http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/gallery/0000kh2d.xml http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/gallery/0000kh2d Trip to Chicago for the Chicago Improv Festival, April 28-30 2006. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cchbb.xml Ethan and Doug on the Blue Line train from O'Hare airport to downtown. I haven't really experienced a communter train before -- it was like a cross between the bus and the monorail for me. The train was a lot cleaner than I expected. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000b87zh.xml 632c884f772a0bc7964c1e4b26e5e11f image/jpeg 500 333 56957 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000b87zh Our venue, "Alternate Stage 1" -- the mainstage seated 800 or so, and our little space seated around 50. We were the second-largest venue. Too bad they didn't have a stage somewhere in the middle. Justin is setting up the screen, Kate is on the ground putting together the Reality World sign, and Andrew has an awesome scrunchy face. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000b90hy.xml c1f5d504cb88fc73e564e10948f398c7 image/jpeg 500 333 71015 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000b90hy From the audience POV -- the space had no wings, it was just a little black box. Though there was a doorway to the backstage area behind where we put the screen. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000basxs.xml 6294dd0e7009465bccb0e61802b6c4b5 image/jpeg 500 333 49002 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000basxs Mike and Doug chatting over Kate's head as she puts clips in her hair. It was super-duper warm back there; those light bulbs get really hot! http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bb4dz.xml 90fffad3c5e7c78533431a7c6278e5dd image/jpeg 500 333 63309 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bb4dz Ethan checks Kate out as Kate fixes her eye makeup. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bcx99.xml 1dbd6a7444c63ec0136b0bb8c3cb809a image/jpeg 500 427 60669 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bcx99 We go over the audience suggestions for the show, while Mike takes a picture from the other side. I took "obsessed with soap operas" as my suggestion. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bd24c.xml 4bc6b409eed95627d5dddbf4e290ddff image/jpeg 500 333 57836 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bd24c After the show, in the lobby ... I caught Ethan giving a very scary look to Doug. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000be060.xml e8d947313ccc539c5512857903bb73eb image/jpeg 500 333 75701 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000be060 It's a nice theater, the Athenaeum. I heard it pronounced a few different ways, mostly "Athee-nee-um" and "Ath-uh-nay-um". The mainstage, Alt 1 and the bar stage were on the first floor, and Alt Studio 2 was up on the second floor. The WDW auditions were also up on the second floor, in the office area. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bfdq5.xml 28ebf8b547e3a8f7f35c19ebb4599ae6 image/jpeg 333 500 80859 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bfdq5 Hoofing back to the hotel after the show. It was maybe a little over a mile, so we could walk it in about 15 minutes. We didn't stop in at Cafe Zam Zam, sadly. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bg84r.xml e939af2d9436f0cb2439f98cd2e67b00 image/jpeg 500 333 78664 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bg84r It must have been a party. None of us were sporting moustaches at the time, so I don't know if we would have been welcomed or not. I was sad that we didn't see any moustached guys at the windows or anything. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bhqah.xml 9ded43ce6546a8247b8a48507de0b35f image/jpeg 500 333 78589 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bhqah This bus went straight down a major street. Weird. Here in Seattle, our buses hink and jink all around downtown. I like this straight-line thing. There were also a thousand and one road signs lke the ones above the bus stop sign. No parking during these times. No parking if there's over 2 inches of snow. No riding bikes on the sidewalk, you will be arrested. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bkgqb.xml 89fd1db21e39d28f304d8a4ff4ff9c58 image/jpeg 374 500 64956 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bkgqb Here's a painted cow that was in the vestibule of our Days Inn. The poster behind me shows a bunch more public-art cows. Apparently this was the first city to have the public painted-animal thing. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bpsyg.xml 671817b57e31e8dff62c555cea2fdcc2 image/jpeg 500 333 69626 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bpsyg We went to a bar called the Lincoln Tap Room, which was right near the theater. Can you find all three birds in this picture? (Four, if you include the cute bird that Mike is chatting up behind everyone else.) http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bqbbh.xml 333baf9c0d73072652db6133ffded42d image/jpeg 500 333 57935 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bqbbh Another awesome catch -- Andrew looks like a big drugged-out sleepy bear, but I think he was just blinking. With him is Kate, one of our board members and a big fan of our shows in general. She shared a room with me and performer Kate. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000brkp5.xml 1d6c782ad3d924ab05dfa4756b6d61eb image/jpeg 500 333 68176 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000brkp5 You can't see it, but Adina's mouth is hugely wide open behind that camera. I love Doug's expression and Andrew's indifference. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bs5ee.xml df79be18d2a2e5eb18c6f9e4bdd43502 image/jpeg 500 333 69293 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bs5ee This sign was hanging over the bar at the Lincoln Tap Room. It amused me. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000btekd.xml 7ac59633d7b03e81cf230b33c55b0f37 image/jpeg 500 324 129424 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000btekd (In the year 2000!) Cleaners will clean with revolutionary new techniques ... (In the year 2000!) http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bwer3.xml 01b915330ed3fe473f33a8f4e50502b3 image/jpeg 500 333 72138 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bwer3 Some places, they put the name of the business and/or the logo really big, and the details of what that business does in a smaller font down below. Not these guys -- they want you to be very aware of what they can do to and for your foot and/or ankle. