A look back at 2008

Recently I've been thinking about how awful this winter is, how cold it is, how much snow we have. I realize this will pass and there will be green grass and moments of reading outside again. I was also thinking how over the course of every year my life tends to change. This year the big change was moving in with Mike. I am in a committed relationship with someone I could live with for the rest of my life. I would have never thought that a couple years ago, nor would I have wanted it.

In 2008:

1. Watched my sister get married, move into a house and buy a puppy
2. Relaxed, drank, ate and made friends in Cabo, Mexico
3. Ate my first Izumi's fish fry and then many many more
4. Tubed on Shawano lake - which I haven't since I was in high school
5. Danced, partied and tanned in Fort Myers beach with the girls
6. Designed my favorite campaign to date - the Flavors of Denver and am very happy that they raised a huge amount of money, topping last year's event.
7. Double Dated at Noah's Ark
8. Lost a lot of money in the stock market
9. Took Mike to his first State Fair
10. Won best an award for best email campaign within the nations continuing education schools.
11. Learned how to cook with garlic or cook in general
13. Feel in love with the blue cheese dip at Lulu and Juniper 61
14. Chaired a committee at work to raise money for local and national nonprofits
15. Saw some really great music acts: Ray LaMontange in Madison, Amos Lee in Chicago and Milwaukee, Jack Johnson in Alpine Valley, Matt Costa in Atlanta, Jeffery Foucault in Milwaukee and Fort Atkinson and the best show ever - Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band at Harley Fest
16. Surprised Mike with a trip to Atlanta to see his best friend
17. Learned a lesson to stay away from group dinners over 8 people
18. Meet about 50 more relatives of Mike's in one evening
19. Pushed myself to design better, say no to clients and be utterly creative
20. Learned to: value the friends I am closest with, reconnect with old friends, take criticism with a grain of salt, cherish the time I have with my grandmas and grandpa, live responsibly not extravagantly, speak up, and most of all love the one I'm with.

Payoff

So after the previous ranting, that day happened to be our work holiday party. At which time two awards were given out for employee excellence. Guess who won the first? Yes yours truly, out of 80 employees I won an award for outstanding work. It was ironic while I was standing beside the Dean while she was reading that I make all my deadlines, am very optimistic, etc that the two week prior I have not made one deadline and would rather drink arsenic for lunch than work on a project. I do hope that being the only one in the office over the winter break, I'll be able to catch up on all my projects and you know be prepared for that big 17 day vacation come March.

Give me a straight answer

At work I deal with all types of people. Nice people, demanding people, controlling people, crazy fun people. The past couple weeks I've dealt with them all more so than before. Today was the first day in a really long time that if the person on the other side of the telephone was standing in front of me I would have mustered up all my frustration and punched them.

You see this person on the other side of the phone is not the person you can get a straight answer from when you ask her a general question. And if it's a billable question, this person wants it in writing. But when asked a very general question she will not answer it. Not at all. And when the process is not followed to a T but made efficient for a brief moment in time, who gets a lecture? I do.

If I'm not an alcoholic by 2009 I'd be surprised.

$1.59

Gas is now down to $1.59. And for all you milk drinkers, the price for a gallon of milk is $1.98 (with coupon). According to this ad, you're saving $1.91. Everything is half off this Christmas, except movie tickets.

Sleep

As soon as it started getting cold out I LOVE sleeping. At work at about 3pm I can't wait to cuddle up, put my head on the pillow and have sweet dreams. It's hard to stay up at night unless something really exciting is going on like a wedding, 80's dancing or some really good Entertainment news. Since it's been cold a new soft furry blanket has made friends with the sheet and quilt. I end up kicking down the cotton sheet so that my body is wrapped up in this milk chocolate fur. It is absolutely wonderful.

Red Lobster

Yesterday, for the first time in over 15 years I dined at Red Lobster. Since I had an extremely frustrating day at work all I wanted a cold beer and fried food. Mike and I have been to the dive places in Tosa so we decided to try something new - Red Lobster. I anticipated red leather booths, all you can eat fried shrimp and the smell of grease. Not the case. I would say it's the equivalent to a Applebees. The decor was nice, the menu had variety but there was not all you can eat anything. The food was so so. I can't believe we went there - next time I'm going back to the Rick Inn on capital where jack and cokes are less than $5 and the fried fish is awesome.

$1.69

Gas is now $1.69. I thought it would spike after lunch due to holiday traveling. Clearly it went the other way. Down. I'm back to bombay sapphires tonics and doesn't it feel good.

