Location: Outside of The Vic, after the Ben Folds show

Location: Randy’s house

Location: Stairwell of parking garage, downtown Arlington Hts., IL

Location: St. Peter Lutheran Church, Arlington Hts., IL

Or

Last month, on the day the Bears hosted the Steelers, I took the train downtown to rollerblade and snap photos for a few hours.  Enjoy the slideshow below.

Note:  To view the slideshow in full-screen mode, click the play button (the arrow) below, then click the full-screen icon (pictured at left), which is located in the lower right of the slideshow player.

Last Saturday night my roommate Randy and I experienced Bob Schneider in concert at the Double Door in Chicago’s artsy, hipster-filled Wicker Park neighborhood.

Bob kicked off the show with a hilarious, evocative song about the Hulk — and the party rolled on from there!

Bob is from Austin, Texas, and is legendary in those parts.  He should be legendary in all parts … the man is mega talented and INCREDIBLE live.  (Kathy and Greg, have you guys seen him yet?)

Here’s a brief photo journey of our night.  (I took these photos with my cell phone camera.)

Oh, but first, here’s some of Bob’s music … so you can listen as you view photos.

Heading to the show, Chicago’s skyline in the background.  Should I be taking photos while I drive?!

A mural promoting Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The Wicker Park neighborhood is also known as the bicycle neighborhood.  It’s hip to pedal.

The Double Door is across the street from the Damen Blue Line stop.

And whatta ya know, here’s the Blue Line train roarin’ through.

Now this is the Blue Line I wanna ride, the Blue Line pub.

Public art in Wicker Park … it’s fun.  Here’s Rod Blagojevich running for his life.

Randy and his warm-fuzzy musician friends.

Here’s perhaps the most exciting sign I saw all night.

Wait, how’d my bedroom get mixed up in these photos?!?!

We finally made it to the Double Door.

Aren’t marquees beautiful?

Once inside the Double Door, Randy began strutting his stuff.

Randy can’t wait for Bob to come on … but the disco ball is keeping him happy.

Ahhhh … BOB.

Two Saturdays ago was Planting Day 2009 at the bachelor pad.

My roommate Randy (”Captain Green Thumb Express”) comes from a gardening lineage, and almost every spring he plants lots of flowers — and usually some vegetables.

I was happy to learn from a master.

Here are some photos from our big day in the dirt.

Randy’s one happy gardener — and he was indefatigable!

The birth of a backyard sanctuary.

Perhaps you can tell by the look of my right hand that playing in the dirt was the fun part for me.

The vegetable garden — “where the beer flows like wine … where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano.”

Can you see the bulge from the wad of Red Man tobacco packed in my left cheek?  I’m about to spit tobacco juice all over the newly planted flowers.  That’s a gardening secret I taught Randy (a-ha).   I learned it last year from my friend Carolyn Freeman.