Notes from Wisconsin

I believe that I have already noted that it is flat and cold, so no more about that. It is also very sunny and there is no pollen, and those are great.

Yesterday on the way back to the hotel, the sunset was spectacular. I remembered to bring the camera today just in case. I'm hoping that we get a repeat.

We went to dinner at Anderson's Bar & Grill. I had the 2-cheeseburger special for $8.50. I chose the bacon cheeseburger and the blue cheese burger. Fantastic! I doubt my stomach will ever recover from the full pound of hamburger I ate. I also had a 23-ounce beer of some local brewery and the apple pie with Olson's ice cream. For an appetizer, we had the deep fried cheese curds. I believe they deep fry nearly anything, including the cheesecake. That's not a joke - it was in the menu.

My outdoor hayfever seems to be completely gone, and my skin is nowhere near as dry. However, I still have my dust allergies. As soon as I'm outdoors, I'm ok. It is nice to have clear sinuses, even if it is only temporary.

These people do not believe in eating vegetables, but they know how to do dairy and meat. I had a salad at Subway for lunch, and that is the closest thing to healthy food that I have seen since I got here. I'm going on a brewery tour after work, then back to the hotel for a while. It is a Lost night, so I may eat a very late dinner. I refuse to miss tonight's episode.

People here have an accent and I'm not sure they realize it. It is like the Minnesota/North Dakota accent we are all so familiar with from Fargo, but not as pronounced. They use the word "pop" for fizzy beverages, and they say "Eye-talian" for the dressing.

In general, people seem to be pretty nice. Though the town is about the same size as the one I live in, it is nowhere near as urban, crowded, loud, or stressed. It is actually a pretty nice little place. I am a nobody in this company, just a new bottom-rung staff accountant, but they refer to me as a big fish because I'm from Seattle, which they think is exotic. Isn't that charming?

The little town is very old, dating back to the late 1800s. The older downtown buildings sit apart from the shopping district, which helps to preserve the look of the place. I have yet to see a new house. They all seem to be Craftsman homes from the 50s. I've never seen so many wrap-around porches in one place. The building I work in must have last been renovated in the 70s, judging from the colors of the wallpaper, the dark wood veneer, and the "chandelier" in the lobby. I think the shopping district is probably the newest thing in the area, at a few years.

I find it a little difficult to work away from my office. All I have is my laptop, so all of the paperwork I need is in Seattle. I have to communicate with everyone through email. The time difference causes problems. The hotel is nice, and the food is good, but I want to sleep in my own bed and eat my own food. I'm going to get fat eating restaurant food all the time. I worry about my cat and my fish. I am definitely not cut out for business travel. Still, I like the change of scenery, and I am glad it is temporary.