First Look For Charity at the Chicago Auto Show

Here I am in my GQ pondering the light shot at work before heading to the First Look For Charity at the Chicago Auto Show. As many of you know, the Auto Show is in town at McCormick Place, which is the largest building I've ever been in. I've described it like this: "Well, it's like being outside, but with a roof over it." Basically, the even is a way to let people preview the auto show beforehand and local charities get the proceeds by having little parties beforehand.


Here's my co-worker Nicole after she got all dolled up.


Here's one of the "small rooms" and McCormick Place where we held our event for the hospital




Here's Miss Illinois, who I am now on a first name basis with. She's "Katie" and I am "oh yeah, that guy I give the raffle tickets to." As a financial expert, my job was to sit on stage and process credit cards for the raffle and collect the raffle tickets and guard the drum from tampering. It was actually pretty fun with all the people watching.


Here's everyone during the event


Once the show opened up and the last gift bags handed out, we could go up to the auto show ourselves. The big attraction is the food. This is the dessert table. The lady at the right yelled at me because I got in her way.


The meat table


The tortilla chip table


Here's my boss (who is very private and will remain anonymous) and Nicole hanging out in the Cadillac CTS. Our co-worker, Luis, was showing off this car because he use to have one and is going to get this for x-mas...


My boss' dream vehicle.


Here she is fully seat-belted and trying to figure out were the garage door to Lake Shore Drive is.


This is my car of choice. I figure if I'm going to have a dream car it might as well be something over the top.


The movie set for Volkswagens


Nicole


Here's some nearly $300,000 car that was with the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, and others. For a brief period, I became the bouncer to this section. It had a velvet rope with a line of people and I opened it up and told them to "com'on in!" I'm very democratic that way...


Ford has a F-150 Raptor concept vehicle and this is their off-road simulator.




Nicole and Anonymous tailgating with the Hummer truck with a slide out bed.






Anonymous and Nicole in the Hummer


Now really, if you are going to go off-roading, it might as well be in an M1-A1 Abrams tank




Nicole showing off her guns and bad attitude.








Trying to shoot out something in the Chevy section




Anonymous explaining to us now narrow the "hallways" are in the tank while in back of a huge troop transporter in which we can't take photos in...


Anonymous with new boyfriend


Nicole as a puppet.

Army Guy: "Would you like to take your picture with the parachute?"
Nicole: "OH YEAH!" She puts on the straps and all. "Now what?"
Army Guy: "Ummm... I take your picture."
"Nicole: "Well, yeah. But what does it do?"
Army Guy: "Ummm... I take your picture and it looks like you are parachuting."
Nicole: "That's all. This is really disappointing."
Army Guy: "Yep..." and with that he walked away, went AWOL, and is living off the land heading to South America


At the Bridgestone Tire Company Exhibit at the end of the night:
Bridgestone Guy: "Hey folks, want your picture with the Stanley Cup." I immediately veer off to the right.
Anonymous: "Where did Mike go?"
Nicole: "He ran to the Stanley Cup."






Nicole and I with the Lord Stanley Cup and all those Detroit Red Wing names...


Nicole, I, Anonymous, Mr. Potato Head, and the Lord Stanley Cup...

xoxo,

Mike

Actually, Not Too Much To Discuss Leading Up To A Week That Will Change The World...

First, a few things to discuss:

1) I had my "annual review" at work. Everyone did. And I got a raise! Now, before you get all excited and start saying things like, "That jerk can afford to buy me some drinks at the bar now." or whatever; understand this. Since I've only worked there almost three months (one month for the review time), it is prorated. What does that mean in monetary terms? I have about 3-4 cents more in my pocket an hour. HELL YEAH! I was born to live in this kind of economy. Man, imagine how awesome I would have done in the Great Depression...

2) Along with my raise, I get a trip to Austin for a conference about Convio. For those that don't know about Convio, it's a computer database program that KNOWS ALL ABOUT YOU.

3) So, I understand that there's a presidential election going on. Some local guy named Barracks Obammers looks like a contender. Anyway, I guess he's having an election party with a million or so of his closest Chicago friends in Grant Park. Anyone going? Mandy? You're best friends with him, right? I expect to see you there? Does anyone know if there will be snacks and/or if it's BYOB?

Now for the real business of the evening:


At the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) for Children's Memorial Hospital's Cocktails For a Cause event. It was a real good time. Lots of people (about 500) eating lots of good food (rabbit, roast beef sandwiches, chocolates), bidding on auction prizes (sports memorabilia, walk on rolls for Samantha Who? and My Name Is Earl) and such. What was nice for me was I didn't have to go to work until 4pm and then hung out at the MCA until 1pm. Not bad for a days work.


Here was my office at the MCA. It doubled as the auction warehouse. There is wine, posters, photos, baseballs, and all kinds of stuff.


The mayhem


Art and bruschetta


Cubs fans would like this. It's Ernie Banks, (I forget), Ryne Sandberg, and Ron Santo.


Autographed baseball. I think it's the White Sox, but not positive. I lost the auction directory...


One of my neighbors decided to gussy up the outside of their building. There was so much going on that I can't begin to describe it. Plus, I was on a very important mission of getting pizza for dinner when we spotted this. So...


As many of you know, Megan and working to officially be smarter than I am by getting her Master of Business Administration degree at Loyola. Look at all those intelligent graphs and well thought out statements on that paper. My homework from grad school looked exactly like it did when I was in elementary; all drawings...

That's about it.

xoxo,

Mike

Heroes For Life

Children's Memorial Hospital needs to build a new hospital. Below is a link about what will be done and how you can help:
www.HeroesForLife.org


IT'S OFFICIAL! Children's Memorial Hospital has launched it's fundraising campaign to build the $1 billion Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago in the downtown neighborhood of Streeterville. To celebrate, we had an event at Northerly Island (formerly Meigs Field Airport).


Here's the outdoor patio area looking out over the Chicago skyline


Here's Dennis DeYoung from Styx rockin' out!


BLUES LEGEND BUDDY GUY PLAYED!!! I got to watch him from about 10 inches away!!!


BUDDY!!!


My uncle John is going to be so jealous!


This was a great event. Just look at how nice it is.


The food was great! They had all kinds of "Tenderloin of Beef," sushi, rosotto (sp?), crapes, tarts, sliced meats, and lots more!


Nathan looking and what's in the next couple photos.


FIREWORKS!!!


And, it was timed to music in the theme of "heroes" and "Chicago."


A view from outside the tent at the end of the night.

A great and fun night overall generously donated to Children's Memorial Hospital for the purpose of raising money for the new hospital.

Again, please visit this website so children from Chicago and around the world can continue to get world class healthcare:
www.HeroesForLife.org