Category: Uncategorized

Greetings All,

Happy almost Friday, Happy almost End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!

Groundhog Day is this weekend (we call ‘em woodchucks ‘round these parts). What’s it gonna be? Is winter gonna be over? Or will winter stick around for six more weeks? Whatever the groundhog says may it definitively happen unequivocally! If it’s gonna be winter, then give us some real winter complete with snow so we can all go out and play a little (like cross country skiing…it’s killing me to look at my skis sitting unused in my basement!!!). And if winter is over…then let it be OVER!! Those endless Milwaukee days of cold damp and gray, that aren’t really winter and certainly aren’t spring, really get in my way. But hey, we’re Milwaukeeans and we’re here to stay. So that’s why we have so many cool (umm…warm) things to do (mostly indoors) to help us get through the worst of our winter cold damp and gray!

Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So, are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of January 31st, February 1st, and February 2^nd, 2025):

New and Cool???

-The Milwaukee Public Museum kicks off “Canstruction Milwaukee” where architectural and engineering teams construct massive sculptures out of non-perishable and canned food items (runs through February 17^th). BTW, all those food items get donated to local food pantries when it’s over!

-The Milwaukee County Zoo presents Family Free Day on Saturday (can’t beat the price!).

-The Domes presents their All-Scale Model Train Show with scales ranging from huge G Scale trains down to teeny tiny Z Scale trains (have I ever mentioned that I LOVE trains?).

-Wehr Nature Center presents: “Brews and Shoes” (probably not snowshoes cuz there ain’t no snow) on Friday and “Guided Forest Bathing Walk” on Sunday (bring shoes…and soap?).

-Urban Ecology Center presents “Winter Fest and Grand Reopening at Washington Park” (where’s winter?).

-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents: “I Spy: A Winter Fairy”; “Nature Journaling”; “Raptor Saturday”; “Raptor Encounter; “Nature Ambassadors”; and “Sound Waves Winter Concert Series: Noah James-Hittner”.

-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Trails Aglow: Music in Nature”.

-Discovery World Museum presents “Snowflake Spectacular”.

-Crossroads Collective kicks off Black History Month.

-Conservancy for Healing and Heritage presents “A Day for Women to Unplug and Recharge”.

-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents “Vivaldi’s the Four Seasons”.

-”Mitten Fest” in the Bay View Neighborhood (can one bring gloves?).

-Milwaukee Bucks are at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.

-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Manitoba Moose.

-World Cup Speed Skating at the Pettit National Ice Center.

-Milwaukee Wave is at home against the Baltimore Blast.

-”Makers Market” in the Walker’s Point Neighborhood.

-Marquette University Golden Eagles Men’s Basketball is at home against the UConn Huskies for National Marquette Day.

-UW Milwaukee Panthers Men’s Basketball is at home against Purdue Fort Wayne.

-UW Milwaukee Panthers Women’s Basketball is at home against the Cleveland State Vikings.

-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents: “Pendulum Dowsing for Insight and Clarity”; “Twenty Minute Reiki Renew”; “Bereavement Transformation 101”; “Rainstick Workshop”; and “Groundhog’s Day Gong Bath Sound Vibrations”.

-”Sunday Yoga” at Villa Terrace Arts Museum.

-Oak Creek Community Center has their indoor Winter Farmers Market.

-Racine Theater Guild presents “Michael Perry” and “Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School”.

-Waukesha Civic Theater presents “101 Dalmatians Kids”.

-First Stage Theater debuts “Emily Song and the Queen of the Night” which runs through February 16^th.

-Knightwind Ensemble presents their Winter Concert: “Loki’s Revenge”.

-”re:Craft and Relic’s Winter Market” at the Milwaukee County Sports Complex.

-”Pet Expo” at the Wisconsin Exposition Center (yeah, it’s probably more like Dog Expo with a few cat things thrown in…I have historically been a cat guy but on Saturday I am expanding my fur baby family: I’m bringing home a puppy!!!).

Continuing…Yet Still Cool???

-Skylight Music Theater wraps up “Juliet & Romeo: A New Musical” this weekend (I guess it’s not new anymore if it’s coming to an end?).

-Sunset Playhouse wraps up “The Odd Couple” this weekend (well, isn’t that odd!).

-Renaissance Theaterworks wraps up “The Nether” this weekend (I’ve been to The Nether…Lands!).

