And with that in mind . . . what you do for a living is pretty important . . . it's a marriage . . . 8 or more hours a day you're at it, 5 days a week (sometimes more) . . . and it better be good or else you're going to bring it home with you. And if momma ain't happy . . . ain't nobody happy. Simply . . . it really doesn't matter where you live because it's your happiness, it's what you bring to others that makes wherever you're at a home.

. . . the general consensus would be . . . it's good they all got away . . .

Call me odd . . . call me quirky . . . call me whatever you want (and trust me . . . I have been) . . .

I call myself diversified . . .

If it's different . . . I'll be interested.

So, heading off to Wisconsin, for the first time, for a four-day weekend, to totally get into the cultural vibe I asked what Wisconsin is famous for.

Response . . . cheese and beer . . . dilemma. . . I'm not a beer drinker and the only cheese I like - European. But, up for the "new," with wholeheartedness decided - beer tour and cheese head were on my list of top things to do/find in Wiscon.

What I found . . . in order: heat, humidity, mosquitoes . . . beautiful farmland, the green I forget is outside of Colorado and Friday fish fry . . . new friends, the perfect of floating down a river, how sweet no agenda is.

I did not do a beer tour nor find a cheese head . . . what I did find . . . a winery (one of the oldest in the country) to tour (1 1/2 hour tour - 1/2 hour history and site tour, 1 hour tasting 12 different wines) . . . and something called cheese curds (of course bringing 5 bags back to Colorado . . . and telling everyone this is what you get when cheese goes to the bathroom) . . .

I love being French!

strat guitar : )

Do you love me . . .

To a tee . . . before she became outlandish . . .

. . . on second thought . . . she still fits me . . .

tuna you once swam
mayonnaise now engulfs you
mine with whole wheat bread

. . . but this picture is showing something I've never thought of . . .

art collection, books and music . . .
. . . it's a summation of me . . .

computer, shoes and clothes . . .
. . . I need these to stay present in the world . . .

bottom line . . . I've had to start over three times in my life . . .
. . . I've learned ANYTHING can be replaced . . . except for family and pets . . . )

. . . this . . . is my Athabascan grandmother . . . known for her skill in beadwork, two of her parkas are in museums in Alaska . . . she traveled trap lines by herself when she was sixteen . . . shot a bear . . . made the best moose stew . . . worked the fishing wheels in summers . . . passed on the stories and traditions of our People . . . helped put our tribal language into written form . . . I stay warm in her memories . . . her blood envelopes mine . . .

. . . it has the perfect tide pools to watch starfish, sea urchins . . .

. . . free glasses of wine . . . girl talk . . . womens' humor . . . dog lounging around . . . it's like being in your living room while getting a great cut . . .

and . . . I'll remember that pinky wrestling can lead to a broken pinky . . .

but . . . most importantly . . . what INCREDIBLE friends I have . . .

and family is good . . . it keeps psychologists in business, provides stories and presents love in the most unlikely of ways . . . yet it is still love . . .

. . . life is a rich event . . .

. . . the topic of Da Vinci makes for a great ice breaker )

Hershey Town . . . when it was smaller . . . you knew Willy Wonka based his on this one . . .

. . . by the end of the day though . . . we all felt a little green . . . smelling Hershey's for hours can do a number on you . . .

These days . . . for an instant theme park . . . I'll go to the Bump and Grind for brunch . . . the waiters dress in drag . . .