It's December...

And I'm pleased to announce that I not only met the challenge issued by NaBloPoMo for blogging in November once a day, but I blew it out of the water.

67 posts!

Thanks so much to all of you that visited The Accidental Wisconsinite this past month. A bonus thanks to my pal Phil G. at Make it Great! who gave me a nice shoutout in his blog to cap off the month.

I plan to keep it up, if you plan to keep coming back.

sunday catch up: past present music

I realize I promised last Sunday to give you a review of Present Music's "Thanksgiving" performance.

Clearly, that's been a big FAIL. But, I will try and make some amends.

Keep in mind that this was my first experience with Present Music. Also, unlike other performing arts groups that I've mentioned in this blog (the Milwaukee Rep, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the late Milwaukee Shakespeare), there aren't multiple performances to encourage someone to go see -- Present Music is an event.

While I've been meaning to check out one of these events for most of my young professionalhood, I was finally motivated to go because Present Music is an adopted non-profit of my former FUEL Milwaukee team, Leisure & Culture.

Present Music's mission is to "engage artists and the audience in imaginative and provocative experiences with new music through ensemble performance, commissioning, and education." Part of the "experience" of PM is the venue in which the concert is held. In last Sunday's case it was in the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, which is conveniently located directly across the street from my apartment.

There were many similarities between the Cathedral and the Present Music performance, which likely was a factor in selecting the venue. In both, one can see modern interpretations of traditional themes.

In the case of the Cathedral it is the gigantic modern crucifix that is the centerpiece of the church. The sculpture was installed during the controversial remodeling a few years ago. My Lutheran friend that I was with remarked on how grisly the imagery in Catholic churches can be. I've been in a lot of Catholic churches and I think this crucifix takes the scary cake. If I were a small child, I'd actually probably have nightmares from it. Jesus is a skeletal specter, with overtones of a Holocaust victim, pinned to a sharp stake-like cross, encircled by an overexaggerated crown of thorns. I found a blurry image on the web, but this truly doesn't do it justice:
The sculpture makes me incredibly uncomfortable, and that's one of the reasons I prefer not to attend church there (on the rare occasions when I do go to Mass). However, from a theological perspective, it should make me uncomfortable. Obviously Christ's death for our sins is central to the Catholic (and general Christian) faith and it's not supposed to be a pretty thing (that's the Resurrection part). This modern interpretation of the crucifix hits the Catholic guilt nail (sorry, pun intended) on the head and makes you feel really personally horrible about Jesus' sacrifice.

At any rate, the rest of the Cathedral truly is gorgeous and provided the perfect setting for the Present Music performance, which as I mentioned combined the modern and the traditional as well. Like the Cathedral, there were parts of the performance that made me uncomfortable, and parts that I truly enjoyed.

The "Thanksgiving" theme was demonstrated by selections based on musical traditions from Christian, Jewish and Native American cultures and beliefs.

The opening and two closing pieces were traditional Native American songs performed by the Bucks Native American Singing and Drumming Group. It was pretty incredible to hear so many drummers, dancers and singers in the acoustics of the Cathedral. The second to last number, "Friendship Dance," was interesting as several audience members participated in a dance circle around the interior of the church.

Movements from the piece "Mass in Gregorian Chant" by Henry Brant helped transition the concert from one selection to the next. This was an all-flute piece performed by about 20 or so flutists spread throughout the church. I quite enjoyed these movements, especially in regard to their spatial exploration.

The first piece in the "meat" of the program was "Glory to God for This Transient Life" by John Tavener. As the piece progressed, the vocalists in the Milwaukee Children's Choir began a procession around the church, slowly exiting so their disembodied voices floated in from the attached atrium. The effect was very stunning and I liked this selection a lot.

Back to the "uncomfortable," the next piece, "Meditation on a Bach Chorale" by Sofia Gubaidulina, did not do it for me at all. My untrained ears focused on how it provided a matching horror soundtrack for the crucifix statue, but I can certainly respect the mathematical composition of its cacophony.

The palette-cleansing "Fugue in E flat Major 'St. Anne'" by the aforemeditated Johann Sebastian Bach certainly put the Cathedral's pipe organ to work. I don't know how anyone could not enjoy hearing such a majestic piece in a holy building. Massive church organs are one of the manmade smoke and mirrors that convince me of divinity (don't worry, nature convinces me of that much more, but I definitely appreciate some of that grandiose church stuff too).

Following Intermission came Sanctus by Jan Sandstrom performed by the Milwaukee Choral Artists. This was a pleasant choral piece that didn't really sway me one way or the other. It's been quite awhile since I heard a straight up choral piece, so I did enjoy it.

