Hiatus

So I've been on a hiatus lately, and I have a feeling it's going to continue. My life has grown extremely crazy lately, with many work events and family things. I don't think I've had a full weekend in the last 2 months to entirely catch my breath. I thought I prepared for October to be the most intense... but apparently not enough.

I miss typing on this blog, but I think I'm going to have to give it a little more time, before I get back into things.

Thanks for the patience. Will talk soon.
Beth

Kohl's Cares

So my life has been taken over by what's known as Kohl's Cares.... at work and beyond. Kohl's Cares is a campaign to give 20 schools across the country $500,000 each. The 20 schools that get the most votes on Facebook will win! Sounds easy right? NOT. We are in the top 40, and trying to move closer to that 20. We are getting tons of volunteers to events off site, hosting phone-a-thons, anything and everything to get votes. I'll update all after these shenanigans are over.

If you'd like to vote: go to facebook.com
Like Kohl's
Go to the Kohl's Cares application and search for Pius XI High School in Milwaukee
Vote for Pius XI Five Times

Thank you.... Bethers

2 Posts In 1 Day - Uh Oh

My sweet lil family!


Before I get too bogged down with other things for the weekend, I'll post some pics from a few weekends of fun!

Day at Harrington Beach and Kohler-Andrae State Parks
Since Ben and I now have an annual park pass (thanks sister!) we decided to check out some state parks along Lake Michigan a few weeks back. Couver definitely does not enjoy crashing waves.... :) But we enjoyed a great day with not-so-hot weather and took in the scenery!








Madyson's Baptism
Our little angel, Mady, had her Baptism last weekend, and our family came out to celebrate at church and after at Nate and Kelly's. We had a fun time, and then Ben and I headed to a friend's for a going away party.


Aly and her man!


Outside the church...


Ready for bed after that day!

Until then... Bethers

Wisconsin State Fair

So I went to the State Fair this week for the first time in about 5 years. I used my $14 groupon that included 2 adult tickets and a 3-pack of Cream Puffs (a $28.50 value). Anne and I met after work on Monday anticipating a smaller crowd and we were ready to look through every nook and cranny at the fair. It didn't disappoint - we saw llamas, alpacas, cows, pigs, horsies - visit the products building and dairy areas and the expo centers. We saw carnies, rides, big slides, pickles on a stick and most of all... A TON OF FOOD! My goal was to try between 3-4 foods I'd never had or at least enjoy some I've had before. I reached 3 foods I've never had although the first I'll describe I've had in theory, but just not this particular brand/style. So, I made it!!! We spent 3 1/2 hours enjoying the heat and stuff at the fair and I left, well, STUFFED!!!!

Fair Stop 1: Products Building
Pretzel Bites with Cheese. These were reasonably priced and I'd never had this kind before - they were made from the same dough as pretzel buns/rolls, so they were much lighter and airy than the normal soft pretzels I've had before.

**** out of 5 stars

Fair Stop 2: Robert's Stand
Deep Fried Pickles with Ranch Dressing. Tasty as usual, I've loved these lil guys for awhile now. The only issue I had was that the quantity you received looked small in the large container they served them in. Either use a smaller bowl or give us more!!!

*** out of 5 stars

Fair Stop 3: Saz's
Combo Platter. I started to get frustrated about not finding something unusual to eat... and I was not about to have chocolate covered bacon or a krispy kreme cheeseburger... so Anne and I split a combo platter at my old standby - Saz's. I absolutely love that they use egg roll wrappers around cheese for their mozz sticks and their cheese curds are usually spectacular with their garlic fries.

**** 1/2 out of 5 stars

Fair Stop 4: Dessert Stand
Frozen Banana Dipped in Chocolate on a Stick - or as my coworker calls it a "Monkey Tail". I only had a bite of this sweet treat - Anne fully enjoyed it though, and the small bit I had was tasty.

*** out of 5 stars

Fair Stop 5: Carnie Looking Stand
Deep Fried Oreos. Going into the fair, I had heard good things about these lil guys from my father-in-law. I was already full and ready to leave when I spotted this stand and had to get them. Only problem was, their one size was 7 of 'em! So for $6, I got all the deliciousness I could handle and left with a tummy ache. Anne had her sweet fix and would only eat half of one, so I "HAD" to eat 6 total. Completely delicious like a warm cakey-donut, but I thought I may have a heart-attack later that night. I already eat too many donuts, no need for more anytime soon!!!

