brew to bay

The following is an amended version of what I emailed to my close friends and associates over the weekend:

In short: I have really big news.

Many of you know this already, but how big? Life uprooting big.

In just a few short weeks I will be living and working in San Francisco, California -- realizing a goal that I’ve had since I was 10 years old. (I'm not joking, I fell in love the second I set foot in that city).

I gave my notice at my current employer on Friday, and it was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do. Even though my industry in Milwaukee faces COUNTLESS challenges (don't forget to vote tomorrow!), it truly has been an incredible experience working there. It's only been slightly over three years, but I feel like I've learned about twice that. My last day will be Thursday, March 3.

I begin my new job, setting marketing and communications strategy and implementation for a company a new industry for me on March 14. I will post more about my new job and employer when I am settled and started, but I'm very excited to work in a very creative industry, but with still a technical edge.

I will fly out at 8 PM on March 10 to make my triumphant return to the West Coast.

It was not an easy decision for me to make. Yes, I have been increasingly disgruntled with the political climate here, and that was, admittedly, the catalyst for me to investigate living elsewhere. However, once I began looking, I found that the opportunity for me to grow personally and professionally is really elsewhere at this time in my life.

Will I miss Wisconsin? HELL YES.

What I will I miss about Milwaukee?

• THE PEOPLE!!! Some of my best friends are here. I’ve spent my entire adult life here and it’s going to be really hard to leave amazing people behind.
• Summer.
• Things just being super awesome and cool, and not knowing or trying to be that way.
• A ton of things, which I will write about, in due time, when I don't have an agenda 3,040,108 items long.

Why I am I moving to San Francisco then?

• My family (in Portland and Seattle) will be much, much closer.
• Outside of Milwaukee, my highest concentration of close friends is located in SF (including some ex-Milwaukeeans).
• I’ve mentally exhausted myself in the past few years trying to defend even minimally progressive programs in Milwaukee, I need a break and also to test and see how these programs work in practice.
• With my change to an active lifestyle over the past 18 months, I’ve had an increasingly difficult time dealing with winter here. I need to try at least one in a moderate climate again.
• The type of workplace I’m looking for is commonplace. Flexible hours, telecommute options, casual dress, Macs (!!), social media engagement, collaborative / “flat” office structure, encouragement of creativity. I realize this stuff isn’t for everybody, but for me, it will contribute to my overall happiness and ability to succeed.

What am I doing before I leave?

• I’ll be spending the next few short weeks packing like a madwoman and purging my apartment of 13 years of Wisconsin collectibles. Watch my social media feeds for information on my EVERYTHING MUST GO FURNITURE BLITZ. If you need shelves, storage units, kitchen islands, a bed, dresser, dining room set, etc. let me know!
• Throwing going away bashes on February 25 (late night) and March 4 (happy hour). I also will be celebrating one of my final nights here at the Mucca Pazza concert on March 8.

Will you ever see me after I leave The Island?

• As long as Wisconsin people keep getting married and having babies, I can’t yank myself out of their lives. I’ll be back the weekend of April 15 for a wedding (negotiated that into my job offer) and I’m sure for others down the line.
• You can virtually track me, as I will be blogging at my new blog, Brew to Bay, so you can track me there or on Twitter. I'll probably still update here occasionally as well.

Recommendations are welcome for San Francisco, in regards to excellent people to know or places to go. 

I owe a post on my all my updates as well, but I think we can safely say I've accomplished #1 of my 31 by 32 list!

31 by 32

Inspired by my lovely friend Catherine, I've decided to set 31 goals for myself to accomplish by my next birthday - January 11, 2012. Some are abstract, others are quite clear. With the exception of one, I've given myself no less than a monthly timeline on most. I'll dedicate around the 11th of each month to "check in" and see where I'm at.

1) Make at least one MAJOR change in my life.

2) Visit one of my five remaining states - Alaska, Arkansas, Mississipi, North Dakota, or Oklahoma.

3) Get something published.

