Spring / Summer is Here!

Well here we are again. This is what I love about Wisconsin, it is constantly evolving and changing. I don't think I could ever live somewhere that they don't have very obvious changes in season. Why have vanilla when you have Neapolitan or whatever that multicolored crap is? Anyway it is once again time for my list of favorite Spring / Summer things and not so favorite things.

Here we go:

Favs (Had to do 15...just love Spring / Summer)

1. Baseball

Even though it is difficult at times to be a Brewers fan, I love Baseball and every year as soon as the sun is out and the snow is gone, I am thinking about spring training and baseball season

2. Disc Golf

I have been playing Disc Golf for 10 years now! Back in 2000 I played my first round at Mt. Simon park and have been in love with the sport ever since. We all have our good days, but nothing says summer and spring more than Disc golf

3. Grillin

Brats, Burgers, Brat Burgers whatever you may like...grillin is a staple of my diet in the summer. I lived off the grill and frozen pizza's all last summer it was great.

4. Camping

Getting out in the woods and hiking and testing your limits...living without the comforts of home. except for beer, no camping trip complete without beer...we are not that crazy, but all the same we live in a beautiful state and one that has quite a few state parks prime for camping. Why else is it that every weekend until September we see MN, and IL drivers coming to Wisconsin for the weekend camping and fishing trips.

5. Bon Fires

Oh man, I cannot wait until the first fire of the year. (what a weird thing to be excited about) I love hanging out with friends and fam chilling around the fire. Most of the time you will find me picking away at my guitar and having a few beers enjoying the night stars just taking in the scenery.

6. Warm Weather

Now I know that the cold comes with the territory, but even good ole folks from Wisconsin get sick of the cold by February. The spring time temps are really where its at. Anything between 50's-60's is good in my book. Its kinda crazy what temps like that will do to people in this area! When people in Cali would be wearing sweatshirts...the Sconnies are out in shorts and Birkenstock's strutting their stuff like its mid July

7. Festivals and Concerts

Lollapalooza, Caochella, Bonnaroo,the Leienkugal Family Reunion, The Campout, Taste of Eau Claire, any thing with good music, good food, and good beer. This is something that I literally plan my summers around. When is the next show or festival that I can go to and who is playing or who can I drag along with me.

8. Fresh Food

While as of late my Winter gut is still showing, I love to get down to the Farmers Market and get some fresh eats. All summer and spring we have some really great fresh foods and locally grown produce to enjoy. From the local strawberry patches to the Phoenix Park Farmers Market, you can always find something fresh and hearty for your dinner table.

9. Longer Days / Summer Solstice

Its like a countdown to June 21 for me every year. Because after the solstice it is all downhill from there back to the abyss that we know as the October / November black out, and its back to working in Siberia. Last year we played Disc Golf until 9:50 pm at Tower Ridge in Eau Claire on the Solstice and it was a blast. So make good use of the sunlight!

10. Thunder Storms!

Some people really don't like these, but they are really a great reminder that while we like to think that we have control over our environment it definitely knows how to push back. I love looking out the window and watching the amazing flashes of light and the sudden boom that follows...its just amazing!

11. Beer!

Well I pretty much have beer on each on all of my lists but the summer beers. The Lienkugals Summer Shandy, and Sam Adams Summer Ale, as well as a whole new crop of New Glarus Seasonal that start at the end of April

12. College Kids are Gone!

Yes! I can finally have Water St back! Not that I frequent that area that much these days, but if I want to go have a beer at the Joynt I don't have to hear from some hipster asshole about how he really thinks that Spoon has sold out ,and how he cant wait to go back to MN after semester and go work for a his daddy as an intern. Good get your elitist, neurotic, egotistical, trendy, conforming ass back to the Land of Mauer and Mudducks... and take your damn Twins hat with you!

13. Boating

As of recently my family has acquired a boat and I am planning on taking it out a lot more this summer and getting out on the lakes and rivers and doing some tubing and fishing. Red Neck Yacht Club here we come!

14. Summer Holidays

This one I am a little bias with because my birthday is over Memorial Day Weekend so it has always been a big deal to me. I love that we have so many summer holidays: Cinco De Mayo, Memorial Day, Flag Day, The 4th of July (Kyles Bday), and Labor Day. Just all around good times good food and plenty of beer.

15. The Smell

Now this could be debatable, but I think that spring /summer definitely has a smell much like the fall. The smell of fresh cut grass, spring rain, and campfire smoke...it is all part of the ambiance. And it is some damn good stuff!

The not so much...

1. Fucking Mosquito's

I can say it best by quoting my Grandmother "the mosquito's in Wisconsin are big enough to Fuck a Turkey flat footed" -Marilyn Clark (she really is a saint I assure you)

2. NHL and NBA

When spring is on my mind the last thing I want to think about is the friggin NHL. That and the only team we root for is from MN, so maybe that has something to do with it. That and they have the longest friggin season next to baseball. The one plus is that the Milwaukee Bucks aren't actually doing that bad this year...who knew?

3. The Hummidity

Wisconsin is not as bad as say South Carolina when it comes to the Humidity, but damn does it get muggy. When it get muggy then that means here come the Nats, and Skeeters, and all movement comes to a slow sluggish pace.

4. Inappropriate Clothing

Now by inappropriate clothing I don't mean the girl with the sweet sweater puppets just waiting to break loose but...you know who I am talking about ;) the guy with the wife beater that's a little a too tight, or the girl who definitely should not be wearing that tank top with the FUPA and Muffin Top hanging out...uhg

5. Too Short

Just like the rest of the year...it always seems to go way too fast. You make big plans for Memorial Day Weekend and before you know it, it's already the 4th of July and labor day and your summer is over!

6. Work

At least in winter, i look forward to going to work instead of sitting at home trapped inside my igloo, but in the summer all I want to do is take off for the day and lay outside. Otherwise go to the park and disc and have a couple cold ones

7. The Heat!

Being a strong Norwegian born with a full wool sweater on my chest, I do not belong in a warm climate. I do love warm weather, but by late July and August it can get in the upper 90's around Wisconsin and I start sweating like Tiger Woods in a room full of blonde women.

8. Gas Prices

Seems like every summer Gas prices go up just before you are planning on going on a trip somewhere and all you hear about from every (30+) old person I meet is how expensive gas is getting.

9. Fishing

Now this is on both lists because I am trying to make and effort and relive the frustration that I call "fishing" I like the getting out into nature and having a few beers and maybe catching some fish. What I don't like is the heat, the bugs, never catching a thing, breaking my line an loosing a $6 lure, ect. SO i am definitely on the fence on this one, but I am running out of dislikes.

10. I am actually out of idea's and I really cant think of anymore...I'll leave this one up to you! So let me know one thing that you do not like about summer that I havnt already named. Good Luck this was definitley a hard list to come up with.

Now get out there have a beer and watch a Brewers Game!