Thursday, December 28, 2006

New Look

For the new year, a new look. My new year resolution is to blog more. Happy New Year!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Kwanzaa, Happy Holidays and have a great new year!

Saturday, December 02, 2006

Culture Clash

I recently read this article Culture Clash: Beach Volleyball in Qatar on MSNBC.com. We really take things for granted here in the United States. But let me just say, how awesome that these women from Iraq are competing in sports.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving

What are you thankful for?

I'm thankful for:
Family
Friends
Health
My Cat
Running
A Job
The Beach
Freedom
Our Troops
Education
Sushi
Brett Favre
Red Wine
My Jeep
All Animals (God did make them before man)
Jesus coming to earth to live as a man and die on the cross to save us from our sins

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Praise You in the Storm

This is my comfort song right now.

I was sure by now
That You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry
You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away
I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

by Casting Crowns

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

I can't believe I haven't had anything to say

No excuse, but I've been busy. Very busy. I did get a mini promotion at work and that has taken up a lot of my time. Yes, this is a good thing but I'm trying to get adjusted to my new responsibilities.
There have been some issues that I would have liked to blog about - oh lets say the past election and such - but I decided that I am going to keep my thoughts to myself on those issues. Unfortunately a political discussion usually ends up in tempers flaring and people getting hurt. My friends and I usually do not discuss politics but I will admit I have learned a lot from my friends and our discussions that we have had. We are aware of our beliefs and political stances and we have gotten good at stating how we feel and why and leaving it at that. I think on a message board people use it as a place to slam others. I am not going to change the minds of any of you out there so I am going to keep my thoughts to myself. I think it's tasteless how some people criticize others for how they vote and what they believe. It is my right to believe what I want and vote how I want. Just as it is your right to believe what you want and vote how you want. We don't have to agree but we don't have to be rude and critical of each others beliefs.

Now........how about those Packers......UGH.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

I have no thoughts

I'm sorry. I have nothing to write about at this time. Hmmmm......... that is odd for me.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Nancy's Run, Rock N Stroll

I am so proud of my friend Val.
Val and I went to college together and we had the opportunity to run as teammates. We rocked. She rocked. We were National Champions together at the Indoor National Track Meet way back in 1995. She was so fast. She was crazy fun. I should say still is fast and crazy fun!
Val and I have kept in touch since college. I found out that Val's mom Nancy became sick. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She fought hard and long. She was able to see Val get married. Nancy lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2005. Since that day Val said she was going to organize a run in honor of her mom.
Val is now a member of the Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance and has organized Nancy's Run, Rock "N" Stroll for this weekend. The 5k run/1 mile walk will take place in Whitnall Park. If you would like to register please go to active.com. Proceeds for the race will go to the Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance.
I love you Val and I'm so proud of you for doing this for your mom. She is looking down from heaven and will be cheering everyone on in the race this Saturday.

"Ben Stein's Last Column"

I might be late to this. That's typical for me. But a good friend of mine sent this to me. Wow, I could not agree with Mr. Stein more. Maybe this is why I don't go to many movies, don't know many actors/actresses or read People Magazine. Anyway, if you haven't seen it here it is.

Ben Stein's Last Column - Monday Night at Morton's

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Getting paid more because you have kids?

This made me so angry. A friend of mine told me that her boss shared with her that apparently they base what they pay their employees on whether or not people have kids. The reason was that people with kids need more money, so they make more, even if the other employees without children work hard, in same position etc.

Isn't this against the law? What would you do if you found this out at your place of employment?
This makes my blood boil.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon

The Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon was this weekend and I had the privilege to be able to participate in the relay action. Four of us fabulous girls ran for Instep as 4 Non blondes and won the women's division! We finished 6th overall. We were thrilled.


Two of the ladies I ran with just recently completed the Madison Ironman. That is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26. 2 mile run. They amaze me.

If you have run in a marathon I'm sure you can remember all the feelings of that special day. The nerves, excitement, fear and pain! I experienced all those feelings again for all the dedicated runners out there. I was overcome by emotion when I arrived at the bus at 6 am watching all the runners pin their numbers and making sure they had all their gear. As I was running my leg of the relay I made sure to say something to each runner I passed. And to all the spectators that come out to support all of us runners - thank you, it is such a great feeling to have all that support on the course.

Special shout out to my friend Sap finishing his first marathon!




Also to my friend Liz on her first marathon. Elizabeth on her second marathon in the Twin Cities and Jenny Crain in the Twin Cities for qualifying for the Olympic Trials Marathon.

What a great weekend for running.

Running the second leg of relay.

The exchange.

My parents came out to support us. My husband took the pictures.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

High School Reunion

This weekend I have made a commitment to attend my high school reunion. 15 years. What was I thinking? This is our first reunion and I haven't seen some of these people since June 1, 1991.
Since the announcement of this reunion I have had constant dreams about my high school, my classmates and different events. What I have found very odd about whole thing is that, it was only four years. I was in college longer. Heck, I went to grade school with the same people for nine years (K-8). So why does high school have such an impact on me and I'm sure other people?
I didn't even like high school. I liked the school I went to and I adored the majority of my teachers. I was very involved in everything – cross country, track, drama, band, choir, cheerleading (only 2 years!!) and anything else I could volunteer to help with. I didn't really belong to a clique. I got a long with most people and had friends from all different groups. But on graduation day when everyone was crying in the courtyard I had already turned in my cap and gown and was on my way to my family dinner. My bags were packed for college and I was counting down they days until I could move in my dorm. Sure, I knew I was going to miss my Coach and fellow teammates but I was more excited to moving on to bigger things in life.
The reunion committee set up a website with all the details, pictures, quizzes and the opportunity for us to submit what we have been up to the past 15 years. There was even spot for us to send in an updated picture. Very interesting to see what the class clown and valedictorian are doing and how it is not what everyone expected. I also have learned that I am one of the only ones without kids. This will make for interesting conversations.

