Slip Sliding

Its definitely winter in Chicago. Besides the twenty degree weather, I also took a fall on the ice today which tells me, no more bike riding. I've actually become quite the scaredie cat lately.  I got into my first bike wreck on Halloween and since then I've taken my sweet time riding the buses and taking more cab rides than I'd like to reveal.  

Besides snow, ice, and the uncomfortable cold, winter also means finals. Thursday was my last day of real class and while finals start next week, I've somehow gotten incredibly lucky and only have three finals of which only one is a written test.  All those years of all nighters during finals week seem a million miles away and I somehow cannot even imagine doing them now.  My deepest thoughts are with those of whom will be sleepy eyed and pumped full of red bull in the library in the coming week.

Now on to the visual part.  Here are a million pictures starting with Thanksgiving and then randoms from my cell phone. 

Mom.

Dad.

Ian and Joy.

Turkey.

Peek-a-boo Bradley.

She had a hundred dollar bill on her hat. This plane was going to KC and then to Oklahoma.

North and Clyborn Redline. Northbound. 

The RedEye is everywhere.

This makes me happy. It would make me happier if it wasn't in this elongated comic sans font though.

Yes He Did

In the almost four years that I've lived in Chicago I've seen a lot of history.  I was at the Sox stadium when they won the world series, I've walked in my share of protests, but among those and other such things, this past Tuesday was the biggest.  People were excited and scared to go downtown and I didn't know what to expect either.  However when I got down to Grant Park there were no tensions, just happily anxious people.  The scene was likened to Taste of Chicago, minus the food poisoning and the rednecks.  There were millions of cameras, flags, vendors, hugging and kissing, and friends making me very happy that so many people cared.  With all of this Dan and I walked around, me taking pictures and him filming it.  All and all it was an amazing night.  Since I apparently have a problem with posting, here are a bunch of pictures, with the latter half being from Tuesday.  

A photo project I did with Bradley. 

Dan

Britton

Old man in Wicker Park.

Reas as the "first dude" aka Sarah Palin's husband.

Dan is Romanian and is applying for US citizenship now.  

Christian and his girlfriend.  A few of the many people we ran into downtown.

Right after they announced that Obama had won.

"Obama is my homeboy" t-shirt. Expect this at your local Urban Outfitters.

That's just the way the cookie crumbles.

In almost any situation, planning early and devising a plan is the way to properly execute something, however, this morning it wasn't.  In this case, I am working on a photo project for my Color Photo class where I need to shoot pictures at a specific time due to various reasons. So this morning, on my day off, I woke up at 6:30 AM to take said photos.  Unfortunately for me nothing went right.  It was unusually dark and thus rainy, plus none of my subjects were out and about.  And the icing on the cake is that I think I creeped out my downstairs downstairs neighbor because I kept running into him while trying to do this project. 

Besides photo chaos I am finally not sick.  I've spent the last four weeks with the sniffles, coughing like crazy, and some tough breathing but with a little codeine cough syrup and some antibiotics I am ship shape again.  Like my mother, I love modern medicine.  Anyhoo, school is busy per usual, Chicago is getting colder and wetter, and Halloween is next weekend. I am still not sure what I am dressing up as but I am thinking Rizzo from Grease. She's way more fun than Sandy plus the outfit is easy (insert joke here).  

The last time I blogged was a while ago and I am not obviously known for blogging a lot. Its just not my outlet I guess.  However, my friend Eric told me I need to blog harder.  So here's to me trying to blog more, take more photos, and maybe be more specific about things I am doing. But for now, here's my lame photo update.  Haven't shot digital stuff for a bit plus the scanner is hating life and won't work so expect more next time.  I actually have a blog idea for the near future but the scanner needs to stop acting up.  

Casey visited so Lina put on her sailor outfit.

Bradley right after he puked.

Camouflage dogs.

I voted early.  My first time voting in the Presidential election. Last time I missed it by a month. I am still registered to vote in Kansas City, which in this election is good.  Maybe, just maybe, with my little vote Missouri will be a blue state this year. Knock on wood.

Lina pre-haircut. Look how fat she looks.

Post haircut. I think she looks like Babe Ruth or a panda bear.

My nose is a runnin'

Long time no blog.  Lots of things have been going on and are in the works for the near future.  I had my last day at Feast on Monday.  It was oddly sad when people came up and gave me hugs and said how great it was to work with me.  Who knew the end of my hostessing career would be something that would make people say they'd miss me.  Anyhoo, in place of a job I am now volunteering at Inspiration Corporation in Uptown.  I am helping cook food and do other odd jobs.  Hopefully though I'll get more involved soon with their newsletter or some such thing.  Also this week I've been blessed with a lovely head cold.  Blowing my nose all through Rhetorical Criticism today wasn't embarrassing at all.  

In exciting and relieving news I've turned in my graduation application AND I finally got around to declaring my photography minor.  Long story short, I was cutting it so close that I didn't think they would let me do it but a'las that Communications major has paid off and I talked (tricked) them into letting me turn in my minor.  So now a big weight is off my shoulders and now I can take care of business.  

This next week thought is exciting.  I am going to KC tomorrow for Fall break. I've got some doctors appointments to take care of and some major lounging with Murphy to do.  After some hopefully relaxing days in KC another Casey with be in my life.  The lovely Casey Cusick is returning to the Windy City and I expect nothing less than a top notch visit from her.  But enough of this writing.  Here is a large photo update on things dating back to the summer.  

Once upon a time it was summer and Kelly and I hung out at Pontiac.  Its been getting down to the 40's and 50's lately and it definitely feels like summer is gone.  Bring on fall layers.

Look closely at this picture.

I'll help you out a little.  This gem of a human being was walking down Damen.  Imagine trying to enjoy a meal after seeing that much skin.

The Bowman family does the bean.  It was bound to happen.

Redbull Fluvog. The most boring thing I've ever been to. I should have booed. 

Photo shoot set up. The pictures ended up sucking a lot. Go figure. 

Lina helped.  Actually she was probably busy pooping underneath my bed.  

Lina and her baby sleeping while she's wearing her sailor outfit. 

Dan and I went to the Hideout Blockparty.  We went late but made it to see Ratatat which was pretty good.  Although I would have liked it better if they had played in an inclosed space.  The sound just escaped and took away from the atmosphere.  

Dan.  He took me to see the Chicago Fire play the LA Galaxy.  The Chicago Fire won and beat Beckham. 

This was the best I could do with Beckham shots.  He was amazing looking per usual.

DJ Dan playing nothing but the finest. Including 50 cent. Just kidding, he's better than that. He played that as a joke yet I am still concerned that he owns in on vinyl.