My Week that Was - November 22

Stella's bakery case. 11/15/2025 dwm

Saturday, after the regular workout, took us to two bakeries near the Wisconsin campus. We picked up donuts from Greenbush bakery then drove two blocks east to buy a loaf of Monkey Bread, a frosted cookie, and a hot chocolate from Stella's.

It wasn't enough carbs to pull the Badgers to an upset win over Indiana that afternoon. The Badgers have looked better the last three weeks than the first part of the conference season, but they still clinched a second consecutive losing season. Congratulations to the Indiana Hoosiers. I was lucky to see a number of games in Bloomington where the Badgers dominated I.U. most of the time.

Sunday the Packers got back in the win column with a determined victory over the New York Giants. We've had trouble with New York the last few times we've played them, so it was nice to get out of New Jersey with a W.

This date, November 22 was the first significant historic day in my lifetime. November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed by an assassin while in a motorcade in Dallas, Texas. When I was older, I heard about the impact in our home, at that time in Mundelein, Illinois, mom had just gotten me down for a nap when dad called home to tell her about the news. From mom's point of view, while it was sad news, worse was that dad's call woke up her colicky son just as he had gone to sleep.

Wednesday, I picked up where I left off in getting the new office organized. There are quite a few framed items that need to get hung on the wall but that will probably be the last thing we finish.

New lights on the west campus. 11/19/25 dwm

 On both Oakwood campuses Wednesday, crews were busy hanging holiday lights on buildings and front entries. It's something new for the 2025 season thanks to generous donors.

 The forecast expects temperatures to drop over the next week and a half and after that, when it's December, it is probably going to be colder. Not much is being said about snow, but with temps below freezing, we have a shot of seeing a blanket of white.

 Over the last month to six weeks, Thursday morning has become the quietest time of the work week. For a good chunk of the 5 o'clock hour, there are only 3 or 4 people in the gym compared to 7 - 10 other days.

The upside is there is no wait for the best machines. There really isn't a downside, but I wonder what's happening every Thursday that prevents people from coming to the gym!

The front entrance at University Woods. 11/20/25 dwm

I spent time on both campuses Friday and joined several colleagues for lunch at Sugar River Pizza in Sun Prairie. It was a fun break between two campus events.

On the drive home, going south on I-90/39 there was a river of headlights heading north. Saturday is the opening of the gun deer season across the state, so I'm sure a good number of cars were heading to deer camp. 

It doesn't happen around Madison, but when we lived in Augusta, south east of Eau Claire, we could hear gun fire from the forests just outside of town. 

Some of my insurance clients who lived in the country took special precautions during deer season, wearing orange vests for walks to the mailbox.

Thanks for reading - I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!