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!

We won so now what! (One year later)

12/04/2008

Well now here we are,

I realize that I am a little behind on this, but hey man WE did it! In the end good can overcome evil! Who woulda thought right? I guess it only takes 8 years of brainwashed bullshit an backwards ass tactics, a 7 year war on OIL, and the largest economic donwfall since the great depression to make the American Public question a few things. As much as i hate to say it and as much as I hate the French, guranteed if this would have went down in France someone would have gotten the Guateen! I digress...

Now that the page is turned we are looking on to the horizon. The Obama camp has been apointing future cainet posts, and planning what will become of this War and this Economy. It is nice to see the melting pot of officals that will be in the office Biden as Vice, Hillary weasled her ass in there, (just dont ask for a beej) and today thay named Bill Rochardson as the Secratery of Comerce. (Richardson dropped out after some financial issues stopped him from taking the position) Making him the highest ranking Hispanic after George Lopez and Cheech Marin? So we are making some waves not just with the first Black President, but a few others.

The thing that worries me most is what I saw on Yahoo news this morning. Former President Bill "BJ" Clinton says that he would love to accept a possible position from President Elect Obama! WTF! I thought that was the whole reason most of us got Hillary out of the race in the first place. "We didnt want cousin Billy back in the White House dickin around again" as my dad would say. The does have a way about him that is undeniable, but havent we already seen this movie? Im pretty sure I know the ending; The White House gets blown up by a giant UFO and Will Smith punches an Alien in the face. I think we need a fresh start and see what didnt work and what has worked. Alot of what Bush has done hasnt, and alot of what CLinton did didnt. Shit the man got most of his policys past the last 90 days that he was in office. Just so that his legacy wouldnt be bj's and the infamous blue dress. Oh and the famous "dont ask dont tell" policy that the GLBT community is so happy with as well as the military.

In the end all we can do is Hope that things do Change and get better as January closes in. These days I am feeling a bit more optomistic, the fact that in less than 50 days Gdubya will be out of the White House and we can turn the page on arguably the darkest 8 years in American History.

Good things to come...

Tis the season!

So it has been a while since my last post, and what can I say life has been very busy. I have a new (wink*) interest in my life and have been going to alot of shows. Most notably Monsters of Folk and Mike Perry and the Longbeds.
So after posting my fav fall things list. It seems only natural that I post my favorite things of Winter/Holidays list. Top ten here we go. (in no particular order)

Warning: I come from a family that is very dysfunctional.

We have alot of step-family and step-grandparents etc.

When I was a kid we had to go to 4 Christmas's...Yeah 4!

(You would get to play with your toys the next day before school)

Also my Father at a time was a Pastor. So we were a very religious family when it came to the holidays. So you be the judge if you think this had tainted me at all.

The Not so much

#1 Nov. 1 (Every frigging radio station starts playing Christmas music)

#2 Kids...plain and simple (Their like elves on crystal meth during the holidays)
#3 Extended Family

the only time of the year I feel guilty for not seeing my family, and then I see them and remember why I don't feel guilty.

#4 Mall Santa's

Its just the principle of it, some weird ass smelly old dude that like to have kids sit on his lap?Sorry NFW. I found out the truth when I was 6 so maybe that changed it all for me, that and the fact that every picture of me with the bearded guy before that I was crying my eyes out, while my parents took pictures WTF? I was suspicious for a reason DAD.

#5 Holiday Movies 2.0

Remakes of movies I used to like as a kid...the Santa Claus 3, Home alone 5? Are you serious? That and Christmas classics like Jingle All the Way (Arnold Schwarzenegger) whats better that an action Christmas movie?

#6 The Stress

Because if somehow little Timmy doesn't get a new WebKins then shit will hit the fan, so pray for the extra overtime!

#7 Fruitcake (Only republicans and my great grandma eat this shit)

#8 Black Friday

The day that will make me regret all the mean shit I say about soccer moms on the interstate. (These women are battle hardened and are not to be messed with.)

