Going far, far away!

Seen on South Wabash
Originally uploaded by katherine of chicago

For less than two days. I'll be back Friday. I very much needed to get out of town right now, in fact it seems essential for my mental health (though I haven't felt depressed in over a week, I should point out), farther away than Northwest Indiana, much as I've enjoyed that. If this trip is as exciting as my anticipation has built up for it (that grammar is tortuous, I'm sure), perhaps I'll divide everything into "before" and "after" this trip. I should be back with tons of photos (uh, on Flickr) Friday, for now enjoy this shot that has nothing to do with anything, but is quite pretty, no matter how often it's been photographed (um, read the comments on it).

Great Chicago places, spaces (and books)

So, uh, what are you doing this weekend? (free tours!)
Originally uploaded by katherine of chicago

I THINK I've kept photos of myself off this blog (except for the profile); I figure there's enough shots of me elsewhere on the Internet. But since this shot's more about the dress and the books than me, I'll allow it. Reaching a new degree of laziness here, I'll just post the caption that's on the actual Flickr photo:

This'll be my 3rd year of going to the Loop early Sat. and Sun. to go on Great Chicago Places & Spaces tours. You can go on two free tours per day. Many are exclusive for this weekend. I've been on tours about threatened buildings, the CTA, new construction, city planning, historic districts...There are a lot of amazing speakers, and chances to see building interiors you usually wouldn't get to. Besides Chicago architecture and history (ethnic groups, railroads, bridges, cemeteries, parks, universities, industry...), there are tours focusing on art, food, fashion, and movies. You might not get into all the ones you wanted (I never get the Pullman tours!), but there's a lot to choose from. (There were some with advance online registration, but I always miss out on that.)
www.greatchicagoplaces.us

Anyway...I'll be at the event headquarters (Chicago Architecture Foundation, 224 S. Michigan) both days, seeing what I can get into. I'd love to meet new Flickr people [or from other places I'm on the Internet] or hang out with those I already know. But I probably won't be wearing this whimsical dress I recently got for $1.10 in the Village Discount thrift store in Hammond.

I don't know if this photo makes sense, but I wanted something other than a scan of the booklet to promote this, and any excuse to show off collections of books...This is nearly all my Chicago nonfiction (3 stacks). I was dismayed to realize I've only actually read 14 of these 110 books--but a lot of them are photo books and travel guides, stuff you don't necessarily read cover-to-cover (though I hope to someday!).

Sports, again?

Homerun! We must all take photos!
Originally uploaded by katherine of chicago

I went to two Cubs games, my first ever, last month. And now I've had my first trip to U.S. Cellular Field in 16 or 17 years, since back when it was the "new Comiskey," and I was visiting with a school group from Iowa, and they hadn't added the roof to the upper deck so it seemed terrifyingly steep...Sox beat the Twins, 6-2.

Anyway, as I always say, more about this later. I just wanted to get that personal post off the top of the page since people don't usually want to comment on personal posts anyway. This is my favorite shot from the day, a rare photo of the elusive Ponytails and Pink Cameras League in action. (I was wearing a pink sweater and raincoat when I took this, and my hair was in a ponytail, but I didn't take this with a pink camera--I actually own one, I've just never gone out to shoot with it.)