Jumpin' Around

Another weekend. Another jump around the state. Today's destination? We find ourselves back in Madison for the second time this week.

For an important reason. UW graduation at Camp Randall stadium! 

8,679 Badger graduates today and only ONE is our favorite! Carter's girlfriend Mamie. (Though we did know a few other special grads from Rapids.)

Dare I say there were more people there than on a Badger football game day?! Well if all the graduates were in the stands with the thousands of spectators, there certainly would be! And they kept it entertaining – for a few hours.

A couple fun surprises... The acapella group (and thousands of graduates) singing "Build Me Up, Buttercup" like they do during football games.

A good (and humorous) keynote speaker in Jason Gay, a '92 grad and current sportswriter for the Wall Street Journal.

And singing and dancing to "Jump Around" at about the 3/4 mark of the ceremony. It was warm, sunny, and we had plenty of reasons to sweat before we were jumpin'!

Oh and most entertaining... Mamie's "appetizer" of apparently super-sized nachos at the Vintage Brewing Co. in Cross Plains where we met up with her family after the ceremony. It was a good choice to meet a bit outside of Mad Town. Always a pleasure to see her parents and siblings.

Oh, and see our boy, too! 💖

Had a very nice visit with the family and one of their college friends – who manages to get a picture with Jimmy at this same brewery oh once every 5 years as it turns out. Yes, many of their college friends are like family. We're certainly blessed in so many ways. 

Especially to have sweet Mamie in our lives. Congrats, girl! 🎓

A Warm Madison Welcome

Spring finally sprung today! And it will evidenced by the hundreds of race fans who show up for work tomorrow looking like lobsters!

After church we picked up Jim's sister Sherry to head to Madison to see our nephew Colin race. All we could remember about this track is that it's usually windy. So our debate leading up to the parking lot was weather we needed a sweatshirt, jacket, or both. An hour later I wished in I was in shorts! 

So. Very. Warm!

We did get a warm Wisconsin welcome when part of the UW Badger Marching Band came through with some entertaining music!

They must get the most interesting gigs around Mad Town!

For a small group, they sounded great. They performed the National Anthem, too.

So let's get racing! First, I need to warn you you will not see the usual "Reffner Blue" #87 stock car.

Nope. Colin has switched to the Midwest Truck Series this season, driving #31. Believe me. It took me several laps to get used to it! Still has some pretty blue on there, too. 💙💙

He had a pretty good Ton 10 kind of day. He qualified 5th fastest. He finished 3rd in the heat race and 7th in the feature. A few more pictures so you, too, can get your eyes used to this new speed machine!

The exciting thing is that since is a Midwest series, he's racing outside of Wisconsin and his next race is at Hawkeye Downs Raceway – conveniently located in a new place I like to visit called Cedar Rapids, Iowa! So we get to see our baby boy again in less than 2 weeks. More hearts! 💙💙

We got home after 8 p.m. because the 200-lap super late model feature took forever. I stopped counting caution flags after 5. Huge, huge crowd that stayed to the exciting finish of the Joe Shear Classic, though.

We're fried and tired so I wish you good night. I'm going to dream that spring is here to stay. I hope it comes true!

Soup's On

We woke up to enough snow that hubby needed the snowblower. Something like 4" but it has been floating down on and off all day so who knows the amount?

After Jim shoveled out his dad's driveway, we went to the South Wood County Empty Bowls event – where $10 gets you a locally crafted pottery bowl, a bowl of soup from a local restaurant, and a dinner roll and yummy cookie. Also, for those who do that sort of thing (Me!) there were more than 100 raffle baskets.

We took our soup to go so we could deliver some to Jim's dad on our way home.

My Beer Cheese Soup from the Junkyard Bar and Grill was delicious! I did not win any raffle baskets. But maybe my luck is just waiting to change. Perhaps at BINGO tomorrow??

The rest of the day was major couch potato (or recliner potato) time. Watched the Badgers upset Purdue. Yeah, Bucky! Got all our tax stuff scanned for the Tax Man. Then I managed to get in two Hallmark movies with some leftover pizza in between. 

I was super lazy and owned it like a boss. And surprisingly, don't feel guilty about it. Very unlike me. I must be maturing! 😀

We'll see. Be careful out there!

March Eh-ness

Unless you live under a rock (and lucky you), you know it's bracket season – also widely known as March Madness. 

I guess Madness can be defined in a couple ways – you're fanatic (aka A Fan) or your angry (aka Busted Bracket).

