Zippppeeeee!!!

What better way to spend time at home than to do something CRAZY!! A couple of months ago (time flies) Tracy asked if I had ever heard of a canopy tour? Ummm, no. Well, it's a also referred to as zip-lining and basically you strap up and zip on a rope from tree to tree. So Tracy and I got a group together and signed up to zip! This is the real reason why Aaron came into town, and rightly so!Holy cow did we have a good time. We had seven zips from tree to tree and we had several challenges along the way. Not to mention, you know me, I can't do anything the "normal" way. Tracy and I decided to dress likes dorks for this fun adventure. Enter exhibit A, The Tights. These earned me the nickname, Pancies, from the guides that helped us throughout the tour. I say, Whatever, they made me faster as I flew through the air.

Such challenges can be seen here. TVal and I decided to tackle this fun ropes course together. We made quite the pair, me in my tights, her in her awesome tall black socks. She had tights too, but we won't go there. :p

Another challenge at the end of the day landed us tangled in a heap at the bottom of a wall. Too funny.
There was one Indiana Jones bridge that we were supposed to walk across, knowing full well that we were likely to fall. It's ok to fall because you're all strapped up. Tracy challenged me to run this silly bridge, and man did this klutz take a tumble! I was hanging practically upside down, with my legs above my head, and somehow, I needed to find my way to a standing position on this bridge. The guide said he wished he had a video camera to put it on You Tube. According to him it was a five-star fall.

Between the trees we zipped around as Superman, the Deadman, or Crazy do-whatever-you-want Man. Weeeeeee! One of my favorite challenges was walking a tight-rope. Of course, I didn't walk it. I decided to relive my Basic Training days and sloth-crawl my way across this rope. While I might have survived and made it across, my legs certainly did not. I would post pictures of the amazing bruises that I have, but I decided to keep you all from thinking that somebody on the east coast is beating me. They are on the path to recovery, and the discoloring was well-worth the great time we had.

When it comes to flying from Cincinnati to Madison to Cincinnati to Philadelphia to Cincinnati, I'm pretty sure I just prefer flying from tree to tree.

Cali meets Madtown in Princeton

One of the best things about my last week in Princeton was that Aaron visited! Aaron is a great friend of mine from UW-Madison. He's originally from California, but WI has adopted him. It was a lot of fun having my Jersey/Pennsyvania friends meet a small sample of my friends from Wisconsin.

Aaron survived traffic through New York on a Friday afternoon; what a guy! He joined the craziness that was the Boot N Bowl, and the real reason he made the trek (other than to see me, of course :p) was to go zip lining...coming soon to a blog near you.

Saturday we hit up PJ's Pancake cafe for awesome breakfast food and milkshakes. Yes, breakfast food and milkshakes. After all, it was noon by the time we got to doing anything after the Boot N Bowl.

Breakfast led to great people watching, coffee drinking and Princeton University visiting. I haven't spent much time venturing around the campus, so having Aaron there made it a must. This picture was taken outside of Nassau Hall which is comparable to Bascom Hall. Aaron and I both wondered why more people weren't taking up the grass space in front of this awesome building like so many of the half naked bodies that populate Bascom Hill on a sunny WI day.

We scooted off to go zip lining with the PA friends, which by the way, was an AWESOME time, and we ended the evening with a horrible Badger/Penn State game. Unfortunately, we were in PA watching the game; their fans were obviously in good spirits. The good part of the evening was another stellar meal at Chickies and Pete's. yumm....

For the millionth time since I've been on the east coast, I became homesick on Sunday morning when I had to say good bye to Aaron to head back to Cinci. For a time, however brief, it was nice to have a piece of Wisconsin with me at my new home in NJ.

Boot N Bowl!

After a long week at work... Presentation Skills training with a creepster facilitator, several meetings, a day or reading, and a day of classroom training, the work Gang and I headed out to the Boot n Bowl.

This is a time honored tradition in which we drink beer (figures), eat food, and then attempt bowling.

I'm well aware that I'm a bad bowler sober. Throw some beer in the mix and instantly I become a rockstar!! That or I just like to dance a lot, and my skills are skewed by mad moves on the non-existent dance floor.

Madison Lovin'

Going back to Madison always means, friends, drinks, and most of all FOOD. Saturday night in Madtown... where do I begin?

Friday night I was able to hang out with Ali and Leigh Ann over tasty pasta at Tutto Pasta. My need for girl-talk was fulfilled and was followed up with the oh-so-girlie, Sex and the City movie with Leigh Ann at the dorm.

Saturday night Val, Brad, Richard and I started with sushi. The new Muramoto is off the hook. Cocktails; amazing. Sushi; delicious. Good company; priceless.
Lauren, bonehad Lauren, thought that Nattspiel had dessert. To my credit, they used to have dessert... We found out that they didn't AFTER we ordered drinks. Oh well, guess we just had to get dessert from Opus!

Once more, absolutely full, Val and I ventured on. This time we met up with Joanne and her posse. We spent the rest of the evening drinkin', boogeyin' and chattin' it up at Maduro. I was so happy to meet up with so many good friends.

However, I must say, the evening got a little hairy during a run in with the terminator...

Family Fun

I went home last weekend! I had a recruiting adventure at UW-Madison to try and convince students to go through the same program that I'm currently in. 

While there, I was fortunate enough to see all of my family. Most of us headed up to Dad n Gail's camper trailer on Castle Rock Lake. What a beautiful fall day! The sun was shining, the lake was calm, and the famdamily got in the boat and went for a cruise. 

We decided to hit up Splash for some good burgers and beers. Some of us could have had problems eating due to the new addition to our family, Pedro. Pedro is the stache that has found his way to my bro's face. Lance, eww. 

With our bellies full, we toodled our way back across the lake. I was ready for naptime, but Leigh Ann, Lance, Pedro, and myself needed to get back to Madison for more shenanigans.  

Sun, colors, food, beer, lake, family; this was a day to miss Wisconsin. 

X Gonna Give it to Ya

A couple of coworkers of mine invited me to a Xavier football game. So, as a typical, loyal, hardcore WI fan, I had to go out and get all of the appropriate gear.

Even though it was a Monday night, it felt like Badger Saturday or Packer Sunday. I was ready for some football.

I showed up for the game, ate my popcorn, and cheered like the good little fan that I am.

The Xavier Musketeers, an inter-mural, college football team swept their opponent which, sadly, WI sports have not been doing a good job of lately.