Week 6: Rollcoaster of Life

You will notice that a lot of "new" things happen in life, when you're watching for and analyzing your daily occurences. So, while I cannot say that I have anything exceptionally adventerous to share this week, I do have an appreciation for the rollercoaster that is everyday life. In my case, I think of the times when the rollercoaster is climbing a crest of the ride to be the roughest part, because you know that things are about to take a dive. I wish life was more like a rollercoaster in that way, at least you'd have a heads up on the dive just around the corner.

For this week's blog, I have two categories: Ughhhh = the dive and Wheeeew = the coast

(Ughhhhh...) On Monday morning, a teenager rear-ended my car in the Starbucks drive-thru. That was a ton of fun. After a bit of a run-around, I might be able to get them to pay for my repairs. I sure hope so. I'd like a new bumper, ya know? You can't really tell from this photo, but apparently $740 worth of damage was done. It's hard to believe that, but dang. That's the downside of owning a car....

(Wheeeew!!) My friend Stephanie and I did a little retail therapy together. I was SHOCKED to find a dress that I actually liked and that looked pretty good on me. The shoes I bought to go along with the dress are crazy. They are really cute, but completely impractical and I'll be required to wear them only at venues where there is a non-skid surface and plenty of places to sit down. I also splurged on a really cute necklace.

(Ughhhhh...) I didn't end up going to the event that I was supposed to go to with Stephanie on Friday night, where I would have shown off the new ensemble. This is partly my fault and partly the fault of weather. I really hate driving in snowy or possibly icy conditions and Green Bay was just too far for my liking.
(Wheeeew!!) I got my haircut, finally! It's cute. And I no longer look like a 34 year old who is trying too hard to retain her youth with hair down her back.
(Ughhhhh...) Part of the weekend was spent internalizing a lot of insecurity about myself and wondering why I'm single. Then I realized it's because I'm too shy to ask guys out and I tend to like guys who are also, apparently, too shy to ask me out. : }
(Wheeeew!!) My nephew had the brilliant idea for me to buy the blu-ray box set of the 25th anniversary edition of the Back to the Future trilogy. So, we've been watching them and loving it.
That's about it for this week. Lots of new things happened.

Oh, and I started reading The Hunger Games series. Good stuff.

Week 5: To Entertain and Enlighten

This week was a little different. I thought I had something lined up to be my "Next Best Thing", but my plans changed completely. Truth be told, I was too lazy to really think it through, or maybe just too busy. My brain is crammed with all sorts of things these days.
At the risk of sharing too much personal information, I am going to tell you (my vast list of followers??) what I "learned" and "found" this week, that was new to me.

New People
On Friday night, I went out for happy hour drinks with some co-workers. There were a small group of them that I actually knew, and being my introverted self, I sat in one spot and hoped I could make it through a few drinks without fighting the itch to leave the whole time. I was successful. What was also great is that my friends are better at making friends than I am. So, thankfully, I made a few new friends, thanks to them. One was a guy that enjoys karaoke, so you know we're gonna get along. He was calling all over to see if he could find a place for us to go sing in Oshkosh on Friday night. It didn't work out this time....but next time!!

New Insights
A few years back (oh, maybe more like 6), I went through a really rough patch. I had some severe anxiety. I think I've always lived with a low(ish) level of anxiety, but my mother's death brought on a much more unbearable amount. I finally got medicated. But, during that time, I really started to analyze my own thoughts about how I go about living life. Long story short, I've reconsidered my situation, and I think I might have an actual disorder that needs to be addressed. So, back to the doctor I shall go...... Don't worry, this is a good thing! I might actually have a happier life this way. Smile, no worries. :)

(btw - I took this photo in Ireland - Torc Waterfall)


New Entertainment
I'm not sure calling the TV series I watched (and completed in the last week) "entertainment" is really appropriate. If anything, it was like participating in someone's therapy and watching them share all their internal damage. I watched all three seasons of "United States of Tara". This show is about a woman with DID (Dissociate Identity Disorder). It used to be MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder). It is a fictional story, but addresses some very real concepts. It was really hard to watch sometimes, but I did. I had to finish it. It may have caused me to think more about returning to the doctor to address some of my own issues (no I do not have alternate versions of myself living in my head....stop worrying). But, this is a good thing. I think I live in denial a lot, so if a TV show can help me snap out of that pattern, so be it.

