Not exactly the shot I was looking for, but the best I could do this week. 
Posted in Places to See, Tom, Wausau
There are many of us who live in this part of the country who feel that fall is the best season of the year. And what is not to like about it? Warm days, but not hot enough to get sweaty, crisp clear nights. No bugs, or at least almost no bugs. Beautiful colors. And the kids are back in school. Just a perfect time to get out.This past weekend we were out on the Mountain-Bay Trail. We drove out to Ringle and headed east to Hatley. Other than passing by the county landfill, this is a very nice section of the trail to walk or bike. And example of the scenery is over on the left. I was actually surprised at the number of other people out on the trail, I think I saw more folks on this section than the section we usually ride in Weston.
If you want more of a hiking experience than walking along the rail trail, one of the Marathon county segments of the Ice Age Trail meets up with the Mountain-Bay Trail just east of the county landfill. So you can take a little stroll on it as well. Near where the Ice Age Trail joins up there is a farmer’s field that is completely littered with glacial rocks and boulders, which is probably bad for the farmer, but a very nice way to teach the kids a bit about the Wisconsinian era of the Ice Age.
Or you can just walk slowly, breathing deeply of the crisp fall air and enjoying the colorful scenery. Either way you should get out before this year’s show comes to an end!
Posted in Bill Coady, FUN, General Writings, Places to See, Wausau
Editors note: WordPress somehow changed Dino’s post a bit, I do believe this is the way he meant it to be.
When I was 14 I was not confident enough to walk into Inner Sleeve. When I finally went, my life was changed forever. My friend Bill, now Will, was more confident as a child…maybe he had some cool death wish thing from a Darryl Hannah movie, but anyway Will had gone in and bought “We’re the Meatmen and You Suck” by the Meatmen. We listened to that over and over again, 14 years old…punk rock coming to our heads and souls in ways we would never understand.
That music was at Inner Sleeve. I knew it was there. I did not know anything about that music, but I was 14, and anything that sounded like that was perfect for me. I remember getting dropped off downtown by my mom and walking over to Inner Sleeve. It was next door to Shephard and Schaller at the time. I think I stood there for like 10 days, looking in the window. Seeing the wall of vinyl. Mike with his ponytail, and a bunch of older guys who seemed so cool it was beyond my understanding on why I would ever be allowed in to a place like that. I thought someone would laugh at me if I tried to walk in. So I waited. I lingered across the street at JC Penny’s. It was before Eastbay bought that block, and long before the City of Wausau made it a park.
So the older guys left. The store looked empty. It was my turn…swim or drop to the bottom. I had to go in. Shake off the “Dungeons and Dragons,” the Atari 2600, and Sean P.’s IBM computer and flight simulator. I needed to know what it was, I felt compelled by something greater than me. Greater than sports, greater than girls, greater than grades and teachers and parents…just greater. I heard it in punk rock, and I knew Mike Capista had punk rock. And punk rock sounded like I wanted life to sound.
The rest is history. I have no idea what I bought, if I bought anything. I am leaning towards “We the Meatmen and You STILL Suck” for some reason. Its all a blur really. I remember the smell of incense, the records on the walls, the crappy couch, and Mikes hair. I remember that I was allowed to take album cover art free if I wanted it.
Over the years Mike has become a friend. Mike has been a mentor. For example, Mike introduced me to Sonic Youth, and Sonic Youth changed my life.
Mike introduced me to blues music. And blues music changed my life.
I have never felt cool around Mike, and I have never once felt uneasy. When the arson happened a lot of people asked me to call Mike and talk to him, and I said I cannot. I have never felt like someone who can call Mike. Not that Mike ever gave me that impression, in fact Mike has often talked about life with me. But when I am around Mike, I am 15, and Mike is the icon in my eyes.
There are generations of men and woman who love music.
Mike taught me what this picture actually means.
I learned what this look sounded like, from Mike. I learned how to be a good guy, how to see music in a non judgemental way from Mike. I think I fail in that a lot of the time, but Mike is the example.
I know 200 people who can trace their birth in music directly to Mike and his shop Inner Sleeve.
And some little idiot took the time to burn it down.
Here’s the thing…Mike is a legitimately good guy. I have never ever ever ever heard Mike say anything bad about anyone. Even when we get the Italian blood flowing, Mike never falls into negativity.
We’re a small town Wausau. I celebrate Mike. He has had a record store open in this town for as long as I have been alive. A simple independant business. In the age of iTunes, and Napster, Mike stands there selling cds at a fair price. I think we should not only hand Mike a bag of money filled with hundred dollar bills, but I think the city should name a street after him. We should have a parade in his honor. We are not insurance companies, and Dudleys…we’re Capistas…and Scott Street Pubs. We’re long surviving businessses who define us culturally. Not just commercially.
Thank you Mike for helping me learn to be a man, to define the things that are important. I want nothing but the best for Mike.
The guys at Marcs Guitar Shop and Z104 are putting on a large benefit for Mike on October 8th, 100% of the proceeds going to Mike. I would hope you take some time and call Marcs guitar shop, and find out how you can donate money for Mike. I think there is an account set up at Tower Credit Union. So its all official.
Mike, thank you.
Posted in Dino, FUN, General Writings, music, People, Places to See, Wausau
Well it is that time of week again, time to check the progress of the monument downtown. Like me, the building seems to be growing out, not up at the moment.
On on an only barely related note, the Wausaublog does have a bit of an unresolved opportunity. The Flickr page has a limit of 200 photos on their free account. We can either keep adding photos, and the first photos uploaded from long ago will no longer be visible on the Flickr pages or I can try to find another photo gallery host that is more generous. As always, if you have an opinion, drop it in the box below.
