Pumpkin Carving

While some people celebrate Halloween by dressing extra slutty and parading their bums around State Street, we decided to participate in something a little more wholesome - performing full lobotomies on innocent, unsuspecting pumpkins.

Amanda's pumpkin (pictured) was by far the superior pumpkin. We roasted the pumpkin seeds and they were big yummy. As of Thanksgiving, Amanda was half-way done with hers.

MSO - Peter Serkin

Well, last weekend, I coaxed Josh into joining me for a Madison Symphony Orchestra performance featuring Peter Serkin, a well-known pianist, performing Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1. I personally had a great time at MSO's opening weekend and thoroughly enjoyed myself - I am a huge sucker for music events :) Other works on the program included Beethoven's incidental overture "Consecration of the House" and Richard Strauss' "Death and Transfiguration." For program notes, check out this link.

Another exciting part of the night - there was a silent auction on the 2nd floor of the Overture Center. Josh, always on the lookout for unique artwork, spotted something he liked. After a little encouragement (I had to physically force his hand to write his name and contact information on the bid sheet - just kidding), he put down a low bid and received a phone call the next day informing him that his bid won the piece - how cool is that?? Check back later and we'll post a picture of the artwork...

The Shack

On Saturday we went to The Shack. A cabin that sits on 240 acres in the town of Emery, The Shack has been a northern Wisconsin destination for hunters and snowshoers alike for over 50 years.

We were there for less than 24 hours, but Team Big Yum packed in a lot in a short amount of time. We ate tons of great food, Amanda shot a gun (effectively!), and Mia dressed up like Hannibal Lecter. It was a good time.

Pancake Cafe

Yes, that is a pancake. A German pancake to be specific. And, yes, Amanda annihilated the whole thing.

For breakfast today, we went to the Pancake Cafe. The dining experience marked two firsts for Big Yum - our first trip to the Pancake Cafe and our first time going out for breakfast! Can you believe that?!

Their menu is pretty amazing and received two Yums Up.

Suzy's Run 2009

Well, it came sooner than expected, but yesterday I participated in another 10k - Suzy's Run. The route was almost identical to the zoo run, save the fact that we started and ended at Vilas Park instead of the Vilas Zoo. Oh, and the other half of Big Yum was working again, this time at State Fair. Sheesh!

When compared to the Zoo Run Run, it was a much smaller group and a much faster group. Within about two minutes of the start of the race, I was all alone, with nary a runner to be seen. Nonetheless, it was a fun event, and I improved my time by about 4.5 minutes.

To check my time, go here (search bib #121).

Zoo Run Run 2009

Okay, so this wasn't exactly a Team Big Yum event, but it was my first 10K run. In fact, it was the first organized run I participated in since basic training, and the first organized run I voluntarily participated in since high school. So, it was kind of a half Team Big Yum thing, with the other half of the team playing piano at Eastside Lutheran. Either way you slice it, it was great fun!

The run started at 10 a.m. and the weather was absolutely perfect for running. The route took us past Edgewood College, through the Arboretum, and back to the zoo. The run was terrific, as was the spread that was provided afterwards - cookies, bagels, oranges, bananas, apples, water, and goodies from Trader Joe's. I still haven't received my t-shirt (damn you, SportsCenter, for making me late!) but should within a couple of weeks.

I did okay for my first time (that's what she said). My overall time was 50:11 and my pace was 8:05. For the next 10k, my goal is to improve my time to 45 minutes. We shall see.

Go here for Zoo Run Run results (search bib #669 for yours truly).

Bluemound Day Trip

Yesterday, Josh and I ventured to Bluemound State Park for some exploring and hiking. This state park was highly recommended to both of us by many people. The park has a swimming pool (the only state park in Wisconsin that has one), some observation towers, and a variety of hiking trails.

Our verdict: the camping looks to be very cool, but the trails...not so much. The trails are more geared toward bikers and skiers. They were pretty flat, open, and uneventful overall. We did hike one interesting trail that wound around through the woods, but this was the best Bluemound had to offer in our opinions. The lookout towers were pretty neat, offering a great panorama of scenery - you could even glimpse the Capitol building from the top. As for any future visits to Bluemound, we already scoped out some good camping spots for next year. Lounging by the pool might be fun, and maybe adding biking to our list of things to do would make a camping getaway exciting :)