New Apps
On a completely light-hearted note, I found a couple of fun new apps for my smartphone! One is called Quell: Reflect. It is a game of puzzles where you have to figure out how to move a little drop of water around increasingly difficult mazes. Super relaxing and yet frustrating! It is worth the $1.55 I paid for it. The second game is a brain stimulating game, lots of different questions, patterns, and memory games. This game, Brain Matter, is free!!! It's a fun way to pass the time, if you're sitting around doing nothing.

Hope you all had a great week! What have you done / learned / experienced lately that was completely new to you?

The Next Best Thing: Week 5...

Wait for it.......

....I have no idea. I guess this week's adventure will have to be a surprise.

Week 4: Change of Plans - Pancakes

I was supposed to go cross-country skiing this weekend, for my week 4 adventure, but that didn't happen. Apparently, there wasn't enough fresh snow, so they closed the trails. What is one to do when you don't have the option of exercising in the crisp, winter air of mid January in Wisconsin?

You eat pancakes, naturally.

My good friend (and former Nashville roommate...longish story here, since she also lives in my area of Wisconsin now), Genessa, was planning to be my skiing buddy. Instead, she suggested that we try out Blueberry Hill Pancake House on College Avenue in Appleton. As it turns out, I had never eaten there before, only driven by many, many times. I faintly recall asking someone if the food was good there, years ago. I believe the unimaginative critique was that it was "okay". Unfortunately, I let that simple response keep me from trying the establishment until this past Saturday.

In many ways, the place reminds me of some great breakfast joints in the south. If Waffle House and the Pancake Pantry in Nashville had a love child that grew up and moved north, its name would be Blueberry Hill. Considering Jay-Z and Beyoncé just named their first child Blue Ivy, this possible baby name doesn't stretch the modern imagination too much.



The key difference between this pancake mecca and its southern cousins could be the fact that the hostess successfully turned "booth" into a two syllable word. As in, "Would you like a table or a boo-uth?" I normally make fun of Wisconsin accents, which you might think I'm doing here. In this case, I thought it was cute and friendly. Genessa and I opted for a scaled-down, two person boo-uth. Gen makes a good menu model, doesn't she?

Genessa went for a Swedish classic. She ordered Swedish pancakes (which I think are basically crepes, which are French....I suppose there's a lot of similarities in Europe with certain foods) with lingonberries. They put lingonberries on most things in Sweden. Ketchup is to Americans, as lingonberry sauce is to Swedes. Or at least, that's what I believe to be true. Those little berries are fantastic though. YUM.

I, on the other hand, went full on pig out mode. I ordered their pecan pancakes meal deal, which included eggs how you like 'em and bacon AND sausage. I know. OINKfest...literally. But oh so good. I also had coffee and orange juice. Yes, this is an abundance of calories, but I've been eating much healthier lately, so I let myself have the breakfast buffet for one. My only feedback is that they really do need to include the pecans in the batter, like the menu said they would. It'd be GREAT that way. With pecans just on top, I'd give those cakes a B+.

Also, when I try out a new place, I kinda want to give them a shot at making a good first impression. If you order a lot of food, then one thing might not be great, but a few others might be good.....oh who am I kidding? I just wanted to order it.

No regrets.

The food was as much the daughter of Mr. House and Ms. Pantry (see above) as the ambiance. So, not exactly AMAZING, but definitely an experience worth repeating. It was warm, quick, and friendly. According to Genessa, though, the place would have been vastly improved had they left a carafe of coffee on our table. Personally, I liked the old fashioned visit from the waitress for the refill. It's friendlier than self-serve.

I will definitely return to The Hill. How do you like the new, hip nickname I have spontaneously given this unassuming little restaurant? Let me know if you want to meet up there. Next time, I'm gonna try the chocolate chip pancakes. YUM 2.0.



BTW - I couldn't eat that second sausage. Genessa took care of it, though.

Second BTW - I couldn't eat for the rest of the day.

Third BTW - worth it.

The Next Best Thing: Week 4...

