Lost in the Wonders of the UP

So I see I haven't posted in a while. Ok, since November of 2016. Wow. How time and life get away from us. It has been like 8 months. Here I started this wonderful blog about everything the UP has to offer and my life up here and I just forget it....and get lost in living my life up here and embracing everything she has to offer. How very selfish of me. Or was it. Ok, let's catch you up to date. And by you, I mean the few people who actually read this. :-)

OK November was the last post - maybe because November was a horrible month for us, I lost track of it all. We lost one of our very very dear friends to suicide. IT was heart-wrenching, shocking, just absolutely insane. I won't go into details about it. But it was just devastating to our family and to just a ton of other families. RIP Oros. The boys (my boys, Tony and Asa) went hunting out at his AFrame in mid and late November. They saw their first deer out there in 2 or 3 years. Thanks, Oros, for that. But no shots.

Christmas we spent traveling, again. Saw my brother and his fam, which I love because I just don't get to see my siblings enough and between the 5 of us, 2 are in one state, the other 3 are in all different states. We are quite spread out. SO we did the circle. We saw his dad, his mom, my stepdad and my brother. It was a nice time, and always nice to get back home. Would it be rude one year to just say we are not traveling this year and invite anyone up by us??? I think I am going to bring that up to the old man and see what he thinks. Let's stay home for Xmas. We will ship presents out if people cannot come to see us (shipping or gas in the car.....). Would the family get in an uproar? Mine would not, we hardly see each other anyhow. I think folks would be ok. :-) :-)

New Years we stayed home again, drank, listened to music. We like doing that. Dancing in our living room. At least I think that is what we did. Haha.
February was also a bit emotional as our 17-year-old moved out of the house. That lovely age law that the state of MI has where a 17-year-old can go out into the big bad ugly world and live on their own. They are not ready for that!!! They are still kids!! So they can leave, drop out of school (depending on credits and age), live on their own, but we are financially responsible for them and medically responsible. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the parent having to take on health care and stuff. What a system, huh. So anyhow, he moved out, is apparently doing ok. We don't hear from him much. Life will go on and he will grow up. Either with luck, by hard work, or the hard way.

The past winter was not too bad. There were only a small handful of times I drove my Sable over to the shop at Oberstar and parked it, jumping into the old man's 4wd truck waiting for a ride home. Yep, I don't like driving in that crap.

The Noro-Virus went thru our house, Asa and I got it. I wish I had Tony's immune system. He never gets sick. He hardly gets mosquito bites. And yet here I am, with asthma, severe allergies, arthritis, bursitis, aches and pains, and whatnot. And I get bit by every little thing. LOL> I think after the weekend at his mom's cabin, I came home with about 2 dozen bites from those flying little bastards (mosquitos). Well, at least they are not as big as they are up here. I am still sending my friend downstate at HBAM a giant yooper flyswatter. Too funny. With all of these health issues, I may whine and complain a little when I hurt but I have accepted it as part of life and getting older. I don't smoke anymore, haven't in a very very long time. (OK almost 2 years maybe but it seems like a long time). I go to Physical therapy twice a week. So I deal with it. Allergies are kickin me right where it hurts this week. I am tired and groggy and stuffy and just feel like I could sleep for 24 hours. LOL. And I always remember...somewhere out there, there is a kid who can't walk. An old woman who cannot remember her child's name. A Veteran who cannot function due to severe PTSD. Thousands dying from cancer. I think I can handle a little bit of sneezing and blowing my nose and itchy eyes. Ok and sometimes peeing.