***** out of 5 stars

Fair Stop 6: NEAR EXIT
3 Cream Puffs To-Go. I shared these with Anne and my family, so I only tried a sliver the next day - but as usual, the State Fair did not dissapoint. If you are from WI, you grow up enjoying cream puffs, and I'm happy to say it was as good as I remembered.

**** out of 5 stars

Time for a fooooooood coma...
Until Then... Bethers

A year of firsts

So far this year has been quite the year of firsts... let me rephrase... the last 12 months -
... 1st niece - now she's one!
... 1st year of marriage - going on 8 months
... 1st move back to Milwaukee - hopefully never again!
... 1st time living with the in-laws - surprisingly not bad!
... 1st time camping in WI - other than backyard tenting

The last six months have LITERALLY flown by, and even the past two have gone quickly with Ben here. It seems like yesterday I was having a little party at my crazy house in the boonies in Phoenix to say goodbye to all, working a MBB game at Wells Fargo Arena or just hanging in my office with my sweet iMac computer. As much as I miss those memories I'll cherish forEVER I can't wait to see what the next 6 months of this 1st year back in Milwaukee will bring.

Life Recap:
- July 16-18: Madyson's 1st Birthday party!!! Yeah, she's getting SO BIG (arms up)




- July 24-26: Camping at Blue Mound State Park with Stacy and Marty. Had a great time soaking up the sun and relaxing during my one (and only) mini vacation this summer.




- July 30-August 1: Ben and I used our annual State Park pass to visit Harrington Beach and Kohler Andre State Parks (thanks sis) along the Lake Michigan coast. Although it was a yucky day out we enjoyed the hikes and the lake. We ended the night at our newly crowned "fav" bars of Milwaukee: Cafe Centraal and Sugar Maple. Cafe Centraal has great imported beers and Sugar Maple boasts 60 American Craft ales. Sadly, Kelly Pertzsch, no Rogue was to be found :(. Sunday was spent at my parent's lake house enjoying a fun boat ride and my favorite meal prepared by my mom: cheeseburgers!

GROUPON UPDATE - Ben and I visited Transfer Pizzeria ($20 for a $40 gift card) on Saturday night. All I can say is either the pizza was delicious, or my beer made it that way. We enjoyed a caprese salad with balsamic vinegar... for some reason I've seen some menus around here listing caprese with olive oil no vinegar. SAY WHAT?!? Needless to say, this was authentic and great! We also shared a 'za with tomato sauce, pesto sauce, spicy sausage, fresh tomatoes and asiago cheese. Good crust, great 'za!!! Highly recommended.

On Deck:
Family things next weeked per usual! Hopefully hitting up the State Fair with my groupon. My goal is to try between 3-4 things I've never had before - whether or not they are on a stick. If I end up trying fried pickles and cheese curds (which I definitely HAVE had) I will still accept that as success.

Adios!
Bethers

Groupon Love

Happy 88th Birthday Grandma Betty!

Well it's about time I post again - I bet all my readers were just chomping at the bit for a new blog item. Yeah yeah yeah. Today I want to discuss the interest I've recently gained in the website Groupon. I originally signed up for the one-deal a day email deal in Phoenix, but frankly was too busy moving to care. About two months ago I changed my location on the site to Milwaukee, and have been checking out the daily deals each morning when I wake up.

- In case you do not use Groupon or know what it is, once you sign up with only an email address you'll receive daily deal emails for restaurants, massage places, car fixer places, etc. The discount for these deals are at least 50% off the regular price. For example, you could have the chance to buy a $40 gift card someplace for only $20. Sounds too good to be true? It's not. The only catch is that enough people have to buy the deal to "tip" it for all. If there needs to be a minimum of say 200 purchasers and only 150 buy, then no deal.

Here is a recap of my recent experiences with Groupon:
~ Crisp Pizza
Deal: $10 for a $20 gift certificate - used on a large pizza with up to two toppings.
This restaurant is a new, hip place on the East Side of Milwaukee - specifically on Brady Street. I'd heard really good things about the pizza, so Ben and I ventured to check out this trendy location. Unfortunately for Crisp, we enjoyed a few small plates and martini's at Bosley before walking over to then carb-load ourselves with pizza... not a smart choice. The pizza was alright, but would have been much more well received on an empty stomach. I've heard really great things about the "Create Your Own Salad" part of the menu - or just go to Bosley which I'd highly recommend for Happy Hour.

