Showing posts with label Milwaukee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Milwaukee. Show all posts
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
An Apology For You and The Ever Expanding Horizon
As the title suggests this is an apology to you readers, unfortunately troubling times had fallen for the last few weeks of our trip and since arriving back from travelling which in turn really halted my writing. But thankfully, I'm trying to get back on track! From where we got up to with my previous post things took an unusual turn and we found ourselves in many strange places, towns and deserts. All of which will be up soon! I hope that my lack of writing hasn't resulted in any loss of interest in mine and Martin's journey. I know one thing for certain, that since returning Martin hasn't been the same, the drive and confidence he seems to have found is something I saw in myself the last time I returned, that unsettling feeling of wandering like a ghost in your own town sank in once again as I floated around the town upon our early arrival. However, after a few months already we have begun to plan our next journey. And this one, should be magnificent. But the fear of the unknown always creeps back into the back of our heads, as to weather we will travel together or not. Regardless of if we do or not, we will always be two ghosts now.
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Thunder Storms and The Summer Solstice
Waking up in the night is not usually something unheard of with me, I've never been one to sleep through. But tonight was a whole different ball game, not only was the humidity a huge factor but the rain gently splashing in through the open window had drawn my attention, followed by a five second period of blinding white light which lit up the room drawing Martin and I back to conciousness. The walls and windows shook which eventually worked its way down to the floor which followed suit. We both shot up from the floor which we call a bed and both uttered the same words.
"What the fudge was that?!"
For the younger audiences I changed the explosive swearing to a more family friendly word, who doesn't love fudge?
The light faded away but the sound remained and grew, my first thoughts were that seeing as we are living by an airport that a plane could've crashed. The following sounds confirmed to me that, thank God, it was not that. The thunder that continued to follow was like nothing I've heard before. That air could make such a solid sound was unbelievable, like the sky was made of rock crashing together coming down like a landslide of sound.
The light show and the thunder continued throughout the night, I watched the fork lightening coming down in jagged purple forms. The scary thing came the next morning, on the morning news apparently a house was struck and set alight. Luckily no one was hurt, but imagine being in your bed when suddenly you roof caves in on fire. Pretty scary.
There's a saying in Wisconsin that "If you don't like the weather, wait a day" and I can't express how true this is. It receives state-wide, an unbelievable three hundred thousand strikes a year! Most of those during this trip I think. Anyway, lets not get sidetracked with figures and numbers, the point I was making about the changing weather was that today, it was beautiful. To be honest we were very grateful it had picked up because today we were heading out to the Summer Solstice! What is Summer Solstice I hear you shout, well let me enlighten your minds. Actually hold your minds right there because before I get to the Summer Solstice we ended up having to take a journey of epic citywide proportions. We must have walked about five miles that day, even ended up in a ghetto-ey (yes that's a real word) part of town, where a large man with no legs sat in a wheel chair and gave us the stink eye from a hundred yards and proceeded to hold that fire filled glare for the entire of our approach. His legs are going to have guns in. Don't know why I thought that. Too many video games I guess.
Ok, open them minds up. The Summer Solstice is when the Earth's tilt is towards the sun for us, marking the longest day of sunlight of the year and from here they get shorter until Winter. The city of Milwaukee hold a little day festival on an intersection of road with three stages, packed with places for food, drink and shopping stalls! The beer here wasn't too expensive which is a nice relief from UK festivals, however it wasnt a great selection on the beer stalls, the pubs and bars on the other hand were still open so you could just as easily walk into there to have a different kind.
After meeting John a friend of ours from Milwaukee we went and settled on a curb with a beer next to one of the stages. The band that were on were pretty exceptional! Their name was just as awesome, the one, the only, Extra Crispy Brass Band! A full brass band including a Tuba, Trumpets, Trombones and Drums. And, I've got to add that it was some of the best Trumpet playing I've ever heard! Not to mention a cover of the original Thrift Shop by Macklemore, by original I mean the track that Macklemore used as his backing track which was actually written in 1890!
Eventually Amy joined us and as the night wore on, so did the beer. The dark ales around here sure are strong all pushing between six to ten percent! One you should definitely look out for is Luna Stout, dark as the night sky but with the mass of the moon! Delicious. As it got dark more and more lively music came on, including the local Boy Blue who are friends of John and were well worth seeing! Their music was mix of synths, deep thunderous bass, tight drum beats and on some songs guitar played by their front man. Their EP is out right now so get on YouTube and check it out!
