In case you didn't know, I live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - home of Harley Davidson motorcycles. This weekend is the 110th anniversary of Harley Davidson, and there have been absolutely thousands upon thousands of motorcycles in town all weekend. Every five years, they have a giant anniversary party, and this year has been no exception. They put together a huge festival on our Summerfest grounds, and it has just been awesome to hear the potato rumble and see license plates from seriously everywhere around town.
Unfortunately, I didn't make it to any specific Harleyfest events, but I did go to a motorcycle firefighter brotherhood bash on Friday, and I decided that would be enough. As a driver in the city, it can be a bit of a pain, but honestly, in comparison to having all of these awesome events going on, it doesn't even matter.
If you want to check out some photos, check the #hd110 tag on Instagram! Happy birthday, Harley-Davidson, and I hope we get to have 110 more!
I have spent the last week or so sick as a dog, and today I'm finally feeling better. Since I never really liked the idea of going out and getting drunk all day on St. Patrick's Day, it's really just another day to me. But today was the first day in several I haven't felt awful (I have a sinus infection), I decided to get out a little.
My first stop was the bar where I host trivia on Thursday nights - I had a hankering for a bowl of their chili, and they were down the street from my next stop, anyway. Fairly certain I was the only patron drinking water and eating chili on the drunkest day of the year.
My next stop was the Oriental Theatre. The Oriental is my absolute favorite place to see a movie in Milwaukee - the architecture is beautiful, and it is always just an experience, from the moment you walk through the door to the moment you leave.
I was so excited to finally be able to see West of Memphis. West of Memphis is the newest film about the West Memphis Three, a case I have been following for a long time. Produced by Peter Jackson, it brought out a lot of new information about the case, and essentially ripped apart the entire case the prosecution had. It explained the timeline and who the real killer was - no matter how uncomfortable the situation. I was happy to see a film that special in a theater that special. I was so excited when I heard it was playing at the Oriental - and it is only there for this week.
It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. What did your St. Patrick's Day entail?
As most of you know, I live in Wisconsin. It's cold here about five months a year - okay, I get it. I'm not one to complain about the fact that it's cold, or it's snowing, or be one of those. After about four months of that bitter cold, though, something in me just snaps. I don't want to do anything. Don't want to write, don't want to communicate or do much of anything. I just want to get home from work every day, microwave a bunch of pizza rolls, sit on my couch and do absolutely nothing but eat, hang out with my cats, and watch episode after episode of Law and Order: SVU on Netflix.
That isn't bad, though, right? Every once and awhile we all have to let go and just let life pass us by - not that we have to like it. It happens to everybody. Everybody gets bummed out and depressed at one time or another. For me, it is something that comes and goes. Sometimes, I am fairly certain it has everything to do with the weather. If we could all go full-boar all year long, and never have an emotional hiccup or trip up along the way, we would, first off, be much more productive and efficient, but we wouldn't be human.
We got our first 'big' snow of the year last week in Milwaukee, which was around five or six inches. I had to plow snow and spend the rest of the next day downing soda and candy like it was going out of style just to stay awake, but it was different. It wasn't just bitterly cold outside; it was a change of scenery.
Last night, for example, I decided to take a break from eating nothing but pizza rolls for dinner, and go to the bar where I host trivia on Thursdays for their Monday night taco special - $1.75 for beef and $2.25 for chicken tacos. This went hand in hand with their domestic tap beer special, which was all of $1.50 a pint. Their tacos are so good for something so simple! I decided to call up one of my work buddies and for about $6.50, I did something I wouldn't have usually, if not for wanting to do something different. And it felt good!
If I could attempt to have a change of scenery every day, and be better at just being human and accepting these feelings I get every year, I might just make it through these damn winter blues.
Have you ever dealt with these kinds of feelings? What are your surefire ways to combat them?
You know, I haven't ever done one of these before, but I thought hey - it could be fun! So here goes.
I took the day off of work early on Friday, and decided to take a friend up on a tattoo deal at his shop for Friday the 13th, and grabbed some new ink!
