ADOPTED! Double the fun
BJ and PeeWee are 8-year-old Schipperkes who are seeking a family with room for two! These inseparable sisters will keep you laughing as they play together with their favorite squeaky toys. At 8-years-old, they already know the ropes and understand basic cues like "sit" and "come." You'd never guess that they are 8-years-old, despite the cute gray beards they've both developed. These two are quite spunky, outgoing and play off each other's energy in very silly displays of play.
Concordia University In Cudahy
I was so excited to see this article on the CudahyNOW website. Offering accelerated adult college classes in Cudahy is great news! It is so rewarding to finish each class and realize that you are one step closer to getting a degree. If you've been thinking about it, now is the time to take advantage of it.
A Lovely Lack of Logic From the Left
This just in: Am I the only one who finds the political commentary from supporters of Barack Obama to be completely and utterly baffling?
Let's paraphrase some of the most common (and ironic) stances we're seeing in remarks from Democratic figures and commentators during the course of the Republican National Convention:
Totlol - Music Videos for Children
Here's a new web site created by YouTube. Totlol
This site is devoted only for kids - kid videos only. My youngest son likes to sit on my lap while we play song after song. Even my older son will stop and watch the videos (when he thinks no one is noticing).
Totlol is still new and it looks like YouTube is still working through usability problems. However, this site is great for parents who don't want to spend a lot of time searching through YouTube's enormous and sometimes not so kid-friendly collection.
Here's one of the more popular songs on this site. My kids love this song. I love this song! The rock group Barenaked Ladies recently came out with a children's CD - Snack Time. Yes, it's a weird name for a group who creates children CDs. However, the CD is great and so is this song, 7-8-9.
Same Old Cudahy Packers - Power Rankings Week 2.5
My wife’s youngest cousin is a junior at Wisconsin Lutheran High School, and a member of their formidable varsity football team. We had the opportunity to watch “Wisco” play Marquette High in Week One of the high-school football season, and while we only saw the first half (our younger son fell asleep and needed to go home) it was a real treat. Two talented, well-coached, hard-hitting football teams met on the field that night, and while Wisco eventually ran away with the game, what stood out was one thing: Class. Wisco won with class, and Marquette showed as much of the same in accepting a rare loss. I’d be happy to send my sons through either program (but we’re Catholic, so that means only one of them qualifies).
Fast-forward to last night, Week Two. Continuing a tradition we started when he was a baby, I take my older son to watch the Saint Thomas More football team. (For why we support STM, read the blog archive.) He had a great time, enjoying the game, the popcorn and the crowd. But he didn’t understand one thing: The fight.
Recommendations for a Good Brunch?
I'm taking my mom out for brunch for her birthday this coming weekend, but instead of going to all the regular places around here, I wanted to find a good brunch place.
I've heard about a brunch at the Boerner Botanical Gardens, and I'm sure there's some good ones in downtown Milwaukee, but I am unfamiliar with any notable ones in this south side area.
ADOPTED Have room for two?
Calvin and Hobbes will exceed your every expectation when you visit them at WHS. Large in both size and personality, it's hard not to fall for these confident, affectionate and outgoing cats. Hobbes has a luxurious coat of thick fur, so perhaps that's why he's first to greet you at the door. This kitty LOVES being groomed and will need brushing to keep his coat healthy and shiny. Calvin is never far behind Hobbes and will eagerly crawl into your lap for chin rubs and neck scratches.
These amazing cats have lived together their whole lives and have formed a deep bond of love and friendship. We don't want to split them up. Do you have the room in your heart and home for two? See them at www.wihumane.org.
This is Cool
I just wanted to say a brief "Thank you" to everyone who's been reading and commenting on this blog since I re-launched it a month ago. It's so much more fun this time around, what with comments and statistics and entry URLs and all the fun stuff that goes with being on the Community Server blogging platform. Without a doubt, it's the commentary and "dialogue" nature of the blog that keeps me more active as a writer.
So let's just list a few things I've learned from my comments section this past month on Ad Astra....
