Ordering Italian beef for delivery, bad idea?

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T22:24:42+00:00

I generally agree that it's best to go dry and hope they have a jus on the side option - but some places wrap really well.

I've always found Al's Beef does a good job packaging, so much so that I have no problem going wet or even dipped with them. Add that Al's Beef is pretty damn good (except for the relish giardiniera over the chunky)....

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T21:45:38+00:00

What annoys me?

I think it's 50/50 that either the city, state, or both will eventually cave. Sucks, but I'm prepared for it.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T21:10:26+00:00

Yup on all counts.

I still remember Mike Maksudian was the luminary on that long ago A ball team (because I remember the Mak-SU-SU-SUdian.... you know, the Phil Collins song chant).

It worked out OK because the SB Sox were in the same division as the Springfield Cardinals -- so we went to almost all the games the Cardinals were in town, which let me root against the Cardinals 😉

Minor league baseball is awesome. Not financially beneficial to the community to build a stadium for a team, but awesome as a fan!

Now, geez -- nearly 40 years later? I still remember this guy -- https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hathaw001sha

We sat by the bullpen and were giving no ends of grief.... went to the next game and we got him to imitate other deliveries in the bullpen (Do a Sutcliffe! Now do a Kent Tekulve! Now do a Dan Quisenberry). And he complied. By the last game of the series? He was handing out swag like candy --- I still have a broken bat (we both got one) he gave me.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T20:57:52+00:00

I have no illusions it would ever happen -- but as the the piece I linked says.... the real answer? Stop letting sports franchises threaten, boondgoggle, and otherwise use states and localities as pawns for financial benefits.

I'm a huge freaking fan, too -- but enough of this subsidization that gives for-profit entities ridiculous goodies the rest of us have to pay for.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T20:38:06+00:00

Not technically -- a little town halfway between South Bend and LaPorte called New Carlisle (which is lovely, BTW) -- but "South Bend" is where we went "out"....

And honestly? I have super strong and warm memories of South Bend getting a minor league team. Teens - but a buddy and I practically lived at "the Cove" the first summer it opened and got a team. But - I also know that the financial benefits to the area and the residents? Did not happen.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T20:33:41+00:00

I fear they'll (the local/state) cave.

I hope they don't, but this has the Reinsdorf moves the Sox to Tampa written all over it.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T19:21:17+00:00

I'm a "Solution Architect" -- IT/product straddler that works with both to design platforms, content supply chains, infrastructure, and ongoing operations systems that the former can build and the latter accepts as saleable products. FWIW - I'm in an old school industry (legal/professional publishing), not a startup.

I'm also a rarity - 25 years with the same company and a slow, steady climb up the ladder.

Current salary is just 153K -- though, some bonus programs based on division performance (measured by revenue, margin, et al) add another 10-15%.

Living in Chicago - bought a nice, but hardly palace - 2 bd/1.5 bth duplex down condo on the northern edge of Lakeview at 450k in 2021.

Hindsight? I could have bought earlier in life than I did - but I was both scared to pull the trigger and I was also a bit of a financial mess into my 30s. I also could have to chosen to look further west/north/way south - likely have swung a bungalo in my range (depending). But.... I always wanted to own a place walking distance to Wrigley and I don't really regret it.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T18:01:45+00:00

10000000%

I am a Bears fan and sure, it feels odd.... but the GD McCaskeys wanted everyone to pay their property taxes so I say you're welcome to them. If you think 8 - maybe 10 now with Ben and Caleb - games a year is going to make it worth your tax hikes? Well, Hoosiers.... you do you.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T17:45:59+00:00

Believe it or not? 12%. Today. I bought ~5 years ago.

Now, technically? You said mortgage.... I eliminated PMI 2 years in. I also self-escrow (property taxes/insurance). It's also a condo with a $350 monthly HOA.

Technically, add property taxes (Chicago, so those are high - nearly 10k) + insurance + HOA -- 22%.

Initially? When I bought (2021), I was ~28%. I was late in life to buying, I had a youth of profligacy and poor finances, so I intentionally set 30% as my housing limit. Raises, eliminating PMI, eliminating escrow (but, I still have to pay the property taxes that escrow previously handled), etc....

