Hey, Brother, How Far Is the Cubby Bear?

Last night I was walking north on Clark, just south of Roscoe, when a man just getting out of his car asked me, "Hey, brother, how far is the Cubby Bear?" I mean, I have no idea. I'd never even heard of the Cubby Bear. I live in - and was at that moment walking through - Wrigleyville, so obviously it's some sort of bullshit Cubs sports bar. But where is it? No clue.

What I said: "I have no idea, man, sorry."

-- You have no idea?

-- Yeah.

-- All right.

He seemed sort of skeptical.

When I Googled "cubby bear" I got two results in Wrigleyville (and one in Kenosha, WI). One, The Cubby Bear, was an unverified listing. When I called, there was no answer. This is probably not where brother-man wanted to go. More likely, he was looking for Cubby Bear Lounge, at 1059 W. Addison St.

At the time, I was outside of a North African restaurant called Bolat. (Which I remember, to tell the truth, because it always makes me think of Borat.) Bolat is located at 3346 N. Clark St.

Now I know: Just four of five blocks that way (NNW), to Addison, then left for, like, a hundred feet.

I'm ready next time someone asks me that one question.

What If You Look It Up?

When someone asks you a question, and you don't know the answer, there's no shame in that. Well, I suppose that depends on the question. But let's say it's something you wouldn't be expected to know. So when someone asks you something you wouldn't be expected to know, then... no one expects you to know that. Agreed?

But if someone asks you that question again, and you still don't know, okay. Then let's say someone asks you again. And you say to yourself - or to the person who's just asked you the question, who is standing in front of you, frowning - you say, "You know, I get asked that all the time. I really don't know." Well, what if you looked it up?