4) Do 31 non-girl pushups in a row.

5) Change someone's life for the better (other than my own).

6) Work my way through the entire "Take Off In Italian" CD set I bought in 2003.

7) Digitize my CD collection.

8) Visit one or more family members apart from Christmas.

9) Take advantage of a crazy spontaneous opportunity.

10) Attempt another recipe out of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"

11) See six different local bands live.

12) Read and review one non-fiction & one fiction book a month.

13) Contact an elected official, at some level, once a month about an issue that is important to me.

14) See and review at least one film per month.

15) Try one new recipe a month.

16) Try a new locally-owned restaurant each month.

17) Go to an art show or gallery once a month.

18) Dedicate one blog post a month to promoting a local business.

19) Dedicate one blog post a month to promoting a local non-profit.

20) Leave the county I live in at least once per month.

21) Write one album and one concert review a month.

22) Applaud bipartisan efforts in my social media forums at least four times.

23) Attend games of at least four different sports.

24) Go to at least four theatre performances.

25) Go vegetarian for 31 days.

26) Go for 31 days without consuming any soda.

27) Bike to / from work every single day for 31 days.

28) Go for one full week without consuming any alcohol.

29) Go for one full week without consuming any processed foods.

30) Have one week where I only consume foods made with locally-sourced ingredients.

31) Spend one-on-one time with a friend at least once a week.

My 500th Post: 30 Great Things About 30

It's fairly appropriate that this is my 500th post here at ye olde blog. It's also fairly appropriate that the title of my favorite album of Year 30 was "This Is Happening." Because 30 for me, was the year I, for the most part, finally learned to go with the flow and stop freaking out about what others would think, preferring just to remove myself from the drama.

After most of my crazy exploits, bizarre injuries, missed trains to Freiburg...I pretty much just shrugged and thought "well, that happened."

On a more somber note, perhaps it was easier to remove myself from drama in a year that was bookended by massive tragedies (Haitian Earthquake - 1/12/10 & Tuscon Terrorism - 1/8/11). Perhaps my contempt at Wisconsin's beyond broken political environment replaced any energy I'd have previously focused on petty personal issues. Or maybe I really am getting older and wiser.

At any rate, looking back, 30 was surely my most memorable year since 23, and that's saying a lot.

Although many of these are coded (my mother reads this blog), here are 30 things that I don't want to forget about Year 30 (in no particular order):

1. Running my first 5k and first half marathon within 10 months, thanks to the encouragement of awesome running buddies like Becky, Tony and Jason and of course the Daily Mile crew. Special thanks to my "top three motivators" - Anne, Amy, and Augie. All in all I logged over 1,000 miles of fitness activities - and that counts barely a fraction of my bike commutes!

2. Memorable nights out abroad with random Germans and Brits. Counting up conquering the
Allied and Axis powers.

3. Rediscovering my love for film with continued involvement with Milwaukee Film, dipping my toe further into the local film community, and becoming a semi-regular at the UWM Union Theatre.
 

4. Connecting through both family and social media to wonderful hosts while I traveled solo in Belgium and Germany - thanks Bernie, Kyle, and Bridgit!

5. Witnessing four great couples commit to each other -- congrats Jane & Ralf, Beth & Fred, Jessica & Ben, and Jackie & Mike.

I vote to balance out people who dress their children like this.

6. Exercising my right to vote in each election and making efforts to write or call my representatives on issues that matter to me.

7.  Santa Cycle Rampage and Aftermath.
 

Siblings!

8. Visiting my hometown of Portland twice and really, really liking it. Especially the running, the beer, the transit, the music, the donuts, and the random evenings. Oh and the whole family and lifelong friends thing too.

9. Jason losing a bet. It makes for a good story for those who are privileged to know.

10. Extending my "Cool Auntie" love to Joey D., Joey S., Oliver S., and A.J. Q.

Good friends take nerdy pictures with you.

 11. Maintaining my priceless existing friendships, becoming closer with people that once were just acquaintances, and making new wonderful friends.

