Milwaukee, August 2019

Yo! Life has been BONKERS*, like I’m thisclose to a nervous breakdown kind of bonkers*, but you know what? I’m going to take some time to get some things blogged away so at least that part of my life feels vaguely accomplished.

*I accidentally typed “boners” not once but twice. Haaaaaa. Whoops.

ANYWAY. After my trip out East, I got two whole days to try to catch up on over a week’s worth of deadlines on top of help new staff and answer emails and catch up staff on the meetings on my trip, and then I had a work field trip day. And literally like THE MOMENT the last bit of our field-trip lunch was down my throat, I jumped up and drove home as fast as possible, loaded up the fam/bags in the car, and off we went to Milwaukee.

In anticipation of how nuts that time was going to be, I bought and lovingly packed away the goods to make some traditional Wisconsin Old Fashioneds, in honor of three days of wedding fun and family time.

So here’s a picture from the wee back deck of our airbnb, Old Fashioned perched on the railing, and lemme tell you: finally having a moment to breathe, and enjoy a sunset and Riverwest and a cocktail, it was everything I neeeded.

Our airbnb this trip, you guys. It was so cool. It was the upper apartment of an old brick building in a historic area, and the owner outfitted the place entirely in vintage furniture and decor. A lot of 1950s/1960s pieces, and I was in love with all of it. I was 100% born in the wrong decade.

THERE WAS EVEN A WORKING TURNTABLE BUFFET THAT I COULD NOT STOP TOUCHING AND PLAYING WITH.

(Okay as a side note, on our office field trip we toured Carr Valley cheese and I bought the kids these bread-cheese sticks and yo they were HOOKED. I’d warm them up and they’d gobble them up. Now I buy blocks of bread cheese, you just need to cut off a slice, cut into cubes, and nuke in the microwave for like 15 seconds and as the Lord is my witness, they are everything a child could ever want in life.)

We had a nice, long, relaxing evening, woke up and took our time getting going, and then left to meet up with my dear sister Aimbot and her kiddos at the Public Market.

The Milwaukee Public Market is modeled off the Seattle public market, but with a decidedly Midwestern flair, and sits squarely in the Historic Third Ward District.

We got the kiddos some lunch while we waited for Aimbot, and suddenly THERE SHE IS, all Miss America style, and goodness but I missed my sister Aimee.

Here she is making a decidedly weird face but I promise she was mid funny story and not ready to strangle anyone.

We caught up a bit then off we went back to our respective spots to get ready for my niece’s wedding.

The boys, they were ready to party and dance the night away.

My niece’s wedding was back in the Third Ward, and it was all lovely and modern and too cool for me but somehow we didn’t totally embarrass ourselves (… I think).

My dad. Aimbot took this picture, because he wouldn’t smile this nicely for me 😉

At the end while the blushing bride/groom walked back down the aisle, everyone whistled and WOOOO-ed and Moose was more than happy to join in.

My beautiful sister/mother-of-the-bride! I can only hope I look this pretty and pulled together if I ever am a mother of the bride. She never fails to Kill It.

My children getting ready to embarrass me and frighten/nearly knock over other guests at cocktail hour. SO PROUD YOU GUYS.

Family picture time!

A rare Nemmie appearance.

Then off to the reception dinner.

Good old Pete.

My new nephew-in-law (is that correct terminology? anyway….). He is Hawaiian but somehow fell in with a Slavic Dance team and now he travels around and performs with them at events/festivals. And they all attended the wedding and danced for everyone and it was the coolest thing ever.

And then it was time to exit and my sweet niece hugged us all out the door.

There you go. The next day, we rose early and I packed up our airbnb and ate what I can only describe as the Worst Cruller EVAR. Milwaukee is known for some truly amazing cruller action but we got cheap donuts from the nearby grocery store, and I bought what is now known as the infamous cruller. Mine tasted… tangy? Not in a good way? But I figured it was just cheap sourdough batter except OH NO GUYS, MAYDAY, BAD NEWS, and I have to tell you, I might be off crullers forever.

We booked family pictures with the artist Margaret Muza. I booked this session months before, as I have always loved the ferrotype method of photography and she is well regarded for her work.

She bought an old church in South Milwaukee and creates her work out of there. I personally was just proud of myself for not barfing all over the car on the drive over. I gave her a pained tighted-lipped smile I feel like one would give who is dying a slow death, and even though that felt right for an old-timey photograph (and really worked with that crippling food poisoning I was feeling) in the end it was decidedly Not Great and I’m not even going to share that one on here, but here’s a copy of the kids’ portrait. They held still like a pair of champs.

They really look like they are about to murder you, right? Tintypes forever.

After photos I gulped as much fresh air outside as I could, then we headed to the other side of town to meet Aimbot and her kids for some museum time before she had to fly back to SoCal. And I am already planning a SoCal visit next year because sheesh, I need more Aimee time.

On the way out of town we stopped at Sobleman’s and just as a side note, you know how sometimes you are so hungry that you feel horribly nauseous? I was telling myself hey maybe that’s my real problem! Well, I was able to force down a few bites but it was a true struggle and I quickly realized nope, that was not my issue, damn you again, disease-filled cruller. Scott got one of their killer Bloody Marys with his burger, and the kids gobbled up their burgers so hey, I guess worth the stop.

Then back home, and then shortly off we went from there Utah-bound. I am not kidding when I say the entire month of August was nonstop travel. More on that soon…