The Air Quality is Nasty

For days now, my daily afternoon call to my Mom would include her asking about "the smoke" and telling me how bad it was that morning.  Given that my Mom rarely leaves her apartment and I hadn't noticed any such thing, I chalked it up to the TV news inspiring panic. 

Whoopsie.

My Mom might have jumped the gun by a week, but today proved her right. 

The air is acrid, like you just walked past the a burn pit, and the odor lingers in your nostrils.  The sky is overcast and grim, and a gray haze rests over everything like a vast fog.  It is legitimately more difficult to breathe. These pictures were taken at the height of the afternoon:

What's going on you ask, Future Reader?

Smoke from wildfires in Canada are enveloping the Midwestern US. A week or so ago they did the same to the East coast.

Smoke is better than being in the midst of dense wildfires, no argument there, and I hope for the safety of the people directly affected up there.

 But man, how rude of our northern neighbor ;)

Grrrrrrrrr!

Lisa's Accident and a Heck of a Snowstorm

Thursday a snowstorm hit Milwaukee, starting at about 5pm and going well into the next day. It was heavy, wet stuff that was hard to shovel and very slippery to walk/drive on. Tree limbs were down all over the place. Total accumulation of snow in some areas: 10 inches. 

Unfortunately, Lisa had to drive home from work in that slop. In her own words: 

Spun out on freeway last night and ended up being hit by a semi. Walked away from it. Car, not so much. Now me and Dan are stranded with a flat. The good and back luck lately in our family so interwoven and complex it's mind boggling. Staying positive and reminding one another we are still so blessed.

That casually written post doesn't really hint at the close call she had. Although she refused to go to the hospital, it was clear that Lisa was both in shock and concussed - immediately after being hit she texted the family group chat "Hit by semi, Need Help, 911" rather than call 911 herself. (That was met with screams of horror by the kids)  She also thought an ambulance on the scene was a tow truck, etc.  But other than bruises and aches, and a concussion that has lingered for a few days, she walked away FROM BEING T-BONED ON THE DRIVERS DOOR BY A SEMI ON THE HIGHWAY. 

Thank you Lord. 

She arrived home in the back of a deputy's car, and we sat and talked about what happened. And then, at 12:58 AM. the storm knocked out our power. Over 3000 of our neighbors were affected, and it remained out until almost noon. Even then streetlights along a major road by us were out for literally sixty blocks well into the afternoon. 

And then, when in the AM, when I drove Lisa to a doctor's appointment, my tire went flat. May I point out that it was cold, and snowing, and I was already hours late for work. Oh, and I couldn't find parts of the jack so I had to bite the bullet and call roadside assistance. We pulled into a Hardee's restaurant lot and had breakfast while I waited it utter humiliation of needing another man to change my tire.

  

So, not the greatest 12 hour period. But we ended it alive, in one piece, and thankful for the gifts we have. So there's that. 

Here's to a better start to my birthday weekend next week!

Winter Rain

I'm not sure where they get their "half an inch" forecast, because I think we've reached and passed that mark already, and it's only 7:30am. It's a dang typhoon out there. 

Here's hoping the temperature doesn't drop today and turn the streets into a skating rink. 

Hopefully they were NOT occupied. If they were . . terrible, terrible news.

Glendale WI (a northern suburb of MKE) - Bayshore Mall - Parking structure collapse on the 1st and 2nd floors, multiple vehicles crushed, unknown if occupied, MFD Heavy Urban Rescue response requeThissted

*At least 3 vehicles underneath the collapsed portion, crews are starting to hand dig through the rubble*

is it giving you a "woody"? LOL

Reservoir Park in Riverwest (Milwaukee). 

Today in Local History

 

This ship is often visible docked on the river as you drive down the north end of Kinnickinnic Ave going to or from downtown. 

