Already, a month and a half of Marvelous Milwaukee (Mis)Adventures has passed for the Steadfast Sextet. When asked what word best describes the past four weeks of life in Venice Williams House, this author’s roommate, Katie Grosh, could only respond, “…whoaa”. I can only agree, Katie; never a truer word has been spoken.
However, I must endeavor to put more words together for you, reader, than a simple “whoa”, so that you can share in the many escapades our household has already had in this stunning city. Though not a member of every expedition, I can give a first-hand account of a few journeys that challenged the hearts, minds, and souls of all involved.
One of the first exploits of September occurred on this author’s birthday: September the Eighth. Justine “The Just” Frerichs was the only individual to accompany me on this adventure. Fearlessly, we fell into rank at the People’s Climate Rally and March in downtown Milwaukee. We met many champions of the cause, including a cape-wearing Renewable Energy Man, who led us in cheers such as “Keep the oil under the soil! Keep the gas under the grass!” Not to be out done, Justine led her own hurrah of “Show me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!” Regrettably, my own cheer of “Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!” fell somewhat flat, which I attribute to the sparser crowd I was among at that point of the march.
Not to be daunted by my slight failure, only a short time later the next adventure arose. A $5 showing of a 1970s Martial Arts action film happened to be playing in the local independent movie theater, much to the delight of the three members of VW house who had never seen a 1970s Martial Arts action film before. Brimming with excitement, Katie, Grace and I all bought our tickets at the counter, and scurried into the theater. As the lights dimmed and the DJ stationed in front of the movie screen spun his last track, the smell of popcorn and an expectant hush fell over the crowd. However, though the fragrance remained, the silence did not. Soon the room roared with spectators yelling advice to the beleaguered protagonists. Unfortunately, being novices, the three of us were not of much use to the accomplished martial arts practitioners, and thus we were unable to stop the untimely death of one of the characters.
Not every adventure was filled with such tragedy, however. When met with a failing tail light, Julia and I rushed her car to an auto center to get it the care it needed. As is the way with such things, the first auto shop we could find only sold car parts, and could not help us with the installation of a new light bulb. Then the second place we stopped could indeed replace a light bulb for us, if we only had a replacement bulb. Practically at the end of our wits, the two of us raced back to the first shop and procured the precious bulb, which was placed into the hands of the auto mechanic at the second shop. In a procedure that took an embarrassingly small amount of time and effort, our savior went so far as to not charge us for his services, earning our undying loyalty and customership.
Indeed, many of our adventures have occurred as the result of an economizing eye. When Peder, Katie and I were on a jaunt one evening, a pile of assorted objects on a neighbor’s front lawn caught our eye. Affixed to the top there was a sign, declaring “Free Stuff!” Gleefully, we rummaged through baskets of dishware, old bedsheets, and desk organizers, finally settling on an old lawn chair, a Monsters Inc. lunch box, and a cookie cutter shaped like a duck as our prizes. Reflecting on these treasures, however, has made me realize that though I may pick up some spoils along the way, the real treasure by far I have found on the adventures of this year is the amazing people I have shared these experiences with. Indeed, I must be the richest mis-adventurer there ever has been and ever will be.
