Rust Belt Gingerbread Spectacular 2009!

As good a time as any to explain what photos I post here and which I post on my Flickr pages. (This discussion takes place in the alternate universe where I've actually been posting 2-4 photoblogs a week here, not the real one where I'm so overwhelmed by the 1000+ photos I often take a week that I barely know where to start...) On Flickr I post images "artistic" enough to stand alone, and/or images that document an event or place I think needs to be documented in a way that will allow people to 1) easily search for it on Flickr 2) conveniently comment on it.

But photos that group well together and/or tell a story work well here (may include ones I've posted or will post to Flickr)...and that means I put some here that I don't quite want to "waste" space on Flickr for. Such as, well, a Stanley Cup in gingerbread, as you'll see later. Interesting enough to post, but I'm not putting a gingerbread Stanley Cup on Flickr unless it's one I make myself when--oh, you know when.

The first set of photos was taken in the Tower City shopping center in downtown Cleveland, after 7 a.m. on Sat. Dec. 5, after an overnight ride from Chicago on Megabus, long before the stores opened. Needless to say, this gingerbread display was a tad eerie at that hour.

After a Greyhound ride through Akron and Youngstown, both of which I once again really wished I could explore for real, I was in Pittsburgh, with all afternoon to kill in lousy weather before heading to Mellon Arena. I'd thought of going to the Heinz History Museum, but all the holiday displays downtown were tempting, especially when I saw a huge gingerbread structure exhibit. A lot of it was in window displays across from the ice rink and Christmas tree, while some was indoors with an impressive model train layout running through it.

LOTS of sports...here's PNC Park, where the Pirates play

 

And a Steelers fan

And where the Steelers play

Out of gingerbread, someone made...giant non-gingerbread cookies. Ridiculous? Brilliant?

The window display had a few trains running by

And a gingerbread trolley

And...yes. "Hail to the Chief"

And there's the Stanley Cup! But I didn't see a gingerbread Mellon Arena

But there's PPG Place, where the exhibit was

For comparison...

The Titanic? Wow. Okay, time to see the indoor display...

 "Christmas at McDonald's"

This was pretty nice

PPG Place again, this time more realistic

 

Gingerbread White House, with Santa stuck in the chimney

A diner! And other architecture, beautifully done

Gingerbread trains!

Real trains! Er, real model trains. This one, a streamliner, was my favorite.

I guess it's betterlatethannever around here

this was taken at my first visit to the Hideout in Chicago post-election. my friend Mike and I were there for the reappearance of beloved local literary event the Dollar Store. I needed a shot of this and Mike made the excellent point to make sure the Old Style sign was visible...two Chicago favorites. (this became one of my most popular photos on Flickr; I hope a few "random Europeans"--the people who show up commenting on some of my photos that make it into Explore--will check out the Hideout if they're in Chicago!)

From Obama

and then Inauguration Day. I'd wanted to be there taking photos even though I knew it'd be intense...but I just didn't put much effort (looking at listings for D.C. and Baltimore hostels the days after Election Day, then doing nothing) on how to get there or if anyone I knew from Chicago was going. and then I didn't go to any celebrations in Chicago, not in the Loop, not in Hyde Park. I just watched it and tried to get a few shots of the moments...and it went so fast.

From Obama

so I didn't have to deal with this.

From Obama

I tried to set up some shots with the Obama (wait, wait, how long till all the spellcheck programs I use ACTUALLY RECOGNIZE "OBAMA"? this is getting old) family paper dolls (really!) but that didn't work. I didn't go to any parties but I watched this WGN report from one and I can honestly say I've never seen any of the local Chicago anchors in a dress like this one. well, it was a day to dress up, I suppose. if I'd done more than go out to get coffee and books about trains at the downtown library, I might have.

From Obama

and then later (this was 1/31), on one of those crazy Metra-riding weekends I should be writing about, after getting back to Millennium Station, I walked past Macy's/Field's on State and saw these windows. glad I got this, it was gone next time.

From Obama

sorry I didn't have more to report on the historic day of history, or closer to it, but I figured it was well covered elsewhere. oh, and if you've followed my Flickr you've noticed I've switched almost exclusively to lowercase photo titles, usually lowercase captions, sometimes lowercase comments. yet I've never been into the all-lowercase thing, though there are others I think can get away with it. I don't know, hope it's not grating, it's what I'm used to now. actually I think it's a trick to fool myself into acting like my blog is like my Flickr, and is as easy and rewarding...whatever it takes to get me back here...soon I'll be getting back into reading your blogs, and adding some long-overdue ones to the blogroll...

