Foodie Mascots: The Way of the Future?

William and Mary, known as "The Tribe" since the 1980's, will be changing their school mascot. According to the NCAA, their current feathered logo has to go -- and so they're looking for nominations.

Among the 375 suggestions so far, one suggestion (according to WISN) is an asparagus stalk. Or maybe, as I would suggest, an asparagus "spear."

Could this be a sign of a new foodie mascot trend?

I quote: "The asparagus stalk supporter notes that if served with cheese, the vegetable represents the school colors."

For more information about the mascot search, visit the William & Mary Web site.

The Job Brought Me Home

As most of you know, my last job was probably the most "dream job" I could have ever imagined. However, it's possible that I should have been more aware of the fact that "dream jobs" are just that. When you hear or see something that is too good to be true... ya know?

My new job is a whole new ball of wax. Rather than focusing my energy on selling, I get to really get inside the heads of area business owners to see what makes them tick. They give me information on what works... and what doesn't work. I also spend more of my time attending meetings, events, conferences, and programs than you can imagine.

Yeah, even more than that.
Keep going... keep going...
Yeah, about THAT many... and now add a couple more for good measure.

What I like MOST about this job is that I work Downtown.
When I drive in to work in the morning, the first thing I do is find a spot in the cement jungle. I secure my car in the parking structure, take the elevator down to street level, and that's when it hits me. As I walk the 1/2 block to the office, I catch a whiff of the city.

Most days, it's that wet, fishy smell that reminds you that you're just a few blocks away from Lake Michigan. But, on other days, my nostrils fill with the odor of a freshly fired wood-burning oven that emanates from one of the local eateries. On days like that, I find myself feeling almost nostalgic. My scent memories take over -- and suddenly, I'm pulled back to those cool spring days I spent on my travels to Seattle. The days when I woke up, first thing, and enjoyed my eggs with a side of tender wine-braised octopus. The days when I didn't need coffee to get me going... but, coffee was EVERYWHERE if I wanted it.

As I walk, I realize that there's a lot I love about this city that smells of beer and ale wives. Cuz it's not just beer and ale wives.
My job has opened me up to a new way of looking at Milwaukee. I'm meeting new people. Seeing old places with new eyes. Getting around to all the hidden little spots I'd typically overlook because I've lived here too long. I've become a tourist (of sorts) in my own city. And that's pretty kewl.

So far, that's what the new job is like. It's new. It's good. And it's fun.
It's the best of the past... and the promise of the future. All rolled into one. And it's made me genuinely appreciate this city that I call home.

Srsly. What could be better than that?

My Soul to Keep

This past weekend we buried my uncle. And I found myself getting into that thoughtful mode that occurs when someone close to me has passed on.

The fact is, death make me pensive.
Not sad.
Not morose.
Pensive.

Certainly, there was much to consider. My uncle was well loved by those who knew him. Those who cracked his crusty exterior found him a bit gooey inside -- and anyone who took the time, found him to possess an exceedingly big heart. In addition to being a worthwhile human being, he served his country well in the armed forces. And he had a great faith that saw him through the tragic journey we call life.

We respected his wishes and buried him as he saw fit.
We celebrated a life well-lived, and we cried for the loss of it.
And then, I got to thinking about my own mortality. And what I might want when my time comes... and I pass along into the ether. And I began to wonder if my vision is anything like what people might expect.

Most people who know me realize that I'm a hopeless food geek, so I'm fairly sure everyone would expect me to dream up some stuffy food-filled affair. But the truth is, when I imagine my farewell, I don't imagine anything stuffy.

I want people to eat thoughtless things at my funeral. And I want them to enjoy them -- without care for cholesterol or calories or trans-fats. Let all of that be set aside in favor of celebration.

I want hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll dough.
And mini cheesecakes made in muffin tins.
And peanut butter right from the jar -- eaten with abandon from teaspoons.
I want chai flavored chocolate.