We did make our little jaunt up to Big Bay. I do love Big Bay. It is one of my top 5 places to go. Black Rocks is up in the top 3, the little pebble beach at the end of Wright Street and McCarthys Cove are my other top 2. The sun is my enemy though, so if I do go, I can't usually stay too long. The sun, and tourists. Don't get me started. If the beaches are full, I will keep on driving. Back to Big Bay. So last year we went up to the Lumberjack Tavern, met Jack, heard the story of the infamous Anatomy of a Murder, saw some cool memorabilia and ate the UPs BEST burger ever, The LumberJack Burger. So we set out in the next year to find the best burger. If there was one out there, in MY humble opinion, that beats it. So I asked online and got a ton of responses. Pats Bar on Washington Street in Marquette was one and Big Burger in Harvey was the other. OK so in Feb, we met friends at Pat's for Tonys birthday. Had burgers. GREAT burgers. GREAT bloody marys. Small, way too small for a Bloody, but GREAT. Still....mmmm... it did not hold up to the mighty Lumberjack. So another time we stopped in Harvey and decided to try this Big Burger place out. We had to wait, there is not a lot of room in there and it was lunch time. We finally got a seat and got our food. It was messy. And it was good. Very good. Great actually. Buuuuuut....STILL did not hold a lighthouse lantern to that mighty Lumberjack. Sorry guys, in my book, the Lumberjack is STILL the UP's number one burger. When I took my family there - me, Tony, Asa, Jon and his girlfriend Lili.... well, I just ordered one for everyone. I didn't even ask them. They all loved it. Even Lili, who is probably 100 lbs soaking wet scarfed it down. I have pictures of Jack...let me see if I can find them...

OK that guy bartending is Jack. He is a good shit. Head up there and tell him you saw his bar on this blog and you want to try the Lumberjack Burger!! The crowd just shows you that it is a happening spot and kids come and everyone has a good time. His Captain Morgan's and cokes are mighty fine as well. Always great service, great food, and great drinks!

Fast forward - March Builder Show was crazy and insane and a huge success. After that Tony and I took off to Virginia for a nice getaway and it was fun.

April and May were super busy for me at work. The weather in the UP was doing exactly what it does in the late winter, early spring. It rains, it snows, the sun teases you with her warm touch, maybe even for a couple of days... possibly making the silly thought of planting things and yard work seeps into your head. DO NOT LET HER FOOL YOU!!!! IT'S A TRAP!!! DON'T DO IT!! I fell for it. Well, because I had spring fever and it was may after all. Silly me. I had a few beautiful plants freeze and wither away to a cold lonely flower death. Silly me. All my fault. I am the Begonia killer.

So now it is June. I have 10 birdfeeders in my yard. I have become the bird nerd. I have an app on my phone to log what birds I see. You are supposed to log every sighting but shit, that would take forever, there are several birds there every day. I would not be opposed to hunting in my front yard. As long as the victim list included chipmunks, red squirrels, grackles, starlings.......you know. Thos pesky things. I am waiting for a bear. That would be sweeeet. But if I get a bear, do I have to remove all of my feeders? My goal is to feed the birds all summer and through the winter for those who stay here. Hell this winter, my front yard will look like Snow White's playroom with all of her furry little creatures there. :-) Hey, they gotta survive. Except for the red squirrels. They don't.

Going to my mother in laws cabin (for sake of argument and it's just easier to say) in the White Lake/Lakewood area in Wisconsin was great fun and relaxing. I was sick as hell. Allergies just KICKED my ass all weekend. It was great seeing all of his family, especially his niece and the nephew on the way :-) But it was time to go home. Like Sunday morning I was like Honey, you have taken me out of my habitat, I need to go back home. The smirk on his face and his comment of "That sounds pretty funny coming from a ....cheesehead." ........ Hmph. I am a proud cheesehead. Not a Yooper. But a Yooper has my heart. He has it wound tight 'with mighty cables that only omnipotence can break' (thank you, Sullivan Ballou, for that). My heart only knows a few things anymore. It holds the love for my children - both of mine and all of his. It holds the mighty love for him, the man who is my whole reason for being up here. I say mighty because it is. Like the Mighty Mac, it can hold anything, it towers over all else. It gets shaky. It powerful and strong. Of course, it holds a love for family, all of our families and friends. But it holds a dear love for the Upper Peninsula. Where you can breathe in clean air. Where you can process your thoughts on the lake (with our without tourists). Where you can walk down the street and strangers will all say hello. Where you can sneak a rock (or two or 3 or a bagful) into your pocket. Where you can live.

Thats my long-winded catch up for June. I will try to write more often and share my experiences more often. And not keep them all to myself. :-) Until then, the lake is calling, I must go.

