Day 145: Snowy Evergreen

Day 145: It was a snowy morning, and as much as I hate the snow, it was "relatively" pretty. I snapped this shot of the fresh snow on one of the evergreens on campus. Beautiful!

Day 144: Hand Sanitizer

Day 144: I really lead a boring life, don't I? My photo blog has turned into me taking pictures of my hand sanitizer bottle. At least it's somewhat artistic, right?

Day 143: Sunrise Through The Trees

Day 143: I'm at the same places almost every time, every day, so I feel like my photos should be repeats most days. However, I always seem to find something different about my surroundings. This is a photo of the sunrise through the tree branches near the golf course. You couldn't even tell I was near the golf course, could you? :)

Day 142: Sunset Contrails

Day 142: It's pretty depressing walking to the bus stop after work now that it's getting dark so early. But I managed to snap this one before the bus arrived. It's a photo at sunset facing one of the Engineering buildings. The plane happened to be sailing through the sky at the perfect angle. Quite the shot if I do say so myself!

Day 141: Not Quite Ripe!

Day 141: This is an artistic shot of my daily staple food: the banana. These were hanging on my banana hanger, and as you can tell, aren't quite ripe enough for breakfast. Hopefully this changes soon, as I eat one every morning!

Day 140: Fall Centerpiece

Day 140: I'm sure I've already taken this photo, but oh well. Nothing was exciting today! This is a photo of my fall centerpiece, with leaves and gourds. They may be fake, but they bring lots of color to the dining room table! 

Day 139: Severe Weather Dance!

Day 139: Although it's the middle of November, the Wisconsin weather has other ideas. It's actually quite mild and severe storms are being forecast for later today and tomorrow. This is a picture of me and Jim at the Badger football game doing our 'drunk' severe weather dance. They had just announced via the jumbo tron that there was lightning in the area and that we may be forced to evacuate the stadium. Guess there's a first for everything!

Day 138: The Road Is OPEN!

Day 138: It's been a long summer of construction, but part of the new jug handle is open on Mineral Point Road! I have to admit, I had to take this picture a few days later, but I was just being safe. No photos while driving!

Day 137: Lot 1

Day 137:  This is a photo of Lot 1. That's all you need to know!

Day 136: My New Favorite Treat

Day 136: Thanks to a coupon, I came upon this wonderful snack. They are all-natural (well, pretty close anyway..) yogurt-dipped pretzels. Although they may not sound delicious, they taste exactly like white chocolate and they are the perfect sweet and salty combination. I'd suggest you try them! They are in the natural foods section at the Copps grocery store!

Day 135: Is That Blood?

Day 135: I took this photo from my car (while parked at the stoplight!!) because I couldn't believe I was seeing what I was seeing. I still to this day still wonder if I should have called the police. If you look carefully, it appears to be blood dripping from the truck. Those I told the story said it was probably from a deer, but I still wonder why you'd put a dead deer in the back of the car. I'm still convinced it was from something else!

Day 134: Fall Snowfall

Day 134:  I took this image outside on campus of (yet again) another late fall snowfall. It seems to be doing that quite often here, but then again, I'd rather it snow now than in winter! It has a better chance of melting!

Day 133: Guess That Image!

Day 133: It's time to play: Guess That Image! This photo is a symbol of job that no one wants to do, but it's a necessity. In my house, it's unfortunately my job, but the plumber in me gets it done effectively! If you guessed hair from the clogged shower drain, you are correct! Sadly, this is a poor game show, so you win nothing! (Just don't vomit :)

Day 132: Caterpillar!

Day 132: I was headed out for a walk today and I saw this guy walking along the side of the house on the porch. I was quite surprised, since it's so late in the fall, but I guess you never know what you might find outside in nature! I took this photo as he was attempting to climb up the house. Look at his buggy eyes!

Day 131: Frosty Leaves

Day 131: It was a very frosty, cold late-fall morning so I was able to capture this picture of the hard frost on the fallen leaves. I loved how it showed the contrast between fall and winter!

