Embarrassing Things I Know...

A sign of the times. The firemen on Elston Avenue recently removed their x-mas decorations. I imagine one nice thing about working at the fire department is readily available ladders and people who know how to use them safely.


For those of you who doubted me, at the bottom left is 7-11's "Cheeseburger Hot Dog." It may just be a really old normal hot dog. But, it does exist...


Best $4 calendar ever. Look at January. The one on the left is very coy...


Show off...


Megan's toes before work.


Rosie and Megan at the L & L before the comedy show


They are much more attractive in the photo.


Frances and Noah


Two Mikes and a Frances


Megan with her trophy popcorn from the comedy show. Rosie got us free tickets to Maria Bamford. THANKS ROSIE!


Why is this trophy popcorn? Because this was the trivia price given for the right answer:

Announcer: "For a bucket of popcorn, what is the name of the cafe..." Megan's hand shoots up, "on the television show 'Frasier?' Yes, you!" pointing to Megan.
Megan: Leans to me, "What's the answer?"
Me: "Cafe Nervosa."
Megan: "CAFE NERVOSA!"
Announcer: "Correct! How do you know this stuff?"
Megan: "WE DON'T HAVE CABLE!"


The conservatory in Lincoln Park








A plant from the set of Star Trek (not the new remake of the old Star Trek. The original).


Guess the name of this plant.




Sports fans, do you know this plant?


Named in honor of the multiple Stanley Cup champions




If you could read this sign, it would tell you the name if this plant is "Fire Bush."




Andean Bear


This Andean needed a good back scratch


This little hippo was playing with the kids or... trying to break out...


Nothing like a bucket of aardvark...


Upset lion.

That's about it from now. On Thursday, I'm going to the Chicago Auto Show's First Look For Charity for work. So, that should be cool. Me is a suit looking at snazzy cars. Megan's in Rochester right now for a funeral. So, tonight is my night to play Madden in my boxers eating nachos. No wedding info update probably for a couple weeks when we check out the venues and all. It also depends on how disgusting I am after a day of Madden in my boxers eating nachos...

xoxo,

Mike

LET’S GEEEEEEEET READY TO RUMBLE!!!

There's nothing like a political debate in a bar. A few of our friends set up watching the Obama/McCain debate at Goldie's in North Center. I hope Obama wins just for the awesome Chicago factor. I can see it now: Obama Park, Obama Avenue, Obama Diner.


Megan in her "model" pose with Veronica (?). Sorry, I forgot your name and didn't really talk to you at all. What I do remember is you would "marry a man in a Mariache (sp?) band."


Katherine. I watched her cat.


Working on the fire truck on a beautiful Fall Chicago day.


Here's the new Fullerton station on the Brown and Red Lines. I use to live on this stop from 2002-03 during college. Now, I work at this stop. It should be completed sometime in 2009 with the rest of the Brown Line.


The Maxwell (Des Plaines) Street Market has gone upscale. Here's part of the new grounds. For those who don't know, the Maxwell Street Market use to be on Maxwell Street. Then UIC decided to tear down the neighborhood for a new student living center. So, this 100+ year old market was forced to move and the city reluctantly let them exist. Then moved to Canal Street and then developers tore down the neighborhood and put in all new Staples, Whole Foods, and all. What that meant was then had the city force Maxwell Street Market to move... Again... This time, the city made a very smart, very Chicago move. They moved the market to Des Plaines and set the street up for it specifically. It's all marked off with room to grow. They actually give out permits now (which is good and bad if you ask me). But, at least it has survived!!!


Megan and I found Mike Nummerdor at the market. Rosie (his lady) bought the lovely globe pictured here.








By definition; heaven...


This looks like every alley your mother tells you "not to go down." I definately went and it was AWESOME!!!


My newest shirt. Of course, I ran a marathon. Little ol' asthmatic Mike turned into a ball of mucus for eight hours after reaching mile one. Actually, the Marathon takes place later and I will not be running it at all because I tend to stop breathing after a little more than a mile of running...

