New Blog address

I finally have my own dot com address. From now on you can find all my blogs and info at http://www.stitchesinlife.com/

Dailymile.com

Kelly and Ben make news in the Austin Newspaper:

If you're looking for some extra motivation to stick to your exercise plan, take a look at a new social training log at www.dailymile.com.

The Austin-based Web site allows you to share workouts with friends, ask questions, log miles and find training partners. Created by two college buddies, the site went live last week. It's free to join.

"Not everybody's in a group where they can share day-to-day training," says co-founder Kelly Korevec, an ultra-marathoner. "When you see people going through the same experience, struggling, it's like they're collectively going through it with you. Instead of having a coach, you have a community of athletes who will help you with your training and help you make decisions. It makes it easier."

Korevec started the site with Ben Weiner, who is training for the Austin Marathon. "We found there's not a really good way to stay in contact with friends you meet working out," Korevec says. "We decided to create this tool to help people collaborate and learn from each other."

Cookie Recipes

For years the Wisconsin Electric (WE Energies) has put out a holiday cookie recipe book for all of their customers. For many housewives in the 50's and 60's, this was their Christmas cookie bible. Many Wisconsin families grew up with many of these cookies. This year marked the 80th Anniversary of this publication. If you weren't lucky enough to get to the pick up locations you can now check out and print recipes from the cookie book online.

http://www.we-energies.com/recipes/2008cookiebook.pdf

Enjoy!

Even Vegas is seeing snow!

Tim has been really bummed out that we didn't go to Nevada for the winter. Wisconsin has had an unbelievable amount of snow and cold for November and December. Last week we had over 8 inches, yesterday 3 inches and now we are possibly getting over 12 inches tomorrow and more this weekend.

How nice to see that Vegas is also getting some snow.....the latest news from Vegas: McCarran closed to arriving and departing flights due to snowstorm

The ongoing snowstorm has stopped flights from landing or leaving at McCarran International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. "No planes are departing for Las Vegas from anywhere in the U.S. right now," said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. The airport doesn't have snow removal or deicing equipment, which means there's no way for snow-covered planes to leave safely.

John Adair, a meterologist with the National Weather Service's Las Vegas office, said as of 2:30 p.m. the entire Las Vegas Valley was receiving either snow or sleet.“This is a very rare snow event,” Adair said.

Snow is expected to accumulate on the valley floors across Clark and southern Lincoln counties. Snow will continue to fall through the afternoon and tonight before tapering off Thursday morning.

This storm is expected to bring 3 to 6 inches of snow to the valley floors and up to 10 inches to the foothills above 2500 feet. Icy conditions are resulting in major road closures in Southern Nevada.

Interstate 15 was closed at 1:30 p.m. in each direction at Primm due to snow and icy conditions, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced.
U.S. Highway 95 was closed from Railroad Pass to state Route 163, the Laughlin turnoff. Chains, snow tires, or four wheel drive vehicle restrictions are in place for Mountain Springs and Mount Charleston.

The transportation department announced at 2:30 p.m. that state routes 163, 164 and 165 have been closed in both directions due to the weather.

Because of travel conditions, Henderson employees were sent home from work at 3 p.m., city officials announced. Emergency operations will continue and public safety and public works employees are on call.

Kiva loan

Hi!

I just made a loan to someone in the developing world using a revolutionary new website called Kiva (www.kiva.org).

You can go to Kiva's website and lend to someone in the developing world who needs a loan for their business - like raising goats, selling vegetables at market or making bricks. Each loan has a picture of the entrepreneur, a description of their business and how they plan to use the loan so you know exactly how your money is being spent - and you get updates letting you know how the entrepreneur is going.

The best part is, when the entrepreneur pays back their loan you get your money back - and Kiva's loans are managed by microfinance institutions on the ground who have a lot of experience doing this, so you can trust that your money is being handled responsibly.

I just made a loan to an entrepreneur named Edith Agho in Nigeria. They still need another $725.00 to complete their loan request of $1,200.00 (you can loan as little as $25.00!). Help me get this entrepreneur off the ground by clicking on the link below to make a loan to Edith Agho too:

http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&action=about&id=78189

It's finally easy to actually do something about poverty - using Kiva I know exactly who my money is loaned to and what they're using it for. And most of all, I know that I'm helping them build a
sustainable business that will provide income to feed, clothe, house and educate their family long after my loan is paid back.

Join me in changing the world - one loan at a time.

Thanks!

