midweek check-in: what ever happened to the accidental wisconsinite?

I want to assure you that I am still alive and well.

Spring has truly sprung in Wisconsin, which means I am on the go constantly.

I've been riding my new wheels (although I have to fix a flat) as much as I can, I subbed once (and hope to more) on a volleyball team, and I've been out and about with friends a lot. My friend Ellen was in town from North Carolina last weekend, so we were on the go in the nice weather quite a bit connecting with wonderful old MU pals.

This weekend I'm laying low with the Star Trek crew tomorrow, then Saturday is shaping up to be epic. Becky, Mar and I are attending the Brewers vs. Cubs game with the Marquette Young Alumni Club, then my friend Matt is in town with some buddies for the game, so we'll all rendezvous with his crew at Miller Park and then head over to Mad Planet for the May Get Down. Luckily I don't have to crawl out of bed to participate in Mother's Day activities (and my mom is in a timezone two hours behind), although I should probably stock up on bloody mary supplies as the brunch spots are going to face a mom invasion.

Milwaukee Props: How I Spent My Opening Day

No, I was not at Miller Park to see this:



(Not the best camera work, but it was all I could find on YouTube)

Instead I was jumping and screaming with my friends at The Bomb Shelter in Walker's Point. With free food, free shots when a homerun is hit (thanks Corey Hart for that Apple Pie), an unpretentious atmosphere and a daunting beer list, I can see how this bar has quickly become one of Milwaukee's faves. The "Ultimate Peep Show" in the back was just an added bonus. Greg's collecting skills are truly unmatched, so it's not surprising that he was able to find rarities like "Peep-flavored" popcorn.

I joined my friends Wren and Sarah there around 3:15 and while I had to pass up on the free wings (darn Good Friday), I did enjoy a delicious Bloody Mary (extra hot--they were out of Tabasco and substituted Sriracha sauce) with a Lakefront I.P.A. chaser (hey, look at that "Goes great with: Any spicy food").

I then decided to take an expedition through the Bomb Shelter's mindblowing craft beer menu. I opted first Ale Asylum Mercy Belgian Grand Cru. I thought Mercy may be a good choice, since I missed Good Friday service for a much-needed facial at Neroli. It was a pretty intense Belgian, I could really only handle one. I felt pretty special drinking it, as I guess there's only 600 cases out there. Next up was the recommended Yuengling Original Black & Tan. It tasted eerily spot on to the mixture of Guinness and Harp. I was glad to finally taste a beer from this microbrewery as well, since I'd never heard of it until there was a friendly wager between them and Lakefront during the Brewers/Phillies playoff last year. This beer was really delicious and went down smooth. I'd definitely try it again. I capped off my beer journey after Weeks' victorious slide with a Central Waters Brewing Company Kosmyk Charlie Y2K Catastrophe Ale. I'll admit, I picked this beer just for the name. I don't know if I've ever had an "American Barleywine"-style beer before. It packed quite a punch, but I was glad to discover another Wisconsin brewery.

By this time Sarah had headed out and Jason, Grant and Becky had all joined the party. Grant and Wren opted to stay at the bar, but the rest of us were craving fish fry. We headed up the street to Triskele's to grab some fish and delicious water. Food was delicious (just the right amount of crispiness on the fish and even the coleslaw was good (I don't really like coleslaw)), but Jason did awkwardly embarass our table, so we shoveled the food in and got out quickly.

It was still early and Becky's brother wasn't getting in until 9:30 on the train, so we decided to cap off the night at Bryant's. Becky and I tried the recommended Candlelight cocktail for a change. It was quite tasty -- and on fire! Jason got a Black Magic. Becks and I ended with a Straw Hat for her and a Grasshopper for me. Even though there's no longer old ladies, Bryant's retains a special place in my heart.

Best part about the day drinking...I was in bed by 9:30 and up and at 'em early this morning. If only every day could be Opening Day!

happy opening day!

I won't be out at Miller Park this afternoon, but I hope my friends who got the hottest ticket in town have a wonderful time.

Go Brewers! Beat the Cubs!

milwaukee props: marquette madness

Even though we were knocked out in the second round, I have to hand it to my alma mater, Marquette, for landing us on a pretty impressive Top 5 list.

From CNN.com's Great College Basketball Towns to Visit:

4. Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

There is no football team at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That means students and alumni are even more dedicated to the men's basketball team, they say.

