Palestinian Freedom Walk, Milwaukee

If you are interested in learning more about this awesome event that I'm planning on behalf of the American Association for Palestinian Equal Rights, or AAPER, go to the official sign-up site or to our facebook page.

Here's the quick lowdown though:

What: Silent march

When: October 10, 2009

Where: Somewhere in Milwaukee (IDK yet)

Why: Because Palestinians deserve to be equal in their own country

Who: Anyone who supports human rights!

Also, if you're not in the Milwaukee area, you can find marches near you at the AAPER website.

The National

So I went to The National concert last night at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. It was amazing to say the least. If you haven't heard any of their music, you should really go check out Mr. November and Secret Meeting just because they are my favorite songs. The energy that this band brought to the stage was fantastic. The only other band that I've seen get quite as much into their music as The National is Dave Matthews Band (which I haven't seen in person). Anyways, go check em out because they're friggawesome like that.

Religious Education

What do you think of when you see that headline? Do you think about going to a Catholic high school? What about a Muslim elementary school?

I think of learning about and coming to an understanding of the different religions around the world, from the past and the present. In short, the following story is a great example of what I think of.

Boys in grades 6-8 from Trinity Presbyterian Church and Townsend Street School are learning about the different monotheistic traditions that they may come in contact with in order to eliminate stereotypes, fears, and intolerance. Mark Bedford, the minister who began the program, is considering expanding it to include Hindus and Buddhists as well.

Basically, representatives from the different religions come and speak with the children and answer their questions. One of my favorite people, imam Ziad Hamdan from the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, is also taking part in the program.

This is an amazing program and I wish that more people had access to this opportunity. Eliminating stereotypes and other biases against religions early on will have a far better effect than the same programs later on, but it is important for people of all ages to learn about their misconceptions of others.

I hope this program expands exponentially.

So the Brewers lost

Ryan Braun is staying classy, as are all of the Brewers. Most athletes like that nowadays seem to be an exception, which I think is so sad.

We had a great year - heck, we made the playoffs! In the end, the Phillies were just a better team. If they hadn't won the first two games, I'm sure we'd still be in it right now. Congrats to them and I hope they do some good out there.

Over at Brew Crew Ball, we're already starting to get excited about next year - I guess that's the great thing about sports, there's always another season. More talk about Sabathia is starting to happen - Will we keep him? Should we ditch injury-ridden Sheets and pick up Sabathia, or should we rest our laurels on Sheets and Gallardo again? Personally - and I love Ben, don't get me wrong - I think it's time to pick up CC if he's willing to stick around. Look at how much he's done for our team! I honestly don't think we'd have made it as far as we did without him. He is so classy and such a great example for the rest of our young team. Unfortunately, I don't have the money to donate so we can keep Ben & CC. We'll see what Mark Attanasio decides to do.

I'll definitely be following Brewers news in the off-season and I hope you will too.

On a fun non-baseball note: I have the first cold of the season... and I hate it. Being allergic to pretty much all cold medicine (aside from cough drops) is just making my life a living hell :(

Well, shucks...

Oh Brewers... Poor CC. I wish that they would've taken him out earlier. I love the guy, but clearly he wasn't playing well - leaving him in didn't help us at all or his self-esteem any. I felt like Sveum forgot Yost was gone... Hopefully it's not the last we see of him and we can end on a good note.

So Saturday we should win - I won't say we will again in case it's me that's cursing them. Ueck is throwing out the first pitch, which might help give the guys some motivation?

True to the "you are what you eat" theory, Fielder says he's garbage (of course I'm kidding, I love the fluffy guy). I honestly hope that he doesn't believe that because it's not going to help him - or the team - mentally at all.

For more on the subject, you can visit KLSnow's Frosty Mug at Brew Crew Ball. I stole his links, but it's okay since I cited it. :) Oh the joys of college history papers...

Ohhhh and you know how Ryan Braun was blogging about the post-season run? I missed the one after the first game, but here's the latest installment (don't mind my advertisements). He says that there hasn't been a drop in confidence, but, as much as I love him (yes, I love everybody), I highly doubt that's the case. I even have a drop in confidence and I don't play for them! Although, if Bush can't pitch well Saturday night, I might just sneak out of work and into the bullpen... I can make it to home plate at least.