-“Milwaukee Museum Days”, with free or discounted museum admission at MANY Milwaukee area museums and galleries, wraps up this weekend.

– The Domes continues its indoor garden train show “Golden Age of Steam” through April 6^th.

-UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olson Planetarium continues “Scale of The Universe” through February 7^th.

-Wehr Nature Center continues “Wehr Birders” every Sunday (where?).

-Milwaukee Repertory Theater continues “The Craic” through March 16^th and “The Woman in Black” through March 23^rd.

-Lake Country Playhouse continues “The Dining Room” through February 9^th.

-First Stage Theater continues “The Dinosaur Play” through February 16^th.

-Racine Zoo continues “Winter Picnic in a Snow Globe” through February 23^rd.

-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues: “The Big 4-0 Collection, Vol. 2: New Views of the Collection”; “Michelle Grabner: Under the Sink”; “Visual Legacies: Photographs by Ellie Lee Weems”; and Parallel Play: The Art of Science & the Science of Art”. All run through May 24^th.

 

A Dare? I dare you to…go to a museum this weekend and take advantage of free or discounted admission!

 

Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include (but are not limited to) ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.

Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.

 

Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town. 

Doc

 

PS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note, would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so, just hit “Subscribe” at the bottom of your screen and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 🤢🤮). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 😉). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually like reading my stuff).😊

 

Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.

 

To feed the hungry

     And home the homeless

     To heal the sick

     And comfort the lonely

     Bring comfort and joy

     To those who despair

     Bring us all together 

     Breathing fresh clean air

     Fresh water to drink

     And healthy food to eat

     Uplifting conversation 

     And safety when we speak

     Transport us to places

     We only dream about

     Peace for each one of us

     And comforts that surround

    An end to our suffering 

     A place for one and all

     Where people join together 

     I know we can start small

     And growing in numbers

     Our little movement swells

     And gathering in joy

     I know the time is now

     An enduring peace

     Is that too much to ask

     But lighter is the load

     When many share the task

     A coming of all together 

     I know it can seem tough 

     But visionary leaders

     Can help us just enough 

     I know there’s so much pain

     We all have to endure

     But an end in sight 

     I Hope there is for sure

     Our needs are always simple

     But forever overlooked 

     By powerful people 

     And sometimes even crooks

     This is our time

     Together we can come

     To help each other

     And raise us up as one

     We know what we need

     This always is for sure 

     I know we can all do this

     And together we’ll succeed 

Oh my crew, let’s believe in we.

If we’re gonna put this ship to sea.

There’s a place we need to be.

Across the deep blue sea.

So please, please believe in we.

🌊

Oh the ship is all loaded up.

With grain lumber and a wee bit of rum.

The clouds are parting and we see the sun.

It’s time to go out on our long long run.

🌊

Oh my crew, let’s believe in we.

If we’re gonna put this ship to sea.

There’s a place we need to be.

Across the deep blue sea.

So please, please believe in we.

🌊

The bosun cries and we take our place.

Shanty man sets us onto a pace.

Nothing matters in time and space.

We’re setting out on a hell of a race.

🌊

Oh my crew, let’s believe in we.

If we’re gonna put this ship to sea.

There’s a place we need to be.

Across the deep blue sea.

So please, please believe in we.

🌊

The anchor’s rising and it’s being stowed.

The ropes are dropping and being rolled.

Those gentle trade winds are beginning to blow.

And soon the waves will begin to show.

🌊

Oh my crew, let’s believe in we.

If we’re gonna put this ship to sea.

There’s a place we need to be.

Across the deep blue sea.

So please, please believe in we.

🌊

Storm clouds gather on our windward side.

The captain’s eyes are open wide.

He knows the stakes and he ain’t shy.

We work together or we might die.

🌊

Oh my crew, let’s believe in we.

If we’re gonna put this ship to sea.

There’s a place we need to be.

Across the deep blue sea.

So please, please believe in we.

🌊

Danger all around above and below.

Death waits patiently methodic and slow.

The wind is terrible it batters and blows.

We work together and we’re in control.

🌊

Oh my crew, let’s believe in we.

If we’re gonna put this ship to sea.

There’s a place we need to be.

Across the deep blue sea.

So please, please believe in we.

🌊

Storm clouds part and we all know.

Alive and well we are aglow.

