Horns are blowing. TOOT TOOT TOOT.

In the photo on this post, look at the middle of the Michigan Avenue bridge. There's a couple bags. A co-worker just pointed out to me that those are the fireworks. She rand a fireworks shop back home.

There's someone talking on the stage. Bummer that I can't really understand them. It sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher. BLA BLA BLA BLA. The crowd doesn't seem to be cheering the person talking. Must be some housekeeping things. Behave yourself, kids!

Every time someone blows a loud horn, the crowd goes crazy. These people are hungry!

Riding the red line into work today, there was a good number of blackhawks fans. Including one person with a Stanley Cup made out of aluminum foil and glad tupperware containers. http://www.flickr.com/photos/spudart/4690939198/

It was about 9:30am at the time, and i was wondering when the parade was. So typical of the times, instead of asking one of the many blackhawks fans standing right next to me, I pulled out my iphone and looked it up there. Rather handy, I was able to see the parade route and the exact times. Parade starts at 10:30am, Arrives to stage outside Tribune Tower at 11:30am.

I was thinking maybe i'd head out around 11 or so to the stage and check it out. When I got to my desk at work, I was SHOCKED by the number of people standing outside. When I walked to the Tower, I came from the north; the crowd is south of the Tower.

The streets are PACKED, like PACKED.

Since my window is the backdrop to the stage where thousands of people are watching, I'm tempted to print out some big banner and hang it from the windows. I did that for the Cubs in 2003. I filled up six windows with six-foot tall printouts. It's totally noticeable from the south side of the bridge. But I got in trouble for hanging up signs, because the Michigan Avenue Association is supposed to approve all signage on Michigan Avenue.

Tempting, but I like my job more than hanging up some banners in the windows.

Is it lame that I'm not doing this on twitter? I don't want to clog up my account with all these things. Maybe I'll do some hightlights on my twitter account http://twitter.com/spudart

this morning on my drive to work I saw a family of 5 or 6 walking to the Metra station in Lombard. All of them were wearing matching Blackhawk t-shirts and the little 3 or 4 year-old was wearing a Blackhawks cheerleading outfit. They all looked very, very happy.

It's funny how everyone at work has WGN streaming live on their computers. Why not just watch it all together in one room. It's not like that much work is getting down anyways. Oh wait. Uhh, yeah, we are working uh yeah. Hi.

A fire truck is going down the parade route. With all this heat and humidity, the truck should be spraying people with water. Maybe I should get a hose and spray the people down. I don't think I have a hose that is strong enough to shot across the river. But wow, wouldn't that be cool? To have a hose that can fire water across the river. Oh wait, there's that one down the river.

People are even starting to gather up on the other side of the bridge--BEHIND the stage. Then again that's the view I have, is behind the stage. I have to admit, it's really cool to see the crowd growing and to have this particular perspective.

A coworker and I were debating about renting a kayak and watching it from the river. But then I wouldn't be able to live-comment here. But seriously, there shoudl be more boats in the river. I wanna see the river packed with boats and kayaks, like how the bay gets outside of the Giants stadium.

Ha. WGN is showing an aerial view of the double-decker bus with the players going down through Chicago with a police. They are going by the United Center now.

Will ticker-tape fall from the Michigan Avenue buildings? I'm pretty sure it will fall from the Washington Street buildings. But I don't see any sort of devices on the Michigan Ave buildings that would shoot ticker tape.

I count four boats circling around in the river.

The ticker tape is starting on Washington Ave. Family members going by on trolleys.

Policeman on Segway going down Michigan Avenue. It would be fun to see an army of Segway cops patrolling the parade route.

The double-decker turns the corner and people start yelling!!!

Players have to duck their heads as they go under L tracks overpass.

The horns are tooting with more intensity now.

I watched some of the parade on wgntv.com. It's funny how the players are wearing their uniforms. None of the Bulls players wore their uniforms during their championship celebrations in Grant Park. Did any Sox players wear their uniforms at their World Series celebration in 2005?

oh finally! we can see the parade start! some sort of marching band slowly comes along. YAAAY! that's neat.

People are starting to throw stuff out the windows! The trolleys are coming! Nine trolleys.

oh no! organ man's sheet music is flying away! Get that man some tape!

they broadcast the parade and stuff live in one room at work. not that many people took advantage of it though. i think i'm one of two people wearing a blackhawks t-shirt today. and mine is sweet. #31 all the way!!!

i think they are announcing every single person in the front office.

Got pulled off onto a project there. heh.

Whoa fireworks shooting off the michigan avenue bridge! COOL!

People are dispersing, but they are not letting them cross the Michigan Avenue bridge

They are now letting people cross the Michigan Avenue bridge. Yay! Cross the river! Cross the river!

From my perch in the NBC Tower (which overlooks the south and east sides of Tribune Tower) it appeared as though someone on the 14th floor was throwing 8.5" x 11" pieces of paper out their south-facing window! What floor do you work on again? ;-)

Six cleaning trucks just did circles across the Michigan Avenue bridge. So cute! They look like Zambonis--but for concrete

This is great! It's almost like I was at the parade! :)