Monday, December 30, 2013

152/365 - Snow Ride


152/365 - Snow Ride, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 30, 2013. Upon leaving work, I found myself walking through a persistent snow shower that collected on my face and whiskers, adding to the frozen condensation from my breath which resulted in icicles I had to pull out of, or break off from, my beard and mustache. As slick and slushy as the sidewalks and streets were, I was glad to not be on my bike. This fellow, however, stuck with the two-wheeled transportation, although he looked a bit on edge.

151/365 - Holiday Pedicab


151/365 - Holiday Pedicab, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 29, 2013. I forgot which song I heard, but I heard a rock song blaring and fairly quickly approaching as I waited to cross Michigan Avenue. Then this pedicab came into view, covered in protective plastic and festooned with holiday decor.

150/365 - Tunnel of Love


150/365 - Tunnel of Love, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 28, 2013. On a Red Line platform sits this statement of someone's love.

149/365 - Our Lady of the Frozen Garden

December 27, 2013. Approaching Saint Hyacinth Basilica in Avondale, I happened upon this unassuming garden, showing signs of a midwestern winter and a devotion to the Catholic faith.

Friday, December 27, 2013

148/365 - Shoveler


148/365 - Shoveler, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 26, 2013. A white Christmas leads, of course, to shoveling snow. I shoveled some myself before heading to work. It seems I saw at least two people on each block clearing their sidewalks.

147/365 - White Christmas


147/365 - White Christmas, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 25, 2013. We had a white Christmas this year, as we often do in Chicago. Eamon followed me out onto the deck after several test steps and a lot of looking for a snowless route. He eventually came over to me and leaned on the back of my legs. When I asked him what he thought, he meowed long and grumpily, then turned back to the house.

146/365 - Virtual Air Hockey


146/365 - Virtual Air Hockey, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 24, 2013. Christmas Eve was expected to be a slow day at work, and it certainly was. We fed a handful of customers, cleaned some things, and played some air hockey.

145/365 - Steamy River


145/365 - Steamy River, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.
December 23, 2013. Sometimes it's so cold that the river steams. Over the past week or so, I think this was one of the more moderate nights, though. This photo was made from Chicago Avenue looking north toward Goose Island.

144/365 - Eyes


144/365 - Eyes, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 22, 2013. A birdhouse with eyes sits among some trees and bushes next to a parking lot on Orleans Street on the Near North Side.

Monday, December 23, 2013

143/365 - Working


143/365 - Working, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 21, 2013. Horses pulling carriages are pretty busy these days around Chicago and Michigan Avenues. This one can't wait to get home and have a hot shower. I'm guessing.

142/365 - Forty Whacks


142/365 - Forty Whacks, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 20, 2013. Another Squared Off show had me out shooting bands (and playing drums). This band, with a levitating North Pole elf, is Forty Whacks.

141/365 - Solo


141/365 - Solo, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 19, 2013. That scoundrel Han Solo saves the day again.

140/365 - Chicago River Walk


140/365 - Chicago River Walk, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 18, 2013. It should have occurred to me that the river and the lake would be icy, but I didn't even think about it. I certainly noticed while crossing the river on Michigan Avenue, though.

139/365 - Sock Monkey Man


139/365 - Sock Monkey Man, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 17, 2013. Monkey see, monkey do. A man with a sock monkey hat mirrors a pose on the sign behind him.

138/365 - No Parking


138/365 - No Parking, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 16, 2013. I don't think you should park here.

137/365 - Closed Circuit


137/365 - Closed Circuit, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 15, 2013. I found myself being watched.

136/365 - Christmas Shopping


136/365 - Christmas Shopping, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 14, 2013. Eating a late lunch of bao at Water Tower Place, I saw Christmas shoppers galore.

135/365 - Dog Breath


135/365 - Dog Breath, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 13, 2013. As snow fell, I approached Underdog and their outdoor cart in Wicker Park. Remarkably, it seemed to be staying open despite the snow and the bitter cold.

134/365 - Hall and Oates


134/365 - Hall and Oates, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 12, 2013. The third Thursday of each month is the time for the Fabulous Ladies of Fitness party at Cole's Bar. The holiday theme was again Deck the Hall and Oates, this time with wigs for all (and mustaches for Oateses).

133/365 - Nutcracker


133/365 - Nutcracker, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 11, 2013. Sometimes, instead of taking the Red Line south to meet the Blue Line, I just walk from Chicago Avenue to Washington and Dearborn, and when I do I might pass the Driehaus Museum, which is fantastically decorated for Christmas.

