Chicago Photos...

From when my family was here...

Last weekend...

So not yesterday, but last weekend, Cas and I went down to the lake and downtown and I took a couple pictures with my phone...So pretty...yet weird. As someone who has lived her entire life near the coast, it is so odd to be so close to such a large body of water and NOT have it smell like the fresh salty air of the ocean. A smell I can't even describe. but as we stood right on the pier by the lake it was surprisingly absent. Beautiful, but a little sad...

heehee....it was also VERY WINDY AND VERY COLD...

oh, and it is supposed to snow again tomorrow...

The cost of a life...

Now, I am new to the Chicago area, but I have noticed something that has made me laugh, but nothing so hard as today (which I feel pretty horrible about-so you know it will be good).
As you are driving through the state, you periodically see signs just like in every other state:
Construction Zone
Handicap Parking
Fire Lane
Bus Zone
etc etc etc
In the Chicagoland area there are some differences. All of these signs have dollar amounts on them. It lets you know your consequences. You can park for free over here...or you can park in the closer $300 blue parking spot. Or you can park where the buses go for $40.
If you go the speed limit in a construction zone for free, or you can speed and pay an extra $1000. Ok you get the point...(don't get me wrong I love going into a situation knowing what comes out on the other end)
But today I reached my limit. On my way to a job interview I actually saw a sign on the highway that said:
"Hitting a road worker could cost $10,000 and 14 years in jail"
This is how much a life is worth near Schaumberg, IL. How much is a life worth where you are? Who put this value on a life? Is it like practice vehicular manslaughter?
And yes. I felt SO bad that I laughed for about a half mile.