Wisconsin, land of deep fried cheese curds and fire departments serving beer and first aid.
Current mood: cheerful
Category: Travel and Places

I don't have a lot to say, but I have been taking pictures. And I know all three of my steady readers (thanks Mom, Katie and Apryl) would just be devistated if I didn't ramble on about absolutely nothing once in awhile.

Speaking of rambling.....

Before I go on, I just want to promote the coolest damned free internet radio I've ever found. I mean, I just name a band I like, and the freaking thing creates an entire radio station based upon the sound of that band. And does a damned fine job of it too.....

Jeez, I put in Drive By Truckers and it plays Lucero, Bobby Bare Jr, Son Volt, Cross Canadian Ragweed...and some I haven't heard that I love. Seriously, this thing is reading my MIND. Creepy.

So...its calls Pandora Radio. Click here and you'll become addicted. Really.

Okay, that's all for the sales pitch.

Shortly after I arrived in the cheese state Mom and I went up to Cranfest in Warren, WI....aka The WORLDS BIGGEST CRANBERRY FESTIVAL (insert triumphant bugles here). It was a fun day that involved walking around with tens of thousands of people looking at random crap, folk art and collectibles. I mostly just enjoyed spending the day with my mom. Especially the part where we went into the local filling station/grocery and bought a Sparks for each of us...and then proceeded to drink them while cruising the streets. While in the market another woman walked up, saw she could buy cold singles of beer (two points in WI's favor). She yelled like she won the lottery. It was funny as hell.

Okay, I'm not sure if this should be a two point addition or a two point subtraction...I guess it depends on how you look at it.

PBR, Brats, First Aid, Fish Fryand Fire Suppression! Multitasking fire crew at work....


My heart rate slows just looking at this vendor's cart....not so much that I didn't actually eat deep fried cheese curds though.

Those things rule!


This is the SLOW day...I said tens of thousands didn't I?

Moving along...the next day we (mom, dad and I) went to Oktoberfest in La Crosse. First, lets just say we all agreed Oktoberfest would be way more fun if a cab and a hotel room were available. The entire University of Wisconsin LaCrosse was shitfaced by the time we arrived....at 4pm.

We arrived after the parade. Probably should have gone. This was a local news station....


But basically, it was your basic Oktoberfest....beer, brats, polka and leiderhosen.





That was the first weekend......

Since then, I have been to the apple orchards with my parents and grandfather. I do like the orchards this time of year. Fresh Honeycrisp...mmmmm. If you don't know what a Honeycrisp is you should dedicate the next grocery visit to finding some. You won't regret it...if you like apples.



That's all I have to say really.

Oh, one more thing. I bought a new digital SLR and I'm taking a lot of pictures. Most of them suck since I'm learning. But here are a few I took around Viroqua and at my parents place in Liberty Pole.


Doesn't Miles look like a wolverine? That's Jessie, one of my parent's dogs.









This is why I'm leaving my dogs with my folks this winter.





Alright...hope you enjoyed the post. Or hopefully you were at least mildly distracted from something more boring....

roof I’m super cool!
Current mood: amused Ok....

Actually, I pretty sure I will never hang out in the cool kids clique.

I mean, look at all of you. You're my friend representation...and well....I'm just saying....

Ha! Ok, I think you are all pretty damned cool...but I'm pretty sure I'm not.

However Ski Magazine was nice enough to post a picture on their website that makes me look cool.

The Ski mag editors were probably like, "poor kid...so not cool. let's give her a little ego boost just to make her feel better. cause it's gotta suck to go through life being so not cool."

Nice people, huh?

Okay, so as some of you know, I was lucky enough to participate in Ski Magazine's 0708 boot test last spring. I'll tell you the whole story if you ask, but I'm not going to bother here.

Anyway, there was this photographer and he followed all 16 of us around for four days.

And here's one he took of me.





And here's the link for the whole page if you're interested.

That's it. Thanks for letting my have my 5 seconds of glory in life.

Just a few things I hate about Wisconsin
Current mood: geeky

immediate disclaimer:

I do not hate Wisconsin....it's where I was born and raised. There are beautiful places in Wisconsin and when the leaves change the landscape can be breathtaking. And damnit Wisconsin produces some damned fine dairy.....

On to the post.




Ticks. Yuk.



Totally gross.

Two dogs...

and a big Wisconsin prairie front yard = two dogs with ticks.

Don't let those doggy supply manufacturers fool you. There isn't a preventative product out there that is 100% tick proof.

So, I'm pretty much checking myself for ticks every three seconds. Tick paranoia.

How does that song go?

Following. Stupidest (albeit funny) song ever written.

Thanks Brad Paisley, you've made the world a much better place. Way to increase the intelligence of the American public.

Here we go:



everytime you take a sip
in this smoky atmosphere
you press that bottle to your lips
and i wish i was your beer
and in the small there of your back
your jeans are playing peek a boo
id like to see the other half
of your butterfly tattoo

hey that gives me an idea
lets get out of this bar
and drive out into the country
and find a place to park

cause id like to see you out in the moonlight
id like to kiss you way back in the sticks
id like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
and id like to check you for ticks

i know the perfect little path
out in these woods i used to hunt
dont worry babe ive got your back
and ive also got your front
id hate to waste a night like this
ill keep you safe you wait and see
the only thing allowed to crawl all over you
when we get there is me

you know every guy in here tonight
would like to take you home
but ive got way more class than them
and that aint what i want

cause id like to see you out in the moonlight
id like to kiss you way back in the sticks
id like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
and id like to check you for ticks

oooh you never know where one might be
and oooh theres lots of places that are hard to reach

id like to see you out in the moonlight
id like to kiss you way back in the sticks
id like to walk you through a field of wildflowers
and id like to check you for ticks

oh id sure like to check you for ticks

Seriously, you're on a date with a hot guy and he says....I want to check you for ticks? Yea, I think theres one way in there...in my ass crack. Will you get it out for me?

Hot.

But I digress...where was I going here?

Oh yea....the plague that comes when the soybeans are harvested.



Asian lady Beetles. Cute aren't they?

Until there are MILLION of them covering every surface...getting into every crack in a building...getting into the building.........a stinking when they die.

Awesome.

Lastly...(I'll stop picking on WI after this...really).



Humidity.

I know, I know...it's humid in Seward. But seriously, there is something different here.

It can be humid in Seward, but here it is MUGGY.

And Muggy sucks.


Ok, just to reset the balance.....something good about Wisconsin.



Beautiful leaves....



Oktoberfest....



CHEEEEESE!

Love you too!

S