Flying out tomorrow afternoon for the Windy City. Real Excited™.

THINGS LIKE: Friends and family. City of Big Shoulders. Stacker of Wheat. Hog Butcher to the World. Mike Ditka mustaches. The L. Running with guys like P.J. “Strong and Cunning” Chmi-el. Design firms like Coudal Partners. A night on the town with Gina “Big G” DiPonio. Cousin Melodie. The amazin’ Elon Cameron. Ben “Brass Balls” Schneider. Big buildings. O’Hare. Lake Michigan. Wondering if Wilco or Songs:Ohia or Shellac are busy at work on the next long player. Snowboard world “fuck influx” with a cast of cretins the likes of Rose, Bridges, Chief, Michaylira, “Big” Mike LeBlanc, 2’s, Dave Syp, Danny Kasshole and other shreds. A night at Soldier Field either shralping for foul balls or gazing up at rickety scaffolding during a bloated snowboard “big-air” event. Meals at shady diners. Nightcaps at shithole corner bars. Warm beds courtesy of haggard broads after nightcaps at shithole corner bars after meals at shady diners. Wind. Lots of it. City lights. Warehouse districts. Sketch-ass alleys. Men with dark eyes. Dirt and grime. Tears. Long bus rides. Broken spirits. The Sears Tower. Cool air. Knowing Gary, Indiana is but an hour away. A “backup plan” of a warm meal, warm bed and a couple hugs but six hours north at the parental compound Traverse City, Michigan. Shitty parking. More tears. Swimming to Milwaukee to see Kurt, that cute little fucker. Catchin’ a Greyhound to see Ryno up in Minneapolis, that big fuckin’ prick. Michigan Ave. Walter Payton. The Fridge. John Hughes movies, especially, “Uncle Buck.” The most amazing “signs of business” in the goddamn world. Califone tinkering on the iPod. Touch and Go records. Harry Caray’s glasses. The museum of Natural History. The Art Institute. Big accents. Proud chests. Richard M. Daley, Mayor. More wind. I-55, I-90, 41. Lake Shore Drive. Wrigley Field. Bridges. Archer Prewitt. The Sea and Cake. Chris Wares. The Acme Novelty Library. The goddamn motherfucking Jesus Lizard. Lots of stuff. Whatever else might come to mind, you bet yer ass it’ll be listed on here at some point.

We’ve been studying up on the place, readying ourselves.