Our port ahead it’s in our sights.

Safe harbor and a good good night.

🌊

Oh my crew, let’s believe in we.

If we’re gonna put this ship to sea.

There’s a place we need to be.

Across the deep blue sea.

So please, please believe in we.

🌊

There’s a place we need to be.

Across the deep blue sea.

So please, please believe in we.

Mornin’ All,

Happy Friday, Happy End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!

Snow. Need I say anything more? Of course I do cuz Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of March 22nd, 23rd, and 24th):

New and Cool???

-Milwaukee Repertory Theater debuts “Piano Men 2” with performances through May 19th (2 piano men?).

-Wehr Nature Center presents “Maple Sugar Days”.

– Skylight Music Theater presents “An Evening with Sir Tim Rice”.

-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents “Bach Fest I: Brandenburg” and “Bach Fest II: Magnificat” (ahh…Bach).

-”Home & Garden Show” at Wisconsin State Fair Park through March March 30th (gardens in homes?).

-Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison presents “Hands on Herbal Medicine Making”.

-Milwaukee Bucks are at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

-Renaissance Theaterworks debuts “L’Appartement” with performances through April 14th.

-Racine Theater Guild presents “Affinity Trio” this weekend only.

-Chicago Botanic Gardens presents “Laugh it Off with Laughter Yoga”, “Hands-on Cooking”, and “Midwest Fruit Explorers Grafting Workshop”.

-Florentine Opera presents “Wanderlust” this weekend only.

-Sunset Playhouse presents “Chick Singers of the 80’s” this weekend only.

-Lakeshore State Park presents “Spring Migration Hike” (how far will that migrating hike take us?).

-Urban Ecology Center presents “Adult Adventure Series-Hiking” and “Eco Friendly Film Screening” (all my films are made from sustainable vegan materials).

-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Maple Sugar Time!”, “Acrylic Painting Workshop”, “Word with a Bird”, and “Birding: Spring Migrants”.

-Indoor Famers Market at the Oak Creek Community Center.

-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Neurodiverse & Disability Nature Group” and “Agroforestry: Apple Tree Grafting with Dan Bussey”.

-UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olson Planetarium presents “Northern Lights”.

-Havenwoods State Park presents “Paint & Take: Plant Pot”.

-Richard Bong State Recreation Area presents “Safely Viewing the April 8th Eclipse”, “Live Animal Encounter”, and “Camp Cooking & Sunset Hike”.

-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Henderson Silver Knights.

-Milwaukee Wave is at home against the San Diego Sockers (last home game of the season).

Continuing…Yet Cool???

“Laser Shows” wraps up at UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olson Planetarium.

-“The 39 Steps” wraps up at Lakeside Players (couldn’t add on one more step for an even 40?).

-”Spring Flower Show” wraps up at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison.

-“Orchids After Hours” wraps up at Chicago Botanic Garden.

-“The Orchid Show” wraps up at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

-“The Bridges of Madison County” wraps up at Waukesha Civic Theater.

-“Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”” wraps up at First Stage.

-“The Chosen” at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater through March 31st.

-“Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” at Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art through May 12th.

-”Dynamic Range: Photographs by Bill Tennessen” at Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art through May 12th.

-“50 Paintings” at the Milwaukee Art Museum through June 23rd.

-”Wehr Birders” at Wehr Nature Center (where?).

A Dare? I dare you to sit with a cozy bowl of soup and enjoy seeing the snow.

Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.

Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊

Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town. 

Doc

PS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so, just hit “Subscribe” at the bottom of your screen and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 😊). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊

Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.

Mornin’ All,

Happy Friday, Happy End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!

March is progressing along…more like late April? I have flowers popping up that I shouldn’t be seeing for another four to six weeks. So, what to do? Gardening season has begun. Bring it! Let’s go BIG!! Let’s roll up our sleeves and get some dirt under our fingernails!!! And you know what else? Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of March 8th, 9th, and 10th):

New and Cool???

-Milwaukee Public Museum presents “Food & Froth” (don’t spill anything on the mummies…or the rattlesnake!).

-Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Sports Show.

-Conservancy for Healing and Heritage presents “Brain Body-Trauma Connection Retreat”.

-St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Downtown Milwaukee (I kinda like St. Patrick’s Day…I wonder why🤔?).

-Milwaukee Repertory Theater debuts “The Chosen” with performances through March 31st.

