Storm Chicago

Storm Center
Wednesday, around 06:00 p.m. I heard the storm siren go off, for the first time I can ever remember, downtown. I tuned into CH 5 weather and saw the tornado warning for Cook County - also a first. This is what I saw when I looked out: (Notice all the lights are out, downtown. There is always a band of light at the top of the Hancock and the other tall buildings)!

We didn't experience any noticeable wind, like last Friday's storm, just a lot of lightening. Awesome!

Lakefront Twister

These photos are from the wind damage from last Friday, (June 18), off the lakefront bike path between Lawrence and Wilson. Click to expand. This is what it looked like at 7:00 a.m. The wind cut through, taking the top of the sign off Weiss hospital (@ Sheridan Rd), and took out a swatch of trees all the way to the waterfront:

Lakefront Biketrail	Bikepath Looking S	Lakefront Biketrail
Lakefront Biketrail	Lakefront Biketrail	Lakefront Biketrail
Lakefront Biketrail	Bikepath Looking N	Weiss Hospital

Paw Paw Patch: #2

Coffee Sites Seen:

Andersonville Power St'uck-ers, Irene and Logan. He is a Yorktese - (Yorkie + Maltese) Designer Puppy. She said she walked into one of these "Designer Puppy" places, the other day . . . There is a Pocket Puppy store in Lincoln Park, I've walked by, many times, (possibly here) and she saw him playing out on the floor, and he went right up to her and put his little paw out - like trying to say "Hi", and it was all over. I Googled Designer Puppy Boutique in Chicago (no affiliation):

Pocket Puppies

2479 N Clark

Chicago, IL 60614

773-857-1519

Thanks Irene and Logan! Look at that wittle face!!! Here is the link to a shelter near Andersonville, if you're thinking this is all too yurbane:

Red Door Shelter, 2410 W Lunt, Rogers Pk

Or check out, below:

Tree House No Kill Humane Society: 1212 West Carmen Avenue, Chicago - (773) 784-5488

Day-cay #1: Uptown Neighborhood Chicago

Uptown Map

Uptown Theater

Monday's bike ride to Borders in "Uptown" brought me to the corner where three of the largest theaters in the country are all visible. (From the Starbucks corner).

1. Uptown Theater, 2. Aragon Ballroom, and 3. Riviera Theater.

Note: The landmark
Uptown Theater is second largest only to Radio City Music Hall in the U.S.! It is in various stages of renovation. The iron grating has sections missing where the individual letters used to spell out "U-P-T-O-W-N" (running down the right side). Click to Enlarge.
FYI: This is across the street from where Universal filmed the bank robbery scene from

"Public Enemies" starring Johnny Depp, last summer. Click title to check out the Uptown Theatre Group.

Uptown Borders

The Uptown Borders Books is in another classic landmark building in Uptown - the old Goldblatts (remember them) building! This is the ultimate Borders in Chicago, as far as trying to get the look and feel of the 'hood down, while invading it, at the same time. It's right across the street from the Uptown Theater. And right next door to another classic icon - The Riviera Theater.



Wanna see what it looked like back then?

Some Photos I Took of Uptown

Uptown Theater	Uptown Theater	Full Uptown Theater
Aragon Ballroom	Borders Books	Borders Books
Borders	Riviera Theater	Riviera Theater looking W
Uptown Bank	Uptown Bank	Uptown Bank
Uptown Corner	Uptown Starbucks (Lawrence & Clark)	Formerly Uptown Bank (St'ucks in here)
Old Uptown Natl Bank Lobby	Filming Public Enemies	Filming Public Enemies (Newport & Clark)
Filming Public Enemies (Newport & Clark)	Filming Public Enemies (Newport & Clark)	Filming Public Enemies (Newport & Clark)
Filming Public Enemies (Newport & Clark)	Filming Public Enemies (Newport & Clark)

Spiderman

Continuing Monday's bike ride to Borders in "Uptown". Entering Starbucks across Clark: Sometimes, all ya have to do is look UP . . .

The Bank Robbery scene from Universal's "Public Enemy" starring Johnny Depp was shot here last summer. Click "Spiderman" title for link to some really cool pics of the filming.  Click thumbnails to Enlarge:

Uptown Natl Bank Bldg	Uptown Natl Bank Bldg	Uptown Natl Bank Bldg
Uptown Natl Bank Bldg	Uptown Natl Bank Bldg	Uptown Natl Bank Bldg
Uptown Natl Bank Bldg	Uptown Natl Bank Bldg	Uptown Natl Bank Bldg

Last Photo: From inside Starbucks - you can see the cables dangling.

Paw Paw Patch: #1

This is the first in a series called the "Paw Paw Patch." Sometimes ya just can't help but notice . . .

This is Puss Puss . . .

She insists she's a Russian Blue, but her papers have mysteriously disappeared. She stays busy filing personal injury law suits and is currently compiling secret dossiers on animal control and DCFS. In her spare time, she enjoys sitting in dirt piles, slinging butcher cut, fresh catfish nuggets from her bowl, scratching her ears so they get crusty, and batting at the red and white ribbons tied to the fan. She has a bowl that spins.