Cookies

Today my coworker brought in gingerbread man cookies. However, all of the cookies had the heads detached from their bodies. I'm not sure whether to enjoy them or be worried.

Regardless, they still taste really good.

Hotels

Everytime I pass by this hotel, I always find it odd that such a run down looking place would be located right off Michigan Ave. I'm sure it's hardly a reflection of the kinds of hotels you can find in Tokyo either.

Local News

I was doing some last minute Christmas shopping last night when I came across a group of people just standing outside of the local news station, Channel 7. I'm not sure if they just wanted to watch the anchors deliver the nightly news, or possibly get camera time on a local station, but it was way too cold last night to stand outside and do anything.

Holiday Party

This was taken at this restaurant in Streeterville called Grand Luxe. It's right off Michigan Ave. Our department had our "holiday party" there this year. Though it was hardly festive, at least the food was good.

Birthdays

Today was my friend's birthday at this place downtown in the loop called Emerald. It's a shame that as I've gotten older, the only time I really hang out with my friends is when it is their birthday. I need to make the effort to spend time with them more.

Tourists

A friend from out of town came to Chicago for some work conferences that she had to attend. She hadn't been around downtown for almost 10 years, so we decided to go to Millennium Park. It was probably the worst day to bring anyone around to play tourist because the weather was horrible. It was raining, foggy, and cold. This was taken on the bridge that connects to the Art Institute of Chicago.

Zipcars

Since I don't have or need a car in the city, I use a Zipcar to get around if I need a car for a short amount of time. It's so convenient and allows me to see parts of Chicago I wouldn't normally see if I were walking or taking public transportation. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend doing this, but I took this while I was at a red light. It was right under the "L" train on Wells by Merchandise Mart. Luckily there were no cops nearby.

Chicago River

I always pass this view on the bridge between Wacker and Kinzie on Wells on my way to the bus stop, but never really stop and enjoy it. I'm glad I did this time.

I probably should have stopped longer to focus.

Perfection

I was sitting in the dermatologist office when I noticed all of these brochures of different procedures that they offer. Apparently, this dermatologist in Chicago is known for his liposuction work. It's hard to not look around at everyone else in the waiting room and wonder what they could possibly be in there "fixing." In case you're wondering, I was just there to zap a pimple away.

Done

I was eating at the cafeteria at the hospital that I work at when I took this quick photo through the window. Across the large field that looks like it could be an ice skating rink is the Playboy building. It's only been 4 days since the first snowfall, I am completely over this cold snap that we've been having. Although, 11 degrees in Chicago is hardly a coldsnap compared to what it will be later on this winter. Even my dog doesn't want to go outside when it gets below 0.

Snow

Unfortunately for me, my dog loves the snow, which also means the walks are extra long. Today was the first snowfall that actually stuck to the ground. Most of the time, it's just slushy around the city.

Lunch

If I go to the northside of Michigan Ave on my lunch break, I like to cut across the Seneca Playlot Park right in front of the Contemporary Art Museum. According to the Chicago Park District website, the name of the park is from the adjacent Seneca Street which was named for the Iroquois tribe of upstate New York.

Butterfly Sushi

Tonight I went to my favorite BYOB sushi restaurant called Butterfly Sushi in the River West neighborhood. When my friends and I do go there, we always make sure we bring a bottle of almond wine from Trader Joe's.

Cold

It wasn't even below 0 this morning but I decided to take a cab to work. This was my view from the backseat of a cab of Michigan Ave.

Rush Hour

I stopped in the middle of a crowd of commuters who were rushing to the trains to catch this shot. I was drawn to the lights because they were constantly changing colors. Right before I had taken this, the lights had resembled an American flag.

Sunday Traditions

For the past 4 years, I have gone to the Maxwell Street Market on Roosevelt and Des Plaines. Rain or shine, this market is open year round.

Along with this photo, this guy had a box of old wedding photos of random couples which I thought was an odd thing to sell. I was tempted to buy this one though.

No matter how cold or warm it is outside, she is constantly outside dancing. She needs a new stereo though.

This lady was selling these puppies for $120. What was even more disturbing is that she had more in her backpack.

What I actually came to the market for. The gordita was okay, but the champurrado made up for what the gordita lacked. Ignore the festive table cloth.