-Deb- in MadCity

This blog has moved!

2007-04-30T18:13:00.001-06:00

Now that I have fewer Madison-specific posts (settling in!), I've consolidated my 3 blogs:

Deb in Mad City (journal)
...because democracy... (political opinion)
photos (favorite photography)

into one blog at WordPress. The new blog is at http://debh.wordpress.com .

If you have subscribed via email, no changes are necessary, I am just sending to the Yahoo group from FeedBurner instead of from Blogger.

Moving on!

2007-04-24T12:34:00.000-06:00

I have never been more miserable in a job than I have been in the one I currently hold. In fact, I don't think I have ever been miserable in a job at all. Not even at Burger King! :-)

Of course, this is not something one blogs about until they have an alternative... So yes, I am pleased to tell you that I am leaving the startup tech company (the one that was acquired 8 weeks after I started) for an opportunity with an very well-established health care services firm. I'll be managing the staff overseeing their IT infrastructure (about 250 servers and a large storage environment) - work similar to what I enjoyed at DOT.

My new company seems like a great organization. They involved all the staff I'd be managing in the interviews, which says a lot about the company, and allowed me to meet what seems to be very talented, dedicated team of folks. When I discussed the importance of regular hours and having a life outside the office, my boss's boss reassured me by noting that, by interviewing me past 5:00, I had triggered cell phone calls from his wife wondering where he was! The benefits are good, and include domestic partner benefits, so Susan won't have to go back to self-insuring again.

Here's hoping this will be the job I long for -- challenging and rewarding work as part of a cohesive team, and work that does not follow me home every night.

I am so grateful for the support that Susan and others have given me in this extremely trying period. This job has had me tied up in knots for months, with Susan nearly single-handedly giving me the energy I needed to make it through.

Lucky. I am lucky.

Home cities old and new

2007-04-21T21:18:00.000-06:00

What a phenomenal day! Many, many people were at the first day of the farmer's market today, but Susan and I spent the morning out on the porch with our coffee, reading the paper, catching up on e-mail, relaxing as music streamed from the iPod dock through the open windows of the house (David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging," from Lodger, is still in my head). Neighbors came over to join us for a bit.

The winters here are cold for some people, but I am so, so grateful for the beautiful spring and summer here, days when I can be outside and active, comfortably. It was in the mid-70's today, which is more summer-like here. So after our leisurely morning, we set out on our bikes to go a couple of miles down the bike trail to the Earth Day celebration at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. After browsing the tables and getting some leads on earth-friendly building resources, we came back past the house and rode on to the Weary Traveler, a neighborhood bar we hadn't made it to yet, for an early dinner. Like so many of the bars here (no smoking, yea!), they serve not only good beer, but good food; we shared the Thai Tom Ka Tofu soup, I had the Walleye sandwich with rosemary potatoes, and Susan had the vegan chili and cornbread -- all outstanding. Such a wealth of riches we have!

But enough about my "new" city -- last weekend we returned to DC to visit with friends and family, about a year after our move to Madison. We flew in Thursday morning, and headed to the Eastern Shore to visit Susan's grandmother, Marion. We also got to see Aunt Kate and cousin Sammy! (Check out this picture of Susan and Marion -- some family resemblance, eh?) We also had a chance to stop in at 2 of our favorite spots in Easton: Coffee East, and Legal Spirits (for crab soup -- yep, Susan fell off the veggie wagon for that!). How lucky we were, that upon our return to Northern Virginia, we got to borrow Deb and Courtney's house while awaiting their return from Bonaire. Consummate hostesses, those two -- we were invited to make ourselves at home, and had at our disposal detailed instructions on everything from coffee-making to TV remotes (we made good use of the former, but chose their XMradio player for media instead)!

On Friday, we had breakfast with my stepfather, Vic. This was a very significant event, as we hadn't seen each other for 15 years; it was great to re-establish that connection.

After breakfast, we went by a couple of Susan's former workplaces, Human Technology (not as scary as it sounds) and the Whitman-Walker Clinic. We also stopped by Susan's former neighborhood in Falls Church, and I literally wept for all of the perfectly good homes that were demolished in favor of new starter castles. It's one of the area trends that made us both want to move, and it only seems to be accelerating.

Food and friends was the theme of the weekend. On Friday night, Kyle & Peter allowed us to sate our long-deprived appetite for yummy food and margaritas at Austin Grill on Old Town Alexandria.

Saturday morning, we had brunch with Richard at Fireflies in Del Ray, then chili at Hard Times with Kris and Christina. Richard is one of the most influential people in my life, and although we aren't the best about regular communication, the connection remains strong. Kris is another of my oldest friends; we met in a traffic jam on the way out of my first (and last, thankfully) concert at Nissan Pavillion in the early 90's, soon after it had opened. This is a theme in my life, connecting with people around music... Susan introduced herself to me at a concert as well!

After lunch we met Kyle at Artomatic . If you're in the area, go; it's not as big as it's been in the past, but a much better space. These were some highlights for me:

Rose Marie Salinas's birch paintings
Diane E. Tesler's oil paintings
Peeps on a train and the other Peeps art
Aluminum can tab chair
Christopher Chen photo
"Walking Home with Pete"

Outside of the Artomatic venue (the old Patent Trademark Office building in Crystal City) before the show, Kyle was good enough to take a few pictures of Susan and I -- here's the one Susan submitted to her Lutheran high school reunion committee. :-)

After Artomatic, we went across the street to Roberto Donna's Bebo Trattoria for dinner with Richard and Michelle. I've never been to Donna's famous Galileo restaurant, but he opened this more casual Italian restaurant in Crystal City while its sister is being renovated. Most of the food was very good, although the service was pretty spotty.

On Sunday, Eva and daughter Melissa treated us to breakfast in their new house. Eva is a single mom who just recently bought a house in the DC area -- Susan and I are both in awe.

We returned to Deb & Courtney's to relax before our gathering at Whitlow's. I think I spent more time with those busy girls on this weekend than the whole time I knew them in DC, and it made me just that much more appreciative of their hospitality.

Late Sunday afternoon we had invited friends to join us at Whitlow's on Wilson. We were so very grateful to have a great many friends take us up on the offer. We had a great time catching up, and I don't have words to describe how much it meant to see you all there.

While at Whitlow's, Courtney & Deb were exercising their substantial culinary skills on our behalf -- I know, how ridiculously lucky are we?! We enjoyed a fabulous meal featuring a salad with excellent homemade vinaigrette, roasted pepper soup with fried polenta croutons, and a main course of fettuccine with asparagus, shrimp, feta, lemon, basil... wow! I must admit, it was better than the meal at Bebo Trattoria - very impressive. (I made the sidecars!)

You can find more pictures of our trip here, and I'll let you know when all of Susan's pictures are up.

Going meta

2007-04-07T17:12:00.000-06:00

My bicycle post was quoted on the home page of our groovy local free paper, the Isthmus (analagous to City Paper, for those in DC):

The first mention (Madison Guy) is a blog post associated with a Flickr photo that I had seen among my RSS feeds and commented on earlier in the day. The building he photographed is, in my opinion, one of the least attractive in the city, but it's a great shot.

Bicycles and Buffleheads

2007-04-06T21:42:00.000-06:00

Susan is on retreat in Kohler, WI, celebrating 20+ years of friendship with Scottie, and I have been asked to tell you about our crazy bicycle ride in a hail storm.

(Ok -- it wasn't a hail storm.)

Last weekend, we were determined not to go to the gym. How determined? Well, temperatures had plummeted since the record-setting highs we enjoyed during Shelley and Natalie's visit, but when we awoke last Saturday morning we found ourselves basking in fabulous sunlight. Yes! In spite of seemingly unending forecasts of clouds and rain, we had sun! It was still only 30-some degrees, but we had sun! We could ride our bikes today instead of using the dreaded cardio machines at the gym.

So, we had our coffee. Ate breakfast. Read the paper. Put on our gear.

Um hmm. By the time we were ready, it was cloudy. But just cloudy. Neither of us fear rain, so off we went. We rode toward Tenney Park, excited to see that the Yahara River Parkway path, which will go all the way from Lake Monona to Lake Mendota with underpasses at major roads, has almost been completed. Amazing to think that we had not yet made it to Tenney Park, just on the other side of the isthmus from our home! (I'm telling you, it is amazing how much there is to do here!)

