I’m not usually one to stand out in a crowd. Although I enjoy attention, I don’t go out of my way to get it, especially with my clothing choices.

 

Friday, on the lakefront, I stood out like a sore thumb. Me, with my Bermuda shorts, plain t-shirt and boring sandals. You’d think I was walking around naked. Seriously, people stared. Why? Well, I guess because I wasn’t wearing the requisite leather vest and tattoos.

 

Honestly, I’ve never felt more out of place. (Wait, there was that middle-school dance I chaperoned where I made the poor choice to go out on the dance floor. Never again.)

 

Anyway, my husband and I were the recipients of tickets to the Harley-Davidson 105^th Anniversary Celebration. We took Friday afternoon off to wander the Summerfest grounds and soak in some of the festivities.

 

I have to say, it was an impressive sight. I thought the 100^th was a big deal. I do think this may be way bigger. It took us an hour to get downtown and find parking. Again, our four-wheel transportation looked odd and awkward.

 

We were there pretty early in the afternoon, so I think we were a bit premature for the party. But I have to say, it was outstanding people-watching. It was fun to read the t-shirts which served as sort of personal license plates, labeling riders with their home states.

 

The best part, for me, was that unlike Summerfest, my love handles were definitely in style. Harley riders are very inclusive of the “middle-age spread." You gotta love that!

 

We wandered along the lakefront and over to Veterans’ Park. The contrast of bikes against the Calatrava was awesome to see:

 

We checked out the “Roadhouse at the Lakefront” where Harley will make amends for Elton by bringing in The Boss. The stage reminded me of the monolith from 2001 - A Space Odyssey:

 

And here’s the thing that attracted the most attention of all. A large crowd was gathered along the lake looking down at this:

 

That’s right, a tiny little fox foraging for scraps of food. Like me, it looked a little out of place too.

 

Who says Brett Favre is the only Diva in town these days?!

 

Judging by the hordes of females roaming the Village on Tuesday night, there are a LOT of Divas right here in Tosa. They were there en masse to participate in Diva Night in the Village.

 

Diva night was an evening of shopping, wine and summer desserts hosted by several village merchants. The first Diva night was held in February. Tuesday’s glorious summer weather was the perfect backdrop for this semi-annual girls’ night out.

 

A couple of weeks ago, my friend sent an e-mail to a few of us asking who wanted to be a Diva for a night. Honestly, I didn’t expect very much. For me, it was a good excuse for a night out with my friends. Throw in the fact that it was within walking distance of my house and that sealed the deal.

 

We met at Vino 100 at around 6:30 pm and the placed was PACKED. We snagged a coveted patio table and caught up on news and such with each other. Honestly, we considered foregoing the Diva "walk," where you carried a card and visited 8 of 14 stores for an opportunity to enter your name in a drawing for prizes. But curiosity prevailed and we hit the streets with cards in hand.

 

Village merchants that participated in Diva Night included: Vino 100, Magnolia & Co., French Country Pine & Design, Underwood Gallery, Oro di Oliva, Magpie Jewelry, Little Read Book, Juxt Home and Baby, Blue Lapin, Jilly and George, Urban Laundry, and Salamander. (Sorry - I knew that I missed a few!)

 

All of the merchants opened their doors, displayed their wares and offered food and drinks. Although I live very close to some of these retailers, there were several I had never visited. Diva Night was a great opportunity to check out some new places like Oro di Oliva and some old places that were new to me – Magpie Jewelry.

 

Judging by the conversations that were floating through the streets and businesses, Diva Night was a great success. Many women commented on how they will definitely be returning to these establishments when they have a little more time to shop. Now that’s music to the ears of any business!

 

Bravo to the organizers of Diva Night and especially to Vino 100, which served as the event headquarters both before and after the walk. Here’s hoping there will be many more Diva Nights to come!

 

 

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!

A couple of years ago, I joined The Milwaukee Art Museum. After gazing at, admiring and falling in love with Calatrava-designed wing, I decided it was important to support this local treasure. Although I probably only go there once or twice a year (shhh, don’t tell my husband), I like to know that I have a stunningly beautiful destination to bring out-of-town guests. It never fails to impress.

 

Every time I go to the Milwaukee Art Museum, hands down, my favorite exhibit is Tony Oursler's "MMPI (Self-Portrait in Yellow)" from 1996. In fact, anyone who has visited the museum with me has been dragged to see this bizarre and quirky exhibit.

 

It doesn’t do justice to describe MMPI (lovingly referred to as “The Guy with the Chair on His Head”), but I’ll try. There’s a small doll on its side. There is a folding chair resting on his head. Projected onto the doll’s face is a video of a man talking. The man is reciting answers to a mental health test that was commonly given in the 1950s.

 

Today, I read in the paper, that MMPI will be put in storage for a while to make room for other exhibits. I’m kind of sad about that. There’s apparently a Facebook group created to express outrage. David Gordon, the museum’s director and CEO, heard about the Facebook group and basically said, it’s great to hear that we feel so passionately about a piece of art. In fact, the shelving of MMPI will make room for another old favorite – Stanley Landsman's Walk-In Infinity Chamber. 

I guess that’s OK. The Chamber looks pretty cool as well and I can appreciate freshening up the exhibits from time to time. That’s what makes a good museum. But don’t expect me to love The Chamber as much as I love MMPI…at least not at first.

Have you been to the Art Museum? Why not? There’s nothing better on a cold day when the kids are off of school and you can’t stand hearing the television for another minute. Or, if you don’t bring the kids (cuz it’s a teeny bit fancy), enjoy the world-class artwork and then treat yourself to lunch at Coast afterwards. The popovers are amazing!

The recent flap in the Journal Sentinel about Wikipedia and the Lake Express made us all realize that if you say anything loud enough and in a public place, somebody will believe it. Although it calls itself a “free encyclopedia built collaboratively,” Wikipedia is merely a place for know-it-alls or know-a-little-bits to spout off, with little or no repercussion.

So, I was thinking, hmm....what exactly would Wikipedia say about Wauwatosa? Well, we have our own, nice little page. Well, maybe nice isn’t really the operative word, mostly because the main photo on the Wauwatosa Wikipedia Page (say that five times fast) is of “Municipal Tank No. 5.” Yes, if there’s a tourist out there who actually consults Wikipedia for travel information, they’ll see a photo of one of our lovely blue water towers. What surprised me is that there are 5 of these behemoths in our fair city. Who knew? Well, besides the Water Department, that is.

You also find out from Wikipedia that we are what is known as an Edge City, which does not mean we favor a certain brand of shaving cream, but rather that we are a relatively new concentration of business, shopping and entertainment outside a traditional urban area.

According to the Wikipedia Wauwatosa page, there are two main points of interest: The Anunciation Greek Church and the Library/City Hall Building. Apparently, everything else is what makes us so “edgy.”

There is some brief historical information, which may or may not be accurate and there is also this bit of trivia: One of the world's first airliners constructed by Alfred Lawson and Vincent Brunelli took its maiden flight in 1919 from what is now Currie Park. Hope those beautiful blue water towers didn’t get in the way!

So, if you fancy yourself a Wauwatosa historian, I guess you can feel free to head over to the Wikepedia Wauwatosa Page and edit to your heart’s content. And while you’re at it, why not put a picture of something, anything more attractive than Municipal Tank No. 5.