all that's past is prologue...

I was feeling a little bummed out because we didn't really get to travel this summer. I knew that in advance, but I thought we could get some day trips or overnights in, which didn't really happen either. BUT my friend Kate came to the pool party last night and brought 4 extra State Fair tickets, and so we got to go for a 3rd time, and that pretty much made up for it. We went with Ximena and Beatrix on the opening day, after we picked up Beatrix from school. Ximena has not had much Fair experience, so we wanted to show her all our favorite things: the stunt dogs, the malts at the dairy building, International Marketplace, the Miracle of Life barn, Beatrix's prize-winning essay, Sweet Martha's, the gondolas, and so much more. Of course, Ximena showed us all up by donating blood. But she did get her Dilly Dog, and the fawaffle from Baba's (yum!). Then, on Sunday, my old friend Fran came into town and we went to see The Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge at the Grandst...

One of the perks — that I rarely take advantage of — of working with a film organization is that I sometimes get invited to special previews and events. So when I got invited to an influencer event for the Downton Abbey movie, we decided we should go, and Patrick held me to going tonight even when I thought I should stay home and work. It was 100% the right call. There was a special check-in line, and popcorn and drinks, and a photo booth, and tea tasting, and prizes. We felt very pampered. This was one of ten screenings in the country, with one of Edith's costumes on display. As for the movie itself, I don't want to spoiler it too much, but I can DEFINITELY say to go see it when it releases in September! If you've been watching The Gilded Age , they are very much in conversation with each other. It was wonderful to see all the characters we have come to know and love, and they were deftly re-introduced not to overwhelm the viewer. I have a great urge to revisit Noel Cowar...

It's good to have somewhat achievable goals on your bucket list, which is why a visit to Milwaukee was on mine, right next to a visit to Antarctica. So Sunday and Monday, we all headed out for a 36-hour road trip to go to Milwaukee and visit Lake Forest College . We left early Sunday, and made it to Madison in time for a delicious brunch with our friends Michelle and Steve at Bear and Bottle. That allowed us to get to Milwaukee by early afternoon, and spend time shopping and enjoying public art in the Third Ward and walking along the river. Beatrix had also wanted to visit Shaker's Cigar Bar, Milwaukee's most haunted bar, formerly owned by Al Capone. It was wonderful, with very friendly staff, a great atmosphere, and fantastic views from the three levels of rooftop deck. Then we checked into the Ambassador Hotel , which was gorgeous, where we had a huge room, and where the staff was incredibly friendly (note if you ever spend the night in Milwaukee nd part on the street, y...

I worked a lot on my birthday yesterday, but the fam (Beatrix, Patrick, me, and our bonus daughter Ximena) did make it to Iron Ranger for a birthday happy hour. They give you free ice cream or a shot for your birthday — I chose a shot, especially because I had a Starbucks as big as my head (free birthday drink) and did not need anymore sugar. I then had a State Review Board meeting, where we approved five National Register nominations and I was elected as an officer. Once that was done, Ximena had made me a delicious Tres Leches cake. Then we walked down and had a late-night cocktail at Bar + Cart, which went fine until I accidentally knocked it over, broke the glass, and lost half my drink. We got to walk past Catzen on the way back — that's Big Cuppa Joe asleep in the egg chair. Happy birthday to me!

Most years we (or at least Beatrix and I) have gone to a lot of Fringe shows, especially in the years that she was in one and had an artists' pass. Last year's literal sh*t-splosion by the Fringe artist staying at our place kind of turned me off on the whole festival. But tonight was a night off from circus, so we decided on "The Show Must Go On - a Backstage Escape Game" by David Pisa as our triumphant return to the Fringe. And we had so much fun! It was us and one other family of three. We had all done puzzle rooms together before, and worked well together to come up with the solutions and locks (we did need help from the guide with one particularly recalcitrant lock though that even she struggled with!). No hints as to the room, but try it if you have a chance, it runs every slot of the Fringe. Pro tip - tickets have gone up in price at $25, but that is inclusive of fees. If you buy a button you get $5 off, and Melsa Smartpass had an offer where we got ours for hal...

Beatrix has a bad achilles tendon issue and has not been able to perform for the past several performances of Lumiére . It's honestly been heartbreaking, but Tria is taking it super-seriously because the last thing she wants her senior year is surgery on it. She's been going in to the show every day just in case, and to help out with the many quick changes she assists with. This is an 8-show weekend and so I hope she's back in soon. July was a crazy work month for me but I've had a little extra "me time" while Patrick and Beatrix have been at shows. Inspired by my friend Jennifer, last night I took some on-the-edge citrus and made some oven-dehydrated slices for drinks. I think it might have been the first time I actually used a mandolin. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out! I was also inspired by Jennifer's gin collection, it might be G&T time!