12. Scaling back my involvement in organizations when my heart wasn't with them and learning to relax a bit more. 

13. Breathtaking hikes both at home (Devil's Lake) and abroad (the Calvert in Malmedy, The Black Forest, Philosophersweg in Heidelberg)
 

Wren & I not smelling like ass.

14. The smoking ban. Rediscovering loveable dive bars.

15. Realizing how much I truly love being #carfree and the different advantages of the bike/walk/bus mix.

 
16. Raising over $1500 for the performing arts (I still can't thank AJ Bombers enough for letting me fundraise there). Then biking 75 freaking miles (not on this bike, but my photos are limited).

17. Reading more and utilizing the stellar Milwaukee Public Library system.

18. Having my music snobbery parlay itself into a blogging opportunity. Feeling proud of Milwaukee's music scene for both national touring acts and #mkemusic and the accessibility of movers and shakers in the local scene via social media.

19. Getting hooked into the #fitmke and #mkefoodies communities via twitter - and making some wonderful IRL friends because of it.

I'm in the blue floaty thing

20. Appearing in public in a swim suit - a two piece for that matter!

One of the photos I used for online, unsuccessfully.

21. Getting asked out by someone I didn't meet at a bar or through a set up or dating service. Giving online dating a legitimate shot and realizing it wasn't for me.

Watch out boys, she'll chew you up.

22. Being secure in my singleness. More than that - ROCKING my singleness.

23. Meeting and exceeding my fitness goals of doing at least one paid community event a month.
 

 

24. Getting through another crazy year at work, including handling the floodpocolypse of 2010.

All hotels should have lovely floral arrangements.

25. Reopening "Hotel Meghan" and hosting Ryan, Kat, the whole Lepene Family (a child was in my apartment!), and Ellen as they came through town.
 

26. Indulging my fashion fetishes and buying nicer clothes for my new bod.

Reentering the Meat Zone.

27. Remaining aware of what I put in my mouth, and making concerted efforts to stay local and natural or organic.  Reintroducing red meat to my diet after 15 years.

28. Watching several of my talented friends reinvent themselves or relaunch themselves career-wise. Special props to the talented Ellen Winters for booking more jazz gigs and hitting the studio, to the gourmet guru and Globaco Queen Jackie Valent Lucca for delighting Milwaukee's tastebuds with her food cart the Fast Foodie, and my dear friend Maribeth for embracing the opportunity to become an incredible teacher in the near future.

29. Having both parents visit me in Milwaukee and spending a whole day in the Seattle-area hanging out with my awesome grandma.

30. Strengthening my relationship with Kathleen, my best friend, to new levels and watching her, in the face of fear, begin to share her unbelievable (but true!) life story with the greater world. I could not be more proud.

***

The night I turned 30, Wren took me to Bryant's and basically played the role of "30 coach" assuring me this would be the most amazing decade. She hasn't been wrong so far. I look forward to what 31 brings on.

Can I Have a Clone Please?

I'm really trying to be a better blogger in 2011, but let me tell you, being a single lady is tough sometimes. I didn't get home until 8 p.m. after going to the gym and running errands afterward. I then had to do laundry and put away my previous load of laundry AND my suitcase from Portland (I got back December 28).

Fortunately the holidays and my birthday are over, so hopefully I will have a little Meghan-time to catch up. I have so much follow up on emails to do, but I need to sleep and finish the 47 overdue books from the library. (I'm also trying to be a better reader in 2011).

Do you "do it all"? What are your tricks for a balanced life AND a clean domicile?

31nderful

I have to reflect on Year 30 yet, but I couldn't have spent a last better 3 hours of my first day as 31. I had the privilege of enjoying a meal with three wonderful friends (and running into a bonus friend!) and talking to my best friend, grandma, brother, and parents all on the phone. I laughed, giggled, snickered. I can only hope 31 to be as silly, absurd, and random as 30.

bullying irony

What? This child was BULLIED?! Shock!

