Recollecting Nostalgia: Part 1

Sorry for not posting in a while, I was running around in my new old home in KC where I will be living for the next short while. Since these are my last few posts as a citizen of Chicago, I would like to take you back to the time when it all started. All characters will be given nicknames, but those of you who know them should be able to pick them out. Enjoy

July 1st, 2005

My car was packed to the brim, filled with items that any recent college grad would covet. Ratty old clothes maligned with bar odors, hand full of essential paper needed to begin my first days as a working man, and a back pack full of miscellaneous items thrown together in the last minute.

As I drove up on 90W I saw the bright lights of the city that soon would become my home, I grew anxious and excited, my friend H. C. Slizzy told me to head over to Dearborn and Maple as soon as a packed away my things. Shit....Chicago Traffic, what would soon be the bane of my existence was now slowing me down as I headed towards the infamous Wicker Park.

I parked my car in the back ally, grabbing all the clothes I could, and began doing wind sprints up and down the stairs throwing my clothes in my sister's apartment, just rushing to get going on the night ahead.

After I settled for a moment, clothes strewn across the apartment, I quickly showered, threw on my best clothes, and stood at the corner waiting for a cab to arrive. The bright lights threw me, as I adjusted to the city life, initially I could not tell what was what, and accidentally waived down a cop car seeing only the top lights from a distance and thought it was a cab. I was sorely mistaken, but eventually I found the cab that would start my world wind tour of Chicago.

"Dearborn and Maple," I barked at the indo/paki cab driver not knowing which direction I would be heading. After a short drive I stood in front of a building that I would be spending a lot of my partying days in: 1111 Dearborn. The doorman after a quick phone call upstairs pointed me to the elevator bank, 3007 here I come.

I slammed my fist in the door excited to see my friends, ready to begin the night of debauchery. H. C. Slizzy opened the door the only way he knew how, t-shirt and boxers, followed by the manly slap and hug maneuver. Slizzy gave me the dime store tour of the apartment, the white soft carpet enveloped the floor, as I turned the corner, there was the large black couches, sprawling in front of the view downtown, Sears tower shining in the night light.

After a few moments, his roommate at the time, someone who I had never met came around the corner, after a quick introduction, the man that I would affectionately call Beefcake was now my first new friend in the city.

The freezer was opened, and Slizzy pulled out a ice cold bottle of vodka, it was time for the pre-gaming to begin, ounces of liquor were guzzled, and the world was beginning to seem a blur. Here we go, I thought! Slizzy as usual finally put on some clothes minutes before our feet hit the pavement. "Where are we going," Beefcake queried. "Finn McCools, meet up with the Shah brothers," Slizzy replied.

As we stepped out of 1111 Dearborn the summer air was warm, inviting, and electric. Sounds of party goers could be heard in all directions as we walked passed Viagra Triangle to Division, the sight of many more dangerous rendezvous'. Entering Finn's it did not seem any different than any other sports bar I had ever entered, there sat the brothers, Nya and A-mule. They huddled around what looked at the time a monstrosity of a tower, a tower of golden cooled lightly frothed beer. After ten minutes or so, in strolled the curly haired master, know as Champagne Kanti, he needed no introduction, I had already experienced many a night strolling along the vagrant streets of NYC with him. Thus began my first meeting of the braintrusts, that would guide me in this city. The tower lessened quickly and after an hour or so, all of the beer had been drunk, not a single sip remained.

Slizzy then laid out the rest of our plans, it began and ended in two words, LEG ROOM. Everyone clamoured over the idea, how would we get in, etc. Slizzy confidently remarked, don't worry I got this, and he did. Five Indian males plus a few females walked to the front of the line, Slizzy walked to the front, whispering sweet nothings into the bouncer's ear, and presto we were in.

The lounge was hopping, there was all kinds of talent wandering around the bar, young, old, gorgeous, beautiful, good enough, even wait and see. This was exciting, so many girls, and no idea where to begin. The group stormed the right side of the bar, finding a round table large enough to accommodate us, the waitress grabbed our drink orders and in a few moments was back with a tray filled with drinks. Slizzy and Kanti both were going big, dirty martinis filled the table; I still a young promising rookie stuck with vodka tonic. In the front of the table, Kanti and I stood there chatting, our eyes never leaving the bar area as we checked out all the women that passed. In the back, Slizzy was in rare form, the center of the party, speaking whatever came to his mind, while everyone else sat back and enjoyed listening to his rantings, with boisterous laughter.

In a blur, I caught a glimpse of a beautiful blond haired creature, when I uttered under my breath "Wow." She stopped, whipping her blond hair through the air, and her eyes sultry and fixated on one thing, me. "Wow, huh," she said cocking a sly smile at me. I stood there speechless she had caught me in a moment I was ill prepared for, this would be the moment that defined me, close or go home.

"Ughhh Ughhh," I muttered still trying to find something slick to say, "Yea you caught me, I didn't even mean for you to hear that," I replied like the utter fool, not thinking of anything witty to say, god had given me a gift, and I wasted it away. Se La Vi, after a few minutes of awkward conversation, I gave the gift back to the other males more capable of closing than me at that time. Dammit...I thought, oh well, there are plenty more situations like that coming, if that was the first 12 hours of Chicago, this would be a great place for me.

The night was filled with booze, my eyes growing dim with liquor, last call was announced and we were shuffled out the door. Night one in Chicago was complete, Beefcake and Slizzy headed to subway to pick up late night eats, and I sauntered over to an open cab, told the cab driver
"Division and Wood," and headed back to Wicker Park. The stairs were daunting, but I finally managed to climb my way to the apartment door, I found my key, slid it into the dead bolt, and took a deep breath. This was only the beginning!