What a Perfect Weekend

A day off on Friday (which was mostly wasted, but always nice nonetheless), with pancakes and Settlers with friends at night. Perfect.

One last long run on Saturday morning, followed by an outdoor bridal shower and talking with the girls. An evening of roller skating with my two soon-to-be-long-losts, and ElisaCortez, culminating in a Cubbies game. Perfect.

Sunday at church with mom, quiet time by the fountain, picnic and playtime with great friends in the park. Close it all out by a wonderful evening downtown, and you have a weekend that just makes you happy to be alive in summer in Wisconsin.

Excuse Me, Mr. Yorn??

I decided to skip Pete Yorn at the rave this past Saturday, in favor of going camping for free in the Southern Kettle Moraine, and do some trail reconstruction on the Ice Age Trail. This was a very very hard decision, because I do so love Pete's older material, and some of his new stuff, and I crave camping all the time.

As the forecast began to show lots and lots of storm clouds, I made the proclamation that the only way I would regret my decision would be in the case that a) it rained the entire camping trip and b) Pete Yorn actually played Lose You.

It rained. Oh, how it rained. I am still wet. My gear will never be the same. But I had some fantastic bonding with friends throughout.


"Icy Spring"

"Wild Reds"

So, did Mr. Yorn Play my favorite song? NO! He did in Kansas City, but not in Milwaukee. I made the right choice after all.

Neglected: Heartbreaker

In September of 2005, I must have been a little depressed, because I went on a Ryan Adams buying spree, purchasing Jacksonville City Nights, Gold, and Heartbreaker all in one trip. I fell in love with Jacksonville, forcing those around me to listen to the sad melodies over and over. Gold got stolen from my car, and I'm not sure I noticed.

Heartbreaker is another story. This one has gotten a few listens, and has sat on my shelf, or in my car, for the better part of the past two years. I know it's one of Adam's saddest bastard works, and I knew I'd love it if I only gave it a chance, but I just couldn't get into it. I was just never in the mood.

Well, good news for all you Adams fans out there. Heartbreakers been in my car for a week now, and I love it. I can feel myself slowly becoming more drawn to Carolina, and wishing everyone would just leave me be so I can drown my sorrows in whiskey or something.

Track of choice: Come Pick Me Up

Karly's First Camping Trip

"Night Bouquet"

"Crossing Over"

"Vertigo"

"Just Stop"

On Friday night, my little sister and I embarked on a journey to Bluemound State Park, 25 miles west of Madison, WI. Thanks to the recommendation of several friends (thanks Heather, Cheri), we had a great time. I'll admit, Karly may have over-packed, but who hasn't done so a little bit on their first trip to the woods. I sure did. She didn't whine once, she helped pick up firewood, and one guess who the bigger trooper was when we had to take down the tent in the rain.

The hiking was great, as was the running. The Military Ridge State Trail runs right next to the highway, and through the woods, which made for a really nice morning run with the sun rising to the east. We discovered that most of the trails in the park are designed for mountain biking, which meant that they were relatively flat. Great for the pace we were looking for. No one trail was longer than a mile, which meant we got to do a lot of exploring, especially as we searched high and low for the East Observation Tower (Eventually found it on the way out on Saturday afternoon. Great views).

Finally, a trip to Cave of the Mounds proved to be an interesting diversion from the road. We didn't take the hour long cave tour, due to expense (more than camping itself) and length, but we wandered the gardens and gift shop, and walked around the learning center, where Karly learned that Wisconsin was once covered by the Ordovician Sea. Neat place. Don't go out of your way to check it out, though.

Great time spent with the little sis. Good conversation. Good sights. I should point out for the record that Karly is the Queen of Marshmallow Roasting, while I am the Queen of Fire Building. It's only too bad that Pokey and Earl had to be lost in the efforts.