People will literally stab you if you get in their way especially on black Friday. There's no way I am getting killed over the last two seasons of Seinfeld, and 30 Rock for $10.00

#9 Driving in Wisconsin

it comes with the territory

Sometimes it can be a lot of fun. Ex: handle ebrake and parking lot at 2:00 am

Sometimes sucks: The interstate in any snow storm, riding in the car when anyone else is driving

#10 Temperature

When at times it can get down to -40f We are a people who wear our seasons like a badge of honor. Probably the only people who rate how badass you are by the winters that we you lived (survived) through.

The Favs

#1 Skiing Although I haven't gotten out as much as I like to. It is definitely a sport that is a lot of fun and even more fun with a nice warm buzz

#2 The Food Ham, Jesus I love ham. mmm ham... (I recently heard we might do lasagna this year...i guess that's one less person I have to buy for)

#3 The Drinks Beer, Seasonal Beers, Brandy, Brandy Slush's, Tom and Jerry Batter,
Eggnog (its ok?), Irish Coffee, Baileys and anything etc. (this is a key element to how I survive each holiday season)

#4 Snow-Bongs Although my extra curricular activities have chilled out much more these days. I do love a good ole zinger full of snow and a little bit of H2O, makes for a nice air cooled blast to the noggin. (Another key element to surviving dysfunctional family functions)

#5 Presents Not for me of course but for others. I don't mind spending the money on the people I love ,and it is great to see the look in their eyes when they get exactly what they want. Me on the other hand I have been asking for a day with out anyone, and not have to buy anyone shit for years. I guess some things are harder to find :)

#6 Layers Some people may not like this: Californians and surfers (Who needs em)I love to wear a couple t-shirts and a sweater or hoodie. Its just more comfortable to me. Despite being born with the one on my Norwegian chest. I love a good ole warm sweater.
#7 Family and Friends Despite #3 on the not so much list. I am really thankful for my close friends and family. They keep me sane and put up with my crap all year, and I love them for it. The best part is the end of christmas day, when we all sit around and have a drink and try to make each other laugh and crack up. Its a blast...

#8 Time off of Work This is a key element to the holidays. Esepecially if you have the day after christmas off. Luckily this year it is on a friday, but this is usually a good time to get drunk and eat left overs.

#9 The Christmas Eve Service

Ok, although I complain about it every year. I really do love going to church on Christmas Eve and singing carols and hymns. In my family we go to a candle lit service and it is really cool.
Its always nice to see all the people with the candles and the church lit up.

#10 The Charlie Brown Christmas Special

I watch it every year and still get choked up. The part when Linus talks about the "true meaning of christmas here come the water works. Growing up a pastors kid this tends to have an effect of you. Also it addresses how commercialized Christmas is and what its really all about. (alot of what is on my "not so much" list is in this show too)

So please feel free to comment and leave a few of your own favs or not so much

Deja Vu?

Again!!! Really Again?

Maybe now I can finally get my interview.

So according to breaking news on WEAU TV, State Rep. Jeff Wood was arrested again today somewhere near Tomah for 5Th offense OWI and Bail Jumping. The second of which in less than a month. He is currently being held in Monroe County Jail. I will update when I have more information.

http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/65337132.html

Here a copy of the press report from the fine folks at Tomah PD:

NEWS RELEASE FROM TOMAH PD:

Date of Release: 10-21-09

Date/Time of Incident: 10-21-09/4:23 p.m.

Type of Incident: Impaired Driver / Bailjumping

Place of Occurrence: City of Tomah

Arrested: Jeffrey S. Wood / DOB: 09-12-1969

Charges: Operating Under Influence of Intoxicant or Other Drug, Bailjumping

Summary of Incident:
On 10-21-09 at 4:23 p.m., a citizen contacted the Tomah Police Department to report a vehicle being driven in an erratic manner on E. McCoy Boulevard in the City of Tomah.

