TravBuddy dinner

I wasn't able to sleep very much.  I only had a couple of hours when I was awakened by noise.  Nothing in particular, just noise.  I was staying in a boutique hotel but it was designed in a loft format.  Noise was amplified by the unfinished concrete ceilings.  Cars honking, doors slamming, the maid in the hallway.  It was murder!!  I was supposed to go sightseeing with Joanne and Maria today.  Sorry guys, you're on your own.  I finally got back to sleep at 11 am.  At 4:00 I got up and decided to face the world.  The TravBuddy meetup was scheduled for 6:00.  I went to the corner and got two large cups of coffee.  Ahhhh, just what I needed.

I got to the meetup at 6:00.  My head was okay but my stomach was queasy.  Aloha everyone!!  It was a large meetup.  I tried to socialize as best as I could.   Unfortunately, the seating arrangement made it difficult to mingle.  There wasn't enough room to move around.  It was a very crowded place.  The restaurant was adjacent to the Chicago River.  We watched the boats and enjoyed the views of the magnificent buildings as evening settled in.  I admired the way the buildings changed colors as the sun went down.  I spent most of my time talking with Bill (the_bill), Mike (mmarc2000), Mark (travelman727), Joanne (flyinhigh) and Maria (miamimaria) because they were seated near me.  The organizer, Mark (marksreynolds), presented me a prize for traveling the farthest.   It was a t-shirt with the TravBuddy logo on the front and on the back it said: 

I traveled 4249 miles to meet people I met online. 

I was honored by his gift.  How thoughtful of him!!  I think we lingered at the table too long after dinner because the management asked us to leave so they could have the table. :p

We left the Flatwater Grill and looked for a place to have a drink.  It was Friday night in a popular part of Chicago and we were a group of 20+ people.  Good luck finding a place!!!  First stop was Harry Caray's restaurant & bar.  Nope.  Not enough seats.  We walked north one block and stopped in a jazz bar.  Surprise!!!!  Plenty of tables for our group of TravBuddies.  There were jazz musicians playing some good music.  The TravBuddies mixed up the seating arrangement a little, so I had a chance to get to know other TravBuddies a little better.  I even felt good enough to have some vodka!!  Some of the group began to trickle out little by little.  Eventually the decision was made to find a different bar.  It was a difficult decision but I decided to go back to my hotel instead of continuing on with the TravBuddies.  I pointed them in the direction of an Irish pub that I saw the previous day.  Goodnight everyone!!!  It was great meeting you and I hope we meet again :D