Rosie, Wheels, and Ed Gein

The week in Waushara County ended with minimal fieldwork completed because of snow, then thunderstorms, and I won't be getting back there anytime soon. Shame, because I made some crackin' new pals.

Rosie is this wonderful lady who leads a yoga class at the hotel two nights a week -- free for hotel guests, I've NEVER encountered that before with all my traveling. I've been spoiled, I don't want to go without it! Yoga classes are something I always want to be involved with, but can't because of my constant traveling. What a teaser. And Rosie was great, a real ass-kicker! She made me stretch in ways I haven't tried since high school cheerleading (most people can't picture me as a cheerleader, but yep, it happened and I liked it). The other ladies in the class were great too, it's always fun to banter with people while traveling. They're always so curious about what I do. I definitely liked an idea that one of them came up with: Make people who throw litter out their windows do community service collecting road kill. Wisconsin cut road kill pick-up out of the budget... combine that with small scale road projects requiring us to walk ditches, you've got weeks of summer fun. Ughsome (I'm borrowing that word from Chris).

More crew joined us on Thursday, but only a small posse of us managed to get out and about on Thursday night. We tried out Christiano's Pizza on Hwy 73. Great pizza, but I was pretty blown away that they didn't serve any alcohol. Not even 3.2 beer! I've been in a lot of joints around Wisconsin, but I'm blanking on remembering another pizza place that didn't serve beer. I'm told there are some, and it's definitely true but doesn't seem right. Beer and pizza just go together. But, because there was no beer, we were inspired (well, more so me, but thankfully the others were up for it!) to find another local establishment for a quick drink. A place that had caught my eye earlier in the week was Billy B's on Hwy 73 (everything in Wautoma is on 73 for the most part). Just a small brown building with a fabulous red neon sign and some Harley's parked out in front. I wasn't disappointed. There weren't many patrons at first, but it filled up a bit after while. The bartender's name was Wheels, no doubt a biker nickname. He was a bit kooky and got more than a few smiles out of me. He was sassy and very generous with the high-5's. Bottles of Spotted Cow were only $2.50, which alone makes the place worth a return visit. It reminded me of the taverns I visited while growing up with my dad in the tavern business. The bar stools were upholstered with vintage orange pleather, matching the plastic ashtrays. Wheels decided to test us on the juke box, and after being pleased with the first 7 selections, kept feeding us dollar bills to play more. He'd also crank up the volume and tip his drink up every time time he was particularly pleased with a selection. It was very satisfying to have people coming and going, complimenting our selections: Dylan, Cash, CCR, Zeppelin, Petty, Patsy, etc. I think they were surprised us bunch of youngins' didn't choose from the at least three Nickelback CDs in the box -- we all know how I feel about Nickelback.

Susan fiddling to The Devil Went Down to Georgia

One "downer" of the week was learning more than I ever really cared to know about Ed Gein. Our project area reached into Plainfield, where Gein committed his crimes of murder and grave-robbing. You know Ed Gein, the one who inspired Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs, dressing up in human skin and all that. I don't feel the need to go into anymore detail about his life, there are plenty of other sites about that. Anyways, we figured out where his family's farmhouse was, which was burned down a few months after he was arrested. We chose not to go to the location -- too creepy. Some bad energy just doesn't need to be messed with, and something was telling me to stay away from there. We did, however, go to the Plainfield Cemetery to see where he was buried. Jeff managed to find the spot, running around in the freezing rain. He was buried in between his mother (who's body he dug up) and his brother (who he probably killed), and his mother is buried next to his alcoholic father. There's no marker because it was stolen, but later found and returned to a Waushara County Museum -- not open until after Memorial Day. It looks like people try to mess with his family's markers though. His mother's had been knocked over previously, and his innocent brother's was quite off-center. Creepy. And the rain stains on the markers made them look more creepy. CREEPY.



It's thunder storming like a mo-fo tonight, so I need to take this to a lighter note before I freak myself out. Looking at my photos reminded me that Jeff had a pretty hilarious episode of spilling his coffee. As he correctly pointed out, I helped out Susan and then I went for my camera, leaving Jeff to fend for his coffee mess on his own. But I ended up with this great photo, with Jeff in his "biker fieldwork outfit". The scene of the hilarity was the family restaurant in Plainfield (at CTH BB and 73) during one of the storms. Who could ask for a better second breakfast? Two eggs, three pieces of -quality- bacon, and homemade wheat bread toast for $4. Bottomless coffee if you want it. God, I love small town Wisconsin.



This week's tally:

Hometowns of serial killers: 1

Days when it snowed: 2

Days when it stormed: 2

Days it hit 80 degrees: 1

Artifacts: Pfft.

Evenings of shredding with Jillian Michaels: 3

Nights of recovering in the hot tub after shredding and yoga: 2

Viewings of Cabin Boy: 1

Days of quoting Cabin Boy: Un-ending.

Dollar amount Wheels gave us for the juke box: $6. Or $8?

Number of Apple Pie shots: 1 each

The best profiterole dessert in Wisconsin: Farm Market on Hwys 73 and 22 -- try it!

