srwebwiti's Blog

I've been a life-long Brewers fan. I can still remember my first game at County Stadium. I went there with my little league baseball team -- and sat in the right-field bleachers. My dad bought me one of those tiny little wooden bats (I still have this souvenir) with the Barrel guy stamped into it.

Watching Sunday's game with my family was something special. My son's a diehard Brewers fan. My wife and daughter -- big fans too. This post-season venture for the Brewers is more than just a five-game series. It's something that'll bring this town together in ways we haven't seen for decades.

Soak it up... Enjoy it... Stop and look around if you get the chance to go to a game... Believe.

If you didn't have an opportunity to take part in this year's Ridin' to a Cure, you missed out on a special event.

For starters, the weather was phenomenal! How can you argue with temperatures that ended up in the upper 70s and low 80s by the time the ride ended. And full sun! Riders like myself were peeling off layers all morning long.

Second, you have to give a HUGE kudos to the dozens of people who organized this event. From the flag-waving volunteers to the main people on the scene -- everything was run like clockwork. If you were even remotely confused -- or unsure about what was going on, you weren't trying very hard to get answers. There were people asking if you needed help all morning long.

I took part in the ride with my wife (a breast cancer survivor) on the back of my bike. This is our second year riding. My parents also rode. If you'd like to see some of the pictures I took prior to and during the ride, CLICK HERE.

If you get a chance, get involved in some way next year. Ride, volunteer, just show up and soak it up. This is a group that knows what's what. They take care of their riders, their workers. A huge thanks from FOX 6 to Ridin' to a Cure. We hope to join you again next year.

The weather this week has been out of this world! I could take this kind of weather 350 days a year -- and let it rain or snow the other 15.

What's so great about the weather we've been dealt? It's warm during the day -- but not overly so. It's cool at night -- although no need to throw an extra blanket on the bed. And everyone's in a great mood.

Funny, except for possibly one week in August, we really haven't had this kind of a nice dry spell with cool temps all summer long. Bring it on.

And no, I'm not looking for a cookie or a pat on the back. I actually went to the polls on Tuesday out of sheer curiosity. I wanted to know what was actually on the ballot -- and whether anybody else like myself was going to take the time to go to the polls.

As it turns out, when I went to the polls at 8:15am, I was number 7. Only six people came in before me -- and judging by the looks on the poll workers' faces, they were excited to see me.

When I got the ballot, there was only one contested race -- and nearly a dozen uncontested ones. I know people can write-in candidate names if they so choose. But it seems like a ridiculous waste of paper to make one little mark with a pencil -- and then jam the paper into the machine.

So what's my point? Not sure there is one. Although, it would have been nice to see a few more people at the polls. After all, when people are upset about their lawmakers, they have no one but themselves to blame for not taking a role in keeping that person in or out.

I'm sure it'll be different come November.

I'm the kind of person who relishes every moment of beautiful weather we have in Wisconsin -- no matter what season. If it's nice outside, whether hot or cold, I'm out there.

But I have to say, it's a little bit of a relief to have a day of rain back in the forecast. Before you say I'm nutty, let me explain.

When it's nice outside, I'm compelled to take advantage of the weather -- do stuff outside, take care of yard work, toss the ball with my son. I can't plop myself in front of the TV because I know the nice weather won't be around for long.

With the rain back in the forecast, I see it as a good excuse to catch up on TV or finish up some of those indoor chores that have been neglected because I've been spending so much time outdoors.

Don't get me wrong. It's a free country -- and I could do any of those indoor things any time. It's just easier to do it when Mother Nature gives me the knod.

I want to introduce all of you to a special group of people -- who will be getting a little extra face time on MyFoxMilwaukee.com and FOX 6 News. They're a group of motorcycle riders who will be riding in from all parts of the county -- blogging and taking photos for MyRide on MyFoxMilwaukee.com.

These are our MyRide Riders -- and I got the chance last night (along with Vince and Ted) to meet all of them together at one time. Here they are.



The people in the above picture are coming in from Bend, OR -- Glacier National Park, MO -- San Antonio, TX -- New Orleans, LA -- and Bangor, ME. Along with Vince and Ted, they will be sharing stories on the road, showing up pictures of things they've seen while touring the country. And because each of them is taking a different path on the ride home to Milwaukee, each of their stories will be unique.

You'll be learning more about this bunch in the coming days on MyRide as well as FOX 6 News. They're a relaxed bunch who loves the open road. I can tell they're going to have a great time -- because I had a great time visiting with them last night.

Watch for their stories of the road and their photos on MyRide on MyFoxMilwaukee.com.

We're looking for some fresh ideas for the web --  and we know you guys all surf the internet on a regular basis.

What we want to know is -- what do you visit the web for each day? What is the "must see" every day? What drives you to the web? Is it the weather? Entertainment gossip? Sports? What is it? What's that one thing you must check out when you visit the web? Tell us about the sites you visit -- the widgets you check out.

We're looking for new ways to enhance your experience on MyFoxMilwaukee.com -- and are looking to you for ideas.

If you have any ideas -- add a comment to this blog. We'll be checking it over the next few days -- in the hopes of acting on some of those.

Maybe it's just the Brewers fan in me enjoying every waking moment of this season. But one of my favorite parts of a Brewers game has become the moments after the last pitch is thrown (assuming the Crew wins).

If you're watching on TV (or at Miller Park) and the Brewers win, watch Prince Fielder closely. He's pumped up beyond belief -- slapping, tackling, bear hugging his teammates. I'm watching for it every game now.

Tuesday night, after Bill Hall's second game-winning home run, Prince was practically mauling him (all in fun of course). And Thursday night, after Ryan Braun's game-winning home run, Prince gave Ryan a good swat on the head with his mitt (again, I'm sure it's all in fun).

I'll tell you what. Fans pick up on this excitement -- and the adrenaline the team is playing with. I can't wait until my next visit to Miller Park -- to watch the team win -- and to watch Prince get the boys pumped up!

Go Brewers! Go Prince!

What happened to the guy with all the tears? What happened to the guy who treasured playing with a storied team like the Packers? What happened to the quarterback who relished playing in the shadow of Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi?

What happened?

I'm a huge fan of Favre -- and will forever remember the last game I saw him play in Green Bay. I was with my son -- it was raining, cold, miserable. But we couldn't have been happier to sit through it all.

But I gotta say, he's playing with our brains.

I've been keeping track of how many times I bring the motorcycle to work -- so I get a better feel for how much money, if any, I'm saving by doing so.

So far, I've ridden in 17 times this season. What does that mean in terms of cost savings?

Well, I average about 55 miles per gallon with my bike. I have a 44 mile round trip. So on my bike I burned about 13.6 gallons of gas on my bike. If we're talking $4.15/gallon, that's a cost of about $56.44 for gas for those 17 days.

Doesn't sound like much until you see how much it would have cost by car. In those same 17 days, my car (which averages 33 miles per gallon) would have burned 22.6 gallons. If you use the same $4.15/gallon price, that's a total cost of $93.79 for 17 days by car.

Still following me? After 17 days, I saved $37.35 in gasoline just by riding my motorcycle. That's a few lunches at a fast food place for me -- or more likely, about nine gallons of gas.

Interesting, huh?