Of course, as we made our way out to the lock, it started to rain. As we proceeded out to the lake, and got excited about all of the water fowl near the shore (more buffleheads*!), it began to pour, and the wind was gusting, I dunno, maybe 30 or 40 mph.

Now, here's where I'm supposed tell you how we proceeded on our ride without hesitation. Except we didn't. I biked myself to shelter, Susan good enough to follow, though of course she had to take a few photos on the way. That's my girl!

So, out of the wind for a minute or two, a bit warmer, we shoved off, on our way, determined to get to State St. for shopping (gifts, yea!) and Chipotle (a shared guilty pleasure in this land of few chain stores).

Perhaps it was the promise of Chipotle that inspired us. But we rode back across the isthmus, short-cutted up Monona Terrace (again, a minute in the bicycle-friendly elevator to warm up...), out toward the capitol. Down the other side, toward State St. Still pouring, harder wind!

But yes! We made it. Bought our gifts. Ate our burritos in warmth, and rode back home, with a story to tell.

* bufflehead ducks are cool... they dive completely under water, and pop up several feet away!

Seen on my Wisconsin tax return

2007-03-29T19:07:00.000-06:00

Taxes were extra fun this year... filing part-year returns in VA and WI, home sale, home purchase, 3 jobs plus a 1099 for a side-job. Wee!

So imagine how excited I was to get a laugh out of seeing this on my Wisconsin return:

Look at that! There, among endangered resources and gender-equitable cancer research, is my opportunity to contribute to the Packers' beloved Lambeau Field. (If it were Madison-centric, it would have benefited the beloved Badgers' Camp Randall, which at a capacity of 80,000+, is bigger than any NFL stadium - and fills it easily.)

Music and friends

2007-03-18T16:37:00.000-06:00

We went to see one of our favorite artists, Jeffrey Foucault, at one of our favorite places, Cafe Carpe, this past week. We were especially excited because Hayward Williams, highly recommended by Peter Mulvey, was opening the show. Well... suffice it to say that this guy is really terrific, and we are looking forward to catching up on his work thusfar, and watching to see where he goes from here.

The photo was taken by a gentleman sitting beside me in the back row of this tiny venue; click the photo to follow a link to more of his snaps. That's Williams in the middle, with Foucault on the right and David Goodrich, guitarist extraordinaire, on the left. David was playing acoustic tonight due to airline foul-ups, but he sounded great to me.

Next up is Patty Griffin at the Barrymore in a couple of weeks. Her CD, Children Running Through, seems, at first listen, a return to form after a dissappointing follow-up to one of my very favorite albums, 1000 Kisses. And Kris Delmhorst will be in town in May, at Cafe Monmartre.

Besides going out to see music, I continue to exhaust myself by working too much. In combination with Susan's classes and both of us trying to get to the gym regularly (and together whenever possible), we've been much too busy, but we're both making efforts to remedy that situation.

The gym, at least, continues to pay dividends; I've escaped the plateau I hit a few months ago and started losing weight again, to the point that I'm buying new clothes again... yea!

Next weekend our friends Shelley and Natalie come to visit from Massachusetts! We are very excited to have them come see this new city of ours, which we love so much.

It's been a year since we bought the house here, and 11 months since we moved... if you haven't come to visit , will you think about it?

We'll come see you, too... for those of you in DC, we'll be there for a long weekend in April; if you have time to meet up with us, send me an email and I'll let you know where we'll be.

Spectacular shot of Lake Mendota

2007-03-12T20:33:00.001-06:00

IMG_7988
Originally uploaded by hereiskaty.

WP: Madison Named 'Most Walkable'

2007-03-10T20:55:00.000-06:00

[click link above for full AP article]

Prevention Magazine rated Madison the most walkable city in the U.S. in its annual Stroll Poll. Madison is the only city not in the South or West to even make the top 10, having apparently overcome the weather factor with its other virtues.

I love the end of the article:

Zac Stencil, 23, a senior at the university, said he walks about two miles every day to and from classes. "You can meet cool groups of people who are walking beside you," Stencil said. "Plus, when the lakes are frozen you can walk right across."

Speaking of the weather, the temperature reached 47 degrees today, and it felt like springtime. I sat out on the porch with Indy dog and Molly cat and read the paper. Tomorrow it'll go into the low 50's, and I can tell you I will be joining many outside in it. The days of walking on the lake are soon behind us. Canoes and kayaks will soon be towed to the lake, by foot and by bike, instead.

Snowman on Randall Ave #4

2007-03-08T21:56:00.001-06:00

Snowman on Randall Ave #4
Originally uploaded by Arthur1227.

It sorta looks like this,

2007-02-27T22:14:00.001-06:00

DSCF0008
Originally uploaded by nataraj_hauser.

everywhere. 16+ inches over the weekend, and more on the way. I know this is kind of how some of you think of Wisconsin, but it's actually the biggest snow in Wisconsin in 17 years.

They just...don't...stop...

2007-02-27T22:08:00.001-06:00

DSCF0126
Originally uploaded by nataraj_hauser.

...bicycling here! Seriously... I love seeing the bicycle tracks everywhere between the feet-high banks of snow!

Not today

2007-02-27T22:04:00.001-06:00

Not today
Originally uploaded by mjlmadison.

Bikes on the UW campus

An eventful week

2007-02-20T20:07:00.001-06:00

I told you about our busy weekend last week, and it followed through to the week. Monday was my birthday, and Susan baked me a cake (she says the picture had to be bad because the cake was... but you can't fault her for trying the organic cake and icing, right?). She made a fantastic Senegalese peanut soup for my birthday dinner, though!

The beautiful flowers and locally-made card to the right were from our neighbors across the street.

This weekend was equally eventful, but in a different way... my first Wisconsin blizzard. We had about 7 inches of snow on Friday, another 7-9 yesterday, another 1-2 inches today, and another 1-2 inches tomorrow... wherever will we put it all?! We can only know that Susan will capture lots of it in pictures. (I really loved pictures of the DC snow by friends Deb and Greg - check them out!)

The best part of the weekend was the reinforcement of everything I love about our neighborhood... Neighbors helped us clear the walk and the driveway... had us over for breakfast after shoveling... welcomed us for veggie chili and home-brewed beer... for hot cocoa and cookies. Yes, yes, this is my place.

(Just for the record: Susan's chocolate chip blizzard cookies more than made up for the less successful birthday cake.)

Music, dance, food and fun

2007-02-17T09:26:00.000-06:00

Had a fun weekend... somehow managed to do lots of fun stuff without too much frenzy, always a challenge.

On Friday, we went to Himal-Chuli, one of 3 Nepali restaurants in Madison. It's tiny... 24 seats, and the tables are thisclose together. But the food! I had a sampler platter of dal, momochas, samosa, and roti... and the rice pudding with flax seed for dessert. Outstanding. Can't wait to go back, but Madison has a ridiculous number of restaurants, most of which we haven't been to yet. Poor us.

After the meal, we went to see Ron K. Brown's Evidence dance company at the Overture Center. I like strong, athletic dance styles, and really enjoyed Brown's African-influenced choreography. But there was one dancer -- Juel Lane from Atlanta -- I just couldn't take my eyes off of him. He made everything seem effortless. I kept thinking how incredible to stand out even among such incredibly talented people!

One of the songs in the show was Me'shell NdegeOcello's "When Did You Leave Heaven," a stunning jazz track sung by Lalah Hathaway on the album Dance of the Infidel. That'll be joining our collection for sure.

On Saturday we went to Cafe Monmartre to see Satchell Paige Mitchell open for Natalie Zukerman. We'd heard good things about Zukerman, and I was glad to finally get to see her, and to see more of Mitchell, who was great with Peter Mulvey in LaCrosse.

1500 Madisonians jumped into frozen Lake Monona on Saturday, raising more than $250,000 for Special Olympics. Having experienced the air temperature of late, and seen people walking and skating across the lake for days on end, I somehow have an even greater appreciation for how completely insane this activity is. Good for them!

