Takin' the Blog for a Walk

Saw the neighborhood on TV tonight. Fox 6 News was broadcasting from Pine and Sylvan, a few blocks from my house. Four feet of rain water had flooded cars on the street and sent them up on the curb. Sir Fido and I walked for the first time in days to look for damage but didn't see much besides the cars. I would have liked to have been home for the storm. It sounded like a good one.

If you'd like to meet Sir Fido here's the perfect opportunity; The Westowne Neighborhood Block Party is a little over a week off, Sat., Aug. fifth. Westowne is the area west of Grandview between Summit and Northview. If you'd like to partake in some good food and meet the blog, email me at howlinblog@yahoo.com and I'll let you know how. Last year was great. One neighbor roasted a pig, I did the corn. Many people brought cookies and salads. There were games and an inflatable jumpy thing. We had live music. And when I left to do the route at 2:30 am there were still two people there... having sex on the chairs. We're going to have the same again this year... except for the sex.

I've now seen three advertisements for WaukeshaNow in the paper. If you're a new reader, welcome!

Dear Dad,
Thanks for showing me your new home. I knew you'd made it when I saw a Halo Delivery truck in our shop the day after you died. It's got to be good to reunite with your family and friends.

I was in heaven in a hot air balloon Saturday and it reminded me so much of you; big, bright, colorful, warm and gentle, quiet and slow. I know you must have had something to do with it.

You always had a knack for running into people from your hometown, no matter where in the world you were, so it shouldn't surprise me that you'd run into angels from Janesville too.

Jim Bushelle, Teri and Nick of the Janesville Hot Air Balloon Company are truly angels. Not only did they take us under their wings and let us help, but they patiently answered every question and showed as much enthusiasm as we did if not more.

I'm grateful for our new friends in the hot air community, a real family adventure. I'm lucky to have spent more time with my son in the last two weekends than it seems I ever have before. I've slowly glided over my fair city in the early morning, north to south, and there is no money I'd trade the memories for.

These last two weekends of crewing for Jim and Teri were unique, just like each balloon, and if it wasn't heaven...

Miss you
Brien

P.S. if you might be interested in trying ballooning in the Waukesha area give Ken Walter a shout at WIWindDancer@cs.com. Ken's the helpful, friendly organizer of Skyfest for the past 12 years who knows everyone and their balloons.

The good: More than one way to impress your date.
A young adult giving the prize he just won in the water squirting game to his much younger opponent. The game operator, seeing he had a younger brother, gave him a stuffed animal too.

The bad: What's yelled at the fair doesn't stay at the fair.
Maybe they thought the families at the fair are used to hearing the "F" word, but I find it a little odd that the main act Saturday got away with yelling "We're Twisted %#*&!! Sister" over and over again. If the fair keeps booking acts like that then they need to turn down the volume. We can hear main acts from our house a mile away.

The ugly: Someone please get this guy a belt.
Why do some teenage boys think I want to see their boxers? I know, it's cool, but what would possess a guy to wear pants down to his knees in public?

It was warm yesterday when Sir Fido and I took the scenic route to the nearest gas station for a gallon of milk. It had cooled down to 89 degrees by 9:00 p.m. but the picturesque sunset made the whole warm trip worthwhile.

While the last few days were warm they didn't compare to the heat my son and I were exposed to over the weekend. I'd heard that hot air balloonists were looking for help during Skyfest at the Waukesha County Fair this Friday, Saturday and Sunday so we were fortunate to learn we could practice ground crewing at Veterans Park in Milwaukee ahead of time.

My son and I held the opening of the balloon's envelope as, three feet away, a 10,000 degree propane blast heated the 77,500 sq. ft. Aerostar and gave it buoyancy. Even though the 15 foot flame wasn't directed at us, it's still not something I'd recommend you doing while wearing a favorite polyester shirt.

My son got so much out of helping out on Friday night that I willingly took him back Saturday. We got there a little later than Friday but was OK because our new friends, Jim Bushelle and his wife, were still waiting for the breeze to calm and hadn't unloaded anything yet.

After watching one inflated balloon bob in the wind a while, Jim decided to try it himself. Once the cavernous, yellow balloon was filled with fan-driven air, the burners were fired and several hundred pounds of fabric slowly lifted of the grass.

My son and I held the guy ropes and eased the twenty or thirty thousand dollar balloon upright. I don't think it was up two minutes when the tether suddenly let loose and the balloon quickly headed for a tree. While Jim was bouncing along the ground in the basket and pulling the parachute cord, I ran in the opposite direction with the guy rope and bystanders ran to weight down the basket. It was a pretty intense moment and not at all what we'd been prepared for. Jim was thankful he didn't have to pilot his balloon over Lake Michigan - it would have been a long night.

We enjoyed the hot air balloon experience so much. The new smells and sounds, the family type atmosphere, learning about something new and colorful and full of history. It made for an enjoyable time. I hope to see our new friends at the County Fair this week.

