My Week that Was - September 25

The Military Ridge Trail
near Blue Mounds WI.
9/18/21 (dwm)

There was at least one chilly ride earlier this year, in June, I think.  Saturday's cool start is a harbinger of what's to come over the next few months as we work through autumn.

It was 47 when I left home wearing my long-sleeve bike jersey, winter cap under the helmet, and a pair of garden gloves.  

The garden gloves started years ago on another cold day when I needed to stay warm, but didn't need winter gloves.  They are the perfect weight and allow my hands to breathe.  They look odd, but I'll take the function over fashion.

After an hour on the bike and two hours of sunshine, I put the hat and gloves in the bike bag for the rest of the trip.  

It was my first-time on the Military Ridge trail between Verona and Blue Mounds in a few years.  I stopped riding it because there were more rough spots and places where beach-like sand was used to fill holes making it dangerous for bikes with road wheels.  There are still instances of both, but it was better than I remembered. 

Half of my 'On Wisconsin' grilled
cheese sandwich at Decatur Dairy.
9/18/2021 dwm photo

In late June, we visited the Decatur Dairy near Brodhead Wisconsin.  We hadn't seen it before and were intrigued by their lunch menu.  Last Saturday we went back.

The Dairy makes a variety of craft cheeses, so naturally the heart of their menu is a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches.

Mine was the On Wisconsin made with Beer Cheese, Beer Mustard, and secret sauce.  I don't know what's in the sauce, but the secret to be shared is that these are the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever had.  (In a blog July 13, 2019 I wrote about another very good sandwich, but it wasn't grilled.)

Just to clarify, their is little math and less science in this blog, so I don't know what the last temperature is before cheese becomes liquid but I think that's what the people at Decatur Dairy discovered.  It delivered high-level flavor and quality protein in a sandwich they sell for only $4!

It was a better game for the Packers Sunday as they opened their home season in Lambeau Field by defeating the Detroit Lions 35 -17 to even their record at 1 - 1.

Vintage Packer logo
on a 2016 cap (dwm)

 Led by the Aarons - Rodgers and Jones - the offense looked more like fans expected relieving concerns over the poor showing in the season opener.  The defense is still a work-in-progress.  It plays better with a lead, which means being more aggressive.  The run game is giving the defensive squad trouble, and until that is in better shape, Green Bay needs to score a lot of points.

 You can't make a good forecast on the future after two games, but I'm cautiously optimistic improvements and changes (if necessary) will be made to make this team better.

American Family
Field. 9/21/2021
dwm photo

Tuesday we went to our second Brewer game of the season.  The pair of tickets were part of a "package" that came with running in the Famous Racing Sausages 5K in 2019 and 2020.  The Labor Day game used the first pair, this was the second, with the Brewers close to clinching the Central Division title taking on St. Louis, the only team with a chance to catch them.

The surprise came when we saw our tickets were in part of American Family Field where we've never sat.  They were on the stadiums' Club level where suites run down each baseline with seven rows of seats in front of them available to the general public.

We were in the seventh row.  The seats looked like every other one in the stadium but with cushioned seats which is a nice feature over a 3 and 1/2 hours!  Milwaukee lost 2 - 1, but with a large lead over the second place team in the division they should close the deal any day now.  

The view from section 323 at AmFam Field.
9/21/2021 dwm photo

 In my estimation this is the best Milwaukee Brewer team ever.  We'll see what that means when the post-season starts, but I think this team can do some damage.

 Friday I gave blood.  It was my 120th pint or 15th gallon since my first time in the early 1980s.  The phlebotomist was tremendous, there was no pain when she inserted the needle.

 If you haven't given blood in awhile, make an appointment.  If you've never given, give it a try.  You might save a life.  As they say the pain lasts a moment, the good feeling lasts a lifetime.