All my UP love,
S

Where is Our Winter

I just realized that I have not written on this blog in like 2 months. Well, sometimes life gets away from us and that is ok. So October was soo busy at work with membership drives and traveling, just crazy busy. November has been a very solemn month for my family. We lost one of our best friends to suicide. THe shock and the pain from it all is just very real. No one saw it coming. No one. Not his closest friends, not his parents. Not anyone who loved him. We got the call on a Monday morning, getting ready for work. It hit us all like a brick. No. This could not be. Why. How...what...no. The next week went by like a blurry slow moving picture. talking to mutual friends, getting together with people, crying with people, trying to be there for our friends and also for each other in the house here. It still hurts every day. We started a page on social media for everyone to be in one place. about 100 people on there now. We started a scholarship fund in his name. We are having a memorial party on January 7th out at his cabin. his father will be there. It will be very hard for some, who have not been up here yet or out to his house. That is what friends are for. To lean on each other.

If you follow this blog, you will know that I have been living up here for about a year and a half now. I have been waiting for 2 years tho....two years for the November gales to blow in. Last year, the winter was so mild and there was some action on the lake but not much. This year, as I went to Wisconsin to help take care of my grandmother, they blew in. The lake awoke and she showed her beautiful angry face. I followed peoples pictures and videos. I missed her even more. Being away from her is something I no longer am ok with. Usually when you leave home, it's no big deal, you will be back. But now, feelings change. There is a such a feeling of peace and tranquility up here that when I leave, a little stress falls on my shoulders. When I can't be up here, when the air doesn't smell the same, when the stars are not as bright, it just isn't ok anymore. Is it wrong to not want to travel or leave home? :-) There may be a little yooper in my heart.

I don't have much to do a song and dance about. I have been waiting for the big beautiful snow that coveres the pine trees and the ice that makes beautiful sculptures on the trees but it has not come yet. It is November 29th - the END of November and there is no snow on the ground. I am not sure I realy like this. Rain. Ugh.

Holidays are coming up. If you have not had the chance, talk a walk in the evening in downtown Marquette, when the stores are still open and the lights are all lit up on the trees. It is a perfect place for date night, hand in hand, kissing under a lit up tree. Stopping in here for a cider, checking out the lake, stopping in there to smell the smells. Just sayin. It's beautiful. When it isn't raining....

That's all for now. I will be searching for winter until next time. It's either not coming, or it will come in when none of us are looking. When we expect it to be another calm and just kinda chilly day. It will cover us like a big wool blanket, heavy and dark. Smothering. It will freeze our fingertips and our noses. It will cause people to cheer and rejoice so they can ski and snow mobile and make a snowman. It will cause drivers to stress, and slide and hope they don't hit anyone. Get out your Yooper Scoopers (Santa needs to bring one to our house for Christmas), your Chooks, your STormy Kromers and whatnot. Get up a little earlier. Open your eyes in the snow when you look at the sky, it's quite pretty....when you find it.

~Waiting on Winter.... ~S

Good Morning Beautiful

Me: "Hello, Beautiful."
Her: (Shy sparkle)
Me: "Are you showing off?"
Her: (Brilliant shine blinding my eyes)
Me: with a quiet smirk and a giggle, "That's ok".

She is very photogenic, even on her bad days. In fact sometimes on her bad days, when she is a rip roaring mess, a woman scorned from a lover gone astray, she is most beautiful. That is when I really like to capture her beauty. I am looking forward to those wild days in November. If u go there, can u hear her speak to you? If not, you should listen more closely. She speaks. She kisses. Sometimes she whispers. Sometimes she moans, a long dreary ghostly moan. Sometimes she laughs and giggles...sometimes she screams in anger. Her emotions are very much human like. Only more fatal. She can calm you with the lap of a kiss on your toes....or she can wrap her cold icy arms around you and pull you down into a dark murky grave. She is not one to be toyed with. Yet, I always seem to want to get a little closer...just to taste a little bit of that emotion....

Lake Junkie....