Election day photodiary

Election Day, I more than made up for my lack of campaign/Barack Obama-related photos taken this year. I originally posted this without captions, but now I've added them. All images were captured on Nov. 4 (or early Nov. 5), and are in chronological order. You'll note I wasn't actually in the celebratory rally in Grant Park.

part one: vote
No lines at my polling place (an apartment building) very close by. In fact, the whole process took 20 minutes, including walking and taking photos outside. Voting itself only took 10 of those minutes, and of those, most was taken up by: sitting on a couch to fill out the ballot and realizing I was probably supposed to use the booth-like thing; realizing I knew next-to-nothing about all but the top few contests on the ballot; wondering if I should vote Green on those to support the theoretical idea of a major third party; being amused that a candidate (not who I voted for) for the Water Reclamation District was named "Clearwater"; leaving everything about judges blank and feeling bad about it; wondering if I made an error on one part and panicking I'd have to fill out another ballot. It went through the machine fine, I got my receipt, and left.

There were a few free goodies to be had with a ballot slip, but the only one I got was a Starbucks coffee, grabbed at the Damen/North store before catching the Milwaukee bus downtown. It occurred to me I could do that over and over again, getting free coffee at different locations, but only had the one. I was wired enough later anyway...

part two: Kenwood/Hyde Park

I picked up a fancy sandwich in Kenwood at a place that turns out be right by Eric (of "reallyboring" fame), so I dropped by for a little bit, finally seeing the apartment that's been in so many of his Flickr 365 Days shots. He was on his way to an election night party and we walked there, noticing the extra security and street closures near the Obama house.

I stopped by the Hyde Park Borders--not much of an Obama display--and the Walgreens, drawn in by the sign. Yes, there was lots of Obama merchandise.

His books, next to a pet foot care item. (Same display a few days later.)

Many styles of sweatshirts and t-shirts. (Some of these, and many new designs, there several days later. Costing at least $5 more.)

Stickers and buttons and a stray Valentine's-like balloon. (These were all gone later in the week, but there were plenty of new commemorative magazines.)

I hadn't seen this style of hat elsewhere, so I bought one. Total with tax, $6.12. (Later in the week, bought another, for $10 + tax.)

part three: in the Loop, pre-rally

So I headed from Hyde Park to the Loop on a very crowded (I got a seat!) #6 bus. People were very excited, and even cheered when it was announced Pennsylvania went to Obama. I got out in the South Loop and peeked at TVs showing news (of course I'd been listening to it, mostly NPR, all day).

Outside the Hilton, Michigan Ave.

The crowds were pouring in for the rally at Grant Park. I didn't have a ticket, nor had I tried to get one, nor was I trying to get in, or even to cross to the other side of the street. I just wanted to observe the excitement...

Walking further north...

Leaving, walking into the Loop, observing streets shut down. I wanted to go home for a bit to watch news, record stuff, and upload the photos I had already.

part four: the news (at home)

So when the news finally broke, I was half paying attention--looking online, watching TV, listening to NPR all at once. The actual moment seemed underwhelming. I'm sure it would have been more exciting if I hadn't been alone...but I did get a call from a friend before long.

I checked a blog first...then realized I should go to all the major news sites immediately and get screenshots of the news.








part five: post-rally

I took the same bus back downtown, but by the time I got back the rally was basically over. But again, still an interesting scene for photos. Much celebrating...




I always like an "aftermath" shot. (I liked the angle, and the "real power," here.)

I wondered where the powerful smell of onions was coming from. Turned out it was the median strip filled with decorative chive plants, a bit crushed by now.

Finding a restroom in the Loop after midnight isn't the easiest thing, but I knew Metra stations would work. I decided to go into the Van Buren station--I've passed through it on trains before, but never actually been in the station. I actually had to go through (minimal) security to get in--making sure I didn't have any glass bottles of booze or whatever.

Plenty of merchandise from official and unofficial vendors was available. I found a giant "HOPE" poster slightly crumpled in a box and took it (buying one would have only been $5).

The hot-off-the-presses Tribunes were available outside the L station, 2 for $1 (the Trib is normally 75 cents). I wanted one to commemorate the moment and get this shot, and thought friends outside of town might like some, but didn't want to carry much stuff, so I only bought one, biggest mistake ever when I wound up spending hours and hours the next day fruitlessly searching for papers in a far-flung corner of the city (well, I did find one copy of the Tribune, and Polish and Spanish papers). I can't believe I only bought one. Oh well. A different version of this became my "most interesting" photo on Flickr, my first to get more than 20 favorites, and comments from people around the world congratulating America. I wish I'd done more that day to actually be social, it would have been nice to be in Grant Park for the big moments, but I'm happy with what I did.