Well I stated to have a final rib's dinner in 2012.  Last night was one of my largest failures in the kitchen ever.  I did not have the time or the charcoal to completely cook 2 racks of ribs on the grill.  In retrospoect O should have taken the time.  Anyway, I stated them in the oven in a braise. (wrapped in foil etc).  Well I was checking it, slipped, dropped the pan, lost the meat an the braising liquid in the oven.....What a mess... So I had to finish them much sooner than I wanted to on the grill, except finished wasn't until 9:45 at night.  

Well they should be good for new years even dinner instead....

Pre Christmas Trip

Hey head over to the Turks Travelogue Blog for the recent trip to the Big Apple!

SNOW

For those of you living in the south, here is some snow!

Even after a few days of 40 degree weather it's still here.

Yea Blogger is fixed.  Unlike one of these dogs.  Hahahaha.  Seriously these guys had so much fun Oakley is still tired.  

Blog Issues

Love to post some new things with a few photos but blogger and Google are being very temperamental about my (and apparently a lot of others) storage space.  Telling us we have no space when I have 40% of my 21GB available.

So hey it's snowing real pretty.  We have not one but 2 dogs in the house this weekend.  Dog sitting fair play.   But wet dogs are wet.

Got our tree yesterday and should be decorated today.  Joel comes home Tuesday for winter break and will be home until 7th of January Then he starts his second semester.  As he put it he's 1/8th done with college!  Ha.

Happy Robot Dog?

 

December

Ok. man I have been so lax in doing this blog, I have the best intents to add to it, but then I forget or get lazy.    No excuses. I mean not even any thing about Thanksgiving or Joel being home for the long weekend.  

Here is the readers digest version.  Thanksgiving:  great food and company as usual.  Way to go Mom!

Joel was home Wednesday night and was around until Sunday afternoon.  It was nice to have him home and yet it was strange.  3 months without him and then thrown back in to the mix for a few days.  Fun!

 Mackenzie ended her basketball season yesterday.  Due to physical issues she only played in the last game of the year.  She was pretty disappointed.  but in the 6-7 minutes she got she made the most of it.  First shot, first points of the season!

I have my first game as assistant coach today for the KYB 6th grade girls. Should be fun but we are playing for a girl on the other team.  She was at practice Sunday just fine.  Then on  Tuesday she had severe headaches, didn't go to school and by Wednesday night diagnosed with a brain tumor.  She had successful surgery Thursday and is recovering ok.  Nothing like that to reevaluate your own health and family.  

Now its December we can (I can, grudgingly) start the Christmas season.  Yea, yea.  I have no lists for anyone.  Don't go off my Amazon list if you want ti get me something.  Seriously its not up to date.  I really don't have much I want. 

Anyway  - Happy December.  

 

Gearing up for Thanksgiving.

Christmas Parade on Saturday.  Apparently I had a good time.

Wow it has been a looong time since I posted.  Over 10 days.  Sorry.

Lets review.  We had a Halloween party - trick or treat thingy.  My Birthday, thanks for all the well wishes.  Tracy and I had our 20th wedding anniversary.  Wow 20 years.

We did not elect a new president.  At least the 2 phone lines I have will stop ringing off the hook.  Kinda weird to see Joel's name in the registered voter log and also noticing that he had voted, via absentee.

Basketball has been underway for Kiki but has played very little do to ankle issues and I started assistant coaching for more 6th grade girls.  Fun. Why?  I don't know.  it was fun last year, a little volunteering never hurt anyone. Ask me how I feel about that in January when I have to head to some far away gym at 8 in the morning.

Here is what 20 years ago looked like...

My Favorite month is coming to a close but not without a little fanfare!

From left to right:

Corpse Bride, Handsome Jack, Cheshire Cat and Wolf

Well that's unexpected.....

Hmmmm  One of the things in this picture are not like the others.  Yep.  Guess which one Oakley met last night.  Nope not the kitty and not the cat....  Nothing like a before bed rendezvous with a Kitty! I mean, wow, skunk.

Hey once you get past the eye watering and nostril burn you kind of get used to it.  Clean up on isle Dog!

Family Weekend, Wildcat style.

Hey this last weekend, yea.  Nothing like the one before it.  88 and sunny vs 45 and rainy.  Running vs no running.  No Joel vs with Joel.  Football in person vs Football on TV.  You get the idea.

Anyway the whole family was in sunny Arizona to have some fun with Joel.  Nice time but as always way too short.  Back to Wiscompton.