I am glad that the popcultureverse is having a conversation about bullying lately. Kids, whether gay or straight, should not feel their only option is suicide.

I'm sure it's no surprise to those who know me that I was bullied as a kid. Not for being gay (I wish! That'd be an easy one to reflect upon. (Kidding, kidding)), but for being the new kid, the weird/creative kid, the smart kid, the nice kid, the pudgy girl (oh thank you puberty), the kid with bad teeth, the kid with braces, you name it. I was prey, rarely the predator.

As I read the stories about these youth bullied today, and then read the celebrity response, most of which involves celebrities reflecting upon their bullies, I am conflicted.

You see, the cruelest, most awful, most terrible, scarring bully of my childhood? She's now a celebrity.

At the risk of being an amateur gossip blogger, I'll leave this as a "blind item," but I'm sure you can narrow it down that I grew up in Portland in the late '90s and this woman constantly pops up in my universe since her cult basic cable show is apparently something I'd love since I'm a Lostie and appreciate morality tales in fantasy worlds. However, I will never watch an episode of what several of my dear friends refer to as the "best show ever," because of the trauma this girl put me through in junior high.

The thing is, I don't even know if I ever had a class with her (maybe gym), as I was usually sheltered with the other nerds in the advanced groups. She had been held back, I know this because in 9th grade she had her license and used it to park her Jeep Wrangler in front of my house one afternoon to harass me for hours. I did wind up on parks and rec volleyball with her in 8th grade, but I think the bullying started before that. Whatever the connection, for some reason I made the cut of her favorite victims.

She and her entourage made my life a living hell at Cedar Park Intermediate School. Take Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls and multiply it 1000x. One of her big focuses of torment was that her family was rich and mine was poor. Except, uh, we weren't. At all. Thrifty, yes. Poor, no. We're talking the difference between upper-middle class and middle-middle class. WTF. But to 14-year-old girls it apparently doesn't matter. Mean is mean. Bullies are bullies.

In the end, it did get better -- I became really good at volleyball after my coach taught me to pretend the ball with this girl's face. My parents decided to send me to a private high school to get away from the mean kids in my public school. Although there were some freshman year, my high school didn't tolerate bullying behavior. I met my best friends in high school, all of whom had been bullied in middle school. We're still best friends.

So yes, while most of the celebrity messages are in the vein of "I'm awesome now, and those bullies all live in a trailer park or whatever." I have to be honest and say "I'm stuck in middle management in Milwaukee, while my bully found success in Hollywood...," yet there's a glimmer of irony that makes me smile.

You see, having found her success on a cult, science-fiction hit, this woman is destined to spend the rest of her career attending conventions and making appearances for the super nerds, the scary fans, etc. She is dependent on the bullied to keep her in business. Thanks to capitalism, the acne-coated geeks have won.

Side note: in the file of "things I never thought I'd type"-- I must give kudos to Lance Bass who admits to being an asshole bully when he was a closeted teen. Now if more celebs would jump on the "I was a bully" train.

that's (budget) entertainment

By my next birthday I'd like to have made some headway on paying down my debt and getting together a gameplan for the next stage in my life. This means reeling in my spending by cutting back on some of the things I love to do. Below I'm outlining some of my entertainment addictions and then proposing solutions. If you have any additional suggestions, please leave them in the comments!

Concert Frequenting
Issue: Let's face it...I drop a LOT of my disposable income on concerts. I love going to shows. I'm hooked. And with the magic that is The Pabst Theater Group in town, you could see "the next it band" practically every week. To add to the dilemma, with the passage of the recent smoking ban, The Rave has become tolerable for me again...not to mention the small clubs around town.

Solutions:

• Allow myself one over $25 concert treat per month
• Limit self to going to no more than one under $15 show per week
• Try to see more local bands, especially while the free, outdoor season is ongoing
• Follow the twitter and facebook feeds of local radio and venues to try and win tickets

Rocking Out at Home
Issue: My music loving extends to private as well as public. I have an eMusic subscription, but once those credits run out each month I'm always tempting by Amazon or iTunes. I try to limit my internet scouring (especially since most of the artists I like need the money), so what is a girl to do?