-Waukesha Civic Theater debuts “The Bridges of Madison County” with performances through March 24th.

-Sunset Playhouse presents “Sondheim Tribute Review: Bombshell Theatre CO” this weekend only.

-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents “Bernstein & Gershwin”.

-Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison presents “Grow Your Own Microgreens” and “Hands-on Hydrangea Pruning”.

-Chicago Botanic Gardens presents “Illinois Orchid Society Spring Show & Sale” and “iPhone Photography”.

-Lynden Sculpture Garden presents “Creative Time for Families”.

-Urban Ecology Center presents “Adult Adventure Series-Hiking” and “Eco I Do: Green Wedding Expo”.

-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Dormant Dwellers”, “Word with a Bird”, “Guided Forest Bathing”, and “Skulls and Bones” (what about teeth🤷‍♂️?).

-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Ducks of Wisconsin Field Identification Workshop” and “Youth and Scout Maple Sugarin’ Days”.

-Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum debuts “It’s Maple Sugarin’ Time!” which continues through Saturday March 16th.

-Havenwoods State Park presents “Open Crafting” and “Slither, Walk, Hop” (crawl🤷‍♂️?).

-Kettle Moraine State Forest-Northern Unit presents “Ice Age Legacy”.

-Big Foot Beach State Park in Lake Geneva presents “Candlelight Hike”.

-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

-Milwaukee Wave is at home against Utica City FC and St. Louis Ambush.

-Indoor Farmers Market at the Oak Creek Community Center.

-”Fight for Air Climb-Milwaukee” at the US Bank Center.

Continuing…Yet Still Cool???

-“Generations” wraps up at Mount Mary University’s Marian Art Gallery.

-“Urinetown, The Musical” wraps up at Lake Country Playhouse.

-“Now and Then” wraps up at Racine Theater Guild.

-“The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” wraps up at First Stage Theater.

-“What the Constitution Means to Me” wraps up at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

-”Winter Series: Larry Bell’s Iceberg” wraps up at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

-“Toyblox: Tiny Toy Towns” garden trains at The Domes through March 17th.

-“Guys On Ice” at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater through March 17th.

-“Scarecrow” at Next Act Theatre through March 17th.

-“Spring Awakening” at Skylight Music Theater through March 17th.

-“The Savannah Sipping Society” at Sunset Playhouse through March 17th.

-“Laser Shows” at UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olson Planetarium through March 22nd.

-“Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”” at First Stage Theater through March 24th.

-”Spring Flower Show” at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison through March 24th.

-“Orchids After Hours” at Chicago Botanic Garden through March 22nd.

-“The Orchid Show” at the Chicago Botanic Garden through March 24th.

-”Wehr Birders” at Wehr Nature Center (where?).

-“Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” at Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art through May 12th.

-”Dynamic Range: Photographs by Bill Tennessen” at Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art through May 12th.

-“50 Paintings” at the Milwaukee Art Museum through June 23rd.

A Dare? I dare you to…do nothing and like it!😊

Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.

Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊

Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.

Doc

PS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so, click on the “subscribe” button on the bottom of your screen and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 😊). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊

Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.

Mornin’ All,

Happy Friday, Happy End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!

Well, it looks like we leapt right into March. Leapt? Yep, I couldn’t help myself…I had to throw in a little leap year thing. And this past week we’ve been leaping into and out of a whole lot of…seasons? Winter, spring, summer, holy crap winter. Well, maybe we should just forget about all the crazy weather stuff and just be happy that we added a whole extra day onto our lives?? Leap year extra day??? Too much for me to figure out. But who cares cuz it’s weekend and Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd):

New and Cool???

-The Domes and Wehr Nature Center present “Women and Girls in Science”.

-Milwaukee County Zoo presents “Family Free Day”.

-Olbrich Botanical Gardens debuts “Spring Flower Show” which runs through March 24th. Olbrich also presents “The Canopy Sessions” musical performance featuring Son del Atlantico, “Alcohol Inks & Acrylic Bouquets”, and “Macro Botanical Photography & Bouquet Making”.

-Skylight Music Theater debuts “Spring Awakening” with performances through March 17th.

-Lake Country Playhouse debuts “Urinetown, The Musical” with performances through March 10th.

-Sunset Playhouse debuts “The Savannah Sipping Society” with performances through March 17th.