I do a bracket every year and – just like my non-interest year-round – I can't expect my picks to do well. Nor shall I get MAD if they don't. I watch a few Badger games each season but have no passion for college hoops.

Sorry to offend.

But don't worry, even if my uninformed bracket with work friends is stellar, there's no money involved. I'll be lucky enough to park the traveling trophy (with bragging rights) at my desk for a year. My life really won't change.

So I wish all of you fully INVESTED bracketeers good luck! May madness mean "crazy" good, not "dreaded disappointment."

Yay, basketball!

Happy Bucky Eve

I don't know what gets into those Bowl Game schedulers, but it's asking a lot of us middle-aged Wisconsinites to stay up past midnight two nights in a row!

The Badgers bowl game in Vegas kicked off at about 9:40 p.m. and just wrapped up at 12:45 a.m. Thankfully with a win. Yay, Bucky!

Tomorrow night / tonight is New Year's Eve. Not sure what will make it worth another run at midnight. Maybe a nap will help. 

Then again, there's no rush to start 2022 – in my book, anyway. Enjoy the last day of 2021!

Badger and Christmas Red

I realize I was completely disconnected to the cyber universe this weekend while I was busy connecting with family and friends in person. And that's how it should be.

Yesterday was a blur. I know I was doing some last-minute shopping then went to church in the afternoon at Rudolph where hubby was singing in the church choir. Finally I was around on a Saturday when he was performing so I could catch a listen. It was great. It's a guitar-accompanied group rather than an organ and it sounds amazing.

After church we go together with some of the group and one of the guitar hero's houses. So we had several hours of visiting, laughing, singing (of course), and watching the Badger women's volleyball team take their first national championship. My friend Sara and I want to be clear we were wearing Badger red, not Nebraska red!

Got home pretty, pretty late. Now I know how Jim's "choir practices" can end up going until midnight!

Today was our Austin family Christmas. The big boys couldn't make it – Casey's out in Portland and Clay was under the weather – so Jim, Carter, Mamie and I went over to his sister's house. There was 12 of us, including the two littles – Colin's 2-year-old daughter Mya and 5-month-old son Eli. Such cuties. They pretty much entertained us the whole time. 

Our annual cousins picture – usually Casey, Clay, Colin and Carter – just got a little cuter! No offense to our missing boys!

Eli is

 mister smiley!

Mya is smart and talks a mile a minute!

Put my Cricut to use and made some water tumblers with Colin's racing logo on them!

Carter and his look-alike cousin! Both handsome, of course!

Came home and spend the evening playing a few games with the kids. I won 3-13 and the girls beat the boys in two games of Sequence.

Can't believe tomorrow's Monday! I need a day between Sunday and Monday to recover. But there's more festivities to come this week so I may be out of luck on that one. But in a good way!

Have a super merry Christmas week! 

March On, Bucky

I stink at March Madness. I mean the part where you pick all the winners in a completely legal bracket. This year, especially. With quarantines here and there and inconsistent game schedules, I just blew it (college hoops season) off this year, maybe watching the Badgers twice.

Still, when it comes to filling my bracket, I'm going to pick them to at least win Round 1. More of a hope and heart move than a knowledgeable one. 

But this time I was right. Yay, Wisconsin!

Missed several other game choices already, but keep marching on, Bucky. If you are going to get hot, now's the time. Can't wait for game #2 on Sunday against No.1 seed Baylor!

I don't foresee any other game capturing my time and attention this weekend – especially since it's supposed to be sunny and around 60 degrees. 

Goodbye winter, hello spring and all its madness!

Happy National Wisconsin Day

For our friends in Texas and other places typically much warmer this time of year, sorry you had to suffer snow, cold, and power outages today. We had to share the love because it's, well, National Wisconsin Day.

Who knew it was thing? I've lived the Badger State my whole life and I didn't know they did a national holiday for any state, let alone mine.

When most of you think of Wisconsin, you think Green Bay Packers. I think "record cold highs" on Valentine's Day. I think cows and cheese, beer and brats, cranberries and COLD, polka music and brandy old-fashioneds. A look at some online sources that actually recognize this holiday, and they remind us of all those things we learned in 4th grade.

For example, nationalcalendarday.com reports this [with a few of my side notes]:

Rich in copper, lead, forest and fertile farmland, Wisconsin became the 30th state on May 29, 1848. In 1634, French explorer Jean Nicolet was the first European to reach Wisconsin while seeking a Northwest passage to China.  [Kids: No GPS in those days.]