$1.79

Gas has now drop 10 cents since my last post. Which means it dropped in two days. If we continuing dropping at 10 cents lets say per week (to be generous) we will be at $1.29 at Christmas, maybe $1.39 because of traveling. Today it is now more than half of what it was this summer. Since people are having trouble buying cars and paying loans i have an idea. Forget that your 401K down, it will be back up after your hair has fallen out. So your now paying half of what you used to for gas. Let's put that money toward your mortgage or your car loan or the new purchase of a car, rather than material things or a to "stimulate" the economy. It will be slow but then the banks can start trusting in the average person and we will be back on track.

Revenge of the gnome

I thought I found all the 40+ gnomes that lived in my dad's house. I was proven wrong. When I opened a box in the storage room labeled "Kitchen" I pulled out a sculpture that Mom had made. "Cool" I thought, "There must be more." So I started unwrapping the newspaper and there in my hand lay Caroline, the ballet gnome; Yule, the Christmas gnome; Val, the valentine gnome; etc. Total gnome count before Monday was 60+. Then I talked to my grandma in Oconomowoc who mentions she has more gnomes for me to take ((since she is moving (which will be a completely different blogpost)). I think my mom was crazy and my dad was crazier for letter her spend $30, even more for each gnome. I have no idea what value they added to everyday life but I have spent over one day trying to sell these creatures on ebay. I'll try to say goodbye but I know that is probably not the case.

$1.89

Gas is now $1.89.

Last Friday it was $1.99 which I didn't think it would hit that mark until the end of the year. Christmas has come early for gas guzzlers. Where will it be by the end the year, lower or higher? I was reading the December issue of Money Magazine which experts said the gas price may drop to the price it was last year...around $2.35. If the experts aren't on, who else isn't? The government. This price drop is a better bailout plan than Bush sending out checks to everyone but the rich.

My question is why is a half gallon of milk more expensive than gas?

My little sister got married

My little sister got married Nov. 1st in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. I don't think I've ever drank, partied and danced four days in a row. Whatever it took, money, stress, coffee we all made it work and it was so much fun. The highlight of the trip was party after the wedding. Most of the wedding party, friends, family crowded into the Tiki bar which had the best DJ ever. Within minutes of a song request the dj would play it. More than half of the bar was guest from the wedding. And most of us stayed to close it down. I also learned that you cannot take an open intoxicant into the car. Which I guess I wanted to do. But by the time I plopped myself into grandpa's big chair I was asleep.

The weather, the seafood, family and friends made for a very good beach wedding.

What a weekend

It was very hard to get up this morning. It could have been that I topped off constant blue moon beer drinking with a glass of red wine. Between gallery night on Friday, a birthday party, cleaning the house, buying pumpkins, cooking at 2am, and the third annual Mike and Gina pumpkin party I think I deserved to sleep in a little bit.

Homework for Republicans

If you haven't read the article in the Rolling Stone about John McCain I highly encourage you do so. If it doesn't change your vote I don't know what will.

Read it here

McCain

what I want to be when I grow up

Since my job at the University isn't very exciting at the movement I started to think of other things I could be.

1. An upholsterer bringing back to life old furniture with fashionable fabric
2. The first COOL woman cycling jersey designer
3. Founder of a green gym, where the equipment generates power when used
4. A designer of high fashion clutches and other bags
5. A photographer for National Geographic
6. An Art Director for a Luxury Travel magazine
7. Head of a nonprofit that helps women find and stay in a job
8. An organic farmer
9. Director of opening movie credits
10. A green remodeling expert

Solving the world's economic problem

Forget everything you learned about supply and demand.

I think that the top persons who make the most money in a company should reduce their pay by a small percentage and give themselves a pat on the back for doing a great job. Then whatever business they are in, they should lower the cost at whatever they are selling by another small percentage. Giving the consumer a better price leaves more money for them to pay their debt or spend on other services and products. Hence helping businesses and consumers. And send all oil executives to Mars, that includes you George W. This is my ideal world.

Cake

My weekend was great. Mike and I like to go to a fish fries on friday nights. So we drove to Pewaukee to a little place called the 5 o'clock club and we had a nice greasy fish fry.

On Saturdays Mike usually does yard work but took the day off to shop with me. We stopped at the Public Market because our friend works for Heavy Rotation, a graphic t-shirt shop. They were having an awesome sale on their shirts. Every shirt $5. I got one and Mike bought 5 or 6 or 10. He has a t-shirt addiction.