Marquette may be a Jesuit university with just over 11,000 students, but it boasts one of the highest attendance rates at basketball games in the country. Students at Marquette don't pitch tents like at Duke, but the games are so popular, some will bring their sleeping bags 10 hours before the game to get the best seat in the house

"It's such a great feeling to know you can walk anywhere in the city when you have a Marquette shirt on a basketball day and people will talk to you about basketball," said Sarah Dembkowski, a sophomore at the university. "It gives this city a bonding feeling."

Although the West region No. 6-seeded Golden Eagles lost to the University of Missouri in the tournament last week, a trip to the Bradley Center, where the Marquette men's basketball team plays (and where the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks play) is well worth the visit.

Marquette students, called the Superfans, are famous for their peculiar behavior, dressing up in costumes to support their team and distracting opponents with oversized cutouts of celebrities' heads.

On campus are several bars, including the Union Annex, that tout cheap beer pitchers and food specials for fans. Just several blocks from the university is downtown Milwaukee. On Water Street, where most of the fans crowd on game day, visitors can hang with the locals and enjoy a hub of sports bars, taverns and restaurants.

Of course real fans go to Hooligan's .

monday munchies: basketball food

If you are smart, and I believe you are, you've likely guessed that I haven't spent much time in the kitchen lately.

While the majority of the food I ate this weekend wasn't the healthiest, I did succeed in a couple culinary adventures.

I ate child-friendly food on Saturday, which was a first for me since possibly my babysitting years. My friend Michelle brought her adorable kids, Ally and Owen, downtown for a playdate. We had all sorts of healthy veggies to dip in "Wild Tomato Hummus Dip." See I just need a mom to cut up peppers, carrots, broccoli and celery (or SELLRY SELLRY SELLRY!!! as Owen kept singing) for me. Michelle also brought a selection of fancy cheeses from Sendik's for the grown ups to enjoy -- veggie colby, stout cheddar and good ol' brie. Delicious with Kashi crackers!

I grabbed an iced mocha from Espresso Christoph on my way back from the Cathedral Square to get energy for my afternoon of March Madness.

Of course, I negated the healthy snacks, by promptly heading out to Hooligan's on Saturday afternoon, where I enjoyed a Bloody Mary (or two), some Strongbow, various Lakefront Brewery products and a Spotted Cow somewhere in there too while watching a solid seven hours of college basketball. I repeated the same liquid menu on Sunday, but to a lesser extent, although my beloved Marquette's loss called for some unplanned sorrow-drowning.

Hooligan's does have pretty tasty food, and over the course of the weekend I indulged in chicken tenders (with a healthier option of a side salad in lieu of french fries), and split some orders of nachos, spinach and artichoke dip (with divine garlic bread!) and mozzarella marinara. Thank goodness I don't watch sports incessantly throughout the year.

I did have a brief respite from the artery-cloggers yesterday when my friend Kim and I decided to check out The National, a new coffee shop on National Avenue. My friend Wren recommended this place, and I'm grateful for that. Not only was the place adorable, but their food and beverage was delicious. I had a mocha and a bowl of very unique Tomato Walnut Pesto soup. Tasty! This joint plays excellent tunes and is really into supporting local artists and local food suppliers. Now that my bike is getting its yearly tune up at Cory the Bike Fixers, I foresee a ride there in the near future.







Of course I was back on the greasewagon tonight, as I am at the tail end of my paycheck (much of which went to March Madness beverages) and had a coupon for a free Culver's value basket thanks to Twitter. I had their blackened chicken sandwich, fries and a lemonade. Delish!

rough day

marquette and badger losses.

lots of $$$ spent at hooligan's.

ouch.

march madness

I'm not dead, just engulfed in college basketball.

lenting it up: ash weds.

Successfully got up and went to Mass at Old Saint Mary Parish this morning. Reflections and photos coming tomorrow. Going to bed though a little bummed. Apparently my alma mater gave up winning basketball games for Lent.

weekending: celebrating singlehood edition

This will be my first in three Valentine's Days celebrating solo. I am actually breathing a huge sigh of relief at that. If I don't have an amazing weekend I have no one to blame but myself (or my dear Golden Eagle Warriors if they can't pull one out tomorrow).

Tonight I will be amazingly depressed. I am going with some friends to see Antony & The Johnsons at the Pabst Theater. I'm guessing it will be an early night because after the show three years ago I went home, crawled into the fetal position and sobbed. It's gonna be great!

No, seriously I absolutely love Antony's hauntingly beautiful music and the weeping is pretty damn cathartic.

Tomorrow I'll start with yoga, and then I hope to go get some running shoes at InStep (seriously considering starting the Couch to 5K program). I'll maybe head up to Atomic for one last visit. I can't make the Atomic Valentine show, but you should go if you can.

