NaBloPoMo & Election Eve

It's also NaBloPoMo eve! Starting tomorrow I will blog everyday for a month. I've basically been doing that already, with a few exceptions. So stay tuned and see if I'm up to the challenge.
You'll probably notice, I tend to post in the evening. That will likely remain unchanged.

And to all you Wisconsinites... tomorrow is the Spring General Election. There are a number of mayoral races, county exec, judges, county supervisor and aldermanic races. Sadly, voter turnout is predicted to be a measley 20%, except in Brookfield. They're predicting 50% in B-town, because they have a school referrendum on the ballot. This general election probably has more of a direct effect on you than the November ballot. So let's shock those people predicting low turnout, and show up in droves! Apathy sucks! If you don't vote, don't complain. Remind your friends, remind your neighbors, remind your spouses. Get out the VOTE!!!!

Happy Book Club Eve!

Tomorrow is a day I have been looking forward too since our last book club meeting. The next meeting!!!! If you've been following my posts, our latest pick was "The Friday Night Knitting Club." I loved this book, having just finished it recently. So I took the opportunity to squeeze in two other books I hadn't read yet. ("The Memory Keeper's Daughter" and "Kabul Beauty School") Both were decent, easy reads.

Now, on Book Club Eve, I'm in agony! It's my turn to pick. There are four of us in the club, and we pick in alphabetical order by first name. So my letter is finally up! I've been stockpiling books since December, and have 4 brand new ones on the "Book Club Possibility" stack, as well as 2 that I've had for awhile but haven't gotten a chance to read. Each one has it's own merits. One is historical fiction, one a fact-based-fiction, two were made into movies in the last year, one is totally fluffy chick lit, another is set in India and is also chick-lit. Three were published within the last 9 months. I just can't decide!!

So I guess the Book Club babes who read my blog will just have to wait till our meeting tomorrow night! Was that torture enough????

Symphony=Scarred for Life?

I won tickets to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's KinderConzert and thought it would be a great chance to expose Alex to some classical music in a fun atmosphere. Unfortunately the concert fell during Alex's nap time. I thought we'd give it a shot anyway. Craig, Alex, and I got dressed up before heading down to the Marcus Center. We got there in plenty of time, found our seats and settled in. Alex noticed the musician's right away, as they were tuning their instruments. He yelled "Look! A flamingo!" It was actually a harp. Too funny!

The lights went down and the conducter came out playing the character of a painter who stumbled into the orchestra. Alex got a little scared when the conducter started talking. Then the music started suddenly and loudly. It was too much for our tired little guy. He started to whimper and crawled up into my lap, covering his ears. He eventually fell asleep. Oh well!

The music was wonderful! I love classical music, so it was a real treat for me. They closed with "Waltz of the Flowers" from "The Nutcracker." I got chills as they played the finale. It was awesome!! Of the whole experience Alex had this to say: "I liked it, but it was too loud."

I hope I haven't scarred him for life! I was hoping to nuture the budding musician in him. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Meet My New Nephew!

We have a new nephew! Craig's brother Brian and Brian's wife Sarah are the proud parents of Payton James! He was born Saturday at 4:57 p.m. He tipped the scales at 9 lbs 2 oz. We couldn't be more excited!! Alex already spent some time today looking at pictures, picking out presents, and asking when he could meet baby Payton! Congrats Brian and Sarah!

A Blogger's Challenge

I stumbled across a new website yesterday. I saw the word NaBloPoMo on another blog and thought "What the heck is that?"

So I found the website and WOW! What a challenge. NaBloPoMo is short for National Blog Posting Month. It's not an actual month, but a challenge to post something on your blog every day for a whole month. The theory is, the more you post, the more people will read. The site is great. Each month has a theme (March was lists, April is letters) but you don't have to follow the theme all month. It's more to help you when you don't know what to write about. My goal is to try it in April and see how it goes. You're likely to see some really random posts on here... worse than usual. I invite all other blogging friends to try the challenge, if only for one month. They even offer some prizes each month. FUN!

I'm still hopelessly addicted to GoodReads as well. What a fun site! My "to read" list is completely out of control. I'm vowing to take two weeks off from adding new books. We'll see if I can stick to it.

