It’s not perfect, but I think Summerfest is one of the very best tourist draws to our city. Based on the amount of Cubs and Bears apparel I saw wandering the grounds, lots of folks agree. I have always been a huge fan of Summerfest. Growing up in and around Chicago, Summerfest was one of my first introductions to the city of Milwaukee. After moving here, I fondly remember being pregnant and sitting on the rickety wooden plank benches of the old main stage watching Stevie Ray Vaughan. I’ve never been one to dance on picnic tables but I’ve almost always enjoyed my ‘Fest experiences.

 

Here are some of my random Summerfest musings:

 

- I much prefer any of the smaller stages to the Marcus Amphitheater which has, in my opinion, some of the worst acoustics of any venue in town. And that includes The Bradley Center.

 

- This year’s lineup of bands seemed refreshingly diverse – something to please almost everyone….at least in our house!

 

- I have only experienced human gridlock twice in my life. (The phenomenon where you’re walking and then suddenly nobody can move.) The first time was at Epcot Center on New Year’s Eve. The second time was July 3rd at 11:30 pm outside the Miller Oasis Stage. Pretty scary.

 

- Note to self: The base of the Miller Oasis sign is possibly the worst meeting place in all of Summerfest. Why? Because 10,000 other people are meeting at that exact same spot at that exact same time.

 

- I’m all for introducing young kids to the joys of live music, but I’m almost to the point of suggesting that no children under the age of 10 should be allowed after 8pm. For example, I can’t begin to count the number of infants I saw at 11:30 pm. 11:30 pm. Seriously. What were those parents thinking?

 

- Although I wouldn’t want one for myself, I’ve become reluctantly accepting of tattoos. Not so much with some of the piercings that I saw. Especially the one where you create a hole in your earlobe large enough to drive an SUV through. I can’t help thinking, what will that look like when that person is 70 years old? Ick.

 

- I hate to give away a secret, but the Usinger’s sausage garden on the far north end of the grounds is the most peaceful place to grab an authentic Milwaukee meal. Good food, lots of space to sit and surprisingly quiet.

 

- The Big Bang Fireworks, which we could clearly see from the Zippo Rock Stage on Thursday night, were strangely endless. Did they have leftovers from last year? There were two finales. Two. It made me realize that there is such a thing as too many fireworks.

 

- One of the most entertaining stages (even if it’s not my favorite style of music) is the Cascio Interstate stage outside the Marcus Amphitheater. It’s a teeny tent with a light pole directly in front of the stage. The kids performing heavy metal and punk have more energy and enthusiasm than you’ll see on any other stage. Plus, watching the head bobs of the small audience is oddly mesmerizing.

 

- Good news: I do not have ADHD. That is according to the test I took at the ADHD tent near the south end of the grounds. I cannot quite wrap my head around why such an exhibit was needed, but I’m glad to know that I can cross that worry off my list.

 

- Summerfest Pull Tabs = Possibly the worst use of your festival dollars.

 

- One of the best places to listen to music is at the U.S. Cellular stage. Sure, the music is pretty good, but reading the texts that people send to the giant screen next to the stage can be just as amusing. Some of my favorites: “U R Staring at a giant screen.” And “If U R cute, look left.” (Everyone looked left after reading this.) However, this is not a place to find good spelling.

 

- If you have to park in Lot P on the far south end of the grounds, try to leave early. My friends and I were stuck in gridlock after leaving a 10pm show. It took us 90 minutes to get back to Tosa.

 

- One of the oddest promotional sights was the KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce stain removal beanbag toss (or something like that) outside the Marcus prior to the Tim McGraw concert. That’s what I’m thinking about when I go to Summerfest – stain removal.

 

- I was consistently impressed by the pleasant demeanor of virtually every Summerfest employee that I encountered. I cannot fathom being that friendly for 11 days.

 

- The new Harley stage is amazing. I can’t help but wonder if the folks at Miller are a little jealous.

 

Got any Summerfest thoughts? Leave a comment and share your thoughts, criticisms or quirky sightings. See you next year at the ‘Fest!

 

There’s a brief but interesting discussion on the Tosa Town Square about watching fireworks on TV. This is something that fascinates me, for no good reason except that I have a strong opinion on the topic.

 

Here’s the thing: I love fireworks. I love TV. (Sad, but true.) So, you would think that combining two of my favorite things would make a new thing that I would like even better. Not so much.

 

I believe that fireworks should never be shown on TV. Never. They just don’t work. To me, fireworks on TV seem like a great idea. You don’t have to battle crowds, look for a spot to sit, or soak yourself in bug spray.* You can sit in your comfy, perhaps air-conditioned, house and enjoy the show.

 

The thing is, there’s nothing less-fulfilling than watching fireworks on TV. Except perhaps watching taped Olympics coverage when you know the results. (Don’t worry. I’ll get on that soapbox later in the summer.) I have no interest in what Mike and Carol think about the fireworks. Zero. In fact, they annoy me to no end.