Do you think it was a coincidnece that he was arested 2 minutes after 4:20? I think not. The interesting thing is that today Govenor Doyle talked about passing a bill to Legalize Medical Marijuana. After President Obama moved to have the federal government stop raids on dispenseries and medical patients, and letting the decision be made at a State level about Legalization.

Here is the link to the dashcam footage from the arrest:http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/66541667.html

Enjoy

Break for Bon Iver

So it appears that after two years of touring the guys from Bon Iver are taking a much needed rest from the road...for a little while atleast ,and who can blame them? After the debut of For Emma, For Ever Ago the band exploded on the indie scene like a can of PBR in the freezer, and with the follow up Ep Blood Bank the band continued touring relentlessly. You would hear from a friend that someone spotted JV and the crew catching some R & R on familiar grounds (the Joynt) and next thing you know they are off to Norway or Australia. What this can only mean is good things I think. After all winter is almost upon us and maybe this is JV's opportunity to come out with a full length follow up to For Emma that we all have been waiting for. It will be good to have JV and the gang back in EC, and good for EC to have JV home. Good Winter farewell...for now

Here's what they had posted on their blog as of today:

BON IVER Plays Last Show For the Foreseeable Future, Stream It Now Wrapping up a meteor is a difficult proposition. BON IVER turned the page on this chapter of the story by heading home to Wisconsin, acting as honorary chair for AIDS WALK Wisconsin, and playing one more show before taking a well-deserved break from public performance. You can stream Sunday's performance from Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee HERE.Stay warm, fellas.

Also you can hear the streaming performance from their last show of the tour on their website Boniver.org or on Pitchfork.com

Burn Baby Burn!!!

I remember the day...I was sitting at Northwoods Brew Pub enjoying Walters minding my own business. Waiting on my dinner and talking to my roomtates about the movie that we were going to after dinner, and then I saw it. It must have been just after kick off. He gets off the bench ,and pulls down that helmet with those damn purple horns, and starts walking towards the field. Forever that image will now be ingrained in my head and just doesn't seem to go away. Now I know how the Red Sox felt when Johhny Damon left. (don't get me started) Its like having you childhood hero become the biggest villain in the second act of the story. After all of the retirement bullshit was done, we thought that we had seen it all, but never did we expect this. Favre had even later stated something to the effect that he wasn't doing it out of spite and if you are a real fan you would be happy about him continuing to play.

Well I guess I am not a "REAL FAN" according to Brett Favre. I guess a lot of people in Wisconsin are not "Real Fans", but hey we sure as hell do know how to hold a grudge. If their is one group of stubborn ass people you do not want to piss off it is Wisconsinites. A bunch of Norwegians, Germans, and Pollacks that can only agree on one thing. The Green Bay Packers are the greatest football team ever! Period!

A perfect example of this, is the event that was scheduled for tonight at the Eau Claire restaurant the Milwaukee Burger Company. It has gotten so big that the manager (Julie Kolk) of MBC was interviewed by ESPN2 about the event. Originally the plan was simple, to have a group of serious but bitter fans who would like to get rid of some of their old Favre memorabilia and help out a charity at the same time. They are planning on having a bon fire and for each Favre item that is destroyed the Milwaukee Burger Co. will donate $10.00 to The Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety. As much as it seems like a Nazi book burning the mentality seems to be "hey at least its for charity. " That was until the Eau Claire Chief of the Fire Dept (probably a Vikings Fan) put a stop to the event. So now the plan is to burn one item of memorabilia, but still the point is the same. We would just assume see our hero get his ass kicked then play for any other team then us. We are that serious about it.