An April Snow Day in Waushara and Green Lake Counties

Oh, sweet jesus, I can't stop laughing from Cabin Boy.

Ahem. Yeah.

This week, I'm sort of in the vicinity of some of my childhood stomping grounds and one of my favorite regions of Wisconsin for exploring while doing fieldwork -- Waushara and Green Lake counties. Okay, so I haven't been to Waushara County since I was in high school, but its small towns really embody what is classic about Wisconsin: taverns, antique shops, supper clubs, oddities, and lots of rural flair. Since it was snowing sideways yesterday, we ventured to Green Lake County and hung out in Princeton. Princeton has come a long ways since I was about 11-years old, hanging out with my grandma in the local taverns. The golfing hype caught on (Green Lake is home to Wisconsin's first golf course), and the place now caters to Chicago tourists. On the plus side, this has brought some nice little independent businesses to the area. You won't find a Wal-Mart for miles. I've always liked Twister, which has books, cooking supplies, novelties, higher end clothes, and super-delicious coffee. What else do you need? The owners are a riot and were willing to participate in our debate on what color the columns for the la Casbah were (Periwinkle, closer to purple than blue). La Casbah has pretty amazing food, worth the wait for the only falafel you'll find in about 100 square miles. Not many stores were open, because who really goes exploring on a snowy Tuesday in April? We stumbled across a little jewelry store called Baubles that really had just about anything anything a girl could want: jewelry and complimentary coffee, european chocolates, and cookies. There was also a seating area, obviously for the man-in-waiting, with magazines ranging from Men's Health to Sports Illustrated to Field and Stream. The lady who runs that store definitely has something figured out.

One of my most favorite places in Wisconsin is also near there, but a quick phone call to Leonore, the proprietor, and I learned they were not in town to let us in. The place is known as Castle Arkdale aka Happy Tales Books aka The Book Castle. Basically, it's a manure tank/slurry tank that has been reconstructed into a castle and houses a bajillion books -- they estimate there are nearly a million books on the premises. I'm not sure I can even do justice explaining it. I learned about it a few years ago from an avid second-hand book collecting co-worker and decided to stop in when I was doing archaeology in the area and in need of local history sources. I has completely blown away by what I encountered. We nearly missed it from the county highway, it's much better seen driving from the west. That was a week day, but Leonore was home and gave us an hour-long tour of her book organzing system, which is unconventional to say the least. My favorite section was books about people ruining America, including Micheal Moore, Al Franken, and something about Michael Jackson. I don't think Leonore forgets a face. She knows I work in history and that I like nursery rhymes. She often goes off to root around for archaeology books for me, particularly biblical ones so I can "start from the beginning". She remembers what books I'd like but can't afford til the next time, and she puts them aside. This place and the people are a real treasure. There's been some publicity in the last year or two, and I've noticed a serious decrease in her stacks of the "Top 100 Authors Everyone Should Read" before I can decide which author I need to read next. The books are really a steal, it's no wonder people are snatching them up. I hope they're treasuring them for the amazing things that they are and not turning around to sell them immediately online for twice the price. Yeah, I've read your blog, getting your kids in on the action -- feel ashamed!!

Click here for a news reel that might explain the place a little better than I am.

Another place that's a little close to my heart is Reetz Meats in Neshkoro on Highway 73. Why? Because I'm a Reetz, and they name all of their meats after the Reetz family. They say it hasn't been run by the Reetz's in a couple decades, and no, they don't give discounts to Reetz's. But I like stopping there anyways, just to giggle at the mural and the meat counter. I'm not sure which Reetz's owned it, or how they're related, but I have a pretty sweet antique mixing bowl handed down from my parents that has the Reetz Meats name and location stamped on the inside bottom. The photos are pretty self-explanatory. I'm showing off my score, Wisconsin treats from Reetz Meats, i.e., pistachio fluff and Reetz garlic summer sausage sticks. Divine. Who has ring bologna named after themselves, seriously? Wisconsin is great.







Well, yesterday was all about fun and exploration in the April snow, today was about sorta fun digging alongside the road in the sun, and tomorrow will be about Ed Gein -- another Wisconsin oddity.

Shout out to the Little Corporal in Green Lake - holla!! Haven't been there this year, but there are already plans for Katy's post-wedding day breakfast with a skillet and sausage gravy. Go to the Little Corporal, but keep that a secret, too.

Bananas

Bananas is a homonym, signifying both Jeff's OCD and the topic of one of our debates. So, Jeff has these "rules" that dictate etiquette he makes up in his head. For example, you can only eat pumpkin pie beginning on October 1 for a two-month period. I STRONGLY disagree with this. Another -- eating the fortune cookie before you read the fortune. A third, rock-paper-scissors can only be called paper-scissors-rock (or is it paper-rock-scissors) because it "sounds better". Today we debated about bananas. Jeff says bananas should not be eaten as part of a mix of anything. Like:

A chocolate-banana milkshake.

Banana cream pie.

Nanner puddin' (a Southern delicacy).

Bananas with peanut butter on toast.

