the Polk Brothers

Meet Chrisitan and Brayden - born November 1st

Who looks more uncomfortable?

My cousin, Molly, gave birth to twin boys about 8 weeks before Christmas. Many of us were meeting them for the first time. Here is my cousin David getting his first chance to hold Christian.

What's that...?

...what do you mean his arm is hanging out?

Christmas Day Tree

by Peg and Craig Hill

Christmas Eve Tree

by Pat and Bob Cook

Christmas Flashback

These photos were taken in December of 1999. I went with my good friend Sun to her friends house to visit her and her son. It was time for him to go to bed but he was wound up with new toys and visitors. Finally, Sun got up and just whipped him into those pjs. He didn't see it coming, but didn't fight her either.

Christmas Corner

I took these from my window. This is the view in my apartment. What the photo cannot capture is that these lights are BLINKING and chasing and things are spinning.

HO HO HO!

To be clear, these photos were taken in Winter 2004/5. The decorations have only gotten more out of control since these were taken. Also, the music has gotten louder and more annoying. Tons of people come here every year and park the wrong way on my street. They leave garbage, mittens, gym shoes and food wrappers all over the place. The news comes. It's awesome. I have a little mantra of reminding myself that, "this house brings a lot of people joy" HO HO HO! and all that shit.

This is the view from the sidewalk in front of my house. I will take some shots from my window tonight so you can get a real feel for my view.

Crazy Christmas House

I live directly across a narrow street from this Christmas monstrosity.

Daley's Picasso

Winter in the Chi.

Milwaukee and Western

This apartment was awesome we had a crack dealer across the street and there used to be lines of cars down the block with their blinkers on waiting to pick up. Next door was a methadone clinic so there was no shortage of crazies lingering on the block or trying to break down the door of the clinic (they closed at 4pm, but dope heads have a bad sense of time. They were always showing up at 5 or 6 and having melt downs on the street)
This is Jen with her sister.

This guy passed away as well.

I should post images of all my crazy old roommates. Lord knows I have plenty where that came from...
* not everyone in these photo was crazy - rather it was a crazy time.

Good Times (1996/7)

Duck and Jen

These are a few old shots from 1996/7. They were taken in a loft on Milwaukee and Western. Some of you who follow the blog may recognize the bottom picture. Duck (Jeffery) Collins passed away on Memorial Day of this year a few weeks before his 29th birthday. He is shown here with his long term girlfriend (at the time), Jen, who lives in Thailand now. I am posting these for the old crew. Memory Lane.