Since a furniture store in Racine was clearing out some fabric we made a day of hanging out in in Southern Wisconsin. After picking up a truckload of fabric we had our second fish fry at the YardArm. Their specialty is the "sanddollar". A thin fried potatoe slice sprinkled with cheese. Yummy.

I hadn't been to the Kenosha outlets in two years so I shooooped! I bought two dresses at Banana Republic. One which is replacing the outfit I bought a couple days ago to wear to an event later in the evening. Oh it was perfect a little short but at least it zippered all the way up! Ah fab, so many more stores to go in. Venturing to a newly built area I found white house black market and bcbg. So dangerous - I had to leave.

Tonight our friend Shanel, an amazing creative fabric goddess was putting on a runway showing featuring her new line of clothes. I helped her out with the invite (above) so I got comp tixs to the show. I had my hot new dress one, Mike looked awesome and we were going to my first ever fashion show. The things that Shanel showed were slamming.
I wish I owned at least half of them.

Afterwards Mike and I enjoyed a quiet moment at elsa's. I had the double trouble I'm in heaven chocolate cake. Mike had a BLT. We both had coffee and conversation. And then we crashed.

Ah Sunday the day I've been looking forward to for so so long - It's Packer football day. I wake up earlier than normal for a Sunday. Because I have so much energy I go for my first run since January.

We had some of our friends for the game and dinner. Brought in our cozy house, chocolate cake. I can't wait to finish dinner I just want to bite in no utensils to this jimmy covered cake. It's so good. It really needs to go home with the owner but it's left here. Left to be consumed for breakfast, for a little snack after lunch, right before bed, and whenever I'm upset about the pack blowing it.

this little piggy

I wasn't expecting to have a busy weekend but I did. My very first friend I made in college was Aaron. And if it weren't for him I would have never met Mike. He moved to New York 4 or so years ago. (Grandma you met him in Florida 6 years ago). Every time he comes to town I try to see him. This past Friday a group of us met out at a new bar in the Third Ward called Soho 7. He is one of the most energetic, good natured persons I've ever met.

The next morning I wake up to bacon and pancakes, not unusual for the weekend. But it just so happened to be the day my friends were throwing a pig roast. I think about the poor piggy covered in grease sitting next to my pancake... o your so very delicious.. and I'm going to see your cousin in a couple hours. Did I want to go to the pig roast? No, because I think there were better party themes to have than in honor of a pig. But what the heck all my friends will be there. So I went and ALL my college friends were there. Most are now married, engaged or have babies. One person I didn't even know was asking me about my bags, which I thought was very nice. My new friend Joy showed up and we got suckered into playing old college drinking drinking games. After seven+ hours the pig was done and I wasn't prepared to eat it so I had everything else but meat, plus all the beer I had I was full.

For the past couple months, Joy and I had talked about going to the dance club "Have a Nice Day Cafe" but never acted on it. It's one of those places you know are going are crawling with underage college kids and bachelorette parties. It took one call inviting us to a free beer party and we were there. It felt like high school dance party.

By midnight I was missing Mike so I finally made it back home. It was one of those nights were if you moved while sleeping you'd be running for the nearest receptacle.

By 9am the phone was ringing with an invitation to brunch and my sister frantic about finding a skirt to match her top for her bridal shower. I could have used an hour or two more of sleep. I met my friend Sue at Bean's and Barley, an organic restaurant and grocery store for breakfast. The last time I saw Sue was in December in Chicago so it was good to catch up. Sue and I could have talked for a couple more hours but I was already putting off the drama that would encounter me in West Bend.

If you don't live in Wisconsin, it rained all weekend. So I white knuckled the drive up. I could have used some aspirin because as soon as I walked through the door I have questions being slingshotted from both my grandma and her special friend and because they are hard of hearing they are louder than normal, and they usually talk at the same time.

This is now the second Packer game I missed this year. I am 0-2 while the Pack is 2-0. But I am the maid of honor and I must have a drink during this bridal shower. It didn't help me brush of the night of drinking and dancing but I made it threw it without throwing up. Grandma has a three prong which is like a cane with training wheels but she preferred me to help her up down and around the house. I think my other grandma has it right by drinking a martini once a day.

By 6pm I was back in Milwaukee cuddling up with Mike for the rest of the night.

