1. For a Friday afternoon, I'd say an hour before the game is acceptable, or even later, but I'll leave that up to debate. 2. I still kinda like RF better then LF. I used to be strongly in the LF sucks side (in case you didn't know, there is a rivalry between the 2 sides), but I sat in LF a couple of times and have softened that stance. As far as which side is better to sit on, I don't think it makes a huge difference. It's all a matter of which Cubs OF you want to sit by and which opposing OF you want to jeer. 3. If you want to drink cheaply there are lots of wants to get alcohol into the game. But I'll err against mentioning them on the board because technically its against Wrigley Field rules. If theres interest I'll mention the tips, but most are just common sense if you know that you are allowed to bring outside beverages into the park.