~ One Way Cafe in Wauwatosa
Deal: $7 for $15 gift certificate
I took my mom to this cafe for lunch one weekday. It's a small unassuming restaurant in the Tosa Village. I didn't try their coffee or specialty drink, but my mom and I ordered a lunch of egg salad sandwiches, quiche and fruit. It was nice and homemade, but nothing to call home about.


My lil 1-year old niece Madyson!

~ Bikram Yoga
Deal: 5 Sessions for $15 - a $90 value
I tried Bikram Yoga while living in Phoenix last summer - it's 26 yoga poses in 105 degree heat. Although not entirely fun, you get a wonderful stretch, mental stability and you detoxify yourself through sweating. I had just mentioned to Aly that it would be awesome if there was a Bikram Groupon. And whallah, the Bikram Groupon deal was emailed to me the very next day! no joke.. Since you needed to use your first of 5 sessions within 2 months, I decided to also purchase a month unlimited pass for $50 to use before my 5 passes. I have a wedding to attend in August, and I wanted to push myself for just over a month with yoga and regular sweat sessions to see if I see any results. This is the only Bikram studio in the MKE, and I really like it's location downtown. There is also easy street free parking, and it's a good atmosphere before, during and after class. I'll report back with my month-o-yoga results!

~ Wisconsin State Fair Tickets and Cream Puffs
Deal: $14 for 2 tickets and 3 cream puffs - $28.50 value
I won't be able to use this until August - during the last week of my yoga challenge... hopefully I don't eat too many strange deep fried items! I'm not sure how I'll get the cream puffs just by showing my Groupon certificate at the gate of the fair... I'm just excited to "leave the State Fair sick!" a.k.a. try many new foods!


Annie B!

~ Transfer Pizza
Deal: $20 for $40 worth of pizza
I'm excited for this one. I've been interested in checking this pizza place out, and now is the perfect discounted opportunity!

`til then!
Bethers


Yo... Roger!

Nice boots Ben

Ahhh - Summer of Love

I have officially turned old. I'm now 27. Arrrgghhh! To me the age 27 always sounded like someone who was old - and now that's what I am... old. Oh well - let the old party begin!

The past few weeks have really gone fast - and let me just say it's quite hard to document life when you are borrowing your mother's camera, can't find her usb cord, borrowing your sister-in-law's camera, and she doesn't have a usb cord! Well let me rephrase that - it's easy to document, difficult to upload. Last week (June 18-19) Ben and I went with his high school baseball team to Minneapolis for a 3-game tournament in the Metrodome. Oh to be in high school again - the little pip-squeaks were so cute, but man I forgot what it was like to be 15. Or maybe all the high schoolers have changed from when I was young. The city was awesome as usual, and even though we were there for about 24 hours we got a tour of Target Field (pics to come) a trip to the Mall of America, and I snuck out from the Metrodome on Saturday to walk around downtown. Loved it!



Birthday week was next - not that I was crazy or anything, just had a FULL week planned - went out to Cafe Centraal with my parents for my birthday and drank my favorites: triple karmeliet for me, frambouise for mom and I only missed my Chimay cuz it was $10 a glass. Our waiter was from IL so I affectionately told him to change his license plates if he didn't want to get harassed by others and also to back away from the table - after that he didn't talk much to us.

Was at the Brewer's game Wednesday with a Krey Clan tailgate - so much fun. Beer, brats and bags - what more could anyone want!?!

Thursday was Summerfest with my bestie Annie B to see the Lady Antebellum and Tim McGraw concert. Loved it! Ate some Saz's - soooooo good. I really love fried cheese. Got a lil chilly at the concert, but fun day overall!



On Friday I had the day off, so I relaxed for most of it and then Ben and I went to Bosley on Brady and Crisp pizza. Bosley has THE BEST happy hour - it's an upscale seafood restaurant, and their happy hour is 1/2 priced apps and ALL drinks including their fabulous martinis. We have tried most of their apps before including seafood tacos, quesadillas, crab/artichoke dip, fried green beans. YUM.