Solutions:

• Subscribe to available "Song of the Day" podcasts
• Request CDs from the Milwaukee Public Library
• Watch for "sampler" albums promoted on social media
• Revisit old music / make new playlists

Let's Go to the Movies!
Issue: Luckily this isn't too much of an issue anymore, and the lack of a mainstream theater anywhere near downtown helps. Still, during the summer if I just "feel like going to a movie," I'm inevitably shelling out $15+ for a ticket and snacks. It adds up.

Solutions:

• Gear up to volunteer for the upcoming Milwaukee Film Festival. Can't wait for the program release on September 4!
• Frequent the UWM Union Theatre this semester. Just got their program in the mail (website not updated at time of this posting) and I need to make a concerted effort to make it up there more often. This will offset some of the concertgoing too.

Hopefully I'll get another post up soon about other expensive hobbies and my budget solutions! Anything you'd like to see?

i am alive, and accidentally in wisconsin

I owe about 37 posts from my Europe trip. I need to develop an nom de plume so I can write all the tales. Or have my mom sign a waiver that she won't read them.

No, it wasn't all salacious. From visiting family friends in Belgium, to attending one of my best friend's fairytale wedding, to biking through the countryside, to taking two amazing hikes, to tasting all sorts of incredible food and beverages-- I really feel I LIVED for 12 days.

I am jonesing more than ever to ACTUALLY move to Europe. I thought after almost two full weeks of living out of a suitcase I'd be ready to come home, but I've never moreso been tempted to stay. From almost taking two random Brits up on a roadtripping offer to playing "eeny-meeny-miny-mo" with the ticket machine at the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof (Paris, Berlin, Airport...), I was ready to just send the "I'm not coming back email." Unfortunately my oldest child responsibility gene kicked in and I relunctantly boarded a plane back.

So now I'm back in Wisconsin having a midlife crisis. But I did make some key resolves while I reflected overseas:

• Get out of volunteer commitments where my heart isn't in it and my time is overly consumed
• Train for a half marathon and take advantage of outdoor fitness activities more.
• Do more things for free and less things for money. While I love going to shows, I can't pour every last dime of my income into concerts. As painful as it is, I need to redirect some of that free time. Luckily today I got the UWM Union Theatre schedule in the mail and that should provide plenty of entertainment this fall!
• Keep up with the CSA and scale back on eating out.
• Spend more time with friends.
• Spend more time with myself.
• Have a "life changer" game plan in place by my 31st birthday--January 11, 2011.

music madness: spring concerts

Completely diverging from last night's melancholy topic (thank you all who gave advice/support), let's talk about something more cheerful tonight...upcoming concerts!

Once again, the folks over at the Pabst Theater Group have outdone themselves by getting a crapload of ridiculously national acts.

Here's what I already have tickets for:

• March 6: The Avett Brothers with The Low Anthem
• March 19: The Big Pink & A Place to Bury Strangers (This is a $10 show that everyone should go to. I think this was the best album that nobody heard of last year.)
• April 3: Passion Pit
• April 11: Girls with Dum Dum Girls
• April 21: FLAMING LIPS (oohhhhhhhhhhhh yeahhhhhhhhhhhh)
• May 9: Frightened Rabbit
• May 22: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
  

Here's what I'll probably end up going to as well:

• March 3: The English Beat & Fishbone
• March 22: Temper Trap
• April 4: David Bazan
• May 3: Apples in Stereo
• May 24: Midlake
  

And there's so many other great acts coming that I had to rule out due to price points/ non GA seating / etc.

