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

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

We're Going To Need A Few Drinks If We Actually Do This...

Megan's work, AIAChicago, decided to throw us a Martini Engagement Party last Friday after work. It was very nice of them to do that for us and a lot of fun. Pictured above is my Orange Bitter Martini with Gin. It was damn good.


Here's Steve. He's an interesting guy. Every time I talk with him, some fascinating story or event happens. This Martini event is one of them. I had no idea he was such a Martini artist. He had this whole thing planned out with chilled glasses, ingredients, and crafted each drink to perfection by rubbing various fruit and stuff. It was amazing just to watch.


Here's Megan cutting up some Mango for a few drinks.


Here's the team at work


Here's Steve explaining the fine balance of making a Martini, "Well, it's a lot of alcohol with a small splash of juice." And that is why Megan and I ended up at Gino's East and ate a whole pizza afterwards...

PS - Has anyone else been watching the "THIS" Movie Channel? It's like HBO that you get with an antennae, but only shows really terrible B movies. And, if you know me, I love B movies. They had Charles Blakely's Monster, Species III, and millions of others I've never heard of before. It's pretty awesome. I highly suggest it...