Socks

Today is the first day I've put on socks since May. I don't like it, but I look back to summer and realize that I've had a pretty awesome summer. Mike has just made a fire and sadly we enter fall, but first a few highlights from Summer:

1. Seeing Amos Lee in Chicago
2. Wearing big summer hats at the market
2. Seeing Jeffery Focult play, twice
3. Moving into Mike's house
4. Hanging out at Pere Marquette Park Wednesday nights listening to live music
5. Seeing my friend Joey in a plaid jacket
6. Finishing the basement into my office
7. Celebrating 1 year since Mike and I have started dating
8. Eating Transfer Pizza
9. Game nights and cookouts
10. A weekend getaway to Shawano
11. Learning that my sister thinks Woolly Mammoths still exist
12. Dragging buckets of water out of Mike's basement
13. Using fresh herbs from the garden for cooking
14. Taking a hip hop dance class with Sara
15. Double date at Noah's Ark
16. Riding in the family's first 25 mile bike ride
17. Partying with the Sara's for their birthday at the ballpark
18. The Fantasy Football draft party where I got drunk before dinner time
19. Saz's sampler platter at Summerfest and State Fair - yum!
20. Standing through 3.5 hours of the best Springsteen concert ever AND hearing him play "Glory Days"

MarcusMonroe.com is live

It's been nonstop work. I just sent a 64 page manual off to print and I'm about to wrap up another 100+ page manual that I've been working on for over a year to the printers. But one of my quicker and creative projects was designing and developing this site for my friend Marcus Monroe. Marcus is an awesome juggler if you get a chance to see him next Summerfest you should.
Visitmarcusmonroe.com

Work Outing

Today we had our first work outing in two years. Two years ago, about 6-8 people went bowling at Landmark Lanes. Today we left it up to our newest student to pick a park to play disk golf. I arrived first, smack dab in the ghetto. According to my map there should be a park building adjacent to the parking lot I was in. This building was the restroom. Then I walked some more I saw hole #1 so I knew I was in the right place all I had to do was wait. A car pulls up - hurray. The window rolls down and some man is trying to talk to me but it sounds like a bad version of Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder, you know the ghetto slang but with some chew in your bottom lip. After the third time of this man apparently asking me something I figure out he is looking for a restroom. Ah ha! I've already located it - right this way. A woman struts out to the restroom. The man, whom I've already learned is from Mississippi get out of the car to talk to me while waiting for his Milwaukee cousin. In one hand is a strawberry wine cooler and the other hand is down by his twig and berries all while asking me where I'm from, where do I work, why am I here. The woman in the bathroom could have hurried it by the time Mr Srawberry Cooler finished is beverage but nope. He finished it, noticed something about my toes - In the middle of me trying to figure out what he was saying he reached down and gently slide his fingers across my toes.

Where are my coworkers?

Finally the woman comes out of the bathroom and I'm too in shock to exchange contact info with my new friend so I wave in shock as they leave.

Enter big white van. This van is moving pretty fast at me and I've seen enough movies to know that this is a kidnapping van and I must move away. So I walk around like I'm a park ranger checking to make tee #1 is where it should be.

Where are my coworkers?

Then something magical happens. Two buff shirtless men jump out of the van with golf discs! Then more jump out! They inform me that they are part of a band from Texas and invite me to come see there show on North Ave. Awesome. Then they ask me where tee #1 is. I put on my park ranger smile and point " It's right over there." Oh they are impressed. They think I know this course, which means they think I know how to disc golf. Then they ask me why I'm there by myself and I feel lonesome and a fool who doesn't know what a disk golf frisbee even looks like.

The shirtless wonders wander off and I'm left waiting again.

After multiple phone calls to coworkers I have numbers to I get no answer. Is this a joke? Should I go home? Should I go back to work?

Finally they arrive. I learn how to play disc golf and by the last hole I learned how to properly throw it.

One of my favorite Youtube videos

I could be telling you about my transition to the west side or my crazy week of work or what a soap opera Favre and the Packers have become. But instead I'll share with you one of my favorite youtube videos. Star Trek cribs:

Great James Brown Video

I started a hip hop dance class to learn some cool moves, but nothing compares to the Godfather of Soul.

The end of my alone time

For the past week and a half my roommate has been on vacation in Ireland. Tomorrow she comes back. It was nice to come home to an empty condo and do whatever I want. Like leave my tea cup out overnight, or watch TV all day or not shut the bathroom door. I could make a meal and not clean up right away and I could turn off the AC when it didn't need to be on. Well I guess I could do all these things anyway but it's nice just to be lazy once in a while.

