15 posts tagged “chicago”

I've been finishing up what was a rather chill weekend compared to last.

Trying to obtain a Canadian passport. I've been meaning to for years but can't seem to get off this continent. Now the government reactions of the US and Canada to 9/11 has nudged the process along. Getting the passport now instead of later is sort of silver-lining-ish 'cos now I can leave when I want too.

The Cdn. Passport filing online is cool but you've got to find or hire everyone and/or their Veterinarian* to vouch for your authenticity (a guarantor) by signing your passport photo and and a "I've know this person for two years, minimum," document, vouching for me being me. Um. Right. After a lot of time at Passport Canada and "The I Was Born Outside of Canada...What Does That Make Me? sections. I've read for myself what a woman that I met in Madison, Wisconsin at a John Kerry-Bruce Springsteen rally told me(!)--If you have your kid in a country not Canada the kid is still Canadian. They've amended the rules to first generation only--which means both my boys went from Americans to Canadians in an evening (without filling or applying for anything). The household has shifted from 3 Americans/1 Canadian to 3 Canadians/1 American. Hee!

But still 3 men/ 1 female. Bah.

So both sons are American here but Canadian in Canada though Canada "suggests" getting a Canadian passport which I am doing because I have to for me. The suggestion is followed up by a hypothetical allusion to, "What if you need the Consulate? You'd best be a Canadian citizen with a Canadian Passport."

Right now, my really slow photo printer is cranking out eight pages of Canadian Passport Application.

Today (Monday) is drive to Cary, IL and pay a lot of money to get my hair done in multi-colours. I'll get passport photos after my roots are touched up though vanity will win out and it won't be today.

Both my kids are first-generation-in-a-foreign-country Canadian, Too Funny. Talk about learning something new each day. Their kids however have to file papers by age 28 in order not to lose their Canadian-ness.

 

* Your vet--on the list of people that have "known you well enough--2 yrs.minimum" to vouch for you. Aww.

The weather blows. Literally. Warm tonight--icky, wet cold tommorow and allergy season as well.

A piece of the weekend:

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a sort of kindergarten explanation of technology/the Internet. I learned for example, that pixel is short for picture element, "pix" for "pictures". Woo, huh?

 

 

 

 

 

From what I saw of it, an Earth's weather replica--a newer exhibit, I hadn't realized it was a program where 'ya sit for a while--and we had to chose-- to go to the one we'd already tickets for--a dinosaur film. Have you ever heard of the "the monstrous Tylosaurus?". Next time, Earth! lol. 

 

 

 

  

Close enough.

 

Sea Monsters chase "Dollies" (Dolichorhynchops)

IMAX is fun. If I were motivated to drive to the city and pay $20 to park at Navy Pier I'd go see U2 in IMAX splendor. Maybe...I have to think on it. Trying to save and that doesn't cut it. It's "Can't go, am saving." Present tense. Meh.

Sea Monsters~ The film follows a family of Dolichorhynchops, also known informally as “Dollies,” as they traverse ancient waters populated with saber- toothed fish, prehistoric sharks and giant squid. On their journey the Dollies encounter other extraordinary sea creatures: lizard-like reptiles called Platecarpus that swallowed their prey whole like snakes; Styxosaurus with necks nearly 20 feet long and paddle- like fins as large as an adult human; and at the top of the food chain, the monstrous Tylosaurus, a predator with no enemies. Merging ultra-high-resolution 3-D graphics with compelling imagery and powerful storytelling, the film is an unforgettable prehistoric adventure.

 

 

 

We are having weather of the unpleasant kind. Brrr! No walk tonight.

 

Nasty wind chill--minus 27 F. Look how close we (red star) are to International Falls--the "coldest city in the lower 48 states"! We are way too close to that place. :/

Have a long weekend due to Martin Luther King Day and an extra taken off by both spouse and son. Right now we are finally busting open and watching some Christmas DVD's. I'd chosen the majority of them as stocking stuffers. Honestly, it takes this long to recover and catch up from the holidays.

