Tomahawk Fall Ride

We headed out Friday morning, the sky was clear and the temperature was cool but not uncomfortable. We were running about 15 minutes late as usual. No matter what time we were leaving, Jeff is always late. It's like a competition with him to see how close to the minute he can be and it drives me crazy. For a Friday morning rush hour, the traffic wasn't bad. We got to the Capitol Drive Harley plant where we met up with Ken and his friend Rick. So we had a nice group of three bikes for the ride north, making us more visible in a number larger than one.

So we headed out on the highway with the first stop at Shreiner's in Fond du Lac for breakfast. Each stop meant planning for the next stop when we're in a group. It's the only way we can communicate - by planning in advance. We rode to the gas station down the street from the restaurant after breakfast. Rick had the smallest bike so it was up to him to let us know how far we could ride. He said he started to get concerned at 125 miles so we agreed to start looking for the next gas station after 100 miles.

We were on highway 41 planning to take highway 10 towards Stevens Point. Jeff missed the turnoff. It was in the middle of a construction zone and I thought he was looking for 110 so I didn't mention that I saw the highway 10 exit until we were almost to Green Bay. The turnoff was on the north side of Lake Butte des Morts so it was way too far to go back. We got off the highway, re-grouped and headed into Green Bay and took highway 29 instead. On the way we passed Doc's Harley-Davidson so after a gas stop we agreed to go back and stop in. H-D clothing does not appeal to me so I didn't buy anything, neither did Rick since he doesn't have a Harley, but Ken got a shirt.

Back on the road again, the next stop was our hotel. We were staying in Wausau, so we didn't have far to go now. We all stopped at the hotel, Jeff checked us in then Ken and Rick headed out to go check in at their hotel. They were staying in Rhinelander so they had another 45 minutes ahead of them. In the meantime, we walked across the street to McDonald's for my favorite diet Coke. The caffiene was good. Back at the hotel, we got into our swimwear and headed down to the pool, maps and brochures in hand. We swam some laps to unwind, soaked in the hot tub to get the feel of the road off. Sitting by the pool, we read through our maps and brochures and planned the rest of the evening.

After showering, we got back on the bike and headed up to Tomahawk. There was a motorcycle parade starting at 5:30 so we wanted to find a nice spot to sit and watch. We parked by the event's sponsor grocery store and hit the vendor tents. We decided to head in the store, buy a 6-pack and some snacks for the parade. We met a nice guy who wanted to thank my husband for his service to our country. Jeff wears his Legion Riders motorcycle vest like a badge of honor. And sometimes people notice. This man has a son in the Navy as well so he felt compelled to tell us how proud he was of him, as it should be.

We found a nice section of lawn next to some friendly people, opened a few Pacificos, sliced some lime for the beer and munched on potato chips while waiting for the parade. Ken called to say he just got there. I told him our location in Tomahawk and he said no, he just got to his hotel, not Tomahawk! He left our hotel almost 3 hours earlier. I guess the worst thing that happened wasn't missing highway 10 anymore. He said they did a u-turn a few times when they discovered they were going the wrong way. I guess it's a good thing it's all about the ride.

It was a nice time, sitting in the grass, watching the parade with a beer and my honey. After the parade, we got on the bike and headed to the street party about a mile away. We saw Ken and Rick heading in the opposite direction, but we figured they would eventually head to the street party since the parade was over. As we went to park, which was difficult since there were so many people and so many bikes, Jeff hit the curb with his foot as the bike was moving forward. Meaning he yanked his leg backwards as the bike was in forward motion. He pretty much sprained everything from the knee to the ankle. He was lucky he was able to keep the bike upright since he was in so much pain. He got off and stretched until the pain subsided. I asked him if he wanted medical attention, we were right across the street from the police station but he said no. He wanted to walk around to see if he would be ok. I sent Ken a text message telling him where we were figuring we would run into him. With his height, he is not hard to pick out in a crowd.

