Next up...

Hooray!
Budget's done. Birthday's passed. Burying my head in work. Looking forward to the city chilling out for a while. Fat chance with the Edgewater & Apex spinning fast & furious (though Apex less so). Excited to see Barrett's running! Demo is started on the houses next door. Got out to do some inspection field work yesterday. Ran into Adam and Julie getting back from the CNI retreat (thanks for the sandwich box!!)Dad's coming soon for Thanksgiving... still not sure how to navigate 4 thanksgiving events. Bummed that Wed is going to conflict with TLNA meeting. I like that bunch & their orderly meetings. Mom said that WISC had a nice editorial about the council and the budget, but I'm not seeing it posted (yet) online. Mr. Greenbaum still hasn't given that phone call. Hope all is well.

Still not sure what to do with this blog. I hate spamming people, and I really don't want to expound on any theories or policies. I get excited, pissed off, frustrated, you name it about stuff, but it's not my place to comment. This isn't the forum.. I get no forum. I get to just hold it all inside so I can be fair to all. right?
:)

I've got enough on my plate without kicking up new dust. I have nothing interesting to say. I haven't seen anything cool, haven't done much of anything cool, and what little cool stuff I've done, I don't feel like sharing. Not now at least. and I really don't think people are into hearing about what I watched online/tv last night, what color my new shirt is.

I get to just be a robot (your robot!), and a small part of me gets saved for my friends and bf and family. not to be shared.

Everyone lately has had that robotic look to their faces. Christmas should be nice, except Dad's out east, and Francis is abroad. I hope the christmas tree will survive the cat.

happy upcoming holidays & festive eating!

Worlds away

My brother went to China to teach English to (hopefully) Elementary school students. I have a lot of problems with China. A LOT. Don't get me wrong, the people are fine, but I'm a pretty spitfire, politically engaged American, and I'm sure I'd get myself into all kinds of first-amendment, freedom of speech issues, if I was over there. There's no way I could go into a Chinese school and teach Chinese children English and steer clear of politics and social issues (because that's what I do, who I am, politics pervades my life).

So in honor of Francis' story, I guess I'd like to post his chronicles, because there's no way in hell I could ever do what he's doing, and I'm proud of him, even if I'm freaked out and worried. (and something tells me Blogger isn't accessible in China)

We're not getting a ton of information. Francis isn't really a loquacious person.

Here's the latest:

"So, its been sorta a weird roller coaster ride but here is the NEW INFO. I am no longer teaching in Wuxi. The school I was supposed to go to decided they didnt wanna hire me after all, nothing I could have done. So they found me a teaching position in Changzhou, 1 province over from Wuxi, at the ***** Foreign Language School, and my contract has changed in a good way. For starters I'm making 5000 RMB instead of 4000, I am provided with a dormitory room with everything provided except I pay water and electricity every month. I am also given a meal card for use within the school. I am still in Nanjing at the moment and leave in 2 days time to my new school, (saturday night at 9pm your time). I am providing you with the contract but this is where I am at right now. Lots of love"

I think I found the school's website. It actually looks really posh. Much different than the 2005 esl teacher review I found, though the school does look like maybe it's been built after 2005. It appears that there's 1000 students from kindergarten through high school. Actually, it kinda puts Arrowhead, Brookfield Academy & Marquette to shame, from the looks of it. To be honest, there really isn't much to compare it to, save for really ritzy prep academies no where near the midwest.

I really hope that it's the school in the photos that Francis is off to. All the best little bro.

Edgewater tally

The crowd was estimated at 275 people (counting # of people in pews x number of pews, etc).

Of the 99 registration forms we received from attendees, 47 were in support, 40 in opposition and 12 undecided.

This isn't Gossip Girl

for inquiring minds: last night was Tuesday's Double Bubble night at the Old Fashioned. After a long, stressful day the bf and I went to kick back. alone.