Now, though, the temperature has seemed downright balmy, in the 40's. It's funny how I've acclimated. When it got above freezing I actually started contemplating whether I should bother to zip up my coat.

Photos of our LaCrosse trip are up (mine; Susan's) , go check out the bluffs, the Mississippi River, our B&B, Peter Mulvey, and other fun stuff!

Ok.... NOW it's REALLY cold (LaCrosse, WI trip)

2007-02-13T21:45:00.000-06:00

Susan caught this... possibly malfunctioning... temperature reading during our trip north to LaCrosse, Wisconsin. We had gone up to see Peter Mulvey at the Pump House regional arts center. We had seen the Saturday date on the tour schedule and thought, "hmm, that'll make a nice get-away weekend, and we can see more of our new home state!" Of course, it was the coldest weekend of the year. Still, there was not precipitation, so a few extra layers and we were good to go.

We stayed at a terrific B&B in the historic downtown. The proprietor was very nice and her daughter was adorable ("the guests! the guests!" she said as we came downstairs). The room had lots of light and was comfy -- I picked it specifically because it lacked all of the frilly antiques of most B&Bs.

On Saturday we dropped off our things and wandered around town. We found key resources for a good weekend vacation: good music (Deaf Ear Record Exchange), good food (Hackberry's Bistro over the People's Food Co-op), good coffeeshop (Jules' Coffee), good bookstore (Pearl Street Books, next door to Jules', great used and new book selection).

Saturday night was the concert; Peter had a cold but sounded good and exhibited his typical wit. Fellow Wisconsin singer-songwriter Satchell Paige Welch joined him on the trip and on stage. The audience was, I think, mostly patrons of the arts center unfamiliar with Peter, so it was a pretty low-key affair.

On Sunday, we enjoyed a fabulous breakfast at the B&B, and headed out to enjoy some of the places we'd spotted the day before (coffee, music, coffee, food, coffee, books).

We had a couple of suprise treats on our way out of town. First, we stopped at Grandad Bluff, a LaCrosse landmark that left us grateful that the roads were clear enough for us to drive up and get great shots like this. From the top of the bluff, we could see into neighboring Iowa and Minnesota.

Next, we drove across the Mississippi River and up the Minnesota side from LaCrescent to Winona, as recommended by our neighbor, friend, and pet sitter, Kate. Even though the Mississippi is smaller up here, it is still impressive, and seeing it frozen over is rather amazing. And the bluffs all around, the ice clinging to them, a bald eagle... wonders everywhere.

Finally, on our way home, we accidentally found our way onto the scenic route home, and decided to stick with it - a fortuitous choice, it was a wonderful drive, and we'll likely go that way again next time.

In all, the weekend seemed to last for days -- we crammed a lot into it, but still came away relaxed.

Susan will have all of the pictures on Flickr soon... when she does, I'll post the link here.

unique feeder

2007-02-09T21:24:00.001-06:00

unique feeder
Originally uploaded by sfrikken.

This is awesome.... Susan snapped this in the neighborhood... part seasonal decoration, part animal feeder. Very cool.

Ok.... NOW it's cold

2007-02-05T21:14:00.000-06:00

Today, the high was -3. No, that's not a smudge on your screen... today's high was 3 degrees below zero (yes, I understand that is not significantly better than 3 degrees above zero, but still). Wind chills below -30. It was so cold, schools were closed.

Now, I know that a lot of people thought I was crazy for moving this far north, but I have been loving the weather, truly. The spring (what we were here for), summer, and fall were all fabulous. And winter has been fine. On the rare occasions that temperatures fell into the teens, I grimaced a bit, but it was bearable. But now... now it is some 25 degrees below normal. I am earning my midwest bona fides.

The cutest dog ever

2007-02-01T21:13:00.001-06:00

Originally uploaded by sfrikken.

Our Indy girl, drying in the sun, post-bath.

Looking for work in Europe?

2007-01-29T22:12:00.000-06:00

I always enjoy perusing the Economist's job advertisements. Here's my favorite, ever (click the photo for a clearer image):

Marines per Gallon

2007-01-28T12:14:00.000-06:00

no fireplace? no problem

2007-01-27T20:36:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite Madison landmarks

2007-01-27T17:46:00.000-06:00

The Badger Liquor neon sign on State St.

Strict Vegan Ethics, Frosted With Hedonism - New York Times

2007-01-24T20:42:00.000-06:00

Mother Fools, my favorite Madison coffee house, serves exclusively vegan food (for drink, they offer cow's milk, but soy milk is no extra charge). Their cupcakes look insanely great, but it's Jennie Capellaro's soups and the East Side Ovens cookies that I really love. Susan sipped a cup of their dill dahl on her way to class this very evening, but the tortilla soup is our favorite ("are you sure there's no cheese in there?")!

All that is to say: here's an article for you about vegan punk bakers; I am amazed that they don't live in Madison.

Strict Vegan Ethics, Frosted With Hedonism - New York Times

Back to the big city

2007-01-21T13:11:00.000-06:00

Now that my company headquarters is in Chicago, I've had to make a couple of trips there for meetings. The HQ is on LaSalle St., in the heart of the old financial district, across from the City Hall (with its green roof) and a few blocks from the Sears Tower.

It's about 150 miles from Madison to Chicago, but during rush hour is a 3-1/2 hour drive. The only positive thing I can say about that is that it serves as a reminder of the traffic I left behind in DC! I do not miss the regular honking of car horns.

The people, too, are different. I have been so spoiled by this wonderful, smaller city, with its friendly people who greet strangers, hold doors, and give thanks when others do the same. Simple things can make life so much more pleasant.

My next trip is tomorrow; I have to make a presentation at the company meeting (eek!). Two presentations, actually; a short one before the entire company (150 people) on Monday and long (30 minute) one for just my division (90 people) on Tuesday. Public speaking is not my thing, and I've had very little time to prepare... I'm going to have to imagine Tim Gunn over my shoulder... "make it work!" Send positive vibes my way, won't you?

Winter has arrived...

2007-01-15T15:36:00.001-06:00

Originally uploaded by sfrikken.

Susan and I walked down to Lake Monona with Indy dog on this cold, snowy afternoon.

Harmony, Neighbors, and Football

2007-01-14T12:42:00.000-06:00

Harmony Bar

We're going to the Harmony Bar tonight to see Spin Cycle , an improv comedy troupe that an acquaintance of ours is in. We love the Harmony... fantastic food (four cheese pizza featuring bleu cheese is phenomenal, as are the walnut burgers), and a really friendly diverse group of people on both sides of the bar. Here's a good recent review with more detail, and some pictures of one of the most interesting, comfortable, friendly places in our neighborhood.

Neighbors

Speaking of the neighborhood... our next-door neighbors, who have lived in their home for longer than I have lived, are putting their house on the market. I keep telling myself what a good thing it is that this is such a big deal to me... after all, neighbors came and went in the DC area and it never really mattered much, because they didn't generally interact anyway...

Favre update

Surely you've heard the latest... the local news reported that Brett Favre has allowed his golf club membership to lapse, prompting speculation that he is planning to retire and leave the area. No, seriously, that was reported on the news.

NFL Playoffs

Very awesome that New Orleans won yesterday's playoff game, although I was kind of rooting for the Eagles because I'd love for Jeff Garcia to be "Super-Bowl-winning QB Jeff Garcia" if he ever comes out. Still, a Redskins fan will never complain about an Eagles loss... and the Cowboys went out so fabulously painfully last week that it makes the Redskins' futility a bit more bearable.

I was also glad to see the Colts beat the Ravens - any opportunity to force humility on Brian Billick is welcome.

Who do you want to see at the SuperBowl (Susan's answer here)?

Lake Monona, winter

2007-01-13T21:18:00.001-06:00

Originally uploaded by sfrikken.

Susan was out taking pictures in the first snow since October (!). Love this one of a foggy, snowy backdrop of lake behind the sharp image of the tree... she notes the "line of waterfowl, in the curve of the lake."

Capitol Peek

2007-01-13T15:32:00.001-06:00

Capitol Peek
Originally uploaded by sfrikken.

Susan took this one! "Looking SW onto the Capitol Building from the US Bank Building on the Capitol Square."

