Apparently, if you attend a service or wedding at St. Ambrose's Church, it must be followed up with donuts at Donuts Delite (http://www.SalvatoresDonutsDelite.com/).
PARTY!
Sorry
Sorry
Sorry
We tried...
Bogi: "Look at what Mike can do with his face!"
Years of practice, my friend
Bogi, from now on, Dick will be asking to drink wine out of you crunk cup...
Closing out summer at Marge's (http://margeslakesideinn.com/) in Irondequoit.
Nick on X-mas. We hung out with them after going to Megan's bosses party earlier. Her boss was getting ready for the party and saw Rod Blagojevich in front of his house huffing and puffing from jogging. When he walled up, he asked, "are you okay?" hoping he wasn't going to have a heart attack or something.
"Yeah! The truth will come out," says Blago.
"Oh, okay, well keep your head up." was his uplifting reply. Then a black SUV rolls up. A man yells out, "Are you okay sir." Blago nods and continues his run.
In this picture though, Nick is playing Mexican Train.
A Pickle Pult is the best kind of heat to pack.
Here's the ammo
Here's a good beer from Wisconsin. It was established in 1848 or something. It's sad when people from 1848 were remembering "Simpler Times." I imagine it going like this:
"Remember when we didn't have paved roads, sewers, and outhouse?"
"Ah yes, simpler times..."
Eric and Nick having some Pete's Pizza. A deep dish, of course, while we're celebrating New Years at Goldie's
Christie and Eric flashing the 2-double zero-9
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b37/hfipublishing/Chicago03/100_0733.jpg
Nick wearing his "BOOZ" glasses
Megan says to Mike, "Ohhhh, let's take a picture now before we look ugly!"
Eric looks like he's from some scary movie based on New Years 2009. Like "Hellraiser: New Years Resolution."
DANCE TO TETRIS AND BASEKETBALL!
This just makes it look the the best night ever! Christie, Eric, Katherine, Nick, and Megan are all so excited!
Somehow, our facial expressions are exactly the reverse of what they really were in this picture.
This is the image going on our wedding invitations...
Spent last weekend up in Muskegon visiting the parents and the grandparents. I no longer know where anything is. Did you know Target is in Fruitport and a Walmart in Norton Shores? The world is topsy-turvy...
WATCH OUT FOR THAT STALKER GIRL BEHIND YOU. She was giving you the "googly eyes" all night...
For everyone else: I will be in Buffalo/Rochester, New York for Thanksgiving. If you'd like to see me, your best bet will be to watch the Bills/49ers game on TV. If my luck/coincidence continues, my recent record indicates that one of these teams will end up in the Super Bowl. But, there's only a 50% they'll win if they get there...
France, Noah, Megan and I went to Sticky Rice for some good curry
Frances and Noah
We moved the shindig over to the Savemore and hung out with Jason.
Obligatory stupid faces
Looking human again
Went to the Do Division Festival. Here's Mucha Pazza (sp?). Everyone says they like them, but I found them to be very boring very quickly. The concept: We are hipsters that dress up in old marching band uniforms and play all your favorite marching band songs from high school. I expected something a little more cleaver with all the effort that went into the costumes and instruments...
It was a nice day though...
Some things never change. This could have been taken yesterday or 1000 years ago...
People milling around the Cafe Gilato (sp?) parking lot
I love these carnie food stands at festivals
The Wicker Wash has been turned into a club. Inside, they had a DJ and lights and all. If you can't make money washing cars, just sell beer and dance!
Megan and I went for a walk and discovered the Bohemian National Cemetery where Mayor Cermak is buried. This is their old water tower.
This is the crematorium with a grave in front of it that says "mother." Who's mother wouldn't want to be the most prominent grave in a national cemetery?
This was the coolest part about the cemetery. About 1/3 of the graves had these old pictures on them printed on porcelain or something.
It's weird just popping up on another Kraus. I doubt they are related even if there was a Charles Kraus in the family. I believe he was born and died in Rozellville, Wisconsin. But, I did have quite a bit in Chicago. They weren't Bohemian though. Yet, there's is a Catholic cemetery across the street and I can see a relative of mine accidently buying a plot at the wrong cemetery and upon discovering this fact saying, "Ahhh, screw it!!"
