Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop:)

I can't be 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure that I first heard this song in some TV commercial. Anyway, somehow I just ran across it again, and I thought I'd share. I think it's sweet and romantic, and I'm just feeling a little sweet and romantic today. :) Enjoy!

47 Sneezes.

I. am. miserable. I woke up this morning to an unexpected and unwelcomed head cold that has officially taken over my life. So far, I have sneezed 47 times today. Yes, I started counting. Normally, I know I'm probably getting a cold if I sneeze more than 3 times right in a row. Today, I had two bouts of sneezing 7 times in a row. NOT a good sign. As if the sneezing isn't bad enough, I've gone through nearly an entire box of Kleenex and my eyes won't stop watering. Lastly, my ears hurt and my head feels like it's going to explode. This suckssssss. I am anxiously holding out for about another hour so I can take night time cold medicine that will hopefully knock my ass out. Wish me luck that this passes before my trip to La Crosse this weekend. I simply refuse to let this "little" cold keep me from one of my favorite places on earth!

Food and Froth.

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the 13th Annual Food and Froth Fest at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Some of my guy friends from La Crosse were in town and invited me to come along with them, and I'm glad I agreed because it was a really great time! Essentially, there are just a ton of food and beer vendors set up throughout the museum, and you go to each table to receive samples of a variety of delicious food and beers. I had a meatball at one of the stands that was so good that I stillllllll can't stop thinking about it. Now, if only I had paid attention to who the vendor was. Damn. Let me just say, it's a good thing the event was only 3 hours, or I would have been in rough shape! I was already feeling pretty buzzed in the first 45 minutes, ha! The coolest part about it all is that it was right in the heart of the museum, so we just got to walk around and look at all the exhibits at the same time we were enjoying the food and beer. That was my first time at the museum, and while it was awesome, I would definitely like to go back again when there aren't thousands of people wandering through the exhibits at the same time as me. I planned to take lots of pictures, but unfortunately, I didn't get too many. Hopefully someday! Anyway, it was a nice addition to my weekend, and I'm glad I got to catch up with some friends and have an enjoyable evening. I need more events like this in my life. That's what makes me so excited for summer. I've been told that Milwaukee summers are to die for in terms of what's happening all around the city, so I can't wait! :)

W.W.W. (Wild. Wild. Week.)

Simply put, this has been one hell of a week. In the Career Services world, there are certain times of the year when life becomes a complete whirlwind, and there are certain times when you wonder what you can possibly do with all the time on your hands. Well, right now is the whirlwind time, and I'm exhaaaaausted. I don't like to complain too much when it comes to my job because I love, Love, LOVE it. However, I put in a crazy amount of hours this week, and I feel like I have the right to bitch a little. ;) Up until yesterday, the earliest I had gotten home this week was 7:30pm. We had events and socials and career fairs galore, which translates into our office doing lots and lots of work. I do have to say, though, even though it's been hard and stressful and tiring, I did find most of it very rewarding. For instance, I spent 9:00am to 10:00pm (all 13 hours on my feet) at Marquette University on Thursday because all the private colleges in Wisconsin, including MIAD, had their joint internship and career fair that day. I can't even explain how much work goes into getting it all set up, making sure the employers are happy and comfortable, and calming down the students as they meet their potential future bosses. But, despite all the work, it's so great to see the final product. We registered 1,100+ students, so I'd call that a success! Thankfully, I got a little reward by being able to leave at 4:00pm yesterday. What a bonus! :) Anyway, now I'm just happy to be "relaxing" this weekend by doing some laundry, some cleaning, and some catching up on the DVR. I'm going to a beer and food tasting event at the Milwaukee Public Museum tonight, so I'm pretty pumped about that! Should be a good time! Well, I'll do my best to be a better blogger in the upcoming days! But for now, it's over and out!

That's What Cheesehead.