The night once again came to an end and Martin as usual fell asleep in the back of the car under the light of the Super Moon, which we missed the rising of sadly. We stopped for Jimmy John's which serve sub sandwiches pretty much twenty four hours a day, not to mention they're pretty good! Over the next few days the thunder storms carried on, some days raining all day other days off and on with breaks of incredible heat and sunshine! Lets just say thank God for Netflix and Breaking Bad!
"What the fudge was that?!"
For the younger audiences I changed the explosive swearing to a more family friendly word, who doesn't love fudge?
The light faded away but the sound remained and grew, my first thoughts were that seeing as we are living by an airport that a plane could've crashed. The following sounds confirmed to me that, thank God, it was not that. The thunder that continued to follow was like nothing I've heard before. That air could make such a solid sound was unbelievable, like the sky was made of rock crashing together coming down like a landslide of sound.
The light show and the thunder continued throughout the night, I watched the fork lightening coming down in jagged purple forms. The scary thing came the next morning, on the morning news apparently a house was struck and set alight. Luckily no one was hurt, but imagine being in your bed when suddenly you roof caves in on fire. Pretty scary.
There's a saying in Wisconsin that "If you don't like the weather, wait a day" and I can't express how true this is. It receives state-wide, an unbelievable three hundred thousand strikes a year! Most of those during this trip I think. Anyway, lets not get sidetracked with figures and numbers, the point I was making about the changing weather was that today, it was beautiful. To be honest we were very grateful it had picked up because today we were heading out to the Summer Solstice! What is Summer Solstice I hear you shout, well let me enlighten your minds. Actually hold your minds right there because before I get to the Summer Solstice we ended up having to take a journey of epic citywide proportions. We must have walked about five miles that day, even ended up in a ghetto-ey (yes that's a real word) part of town, where a large man with no legs sat in a wheel chair and gave us the stink eye from a hundred yards and proceeded to hold that fire filled glare for the entire of our approach. His legs are going to have guns in. Don't know why I thought that. Too many video games I guess.
Ok, open them minds up. The Summer Solstice is when the Earth's tilt is towards the sun for us, marking the longest day of sunlight of the year and from here they get shorter until Winter. The city of Milwaukee hold a little day festival on an intersection of road with three stages, packed with places for food, drink and shopping stalls! The beer here wasn't too expensive which is a nice relief from UK festivals, however it wasnt a great selection on the beer stalls, the pubs and bars on the other hand were still open so you could just as easily walk into there to have a different kind.
After meeting John a friend of ours from Milwaukee we went and settled on a curb with a beer next to one of the stages. The band that were on were pretty exceptional! Their name was just as awesome, the one, the only, Extra Crispy Brass Band! A full brass band including a Tuba, Trumpets, Trombones and Drums. And, I've got to add that it was some of the best Trumpet playing I've ever heard! Not to mention a cover of the original Thrift Shop by Macklemore, by original I mean the track that Macklemore used as his backing track which was actually written in 1890!
Extra Crispy Brass Band!
Eventually Amy joined us and as the night wore on, so did the beer. The dark ales around here sure are strong all pushing between six to ten percent! One you should definitely look out for is Luna Stout, dark as the night sky but with the mass of the moon! Delicious. As it got dark more and more lively music came on, including the local Boy Blue who are friends of John and were well worth seeing! Their music was mix of synths, deep thunderous bass, tight drum beats and on some songs guitar played by their front man. Their EP is out right now so get on YouTube and check it out!
Here you can see just one of the streets, Subway and the Super Moon
The night once again came to an end and Martin as usual fell asleep in the back of the car under the light of the Super Moon, which we missed the rising of sadly. We stopped for Jimmy John's which serve sub sandwiches pretty much twenty four hours a day, not to mention they're pretty good! Over the next few days the thunder storms carried on, some days raining all day other days off and on with breaks of incredible heat and sunshine! Lets just say thank God for Netflix and Breaking Bad!
Our Drunken Mugs
Sorry Martin
Martin's Creepy Drunk Face
Thursday, 20 June 2013
A Better Week, Our First Baseball Game and a Giant Pizza
So, it's safe to say that this week has been a whole lot better. After the events of last week lets face it that it would be pretty hard to get worse! We've arrived safely to Chicago O'hare Airport and had no troubles coming through immigrations this side, perhaps Dublin had called ahead and mentioned what had happened over there, but maybe not. Anyway, we met my cousin Amy as planned and made our way to her brand new flat. Being located in the Bayview area of Milwaukee it was a very nice area filled with lovely people who walked through the park on a daily basis, kids who played in the streets and a few local bars who's land ladies where just as nice as ever.
Before we reached Amy's we stopped of for a crate of Landshark (the beer so popular to us thanks to Jenna Marbles, which if you have not seen make sure you look her up) and headed straight home. After the events of today, we needed to chill and sleep.
