On Sunday I decided to go to the "Spanish" mass at St. Willy's downtown. They do some masses in Spanish, and one is blended. Whoa!
First of all, the church was packed! People were standing the far back. Also, I couldn't believe how some of the adult women were dressed. They were wearing things I might not even wear out to a club (halters, tube tops, tanks, etc.) The kids were also standing on the church benches and walking around - it just seemed more laid back. During communion, only about 25% of the people went up to receive a host, and it was kind of a free-for-all. I'm used to ushers or people getting up in a manageable line where there is some order. It was very interesting.
On the other hand, the music was great! They had a bassist, violinist and a soloist. I also felt like I was part of a closer-knit community, even though I was probably one of three blondes in the whole place. Very unique experience!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Date
So....I have a date this Thursday, with a friend of a friend. She has wanted me to meet him for quite some time, because she thinks we'd hit it off...
I think it's a date? We're having dinner. I guess I don't like to "label" things or think of things as a date. I'm not sure if it freaks me out or makes me uneasy or what. It has been awhile that I've met someone of the opposite sex for dinner/drinks/movie, so maybe that is making me uneasy, also. Seems like a nice guy. And I guess it's better than waiting for some guy to appear out of the sky, because that only happens in the movies.
We'll see how it goes...
I think it's a date? We're having dinner. I guess I don't like to "label" things or think of things as a date. I'm not sure if it freaks me out or makes me uneasy or what. It has been awhile that I've met someone of the opposite sex for dinner/drinks/movie, so maybe that is making me uneasy, also. Seems like a nice guy. And I guess it's better than waiting for some guy to appear out of the sky, because that only happens in the movies.
We'll see how it goes...
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Crooked Lake Characters - Round Two
Last year I wrote about people we meet up at Crooked Lake, called Crooked Lake Characters.
Before heading up there this summer, it's time to update the list.....
Here, as far as I can remember, is a list of our favorite CL "cast of characters."
- Keven: (yes, with two e's). The latest and greatest bartender at Randall's, which was formerly Steiny's, and before that, Chris and Dave's. Keven used to work in Vegas but now spends his time at the lake. He's very popular among the "ladies" and he makes drinks nice and strong. We constantly remind him his name is spelled wrong. He now has a girlfriend who lives/works for him.
TR and JR: These are Keven's parents, who I think actually own the bar. I'm not sure. They're pretty cool.
- Billy Zane: This is the boy T had a crush on for most of her life at the cabin. After he shaved his head, he looked like Billy Zane from the Titanic. His family lived in the cabin next door up until a few years ago. Sadly, though, Billy Zane married and had children, and eventually T moved on, too.
Abe: This gomer was Billy Zane's friend and was obsessed with T. He sat with her fam and looked at baby pictures of her. I think he even asked her out.
- Scary Larry: This was Billy Zane's dad. Larry could never remember my name, and he always had a drink in his hand, whether I arrived at the cabin at 8 am or 8 pm. Hmmmm.....
-Kevin Costner: Kevin (spelled the normal way) was Billy Zane's brother and Larry's oldest son. He looked an awful lot like Kevin Costner, and was pretty fun to drink with at the campfire.
- Brian: This was one of Billy Zane's friends that Scary Larry wanted to set me up with a few years back. I thought he was alright until he managed to polish off a twelve-pack while we were all hanging out on a SUNDAY AFTERNOON. Yeah...
-Hitler: We met Hitler when we were in our early 20s at one of the bars. He had a major crush on K, and even asked T's mom if she thought "he had a chance with her." Yeah, T and I would've set him straight right away. He either had a moustache like Hitler, or just dirt above his lip. We could never tell.
The Pilot (aka Nancy Boy): The pilot was the son of the other neighbors, and we met him a few summers back. He wasn't too shabby and even seemed pretty cool, until he CHOSE to go play cards with Mommy and Daddy instead of going out drinking with us. BOR-ING!
-Whitey: We saw Whitey for two consecutive summers at the lake, but now he's disappeared. Whitey lived in Freedom, and had the whitest teeth in the world (hence, his name). Whitey kind of had a thing for T, and one year she did give him her email address. I guess they still don't have email access in Freedom, because she never heard from him.
