30 April 2013, Day 329

Would days like today be appreciated less if there were more of them? I don't know, but i'd like to find out. I would gladly take six months straight of this weather.

29 April 2013, Day 328

I think i'm gonna need a bigger tree.

28 April 2013, Day 327

Detail of the mural on the CTA viaduct at Morse and Glenwood

I've taken other pictures of this mural, but thought i'd give a little extra attention to this detail today as a shout-out to all you artists and appreciators of the arts. 

27 April 2013, Day 326, Pt. 2

It's Spring!

27 April 2013, Day 326, Pt. 1

After eating a lovely early lunch of hummus and stuffed grape leaves and briefly pondering the health benefits of becoming a vegan, i was overcome by a craving for meat -- and not just any meat, but the kind you have to gnaw off the bone.  So Doggie Demeanor and i set off on a mission. I hadn't been to Rub Bar-B-Q since last summer, so i underwent a moment of panic when i got to where it used to be and found an empty storefront. Fortunately, it turned out that they had just moved around the corner to a larger and more visible location on Western Ave. just south of Lunt. 

26 April 2013, Day 325

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -- Chicago Weather Edition

And just like that, winter is gone and forgotten, and Pratt Beach beckons.

25 April 2013, Day 324

The rare convergence of a clear, blue sky and an L train with clean windows:

Sheridan Road with the Loyola campus in the foreground and Lake Michigan in the background.

24 April 2013, Day 323

One of the first posts on this blog, back on 19 June 2012, recorded the closing of Evil Squirrel Comics on the 6900 Block of Glenwood Ave. At the time, their plan was to reopen one block south, but that never happened, and now, nearly a year later, all that remains of that plan are these fading posters in the window of what was supposed to be their new store. 

23 April 2013, Day 322

I really dislike this new trend in advertising on the L. The interior of the car is completely encased in a theme; in this case, as a promotion for Florida tourism, it's supposed to look like the Everglades. But i've been to the Everglades and it didn't make me feel like i was trapped inside some carnivorous form of plant life like this does. I think that i just happened to catch the guy in the hoodie at the end of a yawn, but he looks terrified, which is how this claustrophobic mess made me feel. 

22 April 2013, Day 321 -- Earth Day Bonus

This enthusiastic group of children were doing their part for Earth Day, picking up trash at Pratt & Sheridan. 

22 April 2013, Day 321

Mother and Child(ren) on Morse Avenue 

(The baby strapped to her mother's back is not visible in this picture). 

I'm a great admirer of the photography of Vivian Maier and the Humans of New York website, but unlike them, i'm not usually comfortable taking pictures of the people i encounter on the street. But sometimes you have to make an exception. This little girl was so serious in her mission to carry her parcel; the smile on her mother's face was warm enough to melt an iceberg, and it melted my heart. Everyone should be smiled on with that much love.

21 April 2013, Day 320

Horse power! 
I spotted this noble steed enjoying the sun on Morse Ave.

20 April 2013, Day 319 -- Saturday Night Bonus Photo

Live organ music between movies at the Music Box tonight.

20 April 2013, Day 319

Eighty days after Punxutawney Phil predicted an "early spring," this was the scene at 8:00 this morning. The snow had melted by 10:00, but still....

19 April 2013, Day 318

I began this blog in June of last year, with the goal of taking at least one picture a day for a full year. I did this as an exercise in both self-discipline and mindfulness. I confess that by nature i am inclined towards passionate but short-lived enthusiasms and wanted to try to commit to a daily practice for an extended period. 

The most satisfying part of this experiment thus far has been the way that it has made me more conscious and mindful of the beautiful, comical, incongruous, and occasionally terrible things that we pass by every day. But there are gray days like today when i feel utterly uninspired, when i feel like there is nothing new to be seen in my neighborhood, and when i don't have the energy or obligation to go farther afield. And then it happens, as it always seems to do, something magical shows up just begging to be the subject of the photo du jour. In this case it was a discarded Valentine, a little purple velvet pillow surrounded by a leopard-print ruffle.  

