Granted, yesterday was a blur of conference activities and I didn't have a moment to recount the truly delighful Wednesday evening shared with Pete and Babs.
As you are aware, PM and I are in Wausau, WI attending a work conference. The cleanest air I've had opportunity to breathe is here in this location coupled with some really delicious tap water (no shit and Bite It City of Indianapolis). Our conference is somewhat of a low key event with grant writers and fundraisers from community colleges throughout the Midwest. The conference schedule goes like this:
Breakfast 8-9:30
Session 1 9:30-11
Break 11-11:15
Session 2 11:15-12:45
Lunch 12:45-2
Session 3 2-3:30
Yep, that's it kids.
So you might imagine that leaves us with quite a bit of time for networking, pool attendance and in PM's case, a massage. Yes, I am jealous.
The conference is well put together with lots of informative sessions. The crowd is interactive, which keeps us awake and lively throughout.
Plus we are in Wisconsin, so the food is spectacular. The shuttle driver from Tuesday was right, eating is the state pasttime in Wisconsin. If I lived here I'd need to go up about 12 sizes. Thank you Jeebus I am going home.
So Wednesday night at 5:45, Pete arrives in his Mercedes SLK (Yes, Yes, I have automobile envy. I've never had it before but I do now. What an AMAZING car!!!!) to pick us up. The stereo is blasting Eric Clapton.
The car rides like the $98,000 (new) dream it is. We get to Mino's in a matter of minutes but along the way we pass Wausau's lesbian bar. Yes, even in a town of 38K there is a lesbian bar. Pete mentions that they aren't the 'L Word' lesbians though. Claims that the only difference between a black bear and a Wausau lesbian is the lesbian wears flannel. After seeing a few of them for myself, he is not wrong. No place for you to find a lover, Xena. Trust.
We get to Minos, settle in at the bar and order drinks. We have a couple at the bar (2 Bombay Sapphire and tonics for me), then get seated for dinner. Dinner, ah, dinner.
Mino's is owned by Mino, an Italian immigrant from the heel of the boot of Italy. He is a quintessential Italian guy, big laugh, big smile and an iron will. His place runs like a well-oiled machine. Babs, Pete's wife, works there part time and was our server for the evening.
The food. We had calamari for our appetizer and I ordered Tortellini Chicken alla Marco ... apparently the 'favorite dish' of Mino's son Marco. It was divine. It was to die for. It was all I could do to stop eating (see 12 larger size pants above). We ordered two bottles of wine with dinner to begin with (a red, a white), then added another bottle of the white towards the end of dinner. You might imagine I was lit like a Christmas Tree by this time. I was.
After dinner we retire *back* to the bar. Pete orders a couple of Jameson and ginger ales. I ask him if the other is for his wife, he replies that no, it is for me. Oh sweet Mary. I drink it, no great fan of whiskey, but it is very tasty. I'm not sure I had any tastebuds to tell the truth.
He orders another one for both of us. By this time Babs has joined us, done for the evening. We sit about a half-hour and then he drives us back home.
PM and I are completely trashed, although I am much more so.
The next morning it goes like this when I call PM.
PM: Malarkey's pub.
Athena: Do you have any aspirin?
PM: (perky as hell) No I don't!
Athena: I have to visit the front desk before we go to the conference.
PM: Okay!
After breakfast I meander down to the front desk. My headache is now a Mach 7 headache with bells and whistles, not to mention blinking lights. Fucking whiskey (and wine and gin). The girl at the front desk takes pity on my poor soul and gives me aspirin.
Day is saved.
Sessions were good, all interesting. I learned all about earmarks in the federal budget and I must say what I learned got me all fired up.
No comments:
Post a Comment