-Timmy: Tim is a CL "regular," as in he lives there year- round. He's always at The Pines, or the local karaoke place on Saturday nights. His voice is so good that I was honored when he agreed to a duet with me on "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler. (I wanted to do a duet from "Grease" but Timmy, with his mullet and cut-off denim shirt, had something against John Travolta. Imagine that!) We were smashingly good, and it was a crowd pleaser.
-Bonnie: This lady owns one of the local establishments, and runs the karaoke on Saturday nights. That's fine and dandy and all, but why does she have to sing every other song?!?!
-Hippy: Hippy was a 50-something bartender one year at the Pines, and kept wanting to dance with me. He looked and dressed like a hippy, and I remember twirling around with him to the BeeGee's "How Deep is Your Love." Yeah...good times.
Paul Walker and his wife Pam: We met Paul Walker and his wife Pam last summer in early August. I don't think Paul Walker was his real name, but he sure looked like him. Pam was her actual name. They were fun and we ended up at their cottage for an after bar, along with Pete from Appleton (see below) and his friends.
Crivitz hottie: Yeah, T tried chasing down this one in the gravel parking lot of the gas station with the T-bird.
One-armed pool player: I think K played this guy in pool at the Pines. He was pretty good.
8 streakers: These guys invited T and I to go skinny dipping with them at the public beach. We snuck up on them, and then when they realized we were watching, they got a little mad. We escaped before the Oconto County cops showed up.
Shoreline bartender: This loser wouldn't make me a dirty girl scout shot. So then I had to insist, "I want a dirty girl scout!" He said, "yeah, so do I." I said, "yeah, you WOULD, ya perve!" I don't think I ever got one....but don't worry. I'm sure I crushed chips on the floor for that.
Pete from Appleton: We met Pete and his buddies the same night we met Paul Walker and Pam last summer. I remember when he walked into Randall's, T said he was "actually hot, and not just Crooked Lake hot, but like even Green Bay hot." I only saw Pete that one night, I don't remember much about him, other than he was good at (tonsil) hockey...
Mike: This was a friend we met last summer, although I got to know him a little better....
Michelle: This was a nasty chick who was clinging to Mike pretty heavily. She has a classy tattoo on her back and was in the middle of a divorce.
P and K: This was Mike's brother and his girlfriend, who actually owned a place on the lake. Very nice people, and fun to hang out with.
Joe: This was P and K's neighbor who had a major thing for T. It was funny.
Larry and his Wife: This Larry is not to be confused with "Scary Larry." This Larry isn't scary, and he's actually pretty cool. His wife is very nice and really pretty.
There you have it. The CL cast of characters.
Who will be added to the list this summer????
Before heading up there this summer, it's time to update the list.....
Here, as far as I can remember, is a list of our favorite CL "cast of characters."
- Keven: (yes, with two e's). The latest and greatest bartender at Randall's, which was formerly Steiny's, and before that, Chris and Dave's. Keven used to work in Vegas but now spends his time at the lake. He's very popular among the "ladies" and he makes drinks nice and strong. We constantly remind him his name is spelled wrong. He now has a girlfriend who lives/works for him.
TR and JR: These are Keven's parents, who I think actually own the bar. I'm not sure. They're pretty cool.
- Billy Zane: This is the boy T had a crush on for most of her life at the cabin. After he shaved his head, he looked like Billy Zane from the Titanic. His family lived in the cabin next door up until a few years ago. Sadly, though, Billy Zane married and had children, and eventually T moved on, too.
Abe: This gomer was Billy Zane's friend and was obsessed with T. He sat with her fam and looked at baby pictures of her. I think he even asked her out.
- Scary Larry: This was Billy Zane's dad. Larry could never remember my name, and he always had a drink in his hand, whether I arrived at the cabin at 8 am or 8 pm. Hmmmm.....
-Kevin Costner: Kevin (spelled the normal way) was Billy Zane's brother and Larry's oldest son. He looked an awful lot like Kevin Costner, and was pretty fun to drink with at the campfire.
- Brian: This was one of Billy Zane's friends that Scary Larry wanted to set me up with a few years back. I thought he was alright until he managed to polish off a twelve-pack while we were all hanging out on a SUNDAY AFTERNOON. Yeah...
