Mike Kraus: hockey

Sunday, February 15, 2009

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."