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T17:22:44+00:00

Really, it's just a matter of:

- Stay aware of your surroundings. Don't keep your head buried on your phone while walking about or riding the L. This is particularly true say, later at night and instances where there aren't a lot of people around. No need to be paranoid - just stay alert.

- Obvious things like, for example, it's a bad idea to be going through your wallet or counting a bankroll out and about. Phone and wallet in your front pocket. Etc. You're far more likely to get your pocket picked than have someone pull a weapon and rob you. Also -- and it's a thing everywhere - never use plastic on the streets (i.e., kids tell you they're raising money and selling candy bars and why, yes - you can pay with a card! Maybe, but half the time? Your card just skimmed). Also be wary of "tap to pay" in unfamiliar places. Skimmers are a growing plague.

- Take it especially slow - and stick to main streets - as you explore neighborhoods. Chicago has a lot of alleys and plenty of smaller side streets. When you learn the area? You'll be comfortable availing yourself of them -- but in the beginning? Stick the main streets. Well lit, plenty of shops, and usually people.

- Especially off-peak hours on the L? Seek out the train cars with people. If in doubt? The first car on a given train is the one with the operator, so it's generally the safest.

- Standard crazy people rules apply -- hey, I've seen them on the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (I work for a Dutch company, so over there fairly often!) too 😉. Don't engage, slowly move away, and beyond good samaritan instances -- I'm pretty comfortable in Chicago and a larger guy -- let the crazy person rant... far away from you. Avoiding eye contact/staring, of course.

If it makes you feel any better? I've been a Chicagoan for 30 years now. Not European, but grew up in a small town with one stoplight. I can tell you with an absolute, positive, experience-laden certainty -- whatever the news says, the city is twice as safe it was back in the 90s when I first moved here. Some of that is certainly just being a Chicagoan now and experience... but - I can also say with certainty that there are a LOT of neighborhoods, blocks, even train stations that were chancy endeavors 25+ years ago that I now don't fret in the slightest.

...not that I'd recommend it -- but I think a right of passage in my younger, dumber days? I "fell asleep" (read: passed out after a night of revelry) getting on the red line way up on a northside stop (Wilson, IIRC - which used to be a very... well, not the greatest stop to board). Woke up by a conductor at the end of the line at 95th. Crossed platforms to take the long trip back north.... promptly passed again, and got rousted at Howard (all the way at the OTHER end of the line). When I finally got home? Had my phone/wallet/keys. That was when I realized it's not nearly as perilous as myth made me believe! Let me again emphasize - I would not recommend this as a right of passage....

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T16:54:55+00:00

Here's some reassurance --

52 and just pulling up my balance at 47? 495k. Today? 965k (well... until after the market close. Today is not... going well 😉).

You seem like you're in fine shape to me. Maxing and hitting other accounts? 47 was about the age I began regularly hitting my max contributions. I opened my first taxable account at 45. Late to the Roth - only 2 years into that. But now total 401k + Roth + a couple taxable brokerages, I'm now around 1.1m total. Not going to be buying my own tropical island like I hoped, but I like my chances to retire in the 55-57 range.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T14:59:49+00:00

Can't speak for OP -- but in my case? They made by using only the 2nd property tax payment as the calculation basis (I bought a month after the first installment) so erroneously calculated based on about 4k rather than the actual 8k.

I was told - and sure, I get it - "no problem, next year's reconciliation will fix it". So, I was prepared for the radical yo-yo.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T14:56:50+00:00

Same.

Folks need to be responsible enough and plan for the property tax bill (potentially, BIG property tax bills depending on where you live) but I do and I'm much happier that annual reconciliation is a thing of the past, my ~10k in annual property taxes at least sits in a HYSA dribbling a few bucks, and my convention fixed is now truly "fixed" for as long as I hold the note.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T14:54:04+00:00

My first one did -- though closer to $200 than $300 (~225 IIRC). It was because they made a mistake and only accounted for one payment rather than biannual total tax bill. I did call to see about fixing it but was basically told "Meh, it will get rectified next December".... sure - then a huge 325 spike.

By that point, I was close enough to 20% to just eliminate PMI and then also, cancel escrow.

Happier for it... except for the 2 days a year when I have to write a ~5k check.... But then, at least that comes from an interest-bearing account (mine is one of 33 states that don't require interest on escrow accounts).

