Wayne's World

So the other night I was watching Wayne's World - a movie I used to know word-for-word in middle school. While it has been over 10 years, if not more, since I last saw this movie, I was reminded of some of my favorite parts that I used to wait in anticipation for and attempt to imitate on a daily basis.

First off, a phrase I thoroughly enjoy hearing and using at every possible opportunity, even if not 100% applicable is "That's what she said." While many may think this is a phrase from the television show "The Office", it also appeared in Wayne's World, much to my surprise. Here's the conversation:

[Holding Claudia Schiffer picture]
Garth Algar: Hey, are you done yet? I'm getting tired of holding it.
Wayne Campbell: Yeah, that's what she said.

All I can say is, good stuff dude. Totally excellent. :-)

Streetcars in Milwaukee

So we've finally been able to use federal money that has been set aside for public transit in Milwaukee. I am truly excited about this, but one thing that is interesting is how it was accomplished – via earmarks.

According to the Journal Sentinel, our Senator Herb Kohl (which is responsible for keeping the Milwaukee Bucks in Milwaukee - so kudos to that!) and Representative David Obey "quietly inserted the provision" into the federal transit bill that passed today. I read this to mean earmarks.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/41218767.html

Earmarks have truly been getting quite a bit of negative press lately. And to be honest, I have fallen into the hype of it all and have agreed that they should not be allowed as add-ons to bills, without appropriate review and approval. I have to admit, this particular earmark makes me happy. It has also made me ponder if there are appropriate times for earmarks. I think I’m back on the fence about this one.

Regardless – Milwaukee is getting street cars, bring us closer to mass transit options and making Milwaukee a more accessible city to get around in without the use of cars. YEAH!

Milwaukee Weddings

There are so many good things about getting married in Milwaukee. While the late spring, summer, and early fall are the prime times for Milwaukee weddings, my husband and I got married in March. Our wedding was held at Lake Park Lutheran church on the eclectic upper east side. We had such a positive experience with this church and Pastor David. We still attend there, albeit not as often as we should, but always feel welcome and at ease. Check out our review of Lake Park Lutheran on MarriedInMilwaukee.com (our Milwaukee wedding site). We had our reception at the Astor Hotel which is on the national registry of historic places and was fantastic. See our review of the Astor Hotel here . Also, check out our list of Milwaukee wedding reception halls here.

Check out www.marriedinmilwaukee.com for all things about Milwaukee Weddings.

Smoke Free in Milwaukee

Recently, OnMilwaukee.com posted an article talking with bar owners who have opened non-smoking bars in the Milwaukee area. Inevitably, topics such as this bring the classic argument to the forefront – should we be mandated by law to be smoke free in bars or leave it up to the bar owners to follow demand for smoke free locations. See the talkbacks for the varying opinions.

http://www.onmilwaukee.com/bars/articles/smokefreescene.html

While I can sometimes see the argument behind not making it a law to be smoke free, I generally agree with the thought process for completely banning smoking in places like restaurants and bars. I truly feel that smoking affects everyone around you, and you are forced to smoke via second hand force.

In the spirit of compromise, my suggestion would be to establish regulations on the amount of “smoke” that can be allowed in the air, and establishments should be held to that standard via health inspections, in the same way food and drink health code requirements are enforced. If bars want to remain a smoking environment, they should install smoke eaters to make the air clean for all patrons and workers. Or the alternative is, GASP, making people smoke outdoors. I’ve seen it in action at places in Madison and it doesn’t seem to hurt anyone. Second hand smoke on the other hand, that’s another story.

BYOB at Jazz In The Park

One of the best things about Milwaukee is the summertime. Events are jam packed into the three months of June, July and August. Some of the best events are free, including Jazz in the Park which is held every Thursday at Cathedral Square. People come to enjoy background music and fraternize with friends over wine, beer and cheese.

Up until now, you have been allowed to bring in your own alcohol and food. Apparently though, the East Town Association has decided to disallow the BYOB policy stating a law that has been in place for years, but not enforced at the event. Many are upset about this, including myself. Read the following article, and you will notice that even the Milwaukee police chief Ed Flynn has said that there isn't much enforcement of this at Jazz because there have never been any problems before. I hope people put up enough of a stink before the event kicks off this summer that the policy change is revisited. Time will tell, but I can tell you, I still plan bringing my own beer. :-)

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/38199074.html

Jimmies

So, in Milwaukee we have a few terms that others are not always familiar with. An example is the word "jimmies".

Some might think of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer gets a case of the "jimmie legs", but there is a more Milwaukee appropriate response.

My husband who is from southern Wisconsin, so far south it's almost Illinois (gasp!) doesn't know what it means either. He says they are called sprinkles. I disagree, and here's why.

In my opinion, sprinkles are colorful sugar that you might put on sugar cookies.

Jimmies are delicious little rods that are sort of chewy and often come in chocolate or rainbow flavors. (Yes, I know "rainbow" is not officially a flavor).

I even checked urban dictionary for the meaning of this term, and the majority of entries corroborate my definition of jimmies.

So next time you are looking to have a tasty colorful addition to your custard (frozen butter) sundae, be sure to ask for jimmies - not sprinkles!

13 Years

Apparently, tomorrow is forecasted to be the coldest it has been in 13 years in Milwaukee. My husband’s opinion is that 13 years really isn’t all that long. That got me thinking as to what I was doing 13 years ago and the changes Milwaukee has gone through.

Thirteen years ago it was 1996. I was still in high school and taking the MCTS bus to school every day. I tried to think back if I had any days off school due to cold weather, but I can’t remember back that far. High school seems like a lot more than 13 years ago.

Many things have changed in Milwaukee over the past 13 years. This city is a different place with so much more to offer and a city that now takes pride in its downtown. That wasn’t so much the case back in 1996. I remember growing up as a kid and only going downtown to visit the Milwaukee Public Museum. Wow how things have changed. Nowdays I frequent downtown daily for work and at least 3 times a week for fun.

I guess 13 years can be a long time depending on how you look at it… and what your talking about.

Fantastic Friday

While it is snowing in Milwaukee... AGAIN, I'm still excited it is Friday. My husband and I will be going to a Bucks game tonight. We are for the first time going to park in the Boston Store lot at the Grand Avenue Mall, since I already pay a monthly fee to park there for work. Hopefully the sidewalks will be cleared.

Going to Bucks games are fun and it is great to have them in Milwaukee. Thanks to Senator Herb Kohl, who owns the Bucks, for keeping them in the city.

Can't wait to get some nachos...

Go Bucks!

Melancholy Monday

As I returned to work from my long 2.5 week haidas, this was quite a long and somber day. Over my vacation spent at home, I was isolated from the news media as I didn't check the basic online news sources: msnbc.com, cnn.com, or even jsonline.com, on my lunch break. Instead, I enjoyed my meals with my husband, my cat, friends and/or family with minimal reminders of the outside world.

Unfortunately, on my lunch break today, I was faced with the cold reality of the news media and the constant banter about the bleakness of our economy and job markets. While I try to remain positive, the headline that sticks in my head is "Your Career: Jobs Outlook Grim for 2009". With all the things that are going on in the world, I can't help but be a little selfish and think of all the friends and family who are having job woes.

If we could just get everyone to think positive about things, including the economy, well, we wouldn't have a bad economy at all. Here's to trying to think positive.

I want to go back to my cocoon of ignorance relative to the news.