Recently my colleague Molly Snyder Edler asked when summer would arrive. After this weekend, I'm willing to bet that most agree it's here and in full swing.
Even today, I suspect, more than a few people are at home taking it easy instead of reading this on their work computers. They certainly weren't on the road this morning as traffic was smooooth.
Yesterday was a brilliant summer day with warm sunshine and the perfect cool breeze, at least at the lakefront. That helped Summerfest go out with a bang and when we joined the queue to get in at opening time, there was already a large group ready to enjoy the final day of the Big Gig.
The Brewers swept the Pirates, too, as the Crew faithful went to enjoy the day at Miller Park and collect an awesome Barrel Man bobble head. (Whoever invented him back in '69 or '70 deserves a statue outside the ballyard.)
Saturday, we hosted a party and it felt great to kick back on the patio and in the backyard without the slightest threat of rain or cold front. Now, if only I'd taken those burgers off the grill 90 seconds earlier!
Friday was spent with our neighborhood community in the local park, eating ice cream, judging decorated bikes and wagons, eating brats at 9:30 a.m., listening to a local youth orchestra and chatting with neighbors. Sadly, there was no fire truck there to soak us with the hose like last year.
Thursday, we navigated around the tents and blankets of lakefront fireworks "campers" to see the kite show, but I suspect we were too early because there wasn't really much to see. Later that evening, we all went to a restaurant to celebrate another candle on the cake with dinner.
Today, it's back to the world of work and the fact that it's the 68th birthday of Ringo Starr -- who arrives in town in two days for a gig at Potawatomi -- doesn't help too ease the longing for my son.
Aah, Mondays.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
