Saturday, June 25, 2011

June 24, 2011 The Fourth Day Of Summer

Lansing, IL


This summer can be best described with a quote from HBO's new show, Game Of Thrones...
"Winter Is Coming".

June 23, 2011 The Third Day Of Summer

The Tri State Tollway near Oak Brook, IL

"fate comes a-knockin', doors start lockin'
your old time connection, change your direction
ain't gonna change it, can't rearrange it
can't stand the pain when it's all the same to you, my friend"

"it's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend
it's the same old story, same old song and dance, my friend"
The Same Old Song And Dance by Aerosmith



June 22, 2011 The Second Day of Summer

The Tri State Tollway near Midlothian, IL

 
Summer's here and the time is right for storm clouds above the street. 

June 21, 2011 The First Day Of Summer

The Dan Ryan Expressway Chicago, IL

June 20, 2011 Lick A Witch...Oh My!!!

Somewhere in Chicagoland...


...I forgot where I was when I saw this bumper sticker, "Get a taste of Religion, Lick a Witch!" At first I thought I was missing the joke, but then I zoomed in on the license plate holder which reads...
F@%K YOU AND YOUR PERFECT LIFE with two hands flipping me off. Therefore I believe the bumper sticker is obviously a rant against religion and a rave for oral sex which makes it the greatest one I have ever seen.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

June 19, 2011 This Is What I Get

This card was addressed to "Car Driver, Beach Taker, Woods Walker" and on the inside it said............"IT'S IN THE YARD".

June 18, 2011 My Empty House

The Brown Line Chicago, IL


We had a great time with Rose, Michelle & Katt. It was good to see my cousin and get to know my first cousins once removed. Hey I do genealogy and even I had to look it up. So now you know how your first cousins children are related to you. Anyway I really enjoyed having that youthful energy in my house. That anything is possible attitude. That joy of having your whole life ahead of you. Katt & Stuart have done an amazing job raising their daughters and deserve to be proud of them. I look forward to seeing all the incredible things they accomplish in their lives. But for right now, I miss having them here.

June 17, 2011 Hamburgers

Schoop's Hamburgers Munster, IN


Well I guess a little symmetry makes sense. We started our week long visit with a hamburger at Miner Dunn and ended it with a hamburger at Schoops. Michelle gets pictured here for several reasons...this trip to Chicago was made so she could check out colleges that specialize in her field of stage managing...the two times she was asked what she wanted for dinner, she said hamburgers...I told her I was going to use it on my blog and she was kind enough to let me take a picture...and lastly because she ordered a double burger that was bigger than her face. 

June 16, 2011 Genes & Genetics

The Ferris Wheel @ Navy Pier, Chicago, IL


My apologies to Rose ( I took this when she wasn't looking) because she is definitely more camera shy than her sister Michelle. But that brings me to the point I wanted to make today. It is something I have noticed almost every time I spend time with family members that I do not see often. Family traits that must be genetic because these family members do not spend extended periods of time together. One example is Rose not being fond of having her picture taken. She is just like my cousin, her Aunt, Mary. Now Mary takes it further than Rose, she usually will stick a finger up her nose when you point a camera at her. Before I found this picture I had already mentioned to her mom, Katt that Rose has a classic Italian face. This amazes me because the Italian comes from her Great Grandmother, four generations ago. That's a lot of dilution of the Italian gene. But here is Rose with that beautiful Italian face. Genetics continue to amaze me.

June 15, 2011 Old Town Art Fair Garden Walk

Old Town , Chicago, IL
Photo by Michelle Tewksbury

During the Old Town Art Fair many local residents open their yards for a Garden Walk. We stopped into several gardens and were impressed with the natural and artistic beauty of each one. To be able to escape the concrete and steel of the city and relax in such incredibly peaceful places is truly worth the trouble to create them.




June 14, 2011 The Twisted Baker

Wells Street Old Town, Chicago


I really should have gotten a picture of my cousin Katt in front of the Twisted Baker since it would be funny to the Baker side of my family. But she was busy buying some treats inside. In keeping with my strong support of local businesses, check this place out when you are in Old Town....The Twisted Baker.

June 13, 2011 Everything Has Beauty

Wells Street, Old Town, Chicago

Saturday, June 18, 2011

June 12, 2011 Family Time at The Bean

The Bean @ Chicago's Millenium Park


My cousin Katt is visiting us this week with two of her daughter's Rose & Michelle. We spent the day walking around Chicago...The Old Town Art Fair, Millenium Park, Wells Street Art Fair, Navy Pier and the Lakefront Bike Path.

June 11, 2011 Drop One

Cell Phone Lot @ O'Hare Airport


We were laughing about the port-a-potty. I thought it was called Drop One. But when I zoomed into the picture on my computer I saw it was called Drop Zone, which is still pretty funny. Poop humor is funny at any age. Isn't it?

