A Lost Marquee

Not truely lost. I mean, it is right there and all. But, well, you know what I mean.

jon

Uptown

While in line at Walgreens last night, there was a fairly old couple right in front of me. Normally I would say nice old couple, but I have no idea how nice they were. They could have been a the biggest asshole old couple for all I know. Sorry, digression. Anyway, as I was standing in line I had a sudden moment. Imagine how strange this all looks. I mean, not just only since they were my age, just generally how strange. I pulled my self out of the moment, looked around, and though weird. Just really weird. The best I could come up with in that 45 seconds before I had to pay for my card, is that our reality is so set by our childhood. When we are young everything is 'normal'. There is no offsetting reality to assess now against. So we just go along. When we get old, not only are we not "with it", but we have so much 'it' to compare now to. Then I started thinking about Abe Simpson, onions, and really lost my train of thought. The checkout lady was nice. But imagine, soon what's normal will be a world without pay phones. And it will be normal. But now, I get to live in a world where they are a strange anachronism hearkening to a time past. A time no simpler than now, but a time separate, apart. A time which I will never get to live in again. So damn strange.

jon

Happy Birthday Kat

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

From Kat

WOOO!!!!!!!
( I really hope I have the right day )

jon

Just Another

I think you would have a harder time finding a store front with a business in it than the other way around when it comes to North Ave.
jon

A Busy Street Bare

I must admit, I sort of cheated on this one. This is actually quite a busy street. Some may know it as North Avenue. I just waited a couple of cycles just a block away from a stop light on a major intersection. Still, great effect if not 'truthful'
jon

Even the Pawn Shop?

What sort of world do we live in, where pawn shops cannot survive.  A travesty I tell you, a travesty.

jon

Good Spot

A good spot to make a call I guess. You can't actually use the phone. Seeing as someone has taken it. But, you could still stand here on your cell phone. And that counts for something. Right?
jon

Judy's Red Hots

The wreckage of an ecomony past liters the north side of Milwaukee. Someone's small business dream left to rot away. Empty parking lots and stores without wares. It is really a shame.
jon

A Little 'Trava

I'm not one for shooting the Calatrava (Quadracci Pavilion?) very often. A combination of "it's been done" and "it's been done better than I ever could" make for a difficult subject. Photography is sometimes like dating, you pretend you are the first one there. That it is your composition, that your the first one to see it that way. In effect thinking your eye has graced the presence of the scene like no other. When you see commonly photographed items, you cannot but help think of oneself as retreading where many have gone. Or even worse, finding a shot after you post your own of the same scene done much better from days, months, even years earlier. Though, sometimes you think you've gotten the best shot no matter how many have been taken, almost making it all better. But then, you still come find out how low on the list of great ones you really are. It is all rather emasculating. The photography. Really, I'm talking about the photography.

jon

Let Them Eat Cake

 

 Tasty, tasty cake. Now, if only I hadn't hosed the scheduling we'd be probably be getting a Simma's Cake. As of now, it is up in the air.

It Could Have Been 1987

Then I saw this and really started to wonder, did I travel back time to grade school? I mean, are the "Goodfellas" suddenly in Milwaukee? What is going on here?!?!

jon

I Thought They Were Extinct

Can I get a prize or something? You aren't suppose to find these anymore. And what gives? A phone call is still only a quarter?!?! Do drug dealers have better negotiating skills than the rest of us? I could have sworn prices everywhere else went up since grade school.

jon

Lil' Blue Door

It suddenly occurs to me, you have no perspective on the size of this door. It could be eight feet tall, or three feet tall. I shot it at a flat angle to reduce distortion, and have pretty much relieved the photo of scale. I mean, we have a general idea of the size of a brick, but not enough to truly get an idea of what's going on. It looks like a normal 7 foot tall door. It isn't. Not at all. It isn't tiny, but just a little smaller than what one would expect. A serious 'croucher' for someone like me. Well, enjoy the illusion.

jon

The Only Good Thing

Blight and decay make for great pictures. If only they were the exception and not the rule in this town. (Sad face)

jon

Soup's On

And it is delicious. As I may have mentioned, we never get to go out to the various soup houses around Milwaukee. Generally, they are only open during the daytime on weekdays, making it difficult for weekenders like ourselves.

But, this time Soup Bros just happened to be open. They were catering to a private event and open to the public. The greatest combination ever. For us.

 I cannot believe I forgot to take a picture of the soup. Amazing! You have to go. Warm cheddar soup on blustery fall day. Mmm Mmm good.

jon

Everyone's Favorite

But, she's mine!

Ha.

jon

No Good.

I happen to not have any 'good' pictures of the water tower on North Avenue. In fact, this is probably my only picture with it as subject. So, good enouf I say!

jon

Fairy Princess...... Apartment Building?

Ya know, you live somewhere your entire life and you'd think you'd notice the fairy princess apartment building at the end of a major street. But, noooo, it takes until you are old and almost out of wonderment. By almost out of wonderment, I mean not at all. Check this crazy thing out!

jon

Dog Races, Horse Races

 

Canebury Park. For one day it was home to more than just horse races. It was also home to all you could eat free hot dogs, "please only two at a time", and the world championship wiener dog races.