Tell me about your high school experiences? Did you go to a reunion? I'll report back on Monday.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Running

I think I have mentioned this before. I'm a runner. I have been running for over twenty years. I really haven't written much about running. Here is some parts of my running story that I wrote for the MKE online back in November of 2005. I was on the cover for that issue! That was fun.

How it all started: "What is cross country?" I asked back in 5th grade at sport sign up day. "You run" someone replied back. Sounds ok I thought and I signed my name on the line. That was back in September of 1983, I barely made it a mile but have been the runner since then. Fast forward 23 years later and I'm still considered the runner.

Brag time: I have run competitively since grade school. I knew I was going to be running for awhile after I won the Lutheran grade school cross country invitational back in 8th grade crushing the mile and a half course record. I continued my running career at Wisconsin Lutheran High School earning All-Conference all 4 years and All-State with a 2nd place finish at the WISAA state meet back in 1989. I signed my scholarship offer to the UnivWisconsin Wisconisn-Parkside in January of 1991. While at UW Parkside I earned All-American status 4 times and was a National Champion in the 5000 meters in 1995. My PR for the 5000 indoors was 17:40, and I believe 17:20 outdoors.

Injuries: I've had my share and probably some of the most unusual. Of course like every runner I've had the shin splints, stress frtendonitisd tendonitis. But back in March of 1990 I was "diagnosed" with OSTEOCHONDRITIS DISSECANS. What is that? My doctor explained it as a hole in the talus bone. Surgery one was in1990 and surgery two in 1991. "There is no way you can run at the collegiate level" is what the doctors told me. Ok, so I red-shirt my freshman year and ran the next 4 years. But it wasn't over yet. There is a new way to do this surgery, we are going to take bone out of your knee and graft it in your talus bone. "But Tracey, this is just so you can walk without pain," my doctor told me in January of 2000. After the successful surgery I was able to run a mile here and there 8 months later. My doctors last words to me were, "now, no marathons!" He really enjoyed receiving my picture at the finish line of the 2002 Chicago Marathon where I ran it in 3:27 and qualified for the Boston Marathon.

I have experienced so many wonderful places to wear out my Nike shoes. Out of the state and out of the country. But my favorite place to run currently is downtown in Milwaukee along the lakefront. I especially enjoy it on a Saturday morning. The streets are empty and as I make my way down Prospect Avenue to Lincoln Memorial Drive the sidewalks have reminiscences of what happened just hours before. The Lake is usually very calm and the sun is just rising. I make my way along the path on Lincoln Memorial Drive usually passing many runners. During the summer the Badgerland Striders are out and about training for the upcoming marathon. Runners have their own language and there is a certain respect we have for each other. As I pass each one I observe their t-shirt to see what runs they have accomplished or what college they might have attended. Usually grunts, waves or "morning" are exchanged. I make my way past Bradford Beach and run into the volleyball players setting up their nets. The hill up to Lake Drive is a long one but the reward is admiring the beautiful houses and hopefully some sprinklers to cool me off. I make my turnaround at Capital drive or on my longer days, Silver Spring. While I may look alone, I feel like I'm part of a team as I continue to run the past the dedicated runners.

Sometimes during my runs I daydream back to my college days at UW Parkside. These were some of the best running days of my life. Coach Mike De Witt worked us hard and made us believe in ourselves. While there were many, my best running experience was February 25th, 1995. I qualified for the National meet in the 5000 meters and went in with the second best time. I was never so nervous before in my life. I cried and coach had to give me my race plan 2 times. The gun went off and I jumped out the lead only to have it taken away from me at lap 4. I trailed by 50 meters most of the race after that and even got passed for 3rd place at 2 miles. At that point I refocused and picked up the pace. I honestly did not think I could get back to first but I wanted to be able to finish the race knowing I tried my best. Without knowing, I was catching the first place runner. The indoor track in Nebraska was so loud and I could not hear my coach. At gun lap I looked up and realized first place was in front of me. I took off and won the race by 6 seconds after being down by 8 seconds with 400 meters left in the race.

Lakefront Marathon:
I seriously considered training for the marathon but due to some lingering injuries I thought it would be best to sit this one out. Just recently I have been given the opportunity to partake in a relay team at the Lakefront Marathon. There will be four of us girls and we will each run a "leg" to complete the 26.2 miles. I am very excited to be part of this great running event in Milwaukee. Here is some great press coverage from JSOnline this morning.

Do They Have It?

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Baby Joggers

If you don't know this yet, I am a "runner." I have been running for 20+ years. I try to stay competitive. If I'm not training for a race I will still just go and run. I'm sure I'll write more on that another time.

When and if I have kids I intend on having a "baby jogger" so I can continue to keep up on my running. I don't know, I may hate it but I will try. But there is a time an place for a baby jogger and in a middle of a race is not the time. I found this post on a chat board I participate on that made me mad. Leave the kids at home, have someone watch them at the race, or stay out of the way of the serious runners.

Runners...race etiquette question
From: ******
Date: 9/16/2006 at 10:16 AM
I just got back from running a 10K this morning (great race...I went with my best friend and we had a blast).I was shocked to see a number of people with baby joggers in the 10K. In the other races I've run, they've not been allowed. This was a relatively big run, too. Anyhow, some people were fine--they stayed out of everyone's way. This one guy, however, was a complete JERK. He was nudging people with the stroller to get by them and even knocked a woman over. We found out after the race that she had broken her ankle!!!So...my question is this--is this common in races and I just haven't seen it? Does anyone on here run in races with a baby jogger?


