September 5, 2011

We have now reached the "official" end of the summer and it now time to begin to get ready for chilly nights and falling leaves.  However, Milwaukee is trying to get all these things in early.  It was 50 degrees when we woke up this morning and, due to the low rainfall this year, our trees are all dropping their leaves already.  I'm trying to get my mind around getting ready for Wisconsin winters again (and more importantly my body).

We had a bustly week as Jo was very busy with work and I worked to finish the painting in the dining room.  As you can see, after the multiple layers of wall paper were removed the walls we painted green at one point and had some kind of framing around all the walls.  It makes for an interesting historical considerations as you peel back all these layers.  After some patching, priming, and then paint on the walls, ceiling and trim the dining room is officially finished and put back together.  I also painted our front door this week so we no longer have a lovely purple door which has been replaced with a dark green shade that blends in a bit nicer in the neighborhood.  Next up is either the hallways or the living room.  I haven't completely decided which.  Will depend on which works best around the contractors.  Speaking of which, progress continues on our bathroom renovations.  The one bathroom now has roughed in plumbing and lights.  We are still months away from finishing, but the first month is behind us.  Unfortunately we are going to lose our first floor bathroom this week which means we only have a bathroom on the third floor.  Going to be a lot stair climbing for the next 8 weeks.

On Saturday, after our morning exercises we did a few minor chores around the house before settling in for some reading and .... yep... naps.  I did finish my re-read of the Harry Potter series (still keeps me riveted).  That evening we had our nephews and their girlfriends over for dinner.  It was a lot of fun for Jo and I to catch up on their activities. Made us jealous all the energy and things they are involved in.  Especially as our one nephew and his girlfriend enter their senior year of college.  Oh to be young and just starting out again.  But then, it is awfully nice to be more financially secure than we were back then.  Everyone was doing great, and for Jo's sister, fruits and vegetables were provided for stocking up the home refrigerators!

On Sunday, we biked down to the downtown Harley Davidson Museum.  It also happened to be a "Hog Rally" at the museum so not only did we get to enjoy all the museum exhibits but also the hundreds of personal motorcycles in the parking lots of the museum.  It was very interesting to read about the history of this Milwaukee business that started here.  Seemed like a similar story to Hewlett Packard in that it started in a small garage in back of one of their parents homes.  After touring the museum we rode to the North Park Bistro on the shore of Lake Michigan for a sandwich while watching the waves roll in.  Then it was home for rest and relaxation.

We had originally planned to go to Lake Geneva today, but Jo is behind on her work and needed a day to catch up on things before work starts again tomorrow.  Me, I'm never behind at work anymore.  But I try not to rub that in with the significant other.