Seas of Cheese
Another weekend, another few nights not spent in our own bed. The things you will do when on the relentless pursuit of leisure. This weekend found Jenniffer and I in Cheesehead central, Madison, WI. Jenniffer drove us there on Friday in the new car (one week old, already 1,000 miles. Wow!) Having worked Thursday night, I did what I could to sleep in the backseat on the way there. Just as in childhood, apparently if you are tired enough, you can sleep just about anywhere.
So, what were we doing in Madison, you may ask. . .
Friday afternoon we attended the DCI semi-finals at Wisconsin’s Camp Randal Stadium (probably the second nicest stadium in the Big Ten.) To my surprise, I was able to attend the entire Division I session without feeling a bit sleepy. Perhaps the – ahem- “coffee” I had at the establishment across from the stadium helped with that. The other thing that surprised me was the fact that at no point did I get drum corps-ed out. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy drum & bugle corps very much (if I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t spend so much time and energy trying to keep up with Jenniffer all summer.) That being said, sitting through seventeen (17!) straight performances plus a special presentation by the Madison Scouts Alumni Corps (perhaps the high-point of the night) can test even the biggest fan. On this night, though, there was not a problem. Great show!
On Saturday we met up with the Iowa City crew. You see, we were not in Madison for drum corps alone. Saturday afternoon brought us the Great Taste of the Midwest Beer festival. The nine of us, along with 5,000 of our closest friends, were able to sample some of the finest hand-crafted beers from all over the Midwest. Though the sun was a bit intense at times, the afternoon was very enjoyable (of course some people may have enjoyed it more than others.) I think what I enjoyed the most was the fact that you had a situation where people were able to consume unlimited quantities of quality beer on a hot summer’s day, yet not once did I see anyone out of hand. I could not imagine for the life of me trying to accomplish the same thing in other places (like, oh, say. . . Dublin!)
Tomorrow we’re back on the prowl for a cozy little home of our own in the suburbs. Keep your fingers crossed.
Lastly, it is now after midnight, and no longer Jenniffer’s birthday (no, she did not turn into a pumpkin.) If you would, though, please take the time to wish her a happy 30th.
As I type: listening to the Toasters “Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down”