Wrong, just wrong. If I was this lady with the broken ankle I would be seeking this person out for reimbursement of medical bills. Runners......that is great if you continue to run with the baby jogger, but in a race....watch your manners. Thank you.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Business Trips

This is an interesting subject - Business Trips. I'm in Galena, IL for a conference. I'm observing many interesting behaviors, social rules, people, etc. I'm at a large resort with golf, tennis, a spa, hot air balloons and many more amenities. I'll just note that this conference involved a lot of Doctors and hospital administrators.
Some notes:
1. A lot of the men brought their wives along.
2. There are many BMW's in the parking lot
3. Technology has changed the typical business trip
4. The entire conference is run by women
5. I just watched 6 women walk by that are some of the "wives" here and they all have the same hair, same style clothes, same color nail polish and same purses.

oh, my lunch is here, I'll post later.......share some experiences if you have taken a recent trip for business.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

September 11


Where were you....... 5 years ago. Wow. I remember the day exactly. I was driving into downtown Milwaukee as Reitman and Mueller (94.5 WKTI) reported that a small plane crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower. (7:45 am CST) By the time I parked my car and got to the office, a second plane had crashed, this was not an accident. While trying to contact friends and family we were told to leave the building. At the time I was working in the US Bank Building in downtown Milwaukee. The entire day was a blur.
If you want, share your thoughts and memories.
God Bless America......

Badger Game

Ahhhhh, good times. I wish I could have experienced some Badger games while in college but due to my running schedule at my school I was unable to. My husband, a UW Madison Alumni, has many stories to tell. The last couple of years I have been able to partake in the fun and traditions that surrounds a UW Madison football game. Have you been to a Badger game? Have you experienced all the tradition and rules and chants and songs? So much fun. I took a lot of pictures to share the experience. First you have to tailgate. Burgers, chips, pasta salad, beer and cookies.


The city of Madison is taken over by fans of all ages. As you walk to Camp Randall all you can see is red. The local businesses partake in the game day festivities. The bars roll out the red carpet for a beer thirsty crowd. Djs, bands, food specials, shots and of course beer welcomes crazy Badger fans as they make their way to the stadium. And don't forget about the house parties that offer you a chance to do a beer bong or just stop by and say hi before the game.



Badger games have so much more to offer than just football. I love football but one of my favorite things about a Badger game is the band. The UW Madison Marching Band. Period. The crowd can be distracted by the band along with the students, cheerleaders, Bucky and many other traditions during the game.

If you have been to a Badger game you may be familiar with all the different traditions that are carried out by the student section. The cheers, the chants, dances, songs, the key shake for kick offs, Bucky's pushups totaling the score of the badgers, jump around (as seen on National TV), the wave....( FYI it goes regular speed, slow, fast, reverse, and then double reverse. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, get to a game.)
I asked my husband a couple times, "as a student, how did you know what to do or say?"
The new coach, Bret


QB John Stocco

Bucky doing his pushups

The band at halftime. No one leaves.

The "Waterboy" - really

The cheerleaders, and yes, that is the band doing a pyramid.

TOUCHDOWN!!

The tuba march
The start of Jump Around
My favorite fan.



5th Quarter.............Varsity......Sing! (we sang it like 4 times on Saturday.)

Oh yeah, the Badgers won.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Juror #27 and #11

This has nothing to do with being married.
This has nothing to do with not having children.
This has to do with getting the dreaded jury summons in the mail. You have been selected.....it's your duty as a citizen. Yada yada yada.
UGH.
I had to cut my Labor Day vacation to sit in a room full of annoyed people all doing their duty.

I have over 10 pages written in my journal and I will transfer the "best of" once I am done. Whenever that will be.

So far I have been "rejected" from two cases - one criminal and the other civil. I would have liked to sit on the criminal case - homicide. I think my "rejection" has something to do with the fact that I work for a law firm.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Tribute to Andre Agassi


A great athlete has retired this weekend.....Andre Agassi. I remember watching Andre for the first time back in 1986 or 87. I was captivated by his personality and his looks. He was a rebel and yet good at his sport.

This past weekend Andre played his last match. He announced to the world and his fans that the US Open would be his last tournament. It didn't seem real to me. I can't believe I've been watching him for 21 years. And he's gone. . . . Good-bye Andre, thank you for your amazing time on the court.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Camping

I'll write more later about our camping experience this past weekend at High Cliff Park. Just one question........ Why do we have to have to be completely quiet at 10:00 p.m. in the campgrounds but it's ok for the children to be loud, screaming, yelling and obnoxious at 6:00 a.m.? We were not loud, screaming or being obnoxious. We were playing card games but we had to keep it quiet. But at 6:00 a.m. we were woken up by kids riding their bikes and screaming past our campsite and children yelling at top of their lungs at the campsite next to us.

Just an annoying observation. My husband said, camping is for the kids. Why? Why is it just for the kids? Why can't the adults go and enjoy too?

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Beloit College Mindset List

This list always makes me feel old.

It's that time of year again. Each August since 1998 Beloit College in Wisconsin has released the Beloit College Mindset List. This list was started by Beloit's Keefer Professor of the Humanities Tom McBride and Public Affairs Director Ron Nief, it looks at the cultural touchstones that have shaped the lives of today's first-year college students and is meant to help teachers prepare for their school year and connect with their students

BELOIT COLLEGE'S MINDSET LIST®
FOR THE CLASS OF 2010

Members of the class of 2010, entering college this fall, were mostly born in 1988. For them: Billy Carter, Lucille Ball, Gilda Radner, Billy Martin, Andy Gibb, and Secretariat have always been dead.