Next was "Pathways to Security" by Henry Brant. I initially liked this piece, as it featured baritone Kurt Ollmann meandering throughout the church while singing his parts, then echoed by the musicians and choral artists. As a listener, I appreciated the audio-spatial effects of the performers in motion. However, honestly, as shallow as this is going to sound, the piece was WAY too long for me. I think perhaps because it was a synthetic language, the repetitiveness just started grating on me after awhile. I definitely can handle longer symphonies, but this selection in full just wasn't my style.

Closing out the set, before the return of the Native American drummers, was a short piece, "Al Shlosha D'varim" by Allan Naplan. The Hebrew chorus was printed in the program for the audience to accompany the choirs on. I did appreciate the choral arrangement here as well, and you must also appreciate the translation of the chorus: "The world is established upon three things: truth, law, and peace."

Clearly I had a mixed reaction overall, but again, I think that's what Modern Art is all about. I do like to be challenged by art and I will likely attend a future performance of Present Music. It's nice to be reminded that there's plenty of musical art still being created, and even if I don't thoroughly enjoy it, I can definitely appreciate it more than musical crap.

*******

Interested in catching an upcoming Present Music performance? You actually DO have two opportunities to catch the next one:

"Close Up"
Friday, January 9th or Saturday, January 10th
7:30 p.m. both nights
Milwaukee Youth Arts Center

I will be on the other side of world at that time, but maybe I'll catch you at the next one!

sunday catch up: photo evidence

I do realize that photos are supposed to enhance, not follow, a blog, but since I wasn't able to share last weekend, here's a quick photographic journey through Becky and I's Pre-Thanksgiving Milwaukee Food Fest.

From Tourist in My Own Town

Once again, we began our day at the Fondy Farmers Market, which surprisingly had a lot of produce for the last day of the season.

From Tourist in My Own Town

We passed on the apples having just finished our take from last month's Elegant Farmer excursion.

From Tourist in My Own Town

From Tourist in My Own Town

From Tourist in My Own Town

Once again, the prices here were beyond reasonable. The average price for one of those bins or huge heads of produce was about $2-$4.

From Tourist in My Own Town

Our next stop was Outpost, I didn't take any photos of the inside of the store, but that's okay because it's worth it just to show you the name of the Auto Parts store next door.

From Tourist in My Own Town

I fix your truck Mofoco!

From Tourist in My Own Town

We then stopped at the new Good Harvest Market in the Third Ward. This place was definitely a little pricey, but it's nice to have a new option for organic food downtown. Also, I love grand openings because everything is so pretty.

From Tourist in My Own Town

After our dose of high class, it was off to 'Stallis and State Fair Park for the Holiday International Folk Fair.

From Tourist in My Own Town

Upon walking in we encountered some revolutionaries:

From Tourist in My Own Town

But quickly moved on to find the food. Nearly everyone selling food was stereotypically dressed.

From Tourist in My Own Town

Bavaria.

From Tourist in My Own Town

Funny word.

From Tourist in My Own Town

A revolutionary in a motor scooter. Handcrafted by Paul Revere?

From Tourist in My Own Town

Decorations at the Native American food stand.

From Tourist in My Own Town

Chinese.

From Tourist in My Own Town

The Great Danes.

From Tourist in My Own Town

Funnyhatland.

From Tourist in My Own Town

I actually just really love this shot. It's the back of one of the Native American dancers. I definitely feel the Native Americans were the least cheesy of the folks at the fair. They seemed there to actually take pride in their culture, versus just have an excuse to throw on the Leiderhosen.

From Tourist in My Own Town

For some reason there was a bonsai contest. Sure, why not?

From Tourist in My Own Town

From Tourist in My Own Town

And when I think International Cultures, I think ANIMAL PUPPET THEATER!

From Tourist in My Own Town

In comic sans no less!

From Tourist in My Own Town

There were plenty of non-plush animal entertainers at the event as well. Unfortunately the lighting in the Expo Center was pretty craptastic.

From Tourist in My Own Town

I think it was the poles that were selling "coffins."

From Tourist in My Own Town

We didn't eat one, for many reasons. Though I am curious as to how representative of traditional Polish culture they are if only 25 years old?

From Tourist in My Own Town

Besides, the beehives looked much more delicious, although we didn't eat. Instead we split this delight from Bavaria:

From Tourist in My Own Town

Yeah, that's right we dove into that bad boy before we took a picture. You're lucky you got one.

But honestly, what holiday or folk fair or office bridal shower is complete without one man?

From Tourist in My Own Town

Ben Flippin' Franklin!

See wasn't it worth the wait for the photos?

being a good consumer this holiday season

For starters, don't actually follow the tips in this creepy satirical video:




Instead make a conscious effort to Buy Local, independent and/or sustainable this holiday season.