Saturday was the wedding day for our good friends Rachel and Matt who Ben and I have known since high school. It was a beautiful day out with great weather, the perfect scene for a summer wedding. Rachel was one of the best looking brides I've seen. The wedding day was a blast including:
- Old St Mary's church - so pretty
- the Wicked Hop for a beer - delicious
- USA soccer game with friends - bummer about the loss - but Five Guys burger was great
- Wedding reception complete with great drinks, members of the WI Badger Marching Band, crazy photo booth and crazier dancing. Fun night to remember!



On deck... Fourth of July with the fam for a few days and maybe a DOUBLE DATE!
Bethers

Back to the Grind!

So a lot has happened since my last post on May 27th:
- I drove cross country with Ben and Dave Krey... 3 people, 1 car, 1 Uhaul truck and 1800 miles.
- Ben, Couver and I moved into the Krey family residence.
- I ran my third large event for Pius XI just two days ago - a golf outing for 160 golfers.

Needless to say, since flying down to Phoenix Memorial Day weekend, I've been moving around without stopping. I didn't get any great photos from my drive back - maybe because they were all of ROADS! Not too exciting. When I got back everyone said: "how was your trip", "how was the drive"... well let me describe it for you in the long and short version. We got up... we drove (a lot)... we stopped for food... we drove (a lot more)... we stopped to sleep... repeat... for three days. Totally pumped we made it back without any hiccups along the way except the fact we are broke from the gas mileage/cost of gas for that darn Uhaul.

As soon as I got back I started moving into high gear for my golf outing that happened on Wednesday the 9th (my daddy's birthday). Not much exciting to report there except I worked a bunch and when I wasn't working, I was moving some of my things to Ben's house, eating, sleeping, drinking a beer or watching TV.

In the midst of that work, I ended up having a few fun spots: going to Ben's cousins' (plural) birthday party/grad party - going to a good friend's bachelorette party in the pouring, and I mean pouring, rain, taking a few great walks with the dog, and spending time with my parents for my dad's birthday.

On deck... getting my haircut with my sister - so excited to spend some time with her! I'm proctoring the ACT test tomorrow to make some extra dough - this will be interesting! Saturday I'm taking Couver to Lakefest with my parents and bro/sis and will enjoy what the other members of the 1,000 population town of Hustisford do every summer--- a carnival, music and pig roast. Hopefully I'll get some great shots.

Miss everyone, Bethers

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

... and returning in a CAR!!!

So sorry it took me until Thursday to post - I seem to have lost my camera cord to upload photos, darn it all! So unfortunately you will only get a photo from my phone at the end of this post.

This week has been a completely crazy debacle of a time! But before we catch up to today, let's start with last week - I'm not sure if I can even remember that far back!!! Well last week I got to feeling under the weather - AGAIN, I KNOW! - so I took it really easy on Thursday and Friday to be sure I was over anything before the big trip this week. The weather turned unseasonably hot on Friday, so I had to get out of the house no matter what and enjoy it Saturday. I drove up to my parents lake cottage, and it was the first time I'd been there in two years! My parents have owned the place since I was about 10 and I have spent many days throughout the years taking in the fresh air and all the pleasures of being on a lake! This past Saturday was no exception and I spent the day relaxing in the sun with family and pups! My sis and bro-in-law stopped by for a few hours and it was great imagining what this will feel like in a week with Ben around ---- so complete! :)

On Sunday, again with beautiful weather, I had a bridal shower to attend for my good friends Rachel and Matt (Kwapick). It was cool to see some folks that I hadn't seen in years or since high school - I guess that's what happens when you are gone for so long. I know when all the hermits in Milwaukee start to come out of their homes for the summer I'll probably glimpse way more blasts from the past!

I concluded the evening spending about 3+ hours watching the Lost series finale. I will NOT get into the details, I pretty much know most of my friends/family do not share my interest in the show - but I will say I feel fine with the ending and am glad to have been a fan for the past 4 or so years. What a thrilling life I have.. hardy har har.

For the past few days I have been calling Ben non-stop to make sure all addresses have been changed (just thought about the mag subscription addresses... will do that next!), bills adjusted and final preps have been made. Not going as well as desired - still no lease solution, and got bumped from a 14' Uhaul to a 10'. Bummers all around. At this point we have less than 12 hours til I get to Phx, so it basically is what it is. Hoping to enjoy some sort of delicious dish in AZ when I arrive, but probably will only be a quesadilla - Ben's dish of choice for EVERY night of the week. AND then we leave in the morning... Can't wait to take some photos from the trip and post when I return - let's add some positivity to the "TRIP"... as if it was planned to be this way ;)

Well, sayonara I guess, until 4,000 miles from now!!!
Bethers


Couver was pooped after a day at the lake!!!