Christmas, extended

2007-01-11T14:42:00.000-06:00

Susan and I both received Amazon.com gift certificates from the family for Christmas, so we decided it would be fun to exchange them and buy each other gifts so we could still have surprises! I got my package yesterday, full of neat stuff.

I am thrilled to finally have the book Inspirability: 40 Top Designers Speak Out About What Inspires, which I believe I first drooled over at the Nat'l Building Museum. I admit, I was drawn in by the furry green hardcover, but the glossy, graphically fascinating interior pages also serve their subject well.

I also got Design Like You Give a Damn: Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises; Pieta Brown's latest CD, "In the Cool"; David Bowie's "Best of Bowie" DVD (can't wait to see the old videos again -- what is it about that guy?!); Stephen King's "Insomnia" (I was never able to keep up with SK, so Susan is helping me negotiate the better releases); and, most altruistically of all, "Blue Velvet" on DVD (I only had it on Laserdisc before... are you old enough to remember those?).

already?

2007-01-09T20:57:00.000-06:00

In a post about my new job a few weeks ago, I said I expected that my new company would "like most IT startups, either fail or be bought out by a larger company." Well, sure enough... I've been in limbo for a couple of weeks until it was official and I could tell people, but we did indeed get acquired. (Scottie: call me!)

My job appears to be safe -- I take nothing for granted, but there is very little overlap with the parent company (still small, 150 to our 50 people), so the biggest change should be that I'll have a new boss and we'll be headquartered in Chicago (2.5 hours away) instead of Madison. I have been to the new HQ once already for planning meetings, and will go again for the annual company meeting later this month, but hope not to have to venture to the big city too often!

So, 8 weeks into trying to learn my new environment, I am tasked with integrating a whole new set of services and people into it. I will be very busy for a while, but ultimately the organization and other resources the new company brings could make my job a bit easier. And I have far fewer concerns about the funding of the new company (which is, like the other, still a venture-capital-backed startup), because it has been extremely successful in its own niche of providing PCI services.

Oh, and they offer domestic partner benefits if Wisconsin's new constitutional amendment in defense of the sacred institution of marriage doesn't invalidate them...

iPod surgery

2007-01-07T11:50:00.000-06:00

A little over a year ago I finally broke down and bought an iPod. I was holding out for lower prices, more storage, a sign that enhancements leveling off, and more assurance that music I bought online would be playable in the next decade.

I bought just before the video iPods came out and never looked back. I love my iPod. I love NPR podcasts (and others). I love being able to shuffle and not know which of the 6000 songs loaded so far will pop up. I love creating auto-playlists by genre or artist.

And then, I turned it on one day and got the frowny Mac. Charged it up... nope. Reset it... nope. Ugh. And it seems that out of warranty, Apple basically charges you the cost of a refurbished iPod (about $250) to repair anything beyond a battery. I am sure this is great for business, because many who can afford to do so must simply toss the old one in the landfill and upgrade. I hate supporting the wasteful model that is Apple's continuous upgrade business strategy. I started looking for alternatives.

I did lots of research trying to find anything comparable, and came up empty. The iTunes interface is still lacking obvious features (very little of my music can be described by a single genre; why in the world can't I create subfolders for organzation?), but it's still better than anything else I've seen. (Zune may fill the void, but that remains to be seen.)

So, having come to grips with my dependence on this device, I persevered... researched, decided it could be the battery, took a chance, and bought an repair kit here. Saw these instructions and got nervous, but proceeded.

The toolkit itself was useless. Susan ended up opening the damn thing with a butter knife. :-) Then things got interesting... pull the audio cable, move the hard drive and motherboard, take out 6 teeny tiny screws, untape stuff... aha! the battery! Replace, reassemble, think good thoughts, turn it on... YES! Success.

If you've made it this far, your reward is this: if you are going to own an iPod, extend your warranty. Do it. If it's too late, seriously consider mailing your device in to PDASmart or others for cheaper repairs than Apple. Or if you just want to upgrade, people will buy your old one on eBay and repair it, keeping it out of the landfill. But don't try to replace a battery yourself unless you are extremely comfortable working with electronics and in tiny spaces!

Do you have an iPod story to share? Is there another music player or other software or online music stores that you like? Share in the comments!

Growing pains, shrinking gains

2007-01-02T20:07:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago, the NY Times was singing Madison's praises as "the new Berkeley" , but yesterday's front-page story describes some of the less desirable aspects of Madison's growth, as "thousands of young professionals, retirees and former suburbanites have moved to glistening condominium buildings in the shadow of the state Capitol’s dome and only a few blocks from the University of Wisconsin’s main campus." The key issue is perceived to be concentration of population in the small downtown area, and its large population of bars. The state government is seeking to decrease the number of bars by changing licensing laws.

An article about downsizing of another sort was in the NY Times Magazine a few weeks ago. The city of Youngstown, Ohio is purposefully downsizing itself to match its current inhabitants, now half of the 170,000 people who lived there when the steel industry reigned. A creative approach, and I hope it works there and elsewhere. Short article is below:

December 10, 2006

THE 6th ANNUAL YEAR IN IDEAS; Creative Shrinkage

By BELINDA LANKS

For decades, depopulated Rust Belt cities have tried to grow their way back to prosperity. Youngstown, Ohio, has a new approach: shrinking its way into a new identity.
At its peak, Youngstown supported 170,000 residents. Now, with less than half that number living amid shuttered steel factories, the city and Youngstown State University are implementing a blueprint for a smaller town that retains the best features of the metropolis Youngstown used to be. Few communities of 80,000 boast a symphony orchestra, two respected art museums, a university, a generously laid-out downtown and an urban park larger than Central Park. ''Other cities that were never the center of steel production don't have these assets,'' says Jay Williams, the city's newly elected 35-year-old mayor, who advocated a downsized Youngstown when he ran for office.
Williams's strategy calls for razing derelict buildings, eventually cutting off the sewage and electric services to fully abandoned tracts of the city and transforming vacant lots into pocket parks. The city and county are now turning abandoned lots over to neighboring landowners and excusing back taxes on the land, provided that they act as stewards of the open spaces. The city has also placed a moratorium on the (often haphazard) construction of new dwellings financed by low-income-housing tax credits and encouraged the rehabilitation of existing homes. Instead of trying to recapture its industrial past, Youngstown hopes to capitalize on its high vacancy rates and underused public spaces; it could become a culturally rich bedroom community serving Cleveland and Pittsburgh, both of which are 70 miles away.
Youngstown's experiment has not gone unnoticed. Williams's office has already fielded calls from officials in a few of the many American metropolitan areas that have experienced steep population drop-offs. When cities hit rock bottom, it seems, planners can find new solutions for urban decay -- if they are willing to think small enough. BELINDA LANKS

Moon over Lake Monona

2006-12-30T12:51:00.001-06:00

Lake Monona
Originally uploaded by thechrisproject.

"Taken at the end of Few street."

Yes, but he could've been a Packer

2006-12-27T20:10:00.000-06:00

Heard on the local NPR news this a.m.: in reporting President Gerald Ford's death, the first biographical bit mentioned was not the unprecedented manner in which he took office, nor that he pardoned Nixon. The first thing you learned from NPR this morning about Ford was that he was a star football player that turned down an opportunity to join the Green Bay Packers.

Northern Lights revisited

2006-12-25T15:04:00.001-06:00

Earth, Wind, and Sky
Originally uploaded by WisDoc.

"Taken from the shores of Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin. I had been trying to photograph the Aurora Borealis a few nights ago, but it was very windy and the clouds rolled in and covered up the view. I was about to head home, but I stayed and snapped a few long exposure shots of the clouds quickly moving as well as the waves rolling towards the shore."

Misty Lake Monona

2006-12-25T14:55:00.003-06:00

Misty Monona 2
Originally uploaded by thechrisproject.

What did you give for Xmas?