-Discovery World Museum presents “Girls & STEM”.

-Urban Ecology Center presents “Early Adventurers-Maple Sugaring” and “Take it Outside Day-March”.

-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents “Tchaikovsky 6 & Brahms Songs”.

-Master Singers of Milwaukee presents “Where We Belong”.

-Milwaukee Ballet presents “Momentum” this weekend only.

-Lakeshore State Park presents “Bird Walk” (walk like a bird 🤷‍♂️).

-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Rockford Ice Hogs and the Iowa Wild.

-UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olson Planetarium “Laser Shows-Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon)”.

-Chicago Botanic Garden presents “Where do Plant Names Come From?”.

-UW Milwaukee Panthers Men’s Basketball is at home against the UW Green Bay Phoenix (or is it Phoenixes 🤔).

-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents “Drum Circle & Storytelling” and “Understanding Yourself & Family Origin: How Your Past Impacts Your Present”.

-Oak Creek Community Center presents “Spring Craft Fair”.

-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “I spy: Maple Magic”, “Raptor Saturday”, and “Word with a Bird” (what word is it?).

-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Maple Syrup Supper” and “Attracting Bluebirds and Other Cavity Nesters to Your Back Yard” (dentists don’t like cavities).

Continuing…Yet Still Cool???

-”Orchid Escape” wraps up at the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison (perhaps the orchids are escaping 🤔).

-“Avenue Q” wraps up at Lakeside Players.

-”Milwaukee Auto Show” wraps up at the Baird Center (driving into the sunset).

-“Now and Then” at Racine Theater Guild through March 10th.

-“Orchids After Hours” at Chicago Botanic Garden through March 22nd.

-“The Orchid Show” at the Chicago Botanic Garden through March 24th.

-“Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”” at First Stage Theater through March 24th.

-“Scarecrow” at Next Act Theatre through March 17th.

-”Winter Tree Identification” at Urban Ecology Center (it’s hardly winter 🤷‍♂️).

-“The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” at First Stage Theater through March 10th.

-“Toyblox: Tiny Toy Towns” garden trains at The Domes through March 17th.

-”Winter Series: Larry Bell’s Iceberg” at the Milwaukee Art Museum through March 10th.

-Milwaukee Repertory Theater continues “What the Constitution Means to Me” through March 10th and “Guys On Ice” through March 17th.

-“50 Paintings” at the Milwaukee Art Museum through June 23rd (there might actually be more than 50 paintings at the art museum 🤷‍♂️).

-“Generations” at Mount Mary University’s Marian Art Gallery through March 8th.

-“Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” at Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art through May 12th.

-”Dynamic Range: Photographs by Bill Tennessen” at Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art through May 12th.

A Dare? I dare you to…totally relax as much as possible.

Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.

Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊

Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.

Doc

PS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 😊). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊

Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.

When I am faced with a compromised tooth requiring a crown, I like to use the concept of “TWOs and THREEs” (“2s and 3s”) to help me make treatment decisions. More on that as we read on.

*** Please keep in mind, this “2s and 3s” idea is (or at least was) a University of Minnesota School of Dentistry thing and there are certainly other schools of thought. “2s and 3s” has served me well but many of my colleagues continue to disagree with me (those folks are typically not Minnesota grads).***

1. Big Composite Build-Up and I’m Worried About Adequate Remaining Tooth Structure?

1a. Inadequate REAL tooth structure remaining after a crown preparation will result in crown failure.

1b. Reliance on a bonded restoration without adequate remaining tooth structure AFTER the crown preparation will result in crown failure (composite build-ups work ONLY if there are adequately thick walls of tooth structure surrounding them after the crown preparation).

1c. Stress, strain, shear, and torque (everyday occurrences on every tooth that chews) are real and will cause crown failure if there is not adequately strong REAL axial tooth structure following crown preparation.

1d. Elective endodontics with a core (or a post and core) will help to anchor crowns to compromised teeth (up to a certain point…thankfully we have implants after we’ve reached a threshold of compromised tooth structure).

1e. Bonded crowns are NOT a substitute for a lack of real tooth structure.

