Thursday, 15 August 2019: Brussels and Suamico

I started my day with birthday greetings from dear friends while the sounds of heavy machinery drifted through the open windows.  Gemma was still in bed, and then in the kitchen with me.  She doesn’t like the big machines and the noises they make at all.  Oh, for the sounds of silence ... by this time next week...

I got some banana bread in the oven before I ventured outside.  Justin is placing the rest of the concrete blocks inside the breakwall in front of the boat house.  Since there was a mess-up with the initial delivery, we have extra.  This is the best idea for placement since that’s the only place left unprotected.  

First task for today: move the gazebo back.  






Once, grass grew where we have all this mud -- maybe again one day???

"let's look at what we got goin' on here."

Birthday dinner at Chives -- perhaps the premier restaurant in the Green Bay area.  And, not just dinner at Chives, but, dinner at the Chef's table at Chives!

Our chef's table was a well worn farm table.  Chef Andy took care of us throughout our meal.

For starters: Scallop wrapped  with bacon and a maple mustard reduction 

Next: Cucumber salad with edible orchid

Then: Mushroom risotto with sprouts 

Fish course: Monk fish atop zucchini salad, purple potatoes with everything sauce and Marconi almonds 

Meat course: Wagu Beef, roasted carrots, Chive whipped potatoes, veal demiglace, roasted tomato 

Finally: Peach, blueberry cobbler with homespun vanilla ice cream 



A bottle of wine or two later and I was one happy birthday girl!

Wednesday, 14 August 2019: Brussels

Shane and Chris, my two new best friends, were back at it pretty early this morning.  The major task for the last two days has been the ramp leading down to the water.  This area will be lined with huge concrete blocks with natural stones placed around and over.  But first, we must clear a space.  At one point when Shane scooped a bucket of rocks excavating for the placement of the concrete stones, Justin commented that it would have taken him two days to move that much rock.  I added that it also would have taken two months to recover.  And that, my friends, is exactly why we are having Grant come back tomorrow.  He can work all day for $15 or even $20 an hour and get more done in one day than Justin and I together could get done until it is time to leave.  I hope somewhere getting our yard back in order is on the list of concerns.  

These concrete stones are 2x2x6 -- huge!

This is how much stone is throughout our entire 

yard -- just under the surface of soil.

We went to Waterfront Mary’s in Sturgeon Bay for dinner last night and I was disappointed.  Justin had a burger while I took advantage of Taco Tuesday.  The food was only ok and the service was lacking.  It was too cold for me to sit outside so even the view was lacking. Tonight, despite being outside in the thick of it most of the day, I thawed out some shrimp and made tourkilimano — it was delicious!  

Monday, 12 August 2019: By the Bay

Yesterday we went into town to have lunch with Dave and Terry Gay, Ed and Joan Russo and Jim Bryce.  Jim and Justin met when they were still in college.  He lives in California and returns to Green Bay almost every year.  Jim came to visit us in Germany and since I had met everyone before, I felt like I fit right in.

Today, work continued on our breakwall.  

Look at our yard -- and we thought this was bad...

Little did we know what was in store.

The back hoe and the skid steer at the water

The cut made through the cedars for the access

The machinery is at Don's and another back hoe is at the McNally's two doors down.

Everyone needs repair work done!

Saturday, 10 August 2019: Green Bay

Erich and his family headed back to Milwaukee and Justin and I went into town to go to practice.  You have to embrace the green and gold, right.

We also want to watch TCU Alumni Ty Summers.  

I was floored when I saw this lady with a hand-held fan. 

 It was 79'!!!

Mason Crosby will no longer be "cross bar Crosby"

Friday, 9 August 2019: On the Bay

There was no work on our shoreline today.  Instead, we had over 5 inches of rain!  In the middle of the storm this morning,  Don's canoe ended up on the rocks and Justin went to save it.  I took a quick photo so we could send it to Don before I jumped up on top to pull it up.  Are we having fun yet?

Dellene sent a puzzle for my birthday -- Justin and I totally avoided and immersed ourselves in the escape.  We had started a tiny bit with the border pieces yesterday but basically, we completed the entire puzzle in one day!

at noon

at 6:00pm

and at 7:45pm -- all done!

Thursday, 8 August 2019: By the Bay then Green Bay

The electricity came back on somewhere about 3am.  Of course all the lights came back on and things started beeping everywhere.  Earlier in the night Lilly had come in to bed with Justin and me and she slept right through everything coming back on.  

Even though the electricity was on, we still needed to go to April's for breakfast.  And, even though the electricity was on, there was no work going on the breakwall today.  

Thankfully, the weather was all clear in time for the game this evening.  Erich found tickets for all of us for $30.  P
reseason and $30 tickets is only time we'd get to take an 8, 4 and 2 yr old.  THen I learned this was Holly's first Packer game too!

 

Pre-game warm up -- the stands were still rather empty

Brian Balaga, as right tackle, usually leads/blocks.  

But, this evening, returning to the locker room before kick-off, 

Aaron Rogers is in the front.

Holly and I pushed together to ensure we were there in time to see pre-game including watching the team enter the field from within the tunnel.  And, as expected, many of the starters didn’t start or even suit up.  We didn’t get to see Sternberger at all and minimal play by Kumrow early in the first quarter.  We learned later that Sternberger is in concussion protocol from a kluflufal during practice -- really bad form -- IMHO.  And, IMHO, Stenrberger and Kumrow are players to watch as they are "my guys."  I still haven't forgiven management for letting Jordy Nelson go -- grrr!

The kids lasted the WHOLE game. They were incredible.  Yet another piece of evidence that setting limits and expectations for kids pays off.

Finn might have needed his Nuk for the game but Lilly definitely had her groove on!

I am one cute kid!

Don't bother me with football when I have cotton candy!

The rosters are at 90 now.  They'll need to be down to 53 right before the season opener against the Bears.