The street party was pretty cool. We stopped to listen to a band called Oil Can Harry. They were pretty good. At least I thought so, Jeff said he was having a hard time thinking of them as good after attending the U2 show in Chicago on Sunday. Obviously there is no comparison so we just got a laugh out of it. Jeff wanted to move around so his leg wouldn't stiffen up. We bought 2 bottles of water and a bag of popcorn from the Boy Scouts. The really cool thing about this rally is that there are all sorts of non-profit groups here selling food to make money for their cause. It is so much better than the awful Famous Dave's Restaurant or the other crappy fare found at the rallies around home.

Jeff mentioned that he was hungry for pizza so on a whim, I stopped at a tent selling slices and we split a piece of sausage pizza. Amazingly, it was hot and delicious. And it was just enough food for us. We walked to the east end of the street where another band was playing. I don't know their name, but they weren't as good as Oil Can Harry so it didn't matter for me to find out.

We walked, ate our pizza, enjoyed each other's company, then decided to head back to the hotel. I checked my phone for messages, there were two missed calls. Between the loud bands and being on the bike, the best form of communication is text messages. You get them when you can and you don't have to be someplace quiet to hear the message - or the phone ring for that matter. It was late, we weren't hanging around anymore. It was late for us anyway, it was almost 10:00.

The 30 minute ride back to the hotel was a little chilly, but in the north woods, where there are no big city lights, the stars were incredible. There were so many and it felt like you could just reach out and touch them. They were so bright among the darkness of the empty highway. The air was crisp and the view when looking up was spectacular.

It was a nice day, nice, safe ride, and a good time.

I am a Packers fan

I'm watching the Bears vs. Packers game and it feels kind of weird. As a lifetime Packers fan, there's no doubt which team I want to win. As a die hard Brett Favre fan, I still don't want the Vikings to win because I am a Packers fan. My cousin Karen is married to Virginia McCaskey's grandson, my niece, Megan's brother-in-law is Dan Buenning who plays for the Bears yet of all teams in the history of the world, it's OK if any team wins except for the Bears because I am a Packers fan. But I love Chicago yet I hate the Bears. It's a great town yet the fans are nasty.

10 on Tuesday

10 Bad Habits You Can't Break:

1. Bad driving.
2. Sarcastic remarks.
3. Too much time on the computer.
4. Eating stuff I shouldn't eat.
5. Going to bed too late.
6. Not making a lunch for work.
7. Not getting rid of old things.
8. Buying too much fabric.
9. Throwing away food.
10. Being judgmental.

http://www.yanowhatimean.com/tuesday/

Labor Day picnic

BJ was home for the long weekend and I suggested that he invite his friends over for a barbecue on Monday so he doesn't have to chase all over to see them. He thought it was a great idea so we planned a nice lunch. The beauty is that I didn't have to worry about lots of drinking and guests staying too long since BJ had to get on a plane around 5pm.

I invited family and he invited his friends so we had a little gathering of 30 people for lunch. I made enough food for everyone, bought a bunch of soda, but asked that they all bring their own beer. Funny thing happened, they brought no beer. They spent so much of the weekend partying that they didn't want any. So they were a pretty subdued group.

I won a cornhole game at a golf outing recently so we got to play for the first time. I made the little corn bags for the game so I got to try them out first. It is a cool game and it kept everyone entertained for the afternoon. Small children played in the sand left where the swimming pool was standing and I dug out some toys I've been saving for them to play with.

It was an tense afternoon, filled with crap I hate. Jen and Matt won't talk to BJ, Kelly is mad at Mike, Carmen is mad at Kelly and as far as I am concerned they are all wrong and ridiculous. I stay out of all of it, but it eats away at me. I don't know if I should get involved but I just don't see the worth of sticking my two cents in. All I know is I am annoyed at all of them. Maybe if I blogged my thoughts I would feel better - that is until one of them reads this.

Once everyone heads out, I am left with Bailee and Adam and we all sit down and have a beer (except for pregnant Bailee of course). It's crazy that when it comes to some things these two seem the most normal yet they have the most bad stuff that they are up against. Maybe it's the adversity that makes them more normal than the rest.

At the end of this day, I am just glad everyone was fed, had a good time, or pretended to, and went home. It was good to have BJ home, good to see him and all his nice friends. It was good to have all the family together, no matter what. I don't think I will do this again.