All Peeped Out

People are really reading my blog. I’m never sure because I don’t always get comments, and that’s okay, and I’m not sure that blog counter function at the bottom of the home screen really works right. So how do I know people are reading? Three of them have sent me Peeps. Both of my sisters-in-law, Sarah and Jen, gave me purple chick Peeps. And my friend Lisa had some blue bunny Peeps delivered to my office. I hope Dave didn’t charge for delivery! The Easter Bunny did leave some Peeps in Alex’s basket. But he got half-way through one bunny and said, “I don’t like it.” So I’ve got another box of pink bunny Peeps. I don’t know if my body can handle all that sugar before the Peeps go stale!

My rules for the locker room

I've never been a fan of the locker room. I'm just a very modest person and I'm not at all comfortable with letting it all hang out. This is why I think there should be rules in the locker room and beyond.

1. Cover UP! I understand toweling off after showering or being in the sauna. And changing into a sports bra is a must. But do you really need to walk around buck naked in the locker room, applying makeup, brushing your teeth, blow-drying your hair, etc.? This goes for men and women both. I don't care how comfortable you are with your body... I DON'T WANNA SEE IT!

2. Don't overload on perfume or body spray before your workout. Be considerate of your neighbor. I was almost overcome by the scent of cotton candy half way through my run on the treadmill yesterday. Some chickie got onto the treadmill next to mine and must have gotten in a fight with her Bath and Body Works product before setting foot on the gym floor.

3. If you're watching the in-house cable system, avoid loud guffaws or laughter. You may just startle someone into falling off the treadmill, elliptical, or other equipment.

4. Don't sneak up on friends who are working out, and for goodness sakes, don't tap someone's shoulder while they are on a treadmill.

In happier news, I'm now able to run 1.25 miles on the treadmill before taking a break. Slowly but surely I'm increasing my distance. Once I can do 1.5 miles in a row more than once, I'm going to start running on the track.

Easter With Friends

We had a fun weekend. We didn't travel for Easter this year because I had to work early Saturday morning for a few hours. And we were tired after traveling two weekends in a row. Saturday we dyed Easter eggs, an event Alex declared "pretty cool." Then in the evening we read some bunny-themed books, "Guess How Much I Love You" and "Ready for Bed." We also set out the Easter basket.





Sunday morning the three of us headed out for Easter Mass at St. Margaret Mary. It was a very nice service, and Alex was well behaved. (thank goodness!) Afterwards we took pictures in the adorable Easter outfit, and then had an egg hunt in the living room.



















Our friends Hank and Sara and their three kids came over for dinner. They are our imported family. We worked with them in the Quad Cities, then they moved up here a few years after we did. Our friendship has grown over the years. It's great to have them close by, since the nearest family is more than three hours away. We had ham, cheesey potatoes, asparagus, green beans, rolls, tropical jello salad, deviled eggs, and a fabulous dessert called "pineapple lush." It was really great fun. The kids had a great time playing with all the toys in the living room and downstairs in the basement. Alex got so exhausted that about 8:45 he asked to go to bed... and did so without a fight! We had such a great time we're already looking forward to some tailgating at Brewers games. Baseball season's less than two weeks away!

Snow Totals

So my amatuer guess is that about 14 inches of snow fell here yesterday.
The snow went up to the upper part of my calf when I took Shadow outside last night.
It didn't stop snowing until after 10pm.

This latest snow brings this season's snowfall totals to 95.4 inches... making this the second snowiest winter on record in Milwaukee. Unbelieveable.

What's interesting to me is that the last blizzard was on Ash Wednesday. Then this mess on Good Friday. What do you think it all means??

Still Snowing

More than 12 inches, and it's still falling. Happy Spring!

In case you're wondering...

It is still snowing in Milwaukee. This is the view from my back porch.

A Day Off!

It's 10:45 a.m. and Alex and I are still in our pajamas. WOO HOO! This is the first Good Friday in ages that I haven't had to work. It's called a "floating holiday" for all you TV types out there. They have those in the corporate world.

I'm so glad I don't have to work today. For one, Alex's daycare is closed. It's also snowing like there's no tomorrow out there. That's right. Snow. On the second day of spring. We have several inches already, it's blowing terribly, and the road conditions are terrible. I'll try to take pictures and post them later this afternoon.

