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.