Entries Tagged as 'brad'

Built in Chicago Launch Party

June 24th, 2011 · No Comments

Built in Chicago is a site that was created about 8 months ago and is a resource for digital professionals working and building great web and mobile businesses in Chicago. Last night I attended their launch party with Jess and Alden. Tribeca Flashpoint sponsored the event and it was held in their space at the Merchandise Mart. There was a $10 admission fee, but once you were in, it was all free drinks and snacks.

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The beer sponsor was Finch’s Beer Co. Ok. But made in Chicago? How have I never heard of them? I asked the servers and they said that Finch’s has only been in production for about 8 weeks and that it is based out of the Albany Park neighborhood. Interesting. I had two Golden Wing blond ales and Jess and Alden both had the Cut Throat pale ale. We all liked the beer and when I tweeted about it, Chuck declared that the blonde will be the beer of this summer.

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Ok. So, enough about the beer. The Built in Chicago event was basically a mixer. It reminded me of Tech Cocktail, but with more suits and more gray hair. A grown up Tech Cocktail? I mean, even Ron May showed up at the end (blerg!). I talked to people I knew from various stages of my “past lives” – Chicagoist, FeedBurner, Google – and also from past Tech Cocktail events. It was nice to see people I hadn’t seen for quite a while (Kevin – from Google & now heading up the Chicago Entrepreneurial Center , Sean – from Chicagoist, now at Have My Shift, Brad – from my Chicagoist days, now at Appolicious, and Blagica from all over? :) ) Also nice meet some new people, too.

I like how Built in Chicago seems like more of an ongoing thing. Like, sure, they’ll have these face-to-face networking events occasionally, but you don’t just go away after that and see people at the next event. Built in Chicago is also a whole social networking site for like-minded interactive people in Chicago. I think it should be a bit easier to keep in the loop and keep in contact with people. Looking forward to seeing how this all evolves.

PS. At the end of the night Alden and I met up with Dallas at the Boiler Room and guess what kind of beer I noticed they had on tap? Finch’s! So I had another Golden Wing. Maybe this will be the beer of the summer.

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Christmas Dinner at Aunty Gail’s

December 28th, 2010 · No Comments


Cory, Miko, John


Kenji, Hideto and Derek playing the super-old pinball machine


Tickle fight with Tommy


Dallas & Rachelle. I don’t know why I’m so squinty. Wine?


As you can see, the kids were really focused on eating dinner (Tommy & Kenji)


Mitch & Hideto


Cory, Chris, Aunty Laura, Scotty, Krystyn, Hideto. In the front: Danny & Caroline.


Chris won the prize for figuring out how to fold up the chairs.


Aunty Glenna and Uncle BB


Trying to assemble for a family photo.


This always takes a while.


Getting closer…..


Almost there….


Made it! (Photo by Heather)
Back: Jeff, Heather, John, Kyle, Miko, Dallas, Chris, Caroline, Danny, Chris, Aly, Brad, Amanda, Cory.
Middle: Uncle Neil, Kate, Aunty Gail, Kenji, Aunty Peggy, Derek, Aunty Laura, Hideto, Uncle BB, Aunty Glenna.
Front: Doug, Naoko, Tommy, Mitch, Ben, Winnie, Rachelle


Dallas, Hideto, Cory


Kenji


Tommy


Some of the older kids help facilitate the gift exchange.


Derek, Chris, Mitch


Gift exchange in full swing.


Amanda and Brad. Brad got bacon popcorn that we brought.


Danny got Spam in the gift exchange.


Mitch & Chris


Tommy & Kenji


Dallas with his rice. (Photo by Heather)

On Christmas day we always go to Dallas’s Aunty Gail’s house out in Mount Prospect, IL. Every year Aunty Gail makes beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes, corn, green bean casserole and her mom’s lettuce/mayo/crab/pea salad. It never varies. Dessert varies because other people always bring different desserts, but Aunty Gail always makes her signature cookies. Now, I’m not complaining that it doesn’t vary, because it’s not like I’m eating steak and potatoes every night! And dinner always tastes super good.

After dinner all of the adults have a $10 gift exchange. There were a lot of people participating in the gift exchange this year. 25, I think, but it wasn’t very crazy at all. Not compared to some of the other years. We’re going to have to kick it up a notch next year. This year I came out with some votives and Dallas got a big bag of rice. Actually, he got something else and traded for the rice. He always wants that rice gift that Aunty Gail puts in every year.

This year it was amazing to see all the kids in the family. .. and more on the way!

Previous Christmases at Aunty Gail’s:
- 2009
- 2008
- 2007
- 2006
- 2005

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Early Thanksgiving Dinner at Aunty Laura’s House

November 17th, 2010 · No Comments


Tommy


Dallas in the basement playing video games with Tommy, Kenji, Mitch and Chris.


Kenji will be 2 in December.


Brad and Amanda getting ready to eat.


Aunty Gail helping her grandsons Chris and Mitch get dinner.


Pretty blurry, but Naoko is always the cutest pregnant lady. And she told me she’s never gotten morning sickness!


Matt, Aunty Gail, Uncle BB, Brad, Amanda, Danny

On Sunday Aunty Laura hosted an early Thanksgiving dinner at her house. I think Laura does this every year but we have only been able to go one other time, in 2008. Funny Naoko was pregnant then too, and Tommy was about Kenji’s age. Doug and Noako are expecting the baby in January and they don’t know if it’s a boy or girl. I hope it’s a girl!