80 years ago today a Milwaukee Woman Was Beheaded on the Hitler's Direct Orders - The Life of Mildred Harnack

Born in Milwaukee, and a graduate of West Division High School (now Milwaukee High School of the Arts) and UW-Madison, Mildred Harnack was 26 when she moved to Germany to pursue a PhD.

As an American grad student in Berlin, she saw Germany swiftly descend into a fascist dictatorship. She and her husband Arvid began holding secret meetings in their apartment. She recruited working-class Germans into the resistance, helped Jews escape, plotted acts of sabotage, and wrote leaflets that denounced Hitler and called for revolution.

The Gestapo arrested her on Sept 7, 1942 and postwar testimony attests to the daily interrogation and torture she endured.

Mildred and 75 of her German co conspirators were tried before the highest military court in Nazi Germany. A panel of judges sentenced her to six years in prison but Hitler personally overruled the decision and ordered her execution

On February 16, 1943 at Plötzensee Prison in Berlin, she was strapped to a guillotine and beheaded. As far as is known, she was the sole American in the leadership of the German resistance during WWII.

May she continue to RIP

The Forecast Was Snow Joke

Look, I'm not saying this is the storm of the century. So far, it's so mid that I think MPS jumped the gun by cancelling school (and to do so yesterday evening? Waaay too soon). Then again, I chose to work from home rather than commute, so who am I to talk?  

But it's coming down, and coming down steady. It's a mid snow too, not airy but not completely wet and sticky. 

Anyway, to stay ahead of the curve LuLu and I headed out to shovel and cleared the property, and our share of the alley, of the first couple inches of the mess. 

Future efforts will be delegated to Dem, Smiley, Lisa, and Junie. 

The dogs don't seem to mind it tho

Ofc. Peter Jerving.

 

Milwaukee Police Officer Peter Jerving was shot and killed by a suspect near 14th and Cleveland overnight.  The officer returned fire, fatally wounding his own killer. 

In an odd twist of fate, four years ago yesterday another officer, John Rittner, was shot and killed only blocks from last night's scene - and Lisa and I know the area well, and I consider it my (extended) childhood neighborhood. 

To make the events even more tragic, the killer had that very day been given a suspended sentence by a  Judge for a 2021 hit and run. I understand the jails are crowded, and that not every vehicular crime necessitates time behind bars; the sentence might have been the correct move. But man, what a tragic decision it turned out to be. 

RIP Officer, RIP. 

Milwaukee

 An homage to my hometown by YaYa

Slapczynski Shoots

Good for Classic Slice!

Ok. I will never trust a word out of this dudes mouth. He's a liar .....that cookie is AMAZING. And Classic is never closed, how about respecting the fact they closed for EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION. 

I mean, if you've had Classic's food you know they didn't need his review. They're gonna be just fine lol. He just could NOT fathom why they didn't stop every.single.thing and fire up the stove for his one slice. SMH...the entitlement lol

My always order (enough for 2): A shippee ahoy slice, spinach artichoke dip, and a cookie.

- Lisa

A Church Fish fry for Dem

Although he's been to a "fancy" fish fry at the Packing House, Dem had yet to experience the heart and soul of the practice - a Milwaukee church fish fry. So I took him to St. Augustine's for their very popular event. 

We both got fried fish (I normally order baked), fries (instead of round potatoes) and he had a few shrimp added to the plate, along with mandatory green beans that - gasp! - he did not eat. I had coffee, he had milk. 

I asked him if he's willingly eaten a single vegetable, any vegetable, since his arrival in September. .

 "Isn't there any vegetable you like? 

"Bok choy" he said. 

"Ok, that's great. I'll make sure we get some next week."

"Yes,I like it fried in oyster sauce. With chili all over it."

Pause. 

"So, basically, completely destroying any record that it was a vegetable?"

Laughs. "Sort of."

The church basement was packed, and loud. Father Philip said hello to us, and families were everywhere. Very young babies (I heard one said to be five weeks old) were on display by their parents, a sort of coming out party to the community. Along the wall, for the length of the rom, ran a narrow bench/shelf on the wall, ending right at our table.  