-Hitler: We met Hitler when we were in our early 20s at one of the bars. He had a major crush on K, and even asked T's mom if she thought "he had a chance with her." Yeah, T and I would've set him straight right away. He either had a moustache like Hitler, or just dirt above his lip. We could never tell.
The Pilot (aka Nancy Boy): The pilot was the son of the other neighbors, and we met him a few summers back. He wasn't too shabby and even seemed pretty cool, until he CHOSE to go play cards with Mommy and Daddy instead of going out drinking with us. BOR-ING!
-Whitey: We saw Whitey for two consecutive summers at the lake, but now he's disappeared. Whitey lived in Freedom, and had the whitest teeth in the world (hence, his name). Whitey kind of had a thing for T, and one year she did give him her email address. I guess they still don't have email access in Freedom, because she never heard from him.
-Timmy: Tim is a CL "regular," as in he lives there year- round. He's always at The Pines, or the local karaoke place on Saturday nights. His voice is so good that I was honored when he agreed to a duet with me on "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler. (I wanted to do a duet from "Grease" but Timmy, with his mullet and cut-off denim shirt, had something against John Travolta. Imagine that!) We were smashingly good, and it was a crowd pleaser.
-Bonnie: This lady owns one of the local establishments, and runs the karaoke on Saturday nights. That's fine and dandy and all, but why does she have to sing every other song?!?!
-Hippy: Hippy was a 50-something bartender one year at the Pines, and kept wanting to dance with me. He looked and dressed like a hippy, and I remember twirling around with him to the BeeGee's "How Deep is Your Love." Yeah...good times.
Paul Walker and his wife Pam: We met Paul Walker and his wife Pam last summer in early August. I don't think Paul Walker was his real name, but he sure looked like him. Pam was her actual name. They were fun and we ended up at their cottage for an after bar, along with Pete from Appleton (see below) and his friends.
Crivitz hottie: Yeah, T tried chasing down this one in the gravel parking lot of the gas station with the T-bird.
One-armed pool player: I think K played this guy in pool at the Pines. He was pretty good.
8 streakers: These guys invited T and I to go skinny dipping with them at the public beach. We snuck up on them, and then when they realized we were watching, they got a little mad. We escaped before the Oconto County cops showed up.
Shoreline bartender: This loser wouldn't make me a dirty girl scout shot. So then I had to insist, "I want a dirty girl scout!" He said, "yeah, so do I." I said, "yeah, you WOULD, ya perve!" I don't think I ever got one....but don't worry. I'm sure I crushed chips on the floor for that.
Pete from Appleton: We met Pete and his buddies the same night we met Paul Walker and Pam last summer. I remember when he walked into Randall's, T said he was "actually hot, and not just Crooked Lake hot, but like even Green Bay hot." I only saw Pete that one night, I don't remember much about him, other than he was good at (tonsil) hockey...
Mike: This was a friend we met last summer, although I got to know him a little better....
Michelle: This was a nasty chick who was clinging to Mike pretty heavily. She has a classy tattoo on her back and was in the middle of a divorce.
P and K: This was Mike's brother and his girlfriend, who actually owned a place on the lake. Very nice people, and fun to hang out with.
Joe: This was P and K's neighbor who had a major thing for T. It was funny.
Larry and his Wife: This Larry is not to be confused with "Scary Larry." This Larry isn't scary, and he's actually pretty cool. His wife is very nice and really pretty.
There you have it. The CL cast of characters.
Who will be added to the list this summer????
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Another Busy Weekend
Another weekend filled with lots 'o stuff is approaching....
My relatives from CA are flying in tonight, and my cousin will be staying with me tomorrow night (need to clean the house and grocery shop!). Saturday morning we'll head to the Farmers' Market, then I'm teaching kickboxing at the Broadview Y at 8:45. At 1 pm, we'll start making our way to MKE with some family members for tailgating at Miller Park for the Brewers game! For the past 4-5 years, our family goes to a Brewers game in the summer. We divvy up items for tailgating, as well as carpooling and where/how we'll meet up. It's quite the production! But it's always fun and something I look forward to every summer.
Then on Sunday, my other cousin and her new husband are having a wedding reception (they eloped in Vegas in March).
Yikes! Hopefully next weekend will be a little more low-key...