18 April 2013, Day 317

Scenes on a rainy day

The morning commute: Wrigley Field in the rain

A break in the weather and the first daffodils and green grass of the season

The evening commute: Graceland Cemetery under ominous clouds

17 April 2013, Day 316

I actually encountered something newsworthy while on my afternoon quest for a photo du jour today:

A group from the American Planning Association, who are currently holding a conference in Chicago, was touring Rogers Park and stopped to admire the mural under the Glenwood/Farwell viaduct. 

16 April 2013, Day 315

Mourning

15 April 2013, Day 314

This poor little papier maché bird looks like he had a rough weekend.

14 April 2013, Day 313

Some signs observed on Glenwood Ave. this Sunday morning.

The former home of Mess Hall

The Glenwood Bar, winter home to the Glenwood Sunday Market: "I'll have a beer and a rutabaga!"

13 April 2013, Day 312

Electronics recycling day in the 49th ward

12 April 2013, Day 311

Waiting for the Red Line on another cold and rainy day.

11 April 2013, Day 310

Pratt Blvd. through a rainy lens

10 April 2013, Day 309

A couple of noisy gulls on a rooftop. 
I love the decorative details on even the shabbiest buildings in the neighborhood.

9 April 2013, Day 308

The Sears ("Don't call me Willis!") Tower playing peek-a-boo in the clouds.

8 April 2013, Day 307, Signs of Spring, Pt. 2

And with the spring comes a raging case of wanderlust. 

I think this man may be traveling around the world on that sweet BMW bike. He was stopped in the parking lane on Madison St. consulting a travel guide. I tried to engage him in conversation, but he appeared to not speak English. 

I wonder where he's been, where he will go. I kind of wish i were him....

8 April 2013, Day 307, Signs of Spring, Pt. 1

After a seemingly endless Chicago winter, it doesn't take much to make me giddy with spring fever. Seeing this worker setting up the outdoor cafe at Rosebud on Dearborn St. this afternoon was as exciting as spotting the first robin or crocus.

7 April 2013, Day 306

RIP Mess Hall. For more information, click here.

6 April 2013, Day 305, Pt. 2

Another Buddha, this one on Sheridan Road on the Loyola campus.

6 April 2013, Day 305, Pt. 1

Da Bean!

5 April 2013, Day 304

To atone for my lapse in posting yesterday (and near lapse today), here's a little musical accompaniment for this evening's picture: "Night Train" by Jimmy Forrest.

4 April 2013, Day 303

Window display at American Girl Place on Michigan Ave., the home of some mysterious cult of little girls. They travel here from untold distances, dressed in their best and clutching even better-dressed dolls. 

PS. Alas, i think this may be the first time that i haven't posted on time, and by on time i mean before the calendar turned at some point on the globe. But checking the clock on my computer, i've discovered that it's already Friday in Pago Pago, so i am undeniably late with Thursday's post. Forgive me! The picture was indeed taken on Thursday, but i came home last night with a belly full of beef from dinner at Ditka's and immediately set about the task of digesting it while watching an episode of Game of Thrones. The next thing i knew, it was Friday morning. I'll try not to let it happen again.

3 April 2013, Day 302

Sometimes it's nice to slip away from my beloved Rogers Park for a change of scenery. 

Today i headed downtown to Aqua Tower, which is very high on the list of my favorite buildings in Chicago, or in the world. What a gorgeous hunk of architecture!

2 April 2013, Day 301

Waiting for the Brown Line at Clark and Lake at the end of the day. 

I don't have to take the Brown Line; in fact, it lengthens an already too-long commute. But sometimes i just need to get out of the subway and see the sun.

1 April 2013, Day 300

Night lights on Farwell Ave.

I was a little disappointed this afternoon when i walked past all sorts of interesting things and didn't have my camera with me, but it's a clear and peaceful night and the lights have a lovely glow.