A mining boom, not fur trading, led to the nickname The Badger State. [Fans: The Big Ten and football team came later.] According to oral history, the miners burrowed into the hillsides much like badgers for shelter instead of setting up more permanent homesteads. The first wave of settlers to the area also began the uprooting of the Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Chippewa, and other indigenous people. [Fellow white people: We suck.]

Early in Wisconsin’s settlement, dairy production began to take root. By the turn of the century [Shouldn't that be the "churn" of the century?], the state became known for its dairy farms and synonymous with cheese.

Mining, dairies, and breweries grew one after the other. [Supper clubs and deep-fried cheese curds came next.] An influx of German immigrants in the 1850s brought a new brand of dreamers. Brewers cropped up across Wisconsin satisfying the thirst of The Badger State. As with brewers in other regions of the country, the 18th Amendment of 1919 prohibiting alcohol drowned out much of the competition leaving only a handful after the legislation was repealed in 1933. [Pretty sure we've made up for lost time.]

From Lake Michigan to Superior and numerous river and lakes in between, Wisconsin offers ample opportunity for water recreation and sport. There are also year-round trails perfect for summer hiking or substantial snow for winter activities. [And Frozen Tundra temps to keep the long underwear manufacturers in business.]

And for the record, I guess this is only the second National Wisconsin Day. Now we know for next year to plan a big celebration that involves shutting down the schools and staying home due to extreme temperatures and wind chills. Pretty sure we got those logistics figured out today.

Be careful out there, Wisconsinites!

It's 5 Oh Cat Somewhere

The Badgers Basketball team is driving Sylvester to drink. And now I have proof. 

She rarely drinks anything other than the water in her food dish. We haven't seen her do this unladylike behavior in awhile – not since she was on her chocolate milk kick for a few days last fall. But she got curious again and just plopped her nose in Jim's glass like she was bobbing for apples. She's a smart kitty and knows that the Badgers cup always holds the good stuff.

That would be milk, not beer.

She may change her tune the longer we watch Wisconsin play tonight. Should have been an easy win over Rutgers. But it's tied with over 8 minutes left. 

We also were watching the Assumptions boys via live stream earlier and there were getting handled by Auburndale. That might be putting it too gently. Just not a stellar night for hoops.

Pass that glass, Sly. I could use a shot of chocolate milk about now.

The Drago Draft

It's always fun when you can watch the NFL draft and actually get excited for someone you kind of know. Sort of.

Back when college boy was in middle school and playing football and hoops (above), it was always interesting when we played against Amherst. Even at that age, this one kid – very tall and muscular kid – with spiky blond hair stood a head above our little No. 13. We just referred to him as Drago over the years because he reminded us so much of the character in the Rocky 4 movie.

Not in a bad way – like how we felt about the Russians at that time. But just he was big. And that was my opinion as the mom of the undersized Rocky. But the kid had toughness and talent.

Fast forward to this weekend, and now Amhert's Tyler Biadasz, the former center for our Bucky Badgers, has been drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. Congrats! I still won't cheer for the Cowboys but I wish him the best!

And you see the resemble, right? Opponents should be nervous. "He vill break you."

Puck Stops Here

Although I was at a UW Madison ice rink tonight – the one typically used as home ice for Badger women – I wasn't watching Badgers or women. It just happened to be the setting of a high school game. And I was there on assignment.

I'm friends with this player's grandparents, aunt and uncle, and cousins. His dad happens to work for the same company as me – though I just met him in person for the first time tonight. And #2 here plays for Oregon High School, the town south of Madison where my high school BFF and her husband live.

Confused yet? It's surprising how often my worlds collide!

As a favor to the grandparents, I was shooting pictures and will make a poster, similar to what they had done for their other grandchildren. It was an interesting game to watch since the arena is really nice and their opponents – Madison Edgewood – were really good. Madison ended up winning 8-2, but not before our #2 scored a goal.

That was exciting!

Thankfully, the 2-hour drive home was not exciting. No deer. No crazy drivers. No ice or slush. Some snow coming down, but just the last 10 miles or so.

Just glad to get home before midnight so I didn't turn into a pumpkin – or zamboni zuccini or something! Looking forward to checking out my hundreds of photos tomorrow. Sweet dreams!

