Specifically, where in hell have I been? I could answer that I was spending an extended weekend in Milwaukee, but Milwaukee is not in hell. Actually, I have fond memories of our years in Milwaukee. I miss the city and the friends that we made there.
My Boss, by the way, is my conscience. I'm a creature of habits, both good and bad. I have been skipping my alone time in front of the computer. This means I been ignoring my writing both my blog and my current manuscript. You might remember I took a week off over the holidays. Last weekend, I didn't post either. A slippery slope I intend to avoid.
Write On.
I'm thinking of learning to speak French. I've been influenced by the commercials I've seen for the product Babbel. Why? Because I want to challenge my aging brain. I love the romance and beauty of the French language. I'm reading a new author, Peter May. He is a Scotsmen living in France. He seeds his stories with a lot of references and phrases in French. Enough! I'm convinced.
After my four days in Milwaukee, I truly realized how many friends I have on The Fresh Coast.
While I booked myself with meetings for as many as I could, I missed others. Another thing I noticed is the tremendous change taking place in Milwaukee.
The city is blossoming with cranes. Professor Robert Greenstreet of the Urban Studies Department at UW-Milwaukee has said that the presence of cranes indicates economic developers have faith in the community. The buildings that are going up indicate not only a growth of the cities business activity but another wave in the move to the cities trend. Mixed-use buildings are not only creating jobs in the central city, but they are making it possible for the workers to live nearby in an exciting and stimulating environment. It's interesting to note that some of the people that move to Milwaukee are people that visited the city either on business or for vacation. Not all new city dwellers are the so-called millennials. A significant portion is older adults that like not only the city atmosphere but the manageable environment. The ease of getting around the city and all of its attractions makes a difference.
Speaking of getting around the city. I noticed the progress on the new streetcar that the city of Milwaukee is building. The tracks, electrical supply lines, and elevated platforms are complete on Ogden Avenue. Despite complaints and grousing about cost and benefits, I predict it will be a raging success. It's expansion to the upper east side, down to the airport, out to the medical park in Tosa and up the Northwest corridor, ill be a welcome element in the transit grid for the region. This kind of change is becoming a trend in progressive cities all over the country. I'm proud and happy the Milwaukee is moving in that direction.
Actually, I've seen a lot of progress in the Fox Valley and Green Bay, since I last lived here. (We moved to Milwaukee in 2004) Maria and I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Fox Cities Convention Center. This long-awaited addition to the community was accomplished by pulling together all of the regional players. The cities and villages that worked together to make this happen are located in three different counties. Regional co-operation on this level is amazing when one looks at the current political atmosphere. It is one of those examples of local governments doing what's best for the residents of their communities and not the politically expedient.
Enough blah blah. Eat the second doughnut, order a refill of your coffee, bring up your favorite news source on your smartphone and enjoy the rest of your day. Wait. Maybe you should forget your news source and just play Words with Friends.
That's all from Camp Jeff. We're watching the snow melt.
My Boss, by the way, is my conscience. I'm a creature of habits, both good and bad. I have been skipping my alone time in front of the computer. This means I been ignoring my writing both my blog and my current manuscript. You might remember I took a week off over the holidays. Last weekend, I didn't post either. A slippery slope I intend to avoid.
Write On.
I'm thinking of learning to speak French. I've been influenced by the commercials I've seen for the product Babbel. Why? Because I want to challenge my aging brain. I love the romance and beauty of the French language. I'm reading a new author, Peter May. He is a Scotsmen living in France. He seeds his stories with a lot of references and phrases in French. Enough! I'm convinced.
After my four days in Milwaukee, I truly realized how many friends I have on The Fresh Coast.
While I booked myself with meetings for as many as I could, I missed others. Another thing I noticed is the tremendous change taking place in Milwaukee.
The city is blossoming with cranes. Professor Robert Greenstreet of the Urban Studies Department at UW-Milwaukee has said that the presence of cranes indicates economic developers have faith in the community. The buildings that are going up indicate not only a growth of the cities business activity but another wave in the move to the cities trend. Mixed-use buildings are not only creating jobs in the central city, but they are making it possible for the workers to live nearby in an exciting and stimulating environment. It's interesting to note that some of the people that move to Milwaukee are people that visited the city either on business or for vacation. Not all new city dwellers are the so-called millennials. A significant portion is older adults that like not only the city atmosphere but the manageable environment. The ease of getting around the city and all of its attractions makes a difference.
Speaking of getting around the city. I noticed the progress on the new streetcar that the city of Milwaukee is building. The tracks, electrical supply lines, and elevated platforms are complete on Ogden Avenue. Despite complaints and grousing about cost and benefits, I predict it will be a raging success. It's expansion to the upper east side, down to the airport, out to the medical park in Tosa and up the Northwest corridor, ill be a welcome element in the transit grid for the region. This kind of change is becoming a trend in progressive cities all over the country. I'm proud and happy the Milwaukee is moving in that direction.
Actually, I've seen a lot of progress in the Fox Valley and Green Bay, since I last lived here. (We moved to Milwaukee in 2004) Maria and I attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Fox Cities Convention Center. This long-awaited addition to the community was accomplished by pulling together all of the regional players. The cities and villages that worked together to make this happen are located in three different counties. Regional co-operation on this level is amazing when one looks at the current political atmosphere. It is one of those examples of local governments doing what's best for the residents of their communities and not the politically expedient.
Enough blah blah. Eat the second doughnut, order a refill of your coffee, bring up your favorite news source on your smartphone and enjoy the rest of your day. Wait. Maybe you should forget your news source and just play Words with Friends.
That's all from Camp Jeff. We're watching the snow melt.
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