Berbee Derby 2009

On Thanksgiving morning, I ran a 10K - the Berbee Derby in Fitchburg. I haven't done a lot of running lately, so it...was...rough! I'm honestly just glad that I finished the race without passing out.

My time was 55:39, almost 10 minutes more than my last run. Nevertheless, it was fun and I can see doing this run every Thanksgiving. It's really a great way to start the holiday weekend. Now if I can only get Amanda to run it next year...

Packers vs. 49ers

On Sunday, Zach, Shawsy, Jerry (Shawsy's brother-in-law) and I went to the Packers-Niners game. When we got to Shawsy's, he gave me a Punch in the Face, but he made up for it with a cinnamon role from Windsor Breads. Oh baby!

The game was entertaining and the weather was unseasonably beautiful. Green Bay played well for the most part - although they almost blew it - and won 30-24. Check out the highlights here.

Even more entertaining than the action on the field were the people in the seats around us. They spouted an abundance of cliched coach speak, and at the same time provided us with more "that's what she said-able" material than you could possibly choke down...

Before heading home, we stopped at Stuc's in Appleton for calzones - big freaking yum!

New Mexico

In late October, my staff and I went to Albuquerque for a conference. While we were there, we saw a bunch of cool stuff, ate a lot of good food and had a ton of fun. For photos and videos from the trip, check out my Facebook page.

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.