Back in the old days, before I was a dirty hippie, I used to work at a live music/rock venue in Chicago called Metro. Thinner and younger then, I had in my wardrobe items of clothing made from plastic, vinyl, and netting. My hair color changed a lot, as it does now, but then I was still young enough to carry off the pretty blue, pink, and purple hues. I’m actually thinking about trying blue again, but I don’t know if that would send the wrong message to my business clients. No fair, old people get to have blue rinses, why can’t I?
Anyway, my friends Adam and Martina work at that club and invited me to an employee picnic/BBQ on Labor Day held down by Lake Michigan. I knew a few people from earlier days, but even the people I didn’t know were welcoming. The sun was shining, the temperature was in the high 70s, and I was in the city I love best in the world. I looked around at the ragtag bunch of Metro marauders, with my entire 2 weeks of vacation stretching out ahead of me and thought, “I am among my people, at last.”
Of course, I really wasn’t among my people, since I live here and I’m a filthy beach girl now, but it sure felt like it at the time. What a great day.
Adam
Martina
Chicago’s lakefront is really something special…one of the few places in the world where even poor people have access to the water (Mexico is like this as well, right on, Mexico!)
Four grills going, these people are pros
I love hanging out with nighttime people because I don’t feel so alone in my pastiness
Brant and Adam, both former roommates of mine at different times. I always preferred male over female roommates. Sure the place was messier, but there was less drama and the men never asked to borrow my clothes.
I look like I’m smoking here, but I am not. Notice Jasper J. Mugglethorpe pointedly ignoring me
I love this picture of Ezekiel, he looks so happy.
Could a photo scream “relaxing Labor Day picnic” any louder?
Composition: Martina’s feet and the champagne of beers
Martina with Jasper J. Mugglethorpe, who would not give me the time of day
Friends
Adam, the chosen one
Christian and Kim, what a beautiful photo of them
Katie (Jasper’s mom) and Martina
I love these people so much
I took a walk over to the harbor, looked at the city and wanted to cry from how beautiful I find it. I also found a broken oar lying on the grass…
with which Adam proceeded to spank Martina
Then, I decided to make Jasper pay attention to me. I brought out the big guns hot dog.
Hey, is that half a hot dog in your mouth, or are you just happy to see me?
Would you like me to seduce you?
Money shot! Sweet, sweet victory! Jasper’s mojo is powerful–I don’t even kiss my own dogs on the mouth.
Later in the night, we all decided that drinking for 7 hours straight wasn’t enough, so we headed to Gingerman. Martina has some hiLARious photos of that night, but I don’t think you’d really be interested in seeing me lying on the bar, making drunken “sexy eyes” and finally throwing my head in my hands in defeat to the vodka.
Or would you?
Oh, yes … yes, we would. Bring ‘em on!
Nice blog, Heather. What a great day!
By: Sarah Burczyk on October 1, 2008
at 11:12 am
Come on Heather, show us the “sexy eyes”. I dare ya!!!
By: Semra on October 1, 2008
at 3:44 pm
ew. ewwwwww. EWWWWWWWW.
James and I are BIG no-dog-tongues-on-the-face-people, and, uh…. I think we’ll all just pretend we never saw that.
Looks like an awesome, awesome day with good friends.
By: Julie A. on October 1, 2008
at 4:09 pm
Or do ya? HELL YEAH!!!! Bring them on chickalicious!!! Oh yeah, it looked like a really fun day & I do have to go see the waterfront in Chicago.
By: Jackie on October 1, 2008
at 7:28 pm
Of course we want to see them, just for reference of course.
I have to say that it looks like you are part of a secret left arm tattooed girl gang. What’s with that? I did see one smaller tat on a girl’s right arm but perhaps she is just left handed.
By: Jonna on October 1, 2008
at 8:16 pm
I love you.
By: Jerry on October 1, 2008
at 9:56 pm
p.s. – I’m loaded.
By: Jerry on October 1, 2008
at 9:56 pm
OK…we have to party together!! Love all the ink at the labor day party.
We, for sure, NEED to see those pictures of you laying on the bar.
Is that all “dog tongue” in that picture?
By: Islaholic Trixie on October 2, 2008
at 6:12 am
Love, love, love the pic of you and Jasper kissing! You need to start a photo hall of fame with that pic and the Madonna of the penis ring toss pic. Who knows maybe the sexy eyes on the bar pic could be voted in, I’d have to see it first.
By: Jan on October 2, 2008
at 6:15 am
Did the dog taste like cherry chapstick?
By: Melissa on October 3, 2008
at 12:22 am
Everyone: Ok, they weren’t really sexy eyes…they were “drunken sexy eyes,” which are a totally different thing. And I won’t be posting that pic. I’ll see if I can get a copy of the “head in hands with drunkenness” pic, though, because that’s funny.
Julie: C’mon, not that bad…his tongue just brushed my lips for a second.
Jonna: It’s funny, that’s something I really noticed when scrolling through these pics myself. And I have had a left arm tattoo planned for about a year…I started to think maybe I should switch it up to the right, but every time I think about it, it feels wrong. It must have something to do with what hand you write with; on my right arm the tattoo would feel too heavy or something. Guess I will just have to get both arms covered by tattoos. Somewhere out there in the world, my mom just fainted.
Jerry: I love you, too. And I’m not loaded.
Trixie: Yep, all dog tongue. I was just holding the hot dog. Haha, that’s what she said!
Jan: yeah, I don’t think so.
Melissa: He actually tasted like what I imagine a diaper would taste like. Kidding, I kid.
By: heatherinparadise on October 3, 2008
at 8:54 am