Hot soft light » Christine Hart

What goes around

Rob Hart — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 19:05:39 +0000

Saturday a school bus loaded with designers, manufactures, and salesmen, all wearing bright green shirts unloaded in Maywood before 8 A.M. My wife, Christine, and her professional organization, the Illinois Interior Design Association, teamed with Rebuilding Together for an event they called “What Goes Around” sponsored by Allsteel.

Christine, Ashley Hinz, the leading forces on this project, and their wonderful team of over 45 people totally changed the lives of two women who really needed it. The homeowners, Maggie and Gertrude, hung in the backyard all day and were not allowed in the house to see the transformation. I spent all day making only 18 trips to Home Depot and picking up 11 pizzas so there was little time to make frames.

At about 5 P.M. with *most* of the work complete Maggie and Gertrude got to see their new living space. It was a totally amazing experience to see someone walk into their own house and not believe it’s theirs. As some work was finished in the kitchen they sat on the couch and kept repeating how they didn’t recognize their own house. It was very cool to be a part of this event. The “before” pictures are here.

4/25/09 MAYWOOD, IL Maggie and Gertrude see their new space after over 40 volunteers has spent a day re-habbing their home in Maywood on Saturday, April 25, 2009. The house was part of a project through rebuilding together and the Illinois Interior Design Association. (Rob Hart/Staff Photographer)

The crew.

Rock Band

Rob Hart — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 23:15:03 +0000

After a great engagement session with Dan and Cressie, 4 assignments, and hanging with the cats the wife and I decided to hit up some mixers and celebrate Jason Brown’s 31st birthday. First stop was the OFS Showroom in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart for a Rock Band party. I’m not a very big fan of Rock Band, Guitar Hero and the like. It’s a lot of fun, don’t get me wrong, but it has about as much in common with music as Operation does with anatomy.

My biggest beef with Rock Band is more a personal preference to not listen to the same song over and over. Unless it’s the new Thermals single. I could dig Country Band with an upright bass, and steel guitar. Ok, so maybe not. I clearly love music, and Josh and Elizabeth have a lot more songs than the last time I saw the game played. I’m excited to see bands like the Pixies, Mission of Burma, Old 97′s, Neko Case, and The New Pornographers. Josh and Elizabeth are really good at this game, and I hope we can do this again. It’s fun even if some great songs aren’t in the game.

Songs I nominate for Rock Band:
1. The Hold Steady “The Swish”
2. Neutral Milk Hotel – “Holland, 1945″
3. LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends”
4. Iggy and The Stooges – “Loose”
5. Art Brut – “Formed A Band”
6. The Creation – “Makin’ Time”
7. Buddy Holly – “Rock around with Ollie Vee”
8. BR549 – “18 Wheels and a Crowbar”
9. Unit 4 + 2 – “Concrete and Clay”
10. The Weakerthans – “Civil Twilight”

I could go on all day. Let’s move on to the photos.

David Fields sings a song in Rock Band at the OFS office in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.

Christine Hart block photographer Rob Hart from taking her picture at a Rock Band party at Chicago's Merchandise Mart in the OFS Showroom.

Jason’s official party was at Quenchers at Fullerton and Western where I had one of my all-time favorite beers, Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. It’s a load of chocolate, little licorice, hint of vinalla, kiss of fruit, and coffee undertones. A 10% beer and a mighty fine pint. Jason, Brian Valentin and I stuffed into an old timey photo booth for a souvenir for JB’s 31st. Good times…

McRiblet Hillbilly Jam Session

Rob Hart — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:01:33 +0000