I venture to say that a day spent around (and in) shiny, colorful, beautiful new cars is enough to put a smile on most people’s faces. I know that I had a great time last last week when I was invited by General Motors to attend the Chicago Auto Show as a part of Social Media Day (Kudos to the organizers of the Chicago Auto Show, by the way, for recognizing the power of social media!). I had some great experiences and learned some interesting things there, starting with what I heard during our breakfast. The room was full of us social media types as well as Chevy Volt owners,…
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Pictures For Sail
In light of the recent news of a cruise ship (the Costa Concordia) hitting a reef just two hours after departure, I thought it would be a good idea to point out that, though so very tragic for all involved, the accident was a freak, rare occurrence in light of how many cruises there are on any given day. I would still cruise again. I also thought that I would bring cruising back to the positive today, by showing you more pictures from my trip. (This helps me too, since I’m in the middle of a very busy couple of days!) Tomorrow? Key West and Cozumel!
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Status Checker
Have you ever posted a status on Facebook in a hurry and without reading it to check it over you close the tab and go on with your day, not realizing that it may have some problems? I have, probably many times, but most recently last night. You see, it was the second night of Hanukkah and Jim and I exchanged gifts. This year we made a pact that I would buy only one gift for him and vice versa. I’ll show you what I got in a moment but first, the Facebook status I posted, which went something like this: “Jim gave me one of the best gifts EVER…
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I Tried To Do A Wordless Wednesday Post, But Couldn’t.
“Wordless” is difficult for me. I like to write and I like to talk. I do, however, have the ability to keep it short. Sort of. I’ve been wanting to post this picture for several months now. I snapped it on the north side of the Chicago River near Michigan Avenue, in the shadow of both the Trump International Hotel & Tower and the Wrigley Building. Those lily pads were peacefully floating around–not in the river, of course–in a little pond structure just steps away from Michigan and Wacker, one of the most bustling intersections in the city. I was amazed at the juxtaposition. Sadly, the picture doesn’t really go…
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It’s Greek To Me
I was thrilled to have some time today, before and after I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the brand-new National Hellenic Museum (which I wrote up, here), to take a photowalk around the Greektown area of Chicago. Other than going there only to eat at Greek Islands (yum), I hadn’t taken any time to enjoy the neighborhood until today. Here are some of the pictures I took, for your enjoyment. (Okay, and for mine, too.) Kind of makes you want to visit, right? Want to make this a long-term commitment? Please subscribe to my feed by clicking here.
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Pocket Full Of Posies
I adore public sculptures of all kinds, but I have a soft spot for sculptures of people. (Remember one of my favorites, Magdalene?) Today J and I were at a park that I hadn’t explored before, and we came across this beautiful sculpture of a little girl. I said, “Look…she has a pocketful of posies.” He replied (a little too happily, if you ask me), “Oh, well, THAT’S bad news.” “Ring around the rosy A pocket full of posies ‘Ashes, Ashes’ We all fall down!” (If you don’t know the supposed meaning of this verse, click here to understand why J was happily “doomsday” about the little girl’s flowers.) Want…
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Hanukkah Gift Idea (If You’re Shopping For Me)
Every single time I walk by Atlas Galleries on Michigan Avenue, this painting stares at me, begging me to buy it and bring it home. It is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. The name of it is “The Windy City” and the artist who created it is J. Scott Nicol. If you have an extra $1,299 taking up space in your wallet, please consider giving this masterpiece an excellent new home…with me. Want to make this a long-term commitment? Please subscribe to my feed by clicking here.
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Floats Like A Butterfly, Stings Like A Beagle
Happy Halloween, everybody!
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Chicago’s Water Tower: Small But Mighty
This Saturday marks the 140th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The fire, rumored–but never confirmed–to have been started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, not only razed just about the entire city but also set the stage for its rebirth into the world-class metropolis it is today. (If there ever was a silver lining to a disaster, that would be it.) The fire even jumped the Chicago River (more than once) on its way to burning an area four miles long by a half mile wide. It was one of the biggest disasters to occur in the United States in the 19th century. The Water Tower, at the north…
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Word-full Wednesday: The Lake Michigan Edition
I have a friend named Tara. Many of you know Tara too. If you are one of the lucky ones who know her, you know that she is a very, very talented photographer. Her pictures of the beach, in particular, completely blow me away, and when I see that she has posted new pictures of the beaches near her home in Florida, I always have a couple of thoughts in my head: 1. “My God, is that beautiful!” 2. “Tara is so talented!” 3. “I wish I could take some pictures near a beach right now!” On Monday, I finally had my chance to try my hand at grabbing some…