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bx0hq.xml 9895801a7015cb6318f75392bfd91e9e image/jpeg 500 316 53572 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bx0hq On both sides of Lynn's sign, the "Y" is printed backward. There were a shocking number of weird mistakes on signs in the Lincoln Park area -- apostrophes in the wrong place, a restaurant offering "fine dinning", and many others. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000by0c1.xml bf305d38ac5c23bf0820347258b56bab image/jpeg 400 260 53224 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000by0c1 There was a huge catholic church next to the Athanaeum -- in fact, it looked like the Athanaeum was an old catholic school building. I've only been in a few churches for weddings, so this was one of the biggest I've seen. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bz3ks.xml 382447aaa4ab6f4b1774402daa5a596d image/jpeg 500 333 78237 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000bz3ks We could see the scientology storefront across the street while standing on the steps of the catholic church. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c0046.xml 9855bd2cbaa1a45a1e32aa8bf2cb1ea8 image/jpeg 500 333 81135 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c0046 Not only does this place have the awesome name "Elbo Room", but they were going to have Homeless J perform there on Saturday. Awesome! http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c1hwz.xml 1502894a9f62b9e7b6467d1bb7c30a80 image/jpeg 500 333 79008 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c1hwz This guy in his long white coat, along with the strange "Always There" name, made me think of Michael Palin in the movie "Brazil". Not an image I want when thinking about a dentist. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c2856.xml ec13dc710633f22c59b3ba1c7bf3213d image/jpeg 500 333 87715 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c2856 We had to walk a few blocks to get to the "L" stop, and there were a bunch of these signs along there, outside various senior centers and condominiums. They don't specify if we're supposed to yield or speed up or what. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c3bdy.xml 035680aafd08a285c329e2a64eed4f2c image/jpeg 500 333 97200 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c3bdy A dog park with an awesome name. It was a little rainy at this point, so there was only one dog wiggling around. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c43z3.xml ebc180c2fae3cea8d935a721c12e3a7e image/jpeg 500 333 102251 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c43z3 You can't get the full scope of this building from the picture ... it's a 6-story tall guy's face! We were close to the DePaul University campus, so maybe that's Mr. DePaul. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c5syg.xml 11c63253152f4809da5671874fd1cd6c image/jpeg 500 333 71229 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c5syg We took the "L" train into the city via the "brown line". Heeee. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c6zkf.xml d69181e0a35e217966befd4fbd9393ce image/jpeg 500 333 69842 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c6zkf I can't believe how close some buildings were to the train tracks -- the sound must be awful. I can only think of Elwood's apartment in "The Blues Brothers". A lot of the buildings looked 100 years old, and many of them had very Frontierland-esque rickety wooden balconies on the back. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c76bk.xml af05941ebebf937e1045ec93b5748634 image/jpeg 500 333 46507 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c76bk We have an Xbox racing game that takes you over the bridges in Chicago. I think it's Project Gotham Racing. At any rate, it was cool to see something I've only ever seen in a video game. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c8qy1.xml 93d5e472f1cc5c02c58dd95005280cac image/jpeg 567 333 104514 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c8qy1 Also in Project Gotham Racing, you can drive under the "L" tracks. Don't hit those posts, though! http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c97e5.xml 34b36e7f182ba9206d2f2a3c74905f55 image/jpeg 500 333 85739 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000c97e5 We went downtown and saw these cool lions outside the Art Institute. Kate got up close and personal with one of them ... http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000ca1w9.xml 33e24480ab5667833ba3da6d2cb56673 image/jpeg 500 333 85709 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000ca1w9 ... perhaps a little TOO personal. Those lions were anatomically correct. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cbg28.xml c1102625092b3b3e04e7dc8ce359df58 image/jpeg 500 333 87333 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cbg28 Oh, lookie me! I'm totally across that sucker! http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cchbb.xml 6ceefec98415699cb82f726a7dd8c85f image/jpeg 500 333 86907 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cchbb Hey, it's that diamond-shaped building with the sloped roof! The one that the little girl in "Adventures in Babysitting" got stuck out on! http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cdpwh.xml eab95961d0f33f01fb5308530e4f95cf image/jpeg 500 328 43813 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cdpwh Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. It was very big. If you look close, you can see Kate way up there with her hands upraised, having some sort of Laverne-and-Shirley joy-near-landmark moment. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000ce412.xml ba4c8de93171df100edce2d0d7bd6a5e image/jpeg 500 333 36037 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000ce412 In Millennium Park downtown, there's a gigantic shiny silver bean. You can stand under it, and if you look straight up, it's a very cool mirror effect. I'm wearing the salmon-colored jacket, so you can see where I'm reflected (with Kate in black next to me). http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cfy9e.xml 9c155a14a8da3c00a8d23f0968d4100d image/jpeg 500 333 48396 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cfy9e Here's the bean from the outside, with the city behind me. That sucker was well-polished, and the rain poured down the side in cool patterns. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cg83d.xml f272e419e19170bd9fa8c70bdb0db585 image/jpeg 500 333 58210 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000cg83d We took a taxi back to the airport on Sunday, where I shocked Ethan with my camera. The cab smelled of stale smoke, just like the bars were all smoky, and it was weird how quickly I got used to not smelling smoke. It was pretty nasty. http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000chpgr.xml e45de98bbc9caf1f73a7155558c2c3a5 image/jpeg 500 333 61082 http://pics.livejournal.com/the_missy/pic/000chpgr