On the concert festival front, I can only make it to Pitchfork this year and that's just fine with me! Why? Because for my $98 three-day pass I will be seeing:

• Modest Mouse (for the first time since December 2000)
• LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
• PAVEMENT

I breathed such a sigh of relief and yelped for joy when I saw that last one. I'd feared they'd be at Lollapalooza, which takes place while I'm in Europe. Yes, I'll likely miss Arcade Fire and the Strokes, and even Lady Gaga, but with the exception of the latter, I've seen the other two several times, so I'm not too bummed out.

Of course, don't forget my #mkemusic challenge. Though I've hit my February slot by catching Conrad Plymouth last weekend at the MuzzleOfBees.com 5th Anniversary Show at Cactus Club, I am definitely not going to miss seeing a bunch of local acts at the RadioMilwaukee Music Awards Party this Thursday at Whiskey Bar (it's a block from my house, I can't miss out).

And speaking of local radio stations, don't forget to mark your calendars for WMSE's Rockabilly Chili Contest on March 7. It's one of my most favorite days of the year!

What musical goodness is coming up on your calendar?

becoming underinvolved?

As many of you know, or have surmised, I spent the bulk of my 20s getting really involved in the community. I also spent the bulk of my late-20s packing on the pounds while not taking much time for myself.

As I continue to try and lose my last 20 pounds, I also scramble to meet all of my volunteer commitments. It's a delicate balance and sometimes I feel like I'm letting people down.

Does anyone have some tips for becoming less involved? Or balancing self-time with community time?

weekend preview

While I have to work tomorrow, the weekend started tonight somewhat.

Weather was super killer, so I got in a 3.29 mile run prior to beginning the night's festivities.

I attended the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Classical Connections series, a nice behind-the-scenes look at Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons." After the performance I rushed over to the Bradley Center to watch Marquette's heartbreaking loss to Pitt. I have little hope left for the Big Dance this year, but miracles can happen.

Tomorrow I plan to do lots of laundry after work, then hopefully swoop by MAM After Dark at the Milwaukee Art Museum. It'll be an early night though.

Saturday I'm planning on yoga at the WAC in the morning and then blocking off the ENTIRE AFTERNOON and early evening to clean. Wish me luck.

Saturday night you'll find me in Bay View celebrating a friend's birthday at the Palm Tavern and then heading to Cactus Club for the MuzzleOfBees.com 5th Anniversary Show. I need to blog about it in further detail, but I've started a challenge to attend one local music show a month. If you are doing so, please log your show attendance here.

I have meeting late Sunday afternoon, but hopefully I can use the day to rest up. Or, if it continues to be nice out, log some more miles!

lenting it up: resolutions

There's something a little bit more stomachable with Lenten resolutions vs. New Year's. A mere 40 days doesn't have the permanency that a year does. Easter is just right around the corner, and then you can indulge until next year. That's what Jesus taught us, right?

At any rate, here are three things I would like to focus on this Lent:

1) No chocolate for 40 days. Yes, it's going to be hard. But I feel like chocolate is keeping me in this mini-plateau that I've been battling for the past couple weeks. I'm losing weight still, but slooooowly. Not snacking in the candy bowl should help with that. And what better way to see me out than homemade eclairs from Brooke & Craig? Mmmm.

2) No credit card purchases, except for emergencies. Hopefully no emergencies arise. I just paid off one credit card with my tax return and am hoping to make dents in others this year. I am sticking within my budget, or bust!

3) Doing one nice thing a day. It's important to remember that Lent isn't just focusing on the negative. If you're Christian, it's about reflecting on what Christ did for us. My version of Christ is the ever-loving, tolerant one. So in that spirit, I'd like to do something nice for either friends or strangers every day during Lent. Whether it's sending a gift or leaving a Facebook comment or just a smile on the street, it never hurts to act kindly.

What are you doing for Lent this year?

miss me?

I took a hiatus apparently, so for Lent I'm going to give up not blogging. It's just difficult to try and find the time to fit it in when I have so much else going on.

So now that I'm back, what do you want to hear about?