The piece is based on a quote from Timothy Leary: "What you have to beware of is transcendent reality, the looking in and looking out". I thought the quote was interesting, and the piece turned out absolutely awesome. Done by Kyle Cook at Horseshoe Tattoo here in Milwaukee.
Then, I almost died in a hail storm since I was driving home. I didn't mind the rain, the hail just made it scary and I had to pull off into a random residential neighborhood and wait it out.
Friday night, I reorganized the living room. The book shelves were getting incredibly full of collections and you could barely see the books on them! We decided to get some wall cubes and shelves in order to keep that stuff and the books separate. I think it turned out great!
The rest of my weekend was pretty simple: errands and knitting scarves! I can't wait to share what I worked on!
Last week, I went on a little thrifting adventure after
work, and wanted to share! Milwaukee
is a wealth of little shops here and there, some quality, some not so much.
Then, you have the big-box thrift stores like Goodwill, where sometimes you’ll
score on clothes, but not much else. When I thrift, I am usually looking for
something to add to my religious art collection, craft supplies like embroidery
hoops, or keeping an open mind (and open eyes!) for other fun, unexpected
finds. I wanted to write this post and share a couple of my favorite thrift
shops with you guys – as well as last week’s buys!
Likely my favorite shop in Milwaukee (at least the one I go to the
most), is located in Hales Corners, a suburb, but is just a short drive down
Highway 100. It is a Bethesda Thrift Shop, and there are twelve in Wisconsin, but this is the only one in the Milwaukee area. I love it
for a couple of simple reasons: I always find something great, the items are
always priced well, and the store is absolutely immaculate! There is nothing
better than that when you’re out thrifting. I found a couple of great wall
hangings featuring handpainted style kitties! So kitschy, but I couldn’t turn
them down. I also found an old spice rack that I plan to repurpose for an upcoming How-To Tuesday!
A second favorite is also located on Highway 100! While it
doesn’t donate to a particular cause and is for all intensive purposes a
for-profit thrift shop, there’s something a little bit different about it…
There are Barbie dolls everywhere! On the walls, lining
shelves, everywhere. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, they’re just there.
I don’t typically have great luck here, but still like going
in to poke around all the same. On last week’s trip, I found this adorable Enesco
cookie jar with squirrels on it from the 1970’s! It was in great shape – best part
about the buy was I couldn’t find the price (they typically write on the items
with a grease pencil), so the store’s manager priced it at $6.50, and we
eventually found the price, and it was initially marked $10! Such a cute, great
find.
If you are in the Milwaukee
area and looking to check out a couple of different thrift shops, these are
definitely a couple to look for!
Have you gone thrifting lately? What have you found?
Henry Rollins has always inspired the hell out of me. Listening to Black Flag during my awkward teenage years, and as an adult listening to his spoken word, I've wanted to check out a live show, but never made it happen. A couple of weeks ago, I finally got to.
It was very much a Henry Rollins show. He went on about everything from current events to his experiences as a globetrotter, and produced some of the most entertaining stories I have heard in a long time. Of course there were the expected wise cracks about political candidates, but what really got me were the stories. Henry Rollins has such a way with words, and with conveying his experiences productively, that it really makes me jealous, sometimes. Experience is good for that.
I think that the best part of the show, for me, was looking at my phone after it was over and realizing that it had gone on for three hours. Three hours of sitting in a room watching someone speak, and I hadn't even realized that much time had passed. It was so much fun that I nearly forgot to worry about what time it was.
Making a long story short - if you get the opportunity to see a Henry Rollins spoken word show, take it. You will not be disappointed.
A couple of great friends of mine, Tiffany and Brian, got me on a bicycle for the first time in years this past September. They are very avid cyclists, and have gotten in great shape because of it. Personally, I've never been one for working out, but as a kid, I biked absolutely everywhere.
