Lollapalooza starts this weekend. Are you going to be here?

A BBQ from a couple weeks ago at Brent, Angela, and Evan's place.


Noah and Evan


An over-the-shoulder shot of Andrew pondering the glory that is hot dogs


Rosie putting mustard on her dog while Mike looks like a prophet


It started to rain a bit, so everyone hid under the pine tree.


Always with a solution, Brent broke out the HUGE umbrella and it took three people to finally get it fully open.


The natural umbrella


Evan looking like a good Michigan man.


This is the reason why it took so long to post these. I lost another camera recently. Actually, I lost Megan's camera recently. For some reason, it just stopped functioning in camera mode. I wasn't very impressed with this Olympus. The pictures were kinda poor and blurry. It's battery monitor would say it's full right up until it was dead. The flash was weird. Oh, and it broke for no reason...


Here's the new camera. I'm back to Kodak. The last Kodak camera I had should have broke and it didn't for another couple years. So, here's to a new love...

These Summer Days In Chicago...

I guess I forgot to put this one up last week. Megan was very upset. It's us at Johnny and Ruth's wedding at Michilinda Lodge along Lake Michigan


Megan and I went for a walk in Wicker Park and discovered this bizarre public school sculpture...


At my favorite grocery store, I found "Super Atomic Cake." If it wasn't $30, I'd buy it and see if it lived up to its name. It must have "yellow cake" uranium in it. You know, some of the weapons of mass destruction that the Bush Admin. lied about in Iraq? Oh political humor...


Some of the skateboards given out at the event by the Chicago Youth Skateboard Project. I guess it went well. Unfortunately, I couldn't go...


BBQ


Nick, Andrew, and Frances


SME and Cliff


Frances


Noah, Nick, and Nate. The three N's...


Why do you look so sad Amanda?


Brent and Angela


This is the Old Town School of Music's Roots and Folk Music Festival. It's a good festival. The weather held out and kept people away, but it was enjoyable this year.


The music area with the Seltzer Library in the background


I believe this band's name was "Unibrow."


This was a Columbian group and they sang about gas prices. They must really hate the cost of gas since Columbia highly subsidizes gas since they nationalized their oil resources and own the Citgo Oil Company.


Dance!


The weird thing is I've seen a lot of clown balloon animal people things lately...


Playing with rope!


This is why Starbuck's Coffee costs $10 a cup. That's approximately $120 per gallon. If you buy their coffee, you lose your right to complain about gas prices. Anyway, look at this crazy display at the Lincoln Music Festival (name?). Megan and I refer to this at the "Cover Bar Band Festival." There's a lot of Dudebros and Hussies with hit or miss music...


Just an interesting shot


Some bad band


Some slightly better band


Here's a dinosaur cake from Dinkle's Bakery on Lincoln.


There's nothing like a creepy baby cake


Here's El Tinajon Restaurant in Roscoe Village at 2054 W. Roscoe. It's a really good place. They specialize in Guatemalan food


Here's my pork chop, which came with a billion plantains.


Here's Megan's Chicken dinner


HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHERINE!!! Katherine celebrated her b-day at Goldie's in North Center at 3839 N. Lincoln. They're known for $3 wells, $1 PBRs, and $3 PBR pitchers. Coincidentally, it was Goldie's b-day the same night and they had balloons and a DJ.


I didn't really get this girl's name. Doreen? Torine? Her boyfriend's name was Noah and they were both nice from what I could tell over the obnoxiously loud DJ. Katherine's happy and Nick was around somewhere. Anyway, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN KATHERINE!


So, I'm at Toys 'R Us and Governor Blagovich (sp?) is shopping there too. This is his security van. I couldn't get a picture of him unfortunately. But, when I bike to Megan's apartment, I pass his house with guards around it all the time. After he got elected, he put a little plastic Playskool playground thing in his front yard to remind voters that he's a "family" man.


A pretty city shot...

That's it from Chi-town.

xoxo,

Mike

The Things I Can Help You With

One of the candy bars in Megan and I's odd candy bar collection. This is Mypa from Nestle. It may be Greek. At least it sounds Greek. It was really good. Somewhere between a Kit Kat and Snickers.


You know about the BBQ by now...


A home they are completely rebuilding on Wabansia and Campbell. It's good to see people rebuilding beautiful homes. Unfortunately, it will probably have the aluminum siding and modern windows. But, still better designed then most of the new construction out there today.


This is the Scooter Dog or something like that from Scooters Frozen Custard on Belmont. As their name states, they are more of a custard joint than a hot dog stand. But, the Chicago Style Dog with Red Relish was really, really good. Check them out at: www.scootersfrozencustard.com


Belmont Street Fair


This vendor was working on his T-shirt prints by carving a woodblock. How very 1600s of him...


One of my MANY, MANY beautiful pictures of Alice Won. If she doesn't like this pic, she has no taste... Anyway, randomly met up with her for the Belmont Street Fair concerts along with Ronan


Here's Cursive at Belmont Street Fair. Has anyone else really noticed how completely awesome the bands are this year at Chicago's Street Festivals? I mean Nada Surf at Ribfest, Stevie Wonder at Taste, Tiffany at Gay Pride, C & C Music Factory and Vanilla Ice at something in Wicker Park. I <3 Chicago!


And here are the Redwalls also at Belmont Street Fest...