2006-12-25T13:14:00.000-06:00

From Inhabitat:

"Christmas is a great day for traditions. Some families make a giant turkey, some roast chestnuts, while others tear open presents with grandma at the crack of dawn. This year, allow me to suggest a new tradition: Giving Back For Christmas. What better day to be thankful for the gifts you received, then give back to the world. There are so many ways to give- from volunteering at your local soup kitchen to hauling a trunkload of clothes and unused housewares to the Goodwill, to making a monetary donation to a worthy cause. Even the smallest actions can make a difference. So, in the words of my proactive father, 'Just do something.' Here are some suggested volunteer opportunites, charitable organizations, and ways to donate"

[Full article linked to title above.]

Why I love Madison, (reason #498)

2006-12-24T19:56:00.000-06:00

"Now, with the shuttering of this McDonald's and the one on the Capitol Square, there's not much corporate quick food available on State Street. Wendy's, Hardees, Pizza Hut and Burger King have all left the area."

[Full article from the Wisconsin State Journal linked to title above.]

Aurora Borealis

2006-12-24T11:32:00.001-06:00

Aurora Borealis
Originally uploaded by Ting-Li Lin.

Northern Lights in Madison, 12/14/06

Redbird at Cafe Carpe

2006-12-21T16:13:00.000-06:00

We went to see Redbird (which features 3 of our favorite artists: Kris Delmhorst, Jeffrey Foucault, and Peter Mulvey) at the tiny Cafe Carpe in Ft. Atkinson, WI last weekend. I have been a fan of Peter Mulvey's since his album Deep Blue in 1997, and discovered Kris Delmhorst probably not too long after, as they were both among many fine singer-songwriters in the Boston music scene I was following. Susan and I discovered Jeffrey Foucault when he opened for Peter Mulvey a few years ago. Now Kris is married to Jeffrey. And Peter lives here in Wisconsin (having returned from Boston).

Go figure.

Anyway, the show found them relaxed in comfortable environs and amongst many friends. We sat this close, but you couldn't really be much farther away in this room. There was lots of holiday silliness; their goal was to play only songs they hadn't played before.

Kris covered the Cars' "You Might Think," and the singalong to the bridge ("you kept it goin'/ 'til the sun went down/ you kept it... goin'") was priceless. But my favorite was her cover of Wilco's "Jesus, etc.," which caused me to pull out Yankee Hotel Foxtrot for a listen the very next day.

Listen to a recent story about Kris on NPR's "All Things Considered" here... the vocals on the opening sample cause the breath to catch in my throat...

Activist girls

2006-11-29T13:53:00.000-06:00

I told you about my appearance in the Wisconsin State Journal; one of Susan's comments was noted by The Capital Times:

One resident said the water killed her plants, while another angrily accused the Water Utility [sic] of not doing its job to provide safe drinking water for children. Still others voiced concerns about how contaminated water might affect people with already-weak immune systems, such as people with liver problems or those infected with HIV.

[Full article]

I'm in the newspaper. :-)

2006-11-28T12:46:00.000-06:00

Susan and I attended a meeting with water utility and health officials discussing issues with the well that serves our area. My comments were well-received, and a Wisconsin State Journal reporter asked for my name afterward. He didn't quite get it right (I had written the mayor questioning the director up public health's approach, not called Schlenker directly), but it's close:

...residents at the meeting remain uneasy about what they perceived as the city's lack of response to health concerns. Deb Hanrahan, from the Marquette neighborhood, said she called Schlenker last summer and asked if the health department planned to track potential illnesses that might have been caused by exposure to manganese. She was told only that the department is keeping track of phone calls from people with concerns, she said.
"I was very disappointed," Hanrahan said. "There's a real lack of confidence here."

[Full article]

A happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-26T15:34:00.000-06:00

Susan and I spent Thanksgiving with our friends Scottie and Jim and their daughters Casey and Sammy. They live in Wauwatosa (a Milwaukee suburb affectionately known as 'Tosa). Having Scottie and Jim nearby is one of the things that made us feel more comfortable about uprooting ourselves from DC and moving to Wisconsin!

After feasting on a fabulous meal of traditional T'day fare, we went for a very nice walk which included a hike through the woods which our dog Indy particularly enjoyed! Then back home for more food, good coffee, and relaxation... ahhhh.

If you have a Flickr account and I've added you as a friend or family, you can see more pictures here. If you don't have an account, you can create one and invite me to be a contact (I can help, just ask!).

Over dinner, I had so much emotion over everything I have to be thankful for that I couldn't put it into words. A wonderful partner to share (truly share) my life with. Good health, good friends, good job. A nice home in a great community. Susan's dad's successful liver transplant and the family and friends that pulled together to help Terry and Lora through the recovery period. Sister Kate newly starting grad school and continuing to be supermom to Colin. Brother Terry also in school, oh and teaching and coaching high school students and caring for his son Braden. My stepfather reconnecting with me after 15 years of estrangement.

Yeah, I'm lucky. Lucky... or something. But definitely grateful, every day.

Lakeshore Nature Preserve

2006-11-24T12:32:00.000-06:00

The Path Less Taken
Originally uploaded by WisDoc.

near Picnic Point

A Tree Without Leaves

2006-11-24T09:16:00.000-06:00

A Tree Without Leaves
Originally uploaded by Johnny Blood.

"A large oak tree has lost its leaves against a colorful autumn sky near Madison, Wisconsin."

An update on the new job

2006-11-19T11:35:00.000-06:00

So, I've been kind of quiet as I've settled into my new job. The environment is great, a wonderful converted loft office space downtown featuring exposed brick and contemporary design concepts. I have a nice office, and other amenities (large kitchen with all major appliances and free coffee, tea, sodas water -- and if they don't have what you want, they'll order it).

I love the location; 2 miles from home, a few blocks from the capital. The immediate neighborhood includes the Electric Earth Cafe (one of my favorite coffee and sandwich spots), WORT public radio, the Echo Tap and Grill (an institution -- 41 years in the same location run by the same family), the offices of the Onion.

My co-workers are very friendly, which is good because there is a steep learning curve and I am having to learn in a very ad hoc manner (I have, after all, been brought in largely due to their lack of processes, so hopefully I will be among the last to suffer this!) The other managers are very open to new ideas and offering me the freedom to make changes.

The work is really interesting -- I am excited to learn more about networking and security, and there are so many ways I can help this company be more effective and efficient, the hardest thing is going to be focusing my efforts. I get up each morning excited about what I can accomplish that day, a feeling I haven't had in a very long time. The flipside of that is that the company needs a lot of help -- it is growing rapidly, and if we don't get a handle on it quickly the ramifications will be substantial. Customers are already wary of the changes they've seen as the company has grown, so I'll need to move quickly to make sure I get the staff, most only with the company for 6 months or less, trained and motivated.

So... lots to do, but a good fit for my skills and work I enjoy, as well as an opportunity to gain experience in areas I'm interested in. So far, so good...!

Who's nerdy now?

2006-11-05T16:10:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago, I told you about my new nerd bike , but according to the Wall Street Journal, I was merely ahead of the curve.

Arcade games and photo studios

2006-11-05T14:05:00.000-06:00

Susan and I went to Michigan last weekend to join in the celebration of our nephews' October birthdays (Colin's 2nd and Braden's 1st!)! There were many great moments, but these pictures capture some of my favorites: Susan playing in an arcade with Colin; one of the photos of the birthday boys that resulted from an amazing amount of coaxing, pleading, tickling, and more from mom Kate, uncle Terry, and aunt Susan to get Colin to cooperate at the photo studio; and tuxedo'd, eyeliner-mustache-sporting Colin racing across the rec center gym at the Halloween celebration, sippy-cup in hand.

Pumpkins

2006-11-01T20:49:00.000-06:00

IMG_4976
Originally uploaded by sfrikken.

2 of Susan's Halloween pumpkins. We had about 35 trick-or-treaters (many more than we ever had in Arlington), so it was fun!

Red Bike

2006-11-01T20:45:00.000-06:00

Red Bike
Originally uploaded by FlickrFinn.

"A 'red bike' docked at a rack on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Red Bikes is a community service that allows you to 'check out' and use a bicycle at no charge, like a library book."

a gorgeous capture of the Lake Monona skyline

2006-10-23T14:09:00.000-06:00

A Glowing Madison Morning
Originally uploaded by WisDoc.