The subject for me and a lot of other Wisconsinites is a little near and dear to my heart. I still remember the day when he came to Eau Claire for an autograph signing at Scheels All Sports and people camped out all day at the mall and even got out of school for it. You know damn sure that Viking fans weren't about pull their kids from school to get Dante Cullpeppers autograph. The man was like a folk hero to us, just an average jo who was damn good at playing ball. Now he has become a bitter ego maniac with a score to settle and at our expense. The people who supported him, shit even named their kids after him...So tonight when we are all sitting around the bars and our TV's watching the game for the moment when Aaron Kampman breaks through the offensive line and lays his ass out. We will all see a little poetic justice play out on the football field and maybe a few Wisconsinites will sleep easy for the first time this season.

Below are a few local articles from the past week:

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) -- Burn Bret burn. Packers fans are being invited to torch their Brett Favre gear during halftime of next Monday's Green Bay-Minnesota Vikings game. The Milwaukee Burger Co. is hosting the burn party. Manager Julie Kolk says the bar and grill will have a flaming barrel where fans can toss their Favre jerseys, pictures, posters, and other stuff. Kolk says they plan to donate 10 bucks to charity for each item to go up in flames. Favre, of course, was the legendry Packer's QB. He came out of retirement to quarterback the Packers' rival, Minnesota.

Eau Claire (WQOW) - A famous quarterback could help raise a lot of money in Eau Claire next week because he's so unpopular right now.
The Milwaukee Burger Company in Eau Claire is hosting a burning party during halftime of Monday's Packers-Vikings game. For every piece of Brett Favre memorabilia someone brings to burn, $10 will be donated to support a camp for young burn victims. The restaurant says it's an opportunity for fans to show team spirit, while giving to a good cause.
"There's a lot of controversy among our regulars," Milwaukee Burger Co. General Manager Julie Kolk says. "We have some Vikings fans and some Packer fans. We just decided to have some sort of party, and this is the one that came to mind. We thought it could be really fun, and we thought we could help a good cause at the same time."
The restaurant plans to have a burn barrel in the parking lot on Monday night. The Milwaukee Burger Company says you can bring as many Favre items as you like.

Please post your comments on this one, I am curious to see how everyone else feels about the matter.

Black Keys Do Hip Hop?

It really doesnt get much better than some good ole gritty dirty blues. Well atleast not in my book. The band that is definitly getting me my fix right now is the Black Keys.
The Akron Ohio duo has gained a lot of momentum in the past decade and have definitely let their presence be known in both the indie scene and the rock world (if there is such a thing anymore) and now have gained attention from producer Damon Dash and Rocafella Records?
which led me to my next questions after seeing an interesting post on Pitchfork.com this morning:

Is there a new Black Keys Hip-Hop Album?
Could there be such a thing?

While I am not a big hip-hop fan I definitely have my guilty pleasures: Mos Def, Talib Kwali, Jay-Z, Kanye West (when he isn't interrupting someone) and of course Minneapolis's own Atmosphere. But would that even work? Would it not totally suck? With what has been going on in both the indie and hip-hop scene lately stranger things have happened. I mean shit even Jay-Z and Beyonce are indie fans. (they were seen at a Grizzly Bear show in Brooklyn last month)

After checking out their Website http://www.blakroc.com/ my suspicions are true. (pitchfork) At first I was a little worried but after hearing a bit of the first track with Mos Def , it sounds like it is gonna be some serious shit. Right now on their page they also feature a few Webisodes of their progress in the studio. I cant wait to hear more. The Album is due out on November 27, 2009, but you can pre-order the album now on their website.
The track list and featured artist's are below:


Artists:Billy Danze, The Black Keys, Jim Jones, Nicole Wray, NOE, Ludacris, Mos Def, ODB, Pharoahe Monch, Q-Tip, Raekwon, & RZA

Track Listing:
1. Coochie
2. On The Vista
3. Hard Times
4. Dollaz & Sense
5. Why Can’t I Forget Him
6. Stay Off The F*%$#n’ Flowers
7. Aint Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)
8. Hope You’re Happy
9. Tellin’ Me Things
10. What You Do To Me
11. Done Did It