132/365 - Morning Flurries


132/365 - Morning Flurries, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 10, 2013. It was another day of snow, and I made this photo while waiting for the bus in the morning at Kosciuszko Park.

131/365 - Frozen Collards


131/365 - Frozen Collards, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 9, 2013. Walking past Chicago Lights Urban Garden, I found a row of unharvested collard greens under the snow.

130/365 - Into The Wind


130/365 - Into The Wind, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 8, 2013. This was a pretty nasty day, with snow blowing horizontally westward from Lake Michigan. After walking into it for a little while, I decided to turn back and see how others fared.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

129/365 - Rent


129/365 - Rent, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 7, 2013. The city is always changing. I don't remember what was here before on the northeast corner of State and Pearson.

128/365 - CHI


128/365 - CHI, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 6, 2013. Chicago and State on the Red Line is another station I use on a regular basis.

127/365 - Bridge


127/365 - Bridge, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 5, 2013. It's become a regular occurrence for me to cross the Chicago Avenue bridge. I'll try to not keep using it for my photos.

126/365 - Cherrypicker


126/365 - Cherrypicker, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 4, 2013. I don't know what this guy was doing up there at the Chase Tower. My light changed and I pedaled away before he finished positioning himself.

125/365 - Panes


125/365 - Panes, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 3, 2013. This assemblage of glass is a window on the gigantic former Marshall Fields and Macy's warehouse in Chicago. Last night I saw a big white owl fly up to the top of it. I felt like inviting him over to my place to see if there were still any mice there.

124/365 - Sad Skull


124/365 - Sad Skull, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 2, 2013. This demon skull is having feelings.

123/365 - Pilgrim


123/365 - Pilgrim, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

December 1, 2013. Eye Want in Wicker Park often has intriguing window displays for all seasons.

122/365 - Bora Bora


122/365 - Bora Bora, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 30, 2013. The Saturday after Thanksgiving, I played one of my favorite shows yet with Tijuana Jai Alai. We played with Bora Bora, the full band version of Paul Leonard's recent material, and the more aggro and riffy Fire9, both of which we'd been trying to get with on a bill.

121/365 - Life of the Party


121/365 - Life of the Party, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 29, 2013. Black Friday I was working in the kitchen instead of the camera store, and it was the opposite of retail mayhem. We even closed early, and a few of us went to Pippin's, a bar across the street from the camera shop. I made sure to not poke my head in and taunt them, though.

120/365 - Thanksgiving


120/365 - Thanksgiving, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 28, 2013. I had a great Thanksgiving with Jon and Rick and several of their friends, most of whom I had met before. On the way home, I saw people shopping at Old Navy at 10:30 pm. I saw people going up to other stores on North Avenue, thinking they should be open, and I saw this guy trying to get some rest in below freezing temperatures. As much as I wish things were better personally, I was thankful to not be in any of those situations, and thankful to have had a beautiful day among friends.

119/365 - Looking Back


119/365 - Looking Back, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 27, 2013. I got off the train at Logan Square, where I would unlock my bike and ride home, and I just felt a shot coming on. I have no story to go along with this photo. I was walking to that same set of stairs and just decided an image was likely to appear. I didn't even know what I had let into the shutter until I checked the images at home.

118/365 - Snowman


118/365 - Snowman, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 26, 2013. Tuesday night, and this marshmallow fellow appeared before me on Milwaukee Avenue. He was dressed in white from head to toe. He had white shoes, and his head was wrapped up. I think the snow flurries were too light to even be considered a mist if they weren't frozen, but this guy also had a white umbrella. This was, of course, almost three months after Labor Day.

117/365 - Steel, Chicago Avenue

November 25, 2013. This was the day I returned to a photo lab job. I'm also still doing a full-time kitchen job. A week later I would realize that in returning to "my field," I threw myself into a retail environment heading into Christmas season. Last year was my twentieth Christmas in a row, and at least the eighth that I said "not next Christmas!" The rough patches have been really brief, though, and I'm still there with Christmas just a couple of days away.

116/365 - Rat Rod


116/365 - Rat Rod, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 24, 2013. I rehearsed with Tijuana Jai Alai in a different town way out of the city - Volo (I think). We spent much of the day playing music in our friend Jim's auto shop. This car is a personal project of his.

