Routines and Deviations

I am now fully into the swing of things in my new life in Madison (which people also call Madtown or Madcity). So here's my average weekday:

I wake up at 7, usually not wanting to get out of bed since it is now cold here (though my apartment stays pretty warm). I drink coffee, eat cereal, and then have to begin the process (yes process) of getting dressed. I have to think in layers because most places it's pretty warm inside so you want to be able to be comfortable in the coldness outside and the heat inside. I am also refusing to use any of my heavy jackets yet because I want them as a last resort to the coldness. So for example here's what I wore today. I'll start from the bottom and go up.

Boots
2 pairs of socks
1 pair long underwear
1 pair leggings
Skirt
Long-sleeved shirt
Short-sleeved shirt over that
light sweater
heavy sweater
down vest
scarf
mittens

As you can see...that's a lot of clothes...which take a little longer to put on and a lot longer to think about, but I'm staying warm and so far the 30 degree weather is nice. Because it's been nice (ie sunny...it rained for like 2 weeks straight) I've been walking to Tandem in the morning. I've decided that I need to try to do this every day or else I'll become fat in the winter when I can't go outside/won't want to go outside as much.

Tandem has been good. This week we're cutting out 6 pretty elaborate shapes from huge Judy Pfaff prints. I like it though. It's meditative.

I come home at noonish and eat lunch/relax (which pretty much involves chatting to Elyssa and Laura on gmail). Then I go to work at Red Caboose. I don't know if I've mentioned this in any other blog posts, but for about a month and a half I've been working for an after care program. It's at a really cute elementary school about a half mile from my house. The staff are all really nice and though the kids can be handfuls at time I've already grown really close to them. Red Caboose is a great company and I get paid holidays and now have health insurance through them (which is much better than my old coverage). I get off work at 5:30 and come home.

I generally make dinner right when I get home and then mostly just hang around my apartment. I watch TV online, catch up with people on the phone, clean, work on drawings, and most recently have started Grad school applications. I'm generally too tired to go out and do anything crazy.

So that's the norm. Recent deviations include:

Carving pumpkins with my friends Jennell and Katie. (Jennell and I also went apple picking and she spent the night).

Going to see my work friend, Ione's, boyfriend's band play. They were a really upbeat West African band.

Going to a potluck at my neighbor Erin's apt, and then going to State Street for Halloween. State street is known for it's huge Halloween party...between 30,000-40,000 people go. I saw lots of cool/interesting/boring outfits. Unfortunately I'd locked my keys inside my apt and didn't have my id or phone and so I couldn't do much, but it was still fun.

Making delicious squash soup at Ione's apartment.

Tonight I am going to a potluck at my new friends Katie and Peter's apartment.

Tomorrow I'm having coffee with another work friend, Elizabeth.

I miss Florida, my family, and my friends, but I am still glad that I moved here. I really love Madison a lot, and the friends I've made are pretty cool.

I'll be glad to escape the cold for a little bit in December when I'm home for Christmas.

Fall Colors in my neighborhood

It has been raining here. A lot. Rain that sticks around for days. It makes sunny days that much happier.

This past Saturday it was supposed to rain. My favorite weather website said it was going to rain, but it was sunny, beautifully crisp, and the sky was bright bright blue. Of course I had to enjoy the day outside. I decided to go for a bike ride. Unfortunately 4 miles out I got a flat tire, but the walk back forced me to enjoy the fall colors that much more.

More Visitors

The weekend after Elyssa was here visiting my mom and Aunt Cheryl came up to visit! They flew in on a Wednesday night and left on Monday at noon. It was a lovely visit, though went by too quickly of course! These pictures are not in order, but display a sampling of the things we did!
Wheat field near the apple orchard

Farmer's Market of course! (:-)
Lots of fall leaves...everywhere...and as my kids would say while throwing leaves... "It's fall! It's fall!"

This is the elementary school where I work.

The three of us at the apple orchard


Sheeeeeeep at the orchard



Bike ride with my mom (check out my down vest...it's keeping me nice and warm, but not too warm)

Of course we had to get beer in Milwaukee (and german food)

Cranberry bogs in northern Wisconsin (WI produces over 50% of the cranberries in America...who knew)

Farm land

It was a wonderful trip. Thursday I had to work all day, but Thursday night we enjoyed dinner at a cute little Italian restaurant downtown which was delicious! We also splurged and got 2 desserts which were both excellent. Friday we did a lot of driving. Cranberry country is about 2-3 hours north of Madison, but it was a pleasant drive. The drive up we got to see the spectacle that is the Wisconsin Dells (think tourist trap times 100). Though the dells started out as a natural beauty (cliffs along the river) it somehow turned into the home of the most water parks in the nation (weird that it's in Wisconsin huh) and the biggest water park. There are lots of other strange and tacky sights there as well. Despite this I would still like to go back and explore more, and eventually want to see the actual dells.

