Beer Made Milwaukee Famous & Mader's Makes It A Great Place to Enjoy It

Famous folks of all stripes have visited Mader's in Milwaukee including this humble traveler.

Although my photo will not likely reside alongside such glitterati as JFK, Liberace and Bono (a gallery lines the hallway en route to the restroom), I believe that I enjoyed a selection of beers from Munich to local microbreweries as much as any guest past or future.

Indeed, this was the first time I have been served authentic German beer from a stein commemorating an American institution's founding.

The Crowning Glory of Christmas Cheer

Christmas at my sister's is always filled with fits of laughter, spectacular food and gingerbread creations.

When the kids were little we had raucous competitions in gingerbread house building and decorating. These days, two are out of the house and one is looking forward to departing soon. That means my sister and niece undertake their design/build plans with no restrictive time limits (and creative, detail-oriented glee).

This year's project was truly a team effort. Niece Emily constructed the beautifully detailed 'nilla roof, wafer by wafer, while her mother brought the structure to life with painstakingly applied bits of candy flair.

The crowning glory was the sweetly swifted "snow" covered roof.

Manhattan in Chicago

Every few years, I like to drive (rather than fly) to my sister's place in Ohio for Christmas. While I have driven straight through before (about 10 hours) I wisely planned a stop in Chicago on the way there and another in Milwaukee on the return trip.

My adventure began with a fit, then a start – I dropped my keys in the snow while shoveling a path to my garage. A search through the fluffy stuff proved futile. No worries, I dug out my back-up set of keys and hit the road.

The remainder of the day's travel was pleasant, at least it was for me. Other drivers were not as skilled in navigating the icy I-94 through Wisconsin. I can't recall seeing more cars rolled onto their roofs in the ditch; slid in, sure, but rolled? I proceeded with caution and blew into the Windy City unscathed (this time).

I generally stay along Michigan Avenue, but this time explored the more diverse neighborhood of the Loop. My favorite stop was Fleming's where I enjoyed an exquisite Manhattan in the heart of Chicago.

I saw Grandma dancing with Santa

This Christmas is the first for my grandparents in their new home, an assisted living place that they have grown to appreciate. Grandma Rose enjoys dancing with the singing Santa in the lobby.

Best of all, Santa has a selection of Christmas tunes allowing Grandma to rock around the clock when she chooses.

Results of the IKEA adventure

Happy Days returned again in 1933

Seventy five years ago today, prohibition ended after a 13-year run. Finance won out over temperance in the midst of the Great Depression.

The Government saw an opportunity to boost sagging tax revenues. When it outlawed alcohol with the passage of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, it eliminated a lucrative source of income.

Happy days returned again on December 5, 1933: The people could once again legally imbibe and the Government began acquiring the funds to expand its programs.

Crazy, nutty and a sense of IKEA humor

The Christmas shopping season brings out the best in shoppers and purveyors alike.

I got a wild hair to visit IKEA at the Mall of America on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Having searched in vain all common sense choices (garden centers) for greenery pots for my front steps, I thought, why not IKEA?

Low and behold, I found just the right containers! An added bonus was learning that IKEA is crazy about low prices.

Never thought the Swedes got too worked up about anything. However, a visit to the IKEA Madness section of their website proved me wrong. For the historical perspective, view the charming story of how a boy from the "woods of southern Sweden" created a retail force in 36 countries.

Swoosh in for Nike Adventure at MOA

Customize your own shirt, shoes, service at the new Nike store at the Mall of America. Visually appealing with a high-energy crew willing (the 2nd day they were open anyway) to 'splain what's up to anyone who will listen.

A great visual infusion for this MidLifeVenus.

Grand Opening this weekend.

Beyond the Vatican Splendors - The Cathedral of St. Paul

St. Paul is the last stop on a short tour of the U.S. for the Vatican Splendors.

Expectations were high as we inched toward the timed entry point. Promises of Michelangelo artifacts, papal mitres and venerated relics drew us through the darkened maze.

"Exhibition designers want visitors to feel transported to the Vatican, from the underground catacombs where the remains of Saint Peter were discovered to the magnificent papal chambers found above ground," according to the website. Had I viewed the site before attending, I would been more forgiving of the dim lighting and sketchy details that accompanied some of the displays.

One of the highlights (I thought) was the Tiara of Pope Pius VII.

THE BEST OF THE STORY: The tiara was presented to the pope in 1804 by Napoleon to mark his wedding to Josephine. Some of the jewels and decoration for the multi-tiered tiara came from earlier tiaras that were smashed and stolen by French troops in 1798.

Ever attempting to compensate for his short stature Napoleon used this occasion to let the pope know who was really in charge - the tiara was deliberately made too small, and at 18 pounds too heavy, for the pope to wear.

Taking a Break to Just Enjoy the Ride

It's been a busy week highlighted by a sprint to the finish in preparation for a client's trade show. After spending the day working at the client's offices, I happily departed knowing that I was not required to return the next day to rinse and repeat.

Music and radio provided more input than I could tolerate. So, I drove along enjoying the muffled sounds of an evening commute between St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Try it. Soon.

Figs are 3 weeks late - Is that a big deal?

Never thought much about figs. Until I was shopping with Grandma Rose a few weeks ago. She was on a mission for figs during our last trip to the grocery.

Truth be told, I didn't have a clue where to find them. We were directed to the dried fruit section - we departed, figless.

Turns out, all was not lost. I stumbled upon figs while at my grocery store this weekend. The friendly specialty produce guy was happily slashing boxes, disgorging their contents and neatly arranging them. He informed me that figs were about 3 weeks late arriving this year and schooled me on the tastiest variety (pictured above).

I shipped them off to Grandma.

Porcelain repair project

Winter has forced my cast iron cooking experiments indoors. I had nearly perfected the multi-step, multi-hour religious experience of cooking ribs in a cast iron roaster on the gas grill outside.

I couldn't resist trying the magic in the oven. The cooking technique worked well on pork loin ribs.

I completed the ritual by scrubbing the prehistoric pot with no soap in water hotter than I could stand. Unfortunately, the top slipped from my grip as I set it on the stove top to complete the drying process.

Here, you see the result...chipped porcelain finish on white stove, poo, I said to myself. I was off to Home Depot in search of a porcelain repair kit. (I had honed my filling skills on the previous 50-year old stove.)

Still sanding and buffing lightly for the desired result...stay tuned.

Veterans Day on the deck of the Midway

USS Midway was commissioned in 1945 and served as the flagship for Desert Storm in 1991. It was opened as a museum in 2004 at Navy Pier, San Diego.

I got up close and personal with aircraft from all eras on the flight deck. Standing beside Sidewinder missiles (minus the dangerous parts) evoked a sense of why "War is Hell."

Veterans Day 2008

Birds of a Feather Grow Together

Can't resist the visual repetition of patterns in nature...

A field of Bird of Paradise flowers populate the grounds of the NBC building in San Diego.

Back in Time: Shopping with Grandma Rose

"Pleeeeeeease Grandma!"

I couldn't resist traveling back 40 years in time on a recent trip to the grocery with my Grandma, Rose.

She got a real kick out of it too as I begged for a pack of plastic sparkly kiddie toys displayed at eye level in the cereal aisle.

At 95, she leans a little more on the cart than she used to but who cares? Spending time with her and my Grandpa Tony, 97, has shown me first-hand the joyful results of a life fully lived.