Sliding into Wausau Edition

Yes, kiddos, I am in lovely Wausau, WI for a conference. Wausau is located nearly dead-center in Wisconsin and is a lovely place for all of 38,000 people.

Yesterday's flights were mostly uneventful, except for the apparent pilot-in-training who landed the plane both times. Flying from Indy to Milwaukee was a quickie, only 60 minutes. When we landed in Milwaukee we bounced so hard my teeth rattled. I was not delighted. Got out of the plane outside (! seriously, in WI!) and walked in, only to walk right back out to the same plane twenty minutes later to head to Wausau. The flight to Wausau (33 minutes) was ridiculously quick and offered a lovely view of the Wisconsin landscape. Upon landing (and I use this term lightly) in Wausau, the runway was a bit wet from an earlier rain and we landed, then slid sideways for a moment before righting again. By that time I was Over Over Over planes and landings so I was glad to be here. I was sitting up front (2 seat x 2 seat plane) and the guy next to me had his young (9ish) daughter across the aisle. At the landing/sliding both of our eyes were the size of dinner plates and I could tell he wanted to say something but didn't want to scare his daughter. So I said: "well, THAT was INTERESTING" and he replied: "INDEED it WAS." Then we both laughed, the laugh of people who have just been scared for their very lives.

Upon arrival, PM and I (as well as a colleague from Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH), are picked up by the hotel at the airport. A moment about the Central Wisconsin Airport: TEENY TINY. There is a 'bag claim.' Singular. Bag Claim. If you drive there, you can park practically next to the planes. From deplaning to the bag claim was about 100 yards. Maybe.

The lady driving the hotel shuttle is a trip, talking about how it isn't very diverse up here because of the weather (is cold a lot) and 'wood ticks the size of dimes.' That would keep me away, I don't know about you. We talked about the flooding and the houses that floated down the Wisconsin River south of here (yes, we are near the Wisconsin River). She was a character. Told us that the main thing to do in Wisconsin was eat and that her job as a personal trainer benefited from that. :)

After checking in and settling into the hotel, PM knocked on my door and we both set out to explore Wausau.

Wausau downtown is approximately 9-15 blocks square, with some outlying areas. We walked around the downtown which has a preponderance of jewelry stores, spas and bookstores, believe it or not. Apparently skiing 'Rib Mountain' is a big deal here and they have lots of people that come up here in the winter. Anyhoo, we wandered into a couple of bookstores (both VERY nice) and into the local organic grocery. The organic grocery smelled wonderful. Apparently they make food every day for the lunch crowd and when we walked in it was the most spectacular smell -- like homemade vegetable beef stew. Mmmm.

On our walk around we discovered a local watering hole: Malarkey's. As PM is Irish to his core and utterly full of malarkey, we decide to head there for some beer before finding dinner.

Upon entering Malarkey's we are greeted by Tennille, the bartender. She looks kinda like Nicole Kidman, which immediately has PM's attention as he has a huge crush on Nicole Kidman. I ask about any local beer (as I am wont to do in an area to which I am unfamiliar), and she suggests 'Spotted Cow', a beer made just south of here in southern Wisconsin. It is a wheat beer with citrus overtones. I am hooked, as is PM. As we sit there and shoot the shit, there are a couple of other people in the bar, two of which are Pete and Babs. Pete is a big burly dude, probably in his mid-fifties and Babs is his very petite wife. Soon Babs leaves and Pete asks if he can join us. Hilarity ensues.

Pete is the epitome of gregarious. He is part Swede, so we had that in common so he proceeded to tell every Lena and Ole* joke he knew, plus a few cracks at Norwegians thrown in for good measure. He had both PM and I howling. He and Babs decided a few years ago that they 'couldn't take it with 'em' so they decided to start traveling the world. First it started with some trips to Mexico and Aruba, now it has expanded to Italy, Ireland, Poland and a few other countries. Last trip they took was to Italy, then decided that they wanted to see Ireland for a few days. They flew into Dublin, caught a Bruce Springsteen show and then flew back to the States.

As we sit there, we learn that the next door restaurant, a sushi place, will bring us food at Malarkey's. We decide this is a good idea, and much sushi is consumed. Yes, sushi in Central Wisconsin, I know, I know, but it was good. Actually, very good if you must know the truth. Comparable to Sakura (no kidding, Sister). PM and I share our sushi with Pete, who has never eaten sushi before. He is suitably impressed and I even teach him how to hold chopsticks. PM and I joke that he and Babs next trip will be to Japan. :)

Hours pass, so much so that Babs returns from her horseback riding with her friends. Babs and her friends are known as 'Saddle Tramps' at the barn where they congregate and seem to take the joking well. Pete told us when she left that she was going to ride her horse and not him that night and he was disappointed. :)

We hang out a while longer and Pete suggests that we go with him to dinner Wednesday night to the place where Babs works, Minos. He is picking us up tonight at 5:45 for dinner.

Oh yeah, and the conference starts today :)


* Lena and Ole are fictional Norwegian characters and the subject of many jokes. You probably have to be a Swede to appreciate them but I will say that PM got a kick out of them too. For example:

Lena and Ole are out driving one day when a family of skunks crosses the road in front of them. Ole swerves but accidently hits and kills the mother. Lena is upset, tells Ole they must go back for the babies. Lena gathers up the babies and decides to put them under her skirt to keep them warm. Ole asks: "What about the stink?" Lena replies: "Oh, they'll get used to it."