The bogs were really cool to see, such bright red against the blue of the sky. We bought some fresh cranberries of course...mmmm and enjoyed some cranberry ice cream.

The drive home was long and meandering along small country roads. We saw some color change and lots of pretty rolling farmland. Wisconsin still surprises me it's scenery.

Saturday we of course had to enjoy the Farmer's Market. We got some hot cheesy bread and potato donuts (mmmmm). We also did some shopping on state street. Then we went to the Wisconsin Historical Museum. They had lots of cool stuff, some of it very strange. Wisconsin is certainly an interesting state. After that we had to head to Milwaukee for the Andrew Bird concert. We stopped at some outlet stores along the way and as an early birthday present I got a down coat (hopefully it'll keep me nice and toasty outside). We ate dinner at a German restaurant in Milwaukee and then went to the concert venue (the Pabst theater). It was an amazing show. St. Vincent was really good and then I got to meet Annie Clark (the lead singer). Andrew Bird was amazing. He is one of the most talented musicians I've seen perform. He uses a loop pedal to do a lot of layering. This was a solo show, although at one point Annie Clark came out and sang with him and then all of St. Vincent came out and played a couple of songs.

Sunday we got up and made breakfast (french toast with wisconsin syrup and raspberries
and eggs mmmmmmmm). Then my mom and I went on a bike ride enjoying the local neighborhood and more fall colors. We made a stop at Jenifer St. Market (my mom's favorite local grocery store). Then we went apple picking. It was the perfect day for it. The sky was bright blue, the apples crisp, the weather perfect. When we got back into Madison we walked to the Weary Traveler for some dinner and it was oh so tasty. We also played some Yahtzee while there. That evening my mom and aunt made apple crisp and it was delicious!

Monday morning we did some walking and fall leaf collecting. Then we went to Marigold's Kitchen for breakfast. It was very yummy. I got pumpkin pancakes. Then sadly it was the end of their trip. Time flew, but we had a wonderful time!

Elyssa comes to town!

I had a smattering of company, which is why I haven't posted in awhile. Here's a sampling of what went on during that time. This is from last weekend...I'll post more later from this past weekend.
Apple picking! Yum! And blue skies.

There are lots of pumpkins, squash, and gourds now that it's fall.
Yahara river...sunset walk with Elyssa.
That is snow. First and only snow so far, but snow...in October...early October.
The pumpkin Elyssa bought for me.
The road to the corn maze/pumpkin patch. Looks inviting huh?
Farmer's Market.
Music down by the lake.
New mittens. :-)
Picnic Point
Corn Maze!!!

It was a wonderful weekend filled with a nice balance of midwest jaunts and just hanging out visiting. It was nice to have a good friend here, someone who really knows me.

Life and living...Random Pictures

That is hail...apparently it's not that common here though.

Yum. Pink Pearl apple! And no there's nothing wrong with the apple or my camera. Pink Pearl apples are pink inside!
Pole decorations for Food for Thought festival...that's my friend Purba

Purba and Erin eating free apples from the festival

Farmer's Market last week...tried to buy a little more frugally...although cheese and raspberries are on the more expensive side. What is here...Red Pepper, spring lettuce mix, watercress, raspberries, cheddar, lots of different apples and one pear.

Enjoying a semi-sunny day by Lake Mendota...those were rain clouds in the background though...and yes it rained while I was walking home...though not enough to soak me through.
Farmer's Market this week! I am so excited about everything I bought and what I'm going to make with it...and this only cost 20 bucks. Pretty cheap for so much fresh organic produce. What I bought...free range happy chicken eggs, green pepper, multicolored cherry tomatoes, various cute tiny squashes and pumpkins, acorn squash, apples and a pear, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, red onion, yellow onion, delicious carrots, and a pumpkin to use for cooking (I'm thinking pumpkin soup). My cooking plans are...vegetarian chili, ginger sweet potato soup, and pumpkin soup. Yum! I'll let you know how they turn out!

As for this weekend...I'm trying to take it easy...I'm teetering on the brink of getting sick. Jennell (my friend from Tandem) spent the night last night and is coming up tomorrow to spend the night again!

Life is still good despite the coldish weather.

And the best part of fall so far...all the fun colorful produce at the Farmer's Market.