LOST!

Normally I post on Sundays... but since it's the Lost Series finale, I'll have to wait until tomorrow night to add something. But you can bet it'll be a juicy addition when it happens.

Bethers

And the Countdown Begins

Ben officially has less than 2 weeks left in Arizona! For real!
I can't believe he is "this" (imagine me holding up my hand to show an inch) close to being back with Couv and I - and the rest of our Krey/Fredricks clan!

Side note: I probably will use many exclamation points in this message, deal with it.

I know Ben has quite a bit of work cut out for himself to try to get the place move-out ready and I'm almost positive he's not thrilled, but in two weeks it will all be over with. We are working on renting the beast of a house, and it's really been tough to find someone, but we've had a few people interested and they have both submitted applications. Cross your fingers yet again that something will come through - or else Ben and I have to pay through our ears to leave!

In all of this moving the thing I am most concerned with is our TV. Our beloved TV. I definitely do not want to harm it in moving so I am trying to figure out the best place for it - is it between two mattresses in the moving truck? In the back of Ben's car with soft things all around it? Or somewhere else I haven't though of??? Hmmm... this will eat me up.

So, Ben's dad is flying down on Wednesday the 26th and will help with the finishing touches of packing and cleaning - or relaxing in the 90 degree weather. He and Ben will get the truck on Thursday and take the couches to Sarah P's and other stuff to Goodwill. Hopefully most if not all of our stuff will be loaded before I arrive on Thursday evening at 10 PM. Then we will depart after rush hour Friday morning for three long and fun days of driving. I'm not thinking about how long the shifts will be.... three people to drive 2 vehicles - one ford focus and one u-haul truck... but it's going to be A DRIVE.

Either way, I'm looking forward to helping Ben make this trip so we and our stuff can FINALLY be together. The craziest thing is that I have been away from Arizona for four months already. I can't believe it's been that long. Since leaving people have gotten married, had babies, gotten pregnant (again:)!), and started dating. I guess that's what people do, but I feel like so much has happened in this time and it's felt like 2 minutes. Cheers to being together again!

Gotta go. My mom just informed me we are eating take-out from House of Fong. Yum!

Ode to Couver

I want to dedicate this post to my little boo boo... Couver. Yesterday we went to the vet for the first time in Wisconsin and got her hooked up with all the correct shots and vaccines here, including tick/mosquito prevention, which makes me so happy she will be healthy all summer long. She also got her valley fever blood draw - hopefully her last, cross your fingers - so we should find out this week if she can be off her meds she takes twice a day. In prepping for the vet I gathered a bunch of her previous vet history sheets together and came across her Humane Society papers. It was so funny to see our sweet "Cindy" - her previous name - and think of how well she has progressed over the past two years!

From the moment we took her home she was really shy and scared of everyone. She took immediately to Ben and I and was and is still a good and protective dog. She barked and barked at strangers and didn't really want to eat. She's always listened well and is very gentle. When we moved to south Phoenix she gained a stronger will and was able to hang out all day not in her kennel. She has never been destructive, only a few random things when she's angry - or hungry (sorry pecan pie and hot dog buns). Ben always says she will let me do anything to her, and I take full advantage of that - i.e. wearing halloween wigs, putting my glasses on her, sporting scarves. She loves to fight with blankets and unfortunately sheds a lot! But she is a great snuggler and very happy dog.

She has had her share of issues, we don't really know what her previous life did to her - she has facial and arm scars to prove it. We didn't know it at the time, but she was harboring an expensive and long disease in her elbow when we picked her out - Valley Fever. Since being diagnosed almost immediatley after we got her, she has recovered really well and doesn't seem to mind the medication each day. Hey, she gets it with a bite of turkey, so who wouldn't like that?!?