A recipe, as promised

Poppyseed Chicken

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup (can substitute cream of chicken, if necessary)
2 TBSP poppy seeds
4 TBSP margerine
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers (usually there are four sleeves in a box), crushed

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cut chicken breasts into 3rds or 4ths.
Place in baking dish. Mix sour cream and soup, pour over chicken. Crush crackers and sprinkle over chicken. Melt margerine in small saucepan, add poppyseeds. Pour over chicken.
Cover with foil and bake 50-60 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Serve over rice.

Chaos

I had to go to Hallmark last night to buy Easter and sympathy cards. Because Craig was working a later shift, I took Alex with me. Alex is just at the age where he doesn’t want to sit the in stroller, but you really have to keep an eye on him because he won’t stand still. As I’m looking for cards, Alex announces, “I need a card for Daddy.” I selected my cards, then we walked down the aisle so Alex could find just the right card.

First he grabbed a giant one with Shrek on it. Then he grabbed a Disney Princess one. We put both of those back. Then he found “THE ONE.” It was a card with a picture of a vacuum cleaner on it. Inside it says, “Sorry things suck right now.” I can’t believe a 2 year old picked out a card that sums up our last week or so. We’ve had a few sleepless nights, thanks to Alex having a cold. I’ve been fighting a cold/sinus combo for over a week. The house is a mess because we’ve been traveling so much. Craig and I have had crazy schedules at work. Alex’s cold and lack of sleep have made him whiny and clingy. When he’s like that, he ONLY wants me, which is frustrating (but understandable—who doesn’t want their mom when they’re sick???) because Craig really helps out a lot with Alex in the morning and at mealtimes.

So when Daddy got home at 9PM last night, the only thing that put a smile on Alex’s face was to give Daddy the card he picked out all by himself. Craig completely cracked up, and put the card up on his dresser. So cute!

--p.s. Yes, Alex was still up at 9PM. We had a horrible bath-time ordeal. It was not one of my shining moments of motherhood. Alex stood in the bathtub sobbing while I soaped him up and poured water over him. I told him I loved him… he said, “No you don’t! You don’t love me!!”

Working and Cooking

I think one of the many hard things about being a working mom is figuring out dinner. I enjoy cooking. It's theraputic, and unlike most areas of my life, I get to be in charge. I like to try new recipes, shop for all the ingredients, make lists, make a mess if necessary.
But when you're rolling in from the daycare pickup at 6PM and you've got to get your coat off, your 2 year old's coat off, pick up the mail, turn on the TV to entertain the 2 year old, then take the dog out and feed her... then you have to get the 2 year old's dinner ready because he's ravenous... then your husband walks in and it's 6:30... and you haven't even started making your dinner but thank god the two year old is fed...
Well as you can see it can get a bit chaotic.

Much to my own dismay, I've fallen back on convenience foods. Not in abundance. But I enjoy frozen pizza, the bagged Bertoli pasta dinners (though we usually need 2 bags, and only if they're on sale), and taquitos. They are used occassionally to buy me another night of not having to do the dinner time shuffle. The Pillsbury dough boy and Prego help me out occassionally too.

I do a lot of pastas with sauce, or ground beef dishes because they're easy and quick. I try to make my own spaghetti sauce most of the time. I'd say 75% of the time I make my own sauce. I also try to cook big on Sunday and/or Monday so we can eat on the leftovers for a couple of days. I also have to announce before we start eating that "This (fill in the blank with whatever I'm serving) has to last us 2-3 days... so don't snarf it down!"

A lot of people swear by their crockpots. I love mine (I have several) but I'm usually never organized enough to throw the contents of a dinner in there before I leave for work. Mornings are super-hectic as is... but that's a whole other blog! I enjoy a good crockpot meal here and there. I'm going to try to post a couple of my favorite throw-together-in-a hurry recipes here over the next couple of days. And I'd love to see some from other people as well.

Missing old work pals

I went back to the TV station last Friday for an appearance on the local talk show. I wasn’t on TV, two of our employees were, thank goodness! After the show, I stuck around to catch up with my old co-workers/friends. It was honestly great to see everyone. When you work with people for a long time, you develop a shorthand. You know their quirks and they know yours. You have inside jokes. You tell some of them things you’d never tell anyone else. I miss that.