1f. Remember “2s and 3s”. In other words:

**After prepping for a crown, if there is 2mm of tooth structure remaining between prep and build-up on 2/3rds of the crown preparation then there likely is adequate tooth structure remaining for long-term strength.**

***If there is less than 2mm tooth structure remaining between prep and build-up on 2/3rds of the crown preparation then consider elective endodontics followed by core placement (more often than not premolars will require a post with a core).***

2. Margin Placement Adjacent to a Composite Build-Up?

2a. Remember “2s and 3s” (again):

**Crown margin must be 2mm gingival to a composite build-up (1mm gingival to an amalgam build-up).**

3. Adequate Axial Height?

3a. Remember “2s and 3s” (again):

**After prepping for a crown there should be 2-3mm of axial height that is REAL tooth structure on 2/3rds of the prepared tooth.**

***If there is LESS than 2-3mm of axial height that is REAL tooth structure on 2/3rds of the crown preparation then place the margin more gingivally to “grow” more axial height.***

****If the gingivally placed margin violates biologic space (falls within 2-3mm of the gingival attachment) then consider crown lengthening surgery.****

4. Crown Lengthening Surgery?

4a. Remember “2s and 3s” (again):

4b. Crown margin must be 2-3mm away from gingival attachment (regardless of bone location).

4c. A crown margin that violates the 2-3mm biologic space (in other words, if the crown margin falls within that 2-3mm space) will cause continuous gum inflammation/irritation and pain.

4d. A crown margin that violates the 2-3mm biologic space should be referred for crown lengthening surgery.

**Crown lengthening will free up space between the gingival attachment and crown margin resulting in long-term healthier gingiva and patient comfort.**

So, this is how I approach compromised teeth requiring crowns. This isn’t the end all and be all philosophy. However, I have confidence in my approach, and each of we practitioners needs to believe in and practice sound principles for the benefit of our patients.

So I am a patient based skills examiner on the clinic floor at Marquette. And what is a patient based skills exam? Only one of the most important things burgeoning pre-doctoral student dentists will ever do to prove themselves competent to operate independently on patients (that’s also known as…being a doctor!). In other words, a student must perform several procedures from start to finish on a patient under my supervision with NO help from me and with me GRADING each step of the procedure. And NO ONE can graduate without passing ALL of their patient based skills exams. Just a little bit of pressure on students. But it’s also a CRAP load of responsibility and pressure on ME! I must always remind myself of the procedure, each step of the procedure, each grading criteria for each step of the procedure, the rules for the testing of that procedure, etc. Do I study the rules and criteria for each exam I administer? You bet I do. Do I refer back to the rules and criteria for the procedure during the examination? Also, you bet I do! As an analogy, a pilot who has flown an airplane hundreds of times will ALWAYS go through the written start up and take off procedure on EVERY flight just so NOTHING is missed. That’s how seriously I take these exams. Why? These aren’t blind examinations. I know each and every student that I test. These are students that I have helped nurture from DAY ONE of dental school. I deeply want to see each and every student succeed and I care deeply for each my students. But I also have a responsibility to objectively administer the exam, protect the patient, protect the public and future patients, protect the profession, protect the interests of the State Dental Examining Board, protect the University, etc. I need to give my students praise only as I am allowed during the exam and I am also obligated to give students bad news should the need arise. Giving bad news is HARD and SUCKS but I HAVE to do so when needed (I try my very best to deliver bad news in as caring a way as possible and I hope it comes across that way…a great amount of teaching can arise from things that don’t go as planned).

So, when students are taking a patient based skills exam and are completely stressed out just know that…I AM TOO!!!😱

Today I visited the Oak Creek indoor winter farmers market. And you know what? I really enjoy farmers markets. No, I don’t go to farmers markets looking for bargains (though there are usually a few bargains to be had). For me, it’s all about the excitement and sites and sounds and textures and aromas…it fills all my senses in remarkable ways that few things can. Even just picking up a beautiful piece of fruit or veggie and gazing into its’ color and shape and feel gets me thinking about the journey it took to grow and mature through days and nights and storms and sun and cold and hot…and probably even a hungry and mischievous rabbit or two (yeah, my garden gets hammered every year by a cute little thumper or two…they’re just too cute for me to get totally mad at them though).

