I found my way up to Chicago again this last weekend for a beautiful weekend of weather and possibly a penumbral eclipse. While driving past lake Michigan on Saturday night I noticed a red object on the horizon, not even realizing that it was the moon for several moments. Once we figured out that it was a "harvest moon" or penumbral eclipse I believe, we turned around and headed down a dock to get a better glance. Unfortunately I was unable to take any photo that even remotely displayed what we saw, but I did manage to get a reasonable shot of the city.

Chicago

This past weekend just after the 4th I took a Greyhound bus on up to Chicago and played in an Ultimate Tournament Sandblast. But before all of the festivities and play I got a little tour of the city in the small window of time I had on Friday. I went and visited the Navy Pier that had a large fair, visited the Contemporary Art Museum and took a small Lake Michigan tour that also included a river tour of some of Chicago's history and architecture. This proved a pretty packed day and I was spent by the time we finished. This front ride with all the kids on it really threw me for a loop. I was ready to get off by the third spin, but it just kept on going.
Looking down from the Ferris wheel
Sun going down while on the boat tour.

In front of the Contemporary Art Museum.
And this has little relevance except for the fact that it is a flower growing in Kevins "front yard."

Sandblast Party 2007

Once again Chicago put out one of the best parties I've been to since last years tournament. I was pretty tired, but managed to stay up long enough to win the party. Afterwards, somehow, a few of us ended up in a little mexican shop that had a mexican elvis towards the back singing. Great night.
Rachel and I.
Late night rock show.

Sandblast 2007

Well this past weekend marked my second year of being an American Gladiator at the Ultimate tournament Sandblast in Chicago. Once again a great time.

One of our water baloons busting on a badmitten player.

A different style of boat racing.

Sandblast 2006

So this past weekend 6 of us Fayettevillians trucked on up to Chigago to play in the Ultimate tournament Sandblast. I'm gonna say right off the bat that it rates in my top 3 tourny's ever. Maybe even space one or two. The team I played on, Team Gladiators, was in the spirit division which made the whole shebang that much more fun. I was the gladiator Zap, but a few others were Siren, Lazer, Malibu, Thunder, Blaze, Blazer, and many more. We went 3 and 4 (I think), but it didn't matter because I'm fairly certain everyone had a blast. A big thanks to Rachel Driver and her roomate Judy who let us stay with her, and with any luck they will let us back next year.
Team Gladiators.
5 on the line. I absolutely loved the format of play on the sand. With smaller fields and only 5 people to cut in that space, it made games way easier than I first anticipated.
Here comes Joy looking to pick a fight.
And of course the two of us battling it out to the end like all true gladiators do.
Malibu and Wayne being Zima'd. (How does one say that?)
Strawberry vs. Siren
Our impressive inventions allowed us to determine who won the pull through battle.

Toward the end of our last game, Team Gladiators finally got to reveal their true selves. With pleasure, I announce our underwear point.
Isn't it obvious how much our men love bearing skin?

Here is Megan Reagan and Rachel at the party.
The club was called Cherry Red, and boy was it.
This was just before it was announced that Team Gladiators had won the party. Fayetteville sure knows how to take care of business.
In the foreground: Thunder. In the background: Rachel and Megan treating the TD right with Crissy fast approaching.

So on Monday after the tournament, us Arkansas folk decided to stick around Chicago for a day and check out the King Tut exibit at The Field Museum. I was actually a tiny bit disapointed because they would not let us take photos while browsing the ancient Egyptian artifacts, and there wasn't even actually of Tutankhamun or any of his cofins. But none-the-less it was very neat to see all of the objects in real life that I have been looking at in text books since I was in Elementary school. The actual museum itselft wasn't too bad either, but I'm not gonna lie, I've been to better. I didn't really learn anything I didn't already know in the 5 hours I was there. This is the memorial to all of the U.S. war groups. You know, the army, navy, etc.
Some sculptures.
The only king tut picture I got, while in the gift shop.
Bunch-o-cats.
Meet Sue. She/he is 13 ft tall and 42 ft long, and 67 million years old. They named this Tyrannosaurus rex Sue after the lady who found it.

Totem pole?