In the evening I'll be going to the Marquette vs. St. John's basketball game and getting an Al McGuire Statuette. Afterward, my favorite single ladies and I will be tearing it up at the Get Down: Hook Up or Throw Up at Mad Planet.

Sunday I'm guessing will be recovery.

sunday catch up: busy as a winter bee

After Friday's "night in," I went full throttle the rest of the weekend.

Yesterday I returned to yoga class at the WAC to find it chock full of people (thanks to those good old New Year's resolutions). The class really kicked my butt, in part because the sub concentrates on movement in yoga and we did a lot of arm and ab exercises, as well as about 300 sun salutations. I ended up giving travel tips for India to the sub though, after I mentioned having gone there. I always like being useful.

I was sort of useful after class, hurrying over to the east side to help my friend Ben unload a U-Haul. There were about 10 people, so the move went pretty quickly. Ben could use a few packing lessons, but I couldn't complain too much. I got to drink a Riverwest Stein and watch Rear Window for a bit after it was all over. I soon left those folks though to go meet Maribeth and our friend Ed from Marquette, who was up visiting for the weekend.

Our plans were to go watch the Marquette vs. Georgetown game, but first Mar needed to donate her old televisions. We stopped at Goodwill and they told us they no longer took TVs because of the digital conversion! They didn't offer any advice as to where else we could take the sets. They really should figure this out soon, because there are going to be a lot of useless televisions in a couple of weeks. How hard is it to partner with a recycling facility? Major fail.

We made it to Hooligans with plenty of time left in the first half. The game was neck and neck and we went into the break at 42 all. I had money riding on this thing, so I wasn't too pleased. Luckily in the second half MU pulled ahead and dominated the rest of the game. I gladly called my buddy Jason and told him I accept cash or check.

The one-sided game gave Ed, Mar and I plenty of time to catch up. You never realize how much you miss some of these friends from college until you see them for the first time in a million years. Ed is still as incredibly inappropriate as I remember him being and I couldn't be more glad.

After the game, we headed back to my house so I could change for my work holiday party and my friends could flip through old photos. They then were nice enough to drop me off at Alioto's way the heck out on Highway 100 & Burleigh (not very conducive to transit). I'm hoping after two westside locations they'll move the thing back closer to downtown or at least near southside. It's really frustrating. I had a really fun time, but did have my coworker drop me off at Mayfair to catch the Route 21 back at 10 p.m. I had offers from other folks to take me back downtown, but I was getting a flurry of texts from Mar and Ed, who now had Becky with them.

The long bus ride was not friendly to my bladder and I hopped into Von Trier to use the restroom before I caught a cab up to Mar's apartment. I found out what a bottle of Belvedere vodka can do to my friends while I'm away. I also found out that trying to catch up after the long day that I'd had causes me to pass out on the couch.

Becky and I eventually split a cab home. When I finally crawled out of bed today I fixed veggies and dip and tropical lime bars for the Super Bowl Party at Brooke and Craig's. We kicked the party off with Rock Band/Guitar Hero. Brooke's friend Jenny actually could sing, so that was sad for me, even though I didn't see her jumping around or crawling on the floor. Maybe we can make a deal like those Chinese kids. Oh wait, that was the government.

Maribeth cursed the game at the start, wishing for a nailbiter. We definitely got that. In the end, The Steelers prevailed, and while I feel bad for my Arizona fan friends, I was pretty excited about that. It was actually the first time I think the whole party (Craig, Becky and I have watched together every year since '02) agreed on the team we were routing for.

I'm pretty exhausted, but don't get a break this week. I have my first Young Non-Profit Professionals Network (YNPN)-Milwaukee Chapter Board meeting tomorrow night. Tuesday is going to be a really cool FUEL Milwaukee Event at Turner Hall Ballroom with the makers of Rehorst Vodka. On Wednesday I'm hopefully meeting my friend to get Antony & The Johnsons tickets, then going to my first Spreenkler meeting, before going to watch LOST. On Thursday night I have Classical Connections, which I am really bummed about because I want to go to the Milwaukee Film screening of Handmade Nation.

I need a clone!

social media madness: 25 random things about me

Certainly if you're on Facebook you've seen the phenomena that is the "25 Random Things About Me." Well now that I've been "tagged" multiple times I figured I'd go ahead and do it, when I came home from happy hour this evening. So here's your factoids and I'm only tagging folks who tagged me, because I don't believe in chain mail karma (I guess that's a bonus fact for you!).

1. I moved 2,000 miles away from home, in part to escape my family. The distance has tremendously improved our relationship over the past 10 years. Now my mom joined Facebook and I feel like I'm 17 again, needing to hide everything I'm doing -- even though none of it is bad.