Non-Fitness Year & Decade Goals

Early in December I posted my fitness goals for 2010 and the 2010s themselves. Being me I have a boatload of goals, but I won't bore you with all of them. Here are the highlights from my non-fitness list:

Academic:
2010: Take the GRE
2010s: Get my Masters degree in Public Policy/Public Administration

Financial:
2010: Pay off one of my credit cards
2010s: Get completely out of credit card debt (this *should* be obtainable by early-2013)

Domestic Travel:
2010: Visit a new state
2010s: Complete my 50 state quest (5 to go)

International Travel:
2010: Return to Europe
2010s: Visit all inhabitable continents

Cultural/Milwaukee:
2010: See a performance by each of UPAF's Member groups
2010s: See a performance by all of Milwaukee's performing arts groups

What are your goals?

30 by 30: Indie Workout Mix 2

First, I'd like to apologize for disappearing. Unfortunately after my trip to Arizona, I came down with the "headcold of doom" and have been a useless lump for the past five days.

But I'm back and back to the gym. Today I eased back into it with 30 minutes on the elliptical at the Wisconsin Athletic Club. As I did a couple of weeks ago, I made another mix. This week's is a bit more rocking though.

Sixteen - The Heavy
Crown on the Ground - Sleigh Bells
Fences (Friendly Fires Remix) - Phoenix
Big Booty Woman - Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears
Bleed 2 Feed - C.C. Adcock
Got Nuffin - Spoon
How You Like Me Now? - The Heavy
Last Dance - The Raveonettes

maine taught me my first lesson about marriage equality

Astute readers of The Accidental Wisconsinite may know that I was born in Portland, Maine, but grew up in Portland, Oregon.

I'm about to pack up for the night, but wanted to point something else while I fall asleep to an absolute nailbiter.

The gay marriage debate is often likened to that of interracial marriage. A half-century ago it had several states up in arms, and now we look back (with the exception of some freakazoid (former) judge in Louisiana) and ask "what were we thinking?!?"

Little did I realize a quarter-century ago, when I was a child attending one of my earliest weddings in memory, that some close-minded people may have had a problem with it. To me, this wedding stands out in my foggy reminiscences because it was the first ceremony I recall not being in a church. It was in a house and there was a super fun party in the backyard with lots of tasty food and live music. I remember running around with other kids for hours and having a total blast. In my memory, the house was a yellow Victorian. Only with my societally-influenced adult mind do I recognize that the bride was white and the groom was black.

What difference does that make to me? None. They could be purple, but my Auntie Willow and Uncle Foris were a major part of my childhood and I love them like they were my blood relatives. That's why I don't understand why it would be any different if it were two Aunties or two Uncles getting married? If they were a loving couple and a model to young people of a happy, healthy relationship...why should a law stand in the way of their commitment?

Why can't we get a referendum on the ballot that says "Marriage shall be a recognition of love between two consenting adults, it doesn't matter what is between their legs?"

30 by 30: Indie Workout Mix 1

Always mixing things up over here at the Accidental Wisconsinite, and today is no different. I restarted my membership at the Wisconsin Athletic Club today and took it easy with just over a half an hour on the elliptical (2.75 miles).

While I plan to spend most of my WAC time initially going to structured classes (and thus being subjected to the musical whims of the instructors), I needed to create a good mix of fresh tunes to get me motivated on my own. Here's my playlist for today:

Dream City - Free Energy
Something in Common - Free Energy
The Laurels of Erotomania - Cold Cave
True No. 9 Blues (True Romance) - Golden Silvers
IRM (Diskjokke Remix) - Charlotte Gainsbourg
Songs Remind Me of You - Annie (my new dance jam of the year)
Here to Fall (Popular Songs Version) - Yo La Tengo

Enjoy!

time out thursday: halloweekend

Are you SCARED that you don't have solid plans for this weekend? Don't be a lonely boy or ghoul, join me in tearing up the town for this All Hallow's Eve.

 

Frightened Friday

The party will be at Mad Planet for the Retro Night Halloween Costume Party. Just $4 will get you onto the dance floor along with all the crazy costumed Riverwesterners. Probably getting there around 10ish to check out the line, if there isn't one there may be a stop at Riverhorse or Foundation first.

