I took a little vacation over the holidays.  I headed up to the coldest place on earth….alright maybe it wasn’t the coldest place, but it sure felt like it.  I went up to Wisconsin to see my Dad and Step-mom as well as other people and family.

I headed out early on the 22nd and thankfully I made it there without any problems.  I didn’t have any canceled flights our anything like that.  After arriving in the frozen tundra the first thing Dad and I did was head to the cheese store.  Not to far from the airport is a place where they make fresh cheese.  We got a few bags of cheese curds and a couple blocks of cheese.  I looked at getting a cheese head hat, but decided against it, because of baggage space limitations.

Most of the time was spent just hanging out with family.  We went to see a movie, went out to eat a bunch.  You know the normal family stuff.

I did get to see the grave stone of Jessica.  I posted about her in a post called 10 years ago… It was nice to see the stone, she was a very good friend of mine, and I don’t think I have ever actually seen her stone.  The fist time I was there to see her grave site there was just a plaque.

Also got to hang out with a couple friends including @grinningsoul who I have never met in person but have talked to online for almost two years.  It was awesome to meet someone for the first time you have known and followed for a while.  <–That sounds very stoker like, thanks social networks.

All in all I had a great time….well except for the cold!

This year I don’t have one of those “why do birthdays matter” type of posts like I normally do.  This year was a hell of a lot better than last year.  This year i was back in WI.  I went up there because my family was having a 60th Wedding Anniversary for my Grandparents (that’s a long time).  It was more a vacation than anything.

Thursday 7/3 – I took off work, parents took me to Logan’s for a Birthday Dinner, then off to the airport.  Went from HSV to ATL to Milwaukee then to Central WI.  The trip from HSV to ATL was long because the guy next to me wouldn’t shut up.  Then I was late getting to ATL so I had to run across the damn airport and just barely made it to my next plan.  Once I made it to my destination my checked bag wasn’t there.  So I went to my Dad’s with just my computer and the cloths on my back.

Friday 7/4 – Went to see my grandparents, Aunts and Uncles as well as a couple cousins.  Headed back home and spent about an hour on the phone trying to find my bag.  Then out of the blue a man pulls up in the driveway with it.  Cleaned up put on my KATG shirt and headed to some lame ass fireworks, then home and to bed by 11pm

Saturday 7/5 – Didn’t do to much till about 2pm when the party started.  Its weird seeing people for the first time in 10 years.  Everyone but like one cousin was at the party, and lots of people were drinking.  Yep my family brings kegs to parties.  After hanging out with everyone all the cousins headed down to a bar in the little town we were at.  Its fairly weird to be drinking with people you last remember being 10 years younger, as well as having your aunt buy first round.  It was a hell of a night, those people up there are drinking professionals.

Sunday 7/6 – Sunday was kind of laid back.  Got up about 11am feeling a little under the weather but not to bad.  Went to see my Grandma on my Step-mom’s side, then headed shopping at Wal-Mart for the next day.  I also bought a pair of sandals that coasted $1.  Yep I’m a big spender.  After getting home we just kind of hung out, and went to bed early.

Monday 7/7 – My birthday.  We left the house and hit the road about 8am headed to the Wisconsin Dells.  We as in my Aunt and Uncles family and ours.  We went to Noah’s Ark which is suppose to the the largest water park in America.  After 2 years I finally got to go swimming again.  It was a great day which I am still feeling the effects of.  Since it was an overcast day I figured not wearing sun block would be alright, well it wasn’t and by around 3pm I felt the sunburn setting in.  After leaving the park around 5 we went to have pizza across the road.  After ordering the pizza I saw my uncle tell something to the waitress in secret.  Yep, her and a few other workers came out and sang their happy birthday song, and presented me with ice cream.  By the time we got home it was like 9pm.  Crashed about 10pm.

Tuesday 7/8 – Chilled out at the house till about noon when Lynn and I went to get some cheese for me to take home.  After coming back home, I found out the neighbour’s daughter had come by to say Hi to me.  Feeling bad that I haded talked to her yet I went to say Hi.  We chatted for about an hour, traded numbers and I went home because we were about to leave for dinner.  After dinner lots of people showed up because we were having cake and ice cream for my birthday, as well as my second cousins birthdays.  Both my Grandparents from up there came by, lots of Aunts and Uncles and cousins showed up.  It was a blast.  I got a few cards all of which I loved.  Then people started heading home, and saying there goodbyes.  I think the hardest goodbye was from by Grandma Warner.  I almost cried and promised to see her again next year.  After everyone left, I decided to call the neighbour girl and see if she just wanted to hang out.  So for the first time since I had arrived in Wi, I was out doing my own thing.  We just drove around town talking, it was great and I was sad that we didn’t get more time to hang out.  But I guess there is always next time.  Got home about 12:30am packed stuff went to sleep about 1am.

Wednesday 7/9 – After about 3.5 hrs of sleep I was awaken by my Dad because I needed to be at the airport by 5:15am.  He was off to work, so out goodbye was short, which was probably good because I hate seeing him cry.  Plane ride went better than on the way up, but again my bag was lost.  This time only for a few hours.

There are a couple things I wanted to do that I didn’t get around to doing because I was just so busy seeing everyone.  Late last year I posted about a friend that died 10 years ago.  I really wanted to go to the graveyard and look for her stone.  I haven’t seen it in probably about 10 years.  I also wanted to hit up my old Karate place and say hi.  And I never got to go geocaching.  I guess next time I will need to take a day and do things I want to do.  Hope you had fun reading about my trip.

Ok I’m going to be lazy, and just point you to the dir where the pics are. I don’t feel like doing anything special with them. I would like to make sure you all look at the crazy upside down mansion. That was in the Wisconsin Dells, what a crazy town. Hope you enjoy.

Pics Are Here

Sorry for this one being late in the afternoon, but I was busy with car stuff. Hope you enjoy.

• Now this is one great idea. Think of the scraping that could be done.
• Crazy flies and there walking on ceilings.
• I knew it Wisconsin does do other great things besides cheese.
• Hurricane are nasty little things.
• Don’t you love the good old days?
• I’m telling you America was built because of the porn industry.
• Wow Myspace is rather big.
• Looks like my good friend Strages, has another Quickies post up.

Update 1: Huntsville is awesome, they have free wifi.
Update 2: Memphis sucks there wifi coasts $9.95 for a day, what the fuck is that. Also note to self Back Yard burger’s breakfast sucks. Off to MSP…
Update 3: Well I have been driving my ass off, I’m in Effinghal IL, at a holiday inn. w00t! I was trying to just drive all the way through, but that didn’t happen, damn weather. Here are a few pics I took this after noon.
Car Pic 1
Car Pic 2
Car Pic 3
Update 4: I got back home around 4pm yesterday, with a cramp in my leg, and a sunburned face. But the car is home safe and sound. More pic of the trip soon.