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Thread: Day 2 - Inside Mordor

  1. #41
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
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    May 2014
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    Gotham Adjacent
    Quote Originally Posted by Hambo View Post
    RevolverRob, try to look at the bright side. This will be hard to do in winter when you don't see the sun for five months, but try anyway.

    First, you're not in Philadelphia. That fact alone should warm you on the coldest of winter days. Second, even thought there is significant violent crime in Chicago, it's not as bad as say, Mogadishu. Third, decoding firearms laws and filling out forms so you can legally own the guns you own will give you a something to do when you're not hammering out your dissertation.

    Seriously, congrats on the chance to study there and I hope you get your guns soon. Enjoy the Midwest and Midwesterners while you can, you never know when you'll end up in Philly.
    Philly?! Argh, don't wish such things on a person!! - On a more serious note, someone would have to offer me a great job to move to Philly. I'd rather teach at a CC in Texas than have to live in Philly/Baltimore/Detroit or almost anywhere within the rust belt of America for the rest of my life. I'm not sure my bones can take it.

    Thank you for the well wishes!

    Quote Originally Posted by threedogdad View Post
    Rob,

    Thanks for starting this thread. It's interesting to learn a little about a place I have never visited, but I'm more interested in your field of study. That was one I truly wanted to follow back in the day, but I ultimately went down a different path. No regrets, but I am a little jealous.

    Congrats on your upcoming opportunities and thanks again for all the info.
    I'll be happy to expand a bit more for those interested and I'll certainly keep you guys up to date. This is kind of like my journal right now, it's been a lot of fun to get outside of my comfort zone, shake up my priorities, and try something new. Thank you for your support!

    __

    We're only up to 19 shootings this morning. If we keep that pace up we won't even crack 40! Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

    -Rob

  2. #42
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
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    May 2014
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    Gotham Adjacent
    Day 15 - Inside Mordor - Went to get some takeout Chinese for lunch. As the wife and I were walking back to our apartment, a crack deal happened right in front/behind us at a little park. We just kept walking eyes forward and down, I gave my wife some very quiet instructions to make sure that I was between her and the deal and kept moving the right direction. This was one block from my apartment.

    When we walked by the park on the way to the Chinese place my wife described it as, "A nice little park." There was one guy laying on a bench, but he was clean so I thought maybe he was someone on break from one of the stores in the shopping center we were going to. On the way back, I noticed one male who's attire was typical thug, he was in front of us, not paying any attention to us and walking. He stopped at the park fence and we walked past but as his client wandered up to do the deal. This is when I realized the park had at least three crackheads in it and what was going on. We just kept moving and nobody paid us any mind, if someone wants to do a crack deal - no problem, leave me out of it.

    In the future we will take the longer way around to that side of the shopping center, because it goes through the less sketchy side of the neighborhood out onto a street lined with shops, foot traffic, and police. We could also have taken the slightly less direct route that goes through again a higher end side of the neighborhood and right past the shopping center security guard (armed), but didn't.

    Fifteen days until I can file for my DL and submit my FOID paperwork. Sixty-ninety days until I receive my FOID. I think I'll prioritize taking my concealed carry course and do it soon, so the day my FOID arrives, I can submit my CC paperwork. Still looking at 120-180 days before I will be able to pack again.

    -Rob

  3. #43
    Pepper spray might not be a bad option until you get your FOID & CC, if it's legal there.

  4. #44
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
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    May 2014
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    Gotham Adjacent
    Quote Originally Posted by IRISH View Post
    Pepper spray might not be a bad option until you get your FOID & CC, if it's legal there.
    Well, I wasn't unarmed; I just wasn't armed with the full effective set of tools, so to speak.

    I should look into more OC options though an excellent suggestion.

  5. #45
    Member Don Gwinn's Avatar
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    Sep 2013
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    Springfield, IL
    OC is a good option. Its legality is hotly debated. It looks like Chicago doesn't bar it for adults over 18, but Cook County does. Locals seem convinced that there's an unwritten exemption for women, with cops choosing not to see their OC. I imagine that's probably the case for most "clean-cut" people, but CPD cops vary widely.


    "Your hands than mine are quicker for a fray.
    My legs are longer though, to run away."
    --Helena of Athens



  6. #46
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
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    Gotham Adjacent
    Quote Originally Posted by Don Gwinn View Post
    OC is a good option. Its legality is hotly debated. It looks like Chicago doesn't bar it for adults over 18, but Cook County does. Locals seem convinced that there's an unwritten exemption for women, with cops choosing not to see their OC. I imagine that's probably the case for most "clean-cut" people, but CPD cops vary widely.
    Thanks Don. I'll chat with my attorney and friend on CPD about it. General consensus seems to be CPD tends to overlook most minor infractions for folks who are not starting trouble, but I like to stay on the right side of the regs whenever possible. My other concern is the wife has asthma and I'm concerned that if she hits herself with OC she might end up in worse trouble with an asthma attack.

    -Rob

  7. #47
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
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    May 2014
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    Gotham Adjacent
    Day - Whatever this is - Uh...Four more days until day 30, so day 26!

    Only 32 shootings Labor Day weekend - I thought that was quite good, considering there 70+ on 4th of July. I actually start my program soon (10-days until orientation begins) - So pretty soon, I'll be really thrown into the frenzied pace, but as it stands now is a nice steady state of progress. But enough about work (that's boring).

    Let's talk about the University of Chicago - I am pretty much convinced UofC is actually the American Campus of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Here is a stolen promo photo -



    Normally, I am convinced promo photos are staged, but seriously the campus looks like that and my campus-based office is on the top floor of a 110-year old building...

    Apparently, I am not the only one that feels this way. The gag newspaper for the school feels similarly:



    And this let's me know that even if I am surrounded by insane criminals, like Rahm Emmanuel and drug dealers, robbers, murders, etc...At least some people have a sense of humor here.
    __

    Not a lot to report otherwise - I recently picked up my keys to a million square foot museum with this in the lobby:



    That was my view at lunch this afternoon.

    I came out of the museum the other day and it was raining, while I was waiting for my wife to pick me up, I took the opportunity to snap this pic from the south entrance of the museum - This is, I am told, not a zoo, despite being home to Da Bears.



    -Rob

  8. #48
    Hoplophilic doc SAWBONES's Avatar
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    Jan 2014
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    The Third Dimension
    Glad to see you made it to the Field Museum. Always loved those views as you first walk in.
    "Therefore, since the world has still... Much good, but much less good than ill,
    And while the sun and moon endure, Luck's a chance, but trouble's sure,
    I'd face it as a wise man would, And train for ill and not for good." -- A.E. Housman

  9. #49
    Member
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Upstate SC
    I'm pretty sure nothing could convince me to move to Chicago, but I'm really enjoying this behind the scenes tour. You should consider blogging your experience if you have the time. I'm getting some laughs from your spin on things.
    Memento Mori

  10. #50
    Two words for Chicago..... Sullivan's Steakhouse....... The town has great steakhouses.

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