I get along great with the people at my new job. I really like them and they are getting to know me and learn more about my life. But when I stepped into that newsroom, I felt like I was home. It’s cheesey, but it felt like “Cheers,” you know, “…where everybody knows your name.”
I keep in touch with as many people as I can. I’m glad I left on good terms. But sometimes you just want to go to a place where there’s no effort needed. I get that feeling in only a few groups of friends. I guess I consider myself lucky that I have places like that… and lucky that I have such great friends.

Eat Your Veggies!

It’s no secret that fresh fruits and vegetables are good for you. I have no issues with fruits or veggies, but for some reason this important food group seems to have completely fallen off my diet radar.

I pay such close attention to what gets packed in Alex’s lunch for school and what we feed him for breakfast and dinner (and what he actually eats… which is often not much), that I forget to watch what I'm eating.

I did a health assessment at work and was given a chart to hang on the fridge. It’s to help you keep track of what you’re eating. You mark off the food groups throughout the day. My lack of fruits and veggies was a bit concerning. So now I’m trying to be more conscious of it.

I’ll order a veggie sub or grilled veggie burrito for lunch, and not just on Friday’s during Lent. When I slice up an apple (“No skins, Mom!”) for Alex for lunch or dinner, I slice up the other half for myself. I started buying V-8 juice, now I just need to drink it! I still have days where I forget, or where I don’t eat enough good stuff.

I find it ridiculous that I have to remind myself of this. But I guess that’s what mom’s are for! Now that I’m a mom, I should start practicing what I preach!

And now for more funny Alex comments...

"The blue one has my name on it." - said this while picking out a sticker after going potty.

"Do I need to give them kisses?" - said after learning that workmen were coming to our house to fix the ice damming damage the next morning.

"The workers are here? I don't need to give them kisses." - said Thursday morning, after the workers arrived.

Bittersweet Weekend

We headed back to Galesburg Friday night for my neighbor Lolita Junk's funeral. It was a bittersweet weekend. I honestly don't remember the last time I saw all of her children and their spouses, plus all the grandkids. We missed the visitation, but made it to the funeral, graveside service, and reception. Kristy, Lolita's oldest granddaughter and a friend of mine, saw me at the church and gave me a smile. Her husband Dan sang a beautiful song that he wrote with the help of the whole family. It was very moving.

I think what was even more moving to me was spending time with the Junk family afterwards. There were lots of hugs, and lots of tears of course. But most important, there was laughter. And that's how Lolita would have wanted it. Honestly, it feels weird for me to call her Lolita, because from the time I was 4 years old, she was Mrs. Junk... who always had a hug for you and who always made time to hear what was going on in your life.

At the luncheon after the funeral, the family opened up the microphone for people to share their memories. My sister, my mom and I each took a turn at the mic. We all shared that Lolita made us feel like we were part of her family from the minute we moved next door to them back in 1979. They invited us over for big, crazy, chaotic holiday celebrations. There was always room for more in their house. I would sit and wait, watching the cars pull into the driveway, wondering when it was appropriate to go over and say "hello" to everyone. I became friends with Kristy, and eventually pen pals, and then email pals (and now blog buddies!). My family really felt connected to them.

At the end of the luncheon, Kristy's mom invited us to come back to her parents' house later that evening. I was so eager to go. I think the saddest realization about Lolita's passing was that, in all likelihood, I won't see the extended Junk family again. I'm typing this with tears in my eyes just thinking about that, and praying it won't be the case. But as my mom, my sister, my brother and his wife and I sat in the Junk's house playing the card game "Spoons," and reminiscing with all the kids and grandkids, I realized that they truly did consider us part of their family. And that means so much to me. Because I don't come from a big family. It was so comforting to hear that the Junk family likes us as much as we like them. They made us promise to keep in touch... my sister collected a bunch of addresses, and hopefully we'll make good on those promises!

Kristy and I had a great chance to get caught up on each other's lives. I know you're reading this Kristy, and I hope you know how much I treasure our friendship!! This weekend only solidified that! Thank you for being my friend all these years, and for sharing your grandparents (and aunts and uncles and cousins) with me! Kristy and her husband are hoping to adopt in the coming years. They are in the process of completing paperwork for China. I know they will be wonderful parents! And I look forward to sharing the joys and trials of parenting with them in the future. I'm sending lots of prayers that the process goes smoothly!