Sydney's Angel Army to Compete in Brigg's & Al's Run/Walk
Once again, the soldiers of Sydney's Angel Army are joining together to battle the pavement in Brigg's & Al's Run 2008!
The run/walk starts on the Marquette University campus on Saturday, Sept. 20th at 10 am. The course runs east through downtown Milwaukee, north through the east side and south on Lincoln Memorial Drive to the finish line just outside the Summerfest grounds. The run is an 8k course (roughly 4.95 miles). The walk is either a 3- or 5-mile course. There is also a wheelchair event for individuals who use a wheelchair.
Cyberbullies
In the last six weeks or so, I've had to deal with a pair of would-be "cyberbullies". If you aren't familiar with the term, the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use defines it thusly: "Cyberbullying is sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet or other digital communication devices.... Distressing material provides clues that the person is emotionally upset and may be considering hurting someone, hurting him or herself or committing suicide."
I'm really sick of dealing with small people like this. I promise to you, my readers, that I will continue to take the high road. I'll delete personal attacks that appear in my comments section, I will not publish emails that seem unhinged.
Welcome Dunkin' Donuts! How Many Will You Build?
Ever since Dunkin' Donuts pulled out of Cudahy many years ago, we've been without a south side franchised donut shop. I was pretty excited to learn that South Milwaukee will have one by the new Aldi's on the south side of town, and I was really surprised to read last week that another one was pre-approved to build in Oak Creek. That piece of news made me wonder, are we really getting two Dunkin' Donuts that close together? I understand that the demographics of each area and traffic patterns are completely different, so the company must have thought they can make a go of both stores?
This what I'd like to know, are they are still going to build in South Milwaukee? Now that I was expecting to see it built there, I'd be disappointed to find out that they decided to move the location to Oak Creek. Don't get me wrong, I love Oak Creek and it's growing so fast that it could use one there, I just don't want to loose getting the location at South Milwaukee.
On The Importance of Wrestling (Plus Week 3 "Power Rankings")
Growing up, I knew that my dad had been a wrestler. Not the AWA that we watched on TV (like today's WWE), not that silly "professional" stuff... real wrestling. Early on, I wasn't quite sure what that meant. Even after we took a wrestling class at the YMCA when I was five or so, it was still a little confusing. Of course, it might have helped if I didn't have to wrestle more or less blind; I've had corrective vision since I was in kindergarten and the hardest part of wrestling-- or any sport-- was dealing with glasses or worse, competing without them before I had contact lenses.
Still, by the time I was in seventh grade and joining the local wrestling club, I had started to understand a little bit more. Wrestling wasn't a popular winter sport-- it didn't have the glitz and glamor of basketball because it wasn't on television-- but it was a good sport for me. It takes hard work and effort to be a wrestler, more so than most sports that kids get involved in, because when you're competing it's just you and your opponent.
Patrick Cudahy Park Friends to Meet Sept. 22nd
The Patrick Cudahy Park Friends will meet on Monday, Sept. 22nd, at Patrick Cudahy Park. The meeting will begin at 6 pm. The group will be planning their Fall Festival at this meeting. Volunteers are needed. Contact Tina Dondajeski for more info.
On Saturday, Sept. 20th, the soldiers of Sydney's Angel Army completed Brigg's & Al's Run for Children's Hospital. I finished the 8k race in 43' 50". ( 8k is approximately 4.9 miles ). I finished 1,168th out of 3,325 runners overall. I finished 87th out of 164 runners in my age/sex category and I finished 853rd out of 1,879 male runners.
Nervous about Confrontation? Sly Dial
At work, I spend most of my time at my desk. With the exception of occasional trips to a vending machine, cafeteria, or bathroom, I pretty much sit at my desk, stare at a computer, chat with coworkers close by, and then leave at the end of the day.
So it baffles me to look at my phone and suddenly see my voice mail indicator light up - when clearly my phone does not ring. Confused, I realize that - instead of talking to me - the caller has selected the option to go straight to my voice mail.
Why? Should I take it personally? Don't they like my voice? Or are they just too busy to talk to a real person? Why someone would call and choose to go straight to my voice mail baffles me and honestly I'm not sure if I want to know the reason.