And here is the Friday Dudley:
Posted in Business, Places to See, Tom, Wausau
I got an invitation in the mail the other day that made me wish that I had more friends. The group 1000 Friends of Wisconsin is celebrating their tenth anniversary tomorrow and they wanted me to come to the party. Actually, if I recall correctly, I just missed being one of the 1000 Friends and my membership number is 1083 or so.
The 1000 Friends are not just a group that gets together to party every 10 years or so, they are a group working to make the state a better place to live. They seek to do this by implementing Smart Growth, or to put it simply to make cities great cities, and let the country stay open and rural. Unfortunately I cannot lay my hands on the source of the quote, but one of their mailings said that “cities are the saviour of wilderness.”
This rings true to me on a very deep level. Even along Franklin street here a number of houses have been built along the road as it goes out into the county, privitizing what was once a very nice view to the north. Now, those homes were not built into a wilderness of anykind, but in a small way show what can be lost as development spreads further out.
In honor of their 10th anniversary the 1000 Friends are giving out a number of awards for people and organizations that have tried to make our communities more livable while preserving the rural and wilderness areas of the state. I think it is a good mix of public and private efforts and represents the best of what Wisconsin has to offer. I hope that we in Wausau will pay heed to these kinds of efforts and maybe at the 15th anniversary we will see Wausau or Marathon county represented in their awards.
Wausau is in a great position as a livable city surrounded by wonderful rural and scenic lands, I hope we can keep that character as time goes on.
So, check out the awards list and see how, working together, we can move towards having the best of both worlds.
October 26: Did I really not post on that many days? The foliage is decidely well beyond peak now. Looking back at the series of pictures, I would classify “peak color” as happening during the first week of October, the pictures from the 3, 4 and 5th or so are just right there. Hope you enjoyed the series and I hope we get a chance to do it again next year!
October 14: I am thinking definitely “past peak” at this point, more branches than leaves now, even a bit of show on the ski runs!
October 13: I was able to run out for five minutes and for that five minutes there was a blizzard. No lie!
October 12: Seeing a lot more branches and still some snowflakes.
October 11, 2006: Oh my — winter preview!
October 10, 2006: Boy the bare trees are really starting to show.
October 9, 2006: My goodness! I didn’t realize I was this far behind!
October 8, 2006: Another perfectly glorious day, but I fear that all good things come to an end, and the end can now begin to be seen.
October 7, 2006: Just another perfect fall day here in Wausau, clear blue skis 60 degrees, this has just been wonderful!
October 6, 2006: Uh oh, I think I am seeing a few bare branches in there!
October 5, 2006: OK, maybe it could get a little bit better!
October 4, 2006: If you are not here, get here, it doesn’t get much better than this! Clear blue skies, 60 degrees and this!
October 3, 2006: A bit cloudy, but still quite warm for this time of year.
October 2, 2006: A perfectly glorious summer day!
October 1: A perfectly glorious fall day! And I love this camera!
September 30: After this the clouds cleared for a wonderful fall day!
September 29th: Weather and lack of transport prevented getting a picture today. Check back tomorrow!
September 28th: In between a few more raindrops.
September 27th: In between the raindrops.
September 26th: Another day of glorious fall day here in Wausau.
September 25th: Actually took this earlier than usual, but posting it later.
September 24: In full glorious sunshine.
September 23: Still a bit misty, but you get the idea.
September 22: A bit too rainy to get a good shot today, check back tomorrow.
Posted in Places to See, Tom, Wausau
It’s been kind of cold lately, but I am sure there is still a bit left over from summer. Or maybe we could run on a treadmill at the Y or something. But either way, I am sure we have some Wisconsin sweat around here somewhere.
Arrrgghhh! You may already realize this, but today is “Talk Like a Pirate Day“! C’mon Wausau, you know you always wanted to! And it is not just a guy thing, you gals know you want to say things like “Arrrgh, this be some mighty good grub ye got here” to the waitstaff down at the Mint Cafe. You just know you do.
“Talk like a Pirate Day” is actually one of those things that shows both the power of the internet and the sad state of our mainstream media. According to the lore, the “hoiliday” was dreamed up by a couple of bored (drunk?) guys who sent around their idea in email and then put it up on a website. The site began getting quite a few hits and things were rolling a bit. But just to prove that at least in 2002 the Net was not the be all and end all, the “founders” decided they needed to get the word out. So they contacted a reporter who credibility and trustworthiness was second to none. I can be only be referring, of course, to Dave Barry. With some real publicity in the real media, TLAPD was off and running.
And now it is here, in Wausau’s equivalent of the New York Times. Hope you enjoy talking like a pirate today — try not to be too darn sexist, guys!
Here are a few more links if you have a lot of time to kill in the office this morning.
http://www.talklikeapirateday.com/wordpress/
Wikipedia Entry — includes pirate phrases to use!
And I don’t want to hear any of your landlubbers out there whining like Jerry Seinfeld, “But I don’t wannnna be a pirate!”
Posted in Bill Coady, Events, FUN, General Writings, People
I guess I was feeling rather, what, mystical today.
Posted in Places to See, Tom, Wausau
Hey guys…sort of a way to get out of this growing depression…the cats at WXPR have asked me to fill in on Friday from 6 to 9, doing Blues Friday.
So tune in, listen, give me a ring.
Posted in Dino, General Writings
|
 | Kenneth Lee Mcvay on WNRB RIP |
 | gfgumball on Things Are Moving Around |
 | unstranger on Things Are Moving Around |
 | Mike Licht on What’s Wrong With User… |
 | wisconsinatlas on Time to Eat Your Car? |