For the entire picture album  click HERE

Who doesn't like to play in the rain

Yes we had a 5K run today.  In the rain.  Once you get your mind past it, it's not so bad.  I have not trained at all, just do it.  Tracy and I did 13 minute miles.  That's about 4.6 mph.  Not bad for not really doing much in the last few months but bike a few time.

Anyway KEYS is the Kewaskum Youth Scholarship.  Has made over 1.2 million and provides scholarship money to eligible K-Town high schoolers.  Joel received  $6,000.00 form the foundation so we thought we would give back.

Before at the start

After

Look Who's One!

Happy Birthday to Oakley.  He's one (or seven) today!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to the best son a father could ask for.  Hard to believe you're 19 already.  I am feeling old, yet I couldn't feel prouder of you!

Free Tickets

These are the free seats you get when you spend $1200.00 on gasoline.  You get to see down at the top of the flag pole.  Hey beats getting nothing I suppose.

Welcome October

Hey best month of the year, good to see you.  Whats not to like about it?
The crisp mornings and warm afternoons.
You have all the trees changing colors,
Football in full swing,
Baseball in playoffs,
Baskeball starts.
Pumpkins, Jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin seeds, pie and pumpkin beer.
Corn mazes, bonfires, birthdays and anniversaries, trick or treat...
I could go on but you get the idea, and it's pretty hard to deny this time of year.

Pants. I might actually have to wear long pants today for a non formal, non work related activity.  I think it may be a just a bit too chilly tonight at the Kewaskum football game.  Man I think we have to go back to May for that last to happen.  Oh well it's almost October in Sconnie so it was going to happen eventually.

Enjoy some fall foliage.

Wow can I just say that I have been negligent in my updates?  Yea.  That wan't so bad.

Been busy still.  At least I am done with the travels for a while, well for a few weeks anyway.  I did take a lot of pictures and things when I was out and thought it would be cool to show and tell.  If you read along you already know the pizza joint in Tucson.  But I also had a really good meal in the Milwaukee Airport.  No, seriously.  Nonna's (a Balistreri owned place).  I had calamari and a pizza.

Yum-O!



Remember when George Webb's was still really good?  No, neither do I.  I kid, I kid.

Well they have these magical places in most southern states called Waffle House.  You know of them, you have heard them and hell you may have eaten at them.   It had been years since the last time I ate in one.  Since most states now have a no smoking in public place policy, it was actually a decent breakfast.

Coffee, Check.  Eggs, Check.  Hashbrowns, really good!  Bacon really thin.  Not shown here, the waffle.  You know with a place with Waffle in the name you would think the waffles would be good.  Sadly that is not the case.  Seriously Eggo waffles were better.  Kiki makes the best waffles at home which are so far beyond the quality of these.  It's like the affle-waffle house wasn't even trying.  I think thats the most I have ever typed waffle at any one time.

Two other places I hit in Tucson.  One called El Guero Canelo. Famous for the Sonoran style hot dog and featured on Travel Channel's Man vs Food!  What is Sonoran style dog you ask? Well let me tell you.

It's a hot dog wrapped in bacon then cooked on a grill then topped with freshly chopped tomatoes, onions, shredded yellow or cotijo cheese, red chili sauce or green (in my case), pinto beans, mayonnaise, ketchup and/or mustard. I also had something called a Caramelo, which is actually not a dessert but 2 tortillas, Mexican cheese and carne asada all cooked like a Quesadilla.  Throw in some fresh sauce, salsas and a bottle of Mexican Coca-Cola (cane sugar) and you have a meal!

I will be back.  Did I mention that hot dog with an extra dog in it was 2.99?

Final stop on this tour was the Dragoon Brewing Company.  Not much to say.  Good beers, cool little tasting room attached to the brewery and a food truck of the day to feed the tasters

What they had on tap at the time:

Leaving Tucson and heading to Little Rock Arkansas, I had to make a stop at two standby's  The flying Saucer and Whole Hog BBQ.

Flying Saucer beer bar, you know, drink 200 beers and get you name in a saucer on the wall.  I have been a member of that club since 2006 and I still have 188 beers to go.  Here is a lousy picture of the tap wall.

Finally.  BBQ.  Great family run championship winning bbq joint.  The Who hog and I had the  the whole hog plate.  A sampler of pulled pork, ribs, brisket, pulled beef, slaw and the best creamy potato salad. Ever.  Kind of tasted like the best sour cream and onion or ranch chips you have had.  It's complete surprise with that first bite.

I am hungry after writing all this....

Beach Time!

Last Sunday we hit the beach.  Seriously.  Terre Andre- Kohler state park.  Sounds cold but it was really great weather.  Fun for all. and I did not even complain about the sand or the wet dog in the car.

