Friday afternoon traffic is a nightmare in Chicago (probably most large cities) and the Friday before Thanksgiving is no exception -- maybe even worse. High above, the expressway was anything but -- more resembling a parking lot.
Photo is HDR from 3 bracketed shots, processed in Photomatix to look as natural as possible. Wide angle distortion from using 14mm lens.
Fire saga...only good things
1. Many clothes delivered this morning -- mostly Jim's but enough of mine to make me happy.
2. Shoes delivered so I now have ones that are comfortable for walking and plan to start photo walks again.
3. Appointment with contractor set for Monday to do a walk through and explain what is ahead. That means demo is almost done and construction will be able to start.
4. Settling in further and have a quiet night at home ahead. It's a beautiful setting to relax and hang out.
Not so good things...
1. The parking card that we need for our guests did not show up and I all I got were voice mails even for their backup numbers (note how trivial this is!)
2. Dishwasher repair person did not show up after waiting for them for the second day in a row (again, not trivial nature of this)
Truly, we are settling in at last. We may have achieved our 'new normal.' I'll be catching up on work, miscellaneous things, and most important, back to normal soon, I hope, on 365. Thank you all for your support this past 11 days. It feels like a lot longer amount of time than that has passed since "the fire" as we refer to it now (not to be confused of course with The Great Chicago Fire of the 1800s, but sort our our own personal 'great Chicago fire').
Well done --you do sound more positive even with the not so good things !What a view --beautiful lights but the traffic is amazing especially for a country girl living in a rural little town !
What a fabulous photo. Remember as good as things are going on the rebuild there will be days that it seems to come to a standstill. I am sure that everyone that has ever experience a new building or a remodel can attest to this. And it is the trival things that can cast us over the cliff. Time is such a precious commodity and you can never get any more. So wasting time waiting for repair men who never show up is not in my humble opinion trivial. If only they could be made to pay you back for your lost time with some of theirs maybe then they would stop to think.
I just love city lights like this, and this is a great shot. Fav of course. Great to hear that your biggest problem is not having a working dishwasher. Things are looking up! Have a great weekend.
What a lovely view and the best spot too to watch the traffic. So glad I don't live in a city any more. Bad enough driving through Sydney or Melbourne every once in a while for me.
So glad things are beginning to blend together again now and that you have more time to relax.
Another lovely view, but not in your own place. :(. So many positive things are happening, though, so very encouraging. Lovely city shot... hang in there.
noting trivial about it! It is an ordeal. My son had a tree fall on their home last week and dealing with that has been their own ordeal. All we fine and they are able to live at home while the roof is raised, new windows on, etc, but still it is a trauma. You are doing so well in spite of it all!
Wonderful nightscape Taffy, this is a different view from the other one I just commented on. Lovely HDR treatment. That's a lot of traffic down there!!
What a fabulous view and a great shot Taffy - love your processing!! All that traffic but how wonderful to see it from this bird's eye view!! Things are on the up by the sound of it - so pleased for you that you are getting back to normality!! Hope you have a relaxing weekend and trauma free - you deserve it!! Fav!
Amazing detail achieved by using bracketing, and again superb processing. Taken through the window again, I suppose? Are you vetunring out onto the balcony yet? :)
You are going to miss this view and its photo opportunities when you move back. I like the way the road takes you into the distance, then the building form a soft arch to embrace the scene infront of them.
You have really handled (with great attitude) your last 11 days - I'm so impressed! So glad things are getting to your new normal. I love this shot - looking down on this is so much better than being down on this. Love all the lights and night tones. (Traffic not as much!)
A massive rush hour indeed! Sigh. And a great capture of it. I've joked in D.C. that it's a wonder the government doesn't charge us parking fees for "driving" on I-95. They've found a way. The HOV lanes will no longer be free beginning in December.
beautifully nighttime city shot... has a great feeling of warmth above the madding crowds... so nice to hear you're settling in and finding your new normal...
This shot is just amazing. A TT shot if I ever saw one. I wish I could fave it ten times. And yesM, I have been through Chicago's peak hour traffic. Ant to make things more confusing they drive on the wrong side of the road ;). At least there is a very pretty city to look at while you drive (park) your car. Glad to hear you are getting some stuff back and returning to normal, or at least the new one. Please keep awesome shots like this coming:)
What a great night shot, Taffy. I love your processing. I am glad you got some of your clothing back and shoes too. Sounds like things are moving along. FAV
Taffy, that is one wow of a shot. I could readily apply any/all of the superlatives to it, but amazing will have to do. I really must see this city for myself some day. Definite fav for me. Glad to hear that progress continues for you, and that you now have a selection of clothes and shoes to wear.
Super shot, I can barely stand rush hour traffic in little Jacksonville, FL so I can't even imagine what it would be in Chicago! So glad things are starting to get to a normal state to you.
P.S. Was reading your list of "Not so Good Things," and nothing is trivial. You've been through quite a horrific experience. Things seem to be looking up, though, so that's a good thing.
@joansmor This time it paid off to wait in vain for the dishwasher repair person as our landlord has decided to have a new one delivered on Monday! Sometimes things work out -- I thought that was really nice of him.
@karlow75 Thanks Kane. I actually crept out onto the balcony tonight! I was too afraid to look down so haven't looked at my shots to see what I got, and was only out there about 3 minutes...but as my husband said, it's a start!
At first glance I thought all those cars were parked, in a lot. They are parked but on an expressway. Ha. I always enjoy your shared scenes of Chicago.
@sailingmusic Thanks for the fav, Myrna -- I really appreciate it!
@darylo Daryl, it's our view from the living room looking east toward the lake. While it's not home, both Jim and I are realizing it COULD be if only we could afford it! We're seeing some advantages to elevator buildings with doormen. And it really is a gorgeous condo because the living room and dining room both have these floor to ceiling windows which give us quite a view. So, while impersonal at the moment, we can appreciate how nice it could be.
Awesome.
I love this...!
Nice to see you're getting good results from Photomatix. I was using it a couple of years ago when I first discovered HDR but I have found that with an update or two I couldn't get good results that didn't make my photos look over the top and 'too HDR' if that makes sense. Your shot looks like very nice and not processed in that way you sometimes see at all. I really like it. FAV.
@newbank@888rachel Thanks to you both, Ruth and Rachel! This was so exciting to see. I also saw you're both up here as well -- congrats!! It's fun to see our mentoring group members being recognized!
So glad things are beginning to blend together again now and that you have more time to relax.
So glad your settling in to your new normal.
FAV
@darylo Daryl, it's our view from the living room looking east toward the lake. While it's not home, both Jim and I are realizing it COULD be if only we could afford it! We're seeing some advantages to elevator buildings with doormen. And it really is a gorgeous condo because the living room and dining room both have these floor to ceiling windows which give us quite a view. So, while impersonal at the moment, we can appreciate how nice it could be.
I love this...!
Nice to see you're getting good results from Photomatix. I was using it a couple of years ago when I first discovered HDR but I have found that with an update or two I couldn't get good results that didn't make my photos look over the top and 'too HDR' if that makes sense. Your shot looks like very nice and not processed in that way you sometimes see at all. I really like it. FAV.