Stop and Smell the Roses (or Something)

Some years, New Year's Day is all about football. This year was one of them. We went downtown to watch the Badgers take on Oregon at the Rose Bowl.

It was an exciting and close game. Just fell short by one stinkin' point in the end, losing 28-27. Ouch. We had friends at the game. It's gotta be more of a downer amongst thousands of fans like yourself. At the saloon, we could just console ourselves with more potluck food! (New Year's cleanse, anyone?)

Hopefully Bucky fans will feel proud of the season (illustrated above) and how far they took it. Remember: It's just football. And these kids are the same age as mine. Just kids. They aren't professionals. They just do the best they can.

Keep that in mind this year when things get rough. Do the best you can. Sometimes it might not seem like enough. Just work to do better the next time. Don't stress out over the little things.

And don't forget to stop and smell the roses once in awhile.

#gobucky

We Needed a Fifth Quarter

The Wisconsin Badgers Marching Band is famous for their "Fifth Quarter" entertainment following Badger games. Tonight it was our players who could have used a fifth quarter in the Big 10 Championship game.

It started out good. We were at our friends' Craig and Sara's house and I was hanging with my fellow ladies in red: Lori (from left), Sara and Michelle and their hubbies. There was much jumping around – as Badger fans do – during the first half.

Not sure what talks happened in the locker rooms at half time, but it was Ohio State who came out on fire the second half and beat the Badgers 34-21. We just needed a little more time.

Of course, a little more time would have meant more treats and refreshments all around at our viewing party. So maybe it's best we got out of there and home by 11:30 p.m.

And the Badgers still have a chance to play in some sort of bowl. Just not the shrimp dip or puppy chow bowls we used tonight. Though everybody was a fan!

#gobadgers

Saturday Paint-By-Number Map

My Saturday by the numbers involved maps of Wisconsin and numbers associated with varying measurements of ice and snow in rainbow colors. Well, no, the snow was still white. Just the maps were colorful.

As much as I love purple, I didn't really want to be in the 6-10 inches band of snow. It changed plenty often though. Basically, I just decided this morning I might as well stay put. Make it a Hallmark Christmas movie day.

Good intentions, but I got busy. Had 1,000 pictures to go through from yesterday's three Cranberry Classic basketball games I went to. Then my Christmas cards arrived. So I addressed (well, adhered labels) to dozens of envelopes while watching one of my DVR'd movies. Somewhere in there Carter and I watched the Badgers-Gophers game.

And I had two rounds of shoveling. Already. First time was midafternoon getting the foundational layer of 2 inches of slush off the driveway. Then,  Carter and I just heave-hoed the wet snow that has accumulated already so Jim could come home to a clean driveway. He's been working the Cranberry Classic all day.

Now it's after 11 and I am in need of a shower after that shoveling. Probably don't need to set an alarm for 8 a.m. church since we are in the red blob for the winter storm to have "significant impact" on travel.

Hope you all are safe and making good choices about life outside your home in this weather!

A Cold Walk Spoiled

They say "Golf is a good walk spoiled." It can also be a "Cold walk spoiled" when the conditions look like this!

Although SentryWorld has been closed to golf for several weeks now (thank you, Mother Nature), they had the official Close the Course run (or walk) this morning.

My friend Marigene and I represented the neighborhood and did our part – along with some 400 other people!

The temperature actually hit the freezing mark (in a warm way) plus, as always, they have these fire pits on the clubhouse patio area. So nice.

Had a great crowd. You could choose either the 5-mile course or the 2.5-mile course and you could choose to run it or walk it. We chose to walk the short one. Well, I can say we walk/ran it since we did jog around some people to pass them at one point!

It so different seeing the course in "winter." After golfing in league all summer, I was very familiar with the course and could point tee boxes even if they were buried under snow right now.

It was nice to walk it so we could enjoy the winter beauty – even if we are in no way ready for it or supporting it at this time! Sunny and no wind. We were spoiled.

Didn't hang around long since we both had things to do. Hubby was down at the Badger game so I had a free afternoon. Well, long list of things to do and did get some done. Got pictures ordered for scrap weekend. Did a little grocery shopping and managed to knock two Hallmark Christmas movies off the DVR while simultaneously jump starting my holiday baking.

And taste testing, of course. As if I was unsure if I like the flavors of mint and chocolate paired together! Ha. Best to be safe.

Jim's not home yet from the Bucky victory so I might have time one more – Hallmark movie, not cookie.