Since moving back to Milwaukee she's had a dog friend - something we weren't sure would ever happen. My mom's dog Caeser and her enjoy play fighting each day, walking together, eating together and even sleeping on the same dog bed together sometimes! The best thing I've seen is her happy attitude since moving, and her enthusiasm for my parents each day - another thing we weren't sure if she'd get used to. Even yesterday, we went to my sister's house and Couver played in the backyard with her dog Indy - a dog over twice her size.

Cheers to the future Couver - it just keeps getting better.


In mom's glasses!


All rolled up!


I love grass!

Love ya Couver, Couvs, Couv, Couv-Dog, BOO!, Couv-Dog Millionaire!

What's been going on!

So... already I'm lacking in my posts! BUT it has been a really busy two weeks since my last post on April 25. I'll give a quick recap on what's been happening.

After April 25 I had a really busy week at work. I coordinated my second large event at school and it was a success! We hosted a Community Day Walk-A-Thon for our students - they raised money in advance, and the day of they had activities to build a sense of community with one another. After the day ended I took a group of kids to the Brewers game as a fundraising benefit. I left for Phoenix on Friday April 30 - when I left Milwaukee it was about 70 degrees and when I got to Phoenix it was about 75! Milwaukee has been unseasonably warm over the past month or so, but has cooled down in the last week.

In Phoenix I was really excited to do the LAST of everything... last great dinner, last hike, etc. Things didn't turn out as planned and I didn't really do anything that was my favorite. Surprisingly, that was fine with me! Ben and I ate at some new restaurants - all good - the Roosevelt for good beer and food in downtown Phoenix and Thai Elephant. We also ate at Caroline's - the best Mexican I've had yet in Arizona. We bought ourselves some cowboy boots, watched the fight at a friends, pulled A TON of weeds, caught up with great friends and I even got to lay out in the sun by a pool!!!! Short, too short, but definitely sweet.

After I left Phoenix I was really tired the entire week, and couldn't accomplish much ouside of work. I've been extremely stressed because Ben and I are trying to get out of our lease early, we're trying to plan our move across the country at the end of the month, and we're looking for a job for Ben - probably the biggest need. The Milwaukee Public School system is laying off quite a few teachers which doesn't bode well for his job search. Cross your fingers for him!!!!!

This past weekend was really a lot of fun. On Friday, my sis Aly was in town for the weekend so I took Couver to see the in-laws and Aly - so great!!! Saturday morning and afternoon was spent with my mom, sister and aunt at the spa and the evening was spent at our high school baseball fundraiser. I had a great team and we participated in a 9-pin tap tournament and I was the lowest scorer on my team - which means I won a 40-ounce and a Subway sub! I spent a relaxing day with my mom on mother's day which was the first time in years!

Up next: dogsitting the whole weekend while my parents are gone, some bridal showers and on May 27 I fly to Phx to take the final trip from Phx to Milwaukee with Ben, a Uhaul, the Ford Focus and Ben's dad!!!!!

Art Museum Recap

So the art museum was awesome! It was a cold dreary rainy day in Milwaukee - perfect for a day inside.

We started out at the Comet Cafe. Funky place, but the line was long. Was it worth the 30 minute wait? Maybe if I had ordered something different! My meal was a breakfast burrito - had a description of ranchero sauce, spicy sour cream - but really lacked any flavor inside the tortilla. We all split a pancake, but it wasn't anything crazy special. The other two girls had good food - corn beef and hash inside a grilled burrito (tasted great) and a veggie/bacon scramble (looked great).

We made our way to the museum and after walking around the Street Seen area (awesome) we walked into the older part of the museum - and directly at my favorite piece by Cy Twombly... see below - can you find the thumb?!?


Hope you can enjoy some art in the near future too!
Bethers

I'm Excited for Tomorrow

I'm very excited for my morning/afternoon tomorrow! I'm going to brunch with my sister and Anne at the Comet Cafe and then we are heading to the Milwaukee Art Museum to check out the Street Seen exhibit ! I have many memories of the Comet Cafe from when I used to get my haircut down the street and ran to grab a great cup of coffee from that "artsy fartsy cafe". I've never actually eaten there and I hear great things. They are part of the slow food genre of eateries and you can't beat a great brunch on a Sunday. I'll give a review after tomorrow - www.thecometcafe.com.