Now with Amy knowing as little about the area as us, Martin and I took it upon ourselves to become acquainted with it. We took ourselves down the main road until we found the park, then detoured through the trees and grass taking in the unusual sounds of the birds we don't have back home, of the most distinct was a bright red Cardinal, chirping it's way through the air. We carried on through the park until the suburbs dripped away and we were faced with high ways and more cars than are particularly necessary. Thus stood the wondrous place of American stores such as Walmart, Pigglywiggly and other oddly named stores housing a plethora of unusual people.
That night we decided to go for a drink, as difficult as it was I might add. We faced a problem, that Martin, the baby faced babbling wonder is only twenty years old. And, once again a prize for the first person to guess the drinking age in the US, that's right. The ripe old age of twenty one. So Amy, Myself, Martin and tonight accompanied by the lovely Melinda, decided to try anyway, with a particularly cunning plan being a back door. And, how very James Bond I felt walking in and signalling through a window once the Doorman had changed post, even if Martin didn't see. The drinks here where very good, even if I had to teach the Barman a few layered shots! Downstairs in the smaller room they had a live band playing and upstairs they had a DJ who was not only gurning his head off but also playing some pretty awesome songs. After a while a few more of Amy and Melinda's friends arrived, the moustacheo'd Dan, Eric, Stacie and Evan who come as a package deal, and later on the tiny Rozy. All of which, as a group are some of the nicest people Martin and I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Before we knew it last orders rolled around and it was time to leave, we walked with Eric, Stacie and Evan towards their cars as Eric was going to give us a ride home. We then received a call from Amy saying she was going to pick us up so we went to Evan's car to wait there. However, on the way there a man and women stepped out of a Video Game Lounge (which I'd quite like to check out) with what I can only describe as a monster truck tire of a pizza. So big, that I needed to let him know quite how big it was. In case, y'know, he hadn't noticed. And then came the most heavenly sentence I've ever heard.
"Take it if you like"
Holy Crap. And yes he was serious. He let us have it, for free! God bless you, giant pizza giving nerd barman. Now a quarter was already gone, I'm not complaining as we all still got about five slices each until we were full and there was a piece left over! Not sure what it is but I always seem to be in the right place at perfect timings. Quite nice really! I felt sorry for Amy though, on the drive home it turned out she wanted to get pizza, she wasn't pleased when I told her what had happened.
The following day came around and it marked something special for Martin and I, we were going to our first ever Baseball game! Amy however was working and wouldn't be able to make it, although I didn't think it would be awkward going with her friends it was nice to have met them the night before. Eric came early on to pick us up, and for the life of me I don't know why, but I called him Dan. Sorry about that, I was drunk when I met you both and some strange brain wires must've gotten crossed. We made our way to the Liquor store first as we were going to "Tail Gate". I had no idea what this was until Amy explained it, it simply means sitting in the car park of the stadium and getting drunk! I actually managed to find some Hobgoblin English Dark Ale in the store which I was shocked and particularly happy to find!
When we arrived we set up a Barbecue, threw on some food and let the drink flow. Cheddarwurst sausages by the way, are amazing. Sausages with with cheese inside. Heavenly is the only word to describe them once covered in stadium sauce, a delightful blend of ketchup, BBQ and other unknown sauces from unknown sources. Stupidly proud of that sentence. After playing a game of throwing beanbag American Footballs into holes on a board painted like Football fields we were ushered by Police on bicycles toward the stadium as it was game time!
The whole arena had such a lively atmosphere, filled with excitement, laughter and beer. As we watched I eventually got what was going on, even while choking on peanuts. Eric offered me some of his Pepsi which was now actually about ten percent Pepsi and ninety percent Rum and Vodka. Swapping the choking for a slight burning that straight Vodka comes free with. Also worth noting, if you're ever in Milwaukee Stadium make sure to try their own beer! It's like an English Ale but served like a Lager, it's made here, you can't get it anywhere else and it's very, very nice. The day continued, being filled with Mexican waves and eventually a home run. Not to mention a sausage race, which sounds as amazing as it was. The game came to an end with the explosion of fireworks as the last run we needed was completed. The crowd went wild and really sealed the deal that Baseball is great fun to watch, even if you don't really understand it! Once I received my Atomic High Five from Evan we had to make our way out, we were going to party. Awww yeah. Speeding our way through Milwaukee we arrived at Oak, thanks to knowing the photographer got the velvet rope lifted and made our way inside feeling pretty VIP. Thanks for the game guys, it was SIACK
Before we reached Amy's we stopped of for a crate of Landshark (the beer so popular to us thanks to Jenna Marbles, which if you have not seen make sure you look her up) and headed straight home. After the events of today, we needed to chill and sleep.
