Like Us
Follow Us
Tradition!
This isn't a blog about "Fiddler on the Roof."
On the other hand, maybe it is.
Tomorrow morning, I'm heading up to Door County for my 16th annual "camping trip" with my best friend, Eron. I put it in quotes, because other than sleeping in a tent in Peninsula State Park, we're not really doing much camping.
And I couldn't be more excited.
It's not that the trip is especially amazing on its own, but I love the fact that, despite our increasingly complicated lives, we've made it each and every year since we were 20 years old in 1994. Where applicable, we go to the same restaurants, batting cages, parks and shops. I wait all summer for this three-day excursion.
My Spring Training ritual is about the same, only that started in 1998 and has included more people. If I had my druthers, these trips would stay exactly the same, year after year. Nothing would change, and I'd be delighted to spend a long weekend "Groundhog Day" style.
What can I say? I love tradition.
I asked Eron about this once, to see if he had an explanation for our "Ritual de lo Habitual." He pondered it for a second and said, "Because we're Jews -- we've been doing things the same way for 4,000 years."
Eron has a point, but I think guys of all religions love their traditions. Whether it's sitting in the same seats at Miller Park, picking a lucky sports bar to watch Packers games, or even driving the exact same route on a trip that has numerous routes ... this is what guys do.
Or at least it's what my friends do.
I have plenty of long-time traditions that I won't bore you with, but I think the Door County camping trip has the most longevity. I can't wait to be there -- and we have absolutely no agenda or plans, other than to do what we do each and every year: Laugh and relax.
What are your favorite personal traditions? Chime in with the Talkback feature below.
Talkbacks
 |
No Talkbacks for this article. Post your comment/review now |
Facebook comments
Disclaimer: Please note that Facebook comments are posted through Facebook and cannot be approved, edited or declined by OnMilwaukee.com. The opinions expressed in Facebook comments do not necessarily reflect those of OnMilwaukee.com or its staff.
Recent Articles & Blogs by Andy Tarnoff
All these years later, wood-fired pizza still delights
Published May 17, 2012
Oakland Trat is now SoLo Pizza, but fortunately, many of their recipes remain. And very fortunately, they dropped off three pizzas to the hungry staff of OnMilwaukee.com today. I was pretty happy that the barbecue chicken one tastes exactly the same.
Mid-year update on my 2012 predictions
Published May 15, 2012
Back in December, I wrote a blog post called "Bold and not-so-bold predictions for 2012." Almost halfway through the year, I see now that one has come true, two have not, and two are yet to be decided (but I still stand by my predictions).
Is this recall election fair?
Published May 14, 2012
As far as I'm concerned, recall elections were designed to deal with politicians who have committed acts of gross malfeasance. People like former Sheboygan Mayor Jim Ryan, who was apparently in a constant state of breaking the law, come to mind. He was tossed out office, and rightfully so. But while some are alleging shady business on behalf of the governor, the reason most people want to recall Walker is because they don't like how he's governed in the last year and a half.
On the mound to redemption
Published May 8, 2012
In 2009, former Brewers pitcher Seth McClung was coming off a season in which he helped Milwaukee advance to its first post-season appearance in 26 years. In 2010, he was out of baseball, coaching girls' high school basketball in Florida. With a surgically repaired knee and eager for more more shot, this winter McClung e-mailed Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin, asking for a minor league contract with the team he identified with the most. Now, at 31, McClung is healthy again, having shaken off a lot of rust. He knows this is his last chance to pitch his way back into the bigs. We spent the day with him, on the road, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Are the Brewers sunk?
Published May 7, 2012
Nobody should panic, but the Brewers had better start playing some good baseball, because the rest of the division might not wait around for them to improve. However, I'm not sure the three season-ending (or almost season-ending injuries) are as big of a deal as paranoid fans - myself occasionally included - think they are.
You don't have to be Mexican to dish up authentic Mexican cuisine
Published May 4, 2012
Milwaukee is widely known for having great Mexican cuisine, and indeed, most of its restaurants that serve food from south of the border are run by first or second generation Latinos. But that's not exclusively true. Just look at La Perla and Bel Air Cantina for proof.
Building a better tortilla
Published May 3, 2012
Nestled in the middle of the La Perla, behind a glass window, employees oversee as a special ovens flattens dough, then picks it up to start the cooking process. The hot surface holds the now flat "pre-tortilla" as it cooks, until it falls off and spirals across three levels. Then, when baked to perfection, the cook peels them off, ready to serve hot, fresh, homemade tortillas.
A quick chat with Brewers prospect Mark Rogers
Published May 2, 2012
I was in Iowa last weekend for an upcoming feature article on Nashville Sounds and formers Brewers pitcher Seth McClung. Before Saturday's game against the Iowa Cubs, I watched the team's 2004 first-round draft pick, Mark Rogers, take batting practice. It was a thing of beauty.
My not-so-famous guac recipe
Published May 2, 2012
When parties call for me to bring a dish to pass, I'm always the guy who brings chips and guacamole. And, even though I'm pretty late to the game, I tend to get compliments on my not very complicated recipe. Here it is.
Mad Men meme: Draping
Published April 24, 2012
I like a good Internet meme as much (or more) than the next guy, but I always thought the phenomenon of planking was especially dumb. Its short-lived successor, owling, was a little funny, but I certainly never tried it. Don't even get me started on Tebowing. Draping, on the other hand, is a meme I can get into.