---------------------------------------------------------
What others are saying about www.Kiva.org:

'Revolutionising how donors and lenders in the US are connecting with small entrepreneurs in developing countries.'
-- BBC

'If you've got 25 bucks, a PC and a PayPal account, you've now got the wherewithal to be an international financier.'
-- CNN Money

'Smaller investors can make loans of as little as $25 to specific individual entrepreneurs through a service launched last fall by Kiva.org.'
-- The Wall Street Journal

'An inexpensive feel-good investment opportunity...All loaned funds go directly to the applicants, and most loans are repaid in full.'
-- Entrepreneur Magazine

Antiqua Mexican and Latin Restaurant

A couple of weeks ago we bought the 2009 Milwaukee Entertainment book. This book has great money savings coupons on restaurants, and local attraction in and around the Milwaukee area. What I like about this book it forces Tim and I to try different restaurant that we would not normally know about. Last Friday we tried Antiqua. It is a Mexican and Latin restaurant located on 58th and Burnam in West Allis. http://antiguamilwaukee.com

Antiqua is not a typical Mexican restaurant with sombreros and pinatas. It is modern with bright yellow and terra cotta painted walls with large windows. Very trendy.

Once seated we were brought a complementary appetizer that included a mango quesadilla, cheese and potato croqueta, and ?(forgot the other appetizer). All were served with a homemade salsa.

The menu, http://antiguamilwaukee.com/Documents/ALR%2010.2008.pdf , offers a lot more than the usual tacos and burritos. It also includes dishes from Latin America. Some of their specialties are combining two cultures in one dish. Tim tried the Camarones Antigua – Shrimp stuffed with melted cheese and wrapped in bacon, served over a mirror of a spicy sauce served with cilantro rice and a side of house salad. I had a traditional dish from Ecuador - Shrimp cooked in a delicious mixture of coconut milk, peanuts, paprika, served with rice, a side of our house salad, and fried plantains. Both not only looked colorful and appetizing when placed in front of us but also tasted fantastic.

This restaurant will go on our list as a keeper.

Saturday evening meal

Saturday night Tim and I had a great meal. Since Tim had to make dessert for his sister's dinner on Sunday, he chose to make an appetizer for this meal and I decided to try some Greek dishes.

Our meal started off with little salmon appetizers. Salmon mixed with cream cheese and a couple of other ingredients. Spread on a tortilla and then rolled up tightly and cut into bite size pieces. We felt as though this was good but needed a touch of something......so Tim will rework this appetizer.


The next course was a Greek salad. Tim is not a fan of tomatoes but since they were cut small he didn't complain. The salad was made better by adding crumbled feta cheese. We felt this simple salad was a keeper.


The main meal was Souviaki. A Greek syled grilled entree made with pork tenderloin that has been marinated in lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic and oregano. Very tender and flavorful.



Naturally our meal would not be complete without dessert. This dessert was a slice of chocolate bundt cake made with pudding, sour cream, coffee liqueur and chocolate chips...... Sooooo good. Thankfully we were able to slice the cake into serving sizes and freeze for another time. I think this cake on the counter would be too tempting to over eat.



Next Saturday we will start a theme night. We'll have to coordinate all parts of the meal with music, wine etc.

All recipes will be on the recipe blog sometime this week.

Mr. B's - A Bartolotta Steakhouse

A couple of weeks ago Tim and I went to Mr B's for our 30th anniversary. Mr. B's is famous for their flavorful steaks that are prepared in a 1100 degree wood burning oven. This restaurant is rated on of the top 30 restaurants in the Milwaukee area by the food critic at the Milwaukee Journal. Mr B's is one of 4 restaurants owned my Joe Bartolotta and all four restaurants are in the top 30 group. Pretty impressive for one owner.

Eight months ago we changed our diet to more plant based for health reasons so we were looking forward to a great steak.

Atmosphere and service were great, unfortunately we were extremely disappointed in the steak. Not only did the plate look unappetizing (a blob of potatoes with a hunk of steak) but the steaks were tasteless. Tim and I ended up eating less than half of our steaks before we left.

I was just going to write it off as a bad experience maybe due to not having red meat in awhile..... After talking to a number of people who have raved about the place I decided to send a note to the owner.

Last week Joe Bartolotta called me personally. He didn't have a manager call, he called. I was impressed. He wanted to know the details of our experience. After talking for around 20 minutes he told me he was sending me a gift. What was impressive was that he must have gone to the records of the restaurant for the day we were there. I didn't give him a telephone number in my email and he called me on Tim's phone. Tim had made the reservations.....