1. The Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union.
2. They have known only two presidents.
3. For most of their lives, major U.S. airlines have been bankrupt.
4. Manuel Noriega has always been in jail in the U.S.
5. They have grown up getting lost in "big boxes."
6. There has always been only one Germany.
7.They have never heard anyone actually "ring it up" on a cash register.
8. They are wireless, yet always connected.
9. A stained blue dress is as famous to their generation as a third-rate burglary was to their parents'.
10. Thanks to pervasive headphones in the back seat, parents have always been able to speak freely in the front.
11. A coffee has always taken longer to make than a milkshake.
12. Smoking has never been permitted on U.S. airlines.
13. Faux fur has always been a necessary element of style.
14. The Moral Majority has never needed an organization.
15. They have never had to distinguish between the St. Louis Cardinals baseball and football teams.
16. DNA fingerprinting has always been admissible evidence in court.
17. They grew up pushing their own miniature shopping carts in the supermarket.
18. They grew up with and have outgrown faxing as a means of communication.
19. "Google" has always been a verb.
20. Text messaging is their email.
21. Milli Vanilli has never had anything to say.
22. Mr. Rogers, not Walter Cronkite, has always been the most trusted man in America.
23. Bar codes have always been on everything, from library cards and snail mail to retail items.
24. Madden has always been a game, not a Superbowl-winning coach.
25. Phantom of the Opera has always been on Broadway.
26. "Boogers" candy has always been a favorite for grossing out parents.
27. There has never been a "skyhook" in the NBA.
28. Carbon copies are oddities found in their grandparents' attics.
29. Computerized player pianos have always been tinkling in the lobby.
30. Non-denominational mega-churches have always been the fastest growing religious organizations in the U.S.
31. They grew up in mini-vans.
32. Reality shows have always been on television.
33. They have no idea why we needed to ask "...can we all get along?"
34. They have always known that "In the criminal justice system the people have been represented by two separate yet equally important groups."
35. Young women's fashions have never been concerned with where the waist is.
36.They have rarely mailed anything using a stamp.
37. Brides have always worn white for a first, second, or third wedding.
38. Being techno-savvy has always been inversely proportional to age.
39. "So" as in "Sooooo New York," has always been a drawn-out adjective modifying a proper noun, which in turn modifies something else
40. Affluent troubled teens in Southern California have always been the subjects of television series.
41. They have always been able to watch wars and revolutions live on television.
42. Ken Burns has always been producing very long documentaries on PBS.
43. They are not aware that "flock of seagulls hair" has nothing to do with birds flying into it.
44. Retin-A has always made America look less wrinkled.
45. Green tea has always been marketed for health purposes.
46. Public school officials have always had the right to censor school newspapers.
47. Small white holiday lights have always been in style.
48. Most of them never had the chance to eat bad airline food.
49.They have always been searching for "Waldo."
50. The really rich have regularly expressed exuberance with outlandish birthday parties.
51. Michael Moore has always been showing up uninvited.
52. They never played the game of state license plates in the car.
53. They have always preferred going out in groups as opposed to dating.
54. There have always been live organ donors.
55. They have always had access to their own credit cards.
56. They have never put their money in a "Savings & Loan."
57. Sara Lee has always made underwear.
58. Bad behavior has always been getting captured on amateur videos.
59. Disneyland has always been in Europe and Asia.
60. They never saw Bernard Shaw on CNN.
61. Beach volleyball has always been a recognized sport.
62. Acura, Lexus, and Infiniti have always been luxury cars of choice.
63. Television stations have never concluded the broadcast day with the national anthem.
64. LoJack transmitters have always been finding lost cars.
65. Diane Sawyer has always been live in Prime Time.
66. Dolphin-free canned tuna has always been on sale.
67. Disposable contact lenses have always been available.
68. "Outing" has always been a threat.
69. Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss has always been the perfect graduation gift.
70. They have always "dissed" what they don't like.
71. The U.S. has always been studying global warming to confirm its existence.
72. Richard M. Daley has always been the Mayor of Chicago.
73. They grew up with virtual pets to feed, water, and play games with, lest they die.
74. Ringo Starr has always been clean and sober.
75. Professional athletes have always competed in the Olympics.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Our Anniversary Dinner - Review of Sabor

It is not my intention to review restaurants but this one could not be passed up. I received a gift certificate from my co-workers for my birthday to a new restaurant in Milwaukee called Sabor. Sabor can be described as a steakhouse but what makes it different is that it is a Brazilian churrascaria type of restaurant that is found in New York and Miami. The people of Milwaukee should love this concept considering it is all-you-can-eat.

I made reservations for 7:30 and the gentleman taking my call asked if it was a special occasion. I told him it was our anniversary. When we arrived I was surprised to find the placed packed for a Monday evening. We were greeted by a hostess who took us to our table and said, "happy anniversary, enjoy your meal." I was impressed.

The decor was contemporary and beautiful. Very relaxing. We were welcomed to Sabor by a host who asked us if we preferred tap water, bottled water or sparkling water. He also gave us our extensive wine list. Sabor has a wine room filled with over 2000 bottles of wine. We watched our server go into the locked room to retrieve our bottle that we ordered. Our server, Alex, gave us the details on the unique dining experience we were about partake in.

Our first course began with a trip to the "salad bar" which is not your typical salad bar. It was filled with fresh vegetables prepared all different ways, scallops and couscous, salmon, cheese, fruit, stuffed artichokes, the best grilled and marinated portabella mushrooms I have every had and so much more. When we arrived back at our table we had cheese bread waiting for us. It looked like little balls of dough and was warm and melted in your mouth. So good. My husband was very antsy for the next course. He loved the salad bar but wanted meat.

