Takin' the Blog for a Walk

Here are a few good snowmen from the neighborhood. Sir Fido chose his favorite.

If you voted YES on the death penalty question in November then don't see Carroll College Theater's production "Dead Man Walking" this weekend.

The play, about the beginning of Sister Helen Prejean's crusade to befriend and advocate for death row inmates, is set around Angola prison and favors forgiveness.  Sister Prejean understands Jesus' teachings to mean that killing is horrible but killing one doesn't justify killing another.

The play is more thought provoking than entertaining and, with what's going on in the news lately, is very timely. The director, Rob Goodman of First Stage, produced a flawless play with excellent actors and crew and the set design really worked well to broaden our thinking. The steel bars were constantly rearranged to suggest, in some way, that we are all in our own prison.

A unique aspect of this play is that there are talk-back discussions after each performance. Even though only about a fourth of the sold out crowd stayed after the Friday night play, it was interesting to talk to the actors, director, a nun and someone who's met Sister Prejean and heard her speak. 

Another interesting thing about the play is the smoking. Even though no smoking is allowed in the theater, two of the actors smoke several times during the play. They don't inhale.

The cost of the play is $15.00 for adults. I got there around the beginning and still got a ticket but it was pretty full by the time it started. It plays at the Otteson Mainstage Theatre on the Carroll campus today and tomorrow only, 2/24 and 2/25, at 2 pm and 7 pm. If you go, try to see the art in the Rowe Art Gallery in the same building during the 15 minute intermission. It's really great.

It's no strain to pass through ProHealth Care's 20 foot colon at Country Springs Hotel - even without stools to rest on.











Though the exhibits in the Grand Pavilion West Building are geared to adults, the two boys I saw there Friday night had so much fun running through the inflatable colon they probably thought they were at a party. There's a giant polyp handing out healthy snacks and lots of giveaways, raffle drawings and brochures. Adults over 50 can take home a free colorectal cancer screening test.
The Super Colon will be open from 10:00 till 4:00 just today and tomorrow, 2/24 and 2/25. If you can't make it but would still like the cancer kit you can request the free iFOBT test be mailed to you by calling (262) 928-7878.

Out with the old...   The Year of the Blog, oops I mean Dog, is over and now begins the Year of the Pig. Persons born under the sign of the pig are supposed to be lucky. I had a chance to check out the grand opening of Asiana Restaurant today and was lucky enough to see drumming, firecrackers and lion dancing. It's said that anyone who sees a lion dance can look forward to good luck for a year.
Asiana Restaurant is just a half mile east of Hwy. 16 on Capitol at George Towne Drive.  I was impressed by everything I saw and heard but never got to try the food. I would love to go back there for a meal someday.

Waukesha's water problem is my problem because it will take more than a higher water bill to get me to move. The less expensive the solution the better, for all of us.

There was a time not long ago when Milwaukee workers were hauling their water from home, and maybe still do, because the quality of Milwaukee's water wasn't the greatest. Remember cryptosporidium? I myself never had a problem with it, but now Milwaukee's water is more desirable than ours?

We're periodically reminded of the deep tunnel mess and the state of the Milwaukee sewer system so, to avoid paying for that fix, Waukesha's solution cannot involve that.

One of the pieces I read mentioned using Fox River water if only it had an adequate volume year round.

The Fox used to be a lot cleaner, the only ones foolish enough to swim in it now are the water skiers. My choice would be to drink radium-laced water any day before drinking from the Fox but, if the city could clean it up enough to drink, I'd be willing to try it.

As anyone who's lived in Waukesha knows, the Fox in the spring has more than enough volume - and if the dragonfly is under we really have a problem - so all we really need is a really big reservoir if indeed the Fox can be made drinkable.

The largest reservoir I can think of happens to be right next to the Fox - the Payne and Dolan gravel pits in the City of Waukesha. I'm not suggesting either pit would be available, but I'm told that the west pit is no longer used for quarrying. As most of the water taken out would later be returned to the Fox I can't foresee a big environmental issue there.

Our solution is going to cost millions, if it hasn't already, so I thought I'd add my two cents.

Sometimes we get busy at work. A new, second location to get settled, more procedures to learn, more rules and computer codes, less help. Prepare to be bored because I'm going to tell you what I did on my day off.

I knew I had to get up early, so I tried to get some sleep Friday night. I got out of bed just before six so I could take Nick to Saturday school.