I started my shopping today at Art Vs. Craft, Milwaukee's DIY craft fair. I, as well as thousands of other folks apparently, look forward to this event each year. The opportunity to find unique, funky, handmade gifts created by local or regional artists is one you just can't pass up. I was smart this year and went with cash instead of a credit card, so I managed to do a better job of limiting my own presents. I still got plenty of cute stuff for myself and crossed several folks off the gift list.

I don't want to spoil any surprises, so I'll be vague about my other gift ideas. Basically though, I am vowing to avoid all national retailers for gifts this Christmas season. Obviously there are some exceptions, like I'll probably use the Kodak application built into iPhoto to print some photos, but I think that is acceptable since there's no local alternative.

So how am I going to do this?

• Some of my friends are going to have to wait until after the holidays to get their gifts. When I return from India, they'll be getting global gifts that were bought locally. I think I can do just as good of a job of importing at World Market.
• As I mentioned I got a good chunk of shopping taken care of at Art Vs. Craft today. For other physical gifts that must be purchased before the 25th, I plan to hit up locally-owned businesses, especially those that are members of Our Milwaukee.
• Per usual, some of my hobbyist photography will probably end up in some gift packs this year.
• Despite a great Seinfeld episode giving it a bad rap (The Human Fund. Money for People), I may try giving some charitable donations this year to those in my circle who are less selfish than George Costanza. If I do this I'm going to try and make a concerted effort to tie in the cause to the personality of who I'm giving it to.

Any other tips or suggestions you have for a Sustainable Christmas? What are your consumer goals this holiday season?

social media madness: twitip challenge

I've alluded to Twitter in this blog before and daily I'm finding fantastic new uses for this great tool. A new challenge issued on the blog Twitip.com asks twitterfreaks to make a list of the top 10 influential tweeters in their niche. While I do use twitter to follow many areas, among them marketing/social media and of course transit news, I thought I'd take the challenge to name the Top 10 Milwaukee Insiders you should be following on Twitter.

A couple of caveats to the list are that I'm not including folks who solely or the majority of the time update from Twitterfeed, nor am I listing folks that are twittering just for their 9 to 5. So sorry @onmilwaukee, @bucksdotcom, @newshub, @bigshoesnetwork, etc. you're DQ'd for this one. I'm also only listing folks who regularly tweet, so even though there's some fabulous folks who just joined the scene or who post occasionally, I had to take you off the Top 10.

Surprisingly most of these folks (save for a couple) are ones I've found through Twitter versus in real life, although I think that will be changing as there seems to be real interest in TweetUps and the like. I have however heard of several of them from their day jobs, and really value the information they share on the site, especially in regards to Milwaukee issues.

So here goes in no particular order (pretty much in order I found their tweets. This really is a challenge in that Twitter sucks in managing your followees):

• @augieray
• @JHTaylor
• @Teecycle_Tim
• @muzzleofbees
• @spreenkler
• @KCinpin
• @twoaday
• @compujeramey
• @UWM_CIO
• @littletinyfish

Who am I missing? I'd love to expand this list to the Top 20. After two of the places I went in Chicago last night didn't even have websites, I'm feeling some love for the Milwaukee Social Media Scene.

A Night Out in My Kind of Town

Sometimes a girl just has to get out of Dodge. Thankfully four day weekends and a major city just an hour and half train ride away allows for that fairly easily. Throw hospitable high school friends into the mix and you've got yourself a fabulous night out in Chicago.

I have to give the friends bonus props as they apparently drank their Thanksgiving dinner, plus some, the night (and day) prior. Luckily they were still up for taking me out as planned.

After all, I have been trying to meet up in Chicago with Sheila and Monica for five years, give or take. Our friend Timmi started med school in Waukegan this semester and our friend Ryan decided to come visit for the holiday week, so plans could not be set aside because of the after effects of our two-faced friend alcohol.

We started our night off at a restaurant called The Publican (surprisingly this place doesn't appear to have its own website) in the West Loop, fairly close to Sheila's condo. I enjoyed a delicious cider selected from the extensive beer menu, while Sheila, Timmi and I waited for Monica and Ryan to arrive. From the moment we arrived the service excelled. Add to the mix that Monica is friends with the manager and we were treated like absolute royalty.

I guess the best way to describe the vibe of this place is "communal chic." From the seating to the food presentation to the bathrooms, the emphasis is all on shared experiences.

Because that bathroom reference may have confused/grossed you out, I'll describe those first.

