weekending: despite settler FAIL edition

Okay, I know I bitched about it before, but SERIOUSLY, why did people settle in the Upper Midwest? Was it a trick? Were they all masochists?

I should not have been "pleased" with the "balmy" hovering around freezing temps this week. Zero degrees Celsius seemed just peachy.

Why?

Because once again we're in for ZERO DEGREES FARENHEIT or less.
Luckily (or unluckily because it takes me outside), I'm keeping busy to help combat the winter doldrums.

Last night I joined my pals Becky and Maribeth for dinner at Beans & Barley (I can never get enough of the Chicken Salad Plate with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Dressing). Afterward, we joined our friend Marcella at the Milwaukee Film screening of American Movie celebrating the 10 Year Anniversary of the documentary. I hadn't watched the movie in probably about seven years, so it was a nice refresher to see it again. Still effin hilarious. And now that I know Milwaukee a little bit better, I watched it through the eyes of resident, not just a transient college student.

After the screening there was a Q&A with the two stars, Mark Borchardt and Mike Schank, and the latter's new wife. That part was definitely pretty surreal. I mean, everyone sees those guys around town as "guest celebrities," but it was awkward to have them pop up after just watching a documentary on their life 12 years ago. Marcella described it as "sort of like performance art." Especially because there was this whole tangent on translating stories from Albanian and using that as a dieting technique. Uh, yeah, I guess you really had to be there.

Marcella and I swung through the post-party at Landmark Lanes, as she had never been there. It was kind of hard to tell what was really what with the whole "party" thing, so the two of us just grabbed a booth and caught up. Always good to do that!

Tonight I'm off to a "Summer in Winter" party in Cudahy with Becky, Brooke and Craig. The Bennett-Frizzells are cooking up some mango chicken and I am providing sherbert for dessert. It was supposed to be tropical lime bars, but I kind of didn't have time to make those.

We're also drinking some yummy "rumaritas."

Tomorrow I hope to brave the cold and get to yoga at The WAC. I really need to get back to my 30 By 30 focus. Of course, after that I'm going to add on some calories by taking my friend Margaret to the Lakefront Brewery Tour (since I realized it's been awhile).

The evening is reserved for my friend Jane. If I decide to make it a later night, my movie buddies are all going to Mad Planet for a Love Sounds dance party.

Sunday morning I hope to make it to this new "Try It Hip Hop Yoga" at the WAC. Don't ask, I don't know. Then for lunch I have a date at Izumi's (I have a gift certificate) with my friend Monica.

Of course in the meantime, I hope to clean, do more laundry, and get to some of those unfinished challenges from last week.

I do have to say that it's a myth that Milwaukee is only fun in the summer. Although it's ass-cold, I'm obviously not lacking in stuff to do.

What's on your plate this weekend?