This weekend also brought me closer to my own family. I don't know what it was about this weekend, but I feel like my relationship with my brother and sister is stronger than ever. We just had a blast together this weekend. We talked for over an hour after we got back from the Junks about all the fun memories we had of the Junks... and of each other. It was just wonderful.
So I guess the moral of the story is... make deep and lasting friendships when you can, and hold those friends close to you always. Invite them into your family and maybe, just maybe... if you're lucky they'll invite you into their family as well. And love your family deeply... and be friends with your brothers and sisters. They're the only one's you've got.

One Amazing Woman

I got some sad news this weekend. My neighbor growing up passed away. Lolita Junk was one of the nicest people I ever met. We moved to Galesburg when I was four, and we had no immediate family there. Over the years, Lolita, her husband Gene, and their 8 kids welcomed us into their home. We felt like part of their family. We watched their youngest sons, Mark and John when they were the stars of the Galesburg High School basketball team, then later at Knox College. We got to know their grandkids very well. Their oldest granddaughter Kristy and I are still friends. We started out as pen pals, and remain so to this very day. (Her blog is on my blog roll.) I was always a little bit jealous of their huge family. But the Junks always had us over around the holidays, in the summer for cookouts. I was so sad when I got the email that Lolita had passed away.

This is an article on Lolita written by our local paper. This is only a glimpse of how much she meant to the community. She was very active in our church, she started a teen court -- giving juvenile offenders a chance to have their records wiped clean if they appeared before a court of their peers, and she was dedicated to her family. She will be missed. We plan on heading back to Galesburg for the funeral. I'm sure it will be an amazing tribute to an amazing woman.

Back home.. and tired

We're back home after a great visit with Craig's family. Our sister-in-law Sarah's babyshower was a huge success. Alex got a lot of quality time with Grandma and Grandpa Hofer, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Brian. He also got to visit his great-grandparents and Craig's Aunt Sharon. Alex got to sit in fire engines, sweep Grandpa's garage, and even pet a horse.
Craig and I got to enjoy some Happy Joe's taco pizza and Whitey's ice cream. Man, it's good to get back home every now and then.
The change to daylight saving time has thrown all of us off, though. We're all exhausted!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

That's right! It's time for Peeps! I love Peeps! They are pure sugar and they bring me joy! But I think I've already OD'd on them for this year. I bought a 12 pack of pink bunnies. I think I ate 6. The rest sat on my desk at work until they became petrified. But they're just such a happy little candy! How can you not like Peeps??? Alex has three stuffed animal-type Peeps: two little bunnies (purple and yellow) and one big bunny (blue). Maybe this year I'll get him all hopped up on Peeps for Easter.

Exercise Milestone

I didn't get to workout today, and I was REALLY disappointed. I had a first yesterday. I ran a mile in a row on the treadmill. It took me 12 minutes, but I didn't stop. I just kept plugging away. I walked for 1/4 mile to warm up. Ran for 1 mile. Walked for about 4 minutes, then ran for another 1/2 mile. So total running was a mile and a half. Even more amazing to me, was that I did it without tunes! My MP3 player died during my Wednesday workout and I forgot to charge the battery, so I was out of luck. I was on an exercise high after that. I realize that a lot of people run faster, farther, longer, whatever than I do, but this was big for me. I have always been a wimp when it comes to running, so this was a major accomplishment for me. I ran into one of the personal trainers afterwards, and he was so encouraging! He asked me if I was planning on running any 5Ks, so that I had a goal to work toward.

And I am planning to run two different 5Ks this year... I want to run Storm the Bastille in June and I want to run Race for the Cure in September. I believe Ms. Lacey is going to join me. (Right?!) We're sharing running playlists (which will come in handy when I remember to charge my darn batteries!) and sharing notes on running. I know I've got a long way to go, but I have a goal and a workout buddy, so I'm on my way!

One of my guilty TV pleasures

I LOVE Project Runway! I've watch all four seasons faithfully. I admit that I don't always watch it at it's scheduled time. Thanks goodness for the weekend marathons and DVR so I can get caught up. Tonight was the season finale... and I'm not real happy with the outcome.