Ready, set, go! When you are ready to partake in the second course you turn over your little stop and go card that is placed in front of you. We turned our cards to green and within minutes one person was clearing our salad plates, another was giving us fresh forks and these huge steak knives and yet another sever was bringing out mashed potatoes, black beans, rice, fried bananas and more cheese bread. Then came heaven - the Gauchos (Brazilian cowboys) came out of the kitchen with large skewers of meat, all kinds of meat. Pork, sirloin, lamb, tenderloin, chicken, filet. 12 different kinds of meat in all. My favorite was the Picanah which is a sirloin seasoned with garlic and sea salt. My second favorite was the Filet Mignon. Who am I kidding, everything was fabulous. We stuffed ourselves. It was the most incredible meat I have ever had.

It is a little on the pricey side ($42.50/person) but all the food in included. (There is a salad bar only option for vegetarians that runs $32.50.) I know some restaurants in town where you will pay $30+ for a steak and if you want a salad or potatoes you are up to $40+. In essence, it's a good price for the quality and quantity of food. Bottles of wine start at about $25 and run up to $300 or so.

I highly recommend this restaurant to people, especially if you like your meat. The food combined with the service and atmosphere made Sabor one of our favorite restaurants in town.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Happy Anniversary to me!

Well, to us. 2 years.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Spent too much money

Ouch, I spent too much money this weekend. My money and our money. My husband and I have our own personal accounts. We have set amount of money from paychecks that go into our personal savings accounts. Kind of like an allowance. This is nice because we don't have to report our splurges to the family budget and it means more when give each other gifts. Anyway, it doesn't matter, the money I spent this weekend came from our joint and my personal. Ouch.....Again.
We started the weekend with a nice dinner at Izumi's (a sushi restaurant in Milwaukee). Great sushi, great service and a fun atmosphere. I still can't believe I got my husband to like sushi.

Saturday I decided that I needed some new clothes. My current selection is old and boring. I headed over to Mayfair and wandered aimlessly through the stores. Too cheap, too expensive, too old-lady, too teen.... so frustrating. My final stop was to one of my favorite stores, The Buckle. I was not expecting to find anything because their clothes are usually pretty casual and I needed some clothes for work. Just as I was picking up a very stylish fall sweater, the cutest "sales" girl came up to me and suggested a tank top that would "go great" with the sweater in my hand. Instantly she gained my attention and my trust. I don't know what it was about her. I explained to her that while I love the style of The Buckle, my workplace was pretty conservative and I needed to keep that in mind while building new outfits. She was amazing. She kept bringing me different outfits, different options, all that were my style and appropriate for work. It was not my intention to buy six new pieces of clothing and two necklaces but somehow I did.
After many weeks of researching I finally decided that I was going to make the biggest electronic purchase I have ever made. (This does not include all the electronics and toys my husband has purchased for the house). Nike and Apple have decided to team up and make one of the coolest running gizmos ever. I least I think so. Nike calls the products Nike+. First you need a iPod nano made by Apple. They come in a 1GB, 2GB or 4GB. The 4GB holds 1000 songs and you can download your outlook calendar, add photos, videos etc. I decided that this would be my first purchase. Wow, this thing is so small. Its as thin as 2 credit cards and about 4 inches high. The iPod nano is very easy to use and Apple provides very user friendly directions on how to use every feature on the nano. I am having so much fun creating music list for work, running and just everyday use. I have even added photos and can customize a slide show.

My next purchase is the Nike+iPod sport kit. This includes a sensor for my Nike shoes that allows my shoes to talk to my iPod. Really, it does. The sensor will also send all my running statistics to a receiver that attaches to my nano. When I get done with my run I will be able to download all the data to my personal training log on nikerunning.com.
HOW COOL IS THIS!?

It was fun to spoil myself like this. It's not everyday that I spend this kind of money in a 48 hour period. And I don't like to brag about it. But at this point in our lives we can do these little extravagant weekends. And since we don't have any children we might as well as take advantage of these situations while we still can. Once the children come, no more iPod nanos! Oh, but I did spoil my cat too. She got new litter, a big bag of her favorite flavor of cat food and treats.

Monday, August 14, 2006

iPod Nano

I have a lot to catch up on from this past weekend. But I just wanted to quickly post to say.....if you don't have the iPod Nano........go get one.

More later!

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

To tri or not to tri

That is the question.

My running is stale. I have been running for over 20 years. Grade school, high school, college and after college (whatever you call that). I have always set goals, achieved them, set higher goals and achieved those. I'm in a rut. I have no goals right now, no race ahead of me. It's that time of year where road racing is winding down and marathon season is picking up. I'm not/can't train for a marathon this fall, what's next? I could go run some collegiate cross country races and get my butt kicked by some 20 year old kids..... nah.

I've always wanted to try a triathlon. The Ironman has always fascinated me. I know that right now that is not a reasonable goal and I need to start small. So I think I am going to spend this fall and winter training for one. A "sprint" triathlon is a good start. I having the running down so I'll really need to work on my swim and bike. It will take a lot of time and dedication.

It is times like these that I can't imagine having kids. How do you train? I know there are women out there who have kids and accomplish such goals. How do they find the time? As much as I want to have children it is times like these that I don't. It takes a lot of time and dedication to do a triathlon. If I get pregnant, I will most likely have to stop my intense training. Then after the child is born, when do I have the time to actually start up again. Am I being selfish? So having children means I have to give up my goals and life? Or does your outlook on life really change once you have kids? Are there mothers out there who really miss their freedom and being able to do whatever they want? These are questions I have about motherhood.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

So my brother rocked last night

He took second. I personally think he should have won (of course). He gave everyone chills in the audience with "You Raise Me Up" and won some nice prizes. Here are some pics.



