Defrost

Chicago is in defrost mode and the snow is becoming little more than ground water and memories.  Rain has taken over the precipitation spotlight, setting up shop over the city, where it plans to remain for at least another week.

Today’s commute pictures come courtesy of my new Holga, an odd little all-plastic camera similar to [...]

No Winter Nostalgia

Yesterday I was feeling nostalgic for winter. The sun – it shined! The sky – it blued! The temperature – it climbed! Suddenly I became anxious for the missed opportunities as winter slipped away. I should have taken more icy pictures and, I don’t know, made snow angels and stuff. [...]

Today’s Beauty

Today is a beautiful day. Not only because it looks like this…

Also because the most beautiful, kindest, awesomest person was born today – 30 years ago! – my sister, Stephanie.

What made your day beautiful?

Off and On with Ms. Oma

Fresh falling and rapidly accumulating snow on Monday and Wednesday caused me to abandon Oma for the L train. I simply don’t like riding in fresh snowy conditions for safety reasons. Smushed and standing up on the train, I was not a happy camper, but I’m grateful to have a public transportation option [...]

Lay to Rest Your Puddle Fears

How to make a mess: mix snow, rain, sleet, and some more snow. Vary temperatures wildly. Add a heaping dose of cars and a dash of city grit. Voila, a mess.

The stage is set for cyclists to become victims of the unattractive skunk tail. If you want to avoid [...]

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy…

Today I’ve been singing forlornly, “Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy…” The grim gray skies try to beat it out of me, but John Denver prevails.

The lyrics and mood reminded me of this post from last year.  I remember I felt like I would never, ever be warm again.  Looking back, the date [...]

Icy mornings

We have had more chilly, wet weather this past week or so. And while I know it’s nothing compared to the rest of the country, it makes for treacherous biking conditions! The other day I took a few snaps of my own Lake Michigan-style ice installation. And yes, I had to walk it through.

It’s snowing, [...]

A Rare Winter Ride with Betty Foy

Today I rode to Evanson, a city north of Chicago, to hang out with Holly (who writes the blog Dancing Gypsies), where we had a fun time looking through book shops and clothing boutiques.  Since the distance was long and the streets totally clear of ice, I rode Betty Foy and took the most direct [...]

Happy Presidents Day

In honor of Presidents Day, I’m blogging midday. Oooh, fun. Here are some pictures I took at Navy Pier last week. The wind was fierce and snow was heavy, so I was the only one outside there. This is my first roll of film from a * gasp * film camera. [...]

Happy Valentine’s Day

All the heart-shaped boxes of chocolate goodness will be half off tomorrow. Treat yourself.