Happy Thanksgiving

What's new in Wisconsin?  Bitter cold, snow, and the sun sets at 4:15 PM Central Time with another month to go until winter solstice (and probably nearly 5 months until spring).  We broke all kinds of records this month around here- coldest Thanksgiving in 82 years, most consecutive days of below normal temperatures in November on record, twice the average snowfall for November.  Teddy has been keeping us busy with lots of playtime and walks (although short ones due to the cold).  He has perfected the couch cuddle already and makes for a warm blanket. 

Teddy brushing up on some doggy manners (he thinks dogs on TV are real)

The State of Wisconsin only recognizes Thanksgiving Day for the holiday, so unfortunately Scott had to work earlier in the week and tomorrow (Black Friday).  Because of the limited time he had off, we decided to stay put for Thanksgiving, and given the Nor'easter that ended up rolling through yesterday, it probably was the right decision despite how much we miss our families and friends.  We hope to have a nice long Christmas break with visits in NJ and PA once Scott gets his vacation time, so please keep your fingers crossed for good weather for our first road trip from Green Bay next month (and Teddy's first ever)!

This was our second Thanksgiving in a row by ourselves.  Last year the winter weather in western PA kept us in Virginia for the holiday for the first time ever.  Anyway, I decided to make a decent attempt at Thanksgiving dinner this year even though it would just be for us, and it turned out that Scott had a coworker staying in town for the holiday, so Jordan was invited to join us.  We had crock pot turkey with cranberries, pecans, and rice, corn pudding and pumpkin pie (thanks Aunt Joanne for the recipes!), homemade applesauce from the Oneida orchard apples, and my favorite homemade bread compliments of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.   Delicious!

Everyone around here has already decorated for Christmas at least a week or two ago (the weather probably helps with that sentiment!).  The Cities of Green Bay and Appleton had their holiday parades last weekend and earlier this week, respectively.  Green Bay's was actually broadcast on TV and was pretty decent- I was impressed!  We are expecting some more snow tomorrow on top of the 4-5 inches already on the ground, so I guess I'll have to break down and get out the Christmas wreath and stockings tomorrow while I'm snowed in...if I can find them in the garage.

 

Always keeping watch out our door, just in case any dogs walk by

Welcome Teddy!

We had our first dusting of snow on the morning of November 10, and our first couple of inches on November 15.  Daytime highs have not exceeded the 20s for over a week, and will continue at least through the rest of the week with flurries predicted for most days.  The meteorologists continue to say that this is typical weather for mid-January, so I guess if we can survive this, we got this.  Nonetheless, winter is here, which means our outdoor adventures will be few and far between over the next few months.  Definitely hard to get motivated to go out in the cold, especially when it came on so quickly.  Granted, 40 is going to feel great if we ever get back up there!

In other, more important news, we gained a new family member last week!  Snoopy (now known as Teddy Bear) spent almost 1 month at the Oshkosh Area Humane Society before we met him and decided to bring him home.  We think he is a Bichon Frise/Poodle mix, about 3 years old.  Teddy has been a pretty good boy already and is very affectionate and playful (so playful that I think he might be younger).  He especially likes stuffed toys, tennis balls, and his antler chew, and we have even caught him watching TV.  We don't know much about his past other than he came to OAHS as a transfer from a shelter in Milwaukee.  He already did a great job at the vet and the groomer- and has made himself at home in less than a week.  We are working on some extra manners and basic commands since he gets pretty excited.  Getting a dog was not exactly on the to-do list, but we certainly missed having a four-legged companion since arriving in Wisconsin.  We are happy that Teddy has joined us for the next leg of the journey and are looking forward to many fun adventures (and a few cold Wisconsin nights on the couch) together.

 First night home, in need of a grooming makeover

 

Tip Top Grooming Shop did a great job! Teddy was a good boy and this photo was posted on their Facebook page.

 

 Home on the couch after grooming- he can finally see!

Winds of change

As you can tell, we have been keeping busy through the fall with camping and sightseeing.  We knew that this pace would slow down once the weather turned toward winter.  Looks like that turn might be here- cold, below-normal temperatures predicted for the foreseeable future.

 The normal high temperature figure on the weather report is helpful for the newbies.

One of the troubles with blogs is that you get to read about all the fun stuff and adventures, but you don't hear about the rest.  Things like standing in line at a strange DMV, trying to pay at the grocery store with your credit card when they don't accept credit cards (apparently common), and dealing with inconsiderate apartment neighbors.  We have been lucky and have been enjoying our adventures, but 2014 hasn't been a walk in the park to say the least.  It's pretty disorienting to be a new place where everyday tasks from going to the bank to ordering pizza become an ordeal.  We are learning our way around town though, and starting to get those little quirks and nuances of living in a place that is not "home" (e.g., pronunciations, mannerisms in public).  Nonetheless, it's still tough to make new friends.  We had a nice couple living in the building across from us who were kind enough to give us local advice and invite us out for about the first month we lived in Green Bay.  Unfortunately, they ended up moving out because the sale of their house fell through.  Our apartment complex is pretty diverse and there is really high turnover, so all age groups and life stages are coming and going all the time, plus lots of little dogs since they are allowed (which makes us miss our little buddy even more).

Anyway, no major adventures last weekend.  Saturday night we visited a microbrewey in town- Badger State Brewing Company, which was a really nice atmosphere with a great beer selection including some other local microbreweries in addition to their own beers.  They are only open on Thursday-Saturday evenings, and the last time we tried to go, we arrived in the parking lot and found out they were closed for a private event.  I was laughing on the drive there because we had to turn on Lombardi Ave, go past Lambeau Field, make a right on Holmgren Way, and then make a left on Brett Farve Pass (can you tell what's important here?).

Since we are now also adjusting to the concept of darkness by 5 PM with the time change, we did two afternoon walks on the Mountain-Bay Trail totaling about 9 miles over the weekend.  In addition to getting out for sightseeing and taking advantage of decent weather, we have also been working in plenty of outdoor exercise, again preparing to spend a lot of time in a small apartment over the winter.  Plus, one has to burn off all that beer and cheese somehow!

Ken Euers Nature Area (right down the street), from a few weeks ago