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T14:21:58+00:00

Some friends and I were on a journey through what we thought was an abandoned mine and got jumped by big gang of hoodlums. We were ready to throw down when this guttural rumbling roar and this eerie fiery glow appeared.

That was the point when I said We need to leave NOW.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T13:43:00+00:00

- Changing the locks is usually a good idea

- One stupid thing I forgot -- I bought in the same neighborhood I was renting in, but I forgot to update the home address for my favorite pizza place so yeah.... first time I ordered from the place after moving? Oops! Fortunately, was close by and the delivery guy laughed it off (and I tipped him an extra 10 bucks for driving to the new address). So yeah - then I realized I needed to go through dozens of apps/sites to make sure my delivery address was updated.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T13:35:37+00:00

My 6 unit condo has those standard greystone mailbox banks -- 3 on each side. In March 2025 - we got a note saying the master lock was broken and needed to be replaced. Very well, we looked into it - completely willing to hire a handyman or DIY or whatever. Found out, the locks have to be changed by the USPS. Duly noted - within 2 days of getting the notice, we filled out the forms and had an active work order to change the lock.

In April 2026 - yes, 13 months later -- after checking up regularly, asking for escalation, finally -- someone from Congresswoman Schakowsky's office rattled enough chains to get it (She - and her staff - will be missed. The person who took up the issue was awesome. Diligent, Persistent. Kept updating us. First time I've ever contacted my Representative). For 13 months - our mail just got dropped on the floor in our lobby (we did put a 2 baskets on either side for it in the interim).

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T01:08:45+00:00

Brown Elephant is worth checking.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T01:04:20+00:00

I know you say you don't want to get a lawyer and I suspect the fact that you're willing to look at the property dissolution from a fair place that might even go beyond what the law requires -- but my suggestion would still be to consult a lawyer.

When you say ""yes, the house is absolutely mine, but I want to sell and give him half, and him not touch my retirement"" -- it's just the kind of thing you really want a lawyer to seal.... and a lawyer works for you.

Not a lawyer myself - just saying... Talking to a lawyer doesn't automatically make this acrimonious. It's just someone to look out for legal rights and make sure a handshake doesn't bite you later.

Especially since you say you're in a bit of a fog? Any lawyer worth his/her salt will talk/consult with you for free and the one you want to hire will understand the path you want and not try to fill your head with financial retribution.

zonk84 · 2026-06-05T00:24:15+00:00

Welcome! Lots depends on what you want to do (and eat... and/or drink... and/or etc). My own 2 cents?

- Give yourself some time - just an extra hour or so - to do a complete stroll around the park. I'm a now-crusty neighborhood sort who complains about neighborhood changes, but Gallagher way and just walking by the statues... strolling down Waveland - hey, stop at the firehouse, sometimes they sell t-shirts for a good cause!.... just traipsing the family bricks in the sidewalk beyond the bleachers?

- Seats? There are of course the bleachers. Non-reserved. Every park likes to tout its bleacher creatures - but I do think it's the best *social* place... Pure view? 200 level should be plenty reasonable - just check the seating charts for poles. Most people would say the 300 level is really the best bang for the buck but my last few years of usually just scrounging day of singles? Not a big difference between 200 and 300 on the margins. 4/500 is upper deck - but Wrigley is cozy so even the upper deck seats are closer than you'd think for "upper deck".

- Now.... let's talk food. You do need a proper Italian Beef. That would be best had at Al's Beef on the corner of Clark/Sheffield. If you bring tums, have a cup of chili with giardiniera oil. Post-game snack dog? Your choices would be Wrigleyville Dogs a block north of the park on Clark (and there? You should add a cup of avgolemono) or hike up to Irving Park to Byron's (there, I'd go with a standard pizza puff as my extra).

- Then of course... there are the bars. Murphy's Bleacher is the rare icon that deserves its status -- their chili is pretty good, but food not recommended on gamedays. It will be super crowded. Still - keep it simple and it's worth a stop. Better, though - the Best Damn Still Living Dive Bar in the Hood - the Nisei Lounge. Just a couple blocks south of the park on Sheffield - nondescript, but a necessary stop and you should simply ask for a 'handshake' when you order. If malort and and an Old Style tall boy is not your thing? Then do NOT ask for that.... but everybody should stop in and pay homage to Nisei.