Putting some thought into it, and thinking about the junky old bike that my mom got me after my mountain bike was stolen from my old apartment building, I got on it one afternoon about a month ago, and just rode and rode - before I knew it, I had made it seven whole miles on the thing. In all of its' weight, with all of its' squeaks - it had brought me seven miles. The next day, I got right back on - and went twelve miles. I was hooked.
One great thing about biking that I never knew before I hopped on one was just how much I could learn about the city I have been living in for the last (almost) five years. I have found countless paths, like the one above that ended abruptly and ran parallel to railroad tracks, and have really come to see the beauty behind a rough(ish) city.
After three or four rides on the old Roadmaster bike, I decided to start doing some research and looking into new bikes at local bike shops. I scored huge! The bike I picked up is a 2011 SE Bikes Draft Lite. Since I got it home, I've been on it at very least every other day since I picked it up. Since Milwaukee's streets are paved with broken glass, I had an issue with a recurring flat rear tire that I actually just fixed over this past weekend with a Continental Gatorskin tire. Before I get too off topic, let me just make a long story short by saying that I love my bike. I love having the freedom to get on and ride, and forget about anything that's going on at home, at work, or anywhere - it's just me and the road beneath me, and that's wonderful to me. I've had a blast putting accessories on the bike, from the new rear tire to the Planet Bike rack and fenders, and even to the new saddle that was sent to me by Tiffany and her husband Brian!
All that I'm trying to say is that I was wrong. I've discovered riding a bike, and not only have I fallen in love with something to do that's also good for me, but I have opened up an entirely new side of Milwaukee for myself. One of my new favorite things to do is to get up early on a Saturday morning, get on my bike without a specific destination, and just go. It's beautiful.
On the heels of finally telling the story of my own struggle with Melanoma, I've signed up to do the 3K walk portion of the Ann's Hope Foundation Block Melanoma Run/Walk on May 30, 2012. The event will take place at the Milwaukee Zoo. In my decision to do so, I've donated, and several of my friends and family have, as well. If you've got a few bucks to donate to a great cause, please don't hesitate to do so at my donation page, located here!
If you have any questions, or if for some reason the link isn't working, please shoot me an e-mail at grenadesallday@gmail.com, and I will be happy to help you out.
How things can change in the space of just a few months is absolutely ridiculous, when you think about it.
After a shitty roommate situation, I finally moved into my own place (not shared with anybody, really mine) in about September of 2010. It was a little one bedroom apartment in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood, and I loved finally having my own space and having the freedom to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. When fallouts with friends happen, they often leave scars, and this one definitely did.
The moral of this story is, though, that the apartment was the first thing that was really mine. My bachelorette pad, if you will.
I started dating Mike in October, and he moved in in December. That left one cramped one bedroom apartment to house two adults and two cats. Not that I'd go back and change anything, because I definitely wouldn't. I just knew that it was time to grow up and get out. I'd been looking around for places here and there, and found one through work that we fell in love with. In the middle of February, we moved in, and having the additional space is definitely nice. An entire bedroom to house our hobbies (and of course, the fallout junk from everywhere else)! A living room big enough for two couches! Air conditioning! A dishwasher! The amenities are ridiculous in comparison to my old apartment, that was really only big enough for one person, with its' tiny kitchen and bathroom, and just enough character to get by.
I loved that place. I created so many things there, taught myself a lot of new things craft wise, spray painted in the bathroom, finally got cable for the first time in over a year, burned remnants of a past relationship in the bathroom sink... and you get it. Living in that apartment is not anything I'll ever forget, but I'm glad that I'm getting to experience life as I am right now. Uncharted territory is always scary, but you have to look back to be able to look ahead, don't you?
The only reason why I read Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bangin the first place was because the Kindle I'd rented from the Milwaukee Public Library was pre-loaded with memoirs, and it seemed like an interesting book to try out.
I have never watched Chelsea Handler's show, and would not even consider myself a fan - she just has a great way of putting words together in an entertaining way - and I'm sure that she wouldn't be a celebrity if she didn't, right?