You walk into the restroom area and initially only see the giant round sink, which is a hybrid of a fountain in the town square of a European village and the sink in your elementary school bathroom (but instead of that pink chalky soap, they have some fine French hand wash and body lotion). Another diner and I discussed watering our goat here and we communally washed our hands. Surrounding the fountain sink are six imposing doors -- three labeled women and three men. Each toilet is enclosed in its own individual room -- don't fret, the sharing does stop somewhere!

At any rate, enough about the restrooms, back to the main attraction -- the dining.

We were seated in the interior ring of the dining room at a section of string of long wooded tables forming a hollow rectangle in the center of the restaurant. The outer ring consisted of enclosed booths resembling hog pens. The simple and linear wood decor definitely hit the "European farmhouse" look on the mark. To style it up, the entire room was softly illuminated by rows of spherical ceiling lamps. The one drawback, Monica warned, is that as the place fills up it gets quite loud. There is no fabric to soak up the acoustics.

That's okay though, as our later conversations turned into mere oohs and mmms as the food came out dish by scrumptious dish.

The ordering method and delivery of food as it came up, versus all at once, reminded me quite a bit of La Merenda, one of my favorite Milwaukee eateries. There was also an emphasis on locally-produced foods, and even if not local, each menu item was labeled with its geographic origin. I really wish more places would do this. I certainly care more about sustainability-focused labeling more than nutritional facts.

I did feel a bit bad throwing a kink into the communal ordering with my no red meat or pork rule, but we made due just fine.

Following a serving of homemade sourdough bread with goat butter, we began with a plate of oysters from a variety of locations (clearly these weren't local). I tasted one from Prince Edward Island (Anne of Green Gables oysters, as Monica called them), accurately described as "lettuce-y;" one from Rhode Island (briny); and one from Oregon (I don't recall the description or taste).

After tasting Timmi's, I ordered a Kriekbier (cherry beer) to accompany my meal. A wise choice, as the cherry emphasized the flavors of each plate.

Next in the line up came a heirloom apple salad. Quite possibly in my top five salads of all time. Thinly sliced apples accompanied by pomegranate and pistachios tossed lightly with some sort of tasty greens and a spicy vinaigrette. I don't know how they did it, but there was the perfect amount of dressing. It was also drizzled with some type of warmed, creamy cheese.

During this course the rest of the gang munched on fresh made pork rinds, which I was told were crunchy, salty and tasty.

Up next were our two entrees--a roasted dover sole and grilled farmhouse chicken.

The sole was topped with perfectly seasoned and cooked cauliflower. The fish itself was light, but filling -- again done "just right." The chicken adorned a bed of frites, its juices soaking into the crisp potatoes. (Summer sausage typically balances out the plate as well, but my friends and the kitchen staff were accomodating to my dietary restrictions and it came out separately.) Grilled until just black, the slightly spicy marinated chicken danced on tastebuds (and not the chicken dance).

After the feeding frenzy ended and we began to digest, three desserts magically appeared. A belgian waffle topped with butter, powdered sugar and cherry preserves; a shortbread brownie with a scoop of chocolate ice cream; and brandied date bread pudding with maple sugar ice cream. Normally I am a chocolate gal, but the bread pudding was divinity in a ramekin.

By this time we were sufficiently bursting and Ryan's friends, Max and Porter, showed up to meet us, so we hopped a cab and headed to Danny's Tavern (which also apparently lacks a web presence -- what's up Chicago?) on Dickens (which caused many a giggle) in Wicker Park. Danny's was a GREAT bar. Reasonably priced drinks (I chose the "bang for your buck" route with Unibroue's Chambly Noire), low-key vibe and fantastic music. It definitely got crowded later when the hipster dance party started to the funk and soul. General vibe reminded me of the Riverhorse, which reminded me that I need to go out in Riverwest more. We danced for a bit, Ryan's friends left, Monica's gentleman friend arrived, and we headed out to the last stop on our list.

The California Clipper in Humboldt Park proved to be hipster central, although most of what occured there is very fuzzy. I know Sheila and Timmi left at this point, I know I had a grasshopper, and I know there was some sort of lounge band. I also know that while very groovy, this place could not hold a candle to Bryant's.

Ryan and I made it back to Sheila's in a cab and I promptly passed out on the couch. I managed to wake up by 9 AM and catch a cab to the train station without waking up the sleeping masses (although I think Sheila was up and in the shower). I also must say each time I'm out in Chicago though, I appreciate not reeking of smoke the next day.

I'm so glad I went down there and my Chicago friends were able to show me their town. Hopefully they will make it up to Milwaukee one day so I can show them our hip hangouts.

Thank You North Carolina!

Remember my 50 states blog visits challenge issued last week?

It's not going so hot, but today Google Analytics told me I got North Carolina!