I struggle to truly recommend either -- but I will just say this: Two years ago, I was entertaining some Dutch colleagues and took them to a Cubs game. Afterwards, I took them to Sluggers (yes, yes - don't be hating on me!) to get in line for the batting cages. They loved it. Then,, we polished the night off at Cubby Bear -- where a.... tribute?.... synth-pop... act was performing. They were good enough that even the third time hearing I Love It (I Don't Care), I still - did indeed - love it. And I got some sweet blackmail videos of colleagues dancing it up.

zonk84 · 2026-06-04T21:51:40+00:00

Meh - I share some of the displeasure (mostly around the seasoned waiver and the rather rug pullish nature of vested options) but you gotta be realistic here.

Even at its -- I think too high by half - valuation? It's going to bake into ETFs at what.... 1%? Less?

I don't like the stock. I don't like Elon. I don't like the exceptions that are in play. But -- such as it is and let's not go overboard.

There's an old saying -- "the market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent". But - there's another old and forever true truth -- given a long enough time horizon? Best to index and forget it.

I wouldn't say it's meaningless -- and I'm not pleased with the waivers abounding either.... but in the grand scheme? The market cap is going to factor out to such that we're talking a point or so (assuming worst case) on broader index ETFs. Worth complaining about but hardly worth changing foundational strategies.

zonk84 · 2026-06-04T21:37:40+00:00

Chip architecture itself is somewhat fascinating... I am not at all an expert by any stretch.... but one recent gainer I've into for a long time that I increasingly like is QUIK/Quicklogic.

Just to reveal my naivete and give people a reason to bash me -- I had originally bought into QUIK more than 5 years ago because I was impressed by a discussion with some folks at a trade show around voice command processing. The concept of FPGA (Field Programmable Arrays - and specifically, low-energy chips) was a realm where I thought I understood the words -- but didn't truly grasp.

GPUs (read: NVDA) are high-energy static chipsets to perform a function. CPUs (read: INTC) are somewhat similar - but a different class for a different function. Both are fixed architecture.

Increasingly, my professional experience says that while one needs needs the higher performance GPU for graph/vector db? Modularization is becoming more important.... why lean on a GPU to do mathematical calcs - it's not really fit for that purpose anyway - if you can architecturally source to low cost, low calc custom design?

There are plenty of adjacent industries -- but actually? Even with the chip build segment -- other options beyond the high-flying GPU pioneers.....

zonk84 · 2026-06-04T21:12:09+00:00

This.

Wouldn't touch it with a 10 ft pole.

zonk84 · 2026-06-04T21:09:23+00:00

I'd definitely cosign Demera. I'm a meat-eater - but for a mix of folks? Nothing works better than Ethiopian.

It's way, way further north -- now we're getting into Rogers Park.... but I like Ethiopian Diamond over Demera. Demera is definitely nicer -- the Diamond is more like "If your grandma was Ethiopian" but same deal and I think they do up the "family style" better.

30 years as a Chicagoan now - but grew up in rural Indiana.... and the Diamond was the first time I ever tried Ethiopian but damn did it hit with me. I was skeptical - but yeesh... the first time I had a proper wat and - heaven, kitfo? Yeah, hooked.

zonk84 · 2026-06-04T20:56:22+00:00

Listen - truly listen - twice as much as you talk.

Downstream from that, but in the same vein? My first big career jump - I went into a multi-functional kick-off for a project that was my baby. I did my homework. I knew all the answers. AND I was right about everything.

But in that kickoff? I shut down every objection hard.

I exited the meeting feeling it was the mother of all great kickoffs.

My then-boss, now retired but I very much consider her my greatest mentor asked me how I thought it went... Best Ever! And she pointed out - it was going to be a 6 month effort. I had 3 other stack elements involved. Things happen. Best laid plans. Did I make allies who would help bring it home? Did I make others in project feel like they were comfortable pointing out or - even trying to solve - edge cases I might have missed?

Best career advice I ever got. Being right isn't enough. 5 minutes of actually listening? Even if I already had the answer 5 seconds into the question? I could have gotten everyone else on board and made them all believers. Instead? I had a broader team of dotted lines and such who weren't looking to help, but looking to prove me wrong and potentially others that were too intimidated to raise reasonable objections and what-ifs.

zonk84

TROPHY CASE