Wednesday, August 02, 2006

My mom said

Ok, I have to make this post cause my mom said. She was reading my blog (uh oh, better keep it clean) and she said I don't have kids cause I'm having too much fun. Or something like that. She also mentioned that I should make sure I say that I'm not trying to put down people who have kids or that people who have kids don't have fun. Good point mom. There are some of us who are waiting to have kids, are trying to have kids or just can't have kids. We have more options to explore because of our freedom. (Is that a bad word to use? Freedom cause I don't have kids?) Whew, make sense?

Oh and mom is cool. We also talked about how it is annoying that some people think that because they have kids their life has to stop. Sure, your lifestyle has to change but you can still have fun and do enjoyable things. We also discussed how it's irritating when you have friends that automatically thing they can bring their kids when they are invited to dinner, showers, parties, weddings etc. Why? Why do people automatically assume that? And then when you try to explain to them it's an adult only situation they throw a fit.

Got some good stories? Share!

Monday, July 31, 2006

Volleyball pictures from the weekend







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A wonderful weekend because of no children

Hee!
Ok, if we had children we could not have enjoyed this past weekend like we did. Now for all you people out there who have children don't be offended and make comments like "oh, but if you had children you could have still had fun.......etc." Yeah, yeah, yeah I know. But guess what? We don't and so we enjoyed it like this:

Friday night after dinner my husband and I took a stroll down to the Historic Third Ward in Milwaukee for Gallery Night. First we had to stop at this new clothes boutique called Fred. Ladies, if you haven't been there yet, go now. Cute, classy, trendy yet affordable clothes. Unique and fun. My husband even agreed to go in and was happy he did after they offered us a glass of wine to enjoy while we shopped.

Next we stopped at the Milwaukee Public Market to pick up a spice box from The Spice House for a gift for my mother in law. Note to all, mother-in-law's love gifts from The Spice House.

Our final stop was New World Wine Company. We really did have every intention of going into some galleries since it was Gallery Night but after this stop, that wasn't going to happen. First we sampled some great wine from Spain and New Zealand. The wine from Spain was very good and on sale for $9.99 so we decided to buy a bottle. Then my husband thought it would be a great idea to get a 6 pack of The Lakefront Brewery Cattail Ale and drink it down by the river. We found a nice grassy spot on the Riverwalk and each enjoyed a bottle of the hometown favorite beer. And another bottle and then another. We watched the boats go by, talked about the new condos going up, had fun people watching, talked about the new boat we were going to buy (this on our third beer) and just enjoyed the night. We then strolled home along the Riverwalk. By the time we got to our condo the Germanfest Fireworks began and we sat in the MSOE baseball bleachers and watched the beautiful display light up the sky. What a perfect way to end the night.

Saturday morning after my run we packed up our jeep and headed down to Bradford Beach for the AVP Bradford Beach Jam Volleyball Tournament. Volleyball, soccer, dodgeball, rugby, BMX bikes and windsurfing all going on. We went to watch volleyball tournament. Set up our chairs between the center courts, had some beers and watched some fantastic volleyball all day. I'll post pictures soon. I really got some great shots.

Our Sunday consisted of Church and a family visit followed by playing some volleyball ourselves. As stated in a early post, I need to practice!

We had a wonderful weekend and it was so nice to enjoy the freedom we have. Not there is anything wrong with children and I'm sure they are great but right now we are taking advantage of not having children and enjoy each other.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Ozaukee Idol.......my little brother

Ok, sorry to use this as a plug for my brother. But I'm sorry, he rocks. Please check him out on this webite. Joshua Pope. He is amazing, please vote for him Thank you!!!

http://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/idol/

Thursday, July 27, 2006

This is my blood y'all

Um, yeah, me, my mom and my brother. ... I guess I haven't even blogged about my family. Posted by Picasa

Volleyball

I can't play it. I love it, can't play it.

I never played in grade school or high school. I was too involved with running, basketball, cheerleading, softball, band, choir, drama, art fair, science fair, and forensics so I had to give something up. I couldn't get a serve over the net so volleyball got dumped. I still loved watching it and I went to as many games as possible.

So I meet my husband and volleyball is one of his passions. He plays indoor and beach. I decide that I want to learn how to play again. My plate isn't full like it was in school so what the heck? I really love to watch the game. I search for the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball tournaments on TV every weekend. I love watching Misty May and Kerri Walsh. They are amazing women athletes and they make the game look so easy.

My patient husband teaches me the fundamentals again and works with me when we have time. After he is done playing on the beach he'll work with me and my skills. We decide to play indoor with our church league this past winter. That went ok. Not too competitive but enough for me to get use to a game situation again. We are asked to play in the summer league and I got very excited because I felt my skills were getting better and I love playing in the sand.

Last night was humiliating. I couldn't set the ball to save my life. My poor husband was all over trying to hit the ball. I couldn't pass and I couldn't hit. I knew what I was doing wrong but I couldn't correct it. I was so frustrated and I'm sure that made it worse. I left last night never wanting to play again. But my husband reminded me, "that is just sports." This is true. But in running I didn't have to work so hard. Yes, I would have to run 60 miles a week, but that came easy to me. Sure, running repeat miles under race pace in the heat is hard, but again, it was easy to me. I guess that is why I'm so frustrated. I want it to be as easy as running. I have to understand that I can't perfect something overnight.