Week in review

Not having access to my blog or a pc for the most part of a week has now put me in a spot where I either break it up into a bunch of daily entries and risk not getting your eyes on all of it or I just do one long dump of a post.  One long dump it is.

Travel. It sounds glamorous but when it's for work it loses some shine.  So started my long week and trip to Arizona.  First the flight.  The eleventh anniversary of  the 9/11 attacks.  Never flew on this day.  Closest I could say was being on the road how many years ago when the liquid scare hit and being stuck in the security line in Cincinnati.  This time I braced for long lines and enhanced security.  What I got was the complete opposite.  Empty airports and first in line to the security checkpoint.  It just got better.  The flight, a four hour affair to Los Angeles, was basically empty.  Got my own row, with no one in front and now one behind me.  35 total people for a plane that seats 160.  NICE.  I have been flying for 10 years for this job and vacation and have not seen anything like this.  The flight from LA to Phoenix was similar.

Next day I did the work I needed to do had some good authentic Mexican lunch and headed out to Tucson. An hour and half later I was checking in to the hotel and off to greet Joel for dinner.

The campus is much more alive that the last time we were here.  Midweek, full swing of classes.  The humanity.  I sat and looked like the creepy old man watching co-eds as the hour passed.  I tell you what, I may have been on the old side of the people there but there were plenty of non-standard college age.

Joe got out of Chemistry and we had some Jamba Juice as we caught up.  Gave him a care package: Cookies, Xbox games, stamps and envelopes, landjagers, juice boxes and other items, we said good night and went to bed.

Having taken Thursday and Friday off, I had the entire day to do things while Joel had class.  First stop, the Pima Air and Space Museum.  An airplane junkies dream.  I like planes and they had a few planes.  In fact only two other museums in the US have a bigger collection, The Air Force museum and of course the Smithsonian.  To make this even more impressive, of the three, Pima is not tax payer funded.
I took two different tours on of the out lot and all the planes they have outside and the next tour that takes you to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center or AMARG for short.  It's a airplane graveyard if you will.  Although because it's run by the gub'ment they don't like to call it such.  It's located on Davis-Mothan AFB.  33 Billion in airplanes that will be reused, retro fit or chopped for parts.  If you have google earth installed (and why wouldn't you)  Here is a link to the satellite imagery of the site  Pretty incredible.  Many of the planes had history too.

5 Hours later I had seen more airplanes than I can remember.  

Headed to Dragoon brewing for a quick tasting (did not get a chance to go last time out here) and then back to campus for dinner and the Packer-Bear game.

We headed to No Anchovies. A great outdoor place with gourmet pizza, 25 beers on tap and lots of TV's.  3 blocks from the dorm.  Great weather until the storm rolled in.  A monsoon hit and we just sat it out.  Getting thoroghly soaked.  And I mean soaked.  Rain in the desert it no joke.  Never a sprinkle but a deluge.    About 30 minutes it was over and we started to dry out.  Joel's blood is getting thin already.  He was shivering as we sat there soaked.  The game ended and it's always sweeter with a Packer win.  We hung out for a bit more and then parted ways again.

We could have stayed out later but there was homework to be done and a test to study for.  Friday I met for breakfast bagels and some more talk and hangout time.  Joel went to class and I bombed around the city until my flight at 1:00.  

Fun times for sure and Joel has impressed me so much with how he has adapted to the change.  He truly loves the choice he made and it's great to see him enjoy it. 

Next week Arkansas!  Suuheyy!

15-1

Hey no pressure to go undefeated this year right?  Oh well it's a long season.

I meant the badgers,  oh yea and the Packers too.  Been a long time since both teams lost on the same weekend.

Well off to travel this week.   I just realized I will get to watch the Packer-Bear game in Tucson with Joel.  Really nice of the NFL to schedule that for us.  That is pretty cool.  Joel and his WI roommate found a place to watch the game.  Since the entire nation got to see the Packers except AZ who were force fed the seasquaks and cardinals.   Anyway, the place is called no anchovies.   Pizza and bar.  How fun is that.

Never though my boy would venture out like he has.  Proud dad.

Longest 4 day work week

Been a long week.  I was in the office 4 days in a row.  And I will be back in Monday and then Tuesday and Wednesday (although in our AZ office).

First I may never be able to get a job and have to go into the office ever again.  It has been brutal, partially it's also due to the nature of the work being done.  Near 30+ hours of meetings....At least I have enough dress clothes to actually go this long without having to wear the same shirt twice.