These two little girls, four or five at the oldest, and dressed in their Sunday best, would run down the bench and stop right by us.  I would nod and say "Hello Ladies." and they would run back down to their parents, then begin the journey back to us, again and again. 

Dem was confused, but I found the whole sense of community wonderful. 

Dessert was homemade, donated chocolate bundt cake.  The woman who served it to us? The mother of that five week old lol

Dem ate everything save for the green beans, and pronounced it good fish. I, personally, think it lost a little something after the break for Covid. But that might be nostalgia talking. I hope we'll be back again before Dem returns to Thailand!

(btw, that is Father Philip in the background, with the gray vest) 

OMG This is one of LuLu's Friends!!!!

WISN: 

Milwaukee police are investigating the death of a 20-year-old woman late Sunday night in the Walker's Point neighborhood.

It happened at about 11:50 p.m. near South Third and Mineral streets.

Family identified the woman who died as Neimah Jones.

Milwaukee police initially said this was a fatal shooting investigation that was domestic violence related. They arrested a 22-year-old man at the scene accused of obstruction.

Right now, Jones' family, is looking for clear answers about what happened to her.

"She was a very outspoken, independent person. She would put me in my place, put anybody in their place," said Hiawatha Jones, Neimah's father.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office told WISN 12 News they are investigating this incident as a probable suicide.

More Gunfire on the Freeway

I got to work almost 90 minutes later than normal this morning,  after the Sheriff's department closed 94W due to a suspected shooting. Alas, I was already on my way when the order came down. 

Why anyone would shoot a gun on the freeway, and why this has recently become the fad du jour, escapes the reasoning skills of my feeble little brain. 

I don't think so Tim

Uh,  yeah.  No.  Why? Because of this:

I guarantee you,  unless you live in some new,  hermatically sealed home,  your *thermostat* may say 60 degrees,  but that's at that particular spot. The next room over might be 50 degrees. 

And F that WE Energies. 

Lunch for Later - Volunteering for The Street Angels

This month we again volunteered for the Lunch for Later program with The Street Angels, a program where you prepare box lunches that are then distributed to the homeless community in Milwaukee. This time, at Lisa's request, we signed up to do 140 of them on her birthday as a gift to her while she was out of town. 

A few weeks ago we got all the kids to decorate the lunch bags. 

Recognizing that 140 full lunches was going to hit the wallet hard, I asked for some donations from my co-workers. I was expecting a box or two of snacks, and maybe a few drink mixes -  all of which would have been received with gratitude and thanks. 

What I got instead was an all out effort. Three co-workers personally donated food to the effort, and my company stepped up and purchased all  the chips for the lunches. 

Just incredible. Wow. 

Then I sent Smiley and Junie hit Woodman's to get the bread, lunchmeat, cheese, etc. 

Seeking to avoid the hassle of keeping our dogs and cats at bay, we assembled the lunches at my mother-in-law's place.  Now I could lie and say it was a wonderful bonding experience . . . BUT. 

In reality every single one of these people annoyed the heck out of me and I not once, but TWICE, stormed out and drove off before losing my s$@t  and saying something I would regret. 

Yeah. Not exactly a hallmark moment. But that's reality baby. 

Anyway, they got the job done. Later that night I returned with Junie to get all the lunches. 

Now you may ask, what's with the luggage Danny? Were you moving the in-law out? Ah contraire mon ami. That was the luggage we took to Vegas, which alas was cracked and rendered useless for Lisa's trip. We instead used it to transport the bagged lunches. 

Lisa's Mom also donated a bag of winter gear she knitted for the homeless. 

Today after school we dropped it all off. I took Dem and Beca, our exchange students with me, and later (since the drop off was on 27th near Mitchell) I took them on a tour of my old neighborhood.