Wii Mom

The Nintendo Wii is definitely the coolest thing to happen to video games in a long time. If you haven't tried one out yet you need to make it happen.

One of the fun features is the ability to create "Miis" that represent you in the games. This past weekend I created one of my mom that I think is pretty spot-on. Here is a picture of her preparing to go head-to-head with the Michael Jackson Mii I made a while back and an action shot:

Mom in Town

Had a fun time hanging out with my mom last weekend. Lot's 'o relaxing and reading, with some farmer's market wandering and Ale Asylum beers thrown in. Also hit up the Brat Fest (vegetarian brats were available):





We watched these kids chase Canadian geese around for awhile to see if one of the kid's eyes would get snatched out of its socket, but nothing ever materialized:

Gas Is Not Expensive

Graduation and Farmer's Market

As of yesterday afternoon, Kathryn is a real attorney. I have already begun to respond to any question she asks me with "What are you, a lawyer?" The speeches at the graduation ceremony were decent, but listening to the names of 250 graduates read over the course of an hour and a half was worse than sitting through a Catholic Mass.


Luckily we were able to escape shortly after the ceremony and enjoy wine, pizza, and a backyard fire.

Most Saturday mornings I'm not in the mood to mill around the Capitol Square with throngs of people, but today was an exception so Kathryn and I went to the farmer's market. The high point was a rhubarb custard danish that was pretty much the best pastry I've ever had in my life.


The low point was a pair of 14 year olds playing violin and flute duets of "Smoke on the Water" and the theme from Star Wars. Those were apparently the only two songs they knew, and they did not know them well.

These "singing grannies" weren't too shabby. Next to those kids with the violin and flute they looked like a chorus of Pavarottis:

Busy Times...

... but good times. Trek had a fundraiser on Friday for the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin which entailed riding with Gary Fisher (founding father of mountain biking) a couple miles to a movie theater to see a documentary about the birth of mountain biking called "Klunkerz." The best part was the ride over there, because we (a couple hundred bikers) had a police escort the whole way to stop traffic at every intersection.

Played my first ever game of disc golf on Saturday morning with disc golf guru and jam band aficionado Chris. I think my score was double whatever his was, but I made progress.

It's Bike to Work Week so the Planet Bike crew gave away bananas, coffee, donuts, and bacon on the bike path from 7-9am this morning. Wish I had pictures of the hungry bike commuting mob, but I've not been good about toting my camera around lately.

Kathryn graduates Friday so we're getting out of town after that to go camping (and drink at the Grumpy Troll in Mount Horeb.)

One last thing... June and July are prime months to visit Madison so come stay with us for a weekend!

Hungarian Gov't Public Service Announcement

Hungary's Ministry of Economics and Transport just put out this little PSA to get people to cycle. Best part is the mustachioed postman at the end...

Cutest Matches

From the Core77 blog today:

"It is hard to believe they are real matches and not little edible sugar-candies. Of course that isn't likely as it wouldn't go over well with parents, but, on the other hand, put them with some candy cigarettes and you have a Lil' Smoker Starter Kit."

Awesome.

Good Advice

A few years back I was really close to quitting my job and going to law school. I even as far as accepting admission and buying some of those books that prey on the fear of law school. Books with titles like "How to Survive and Thrive in Law School."

One of the reasons I didn't go was the opportunity to become a leader in a small company. The other was this letter from my friend Val, telling me I was crazy:

10/12/05

Why are you going to law school--are you sure you

really want to do that?  Don't you have a good thing

going that is slowly translating to more and more cash

flow?  Who knows--you might be elevated to business

partner at some point.  Aren't law schools

over-saturated?  Do you really want to be poring over

books and working at a desk from 9-8?  I don't know

what has brought all this on, but I don't know if I

can really envision you being happy doing that for the

rest of your adult life.  Do you wake up excited

everyday at the prospect of going to law school in the

fall? Maybe we should discuss this further.