Posts from — May 2009

JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team

Fatt Tuesdays at The Joynt with Fatt Finger! from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

Fatt Tuesdays at The Joynt!

$3 Domestics
$5 Rails
$5 Shots

JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team

As my “One year in Chicago” anniversary approaches, I am reminded of some of the first video I created.  I really like this one.  It was created at SOBcon08 for a videoblog contest that was sponsored by Utterz.  The challenge was to promote your blog (not the content of the blog) in under a minute. I didn’t know anything about editing at that time, so I knew I had to shoot it one cut. i didn’t even have the JenChicago idea fleshed out yet, so there is a different web address at the end. Which is also why this is it’s first appearance on this site. Ironic, since this blog is the “blah, blah, blah…” I speak of in the video.

It makes me smile to see this.  It reminds me how free and energetic I felt to be embarking on a whole new way of life!  I was going for my dream and had, seemingly, never felt so certain about anything.  I didn’t have any idea how I would do it, I just knew I had to… That’s a good feeling.

And I am TOTALLY my mom in this video!  I see her in me and I love it.  I love that she read to me.  I love that she fluctuated her voice to differentiate the characters and add excitement.  Once, she thought I could read before I really could. But I had just memorized her reading “The Monster At The End Of The Book” to me.  (Hmm… maybe that’s part of my love of movie quotes.)

PS: How funny that I didn’t even have much of a blog going at the time either. Hey… sometimes you gotta fake it til you make it.

As I got in the cab, I remember thinking “Whoa, these seats are dark.  Don’t forget to check to make sure you have it all when you get out.”  I was on my way to drop off the black bag (housing the wireless and very expensive microphone and system that a friend let me borrow) and a little gift for the loan. When I arrived at The Joynt, Friday night, I saw some people that I knew standing outside.  I excitedly told them “Hi!” as I paid the cab driver. I got out of the cab, went inside and up the stairs. As I started talking to Erich, my mouth dropped open in the realization that I had left the (over a thousand dollar) borrowed mic in the cab. I didn’t get the cab number or even the cab type. I’m not even sure about the color.  I thought the cab was white. One of the guys standing outside thought yellow.

I have every reason to believe that the microphone and wireless system will be returned to me and then to its rightful owner, Steve.  People are good.  Things always work out as they should.

I read once that the only thing missing from any situation is what you (meaning us) are not giving.  So, I am looking for what this experience may be trying to teach me. Then, the idea hit me that if there were one centralized place with pictures of most of the cabs in downtown Chicago (with contact information), others could use my research and effort for themselves.  Whether they needed to recover their misplaced items, send a nice note to the cab company, or any other reason one might want pictures of Chicago taxis.  Feel free to add to the list or suggest taxi cabs that I may have missed.

The main number Chicago Dispatcher: 773.348.8294

Yellow Cab: 312.829.4222 (TAXI CAB)

*Lost and Found is the same location for Yellow, Checker and Blue Diamond

Checker Cab

24/7 Taxi Association:  773. 878. 8294 (TAXI)

Flash Cab 773.561.4444 & Ace Cab 773-381-8000

Globe Taxi Association  773.725.6500 (main)

772.725.6200 x:13  (lost & found)

Choice Taxi Association  773.338.9502

Koam Taxi  Association  773.973.3535

American United: 772.248.7600

2353 W Belmont Ave

Chicago Carriage Cab 312.326.2221

City Service Taxi Association  773.907.0909

Harchand S. Dwaliwal Cab  773.759.4563 (sole owner)

Tuscon Cab Company  312.388.4656

Service Taxi  773.262.2163

JenChicago, NBC5 Street Team

All my life my mom has been an exceptional educator. I know that had a HUGE effect on my life! Among other things, Mom definitely gave me a strong appreciation for reading. I’m a regular bookworm and I love it! Now that social media is becoming more prevalent, I find myself becoming an educator, of sorts, for my family and friends. In honor of my mother, I offer to you a little “mom-themed” video on how to get started with Twitter.

Moms rock and we KNOW it! Happy Mother’s Day!

JenChicago: Twitter in a nutshell. from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.