I actually think I should be thanking my friend Ellen, since the hit was direct and from Raleigh, but I will thank the whole state.

I'm also going to extend the challenge until the end of the year.

Any tips on how to track down the elusive states? I know commenting on blogs myself will get hits back, any interesting blogs you know of in the outstanding areas? Here's a list of where I need visits from:

• Alaska
  
• Idaho
• Nevada (I think Becky is going to take care of this one on her business trip -- good friend!)
  
• Montana
• Wyoming
• New Mexico
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• South Dakota
• Indiana
• Mississippi
• West Virginia
• Delaware
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• New Hampshire
• Maine

weekending: post-turkey edition

I must say I've had quite the productive "Black Friday." My laundry is done and put away. My dishes will soon be done and I may even be able to squeeze in some light cleaning.

At 3 o'clock I'm headed down to Chicago to hang out with some high school friends who live down there. I'm very excited to get out of town for a night!

Tomorrow I'll be heading back at a reasonable hour, as I need to hit up Art Vs. Craft. I'm sort of bummed I won't be able to open it (the venue is across the street from my house!), but I'm excited to browse all the goodies this year. Also, another high school friend is selling recycled clothing there. Randomly ran into her last year. Keep in mind that I went to high school in Portland, so running into folks in the Midwest is a rare treat.

On Sunday I hope to finish my cleaning, put up some decorations and maybe even catch up on blogging. If I am up to it, I may also go to the Save Broad Vocabulary thing down in Bay View, but we shall see.

What are you up to this weekend?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I may post later today, but need to hit the kitchen momentarily to whip up some mashed potatoes and "something with brussel sprouts."

However, I just wanted to once again say "Thank You" to everyone who has positively impacted my life in the past year. I realize that I am truly blessed to have decent health (and healthcare), a job that I love and look forward to going to each day and above and beyond wonderful friends and family.

THANK YOU.

I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving. Enjoy the gobbler!

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

I thought it would be appropriate to post this away from the break up post...don't worry this is so far from the reason things ended. Trust me.

But at any rate, it is a very important issue and I thought I would shed some light on it in my little corner of the blogosphere.

It's scary to think that as far as we've come by 2008, there is still prolific violence against women, both internationally and in our own country.

Here's a freaky statistic from the UN Development Fund for Women: "At least one out of every three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime."

Yes we hear about international issues in far away countries (for a particularly jarring issue, visit the Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning Women website). Unfortunately Milwaukee, with its high poverty rates, is far from immune from the issue of violence against women. Fortunately, there are phenomenal programs in place in this city to start chipping away at the roots of the problem. A few years ago I was fortunate enough to participate in the Young Professionals of Milwaukee's (YPM) Service Circuit program, which was the predecessor to FUEL Milwaukee's Adopt-A-Nonprofit program. Through Service Circuit I became involved in the United Way of Milwaukee's Healthy Girls Project which targets funds to organizations which help better women's lives. From the website:

The funded programs respond to one of two issue areas identified as impediments to good health and well being of girls in our community: teen pregnancy and sexual violence against girls.

In addition to planning a donor event for this program, those of us in the volunteer group became exposed to several of the non-profits funded through the initiative. About a year or two after that volunteer experience, I served on the public service committee for Ad 2 Milwaukee where we created a campaign for a preventative organization, PEARLS for Teen Girls (see more info below).

Through these experiences I gained hope for what can be done at a local level to eradicate violence against women. Here are some Milwaukee organizations helping tackle the problem. Please leave any more that you know of in the comments.

The Task Force on Family Violence: "The Task Force on Family Violence provides advocacy, education and resources to keep people safe."

Milwaukee Women's Center: Their mission is "To provide holistic care to empower women and families who are experiencing abuse to live safe, independent and healthy lives." I had a friend who worked here for many years and could not speak more highly of the services this organization provided. Through the Healthy Girls Project we visited a safe house and learned firsthand about this empowering organization. One of the most impressive things that sticks with me years later is the fact that many of their staff were women who had used the Women's Center services in the past and overcome cycles of abuse to help other women.

YWCA Milwaukee: A national organization that has a large presence in this city. They really live by their simple mission of "Eliminating racism, empowering women." In addition to providing business education resources to women, they also coordinate the FAITH Program which helps women find transitional housing to move forward in creating a better life for themselves and their children.

The Counseling Center of Milwaukee / Pathfinders: Aims "to help people in need take charge
of their lives, connect to others and contribute to the community." Primarily focused on issues surrounding teen runaways, helping break the cycles of violence early.

Sojourner Truth House: "We provide shelter, safety, support, education and advocacy to break the cycle of violence because domestic respect is the right of every woman, man and child."

