when" in April, so we have an idea of if and "how" we'll end up making it. :)

Thanks~

Isabella

[Cap'n Pete Straw]

Isabella:

Had dinner at Bahama Breeze again last night. There are several non-fish items on the menu (beef, pork, chicken), and they all look good. The whole menu looks good!

They have several rum drinks on their menu: House specialties: Bahama Mama (3 types of rum, pineapple jouice, OJ and Banana Liqueur), and the Bahamarita (not so much a margerita as a marguerita-flavored Slurpee, with italian ice in the center and a side car of extra marguerita mix). Tried both, and they are delicious... But they have Guinness on tap! Whether this becomes the location for an invasion or not, I strongly recommend this restaurant.

Update: Very unpleasant morning here (details omitted), but we had to put our terminally-ill kitty to sleep.

[Isabella]

Captain,

I am so sorry to hear about your kitty. *hugs hugs hugs* You guys holding up alright?

Thank you for thinking of me when you went to dine! That was ultra sweet of you to remember. :)

[Merrydeath]

Cappy Pete, thanks for the update on the dinner menu. April is better than May for me, and March would be wonderful but I won't push it. (me berthday is that month)

As for your kitty, I am very sorry for the loss of your pet. Having buried 2 cats, I understand what you are going thru.

BIg hugs and a shot of rum.