Peter and Lara's wedding

We went to a wedding with BJ and Lauren yesterday and it was one of the best ceremonies that I have ever attended. One of BJ's very close friends is the groom so some of his entourage will also be attending which is good since we don't know anybody.

The wedding was held at a friend of the bride's house in their backyard. The house was located on Lake Michigan in Mequon, the weather was perfect, it was the most amazing setting for a wedding. We walked a long path from the front of the house to the backyard where the landscaping was well done, there was a decorated port-a-potty, just in case, on the path, we passed a cute little potting shed then found ourselves on a walk way lined in hydrangeas, in a backyard filled with white chairs that had champagne glasses tied with a bow on the back of them. We were handed a program and a vial of bubbles. I wanted to blow the bubbles since the moment they were handed to me.

There was an arch covered in flowers at the edge of the yard. The background was filled with the view of Lake Michigan. The beautiful blue water was accented by the clear blue sky, it was breath-taking. There was a three-piece ensemble including a flutist, pianist, and cellist playing classical music which completed the gorgeous setting.

The beauty of these two young people is their desire to make the world a better place. They met at a political meeting, they love animals, and they work in careers that are all about helping people. Even during their wedding ceremony, they wanted to make sure everyone was involved. In the middle of the ceremony, the rings were passed around so everyone in attendance could bless them. It made me feel like I was truly a part of the wedding. Towards the end of the ceremony, the bridesmaids and groomsmen filled everyone's champagne glasses so we could toast the bride and groom at the end of the ceremony. I've never participated in a wedding quite like this.

After the ceremony, we drove a few miles down the road to the bride's home for dinner on the lawn. The yard was beautifully decorated, with large tents, a long table for the wedding party, and round tables for the guests. There were hydrangeas and candles everywhere. There was an open bar and as the drinks started flowing, some food was served. Apparently there was one little mistake, the house was locked when the caterers got there so nothing was ready as guests arrived. Seriously, no one would have ever guessed. There were hors d'oeuvres then more hors d'oeuvres then even more. The bride and groom were in a horse-drawn carriage that would take an hour to get to this reception so this was a great way to fill the time.

During the dinner the bride presented the groom with a special gift. She gave him a tree in memory of the groom's deceased father. It was a wonderful gesture. After dinner there were wedding cupcakes. They were decorated and arranged beautifully. The presentation was better than a wedding cake.

I loved how intimate this gathering of family and friends was. It had all the beauty and elegance of weddings in big churches and giant banquet halls, but it was better. All the guests felt special and really honored to be there. It was a beautiful experience.

Lakefront Brewery tour

The Lakefront Brewery tour is the best brewery tour there is. Hands down, no doubt. This isn't the first time I took the tour, but it was different this time because of Curtsy, the tour guide. He was truly the funniest, most entertaining, engaging tour guide of all the tour guides on all the brewery tours.

I love how they give you beer at the beginning of the tour, in the middle of the tour, and at the end of the tour. We drank a variety of beer, my favorite of the day is called Wheat Monkey or Monkey Wheat...I can't remember after having a few of these. All I know is it was fun before we even started. The brewery bought some of the props from old County Stadium so we took photos in Bernie's house.

BJ was a little disappointed that they handed us a plastic cup thinking this was his souvenir but it was just for the safety of the tour. The guide even explained how they are going green and these cups were made from recycled biodegradable materials that are recycled again after we use them. We got the real glass beer glasses at the end of the tour. It was interesting to learn that all beer is made with the same 4 ingredients, barley, hops , yeast and water. Amazing how it all comes out differently.

At the end, we all sat out on the Milwaukee River and enjoyed the beautiful day. It felt kind of weird that we were going to a wedding after the tour, so we were dressed better than necessary for a brewery tour. It didn't matter, it was fun, even in the stuffy dressy clothes.

Hope springs eternal

Bailee is pregnant again. She is excited, scared, but mostly excited or mostly scared. It depends on how her day is going.

I am nervous, scared, worried, so psychologically damaged, I don't know what to think.

Her due date is March 5th, just a few days after my birthday.

God help us all.