June 10, 2011 The Storms Continue

Torrence Avenue  Lansing, IL




June 9, 2011 Relaxing After Work

Aurelio's Pizzeria  Munster, IN


Like most people, work can be pretty stressful. So once a week a few of us go out after work to relax and have dinner. We spend most of the time goofing on each other or just making each other laugh. Probably causing other customers to wish they decided to have dinner elsewhere.

Friday, June 10, 2011

June 8, 2011 The Photo Booth

Odyssey Country Club Tinley Park, IL


This seemed like a great idea. I was DJing a wedding with my friend Jimmy last week. As we set up the equipment, there was someone setting up a photobooth for the wedding. He asked us to jump in so he could set the lighting for the night. I said yes right away because my mother has a ton of black & white photobooth pictures from the 1950's & 60's. I 've always enjoyed those little strips of four shots, some serious, some clowning around. I told Jimmy to join me because my mom has always liked him better than me and I wanted to send her the pictures. So we jumped in and took serious and goofy pictures. The new booths have a monitor in them so you see the picture right away on the screen. After the first shot, I said "wait a minute is my head really that big?" I had a Barry Bonds on steriods sized head compared to Jimmy. I ask the photographer to shrink my head in the editing. No editing allowed. Damn, no wonder I'm always so tired, I have to lug that giant fucking melon around all day. What I didn't realize is that the photographer also has a monitor on the table outside the photobooth...and he scrolls the pictures taken throughout the night on that monitor. So every 10 minutes or so there is a shot of Jimmy & I on the monitor...wait a minute...everyone here thinks we are a couple and we are DJing...playing lots of dance music...oh no...we are the gay DJs...no wonder we didn't get any drunk hotties hanging on us begging for a song. One thing about getting older, you realize you are never as cool in real life as you seem in your oversized head.

June 7, 2011 Roxanne, You Don't Have To Eat That Rawhide

My Kitchen, My Fat Dog Lansing, IL

June 6, 2011 The Beauty Of Life

My Yard Lansing, IL 

June 5, 2011 Speaking Of Sunsets....

Lansing, IL


...today is Chrissy's birthday and next year she'll be fifty...oh yeah, 5-0...the twilight of life...that sun is beginning to set...Happy Birthday Old Timer.

June 4, 2011 Thirty Minutes Of Fury

4:20pm Lansing, IL


A hot muggy 95 degree day turned quickly. About 4pm it got so dark that I needed to turn on lights to walk through the house. A violent thunderstorm ripped through our area in less than a half hour. The streets were flooded as I drove to Bridgeport to meet up with a group of friends. By the time we got to Comiskey Park, it was a beautiful summer night. Too bad the White Sox lost in the ninth inning. It was about that time I found out a very close friend of mine had her house destroyed by a tree that fell during the storm. Now I've heard all the same stories as you have about the incredible amount of damage done by Mother Nature recently, but this really brought that reality close to home.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

June 3, 2011 My God Indiana Is Boring

Somewhere on I-65, Indiana


This is pretty much the most scenic thing in Indiana between Chicago and Indianapolis.

June 2, 2011 I Love Clever People

IMS, Indianapolis, IN


I'm not a huge race fan. I just enjoy spending the day at the Indy 500. So I didn't get this joke at first. As most of you know, sponsorship is a big part of racing. So here's why this banner is so funny. At Indy, the top 33 cars quailify for the race. Bruno was the driver for one of those cars. But in a business move, the owner of Bruno's car, A.J. Foyt sold the rights of that car to Michael Andretti so he could but one of his drivers in it. So Bruno doesn't get to race this year. These fans decided to give Bruno a new sponsor. 

June 1, 2011 Keep Practicing

Indianapolis, IN


We saw this kid last year after the race, he was much better this year. I was impressed with his improvement. Keep it up kid!

May 31, 2011 Stealth Bomber

Indianapolis, IN

May 30, 2011 Memorial Day

Lansing, IL

"Some Gave All" by Billy Ray Cyrus

I knew a man called him Sandy Kane
Few folks even knew his name
But a hero was he
Left a boy, came back a man
Still many just don't understand
About the reasons we are free

I can't forget the look in his eyes
Or the tears he cries
As he said these words to me

All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all

Now Sandy Kane is no longer here
But his words are oh so clear
As they echo through out our land
For all his friends who gave us all
Who stood the ground and took the fall
To help their fellow man

Love your country and live with pride
And don't forget those who died America can't you see

All gave some and some gave all
And some stood through for the red, white and blue
And some had to fall
And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall
Some gave all

And if you ever think of me
Think of all your liberties and recall, yes recall
Some gave all

Some gave all

May 29, 2011 The Indy 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, IN


I've been going to the Indy 500 since 1985 with my friend Jimmy. Lots of things have changed over the past 26 years but one thing has stayed the same...spending a day with an old friend is still as much fun as it was when we were kids. Even though we seem like the two old guys sitting in the balcony of the Muppet Show complaining about everything, we weren't at the race when this car won in 1932.