Category: Misc
Wordless Wednesday: Driveway Farm Progress
July 27, 2011
July 28
And a bit of history:
June 16
July 15
Wordless Wednesday: Up in the Air Junior Birdman
June 8, 2011
Another collection of phone pictures: Milwaukee, Louisville, frozen lake Michigan, Manhattan, Hudson Bay, Chicago, Indiana “wind farms”, Travese Bay
Wordless Wednesday: Bloody Marys – Milwaukee style
May 25, 2011
Love the beer side cars!
(A photo collection discovered on my phone: AJ Bombers, Sobelman’s, HoneyPie, in MKE airport, upgraded and at gate on AirTran)
Love (like?) Winter
December 17, 2010
Here it’s December, Everyday…..
Was reminded of that fact this morning when I dropped Kiddo off at school, and he commented about car ahead of us, “What a cool license plate”.
H8 WNTR
After a long, glorious,seemingly never ending fall, winter has come in with a vengeance. Seemed like one day temperatures were still hanging in the 40’s, and the next snow was flying and temps were in the teens. Or lower.
Somewhat ironic that Kiddo would notice and point out a license plate with that sentiment. Of everyone in the household, he and Kutya the Wonder Dog seem to enjoy winter the most. [Truth disclosure, these three pictures were from last winter…we’ve had snow (not quite this much), they’ve recreated these scenes more than once (I just haven’t gotten any pictures) Yet.]
I, on the other hand, have to be eased into it. And this winter there has been no easing – more like a full frontal assault. The season began with my first experience of a mandatory Wisconsin tradition, a Packers game at Lambeau Field….in December. I was immersed into winter. Dragged kicking and screaming (or at least grumbling). Frozen. Just so we’re clear, when it comes to winter games at Lambeau Field, this lifelong Chicago Bear fans has been there, done that and checked the box. September or October games, probably, November or December games in a suite, maybe…….December games in the stands, not gonna happen again.
Even when I leave Wisconsin, there’s no avoiding Old Man Winter. This week when biz travel took me to Des Moines, I was greeted in the hotel lobby by this lovely sight on Monday evening. 9 degrees with an overnight low of 4, really?!? When I called home, Hubby tried to make me feel better by telling the overnight low at home was supposed to be 0. That. Did *Not*. Make me feel better.
Still I know I live in a great state for winter fun. Maybe not Colorado level skiing, but decent skiing close by. Kiddo begins 6 weeks of snowboard lessons next month, giving Mom an opportunity to ski while he learns! Tons of places to ice skate. Could learn snow shoeing or cross country skiing.
Have a pledge to myself to get on a bike, ride, to at least pedal a bit outside (not on the damn trainer) every week over winter. This week a couple of spins around the yard – on our home off road trail 😉 were completed to get the picture of the commuter in the snow. Now Commuter and Road bike have been moved to the basement. But considering putting some studded tires on Sally Schwinn or the MTB to get in the occasional ride beyond the yard.
Or better yet, maybe I can take a lesson from these guys, who seem to be having so much fun, and do some actual trail riding! Huge props to Capital Off Road Pathfinders at madcitydirt.org for building and maintaining these trails – which I hope to ride one of these days. Even if my first spin around them is in the spring.
Beautifully different is a very smart thing
December 9, 2010
In December I’m doing an on-line initiative, called Reverb 10, designed to help participants reflect on 2010 and manifest what’s next in 2011. Each day participants are given prompts or thought starters to blog, tweet or journal.
The Reverb 10 organizers gave us a couple days break with relatively easy prompts on days 6 & 7. And then hit us with this one:
Prompt 8
December 8 – Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)
My Tweet: Oh my after 2 easy days #reverb10 has me stumped. Different, how am I different? Is addition of word beautifully giving me pause?
Different, I can think of a million things that make me different. Or maybe make me feel different.
Which made me think about hiding aspects of self. We probably all have them. Traits we think we need to hide from the world. For many years, in many ways the trait I choose to hide, because it made me different was my intellect. Even now, writing that feels odd. Like I shouldn’t be bragging.
I have a high IQ. Not Einstein or anything, but high enough to have been pulled out of a regular classroom and placed in a gifted program by 3rd grade. High enough that I am a member of Mensa – a society for those who score at or above the 98th percentile on a standard test of intelligence. By high school, I realized this could intimidate people, esp. boys. By my teens, this gift turned into something for which I was ashamed. Which lead to a rough few years, hell, decade or two if I’m honest.
But eventually I discovered this wasn’t something to hide. Maybe it took some growing into myself. Maybe it took being around the right people, having the right challenges. Now I know I’m happiest when using my intellect. Happiest when being challenged. When having opportunities to learn, to grow. When surrounded by other smart people.
At times still find myself struggling with being smart versus being a know it all, but at least I’m not afraid to let this part of me shine.
Sure there’s still other sides of me that I keep tucked away. Other bits and pieces that may or may not make me beautifully different. But this is one I hope others see.