2. One time I came home from college and I forgot I had a mostly-empty pack of Camel Lights in my bag. I tossed them in the garbage in the bathroom I shared with my then adolescent brother. My mom blamed him, he blamed me, I blamed my friend Lisa (one of the friends that was "mom-approved"). I don't smoke anymore. The idea generally disgusts me, unless I'm ridiculously stressed. But I found out my mom sneaks one every now and then.

3. My best friend, Kat, and I have been through things together that would fill a whole week on Lifetime Movie Network. Luckily, we don't think like women who actually buy into LMN, so we've gotten through it all just fine. Also, Kat and I can go for months without communicating (when she was in Germany, pre-prolific internet we'd actually write infrequent letters), but we always slide back into conversation with the greatest of ease.

4. The great love of my life and I never did anything more than accidentally hold hands in the theatre during "Bowling for Columbine." I don't know if it was on purpose or just going for popcorn simultaneously. I thought I'd find out, but then he got a Marcia-Brady looking girlfriend who inexplicably hated me. When I found out they were getting married I reacted like Carrie to the Big & Natasha storyline in "Sex In the City." When I found out via Facebook-stalking that she is pregnant and they've moved back to Milwaukee, I didn't know how to respond because I no longer had an equivalent pop culture reference.

5. I used to be a hopeless romantic (see #4), but I found that makes your heart much easier to smash when things don't work out. After a few rounds of that, I have a heart of steel. My last break up should have devastated me, but I picked up the pieces fairly quickly. I attribute that to the steelheart, the support of my amazing friends and all those who crushed me before. I may have cried over those guys in the past, but I'm kind of grateful to them for making my life a lot easier now.

6. I have traveled many places by myself, but I've gone with a buddy to my two "I" countries: Italy and India. My friend Kristen and I have always talked about going to Iceland for the Airwaves Music Festival (she's been once before). Despite their collapsing economy and government, I think we may just have to go for the trend's sake.

7. Emerging unscathed from corners of the world where the guide books warn me about scammers and pickpockets, I have been robbed twice. My bike was stolen at a jazz festival in Milwaukee's posh Third Ward neighborhood and my purse was stolen at a bar in Wrigleyville, Chicago. The lesson? Beware of yuppies (and Cubs fans).

8. I love my job working for, living and breathing the transit system. I was actually so excited about it when I applied that I barely told a soul because I was terrified of jinxing it. People had been telling me for years to "do what I love," but unfortunately having W as president for most of my adult life put a huge damper on my choices. Once I started promoting public transportation though, I knew what they were talking about. I wanted this job so badly because I felt I could help create change (and this was BEFORE Obama started encouraging everyone to do that). I know it's an uphill battle, but it's easier to fight when you have faith in your cause. I hope I can connect better with the amazingly dedicated community members who fight for this cause, because at the end of the day I'm one of them. I also hope they understand that I don't have a magic wand and that patience is a virtue until the ink is dry on a dedicated funding source. My two main selling points to get the job were: I don't have a car and I'm from Portland, Oregon. Those still hold up both internally and externally.

9. Throughout my tenure as a Wisconsin transplant, I've my Portland roots have earned me cred amongst the following groups over the years: college stoners, music fans, hipsters and transit advocates. Hypothesize what you will about overlap. It also blows people's minds that I was born in Portland, Maine but raised in Portland, Oregon.

10. It's always been a slight fear that I hit my prime at 17, when I appeared on the 1997 Jeopardy! Teen Tournament (and no, I didn't win, but I was an alternate for the second-round, which meant I got a free trip to DC (the first time they took the show on the road) and didn't have to stress about being on national TV again). Yes, I did meet Alex Trebek, but I also met several awesome fellow nerds who I don't really keep in touch with, but a few are Facebook friends. I gave a much better performance on Portland's locally-produced "High Five Academic Challenge." This resulted in my first real date (awful) and meeting one of my good friends freshman year who recognized me in the Cobeen (dorm) cafeteria as "that girl from the High Five commercial." Yes, when you tuned into your syndicated "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" reruns after school, I'd inevitably pop up on the screen buzzing in and saying "Wagner?" This commercial could very well still be running in the greater Portland area. While I never gained fame and glory from my teenage trivia antics, I did land on Varsity College Bowl as a college freshman and would get sporadic freaked out calls from acquaintances when a rerun of Teen Tournament would pop up on the Game Show Network (see #9, Group A).