Home by 6:30 after dropping off Nick, Sir Fido then took me for a short walk. I read the papers but didn't have much time to smell the coffee, much less drink it, because two hours later I was picking Nick up again. I then gassed up the car, cleaned the cat box, took out the trash and washed a few dishes.

A half hour after getting Nick home from school we were back in the car, now heading toward St. Vincent Pallotti at the corner of Hawley and Bluemound for one of his league games. He won his game so we stopped at Mickey D's on the way home.

I wanted to use the van later in the day for hauling so I took out the seats and, because it didn't start, hooked up the battery charger. I still had some time before my next commitment so I sneaked over to a lovely home on Birch Drive for conversation with my alderman, Joe Pieper, and other neighbors during a "meet and greet" but not before washing and drying Nick's uniform.

Nick and I were back in the car before 2:00 heading to St. Joe's. I helped with game admissions from 2:00 to 4:00 while Nick played, and won, a 3:00 tournament game - his second win of the day.

Fortunately the van started, because immediately after the game I used it for the next three hours to help a family move. By the time I'm done, one son is at a sleep over and the other is at the movies. It's just the two of us, my wife and I, for the next two hours so we pick up subs from Cousins and settle in to watch Castaway for the umpteenth time. (We both agree that knocking out the bad tooth with an ice skate is the worst part of the movie. I closed my eyes.)

The subs went down good and, about the time that "Wilson" is seen floating off in the distance, we are called to pick up Nick at Westpoint. He said the movie, Ghost Rider, was excellent and he said he didn't notice a much larger crowd now that Westown was closed.

So ends a busier than usual Saturday and, if I didn't lose you, you'll notice how much quality time a father spent with his youngest son this day. Days like this don't leave much time for blogging, (or personal hygiene), and for this I apologize.

Sunday was the last day for shows at Westown Theater. Now that Capitol Cinemas has closed that leaves either Westpoint or a long hike to New Berlin or Delafield to see a movie. At least until late spring when Marcus Theaters opens on Springdale.
 
                                                          
                                                   Ultrascreen has "departed"

I don't understand it. Monday I woke up to negative 13 degree temps and all the schools were called off --except Waukesha's. My youngest attends a private school that follows Waukesha Schools' weather closing lead. It was open Monday also.

I kept my kids home because it would have been a mistake to make one son walk to then wait for the bus, and to make the other son walk the mile to school if the car didn't start, which it didn't. I think it's a mistake for the private school to not think for itself if it feels the Waukesha schools made a poor weather decision.

I know no one's perfect, even school administrators, but if it was a mistake to keep the doors open Monday when the temps were minus 13, then it was also a mistake to close them Tuesday when the temps were a much more tolerable 0 degrees.

Had a bowl of guilteeos this morning so I thought a confession would help to digest it.

I volunteered as a runner for the Waukesha Catholic Auction Friday at Country Springs Hotel. While moving one of the silent auction items I broke it. The hand painted terra cotta flower pot made by students at St. William was beautiful but I now know that the overflow dish under the pot wasn't firmly attached. Sorry.

Saturday was my mom's birthday and, while we were waiting impatiently for our table to open up at the wonderful Original Pancake House on Bluemound, I was kinda yelling at my son for something he didn't do and my mom kinda yelled at me for wrecking her birthday. Sorry Mom.

Later Saturday, at Retzer Nature Center, Channel 4 taped me for their newscast. I said I was glad to see the cold and not more of the "December" stuff.  Oops.

Sunday I rooted for the Bears. Well, at least the first minute was exciting.

Today, Even though is was 13 below outside and all the surrounding ones were closed, Waukesha schools were in session and I didn't send my kids. I know, I know. Shame on me.

Lastly, I really feel guilty for sending Sir Fido to the groomer in the middle of winter. brrrrr

I'm starting to feel better already.

Just got back from a family event at Retzer Nature Center. It was the promise of toasted marshmallows that got us there but we were also interested in stargazing and night hiking. We wanted to see the hardy souls that would come out on such a cold night and there were actually quite a few. 
The snowshoeing and campfire were cancelled and we got there too late for the hike. Still, there were things to do. We had a good, if cold time on a hike of our own. Channel 4 was there so we may see ourselves on the news at 10:00. Hot cocoa was good and chocolatey. The planetarium was showing a program.
temperature when we got there: -6 degrees
windchill temp at top of Observation Hill:  -20 degrees
price of admission for this event: $2.00
having something to blog about: priceless