Last week I received a very nice letter from Joe once again apologizing for our bad steaks. He sent me gift certificate for 50.00 so that I would try his restaurant again. I don't think we will try his steak place again but we will try another one.

There is a reason that Bartolotta restaurants are the best in Milwaukee not only is the service and food great but the owner personally handles all inquiries about his restaurant.

Just a note for anyone not familiar with Bartolotta restaurants, the 50.00 gift certificate only covered a third of our bill that night.

Thursday dinner

Yesterday I brought in the pumpkin from outside and started cutting it up to roast in the oven. Many people probably don't know that it is really easy to make your own pumpkin instead of using canned pumpkin and fresh taste so much better than canned.

I made a couple of recipes with my pumpkin, pumpkin hummus and along with a pumpkin risotto.

Tim was in a baking mood this afternoon and made a Swedish Apple pie for dessert. Between my pumpkin recipes and Tim's apple pie, we had great dinner.










Pumpkin Hummus









Fresh asparagus with onion and pine nuts, Pumpkin risotto and vegetarian ribs.










Tim's Swedish apple pie.



All recipes will be on my recipe blog in a couple of days.

Hope

A great cartoon bySigne Wilkinson at the Philadelphia Daily.



























Great photo of our future president.

November 1st, free day at the Zoo.

On Saturday, Tim, Kristin and I left the house early to take advantage of free admission to the Milwaukee Zoo. I think that the zoo offers two free days a year so that families who probably can't afford to go to the zoo have an opportunity to see it. Admission prices are 11.95 per adult and 8.95 per child with parking 10.00. That's a lot of money for a family with a couple of children. There were a number of people like us who took advantage of the nice day to get some exercise. I even saw my sister-in-law, Debbie, with her friend walking around the park.

We dressed in our running clothes so that we could run around the park but instead we walked and enjoyed all the new exhibits.

After seeing all the animals I drove the car while Tim and Kristin ran the 4 miles home. It was a great morning to visit the zoo. Here are a couple of pictures that we took.

Surprise ebay sell.

Around a month ago I purchased some beautiful fabric from a daughter of a quilter who had recently died. I got such a great deal that I bought over 400 yards of beautiful fabric.... To fit all this fabric in my quilt room I needed to sell some of my old stuff. So for the last month I've been selling fabric and misc. stuff on ebay and making a nice little profit.

The other day I found an old feed sack that I must have purchased at an estate sale. The tag was still on for one dollar. I put it on ebay with a starting price of 7.90. There is 8 more hours to the auction and there is a bidding frenzy. It is already up to 50.00.... Geez who knew it was worth anything.

In frenzy bidding the feed sack sold for 52.00. It will be just my luck, I'll see this feed sack on Antique Road Show going for over 600.00 dollars just because it has to do with World War I.

Running with Kristin

Kristin came home for a visit this weekend. Friday morning was so nice out that we decided to go on our first mother-daughter run. Kristin is such a good runner having ran in a number of marathons including the prestiges Boston marathon. She has also done 5 or 6 Ironman events. This year I started running seriously. TO date I have ran 482 miles since March. I'm still a slow runner but I'm seeing improvement. I was afraid when Krisitn and I went out that I would not be able to keep up with her but she did such an easy pace that I did pretty good. My goal is to hopefully be able to run the entire time with Kristin, Kelly and Tim.

The dailymile.com challenge this week was to count pumpkins along your running route. If you carried a pumpkin around with you on your run, you got extra points. So here are pictures of Kristin and I carrying the pumpkin on our run. We counted 87 pumpkins.......we saw more but kept on forgetting to count because we were distracted by our conversations! Thanks Tim, for taking some great pictures of us.

Television viewing as gotten so much better

A couple of months ago, Tim and I purchased the Roku box (100.00). It allows us to set up instant viewing movies into our netflix account and view them on our TV when ever we want. There are over 14,000 movies and television programs to pick from. What Tim and I like about the box is that on nights when nothing is on tv, we can switch the box on and watch so many great movies. Now that winter is descending upon us and my running will be limited outside, there are a number of exercise programs that I'll be able to view.

Last Sunday the following article was written about the Roku box.

Bypassing Netflix snail mail

Posted: Oct. 25, 2008

Soon many of us will scurry inside to hibernate when winter unleashes its full force upon us.

A simple way to stay sane and entertained is watching DVDs, and the convenience of Netflix makes it even easier to stay in and veg out.

