Hayward

I'm waiting for Paradox's Deeetroit photos

^ Yikes. I wonder what kind of paint they used? I know the painters in our building have been apparently working on the apartments for almost 20 years. A few apartments got gut rehabs. They had everything stripped to the gypsum block. They try to avoid the major renovations. All the apartments have a ton of plaster moulding and they have to replace it with the same stuff. It used to be an extended stay hotel, so there's alot ornamentation . Apparently they still make all of it today, but it comes at a cost. Their biggest project this year was replacing all the common brick on the east wall and switching over all our telecom from cable to fiber-optic, which involved cutting holes in everyone's walk in closets to get to the cable chases. A big improvement, makes me NOT miss the days of having Comcast The only time I'll get hell from my landlord is if I chip the porcelain tub from harsh cleaners. I have to buy a special cleaner for that.

I'm stunned by how good the maintenance in my apartment building is. They were doing rounds today to clean A/C filters and put new batteries in smoke detectors in all the units. They ended up noticing the old lock on my door and replacing it with a brand new bolt lock. My window screen was repaired, which could have easily gone unnoticed, and they replaced a cracked tile in the bathroom. Probably why this 85 year old building still looks good after all these years. The only thing I need now is a new radiator valve, which will get repaired in the summer.

Damn Paradox, you were right and came back strong on this. I mean damn. Not get with the Detroit and Ann Arbor photos Nao!

Okay, I'll admit I'm a geek for lifting bridges. Not photos, but I plan to take pics of some of my favorite bridges in Chicago. Found all these videos on youtube This bridge is used extensively. I'm surprised they haven't polished it up like so many other bridges in the city. It gets alot of Metra and Amtrak traffic. Actually, if you stop on by, it's a good chance you'll see a train cross it. Watching it go up is a bit easier as the lifting times are posted online. ----------------------------------- Here's the 18th street bridge. It's a wide boulevard running over top. You can see it only has a single leaf. ----------------------------------- The downtown bridges I see alot of. Again, the schedules are all posted online, so you can know when to get photos ----------------------------------- Lake Street bridge...interesting because it's double decked ------------------------------------ Lakeshore Drive Bridge, which you can see has lots of problems with people rushing across

Alright so my renters insurance is actually going to cover a full replacement of the bike. The deductible is about the same as if I were to repair the wheel out of pocket. This is probably good considering I noticed a knocking sound this morning where the pedal crank arms attach. I figured it was unsafe idea, went back home and took my longboard to work in 32 degree weather instead -- which the city requires you to ride on the sidewalk.

A topic that comes up from time to time is preserving and renovating the Lathrop Homes Housing Project on Chicago's Northside. It's a very beautiful complex with arches and ornate entryways. It would be awful if it got torn down. Currently parts of it are occupied, but most of it is vacant and sealed up until redevelopment plans pan out. http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2009/todays-news/chicago-debates-fate-of-1938.html The area is a fairly expensive place to live and the area had large commercial boom this past decade http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Clybourn+and+Diversey,+chicago&aq=&sll=41.935423,-87.676306&sspn=0.013568,0.033023&gl=us&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=N+Clybourn+Ave+%26+W+Diversey+Pkwy,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois&ll=41.932941,-87.67924&spn=0.003392,0.008256&t=h&z=18

Scottie Pippen Yardsale http://triblocal.com/highland-park-highwood/galleries/2011/03/scottie-pippens-former-home-offers-bargains-for-shoppers/#/1 The weird way some people live

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a cashier talk on their phone. Maybe it's just that way in certain places. I know if that happened here while a customer was waiting they'd probably be fired. Many stores will allow their employees to step outside or go in the back if they need to send a text message or place a call, but within reason of course. Reminds me of when people come into our office for meetings, they'll sometimes step out into the elevator lobbies or hallways to talk and not disturb people working at their desks....except the marble and granite surfaces just amplify it 100 X

I'm happy I haven't seen a single door swing open into my path yet. Knock on wood. I think it helps Chicago's parking spaces are unusually wide, so the bike lanes are further out from the curb. I'd like to point out that my poor experience at station was the result of one officer. I'm sure 95% of them would have been more willing to help. I know Chicago's police department is full of courteous people, and do excellent work. It's just a shame that this particular officer had to be the one victims interface with to report a crime.

I wait for this all to blow over before posting. While id like to right the wrongs against me, at the end of the day it's not worth my time getting in contact with certain organizations of people. So far my insurance through Allstate has been really helpful. My renters covers damage to bicycles on the roadway. They asked for the motorists info and everything

