Day 75 (Friday, August 25)

Oh yeah!!! Friday came along and the day I have been waiting on for a long time was here. Many people came from out of town to hang out w/ me and my Chicago family.
The day started, of course, at the office.

© The Associated Press

I was having a light morning as I got ready for a 2 p.m. assignment at Rush Hospital. I was planning on meeting Rebecca and Renee for lunch. And then big news were broke. Carson Piere Scott announced it will be shutting down its doors for good next March. This means that a department store that is very popular in the city will be going out of business, thus becoming a major story.

© The Associated Press

I rushed over to State and Madison streets where the store is located and shot photos for the late-breaking news story.

© The Associated Press

I finished shooting right around the same time Rebecca and Renee were done w/ their morning sessions at the SPJ convention. So, we met up and had a real Chicago treat – Gold Cost Hot Dogs. According to critics, these are the Chicago trademark hot dogs.
They were good, yeah. But I was also starving, which pretty much says that any food could be considered amazing right about then.

It was good seeing Rebecca for the first time. Funny how she's spend 24 hours in town and slept at my place, but it was th first time we got to see each other.
I headed back to the office. Worked on my Carson Piere Scott photos before rushing out w/ Carla Johnson to make photos at Rush Hospital.

The story was covering the idea of when are doctors too old to continue working. We met up w/ Dr. Goldin, a cardiovascular surgeon who is still working hard at age 67. He plans on continue practicing and retiring at age 70.

We asked Dr. Goldin to show us his surgery room. So, he took us to it. But first we had to jump into bunny suits and shoe covers. Suddenly, Carla and I looked like doctors. Ha!

© The Associated Press

Hanging out w/ Dr. Goldin was fun. He was very cooperative and he showed me how his “toys” worked. While he was showing me the toys, I had an idea to shoot a photo of him w/ the special light he uses. So, I shut down the lights in the room and made some interesting shots.

© The Associated Press

We later headed to Dr. Goldin's office where I made a few more images. Overall, the assignment was a lot of fun. His cooperation made it pleasing.

© The Associated Press

Work was done w/ and it was time to enjoy the night a lot of us were waiting for.
DJ Curious J spinned his vinyl from his living room as the Chicago family got together for a night of dancing, drinking and partying.

Adriana busted out her trade mark Bacardi Basilli. Notice how she's the drink maker and has the poison-themed shirt. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? Ha!

DJ C-Los wanted a photo of his tattoo, so I was about to shoot it but the ladies got a little crazy when the shirt came off. Whoa! Argentina's smile says it all!

Luckily, DJ C-Los got back into his shirt, but the laughs did not end there.

Adriana displayed her barefoot dancing skills. Dancing barefoot is a trademark by the Chicago Family Ladies. Only our ladies dance barefoot. They do it well.

Adriana was feeling good after her Bacardi Basilli.

I think the drinks were beginning to kick in right about then.

Oh yeah! Bacardi Basilli blastoff!

DJ Curious J ran outside looking for "some action."

Meanwhile, inside DJ Fuzion showed he's a big man on the one's and two's.

The DJs get all the fun! Here we see DJ Curious J getting some East European love from Adriana and Anna. Sometimes I wish wasn't the one behind the camera.

The party ended at 6 in the morning and the kitchen looked like that. It's the first night of a party weekend. Saturday the Chicago Family will be going at it again.

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