I will happily eat any of these things. In fact, I'd say that a chocolate-banana milkshake is my favorite (and those of you who know me know I don't typically pick a favorite anything). Jeff would rather drink a chocolate milkshake while eating a banana than have the two mixed together. Thoughts?? Here are a couple of videos demonstrating us picking on Jeff and his rules. FYI, 19 is a "BAD" number, and Jeff is controlling the volume from the steering well.

First Week of the Season

I'm trying to understand why blogger only places one space after my sentences, where two spaces should be. Is it really a space saver? Things look squished. Anyways.

After another long and snowy winter in Madison, the snow is gone -- except for the three inches we're getting tonight. I'm back on the road, living the nomadic life and trying to find the fun in the places I'm shipped off to. I couldn't have asked for better weather the first few days in the field, 60s, 70s, and lots of sun. The projects this week blow... Interstate survey and 20 acres of a completely filled-in wetland lot. We dug holes anyways. It's always good to remember what fill looks like, right? Are there little fonts or symbols to indicate a sarcastic tone?

At least the wetland lot was beautiful. Lots of push piles to walk across. There are no ticks or mosquitos yet, which makes everything 100 times more enjoyable. Part of the lot was a stand of really old oak trees, incredibly beautiful!




There was a pretty impressive tally for the first week. Here's a run-down. I'm going to put this in quotes, just because there's a button for it.

Holes dug in fill or disturbed A - All of them.

Birds seen/heard - turkey, sandhill cranes, owls, rooster, ducks, goldfinch, woodpecker, cardinal, several songbirds I need to identify.

Golf balls - Me 5, Susan 3, Jeff 3, Rodney 1. I win!

Animal tracks - Deer and raccoon.

Bramble bushes - Several. First blood.

Safety vests - Obnoxious, stuffy, fit like blankets.

Old habitation structures - One fort.

Celebrity sitings - One. A.J. Hawk from the Green Bay Packers, or "The movie preview cell-phone guy" as he's known to Susan and me.

Susan juggling golf balls.
The fort.

Now for the "reviews".

We stayed at the Extended Stay in Green Bay. Fairly sub-par in my opinion. Yeah, they provide burners for cooking, but who wants to cook on crooked burners in pans with chipped-off teflon? It's location next to the airport made it obnoxiously loud. There was no cleaning service for stays under 7 days, and while I freakishly love to clean at home, I don't feel I have to take out my own garbage at a hotel I'm paying to stay at. Also, there was no complimentary breakfast -- this matters when you're hoarding per diem. And... the hotel was pretty far from everything, unless you want to walk an unimpressive mini-mall or McDonalds. The one thing I loved was complimentary passes to the state-of-the-art fitness center across the street. Despite all the rest, I would stay there again for that.

The food...

Walker's in Beaver Dam on the way up. We love this place, at least most of us do. It's a sorta small town cafe/diner. They usually have "all you care to eat" pancakes or french toast for $5. Who can beat that? The milkshakes and bakery selection are awesome, they always put cranberries on their salad, the prices are reasonable (although there are VERY few places you actually get lunch, a beverage and tip in WI for under the allowed $9 per diem), and the waitresses are cheeky. Susan and I got approached - via yelling across the aisle - by an elderly couple asking if we went to Beaver Dam high school. When we said no, they proceeded to yell questions at us, asking us to explain our life history in about 5 minutes. They were cute.

Suamico Junction Deli and Gas Station. This place was a crap-shoot. It's one of those gas station/delis/grocery all in one. Only, there was no deli. All nice and fixed up from the outside, but must not be making it in the recession. So no fresh sandwhiches. We ate our bag lunch out on some fancy iron tables and chairs, but got blasted away by the blaring country music, obviously turned up loud enough for the whole village of Suamico to hear. My ear hurt for about an hour afterwards.

Kavarna in Green Bay. I love this place. Vegetarian coffee house with amazing yam fries and a great menu. Rachel was right, the espresso milkshake is pretty damn devine. This is where we saw A.J. Hawk and his wife (they've got good taste). I thought it was open mic/singer-songwriter night, but my hectic mind got Tuesday and Thursday mixed up. We showed up on Thursday to no music. Whoops. That's okay, because they have old games, and it was very entertaining to watch Jeff (remember the slight OCD tendancies from my Richland Center blog? Jeff, you're probably reading this and wanting to punch me in the belly right now...) try to rearrange all of the Trivial Pursuit question cards so they all faced the same way. Highlight of the night, when Susan and I got a hold of a big handful of "properly" arranged cards and threw them across the table. Could you sleep that night, Jeff?

Jeff frantically sorting Trivial Pursuit cards

Catching Up

Last year's field season ended a little prematurely, with me being recruited to do some in-town support work. So, long time - no blog. Things finally resumed last week, and I have a whole list of things to potentially write about. My intent is to sort of document the field season... what we do, where we visit, talk about our mis-adventures and goofiness, and even review some of the cafes and oddities we stumble across. My mind works in random patterns (because linear is super boring, right?), so it remains to be seen if I stick to my field season theme. My money says no.