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.