"A Glowing Madison Morning

The skyline of Madison, Wisconsin taken just as the sun was coming up over Lake Monona."

Transitions

2006-10-22T10:40:00.000-06:00

There has been so much change in my life this year. As you know, the move to Madison was a huge change... chosen, but still, leaving friends behind, and the city I had lived my entire life in, and a job I had dedicated myself to and grown in over 6 years (not to mention my earlier years at DOT in the 90's)...

Also recently, friends and family have diagnosed with cancer, and have demonstrated strength I cannot even imagine.

Our dog FleeWee, at 14 years old, has been going steadily downhill. We have tried a variety of medications to ease his pain and encourage his appetite, but he is still doing poorly. He will no longer eat even the treats that we sneak his pills into, so we will let him go on Monday. If you haven't already, please read our boy's story on Susan's blog.

As I've indicated here previously, the culture at my current workplace doesn't suit me (very conservative and regimented), nor, I have discovered, does the project management field. I was not so unhappy with the job that I was actively seeking anything, but I thought it would be worthwhile to see what might come to me, so I updated my resume and left it online. There were the usual clueless recruiters who, having happened upon sought-after acronyms in my resume tried to lure into short-term positions in New Jersey, or engage me in work I haven't done for 10 years.

But in the midst of those was an intriguing opportunity to join a small startup company downtown (2 miles away - a short ride down the bike path) which provides managed network security services. It would be risky, for certain, working for a startup. But the work! The work is exactly what I want to do. As the Director of Managed Services, I would be stepping into a position just created for this growing company. I would establish processes (using my knowledge of and interest in ITIL) for better customer service. I would supervise and mentor about 20 engineers, and design training and review systems to help retain them. I would evaluate their technology infrastructure, make recommendations, and implement them. And all in an environment that the founder/CTO calls "aggressively casual" -- I can wear jeans every day, and I won't even have to press them. (Being able to wear jeans to work is no small benefit with the winters here!)

I'm sure you can tell how excited I was about the opportunity. But I'm risk-averse when it comes to my career, so everything had to be perfect for me to take a chance on a startup. But after 3 interviews (founder and CFO, a team of other managers, and finally the CEO) over several weeks, they made me an offer. I negotiated a package that made me feel as comfortable as I could in such a circumstance (including a professional development budget so I can keep my skills current just in case), and I'm taking a flyer on this opportunity.

Thanks to those of you who served as references! I am especially grateful to Susan for being so supportive... with her new job as business manager at Gail Ambrosius chocolates, we will now both be working for new small businesses... yikes! I think Susan's is far more likely to succeed than mine (I expect my new company will. like most IT startups, either fail or be bought out by a larger company), but I am hoping to at least get in a couple of good years of exciting work while continuing to grow my skills and network in Madison.

So, yeah, lots going on, happy and sad. Thanks for listening, again, via this impersonal medium. I want to hear what's going on in your life too... comment on this blog, email me, give me a call, whatever works for you!

Madison mid-autumn moon

2006-10-15T14:01:00.001-06:00

Madison mid-autumn moon
Originally uploaded by dcmarch.

Capitol Building

2006-10-15T14:01:00.000-06:00

Capitol Building
Originally uploaded by ctchen.

State St. Leading Up To The Capitol

2006-10-15T13:54:00.000-06:00

State St. Leading Up To The Capitol
Originally uploaded by Maitri.

Goooo Badgers

2006-10-13T14:43:00.000-06:00

Originally uploaded by Tierney100.

UW's Camp Randall stadium holds 80,000 people, and sells out every week... that's more than most NFL teams! Quite the impressive sea of red, eh?

Wisconsin State Capitol

2006-10-12T15:29:00.000-06:00

Wisconsin State Capitol
Originally uploaded by drhunter.

Betcha can't park this close to YOUR capitol. :-)

Fall in Wisconsin

2006-10-12T15:21:00.000-06:00

Fall in Wisconsin
Originally uploaded by tenth48.

"These are just some berries on a tree, along the Yahara River canal, which link Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. Since one is about 6 feet higher than the other, to go from one to the other, you must use the Yahara River and go through the Tenney Lock."

Red Gym

2006-10-12T14:49:00.000-06:00

Red Gym
Originally uploaded by Mazda6.

"This building served as a guards barracks during the American Civil war. It faces Lake Mendota and currently serves as administrative office for UW-Madison... "

And so it begins...

2006-10-12T11:36:00.000-06:00

... the high temperature in Madison today is expected to be 40 degrees. Yes, it's 20 degrees below normal for Oct. 12, but still... 40. And snow flurries! We'll be back into the (more normal) 60's next week, thankfully.

The good thing is that I am, apparently, hardier than many Madisonians. I have been smiling to myself as I see the layers and weight of clothing others have been reduced to in this cold spell. More evidence that I belong here.

on this gorgeous day,

2006-10-07T16:38:00.000-06:00

about 70 degrees and a bit windy, I took the nerd bike out for a ride with Susan around the lake, my longest ride so far, about 15 miles or so. Took about 2 hours, and I was rewarded with my first visit to the new RP's Pasta restaurant. RP's is national now (you can probably find their fresh pasta at Whole Foods if you have one nearby), but it is based in Madison, and we are lucky enough to get it served at a no-frills cafe just outside the doors to the kitchen. We had the specials -- spinach-fennel gnocchi with clam sauce for me, vegetarian lasagna for Susan. Awesome!

Last night, we visited a few local businesses participating the the Gallery Walk, a regular event at which art is displayed by businesses which often also provide music, appetizers, and drinks.

Tonight, going to see Cyndi Lauper (yes, that one) at the Orpheum . Haven't been to this venue yet, but this will be the first of 2 trips this week -- seeing Ani DiFranco there on Thursday.

Tomorrow, we may go out for an "Open Art Studios" stroll, to check out the studios of local artists participating in that annual event.

Who needs to go to the gym with all this running around?!

NPR: E-Mail Takes a Holiday, at Least for One Day

2006-10-07T16:37:00.000-06:00

Great story about a company that bans corporate email on Fridays.

NPR : E-Mail Takes a Holiday, at Least for One Day

(Click on the headline to the story using a RealAudio or WindowsMedia player.)

Chalk artist...

2006-10-06T14:44:00.000-06:00

Chalk artist
Originally uploaded by Ann Althouse.

"Drawing a face and drawing a crowd, on Library Mall today" - Ann Althouse

Why I need a new job

2006-10-04T20:04:00.000-06:00

I can't even wear jeans on Fridays. Bummer! But here's the best part: by donating $3 to the United Way campaign I can get a "Denim Day" sticker that will allow me to wear them tomorrow. But you knew there'd be a catch! From a corporate email:

What is work-appropriate denim? All denim should be clean, gently-worn and pressed. You also can wear athletic footwear, such as tennis shoes. Please make sure your footwear is also clean.

Uh, no, I didn't buy a sticker, too much pressure. :-)

Reduce, reuse, THEN recycle

2006-10-02T15:15:00.000-06:00

Grist's Umbra on the American addiction to disposable products and the like:

Most Americans... generate 4.5 pounds of garbage per person per day. To get a sense of just how obscene that is, consider this: in 2003, Americans tossed out 236 million tons of solid waste. The people in your current home of Thailand, by comparison, chucked a mere 14.4 million tons. Thailand has about one-quarter the population of the U.S. -- but only one-sixteenth the trash. Yikes.
[...]

Sadly, in this world of Nifty mops and Zippy sandwich containers and things that are made to break, it's hard to convince people to buy -- and therefore throw away -- less stuff. But according to the EPA, more than 6,000 communities have "pay as you throw" programs that charge residents for each unit of trash they toss. And some industries have made progress. Remember those silly big cardboard boxes that CDs used to come in? And it seems that two-liter plastic bottles are 25 percent lighter today than they were 30 years ago. Small steps, but we'll take them.

So what can you do? Write to companies whose products you admire but whose packaging gives you shivers. Buy in bulk. Buy products with little or no packaging. Make thoughtful shopping lists, based on need, to avoid snatching things up spontaneously at the store. Shun anything that's marketed as handy, disposable, or one-time use in favor of more permanent solutions. And above all, don't get caught up in the Stuff Race.
In this case, less is truly more.