11. There's apparently a such thing as a "Classic Meghan Story." I believe my retelling of them, after you buy me a pint or two, is only enhanced by my ethnically inherited Irish Gift of Gab. Unfortunately pretty much none of these stories are "family-friendly" (see #1), so as entertaining as they are I think I'd have to publish them under a nom de plume. Still, I don't know if writing them out would translate the nuances of the oral presentation.

12. I have zero interest in going to Germany, but have two friends marrying Germans in Germany in the near future, so I guess I'll go. All of my good friends from high school were fascinated with the place and the language. Kat and Mary Ann both studied there in college, but I never visited. I have a "Classic Meghan Story" about a German exchange student, but you should know you're not going to hear it right now if you've read #11. I do like German film however, with Metropolis, Run Lola Run, and The Lives of Others ranking quite favorably on my list. Of course, most of all I like making fun of Germans -- so Beerfest ranks even higher on my movie list.

13. I'm a little out of control in my film snobbery. Luckily I have an outlet in volunteering for Milwaukee's film festival. I usually am disappointed in buzz movies (i.e. Slumdog Millionaire). I am a firm believer that foreign films more accurately and unapologetically capture the human experience, so I'm always pleasantly surprised when an American film (i.e. The Wrestler) does so as well. My most-hated film of all time is The Notebook, despite having several really good friends who have tried to convince me otherwise. I actually think people claiming it is a good movie only adds fuel to my fire of loathing. I love the classics and am grateful for taking a Hitchcock class in college, even though I ended up only auditing it (thanks to the computers in the brothel that was Cudahy Hall giving my disk a virus and eating my entire final paper). I don't believe in favorites, so I don't have a favorite movie, but All About Eve is pretty well up there.

14. Music snobbery is another one of my traits. I fully credit my college boyfriend, Stew, for defining my indie musical path and my dad for making me appreciate the full unabashed glory of rock n' roll (I went through a phase in high school where I'd come home and rock out by myself to the Led Zeppelin II record every afternoon). I'm fortunate enough to have seen most major musical acts that I've wanted to, traveled to multiple music festivals, and caught amazing indie bands. My last boyfriend, Phil, introduced me to a lot of Milwaukee's local music scene and I'm grateful for that. He also sold me on the importance of donating to community-supported independent radio and really appreciate the magical goodness that is WMSE. My defining music moment though was seeing Arcade Fire OPEN for the now-defunct Unicorns at Mad Planet. There were maybe only 10 people there (this show often is confused with a later packed AF show at Mad Planet after the buzz had started) and we were all drawn from the bar to the stage, gaping in awe at the incredible sound filling the venue. I knew this was special. But not enough to not have the band sign the handmade EP I bought directly from them at the show. I felt then, and still do, that this band is this generation's U2/Radiohead-caliber band.

15. For someone as "artsy" as I may appear (see 13 & 14), I love sports. I lost my first tooth at a Tacoma Tigers (AAA?) baseball game. I was there with my dad. Despite taking quite the hiatus from baseball, I am now a huge Milwaukee Brewers fan. I believe this was destined to be, because when I was a kid I always chose the Brewers baseball helmet sundae at Baskin Robbins. I'm really glad they half-rock the old logo. Before I moved to Milwaukee there was a huge political debate about the new stadium and I know a lot of very liberal folks who refuse to step foot in Miller Park. I think this is dumb. I also think these people wouldn't be baseball fans anyway, and using politics as an excuse is easier than explaining that you just don't like sports. I challenge these people to start fessing up to the latter, because honestly at this point you just sound like a tool. I do wish I'd gone to a school with a football team, but Marquette Basketball helped me discover my love for the NCAA Tournament. What would my March be without brackets? I have adopted UW-Madison as my football team and love getting the chance to go to Badger games with my friend Cramer. Ten years in Wisconsin has turned me into a Packers fan, but I don't think that transformation will be complete until I make the journey to the Holy Land, aka Lambeau Field.

16. I have not eaten red meat since December 31, 1994. That was a pot roast. It was my New Year's resolution to give up red meat and it stuck. It was supposed to be a stepping stone to going full veg, but the thought of Thanksgiving without turkey really depresses me (even though I've skipped it some years -- see #17). I also love seafood, despite all the mercury. Despite a campaign waged by many to get me to embrace the apparent deliciousness of bacon, I haven't caved. I actually don't think I'll ever eat pork again, because a meat banned by two major religions can't be good for you. I figure I may end up eating beef again, should I ever become pregnant. I think one day I'm just going to yell "THE BABY WANTS STEAK!" and go dive into a hamburger. Right now I can always tell if I get a trace of forbidden meat in my food because my stomach quickly rejects it. It's not pretty.

