Cupcakes and Community @Bake

Bake, 2246 W. North, opened for business 10 months ago, in November of 2009, and we were there.

This past Wednesday we were there again (well, we've been there many times since!) and checking out a Top Chef Just Desserts promotion.

From 1-3 PM, Top Chef was sponsoring a free red velvet cupcake giveaway.

The Wicker Park Facebook page had helped us to get the word out on the event, or rather we took the liberty of letting others know by posting it to their Facebook wall.

We were happy to see a few familiar faces who'd gotten wind via Facebook (well actually I had been following Bake on Twitter, where I'd initially heard the news)

Christine O. was there with newish daughter T. in tow, so I had fun practicing my trying-to-make-babies smile routine which involves acting like a complete freak. Then I chatted up Bake's owner and chef, Jennifer, one half of the team (Jennifer's husband, Eric, is a Bake pastry chef as well), and went on my way, popping in at Wisthoff Fitness, J Wellington's, and Bucktown Fitness Club. And oh yeah, Michelle of Colori drove by in her cute little red car too as a few of us were standing on the sidewalk staring at the Marvin Envelope Building, which will possibly become a 37,000 sq. ft. health club, according to this partially obscured Public Notice.

And I wonder why it takes upwards of three hours to walk a single block.

Granted, much of it was my fault. I don't have to talk with everyone I meet, but for better or worse this has been the trend for the past 75 weeks. Though we use this newfangled 'Social Media' which exists entirely on the 'Net, we spend a great deal of time in 'RealSpace' being social, conducting interviews, and snapping photos.

We also do a lot of stalking of feeds and linking to stories written by other writers. We don't do it because we feel like we should, but because a community e-newsletter should contain as much information, for, by, and about the community as possible.

Ok, I don't know where I'm going with this. But I think it's in the right direction. A journey made better with cupcakes. That too.