Tara arrived home today exhausted after a red-eye flight that deposited her in Milwaukee by way of Atlanta (?), and I was there to greet her. Well, kind of; I was waiting in the cellphone lot, and when she texted that she’d retrieved her bag, I drove all of 20 seconds to pick her up at the curb. Easy-peasy. I had to take half a day of PTO, because it took over three hours roundtrip (counting a quick Culver’s stop), but at least that got me out of my Monday morning marketing meeting.
Show me a person who loves meetings and I’ll show you a freakin’ liar.
It was a surprisingly uneventful five days on my own, given my propensity for mishaps in the past. Hey, maybe I’ve finally matured!
God, I hope not.
After clocking out at noon on Friday, I drove into Madison. Sunshine and 80-degree weather be damned, my first stop was Morris Ramen. We’re fortunate enough to have three excellent ramen restaurants in town (I’ve tried them all now). Ramen has been a favorite of mine since growing up in Hawaii, where we used to eat saimin all the time. It’s not exactly the same–saimin is chewier and usually shrimp-based versus pork–but pretty close regardless. Saimin was so popular in Hawaii, you could buy it alongside your Big Mac at McDonald’s. Unfortunately, it looks like McDonald’s removed saimin from their menu just last summer. End of an era, man.
At least you can still get a Spam McMuffin on Oahu. All hope is not lost.
The thing with ramen is, it can be hit and miss. We were excited when Bokujo Ramen opened in Rapid City a couple of years ago, and everyone raved about it, but I feel like those who did weren’t familiar with good ramen.
After treating myself to lunch, I walked down State Street to Memorial Union Terrace, about a mile and a half away. The place was bustling on a Friday afternoon, and no wonder: with a gentle breeze blowing in off Lake Mendota and the weekend approaching, the atmosphere felt downright festive.
The Terrace is best known for their sunburst chairs, available in three fruity flavors colors. People always use the term “iconic” when describing them, but really, what else can you say? They’re so popular, the student union even sells miniature versions that would probably make great Christmas ornaments.
I absolutely loved the vibe there. There are all kinds of food and beverage options; I wasn’t hungry because I’d just had ramen, but an ice cold beer certainly hit the spot. I grabbed a table next to the water, and though I’d brought along my Kindle, I was too busy people-watching to even take it out of my backpack.
After a couple of hours I returned to my car and drove a few miles to Alimentari, a European deli known for their sandwiches. I’d planned on taking one home for dinner, but when I walked in, a sign behind the cash register said they were out of bread, and thus, no sandwiches were available. What a damn shame (and how does a market run out of bread??), and I didn’t have a Plan B, so I went home and ate leftover Cajun chicken instead. Cooking extras paid off in no time!
Saturday, I left the house early to go hiking. Even though I’m an avid hiker–it’s one of my favorite activities–this was the first time I’d hiked in southern Wisconsin since moving here. I won’t beat myself up too badly (winter + buying a house and all), but it was definitely long overdue.
After some research, I settled on the Scuppernong Loop in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Fun name aside, it’s a scenic 30-minute drive down rural country roads, mostly forested, and mostly level. All good things.
I ended up hiking just over six miles, thanks to a couple of detours along the way. The trail bypasses a campground and I wanted to check that out, as we are also avid campers and just bought a new tent. I was impressed enough to come home and book us a site in August.
Great hike, and even though we’re in the midst of a drought, it was still very green. I’m glad I got there early, because when I left, the parking lot was full and cars were circling around. There was some big running event going on that I hadn’t known about, which explained the steady stream of people jogging by.
I drove around for awhile afterward, looking for a dive bar. Settled on a place in Whitewater called Fat Jack’s, where a burger and cocktail really hit the spot.
By the time I crawled into bed Saturday night, I’d logged over 20,000 steps. No wonder I took it easy on Sunday, barely moving from the recliner. The fact that it was cold (51° vs. 85° the day before) and rainy was motivation enough to enjoy a rare relaxing day. I watched Star Trek Beyond from my Netflix DVD queue, listened to records, made a spicy pork stir-fry dish. All in all a pretty stellar day and a great way to end this latest bachelor stint on a high note.
Fully clothed, even.
Mark My Words 
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