The Alma Center: "The Alma Center works to motivate peaceful change through education in intimate relationships, family and community." This is a very unique organization in that it focuses on training for men to unlearn habits of violence against women. I know a couple people who are involved with this organization and it's another one that can't get enough rave reviews for the work that it does.

PEARLS for Teen Girls: "PEARLS for Teen Girls is committed to being the community's signature program for maximizing girls' self-development. True girl/adult partnerships result in building and living PEARLS attributes: Personal Responsibility, Empathy, Awareness, Respect, Leadership and Support." PEARLS is near and dear to my heart because of the experience I had with the Ad2 campaign. I cannot describe in a short blog post what an amazing organization it truly is. It fights the issue of violence against women by empowering girls at an early age to take a stand and start making a difference in their communities. The dedication of its board and staff is truly inspirational. I am very excited that PEARLS is an adopted non-profit by FUEL this year as well.

Again, this is a pretty heavy issue to think about and it may seem despairing to wonder where do we start and how do we make an impact. But there is the occasional gleam of good news that makes you glad these organizations are busting their tails. The good news here? The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last week that the teen birth rate in Milwaukee is at a 28-year-low.

Slowly but surely we can make change.

What local organizations am I missing here that help this cause? If you're not a Milwaukeean, what are organizations in your community doing similar things?

30 by 30: hurried tuesday update

I could not drag myself out of bed in the snow yesterday morning, but successfully hit the gym last night for Zumba class. The instructor was awesome, and was 6 1/2 months pregnant, so she made you feel like a wimp for wanting to die. She also was NOT one of those skinny, perky aerobics gals so it was pretty damn fun. I also ran into my friend Jodie there, so it was good to have someone to be totally off-rhythm with.

Woke up early this morning, but felt I had too much to do before I could hit the gym. Especially since my week is thrown off by having to get up at 3:30 AM tomorrow morning. I do have my bag packed to go to the gym directly after work tonight. Hopefully that will tucker me out enough to hit the hay by 7 or 8 PM.

Have a great Tuesday! (thankful tuesday will be coming later too!)

challenge of the week: conquering the US via google analytics

Okay, so I am huge nerd.

If you're a regular visitor to this blog, you've probably figured that out.

At the beginning of November I added Google Analytics to my blog so I could see what is interesting to my readers. One of the neat features of Google Analytics is the "map overlay" which shows you where your visitors are coming from. I think it's pretty groovy that I've gotten visits from a bevy of countries since the start of the month, but I like to take goals one small piece at a time.

Before I conquer the world I need to takeover America.

It's pushing myself pretty far, but I need to get visitors from 18 states by the end of the month. I could use your help! I'd like folks from the following places to become honorary Wisconsinites...even if it's just for one click through:

•  Alaska. As long as it's not Sarah Palin trying to set up an interview. Although I am a "blogger in my pajamas." But not in my parents' basement. Ouch.
• Idaho. I think Wisconsin is #2 in potato production. You wanna throw down?
• Nevada. Las Vegas is a 24-hour city. Can you stop sinning for two seconds and take a quick peek at my blog?
• Montana. I have familial roots there. Of course the stories my grandma tells are from a time when Montanans didn't have electricity and rode horses to school. I'm sure they have the internet now though, right?
• Wyoming. Wy not?
• New Mexico. Albuquerque, I'm so hurt, I visited you so I could add a state to where I've physically visited this year. I know, I didn't blog about you. But that was when I was a blogging failure, I've changed. Look, here's even some pictures from my August trip to you:
  
  One of your beautiful Farmer's Markets.

  From Albuquerque

  From Albuquerque

  I know I can't write in Petrogylphs on my blog, but it doesn't mean you can't stop by.
  
  
  

  From Albuquerque

  The Rio Grande from your river mountain bike trail. Look you have water (for now), you don't have to take it from Wisconsin yet, but you may one day, so be nice and read my blog :)
  
  
  

  From Albuquerque

  Okay, okay, you have the National Atomic Museum. Maybe I should be nice to you.
  
  
  

  From Albuquerque

  Just one mariachi to visit this week, that's all I ask!
  
  Yeah, yeah, enough with the bad jokes. The rest of the photos are here by the way.
• North Dakota. I know I haven't been to you, but it doesn't mean I'm not thinking about you.
• Oklahoma. Likewise. I'm a fan of your musical, if that helps.
• South Dakota. I recall liking the Badlands as a child. Oh, and that's one of my favorite songs, though I don't think it has anything to do with your state really.
• Indiana. What's up? Show some Midwest solidarity.
• Mississippi. Again, I'm sorry I haven't visited you yet. I promise you're on the list.
• West Virginia. Don't you want to beat those from "Real Virginia"?
• North Carolina. ELLEN!!!!
• Delaware. You're so tiny I almost didn't see that you slipped through.
• Rhode Island. Just as sneaky as Delaware apparently.
• Vermont. Too busy with that Phish reunion?
• New Hampshire. HEATHER!!!!
• Maine. Ouch. That really hurts. I was born within your borders. Can't you show me a little love?
  

