Norway Bound

 The Out of Office reply was set and the suitcases packed.  I forgot to hit send before we left so now you know, I’ve been MIA for a while, which honestly, is sort of the norm lately.  But just so you know…

Our next European Adventure awaits…Norway.  

I’m a mix of excitement and also worried it will go by too fast.  I need a break right now and travel is good for my mental health.

Big destination travel such as this also allows me to fully disconnect from my main role as a police dispatch supervisor.  It is a grueling job, not only the calls you take while sitting at the console each day but the performance management and coaching of staff.  It takes a lot out of you and the only guaranteed way I get to disconnect is to get out of town…or in this case, the country!  

Travel is good for my soul.  I’ve said it many times and I wholeheartedly believe it.  I also saw something recently on Instagram that married couples who travel are happier too.  When Kenyon and I travel together, we get to spend that uninterrupted time together we rarely get at home.  And when we are stuck in the same tiny room on a cruise ship, we are forced to really spend time together.  I love it and I’m looking forward to it all.

With that being said…unless I have some pre-planned blogs to publish, you’ll hear from me later this month.

Sunday Rock Painting Party

It feels really good to back on the losing-train over the past few weeks.  I have my employee weigh-in on Tuesday so I’m hoping for another loss.

 

This week has been filled with some social eating, and one beer, but other than that, I’ve been staying on track.  I made the shift from MetPro back to WW on Friday.  On Thursday, I was still on the fence and thought I might continue with MetPro’s basic tracking features since I am not going to pay for the customized coaching service.  Then, I had one last check-in with my coach.  She explained she would roll me back to basic and I would lose come carbs.  What she didn’t tell me is alllll the foods I finally had access to went away.  Earlier in the week, I had corn, potatoes, and popcorn on the menu.  Now?  It was all back to feeling restricted.  So, I have concluded I am just not in the right space for this type of food plan commitment.  She also didn't share my humor.

 

We painted rocks during our work shift today!

 

The big rock in the middle is Morty, short for Mortimer.  He is our dispatch pet rock and even has his own name badge.  We had a team activity today where we pained several rocks to give Morty some friends.  They turned out great.

 

Happy Sunday!

Wisconsin Part 2

 You can catch up on our Wisconsin Part 1 adventures here ß

I am so far behind in my trip recap.  Here is Part 2 of our Wisconsin Adventures, which was back in June.  I say it often but where does the time go? 

Friday was supposed to be our relaxing day but turned out to be go-go-go as the days prior had been.  We had planned to visit the casino but after a few people recommended the Harley Davidson Museum and the Miller Brewery tour, the brewery tour sounded more involved and more fun.  We signed up for a 10:30 a.m. brewery tour which included beer…at 10:30 a.m.  Who am I to argue!  This tour was fantastic.  Highly recommended.

 

When in Milwaukee, you must have bratwurst.  We stopped into Milwaukee Brat House where we shared a bratwurst, a cup of beer cheese soup, and cheese curds…100% the BEST curds the entire trip.

 

We picked up Sherry and Mark and headed to Sprecher Brewing Co. which brews both beer AND soda.  Your tasting tour including four beers and unlimited soda.  The tour left a lot to be desired, especially after the Miller tour, but the tasting was fun.  We also shared a pretzel as big as a pizza box!

 

After a lot of beer and soda were consumed…we headed to Bavarian Bierhaus for Friday Fish Fry.  The Friday Fish Fry is always a fun Wisconsin tradition and the bierhaus was a great place to go this trip.

 

After dropped Sherry and Mark at their house, we stopped by Kopp’s for frozen yogurt…like…seriously good!

 

Saturday was the Kenny Chesney concert, which is what brought me to Wisconsin in the first place.  But, since the concert was not until 4pm, we started our day in the port town of Manitowoc.  It was pouring rain, we encountered severe thunderstorms, and tornado watches all day.  It impacted our exploration of this port town where we visited the Maritime Museum and toured the USS Cobia submarine. 

 

Our final Elks lodge visit with Manitowoc Lodge #687.  They are a volunteer only lodge with a very small space.  The bartenders were expecting us and bought our drinks.  A fun fact about this lodge, they have the only piano bar in Wisconsin.

 

Before we got back to the hotel, no visit to Wisconsin would be complete without a final stop at Kopp’s.  On this day, the specialty flavor was a kit kat cookie dough that was the highlight of the trip.  Oh boy do I wish we had a Kopp’s here…but maybe I don’t!

 

Finally…it was time for the BIG event.  The concert at American Family Field.  We attended the Kenny Chesney The Sun Goes Down tour where we also saw Uncle Kracker, Megan Moroney, and Zac Brown Band.  I was most excited for Zac Brown Band.

 

Since Wisconsin was dealing with severe weather, the retractable roof on American Family Field could not be opened.  While that kept us dry, it didn’t allow airflow and it was HOT and HUMID.  Eventually we acclimated but boy it was a sweaty night.  My favorite was Zac Brown Band and totally worth it. 

 

I really love Wisconsin and look forward to visiting again.  I really want to go to Chicago but each time we head to the mid-west, it doesn’t feel like we have enough time.