God, help me. I'm going cross-country skiing. You'd think I just said I'm going downhill skiing. While downhill would be far more adventurous and dangerous, the former is far more exhausting. See...I don't exactly work out much and I would consider myself to be ridiculously out of shape.

However, cross-country skiing just sounds like so much fun. I also want to learn to enjoy wintry things, especially since I live in Wisconsin. Makes perfect sense, right? I hope so.

Thankfully, I've convinced (hardly needed to) at least one friend to go with me. Genessa is athletic, though. I hope I can convince her to at least start on a short trail, one that won't land me in the hospital. What I'm really hoping for is to find a place that has a hot tub afterward. THAT sounds fantastic.

Bubolz Nature Preserve - here I come!!!

Week 3: Barlow Planetarium

If you went to a coffee shop, you'd be unlikely to find coffee haters there, sipping on a cup of joe. I highly doubt you would hear someone shouting, "I hate skiing!!" as they were shushing down a slope, covered in a fresh layer of pristine, white snow.

What is my point? I'm glad you asked.

Events that are focused on one major idea or interest are fascinating. You might see all different kinds of people at a movie theater, outdoor park, or museum even. But, when the event or location is focused, narrowed to a specific type of activity, the attendees are like a secret brotherhood.


That's what going to the Barlow Planetarium was like for me. Me and my space-loving friends sat back and enjoyed an hour-long perusal of that last frontier.

I was surrounded by all ages. There was a group of over anxious 6th grade girls who bum-rushed to the head of the line when the doors opened for the 3:30pm showing of Space Storm. For a second, I thought maybe Justin Bieber was going to introduce the show. Yikes.

There were a few couples. Maybe it was a first date? Well, either a first date or an ironic 17th date. Truth be told, it'd have to be one or the other. What is essentially a glorified slide show about things happening on the surface of the sun is not what you would call classically romantic.

I think I was the only single person present. However, I felt a sort of camaraderie with my fellow interstellar enthusiasts, as we settled in, leaned back, and pretended to be swept away.

Again, if I'm telling the truth, the actual show about Space Storms felt more like a required science class field trip. The end of that show was when the fun really began. Each show ends with a quick tour of the current night sky over Wisconsin. That was pretty cool. The coolest part, though, is when you get a sense of tumbling through space. The whole dome lit up with "stars" and it very literally felt as if the room was spinning.

Our host warned us about it and told us to shut our eyes if we felt disoriented. He truly didn't feel like cleaning up our puke (and I quote). I did feel a bit disoriented, but I sort of loved it. My inner geek, who wished she was an astronaut, embraced the spinning and pretended to be out in space. It was amazing.

The entire experienced concluded with something completely non-spacey. It was a virtual roller coaster ride. I would have preferred to spend more time pretending I was an intergalactic traveler, but I can see why they chose the ride instead. It was kinda silly and fun. And, they really need to keep people coming back to the shows. It's the hook. I suddenly remember that the host had said that group of excited girls had been in the earlier show, too. I bet they came back for the roller coaster ride. See...it's working.

I hope people go to the Barlow. They need your money. I love space and I don't want to see this sort of cheap, but fun entertainment die. That, and they need to update their shows, preferably one with a narrator that doesn't seem like a creepy predator. (If you've seen this show, you know what I mean. And, if you haven't....well, now you want to. And I've done my job.)

All in all, an enjoyable experience.

The Next Best Thing: Week 3...

What is coming up for week 3? The 3:30PM showing at Barlow Planetarium at UW Fox Valley, next Saturday, January 21. The show is called "Space Storm."

I know you may be thinking, "Come on, Katy. Who hasn't gone to Barlow before?" Answer? Me. Apparently, this is a common attraction if you grow up in this area. I've heard it's a 6th grade field trip or something. Well, since I experienced 6th grade in Duluth, MN, I missed out. So, I'm going next weekend!

Here is the description of the show I'll be attending:

Explore the fascinating world of space weather: solar cycle, sun spots, coronal mass ejections, geomagnetic storms and the spacecraft and equipment used to study/predict these activities. Each show concludes with a tour of the current nighttime sky – stars, constellations and planets – as seen from the Fox Valley and Northeast Wisconsin.

If you can join me, it'd be fun to see you there! It's only $7 for adults (only $6 for me because I go to school there).