17. Since 1998, I've only had one Thanksgiving with my family. I've spent one in Southern Illinois with a college friend, two in Northern Michigan with my college boyfriend, three in Wisconsin with friends and/or their families, two in Ozaukee County with my ex-boyfriend, one in Wales & England and one on a train from France to Barcelona with an Australian girl I met that day. The Welsh one is my most memorable. I'd been off exploring in Cardiff all day and returned home to find the 400-year-old farmhouse I'd been staying in filled with a delicious aroma. My friend's mother and aunt had a full spread on the table and invited me to sit down after we all enjoyed a cup of tea. They announced that we'd been having Shepherd's Pie and my stomach churned (see #16), but I was so grateful for their hospitality I decided to suck it up and hope they had good plumbing. They scooped a huge plateful for me, a dark meat swirling around with veggies and flaky crust. It smelled amazing, but I was terrified. I waited for my three dinner companions to take the first bite, took a deep breath and took a nibble. It tasted -- familiar. After my feigned approval, one of the hostesses proudly said, in her lilting accent, "We know it's Thanksgiving in America, so we wanted to make sure you felt at home. We went to the market and found a turkey for the pie!" I immediately dug into my plate and enthusiastically "mmmed", "aaahed, " and exclaimed "this is delicious!" Later on the way to pub I explained to my friend about my eating restrictions. He was incredulous, "So you were just going to get sick?!" I responded with, "Well I didn't want to be rude!" I believe he then commented about Americans being polite at the oddest times.

17. I constantly disagree with Catholicism, but I can't ever see myself switching teams. I do consider myself a very spiritual person, although I don't discuss it often. I am vehemently against evangelizing with hatred (i.e. "you're going to Hell if you don't do this). I don't understand Christians who nitpick passages out of the Bible to throw stones at people who are different from them (gays, those of different faiths). It seems to me they're ignoring the basic teachings of Christ, which in my understanding are love and tolerance. I silently cheer for interfaith dialogue and was impressed that Obama's inauguration speech also gave a shout out to non-believers. Although I've been to some of the most amazing cathedrals and churches in the world (including St. Peter's) as well as on several retreats during my eight years of Catholic school, the most incredible spiritual experience I've ever had was in none of them. It was in Rome, but completely unexpected. My friend and I were on the tour of the catacombs and met a family from Wyoming, a couple from Nebraska, and the couple's friend, a monsignor at Creighton University. After the tour the couple and the monsignor noted that they were going to celebrate the Eucharist in the catacombs. The family from Wyoming kinda freaked out and exited. Andrea and I were like "what the hey?" and stayed on. It was the most intimate experience I have ever had with God and it really sunk in saying the same mass (albeit in a different language) as people 2,000 years prior.

18. I advocate for gay rights, not because I'm gay, but because I feel that no one should be denied the right to the pursuit of happiness, especially when it's written into the Declaration of Independence. I don't understand people that think being gay is a choice either. It's hard for me to comprehend that this country is still restricting people's rights. And it really sickens me when people compare homosexuality (between two consenting adults!!) to pedophilia or bestiality. Again, going back to #17, I can't understand Christians picking random passages out of the scripture instead of going with the overall theme of love and acceptance (and you don't have to love in that way). Gay rights are a human rights issue to me and I'm happy to do what I can for the cause.

19. When I was a child my biggest fear was spontaneous human combustion. Now I think it's either being buried alive (a la Kill Bill Vol. 2) or drowning while trapped in an enclosed space. I don't think either would be very pleasant.

20. I got more out of a few days volunteering for the Obama campaign in the central city (I was eventually moved to my own neighborhood), than out of the months I spent schlepping for the Kerry campaign in the suburbs. To echo my friend Beth's sentiment, "I still stop what I’m doing and smile whenever I hear 'President Obama.'" Reading this article about how he's changing the work environment at the White House, made me smile even more. I love having a cool president!

21. FUEL Milwaukee (formerly Young Professionals of Milwaukee, or YPM), despite all its faults, is a huge factor as to why I've stayed in this town. I have made so many wonderful friends and connections through this organization and don't feel I would be who or where I am today without it. I certainly would not be on the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network-Milwaukee Chapter Board, without having gotten my start with YPM.

22. One not so exactly "family-friendly" tidbit (see #11). I have kissed someone from every civilized continent except South America (although I appreciate Beth's comment that she needs to get there "before cartographers pull a Pluto on Antarctica and it won’t count anymore," I do recognize that it has no native human life). My ongoing joke is always "I need to find a Brazilian and a penguin and be done with it."

