An "Oct-over" Go Over and a Brett Favre - K.C. Masterpiece.
Dear Friends, Family, and Interested Observers,
After that party, we shot up the interstate to Portage to celebrate a fall soirée at Joe and Kathy Houzner's hilltop home. Joe is a train engineer / brakeman; Kathy is a financial planner. Despite the calendar, the weather was sweltering that day. FYI, Joe was stationed in Turkey for a while as a serviceman. (First below, Joe and his Akbaş (a Turkish breed), named Abby; second below, Jim chats with brother Richie, nephew Brian, and brother-in-law Walt, closest to the camera.)
Once again we must thank the Valaskeys for allowing the Rocky Dell Road A-frame to be the central staging area of Bragg-fest. (First below, Mark harvests a delicious Head-of-the-Forest Mushroom in the backyard; second below, a family photo-op)
The following weekend was Badger Football Homecoming. Since the Badger football team had played in Madison the weekend before, I was not sure why this was a "homecoming." Sounds like a marketing strategy. We did enjoy the homecoming parade, although the next day I not so secretly routed for the Hoosiers -- to Jim's dismay! (First below, the tuba section; second below, the Cripple Creek Clogger float; third below, the real Bucky Badger; fourth below, fire jugglers!)
I'm glad that I wore my leather coat the day of the game. That wind was nasty. (Below, from left, Perron, Jim, Kari, Brian, and myself)
I dressed up as a Rhinelander Hodag for Halloween. I won a costume contest, too! (Thanks for helping me with the costume, Mom.) Halloween has become a very fun event on State Street, costume-oriented rather than riot-oriented.
That weekend Bucky got a long-overdue bath. When I went in to run the water for it, he followed Jim and I inside. Bucky pawed at the shower curtain as he usually does when Jim or I are in the shower. When we closed the bathroom doors and did not step into the water, he began to sense the danger. He retreated into a nook under the sink. Oh well, Bucky didn't fight as hard as we thought he would.
This last weekend Bob offered us an opportunity to go to the Green Bay Packers-Kansas City Chiefs game in Kansas City, Missouri. We took him up on it, of course. (Below, Bob and Lisa Hulien underneath a covered bridge in Madison County, Iowa, south of Des Moines)
Don and Hope and their family took up the opportunity, too. They had been in Texas the week before for a business meeting. Hope's parents Anne and Rick Pruden came over from the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. It was an eye-opening experience for Stephen.
We didn't get to see much of Kansas City. I had a relapse of my cold, unfortunately. However, we did get to try out some K.C. barbecue. (First below, Beth chomps into a rib -- what a southern belle; second below, Hope and Stephen; third below, cheerleader Beth and her Bumpa; fourth below, Kenny and Uncle Jojo get pumped for the game)
Part of the deal was that our crew got to tailgate before and after the game in the Arrowhead Stadium parking lot. What a fun atmosphere. It was a beautiful 70-degree day. (First below, Jim, what's wrong with this picture? Second below, Kansas City Chiefs fans' Halloween spirit; third below, tailgate world; fourth below, pre-game ribbing with the K.C. contingent)
The game itself was a typical Packers effort this season. They got an early lead, fell behind late in the game, Favre passed a bomb to Greg Jennings, and the Packers sealed the victory with a late interception. (First below, K.C. revs up; second below, the view of the stadium from our seats; third below, Cheeseheads and a Lions (?) fan; fourth below, Bob and Lisa)
What a fun month October turned out to be. Lots of friends, family, and football! Jim and I battled off nasty colds, but otherwise all was well for us. The Badgers, on the otherhand ... (Below, Jim wishes for an impossible comeback against the Illini).
Despite our colds, Jim and I packed a lot into the first Saturday of October. In the morning, we headed to the southwestern Dane County hamlet of Mount Vernon to help decorate the home of our friends Mary and Perron. Mary had planned a surprise birthday party for Perron (#40) and her mother Norrie (#80). (First below, BALOONS; second below, SURPRISE!)
