My Third (maybe 4th? No, 3rd) Polar Bear Plunge

Let it be clearly known, that I did not decide to dunk myself in the freezing water of Lake Michigan until about forty five minutes before I did it.  Afterwards, it turned out that LuLu, in the days prior to New Years, had asked about doing it, and so I looked like a jerk when I proceeded without her. But this is not a retcon; up until midday I really didn't want to do the plunge. A lot of years I hem and haw and feel like a scrub for not completing the task, but this time, nope: I just didn't want to do it. 

And then I changed my mind. 

It was too late to participate in the official, public events (who can get up and ready and be somewhere by noon on New Years Day??), but the lake was still there, and we were about to reacquaint ourselves with one another. 

I picked a not-great day to do it, weather wise. It wasn't the worst weather Milwaukee can throw at you, but a brisk 29 degrees (F) did not make for comfort even on the walk from the car to the beach. 

I did succeed in getting Smiley to go with me and watch (and drag me out if need be). 

 But he claimed his phone was dead or at 4%, depending on the minute, and so couldn't be used to record the event. As I wanted both pics and video for different social media platforms, I needed two devices. So I called Yaya and she and Alex met us there. 

"There" not being the standard Bradford Beach, north of downtown, but the nearby South Shore, where a local , alternate version of the Polar Bear Plunge had taken place at noon. I didn't make it to the "x" on the map, instead going in at the boat launch. 

While we waited for YaYa, an elderly couple came, ignored the "don't feed the geese" sign, and dropped two big bottles of feed on the concrete. 
 

When it was time to go in the water, a shock, and not just from the bitter cold H20: Smiley had secretly decided to go in with me, and had his swim trunks on under his pants! Yay!

The water was brrrr and getting splashed didn't help any. 

Smiley went out to below hip height and declared, being a man of common sense, that he would go no further. He turned around and returned to shore. 

I continued on my own. 

I dunked myself to chin height but I did not dunk my head in, an act later criticized by Lisa, who, I might point out, has never done the plunge and if she did, would have hair on her head to keep her warmer. 

This pic is me in agony. Soaking wet, my feet pins and needles, desperately trying to get to the warmth of the car, and held hostage by the need for a final, positive pic for the post LOL 

Two Troublemakers

Happy New Year!

May your 2025 be productive,  healthy,  and positive!

25 Years Ago Tonight

 This being Joe McIntyre's 52nd birthday, the math reminded me that 25 years ago today Lisa and I flew to Boston to see him in concert!

Technically, we flew out on the 30th. I sold some of my savings bonds to come up with the airfare, and with fares being dirt cheap (everyone was afraid planes would fall from the sky with the Y2K bug looming on New Years) that was enough to pull it off. 

We stayed at a Howard Johnson's right by Fenway Park, and as I recall I was so tired when I arrived I was a jerk to the hotel clerk when we checked in - but I apologized to her the next morning. I do remember the cab driver, on the way in from the airport, pointing out the Big Dig to us. 

Tired or not we went from the hotel, by cab, to the Paradise Club, where Joe was to perform the next night. His rehearsal was taking place, and we sat outside the bar. We saw his sister come and go (with McDonald's if I'm remembering right) and thought she was kinda snooty when she saw us. At some point Lisa suggested I sneak inside, and I did so. I stood for awhile watching the rehearsal, with not one person questioning my presence, until I shot this photo: 

That got me escorted out. 

The next day was New Years Eve, and Lisa had been tipped off by a friend about Joe's home address. So we went out there to see it. Nothing crazy, no trespassing, no stalking, but at some point his fiancé did drive past and ask us to move on. 

Joe had two concerts that night, an all ages show and a later, 10pm adults only show. We went to the latter. 

It was cold, and the line and the wait was long. 

I should point out that while Lisa was rocking a shiny silver dress, my lame butt picked out THIS and khakis as appropriate concert apparel. SMH

You'll have to excuse the quality of many of these photos. They haven't been properly scanned yet, and I went hunting for the old scrapbook when I thought of this post. But for what they're worth, here are some pics of the concert proper: 

We were, as you can tell, to Joey's left on the side of the stage. 

If you want a detailed record of the show, you're in luck. Here's a summary: 

It really was a great show.  On the way out of the club we were greeted by Joe's Dad, who shook our hands and thanked us for coming to the show. 

The cab driver on the way back to the hotel, btw, was the only person we encountered on the trip with a "genuine" Boston accent. 

When I got back to the hotel I called my co-workers in Milwaukee right away - my boss had requested that I give them a heads up if civilization crumbled at the stroke of midnight because of Y2K. 

On New Years Day while Lisa napped I went for a walk around Northeastern University, former employer of my favorite author, Robert B Parker. 

Then before we left the city Lisa and I stopped by Fenway Park so I could say I had seen and touched that hallowed ground. 

It was a great trip, and I'm glad we did it. 25 years - a quarter century! Man, the days are long, but the years sure are short - and getting shorter every time the calendar turns a page. 

New Year's Eve Dining

As has been the tradition in my family for as long as i can remember,  the New Year's Eve menu includes Sloppy Joe's.

(Other traditions,  like pickled herring, I have magically forgotten)

This year I made them with the mix that Leon's Custard uses on their "Spanish Hamburgers."

Lisa was not pleased. 

"No one likes Leon's burgers."

"That's not true. "

"I bet half of Milwaukee would agree with me," she said.

"Thank you for admitting that 250,000 people agree with me," I replied.