First, The horse races.

He just stared, and stared at me as they rode by. Getting whipped the whole time. It was eerie how the horse just singled me out. It also could have been because of my giant camera. I didn't cause them to lose, they were already in fourth.

A different number 3. The strength is amazing. I highly doubt they aren't drugged up. What is the horse version of steroids?

Those jockey's are awfully confident. It would scare the snot out of me. You can feed the companion horses as they come out. Which Samaria thought was awesome.

Eventually they would go back to the stables. Which were huge. It is hard to imagine that this huge complex was supported by gambling. Man, people really love gambling.

The announcer even suggested side-bets on the wiener dog races! Gamblor, how will we ever defeat you?

jon

Not Sexual

 

 Not really anyway. This moment did lead my most offensive, hilarious, wonderful animated .gif yet,

Jon

When Kat's Away

That could be the title to so many posts its unbelievable. Or, is it unbelievable how many it couldn't?

When the girls, plus Ryan, were shopping at Macy's I let myself out.

I had never really walked around downtown, and this was to be my only chance. It was like escape from Alcatraz. If the prisonor's had asked politely and the guards wanted them to have a nice time so they said O.K.

Anyway, I think it is time Milwaukee brings back the Brady Street as foot traffic only idea. I mean, every town has it, why not Milwukee? It is really fun to be able to have carless streets. Just ask Madison.

jon

Yeah Breakfast!

Bagels and locks. Capers and cream cheese. I thought it was all perfect. Until I discovered red onions and sprouts. Yeah.

Also, clocks on locks. Yea rhymes!

jon

The Rabbit Won

I know what you heard. It's not true at all. After losing, the turtle ran around telling everyone he won. On every corner, in every barber shop. Meanwhile, the guilt was so bad he couldn't go to work. What if they had heard? What if the rabbit's side of the story was heard in Turtletown? Does anyone personally know the rabbit? The stress was overbearing. At first the turtle would skip work, but come home every night. Maybe a little tipsy, maybe a little drunk. When he felt like making an excuse, it was just happy hour with the boys. But, when it became day after day, week after week, turtle's family knew something was wrong. Bills with URGENT written on them. Phone calls throughout dinner. Short tempers abounded. Soon, turtle couldn't face his own family. At first they were realived when turtle didn't come home, however they would soon start to feel a deep sadness. Rabbit ran an add in the local paper setting the record straight. It became clear, turtle couldn't maintain the house of cards he built for himself. Turtle's family started looking. Too old for milk cartons, and his reputation too battered to reach out to the media, postering the neighborhood was the last choice. Unfortunately, it was too late. Turtle was found with an empty bottle of vodka in an alley adjacent from the plasma donation center. This was rock bottom. Turtle never found his way out. The lesson, never set expectations to high, or you'll end up like turtle.

jon

Before the Cream Sets Out To Long

You must whip it!!!!!

jon

Nexus.

The oft talked about and rarely seen nexus, a pay phone and corner store. You saw it here first. Or last. I forget.

jon

This is why they dominate the Internet

Even despite my clear, and well known, disgust with cats. They are just to fuzzy and cute.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

jon

Moo Joos and More

Again, obsessively taking pictures of my beer. It is quite an odd thing.

On occasion, I do go back to remember what I drank. But, mostly to remind me of something great, instead of avoiding something bad.

There is just so much average beer out there. Some places, like Furthermore, find a couple of unique flavors and nail it. Just absolutely crush it.

 

Oscura is just another example. Ryan thought it was the best. I'm quite convinced that this is only true because it is full of caffeine. Lots and lots of caffeine. Mmm, caffeine.

I cannot for the life of me remember what this guy tastes like.
jon

Last Bastion of the Corner Store

Odd realization. May be racist, may be wrong, but here it is. Why do al these mom and pop bodegas survive in the bad parts of town? I mean, you down see the local food guy in fancy parts of town. The larger companies and corporations merely imitate the local guy. Strange.  
jon

Schwin

I like shiny thnigs. And metallic things. And am just so happy when people put shiny and metallic together.
jon

Caaaaaa - noe



It has been an entire summer since we kayaked the Milwaukee river. Might it be time to canoe again?

jon

You so Crazy!

 

Holly, you so crazy. Why are you rolling around on the ground like that? Squirrel poop? Oh, that does sound like fun.
jon

The Fountain Style

As I mentioned way back in the Paris series, fountains are a bid difficult to photograph. As part of what makes them great is the size, that feeling that they are so much bigger. That they impress through imposing.

At the same time, they are full of detail, whimsy, and fine artistic work.

So, I decided I would make a "fountain style". Though I'm sure this isn't the first incarnation, it seems to work quite well. Get a picture of the whole piece in context. Thus the people admiring above, then get shots of the details.

For instance, this delightfully drunken baby.

Which leads me to believe these men are purging at the vomitorium during a great wine party.

All hail Bacchus! Even if it isn't really Bacchus, we must always remember to hail him. Her?

jon