Friday

Angie, Don, and Timmy The Tiger, on the second day of their journey from Pennsylvania, stopped for a short visit with my parents in the Chicago area. They arrived in Madison at dinnertime. I carried Timmy's cage up from the car. After a grueling car trip, spent mostly in his cage (and frightened by his first experience of seeing scenery flying past the car at 65 miles an hour), and a scary night in a motel that allows pets (many strange smells!), Timmy came out of his cage and made himself at home at my place. We hadn't seen each other for two and a half years, but he hadn't forgotten me. Angie, Don, and I had salads, then we went to Whole Foods to get carryout dinners.

Saturday

We walked around the farmers' market on the square in the rain. It was the coolest day of the summer. While Don took shelter from the wet and cold and rested his legs in the Capitol, Angie and I went out in search of lunch. We found brunch at the Ocean Grill and brought some back to share with Don.

For dinner, we had Thai food delivered and ate at my place.

Sunday

We drove through rainy streets to First Unitarian Society for Michael Schuler's sermon, "Skeptical Yet Spiritual." (FUS sermons) Afterwards, we drove to Takara on Whitney Way for lunch. They were closed. We drove to T & M's for Vietnamese food. They were closed -- permanently, we discovered. We drove to Saigon Noodle for lunch. They were open and crowded -- we got the second from the last table.

Don went back to Extended Stay to rest. Angie and I went to State Street and walked up and down the length of it, going into shop after shop, mostly just looking.

The Overture Center	From the stairway of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

Angie on the stairs of MMoCA	Mike on the stairs of MMoCA	The Orpheum Theater

In the rooftop garden of MMoCA

Monday

Timmy on another rainy day

Angie and I had lunch at Husnus, our only disappointing meal of the week. We shopped at Community Pharmacy. Back at my place, I went for a swim. Angie and Don joined me in the pool, but the drizzle and cold air drove them out, and I had enough of a swim by that time.

We went to State Street, this time with Don, and spent time in our favorite hip shop of the week, with magazines, buttons, stickers, music, and a thousand other trinkets. Don got Obama's book and an Obama bumper sticker. Angie got postcards of a cat and a person doing yoga together. We went to Takara for Japanese dinner, then Four Star Video for DVD rentals.

Don and Angie	Beside the waterfall in Takara

Tuesday

When we got to the Terrace, the sun came out. We sat a while, walked out on the pier and looked at the ducks, and walked back to the boat docks. Then we drove up Observatory Drive for a high view of the lake and distant shorelines. Don dropped Angie and me off at my place. Later we got carryout from the Great Dane at Hilldale and brought it to Don's room at Extended Stay. We watched "Tampopo" as we ate our dinner. It rained.

The sun breaks through for a bit on the Terrace

Wednesday

Don drove us downtown, and Angie and I went up to the balcony around the Capitol dome for a high view of the city. (The public has access to only the lower of the two balconies around the dome.) The three of us went to Bandung, Indonesian food, for a lunch we all enjoyed. Then we drove up Willy Street. We stopped at MadCat for pet supplies. We wanted to check out the Info Shop in the basement of the bakery across the street, but they were closed and don't seem to keep regular hours. We stopped at St. Vincent's Thrift Store.

In the evening, Angie and I enjoyed watching the Daria movie, "Is It Fall Yet?" More rain.

The Capitol	View from the balcony around the dome

Thursday

I had to work part of the day. While I was at work, Angie and Don went to Vilas Zoo and the UW Arboretum. After work, the three of us rendezvoused at the Caspian Cafe for our last supper together on this vacation. Angie and Don had shish-kebobs and I had a Persian meatball. We all enjoyed it, and Don said it was his favorite meal of the week. The rain played with the sunlight as we ate.

Friday

Angie quickly grabbed breakfast and packed. Don came and we loaded the car. Timmy looked so unhappy in his cage, like he knew what misery to expect. It was sad to see them go. They made good time past Chicago, then got stuck on a stretch of US 80, going about 5 miles in three and a half hours. It was blocked because of flooding. Monsoon in the Midwest.