IN OTHER NEWS:
As of yesterday, I am now fully insured. So, if you have a grudge against me for whatever reason and want to do me physical harm, now is the time to do so.

CLASSIFIEDS:
I have a new Intel-based iMac. Does anyone have Photoshop and/or Quicken that they'd like to lend me?

ON TV:
I'm only going to watch TV tonight. Cubs against the Dodgers in Game 2. White Sox against the Rays in Game 1. Joe Biden against Sarah Palin in the ring.

REVIEWS:
No food reviews this week. Odd, eh? But, I did watch The French Connection with a young Gene Hackman. It was a decent cop movie. Probably the "The Departed" of it's time. It was alright. It kept my attention and it's great seeing 1970s New York.

Mike Kraus and the 21st Century!

So, after many years, another new milestone has been met. No longer am I rocking the 1999 iMac DV. As of this evening, I have the new iMac. It's so fancy, it took me 5 minutes to find the "on" switch. It's official: I am getting old.


Megan at the "Highway Oasis" on our way to camping in Lake Geneva


We got in just before dark. So, I had to use every precious moment putting up a tent and all and the first photo of the evening was this fire. In fact, it was such a good fire that some poor college couple from U of Wisconsin asked me to help them build their fire.


Megan admiring the fire


Here's our campsite. It was a bit like camping in someone's backyard, but it was nice.


Megan overlooking the great Lake Geneva


This is the narrowest beach I've ever seen...


Megan on "Romantic Bridge."


Me being "romantic."


A STEAMBOIT! Well, an old steamboat that use to deliver mail in the area.


We have to take a nice picture every once in a while...


Downtown Lake Geneva


Since the neighbor kids woke me up at 6am, I took an afternoon nap. Slowly but surely, I'm turning into my grandpa...


It was "Maxwell Street Market Days" in Lake Geneva. Unlike the original Maxwell Street Market (which was moved to Canal Street until developers chased them out. I guess it's on Des Plaines Street now) nothing here is shady or stolen...


While in town, we checked out Lake Aire Restaurant. It was a pretty good little greasy spoon.


Megan's so happy about food from Civilization!


I tried to resurrect last years "pictures with a statue" series. This is as close as I could get. They designed the pedestal well by having no traction.


Apparently Andy Gump is a famous comic strip and the creator was born here. I guess...


The Rivera.


For some reason, they had a keg of something suspended in the air in their park...


A view of downtown Geneva from some rich guy's backyard


The path from the lake to another rich guy's house


I like to go camping because I like to see wildlife. This was the first time in a long time I didn't see anything. The closest thing was these turtles and they were in the harbor in downtown.


The view from the public library overlooking the $6 admission beach


Megan working on dinner


Getting the grill all fired up


If these cups could talk, they would tell unbelievable stories about the travels they've been on and the horrible drinks they've endured...


Dinner was grill veal with some veggies.


Even non-civilized food was good!


That's right, I stayed at Big Foot Beach State Park, which had some creepy religious ceremony take place in the woods one night...


The handsomest man in all of Lake Geneva


Lake Geneva


I highly suggest checking out the Olympic Restaurant. And, if you are a douchebag from Chicago, please do NOT bring your Starbucks coffee into the diner...


Rich guy home


Rich guy home


There's a public access path that goes all around Lake Geneva and lets people into rich people's backyards. I guess this path exists because in the old days, rich people wanted the streets to look nice by making their poor servants take the lake path hidden in their backyards. There's no aristocracy in America...


Rich guy home


Even richer guy home


From another angle


When I bought this towel sometime in high school for a dollar at a thrift store, it was ironic. Now, I look like one of those guys who loves them since they have a new album. The times are a changin'


A taste of Miami in Lake Geneva


FLUGTAG! What is this? Ever see the Red Bull Energy Drink commercials where people drive un-fly-able contraptions into the water from 3 stories up? This is it!








About 700,000 people showed up for this in Chicago in 2003. I haven't heard how many for this years yet. Take a guess...