If you've ever been to my place, Cherry House, in Grand Rapids you probably remember this fellow. It was the statue across the street in the tiny triangle park where the bums drink. This is to celebrate the Spanish-American War. The plaque in Grand Rapids is hilarious in a historical context because it talks all about how the US "liberated" Cuba and has a picture on a Cuban woman on her knees before an American soldier. Through our modern eyes knowing the US installed and supported a brutal dictatorship there which lead to the Communist revolution and the never ending embargo, it's a funny piece of history.
Creepiest... Porcelain... Picture... On... A... Grave... Ever... It's a picture of the woman buried at this site in her own coffin. This was the best picture her family had of her? Yikes!
Frances hanging out at Damanda & Kevin's apartment before we all head out for Alice Won's b-day party
Brent hanging out with Bruno
Angela, Brent, Nick, & Noah in Kevin and Damanda's huge kitchen
Angela and Frances
This evening's host; Damanda
The party was moved over to Lemmings on Damen just south of Armitage where Alice Won was partying with some other folks and more Muskegon Exiles.
Frances cutting Noah out of their picture together
Doesn't she look like the B-day girl? I'll admit, this isn't a good one of you... sorry...
Megan and Brent. They were having some kind of philosophical conversation about something. Probably about Death Race 2000, which was on TV (a highly suggested movie from me).
Noah, Frances, and myself. Sorry Frances, we didn't realized it was suppose to be one of "those" photos...
Here we go!
Nick, Karli, and Mike, who is drinking Iron City Beer: Lemming's featured "shit can of the month for $2.25"
Frances and Damanda with some button things from the birthday cupcakes or something.
Damanda's new MySpace photo
Me and the B-day girl; Alice Won. This is a much nicer picture of you!!!
Me, Noah, Alice, Megan, & Frances. Megan, we should have this one printed and placed on the wall.
Ahhh, the heaven's have opened up. God looked down on his lonely planet and saw people suffering from a difficult winter. Those poor Chicagoans cowering under blankets on their couches. And, with an effortless drag of his finger he cleared away the clouds and drew up warm winds from the south. He was indeed great. Or, something like that....
Church on Humboldt/Sacramento Blvd.
Just off the Blvd
Logan and Sacramento
Taken a few days later. I didn't realize this until now. But, I think it's the same photo from 2 above, but a slightly different angle...
High art graffiti at a construction site on Kedzie south of Montrose
Chicago Bears van I found on the northside. Chicagoans love their bears. You'd know that if you saw Top Chef: Chicago last night. Did you see "the Refrigerator?" He's so awesome. I want to be his friend. Megan and I laugh about an interview he was ... "I go feesshin'... with my buuuudddies..." Now, I can add him yelling at the little Asian guy "Com'on man and just gimme the ribs."
Perfect BBQ weather last night (except for the hurricane force wind early on). Blue's not sure about this "outdoors" room of the apartment. Just look at the fear in his eyes.
Karli breaking in the new grill with Tennessee
Tennessee's face shot. He's going to be a famous actor like everyone else. Only, he'll be successful!
Though the eyes of a dog...
Cliff, SME, and Tennessee. One big happy family
SME at twilight.
Damanda, Tyler, SME, Cliff, and Tennessee BBQing
You may remember Junior from my last blog fixing his bike with me. During the BBQ, he discovered he could hang out with us if he leaned out his second floor window. Here his is in his Mexican wrestling mask and action figures. He also attacked me in the mask on North Ave. before I knew he had it too and I thought I was going to fight the 9 (?) year old. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite kids...
Lady showing why she's a fat 20lbs cat. Here she's stealing Nick's tall shot glass of milk...
HERE'S A COUGAR THAT SOMEHOW ROAMED CHICAGO FOR A FEW DAYS IN THE ROSCOE VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS BETWEEN WHERE MEGAN AND I LIVE!!!