23. I have several tracks for my future that I realize are completely unparallel: A) go to graduate school for a joint Urban Planning/Public Administration Master's; B) pay off my debt and save enough to buy a house; C) pay off my debt and save enough to quit work for a year and travel around the world before I'm 35; D) find someone, get married, reproduce. Actually I think D=disgusting at this point in my life. I'd actually rather find someone to travel around the world with me and then go from there. Although a recent joke on that note was "I need to find a guy who would build me the Taj Mahal." Uh, yeah, at this point someone who would pay half my rent after a couple years of dating would be just fine with me.

24. To echo Bill who tagged me, I also rejected the "digital converter box" for my television. I am perfectly fine with utilizing Netflix and watching my shows online. I never personally owned a TV until after college and thus missed some great shows that premiered between 1998 and 2002. Luckily TV on DVD has caught me up on Freaks and Geeks and The West Wing.

25. I am deathly afraid of needles thanks to a rogue phlebotomist during my pre-kindergarten physical. Because of this I've never gotten a tattoo or tried heroin. As traumatic as that phlebotomist was to my childhood development, I am grateful to her now to preventing any missteps in my lifestyle.

milwaukee props: go brew crew!

The Brewers have already surpassed 1 million tickets sold for the upcoming season.

I'm so excited that folks are finally supporting this team, but a little nervous about how I'm going to score tickets for Opening Day.

I'm sensing a tailgate-only event.

At least I can rest-assured that those damn Cubs fans will also have a tricky time getting into the game. Maybe they should just stay in Illinois.

mu ra-ra!

What a great game last night.

Now I can go back to cheering for both teams, but at the end of the day I get bragging rights for a year. Fair deal to me!

(C'mon Wisconsin, give us something, we don't have a football team.)

weekending: sub-zero edition

It's these times of the year, when the temperature plummets beyond any reasonable number, that this Accidental Wisconsinite wonders why she is here. The siren's call of my friends to the temperate climes of San Francisco always gets a little louder when I feel like my face is about to fall off when I step outside.

Too bad I love my job and my Midwestern friends. A lot. Oh, yes, and Wisconsin. Because when it's not bitter, bitter cold, it's a fantastic place.

That said, it's important to have hermit-checks here in the winter. Last night I was g-chatting with a friend from Portland who asked why I was in on a Friday night. I explained to her the weather situation. But I HAD been out, with some work folk at the City Lounge in Cudahy. Right, Cudahy, you read that correctly. The holiday gathering they had planned was really fun and lovely and the drinks were cheap. But yes, I was DEFINITELY in Cudahy.  (For you non-Wisconsinites, there's probably not a coincidence that Cudahy rhymes with "yah-der-hay.")

Today I will most certainly be keeping busy. My friends and I will be baking up a storm at my pal Sara's house out in Tosa (yes, I'm a snob about the 'burbs, and this one is much more palatable than last night's stop).  It's going to be a cookie fest, which means I need to hustle and print my snickerdoodle recipe (and bag the ingredients) post-haste.

Thanks to my brother Kevin for leaving the winning cookie in the comments! Mom, if you had wanted your cookie to win, you're going to have to learn to use that comment box!

Hopefully I have time after Cookie Fest to swing by the Urban Ecology Center for the Our Milwaukee Buy Local Fair to peruse some local gifties and keep on my holiday goal. If I do make it up there I'll try and swing through Atomic Records to grieve (as others have certainly been doing).

Tonight I'll be meeting up with some friends at Fanatics (a new stop for me event though it's been open forever) to watch the Marquette vs. Madison game. This year there's even big blocks of cheese placed on this game, not just alumni pride. Contrary to Badger fans who have an ungodly hatred of all thing Marquette, I actually DO cheer for Bucky when they're not playing my team. That said, I look forward to the Golden Eagles crushing UW this evening.

Tomorrow I have an open calendar, so I'm going to try and catch up on some of the "to do" activities that have been piling up for me lately. I still have to make Act/React at the Milwaukee Art Musuem and I also have two passes to the Eisner Museum that expire at the end of the month. Provided it's not too awful outside, Becks and I will be hitting that up.

What are your weekend plans?

daily inspiration: STUDENT athletes

I'll fully admit that my day didn't begin until about 3:45 p.m. following the Packers truly disappointing loss to the Minnesota Vikings. I grew up in a football household and boyfriend is a die-hard sports fan, so I find sports do impact part of my scheduling.

Did I get any gratification sitting on my arse for several hours today? When your team loses you feel like you just wasted a chunk of your afternoon. That may be why I was so inspired by this twitter post from Rachel Maddow (or her staff, you never know) regarding a STUDENT athlete at Florida State.