I do wish that environmental costs were reflected in the price of Ziploc bags (surely, a reusable plastic container will do?) and cell phones (how many have you owned in the last 5 years?) and grocery bags (a $.05 charge would encourage people to take new bags only when they really need them).

Read the full article.

The Union Terrace, UW Campus

2006-10-02T13:33:00.000-06:00

The Union Terrace
Originally uploaded by Ann Althouse.

Somehow, going back to school holds more appeal here than it did in DC...

I want ...

2006-10-01T16:42:00.000-06:00

one of these.

(If you like this kind of stuff too, consider subscribing to Inhabitat's way cool green design and architecture blog.)

Monona Terrace at night

2006-09-29T09:43:00.000-06:00

Monona Terrace
Originally uploaded by Mazda6.

Monona Terrace is a conference center based on a Frank Lloyd Wright design. It's about 2 miles (around Lake Monona) from our house. (Over the weekend I posted a picture of me biking through the Terrace!)

State Street Autumn Afternoon

2006-09-29T09:35:00.000-06:00

State Street Autumn Afternoon
Originally uploaded by WisDoc.

University of Wisconsin

2006-09-28T14:09:00.000-06:00

University of Wisconsin
Originally uploaded by Ann Althouse.

Library Mall

2006-09-28T14:08:00.000-06:00

Library Mall
Originally uploaded by Mark Sadowski.

NYT: Madison is "the new Berkeley"

2006-09-27T13:18:00.000-06:00

From Sunday's New York Times Magazine article, "THE NEW LIST: FALL '06"

Madison, Wis., is the new Berkeley, Calif.
This picturesque university town on an isthmus between two lakes has a progressive vibe, great restaurants featuring local produce (check out Harvest) and the new Cesar Pelli-designed Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (www.mmoca.org).

Science Hall, UW-Madison

2006-09-27T08:55:00.000-06:00

Science Hall, UW-Madison
Originally uploaded by Mingfong.

How much do I love fall weather?

2006-09-24T17:59:00.000-06:00

A lot! Today was spectacular... sunny, cool, breezy. A perfect day for a ride on my nerdy new bike! My old one is a mountain bike, so I'm thrilled to have something lighter and more comfortable to ride around town.

Susan and I followed the Monona Trail by the lake, and past the place I am vying for a job at (the prospect of being able to ride 2 miles to work is verrry enticing).

Stopped at Willy Bikes (go, look, it's in an awesome old station house) to buy extra inner tubes, then lunch at the Electric Earth Cafe, then a fairly leisurely ride back, about 6 miles in all - piece of cake.

We are both having a hard time believing that we live here... still feels like we're on vacation! When're you going to come visit?

NPR: Park(ing): Car Space as a Park

2006-09-21T19:42:00.000-06:00

This is awesome, I only wish I could see one! Click through to listen to the story.

Park(ing): Car Space as a Park
by Amy Standen

All Things Considered, September 21, 2006

Today is "Park(ing) Day" in San Francisco, where a contest is under way to see who can come up with the most innovative park in a parking spot. The event is put on by the art group Rebar, which last year created and installed a mobile parking-spot sized park (complete with tree, bench, and Astroturf. This year there will be a bunch of these scattered around town. Amy Standen tours the entries.

Lake Monona

2006-09-21T15:37:00.000-06:00

bike path, madison wisconsin
Originally uploaded by Daniella Maria.

Madison from across the lake...

2006-09-21T15:26:00.000-06:00

Madison panorama
Originally uploaded by nielsb.

It's official!

2006-09-18T13:10:00.000-06:00

We live in a Great Neighborhood -- Madison Magazine says so!

Marquette -- East/Isthmus

When outsiders think of Madison, the Marquette neighborhood is most likely what they have in mind.

Banners along Williamson Street trumpet the Isthmus neighborhood as "A Place for All People."

Bumper stickers push peace symbols and less-than-flattering impressions of the current administration. Traditional two-stories and bungalows are painted every color of the rainbow.

It's the best place in the city to spot an original Volkswagen Bug.

The Marquette Neighborhood Association has a special section on its web page just for festivals. Attend any one of them and you'll witness how residents here revel in the fleeting good weather, music, food and fun. Each September, the Willy Street Fair offers the best people- (and dog-) watching in the city, hands down.

New condominium developments are providing more housing options in the neighborhood, but even though (at press time) the city requires fifteen percent of new units to be lower cost, residents who take pride in the neighborhood's diversity worry that a booming real estate market will drive them toward homogeneity.

Bordered by East Washington Avenue and Lake Monona on either side, Marquette also includes an old railroad corridor that is the site of Madison's proposed Central Park. The plan calls for seventeen acres of green space including a public market, a skateboard park and an open lawn and picnic area.

Signs of Marquette's past are visible around the neighborhood, like the brick-wall advertisements from days gone by painted on the side of some buildings along Williamson Street. Orton Park, a popular spot for children because of its playground and for brides and grooms because of its picturesque gazebo, used to be the site of one of the city's first cemeteries (the bodies have since been relocated). In the late 990s, the Madison Ghostseekers Society discovered what it called "ectoplasmic mist" when it conducted an investigation of the park.

Schools: Lapham Elem., Marquette Elem., Lowell Elem., O'Keefe Middle, East High
Amenities: Orton Park, Yahara Place Park, Willy Street Fair, La Fete de Marquette, Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center, Atwood Community Center

Neighborhood website: www.marquette-neighborhood.org

What will your neighborhood look like in 50 years? "Central Park will become a vibrant jewel linking downtown to the Yahara River Parkway ... A light rail/streetcar will stop at Baldwin Street, connecting Madisonians to the year-round public market in the renovated Marquip building and to the thriving green, sustainable employment district in the rail corridor. My fear is that a 1,400-square-foot house ill cost a million dollars, limiting the housing opportunities for young families. Neighborhood schools close as a result. The Willy Street business district gentrifies to satisfy the new residents, and long standing businesses providing basic goods and services leave because they can't afford the rent or taxes."
Marsha Rummel, Marquette Neighborhood Assoc.
president

Busy weekend!

2006-09-18T11:27:00.000-06:00

On Friday Susan and I hosted a fundraiser for Fair Wisconsin, the organization working to defeat a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage as well as civil unions and other potential domestic partner benefits. (Preparations for this party was the major thing keeping me from my blog, thanks for checking back!) Susan did a ton of work, getting hundreds of dollars worth of contributions from local business for our silent auction and making the house look fabulous! I took pride in the fact that many seemed to enjoy browsing our bookshelves, on which I had taken care to organize and interesting selection (and a fraction of what we have!).

About sixty people attended, we met lots of neighbors, collected several hundred dollars for the cause, educated people on the issue, and encouraged them to go to the polls. It was exhausting (it took days to do all the dishes!), but regardless of the outcome of the vote we'll know we've done our part.

Bright and early Saturday morning we did the AIDS walk (it's not too late to contribute!). Big thanks to my sponsors, I needed every bit of motivation to get out of bed -- and to finish the walk, I was pooped!

Finally, on Sunday we went to the Willy St. Fair. Willy St. (really Williamson St.) is the funky-groovy part of town just on the other side of the river from us, a couple blocks away. Lots of great shops and restaurants and loads of character! Of course, since it was Sunday, there was a tent with the Packers game on!

In other news, Susan got the job she wanted! She talked Gail Ambrosius into creating an office manager position for her -- I'm so proud! But boy oh boy, I gotta stay diligent about the gym! (Why, yes, you can buy Gail's chocolates online!) Here are the chocolates we had at the party... yummm...

Mad Cat

2006-09-05T15:28:00.000-06:00

Mad Cat, originally uploaded by Ann Althouse.

our neighborhood pet supplies store

Info Shop

2006-09-05T15:26:00.000-06:00

Info Shop, originally uploaded by Ann Althouse.

speaks for itself...

Broom St. Theatre

2006-09-05T15:24:00.000-06:00

Theater in the alley, originally uploaded by Ann Althouse.

Another spot to visit, a few blocks away, next to Mother Fools coffee house.

Weary Traveler Freehouse

2006-09-05T15:19:00.000-06:00

window, originally uploaded by Ann Althouse.

