Saturday, August 22, 2009

The End of Summer in Wisconsin

Hello, it's like, 50 degrees outside right now. It's August! This has supposedly been the coldest weather in Wisconsin in something like 10 years, and I am here for it. My tomatoes finally started growing, and because they are heirloom, they can take 90 days to mature, so that means, November? We'll have several feet of snow by then. Alas, it is still August, and I am really hoping that the warm(ish) weather sticks around for at least a bit longer. Arlo and I have some fun activities coming up, and after being alone pretty much the last three weeks, I could use some enjoyable times with him. We get engaged and I don't see him anymore! Wait, I hope that doesn't mean something...

Anyway, this next weekend we will be heading up to Spring Green to see an outdoor play at the American Players Theater. The play is on Sunday and so we are either going to be camping or checking out a local bed and breakfast to make a weekend of it. That decision will be made once we have a better idea of what is happening with our crazy weather, so that we are not camping in the 40's. The weekend after that is Labor Day weekend, and we are heading to his mom's and his sister's places in Lacrosse. Hmmm...what else are we looking forward to? Well, in September we have Brewfest in Racine with Arlo's dad, Jerry, where we will drink lots of beer and eat awesomely bad for you but delicious midwest food. Then, we have Apple Festival in Gaysmills, Wisconsin (Bill, insert jokes here). This is an annual Horton tradition, complete with flea market, loads of apples, and a pancake breakfast! I actually feel sorry for people on the East Coast who do not to get have Honeycrisp apples, which are so good that Arlo used to get them shipped to him when he lived in Maryland.

October has Wendy visiting for the first weekend, with a Ladies Weekend in Madison. It will be fun exploring an area I'm not really familiar with, with the lovely lady, Wendy. The next weekend is Andrew Bird in concert, and I think the third weekend may be a trip to the East Coast, though I haven't shared this possibility with Arlo yet. I really think we need to come back to Maryland before Thanksgiving, because I don't want to choose a caterer without trying their food, and I am thinking that we could come and check out caterers and other vendors who need to be booked SOON! Speaking of vendors, I think we may have a location. I still need to check out a few more places, but Fiore, which is definitely in the budget and way cool, is available on June 12, so that could be the place and the date. If this works out, then we can start planning around that, and send out Save the Date cards (STD cards if you're nasty). Anyway, as has been happening lately, I have completely digressed and started off on a tangent about the wedding. This has been happening A LOT. I have determined that all of the books, magazines, and websites have become wedding porn for me. I'm completely addicted.

Back to the immediate future plans! November, we are going to visit my dad in Florida, which will be awesome! Arlo's never met my dad, and I am super excited for the two of them to connect and get to know each other. No other plans for November at this point, but sometime in the October/November region my mom will be visiting. I keep telling her that sooner is better than later, as she has already experienced Wisconsin in the winter, but she maintains that this is when she wants to visit. She has been warned! December I will be home for Christmas, probably for an extended vacation.

So, that's the plan for the next few months. The summer has definitely been fun-filled and busy. I have not quite made the progress on Christmas gifts that I had wanted, but I am slowly knitting my way forward. I started to re-think things when Amanda suggested that perhaps I not do home-made Christmas gifts this year, and I think that perhaps not everyone will be getting something home-made (Kevin, of course will, as he demands it). I figure I will be making plenty for the wedding, so it may be better not to stress about Christmas.

This post has been way longer than I intended, and it's getting late, so I should be going. After all, I still need to clean the kitchen, do the dishes, and take M dawg out for a W-A-L-K. I hope you are all well, and talk to you soon!!!!! Oh, and for those of you who say, Jen, you have posted twice, and Arlo STILL hasn't posted about the engagement, what gives?...I rationalize this by saying that Arlo just got home from Spring Green with his dad yesterday, worked last night, tonight, and will work tomorrow, so he probably won't post until Monday. However, check back then!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Well, leave it to Amanda to ruin a good thing for everyone. Jen, it's just not Christmas if you're not laboring like a sweatshop worker! And K-Bo gets presents and I don't? Surely your kidding.... Badly. Sounds like you have a busy schedule in the near term; I guess wedo too but ours is much more mundane!

chovak said...

THANKS, AMANDA.

Jen, would you mind terribly sending out two kinds of Save the Date cards? One for the regular folks, and another for the "nasty" folks that says "You have received a STD (card)." "Card" should be in fine print. Also, you could make little stuffed STD animals, like these: http://www.giantmicrobes.com/us/main/venereals/

In fact, if you combined your STD sending with Christmas, you could kill two birds with one stone and still fulfill that crafter's need by making us all stuffed STDs.

Of course, I'll be in Japan at Christmastime, but, details.

jenr78 said...

Okay, I feel I need to clarify. People will still be getting gifts, but based on the precedence set several years ago when I was in graduate school hell and decreed "No Home-made Gifts," Kevin demanded that even if he got a rock that I duct-taped felt to, and so I feel an obligation to make sure he gets a home-made gift, even if it's crappy. :) No, really, I will probably still do some home-made stuff, but I'm not going to sweat it as much as I have in the past. Andrej, interesting idea. I will take your thoughts into consideration, as they will give our wedding that risque and off-color element that we are aiming for. Hey, will you be around next June for the big event? If so, you would definitel be getting a stuffed STD. :)

chovak said...

Doesn't every wedding need to have that risque and off-color element? Is it just the ones I've been to?

I'll let you know about next June.

Jessica said...

We do have honeycrisps. They have them at the farmers market all fall.

I don't believe that you will not be a crazy person during Christmastime. I don't need a gift. Natty also does not need a gift. I know that Kevin does, but the rest of the Holler gang is good to go. We also don't require save the date cards or save the date sock monkeys or anything.

Kevin, I hope you log in to work on your blog. My favorite show at the moment is Eureka. My least favorite show is The Jimmy Fallon Show. Stop making me watch it.

Unknown said...

Kevin's still obsessed with Jimmy Fallon? That's too bad.

Andrej, I have AIDS... I got it for my birthday from my friend Casey. Of course, I talking about the "Giant Microbe" of AIDS from the link you sent.

Jess, those Honey Crisps are okay, but not even close to the same thing. The only think close were some honey crisps I once bought at the Fresh Market near Jen's old apartment... but those were like $4 a pound. If we come to Maryland after the apple fest, I'll bring you a real honey crisp.

Jessica said...

Sweet! Thanks Arlo!