115/365 - Barn


115/365 - Barn, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 23, 2013. Burlington, Illinois showed me that I'm actually much more comfortable in an urban environment, even though I'm not always all that comfortable. I've lived in the country and spent plenty of recreational time in the wilderness, but rural areas don't feel right to me anymore. And suburbs? So much worse!

114/365 - Lucy


114/365 - Lucy, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 22, 2013. It was a Friday night and Squared Off had a gig at Junior's Bar in Pilsen. I hopped on the Pink Line from work and found myself to be the first one there. The only other people there were a bartender and Adam from The Kreutzer Sonata with a friend. Everyone showed up, and all three bands - The Kreutzer Sonata, Mystery Actions, and Squared Off - played with Pulp Fiction projected on them. Therefore, most of my photos, including this one of Lucy from Mystery Actions, were shot with flash. Martin showed up in his floppy-eared hat and took some good photos of us (Squared Off) playing. Then, one month later, I posted this terrible narrative.

113/365 - Pantry


113/365 - Pantry, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 21, 2013. It seems nothing much happened on this day. I resorted to a photo of my pantry. A couple of weeks later I found a mouse in here. I left him a snack of his own so that I didn't have to share my food anymore. I haven't seen him for a while. I hope it stays that way.

112/365 - Flash


112/365 - Flash, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 20, 2013. I regularly see this guy heading north on Wabash on his longboard. Here he is in mid-push in a pose reminiscent of The Flash.

111/365 - Grate


111/365 - Grate, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 19, 2013. Here I was in the second half of November, still wearing shorts on my bicycle commute in Chicago. That has passed, although I still occasionally go without long johns. This photo was taken while waiting at a stoplight at Dearborn and Wacker.

110/365 - Metamorph


110/365 - Metamorph, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 18, 2013. It's been over a month since I posted these on the photo-a-day page, so I may not have much story that I can remember as I catch up. I can tell you that this is a tattoo shop on Milwaukee Avenue, and the clientele seems to consist of couples on this particular night.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

109/365 - And The Rains Came


109/365 - And The Rains Came, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 17, 2013. All week long, I kept hearing how nice it was going to be on Sunday, with temperatures in the 60's. "But it's going to rain," was always added. The weather reports were correct. It did warm up to the 60's, and it rained. It rained a lot. Tornadoes were a potential threat. A facebook contact actually reported one in a neighboring county. I looked outside and saw a flooded street, particularly along the curbs, where the surface curves downward. One neighbor in a raincoat and rainpants was stalking the sidewalks with a rake, looking for storm sewers clogged with the countless leaves that have fallen over the last week.

108/365 - Wise


108/365 - Wise, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 16, 2013. Just a portrait of an owl-headed lady in Wicker Park.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

107/365 - Zamboni


107/365 - Zamboni, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 15, 2013. I had no idea it was opening day at the Millennium Park ice rink. I don't often include Millennium Park in my lunchtime photowalks, largely because I try to avoid taking too many pictures of the Bean. I actually walked by it without taking any photos of it, and on my way out of the park, I heard the zamboni. I snapped a few frames from the south end of the rink before I gave in and decided to photograph from the angle seen here. Thankfully, the zamboni driver, who had just left the ice, drove back on and rolled into this shot. As of Friday, November 15, Chicagoans and visitors can go to Millennium Park for free outdoor ice skating until sometime in March.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

106/365 - Smile


106/365 - Smile, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 14, 2013. These happy faces greet you in Avondale. I imagine a couple of people may actually find them startling.

105/365 - Autumn Bungalow


105/365 - Autumn Bungalow, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 13, 2013. Fallen leaves and a little bit of snow decorate the lawn of my friend Amy's house.

104/365 - Bag of Heads


104/365 - Bag of Heads, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 12, 2013. I walked past one of the countless seasonal Halloween shops that appear on every third block sometime in September, and had to wonder what became of the people who were in that shop for those few weeks. Looking in the window, I saw a bag full of heads, the lower half of someone lopped off at the waist, and a headless, armless woman's torso. There was also a really tall demonic looking fellow playing guitar. I decided against asking him any of my questions.

103/365 - First Snow


103/365 - First Snow, originally uploaded by Mikey Brick.

November 11, 2013. This year, Veteran's Day fell on a Monday, making it observed on the same day. It was also the day that Chicago saw its first snowfall of the season. I was downtown at the time, allowing me to capture a scene that is clearly Chicago.