so i went on a photo shoot today...it was a lovely lovely day...sunny...warmer than most of last week...i've added a bunch of photos to my wicker park page, which you can go see right here...it was nice to spend some time outdoors for a change...i love watching people in the neighborhood when there's a sudden break in the weather after a string of cold days...the park was crowded, even though it wasn't exactly short sleeve weather...nevertheless, it was still pretty balmy in the sun...



...i had a celebrity sighting in wicker park...i saw james, the filmmaker who made afropunk, sitting by the fountain with i think one of the chicagoans he interviewed in that documentary...i was wondering what he was doing in chicago, and then i remembered that there was a screening for afropunk on friday night that i'd totally forgotten about...i should've gone up to him and said hi, but you know me...i'm way too shy...i just shoot photos and leave...



holy cow...a cubby just hit a home run in game 5 of the playoffs w/ the braves...it's 4 nothing, chicago...top of the 6th...wow...we might actually win this series...what happens if we win? i know we have to play the florida marlins...i don't remember the last time we were this close to the world series...it's almost surreal...this is one of the few times that i find baseball actually interesting...am i gonna get my hopes up? no way...



been listening to--

now you know--doug martsch

i can hear the heart beating as one--yo la tango

V.O.L.--VoL

man am i brad--everybody uh oh

...i have been sorting through old photos that i never sifted through cuz my hard drive is maxing out...i think that it will take me the equivalent of an entire work week to go through all my files...i am hopelessly disorganized...



the GOOD news is that i found a bunch of photos i'd forgotten about, like over the rhine's sept show @ schubas last year, where karin looks absolutely like a doll in pigtails (she's beautiful, isn't she?)...alejandro escovedo's show w/ alan on guitar & andy on bass...drive by truckers...the gloria record (dreamy...) damien jurado...and more...



...last night, teddy & i went to jenny choi's cd release party @ gunther murphy's...mike felumlee, the former drummer for alkaline trio/the smoking popes/duvall, opened w/ his new project called this is me smiling...they were pretty tight, considering they probably haven't rehearsed too much...the other opener was everybody uh oh...i love that name...i love SAYING that name...and they play just like their name sounds...absolutely adorably...and there are TWO asians in that band...it's a 3 guitar band too, which is rather unusual this far north...



jenny was totally lovely...she had on the cutest little outfit, which unfortunately kept trying to fall off of her, since she ain't got much meat on her bones to hold up things like clothing...she really does have a big ass keyboard...i don't think i've ever seen such a LONG keyboard at a show before...it was cool to hear her play w/ her full band...she's got such a surprising voice...there was a good turnout, i thought, and people were very receptive...



so that was last night...

...so i see my coworker eating these things that look like candy corn but are shaped and colored suspiciously like chili peppers...he's eating them out of a plastic baggie, just munching on them, ya know? so i think to myself, well, it can't be that bad if he's eating 'em straight up like that...and they sure are pretty...so i take one and bite off the tip (notice the missing tip in the photo)...that was my first mistake...i immediately started choking as the little tiny seeds that burned like acid slid down my throat before i even had a chance to chew...my tear ducts started swelling with moisture, and my entire tongue and roof of my mouth wanted to jump out of my body and find the closest bucket of ice to jump into...i ended up finding relief in a bag of animal crackers...now my boss, who loves spicy food, was undetered by my hacking reaction to the chili pepper, and she pops one in her mouth, and not only does she take a little bite, but she bites off the ENTIRE RED SECTION of the pepper...and she smiles like she's totally fine, and there i was thinking i'm not worthy to identify myself as a korean if i can't handle a teensy-weensy bit of a chili pepper...then two minutes later, my boss's mouth suddenly caught fire, and boy oh boy was she regretting biting off that entire pepper now! i felt much better then...



i have to say though, that little chili pepper was yummy! i know it sounds crazy, but through the overpowering heat, i could really taste that this was a very flavorful little pepper...they were grown by another coworker in her garden, and i think i'm gonna get me some to cook some chili...it's getting to be chili weather, ya know?



tonight i'm gonna go see jenny choi's cd release party...it's gonna be a full band show and that should sound totally different from last saturday when it was just her and her keyboard...everybody uh-oh and mike felumlee (ex smoking popes drummer) are opening...



tomorrow i'm going to my friend john berton's solar apt...he's part of the national tour of solar homes...i've seen the tour already, but i think this is something teddy & his family may be interested in seeing...i haven't seen john in ages so that should be good...



i can't believe i leave for new york in a week! that's like nuts!!!



it'll be good to see josh & lielle & alex again...and CALEB!! yes! and if i'm extra lucky, i'll get to see pierre & todd & audrey & anyone else who happens to be around...i have this wish...a dream you may call it...that all those guys (caleb, pierre, todd, audrey) will move back to chicago...then my guitar will be happy again...and there will be music! music! music! bill's shows would be so fun w/ caleb & audrey...



anyways....



been listening to--

the green fury--matt pond pa

summer sun--yo la tango

my solo project--mates of state

loveless--my bloody valentine

wrecking ball--emmylou harris

when we were small--rosie thomas

celebratory arm gesture--summer hymns

hearts of oak--ted leo & the pharmacists

the best of--the flying burrito brothers

ok...more concert photos...you can see the detholz! pics from the abbey right here...and bill mallonee & the tiny silver hearts from sunday night @ schubas are right here...this is my first black & white page for bill...the lights were rather dim @ schubas on sunday night...teddy tells me to use the flash, but i can't bring myself to do it...not yet at any rate...



i can't wait to sleep tonight...is that a sad wish or what? yes, it's true...i'm gonna skip the mogwai show so i can get me some shut-eye...



so it turns out that water really truly is necessary to the human body...i know this now cuz working hard on monday moving 3 people without much of a water break (as in no water until a gatorade break at around 7pm) my lips cracked overnight and in two days i've lost an entire layer of skin over my lips...it hurts and looks and feels awful...i just hope i grow a new layer in time for the wedding next weekend...



been listening to--

kids in philly--marah

execution of all things--rilo kiley

the moon & antarctica--modest mouse

yours, mine and ours--pernice brothers

s/t--rocky votolato

what came before after--sonic boom

...12 hour days are so hard...i don't know how rue barb the tangled does it multiple times in one week...once a week is quite plenty for me, thank you...



so i've got a new idea for really cheap xmas presents...i found these 2X3 acrylic magnetic photo frames @ target last night...they're perfect for slipping in my photos and voila! xmas presents! i made a few for my boss and gave them to her today cuz i missed her bday party on monday and she told me i should be a professional photographer, which she took back right away cuz she doesn't want to give me any ideas about quitting my day job...



i'm also toying with the idea of SELLING my photos maybe in a format such as this...any feedback would be appreciated...i mean, i gots to start somewhere if i'm ever going to realize my dream of actually paying bills by doing what i love which would be taking photos...



been listening to--

different--q and not u

sin--poor old lu