Now with Amy knowing as little about the area as us, Martin and I took it upon ourselves to become acquainted with it. We took ourselves down the main road until we found the park, then detoured through the trees and grass taking in the unusual sounds of the birds we don't have back home, of the most distinct was a bright red Cardinal, chirping it's way through the air. We carried on through the park until the suburbs dripped away and we were faced with high ways and more cars than are particularly necessary. Thus stood the wondrous place of American stores such as Walmart, Pigglywiggly and other oddly named stores housing a plethora of unusual people.
That night we decided to go for a drink, as difficult as it was I might add. We faced a problem, that Martin, the baby faced babbling wonder is only twenty years old. And, once again a prize for the first person to guess the drinking age in the US, that's right. The ripe old age of twenty one. So Amy, Myself, Martin and tonight accompanied by the lovely Melinda, decided to try anyway, with a particularly cunning plan being a back door. And, how very James Bond I felt walking in and signalling through a window once the Doorman had changed post, even if Martin didn't see. The drinks here where very good, even if I had to teach the Barman a few layered shots! Downstairs in the smaller room they had a live band playing and upstairs they had a DJ who was not only gurning his head off but also playing some pretty awesome songs. After a while a few more of Amy and Melinda's friends arrived, the moustacheo'd Dan, Eric, Stacie and Evan who come as a package deal, and later on the tiny Rozy. All of which, as a group are some of the nicest people Martin and I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Before we knew it last orders rolled around and it was time to leave, we walked with Eric, Stacie and Evan towards their cars as Eric was going to give us a ride home. We then received a call from Amy saying she was going to pick us up so we went to Evan's car to wait there. However, on the way there a man and women stepped out of a Video Game Lounge (which I'd quite like to check out) with what I can only describe as a monster truck tire of a pizza. So big, that I needed to let him know quite how big it was. In case, y'know, he hadn't noticed. And then came the most heavenly sentence I've ever heard.
"Take it if you like"
Holy Crap. And yes he was serious. He let us have it, for free! God bless you, giant pizza giving nerd barman. Now a quarter was already gone, I'm not complaining as we all still got about five slices each until we were full and there was a piece left over! Not sure what it is but I always seem to be in the right place at perfect timings. Quite nice really! I felt sorry for Amy though, on the drive home it turned out she wanted to get pizza, she wasn't pleased when I told her what had happened.
You can measure said pizza, with Stacie's head. Four wide you'll find.
The following day came around and it marked something special for Martin and I, we were going to our first ever Baseball game! Amy however was working and wouldn't be able to make it, although I didn't think it would be awkward going with her friends it was nice to have met them the night before. Eric came early on to pick us up, and for the life of me I don't know why, but I called him Dan. Sorry about that, I was drunk when I met you both and some strange brain wires must've gotten crossed. We made our way to the Liquor store first as we were going to "Tail Gate". I had no idea what this was until Amy explained it, it simply means sitting in the car park of the stadium and getting drunk! I actually managed to find some Hobgoblin English Dark Ale in the store which I was shocked and particularly happy to find!
When we arrived we set up a Barbecue, threw on some food and let the drink flow. Cheddarwurst sausages by the way, are amazing. Sausages with with cheese inside. Heavenly is the only word to describe them once covered in stadium sauce, a delightful blend of ketchup, BBQ and other unknown sauces from unknown sources. Stupidly proud of that sentence. After playing a game of throwing beanbag American Footballs into holes on a board painted like Football fields we were ushered by Police on bicycles toward the stadium as it was game time!
The whole arena had such a lively atmosphere, filled with excitement, laughter and beer. As we watched I eventually got what was going on, even while choking on peanuts. Eric offered me some of his Pepsi which was now actually about ten percent Pepsi and ninety percent Rum and Vodka. Swapping the choking for a slight burning that straight Vodka comes free with. Also worth noting, if you're ever in Milwaukee Stadium make sure to try their own beer! It's like an English Ale but served like a Lager, it's made here, you can't get it anywhere else and it's very, very nice. The day continued, being filled with Mexican waves and eventually a home run. Not to mention a sausage race, which sounds as amazing as it was. The game came to an end with the explosion of fireworks as the last run we needed was completed. The crowd went wild and really sealed the deal that Baseball is great fun to watch, even if you don't really understand it! Once I received my Atomic High Five from Evan we had to make our way out, we were going to party. Awww yeah. Speeding our way through Milwaukee we arrived at Oak, thanks to knowing the photographer got the velvet rope lifted and made our way inside feeling pretty VIP. Thanks for the game guys, it was SIACK
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