I want giggling.
I know that you can't keep loved ones from crying (if, indeed, they did love) -- but I want mischievous laughter for all the times we spent creating. And scheming. And frolicking in our silly underpants.

You need not have a viewing. Or a burial.
My cremains can be scattered in some lovely place. Like in the tulip gardens that surrounded that football field in Mt. Vernon, Iowa... remember the one? We picked tulips there at midnight and filled our dorms with their lipstick red.

And the memories?
I want people to remember the whimsy. To pick up that box of collected shells and think about the oceans I dared dip my toes into. To read the dusty books from my library and dream the dreams I once wrote about. The ones I lived. The ones I didn't.

I want everyone to return home with a smirk -- and dare to be more than they imagined possible. To dance. To sing. To write. To remember.

To Live.

I know...

You want to hear all about the new job. Well...it's going really well. More on that in a bit. I just stumbled across something amazing and I thought I should share. This is srsly cool.

You can find the collection here.

I'll be back in a little bit to tell you all about what I have been up to in the past couple of months.

Delhi to Dublin

Amazing international fusion going on here.

I'm thinking we need to start an email campaign to get these guys to Milwaukee.
Irish fest, anyone??



Delhi to Dublin Web Site

How to Succeed at Networking Without Really Trying

There are a variety things in this world of which I am not fond. One of the big ones is networking.

Interestingly enough, Peef's new job is ALL ABOUT networking and elbow rubbing. It's about knowing the right people and meeting more of the right people. It's about connections and communities and getting the right people together at the right time.

Peef is energized by the prospect of meeting new people every day. He looks forward to socializing and schmoozing and being an all around fun guy. On the other hand, just thinking about it makes ME very, very tired.

I'm the sort of person who has a few very close friends, and a great number of acquaintances. I tend to be a very loyal person, and I'm pretty dedicated when it comes to cultivating friendships. I pour a lot of energy into maintaining my friends, keeping contact with them, and creating quality experiences where we can interact, and grow, and change together. I have a much harder time when it comes to more shallow relationships.

On an intellectual level, I know that networking doesn't HAVE to be a stressful experience. Networking, at its best, is about developing relationships. It's about connecting and listening, and helping out. It's about exchanging value. And I'm GOOD at those things. So, why is networking so stressful for me?

I should be able to relax and enjoy the process of meeting new people, right? Yeah well, I can't relax.

I don't know these people. They don't know me. It's highly unlikely they're GOING to know me after a half-hour, or even 2 hours of quality contact. And, ultimately, I need to don the eternal smile and be interminably “nice” if my networking is going to be even remotely effective. The process is exhausting!

All of that said, it looks like my new life is going to include some networking events. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I'm definitely in need of some tips and tricks to keep the process from wearing me down.

Any great advice to share?

The Big Hurrah! And Something to Read

First -- the BIG NEWS. Peef is employed!! (And just look at him -- who could resist?) He got a job and started this week. He's been too busy to post the news, but I thought it was too awesome NOT to share. That said, I'm going to let HIM post the details as he sees fit.

On another note, I glimpsed something fun today while I was poking around the Internets. It's a great article about Milwaukee that appeared in Air Tran's in-flight magazine, GO. Fun trivia and great information about all the cool stuff that's going on in Milwaukee.

Very recently, someone commented to me that only two kinds of people dislike Milwaukee -- those who have lived here all of their lives and those who have never been here. And it's really true. Familiarity breeds contempt, as they say -- and people who've never left the city won't appreciate what they miss when they leave. On the other hand, people who've never been to Milwaukee can't imagine that we're something more than a rusty old industrial town that smells like cheese.

Of course, some of us know better.
Milwaukee is really one of the better kept secrets of the Midwest.

Read it here: On the Town -- Milwaukee

Honestly -- it's validating for those of us who live here and LOVE our city. It might also be inspiration for those of you who haven't visited, but really should.