So Tony (my live in boyfriend, my sweetheart, the one I accidentally slip up and call husband sometimes), tells me I am a lake junkie. :-) I thought of this as I had strolled a little too close to the water this morning, in bare feet and my good work pants, watching the water kiss my toes. Like your dog giving you morning kisses. Hello, there. Good morning. I like kisses in the morning. (Not always from the dog, her morning breath is not always pleasant as I am sure mine isn't either). I was planning on not getting my pants wet. I was planning on NOT going into the water. But I could not resist. She was calm this morning, quiet. But the sun sparkled off of her and highlighted her beauty. I am not sure why I took 3 pictures of the same lighthouse. You would think one would be enough. In any case, I take the same pictures month after month. Maybe from a different angle, maybe with a different ray of sun shining down, maybe with different weather. I eventually delete them. They get posted in here or on social media. They stay in my phone, some of them. they get used as background images or wallpaper on my phone. I skipped breakfast and coffee this morning. Well, one of the reasons was because of all of the construction in Ishpeming and on Hwy 41 but flying down Wright Street and making my way up Lakeshore to my office is always a treat. I skipped the pebble beach, it was hard but I knew I would get distracted and be late. So I headed to the lighthouse today. I don't do it every day but I do it often, head to the lake. Sometimes its for a very somber peace seeking spot where I can brew in my dreary mood. Sometimes it is to pick rocks, which I love. I need a rock bag. Sometimes it is actually to swim (no more taking the dog if I am swimming). Sometimes it is just to say hi and see how the lake looks, to take pictures. I am one of the locals that runs to the lake when there is a storm. To capture her anger, her sassy attitude, her rolling waves. Love it. Sometimes I may get a little too close. Lake junkie? Not me....


Psssh...Lake Junkie he says.... :-)

Tall Ships in Marquette, MI - The Pride of Baltimore

So this weekend in Marquette, MI is Harbor Fest. And of the amazing things we get to experience up here is the tall ships coming to our lower harbor!! I ran down quick this morning to the harbor and saw the first one that had arrived! The Pride of Baltimore! There were 2 gals hanging off the front doing something. For the record, I have NO knowledge of anything nautical. NONE. I have not been on a lot of boats in my life. Unless it involved a pontoon and some coolers of some adult beverage, or a small boat with paddles. So I have no clue what they were doing, tying something possibly, not sure. They looked like they were going to drop right into the water but they knew what they were doing. The ship is huge!! And beautiful!! There is one docked in the harbor quite often that you can pay $50 a person for a get a little cruise. How awesome would that be, a sunset cruise too! (Hint hint honey....eh hem...)

Enjoy the pictures!! It is not every day we get to see these! I know they were just down in Green Bay, WI and a bunch of my friends went. Can't wait to see them this weekend!!

~Not a sailor, but would love to sail!

Birthday weekend in the U.P.

Hey folks. So first off, this is being typed on my phone, so please forgive any spelling, gramma, and punctuation mistakes. Smartphones. Sometimes they are just not so smart.
So this past Friday was my birthday, the 12th. A whole 42 years old. It really didn't bother me, age is just a number. I don't feel older, ok that's a lie, today I feel like I'm about 60. Maybe 70. Anyhow, I don't get upset or depressed when a birthday passes. I joke about it, and say I want to go backwards in age or whatever but seriously it's all good.

So years sgo, and I mean like maybe 5 years ago, 3 or 4 years, I would have spent my birthday out with my friends, guzzling who knows what types of booze, throwing back enough shots that eventually you just stop counting, jamming to great music and feeling like shit for 2 days. So since I have moved up here, I don't really hang out at the bars. We go out here and there but my partying has slowed WAY down. I found something SO much better. Spending time with someone who makes you feel great.

So we didn't hit the bars at all this weekend for my bday. Thursday night, Tony came home with roses and a cute card because he works so late, he didn't know how much time we was going to be able to see me ON my birthday. He is so thoughtful and heartfelt. I just love him to pieces. So Friday I workeD all day, went out to eat at the Jasper Inn for dinner, yummy food but I had previously bought myself a great cake and attcaked that so I was full. Great food and service as always but took some home. Crashed hard, got up early and took a nice drive with Tony and Ace up to McLain State Park to see a couple of architects present some schemes to the public of the park renovation. It was a neat experience and beautiful on top of it.

After the park we stopped at the Hilltop in L'Anse and ate lunch, WAY too much lunch. We drove home in food coma, ace crashed hard and Tony and I rolled to the Marquette County Fair. We walkyd around and then watched Chasin Steel, a local band we are pretty fond of. After deciding against rides, and noting how much the price of rides has gone up since our kids were young, we headed home. And crashed.

Sunday was my golf outing for work which got me at up 6 am, both my helpers for the morning bailed on me but I delegated work once I got to the clubhouse and it was all taken care of. It qas a great golf outing, a long long day and I came home a zombie and achy from joint pain in the hips. The boys went to a friend's to cook out and I stayed home, took a super hot shower and a cat nap. Feeling better.

