Big weekend (last) in Green Bay

It's been busy at work, as you can imagine, but our shop has matured. By that I mean business-wise, we're still young turks. The number of employees and types of packages have reached a good balance where, as the influx of freight increases, the structure of our operation swells to handle the demand, but doesn't stress. We work longer hours, but we aren't overflowing like past years. The owner was up to Rhinelander a couple of weeks ago, and he told us our company had a good year, so that tells me we have similar freight-flow, we're just flowing with it better.

I suppose that's to be expected, with maturity.

The top picture is Dan & Brenda Hogan's new house in Green Bay, about a mile, as the crow flies, from Dave & Nicky's. After our tour, Jamie, Logan and I went with Dan and his son's Conner and Dylan to the Tilted Kilt for lunch. Brenda, Dave and Nicky had to work, and the other women were shopping.

Saturday night Dave & Nicky, Mary, Shelly and I went to a Sushi place. I was hesistant to answer the text-message invitation I received on Friday. But I talked to Dave, and he reassured me that they could order something we'd like.

He was right. There were different flavors, but we enjoyed it. I forgot to pack dinner clothes, so I had to wear my nicest tailgating flannel shirt.


Sunday we tailgated. We rode over to Lambeau with Dave's Dad and brother Gary and Gary's friend Derek (he was Billy Schroeder's roommate in college, and he went to high school with a couple of guys I went to college with.) We hung out there for awhile (Garron's making Absolut bloody mary's in the picture, that's Gary setting stuff up next to his new tailgate grill.) I had brought some venison to grill with the SpeeDee guys at our second tailgate, so we grilled some cutlets at the Gibson's. Their other guests enjoyed it, also.

By the time we walked over to the SpeeDee tailgate (behind Brett Favre's Steakhouse), they had eaten their fill of the other offerings, so Phil Cook took the venison with him until we have our Christmas party. When they headed into the game, Dave and I moved on to The Bar on Holmgren Way. As soon as we walked in, Dave spied and snagged two stools at the bar. We were set.