A pub down the street from us... have heard good things, looking forward to checking it out!

Wienermobile

2006-09-05T11:24:00.000-06:00

I saw the Wienermobile on my way to work today (Oscar Mayer is based in Madison), and it resulted in me finding this great job opportunity for Susan (or for any of the rest of you who are looking for the break that will bring you to this fine city).

Go see this movie!

2006-09-04T11:30:00.000-06:00

Susan and I finally overcame the inertia created by our wonderful local community and a lack of familiarity with the Madison movie theaters, and went to see "Little Miss Sunshine" this weekend. It was all the talk of the Sundance movie festival, but some of the reviews had been less enthusiastic... and the plot concept didn't grab me, so I was skeptical. But wow, what a great cast, excellent dialog, hilarious and poignant in just the right measures... Susan and I were both laughing out loud, and I laughed so hard that I cried. By all means check it out!

Sponsor me in the AIDS walk?

2006-09-01T08:32:00.000-06:00

Susan and I are going to be participating in the 7k (4.35 mi) Walk, Roll, and Stroll to benefit the AIDS Network, which provides AIDS services to 13 counties in south-central Wisconsin. Their vision statement:

AIDS Network is the AIDS Service Organization for South Central Wisconsin. AIDS Networkwill continue to strive to be independent, financially secure, respected and a leader in the communities we serve. As long as the HIV/AIDS epidemic continues,we will serve and advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS and deliver prevention messages to those most at risk in a culturally competent manner.

The route looks pretty cool, passing by Monona Bay and Lake Monona, then through the city.

Would you consider sponsoring me? I mean, I'm still working out and everything, but 4+ miles oughtta be worth some pocket change, no?
:-)

You can also help me by passing this on to others using the "email post" icon below this post. Or you can write your own message and refer people to
http://www.active.com/donate/walkrollandstroll/DebH .

Thank you!

so THAT's why they call it work

2006-08-31T14:12:00.000-06:00

Cheese!

2006-08-30T09:35:00.000-06:00

Susan and I love cheese. "What," you ask, "does this have to do with Madison, WI?" Why, I'm glad you asked... oh, and you know you want to know: what type of cheese are you?

stuff you need to know about Madison

2006-08-25T15:18:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of the Isthmus Annual Manual:

Miles to Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis: 142, 77, 256
Avg annual snowfall: 50.2 inches -- it's more than Arlington's 18" (yea!), but 16" less than the city we liked the next best, Ithaca, NY (whew!). A small price to pay for an average high of 82 in July. (NOAA says 44 inches of snow is avg in Madison, and UW says 35... let's just say 3.5 ft with a margin of error of 1 ft!)
Average number of days that Lake Mendota is covered with ice: 78.4
2005 population: 221,735 (not very diverse, unfortunately: 87% white)
Number of high-tech companies in Madison: 475
Number of parks in Madison: 249 (that's in 67.5 square miles, folks!)
Number of trees planted by the city of Madison in 2005: 2,260
"Actual number of square miles of land in Madison that are surrounded, in the popular putdown, by reality: 76"

Susan and Fleewee

2006-08-25T08:49:00.000-06:00

Susan and I have an older dog, Fleewee, who is struggling quite a lot these days, and we with him. Susan wrote a beautiful blog post about Fleewee that left me sobbing, both about Fleewee's troubles, and Susan's compassion. She's also posted some recent pictures of our boy.

Ten things colleges should start teaching you

2006-08-23T09:07:00.000-06:00

Guy Kawasaki feels that college does not prepare you for the working world, so he made a list of 10 things that colleges should teach you and why. A bit smug, and a fair amount of "common" sense, but overall some good reminders of how to talk to your boss, how to survive a meeting that's poorly run, how to figure out anything on your own, how to explain something in thirty seconds...

read more | digg story

UW-Madison had to settle for #4...

2006-08-22T11:26:00.000-06:00

The University of Texas at Austin was named America's best party school in a new ranking out Monday.

The school beat Pennsylvania State University, West Virginia University and last year's winner, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the Princeton Review survey of 115,000 students at campuses around the United States.

read more | digg story

75 degrees in August.

2006-08-18T11:29:00.000-06:00

It's been a nice weekend... on Friday, Susan and I drove to Cafe Carpe in Ft. Atkinson, a small town about 30 miles south east of Madison, to see Jeffrey Foucault, a wonderful singer-songwriter who is from the area (though it sounds like he has moved east to the Boston area to join his new wife, another of our favorite musicians, Kris Delmhorst). We have loved his blues-y style and wonderful vocals for years, but his new album "Ghost Repeater" is, I think, his best so far. And, how lucky are we... Peter Mulvey showed up to lend a guitar!

Kris has a new CD out too, so check that one out!

And one more musical recommendation... we went to see a band called the Ditty Bops because they were playing at the Barrymore Theater down the street, and I liked what I saw and heard on their web site. Oh, and they are touring the country by bicycle. And their 2006 bicycle-bikini calendar was among their sales merchandise. And their t-shirts are hand-painted. And their keyboard player played from behind a hand-painted pagoda. What's not to love? They'll be at Jammin' Java in Vienna, Va. on August 24, and at the Ram's Head in Baltimore on August 25 -- I urge you to go if you are in the area!

Their opener, Scarring Party, was equally unique, sort of old-timey 20's-30's dirge-y jazz. And the lead singer uses a special microphone that makes his vocals sound like an old Victrola recording. And they use a typewriter for percussion. Yeah.

But, back to the weekend... the trip to Cafe Carpe was just what I needed... there's been a lot of stress at work (sigh) and at home (health issues with family and just general busy-ness) of late, and a quiet show in a small club in a sleepy little town was a great antidote.

On Saturday, we went about 20 miles west of Madison to the home of an old friend of Susan's from Ripon College , to attend a fundraiser for Fair Wisconsin. It was really great to see Tammy and her husband Tom bringing so many people together in opposition to a state constitutional amendment which would make not only gay marriage, but even domestic partnership benefits unconstitutional. Susan and I are hosting a small house party ourselves on behalf of Fair Wisconsin next month, and Susan has been working very hard creating and delivering invitations, and meeting with local merchants about donations.

I spent this morning on the porch catching up on the mail and reading the NY Times (we had to subscribe to get decent national and international news coverage!), and Susan joined me with the laptop. Then, off to the gym to work out like good kids, then home, where it's my turn on the laptop (while watching what is likely to be the Washington Mystics' final playoff game of the season) and Susan is out taking advantage of the rest of this beautiful day to do a little yard work.

So... how are YOU doing? Send me an email and let me know that I'm not talking to myself, okay? :-)

Teal Pond Boardwalk

2006-07-31T14:02:00.000-06:00

Teal Pond Boardwalk, originally uploaded by moe.syczlak.

Someplace else I need to go...

"This is quite possibly the best place to relax in Madison. The shelter at the end of the board walk has a bluebird nest in it." - moe.syczlak on 22 Jul '06, 3.04am EDT.

So it's not just me...

2006-07-30T17:14:00.000-06:00

I enjoyed this story (8 minutes) on NPR's "All Things Considered," the first in a summer series on front porches. I love the description of the front porch as a transitional space between the public and private spheres. It is definitely this aspect which appeals to me: the ability to be "at home" while still interacting with my surroundings, whether by watching the birds and squirrels and children, or chatting with passing neighbors.

When the founder of the Professional Porch Sitters Union is asked if they have a motto, he responds no, but "we do have a suggestion... 'sit down a spell, that'll wait'."

we had a little rain today...

2006-07-27T14:48:00.000-06:00

weather, originally uploaded by riddiculus.

It's been a stormy couple of weeks. And it's hot and humid too -- no fair! (Thank goodness the porch is air conditioned...)

Olbrich Botanical Gardens

2006-07-26T14:08:00.000-06:00

A Fairytale Spring, originally uploaded by WisDoc.

Seen on my morning walk

2006-07-23T11:15:00.000-06:00

Some sights on my walk to Lazy Jane's for breakfast and coffee...

Watching the sky at the union

2006-07-22T21:55:00.000-06:00

Watching the sky at the union, originally uploaded by dcmarch.

Another shot of the Union.