That is, until the flow of delivered-to-your-door DVDs is delayed because your allotment of movies is either in transit to you or on the way back to the online movie rental service.

It's for this situation and others that the Netflix player by Roku is so useful, allowing you to stream movies from Netflix over the Internet directly to your television.

It costs $100 at Roku.com.

This small device connects to a television through composite, s-video, component or HDMI cables and then to your home network, either via Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi.

After it's linked and powered up, the Netflix player shows a short code on the screen that must be entered into your account at Netflix.com" target="_blank">Netflix.com. A minute later, any movies sitting in your "instant queue" are available to watch through the device.

For Netflix subscribers who only do the DVDs, a short explanation of the instant queue is in order. In addition to discs, Netflix lets its subscribers stream some of the movies in its collection over the Internet to a computer.

There are about 14,000 movies and televisions shows in this archive, according to a statement from Netflix released this month that announced a deal with Starz Entertainment adding more videos to the kitty.

Titles under the "watch instantly" tab at Netflix.com" target="_blank">Netflix.com can be viewed via the player, making it easy to see what is available. The Netflix player makes it more convenient to watch these online videos on a big screen instead of a Web browser at work when you're supposed to be writing a column. Oops, just kidding.&ensp.&ensp.&ensp. 

Seriously though, setting up the player really is as simple as it sounds - there aren't any convoluted menus or confusing commands to muddle through. If you can play a movie on a DVD player, you can figure out how watch videos on this device.

The system has basic features for moving through video - playing, pausing, fast-forwarding and rewinding. You can stop a movie, go to another, bounce back to the first, and it will remember where you left off. Or you can start watching from the beginning again.

For many movies, rewinding and fast-forwarding unfolds in static frames so you can easily select the scene. There are no agonizing buffering delays when you want to skip a scene; it just jumps to the spot you want to watch.

The video quality can be tweaked to suit your television and the speed of your Internet connection. For example, a user with Road Runner's turbo cable modem access and an HDMI connection to a large television would want the best possible quality, while a smaller set and slower connection would be best served with lower-resolution video.

In my experiments, the player delivered movie after movie with no serious interruptions, although it paused for about three seconds during one viewing session before continuing.

I even tried to challenge the Netflix player's streaming speed by simultaneously downloading songs from iTunes on a laptop and game demos from Xbox Live to the videogame system.

The Netflix player's video continued to flow smoothly and without worry.

Still, even the highest video settings provided only moderate picture quality on a 61-inch television - a bit better than VHS tape. Moving the player to a 27-inch television improved the picture, although it still wasn't as good as a DVD.

A slight drop in quality is a small price to pay for so many movies on demand, especially since using the Netflix player doesn't add extra fees to your existing subscription, and you still get your DVDs in the mail.

Live to be 100

On the Today Show this morning, Dr. Thomas Perls, discussed how we all could live to be 100. With today's new development of drugs, medical procedures and screenings, a man's life expectancy is 86 years while a woman's is 89.

Dr. Perls has a website http://www.livingto100.com/
where you can answer 40 quick questions that relates to your health and family history. According to the website, most people who take the test score in their late 80's.

When I took the test I scored a 97. Must be the avoidance of red meat and all the running and biking I now do. Take the test and see if you're on the right course to living a long life.

Halloween quilts

The last four years I've spent October in Nevada. Not being able to take any of my Halloween decorations with me it was a nice to hear that this year we would be staying home. I've had so many quilt projects sitting on the table just waiting to be finished. Here are three Halloween projects that I've been working on. I've included the measurements to you can visualize how big they are.



27x40 inches.























19x16 inches. I still need to put the binding on this one.








69x55 inches This is a fun very colorful quilt. I need to go out and buy some black fabric for the backing and then machine quilt it.

Food and mood connection

Certain foods, along with physical activity, can boost brain chemicals that may help improve your mood and overall outlook. Being active is one of the best strategies for boosting your physical and mental health. It not only lifts your mood, but can also give you more energy and motivate you to make healthier food choices. When it comes to food, researchers have studied how certain nutrients and food components can affect your moods. While the effects will vary greatly from person to person, there are some general guidelines:

• Try to eat a mix of foods and nutrients at each meal. Protein and carbohydrates affect brain chemicals in different ways. For example, when only protein foods are consumed, you may feel alert but not fully satisfied. When you eat a meal of mainly carbohydrates, you may experience feelings of relaxation and contentment, but this generally won’t last very long. Eating a mix of foods and nutrients may help you experience fewer mood swings and maintain your energy level throughout the day.
• Choose your carbohydrates wisely. Avoid the highs and lows of mood and energy associated with fluctuating blood sugar levels by choosing foods that are digested slowly. Carbohydrate foods with fiber, such as whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, release their energy slowly and keep you feeling good for longer.
• Examine how caffeine affects you. While it may help increase mental alertness and concentration, too much caffeine (this will be a different amount for each person) may also affect your level of anxiety, cravings, sleeping habits, mood swings, and nervousness.