Speaking of volleyball. There is an AVP tournament down at Bradford Beach this weekend. The Bradford Beach Jam starts at 8:00 a.m. and will end with a concert on the Beach by King Solomon at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Next Project

The last couple of weeks I have been trying to think of a new project for myself. I need something to work towards, a goal, an activity of some sort. My whole life I have been working on something.........graduating from high school, being a competitive runner in college, graduating from college, running the Chicago Marathon, getting married, graduating from grad school....... so what's next. I get up, go to work, go home, run, eat dinner, watch reruns of Friends and go to bed. Hmmmmm. Do I want to take more classes? Do another marathon? How about a trithlon? Start my own business? So these are some things I will be seriously exploring the next couple days.

Friday, July 21, 2006

Morning Run

The nice thing about not having kids right now is my freedom. Like this morning for example. I woke up at 6:30 (an hour earlier than I need to) and I decided to just get up and go for my run. I didn't have to worry about anyone but myself. Well, my husband freaked out a little bit when he heard the door close and didn't see me in bed. It took him awhile to realize that I was out running.

It was beautiful this morning. The thing I love about Milwaukee is one minute you are running in the middle of the city. Cars, sirens, people and tall buildings. Then in a half mile I'm out by the lake and I feel like I am far away from the city life. There are trails I can take where I am greeted by bunnies, tons of birds, squirrels and chipmunks.

It's nice to start your morning with a 5 mile run. I feel like I have already accomplished a lot. And I don't feel guilty about the donut I just ate.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Yes, this was me......

Yes, I was the Tracey in Mike Nichols column in the Journal Sentinel.
Thong wearers at the beach? Ewwwwwwwww

Come on, are you going to disagree with me?

Would you give up your job to follow a dream?

I just got done reading "So you wanna be a bouncer" on mkeonline.com. Have you ever thought of leaving your 9-5 job for something else you would really enjoy even if it meant a significant pay cut? Would you consider going back to school for a completely different career path? Have you thought about starting your own business?

These are questions that run through my mind when I read about people in the above article. What are your thoughts?

Monday, July 17, 2006

Afghan Women Soccer Players

An American woman in their 30's probably has never worried about women's rights. I know that I have gone through my life feeling pretty equal to men. Sure, we still have some things we need to fight but overall we are pretty lucky. We can vote, have a full-time career and participate in sports. Overall we have a good life in America. So good we probably forget about other countries.

Last night my husband and I enjoyed our relaxing Sunday evening by watching the ESPY's.
"The ESPY's gather the top celebrities from sports and entertainment to commemorate the past year's best sports stories by recognizing major achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances" hosted by ESPN. Yes, I love ESPN and look forward to the ESPY's every year.

At one point in the show they brought on Ashley Judd to present the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Within 1 minute my husband and I sat in silence and disbelief as they did a short documentary on Afghanistan and the Taliban's rule over the country and what it meant for women. I'm sure many of you know the history of Afghanistan and the Taliban's rule but if you need a reminder please see the Human Rights Website. Women had to cover themselves completely while out in public, they were not allowed to have jobs, go to school, teach their children, forced to marry, raped, beaten and executed if they did not follow these rules.

In November 2001 the U.S.-led alliance toppled the Taliban and women and girls in Afghanistan have gained some freedom to participate in public life and access to education, health care, and employment. While there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in regards to women's rights Ashley began speak of these new found freedoms including the Women's Soccer. Presently fifteen teams made up of girls ranging in age from 12 to 18 play soccer in Kabul, their country's capital. The leagues were formed after a handful of girls from Afghanistan traveled to the U.S. in the summer of 2004 to attend soccer clinics as part of a organization, the Afghan Youth Sports Exchange. When they returned home they wanted to share with other young women what they learned. Two of the girls who visited the U.S. that summer and still play soccer, 18-year old Shamila Kohestani and 16-year old Roia Ahmad accepted the award on stage at the ESPYS. They received a standing ovation and were dressed in beautiful traditional Afghanistann clothes.

2006 ESPY's Press Room

Not much to say after that. Lots of thoughts have been running through my head.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

A highlight of the weekend - The Air Show

After spending a couple hours at Bradford Beach playing volleyball, we decided to head down to Veterans park to see the last day of the Air Show.
Wow.
I love those planes.



Bastille Days

Bastille Days will end tonight. My husband and I ventured down there Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Overall we had a great time except for Saturday.....

Thursday was the run. I reported on that already. We had fun that night. Ran into a lot of our thirtysomething year old friends.

Friday we ended up spending the night with Stormin Sasha and her best friend J. We found the deals on beer ($3.50 for one, $2.50 refills). We had fun. It was nice to be outside, drinking cheap beer and catching up with a great friend.

Now Saturday got a little scary. My parents met us at our condo for some wine and then we walked down to Bastille Days together. They left and we met up with some friends to watch the fire show. It was about 10 pm and My husband whispered in my ear, "I don't have a good feeling about tonight. We should get out of here soon." The crowd got to be sketchy and was not a typical downtown Milwaukee crowd. Fights were starting and tensions were rising. We did end up leaving after someone lit off fireworks in a crowd. Next morning headlines, "Two people killed at downtown club."
Great.
Now this might not have had anything to do with Bastille Days. But we knew things were not right.
We should not have to worry about these kind of episodes. The shooting was at club that was already under violation of their license. Why were they still open? Why weren't the police there at closing?
These are just some questions that I have for our city leaders and I will be writing a letter with more. Very disturbing.

A 3 year old and drums

So my 3 year old nephew got drums for his birthday. That's right, drums. My head started hurting as he was banging away on the drums..... and my head hurt for about two more hours afterwards. But it didn't matter. he loved it. He could not stop smiling.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Weekend plans

The 5k run was fun last night. A little crazy with runners who cram to the front that should not be at the front but that's a different story. The course was short so my time of 18:58 was not a real 5k time. Oh well.

This weekend my husband and I plan to head back to Bastille Days and hope to run into some of our other thirtysomething friends.