 

Scary Saturday

Giving some local love to the Made in Milwaukee party at Turner Hall. I'm excited to check out local bands and artists. I'm also stoked to see Great Lakes Swimmers (eek! Canadians! Scary!). I'm very intrigued by the extra-special guest at 7, so I'll be there early. Wonder if they are raising someone from the dead? Apparently there is also a Warhol-inspired costume contest, so we'll see what I come up with. I may be up for meeting folks out afterward if my broomstick wants to keep flying.

 

Want to be a Zombie?

Then don't sleep this weekend and get in some community service weekend too! On Saturday morning, from 9-noon, discover that there's nothing scarier than invasive species in our parks. Join the Juneau Park Friends at the "Hallo-weedout" and pull weeds off the Juneau Park bluff. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Juneau-Park-Friends/113584992257?v=app_2344061033#/event.php?eid=160441235422&index=1

 

Hope to see you out this Halloweekend!

time out thursday: i can't take a break

I had one free weekend in October. My first entirely free weekend since May. So what do I do? Sign up for a women's leadership conference of course! Signed up around the same time as Weight Watchers in a total grasping for something before I turn 30. It should be an interesting weekend though and help me become more active and engaged in my community.

Tonight though, I'm heading to the Milwaukee Ballet for the premiere of Cindrella. As part of my UPAF fund raising, I was able to pick one arts group to get "season" tickets for (I'm not technically a "season ticket holder" -- just vouchers -- hence the quotes). I have season tickets for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Classical Connections series and regularly attend the Milwaukee Rep's Entourage events, so I thought I'd try something new and different. At the time The Skylight kerfuffle was going on, so the ballet won out. I do need to get to The Skylight and The Florentine sometime this season, so let me know, dear readers, if you ever want to go.

Finally, on Sunday, Becky and I will make the annual pilgrimage to Elegant Farmer for a little late-season apple picking. Have to build up my stores before the markets end for the season.

october blogging

Hey there reader! Remember when The Accidental Wisconsinite used to blog on a semi-regular basis? Remember classic posts that were passed around the internet causing my Google Analytics page to make some pretty line graphs?

I hope to bring those back.

The weather is getting colder and it's getting darker earlier. That means I can hunker down and start entertaining (?) you all again with my witty bloggery opinions of life and Milwaukee.

I'm going to mix it up a little bit too. Here's what you (and I) can hope for in October:

Monday Munchies - Still will focus on my kitchen adventures and dining experiences, but I'll try to mix in a healthy dose of agriculture and sustainable food related issues

Twofer Tuesday's will offer two conflicting posts--an optimistic Milwaukee Props and a more critical WTFWisconsin

Worldly Wednesday - This is a new feature I'd like to add, focusing on issues around the globe that come to my attention. I actually was pretty darn inspired by the documentary Reporter that I caught during the Milwaukee Film Festival, which highlighted the work of New York Times reporter Nick Kristof and his convictions regarding the role of responsible journalism to highlight global crises. The film took a swipe at the personalization of the media and blogs, which is allowing people to go through their day and not even know about terrible events going on around the world. This only set off the alarm that was already stirring since my co-worker did not get my Joe Wilson reference after the "You Lie!" incident. If I can reach my handful of readers with global awareness, maybe I can make a nanochange.

Time Out Thursday - Since it's rare that I have a weekend where nothing is going on, Thursday's will serve as my weekend preview

Freestyle Friday - I'll try and get something short and random up, whether it be pictures, links, events, whatever

Sassy Saturday - I'll foray into some self-reflection here, whether it be on friendship, lifestyles, the single life, whatever. We'll see how this one goes.

Various & Sunday Items - This will be a longer potpourri blog, likely ending up either Girl on Film, Art Attack, Music Madness, Globetrotting, or Daily Inspiration

Anything YOU would like to see me write about more?