Sometimes, You Just Get One Chance.

So here we go!

Wednesday BBQ Night.

Back at Kuma's Corner for Heavy Metal burgers. Mike seems to be pondering the meaning of ketchup.

What's more appropriate that Mike and Nick eatting a burger called "The Mastadon?"

Karli is featuring "YOB"

Cliff is having the "Iron Maidon" with a side of "ruggage."

This is my "Metallica."

Rumor had it that Humboldt Park was having an art fair this weekend. So, on our way to breakfast at the Flying Saucer we cut through the park. No art fair, but a great car show. Unless this is the HP art fair?

I wish these cars had information on how much time and money it took to do this because these cars are incredible.

My favorite feature of this car is the curb feelers.

When this Caprice rolled in, everyone stopped and watched it park, which took ten minutes to do...

Where are the airbags?

I like the spedometer and clock on the dashboard of this car. Very classy old Ford.

My neighbor back on Crestwood in Muskegon, Michigan use to have a Model A Ford like this. John (my neighbor) use to drive this around and let me ride in the rumble seat. For those that don't know, a rumble seat is the seat that pops out of the trunk of this car. After a short drive we'd head back and watch the Detroit Tigers game on his small TV.

None of my friends Buicks in high school looked like this.

I really like this Dodge Charger. It says "We like Dukes of Hazzard, but have our own style."

Now this is a Camero.

I'm not sure what's going on in the bed of this pickup truck.

This is an old Dick Tracy car with crazy upholstery.

Nothing says "American Family Road Trip" more than this car. I'd love to take a wife and a couple of kids to California in this.

This is one of my favorite vehicles.

This is the inside of the vehicle above. Probably one of my favorite features of this car is the interior based on my childhood bedroom. All it's missing is some punk rock posters, a bed, and lots of books of sketches and drawings.

Perhaps this should be my next tattoo?

If I still had my Volkswagen Rabbit, this is what I would do with it.

Can you imagine driving down the road and seeing this in your rearview mirror? What a dream machine!

This is the car Prince would drive.

My mistake. THIS is the car Prince would drive...

Look at this minivan. There was one other minivan in the show and it was a Sierra as well. Although, this one has been pimped. I didn't take a picture of the other one because the only unique feature was the interior smelled like Raspberries.

The van features six TVs. That's more than any house I have ever lived in has had.

I'm not sure, but I think this is a Transformer.

This car is a labor of love. What a great old Impala. I really like the orange and chrome. The engine was all chrome with etchings throughout. It has hydrolics. A car I'd love to drive REAL slow by Pere Marquette Beach.

After breakfast at the Flying Saucer, we ended up at Belmont Street Festival. It was pretty dead. The only thing of interest was the mostly girl punk band at one of the stages.

If there's anything true about Megan, it's that she's classy and has good fashion sense.

What do you get a good Catholic Irish-American girl? Well, the Kennedy's board game, of course! My favorite card inside was rating "Teddy's Social Standing." If only they knew then what we know now...

What Did I Expect?

I expect a good time in Chicago...

More fun at the Chicago History Museum. If I keep going there, I'm going to get fired from my job...


Francey-pants on the Ol' Timey Bike.


Ohhhh... The Great Fire of Chicago in 1871


Frances and the old lady waiting for the train to the Columbian World's Exposition of 1893. She's preserved in carbonite just like Han Solo.


Monkey's wearing barrets at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Seriously, if you are not French you shouldn't wear a barret. I'm looking at you US Army. Does anyone remember the controversy about the US Army starting to wear barrets (which are French) and the hats being made in China? They had to reissue all new hats that were made in America? What a great waste of time and money...


Okay. The Meercats at LPZ are my new favorite exhibit. They spend as much time watching the people as the people do watching them.


THE PUERTO RICAN FESTIVAL IN HUMBOLDT PARK! Look at what was going on right outside my apartment. This guy is grilling steaks on a go-go dancer cage! It was great and it came with rice, plantains, salad, and a potato. The best carni' food I've ever had.


The giant spinning, swinging, puke machine.


Goethe, the mastermind of the German people. Hmmm... So, he's the guy who's all about punctuality and high quality engineering...


Puerto Rican Festival invaded downtown Chicago. Now I am surrounded with Puerto Rican pride at my home and work! It's a good thing.


Puerto Rican Parade crossing Michigan at Jackson.


They had a DJ on the back of this truck and the music was so loud that I was inside and still had to yell to communicate with my co-workers.


Jason (the only guy in the photo) at his babyshower in Forest Park. It was a coed party with dinner and booze. That's where I met Else. She was a fine older woman who serves a stiff drink:

Else: (Pouring rum in a glass) Tell me when.
Me: You'll never here that from me.
Else: I like ya. You're just like my husband.

Photos to come? All I know is I want to move into the Eagles lodge in Forest Park, IL and I hope Else comes with the joint.

This was entertaining me on the drive home. I could have chosen a worse career...


And after drinking with Else at a babyshower, it's always good to follow that up with Dance Dance Revolution. This is at Katie's going away party. She's moving to Orlando to become a "Marilyn Monroe-type" actress at Disney World. So, this is where I get to say "WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!"


Me, Katie, and some guy playing Guitar Hero. Notice how I summon the spirit of Kurt Cobain. If I didn't see my elbows so well in this picture, I'd be worried about being a heroin addict.


Niki In the Park at the Garfield Park Conservatory. What better way to survive a hangover? Plus, Megan and I found $7 on the train platform, which we donated to the conservatory. We better get some damn good karma for that because it would have been much better for us to buy two smoothies since it was 95 degrees with 100% humidity. Anyway, look up Niki De Saint Phalles work at:
http://www.nikidesaintphalle.com/


Most of Niki's work is mosiac glass, beads, and tiles like this lucious smurfette sculpture.


This is my favorite part of the tree museum.


Megan sitting in the ugly Niki chair.


Me and Megan have drinks and a picnic with a snake (under my left arm),


If only you knew how much I was sweating...


Freaked out eagle totem


Egyptian phallic totem.


This is titled Basketball Player #23. Hmmm... Who is that? I mean, we're in Chicago. Just footsteps away from the United Center. Damn you LeBron James!


The coolest sculpture of them all. If this goes missing from the Conservatory, they better check my apartment livingroom.


Megan inside the skull!


A tree of serpents!


The Garfield Park Fieldhouse.

That's it. I'm going to work on the 'zine and layout of the porch. It's another 90+ degree day. So, if you see me lying face down in the shade with a sprinkler on me, don't worry. My neighborhood is still safe.