A night in Billings!

We spent this evening in Billings, MT attending a live music concert called "Live After Five". It was very entertaining, but I'm not talking about the music, I am talking about the dancers!

Kate and Anna watching the lady who looked a lot like Keith Richards.

Kate: "Where can I learn to dance like THAT?!?"
Anna: "Huh?"
Some locals dancing, they don't mind the height (or age) differences

Afterwards we decided to see a scary movie called The Orphan. On the way inside, Anna got distracted by "heart throb" Channing Tatum

We stopped by Target first to get some candy and other munchies. We had to be sneaky to get them inside!

Kate and I were very disturbed after this movie.Anna was still thinking about Channing.

We are very tired, goodnight!

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Back in 'Tana!

I made it to Montana! Kate and Anna picked me up yesterday at the Billings Airport. I had a quick and uneventful trip (from Madison to Minneapolis to Billings). We hung out in Billings all afternoon because that evening we were invited to go to Kate's cousin Kristen's birthday dinner.

We went to Kristen's patio to drink a couple beers and catch up. This picture was taken when I was trying to tell Kate about my new job. She still has no idea what I went to school for.

Earlier we stopped by Wendys. Anna bought us Frosty's but mine was really small (look at how the regular size straw dwarfs the frosty cup!!).
Then we went to dinner at a wine bar called Bar 119. It was pretty amazing! I didn't realize til we were walking out the door that Kate and Anna had copied my color scheme. Ugh, it is SO annoying to be a fashion icon.

This dog looks like the dog I plan on getting someday. His name is Murphy and he is <1>

After one glass of wine, Kate and I felt pretty crazy. I think it was the extreme jetlag and high altitude. I don't know Kate's excuse.

Now all the town of Billings has been warned to look out for the "Batwoman".

Last night we stayed at the cabin in Red Lodge. What adventures do we have in store? Stay tuned.... Lizza is coming tomorrow!

A few more pics from "Up Nort", mostly of adorable dogs

Lucy with sausage on her nose:

Silly Lucy! She "likes" having things on her head.

Lucy and Angel on a boat ride

Me and Tator Tot having a good time

Matt and I keeping hydrated

Mali and I "staying warm":

Me and Tator relaxing after a long day

Angel learns what happens when you follow a porcupine....

my last summer vacation

It has been a long time since I posted!

This is what is going on:

For those of you who don't know, I got a fantabulous job in North Carolina. It is with the National Toxicology Program: Center for Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction. This is headquarted at NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Full acroynym? NIH: NIEHS: NTP: CERHR

Anyway, I'm very excited about this job and have already started by working as a consultant. Being a consultant is fantastic because I can work whenever I want, as much or as little as I want, and I can work from my apartment in Madison!

It feels like I am having a last real summer which is what I really need between the hell of finishing grad school and the start of my first real job.

I have to leave my apartment by August 14th so I plan to stay with friends until the end of August (my job officially starts in September). I hired movers to get my stuff from here to North Carolina which was a semi-expensive (actually cheaper than a U-Haul) but very worthwhile choice.

Last weekend I went camping at a place called Devil's Lake, an hour away from Madison. It was really fun and I will write about it once I get pictures of the trip from my friends.

Tomorrow I am going to Montana to hang out with my best college friends Kate, Anna and Lizza. We always write pretty good blogs together so look forward to that!

Danger in the Northwoods

I am back in Madison after a weekend "Up North". To Wisconsin folks this term means northern Wisconsin.

Mali, Matt, Sean and I headed north to Minocqua, WI where Mali's parents live in a beautiful house with their two dogs, Angel and Tater Tot. Mali brought her black lab Lucy and we had a house full of black and white dog hair. Even though I'm not usually a big fan of small dogs I immediately fell in love with Tater. How could I not!?!


We arrived Friday night and grilled out on Mali's deck. We munched on grilled asparagus, pepperjack cheeseburgers and a delicious American Flag cake that Mali's mom made with fresh strawberries and blueberries. We also drank traditional Wisconsin beer. I tried different kinds (and liked most of them) but my favorite will always be Spotted Cow by New Glarus.


Tradional Wisconsin Man after finishing a PBR:
On Saturday we geared up in our American clothing and headed to Manito-wish waters for the 4th of July. We tooled around in a friend's pontoon boat, swam in the water with Tater, painted the boys' toenails in red, white and blue, ate more cheeseburgers and drank more beer. At night we went out in the boat with all of Mali's parents' awesome friends to watch the fireworks.

America!!


Matt's toes:

Mali and Tater:
Tater in the spirit:

Before the fireworks we stopped the boat at Little Bohemia Restaurant parts of the movie Public Enemies with Johnny Depp and Christain Bale was filmed. It is also an old lodge where the real John Dillinger (played by Johnny Depp) and his gang stayed and later escaped out an upper window from the FBI. Legend has it Dillinger buried a suitcase full of money somewhere on the grounds. Despite extensive searches, it has yet to be recovered. Little Bohemia, now a restaurant, also has the original windows and walls filled with real bullet holes from the gunfire during Dillinger's escape.

We went out that night and found a place called the Broken Oar which had $1 shots of ANYTHING, even top shelf. We may or may not have indulged.

The next day was our last full day so we spent it relaxing in the sun, riding the ATV and water skiing.

Teaching the boys cribbage (we skunked them!)

Relaxing in the sunshine:
Mali and I on the ATV, we found it an ideal way to take Lucy for a run:
Me taking off before "the accident"

I got a little too enthusiastic on one of my shore landings while skiing and came straight into the shore at top speed. It happended so fast I didn't have time to turn and I somehow managed to drop my slalom ski in the water and then flew what seemed like 20 feet through the air. I landed in the sand and couldn't get up for a while because I was so stunned. I didn't hit my head or break any bones so I was physically fine, but I didn't mentally recover for a few hours.

Sitting up but not really with it:
Covered in sand while crying and laughing simultaneously:Sean inspecting the rouge ski, I flew from the ski to a little past where this picture was taken.
We ate kababs that night and took it easy. The boys went to bed around 10:00pm and Mali and I watched Harry Potter.

What did I learn? Only the strong survive a long weekend in the Northwoods.