My whole point for this post was not really to give you a play by play of my weekend, it was to point out how someone really great in your life can ground you and help you appreciate the little things, like good company, a long drive, some belly laughs, a good tv show, a nice lazy night, a big fat piece of cake no one needs, and holding hands at the fair.

Xoxoxo to the little things..

UP Rustics

So I follow a lot of people on Facebook, as I am sure a lot of you do. Maybe some of you are not on Facebook at all. What a nice life you must have, not having the pressured burden of scrolling and tapping and reading to see what you missed that day. How peaceful that would be. Anyhow, Since I have moved up here, I am on a few Yooper pages. I love seeing the beautiful pictures posted, hearing about local traditions and events and just all things Yooper. So one of the pages I came across was called UP Rustics. They make furniture and other things from wood and rocks and it is absolutely GORGEOUS! I am posting pictures here for you to see below... Anyhow, I messaged him about a project I wanted made for my better half, as a fathers day gift from his son. We talked and he agreed and started working on the project. Being from so far away (he is down past the bridge), I was excited to see that he was up here at Art on the Rocks last weekend and was able to bring this item to me! I could not wait to see it!

I am glad I don't have a lot of money. I don't need a lot of money. I have everything I need to survive - food, clothing, shelter, and love. Having more never hurts. I would love to contribute more to my household, that always bothers me that I can't. Of course, always seem to find a way to put my hair appointment with Neils in the way of that too. Hey, it's hair. I can't just let it go looking like crap all of the time, come on people :-) Back to the story! So I went to Marquette and found their tent at Art on the Rocks, all of the while thinking to myself, I am SO glad I don't have money. I would have gone home with a couple of birdfeeders, some very nice prints, and possibly a sign or a table and a clock or something or other. The talent in that place was exploding!

I found the tent, introduced myself, got my item purchased (a gun rack for Asa's dad). LOVED IT! It was beautiful! Asa was very happy with it when I showed it to him. As of the time of writing this, his dad has not seen it yet hung up, so that will be later tonight!

So check out UP Rustics, their work is really really amazing and it gives you the feel of the UP and of Michigan - the rocks inside the stuff, it is just beautiful. I am a rock lover what can I say.

They do Lake Superior Rock Frames and mirrors, Rustic and log cabin decor, custom and specialty chalkboards, and so much more...

www.uprustics.com

906-241-0354

sales@uprustics.com

Located in Cheboygan, MI
Check them out on Facebook as well!

Also
Puddingstone Lovers and More - lovely jewelry and clocks and oh so fun!
517-983-9303
517-983-8630
517-983-8629
Dawn and Paul Ruth

Check them out on Facebook as well!

Puddingstoneloversandmore@gmail.com


Now check out all of their work!!

Starting my Christmas list now.... ~S

Monday Morning Blues Medication

So this picture up there - that was my MOnday Morning Blues Medication. I woke up with the blues. Not wanting to function, not wanting to get dressed (because of my weight issues and how frustrating it is for me getting ready for work every morning) and my hair issues - all of that, well, I have another blog all about that stuff. Anyhow - I just had the blues. I didn't want to talk to anyone. Kisses always help. I got my morning kiss from the honey. The boys took off to a back cracker appointment and I got ready and beelined out of there fast. I just wanted to be at the lake so I could sulk in my own Monday morning pity pot. It felt hormonal. Like when you are pregnant and just for absolutely no reason at all in the world you just cry. That was me this morning. Just an emotional crybaby for no reason except my own issues. I know everyone has them. You just don't want anything to do with anyone and everything either upsets you or pisses you off. Not even a bloody mary would help this morning. Ok well it wouldn't hurt either folks, I ain't lyin.