Judgement Day!

It's here! Just an hour and a half more until the showdown between the Brewers and the Phillies beings.

Since y'all know by now how much I love Ryan Braun, I was ecstatic to hear that he had blogged about the situation the ball club is now in. (Thanks Theron for entertaining my obsession!)

I am so freaking excited not only for the game but also to be off work for the games today and tomorrow. Part of me is sad that it isn't in Milwaukee so I can't drive down and try to listen by the stadium, because I'm weird like that.

Let's go Brewers!

Goosebumps?

For some reason, all this post-season stuff I'm reading keeps giving me goosebumps. Could it be because Theron, his dad, and my stepdad are obsessed with the Brewers? That I've had to hear countless stories and opinions about how the Brewers have blown past chances? Or that I'm interested in a potential MVP and a potential Cy Young award recipient?

Whatever the case may be, Milwaukee is ablaze with Brewer fever. A rally was held yesterday at Summerfest grounds and over 14,000 people attended. I am so glad that I couldn't go - yikes! I think this is the best part of the article:

As Braun took the microphone, fans chanted, “MVP, MVP.”

They got even louder when Sabathia said he would start Game 2 on Thursday.

Brewers closer Salomon Torres continued working the crowd into a frenzy when he took his turn at the microphone.

“What’s up, Milwaukee?” he yelled. “I said, what’s up Milwaukee? Twenty-six years you’ve been waiting. Twenty-six years! You can wait no more!”

After thanking Brewers fans for their support, Torres acknowledged that the road to the playoffs wasn’t a smooth one.

“I know it’s been a very, very hard season for all of us,” he said. “At times, a lot of people thought, ‘We’re not going to make it.’ ”

Torres paused. The crowd rumbled.

“But we’re here!” he yelled. The crowd erupted.

AND in case you've been hiding underneath a rock, Gallardo is starting game one of the series against the Phillies. With him pitching, here's the confirmed lineup:

1. Mike Cameron CF
2. Bill Hall 3B
3. Ryan Braun LF
4. Prince Fielder 1B
5. J.J. Hardy SS
6. Corey Hart RF
7. Rickie Weeks 2B
8. Jason Kendall C
9. Yovani Gallardo RHP

It's pretty much business as usual, just with more at stake.

Imagine how crazy this could all get if we beat the Phillies... or if we don't. Either way, it'll be a circus, but the fans here crave vindication - we need this. All we've heard about the past few years is how good the team is gonna be and how far they'll get. I can honestly say though that, although I hoped that we'd get to this point, I wasn't sure we could do it until we got Sabathia. And even then, I knew it'd be close. But for me, faith in the team was renewed when Ryan Braun stepped up to the plate Thursday night with the bases loaded. Right then I knew he'd hit a grand slam and win us the game. With the loss on Saturday, my hopes dipped a bit, but I knew we could blow the opposition away on Sunday with CC on the mound.

And now, with Yoga taking the mound in game one, I'm confident that we can win it. The confidence grows with CC pitching game two.

The future brings with not only hope, but the true test of the Milwaukee Brewers - can they follow through with their plans? Do they have the determination? I'd like to think so.

Sleep well Milwaukee - dream about the glory that tomorrow brings.

BREWERS IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!?!?!?!!

That's right baby!

Ryan Braun hit a 2-run HR in the bottom of the eighth to put the Brewers ahead of the Cubs 3-1.

The Brewers play on Wednesday against the Phillies and will probably start Yovani Gallardo.

More to come later.

For now, PARTY!

I Now Know All Of Downtown Milwaukee

Not too long after admitting to the world that nobody really likes me and I didn't have any friends, the ones that paid attention more than I thought stepped up to help cheer me up.

I went to Milwaukee with Ali yesterday, after eating tasty Culvers kids meals for lunch. We parked not super far away from where we wanted to go, but we weren't paying attention and we pretty much ended up walking all the way out to the lake, then all the way back over to the river. We took a boat tour, which was pretty fun. Although we had planned on going shopping a little, we didn't end up getting to because of how long we walked.

We watched part of "21" which ended up being a lot better than I thought it would.

Then another friend called me and we ended up going bowling over at AMF. I made a couple of new friends there.