Great food. Good to see everyone again. We hadn’t seen much of these guys since early September.

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Tech Cocktail 14

November 8th, 2010 · No Comments

The last week of October, Jessica and I went to Tech Cocktail. I think this is something like the 14th one they’ve held in Chicago? Back in 2006 our FeedBurner coworker Eric Olson co-founded the event with Frank Gruber and now it has its own conferences and parties in more than a dozen different cities. I just looked up on this rachelleb.. it looks like I missed the first Tech Cocktail, but I attended the 2nd, along with many others. Until last week, though, I hadn’t been to Tech Cocktail for years.

It was nice to check back in. Mostly the same scene. Free drinks. Ron May. In a wheelchair this time. Lots of people. Lots of tech startup demos. Here’s something that’s different: Sponsored by Sprint! Also, you now have to pay admission to get into the event.

About the demos we saw: A lot of them were some version of a daily discount site. One new company was doing ads in games. Their founder told us they were like AdSense but for games… which already exists, so I’m not sure I get that. Another had you sign up for a family style meal through a Facebook and then you’d show up and eat dinner with a bunch of strangers. One was a social wishlist kind of thing. Another had you type in something you wanted to and it would supposedly go out and find deals for you. I used the site as part of the demo and told it I wanted to take a sushi-making class. I know there’s a million places to do this around Chicago. Tech Cocktail was over a week ago. I still haven’t gotten my results from the site. Hm.

Jess and I talked briefly to Brad Feld, who we knew when he was involved in FeedBurner. And then for a bit to Frank, a Tech Cocktail cofounder we know. Frank said he thought that there were about 550 – 600 people there, so it’s good to know the event is still going strong!

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Danny & Caroline’s Wedding

June 21st, 2010 · No Comments

On Saturday Danny & Caroline got married at Cheney Mansion in Oak Park. We left our house with plenty of time to make the 18 minute drive to Oak Park, but didn’t realize the Puerto Rican parade was on Saturday. The parade itself is downtown, but in all of the communities with large Puerto Rican populations… ours and the neighborhoods surrounding ours… it’s mayhem! People just run around, bike around, drive around waving flags and celebrating. I’m sure it’s a good time, but we had to be somewhere. There were tons of road blocks and redirects and it took us more like 45 minutes to an hour to get out to Oak Park. I felt like we were in that Seinfeld episode.

Finally we arrived. The ceremony was just beginning. Attendants were walking down “the aisle.” Caroline was about to take her stroll down so we got to see her “backstage.” After she made her entrance we were allowed to make our way across the lawn and watch the ceremony. Cheney Mansion has such beautiful grounds. And the weather was so nice too. The day before we had tornado-like storms. Saturday’s weather called for it to be sunny and in the 90s. A bit too hot, but actually by 5:30 p.m. it was perfect.


Danny & Caroline’s Wedding Ceremony


The Bride and Groom Kissing


All done!

I couldn’t hear everything that was said during the ceremony because we were so far in the back, having arrived late. It seemed pretty traditional. I saw parents stand up at different points. It was quick, though. 15 minutes? 20 minutes? Afterwards Danny and Caroline greeted everyone in a receiving line.


Danny & Caroline greeting everyone

We had cocktails outside for an hour or so. Very nice. Like I said, the weather was perfect and the gardens at the mansion were gorgeous. The wedding was odd in that Dallas’s family was there, but then I’d turn and a lot of our friends were there too. I wasn’t used to seeing these people all in the same place.


Ed, Jen, Chad, Kristin


Jen & Chad


Cory (bridesmaid) & Miko


Aunty Glenna & Uncle BB


Dallas’s parents Kathy & George


George, Kathy, Rachelle, Dallas


Dallas, Uncle Neil, Scotty (Danny’s brother and Best Man)


Caroline & Danny


Rachelle & Dallas


Loden & Trent

After a while, Caroline’s dad announced that it was time to come inside the mansion for dinner.


Caroline’s dad announcing dinner


Wedding Program

It was expected, but I always like it when my name is spelled right.


Wedding Placecards

And I loved these poppies.


Centerpieces


Aunty Peggy, George, Kathy, Aunty Karolyn, Uncle Sonny, Aunty Gail, Aunty Laura, Aunty Glenna, Uncle BB, Uncle Neil

Look at this. Chris is almost as tall as Dallas and Brad. He’s 14!


Brad, Dallas, Chris

After dinner we all kind of mingled and visited while waiting for the band to start up.


Aly, Danny, Amanda

If you didn’t notice earlier, Danny’s boutonniere is rosemary. Fitting, since he works in a kitchen. Here’s Dallas trying to get a whiff.


Brad, Danny, Dallas


Brad, Danny, Dallas

The dance floor is on the 3rd floor of Cheney Mansion. The wedding band was JT and the Clouds, a popular Chicago band. One of Danny and Caroline’s first dates was to go see them play. Also, the lead singer, Jeremy, aka JT, works with Danny.


JT and the Clouds

Kenji arrived on floor 3 ready to dance!


Kenji

Tommy and Derek? Not so interested.


Tommy & Derek

Caroline and Danny had their first dance.


Danny & Caroline


Danny & Caroline

Some were a little shy to get dancing at first, but it wasn’t long before the dance floor was packed.


Dance!


Loden, Trent, Caroline


Loden, Danny


Danny & Rachelle


Loden & Ed


Loden & Danny

Fun wedding. It went by SO FAST! Congratulations, Danny and Caroline! I wish we were done already! :)

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