Tomorrow is the obligatory nephew birthday party. My sister's son turns 3. Birthday party tomorrow afternoon. For some reason I end up hyperventilating at these parties. Partially because I get the "when are you having kids" question but mainly because there ends up being 20 other kids there running around and it is just very overwhelming for me. Doesn't phase my sister who has to clean up after the they destroy her house. I guess she has the "meant to be a mother" genes. Not me, no way. I could not handle all those kids in my house spilling soda and throwing cake. But anyway, it ends up being a good time and we get to pick up Grammie. Ahhhhh Grandma, that's a new story.

All right, its quitting time. This place is a ghost town, time for me to get a glass of red wine.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Tonight

Today starts "Bastille Days" here in downtown Milwaukee. This is usually a fun festival. First of all, it's free. You can't get any better than that. Labeled as a street festival, the event is known for the 5k run, street performers, musical entertainment, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, lots of food and alcohol and a signature 43-foot Eiffel Tower replica.

My husband and I enjoy this festival. It is in our backyard which makes it very convenient. Its a nice change of pace from the bar scene that we are getting too old for. It's nice to be outside, as long as it's warm, and enjoy good music, good food and good wine.

I will be participating in the 5k run this evening. It is crazy. Starts at 9pm and goes through the streets of downtown and the Third Ward. The finish ends right in the festival where most runners are handed a beer.

Ok, cause Sasha says.....

My friends, the click. An amazing group of crazy individuals. CH (Bobs), MK (Stormin Sasha), JD (JJ), RT (Chicken), SG, and EB. How we became friends and have remained friends is beyond me. We are such different individuals. What brought us together was the fact that we were all planning our weddings at one point in the last 2 years and visited a local chat board, The Knot, for wedding ideas and advice. Well, some of us..... Chicken was out to make girls cry. JUST KIDDING, kinda. Long story short, we became friends. We have had gatherings at our houses, attended wine tastings, gone to movies, went to Summerfest and we even had a cabin weekend.

I have only known these girls for a short period of time but yet I feel like it has been so much longer. We have come from entirely different walks of life. Different political beliefs, different religious beliefs, different views on children and pretty different careers. Some of us love sports and some of us can't tell you the difference between a touchdown and a homerun.

They are so strong and supportive. They have such unique personalities. They are beautiful inside and out. And I have learned so much from these amazing women. I have learned that it's ok to have different opinions and you can have healthy disagreements off these opinions. They have taught me that I should think outside the box once in awhile. I have also learned how to embrace our differences walking away from discussions learning something.

These beautiful women make me feel special and I am thrilled to be part of this girlfriend group. I treasure our past year and look forward to what our future brings.

Save these dogs

I am now sitting here at work with tears in my eyes. If you want a dog please visit this website:
Charlie Sykes - Save these Dogs

And while you are looking there, please visit this website too:
Wisconsin Humane Society

I will now go home and hug my cat that I got from the Humane Society.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Tonight at volleyball

First of all let me say I love this weather. JUST LOVE IT! I know, I know, I'm in the wrong state. Ok, working on that. So my husband and I play volleyball with our church league on Wednesdays. Nice night, having fun..... 3rd game, we're up 2-0..... all of a sudden there is this terrible screaming. A little girl got her leg stuck on some playground thing. Parents running, kid screaming, volleyball game paused..... someone got her leg "unstuck" without injury. Whew......but let me tell you, kids scare the crap out of me. Ok, honestly, we are trying, we want a family, but I don't know if it's the fact that I'm getting older and more comfortable in my lifestyle but all of a sudden kids scare me.

Yes I'm still working on the stories of my friends, what can I say, they are special and need extra time.

Good night.

My friends

Ok, let me talk about my friends. My girlfriends that is. Yes I have guy friends too, even though some people believe that a male and a female cannot be friends without feelings. But we will save that topic for another day.
I have friends from college that I am still close to. I have also been fortunate to meet other girlfriends from other life situations. But this past year I was fortunate to meet a group of wonderful ladies off the internet. Yes, you read that right, the internet. We were all members of a wedding planning website, The Knot, and attended a gathering to meet the other Wisconsin area brides. Crazy hey? A group of 7 of us clicked and we call ourselves the click. Yes, we know, it's suppose to be clique but again, another story for later. With exception of one, we are all recently married, have careers, we are beautiful (well of course) and come from very different walks of life. Let me just note that the one that is not married broke off an engagement and let me just say how much I respect her for doing so. I consider her a very strong and amazing woman.
So let me begin. Hmmm, let me think, I think I will do separate posts for each one as they will and could get long............

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

First Post

Ok so let's see how this goes. Why am I writing this blog? I think it's because I told my husband I was bored. I'm 33, married, I have a graduate degree, I live in a fabulous condo in downtown Milwaukee, I've run a marathon, I have a cat and I don't have any kids. So, what's next in life? Volunteer? Sit on a board? Join some clubs? Do mission work? Go back to school, again? I guess it's time to explore my options. Through this thought process (and some red wine) I figured why not share my experiences. There has to be other women in the same boat.

Hello, my name is Tracey, I'm 33, married and I don't have any kids. Why do I mention that? Let's face it, kids take up a lot of time. I have none so my life is pretty free. What do I do to stay busy? I work full time in public relations, I'm a competitive runner (well, I try to be), I play volleyball, I love spending time with my husband and I love girl nights. So what is my problem?

I guess I look around and see these other women accomplishing so much. Maybe it's because I have always been doing something, involved in activities, had goals to accomplish. High school, undergrad, graduate school, competitive running races etc. And now I really don't have to do anything expect wake up, feed my cat and go to work. But what do I want to do? What do I want to be involved it? What is there to do?

Well, I'm going to dive into what is out there. Join me......