So I head down Wright street as I get into Marquette thinking to myself - of ALL of the mornings I go to the lake, why do I never just turn on Wright street. Why do I waste the time going all the way to the roundabout and driving up and down Lakeshore when I can zip right over to the park from Wright street. Dumb. So down I go, excited to get to the lake. As I reach near the last lights on Wright, I can see the lake. And I smile. And I put my foot on the pedal. Off to the park I zoom. I pulled in, usually I have the park to myself that early but others had the same idea. I was thinking the road thru the park was closed, I would have loved to sit at Black Rocks but there is a very good chance (like 100%) that I would have been late for work. So I pulled in and opened the windows, got my breathe of fresh lake air. I got out and sat at a picnic table by the lake. There was a little plaque on it, in memory of someone with dates and a little sentence - He found joy in this place. The very first thing that went thru my head is that I would do something like that for Tony, because he loves the lake so much, I would make sure his name was there with it always. I saw there and stared at the lake and the sun. The picture was my view from the table. I really just wanted to stay there. I could have took a nap, whatever, just chilled. I felt suddenly like a 5 year old. NO! I DON'T WANNA GO TO WORK!! I WANT TO STAY AT THE LAKE!!! Silly, I know. But that is what was going thru me.

I watched the John J Boland take on a load of ore. It was so quiet out at the park this morning, except for the chute of ore sliding into the freighter. It's a great sound. That and the water splashing up on the rocks. I was thinking I have not been rock picking in a while. Maybe it is time again.

I have decided I need a Hammock. It will stay in my car and I will take it to the lake and I will bring a book (which will most likely never get read) because I will fall asleep. I must have one and go napping at the lake. On my bucket list. After I pay bills and get my hair done...sigh...

So Monday at work. Yes, I will be back at the lake today. Either walking or sitting out on Black Rocks. I need some lake time today. I really want to jump off Black Rocks. I either want to do it all alone when no one is there, or I want to do it with someone. Anyone really. I am a chicken.

Have a great Monday everyone and if you are having a shitty one, head down to big ol blue. She puts a smile on your face and an easyness in your heart. I wish I could see her from where I sit in my office. :-)


~Missing big blue...

Ralphs Italian Deli

So this weekend, I had a yard sale. It was kind of a flop. I made a little money but not the crazy crowds of people like I planned. Tony finished his drainage project and it was just hot outside. So no turning the oven on. We could not decide where to go. We finally chose Ralphs Italian Deli in Ishpeming. We have been here a long time, me a year, him 2 years and NEVER set foot inside. I know, shame on us. So right away, I was impressed. I did not know it was also a little store. They had a whole liquor shelf behind the counter, lottery tickets, all kinds of ingredients to make Italian food, fresh breads and a GREAT VINO selection! LOOK AT ALL THE VINO!!!!! My eyes were quickly scanning labels and taking in all of the different flavors they had! There was a small sit down area to the deli which was nice. We decided to get ours to go so we went up to the ordering window and grabbed a menu. The lady who was working was very nice and once she found out it was our first time, was great about telling us what they were famous for (Cudhigi) and Their specials. Tony decided on a Turkey and Swiss Melt or something like that and I decided on the giant ravioli, I am a sucker for pasta, my hips and thighs are proof of that. Half meat filled and half cheese filled! Came with a salad with house Italian dressing and garlic bread! OH it was yummy! I love Italian food. I REALLY love Ralph's Italian food! There is American pasta and then there is yummy really good Italian food. Ralph's is real. Ralph's is good. Oh and we purchased a gigantic cinnamon roll to take home for the morning, which was also fantastic!

You know how I talk about my bad memory once in a while? Well it seems to be that I have forgotten that I am supposed to be eating healthy...dieting, that kind of thing...:-( Ok, so once in a while we fall off the wagon.

Would anyone like to go walking down Lakeshore with me after work from Spring street?? I think that may work better for me than trying to get to the gym all of the time, throwing in 30 minutes and trying to get there a few times a week. I think I will start that today if I can find my gym bag in my car with my sneakers! :-) I heard it is supposed to be hot, which makes sweat! Right?

So I never purchased any wine at Ralph's - YET. Wine is made from fruit right? Fruit is on my diet.....

<3 Loving Ralph's!

~S

Independence Day in Marquette

This post is only, um, a whole week late. I apologize. My memory seems to get worse these days. I really had to concentrate and remember what we did but once I remembered, it was like, OH YA! SO last year, Tony and his son Asa and myself spent the 4th of July on Beaver Island with some great friends of ours. It was a GREAT time and SO beautiful. This year, due to the fact that we just bought a house - we are trying to keep spending down. Not down to 0 but no big expenses. So we decided to stay close to home this year. Asa was out of state visiting his mom and Jon had to work all weekend so it was just Tony and I. What did we do...