Later in the long weekend we are heading to the the city. It's still going to be very, very cold.

I lurve the First Season/First Episode of Six Feet Under, titled "Six Feet Under~The Pilot" so we started watching that tonight. The "commericals" are among many stellar moments; I like the macabre-ness of the after-death products. I haven't been to a burial in awhile and until viewing this episode when it first aired in 2001, I hadn't even known that one can shake dirt from a can onto the top of the almost-lowered-in-the-ground casket! That, and the spot for "Wound Filler." Completely droll in it's execution and devastating in it's implications, the wound filler commercial was indirectly alluded to throughout the series every time a glimpse was caught of a body on a table being "puttied" with it. I totally :heart: this show--it's completely unique and I miss it. So thank you 2008 Hollywood writer's strike. It'll make a great substitute for just about any show and even then, Six Feet Under is in a class of it's own.

Above: Richard Jenkins (Nate Fisher), Michael C. Hall (David Fisher)

Show us a good time.

Coming home.

 

Show us a cityscape.

 

Reflection of Chicago's Lake Front Skyline in Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate

 

 

Bean At Night~ Seams Finally Finished!

The Chicago skyline is reflected in it

 

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Went to the city today. The 40 minute ride took two hours due to the World Championship something something football semi finals gold cup...yada yada. I was a bit unhappy as I didn't get a chance to get the photos I was hoping to take in the Museum Campus area. I can always find a metered spot to park around there but today all the meters were covered and the adjacent city-owned lot more than doubled the $12 parking fee to $30! So free museum week but price-gouging parking fees. I see how that works. Thank you King Mayor Daley.

On a more optimistic note we then headed north to the Millennium Park area, easily found a spot ($17 for 8 hrs) and then got some Jamba Juice because I really. needed. to. chill. It helped. Took in all the beauty that is the Grant/Millennium Park area, got some unexpected snaps that I'll get to later. For now I'll post some pics of Crown

Fountain and a little girl with a blue bow in her hair. *sigh*

 

 

 

We--the spouse, the kid, the dog, and I-- took a nice walk after dinner tonight down through the woods on the newish bike/walking trail next to Salt Creek. I was hoping for some good photos but my game is really off.

 

Thank goodness we are heading in to the city tomorrow afternoon. It's been free museum week and though we'll only be able to stay for an hour or so at the Adler Planetarium (if all goes as planned) we'll then head over to Millennium Park so I can try to get some sunset shots near Anish Kapoor's Outdoor art sculpture, Cloud Gate .                       

The Art Institute is right across the street from the park and it's free and open 'till 9 p.m. on Thurs & Fridays so I'm hoping to have the boys chill out at Crown Fountain (below) while I get a glimpse of the photographic exhibit, The Earth As It Was. Not that I don't enjoy Crown Fountain but I'm jonesing for some time at the Art Institute and both my spouse and son want little-to-nothing to do with it. Both guys are very much left-brain thinkers.

 

Spouse is a good shot (technically, he's far better than me) so we are bringing both the Powershot 630 and the Nikon D-70. I just made notes of some of the possibly better spots to shoot including the North Terrace at the Adler Planertarium so we shall see what turns up.

And I just realized that tomorrow is the June/Summer Solstice and the Planetarium will probably be packed. Spouse is going to think I meant to do this. :p  I'm gonna keep a positive attitude though as generally once I get past the traffic getting in to Chicago, I have no problem getting around and dealing with whatever. And I always have fun. Always. :)

 

 

 

The Sears Tower, since 9/11 the tallest building building in the US (it held that distinction prior to the making of the World Trade Center, too).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Too bad they didn't win...we had a great dinner and good company for the game, anyway.

It was about 5 degrees on Super Bowl Sunday when I took these snaps. Some I took from the car on account of the cold and our party date. I wish I'd had the time to take a proper picture of Anish Kapoor's, Cloudgate, nicknamed "The Bean," but alas, it was trafficy and with the extreme temps and our time for arrival at my bro and sil's set for kickoff time, it would have been rude.