The Many Adventures of Hannah: Is it just me, or did June FLY by?!

June went by soo quickly, I'm not even sure where it actually went! I meant to update my blog sooner that this, but I've apparently been having so much fun that I haven't been able to get to it! So if you'd please take a seat in my DeLorean as we go back about one month...and please don't touch the flux capacitor, thank you.

The first weekend in June was the much anticipated rock climbing for the first time outdoors adventure! I'd love to brag and say I totally kicked ass, but I won't, cause I didn't. I was thinking climbing outdoors would be easier than in a gym since you can choose whichever route up you want, but I was sorely mistaken. Just ask my arm and leg muscles and they will verify this soreness! I didn't make it to the top of any routes, but I did alright and I wasn't disappointed in myself one bit. Plus it was hot as Hades which didn't help. I think the biggest challenge of the day was not climbing itself, but rather trusting complete strangers who just learned how to belay with your life as you slowly start shimmying up a vertical rock face. But no big deal. I mean, c'mon, as if plummeting to the ground from a few stories up would be the worst thing to ever happen to me! But all went well and look ma! I still have all my appendages!

Jim got significantly higher than I did - can you see him up there?

Here I am! Going up up up!

So fashion saavy

The next day was spent at the Milwaukee Zoo as it was a free 'Children's Hospital Employee Appreciation Day!' You don't have to ask me twice to go to the zoo! Free snacks, drinks, and dinner were provided as well as an EPIC trip on the zoo train and a cow milking demonstration (oooooh ahhhh! Wisconsin is too damn cool for the rest of you! Who needs California anyways?)

My favorite Mold-A-Rama Machines! This one as a blue moose!

How cute is this guy!? He has a cleft palate so his tongue stuck out the side of his mouth.

The imitation is so close to reality, it's hard to tell the difference

It's only .25 to feed the goats! Who wouldn't want to?

Some girlfriends from work and I decided we needed to go out and that the best way to do this was to take a late night party cruise down the river and into Lake Michigan on the oh-so-fabulous Edelweiss boat (Note: at the time it was awesome. Upon passing the boat dock in the daylight a few weeks later, the Edelweiss looks like a special piece of work). For one small fee, we got an hour and a half boat trip with endless beer and nachos! What else could a girl ask for?! We met what had to be the largest group of short men congregated into one area ever, but thanks to the beer, had a fun time talking with them anyways. There was even a group sing-a-long of the Reading Rainbow theme song led by yours truly. Post boat cruis, I felt it necessary to ride the mechanical bull at the nearby bar. In a dress. Because I am One.Classy.Broad. It was a blast.

Who's the tallest person in this photo? ME!

This is the only nice picture of Sara and I

It's the Texan in me coming out!

The aftermath....

There was a baby shower thrown in there somewhere for one Miss Chelsie Vanden Heuvel who has to be one of the cutest pregnant ladies around. And I even won a game! That was a small small small victory and a short lived one as afterwards one of the other guests told us how she recently spent 7 months in Australia and prior to that spent 6 months running across the USA to raise money for MS! Talk about feeling lazy! (But really, what an accomplishment! I am fortunate to have the opportunity to meet such interesting and great people while living here!)

GreekFest was attended. Like other fests before it, it is just a tacky carnival with a specific food theme, but it was free and that gyro sure was tasty! Nothing like hanging around some carnies to feel real good about yourself and counting the number of mullets you see is always a tried and true American pastime.

Speaking of 'fests' though... The very end of June SummerFest started! It's actually still going on now ( I think it ends the 9th or 10th...) To those unaware, it is touted at the "World's Largest Music Festival" and they are not short of amazing acts to see! I could easily have sound someone worth seeing everyday of the festival, but I settled for just going on the first day and seeing my all time favorite "Jack's Mannequin" (same singer/songwriter as Something Corporate which, as you may recall, I purposefully moved to Milwaukee 2 weeks early about a year ago to see in concert). It was glorious (and I'm not just referring to the cheese sticks I ate!) I had a blast and the lack of sleep that night was definitely worth it. I would have liked to have been closer, but (contrary to popular belief) I'm not so much of a nut that I'll skip out of work and wait 10+ hours out in the hot sun for the show to start. I'd say on the nut scale, I'm more pistachio and a little less walnut.

SummerFest was so crowded - it was terrifying just walking around!

Waiting, waiting, waiting and waiting for the concert to begin.

Yea!

While we waited for the show to start, there was some EXCELLENT people watching (an insane # of girls in club wear - odd for outdoor concerts). The biggest faux pas was no shoes! EEEEW!

Since I've been here about a year - that means my lease it up! I opted not to renew (which inevitably is causing some issues with the apartment complex as they now begin their ritual of nickle and dime-ing me to kingdom come despite a great tenant track record) and instead signed a new lease on a charming little lower half of a duplex only 3 miles from work. Hopefully NOW I'll be able to cycle my little hiney on into work (unless it starts snowing in August!) Expect pictures sometime in August once I do the ever stressful move. By the way, I am now taking applications for moving help. Be advised that pizza and beer will be provided for your hard work.

We'll end this blog on my 4th of July weekend. This is the 1st 4th in a very long time that I didn't spend in Grandville! It was a little sad, but I made the best of it. It was a gorgeous weekend (I hadn't mentioned before that June's weather was a wee bit iffy - rather chilly and raining for the most par). It took long enough to get here, but it finally feels like summer ( I feel the sneers from California already, I know I know, it's felt like summer there for months and months and months) Sunday was a great day spent at the beach where I remarkably got some color other than white or red! It was followed up by a BBQ, fireworks and a bonfire. The actual 4th was fairly lazy as well with the majority of the day spent stretched out on a blanket in the park. Coveted 'Buffalo wieners' were grilled and beers were consumed (and from what we figure, both of these activities were slightly illegal in the area they were being done...) I missed a parade and any fireworks that day, but oh well. I have a feeling that this holiday is kind of an annual thing, so many next year.