Well, if you were in Marquette, you know that the International Food Fest was going on! Food!! If you follow my blog, you know I love food! :-) So I had seen the list of restaurants that had tents there for the weekend and Das Steinhaus was going to be there! YES!!! So Saturday morning we go for a nice drive down Lakeshore and out to Presque Isle. It was beautiful and I love going to the lake with my honey, when we get to share it. I showed him the rock stacks that are all along the shore, very cool, and the painted rock. So we get to the food festival and scope out the vendors - could not find Das Steinhaus at all. We finally found a tent that was not set up and had no sign, it was them! (hint from the guy setting up wearing the Das Steinhaus shirt!) They were just late in setting up and informed us it would be about 20 minutes or so - they were service brats, cheesebrats and pulled pork! YUM! So we opted to check out others in the meantime. This is a food fest right? You don't just try ONE place. So we head over to get Chinese, it was yummy! Has Sweet and Sour chicken and Chicken Teriyaki - From K's Oriental I believe - the chicken teriyaki was delish!!! So we strolled around, people watched. Have you ever just sat and people watched. What is that guys story? OR that lady's story? What had that person accomplished? What if that 90 year old woman was a broadway hit in her day! Who knows what great stories people have! Or freaky! Or weird! Or tragic and devastating! You just don't know! But it is fun to imagine!

So over 30 minutes later, the brats were finally being throw on the grill. The only disappointing part of the day is that they were so late in setting up and very disorganized but the food made up for it in my mind! We ordered Cheesebrats. I had onions on mine. Oh they were on this grilled bread, and it was just a delicious mess!!! Ten points and an A+ to Das Steinhaus for the food!! It was just amazing! I cannot wait to get to their restaurant and try the Schnitzel! I lived in Germany for 4 years and I remember it well!!!

After we ate, it was almost time for Chasin Steel - a great Bluegrass band. We were invited by Adam Carpenter, one of the members, to come and see them. Our first time seeing them and they were fantastic!!! They started off with Dixieland Delight by Alabama and I am sorry - I am a metalhead and 80's hair band girl by heart, I love my Metallica and Korn and Motley Crue and Disturbed every day but I love old school Alabama!!! I was a fan right off! Tony was impressed that they played Steven Earle and they did a GREAT JOB! We are fans and will be seeing them again when they come around! I actually booked Adam and Jake on the side for my company summer picnic! :-)

That was the end of our fun - we headed home and we were LAAAAAZY the rest of the day. Like laid around the house lazy. :-) It is great how you can do that whenever you want! Sunday was a work day. Tony had a drainage project he was putting in and I had yard sale stuff to get ready for, house cleaning. laundry and all of that fun stuff. We didn't even get to the fireworks but we did go watch the Independence Day Parade in Ishpeming on Monday and it was just great! I was very impressed with a lot of the floats, especially the North Iron Church! Ha! It was awesome!

And then back to work.

Loving the holidays in the U.P. -

Sarah

Big Blue Beautiful Lady

You know those old romance movies in black and white where they whisper or talk in a low voice...why hello there...That is the voice I hear in my head when I say hello to Lake Superior. Why Hello there you big blue beautiful lady. It was amazing this morning on the way to work!!! I love my morning commute in the summer! So big and so bright blue and so beautiful!! I did take some pretty amazing pictures, see below. When this is your back parking lot.....how can you complain! I just can't get enough of it! The only thing better would be living right next to it and waking up to it every morning. Sitting out on the porch or balcony watching the sun rise. But THAT, my friends, is expensive:-) Teal Lake in Negaunee was just as blue and beautiful this morning. The sun just glistens down on her - like a blue blanket covered in sparkling diamonds. I really just want to take my eyes off the road and stare but experience has proven that is not smart, the center line is there for a reason, eyes on the road.

