Frogs, Old Friends and Family

On Thursday the 21st Jim and I headed off to Milwaukee, WI.  The main trip there was to see Jim's roommate from collage days.  I happened to take my card out of my camera and I had not put it back in so the picture of them and us is sealed on there until I see my multi-talented son and he will show me how to get it out of there.  Anyway, we arrived there Thur afternoon about 3 and we rested for a while and then went to dinner next door to the hotel.  Just outside the hotel there were some trees that were loaded with berries, I have no idea what kind, but me thinks that the berries were fermented as they were FULL of birds singing like a bunch of drunk sailors.  It was something to see and hear. 

After dinner we went for a little drive and wow... Milwaukee is NOT an easy town to get around in.  After getting on the wrong roads a couple of times we made it back to the hotel.  There is road construction all over; and I thought it was bad here.  But believe me the roads there are in need of it.  Such rough roads, I was actually sick to my stomach when we got back to the hotel.  I am not sure I can blame it all on the roads as Jim was listening to a book on CD on the way down.  It is one of his favorite authors, but shew,, a lot of violence in there and that kinda got to me too.  So that coupled with the bumpy roads.. well I was all to ready to hit the sack.  And folks..., it is true.  LaQuinta hotels have comfortable beds.  They are not 5 star hotels, but I have yet to stay in one that was dirty and had uncomfortable beds.  And you see with me,, travel is all about the comfortable beds!!!!

Friday morning after breakfast that the hotel furnished.  It was very good and satisfying, we took off for the Milwaukee Museum in the heart of downtown Milwaukee.  They had a frog exhibition there.  It was very interesting.  We of course parked our car where we thought we should park only to find we were a few blocks off.  But we walked there.  I didn't take my coat.  Dumb idea.  Even tho the sun was shining it was cool and the wind was blowing and I felt frozen before we got to the museum.  After we had gone through the frog exhibition, they hit us up for a picture of us with the frogs.  I am posting it here for all of your enjoyment (^_^) 

It was after this that we headed out to Jim's Friend's place.  We got there around 3:00.  Remember I was telling you how I was a bit nervous about conversation etc?  Well there was no need to worry about that.  There was never a lull in the conversation,  About 6 we went out to dinner at a nice place and then they asked us to come back to the house for some ice cream.  Well the baseball game between the Rangers and the Yankees was on so we had to stay and watch that.  We were all very happy that the Rangers won.  We left there about 10:30

Then Saturday morning we headed for Merrimac.  We got there around noon.  Will was there and he and I ran to Walmart to get a few things Tonja needed for Luke's birthday dinner.  My handsome young man turned 8 on Sunday.  In someways it seems like it was just last year and in other ways it seems like it was soooo long ago.   We watched some Wisconsin Badgers football in the afternoon. 

Tonja has several pets.  This cat is named Glen.  He is the most mellow cat I have ever seen.  And oh so soft.  He was laying on the dogs bed (which the dog refuses to lay on) and Luke went and laid with him and pretended he was sleeping too, so I snapped a picture.

Then there is Teddy.  He could not be left out of the picture.  For some reason, Teddy really likes me and stays pretty close to me when I am there.  He is a sweetheart too.

After the football game (which WI won in a barn burner) it was time for dinner, Luke's favorite.  Now get this.  Pork chops, macaroni and cheese and baked beans.  If it's what the kids wants,, why not?  It was all very good.  After dinner he opened his presents and then it was time for cake and ice cream. 

This is Ben.  He is a very clever cat.  Here Abbe had left a bit of milk in a glass he kept dipping his paw into the glass and licking it off.  It was so cute I had to snap a pic.

Couldn't let the weekend go without a picture of Abbe who is 10 already.  This was taken Sunday morning just before we left to go and have breakfast at "The Barn".  That is a neat place.  It had actually been a barn, and the walls and the ceiling look like a barn, but all cleaned up (^_^).  A fun good place to eat with good food.

And then it was time to head home.  So the obligatiory pictures had to be taken.  First Mamma, Gpa and the kids.  I see that on this pic Gpa has his eyes closed.  Either ethat or he is looking down to see that Luke is in the right place.   See the bluffs behind?  I think if the sun had been shining it would had been very pretty even tho it is past peak season for the leaves there too.  Notice I am wearing my Vikings shirt in Packer country.  But nobody threw anything at me or hissed at me even tho the Pack and Vikes played on Sunday night.  We lost.  Or should I say the ref's lost it for us.  Tis life I guess.

Then there is one of Tonja, Will and the 2 little ones.  Maurissa was in Milwaukee for the weekend, but we did not see her as she was there to spend the weekend with freinds.  Emma was home but she was working so much we saw her for all of an hour. 

So that is the story of our trip to WI. last weekend.