Moving on up to the east side

Well, the moving has ceased! Some boxes have remained, in need of attention. I went out and bought 100 manilla folders yesterday to file away the masses of papers, proposals and policy briefs I've received over the last 4 months. Tonight I think.. after dinner on the SW side.. the bf's little bro's tires got slashed in the rash of vandalism that took place on Friday night. Twee's crime meeting this week will have some fresh fuel for the fire. I've got the fires burning with the Edgewater neighborhood meeting Tuesday night (7:30pm, Bethel Lutheran Church)

The new kitchen in working nicely, albeit its cramped, galley dimensions.

I've moved all of half a block, but it was the best outcome to be sure... my life has just been chaos for the past 2 weeks is all.

I've also been dealing with Hawks and Bats. It's quite an urban jungle down here..
Bid Day work starts tomorrow morning. The girls are all moving into the houses this week, so no more telephone tag and unanswered messages.

Went out to Oregon today with mom to visit my Great Aunt. Noticed that my great-grandmother's house on Main Street is up for sale... I told mom she could buy it, she said it made no sense for her to move (back) to Oregon when she works in Madison. Couldn't argue... but the family house...

Yesterday was the 1st birthday of the bf's niece, and goddaughter... gotta love family gatherings and requests for grandchildren when two people are just trying to figure out which cabinet to put the coffee cups in. Also, I found chocolate cake on my new blouse today from those little hands... it'll come out, right?

Stopped into the 'Bou on Friday. We've got a running dialogue of comparison going between the Echo Tap and the Caribou. Friday's 11pm crowd was pumping the jukebox full of generic, forgettable 90's crap, so we left and went to the Old Fashioned. My frequent customer card has been racking up the points.... someday I'll hit that free cheese plate!

In all seriousness though, this week will be a very busy, important, stressful week. Landmarks, Edgewater meeting, Library meeting, work, life, etc.. Summer I think is officially ending this week.

I'm looking for an opportunity to run away for a weekend in September or October, perhaps as late as my birthday, since August and my resources all got gobbled up with The Move. Ideas so far: Door County cabin (let me know if you've got friends with an open place!) or couch surfing with friends in Chicago for an art/shopping get-a-way. I'd want to take the train from Milwaukee, possibly. I really enjoyed the Hiawatha experiences I've had (except that one time I missed it..) Excited for the brewing Madison Yahara Station discussion. Looks like it's going to pick up. Got some ideas on the budget. Excited to see DRLI coming finally to the council with enactment language!

..September's going to be a busy ride!

Lines on the road & in the sand

The bike lane painter truck just went by! Johnson Street's getting bike lanes and median strips painted!! Hell yeah! (somehow our neighborhood got bumped off of last year's schedule.. so much of Johnson Street was down to little or no markings). Really excited to see the lines get painted. I'm probably more excited than anyone I know over this (or should be).

This week is going to be a hellish week. Super lame personal drama/apartment shit is hitting the fan. We'll see where my belongings go on August 15th -here, or somewhere else- all this for the coolest, sweetest, most fun cat in the world. Fred rocks my world. I'm not going forward without him in my life... but I don't think elected officials are allowed to be homeless or couch surf -something tells me the government accountability board doesn't like that...

Made really great chicken stew last night for dinner, and had it again this morning for breakfast. it cheered me up a little. first time i de-boned a chicken.

the clock is ticking: t-minus 11 days..

Birthday week!

It happens to be my boyfriend's birthday today -golden birthday in fact. My mom will also be celebrating her XX birthday on Thursday (39 again, right mom?) I'm at a bit of a loss as to how I'm going to decorate the cake. "Surprize me!" was the response I got when I asked... Man, the world is my oyster on this one.

This week is Restaurant Week here in Madison. http://www2.madisonmagazine.com/restaurantweek/

I hope you'll get out and enjoy all of the great culinary adventures the city has to offer!

Yesterday found N and I out at Olin Park for the MPPOA picnic. Schumacher came out, and we discovered that he was my 7th grade German teacher... small world indeed!

Went hiking around the trails and enjoyed the early afternoon. The beaver-chewed trees were the coolest. The smelly, foamy sludge on the shoreline was the worst part. We discovered after we put the flower behind my ear that there were red bugs on it.

Happy Summer!