I'm even more excited for Street Seen and the Art Museum! I went to the museum so many times growing up - but really haven't been for about 4 years or so. The Street Seen exhibit is a collection of photography from 1940-1959 reflecting the American way of life during those years. There is also a painting by Raphael that is rarely on loan from Italy to museums. My favorite painting is this piece that is on a gray background with an outline of a square in white and a white rectangle below it. I didn't know until a few years after adoring it that it's supposed to be a thumb. If you hold your thumb up and look the square is the nail and the small rectangle is the knuckle wrinkles! I'll find the artist's name tomorrow and post a link.

Until then,
Bethers

Finding a Renter

With Ben finally moving back here at the end of May, we are in the process of looking for a renter to take over our lease - our lease goes until Sept 1 (boo!). Since the property manager really doesn't care if we rent it or not, because we'll still have to pay if we can't find someone, they aren't the most helpful in trying to find a new tenant. Which brings me to posting the house on craiglist. I have gotten email about the house from the craziest people.

Here are a few quotes from emails - really think if this is who you'd like to have rent your place:
(please note the posting on the site lists a June 1 rental date and all the details of the place)

"I saw your apartment advertised on a classified advert on the craigslist.com and i want to rent it for my family,please let me know if it is still available for rent and the modalities for renting it.I will be arriving by May 1st with my wife and my nine years old daughter and i will be signing 1 year lease for this unit....We intend to move in by Ending of April."
- I think this is one of those money scams in a housing format. Sorry Dr. Gray, you're out.

"I have interest in renting it and will like to know some information regarding the property. Total amount needed for Move-In including deposit. When is the ideal Move in date?"
- How about you read my flipping posting!?! Sorry Julia, you're out too.

"Hi, Im just reach out to you for a moment. the current economic condition is so bad presently. i need to tell you that at the moment theres millions in gov't grants for americans at this time in your town (phoenix) for pretty much anything you can possibly imagine! phoenix breaking news make sure to look at it. These gov't grants never have to be repaid!!!"
- Patrick, was there a question in your email? I didn't think so. Delete.

Wow, if only we could get some ACTUAL responses I would feel better. Until then I'm out.

Bethers

I love you THIS much

Things I love:

Family

Benjamin Franklin and Mountains

Dog Noses

Great Old Friends!

Freddy Says...

I've noticed that everyone has a unique nickname for me... Bethie, Freddy, Fredrickson, Bethanny, Bethanne, Bethesda, Beef, Beefers. But, the one that's really stuck over the years is Bethers. I figured this would be the best name for a blog - really makes sure you know who is typing right!?!

I wanted to start this blog because many people have suggested I type and share to keep connected with friends far and even near. So, I guess I'm ready. I will try my bestest to be interesting even if most of my day isn't that interesting.

I'm sure everyone reading this knows, the biggest thing that has happened recently in my life was moving to Milwaukee from Phoenix - and leaving my hubby behind. I often say this is our engagement time - since we lived together for the three years before we got married. It's almost as if life is moving backwards. But everytime I see Benjamin Franklin (my other half) it's like a new beginning, which is the coolest thing.

I'm going to bore everyone: Since moving to Wisconsin I usually do the following things each day:
- Wake up... slowly, I'm a serial snooze-button hitter
- Walk Couver... fast, it's chilly outside
- Work at a high school planning events. Right now I'm planning for our upcoming Golf Outing in June, doing a student fundraiser, and getting my feet wet for preparations for the 2010-2011 school year of events.
- Drive home and walk the dog.
- Eat dinner. My mother prepares it almost every single day - I definitely consider myself lucky.
- Relax and watch mindless TV. My current show interests are - in day order starting Sunday - Breaking Bad, True Life, Lost, Top Chef Masters, Fresh Meat 2, and HGTV anytime of the week.
- Walk the dog AGAIN.
- Sleep

Sounds exciting, right???? Not really. But since moving here I've actually been quite busy and I just joined a Zumba class that I go to once a week. Those ladies and their salsa, it's just crazy. I've been trying to spend more time with family and also exploring the culinary side of the city. I've been to way more restaurants than ever before in my life, and I really think I've found better options than Phoenix!

Most recently I spent a weekend visiting my college roomate Christina in Michigan with my bff Anne. We had a blast, although it was a quick trip - and we've already planned an October trip to view the WI vs. Michigan State football away game!

I totally miss Arizona every single day - but I'm really looking forward to the opportunity of having my other half living in our ideal situation. It should be fun!

Until next time: Bethers xoxo