Day 130: Reflections and Shadows

Day 130: I don't know why, but I really love this photo. It contains the shadow of our charcoal grill on the deck, while at the same time showing the reflection of the rug on the patio door. I feel it's somewhat artistic, even though it was a last-minute photo-op. Could you have guessed it without my description?

Day 129: Clearance Halloween Candy

Day 129: It was almost like Christmas for me today. Well, maybe even a Black Friday/Christmas combo. I stopped at Target and they still had some Halloween candy on clearance. I was able to get pounds of candy for only $6. Not only am I happy, but I'm sure all of the students and staff that come and visit me for the candy will be thrilled! Especially during exam time!

Day 128: Worms!

Day 128: It was a very rainy day today and worms were coming out of the ground like crazy. I learned from my dad to pick up the worms off of the driveway, as to not run over them. I took this photo of a huge earthworm on the driveway/alleyway. They are so long and fat! In case you were wondering, I did save him and about 20 of his friends from being run over!

Day 127: Big Snout!

Day 127: This big, Labrador nose ended up in my photo today. He was sitting waiting for food...shocker of the century...when I took this photo. I made sure to get his huge snout in the photo. Huge snout, tiny body. What a cutie pie!

Day 126: Crackers

Day 126: It had been a long weekend and I just wanted a bit of a snack, so I ate some of the 34 Degrees crackers I purchased from Hyvee. They are an all-natural cracker and they are quite delicious--although I'd like to try some of their other flavors to compare. This is a photo of a few of the crackers next to each other. Neat design!

Day 125: Pretty Nails!

Day 125: I'm not usually a big fan of getting my nails done (fingers and toes both included) but a friend and I had plenty of time to kill before the wedding ceremony, so we decided to get our nails done. I went for the "Minx" option, which is basically a sticker applied to the nail. From what I hear, Beyonce gets it done all of the time. That's right. I'm just that cool. I ended up with a gold and black design on 8 fingers and a red and gold design on both of my ring fingers. Sassy! 

Day 124: Neat Architecture

Day 124: After the rehearsal dinner for Rick and Kate's wedding, we decided to head to a bar for a few drinks. This place was somewhere near the airport, but I for the life of me have no clue what the name of it was. I took this photo of the "architecture" on the wall. I thought it was unique--especially for a bar.

Day 123: A Rainy Halloween

Day 123: Halloween today was chilly and rainy, not spooky ;) That's about all I can say. The photo is my pink polka-dotted umbrella next to a muddy puddle. If you look closely, you can see the raindrops hitting the puddle. As a side note, it's not fun waiting for the bus in the rain...

Day 122: Badger Basketball Home Opener, Unofficially

Day 122: Today was the unofficial start to the Badgers home basketball schedule. They technically played an exhibition game against UW-Platteville, but it was their first home game of the season. It was closer than I'd like it to be for a while there, but they ended up winning by 30 points. It was fun to go back to the Kohl Center to watch a game. Hopefully we can catch another one this season!

Day 121: Ladybug!

Day 121: The weather has been pretty chilly lately, so I was surprised to see this ladybug on the way to the bus stop one night. This is a photo of him on the cement scurrying away. I managed to get him onto a stick in order to get him off of the sidewalk--hopefully he appreciated the move!

Day 120: Roar!

Day 120: In case you didn't know, one of my favorite animals is the extinct dinosaur. Love them. I have a few photos of the dino hanging in my office at work and this photo happens to be the T-Rex figurine I have sitting next to my computer. I like to think they're smiling at me. I can do that since they're extinct. :)

Day 119: Corn Husks

Day 119: Our neighborhood is like the perfect mix of suburb-living and country life. We're far enough out where we're still surrounded by farm land, but still only a few minutes from the nearest grocery store. I took this photo of the corn husks on the edge of the neighborhood. They obviously haven't been harvested yet, but I imagine they will be sometime soon!