 

To truly enjoy a fireworks show, you have to earn it. You have to search for parking. You have to lug and carry stuff until you’re sweating. You have to try to get comfortable. And then, hardest of all, you have to wait. And if you have young children, you have to listen to the endless questions and whiny cries: “What time is it?” “When will they start?” “I’m bored!” “I have to go to the bathroom.”

 

But when the fireworks start…when you feel that first gigantic percussion resonate in your chest…it’s so worthwhile.

 

And I agree with the citizens on the Town Square. Skip the music, unless by music you mean the chorus of “oohs” and “ahhs” that you can’t avoid joining in on.

 

While I have your ear, let’s talk a little fireworks etiquette:

 

(1) Leave Fido at home. I’ve seen far too many cowering, trembling pooches at the Tosa fireworks every year. The dogs do not look happy and their owners are clearly not enjoying themselves.

(2) Leave the sparklers at home. Sparklers in your backyard – good idea. Sparklers in a giant crowd of people – very bad idea.

(3) Unless you’re joining in the Oohs and Ahhs Chorus, please don’t talk over my fireworks. It’s only about 30 minutes. Feel free to chat before or after. Definitely not during.

(4) Wait to leave or be nice. The crowds are going to be HUGE. You may as well take your time leaving or accept that it will take you a while. Honking or getting irritated adds nothing to the equation.

 

Here’s wishing everyone a Happy and SAFE 4^th of July! See you at the fireworks!

 

*In my last post, I talked about the shortage of bug spray at local stores. A visit yesterday to the Walgreens at Hwy 100 and North Ave. proved me totally wrong. They had lots of bug spray. Just in time for the fireworks!

I recently visited the brand spanking-new “Intermodal” (i.e. Amtrak/Greyhound) Station in downtown Milwaukee. I was pretty excited when I heard about the renovation because the old station was, um, a dump. I have to say, the remodeling was a success. The place looks gorgeous, with its floor to ceiling windows.

 

So today, I read this story about how the city is fighting to get a decent restaurant next door, but thus far, the only takers are a couple of fast-food joints. Even Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said “we can do better.”

 

I agree with Mayor Barrett…sort of.

 

I think they should look for something better than Dunkin’ Donuts and subs. But, before they look at adding fine dining, they might want to do one simple thing: Look up.

 

In my opinion, there’s a huge problem developing at the Intermodal Station that gives a worse impression than the smell of fried food. The flocks of circling birds are using the gigantic windows for, shall we say, target practice. That’s right, the first thing you notice about the beautiful new station is the windows and the next thing you notice is that they’re covered in bird poop. In fact, they look like....you-know-what.

 

And so I ask: Somewhere in that $15.8 million renovation, did anybody put in a few dollars for window washing? Because I don’t know about you, but the sight of bird-droppings doesn’t make me hungry for anything.

A few days ago, I had the opportunity to see Lisa Ling speak as part of the Journal Sentinel’s Smart Talk Series at the Marcus Center. My season tickets to the series are an annual gift to myself. It’s a great excuse to create a girls’ night out with a friend – dinner, followed by an interesting talk by a prominent and/or successful woman. (I’ll explain later why this will be my last year as a subscriber.)

I’ve always been a fan of Lisa Ling. Her down-to-earth journalistic style is a far cry from the overly dramatic and sensationalistic methods used by other reporters. To me, she’s always seemed like someone you could sit down and talk to, without feeling intimidated.

In her talk, Ling made a comment that resonated with me. She talked about the deterioration of television news and how little “real” news is really being reported. Newscasts filled with stories about Brittany and Anna Nicole and Paris Hilton. With the proliferation of all-news networks, that should be no surprise. It’s virtually impossible for networks such as CNN, MSNBC and Fox News to fill their broadcasts, without adding “filler” – opinions spouted by so-called experts, reports on everyday dangers and puff pieces that are basically just gossip.

For me, this is especially true with our local news broadcasts. At the risk of biting the hand that hosts my blog, Channel 4 (owned by Journal Communications) is the worst offender. This week, their big news promotion is “The Meat We Eat,” a behind-the-scenes expose on meat gone bad. They seem to have made a conscious decision to gear their newscasts to the sensational and the scary.  Their “local news” is nothing more than investigative reporting gone over-the-top. No wonder Mike Gousha left.

This is exactly why I made the decision long ago to stop watching television news. It used to be a habit to turn on the 10:00 pm news before I’d nod off to sleep. Night after night, our local television journalists would alarm, scare and depress me before I fell asleep. It did absolutely nothing for my daily attitude.

And so I stopped – cold turkey. If I need to flip on the TV before I go to bed, it’s The Daily Show. Nothing ends the day better than a chuckle over faux news. Unless there truly is a big story on the news, I don’t miss it a bit.

I’m now a habitual daily newspaper reader. I love starting out the day by reading a well-written story. Sure, the Journal Sentinel covers many of the same stories that I might see on the news, but there’s so much more. And nobody is shouting at me, making idle chit-chat or adding a dose of dramatic music to the news. It’s all there. And I can choose to skip the filler.

