sunday catch up: too nice to blog

Believe it or not it was over 50 degrees this weekend. I've been out and about and when I've been home I've thrown open the windows to air out the place and clean out the winter blues.

I know it won't last, but I sure appreciate it!

Friday night I did stay in to shake off the last of my "bug." Saturday I woke up early and went to yoga. I walked to Brady Street afterward--in my yoga pants!! It was that warm. I picked up quarters and grabbed coffee and a bagel at Brewed. I came home and did six loads of laundry (still more to do), gathered up three bags of clothes for Goodwill and started attacking my kitchen. I finished the kitchen tonight (after a run to Target for supplies) and I must say it's lovely.

I actually am going to start rotating rooms each week so each gets a thorough cleaning once a month. I'm so busy that I figure writing it down on a calendar will help. I hate cleaning, but I certainly like clean rooms!

Last night I had my annual reminder of why I hate chick flicks. I agreed to a girls night (which WAS fun, I do love my girlfriends) and we went to see He's Just Not That Into You. It was so terrible that I'm actually going to team blog my review with my friend Mandi. Look for that coming this week (if it's not so nice out that I don't want to be at the computer!).

slacker saturdays: hardly

After my night in last night, got up early to go help my pal Wren pull up carpet in her new pad. Learned that the key to buying a home is to have lots of friends. Seven of us got up the carpet and tacks in four rooms in about 3 hours. She's very lucky that there were near mint condition (save a couple spots) floors underneath.

Being an apartment dweller myself, I'm excited to help my friend on home improvement projects. It will be a good learning experience for the future, when I can get out of debt and think about going into it again by buying a house. I've definitely decided I want an older home. Milwaukee just has so many cool ones!

Whenever I do buy I want to make sure I live in a neighborhood where I can live car-free. That narrows it down to Bay View, Walker's Point and Riverwest. The latter two are still a bit sketch now, but I think in five years when I can afford to do something they will be improved.

Unless of course I win the lottery before then, then it's Lake Drive all the way.

Anyway, glad I had that activity planned this morning because I missed the hubbub of the Veteran's Day Parade which travels outside my living room window. I'm all in favor of vets (my dad and a few of my friends are veterans), but I'll admit it's really hard to get stuff done when there's WWI motorcycles, bi-planes and buglers passing your apartment.

Headed back out in a moment (now that parade traffic has subsided) to check out a reading/tasting at the Downer Ave Harry W. Schwartz of an Indian Cookbook.

And there's a ton else going on today here in The Mil. If I wasn't set on being low-key this weekend, I'd totally head out to the Brew City Bruisers season-opening bout tonight. I truly love how much my city has to offer

october eve: a new month so let's throw so goals out there

The goals below are not for October (obviously there are things that would be impossible to do without violating the space/time continuum), but for the next year and beyond. I'm gonna figure out how to be all nifty and add them into my blog sidebar or somethin' but thought I would introduce them here. I will continue to add to them as well, so be prepared.

• Volunteer at Growing Power -- I mentioned this organization in my last post and would like to go to the volunteer orientation the first Saturday morning I have free after the
  

• Go to a Timber Rattlers Game in 2009 -- they are a Brewers farm team now and just a skip away in Appleton. Tubing and Baseball anyone?
  
  
• Limit eating out to 1 lunch and 1 night per week, 1 night OR brunch per weekend -- this is one of the greatest areas where my spending starts spiraling. I'm determined to remedy that.
  
  
• Limit buying cocktails to 1 per weeknight, 3 per weekend night -- another spending death trap. I think this is a reasonable goal. Cocktails does mean beer and wine as well. And note that it basically refers to going out and buying them. If I have a couple glasses of wine at home I don't think there's any harm there.
  
  
• Create viable eat local plan -- I'm starting with my October plan to do one meal a day. We'll see where it goes from there.
  
  
• Register to take GRE before December -- basically meaning, overcome fear of standardized tests
  
  
• Post a blog (minimum) three days per week -- you'll be hearing a lot more from me
  
  
• Obama campaign activity at least once per week through the election -- this is going to be tricky but I have to find/make the time. If a week goes by where I can't make it in, I'm going to make myself donate $5.
  
  
• Read three books per month -- a reasonable goal and motivation to pay off my library fees
  
  
• Attend one author talk per month -- Schwartz always has a ton, as do local universities. So do smaller bookstores. I'm sure I'll find something!
  