Day 118: Army of Spiders

Day 118: I took on the task of making school treats for my niece's class today. While it didn't seem like hard work at the time, it ended up taking longer than I anticipated. 3 hours and numerous raw and bruised fingers later, I finally finished all 20 of them. I sure hope they enjoy their Halloween treats!

Day 117: Pumpkin Carving!

Day 117: Pumpkin carving has become quite the tradition in our family these last few years. Some of us sit down and carve pieces of artwork, while others just hang around and watch football and relax. This year I went for the Beaker and Dr. Honeydew pumpkin--which was quite the task. My sister opted for Snow White, while my brother-in-law drew a face that I should know the name of but don't. (Sue me.) Again, they turned out pretty well! I just wish they lasted more than a few days!

Day 116: Quesadillas

Day 116: Today I decided that quesadillas were in order for dinner tonight. (Okay, well, my student was having them for dinner and it sounded good :) The photo here does not do the quesadillas justice--they were pretty tasty. Homemade tortillas, beef, black beans, cheddar cheese, sour cream, guacamole and some taco sauce for Austin. Mmmmm!

Day 115: Sunset Sky

Day 115: It was a rather chilly evening for a walk, but anything is doable when there's not 2 feet of snow and ice on the sidewalks. The clouds during the sunset were also very pretty, so I ended up taking this photo as we were walking around the neighborhood. The reflection of the fading sunlight into the clouds really makes this picture. So pretty!

Day 114: Snow?

Day 114: This can't be happening. It's only the 23rd of October. No seriously. What is this? Yep, it might be a little hard to tell from the photo, but it's snowing. SNOWING. In October. Not cool, Mother Nature. I don't appreciate your jokes. Not laughing!

Day 113: Barry Alvarez

Day 113: A celebratory meeting was had at the Hotel Red this afternoon after work and look at who I saw! Yep, that's Barry Alvarez enjoying a beverage, after what must have been a hard day for him. We were tempted to buy him a drink from our table, but we chickened out. I bet he would have declined it anyway :)

Day 112: Look At Those Teeth!

Day 112: We have a very silly Labrador--sometimes he'll lay on his back attempting to chase his tail or batting his toys like a cat. In this instance, he was just waiting for some attention, to no surprise. However, the look on his face is priceless. He is such a happy dog!

Day 111: Moo.

Day 111: Today we hosted a party for Austin's softball team--a way for them to "celebrate" the season with some food and beers. The event also corresponded with the Illinois/Wisconsin football game (which turns out was a blow-out, as expected :) This is a picture of my cow straws I left out for beverages. The work perfectly with the red solo cups in the background!

Day 110: Pizza!

Day 110: Austin came to grab lunch with me today and I decided some pizza was in order. We ended up at Pizza Di Roma's--a favorite of a friend of mine. They have huge slices and their prices are pretty cheap. And did I mention that the crust is that perfect crispiness? If only it wasn't so greasy! But I suppose...it is cheap pizza. What else should I expect?

Day 109: Homemade Cheese!

Day 109: Today I decided to make a potato recipe for dinner--perfect for the chillier weather we've had recently. The recipe called for velveeta cheese, and since I try really hard to stick to my clean diet, I decided making a homemade version was the way to go. This is the result. It looks relatively tasty, but it didn't seem to have that velveeta taste. At least I tried!

Day 108: Campaigning!

Day 108: Today I continued campaigning for "Share the Wonderful". I wore a pink shirt, made "I helped fill the hill" stickers and brought chocolate for donors in my flamingo bag. I was also allowed to take the flamingo with me for the day to increase donations. He was appropriately named "Phil" (for fill the hill...get it? ha!) I was able to get donations from professors, staff and even students! The campaign ended up reaching their goal and it felt good to be a part of it! Below is a photo of me, Phil and all of my goodies. I also posted a picture of Phil taking a coffee break!

Day 107: Flamingos!