Yesterday, for example, was a great day to be lazy. I also had the day off work. I got my oil changed at the mini dealership, got my emissions tested and by noon I was home and bored. So I started reading a book my roommate suggested, "The Monster of Florence." I knew this might happen but I just had to finish the book as soon as I got into it. I did break to try to get freelance work done but each attempt was unsuccessful. I don't remember if I ate lunch or dinner, but by 8:30pm I had finished. And I was literally disturbed by the true story. I was alone fearing a serial killer about the condo so I had a beer which somewhat put me to sleep.

So I wil be glad when my roommate comes home. At least there will be someone to hear me scream for help.

My purple wall

In 25 more days I will be moved into the Bf's house. We starting priming the basement, which will be my office/sewing room. I've always wanted a purple wall. So I'm getting in. Not a light lavendar purple, but a deep bold purple, a purple that says lick me.

Tara Road

Last night I stayed up to midnight finishing the book, Tara Road. Earlier I had starting making dinner, thought I might read 50 pages while eatting, I was halfway through already. Then, while forking my penne pasta with pesto, one of the characters, Danny, who I had doubts about was finally caught with another character he shouldn't be with. I had predicted it but didn't want to accept it so what do I do - sleep on it, wonder about it, let this character go on until the next day. No, he must meet his demise. I read on, 170+ pages so that it could be put to an end. Finally at midnight I had relief, and was very gratefully that I will never end up with somelike Danny, quite the opposite.

Transfer

Some mornings I wake up craving a garlic pizza made by Transfer. Transfer has become my new favorite pizza joint. I didn't have one before this, well maybe the $5 Little Ceasar Monday special back in college. So this new place opened up a couple months ago and was recommended by a co-worker who is friends with the group of people who opened up the joint. They make about 30 different pizza's. My favorite by far is the garlic special. There is no pizza sauce, rather a garlic sauce with a white chese and your choice of meat. This is what I wake up craving. It's so good. If you get a chance to go it's located on 1st and Mitchell.

45 more days

Until the mergering of things, or in other words I move into my boyfriends house in Tosa. I was thinking about the things I will like and I won't like.

Dislikes:
1. Being away from the eastside. Everything is so close, you can walk to the lake, to the coffee shop, cool boutiques and walk home drunk from the bars.
2. Having to shovel snow
3. Snoring
4. Not being able to bike to work
5. Smaller bathroom
6. Unexpected housing repairs
7. The watching of Motorweek
8. The potholes on Statestreet
9. Farting
10. Disrupting space


Likes:
1. Cooking for two and not one
2. Low bills
3. The parkway to run and bike
4. An Alterra coffe shop on the corner
5. Friendly neighboors
6. Gardening
7. The 60" TV
8. Sharing cars
9. Fresh herbs for cooking
10. But it all comes down to coming home to someone I love

Mexico

Here is one of the pictures from my six day Mexican vacation in Cabo. Besides a touch of food poisoning right before I got on the airplane from Milwaukee the trip was awesome. We had great weather, good company and awesome bartenders.

The frozen gin

There was a day a week ago that I was having a really bad day at work. So when Mike (the bF) picked me up I asked if we could go to the liquor store before dropping me off at my place. Sure! Of course I didn't know what I wanted. I needed to keep on working so wine was out of the question, and I would end up drinking too much beer if that was my choice. So I ended up in the hard booze section. When in doubt always get gin. So that's what I did - the best stuff - bombay saphirre. Oh so good. Add on a bottle of tonic and a lime and I was now happy holding my paper bag of wonderfulness.

And it did the trick that night and the night after that. Well, come a couple days ago when I now really need a cocktail (I didn't have one every night...stop dialing AA) I found that I had run out of tonic. I could either run to the store which would be a 15 minute trip OR keep right on working with gin on the rocks. I took the later and a lot more rocks. After trying to acquire a taste for straight gin my craving dissappeared. Now I had still a lot of gin left in my glass and I thought back to the Florida beach house where I learned from my Grandma that you could freeze your drink and take it back out whenever you wanted, add some more mixer and you're good to go. And that's what I did.

So happy that I didn't waste my top shelf gin I was very proud of myself. Until the next night where it disappeared, upon investigation the glass had made itself into the dishwasher. Apparently my roommate must think I'm an alcholic for putting a glass of water in the freezer.