To summarize with the story highlights from the article:

• Myron Rolle, who has a 3.75 GPA in pre-med, was named a Rhodes Scholar finalist

• Rolle has to be in Birmingham on Nov. 22; FSU plays at Maryland on the same day

• If the game is at night, FSU will petition the NCAA to fly him in for second half

Anyway, read the story it really will melt your jaded sportsy heart.

it's okay, it's best of five

C'mon Brewers, you almost had it there in the 9th. You can do it tomorrow, just had the jitters. Milwaukee loves ya! Mwwwah!

what a day to be a wisconsinite!

The Brewers are going to the playoffs for the first time since 1982!!!!!

And yours truly will see them face off against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the NLCS next Saturday, October 4.

GO CREW!!!

back to the gym

As my friend Lisa's wedding in Portland is a little over a month away, and since Oregonians don't really appreciate the random pouches added on to one's body by 10 years of cheese and beer, I returned to the Wisconsin Athletic Club in earnest after work with a resolution to go everyday until I fly home on June 4.

I was doing really well with going to the WAC, but the false Spring enticed me to start biking through Southeastern Wisconsin instead. Unfortunately with the weather back to chilly and my bike getting tweaked at Cory's, I need to get back in my routine. I cancelled my trainer in mid-April, but that doesn't mean I can't push myself.

And I actually ran three laps today! (Don't laugh, I'm a biker, not a runner).

The only event of note was some jackass lurking while I finished my lat pull. Dude, I get that you need to use this machine but don't stand six fucking inches from me while I yank these weights toward my chest. And if you were standing that close because the exercise causes my chest to stick out, well then you're not just annoying me, but you're a perv as well.

when life gives you lemons...go bowling?

Tonight was an interesting one for sure.

After work I took the Route 31 out to Tosa and met the YNPN Book Club at Firefly for a discussion of Myla Goldberg's Bee Season. Our theme for the first quarter is Education, and this was our fiction book. It's pretty cool how it's set up. We pick a quarterly theme and then read three genres -- non-fiction, fiction and memoir/biography.

Discussion was good and food was excellent. Had a chicken sandwich topped with avocado, white cheddar and gorgonzola. MMM. Picked chive mashed potatoes and crispy bok salad as my sides. Delish! A glass of wine would have been more tasty than my Coca-Cola, but I'm still refraining.

Cut out a bit early as Brooke and I had plans to go see Post-Secret at Marquette. Craig decided to come along too, which was a nice surprise.

Now, when I went to Marquette I never took advantage of the plethora of speakers, etc. that they brought to campus. I think I went to a few things, but they were never crowded. Granted, the Internet was fledgling then. There were no blogs and no Internet celebrities. There was no Facebook or MySpace to meet other nerds who may be interested in attending an event with you.

No, I didn't go to campus events. I drank. But actually, my only true friends left from college ARE my fellow nerds. Hmm.

Well, apparently campus involvement is IN and we were extremely disappointed that when we reached the Weasler Auditorium there was a sign that the event was At Capacity.

Crap.

We were stuck on a college campus with me not drinking and my newlywed friends on a tight budget.

What to do?

The neon lights from across Wells beckoned.

"Let's go bowling!" I suggested.

Well, why not?

Luckily we were there an hour before League Night began. The student workers told us we could only have one game. Fine. Whatever.

They assigned us to Lane 7, which apparently didn't work. After waiting 10 minutes for them to reset the system, it still didn't work, so they agonized a bit and moved us to Lane 9. Keep in mind the Annex, with the exception of workers, was completely empty at this time. But apparently those leagues were about to fill the place!

My goal for bowling was to beat Barack Obama, which I barely did, with a 53. I did have a rally in the last frame and got a spare. That sure made up for all my gutterballs. Brooke handily won the game with like a 84,000 or something. I forgot she was in a bowling league in Law School, so we should've allowed for a handicap. Of course she had to go off-campus for the league there though, as apparently Notre Dame has no bowling alley on campus. Which, as Craig pointed out, makes it a second-rate Catholic school.

Go Gold!

Random Photos from Last Week

Here's what I was up to last week:

4/23: Cool wall in Walker's Point on our trek to Transfer Pizzeria.

4/25: Christy and me at the Brewers Game Friday night, after the torrential downpour.


4/20: Fields in Grafton -- I've never ridden my bike to such a rural wilderness!


4/20: Pulling into home after the epic bike ride.

4/23: Terrible man crocs on our pizza pilgrimage.