Chicago Photos!

[bloodyrosemccoy]

So! Chicago was pretty fun to visit, I must say. I only spent a couple of days there, but they were pretty enjoyable even if god DAMN my feet hurt.



What is it with skyscrapers? I mean, they look awfully pretty, yes. But to someone who is used to a large sprawling suburban valley surrounded by mountains, they also look like an attempt to give some kind of shape to a flat place. Plus, I'm not used to buildings that take up whole blocks (even small, non-Salt Lake City blocks). But maybe it was just my TOO MANY HUMANS reaction kicking in.

And so many of them are named after companies. Which is just ... telling, I guess.



I like this one just because it's some weird hybrid, and the older one on the left has the nickname of "The Gothic Rocket."





A nice view of the river. --Hey, look! They've got boat rides!



Call me a medical nerd, but the first thing I wanted to look at was the Museum of Surgical Science. Lots of displays of terrifying old-timey surgery devices.



I think Dad has the same spine model.



This is supposed to be honoring the inventor of the stethoscope, but I just like that they have a top hat under glass.



I went to the Lincoln Park Zoo the next day, too. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.



Nothing to see here. Move along.



OMG SAND CAT SO CUTE



This was the busiest black monitor lizard I'd ever seen. I swear it was doing laps. I'm not sure if it was stir crazy or just enjoying itself. I hope it was enjoying itself.



I did take a boat tour that night, and got a good photo of the moon over the skyline. The buildings are foreign and strange to me, yes, but they do make for a rather pretty skyline.



The best part of the trip, though, was getting to meet childthursday and Jess! I have known childthursday for quite a while online, and have gotten to watch her meet and form a relationship with Jess through her writing. It was wonderful to finally see her face-to-face, and to be able to celebrate their marriage with them!

(Whenever partygoers asked where I was from, I answered "The Internet!")



Dear everyone: these are not s'mores, no matter how much they make you think they are. They are delicious chicken salad and pumpernickel or rye sandwiches, but DO NOT expect them to be s'mores or it will be WEIRD.



The whole party was rainbow-themed. I was glad they had some sodas there, too--both as a budding soda jerk and as a non-drinker.



childthursday says that ever since she was a kid she's dreamed not of a wedding, but of a commitment ceremony. She never expected she'd be married before doing the ceremony, but by god she wasn't going to be denied this ceremony. So they mixed two colors of sand together. It was lovely.



The completed frame. Symbolic!



childthursday made the cake, and I just want to say that it's the first time I've had a wedding cake that was actually delicious.



It was nice of the city of Chicago to acknowledge their marriage with fireworks. Good way to end the night. Happy wedding, you two!

Anyway! That's all for this time! Mini Addy's adventures turned out to be pretty photogenic, too, so they'll be up next! Stay tuned!