So we are cleaning up our old house this week and still unpacking the new house. With the purchase of a new 'old' house like ours, there are surprises. #1 - well, the rain from the street runs down our driveway and into the garage. Old man was NOT happy, so there are trenches being dug and there will be a project in the works for getting a drainage system in there. Surprise #2 - Our basement leaks, as we have no gutters. Well, with no gutters, comes lots of water to the house and foundation, so we are dealing with that. We will be getting gutters. On the garage and on the house. Our lawn is growing like a wildfire. All 4 lawns. That's right, 4. Ok to be technical, 5 lawns. New house we have 2 backyards, separated by a fence and one front yard and then a front and back at the old house we still are taking care of. I would gladly pay to have some kid do it but our kid is gone for a month (damn now I can't use the teenagers to do the dirty work)....and of course the old man would say why pay when we can do it ourselves. Well, because he works very long hours and is tired when he gets home. And I am allergic. I would be a monster and sick as hell when I was done if it lasted that long. Usually the lungs say nope, ain't doing it. Maybe I can hire my son to come up and do handyman chores for me and pay him the mom rate. :-) Muahahahaha. Regardless, I am loving our new house. I am loving that we own it together. I am loving everything everyday and what is so nice is that NONE of it gets old. I don't get tired of looking at his handsome face every morning and every night. I don't get tired of figuring out how to set up our house because it is our house. I don't get tired of the every day hub bub here because I love it all.

I went to see my friend Giggles in Green Bay the other day and when I was leaving he was giving me a hug and said I love you and I love that you are a Yooper. I gave him some choice words and said, "I am NOT a Yooper yet!!" It was that last word that grabbed his attention. I had said YET. First time. It just slipped out. I will never be a full blooded born and bred here in da good ol U.P. yooper. I will always be a displaced cheesehead who loves her Packers. I may not be a Yooper but I have a little Yooper in my heart. So I am now hunting for a Cheesehead hat in the shape of the UP...and a heart locket or bracelet with the UP or YOOPER on it. :-) I will blog about it all day long....

Enjoy the pictures. They will never be as good as they are in person.

~Always a Cheesehead - with a little Yooper in my heart.
S

New foodie place

Afternoon folks! It started out a dreary Monday - I had to deal with Charter, ugh, the field rep was fine but the company messed a couple of things up, as per my experience, is usual. So now one extra phone call, lots of hold time, to fix it all. Oh well, onward. Allergies and sinuses are kicking my ass today. I thought I was rid of them when I moved up here, as last year they did not bother me so much. This year, they are wreaking havoc on my poor head and nose, eyes, ears, lungs. I think I will just stay indoors with my wine. That seems to work.

So I found a GREAT foodie place. It is called Outlanders and to my surprise is right up the street from me. They are not a big sit down restaurant but rather a pick up your food and go kind of place. They do lunches, which are amazing. I had chili and cheese covered rotini last week (yep in my diet plan). So they make big family size dinners to take home! Yay! So of course that very day I had lunch there from someone I had a meeting with, I called them up after reviewing their online menu and ordered a family size chicken and biscuits to go. I went and picked it up, it came with 4 slices of garlic toast and a large salad. SO no one touched the salad. The meal was good - not OMG amazing, but good. I expected it to be creamier. Anyhow, it was still good and I am looking forward to trying another dish! IT was about $30 - family size with the bread and salad and lasted us for 2 days - well dinner, lunch, lunch and dinner. so worth the price in my mind. Next, maybe chicken and broccoli casserole or just a whole damn pan of rotini!! :-)

We had a huge wind storm up here last week, I think in N. Wisconsin as well - winds were 45 mph+. So things in my house flew off shelves (cause why wouldn't we have all of the windows open when there is a tornado force storm outside) and broke. Oh well. Shit is replaceable. ANd well it was a deer skull, my heart didn't break. Just the deers head :-) :-) So my point was, that I never got out to the lake to see if there were huge waves until the next day and to my disappointment, there was none. I can't wait until November, when she is in full force and just screaming and throwing herself all over....she demands respect, she shows her angry side and yet comes down and kisses you gently on shore....love it.

Honey bought me a dishwasher!!! He really loves me!!! :-) LOL We havent hooked it up and tested her out yet but that is coming. We are focused on the old house and getting it cleaned right now. But you can bet your ass that baby will be put into overtime. I will cook something and make a bunch of dirty dishes just to go use my dishwasher!@ Thanks honey!

OK, well it is Monday and since Charter had me tied up this morning, I promised members I would stay here until 530. WTH was I thinking....then the gym, then walmart for a wireless adapter? Monday - scuse me - go to hell for now. :-)


- Trying to trudge through Monday......

~S