Some nutrients, including vitamin B12 and vitamin D, may help to prevent and treat mood disorders and depression. Research also supports a link between omega-3 fats and reducing depression. If you’re feeling more than just the “blues” despite your best efforts to eat the right foods and get regular exercise, you may be experiencing depression, a condition that requires medical attention.

We found a brother!

Up at the cottage we have these two cute gnomes. Through the years we have gone to estate sales trying to find more of the same kind.

Yesterday I went to an estate and hidden in the garage I found a brother for these two.

I can see why he was hidden in the garage, he needs a little updating with some paint. By next spring he will fit in perfect with the other gnomies (what Tim calls them).

36 Hours in Milwaukee

Kelly sent me this article that appeared in the NYTimes this morning.

By MAURA J. CASEY

THERE’S plenty about modern-day Milwaukee that would be unrecognizable to Laverne and Shirley from the sitcom about the late 50s and 60s. Oh, the area still appreciates its beer and bratwurst: delis carry a mind-boggling variety of sausage, and bars are known to have 50-plus brands of brew. But Milwaukee also has 95 miles of bike lanes, lush parks lacing the shores of Lake Michigan and a revitalized riverfront where sophisticated shops coexist within sight of the city’s industrial past. Modern Milwaukee isn’t so much defined by the Rust Belt anymore, but rather by its lively downtown and a signature museum so architecturally striking that it competes for attention with the art it holds.

Friday

4 p.m.
1) HOG HEAVEN

The city’s newest tourist attraction, opened in July, is the museum that celebrates the 1903 invention of Milwaukee residents William Harley and Arthur Davidson and the American icon it has become. The Harley-Davidson Museum (400 Canal Street; 877-436-8738; www.h-dmuseum.com; admission $10 to $16) has 138 motorcycles on display, including the first two models, from 1903 and 1905, a 1920 Sport model marketed to women and the 1932 Servi-Car used for commercial deliveries and credited with keeping the company solvent during the Great Depression. Harley-Davidson began setting aside at least one motorcycle every year since 1915, and the resulting collection tells the story of a machine, America and the open road in the 20th century — an absorbing tale whether or not you ride.

6 p.m.
2) SNAKE CHASERS

Sure, there’s more to Milwaukee than beer, but the frothy beverage undeniably helped build the city. At one point in the 19th century, 150 breweries flourished there, many established by German immigrants whose names were Pabst, Miller and Schlitz. So to better appreciate all that history and perhaps take a sip yourself, tour the Lakefront Brewery (1872 North Commerce Street; 414-372-8800; www.lakefrontbrewery.com), housed in a century-old former utility building with soaring, 30-foot-high ceilings. You’ll learn about how beer is made and taste a few of Lakefront’s winning brews, including the Snake Chaser, an Irish-style stout made in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. The guides are very funny, so for the laughs alone, it’s worth the $6 admission.

8 p.m.
3) SLAVIC FOOD AND STORIES

For authentic Eastern European flavors, you can’t do better than Three Brothers Bar and Restaurant (2414 South St. Clair Street; 414-481-7530; www.3brothersrestaurant.com), a Milwaukee institution that has been serving Serbian cuisine since 1954. Where else could you order roast suckling pig with rice and vegetables, served with home-pickled cabbage ($16.50)? Or a chicken paprikash ($15.50) followed by an incredibly light seven-layer walnut torte ($6)? The dining room has the unpretentious feel of a neighborhood tavern. If you’re lucky, the energetic 85-year-old owner, Branko Radicevic, may come out of the kitchen and regale you with stories of resisting the Nazis.

Saturday

10 a.m.
4) BIBLIOPHILE’S DELIGHT

The first floor of the Renaissance Book Shop (834 North Plankinton Avenue; 414-271-6850) looks like a book collector’s attic, with boxes of used books lining the floor of this century-old former furniture store. But it’s more organized than it looks, with about a half-million books parceled among dozens of categories (“animal husbandry” “theater practices and problems”) spread across three floors and a basement.