My relatives from CA are flying in tonight, and my cousin will be staying with me tomorrow night (need to clean the house and grocery shop!). Saturday morning we'll head to the Farmers' Market, then I'm teaching kickboxing at the Broadview Y at 8:45. At 1 pm, we'll start making our way to MKE with some family members for tailgating at Miller Park for the Brewers game! For the past 4-5 years, our family goes to a Brewers game in the summer. We divvy up items for tailgating, as well as carpooling and where/how we'll meet up. It's quite the production! But it's always fun and something I look forward to every summer.
Then on Sunday, my other cousin and her new husband are having a wedding reception (they eloped in Vegas in March).
Yikes! Hopefully next weekend will be a little more low-key...
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Gatlinburg in September
I'm VERY excited that I will get to attend the ARSL (Association for Rural & Small Libraries) Conference in September. I attended this conference last year, and it was one of the best! Every session I attended was worthwhile, and that's not always the cases at conferences. We serve a lot of "rural and small" libraries in our system, but I found every session could be applicable to any library.
Not only is it a great conference, but it will be held in Gatlinburg, TN, among the Great Smoky Mountains. It looks like an absolutely beautiful city, and our hotel is nestled right in the mountains! My library friend, Jen, will also be traveling and rooming with me, so I'm happy about that as well. Last year I went by myself, and although I was fine, it will be nice to have some company. I think she will enjoy the conference, too, and will get as much out of it as I did.
Of course, there is a winery about 1.5 miles from the hotel, so I will have to make some time for that, too. :)
Not only is it a great conference, but it will be held in Gatlinburg, TN, among the Great Smoky Mountains. It looks like an absolutely beautiful city, and our hotel is nestled right in the mountains! My library friend, Jen, will also be traveling and rooming with me, so I'm happy about that as well. Last year I went by myself, and although I was fine, it will be nice to have some company. I think she will enjoy the conference, too, and will get as much out of it as I did.
Of course, there is a winery about 1.5 miles from the hotel, so I will have to make some time for that, too. :)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Fun Weekend
Had a busy, fun weekend! Went to Brillion and listened to my nephew's band for their Relay for Life....worked out and did the Farmers' Market on Saturday morning...headed up to Crooked Lake to hang with Tara, Steph, Shari and Guido....got together with the fam and celebrated Father's Day yesterday. Dad looked a little tired, but it's hard to remember that he's 69 and just not a spring chicken anymore!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Be Creative in Morocco
This morning I did my first "Be Creative in Morocco" program for the Gillett Public Library! This is one of 7 I will be doing for area libraries this summer on my experiences in Morocco. We had close to 80 people (the room was packed!) and it was TONS of fun! More pictures are available on our flickr page! We talked about some Morocco basics: size, language, population, etc. Then I passed around some souvenirs that I purchased there, as well as did some demos on wearing a hijab and how people say hello (the kiss-kiss...which I did on my niece, so it was ok!) Here I taught them some basic words in Arabic (hello, yes, no, please, etc).
I had some children volunteer to take around the green tea and spices for people to smell. I also showed pictures of food we ate and had the kids try to guess what they were - some were obvious, and some were not. They also learned how to sing "Happy Birthday" in Arabic.
At the end I showed them pictures of some things we did (rode camels, went fishing, saw goats in trees), but I think what impacted them the most was learning how some people have to travel a LONG ways to get water for their families. They were also surprised that books could not be checked out of the libraries. Hopefully it will make them realize how fortunate we are for abundant water, as well as libraries with FREE programs, FREE internet and FREE materials to be checked out!
At the end, Cindy served raspberry tea and cookies, and some kids came up and asked me questions. A few of them even liked the music I was playing (Moroccan), so that made me glad.
Overall, it was just an amazing experience! My parents brought my niece and nephew, because they only live about 10 minutes from this library. I was so glad that I got to share some information about Morocco, provide a fun, free program at an area library, give their staff a break and do something good for our system (work place).
If even ONE person walked out of that room with a different perspective on Morocco or experiencing a Muslim country, then it was well worth my time. :)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
I Miss Blogging!
Holy cow! Four posts in 2009?!? Blogging has really taken a back seat in my priorities, and I miss it....desperately. I need/want/have to do more of it, and now more than ever.
One thing I loved about being in Morocco was posting to my travel blog. It was so great to share the photos, videos and everything that was going on with people back home. Doing that made me realize how much I missed blogging.