In any case, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang is a collection of essays, all humorous, about certain parts of her life from childhood to a hilarious wedding date - each story more vulgar and entertaining as the last, although once you get pretty far in, it seems like it wouldn't be possible to laugh out loud anymore.
One thing I can say about Chelsea Handler after picking up this book and knowing barely anything about her is that she can write an interesting book with her hands tied behind her back, basically - I was thoroughly entertained with each page I turned in the book, and hesitated to put it away each night when I was done reading, even though I was ready to pass out most nights.
Look out for a review of another of Chelsea's books, My Horizontal Life, coming soon!
Photo by Erik Ljung Photography, taken from the Pabst Theater Facebook
Do you listen to a band that you've always wanted to see live, whose music has impacted you emotionally and gotten you through some of your darkest times? I was given the opportunity to see a band that has done just that for me over the past few years.
On Monday, February 6, Mike brought me to the City and Colour show at the Pabst Theater here in Milwaukee. In case you're unfamiliar, City and Colour started as a side project for Dallas Green, then of Alexisonfire. Since, Dallas has been experimenting with doing City and Colour full time, and if the show was any indication, doing very well.
Before going any further, let me just say that before this show, I have never set foot inside the Pabst Theater, although I've lived in Milwaukee on and off for about the past six years. The Pabst is an absolutely breathtaking place to see a show, both physically and from a sound standpoint. A history of amazing shows from nights past bled through the walls as the opening band played, and moreso before the house lights went down for the headlining act. The lights and sound were both impeccable, adding yet another level of enjoyment to an already wonderful night. It didn't hurt that drinks weren't too expensive, either, especially for what I was expecting in going to a more upscale venue.
It was one of the greatest live music experiences I have ever had. I have never had a more emotional reaction to a song than I did on Monday night. It's absolutely amazing how just hearing a song played live can bring up the most intense feelings - something I'd heard but never felt until that night. During at least two songs of the set, tears just poured down my face, and there was nothing I could do about it. The specific songs, for the record, were "Sleeping Sickness" and "Day Old Hate".
As someone who has loved the raw emotion and beauty in the simple songs of Dallas Green since City and Colour's debut, "Sometimes" in 2005, I was completely satisfied by the live show and the set. There was a perfect mix of songs from each of the albums released, and I loved hearing how well they translated into a live show.
Wiping the tears from my face as much as possible, I stood and sang along to every song. I had an honest experience and fell even more in love with some of the simplest, most emotional songs that I have ever heard. And the only thing I can say to that? Thank you, Dallas Green.
I've always been a little slow on the uptake when it comes to being on time for things (in certain avenues of my life), so don't be surprised this list isn't showing up until now. I happened to read this list on my friend DJ's blog at http://martiandanceinvasion.blogspot.com, and thought it would be fun to re-count my last year - even though it's a little late.
01.What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Fell utterly, completely, head over heels in love.
Mike and I, at our crew Halloween party, where I dressed as Miss Argentina from Beetlejuice and he dressed as Mario.
02.Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t typically have new years’ resolutions, so I can’t say I kept or didn’t keep any. This year, I’d just like to maintain the life I’ve been working so hard to build over the past few, and just stay happy. That’s all I’d really like.
03.Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nope.
04.Did anyone close to you die?
Nope.
05.What countries did you visit?
None. The farthest I traveled for a trip was Green Bay, WI – my homeland, which is a drive of about two hours.
06.What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A bigger apartment! And as it turns out, I’m getting one on March 1.
07.What date from 2011 will remain etched in your memory, and why?
There are a few, for sure. For one, the date of the surgery I had in October (10/17/11), and my anniversary date (10/15/11).
08.What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Transferring out of a job I absolutely could not stand in order to start from scratch 100% in an area I knew nothing about, and being incredibly successful at it. I went from being a secretary to working in auto parts in a matter of months, and I’m having an absolute blast.
09.What was your biggest failure?
I don’t believe in failures. I can’t think of one thing I didn’t try my best at all year – and sometimes things just don’t go as planned. But I certainly don’t feel like I ‘failed’ anywhere.