Noon
5) SAUSAGE AND CHEESE

Before taking your new books to one of the city’s lovely waterfront parks, pack a picnic on Old World Third Street, the center of German life in 19th-century Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Cheese Mart (215 West Highland Avenue; 888-482-7700; www.wisconsincheesemart.com), which opened in 1938, sells hundreds of varieties of cheese. Favorites include the cave-aged cheddar or any of the Gouda cheeses produced by the Penterman Farm of Thorpe, Wis. A few doors down is Usingers (1030 North Old World Third Street; 800-558-9998; www.usinger.com), sausage makers since 1880. There are 70 varieties, including the lean summer sausage.

2 p.m.
6) SPREADING WINGS

The Milwaukee Art Museum (700 North Art Museum Drive; 414-224-3200; www.mam.org; $8) may have opened in 1888, but the eye-catching Quadracci Pavilion, designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened in 2001, has become a symbol of modern Milwaukee. With its movable wings expanded to their full, 217-foot span, the building looks either like a large white bird landing on Lake Michigan or the tail of a white whale emerging from the water. There’s art, too: extensive collections of folk, central European and Germanic, and post-1960 contemporary.

4:30 p.m.
7) A WARD UPDATED

Many cities have warehouse districts that have become revitalized; Milwaukee has the Historic Third Ward (www.historicthirdward.org), which constitutes the blocks between the Milwaukee River and Jackson Street. A century ago, this was a manufacturing center. Now it is a magnet for shoppers, with old brick warehouses converted into boutiques and restaurants. For distinctive fashions, search no farther than Lela (321 North Broadway Street; 414-727-4855; www.lelaboutique.com), for designer clothing on consignment, or Three Graces (207 East Buffalo Street, 414-273-3350; www.threegracesonline.com), for women’s clothing and accessories, including hats.

7 p.m.
8) POPOVER DELIGHT

If you need to give your arteries a rest, try some lighter fare at Coast (931 East Wisconsin Avenue; 414-727-5555; www.coastrestaurant.com), an elegant seafood restaurant. Try the baked local walleye served on a cedar plank with roasted red potatoes and haricots verts ($26). The warm popovers are to die for. If you are ready to throw your cholesterol numbers to the wind, have the praline pyramid ($8): layers of pecans, meringue wafers, Grand Marnier butter cream and chocolate ganache glaze.

9:30 p.m.
9) BLUES IN THE NIGHT

East Brady Street, which stretches for about eight blocks from Lake Michigan to the Milwaukee River, was a hippie hangout in the 1960s. Today, its well-preserved buildings and 19th-century Victorian homes are a backdrop to one of the city’s liveliest neighborhoods. During the day, boutiques and small stores are open for lingering shoppers. At night, restaurants and bars keep the street lively. A good spot for music is the Up and Under Pub (1216 East Brady Street; 414-276-2677), which proclaims itself the blues capital of Milwaukee. With high ceilings, an antique bar and 24 beers on tap, it offers live blues, rock and reggae until 2 a.m. There’s usually a $5 cover and, with no city smoking ban, the air can get a little blue late in the evening. If you’d rather avoid alcohol, Rochambo Coffee and Tea House down the street (1317 East Brady Street; 414-291-0095; www.rochambo.com) offers dozens of teas and stays open until midnight.

Sunday

10 a.m.
10) LAKESIDE BRUNCH

The Knick (1030 East Juneau Avenue; 414-272-0011; www.theknickrestaurant.com) is busy and breezy on Sunday mornings, with an outdoor patio near Lake Michigan overlooking Veterans Park. The food is mouth-watering, the service attentive. For a memorable breakfast, try the crab hash, a mixture of crabmeat, onions and hash browns topped with two eggs ($11.99), or the banana pecan pancakes, dripping with whiskey butter and served with maple syrup ($10.99).

1 p.m.
11) WISCONSIN TROPICS

Rain or shine, the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (525 South Layton Boulevard; 414-649-9800; www.countyparks.com; $5) offers perennial respite. Affectionately known as the Domes, the conservatory is housed in three 85-foot-high, beehive-shaped buildings with different climates: the Floral Dome has more than 150 floral displays; the Arid Dome mimics the desert, with an oasislike pool surrounded by cactuses; and the Tropical Dome has 1,200 rain-forest plants, tropical birds flying overhead and a 30-foot waterfall. The Domes closed in June for repairs, but is to reopen Oct. 20.