The disappearance of my salad

Last night I was really hungry for one of my favorite salads. My favorite salad's original name was the "Jacked-Up Salad" consisting of lots of green, mandarins, nuts and the key ingredient, jack fruit. It has since switched names upon the changing of chefs. None-the-less, the now "Sweet-Sweet Salad" has not changed...until yesterday, or last Monday to be exact.

Pulling up to the Forty8 (located at 48th Street and National) last night everything seemed pretty much normal. I ordered a glass of wine and started looking over the menu. The menu was far from regular forty8 menu, where is my sweet-sweet salad, where did all the good food go, was was I going to eat??? I was in shock. I started to look at my boyfriend, raised an eyebrow, and started to look around at the interior trying to find an answer. The walls had been repainted, redecorated and there in the front corner hung my answer, two cowboy boots and a big shiny metal star. We've entered into a western bar.

Our server, slash bartender, slash bus boy, slash probably new owner could tell we were less then enthused after law and order interrogation on the newly bought forty8, the chefs and the disappearance of my salad. I shed a little tear in my cobb salad while billy ray cyrus played in the background.

HOTlanta

This weekend my boyfriend used his Christmas present. We boarded a plane Friday morning to Atlanta and the low sixties. His friend, who is a spitting image of Tim Van Vooren of Fox6 news, has been living in the city for some time now is half the reason why I decided to fly south this particular weekend. The main reason was Matt Costa, a friend of Jack Johnson and a stellar muscian, was playing at a small venue Saturday night. The show was awesome, someday he'll be filling up Alpine Valley but to say you saw him when you were 1 in a crowd of 100 is pretty damn cool. Then Sunday morning rolled around and Jeff (aka Tim Van Vooren) pulled out his Gibson guitar and strummed some tunes in the middle of the kitchen.

Sunday afternoon we explored the Art Musuem which was displaying a Georgia O'kefefe as well as some smaller exhibits which were equally as exciting, Aftrican Art and Contemporary Photographs which included Gary Winogrand. Then after we walked around for three hours in the museum we lunched at this diner called "Six Feet Under" housed directly opposite a graveyard. Creepy yes but the food was just outstanding.

Before we boarded our plane back we did a quick self guided tour of just a really cool neighborhood situated around a park that once was a camp during the civil war. The houses were a cross of vintage meets modern. Many of the houses in Atlanta are extended up, incorporating different yet complement materials to the orginial.

Despite the name Hotlanta is was rather brisk but a nice break from the Milwaukee weekend.

From the farm to dinosaurs

So you've all heard about the stories about my past roommate, the barn yard animal. I now have another grievance against a designosaurous. This species is known to surround itself with things it cannot detach from, making its surrounding unlikeable to those who enter. Usually you'll find this creature in front of a glowing computer monitor moving very slowly. Designosaurous do not adapt to change very well nor do they migrate. Thought to have nasty skin and a thick skull, communication is clearly very hard and not recommended unless the designosaurous approaches you. Designosaurous' are quiet defensive, so speak slowly and calmly, any sense of eye roll movement will put this beast into a crazy spiral. Remember designosaurous either were trained with or without computers. Technology paired with smart design can be quiet cumbersome. It's is hard to encourage futuristic design or even thoughtful design. Let the animal be until it is extinct. Do not put on the endangered species list and please pack aspirin or a six-pack to deal with day to day pitfalls due to this animal.

New Post - finally

So it's finally February and I've been asked to post.

What's new?
The weather: Coming back from Florida, I thought I missed the bitter coldfront in Milwaukee but turns out round 2 was this weekend. The weather currently is -2 in Milwaukee.

The man: My boyfriend is excellent, I can't wait to celebrate a hallmark holiday with him. He spolied me for Christmas and my birthday, he let me go on vacation for eight days without him and he takes care of me when I'm sick. We're looking forward to going to Atlanta in March to hang out with his good friend and go see Matt Costa in concert.

The sister's wedding: I'm still fighting to get the bridesmaids a fushia dress

The job: It's a love/hate relationship.

The bags: Took some time off selling and am started to sew sew sew to get my supply ready for market season. If you get a chance, buy the January Issue of M magazine and read the Green Article.

The Winter Weight: I've gained a winter belly! I stopped biking to work in October and because I've worked out only once I've started to notice that my jeans are getting a bit tighter. So my roomie and I are going to start working out at least twice a week.