Well, I just learned about a free phone service that makes me think of this feature of my work voice mail - Sly Dial. This is a free service where you can call and leave a message to any mobile phone voice mail without causing the mobile phone to ring.
You simply dial 267-SLYDIAL (267-759-3425) from your cell phone or landline. You then need to listen to an ad (how they make their money, I presume), enter the mobile phone number you want, and Sly Dial immediately directs you to the recipients voice mail. The recipients phone does not ring.
So, if you're nervous about confrontation, if you want to leave a voice mail without disturbing someone, or if you simply don't want to get sucked into a long conversation with Aunt Bertha, then this service could be useful. It's still sneaky, I think - hence the name, Sly Dial. I tried Sly Dial on with my husband's cell phone and it worked well - not only did I succeed in leaving him a voice mail without causing his phone to ring, but of course, I confused him.
Well - maybe I could have fun with this service.
Looking for a few good Donkeys, and maybe an Elephant as well
I am currently looking for a few Democrats, to take part in a moderated debate forum that I am putting together.
the Idea here will be kind of like a Larry King discussion about topics, mainly political, sometimes not.
Ilija's Place
My mom and her senior friends lunched recently at a Serbian Restaurant in Cudahy called Ilija's. I asked her to write a review for me since I've not been there before:
"Decor is unique, hand woven decorative samplers on the walls, ornate mirror, pictures of Serbian countryside. The background music was very enjoyable. Nice to be seated at tables with linen and fancier settings. Attentitive waiter explained various ethnic dishes for us. Bowls of chicken noodle soup were very good. Those who ordered breaded pork chop were delighted to see the large, thick chop, accompanied by potatoes and vegetables. My Hungarian goulash was very good, the Sarna (stuffed peppers) was also rated as very good. Homade bread a winner too.
Running Until You're 100 Years Old
I recently finished reading "Running Until You're 100" by Olympic Runner Jeff Galloway. I have an autographed copy of this book. I met the author about a year-and-a-half ago when he was at Instep. (ok, I'm a slow reader). The author wrote "Greg -- You can do this -- but no guarantees after 100" on the inside cover of the book.
I am intrigued by the idea of running into old age. As a high school student at Whitnall High School I was on the Cross Country Team and I ran the half-mile in Track. Although I did not realize it at the time my running experience in High School was the beginning of a life-long interest in running. I was not one of the top runners on the team; I was just average. I did; however, continue running after high school. I have been running for 30 years starting as a High School Freshman. I sometimes wonder how long I will be able to run.
Save what remains of the County Grounds
In the late 1990s, former County Executive Tom Ament
proposed selling more than 300 acres in the County Grounds Northeast Quadrant
(see map). Almost overnight, “Save the County Grounds" lawn signs were
everywhere!
This outpouring of public opposition led to the creation of
a Northeast Quadrant Land Use Plan that set boundaries for a business
development zone of approximately 66 acres on the west end of the property and
set aside approximately 55 acres of naturalized parkland in the middle of the
property. To create holding ponds to address flooding, the easternmost section
of the property was allocated to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District. This plan was developed by Kubala Wasatko Architects and served as the consensus plan representing all interests.
South Shore Prep Football Report - Week 4
This week we completely drop the "Power Rankings" title and just go to a "Prep Football Report" format, which I like a lot better.
I finally had a chance to see the South Milwaukee Rockets play last week at Burlington. I have an old coaching friend who happens to be a Burlington native, a guy who had played and coached for the Demons as well as South Milwaukee, so I gave him a call and we met up at the game. We were hoping for a close, exciting contest between two evenly matched teams. What we got was three-quarters of the way there, and that doesn't even take into account the shock of seeing the Rockets-- yes, South Milwaukee's own red and white-- in the shotgun formation for the first time in my entire life. (I'm not sure how I feel about that. It was just... well... strange.)
What is the REAL unemployment rate in America?
I keep hearing about the unemployment rates in the US climbing.
I have a very firm opinion on unemployment in our country,