3 p.m.
12) AAAAY!

Milwaukee became “cooler” on Aug. 19 when it dedicated a life-sized statue of the Fonz, the iconic television character from “Happy Days.” The Bronzie Fonzie (www.visitmilwaukee.org/visitors/fonzie), as fans are calling it, stands on the west side of the Wells Street Bridge, in the Riverwalk section. It’s quickly becoming the most photographed spot in the city, so smile and remember: two thumbs up for the camera.

THE BASICS

General Mitchell International Airport, about 10 miles from downtown Milwaukee, is a hub for Midwest Airlines and is also served by Delta, United, US Airways and others. In late October, AirTran flies nonstop from Newark to Milwaukee starting at $207, according to a recent online search.

Downtown is easy to get around by foot or car. In the summer, a free trolley loops around the area’s major attractions.

For pampering, stay at the grand old Pfister Hotel (800-472-4403; 424 East Wisconsin Avenue; www.thepfisterhotel.com), a throwback to Victorian elegance and within walking distance of the waterfront and attractions. In fall, doubles can start as low as $199.

For a less expensive option, try the Hilton City Center (414-271-7250; 509 West Wisconsin Avenue; www.hiltonmilwaukee.com), especially if you have young children. The Paradise Landing Tropical Waterpark is in the hotel. Rooms start at $167.

53rd Birthday

Today is my 53rd birthday! Yippee. I've never had a problem with getting older in fact I always look at it as another year wiser and smarter.

This past year I've made a couple of changes to my life that hopefully will prolong it for many more birthdays. One big change is that I became a vegetarian. One of the best things I've done for my body. Another change, I started to run. I completed my first run this past weekend and did 5 miles in 54.10 minutes which average to 10.5 minutes per mile. Now I'm looking forward to my next run....

I have so much to be thankful for in my life. I hope this next year brings me continued great health, happiness and some great new adventures.

Thanks to Leslie at Dailymile.com, for her great recipe for a green smoothie made with spinach, kale, fruit, soy powder, flax seed etc. I made one this morning which should get me though until the next birthday.

Al's Run

It's been years since Tim and I have done this race. When it first started it was an annual run for Tim and his buddies at Falk. Kristin and Kelly were there in their stollers and when they got a little older they participated with me in the walk. When we move to Illinois the tradition stopped.

Almost 20 years later Tim and I decided to try it again. This is a big fundraiser for Children's Hospital and you will see many children participating or being pushed in special wheelchairs or strollers.

The start of the race is incredible to be part of. There are waves of people running down Wisconsin Ave. Tim was near the front of the pack and I was closer to the end for the start.

Once the horn went off the race was on. It took me almost 2 minutes before I crossed the start line. Thankfully I had a running chip in my shoe which would give an accurate time when I finished. After runnng down Wisconsin Ave we turned onto Prospect past the big homes and then down a nice hill to the lakefront. It was a beautiful warm day and Lake Michigan was a great site to see while running.

I just started running in March. SInce this was my first race my goal was to try to do 5 miles in under one hour. Which I wasn't sure would be attainable with all the weaving in an out between strollers and walkers. I crossed the finish line at 56.01. It wasn't until I got home and saw my official finish time was 54.10. That was a great time for me. It meant I averaged 10.50 minutes per mile.

Tim was happy with his time also. He finished in 35 minutes which gave him 7 minute miles.

After the race they ran out of water at the finish line...... It wasn't until I walked to the Summerfest grounds that water and fruit was found. There was great entertainment in Sumemrfest and everyone was able to celebrate their victories. Tim and I bought a beer and chilled and listened to the music and watched all the people.

Can you taste the difference?

This article was found on about.com. Maybe this might encourage you to try a vegetarian meat substitute one day a week.

Can you taste the difference between real meat and a vegetarian mock meat substitute? Apparently, according to a new study published in the Journal for Consumer Research, most people can't! In the study, performed by social anthropologists from three different universities, participants rated food items, including vegetarian mock meat substitutes, better when they thought they were eating the real thing.

The researchers report that although many people claim that they eat meat rather than a vegetarian substitute because they prefer the taste:

Our results challenge that claim. Participants who ate the vegetarian alternative did not rate the taste and aroma less favorably than those who ate the beef product. Instead, what influenced taste evaluation was what they thought they had eaten.

It seems that when it comes to taste, our perceptions and expectations shape our experience more than the actual food we eat. I'm not quite sure that this is a major scientific breakthrough, but at least the next time someone tells you they eat meat for the taste, you can confidently tell them that it really is all in their head!

