R.I.P. National Liquor Bar

Last night my buddy Todd and I went to the Brewers game (thanks for the tickets, Ryan). The Crew got shut out which sucked but the weather was perfect. Grilled out some tasty brats and kraut and, of course, the High Life flowed.

After the game, we stopped in at the National Liquor Bar to pay our respects since it is closing this weekend after being a fixture in Milwaukee for 66 years. It was the first time either of us have been in there. It was pretty neat, and from the sounds of it, it will be missed. I sure will since it was $2.30 for TWO 12-oz taps of High Life. Bargain!

And they're off...Good luck!

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Discovery and seven astronauts blasted off Tuesday on America's first manned space shot since the 2003 Columbia disaster, ending a painful, 2 1/2-year shutdown devoted to making the shuttle less risky and NASA more safety-conscious.

At stake were not only the lives of the astronauts, but also America's pride in its technological prowess, the fate of the U.S. space program and the future of space exploration itself.

"Our long wait may be over. So on behalf of the many millions of people who believe so deeply in what we do, good luck, Godspeed - and have a little fun up there," launch director Mike Leinbach told the astronauts right before liftoff.

More ...

... and now finished

Wow. This has definitely been a record for me. Reading a book in a few days. So I finished reading "The Insider" by Stephen Frey and I was trying to decide if it was a good book or not but then I realized: If I started it Thursday night and finished it tonight, then it would have to be good. Otherwise I just have such a boring life that I can read terrible books pretty quickly. Anyway, the ONLY complaint I have is that, like Vinny suspected, it was very much like the movie "Boiler Room." Not that it's a terrible thing, it's just that too many times I found myself saying "oh yea" like I knew certain things were going to happen. Because of that fact alone, I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5. I think I am going to pick up another book of his and read it to see how it goes before I totally pass judgement on him as an author.

Currently Reading...

The Insider
Originally uploaded by derekdg.

Tonight I started reading "The Insider" by Stephen Frey. I have never heard of him but the books sounded really interesting and it was on sale so I picked it up. What's the worst that could happen? Here's the lowdown:

Hungry to leave his dead-end banking job and to play in the big leagues, Jay West lands a coveted position with the powerful investment firm of Donovan & Lloyd, working for the influential, charismatic Oliver Mason, a deal-maker with the Midas touch, a fierce ally who handpicked Jay for the job. With the incentive of a million-dollar bonus at the end of the year, Jay strives to make his mark, unaware that he is stepping into an elaborate trap--baited with the seductive promise of power and influence.

Jay soon suspects that Oliver's stellar track record is more than a result of hard work or good luck. The man seems to have everything--not just fast cars and a luxurious home in Connecticut, but a violent temper, a strained marriage, and a boundless hunger for money and prestige. The stakes are raised when a trusted coworker is brutally murdered and the beautiful Sally Lane joins the team, a mysterious blonde with the ability to coax secrets out of others--while seductively keeping her own.

With a conspiracy of deceit and corruption beginning to close around him, Jay races to untangle the sordid lies that have quickly and too conveniently blackened his name. Trusting no one and remaining one step ahead of both the law and his unknown adversaries, Jay must rely on his own cunning and wits to stay in the game--and to stay alive.

Ooooh...I love those games!

Another task down...

Kirsten Eating
Originally uploaded by derekdg.

After work yesterday afternoon, Kirsten and I packed up a couple things and left for the Lake to go through and choose the readings for the wedding mass. We stopped at our local Jimmy John's and picked up some delicious subs and we were on our way. It was nice. Had a little mini-picnic down by the marina while we knocked off another thing off the seemingly endless list of wedding tasks. The weather was great, unlike right now (1:00 PM CST) as it is pouring outside.

I also added a couple pics from along the way to the "Walking Pictures of Milwaukee" blog.

My Turn...

Very cool

This weekend there is an air show in Milwaukee. I found out yesterday after I got home from work that the Blue Angels were practicing over the East Side of Milwaukee. How did I find this out you ask? Well, I found out by nearly having a heart attack as they flew right over my fricken condo! Those suckers are loud! It was really cool to watch. They were flying right over the river and circling back. They must have flew by 10 times. People in the condo buildings on both sides of the river were coming out onto their patios to watch. I just couldn't believe how close to the ground (buildings) they were! Anyway, it was really cool and I would like to get out the show but this weekend is packed with things to do. Have a great weekend all!

My favorite album of the year

My favorite album of the year so far is "X&Y" by Coldplay. I find myself listening to this nearly every day at work on my iPod. I would highly recommend picking it up.

Had a really nice time camping this weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect and the campsite was nice. Two weekends in a row sleeping in a tent for me. I don't know how I am going to stand it sleeping in my bed this coming weekend!

See ya..

Off camping for the weekend. I hope y'all have a great one!

Need....Weekend....Now

I'm suffering from post-holiday-work-week-hangover this week. Even though it's been a short work week, I am dying to get to the weekend. Just struggling. This weekend a group of 8 of us is going camping at Kettle Moraine. Bust out the tents and the pudgie pie makers! I hope the weather's nice. Signs indicate that it will be, but we all know how inconsistent these weather "experts" have been lately.

Quick review of the Black Crowes/Tom Petty concert from last Friday night:
Black Crowes were solid. The didn't sound the greatest, but they were really fun nonetheless and personally the reason I was at the concert. Then came Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. I may have made some crack in a previous post about him being 85 years old or something but he was absolutely incredible. I have never seen a single person come out on stage and just own thousands of people. That guy just stole every ounce of attention from every person there, including me. Even the songs I didn't know, which were few, were amazing. The Heartbreakers were something as well. Just a great show, one of the best, if not THE best, that I have ever been to. So I guess the line holds true...always respect your elders.

The Big Gig

That time of year again! Summerfest started yesterday. I was not in attendance, but I will be tonight. A group of us are going to the Black Crowes/Tom Petty concert. Should be a pretty good time. I'm going more for the Black Crowes, but I hear Petty puts on a great show even though he's like 85 years old now. Maybe he just looks that old because of the drugs? Regardless, I'm looking forward to it.

Tomorrow Kirsten and I are heading north (again) to her hometown for a gathering at her aunt's cottage on Sunday. It'll be a nice relaxing weekend on the lake. Fireworks, catch some rays, have a couple pops...good stuff. We come back Monday morning in time to head down to Summerfest to see my friend's band "Stray Voltage" play (1:00 on the Rock stage if any of you will be down there).

Enjoy your weekend!