Blackhawks Rally

Took some good pics at the Blackhawk rally and thought I'd share!

This guy had a sweet Stanley Cup Costume on!
After the police cars and some sponsor floats, each team member had a trolley with his name on it. The trolley was filled with his family and friends, and these people were pretty darn excited!

Then came multiple double-decker buses, filled with Blackhawks players, management, and even some older players in their jerseys!


Byfuglien holds up a sweet wrasslin' belt.... BTW, this is pronounced "Bufflin"... wouldn't have figured that out on my own.
Not sure who this is?

Toews hoists the cup!!
More cup!
The crowd follows the parade down the street... so cool!
The parade was super cool... I don't know if I'd go to one again (esp on a hot muggy summer day) unless it was the Cubs, but it was great to get to experience at least once! One of those Chicago things, checked off the to-do list :)

The city

I'm starting to get pretty frustrated with how much WORK everything in the city is.

• I can't just open the door and let the dog go out in the yard. I have to take her down three flights of stairs, out an alley (where we sometimes see rats) and out to the street down the block to find the nearest patch of grass.
• Prices are ridiculous on everything. I feel like we make good money, but are constantly handing it over to The Man for everything from taxes, to the jumbo mortgage to whatever have you at any point in time. I watched HouseHunters the other day in Indy, and this 23 year old couple starting out got a 4 bedroom house for like 172K. I kind of wanted to bang my head against the freaking wall.
• Groceries are a pain. I have to go buy them and then lug them up three flights of stairs. So much fun.
• If we ever have kids, we may not be able to find a daycare and even if we do I'll probably have to sell a kidney to pay for it.

I'm feeling like a mouse on a wheel these days. Where is my cheese?

Is this why people move to the suburbs?

Bums

With the advent of summer weather in Chicago (Finally!) has come a major influx of bums, the likes of which I have never seen. I even saw one sleeping in our alley when I took Milly out to potty this morning. She jumped back and growled a low growl (he had a cardboard box, Milly's perpetual foe is the cardboard box) and I shushed her. "Milly, shhhh.... the man is sleeeeeeping!" I whispered before I realized how absurd that statement was. I mean, a) the man is sleeping in an alley, it can't be all THAT restful and b) like Milly understands anything I say. I guarantee she just knows the words BACON, CHEESE, and OUTSIDE!

Anyways, there have been two bums at the train station all week long. Oh and they've been drunk... just Wasted drunk, even at 8:30 AM when I'm going to work (hey it's 5 o'clock somewhere right?!). On Monday, one introduced me to his pet pigeons, Spike and Harry. I wasn't quite sure what to do with that. I just nodded and, thankfully, the train came and saved me.

Today I was hot and tired as I walked up to the train station, and plopped down on a ledge with a sigh. The bum started laughing. Then he started up this convo:
Bum: Run out of gas did ya?
Me: Yeah. It's hot out
Bum: Yup, this weather will do it to you.
Me: Yup (thinking...please stop talking...)
Bum: So how far along are ya?
Me: (thinking... seriously should not have worn this billowy top) I'm not pregnant.
At this point the Chick standing next to me bursts out laughing
Bum: (defensively now) I didn't ask if you were pregnant
Me: You asked how far along I am. How am I supposed to take that?
Bum: I'm sorry! I mean, I just meant..... where did you come from! How far did you walk to get here?
Me: Um, not far.
Bum: Keeps apologizing
Chick next to me: Wow, awkward conversation.
Me: (to the chick next to me) Last year I was with my sister at lunch, and the waitress walked up and said "Wow, are you both pregnant!" and I said "She is, I'm just fat"
Chick next to me: (laughing) Great way to start the day, right?

At this point (thank goodness!) the train comes, and I tell the bum "hey buddy, don't worry about it" because he won't shut up about it. I hurry to get the h-e-double-hockeysticks outta there.

I obviously need to lose weight. Or stop wearing billowy tops.

July 23

A view of the Wrigley building from the bus stop! I love Chicago in the summer, it's all so beautiful.

July 13

Today we built bookshelves with some kids from the Horizons for Youth program. It was so much fun to hang out with the kids all day, but HOLY COW super tiring. I just don't have the energy that those little ones have. I got this great shot of Old St. Pat's while we were over there.

July 12

Today a friend from work and I went to lunch and then hung out in Millenium Park, listening to some orchestra play. It was so nice. AND a completely gorgeous day!

June 21

Today there was supposed to be a big protest for Michael Moore's new documentary "Sicko".... doesn't look like there's too much activity in Millenium Park, though.

June 19

A view of the Trump Tower walking back from Northwestern.

My allergist did a skin test on me to see what I'm allergic to, and guess what? I'm not allergic to freaking anything. So all that allergy medication since high school - big waste of money. She thinks I just have a really hypersensitive nose and sinus system.... which, I don't know. Who knows... I'm sure she's not all wrong. I guess that I can be sensitive to certain things but not allergic. I do know one thing - since I went off the allergy meds, my eyes are all watery. Not like allergy-watery. But they have tears in them. I've almost forgotten that eyeballs are supposed to be wet, because mine hadn't been in a really long time.

May 2

A few pics I took on the way back to my client from the Speech Therapist. My vocal chords, they are ADD! Vocal chord retraining makes me feel like a giant tool.

April 11

Seriously? Gah. Spring is my favorite season, and it looks like we're not getting one of those this year in Chicago.

March 31

Some random shots of the day!

The Chicago Olympic logo.... pretty cool

The Boy and I at Duffy's

The Salmon in Lemon Brodetto with Pea Puree that I made Emily on Saturday night

March 30

Since the purple line shows up so few and far between, I thought it deserved a picture!

March 29

A pic of the address sign at my ENT's office

March 8

I spent my first night in Chicago, ever, in this hotel. It's the Fairmont by the AON center, and I stayed there for my PwC internship interview. I can't even describe how impressed and in awe I was of the city.

March 1

My view on the way to the el each night.

I tried to focus on the sky in the background, the clouds looked really cool in the sunset and even though I like the picture, it didn't quite capture it.

February 27

Daley wins another election

February 26

A view of the skyline from my dentist's office parking garage at North and Sheffield. It's so foggy, you can't even see it!

February 20

A shot of the super-icy lakefront. Thawing!

February 12

I don't look any different, but I can't feel my face.
Man, I look serious in that picture! You would too, if you just got home from the dentist where you got drilled and fitted for two crowns. Love me some dental work. My dentist, though, has a mastery of the Novocain like no other. I didn't feel anything. At one point, I thought something was on my face, and I reached up to wipe it off and realized it was my lip. I'm sure someone could smack me right now and I wouldn't even feel it. Now that is numbing. So that is my fun for the day. What did you all do today?

February 9

View of Millenium Park from the Corolla!