We went back to the Bergs, a set of dorms at Carroll. One of my new friends is an RA, so we got to hang out in her room... and she showed me where I'll be in September. It could be because of the lighting, but that room looks terrible. :( It felt like a prison cell, and I am definitely not excited about that. Next year, I'm aiming for Charles House or being an RA.

It was a fun day, but I'm definitely paying for it right now. My calves are aching something terrible and I STILL have the headache that I had yesterday afternoon.

My Whole Week Has Been Full O' Suckitude

Like, seriously.

I had a dentist appointment at the Marquette Dental School and it sucked. The lady basically called me a big fat cow. :( I'm in the middle of writing a complaint letter. She didn't take me seriously at all and it was upsetting and demeaning. I didn't expect the red carpet to be rolled out, but at least some sort of respect.

I was supposed to go to the fair on Friday with Theron and his mama. Not only did we not go, but the water heater in his house sprung a leak and his mama is sick!

Oh, and then today was the Brewers block party. We got there at about 1030 and spent roughly two hours in Braun's line (no, we didn't try for anyone else's autograph) and didn't get to see him at all! We were only maybe 10 minutes away. If they'd just stayed an extra fifteen minutes, everything would've been fine. But no, not only did they not show up until 1130 (which I guess is normal), but they barely stayed long enough to get anything done.

Theron snuck around and got me some pictures while I was waiting in line. Enjoy.

An awesome picture of me and my sunglasses. Theron's hot torso is reflected.

Bernie Brewer and fans.

Riske, Torres, and Counsell on stage during the Q&A session.

Braun signing OTHER PEOPLE'S STUFF!!!1!

Party time!

The Brewers finally got over their suck spell with the Cubs to win a game last night against the Braves. The Braves are much easier to beat I'm sure, but it also helped that the team got an early lead and was actually able to hold on to it. But that isn't why it's party time...

For those of you unfamiliar with the Brewers Block Party, they happen on three days every summer, with two locations in Milwaukee parks each time. The first 300 people get free sodas and hot dogs, so that's pretty cool. I have never been, but the final one of the summer is this Saturday, the 9th from 11-130pm. It makes me sad that I can't be at both parks at the same time, or at least around the same time, because - as any normal reader should know - I have a huge obsession with Ryan Braun. BUT, I also would love to meet C.C. and Prince, because I think they're both super awesome. Here are the locations and the players for this Saturday:

ELM GROVE (13600 Juneau Boulevard)
Seth McClung
Ray Durham
Jeff Suppan
Prince Fielder
Rickie Weeks
Mike Maddux
CC Sabathia

WHITEFISH BAY (Silver Spring Drive)
Craug Counsell
Ryan Braun
Corey Hart
Salomon Torres
David Riske
Ted Simmons
Eric Gagne

Obviously, I'll be going to Whitefish Bay. It'll be pretty neat to meet Hart and definitely Braun. But it won't be fun to be all sunburned and/or peeling when I meet him. I'm sure that won't win me a phone number. :)

I went to the Fox River Valley American Legion Baseball League Class A Tournament yesterday. The first game between Horicon and Bruce was pretty intense during the last little bit, but Horicon managed to pull off the win (5-3). I didn't get to finish watching the second game, but Viroqua beat Clintonville 6-4.

I managed to get sunburned even with sunscreen on. I will admit that I didn't spray my legs until they had started to burn and, for some strange reason, I didn't spray my chest at all. Really the only spots that hurt (without being hit or rubbed of course) are the tops of my feet (stupid flip flops), my knees (shorts didn't help), and my chest. I got this awesome Aloe Vera lotion though, so it should be a little better pretty soon.

Big Changes in Milwaukee

Yes, C.C. Sabathia won his first game as a Milwaukee Brewer last night. After he got warmed up, he pitched a great game, not to mention he's not too bad with a bat. And now, we have two lovable snuggly bear types - C.C. and Fielder. I read up a little more about his past and was amazed to know that he was drafted right outta high school. I can't imagine being a seventeen year old and being asked to go pro in my favorite game. Then again, I didn't play baseball or softball in high school, and I don't think I can really go pro in video games and expect steady work. If anyone is interested, you can come on over to Brew Crew Ball and talk about this recent trade and other rumors.

