Tuesday, June 24, 2003 at 11:51PM i am a metra convert...i don't ever want to drive to work ever again...i love being able to read, write, doze, think...and i get to come in contact with a sea of rush hour humanity...driving is stupid if you can do the train...
i am also determined to ride my bike more...here are a couple chicago area cycling activities that ted & i are interested in:
the L.A.T.E. ride (Long After Twilight Ends) this is chicago's after midnight all night ride, beginning 1:30 am @ the buckingham fountain...ending w/ breakfast @ buckingham fountain at sunrise.
chicago cycling club neigborhood bike tours here's an interesting way to see the city...i'm gonna have to learn to operate my camera while on a bike...
i think i would use my bike more if i didn't have to lug it up and down the stairs since i live in the attic...oh well...
today i finished franny and zooey by jd salinger, which i'd put on hold to accommodate 9 stories & raise high the roof beam, carpenter.s..the ending to zooey nearly crushed me...that's the danger of reading on trains in public...you don't know when you'll be caught off guard and get all emotional...now i'll be the first to admit that franny & zooey can get all convoluted and downright irritating...that's why the ending catches you totally off guard and you just wanna bawl right along with franny...
*sigh*...
so i got a call from jesse, and he and the boys of demon hunter are going to make a trip out to chicago after all! my powers of persuasion prevailed! i can't wait! this time, i'll make sure jesse gets to do fun chicago things! oh boy...so much happening...ted's best friend brian comes to town from germany this weekend...he'll be here for 3 weeks...and then there's cornerstone...yikes! there's so much going on...and so many shows i want to see!
today when i got home from work, i played tetris on game boy for i won't disclose how long...then i went to have dinner w/ ted @ trader joes during his 'lunch' break...they have really cheap rolls...there was this new one called wasabi shrimp roll that was absolutely yummy! they're like 3.79 or something for like 5 or 6 pieces...we ate outside on a bench watching the last few moments of the sunset...at 9:15pm it was still a sticky 87 degrees...ugh...
i could really use a cool refreshing shower...but i think i'll wait until morning...i'm wiped out...
i think i'm gonna hit the hay...
been listening to--
the execution of all things--rilo kiley
sleeping on roads--neil halsted
the photo album--death cab for cutie
when we were small--rosie thomas
s/t ep--the swords project
Monday, June 23, 2003 at 10:40PM i am southbound on a metra train as i write this...it is 5:30pm and i am on my way home from work...i gobbled up the last tidbits of seymour: an introduction by jd salinger on my way north to work and by virtue of lacking reading material, i am forced to write instead...i think i will make it a new habit...read one way to or from work, and write the other...this will keep me a well-rounded literary person, or so i hope...well, enough with the disclaimers and introductions...
so what's been going on...well...let's see...i don't recall what i did friday night...uhm..damn, my short term memory is becoming downright atrocious...oh yeah...we went to badabing! on north ave. for pizza...i remember going there w/ connolly & olarn when they first opened up last spring...back then it was little more than an 'upscale' fast italian food joint with high hopes...today, it's a hoppin' wicker park/bucktown night spot (i say this tongue in cheek), w/ a roof deck, patio seating, like 3 parking spaces, sofa lounge, bar, and even a dj and palm reader on the weekends...it's really one of those places that i consciously try to avoid because it has all the charm of a spruced up yugo and commands my interest at about the level of a thumb tack...i am no hipster and i don't play one on the latest reality tv show, but i am aware of the high probability that any interesting experience to be had at a place called badabing (outside the immediate company you may be keeping that night) will more likely than not have to do with the sheer ridiculousness of being at a place called badabing...
enough said on that...after pizza, we went to caffe de luca for dessert...ah...chocolate brownie w/ strawberry gelato on the eve of summer...with some live soft jazz unobtrusively setting the mood...amongst patrons for whom i could feel an immediate affinity (those warm affections being based on some one having the same appleseed cast button on her purse as mine)...lovely...