While  in the city I stopped by my little brother for a visit.  On the way down, went by Holy Cross cemetery.  For some reason I made the quick turn in and went and visited Dad.  It's actually the first time I have ever visited since we has laid to rest.  (call me what you will).  Well it was awkward and I probably should not have dropped in so unannounced, neither of us had much to say.     I hung around for a few minutes and then headed out.  Maybe next time will be different.  Hopefully it won't be 4 years from now.

 

Yea Coffee

Broke my glass beaker in my french press before we went to Arizona.  Finally figured out what size I had with the help of my brother Jim.

Yesterday, Amazon delivered and this morning I have good coffee again.  Not that my old drip coffee make I had (and thankfully did not get rid of) makes ok coffee,  it just makes, well ok coffee and hard to gauge how much I should make.  Too little and the carafe gets cold quick, too much and I dump it.

Ah, the simple things.

One week in for some one week to go for the other

I'm talking about school.  Joel has one week of class and a weekend on his own under the belt.  Sounds like he's adjusting pretty well.  We have chatted and texted and emailed and even a little video chat.  Being so far away is not as far away as it used to be in as technology has advanced.  No more long distance phone calls that cost an arm and a leg. Hand written letters a thing of the ancient past.

Anyone want to send him a note let me know. Email or phone number! I can provide.

Anyway, that brings me to the other youth in this house. Funny how things change.  Used to be that she wanted to go back to school, now she's not looking forward to it at all. Not that she won't enjoy it, I think doing nothing all day is better than arguing with dad on how to do math or the drama that comes with becoming a teenager.

Can't wait!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to my Mom.

Could not ask for a better one.  No sappy, long drawn out narratives.
 

Thanks and hope your day is great.

Love Jeff.

Routine

Well the week in the desert southwest was fun.  But time to get back in the day to day routine.  Some routines are old hat, and some will be new.

Going to be hard to let Joel do his own thing out there without constantly trying to see what he is doing.  He's creating his own routine and we have to let him build it.

Great Taste

Just got back from the Great Taste of the Midwest.  Perfect weather, great company.  Too bad I have no pictures.

Tasted a lot of different beers with close to 600 to choose from, there was no shortage.

Keeping it brief.  Look for updates here and in the alternate blog Turks Travelogue as we head out to sunny Tucson Arizona and move Joel out for his first semester as a college student.

Its part vacation part move, so I will use both places to update.

Bring lots of tissues, akready been some crying...

State Fair

Fairest of the fair,  highly doubt it.  Saw animals, and plenty of Wisconsin's finest residents all in their natural habitat.  Eating fried foods and drinking beer...

Not us , well the fried food part anyway.

August?

Dog days of summer?  I think we have had plenty of those already.  Seriously it's August and where did this summer go.

In 13 days we will head to Arizona for vacation and moving Joel.  7 days after that he starts school.  Yea School!  Ready to do this yet really not.  Doing a lot of spaz panicking. Worried about this, then not then yes I am, then it's something else then it's ok then it's not.  Do you know what I mean?  ADD of stress.

Get me outta here.

Now for something completely different

Everyone knows what a rabid fisherman I am.  Seriously - I fish once every 3 years.  Not that I don't like to, it's just that I don't have the time, a boat, people that want to go and on and on.  A man can only have so many hobbies.  My garage and basement are testament to failed or hobbies discarded.

Anyway, my fishing expeditions always start with some converstion when I have been drinking....."oh we should go fishing!"
"Yea we should totally do that!"
"We go all the time!"
"Duuude, let me know when, I will so do that with you I have always wanted to do that."
"Cool, I will let you know"

And the momentum is started, it cannot be stopped.  Seriously.  That's how every fishing trip to Canada has happened, road trips to god knows where, golf outings and the like happen.   Don't get me wrong, I like doing things like this, just sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when doing them.

Anyway, yesterday was one of those times.  Months ago I agreed to do a Lake Michigan charter.  Down to McKinley marina we go.  Fishing with nephews and their friends.  Goldilocks weather, ya know what I mean? Just right.

This was a 3:00 PM Charter that went until dark.  Apparently Aaron, the guy that set this up has used this charter several times and had a great repoire with the crew, Chris and Tom.  Put 6-8 lines in the water which ran from 85 to 145 feet deep and sat and watched and waited.  Within 30 minutes the first fish was on, a nice lake trout.  

The rotation was that we had a number in line and when it was your turn you got the next fish that hit. I was 5 of 6.  Got my first fish.  King Salmon or Coho Salmon as they call them. 

