Gemanfest

 Thursday, July 27, 2017

Peter and I drove to the Summerfest grounds to drop off the poster that I made of Austrian-Born Americans.  I asked Frank how the trip sign-up was going and he said that so far he has one person signed up.  Henelore said she didn't remember that I gave her the extra copies at the picnic; I said I would make more.

Friday, July 28, 2017

We drove to Sommers Auto in Mequon to look at a Subaru that Peter was interested in leasing. He thought he was going to think it over and make a deal closer to winter.  After hearing the terms, Peter agreed to lease the one we test drove.  Since we were in the area, we went for a fish fry in Germantown and ate outdoors.

Saturday, July 29, 2017

After breakfast and pickleball, I made Peter's August calendar and attempted printing the trip notice.  Printer didn't respond after countless tries.  I determined that I needed ink.

We met at State Fair P & R to drive to our parking area.  We would have done better taking the shuttle.  There was a long back-up into the lot.  Doug was getting anxious, because he had to conduct the Opening Ceremony orchestra.  We handled the booth until almost 9:00 p.m.

On the way home I stopped at Walmart to buy print cartridges.  I thought I left my phone wallet at home with my credit card in it.  I tried using my ECU debit card and it was rejected.  An assistant tried it on another machine, but no luck.  I drove home and when I got to my garage, my phone wallet was on the floor of the car.  I didn't want to go back, even though Walmart is open 24 hours.  I got to bed and couldn't sleep, wondering how I was going to get the trip sheets to Frank.  Finally, I gave up and drove to Walmart for ink.  After a couple of tries, the printer was still not responding, even after printing test sheets.  Then, I looked at the settings, and saw that it was set to print in PDF!  I must have printed in that format when I wanted to send Frank a copy and it saved the setting.  I got hooked on a jigsaw puzzle and didn't get to bed until 2:00 a.m.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

We met on Sunday at the State Fair P&R for the 10:30 a.m. mass, and spent the rest of the time walking around until our shift started at 4:30 - 9.

It was a very long day.  How many caps would I have knitted in that time?  I didn't bring my knitting because I didn't want to take the knitting jar with the cap that was started. We alternated getting something to eat.  Peter managed to get a brat that he was shorted last night, I got a shaum torte at Mader's;  coffee would have hit the spot, but they didn't have any. 

When we finished our shift, Peter had all of his tickets and I had 4.  He wouldn't leave without cashing them in, but now all the stands were closing, including tap beer and pretzels.  We got a can of beer and Peter left for the Goulash stand to see what he could get.  He was gone a long time, but came back with a bag of food he said was gladly given to him.  He really missed working in that stand because it had more activity.  But what would I have done alone in the culture booth knowing nothing about Austrian culture.  We got to the bus and were the only ones on until one of Peter's friends boarded.  The driver asked to make sure we were headed to State Fair because this was the last bus!  We would have had to call a cab if we had missed it.  That would have really tipped the scale with Peter.

After evaluating our time spent at Germanfest, we really didn't need to go to mass if we were going to volunteer; it made for too long a day.  Because we had work passes, we could get in free at any time and not have to spend so much time there.

Apostle Islands

 Monday, July 10, 2017

I got to Peter's house at 7:30 a.m. It had rained hard during the night and it was still overcast.   Peter was ready and we were on our way by 8:00 a.m.  I drove in light traffic and good roads.  We stopped for a satisfying breakfast at Schreiner's; I had eggs Benedict, very good.

At 11:15 it is very sunny, no wind and 79 degrees.

Peter spotted a wayside marked Great Divide.  It was a perfect setting for our picnic, except the mosquitoes were beginning to get annoying.

We arrived at the Washburn Motel at about 5:00 p.m., a  very modest, no-frills place, but it was clean and had everything we'd need.  I didn't waste any time taking a nap after the sleepless night that I had last night.  My sciatic nerve is  causing pain down my leg, originating in my lower back. We stopped at a bar next to the motel that Peter said served food.  We no more than entered the place when a man started talking German to Peter.  He said he used to live in  New Ulm.  We joined him at the bar sharing our experiences of New Ulm while having gin and tonics and chatting with a few other men that joined in. The first man said we have to try the Scottish eggs at The Snug Restaurant.  When we got to this Irish restaurant they had only one Scottish egg left.  I ordered it, Peter had a bowl of clam chowder;  we both had diet cokes. Scottish eggs are hard boiled eggs wrapped with breakfast sausage, rolled in corn flake crumbs, dipped in beer batter and deep fried. I chose a Dijon mustard sauce for dipping. It was pretty good.  We laid out our warm clothes for tomorrow's boat ride 

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

We were up at 6:30 a.m., and headed to the Time Out Restaurant.  Our waitress taught art at a parochial school and was very pleasant. We had scrambled eggs and ham; one serving would have been plenty for both of us.  We found  the Bayfield Marina and drove around the area before lining up for the boat ride. There was 2-hour parking near the marina and Peter had to drive quite a distance to find unlimited parking. Luckily, I got in line while he parked. There was a pretty long line in front of us, but we were fortunate to get on the upper deck. The day was perfect,  I didn't need my fleece jacket.  As a matter of fact, I was almost too warm.Jay gave a lot of local history, pointed out features of the islands, like the fish camp on Manitou Island,

the lighthouse and caves on Devil's Island

and a lighthouse on Raspberry Island that was entered into service during the Civil War.

