The Weekend In Review: My First 5K Run For The Wieners!

I don't know how it happened.. But Cheryl talked me into running a 5K.  And before I get started.. No!  I did not win.   No!  I did not place anywhere in my age group.  Yes!  I did finish!  And No!  I was not fast.   9 minute miles as it turns out.   Hardly a comparison to my prime back in the Army days.  ( but that was 26 years and 20 lbs ago!) Ok, Maybe I lost a few of those lbs, but I'm still not in the shape I was.   But before we get stuck in the past,  Let us shorten the history lesson to focus on just this weekend.  Shall we begin?  

After work on Friday, I met Cheryl in Milwaukee.   She got there late, so we had to pick up our packet Saturday Morning.  But since we both had to work that day, we decided to get dressed up and go out for some food.   I wanted to show her this Vietnamese place that served up Pho.   I had already scouted out this place when we went to that Concert early on in June. 

The Pho was awesome and even Cheryl wanted to try some.   We shared the bowl and Cheryl got some spring rolls, just in case she did not like the Pho.  But in the end, it was all good.  We enjoyed some dinner and then shot in for some dessert at the Honey Donut place nearby. Because Cheryl loves her Donuts.

The next morning, we headed off to the Brewer's Stadium for the Packet Pickup.  For the first time ever, I got to wear a bib and be part of the crowd... The crowd that was running, that is....  It was a unique experience standing in the chute instead of down the race route to capture some pictures.   I obviously could not take pictures as I was running.  I know some people do;  but I had more pressing matters on my mind that interfered with the"finding the perfect shot" mind frame. 

Cheryl inspected the goodies.  Finisher's medals were optional, but she wanted something to remember the Wiener run with, so Cheryl sprung for the extra loot.  It was a generic medal, but it will go on the wall after she wins it. 

Thankfully, there are no pictures of me running.   And there is no finishers medal to remind me of this event.  But overall, it was fun.  I finished, and not with a terrible time.  So... I consider that a win!  

Cheryl on the other hand,  ran twice as far and managed to win an award for third female finisher overall.  Again with the Third place!  Hey!  At least she got a podium spot.  I could say I was aiming for the "middle of the pack"  as my overall strategy.  And that would actually be fairly accurate.  I am not in it for the glory or fame.   I have more realistic expectations.  And I  think I managed to achieve everything I aimed for. 

We tried to get a picture of the Wiener Mascots, but they ran the race in those suits and I  think they had to go and cool down someplace before re emerging.   And no one wants to chase down wieners in the heat.  We settled for the Chik-fil-let Cow.  

By the way,  there was a LOT of food there.  I certainly feel as if I consumed all the calories I had spent during the race... and managed to gain even more!   I still have coupons for ice cream and sandwiches at Chick-fil-et establishments. How will I be able to maintain this awesome shape and conditioning if they force feed me free food???  ( "force" because I have no resistance to free food...) 

Cheryl with four Wieners!

Her Trophy Wiener

In the end,  Cheryl managed to get a picture with the four Wieners and the Brewers Mascot.  She also got to pose with one along with her Trophy.   She was fortunate!  Because they were ONLY the top three finisher trophies for this race.  No age group awards were  awarded.  We stuck around till the end and the vendors practically threw the remaining bananas and meat sticks at us. I imagine because they did not want to pack everything up and take it back home.  I took as much as I dared.  

Her Little Wiener

After cleaning up at the hotel,  We then went out to Lake Michigan.   This was a unique experience for both of us.   Believe it or not, I have not truly visited the lake since I have been here.  ( even though it is only three miles away!)  I saw it from the Illinois side a few weeks back, but never touched the water.  Both of us agreed we needed to touch the water and wade in it like we used to do back in Michigan. 

The problem was that the beach is located next to a cliff!   I was game to billy goat my way down there, but Cheryl did not want to even attempt it.  It looks less steep than it actually was.  

We asked around and found a set of stairs that led down to the beach a small distance away.  We took that route instead. 

Another thing to note is that the rocks and sand are different on the Wisconsin side.  This was probably not the best place to take off our shoes.   But we touched the water and go to wade in it for a little while.  It was almost like walking along the beach in Hoffmaster or Rosy mound back in Grand Haven.   Only we were on the other side of the lake this time.  

Overall, I think this was a good weekend.  IF there was anything bad about it,  it was that it was over too quickly. Oh!  I forgot to mention we ate at IKEA again.  Meatballs and french fries as usual.  I may change it up  if we do this again any time soon.  We shall see. 

I hope everyone had a grand weekend this weekend.  I certainly hope the weather held out to make it a wonderful day.  And any time you get to spend with a loved one or family member(s) is truly time spent in the best way possible.   Thank you for stopping in.  And have a great week!