After that party, we shot up the interstate to Portage to celebrate a fall soirée at Joe and Kathy Houzner's hilltop home. Joe is a train engineer / brakeman; Kathy is a financial planner. Despite the calendar, the weather was sweltering that day. FYI, Joe was stationed in Turkey for a while as a serviceman. (First below, Joe and his Akbaş (a Turkish breed), named Abby; second below, Jim chats with brother Richie, nephew Brian, and brother-in-law Walt, closest to the camera.) Of course, a Houzner cannot sit still for long. Hence, the cardboard slide takes shape in the backyard. (First below, the daunting course; second below, Jim's nephew Brandon hangs ten as his cousin Jessie and baby sister Kyla look on; third below, sunset on Cascade Mountain)
The following weekend, it was all about my family. A fortuitous work trip to Ohio had brought the southern Braggs close enough to Madtown to warrant a stop-over. We celebrated with drinks and dinner at our favorite Middleton/Cross Plains hang out, Morels. (First below, Dad and Lisa converse; second below, Lulu and Jojo; third below, Mark and I; fourth below, Emma and Mikey enjoy kiddie-cocktails at the bar)
The Morels bar is a sight to behold. Stuffed birds and game everywhere. A P.E.T.A. nightmare. (First below, a standing grizzly; second below, the mountain lion Mark shot in Alberta, Canada)
Of course, the big star of the evening was my new nephew, Stephen. Stephen was born in late August. He's got a fairly easy going disposition. (First below, Don and Hope pose with their new lug; second below, Mom gives Stephen a ba-ba; third below, Bob and baby)
My sister Lisa and her husband Jon are expecting their own bundle of joy in April. (First below, Jon guides Stephen into some chubby cheek pinching; second below, Lisa and baby)
There was also plenty of time for my other nieces and nephews, though. When the dinner bell rang, we were sequestered in a private dining room, much to the benefit of the dinner guests at the restaurant. The cousins get along very well. (First below, the cousin crew at the dinner table; second below, Emma and Beth; third below, Mikey and Kenny)
That night the adults had their moments, too. (First below, Jim poses with his favorite bruschetta croutons; second below, Jim sticks out his tongue, third below, Lulu angst; fourth below, donkey Jojo)
The Morels bar is a sight to behold. Stuffed birds and game everywhere. A P.E.T.A. nightmare. (First below, a standing grizzly; second below, the mountain lion Mark shot in Alberta, Canada)Of course, the big star of the evening was my new nephew, Stephen. Stephen was born in late August. He's got a fairly easy going disposition. (First below, Don and Hope pose with their new lug; second below, Mom gives Stephen a ba-ba; third below, Bob and baby)My sister Lisa and her husband Jon are expecting their own bundle of joy in April. (First below, Jon guides Stephen into some chubby cheek pinching; second below, Lisa and baby)There was also plenty of time for my other nieces and nephews, though. When the dinner bell rang, we were sequestered in a private dining room, much to the benefit of the dinner guests at the restaurant. The cousins get along very well. (First below, the cousin crew at the dinner table; second below, Emma and Beth; third below, Mikey and Kenny)That night the adults had their moments, too. (First below, Jim poses with his favorite bruschetta croutons; second below, Jim sticks out his tongue, third below, Lulu angst; fourth below, donkey Jojo)The following weekend was Badger Football Homecoming. Since the Badger football team had played in Madison the weekend before, I was not sure why this was a "homecoming." Sounds like a marketing strategy. We did enjoy the homecoming parade, although the next day I not so secretly routed for the Hoosiers -- to Jim's dismay! (First below, the tuba section; second below, the Cripple Creek Clogger float; third below, the real Bucky Badger; fourth below, fire jugglers!)I'm glad that I wore my leather coat the day of the game. That wind was nasty. (Below, from left, Perron, Jim, Kari, Brian, and myself)I dressed up as a Rhinelander Hodag for Halloween. I won a costume contest, too! (Thanks for helping me with the costume, Mom.) Halloween has become a very fun event on State Street, costume-oriented rather than riot-oriented.Don and Hope and their family took up the opportunity, too. They had been in Texas the week before for a business meeting. Hope's parents Anne and Rick Pruden came over from the Ann Arbor, Michigan area. It was an eye-opening experience for Stephen.The game itself was a typical Packers effort this season. They got an early lead, fell behind late in the game, Favre passed a bomb to Greg Jennings, and the Packers sealed the victory with a late interception. (First below, K.C. revs up; second below, the view of the stadium from our seats; third below, Cheeseheads and a Lions (?) fan; fourth below, Bob and Lisa)
Well, that's it for now folks. Best November wishes from Jim, John, and Bucky in Madison. GO PACK, GO!
jkb in madison
posted by jkbinturkey at 1:45 PM
4 Comments:
what a great halloween costume! i laughed at that. can i borrow it for next halloween? or maybe i can have mom make me one, too.
Great blog update, John! Can't wait to try printing pictures off your blog!
One correction, though: my due date is actually in MARCH, not April. (March 31st, but still... let's not have me carrying this baby any longer than absolutely necessary!).
Lisa
PS: We would love it if you could come visit this month. We're having another birthday party for Emma this Sunday, so she can celebrate with her Hurlburt relatives. That will be a lunch in Cornell. But otherwise we'll be around on the weekends in November.
Hey, John-- check out my blog! Finally updated it with some important baby news! Lisa
Hello everyone,
I have the same blog, but a new web address: http://frenchfreedomfries.blogspot.com . Adjust your blog links accordingly, and if you haven't checked up on me recently, you should. I've posted a lot during the past few days of the strike here. Leave comments if you visit my site.
Thanks,
Bill
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