Those Ambitious Souls

Ironman Wisconsin happened last Sunday!  I've never watched an Ironman before, so I showed up early to watch the start of the swim and cheer on a couple of friends (who, by the way, were absolutely amazing and not only completed the race but smiled the entire way).  Here's what 3,000 maniac athletes in Lake Monona looks like:

 



 

I may have texted Karl to say that I'll be doing the Ironman next year.  Don't worry, that ambition was fleeting; I'm perfectly happy to watch and cheer!

No Parking Zone

 

I had to stop and take a picture of this garage door the other day.  Welcome to Madison.  

Mail Call!

Karl and I have been working hard at clearing clutter and getting rid of things we don't need or love.  I recently dug up these two treasures, and I'm returning them to their rightful owners. 

 

The first one is a sewing pattern from Better Living Magazine.  Most likely, we adopted this from a thrift store who-knows-when.  It was addressed to a woman in Madison, and when I looked her up, I found that she still lives here.  At least I think it's the same woman.  In any case, a woman with the same name as the woman who originally ordered this pattern will be receiving it in the mail. 

 

I'm not sure on a date, but the stamp only cost two cents.  On second thought, maybe the woman I'm sending this to isn't the original owner.  Is that even humanly possible?  To have been alive when something cost two cents to mail, and to still be alive now?  Additionally, the address on the pattern lists her name as beginning with "Mrs." so she had to have been at least 12 when this was sent.  Hmmm... suddenly this whole "same woman" thing is sounding fishy.  

When I said "sewing pattern," you probably thought, oh, it's a pattern for an apron.  Or a housecoat.  Or a prom dress.  Or a nice pair of slacks. 

 

 

Think again. 

 



 

If you feel like you need this pattern, the closest you can come online might be this one. 

 

Item #2 being packaged up and shipped out is the shirt my high school English teacher wore every Tuesday.  I borrowed it for Dress Like a Teacher day my senior year, and the teacher didn't want it back.  I've always felt badly for taking one of his five work shirts, so I've never gotten rid of it.  Eighteen years later, he's getting it back. 

Complete with original ink stain in the pocket. 

 



Nine on Ten: Weekend Edition

 

... also known as "Food Edition." 

Coffee while writing our grocery list; farmer's market; delicious rainbow chard; I could eat an entire watermelon every day all by myself; M&M cookies for special delivery to new parents; a little garden harvest; pot pies to go with the cookies; Karl calls our pepper shaker the Dale Earnhardt Jr. chicken; framed vintage tea towel we're trying out in our entryway. 

Not pictured: windsurfing on Saturday afternoon, an outdoor play, a sleepover with a good friend, and my sweet husband who worked all weekend long. 

Find more Ten on Ten here!

Recipe for a Delicious Summer Supper

Lately we've been loving this salad; it can be split between two people as an appetizer, but you'll probably want to eat the whole thing yourself.  It makes the perfect entrée on a warm night.

 

1 ripe tomato (yellow or red)

1 large cooked beet

1 plum or peach

1 handful of basil

A few small dollops of goat cheese

Olive oil, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar

 

Slice up all of the produce and throw it willy-nilly on a plate.  It looks best that way.  Add the goat cheese, a sprinkle of pepper, and a drizzle of oil and vinegar.

We interrupt this regularly scheduled camping weekend...

Karl and I finally had a free weekend, so we ventured out for some camping!  It was lovely.  We grilled pizza...

 

We drank beer... 

 

We shopped for bait...

 

We had ice cream several times...

 

And on Saturday morning, I got up early to drive back in to Madison to go to the annual American Girl warehouse sale.  Karl was more than happy to sleep in a little bit in the tent. 

 

American Girl is based just outside of Madison, in the town where I work.  Every year, they sell off their catalog returns and overstocks at a big sale that benefits the local children's museum.  I usually go to shop for out-of-state friends; this year, I was shopping for a couple of friends way out west in Washington state.  

 

The sale is pure craziness, beginning to end.  And I mean that in the best possible way.  I always look for an excuse to go because for whatever reason, I love it.  Shoppers order tickets way in advance, and each ticket is assigned an entry time.  The earlier the better, because selection dwindles as the day goes on.  

 

Arriving at the sale is like diving into a sea of minivans.  Someone should schedule a minivan owners' convention for the same weekend.  Our tiny little Yaris (with a canoe on top) fit right in.  There is a shuttle bus to the warehouse in case you buy so many dolls you can't walk them all to your minvan.  

 

Approaching the warehouse:

 

Vendors set up booths outside the warehouse to sell handmade clothing and other items for American Girl dolls.  It always strikes me as odd that this is allowed, but everyone seems happy about it. 

Ticket holders are corralled into a big tent and lined up by entry time.  The entry times are every 15 minutes, and I think there are 100 ticket holders for each entry time.  Which means that every 15 minutes, 100 additional people enter the sale.  It works, though, because it really doesn't take long to shop. 

 

 Most people go in with lists, and the merchandise is really well organized.  There is a running list by the door that lets shoppers know which dolls are still available; when one of them sells out, her name is removed from the list.  It's a little bit like The Bachelor in reverse, as presumably the least desirable girl is the last one standing. 

 

The check-out area is really impressive.  Volunteers quickly total up your purchases and ring up the sale.  The sale organizers truly have this event running like a well-oiled machine.  A well-oiled machine with tons of minivans and frantic women, that is.  

 

After dropping my American Girl finds off at home, I drove back out to the campsite to join Karl for canoeing, fishing, and more ice cream eating for the rest of the weekend! 



The World's Shortest Update

Just a teensy little hello to let you know what we're up to...

• sailing and windsurfing on beautiful Lake Mendota
• enjoying fresh veggies straight from our garden
• sorting, hauling, and pricing in preparation for our annual neighborhood yard sale
• loving Madison in the summer... outdoor concerts, farmers' markets, festivals, and late sunsets
• still reading/listening to the Harry Potter books
• riding bikes together (and separately... but together is much more fun)

Summer really is the best time of year in Madison, according to me.  There's just so much to do, and everyone is happy to be outside.  Thankfully, we have quite a few weeks of this lovely season left to enjoy!