In other big Milwaukee news, the Public Museum now has a Woolly Mammoth. The even cooler thing is that it was excavated from cornfields in Southeastern Wisconsin, and shows signs of tool marks which indicate that there were humans about 14,000 years ago in Wisconsin. The only bones missing are a rib and a few in the tail and feet. The real bones are too fragile to be just out in the open, so there's a fiberglass copy up in the public viewing area. I'm excited to go again soon and see it.

And this frustrates me a bit. This guy is building a Statue of Liberty. It wouldn't bug me or even be a blip on my radar if it weren't for the fact that it's STYROFOAM. Yes, that famous material that we're not allowed to really put in the microwave because of the damage it does to the Ozone Layer when it's heated. He better be spraying it with some sort of sealant before he sticks it outside by the St. Louis Arch. It's supposed to be up in that area around August, but the man wants to bring it back to his hometown in Lake County, Indiana, when it's done being on display.

Yikes!

So much to say after not writing for almost a whole week! Erk!

Registration is tomorrow for next semester. I really hope that I get into the classes that I need/want to take. Hopefully, Theron's schedule and my own don't mesh too badly.

Wednesday night, Theron wrote up this mock test for calculus, and we spent like four hours going through it. I had a test the next morning, and I'm feeling pretty good about it. Hopefully, I got a good grade. I've never been with anyone who wanted me to do well like this, and it's sooo cool. I hope he knows how very much I appreciate it.

Grrr was actually relatively nice to me on Thursday. Hopefully that means she's getting over her damn self. Nicki told me a fun lil story when I went to say goodbye to her on Saturday morning. Apparently Grrr might be going to a different store. *crosses fingers* I'm not going to look for a different job then, until I know if she's leaving or what's going on. Without her, that store is awesome, and everything runs well.

Friday was wonderful. I got to sleep in, because Dr. Feil was out of town at a conference, so he canceled class. I didn't have to work either, so that was nice. Theron's mom came down, and took us to lunch. The math tutors didn't get paid though, and it totally ruined the whole day. Stupid people not doing the right thing. Rawr.

Saturday was an awesome day! We went to the Milwaukee Public Museum with some people from History Club. It was tons of fun. I haven't really been in Milwaukee that much, or to a natural history museum, so it was definitely a fun first for me. I think that Theron had fun watching me be all amazed at all this stuff. It seemed like it anyways. There is so much to see there that I could spend literally three or four days in there. There's so much to read, so much to look at, to experience. I wish I could've been there all day. Four floors of all these different exhibits - ancient cultures, natural wonders, wars, dinosaurs, extinct animals, the rainforest, and more! I really liked it, can you tell?

After roaming around the museum for a few hours, we went and saw Dinosaurs Alive! at the IMAX theater. That was crazy cool! The screen was sooo big. I kinda had trouble focusing on a lot - so did other people though, because a lot of us almost or completely fell asleep. Might have had something to do with the reclined seats as well... sooo comfy...

We went out to lunch at Mo's Irish Pub. That was some good food. Very filing too. They have these garlic cheese fries that are to die for! I ate way too many of them though...

As a joke, some of us thought it'd be funny to go to the porn store. Haha, funny joke... Until we went. Some of those movie titles - yikes! A lot of the things in there are scary. It was the first time Theron had been in one, so it was kinda funny to watch him. Our group was probably one of the funnest to have in there though. We had Sam, the really shy guy who was a little scared, and Jenny, who is the hilarious lesbian who loves to make jokes about anything and everything, and then another girl - I feel bad, cos I forgot her name already... Ooops. She was cool, though. And then Theron and I... It was really funny. I love how they have pipes for "tobacco use." Yeah right, like anyone who buys those really uses them for that.

Sunday was okay, I guess. I worked later in the day (3-close), so it made it harder for me to do homework. I'd much rather work earlier. Maybe that's just me though. Grrr wasn't there, though, so my night was terribly pleasant.

I have to work tonight, Thursday afternoon, and Friday night, but I get Saturday off, which is sooo nice.

On a super happy note, I figured out that I can put my hair up! It's super cute.

Plus, it's 57 degrees out right now, so I get to wear flippity-floppitys! Yay!

Adios! Hasta luego!


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Now playing: Dave Matthews Band - When The World Ends
via FoxyTunes