I made Stacey work it at the downtown Y, and I had a bit of a work out, too. Then home, shower, and picking up Alan for a visit to the Milwaukee Public Museum. Now, you know you have to pay attention when a gay man is eager to point out something funny. Having walked around looking at the displays, there it was: The quest for beaver. Had I been on my own, I would snicker to myself like a 12-year-old, but still trying to come up with a scientific explanation of the title. And what's more: another plaque's ending to the beaver exhibit reads "Once found throughout North America, beaver are now confined to the forested areas little frequented by man."
When I went to the Milwaukee Art Museum yesterday, Anina pointed out the architectural structure of the building. She summed it up with one word: vag. And true enough, it took a specific picture to make me realize she was right...
Anyway, I'm going back to Sunday, my first full day in Milwaukee. Stacey and I do some grocery shopping at Groppi's and Outpost - for all sorts of vegan, non-dairy, organic options. Damn, I wish I had more of that stuff where I live! We meet with friend Beth for brunch. Initially, aiming for Trocadero, we decided to have it at Centraal instead: Trocadero was packed with frat boys and resembled Boyband Inc more than a grand cafe. I settle for a really unhealthy brunch and get Breakfast Frites and a Centraal Iced Tea:
The frites are very generously sprinkled with some type of salt, but they're really good! And Heidi, our waitress, rocks. She sports some nice tattoos, and smells nice, too. Stacey suggests I get some Milwaukee tail... WHAAAT?! OK, next topic, please!
After brunch I get a mini-tour of Bay View. It also included a very brief stop at one of the apartments Beth and Stacey shared when they were still in college. When they lived there, a bike repair shop was located on the ground floor. Now there's The Tool Shed - much to the embarrassment of Stacey, which cracked Beth and me up. (FUZZY HANDCUFFS.) Then it was time to head to Boswell Books for the book signing. I remembered my friend Julia's request to keep an eye out for Dr. Seuss's "My book about me" (which her son Chris adores) and not having been able to find it in Louisville I try to hunt it down here. And guess what? They have one copy! Browsing the store I find many interesting books, which I feel like buying. But I also know from experience that too many books can add too much weight to my baggage, so I decide against it. The only other book I get is the one that got me at the local bookstore in the first place: "Chicks dig time lords." Well, let me rephrase that: John Barrowman's sister Carole posted a while ago she was going to do a book signing at Boswell's, and when I noticed the date coincided with my visit I alerted my friend Stacey... Anyhoo, by the time we decide to have a seat there were three seats left. Front row. Beth and I got our copies of the book, and Stacey decided to move elsewhere: she was pooped and didn't want to fall asleep in front of the editors and contributors. (She told us later she pretended to be reading a book in the kid's section, and ended up napping.)
That morning I learn Beth and Carole are co-workers (I didn't know Beth works at Alverno as well) and she snaps this picture of Carole and me:
HEE! I admit I tried not to dork out too much, but still managed to blurt out a "This is the closest I get to John", to which Carole replied she heard that all the time. I bet she does. She and John share the exact same kind of humor, so I guess it runs in the family. (Did you know she has a tattoo? I noticed it.) Carole surprised me by saying I'm on her Facebook page. I guess it sometimes pays off to be Asian. Makes me stand out against all the Caucasian faces, eh.
Anyway, after that we part ways and I let Stacey nap for two hours (she really needed that) and then we had a walk with her friend Andrea through Humboldt Park.
It's also the place where Chill on the Hill will be taking place Tuesday evening. We all hope it there won't be any rain... After that a friend of Stacey comes over and cooks us "dirty rice". This version was pork free, so I can enjoy it, too. And I did! It very much reminded me of nasi goreng (aka fried rice to all you Anglo speaking folks).
Fast forward to Monday evening: Stacey and I enjoyed dinner at Chipotle. I have a very tasty vegetarian burrito bowl, and Stacey has an equally tasty looking burrito (or was it a fajita burrito?). Later we visit her friend Shemagne and enjoy the lake view from her lovely veranda apartment with some beverages and interesting convos.
Tuesday morning rolls around and I get to meet nearly all Stacey's "clinically insane co-workers". Then the Harley Davidson Museum, where I learned some new things. Like, I didn't know they manufactured bikes for women from very early on! And I finally found a HD that fits my height! (Too bad they don't make them anymore.)
We then go home to do a little yard work, because we thought we would have a short picnic in Stacey's backyard before Chill On The Hill (free music at a public park four blocks from her house) but since it was raining so hard, her college friends unanimously decided to have an indoor picnic at her house. Stacey and I later have lunch at Beans and Barley: I had a chicken pine nut sandwich, and Stacey had the drool inducing Mesculin salad with grilled vegetables - remind me to get that the next time! I enjoy a very decent (diet) root beer (very hard to come by in The Netherlands, but at least many products don't contain high fructose corn syrup). After lunch we pick up some items for indoor picnic. We have a relaxing time with Ruth, Beth, Kathy and Shemagne. And the stories they share: they make me laugh so hard at times, my tummy hurt and my eyes water.
So, we check out the Milwaukee Art Museum on Wednesday until we're hungry. And after that we go to Centraal for lunch, where I now try the Centraal veggie burger (very good!):
Unfortunately, Heidi's not there to serve us. Later that evening Stacey's friend Doomsday takes me on a true Midwestern white trash experience. We didn't take the monster truck, because I woke up that morning with a case of vertigo. The fact that this one isn't triggered by stress is the only good thing about it. We start at a shooting range where I get to shoot a gun and a rifle. An interesting and very educational experience! I now know for sure guns are not my thing. (I prefer a battle with bare hands - even though I know I'm going to get my ass kicked 10 miles into the Galaxy.) After that we drive to Fleet Farm and Cabella's for Carhartt jeans and pants.
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