Thursday, December 29, 2011

Day 120 - Piggyback


Day 120 - Piggyback, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 29, 2011.  Since I was on my own for dinner tonight, I went out and fed myself then walked around the neighborhood looking for photos. I got a handful of shots, and this is one of the few that had people. Usually when I see this, the girl is wearing heels - or carrying heels, actually.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Day 119 - Shallow Roots


Day 119 - Shallow Roots, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 28, 2011.  I'm a bit surprised this tree hasn't forced its way into the concrete below it. I suspect it will be removed once the Bloomingdale Trail is actually designed and landscaped. It will be a pretty spectacular park area and a beautiful hike and bike trail when it's finished.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Day 118 - Riverboat Snowman


Day 118 - Riverboat Snowman, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 27, 2011.  Had I settled for the shot I took on way to get coffee, today's photo would be an overhead shot of orange drink in a styrofoam cup sitting on the curb. While that would have been conceptually engaging, here's a plywood snowman at an elementary school instead.

Day 117 - Cthulu Fruit


Day 117 - Cthulu Fruit, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 26, 2011.  I saw an example of this mystery fruit a few weeks ago on the page of one of my flickr contacts. Then I saw a basket of them last night at Whole Foods, but they weren't labeled, so they remain Cthulu fruit to me.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Day 116 - Christmas


Day 116 - Christmas, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 25, 2011.  Our Christmas evening was spent with friends eating, drinking, and being merry. A couple of those friends are chefs, and I think everyone is a good cook, so word to that! Best of all, every one is a joy to hang out with. So here's to a fabulous holiday with friends, family, dogs, whatever - from Will, Shereen, Tonja, Alex, John, Mike, and Mike.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Day 115 - Left Handed Santa


Day 115 - Left Handed Santa, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 24, 2011.  Here's another holiday pasteup from Left Handed Wave. His Halloween edition also ended up on my 365. Will he do bunny suits again for Easter? Or Stigmata Bananaman? We shall see. Merry Christmas, everyone! Happy Christmas across the pond! Also, Joyeux Noël, Feliz Navidad, and the greetings in other tongues that I don't know.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Day 114 - Teapot


Day 114 - Teapot, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 23, 2011.  We finally got our friends Patricia and Dave to Marrakesh, a Morrocan restaurant near our house. It's really delicious, and I recommend it to anyone. Here is a photo of our teapot after dinner, full of mint tea.

Day 113 - Second Coming


Day 113 - Second Coming, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 22, 2011.  DJ LA Jesus returns for a funktastic Christmas Party with a new crown and a new pulpit and new tunes at Berlin Nightclub.

Day 112 - Friendly


Day 112 - Friendly, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 21, 2011.  Some folks hanging out after work.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Day 111 - Yellow Rose


Day 111 - Yellow Rose, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 20, 2011.  I brought yellow roses home to my wife today, so ended up photographing them for my 365 photo. Extension tube, tripod, and remote speedlight, and I was ready to go. When I saw them, I immediately thought of bringing them to my wife, and started to blow it off. Then I realized that if I was spontaneously thinking of bringing flowers home, I should really follow through.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Day 110 - Frosty


Day 110 - Frosty, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.


Dec 19, 2011.

Day 109 - Jammie Girl


Day 109 - Jammie Girl, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 18, 2011.  Walking down the street, I actually spotted a table in a bar occupied by three girls in footie pajamas. Of course I shot immediately through the window, even though I didn't have the greatest of angles or lighting and had crazy reflections to maneuver around. Not a great photo, but a cool moment captured.

Day 108 - Moz


Day 108 - Moz, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 17, 2011.  Last night, Shereen and I went to see Morrissey at the Congress Theater. Wanting to be up front, we got there pretty early and found 100-150 people already lined up in the 33º weather. While we were there, Morrissey came out of his bus alongside the sidewalk we were on, and walked to the backstage door, politely waving to the folks lined up. The one person who shrieked and ran halfway toward him was an eleven-year-old girl, which I found curious, but kind of cool. Since it was cold, they opened the doors as early as they could, and we went in and to the front of the stage after an hour and a half. This was the third Morrissey show I've seen, and it was significantly darker than previous shows. On a few occasions, he let the band go off into swirling, noisy psychedelia, and the commentary and setlist showed a bit more morbidity than I had previously seen. "Meat Is Murder" appeared in the setlist accompanied by video footage of some quite cruel and violent aspects of meat and dairy farming. It was an intense show till the end, when security got put to work by a stage invasion that somehow never reached Morrissey. If Jay Cutler had witnessed it, he would have been envious.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Day 107 - Alive!