We spotted some eagles and Jay filled the time very nicely with island lore. We were finished at 2:30 p.m., and walked uphill to the car.  Google found us a Dalrymple Park/Campsite that was perfect for our picnic.  To make our loop, we took Hwy. 13 to Parkland driving with a few intermittent raindrops.

At exactly 6:00 p.m. we were at the Chain of Lakes Motel, no frills, not any of the amenities (housekeeping) as the last one, but clean and comfortable.  Google found Gilligan's Restaurant with a tiki bar right on the shore. It was a perfect evening for eating outdoors.  We each had a salad; Peter, Caesar, I Oriental chicken; Peter had a beer, I had a dirty martini on the rocks, not my preferred clean.  We lingered to enjoy the beautiful lake.  We sat outside our motel until almost dark; it gets dark later here.

Wednesday,  July 12, 2017,

We had a full and twin bed in our room, I slept on the twin, and had a restful night, once I got my left leg comfortable. I heard thunder through the night and we awoke to big puddles outside our motel.  We drove into the little town of Chetek' and decided on the Chetek Cafe, featuring German food.  We had German coffee, which was dark but not bitter, eggs and toast and homemade jam, blueberry for Peter, raspberry for me.  We made a very good choice.  I also bought some homemade German bratwurst.  We walked over to a market and bought a 24-pack of water; we do not drink enough.  Peter got the car while I waited with the water and we drove to the bakery for 2 hard rolls and a peanut square. 

The day is warm, 82 degrees at 11:42 a.m. overcast.  Driving is smooth with light traffic.

After that substantial breakfast, we didn't need any more to eat until we got to Lake Mills and found Bartel's Beach, where we had been last year.  It was still as breezy, but the breeze was refreshingly warm.  We finished off the turkey ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and wine, together with the hard rolls and peanut square from the Chetek bakery.

I invited Peter to share the German bratwurst that I grilled and served with warm potato salad.  That completed our outing.

Croatian Day

 Saturday, July 8, 2017

Peter and I were the first ones at breakfast.  Not too many showed up, but enough to almost fill our table.  Some were at the bike outing in New Glarus.  It rained hard during the night, but the streets were getting dry, which was the case when we got to the pickleball court.  I played fairly well today, but the humidity was very high and I was drenched with perspiration.  We left at 11:00 a.m. to go to the Croatian Park on South 76th Street for their festival.  Light rain was falling as we drove in our respective cars, and Peter must have thought I was out of my mind for continuing in the rain.  The rain stopped when we got there shortly before noon.  We found a picnic table, watched chickens and, pigs grilling on the spit.  Lamb was also featured, and it must have been done already.  We each had a lamb dinner with three slices of meat, cole slaw, bread and green onions.  It was quite tasty.  On the web site it said that the grilled meat was sold by the pound; it did not mention dinners.  I didn't understand what that meant.  Had we known, we could have brought our picnic bag with better utensils and our own side dishes like potato salad, condiments and other snacks, and ordered one pound of lamb or pork or chicken.  When we finished eating, we found a table with an umbrella where we could hear and partially see the cultural show with their ethnic instruments.  We saw Marianne and her friend, also Jan from Vagabonds.  It was a very pleasant even, much better than a church picnic.  We stayed until about 4:00 p.m.  The weather was favorable, even though some dark clouds appeared now and then.

Wilson Center; Moss Garden; Joe & Nancy

 

Friday, June 30, 2017

Peter and I went to the Wilson Center for the Arts concert.  We were packed for our regular picnic.  This time Peter made sandwiches with the ham he had; he also had surplus beer.  I provided cheese, crackers, cherries and wine.  As we approached the area, many people having their picnics close to the parking area and a couple told us that because of the wet grounds the concert would be indoors.  We found one of those sculptured cement logs and parked ourselves around a mostly level one.  Dick and Jan joined us.  We had our food, Peter took our gear back to the car and we headed to the auditorium.  Because we took so long eating, seating was almost non-existent.  We were fortunate to get seats in the balcony with an unobstructed view.  The concert was marvelous. The Wisconsin Symphony began with music from WWI, then WWII, Korean and Vietnam, with a salute to those who served in the armed forces.  Peter attempted to stand, but I told him to sit down; they were honoring U.S. veterans, and he's not even a citizen. We met the conductor in the hall afterwards and told him how much we enjoyed the evening.  Being indoors enhanced the interaction between him and the audience and the improvement in acoustics was so much improved instead of being outdoor.  We went home via Pilgrim Road and that was blocked off just as Lily Road was last week.  We followed a car around subdivision and were really turned around.  My GPS got us on Calhoun Rd. and we were back on track.  But it was too late to have a beer/wine at Elm Grove Park like we intended doing before wasting time driving around.

