Questions and Answers

[Finnegan]

I'm flying out to Chicago this weekend and expect to be there about 4 or 5 weeks. Any suggestions as to things I "must see" or non-touristy places/ things to check out?
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Formerly Green_Finn

hey! rock bottom's not that bad
we've got glow-in-the-dark fish down here that's rad

[Heretical Rants]

Don't plan on drinking the tap water, unless you're fine with drinking the worst tap water (according to me, subjectively) in the entire continental United States.
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butts

[Atrophy Annie]

Maybe it's because I grew up in Chicago but I have no idea what you're talking about, HR.

As for non-touristy stuff to do? Uh, I'll think on it but I wasn't very interesting as a child/teenager, I guess.
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Way to kill the conversation, Patty.- Trevor

[Mizike]

The bean!

Edit: It's a must-take-a-picture-place. Not a non-touristy one.
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Scire aliquid laus est, pudor est non discere velle
"It is laudable to know something, it is disgraceful to not want to learn"
~Seneca

[Finnegan]

don't drink the water and have picture taken with beans. got it. itinerary locked in.
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Formerly Green_Finn

hey! rock bottom's not that bad
we've got glow-in-the-dark fish down here that's rad

[Dogen]

The whole water front is pretty cool. Also, they have a lot of cool museums. I was a tourist, so other than eating out, everything I did was touristy. Ride the L (El?). Bite of Chicago (in summer, sorry). Meet Sinfesters. That's all I got.
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"Worse comes to worst, my people come first, but my tribe lives on every country on earth. I’ll do anything to protect them from hurt, the human race is what I serve." - Baba Brinkman

[Lasairfiona]

I took this crazy awesome "ferry" tour of the architecture of the sky scrapers. I loved it.
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Before God created Las he pondered on all the aspects a woman might have, he considered which ones would look good super-inflated and which ones to leave alone.
After much deliberation he gave her a giant comfort zone. - Michael

[sporko]

i second the river boat tour.

also they have great improv...you don't have to go to second city or anything. one of my favorite shows was put on by the neofuturists & is called "too much light makes the baby go blind." it's half-scripted, half-improv, and totally fun.

also food. jesus fuck do i miss the food. if you can, find jibaritos...delicious. so good. look in humboldt park, i think. (just looked it up--it's a restaurant called borinquen in humboldt park.)

go to the art institute on thursday afternoon (it's free then).

take in a vodka flight at russian tea time (half a block away from the art institute).

drive along lake street under the green line (avoid nighttime and rush hours).

go to a club. having moved to a place with really zero comparable nightlife, go to a club one night and just soak in the energy.

go to a pub and have a beer--try wrigleyville though it won't be as active. actually, spend a day in wrigleyville.

take the metra north to the botanic gardens--there's a trolley that runs from the station to the gardens. even in the winter, it's beautiful and peaceful.

will add more as i think of them. just...the museums. they're kind of pricey and sure, touristy, but it's off season and there's a reason they have the reputation they do.
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[sporko]

jesus why do i ever go into the comics subforum

i'm fine not going in there for months and months and then suddenly, BAM, aneurysm.
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[Atrophy Annie]

Of course, how could I forget the thing I always recommend visitors to Chicago do? Ride up and down (I prefer as a passenger, to take in the sights, but driving works, too) Lake Shore Drive at night. It's my absolute favorite thing to do in Chicago.
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Way to kill the conversation, Patty.- Trevor

[Dogen]

So this friend is 24 and has never tried pot. One of the nurses at work gave her a piece of pot cake (there's a story there, but just go with it). My friend is afraid to do it alone (aww), and has asked me to eat the cake with her. She's afraid to go outside after eating the cake, and wants to do it at her house... What the fuck am I supposed to do with a high 24-year-old woman (we're not having sex)? Watch Super Troopers? My favorite thing to do while high is be around other high people, but I don't think there will be anyone else. Any suggestions of things you've done while high that were really fun?
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"Worse comes to worst, my people come first, but my tribe lives on every country on earth. I’ll do anything to protect them from hurt, the human race is what I serve." - Baba Brinkman

[Finnegan]

thanks for the suggestions everyone. I fly out tomorrow but I'll still be checking in here so I'll let you know what I end up doing and which are especially cool. and like I said, I'll be there a little over a month so if you think of anything to add please keep the ideas coming.
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Formerly Green_Finn

hey! rock bottom's not that bad
we've got glow-in-the-dark fish down here that's rad

[Oneponytoruleall]

What if someone tried to raise suicide awareness by taking a rag doll slightly larger than human size, a long limbed stick-figure sort of rag doll like a giant Betty Spaghetti doll but without the fashion sense... and went around throwing it off bridges and buildings in cities and photographing it falling and people's reactions to it landing.

What if they put a noose around its neck and hung it up in a busy public street or 'drowned' it in a state capital fountain and set up a little booth next to it and handed out pamphlets on recognizing the signs of suicide, the statistics of suicide, the prevention of suicide and hotlines and web help?

Would that work?

[DeD CHiKn]

[trustedfaith]

I went into the doctor and told her my symptoms. I never mentioned the ADHD because I didn't want to say something and put the idea in her head.

I told her about my inability to focus and concentrate. I explained that I've always had an issue with them but it feels like they're getting worse since I quit smoking. I explained about my procrastination and how these things are progressively getting worse since I quit smoking.

I explained that I don't feel anxious and I don't pine for cigarettes.

She look dumbfounded at me and actually suggested trying to put me on a nicotine patch... I'm like ".....what?!?" Why on Earth would I pay to put nicotine back in my system when I'm 3 1/2 months (almost four now) nicotine free. What's that going to do? That's not a fix that's putting things back the way they were when I was way more unhealthy.

Then she suggested putting me on Lexipro or Paxil. I explained to her that I'm not depressed. She said there's other conditions those medications can be prescribed for. And I know that, but I'm very against anti-depressants. Especially when people are not depressed or having constant anxiety issues.

Have Lexipro and Paxil been known to help someone focus and concentrate better? I know they have helped some people with depression and anxiety issues. But I have neither of those issues going on. I feel like this suggestion was just pure guess to have something to offer.

She said she was going to do some research and talk to her friend that's a neurologist. She also said she was going to talk to someone else that is an addiction specialist. She kept saying that my brain was still addicted even though I told her that I didn't have a desire or want for cigarettes anymore. I don't really think about them much anymore. She said it didn't matter, my brain still is addicted. So somehow she thinks that ties into this.

Is it just me or does she seem like she has no clue and is just saying things to sound like she's a doctor? I made an appointment with a psychologist by the way. I just think maybe I might get more straight answers from him.

Edit: I talked to my dad over the weekend when I went over to where he stays and explained this information to him. He said "one of your teachers told your mom that you should be tested for ADD and your mom refused because she didn't want you on medication." I never knew that. That's news to me.
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