This past week of my life has been one of the most glorious weeks I have ever experienced. As all of you know, I am a bit of a freak when it comes to the Green Bay Packers. I love, Love, LOVE them, and that love grew even more (if possible) when they brought home the Lombardi Trophy by winning Super Bowl XLV! I said all along that they were goin' all the way this year, and I'm happy to say that my prediction was right! What a season. They beat the odds to say the least! In the spirit of celebration, I've been doing an excessive amount of searching for Packer apparel, and I've succesfully narrowed it down to three (maybe four) t-shirts. Now to decide. Do I only buy one? I'm not sure that's possible. I think I especially love this one. For those of you who aren't familiar with the popular line, "That's what she said," it's something that's said to emphasize the potentially inappropriate nature of a comment. For example, when speaking of moving a couch, one might say: "It was huge, and it took forever to get it inside." This is when you would say, "That's what she said." Okay, totally inappropriate, I know, but I bust that line out every time I possibly can. I love it! So, when I saw the "That's What Cheesehead" shirt, I thought it was pretty perfect because it combines two of my favorite things! I also like this one. I say this all the time about myself. :) The other two are ones that actually commemorate this year's Super Bowl win, so it seems as if I simply have to get them. I like this one because it's different, but then I like this one because it's the "official" design. Hmm, such decisions. Any suggestions? Anyway, now I'm rambling, but I just needed to acknowledge the fact that I could not be happier about the Packers winning the Super Bowl! I've been watching highlights and talk shows and everything Packer-related for the past week, and I've loved every minute of it. This is my version of heaven. ;) Take a look at the video below. I recorded the final play of the game on my camera. Best. Moment. Ever.

The Aftermath.

Often times, when meteorologists talk about record-breaking storms, those storms end up being far less significant than originally predicted. I wish that was the case for this big 'ol blizzard that hit Milwaukee last night and this morning, but unfortunately, they pretty much hit this one right on the head. Yesterday, I got out of work early because of the storm, so that was a nice surprise! It was weird, though, because even by like 10:00pm, there was very little snowfall. It was mostly just blowing snow and major wind. I had a quick thought that maybe it wouldn't snow as much as they thought, but I was wrong. Way wrong. When I woke up this morning, I was quite horrified by the sight outside my patio door. At first glance, I thought my car was missing! Thankfully it was still there, it was just completely covered in a snow drift. Take a look at the following videos to get a sense of the storm's progression! Yikes.

(Start of the Blizzard-2/1/11)

(Blizzard Aftermath-2/2/11)

(Operation Snow Removal-2/2/11)

Now that I spent nearly two hours digging my car out (with the help of some neighbors), I feel like my body is going to fall apart! Didn't realize I should've stretched before I went out there! ;) I was shocked by the size of the drifts when I went outside. Most of them were taller than me, and at times I was up past my waste in snow in an attempt to shovel around my car. Let's just say, I couldn't be happier about my car being out and on the road now. What a hassle. I was told the groundhog predicted an early spring, but I wouldn't know because I was too busy braving the blizzard! After all is said and done, we got about 18 inches of snow, and it seems like more because of the way it piled up. Seriously, NO more snow, please!

Blizzzzzzzzzzzard.

I've said to several people since the winter season began that I've been extremely lucky in Milwaukee because of the complete lack of snow. I should have known by making that statement that I'd be jinxing myself. Yesterday marked the start of what is being referred to as a "multi-day, multi-region, potentially historic destructive winter storm." Awesome. Not. About the only plus that comes along with this storm is the fact that MIAD (my work) is closing at noon today because of the weather, and will likely be closed tomorrow too because the worst of the storm is supposed to hit tonight. I've included a description from weather.com that explains the type of conditions we'll be seeing here in Milwaukee tonight:

Heavy snow will be accompanied by high winds making for life-threatening conditions if not properly prepared. Intermittent lake effect snow [ahhh, shit, I live right by Lake Michigan] will continue today but heavy snow will develop tonight as strong low pressure approaches. 9-16 inches of NEW snow will develop with highest totals from Milwaukee south to Kenosha. Snow drifts will range between 4 and 8 feet in some locations. Visibility will be reduced considerably during the height of the snow and wind, thereby making travel impossible at times on local roadways and interstates. Northeast winds will be 25-35 MPH with wind gusts to 50 MPH tonight. Near whiteout conditions will occur, resulting in treacherous travel conditions. Potential for paralyzing blizzard.

I am ALL about having snow days. It's not something only kids wish for, trust me. I mean, you should've heard the cheers throughout our building when security made the early release announcement. However, the conditions described above do not sound pleasant by ANY stretch of the imagination, and when all is said and done, I'm still going to have to deal with it and find a way to get my car out of an 8-foot snow drift. Any takers? Definitely going to the store BEFORE the storm hits! Anyway, I just pray that the potentially 100 million people affected by this massive storm stay smart and safe. Wish me luck, and think of me wrapped up in warm fuzzy blankets, drinking hot chocolate, and watching trashy TV! :)