If you read my blog and know someone in one of these states: forward along an article of interest and encourage them to pop over, click around and maybe say "hi" (or however they say that where they're from).

If you are form one of these states: Thanks for stopping by! If you have a tip of what would be interest to get you to come back, please leave that in the comments!

sunday catch up: coming soon

Not so much in a blogging mood right now, but owe a post for the day.

Here's what you can expect from me early this week though:

• Pictures from yesterday's adventures
• A review of my first Present Music experience
• An outline of some "Milwaukee Challenges" that I'm issuing for 2009

Come back tomorrow and see what's up!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

weekending: pre-turkey edition

This weekend is shaping up to be pretty jam-packed. That's a good thing since the doldrums (and the freezing temperatures) kept me from leaving my home after work this week.

Anyway, here's what's on tap:

• Tonight I am joining one of my gangs for a friendly game of old fashioned poker. I haven't played in forever, but it's only five bucks, so what's the harm?
• Tomorrow I am planning to attend my first yoga class at the Downtown WAC at 9 a.m.
  
• After yoga, Becky and I are conquering Milwaukee's organic food offerings. We're going to the last day of Farmers Market Season at the Fondy Farmers Market, hitting sample day at Outpost, then checking out the newly-opened Good Harvest Market.
• Following our shopping adventures, Becks and I will head over to State Fair Park and check out the  Holiday International Folk Fair. We're most excited about sampling international delicacies, but it sounds like a nice mix of cheesy and cool, so that should work out well.
• On Sunday I am spinning at the Downtown WAC at 9 a.m. I can't do Wednesday spin as I am stuffing a bus for Second Harvest/Feeding America bright and early that morning. 
• Post-spin I will be volunteering at Open Door Café across the street.
• Hopefully that afternoon I can finish some laundry and some work I've been meaning to do. 
• At 4 p.m. on Sunday I'll head back across the street to attend Present Music's Thanksgiving show. PM is an adopted non-profit from FUEL Milwaukee and I'll be meeting other FUELers over there.
  

daily inspiration: creative fund raising with "Mr. T"

This story was on OnMilwaukee.com today and it really impressed me.

In case you don't have time to click over, basically this guy is raising money for diabetes research (his father died a heart attack brought on by the disease) by slowly transforming himself into Mr. T. With each level of fund raising reached, he ups the ante on his emulation.

I not only appreciate this because of the great cause it's helping -- The Diabetes Research Institute -- but because of its offbeat, creative approach to fund raising. The best part is, though he is a little wacky, he still has a clear personal connection to the cause.

I've seen more and more stories lately about non-profits having to shutter their doors due to lack of funds in this crappy economy. Unfortunately I think new and interesting fund raising methods are few and far between.

Not to say things aren't changing. The Obama campaign certainly showcased the power of the small donor. Non-profits are realizing that they need to tap into younger generations -- not just as donors but as leaders as well. As someone who got two pledge letters this week (and anticipates more on the way), I would be much more excited to give if the requests were a little more interesting. I'm under 30, engage me online. Like Mr. Fake T, show me the visual of what my donation is doing. Put up a YouTube video of the kids I'm helping. Start a Twitter account so I can follow where my money is going. At the very least, have a blog so that I can get a minimum weekly update. Engage me in a deeper conversation than just your annual appeal. I know you don't have staff, but this is something an energetic young volunteer could do!

I may be able to only give you $5, 10, 20 now, but if I'm still engaged with you in five years that amount will (hopefully) grow.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Fake T works at an interactive agency. He is doing his fund raising both on and offline. His fund raising site is: www.firstgiving.com/mrttattoo.

Also, there is the plea on the site to hook him up with the real Mr. T for an endorsement. If you're just randomly happening across my blog but know how to make this happen -- make it happen!

penny pinching: getting my proper refund from fedex kinkos

Tonight I stopped by FedEx Kinkos Office Whatever It's Called as I had to FedEx some documents (including my visa app for India!) and make a quick copy of them first.

I used the copy machine nearest to the "office center" or whatever. I hit "black & white" and made two copies. As you know, you have to insert your credit card (or get one of their cards, but their machine was Out of Order). I was shocked that it cost me $1.04 to make the two copies. I hadn't been to a Kinkos to make plain old copies in a very long time, so I assumed that the inflation monster had gotten the best of them. Keep in mind there was no price listing on the machine itself.