Subaru Is Cool Once More.....

I mentioned briefly that the Subaru required a little repair job.   I took out the Blower motor and discovered that it was not the broke part.  The resistor was the real problem and about one third the price.... so WIN!  ( If you consider a broken part being a win...  Wouldn't it be better if the part never broke at all? ) 

I finally picked up the part on Wednesday... After work.  I did not bother to put Subie back together after taking out the glove box.  I figured it would not matter in the long run anyway.   And it would make the fix job that much easier. 

Compare parts.   Things check out.   Note the "do not repair" note... as if they were reading my mind...

Two screws later.   I check the fan.   It works!  

Now time to patch everything up to the way it was before.  Reconnect the parts,   Screw in the screws.   All fixed! Did I mention I used Dave's new Christmas Present to do the job?  It worked great!  He should be very happy with this gift.....When he actually gets to use it himself.

And that was my little adventure for Wednesday.   I had pictures... so why not blog about it.  

And for some reason, I felt inspired.  Which is saying a lot after working at a Warehouse. 

Did I mention that I saw one of those white herons in the pond next to the houses.   I noticed him on my walk and thought I would take his picture.  Too bad the focus came out blurry.   But.. it is not every day you see a white heron.   He even caught a couple fish while I was waiting.  Too bad I did not capture that moment. 

Hope everyone is having a fun week so far.   I feel like blogging has become more difficult now that I have the job.  hen again, it always took a dip when we worked at Pearson.   Guess I just have to find things that tickle my fancy   Thanks for stopping in.

More Mushrooms In Wisconsin. And A Local Chalk Festival!

Dave and Christina took me to a small Chalk Festival on Sunday!  It would have been cooler had it not rained the previous day.  And it would have been REALLY cool if I had actually entered it and was able to compete.   I feel my Chalking skills have progressed to the point where I can comfortably use them to earn money....  Or at least not look foolish in front of people.   Either way,  it was a good time. 

Too bad most of the Chalk drawings were compromised.  At leas you could tell what most of them looked like.  Some of the artists actually had the inspiration drawing next to the chalk. And there was not as many entries as I had thought.   (Another reason I think I could have scored some cash...) The entry fee was $35...  So it would  not have been difficult to scrape up the down payment.   But I had to work on Sunday, so even if I could have joined in, I would have been limited in my time.  

Perhaps next year....

While we waited for the announcement for the winners,   I discovered some goats!   And a pond without any fish in it.   And a huge Bison! All of these things are meant for the kids....  so I was totally on top of them. Dave and Christina decided to watch as I ran around petting the animals and wading in the pond.  ( Not really... but wouldn't that have been cool if it was true!)  

At first I figured I would be the Chaperon.  But it turned out they were the babysitter for ME!   Once I discovered there was available chalk, I immediately go to getting dirty... Or dusty.   Too bad there was a limited amount of colors and no charcoal!  Still, it was fun making a mess in the heat. 

Yesterday,  I went out after work to look for more Mushrooms.  Dave had a Baptism, but wanted to tag along to see what all the hub bub of mushroom hunting was about.   Turns out,  he managed to find the only two Chanterelles  of the evening.   ( Chanterelles are OUT!)  They were small, which makes the find that much more impressive.  Too bad we did not find  more.   

Another unusual find was the "Dead Man's Fingers".   I have been aware of this mushroom for a long time now, but have never found it.   Dave found it clinging to a couple of twigs.   As far as I know, they are not edible. ( I don't know why.. taste maybe? ) But it was still a cool discovery. 

In the end, we found several species of Mushroom and had them all for dinner.   I was like a kid explaining all the things to look and taste for in each species.   I personally think the Crowned Tipped Coral mushroom was one of the best finds and most interesting.    The Russulas were also well received.    

The Boletes made me a little nervous after having to throw out all those ones we found in Iowa because some bitter Boletes slipped past our radar.   Safe to eat, just awful taste!  And after drying and mixing them all, we could not tell which ones were which.  

Other than that...  Working.  And I will be fixing the Blower in the Subie tomorrow... Weather and all things permitting.   Perhaps I will blog about that.  Then again, I have blogged about fixing the blower in Subie before.  So it would really be a repeat of a previous repair.    We shall see. 

Hope everyone's week is progressing nicely.  The weather was nice enough to cool down for me, with Subies AC fan on the fritz.  I still want to repair it before the weekend, because in the mornings here can be a little "foggy"  and being able to defrost your windshield seems like a good thing to have. Also,  when the Sun beats on Subie in the Parking lot, it is nice to be able to cool him down rapidly.  

Thanks for stopping in and have a Great Day