Okay, so as many of you may have heard by now, it is official: we are moving to the great state of Wisconsin! Yes, I know . . . there were rumors flying around for a while about us moving to Mississippi. And yes, those rumors were started by me. But as it turns out, Ellis is a highly sought-after man, and what can we say? We liked Wisconsin a lot better. But hey, we'll be next to the Mississippi River, so I like to think it all evens out.
And even though we won't be moving until the end of the summer, I've been accumulating a lot of really valuable information about our future state. Friends and family have been extremely helpful in sharing their wealth of knowledge, and now here's what I've got so far:
- Great cheese. Now Dana may mock, but there are few things I love more than squeaky cheese (and yes, those who know me well . . . or just read my blog . . . will know that chocolate is one of those things). So I can't complain about this one.
- Cold winters. This one doesn't bother me too much either. The real problem is when you have hot, humid summers, and nobody wants to go outside. Like I need a house full of kids all summer long.
- Green Bay Packers. I plead ignorance on all things football-related. (They are a football team, right?)
- Highly ranked public schools. Good, good. I don't want dumb kids.
- Beautiful area. Well, I have to live there, so this one's definitely a plus.
- Big ol' river. The city we'll be living in borders the river, so that could be pretty cool. Ellis is excited because there are all sorts of outdoor-related activities we can do there. This could be good and bad. I'll let you know.
- Low cost of living. Bonus! Houses are really cheap there, and as we all know, it's a good time to buy. We'll invite you all for the house-warming . . .
Well, that's about all I've got right now. Feel free to chime in if you know any other bits of Wisconsin trivia. I've clearly got the important stuff down, but I do like to be prepared. I guess I'll hold onto my parka and snow boots.
9 comments:
8. Quirky accent.
Wow, big move! Thanks for reminding me I'll have my kids indoors all summer this year in Saint Louis, and probably every year after that for as long as we all survive. Dang. Oh well. At least now I have time to plan for it. And we don't even have cheese.
So, what I've heard about the area? I've heard it's a lot like San Diego - 70 degrees year round. Sometimes it's 70 above and sometimes 70 below, but that's only a nitpicky detail.
Okay, here's what I hear from the experts. I don't know where you'll be in wisconsin, so this info is from Milwaukee from my cousin. Isn't it sweet how the internet connects perfect strangers with information they may not even want or need? I love it!
Milwaukee:
We, of course, really enjoyed living in Wisconsin since we both grew up there. We were in the Milwaukee area for 5 years and two years north of Milwaukee, in Sheboygan (think Johnsonville Brats). If you look at Scott's description of Minneapolis, you could probably assume the same pros and cons, including the funny accent. Milwaukee has rich German and Polish heritage and a number of great ethnic and music festivals every summer -- most notable is SummerFest. Milwaukee sits on Lake Michigan, and yes, there actually is beach life for two months out of the year. On New Year's Day, you can join the Polar Bear Club and take a dip into the lake. It's not a pretty sight. Milwaukee is about 1.5 - 2 hours from Chicago and about the same to Green Bay. Even though you're about as North as you can get, people still have their summer cabins "up north" in the Northern Woods of Wisconsin. Wisconsin Dells is the indoor waterpark capital of the world...for those long winters. You can't pass up the cream puffs at the state fair.
Ummmm, HELLO??? We have to find out via your blog? (Not that its not a good blog and all.)
I have just started this blogging thing and I am fast getting addicted. I knew your family would have one. Tell your Mom to put me on her invite list. I love to hear what is going on with everyone. Thanks Marlene
Your new city is home of the largest six-pack in the US (maybe the world). My sources tell me that people make pilgrimages to pay homage to the ol' six-pack. It is also the host of the (my figures are getting foggy, its been a few days since I looked this up) 9th? best Oktoberfest in the world!!
Hope this helps. :)
Hey Jamie,
Welcome to the Midwest, I think you will like it here. BUT, you will need TWO parkas and layers upon layers of socks under your snow boots--winters are VERY cold here. Either that or I am a wimp.
Congratulations Ellis. I hope you will fall in love with Hockey in the great hockey state of Wisconsin - go Badgers.
Hey, we will only be 8 hours drive away. Hope to see you guys soon! Call me if you need help with moving, I owe you one for Greenville to Cleveland (nguyen_3@juno.com)
A. Nguyen
What?! I skip blogging for a few hundred years and look at what I miss out on! How long will you be gone or is that pretty indefinate? I thought you guys were around here for awhile. Dang. I was looking forward to another Cold Stone run. I am in the mood more than I am not. I have one around the corner from me, but it's just not the same without my double JJ's.
Post a Comment