10.Did you suffer illness or injury?
In October, I had surgery to remove a Stage 1 melanoma that I found inside of one of my tattoos. That was one of the scariest moments I’ve had in a long while, for sure.
11.What was the best thing you bought?
I can’t really pinpoint anything specific that I bought for myself. Once and awhile, I like to take extra money and spend a little bit on myself here and there for some new clothes, makeup, or something like that. I also paid a lot of debt back this year, and my credit score is definitely better off for it.
12.Whose behavior merited celebration?
The men and women responsible for the Alford plea that freed the West Memphis Three after nearly 20 years behind bars.
13.Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Scott Walker. As a public employee, I’m living first hand with the changes he’s made, and let me tell you – it sucks.
14.Where did most of your money go?
Bills and paying back old debt. It’s difficult to not have a lot of extra, but when I think about the fact that I’m improving my life, making up for old mistakes, and carving out a future for myself, not having extra money seems pretty alright.
15.What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My new work opportunity, my new relationship… all of the above. I’m finally becoming the person that I’ve always wanted to be, and it’s a wonderful feeling.
16.What song will always remind you of 2011?
I hate questions like this, because I can never think of a single song that encompasses a whole year. This time, though, I can say that The Loved Ones’ “Distracted” got enough listens to merit reminding me of this year.
17.Compared to this time last year, you are:
a.Hotter or colder? Prettymuch the same.
b.Fatter or thinner? See above.
c.More active or lazier? See above.
18.What do you wish you’d done more of?
Being active.
19.What do you wish you’d done less of?
Toward the beginning of the year, drinking – once I curbed that and changed things for the better, I haven’t looked back.
20.How will you be spending/did you spend Christmas?
Mike and I spent Christmas Eve in Green Bay with my family for dinner, and Christmas Day in the morning with my extended family and evening with his. It made for a very long day, but it was good to be able to make the time to see everyone.
21.Did you fall in love in 2011?
That I did.
22.How many one-night stands?
Zero.
23.What was your favorite TV program?
Sons of Anarchy, bar none. I started watching it via renting season 1 from the library early in the year, got hooked, and wound up watching all three existing seasons before season 4 started this past year.
24.Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Not that I can think of.
25.What was the best book you read?
Currently reading “My Horizontal Life” by Chelsea Handler via Kindle.
26.What was your greatest musical discovery?
In late summer/early fall I really re-discovered punk music, so I’d say that counts. I’ve been staying pretty close to the music I know lately, since new music (especially music on the radio) is absolutely awful. I’ve also taken to unabashedly falling back in love with ridiculous music from the 90’s.
27.What did you want and get?
I’ve wanted a Nintendo Wii for years, but never had the extra money laying around to actually buy one. I told Mike this while we were shopping on Black Friday and opened one up for Christmas!
28.What did you want and not get?
I try not to want for much.
29.What was your favorite film of this year?
Pretty sure it doesn’t count, but The Other Guys was pretty great. I haven’t been to the movies in a long time.
30.What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Since my birthday was on a Saturday this year, I had a Friday night dinner and bowling with friends in Milwaukee, and spent Saturday night drinking my face off in Green Bay. I turned 26 – or rather it was my 5th annual 21st birthday.
31.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Thinking about it, I’d say I had a pretty successful, satisfying year.
32.How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Jeans, t-shirts, shades of gray and black. I’d say that about covers it.
33.What kept you sane?
Knitting, new friends, and new opportunities. Oh yeah, and my cats.
34.Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I try not to get too wrapped up in the celebrity world.
35.What was your favorite video game of the year?
It has been such a long time since I’ve played any new video games, I really couldn’t say – after I got my Wii, though, I started playing Cooking Mama again, which is pretty ridiculous in and of itself.
36.Who has made the most cameos in your dreams this year?
To be honest, I don’t dream all that often, and none of them stick out.
37.Who did you miss?
In quitting drinking for the most part, I’m not up in Green Bay as often as I once was, so I miss my friends there and my family, for sure.