  
• Attend one film at UWM Union Theatre a month -- they're free so this should be easy
  
  
• Attend one art gallery show per month -- Quarterly gallery nights make it easy, but I'll have to get creative during the off-months.
  
  
• Take one continuing ed class per semester -- this semester is pretty much shot, but starting in Winter 2009 I should be able to find something reasonable at UWM
  
  
• Do one load of laundry per week -- you don't even know how this piles up
  
  
• Clean one room in apartment COMPLETELY each week (make rotating chart) -- I need to start being a grown up and stop being a clutter freak
  
  
• Write Final 12 hours in Milwaukee blog -- some of my goals are going to be inspired by things I see on other blogs. This one came from Amateur Gourmet
  
  
• Go to one Urban Ecology Center program/event per month -- I'm a member, it's a fantastic organization, so why the heck not?
  
  
• Utilize my memberships at the Milwaukee Art Museum and Discovery World at least once per month--even if it's just to pop in and look at a picture or pet a stingray for 10 minutes
  
  
• Use my UPAF Smart Card at least FOUR times -- I earned it and need to check out a greater array of performing arts beyond the Rep and the Symphony.
  
  
• Get back in a routine of going to the gym 2-3 times per week -- the WAC was the best birthday gift I could've received, now that it's chilly it's time to rededicate. I just need to get this cold out of my system so I can breathe!!
  

Ringin' in My 10th Year in America's Dairyland

Formerly, I judged my entire year based on the general mood one night: New Year's Eve. Have an insanely fun NYE, have a crazy adventurous year. Chill NYE = Chill Year. God forbid you have an all-out crappy New Year's. Fortunately I think I've filed this measurement system in my backlog of superstitions along with holding my breath when passing a graveyard and freaking out on Friday the 13th . I still foresee 2008 witnessing me avoiding walking under ladders and throwing salt over my left shoulder when I spill it. A girl's gotta have something to believe in.

At any rate, my New Year's was definitely the most chill it's been since probably, oh, 10 years ago. How apropos! I actually planned that way so I could launch the blog. I wasn't a PR major for nothing. Kidding, seriously.

A few weeks ago, I decided that 2007 should not end without me hosting at least one "small gathering" at my not-so-new-any-more apartment. A procrastinator at heart, this party occurred on December 31. A "small" gathering it was indeed, with just six people including yours truly. So excited was I on my half day yesterday to play hostess with the mostess, I prepared food for about 60. No worries, I am hosting a "low-key" bachelorette party on Thursday and will be able to repurpose most of the fare into further deliciousness. Regardless, it is always worth spending one's Christmas money on gourmet cheeses. Just having them in the fridge makes me feel all sorts of classy.

Plus, my dear ol' dad, gave me a membership to the Wisconsin Athletic Club for my birthday, so those cheeses are totally fine if I have to devour them myself.

All in all, my menu, even though only lightly nibbled upon (arriving at 9:30, my guests had eaten dinner beforehand-- not I, I'd spent the afternoon and evening cleaning against the clock (or shoving everything else in my bedroom)), was a hit. In addition to the cheese plate (Jarlsburg Swiss, Drunken Goat, Purple Haze (lavender-infused chevre) and New York Sharp Cheddar) served with a combination of gourmet (and not so gourmet--bagel chips look pretty fancy though) crackers, I served chocolate fondue with an assortment of fruits and pound cake; "white" pizza (cream cheese, mozzarella, chicken, artichokes and mushrooms); stuffed mushrooms; and a variety of chips and dip (I busted out my sombrero salsa dish--always a huge hit!).

Music choices consisted of my "Best of 2007" Albums Mix in the dining room and my '60s World Records (Italy! Hawaii! (we had a toast to Don Ho when "Tiny Bubbles" came on) Mexico!) collection in the living room. We switched gears with some Culture Club at midnight.

After ringing in midnight with a moderately-priced champagne toast, and attempting to watch the subdued downtown fireworks on my back porch, some of us headed over to Buckley's for a night cap. I was in bed before the West Coast New Year even happened.

My lameness caused me not to take advantage of two things that make Milwaukee one of the best places to celebrate the New Year: Miller Free Rides and bars not having to close.

But with a minimum of four weddings this year, I don't think 2008 will be lacking in celebration. It's good to start it off with "pacing" in mind.