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| Camp Randall's press box. |
The week started with a treat, going to the University of Wisconsin home-opener with our youngest son. Since little travel was involved, I was able to get in a morning ride and trip to the gym before cleaning up and getting to the meeting point.
The state's major university is located on an isthmus; it goes without saying parking is in short supply for nearly 80,000 fans.
Our parking lot was a mile-and-a-half from the stadium. Walking on a crisp, autumn day would have been lovely. Walking when record-setting temperatures were predicted? Not so much. The Badger Shuttle was a perfect solution as a half-dozen school buses started shuttling fans starting two hours before game time until an hour after.
Getting home seven hours later, happy, hot, and sweaty - it felt good to hit the shower and relax. I slept soundly.
Sunday was routine with our only trip to church before taking refuge inside with air conditioning. Monday's holiday was as hot and more humid, so we both worked out early and finished a bike ride before it reached 80-degrees. We didn't do much on Labor Day but it was nice to have an extra day to rest and relax.
It's different when Tuesday is the week's Monday. It merges two work days into one and creates a rush to get things done by the end of the week when a full day is missing. Still, the vast majority like four-day work weeks.
By Tuesday one a big local story in the local media was the music and entertainment being too loud at Badger game. Apparently hundreds of season-ticket holders complained about the deafening noise and the powers that be promised to make the next home game a better experience.
Wednesday the weather turned. It was humid going to the gym in the morning, by evening the air dried out and overnight into Thursday it reached the low 60s! I'm not sure, but I hope we've seen the last 90-degree day this year.
Thursday felt dramatically different. People wore jackets. I even wore one while giving rickshaw rides on a cloudy and breezy afternoon. It wasn't cold, it was refreshingly cool and a sign autumn is coming.
Friday we had a donor appreciation event recognizing donors who give automatically each month. It's called the Oak Tree Circle. Since the event started several years ago it's a casual get-together where employees, residents, and community donors can visit over brats and burgers. We refer to it as a cookout or a picnic and while it is neither, the atmosphere of togetherness and appreciation make it my favorite.
The first of two cookouts went well with several walk-ins making it a bigger crowd than expected. It was fun. I'm looking forward to the second picnic this coming Friday.
Photos by David Mossner, top left 9/2/2023.
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