Click here to learn more about Jim and his balloon.

Security was sure tight around my bicycle yesterday. Not that my bike didn't deserve it, but the reason for the dozens of police and secret service was because the president and my bike were both at the Hilton Hotel in Milwaukee (I park my bike in the garage there). And it cost a lot less than $10,000 for a photo op. with my bike!

I can think of one small problem with hosting President Bush at the Hilton; They closed Wisconsin Ave. during rush hour!

Because going to my regular bus stop would risk arrest, I wandered for blocks in a light rain wondering where I might catch the coach to Waukesha. I hesitated calling Wisconsin Coach from a pay phone because if I did the bus would surely come while I was away. I called anyway because I still had no indication where the routes were running, and shortly thereafter a coach did show up for me.

I've known Michael Hey for quite some time. Was at the hospital when he was born - my son and Michael were both born on the same day, same hospital.

Michael has a very special talent he's been sharing with us at St. William for several years now. Michael is a gifted organ and piano player and, at only 15 years old, is at least a prodigy if not also blessed.

Michael will be performing a special pipe organ and piano concert this Sunday, July 16th, at 3:00. I'm recommending the performance to anyone who enjoys classical music or loves hearing the pipe organ. The concert will be in the choir loft of St. William Church, 440 N. Moreland Blvd., Waukesha.

Hope to see you there.

I don't know what's worse; being rained on while grilling, driving through so much rain on the way to Summerfest that we decided to not even go, or trying out a new water trampoline.

A heavy, ten foot diameter water trampoline is bulky after inflation but we managed to lift it over a pickup to get it out of the garage. We lifted it over shrubs and carried it it to the edge of the steep hill. We carefully carried it down a long flight of stairs and to the end of a narrow pier. We set it down so I could go back up for a fifty pound cinder block and 100 feet of rope to use for an anchor.

The rope was ninety feet too long and the block had too many sharp edges and was twice as heavy as was needed but we got it anchored. The raft was almost impossible to climb onto because we apparently didn't have enough air in it. The trampoline was totally useless. After several unsuccessful attempts at climbing aboard we raised the mucky, weedy anchor, being careful not to puncture the side, and paddled back.

Because the raft was at a condo we had to lug it back up the hill and over the shrubs and pickup truck, made more difficult by the wind.

So, how do you store a ten foot raft in an eight foot tall garage? Well, at least the water wasn't too cold!

Waukesha's 4th of July parade wasn't just clowns and kids and high school bands. It was more than free candy, politicians and old cars. More than live music, scouts and park and rec. floats. If you weren't at the parade you missed the one opportunity most of us will ever have to see a recognizable relic of the World Trade Center up close.

A Waukesha Engine Enginator, one of six engines used to generate electricity at the W.T.C., filled the 48' trailer it sat upon but the semi trailer couldn't contain it's significance. It's as much a monument to the 3000 who died September 11th as the Veterans' Park sundial it rolled past is to those who fought and died in wars.

Veterans' Park, at the intersection of Main, West and Wisconsin Ave., incorporates actual letters from soldiers addressed to Waukesha Engine pleading for spare parts. Downed pilots' lives depended on the rescue ships powered by Waukesha engines in WWII. It choked me up to read that mechanics offered their meager wages to pay for the spare parts in the knowledge that time saved by avoiding the bureaucracy would equal lives saved.

Besides the six engines buried by the collapse of the towers, four Waukesha engines two blocks away ran for two weeks to supply power to the Federal Reserve following Sept. 11th.

Enjoy your independence and freedom but don't forget to thank a vet.

Sir Fido was a very bad blog today. He was out getting some air when the mail female stopped here with more bills. S. F. hasn't had calf meat in quite a while so he decided to taste the back of her leg. It was a fairly minor owie with just a drop of blood, but he'll have to remember this when he's making out her Christmas card, and hope her name isn't sue.

It was a little warmer today but the steady breeze made things just fine. Rode the bike trail that I've driven past hundreds of times but never tried until today - the New Berlin Recreational Trail. Up until now it's always been a gravel trail leading from the end of Lincoln Ave. just west of Les Paul Pkwy. all the way east to Greenfield Park, but now it's paved. The trail is on the WE Energies right-of-way so it's arrow straight and level and today's stiff breeze from the west pushed us along it's smooth surface.

The newly asphalted New Berlin Trail is an easy and beautiful no cost ride that makes connections with other trails in Greenfield and, now that I know where to pick it up in Waukesha, I'll definitely be back.

Last week I truly enjoyed Friday Night Live in downtown Waukesha but had negatives to say about small stages and conflicting sounds due to groups too close together. Yesterday, Friday, there were no proximity conflicts but I did notice some sound quality issues related to old or defective electronics... except at the Steaming Cup. I complained last week about the Steaming Cup's stage being too small, and it still is, but Carly B. sang and played her acoustic guitar there unplugged yesterday and it was absolutely perfect for the setting.