And, no, I don’t agree with everything the Journal Sentinel covers or their editorial stance. But I prefer my news written, not stirred. I think I get that from our daily paper.

Back to the Smart Talk Series. They’re losing me as a subscriber because like local TV news, the series has become a bloated series of talking heads. I pay for my tickets. And yet, time after time, they insist on parading corporate vice-president after corporate vice-president past us to “introduce” the speaker. And we’re supposed to applaud for each of them after their little introductions. Seriously? It takes THREE vice-presidents to introduce one speaker? I’m not dumb, I know it’s marketing. But we’re getting less speaker and more vice-president. The speakers only talk for 45 minutes, max. Then there’s a question and answer period. They ask for questions from the audience, but the moderator generally has her own agenda and her own questions. To me, it’s not a great buy for my entertainment dollars. Too bad, it was a great idea.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, grandmas, aunts, godmothers and special women in all of our lives!

Somebody help me out here because cycle season is upon us. They’re abundant here in Wauwatosa for good reason: Our tree-lined streets and parkway paths are ideal for a warm weather ride. The problem I’m having is the tenuous relationship between bikes and cars.

I understand that we should yield to bicycles for obvious safety reasons. I try to take a wide path around cyclists whenever possible. Usually, it’s not a problem, but I’ve noticed in recent years a growing trend. I’ll call it the Tour du Tosa trend.

Today’s cyclists are serious riders. They have that Lance Armstrong look from head to toe and they tend to ride in packs. No doubt that makes the ride more enjoyable…for them. For me, in my car, it makes driving around these Tour du Tosans trickier than ever. They don’t hesitate to ride two or three abreast, often occupying much of the traffic lane. Fine, I think. They want to ride in traffic. They want to have, as the bumper sticker reads “equal rights.” I patiently wait behind them until it’s safe to widely pass them. Which is great, until we get to a stop sign and they blow right through it, while I obey the law and stop.

This is where I need help. I’ve tried to look up the rules of the road as they apply to bicycles. The rules that I found were more like guidelines, except for the one that reads: “Obey all traffic rules.” Seems to me that would include stopping at stop signs and stop lights. So which is it? Do they get to ride in traffic but ignore posted signs? Is it OK when they occupy much of a traffic lane? What are we drivers supposed to do when we encounter a rider in the middle of a lane of traffic, traveling at speeds far below the posted speed limit?

It goes without saying that I’ll continue to exercise caution when I encounter cyclists on my daily drives. But I also hope they’ll understand if I’m a little annoyed when they’re exercising their rights without accepting any responsibilities.

I love fireworks. I love them because when they explode above you, they’re huge. They’re loud and so much larger than life, or seemingly so. I love the concussion of sound that echoes off buildings and shakes you to your very core. I love that there is absolutely no way to duplicate them or replay them. Watching them on TV is so disappointing that it should be against the law. No sirree. It’s the real thing or nothing at all. And to me, the best fireworks are smaller shows were you can be up close and smell the smoke and see the sparks, much like it’s always been in Wauwatosa.

Last night, being the 4th of July, we Tosans were treated to our annual Independence Day fireworks display. After a day that included a crowd-pleasing parade, picnics and various celebratory activities, lots of us headed to Wauwatosa West High School for fireworks. Or, at least, that’s where we thought we were headed. When my husband and I arrived, (after our teenage daughter successfully separated herself from us), we were about to follow the crowd headed behind Tosa West. Then we heard a man ask a police officer where the fireworks were being launched. “Oh, they’re shooting them off at Whitman, straight up in the air,” said the officer. Since we were just barely past the footbridge over Hwy 45, we decided to head over toward Whitman to get a little closer vantage point.

So we parked our lawn chairs and our blankets facing east on a hill overlooking the tennis courts and sports fields surrounding Whitman Middle School. It was an outstanding view, probably the best available. (I have to say, still not as spectacular as Hart Park, but a good substitute, nonetheless.) Still, it made me wonder. The people that were over at Tosa West were quite a bit back from the launch point of the fireworks. If they had been given the choice, would they have preferred to be with us over at Whitman, instead of gazing across Hwy 45? There was plenty of room over at Whitman even though there were several hundred of us that discovered this secret spot. Why was it that all information online and in print said that the fireworks were at Wauwatosa West? Did they think that we would be confused knowing that the events during the day were at the high school but the fireworks were at the middle school?

If there’s one thing I know about Wauwatosans, it’s that they’re quite good at navigating. Anyone that has given directions to a destination in the Village can attest to that. I haven’t yet heard any complaints about the fireworks venue shift, but I can’t help but think that a few fireworks devotees were a little miffed to be set further back from the launch site than expected. So my only recommendation to our city officials is that next year, wherever the fireworks are really being launched, let us know. We can handle it and we promise not to park our lawn chairs past the yellow police tape. Wherever that is.