Baconfest Milwaukee, 2016

Excuse my recent absence from the Internet. You will have to read one of my future posts on another blog to understand why, but at this particular moment our excursion to Baconfest needs to be addressed. Our report is long overdue. I know you have all been waiting anxious to hear news of such a wondrous event, and perhaps you have even been anxious over my long absence (Okay maybe not).

Wow! Nueske’s has truly fantastic products. Their bacon and cheddar sausage, …I’m still drooling. I know they always have a kiosk in Mayfair Mall during the holidays.

The Wisconsin Cheese Mart, of Old World Third Street, had this bacon wrapped baked cheddar….

Where am I? Oh!

And if you gave the Cheese People your e-mail address they gave you a free chunk of cheese.

Then their was the bacon wrapped water chestnuts and the mounds of bacon and bacon dip provided by Patrick Cudahy.

Problem. Not enough vendors. My heart sank as soon as we entered the auditorium. Too much empty space. Waiting in line was the rule of the day though the organizers told us, “Don’t make lines just walk up and take what you want.”

Did we get our money’s worth? Two nice aprons, cheese, the consumption of a goodly portion of bacon and bacon enhanced foods (though I was expecting much more) and $15 in slot machine play? I may be wrong to suggest that we did not get our money’s worth.

Long story short; they need to keep the same amount of available tickets and find at least twice as many vendors. We don’t drink alcohol and all the free (if you bought a ticket) drink samples, there were quite a few booths, were alcoholic. I whole lot of people left dissatisfied. I expected more food, and to be their max for one hour of gorging rather then the nearly two hours it took us to forage for enough samples to feel like maybe we got our money’s worth. Then we had to wait in another long line to get our credit for the slots.

But the experience has not brought my spirit down. I have no less a reverence for all that is bacon than before.

Spring is on the rise and riding is on the mind. If you fancy I long Sunday drive tomorrow, Saturday, then the La Crosse Bike Swap II might be for you. Or just prepare for the coming, ever faithful Bike Expo at State Fair Park; April 8th through the 10th. The original Bike Expo, not a Johnny come lately wanna-be. And it is free, unlike some of its’ spin offs.

Metro Mountain Bikers here in Milwaukee will be continuing with their fantastic work with Maintenance Mondays. The Odd Tuesday Rides will continue and Competitive Wednesdays will be expanding. A local retailer known for hosting similar events may take the Metro Mountain Biker’s Wednesday event under their wing to cover any insurance requirements. The location may vary from week to week.

Be prepared to ride. If you have the mind to ride now watch for ice along shady corners and underpasses.

The $132 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

Super Duper Super Bowl

The Super Bowl is tomorrow and I am hoping the Broncos crush Carolina, literally, with their number one defense. No Cam. It is not because your black, it is because you are a jerk. Tearing down the Packers banner and destroying it… No apologies, no fines, nothing. And you don’t do your little dances in front of your fans, you do them in front of the opposing team’s fans. Here is an idea Cam… Get together and do your little dances in front of the opposing team’s bench.

All this race crap people are trying to draw out around the Super Bowl and Cam Newton (here’s the tricky part… the big fig Newton) is not sticking and just taints the whole experience.

Here you have a quarterback whom few will deny is a future hall of famer clearly on the basis of his talents, and people are trying to make an issue of his race and that of the team. Do the Panthers really have more black players than other teams? I don’t even know. And I haven’t heard anyone bring up Jimmy the Greek.

All that in your face stuff the Panthers do is not even that distasteful, if they do not mind being hated for it. If you know you’re the best and bring the results, go old school; be the jerks do not whine like a bunch of cry babies. No one ever made the rule that winners have to be liked. History will vindicate you if you are worthy of your outrageously pompous behavior. Until then if you want to act like a jerk, you are going to be treated like a jerk.

In that light I predict 28 points for the Broncos in the first half; 21 by the Bronco’s defense.

And that is all I have time for now, but the prize pool grows.

The $131 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.