^ Surprisingly I do. But they make it work. Had a really lousy day today. I went to take a coat zipper I had repaired for $30 back to the cleaners because they didn't do a good job. They didn't give me a receipt and they are cash only, so they didn't buy the story. So this morning I was down $30. Heading home today, I'm stopped at a stop light on my bicycle. I was stopped because bikes are supposed stop at red lights. The law requires bicyclists to stop at red lights, so that's what I was doing. Following me right? I was within 16 inches from the curb in a dedicated through lane (again, doing exactly as the law said). The vehicle in front of me, for no reason starts backing up. I try to move out of the way pulling my front wheel foward first trying to get it up over the curb. But the curb was too high, and my back wheel didn't make it. It got crushed under the back wheel. The tire nearly missed my foot. I knock on the guy's window. "Hey man, you ran my bike over, I can't get it out!" Suddenly he hits the gas and drives off. Well, this is downtown Chicago. You can't just get away. Not wanting to create a confrontation, I snap a photo of his vehicle and plates at the next light. I then go to the first police officer I see, but they are just a paddywagon, and can't do much, so they direct me to the nearest station. I get to the station. Without going into a lot of detail, they basically treat me pretty poorly. To put it simply rude, and not willing to help. I don't understand how it would be hard. The job is to fill out a police report and that's it. They don't have to do anything else. Yet, their main intent was to play "blame the victim." Officer: Why are you riding your bike in the street? Me: Well isn't that what the law says? Officer: Well, not really you can ride in a bike lane, but you aren't allowed in the road. Me: Uhhh, but that just leaves the sidewalk since most roads don't have a bike lane Officer: --silence-- Me: I'm not sure that's allowed Officer: Yeah well I don't know, so you were PARKED at Ontario and Wabash? Me: No, I was STOPPED at a traffic signal. Officer: You can't stop in the middle of the road Me: Officer, I was not in the middle of the road, I was near the curb, waiting behind the vehicle. Officer: You can't wait behind vehicles, and you can't be in the road at an intersection Me: ?????. I'm so confused. I'm pretty sure Illinois Law and city cycling laws are contrary to th... Officer: I've worked for this department for 16 years, I know the law. It was kind of that discussion for 15 minutes, while he made a ton of mistakes on the police report. Basically, what I learned at the station. was that people can't bike in the road, but it's unknown if people can ride on the sidewalks. Obviously, these laws are online. They are clear cut, thought the sidewalk rule is ambiguous. If you are bicycling in the road, you obey the same traffic laws as vehicles. Basically, I lost both places. A guy got away with a hit and run, and I got treated like crap at the police station. Now, I have a bent rim which will cost $150 to replace. I have an incomplete police report with alot of scribbles and mistakes. Maybe this is why people ride critical mass. For just a few hours, cyclists can rule the road and make motorists wait for all the time and money cyclists have gotten screwed out of. Here's where the accident happened: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&q=Ontario+and+Wabash,+chicago,+il&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=E+Ontario+St+%26+N+Wabash+Ave,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60611&gl=us&ll=41.893083,-87.626167&spn=0.001515,0.002183&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=41.8931,-87.626749&panoid=2t1YPoBekQSWkxfICUNecg&cbp=12,52.09,,0,2.57 Stopped at the red light I was in the right lane on the "Y", admiring the architecture of Pizzeria Due. Had I kept staring, I probably wouldn't have noticed the backup lights. But I did see the guy from drive to reverse so it wasn't like I was off in my own world. I just couldn't get out of the way fast enough.

LOL, reminds me of this David NSFW btw

What's your sleep schedule? I need to end my go to bed at 1:30 AM up at 7:30 AM schedule. I do just fine at work because of the coffee. But when I get home and eat dinner, I immediately feel like passing out after. Only time, I ever go to bed early is when I meet with a client or putting on a presentation. I force myself to go to bed at 10:30. Nothing is worse than looking exhausted in a presentation.

That's why you announce these 'big plans that save money" in meetings. That way everyone heard it was your idea lol.

Glad you are enjoying Minneapolis. Impressive place. Two of my aunt's live there now, and I have failed in using that connection to visit the city more often. I agree with your comment on the modern buildings. They seem to "belong" with the older buildings downtown.

It's kind of funny how it actually matches setbacks of the neighboring houses. And to building codes too!

That's true. It should be interesting to see though where expansion of the city's financial district occurs though. ---------------------- Just a noticing I've had lately...are people who take the elevator to go up a few floors after they exit the gym in our building. So running on the treadmill is exercise but going up the stairs is not? This is exactly the issue here. American's still don't live healthy lifestyle to the fullest. It's all about "going to the gym" and dieting, but rarely walking to the store, taking the stairs, jogging or biking through the park. It's as if exercise is a task or daily chore as opposed to a way of life.

It HAD to be suburban to prove it could work. It's more of a line to connect destinations. Obviously I'm all for them building transit in the city, but you now how politics can get in the way.

The Hiawatha lin There can be improvements, but it's definitely getting better with new development. Even some of the exiting parkspace close by the banks needs work. When I was in planning school at Michigan, we visited Minneapolis for a week to tour different departments, and architecture firms in the city, and on the final day volunteered to clean up a park. It REALLY needed cleaning up. For a city that gets a good rep for their parks, there needs to be more investment along the river. There's some stunning geography with the steep hills. Make use of that in an interesting way.

Yeah that's why the city is trying to push for residential development and shift office towers Westward into the west loop. They want to diversify the loop and make it more lively. But I don't see why it's a bad thing the loop is dead at night. It's the product the city had always wanted, a huge office tower district. That's one of the drawbacks that come with it, but something the city needs to accept.

You have your lawyer(s) go over the lease with a fine-toothed comb to see if there are any loopholes that will let you break it without penalty, and you evaluate the cost/benefit of paying whatever it costs to break it. The landlord must have a big, lucrative prospective tenant on the waiting list for a near-term vacancy, and they're working at clearing out space. If that's the case, they may be willing to negotiate on a break-lease. Not much of a loophole, the lease is pretty short and straightforward. We did get the building to pay for our buildout years ago, which appears to be the last year they allowed it. But you are right. Currently they are in the process of emptying the entire building for a proposed conversion into a hotel / condos. Which is a terrible idea IMO. I think the loop should remain strictly commercial. But you can't stop the demand. The loop is one of the hotpots for new residential development right now. But hell, I'd love to have this view from my living room

So we found out today that my compay wanted to lease a vacant floor in our office building and the landlord said no. They also denied another company a renewal of their lease for 7 floors. Glad I don't own a company. What the hell do you do when you are sticking people in conference rooms and closets and you still got years left in the lease?

^ LOL I can understand the Toledo mistake. I had to design a residential complex there in architecture school. I kept typing "Toldeo" by accident. Glad I didn't mess up that bad though.