The finalists were Christian, Jillian, and Rami. All three had beautiful collections.

Rami and Jillian were both my picks to win. I would have been happy if either of them had won. I think their designs are more commercially viable. But Christian won. His clothes are beautiful and artsy, but they don't translate to everyday life. I live vicariously through this show.

Does anyone remember "Fashion Plates?" It was probably my favorite toy growing up. Of course, my sister and I had to share it. But I would spend hours coming up with different combinations. We would both get so excited when the Easter Bunny or Santa would bring up a new set to mix things up. We discovered that really sharp colored pencils worked best for coloring. We loved experimenting with patterns on the dresses or stockings. I think we both figured we'd be fashion designers some day. I used to try to make clothes for my Barbies too. Those never turned out very well.

But I've always wanted to live in New York City, so I get an NYC fix, as well as a fashion fix by watching this show. I just love how catty the designers sometimes get. And I love the dramatic personalities. Now I'm looking forward to "Top Chef: Chicago." Chicago is my favorite city in America. I'm not from there, but when I'm standing in Downtown Chicago, I feel like I'm home. And I love to cook, so this show should be great!

Snow Pix

I figure I better get these snow pictures on the blog before the snow melts... so I have until about April.

Below right is Alex, cheesing in front of the pile between our house and the neighbors' house. There's a small rock divider that lines our driveway... it's only about two feet high. That pile is about 4 1/2 feet high.

The snow in our front yard was up to Alex's shoulders.

This is Alex in front of the garden. If I don't get some good tomatoes this year, I'm going to give up!

Shadow loved the snow too. It was almost as deep as she is

tall. It went up to her shoulders when she tried to jump in!

Fabulous Book Club Night

My book club met again tonight, and it was FABULOUS as usual. We discussed the book "Seven Days to the Sea." We all agreed it was a good book. It was the third Biblical Fiction book that we've read ("The Red Tent" and "The Gilded Chamber") but paled in comparison to the others, in my opinion. I just got frustrated with the main charcters on so many levels. It was interesting to read about Moses and the Exodous, but I think I need a break from this type of book for awhile.

So Michelle has the next pick, and she selected "The Friday Night Knitting Club."

As faithful blog-readers will recall, I read this book not all that long ago, and it inspired me to dust off my knitting needles... or, more accurately, go buy a pair and try again. Haven't started the scarf yet. It's on my to do list (which is about as long as my "to read" list... goodreads.com fanatics, you know what I'm talking about!!!) maybe this weekend I'll start. I can't wait to discuss it with the gals in my club. It's not a light book, but it's filled with diverse and complex characters. Definitely a change of pace from the heavy stuff we've been reading lately. Hopefully we'll be able to set a date for our next meeting soon!

On a side note, a big shout-out to my friend Michelle, who doesn't read the blog, but that's okay. She offered to have me drop Alex off at her house, so I could enjoy the book club without a two-year-old date. Aimee and Kierra babysit for Alex on occassion. I think Alex was a little freaked to be in a strange house, even though he was with familiar faces. He went to be very late, but seemed to have had a good time. So thanks to Michelle and her girls for helping out.

Solo Mom-ming It Again

It been an interesting day. Craig called at 8:30AM to tell me thinks might be crazy. Foxsports.com was reporting that Bret Favre was retiring. It was one of those "sources close to Favre say he's made his decision" kind of stories. I hate those because they might be true, or the source might be full of it. The Favre retiring stories have been swirling for about the last 6 years or so, so I didn't put much stock in the news. An hour later, Craig called and asked if it would be a problem if he was sent to Mississippi. I told him it would be fine, as long as he was home by Friday, so we could head back to Illinois for our sister-in-law Sarah's bridal shower.
Ten minutes later the flight was booked.

Even though I'm not a Packers fan, I get the whole Favre fascination. The guy is amazing. He's had a hell of a career. It will be many years before his consecutive starts record is broken, if ever. I'm sure this can't be easy for the Packers fans.

Today was one of those days I was relieved to be out of the news business. Since I'm not a Packers fan, I always found it hard to write about the team. I don't know their history, I'm not that good with their players' names (though I have gotten better), it's just hard to write for me. It was fun to be on the other side and see what kind of crazy side-bar stories the TV teams were coming up with.

