Chicago

So, I visited my friend in Chicago last year. Just now posting pics. It’s a gorgeous city! Case in point:

Here I am near the center of the city, outside the entrance to the art museum (which rocked, by the way, and which Ferris Bueller totally visited). Gorgeous view, huh?

My friend calls this “The Bean.” It’s a giant bean-shaped mirror structure in the park next to the museum. Here we are taking a picture of ourselves taking a picture.

Speaking of movie sets, the semi flipped in this exact intersection in The Dark Knight!

Recognize the scenery?

Finally, my absolute favorite place in Chicago: Second City comedy club. The show was aMAzing. Sketch comedy at its best. I can’t wait to see some of the comedians debut someday on Saturday Night Live.

So, Chicago rocks.

South Carolina Trip – Cooley Springs

My dad grew up in a town called Cooley Springs, known for its peaches (and they are truly delish). The town is mostly gorgeous, gorgeous farmland stretching every direction. My dad still knows everyone who lives there, which is pretty cool.

September is when they make hay bales:

Look how tall they are! I was fascinated by how they made them, transported them and stored them. Imagine the giant farm equipment.

Thirty dollars for a bale. Is that a good price?

This quickie mart has been there forEVER. It was there when I was a wee lass going to see my grandmother.

Here’s my grandmother’s old house (belongs to someone else now). It’s awesome… surrounded by acres and acres of beautiful land on all sides.

Here’s one of my relative’s produce stand. He’s sold his produce there for many years.

See, check out the sign! “McDowell Farms” I love it.

This is the building where my dad went to elementary school. Now it’s a home for migrant workers. (Which is clearly of note but a discussion for some other post, some other time…)

Another shot of the migrant home.

Another pretty church with a cemetery out back.

Land!

Farm equipment!

And finally, because they are so cute, a pic of the goat and pig owned by a guy my family knows there in town:

South Carolina Trip – Inman

I went home for a week to visit my family and attend my 20-year high school reunion (aaaaaaaa!). I got to tour the place I grew up, which sounds strange considering I grew up there, but I hadn’t spent much time there for about 20 years, so it felt new to me.

Here’s where my mom grew up, a town called Inman. It’s one street! (Plus lots of beautiful land all around.)

My grandparents on my mother’s side live there, and I got to spend time with them. Here’s me with Mom and my awesome grandmother, who sews and has taught me a lot and sent me home with enough buttons and elastic to last five lifetimes. Love you, Mamaw!

Here’s my grandmother with my grandfather and my uncle. Notice the picture… that’s our ancestor, who was born in 1871. I think he looks exactly like my uncle.

I also toured the town where my Dad grew up. See next post for deets!

Blue Heaven ‘09

I had the most amazing time last week at the Blue Heaven Novel Workshop (on Kelleys Island). This was my second time attending, and both workshops were fully life-changing. The level of writing and critiquing is awesome, plus there’s constant smart talk about writing, storytelling, publishing and on and on and on. It’s like thrice-daily intellectual orgasms. I came home inspired like a mad inspired thing.

Here’s the Flickr set with all my BH09 photos if you’re curious, and here are a few pics for the post.

We took this on the ferry–there’s no bridge to the island!

I finally got to hang out with Chance Morrison again, who I met at Wiscon. Here we are posing for a publicity shot for her new sitcom, “Chance!” Greg wrote a lovely theme song for it, and everyone contributed episode ideas, including a Very Special episode where fake-English Chance meets her evil twin, Canadian Chance. I’m the sidekick who always gets left holding the bag after fake-English Chance’s spurious activities.

On the last day, a few of us walked to the island’s park, where glaciers formed these really cool grooves millennia ago. This is Heather Shaw, Gwenda Bond, me and Greg Van Eekhout.

Me and Rae demonstrating how much fun we were having. Paolo must have said something inappropriate to garner such laughter.

Inside the girl’s house…
I love this pic of Chance and Bill.

And this one of Rae and Paolo.

And this one of Sandra and Greg!

And this one of Charlie hard at work. Note the Superman hat. All too appropriate.

What’s going on here?!?! o.O

Heather’s at The Pump, where we all went for a few hours of beer and internet connectivity each evening. I love this pic; I think she’s talking to her son!

Here I am posing in the ruins of some old winery. How cool is that?!?

Here’s Paolo and Greg stirring up trouble at those same ruins.

Two important notes:
1. Spiders pwn that island. Omg. They became really aggressive by the end of the week. I was so cool about it, though. I only screamed like three times.
2. Srsly amazing time.

Montreal

This August I visited Montreal with a few friends. We had a blast exploring the streets of Old Montreal. There’s a Notre Dame, just like in Paris!

Here are my friends!

A Christmas store and a gift shop. There was also a cupcake shop. And a possibly-crazy woman serenaded us from the side steps of Notre Dame while we ate.

I only had the camera on my phone, so I didn’t get many good pictures. Here’s a very blurry me by a creepy alley.

…and the creepy alley.

A fire exhibit near the hotel.