Day 107 - Alive!, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 16, 2011.  Friday's 365 photo went like this: Look up from reading and see that it's 11:59, grab camera and walk over to mantel. Take picture of KISS figures. Return to reading. I will admit that one of the things I read earlier in the day was the first couple of chapters of Ace Frehley's autobiography.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Day 106 -Twinkling


Day 106 -Twinkling, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 15, 2011.  The photoshop is terrible, but I just wanted to get my daily image up promptly and had to remove the ugly background. The shoot was fantastic. We definitely got some good photos. I can't wait to see them finished, but it's 3:30 in the morning, and I'm done for tonight.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Day 105 - Tree and Train


Day 105 - Tree and Train, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 14, 2011.  During my late lunch break (yes, it's dark, but the sun sets around 4:15 these days in Chicago), I wandered in the rain hoping for some photos to present themselves to me. I saw this tree at a pub next to the L tracks, and as I was sizing it up, I heard a train coming. I knew I had a shot coming up, so I put my elbows on the rail, composed my shot, and started a burst of photos as the train entered the frame. I like the front of the train approaching the tree top, but preferred the train being fully in the frame for my final choice. I hope you're enjoying your holiday season.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Day 104 - Window Dressing


Day 104 - Window Dressing, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 13, 2011.  After having something to eat at the Gallery Café, I saw some movement in my peripheral vision while walking down the street. Sure enough, there was someone stripping down and then putting on something new right there in the window of Akira for all of North Avenue to see, although I was the only one taking pictures, as far as I could tell.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Day 103 - Arrrrrrrr


Day 103 - Arrrrrrrr, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 12, 2011.  Here is my holiday decoration for 2011 - a pirate nutcracker. I'm debating putting up more decorations soon. We'll see. Humbug.

Day 102 - Schmokin


Day 102 - Schmokin, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 11, 2011.  Riding my bike around, most often to and from work, I keep an eye on the streets and sidewalks for a photograph. I spotted this lady sitting on a ledge in tights and heels and having a smoke break, so I whipped over to the sidewalk and snatched her soul with my camera. You can see she's exhaling it anyway, so finders-keepers. My eagle eye did not, however, spot my wife on the other side of the street a block later, and my drummer's ear sure didn't hear her yell my name. I don't typically keep a very close watch on the left sidewalk, since I can't really photograph it.

Day 101 - Fishbone Is Red Hot


Day 101 - Fishbone Is Red Hot, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 10, 2011.  I disappointed myself by missing a third Fishbone show in as many years. I used to never do that, going back to my first Fishbone show in February 1987. Previously, there was a night I couldn't get off work, and a night that my back hurt so badly I couldn't move. That night, my brother came and got my ticket to sell or give away at the show. I did my laundry this time, which included three Fishbone shirts, though.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Day 100 - Tree Transporter


Day 100 - Tree Transporter, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 9, 2011.  I spotted this fellow rolling down the sidewalk with some difficulty, as one might expect carrying a Christmas tree over one's shoulder while riding a bike. I then felt obligated to race him to the next open area of street, get close to his path, and photograph his struggle. In other news, I've finished 100 days of a year of daily photos. In other, other news, it's 18º F outside. Yikes.

Day 99 - Ice Cream!


Day 99 - Ice Cream!, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 8, 2011.  It has become traditional to eat ice cream before we do machine maintenance at work. "Tis the season to maintain traditions!

Day 98 - Duck On a Bar


Day 98 - Duck On a Bar, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 7, 2011.  So, here's a duck in a pub, lying on the bar.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Day 97 - Sweatbox


Day 97 - Sweatbox, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 6, 2011.  Some folks like to run inside. To be fair, it is pretty cold out.

Day 96 - It's Not Delivery


Day 96 - It's Not Delivery, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 5, 2011.  Roaming the streets after dinner, I happened upon Herman Cain in a doorway. I'm assuming the artist is CRO, also known as Ray Noland.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Day 95 - Dealing the Cold Wind

Dec 4, 2011.  Today was like this. When I left for work this morning, it was 51º and really windy. By the time I came home it was 37º and I wasn't dressed for it. I still rode a few extra blocks, which allowed me to see this new paint job on the shutter at St. Alfred. A timely sighting, I think.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Day 94 - Plungers


Day 94 - Plungers, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 3, 2011.  Before work today, I went up to Loyola to witness the 6th annual Invisible Conflicts Plunge Fundraiser. Invisible Conflicts raises funds for the Dwon Madiki Partnership to aid in the education of children in villages in Uganda. The temperatures weren't very polar, but it was cold enough to get the attention of those that went into Lake Michigan.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Day 93 - Her Name Was Pauline


Day 93 - Her Name Was Pauline, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 2, 2011.  I think this is in the window of a clothing store. Every time I've noticed it, the display seems to be an art piece in itself, rather than a display of the merchandise. This nature girl is up currently at Bonnie & Clyde on Division Street.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Day 92 - Weekly Maintenance


Day 92 - Weekly Maintenance, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Dec 1, 2011.  Maintenance at work, it's got to be done. It helps us keep the machines running almost smoothly.

Day 91 - Through The Trees


Day 91 - Through The Trees, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
Nov 30, 2011.  This vacant lot with a mansion behind it has, of course, become a lot for the sale of Christmas trees. The trailer from which business must be conducted isn't an eyesore because it's camouflaged.