Then as the sun started going down it got crazy.  At one time we had 5 people at the back of that boat bringing in fish!  Orchestrated chaos.  

All in all we caught 18 fish which is a bit shy of the 30 fish limit.  By the time we got back to the marina and cleaned the fish is was 10:00 PM!  Talk about where the day went.  Definitely a good time and would do it again if ever asked.  

More Pics in this album HERE

Get back in the saddle

I have been trying to get more in shape all summer and it has not fared too well.  Partially because I am lazy and partially because I seem to have little free time until much later in the evenings.

Well a few weeks ago I got on my bike and realized it was not very comfortable.  Too crouched for this old guy and his neck.  So I took it to a bike shop and had them add a 3" stem riser.  This raised my shoulders up just enough to not be so tightly tucked but not so high to be a wind catching cruiser bike.  Much better.

Last Friday I dug out some gear and hit the trail.  The Eisenbahn State trail to be exact.  This is an old railroad (Rails to Trails) conversion.  So there are no huge hills and what grade there is, is marginal.  Perfect to start with I thought.   Parked my car at the Columbian and started north.  Pedaled all the way into Kewaskum and went to Kiwani's park to watch the Varsity K-Town baseball team win the sub sectional in the state tournament.  After that, I took the trail all the way back to the car.  12 miles in 58 minutes (of actual bike time).  Not bad.

Sunday, I did the same thing only this time I went south from the Columbian.  This takes you through Barton and West Bend.  I took this all the way to the end (beginning?) of the trail and then all the way back.  Another 12 miles in 56 minutes.  Pretty cool as you see parts of West Bend not normally visible by car.  Also the trail cuts over the Milwaukee river a few times with some bridges.

Anyone interested in riding the trail let me know.  The entire trail runs from West Bend to Eden about 22 miles in one direction.  Ready to take this farther north into Campbellsport next.

Next up is the Blue Glacial Hills trails.  A free county trail system.  The cool thing is if you take it all the way through you end up at Culver's.  Who doesn't like a little motivation?

Well the graduation party has come and gone and man, yesterday I was beat.  Cleaning up the aftermath, the release of stress of that party being over.  Around noon after running a few errands in town, all I wanted to do was nap, and I tried.  Just couldn't fall asleep for more than 20 minutes at a time.

Summers basically half over and we get a slight breather before August and all the activities that month holds.     It will be here and gone before you know it......

While you wait for that, look at these handsome guys in their sweet hats.

Happy Fourth of July!

Here is a time lapse of most of the Fireworks from Tuesday night.

How things work out

Four years ago when Joel graduated from grade-school, we took that awesome road trip (http://jnjturktrip.blogspot.com/) and ultimately ended up seeing the Foo Fighters....

Fast-forward to Thursday the 28th.   Joel has graduated from High School and we are watching the Foo Fighters again.  Awesome.  A new tradition in the works?

2008

2012

FORE!

Wow. I have been busy and have a ton of stuff I want to up date, but hate doing it in one long post.  Need to  roll some together.

Golf.  Golf, is pretty much a hate-hate thing with me.  Every time I think about playing, I think it will be different.  When the day is done and said, I wonder why I thought it was going to be different.  It's not like I am that bad.  I have some good play inside mediocre play, and that's to be expected when you golf so few and far between.  I think I do it for the time with friends not for the actual game.

Case in point.  I signed up a 4 some for the Golf for Wolfe outing, a charity event for brain cancer.  With my friend, Mark LaFond's, recent passing at the hands of this such cancer, I thought this would be worthwhile event.

To prepare, Joel and I hit Hon - e - Kor in Kewaskum on Wednesday.  For not playing golf for over 2 years, It was not too bad.  Joel beat me by a stroke.  Golf stroke, not because I had a stroke.

Saturday.  Time to play.  Met Glen and Tim and headed to the course.  Unfortunately Joel, was not able to get off work and so he came up later for dinner and awards.  We missed him that is for sure.  

Well, I should have just drove cart's and drank because as well as I played on Wednesday, it was pretty much the opposite on Saturday. For some reason we won prizes, for 26th place.  They gave nothing to any other place.  Not first and not last which was 30th or something.  Hey, free golf and free balls!  Wait, that means I would need to golf again...booo.

Well, the pain and suffering of my golf game is nothing compared to what Mark and his family went through. Great day for a great cause.

Congrats Class of 2012

Congratulations to the Class of 2012!!

12 years has gone by so fast for us.  Probably not that fast for Joel.


Pondering the future?

Looks Excited..

 Excited Parents...

the Graduate!