What’s more about farmers markets, and for me is probably the most important part, is all the incredible people who sell their produce and products at farmers markets. Hey, aren’t they farmers? Well, many of them are farmers. But more and more farmers markets (especially indoor winter farmers markets) are including makers and producers of incredible and unique products. Cookies and scones and bread mixes and salsas and hot sauces and meats and peanut butter and skin care products, etc. And all these products are NOT items that were previously purchased only to be resold at a farmers market. Oh no. These are products made by the vendors themselves. Small business artisans and innovators that have pride in their products and are ever so willing to enthusiastically talk with you about their incredible products. And it’s just so incredible to purchase something unique and full of so much cool that can only come from the personal touch of someone’s hopes and dreams wrapped into that product.

And let’s not forget about our incredible local farmers and everything that flows from their labors of love. The pride that those folks have in the successes that they bring to the market. Their hard work and nurturing translates into incredible taste and nourishment that helps sustain us in ways that grocery store produce just seem to lack. And I love talking with farmers. Talking about the growing season. Talking about the subtle differences between two different types of apples. Mushrooms that I had no idea existed and advice from the farmer as to the best mushroom for a newbie to cook (and how to cook it easily and with success). Eggs from a farm where the farmer has named each of the hens and can even show videos of the hens out enjoying their lives around their free range home.

I know that farming is hard work. And not many people can do that kind of work. And more and more we’re losing people who do that kind of work. But luckily there always continue to be new dreamers and hard workers who wish to keep a small craft community of farmers and producers moving into the future.

And this whole thing reminds me of trends in my dental profession. In days past, every dentist was a small business artisan. Each of those dentists had incredible pride in the things their two hands could do to help care for people and give people a better quality of life. All too often these days dentistry is falling to big money corporate giants. Yeah, dentistry is crazy expensive to keep the doors open and the lights on. But I can’t help but lament the diluting of the heart and soul of dentistry. Yes, corporate dentists provide top notch dental care. But that extra spark and pride and motivation that can only come from pride in ownership is gone. And I don’t believe we’re in a better place because of it.

So, I will continue to hope that we can keep a few dreamers and hard workers in dentistry who can continue to fight the good fight and bring a totally unique and cool pride-in-ownership craft experience to this world just like all the dreamer and hard worker farmers/producers that continue to bring their cool products to market every week.

And that’s probably enough for Saturday December 9th, 2023. Stay safe, stay healthy, keep the Faith, and please help your neighbors. We’re all in this together. We can go the distance. Don’t stop believing. Namaste.

Mornin’ All,

Happy almost Friday, Happy almost End of the Week, and Happy almost Weekend!😃

Wow! BIG weekend ahead in Milwaukee! Sure, the weather might be feeling a little bit cold. But this town is only heating up with tons of awesome! And, sure, a whole lot of our awesome has moved indoors (and you can’t shake a stick without hitting “A Christmas Carol” this weekend…but don’t hit a Christmas caroler, OK?). But that doesn’t mean we’ve abandoned the out-of-doors. There’s a ton of outdoor stuff this weekend and some of it you can even enjoy from the comfort of…your heated car! So crank up the heater in your beater and let’s get this weekend rolling down the road even sweeter!

Milwaukee, in my humble opinion, is THE BEST little big city because it just so happens to be packed with tons of mega big city cool! So are you interested in a few Milwaukee weekend things to do? Well, without further ado here are a few Milwaukee weekend things for you (weekend of December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd):

-Milwaukee County Zoo debuts “Wild Lights” with awesome nighttime light shows through December 31st. AND there’s “Family Free Day” this weekend! Plus, the Zoo continually presents…lots of COOL animals and awesome indoor/outdoor walks! Great coffee too!!

-Milwaukee Repertory Theater debuts “A Christmas Carol” with performances through December 24th AND continues performances of “Dial M For Murder” (through December 17th) and “Nuncrackers” (through January 7th).

-Rotary Botanical Gardens in Janesville debuts 2023’s “Holiday Light Show” with amazing nighttime Holiday lights through December 30th.

-Marquette Golden Eagles Women’s Basketball is at home against the Penn State Nittany Lions (not quite sure what a Nittany is 🤷‍♂️).

-“Santa Cycle Rampage” starting at Wisconsin Bike Fed’s office. Dressing like the big guy in red and white is HIGHLY encouraged.

-Oak Creek debuts “Light the Square” at Drexel Town Square with awesome nighttime Holiday lights through December 31st.

-Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison debuts 2023’s “Holiday Express Model Train & Flower Show” with beautiful indoor floral displays and BIG garden size model trains (G Scale…yes, I’m a model train geek) through December 31st.