38.Who was the best new person you met?
My boyfriend, Mike. By a landslide.
39.Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
Drinking isn’t everything, and finding friends to rely on has helped me more than I can explain.
On a daily basis, I read the blogs and Tumblrs of people I've never met. I have always been interested in, and completely enthralled by, life stories, and reading blogs have been a great way for me to get my fix in that department. I've even gotten around to talking to a few bloggers in order to get myself some confidence, bloggers who I idolize in a way (the lovely Erin Dawn has been helpful in ways I can never put into words or thank her enough for).
You may ask why I haven't been able to do it myself. About seventy percent of me sees an ability to do the same, to share the story of my life, the things I love, and what I like to do. Ideas float through my head every day. The other thirty percent has held me back, and has been holding me back, for years. I call that thirty percent 'Margaret White'. You may know her as the mother of Sissy Spacek's "Carrie" in 1976. Hold please, an explanation is coming!
As a heavily tattooed woman, people see me and automatically think that I'm a fearless broad who'd punch you for looking at her sideways. Sometimes, I'm confident enough to feel that way, but most of the time I find myself keeping my feelings so deeply hidden that nobody gets in. Don't try it - it's a really shitty defense mechanism. I have been crippled by my own mind, my own 'what if's' for far too long. I'm ready to get back into life, get out of the dark, and lose the obnoxious fear that has been holding me back for the better part of the last four years, at least.
My fear has a name, and that name is 'Margaret White'. In the original film "Carrie", her mother was a super-Christian, abusive and atrocious woman. In one of the most memorable quotes of the film, she states - "They're all going to laugh at you." Instead of having a positive voice in my head pushing me to do things when I have an idea, or even just to get through the every day, I have had that. My own 'they're all going to laugh at you'. I have had nothing but misgivings about both people I know and strangers, thinking that if I write down what I feel, that I'll be chastised. I'll be made a fool of. That has put a stop to me writing on a more regular basis for at least the past three years.
Another part of it is that about ten years ago, a person I used to hold particularly close to me violated my trust and read very personal writings without permission. Since then, I have been crazy vigilant about being private with my feelings, especially with my writing. Nobody reads it unless I want them to, nobody knows about it unless I want them to, etc. I think it's about time to put that one to bed, too.
It's time for it all to stop. If I think about it, I have nothing to lose. I can't hold myself back or be dishonest about who I am and what I love anymore. It is no way to live, and my heart has been too heavy for too long because of it.
Breathing in, breathing out. I feel better already. Prepare for the entertainment to follow.
Knitting was not something I ever saw myself getting into in a million years. I remember sitting in the car on long trips with my mother, or in the living room with her while I watched television, where she was always knitting a scarf for either my sister or me. For years, I watched her work her magic with those two needles and make me colorful scarves that may have curled at the edges, but were still mine. One afternoon when I was about twelve, I went into her craft box and got out a pair of knitting needles and some yarn, casting on a bunch of stitches and desperately trying to remember how she’d made the first one into an actual stitch. Frustrated, I’d give up, and it would continue on that way until just a few years ago. She would have taught me herself, but as a mother with a full-time job and an unruly teenager, it didn’t happen.
At nineteen, I decided to pick up my own set of size ten knitting needles and set out to knit myself a scarf. At Wal-Mart, I picked out a skein of Red Heart variegated yarn in a muted rainbow tone, and at twenty-two, I finished it. It became a running joke between my friends and I every fall and winter, with them questioning if I would ever finish the scarf, and if they’d ever see it. When I finally finished the scarf it was admittedly too short, but it didn’t stop serving its’ purpose – I taught myself to edge scarves with fringe using the too-short scarf.
From scarves to blankets and most recently dishcloths, I have found something that I really love to do in knitting. After that scarf and with the power of the Internet, I have been teaching myself many new knitting projects and stitches, and am always working on something or another, or looking into my yarn stash for a new idea. I’m going to use parts of this blog to chronicle my story as a knitter - among other things!