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Breakfast, but no pickleball today. Sandy said she would not be going to Gloria's picnic after the bike ride on the 4th, because Ron's email specifically said "bike riders only".  Since we are not bike riders, I guess we are excluded, even though Don is leading the race and Peter is joining the group.

Peter and I met at the Hales Corners P&R to drive to Dale Sievert's moss and hosta garden.  I remembered last year when we were using that P&R it was full with cars parking for Summerfest.  Our alternate parking was Andy's gas station.  We agreed to meet there, but when I passed the P&R there was plenty of space, so we went there after all.  Cars were lined up all along the road with garden visitors.  It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for viewing the garden.  As Peter was walking through he remarked how many of the planters, pavers, etc., that he had and what he could do with them after seeing what was done in the garden.....In your dreams!

It was a beautiful experience, and I'm glad that I could share it with Peter

We were six minutes from Nancy and Joe's, so I gave them a call and asked if they were receiving visitors.  Of course they were.  We had a lovely reunion and they met Peter.  We had wine/beer on their patio and had a nice visit. 

It was just about time for something to eat.  At first pizza seemed like a good idea, but the places nearby didn't appeal to us. So we settled for Fortune Restaurant.  By the time we got to the P&R it was full. 

A full and satisfying day.

Polishfest

 

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Peter and I met at the State Fair P&R at 9:15 a.m. for the Polishfest mass.  We took my car because we would be picking up Laura's houseplants for me to take care of while they are in Europe.  We found a parking spot right in front of the Italian Community Center for a short walk to the mass site.  I called Claude, but he didn't answer; I left a message with our location, hoping he could join us.

After mass we walked to some of the tents and I bought a candle holder crafted by some metal worker for $20.  It should make a nice piece for my dining table.  We did more walking and met a few Vagabonds.  We shared a plate of four meat-filled pierogis while listening to non-stop polka music.  The day was perfect.  We took jackets because the forecast was for cooler weather, but we didn't need them.  Walking along the lakefront and around the grounds was very pleasant.  We watched the Sirena Dance group before deciding to have something to eat elsewhere.   On our way out Peter got his hand stamped, for what reason I don't know because we were not going to re-enter.  We headed to Laura's and admired her garden; she has a really chic haircut.  We didn't stay very long, just to pack up her plants and wish them bon voyage.  We were heading to the Esterbrook Park Beer Garden.  As we were driving, Peter noticed the hand stamp smeared on his leg and a little on his shorts and it was still wet.  So we changed our plans and headed towards the Bavarian Inn where he'd have better facilities for getting cleaned up.  It was a better choice.  We were in time for the Happy Hour where beer was half price.  I had a ham/cheese sandwich; Peter had a specialty that he liked.  I had one beer, Peter had two while watching the US Open at Erin Hills.  Claude called and said he just heard my message, and had been at Polishfest and was sitting towards the back at mass.  It was strange that we didn't meet somewhere on the grounds since the crowd was rather spread out.

Peter persuaded me that coming to my house would complete the evening.  I didn't see him following me from the P&R, but then I spotted a car that looked exactly like his coming up behind me.  I lost the car somewhere on 76th Street and Peter wasn't coming after I had been home already for some time.  I finally called him and he said his battery was dead.  A man with his family that was near Peter's car was able to jump start it.  Peter had called me, but if my phone was on silent I certainly couldn't hear it.  He eventually got to my house and we spent the evening reading the paper and talking; we didn't even turn on the TV.  We were in bed at 10:00 p.m (I can't remember every getting to bed that early), but I had no trouble getting a good night's sleep, once I found a comfortable position.  My right shoulder is still giving me trouble.

We were up at 6:30 a.m.  I made oatmeal, a hard cooked egg for Peter and stolen.  Peter left at about 8:15; I left for Potpourri at 9:00.  Locust and Keefe ramps were closed; I had to use Capitol Dr. and got to the class on aging in plenty of time.

I drove to SuCasa to join the Ladies of Lee-sure for lunch.  We chose it for outdoor dining, but because the weather was iffy, the outdoors was closed.  We had a nice table close to the window in a private room  I had a taco salad; I should have had the nice shrimp salad that Janet had; it looked very satisfying and not so filling.  When I got home, I got a survey to fill out on a class that I was supposed to have been in.  I didn't put it in my calendar and so I didn't go.  That's not the first time I missed some appointment.  Very disturbing.