Day 107: Today I became a small part in the "Share the Wonderful" campaign for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During this campaign, flamingos were placed on Bascom Hill to show the set numbers of donations given. This is a photo of me and a flamingo that is going to be placed on Bascom--hopefully by me! :)

Day 106: First Frost

Day 106: Today Forest and I woke up to the first frost of the fall--this is pretty late, as the first frost typically occurs in southern Wisconsin toward the end of September or early October. There seemed to be plenty of frost on the deck chairs and the weeds, although not too much on the grass. This is unfortunate, since both Austin and Forest have bad allergies--they are anxiously awaiting a hard freeze! Here is a photo of the frost on one of the deck chair cushions.

Day 105: Hamburger Mary's

Day 105: We met up with a friend of ours in Milwaukee for lunch today and we tried a new restaurant--Hamburger Mary's. It is obviously a hamburger joint, but it is also the only national franchise that openly markets to the LGBT community. They even have drag queen shows! There wasn't a drag queen show when we were there, but there was a flurry of interesting people. I took this picture of a guy in drag--I just loved his get'up! It's hard to see in the photo, but he's wearing a floral muumuu :)

Day 104: Homecoming!

Day 104: Homecoming! I don't really get caught up in the hype of all the homecoming activities, but I am proud to be a Wisconsin alum. The football games are typically a blast--unless you count those few times we've lost. Today the big game was against Northwestern--and we trounced them! :) And besides the big win, it was a gorgeous, fall day. We couldn't have asked for better weather! Here is a picture of the Camp from the Monroe Street side.

Day 103: Autumn View

Day 103: The leaves on the trees are finally changing colors and they are certainly pretty. Although not quite visible in the picture, they are a bright golden yellow with some tints of green, orange and red. The morning sky was also beginning to break apart when I took this picture near sunrise. I liked the contrast of the clouds and the leaves--I just wish it would have been a bit brighter outside.

Day 102: More Dessert

Day 102: Sometimes you just feel like dessert. For me, probably more often than the general public, but that's okay. It is what it is! There aren't too many choices on the west side of Madison, but since we were already on the beltline, we decided to stop at Hubbard's for some cheesecake. Today's flavor was Oreo--and it was tasty! What a nice treat at the end of the day!

Day 101: Lunch Sign

Day 101: The cafe is now opened two floors down in my building, and although I don't frequent it often, I do head down there when asked by either co-workers or students. I happened to notice something wrong with the lunch sign today--seems to me like it was an obvious mistake, but who am I to judge? Panins all around! :)

Day 100: Candy!

Day 100: I'd say Halloween is the worst time of year for me as far as candy goes, but it seems that you can find plenty of "holiday"-themed candy all year-round now. And it doesn't bother me one bit! My sweet tooth has to be my biggest vice, but I figure one piece here and there won't kill me. That's why I go to the gym right? Because candy is delicious :) These were my 100 Grand minis scattered about my dining room table. I didn't even bother putting them in a candy dish--I didn't think they'd be around long enough for me to find one!

Day 99: Fall Leaves

Day 99: The leaves are beginning to change colors here in southern Wisconsin, and after the rains of last weekend, they are also falling from the trees. I took this photo of some leaves on the ground during the early morning hours near my bus stop. I love how you can see the shadow of the blades of grass on the leaves from the rising sunshine!

Day 98: Forest's Belated Birthday Treat!

Day 98:  Yesterday was Forest's 7th birthday, but since we attended the wedding in the Wisconsin Dells, I didn't have time to make him a birthday treat. So today, I made him one out of my dog cookbook! I think they were called "Peanut Mutter Bites". :) Needless to say, he loved them, but I could have given him anything and he would have eaten it. Happy Birthday, Forest!

Day 97: Hippo!

Day 97:  Today we attended a wedding at the Kalahari resort in the Wisconsin Dells. I saw this hippo outside of the reception area and had to take a photo. It may not have been real, but those teeth were pretty hard and sharp!