Other web 2.0 tools such as Twitter, Facebook and Linked In were getting in the way of my blogging the past few months. I believe those are all great tools and social networking sites, but I want to focus more on what I love to do - write, express, make friends laugh/think and share my thoughts. Feel free to also "follow" my blog by using the widget on the upper right side of the screen!
So...here's to blogging!
One thing I loved about being in Morocco was posting to my travel blog. It was so great to share the photos, videos and everything that was going on with people back home. Doing that made me realize how much I missed blogging.
Other web 2.0 tools such as Twitter, Facebook and Linked In were getting in the way of my blogging the past few months. I believe those are all great tools and social networking sites, but I want to focus more on what I love to do - write, express, make friends laugh/think and share my thoughts. Feel free to also "follow" my blog by using the widget on the upper right side of the screen!
So...here's to blogging!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Less Than Two Weeks!
I will be in Morocco in less than two weeks! Crazy, crazy, crazy.
Please follow my travelblog during my adventures! :)
Please follow my travelblog during my adventures! :)
Monday, March 09, 2009
I Miss the Blog
Yes, I miss blogging. How have I gotten away from it? Life has been crazily busy for one thing. I also think Facebook has kind of been the new way I could get my thoughts and feelings across. But on Facebook, I can't write endlessly about meaningless topics that might or might not have any relevance to people. So....here is what is new since the last time I blogged.
- Morocco: I leave four weeks from Friday, and cannot believe it is almost here! I'm excited, but a little nervous. I wonder if I will get homesick? I wonder if I'll love being gone and not want to come back? Sometimes that happens when I'm gone.....
- Kelly: She has been limping around on her back left leg, despite being on Rimadyl. The vet said to give it a few more days and see how she does. If she doesn't improve, they'll take another look at her. I know I need to face reality that she is no longer a young pup, and I will not put her through anything major at this point. But I can't bear the thought of her not being in my life. I don't know that I'd still be living in my house if it weren't for her.
- Work: Everything on that end is going well. I love my job, and I'm still happy I have one. :)
- Morocco: I leave four weeks from Friday, and cannot believe it is almost here! I'm excited, but a little nervous. I wonder if I will get homesick? I wonder if I'll love being gone and not want to come back? Sometimes that happens when I'm gone.....
- Kelly: She has been limping around on her back left leg, despite being on Rimadyl. The vet said to give it a few more days and see how she does. If she doesn't improve, they'll take another look at her. I know I need to face reality that she is no longer a young pup, and I will not put her through anything major at this point. But I can't bear the thought of her not being in my life. I don't know that I'd still be living in my house if it weren't for her.
- Work: Everything on that end is going well. I love my job, and I'm still happy I have one. :)
Friday, January 09, 2009
DFW
As I mentioned in the post before this, the holidays were quite a whirlwind. But, I got to see a lot of my family, get some rest and visit Tara down in Fort Worth. We had a great time! For NYE, we hung out with her friend Dunn and some other co-workers of hers. We met some very interesting Texans, to say the least. But, we had a good time, even though the weather was surprisingly chilly.
I made Tara go with me to a Moroccan restaurant that I had read about before arriving there. It was called Marrakesh Cafe, located in north Dallas. It was fantastic! We had the spicy cigars and shrimp sharmoula for appetizers. Tara had the chicken kebab, and I had the cornish hen tagine with artichokes and peas. For dessert, we shared the peach bread pudding. I also had the mint tea. It was so good that Tara was convinced she'd have to get popcorn at the movie theater afterwards, but she didn't. Ha!
Other than that, I read outside on the warmer days, worked out and just relaxed. It was very hard returning to work and to the frigid temps, but vacations always have to end at some point, right?
I made Tara go with me to a Moroccan restaurant that I had read about before arriving there. It was called Marrakesh Cafe, located in north Dallas. It was fantastic! We had the spicy cigars and shrimp sharmoula for appetizers. Tara had the chicken kebab, and I had the cornish hen tagine with artichokes and peas. For dessert, we shared the peach bread pudding. I also had the mint tea. It was so good that Tara was convinced she'd have to get popcorn at the movie theater afterwards, but she didn't. Ha!
Other than that, I read outside on the warmer days, worked out and just relaxed. It was very hard returning to work and to the frigid temps, but vacations always have to end at some point, right?
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