When I went to go ship my packet, I mentioned to the guy "wow, the price of copies has really skyrocketed." He asked which machine I used and I pointed. "Well that's our docucolor copier." I explained that I only made B&W copies and had hit that specifically. He sort of shrugged. I asked "Is there any way that you can refund my money to what the correct amount should be? Seeing as there's not a sign on there saying that it costs more." He shrugged again.

That's when the Consumerist starting floating around in my head, I really need a "What Would the Consumerist Do?" bracelet. I was like "That really sucks, I'm probably going to call and register a complaint unless your manager maybe can do something?" A couple seconds later his tune changed. "Did you pay by credit card?" he asked. I nodded and handed it over. He disappeared and came back shortly with a receipt showing a refund and then the correct amount of 18 cents. I thanked him kindly, but apparently he must've been afraid of me at this point because another CSR helped me ship my packages.

Anyway, lesson learned to be very careful what machines you use at Kinkos and if you're not sure, ask the price before hitting the green button.

Score
Meghan: 82 cents!

30 by 30: break pass

This morning, even though I am up at the crack of dawn, I am using a "break" pass. I am extremely sore from spinning yesterday, and since this is my first week back at this whole regular workout thing, I thought I should probably not overdo it.

Yes, I may go back to sleep for 30 minutes or so.

30 by 30: you spin me right round - PT 1

I went to bed early. That made a big difference in getting up this morning.

Made it to spin class with plenty of time to warm-up. Eased into it okay, but then we did THREE climbs. By the last one I was pretty dead and the last 30 seconds of it I had to stay "in the saddle." But I figure, one goof in a 45 minute class is okay for your first time spinning in months.

A couple of questions for other spinners out there:

• How do you easily find your pulse while spinning? I can never find it and my counts are always off. I know I'm getting a workout, since I feel like I'm dying.
• What the heck is "rate of perceived exertion"? How do you calculate it? How do you do math while on exercise equipment?

I do need to start getting my stuff ready beforehand on the days I do spin and take it all to the gym. Rushing a bit this morning (blogging while my hair dries).

Tomorrow I *may* try to do some arm weights. Hopefully my little cheat sheet is still there. Also, my spin instructor told us that there's a new Saturday morning Yoga class. I'm really excited about that as the other classes they have are at terrible times, and I'd very much like to learn yoga. (I need to complete my hippie punch card).

globetrotting: yes, i'm going to india

I've referenced it a couple of times in this blog, but I guess I've never come out and said it:

I am going to India on January 1, 2009.

I figure that's a good way to meet a New Year's resolution.

I leave straight from Milwaukee at 1:17 p.m. (damn can't do the Polar Plunge this year--it's on my list of "Wisconsin To-Dos"), fly through Newark and arrive in Delhi at 9:20 p.m. on January 2nd. A car service picks me up at the airport and deposits me at the hotel where I will pop an Ambien (thank you Dr. Bonner) and wake up the next day when my travel companion Jason joins me after his independent trek through the northwestern part of the country. After a day of Delhi we'll head to Agra and the Taj Mahal, and then in a day or so, travel to Varanasi, where we apparently have a super-deluxe room overlooking the Ganges. Then it's back to Delhi for a couple of nights. I leave Sunday, January 11 (my 29th birthday) at 11:35 p.m.

I can't wait to fill in that itinerary with stories and photos.

Have you been to this part of India? What do you recommend? What don't you recommend?

thankful tuesdays: india prep edition

Hard to believe I'm leaving in just a few weeks!

• I can't say it enough...thanks to HMOm for giving me a boost for the prep costs. As you will see below, the costs of my immunizations were drastically reduced, but HMOm told me to put the money toward travel insurance and my visa.
• Thanks to Dr. Bonner, the doctor at the Aurora Travel Clinic. He advised that I did not need one of the shot series I'd been calculating in, so I only had to go back to him yesterday and now I'm set for the trip.
• Thanks to my travel buddy Jason who made all of our hotel reservations yesterday.
• Thanks to my co-workers who are putting up with all my India chatter.
• In non-India news, thanks to Maribeth for going to Eurydice with me on Sunday.
• Thanks to all the friends I caught up with last week. Courtney and Maggie for a lovely dinner at Transfer last Wednesday, followed by Brooke, Craig, Neil, Kelly and Becky at Craig's birthday party. The symphony crew on Thursday. Sharon, Margaret and Monica at Hotel Metro on Friday.
• Thanks to Larissa for making sure I've been up and at 'em the past two mornings.

What are you thankful for this week?