Day 109 - 8.5.10 - Edison Park (The NW Side's Own Little Italy)

Tomorrow Lauren and I head east and fly to Washington D.C. on the first leg of our trip to the Delaware shores. Our flight leaves very early in the morning, so we packed up and traveled to Park Ridge to stay the night and be closer to O'Hare in the morning. Abutting Park Ridge to the east is Edison Park, a neighborhood on the city's NW side that is peppered with Italian restaurants. You have Zia's, Moretti's, Nonno Pino's, and Tony's, all within one block on NW Highway. All are pretty solid, especially Tony's which has great Italian sandwiches. Tonight, we opted for take out from Nonno Pino's, and I'm so stuffed I can barely type... Pasta coma. Good thing the only item on tonight's schedule is a viewing of the modern sociological experiment that is MTV's Jersey Shore.

Day Fifty-Nine - 6.17.10 - Vine Line

These vines meander along the walls that separate the Main Street businesses from the Metra tracks in Uptown Park Ridge. I thought they looked photogenic... with or without leaves.

Day Forty-Nine - 6.7.10 - A Chimp With A Mustache

In uptown Park Ridge, for some unknown reason, there are various sculptures of wild animals (in outrageous colors) just standing around. I must say, they seem out of place in such a classic suburban town center. But I must also say, I love chimpanzees, I love mustaches, and if you combine the two, well that is just money in the bank. I just might chimp-nap that purple guy this weekend.

Day Forty-Three - The Way To Really Fly

Today was our first day commuting to the city from Park Ridge while Lauren and I live in the suburbs waiting for our condo to be completed. The commute is a short one, nothing like the hour plus trek that I recall from my days living in Elgin while I studied for the bar exam in the summer of 2006. All in all, the commute was not bad; I did a little reading (for work and for pleasure), and on the way home Lauren and I listened to Aziz Ansari's comedy record Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening. Funny stuff I thought (Lauren not so much), especially the bit about his cousin Harris. Comedy gold.

Day Twenty-Four - Park Ridge Community

Lauren and I were out in Park Ridge tonight, her home town, to visit with her parents, her sisters, and some additional family who were in from out of town. Took a little stroll uptown to check out the Park Ridge Community Church, where Lauren and I were married almost eleven months ago. On the way, foreboding clouds were rolling in above the picturesque suburban homes and lawns. Trees with young spring leaves swayed and shook in the hustling gust front winds. The tallest tree on the block had forgotten to yield a single leaf, but stood stalwart against the swiftly moving sky. It stuck out, so I took a photo.

I eventually made it uptown and captured this snap of the front of the PR Community Church, but the tree has stayed with me. I wonder if it is dead, or maybe just a late bloomer. I wonder what the tree's owner will decide if this giant has truly pushed forth its final leaf... I guess only time will tell. Tall leafless wonder, I'll be seeing you again...