Chicago - from Canal Street under Whole Foods parking lot

Why I can't stop loving this town:

Under the Whole Foods parking lot, Canal Street at Roosevelt Road

Train at Canal and Roosevelt

Metra Train posing for me, Canal Street at Roosevelt Road

Maple Seed Sculpture

Sculpture in front of Dominicks
Originally uploaded by SandyJasmine

Seen near Dominick's at Roosevelt and Canal Street. I used to throw the maple seeds up in the air and let them fall like helicopters. Okay, I admit it. I still throw the seeds up in the air and watch them whirl down to the ground.

The buildings in the background are Presidential Towers 

--Originally published on 7/25/08

Mario's Italian Lemonade

Mario's Italian Lemonade
Originally uploaded by SandyJasmine

Taylor Street, Chicago's Little Italy. Mario's Italian Lemonade -- a Chicago legend.








--Originally posted on 7/3/08

Good Humor truck

Good Humor truck
Originally uploaded by SandyJasmine

Seeing the Good Humor man in The Loop got me all nostalgic.

When I was a kid in Evanston, the Good Humor ice cream truck came by every night in summer.

We kids came pouring out the doors when we heard the bells jingle. Joe was our Good Humor Man. He wore a crisp white uniform with a white cap.

--Originally published on 7/25/08

Trump Tower Almost Done

Trump and Wrigley
Originally uploaded by SandyJasmine

Trump Tower dwarfs the Wrigley Building and IBM Tower to the right of it.

--Originally posted in 2008

Bridge at Wacker Drive

Bridge at Wacker Drive 

A water taxi just went under the bridge. Chicago River at Wacker.
--Originally published 8/7/08

More Shots of the City I Love

Originally published on 2/14/09:













Trump Tower is finally just about finished. From left; a bit of Marina City, IBM Tower. Trump Tower is flying the Chicago flag and the American flag.



Do the twin buildings look like salt shakers, or do you think they look like corn cobs? To the right is Marina City, IBM Tower, and Trump Tower.



IBM Tower, Trump Tower

The King and Queen of Mardi Gras

These two were coming out of the Westin River North, Chicago. Their hands were laden with goodies to toss for Mardi Gras. 

Mardi Gras in Chicago. Any party is all right by me.






Originally posted February 4, 2009

Street Man

October 1, 2008.
I saw him sleeping on the street. He was selling the magazines he was laying on.

When he sat up, I gazed into his deep eyes. It looked like one eye was blind. But if only his eyes could speak.

The Lady and the Flowers

Here's the sweetheart who takes care of the beautiful flowers at Dominicks . The roses were $19.99 a dozen last week, and $9.99 a dozen this week. Maybe Cupid got $10.00 for each bouquet sold.

They're starting early with the tulips this year. Nothing like tulips and daffys to make me feel like spring when the thermometer says 19 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sears Tower shot from Dominicks on Roosevelt and Canal and the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile at the Target Parking Lot near O'Hare

Originally posted March 4, 2009:
I'm having my lunch in the cafe at Dominick's, the grocery store on Roosevelt Road and Clark Streets in the city. From here I can see the Sears Tower, the tallest building in the United States. This is how it looks out the window where I'm having my lunch.

Strawberries were on sale for $1.49 a pound. Some carrot sticks and soup from the deli round things out.

When I'm driving for a road show downtown Chicago, it's easiest to have lunch here or at Whole Foods because there are parking lots.

Road Shows: I mostly drive investment bankers. They bring their clients to make their pitches to the big banks and institutional fund managers.




Here's the Weinermobile at the new Target on Manheim Road near O'Hare airport.



It was sitting in the parking lot at Target unattended.



Great smile :)

There's Something about Rain and McDonald's

There's something about a rainy day that makes me feel like snapping pictures. Gray and rainy, nothing to do but take pictures.

Sometimes I think I have a McDonald's obsession.
Okay, not just sometimes. And I don't just think it, I know it. I love McDonald's for breakfast. I order a side order of scrambled eggs. That's healthy enough, yes? A snack is from the dollar menu. They have a lovely yogurt and fruit parfait, delicious. And for a really decadent snack , the fries! The rock and roll Mc Donald's downtown Chicago has free parking and a fabulous view from the second floor, comfy furniture. There's a perennial garden planted, with flowering prairie plants and grasses. Oh, and did I mention free wi-fi? Maybe I can take a picture of every McDonald's in Chicago! Best of all, McDonald's has clean bathrooms.

Bathrooms are hugely important when you are a chauffeur. I am a bathroom connoisseur. I can tell you which hotels have easy access bathrooms, which ones are luxurious, which ones are so so. One fancy hotel bathroom has a great nude painting of Orpheus. Some hotels are minimalist. One hotel looks like an Ikea store.

It's been rainy all day. On sunny days I never remember to take pictures. But on rainy days... well, you get the idea.

In Rosemont, Illinois, you can see a giant rose from the highway.






The Rosemont rose, next to a McDonald's

Chicago Owl

Chicago Owl
Originally uploaded by SandyJasmine

As soon as I had a free minute when I was near O'Hare, I drove back to the woods. I was hoping to see the owl I disturbed yesterday, the owl that was in the old log I sat on to tie my shoe. At first I didn't see him. I sat on the old log I sat on yesterday to tie my shoe. No wild flapping like yesterday. I was disappointed. I got up to go home, when to my delight, there he was again. At first I didn't get too close.

I got a little braver, and moved in a little closer.







He was so cute, I just wanted to scritch him between the ears, like a cat.

Southwest Evanston blurring into West Rogers Park

This is my first post on this blog in ages! 

If any of you are still reading this, give me a shout out!

 Wondering if I can get a Kosher hot dog whistle.The Lubavitchers from Lubavitch Chabad are all over our old hood. More in West Rogers park than Southwest Evanston. The lines were so blurred there, anyways. There is also a Menorah-mobile that drives around the neighborhood during Chanukah.

Here's one of the mitzvah mobiles, seen on California Avenue near Howard Street.
You know about the Evanston half-Kosher Jewel Food Store, right? It's on Howard Street, between Dodge and McCormick.

The MitzvahMobile

It's Been a Long Time!

Some random street scenes in Chicago for you. I drove home from Oak Park all the way down Chicago Avenue to downtown.

St. Nicholas Church, off Chicago Avenue.

John Hancock Building from below, and the Chicago flag.

View from the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building overlooking Navy Pier

Oak Street Beach from the top of the Hancock Building

Hyacinths in school colors - at Northwestern University in Evanston