girl at large

Do You Have To Go?

The First of What Will Most Likely Be Many Humiliations

I'm the winner of this week's email contact contest, "Uncle/Boss" Tom gives me my reward. God help me, the man is cheesy.

Morning in Milwaukee

The sunrise in Milwaukee, over Lake Michigan. My drive into work is very pretty, along Lake Drive (the north shore villages of Shorewood, Whitefish Bay and Bayside), with glimpses of the lake past the big old houses. I get a chance to enjoy the view when I'm waiting for kids to board the school bus. Ah, suburban life! And yes, I was up and on my way to work at that ungodly hour.

Familiar Territory

I went to a tavern tonight. Yes, they call them "taverns". Good times, brought back memories.

Curtains!

I finished putting up rods, curtains, blinds and privacy film in the living room and master bedroom late yesterday, and finally unpacked the very last box sometime around 11pm. Thank goodness, because my first day at work has worn me out---sure was nice to come home to most everything tidy and proper. There's still much to be done, but I can close the door to the guest room and just pretend it's not there. Just like the partially painted bathroom cabinet isn't there, and the unlined kitchen drawers aren't there, or the dozens of cardboard boxes aren't there, the unopened gallons of wall paint aren't there, and the empty studio room isn't there, and the unhung pictures aren't there....

Wisconsin: It's Not So Bad

That's this year's motto. So far, in the "Not So Bad" column, mostly food:

-Sendik's
-the Butter Burger at Culver's
-Frozen Custard (take your pick--Kopps, Michael's, or Gilles)
-Milwaukee Art Museum
-the Lakefront
-Leinenkugel's

It's In The Water, Or Maybe In The Corn.

Just a few of the little niceties I'd been missing, so common in the midwest:
-grocery baggers
-eye contact
-getting approached by helpful staff in a big box store
-brown people in the suburbs
-vestibules
-street lamps
-paying AFTER you pump (this was only in Nebraska and Kansas, but it was so pleasant to be trusted)
-a real person answering the phone
-describing how far away something is by travel time
-ordering a beer at lunch
-folks wearing proper shoes

I do miss a few things about the Northwest:
-really good coffee
-the mountains (the pointy one, the not-so-pointy one and the more white than the others one)
-other people with dogs
-the green landscape, even in midwinter
-marionberry muffins
-narrow and hilly streets (Milwaukee, especially here in the burbs is flat and wiiiiiiiide)
-sushi

And I will always miss a few things about the South:
-being called "Miss Kate" and "M'am" with out it being an age thing
-"good morning"s and "good evening"s when out walking
-the squares
-spanish moss
-cheap cocktails
-locally esteemed wierdos

Settling In

I still have six boxes to go, and lots and lots of fixin' up projects, but it's starting to look like a home.

The Paramount

My new apartment at The Paramount, before I moved in. It's HUGE---1400 square feet! It has three bedrooms, but one of those is really an extra living room/den that I'll be using as an office/studio. It has a freakish number of closets--three large ones in the hallway alone. The second bedroom (and second bathroom!) is for GUESTS--anyone want to visit the charming metropolis on the lake that is Milwaukee? The Paramount was built in the 60's, and has that clean mid-century look I like. But it needs a bit of love---I've already repainted the bathroom cabinet, scrubbed the kitchen, and am up to my eyeballs in contact paper. It's going to be weeks and weeks of projects to get totally settled in, but I have weeks and weeks of still frigid weather ahead in which to get it done.

Cheese Head Travels Home

All Packed Up, Mount Shasta California, The Grand Canyon, Big as Texas, Grandpa Bunny