Reflecting on the recent drive-by shooting in front of my apartment, I’ve finally come to the conclusion that it’s time to move. Of course, everyone in my family seems to agree as the thousand phone calls I’ve received show. I suppose the handful of stabbings and armed robberies, the shooting down the street, and the bank robbery at the end of the street never really bothered me that much. When I couldn’t get out of the front of my building because of the police line, though, something dawned on me.
First shot (camera, that is) out of my window
Apparently, a drug dealer/gang banger was being followed from the hood down my street by another car. When he stopped at the stop sign, the other car pulled along side of him and opened up. For once, the other gang bangers hit their mark. (Recall the shooting at Al’s Italian Beef where 36 shell casings were found, and the victim was hit once in the leg–obviously no boy scouts doing the shooting there.) Full of holes, the guy tried to peel away and managed to swipe 6-8 cars parked along the street before lodging into another parked car sticking out a little further than the rest. The shooting car caught up and offed him for good. As he slumped over, he must have hit the volume control on his stereo, as the typical “kill the white man” gangsta rap started blaring. My cousin, hearing this, got off the couch and ran into my room thinking I was playing my music too loudly. To her surprise, she saw a herd of police cars (14) two rescue fire engines, and two ambulances. She woke me up, and I took pictures. The paramedics took the dead guy off slowly on a gurney. He must have gurgled or something, because they brought it up to a trot suddenly for a second or two before returning to a walk.
Police walking around
I watched an episode of Band of Brothers before bed that night, and when the shooting happened, I thought I was taking fire in my dream. I don’t really recall how many shots were fired. I just remember a lot of loud noise followed by gangsta rap once I got up. I haven’t been questioned by the police yet, but several of my friends in the neighborhood have. So that’s that. Lake Shore East is looking good now.
More 5-0
The images are relatively blurred due to the slow shutter speed and lack of flash. I managed to kick the camera to ISO 1600. That helped a little, I suppose.
And here
Couldn’t quite get the gurney in the picture because it was moving. It just showed up as a blur.
I’m so out of here.
Clean it here.
This is sick.
Thanks to Zzaz for Googling my name and finding the Rick Stiles Racing website. Guess I’m glad I secured every form of my name as domains a while back, or a lot of you would think I’m some middle-aged guy into RX7s. Actaually, RX7s are spectacular cars, so I do appreciate what that guy does. Anyway, while visiting the Rick Stiles Racing Store, be sure to pick up a Rick Stiles Racing THONG for your favorite sweetie!
Excellent session this weekend by Paul van Dyk at the Rivera. Davis and GP2 once again made it a superb Saturday night experience. I must admit, though, that most of what PVD put out was from this new compilation album, Reflections. We all really missed hearing at least a few tracks from Global. Ahh, what can you do? PVD seems to have finally listened to BT and put out a multi-disc remix CD. The lack of familiar tracks makes Paul Oakenfold’s last set at Sound Bar better in my opinion. Our vantage point ranged from the balcony to right in the front of the floor. I did manage to get an almost entirely unintellegible picture from the camera on my phone, but who wants to see it. Good times had by all.
Oh, and I was hit by a car Thursday night. While walking across the street glancing over out portfolio project outline, I saw a car approach me out of the corner of my eye. I tried to spin out of the way, but the Asian woman talking on her cell phone bumped into me as she made the turn. I just barely managed to stay on my feet. She made eye contact with me and then floored it. I just put my hands up in the air, but now that I think about it, maybe I should have kicked out her brake light. How rude!
Another beautiful day, another 31 miles. The Polskis and I biked up to the Botanic Gardens and back this morning. Following our trek, mama Polski cooked up another amazing throwdown meal.
Horray for nature and modern eutrophication.
Yesterday was a GREAT day. Our CRDTS scores came in and were delivered to us by the Frou. One by one we met face to face with her. I must admit the just desert I had when she read me my score was delicious, as I know no one in her clinic came close to me! Perfects across the board with minor dings in perio (whose section was graded by an orthodontist) and on a restoration I didn’t do. I’m not complaining. It feels great to be done. And hey! I’m licensed to practice now! Who knew! Now’s it’s pretty much downhill from here. I suppose I have to find a job now?
The Spring Charity Formal came and went. Dental Prom as we call it, or “Soiree in the Sky” as it was officially named, was the 80th floor of the Aon Center at the Mid-America Club.
Lucjan and The Bazzaz
I thought the top of the Hancock would be hard to beat, but this place was absolutely beautiful. Seems like every year tries to top the previous. Again, tickets were very hard to get. I thought I would be going stag again this year, but I managed to score a second. Unfortunately for me, my date got last minute Final Four tickets and headed to St. Louis instead of the Lake, so I took the Polski. The whole crew then followed.
You get the idea
Great food, top shelf open bar, superb jazz, and nifty silent auction spread all with one of the best views of the city I’ve seen in a while made it a great evening.
The calm before the storm
Lots of stuff to talk about, too. Aparently, we all have to plan out the next 30 years within the next two months or so, so there was plenty of business to discuss. I managed to come away with some equipment from the silent auction that I can easily turn around this week, so I guess the evening paid for itself! And what would a UIC COD event be without everyone’s favorite husband hunter throwing a drink against the wall and storming out at the site of her target speaking with someone else!? One of her better performances in my opinion. I suppose that was almost as entertaining asthe ninja kick a few years ago.
Delt love
One of the best parts was when we were all back at the RadPad for the traditional late night coffee table o’ pizza. A first year who wants TD more than anything stopped by and would not leave. TD, coming off of a rather long on-call shift, was enjoying a well-deserved reprieve with his relatively newly-acquired significant other in his room behind closed doors. Sensing the potential volatile situation, PC took the role of drunken opera singer and secretly passed warnings and instructions via song to TD in Spanish. The light coming from beneath the closed door dimmed shortly thereafter, and the situation dissolved without incident.
Midget Jewish princess with her polar opposite