Those annoying girls on the bus. They were all like, “My 21st birthday – I remember most of it.” “I would’ve been ok if I’d stopped. I had 3 shots of rum on the way and then a vodka cranberry when we got there, and it was a double. And then another.” There was also a highly detailed description of what one of them had eaten and what the puke looked like that I’ll spare you, but pink vomit figured into it as you might imagine, given the vodka cranberry. It really wasn’t so much what they were saying, as it was how they were saying it – perpetual chatter the whole way from Madison to Goerke’s Corners, where, mercifully, they got off. Happy Easter, gals.
That was the end of my busy spring break week when I was on my way to see Steve Earle at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee.
The week started with waking up Monday morning in Chicago, and shopping at Whole Foods for John’s birthday dinner which was to be on my brother’s birthday, 3/27. I took the train back to Madison and got back just in time to meet Phyllis to do the prep for the Tuesday food pantry breakfast. The pantry was pretty bare, and everyone was on vacation. No eggs, no fruit, no cheese. Someone had donated some dented #10 food service cans of black beans and diced tomatoes and roasted red peppers, so I took those and some smaller cans of corn and refried beans and some taco seasoning packets, and made black bean, tomato, corn, and sweet red pepper goulash. I ran over to Jenny market and bought muffin papers, and eggs, and some cheese. Phyllis cut up and oiled a bunch of potatoes, and grated the cheese. I made blueberry muffins. In the morning I served the goulash with rice and grated cheese, roasted potatoes, and the muffins. I begged a flat of eggs so there were about 50 hard boiled eggs, and there was peach yogurt and I brought some of my homemade granola to go on top. Everyone seemed to like it and we served at least 40 people – probably a few more than that.
I collected Hanne and we drove to Harvard IL to catch the train into Chicago. Stopped at the Jewel for beer; IPA that John likes and I liked that the label says Petaluma CA and Chicago IL – that’s John’s dad and John.
I made steak frites – grass-fed ribeye from Whole Foods, and Jojo potatoes, the coated kind, that were good but maybe a tiny bit soggy. I sent Mark out to buy ketchup, and then made quick garlic aioli, too, from mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and garlic. The frites were from Clotilde and I made the chocolate mousse from her new book, too. And the Maitre d’Hotel butter for the steaks, with shallot and parsley and lemon, was from her book too – I am making the leftover into garlic bread tonight (Saturday).
One of the other exchange students, Teresa, showed up on our doorstep after dinner. We made sure that her host parents knew where she was, and we all went to bed. In the morning, Mark and I went for coffee, letting the girls sleep in, and to make sure we presented a united front when we got back.
We all went to breakfast at Bongo Room South – I finally succumbed and ordered pancakes – they’re really the best thing to get there. Cranberry cinnamon swirl.
Then it was time to get ready for Hamilton. We walked with Teresa as far as the Divvy bikes, and she went off to ride and we went to the show. It was just as good the second time. I think the best part was the change of view. We sat on the main floor last year and had that kind of view – we couldn’t see the floor of the stage or any of the dancer’s feet – while this year we sat in the mezzanine and could. I preferred some of the cast members last year; I thought we had a better Angelica, and Aaron Burr. Last year I believe Angelica was Karen Olivo, this year Montego Glover, while Burr was Daniel Breaker last year, and Gregory Trecco this year. Lafayette/Jefferson was Chris De’Sean Lee last year and Colby Lewis this year. I feel fortunate to have been able to see it twice.
I came back to Madison on the 6:00 bus. I made myself a sandwich with leftover sliced cheese and peppadews and marinated mushrooms from our appetizer platter at John’s dinner to eat on the ride. I was home by 10:00, and the kitties were pretty happy to see me.
Thursday was a semi-normal workday, although I arrived late, because of going to drop off the taxes in Verona, and stopping to pick up an REI order. I went for an early walk, because of having to drive. I had a 2:00 meeting that let out a little before 4:00, when I started walking home, and I was two blocks away when I realized I’d forgotten the car was downtown in the ramp. I collected my grocery bags, planning a Costco and Sentry run, and took the bus to the car to Costco to Sentry. I put everything away, ate leftovers for dinner (cabbage braised in cream, Orangette’s recipe, that was getting pretty strong, so I only ate one of the three wedges and put the others down the disposal, and hummus on various things – pita, pretzels), and collapsed on the couch.
Friday it was up and off again. I decided NOT to go for a walk because I had a newly admitted student coming at 10:30 for a tour and a phone call advising at 1:30, was leaving for Milwaukee at 3:00, and had tons of grading. But I somehow didn’t get in until 9:30 anyway. Sigh.
Which brings me to the bus where I didn’t get any work done because the WiFi sucks, the annoying girls, dinner in Milwaukee at Louise’s, an adequate pasta place, because we couldn’t get in at Rumpus Room, and Louise’s looked way better than the place next door, that I’d reserved for a back up, Mikey’s. The show was good, the Pabst is gorgeous, but the sound was less so – I had trouble understanding the lyrics and there was always one thing – guitar, keyboards, vocals, pedal steel ….. that was too loud or too soft.
In the morning, I made an early exit again, back to Madison on the 6:50 AM Badger bus, to get to election official training at 9:00. It was remarkably easy, and I was in Madison with time for coffee and a scone at the Colectivo on the Square before the training. On Friday I had walked from the Intermodal Station to the hotel, in snow flurries. At 6:15 in the morning, crossing that kind of a no-man’s-land, the St. Paul Street bridge, you know by that BP gas station between Water St. and the highway – that’s always under construction – I didn’t want to. My Lyft was a giant black Hummer, I thought I was going to fall on my face getting out, but it was clean and I had a very pleasant driver. And no annoying girls on the bus.