Weather in Vegas

I subscribe to the Las Vegas Review Journal news updates. It keeps me informed what is happening in the area while I'm not there. Just got this email today:
Weather Service issues excessive heat warning

Clark County residents are encouraged to stay out of the sun today as the National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning throughout the valley.

Temperatures in Las Vegas are expected to creep up to 108 degrees, the current minimum high required for such a warning to be issued.

Not sure what is worse, the cold snowy temperatures of a Wisconsin winter or the heat of the Las Vegas summer sun.

100 Things To Do Before You Die author dies

The end of last year I purchased this book on the advice of a friend. Tim and I wanted to go through the book crossing out places we have been and still wanted to visit. The other day the co-author of the book, Dave Freeman, died at the age of 47. Apparently he was at his beach side home where he tripped in a hallway and hit his head and died.

According to family members, Dave visited half the places mentioned in his book. He was looking forward to visiting the remaining destinations before he died. Maybe this is a message to the rest of us to experience life before it's too late.

A quote that Dave started his books with, " "This life is a short journey. How can you make sure you fill it with the most fun and that you visit all the coolest places on earth before you pack those bags for the very last time?"

Runners live longer, stay healthier

Here is great article to motivate you to run.

From Reuters - Runners live longer, stay healthier

WASHINGTON - People who want to live a long and healthy life might want to take up running. A study published on Monday shows middle-aged members of a runner's club were half as likely to die over a 20-year period as people who did not run.

Running reduced the risk not only of heart disease, but of cancer and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, researchers at Stanford University in California found.

Any type of vigorous exercise will likely do the trick, said Stanford's Dr. James Fries, who worked on the study. "It is the regular physical vigorous activity that is important."

To read the entire study go to URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26143460/

Rainbow Flowage - Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin

Yesterday we took the kayaks to Rainbow Flowage in Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin. This is a 2000+ acre lake. Not only is it a great fishing area but you can get a great work out kayaking to a fishing spot.
This is a beautiful lake with great views of wildlife.
Since the flowage is so big, you need a motorized boat just to go from one side to the other. Since we were in the kayaks we were limited on fishing areas. It would have been nice to have had a fish locater on the kayaks since this was our first time at this area. Here is one of the fish we caught. I have never seen a bluegill this big. After fishing we found a nice picnic area and had a nice dinner with a bottle of wine. We had a beautiful view of the lake and enjoyed great food and conversation. We'll have to go back here again to scope out other areas of the lake.

Vegetarian diet update

Tim and I have been on a vegetarian diet for around 4 months. Last week I went to the doctor for my yearly physical. At that time blood work was drawn. The results were great. My increase in exercising and vegetarian life style brought my LDL down 20 points and increased my HDL to 78. According to my doctor I have broken the link of heart disease that runs in my family by my new lifestyle. He said I will probably die from bad luck....now that heart disease has almost been eliminated. This is the proof that I needed that a vegetarian lifestyle is the only way to go.

Lake Michigan Bike Ride

On Saturday Tim parked our truck along Lake Michigan and took our bikes a long Lakeshore State Park and then into the 3rd Ward which was having a Jazzfest. There were two bands located on opposite ends of the festival and many food and craft vendors. We decided to lock up our bikes and check out the great music and enjoy a couple of cold beers and some Kettle Korn.









After enjoying the Jazzfest we decided to check out Bradford Beach before going back to the truck. The place was packed even at 4:30.

Hank Aaron Bike Trail

Last Sunday, Tim and I took a bike ride from Hoyt Park in Wauwatosa to the Hank Aaron State Trail.
Leaving Hoyt Park to start our adventure. Headed towards the village of Wauwatosa, through Hart park, Jacobas Park and then on to Hank Aaron State Trail. http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/LAND/parks/specific/hank_aaron/pdfs/hankaaronmap06full.pdf


Here are some pictures of our adventures along the trail.



The trail runs partly along the Milwaukee River. Last year when we took this trail we saw a couple of people canoeing on the river.


Biking through the Milwaukee Stadium (home of the Brewers) parking lot.

The trail continues past the Potawatomi Indian Casino. We decided to lock our bikes up and try our luck. With the new addition the casino is now double the size.


After leaving the casino we started the ride back. It was pretty hot out so we decided to stop at Friday's at the Stadium to have a nice cold beer and appetizer.


The Brewer's were playing out of town so we had nice seats over looking the baseball diamond.