So Alex and I are on our own for the next couple of nights. It'll go fast, I'm sure. But I miss Craig already!

Busy, Fun Weekend - More Busy-ness and Fun Ahead

We had a great weekend. Thought I'd switch gears (to use a TV phrase I hate) and talk about some good stuff, rather than just ranting.


Saturday I went to see "Avenue Q" with my friend Lisa from book club. I took her out to lunch first as a way of saying, "Thanks for thinking of me." We ate at John Hawk's Pub before walking over the the theatre. We took the Riverwalk, one of the many things I love about Milwaukee. As Lisa and I were reminiscing about college, how we met our husbands, when I came to Milwaukee and when she moved back, I started thinking about how much I love Milwaukee. This is a really cool city.


Back to the show... Avenue Q was hysterical. It was naughty, hilarious, bawdy, comical, sweet, nasty little show. The music was very fun. The puppets and actors were all amazing. The homage to Sesame Street was very noticeable. If you ever get a chance to see the show I highly recommend it. It is NOT for kids, even though there are puppets. There's swearing and (gasp) graphic puppet sex. So leave the little one's at home. If you're easily offended, it might be good to stay home yourself. But if you're looking for a laugh, this is a great show. It had songs with titles like "What do you do with a B.A. in English?" (still trying to figure that out myself), "You can be as loud as the Hell you want when you're makin' love," and "The Internet is for Porn." I thought it was a hoot, and I would go see it again in a heartbeat. Thanks Lisa!


Saturday night we made dinner and built a fire. And went to bed early because I was pooped!

Then Sunday Alex and I got up and went to church. He was very well behaved for a change. After he went down for a nap I did some shopping. And then I babysat for our friends Hank and Sara. It was paybacks for them watching Alex when we went to "The Lion King." They had tickets to the Billy Joel concert. So I hung out with Trevor (8), Ryan (4) and Katie (2). They were perfect angels. It was disgusting. KIDDING! We had a great time watching "Ratatouille," eating pizza, and playing together. We are now trying to figure out our next switches. I love the babysitting share! It's just a great arrangement.


Tuesday I meet with my book club. I can't wait to see what we're reading next!! Then we're heading back to Reynolds, IL (Craig's hometown) for our sister-in-law's baby shower. I have to say I have really lucked out in the sibling-in-law category. Sarah is a lot younger than me, but we have a lot in common, and have become good friends. With both her and my other sister-in-law Jen (married to my brother), I feel like I've gotten two more sisters. I love my brothers-in-law, Dan (married to my sister) and Craig's brother Brian. And my own siblings, Mike and Jen. It's just a big love fest! I'm lucky! (oh and if you're keeping track, yes, there are now two Jen's on the Gohring side)


It's been fun seeing Sarah and Brian get ready for this new little one to enter the world. The baby is due at the end of this month. So it will be fun to get together, and buy them tons of presents.


I love being busy. And I love the opportunity to get together with family for happy occasions like this. I hope my brother Mike and his wife Jen are next!!!

F@#^&ing Potholes

Driving around Milwaukee and the metro area is like traversing the surface of the moon.
I drove down Bluemound Road yesterday on a trip out to Brookfield Square to go shopping (a successful trip, BTW). Well, more like I swerved all over creation avoiding the crater-sized potholes that longed to swallow up my car.

This morning, I noted how rough the roads I take downtown were. On the way home tonight, I noticed strange noises coming from my car. By the time I hit the halfway mark, I knew what was going on. I had blown a tire. AGAIN.

Yes about 3 weeks ago, I blew a tire. It sucked then, and it sucks now. The first time, I managed to make it to Alex's daycare before stopping. This time, I made it to the CVS at 61st and Lisbon. I called Craig right away. He of course was in the helicopter for the early evening newscasts. He promised to come as soon as he could. I made that call at 5:25PM, and he and Alex came to rescue me at about 6:20PM. What a mess! We traded cars, Craig changed the tire, and we were all home and accounted for by about 7PM.

It has just been a really long winter. With the ice damming and now two blown tires in less than a month. The good new is it was finally above freezing over the weekend. There was significant meltage going on. I heard ducks quacking in the parkway this morning. It's still light out when I'm leaving work. Spring is right around the corner. AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON!