The Bargain

Artwork by Smiley. 

The Bargain, 2024. Goauche, approx 8.5" x 10."  $85 or best offer. 

RIP To The Alley of My Youth

I'm sure this looks like, well, an alley to you. Even a moderately attractive one. And you're correct on both points. 

It is also The-Shatterer-of-Memories. 

You see, this is the alley behind the house where I grew up. The brick building in the background? The church where I was married. I cannot count how many games of catch I played back here with my Dad, how many times I walked down the alley to and from church, how many times I used it as a shortcut on my bike. 

That entire time, from my early childhood in the late 70's almost up until present day, that alley was a rough, potholed filled obstacle course made of cement embedded with small stones  that would work loose and play further havoc with your tires. 

It looked very much like the  setting I used it for whenever I pretended to be a soldier: a recently shelled and bombed European road of WWII. 

And now? Now it's . . . pretty. Ish. 

Sigh. 

Yuppity Yup

Well it is. Don't lie. 

Flowers Make Her Happy

 Alstromeria, my favorite. Carnation prices with Orchid showmanship lol - Lisa

Black Mirror - 2 Episodes

After dinner at Conejito's (which was after the museum which was after the dog, but before we went across town to pick up Junie from her friend's house which was before the big thunderstorm) we went over to YaYa's where we watched two episodes of Black Mirror.  

I thought the first, Hang the DJ, was excellent. The acting was strong, the relationship was sweet, and the 'twist,' which spawned organically from the plot, brought a "Ah! Well done!" from my inner writer. 

Grade: A+

I saw afterwards that the second, San Junpipero, is considered a favorite of fan and critic alike. To which I say: why??  It's nothing more than a tired SF setup that is obvious from the start: a virtual reality created for the dead and dying. I've been watching/reading this yawner of a setup since at least the early years of this century. 

Is it popular *just* because the two lead characters are in a lesbian relationship and people want to be an "ally"? I'd hate to think so, but if the glove does fit, you can't acquit. Think about the love story: Kelly is a great character, but  Yorkie is as dull and one-dimensional as you can find. They spend a few hours together, with weeks in between meet-ups, and SPOILERS decide to spend all of eternity together? FFS, why? Buy yourself a pet snail Kelly, it would give you better conversations than dear Yorkie. Grade: Fail. 

Dinner at Conejito's

 After the Harley museum we dumped the kids off and headed to Conejito's for an early dinner. We'd last visited on YaYa's 18th birthday, and man was I craving their mole!

We were lucky to get a two person table - three different groups sat at a single table next to us - and as you can see they continue to spare no expense on fine china for their guests. 

But the food - oh man. It's hard to make refried means and a mole covered chicken breast appear appetizing on camera, but's that's fine - I'll take your portion if you don't want it!

Alas, the shared pitcher of margaritas hit hard and I napped in the car until I'd shaken off the effects! LOL

The Harley Davidson Museum

Laura, our exchange student, had expressed interest in seeing the Harley-Davidson museum here in Milwaukee, so I picked up a free family pass from the library and (after the doggo diversion) Lisa, Laura, Junie, Bella, and I headed on down to the museum. 

Harley's are pretty ubiquitous here in the company's hometown, but this was our first visit to the museum. It was much nicer than I expected, featuring clean industrial lines, well thought out exhibit spaces, and a diverse collection of Harley related items. 

I'm not going to lie. While I appreciate a motorcycle, seeing a few hundred at the same time make me empathize for all the times I've dragged people to the bookstore - if you've seen one X, you've seen them all. 

But then again, it was hard not to appreciate a beauty like this: 

Of interest: the original "factory" was just a shed built in the backyard on 37th and Highland, a short walk from our kids' school.  As mentioned on the placard, an illuminated border on the exhibit floor shows you just how small that initial building was in 1903.

I own a cast iron motorcycle toy much like the one in the top left of this picture: 

At one point the girls designed their own bikes: 

This is a cycle that washed away from Japan during the tsunami and showed up on the beaches of western Canada. At the owner's request, it was unrestored and donated to the museum. 

Then there was an area you could pose on bikes like you were rolling down the road yourself: 

When you visit Milwaukee, make time to check out the Harley museum!

Cute Little Doggo

 So as we were picking up Junie's friend Bella to head to the Harley Davidson museum this dog kept running back and forth across the street. There were people outside in the neighborhood and we assumed it belonged to one of them, but they all said nope they never seen the dog before. As the dog kept making a show of running back into the road,  we scooped her up, telling the closest neighbor we would drop her off at MAADC (the pound). 

 

Instead, at Lisa's suggestion, we took her to the police station to be scanned for a microchip. 

She wasn't chipped, which I think is pretty unusual nowadays, and the cops took her in and said they'd deliver her to MAADC later in the day. 

She was a cutie and by the time we left was laying on her back, licking Lisa's arm, and looking for affection. I hope her owner finds her soon!