saturday afternoon was spent in the summer sun...playing drums...eating del reys and nachos in front of the tube watching animatrix...that's the series of 9 animated shorts related to the matrix the movie...the images and stories were disturbing...not exactly light saturday evening entertainment...
sunday, we (we being teddy & i) went to the hyde park vineyard...we ran into pete & amy & little elliot on the way in...we missed worship, which i would later regret because it was some kid from england (w/ an accent and everything) & peter nicholson (steve & cindy's son, my old pastors from evanston vineyard) on congas...oh well...rand was teaching from colossians...he managed to keep me from daydreaming for the entire teaching...in fact it was quite good...stirred up stuff...after church, teddy & i went to the noodle place on 57th and we talked about the service...i think it was a positive experience for both of us...i'm hoping to connect more w/ pete & amy in the future...anyways, i'm glad rand had a chance to meet ted...aud wasn't there though...oh well...maybe next time...
sun. night, teddy, his sis lauren and i went to see this funny movie called l'aberge espagnole or something...it's in french & it's a lotta fun...made us all wanna pack our bags and go hang out in europe...after the movie, we went to lauren's for cappucinos (lauren's quite a barista and cappucino master) and ice cream sundaes and talked and talked and talked...they gave me the whole family tree dissertation and i just love hearing stories on family histories, so i had a great time...i love spending time w/ lauren & teddy together because i see how they love each other & it's so sweet and it makes me happy to see siblings so devoted and kind to each other...
*****
now i'm home...doing laundry...getting ready to eat pasta and drink a whiskey sour...
been listening to--
summershine--VoL
get lost--the magnetic fields
Friday, June 20, 2003 at 1:26PM 
teddy & i went to see the nerves last night @ the double door...we played pool during the first opening band...i sucked on the first game, but i started getting the hang of it by the 2nd game...teddy finally won by sinking the 8 ball first, but i really almost won this time...anyways, the nerves were awesome...they make you wanna dance...i like the way elliot's sweat goes flying around while he's drumming, and every now and then you gotta steer clear cuz he can spit really far...and seth the bass player is just nuts...it was a fun show...kinda low key and relaxing for us...we didn't drink too much...not even enough to get tipsy...
when we left the show, i just felt inspired to take some photos while we were crossing six corners...then i had this idea that i would start a photo page of the shots i take in wicker park, cuz i love taking pictures in this neighborhood...so here's the page i started...i'll add more stuff later on...
my friend andrei @ work lent me his dvd of animatrix today! i can't wait to watch it this weekend!
teddy & i are going to hyde park vineyard for sure sunday...i wonder what's up over there...if i'm lucky, aud will be leading worship...it'll be great to see her again! i wish i knew where sam was...i better give that boy a call...
been listening to--
1000 hurts--shellac
telefono--spoon
p.s. i don't ever want to drive to work again, EVER...
Thursday, June 19, 2003 at 3:34PM 
holy schmoles...i got an email this afternoon from someone @ matador records (cat power, bardo pond, mogwai, gbv, the new pornographers, pretty girls make graves, interpol, pavement, to name a mere few)...the dude's working on a madator 5cd box set for gbv and is considering using my pictures from the metro show last may for the booklet!!! these are the photos he wants to use: photo1 photo2 photo3 and the one to the left here...
man...i remember that show...it was the first show i saw after my dad died...it was the day after the funeral...it was caleb who gently persuaded me to see that show...i also shot my morning jacket, and the photos from those two bands are among my all-time favorites that i've shot of live bands...thank you, caleb...even if matador doesn't end up using my photos, the fact they were interested enough to email me out of the blue is affirmation enough...
teddy was on the phone w/ me when i got the email and we freaked out together! ha ha! caleb was just telling me the other day to publish a book of chicago pics from the people's perspective...he said he'd buy a copy...which is silly cuz he'd get one for free from me if i ever did publish such a book...
in the meantime, here is another chicago photographer who's got me inspired...i'm tiddleywinks compared to her...
p.s. isn't it weird that i was listening to guided by voices yesterday and got that email today?