-Historic Downtown Greendale presents “A Dickens of a Village” Holiday celebration (is a dickens better than a helluva 🤷‍♂️?).

-“Christmas in the Ward” in the Third Ward’s Catalano Square. Awesome stuff happening includes tree lighting, fireworks, and “Light the Hoan (Bridge) Holiday Show”.

-“West Allis Tree Lighting Ceremony” at Downtown West Allis’s City Hall.

-“West Allis Christmas Parade” in Downtown West Allis.

-“Christkindlmarkt” at the West Allis Farmers Market (wow…big stuff in West Allis this weekend!).

-“Christkindlmarkt” in Sister Bay in Door County (Door County Doc? Yeah, cuz I love Door County!😃).

-“Christmas in the Village” in Ephraim in Door County (there you go with more of that craazzzy Door County stuff Doc!).

-“Wisconsin Vintage Fest” at Fiserv Forum (new weekend for old stuff?).

-“Happy Holiday Art Crawl” in Downtown Waukesha (walk if you wish).

-“Mistletoe Market Craft and Art Fair” at the Waukesha County Expo Center (there’s probably gonna be a whole lot of kissin’ goin’ on there 🤷‍♂️?).

-“Waukesha Christmas Parade” in Downtown Waukesha (wow…big stuff in Waukesha this weekend as well!).

-“Holidays on the Hop” on…The Hop (🤷‍♂️)…and at Hop stations all over Downtown Milwaukee (hop on…or off).

-“Milwaukee Krampusnacht” in Downtown Milwaukee’s Brewery District (oooh, scary…yet fun…unless you’ve been naughty!).

-Old World Wisconsin in Eagle debuts “Home for the Holidays” and runs every weekend through December 17th. Go and have your picture taken with Krampus (though this won’t be a Krampusnacht…maybe a Krampustag cuz it’s during the day 🤷‍♂️?).

-Boerner Botanical Gardens continues “Winter Wonders” Holiday lights through December 31st AND presents “Holiday Gift Fair” (this weekend only).

-Milwaukee Bucks are at home against the Atlanta Hawks.

-Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” (hmm, not much in keeping with the season 🤷‍♂️) AND “Holiday Jazz with Dee Alexander” (well that’s more like it!).

-Milwaukee Admirals are at home against the Grand Rapids Griffins (Griffindor!)

-Sunset Playhouse debuts “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical” with performances through December 17th.

-Wehr Nature Center presents “Wehr Naturally: Woodland Gnomes” (create your very own Woodland Gnomes), “Wehr Birders”, “Guided Forest Bathing”…and awesome hikes IN the Metro area!

-First Stage (Theater) continues performances of “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical” through December 24th.

-Riveredge Nature Center presents “Growing Green Cooking Series: Winter Squash”…and awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area (and a river’s edge 🤷‍♂️).

-Waukesha Civic Theatre debuts “A Christmas Story The Musical” with performances through December 17th.

-Schlitz Audubon Nature Center presents “Nature Ornaments”, “Raptor Saturday”, “I Spy: Hibernation”, “Word With a Bird”, and “Ash Ornament Art”…and awesome hikes NEAR the Metro area and along our beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline!

-Lakeside Players of Kenosha debuts “A Charlie Brown Christmas” with performances through December 16th.

-UW Milwaukee’s Manfred Olsen Planetarium presents “Colorful Nebulas” (umm…wouldn’t that be nebulae 🤷‍♂️? Maybe I’m just being nebulous 🤷‍♂️?).

-Falls Patio Players presents “A Christmas Carol” this weekend only.

-Lake Country Playhouse continues performances of “A Christmas Carol” through December 10th.

-Skylight Music Theatre continues performances of “School of Rock” through December 30th.

-Next Act Theatre continues performances of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” through December 17th.

-Milwaukee Domes continues “Holiday Show: A Holiday Snow Globe” through January 7th. Great indoor walking! Great gift shop too (proceeds benefit the Domes)!!

-“Enchant” continues at The Rock Snow Park in Franklin (STUDENT DENTISTS…PLEASE DON’T FALL AND BREAK A WRIST AT THE ICE SKATING RINK 😱!!!).

-“Festive Friday Eves” continues at the Cedar Creek Settlement in Cedarburg through December 22nd.

“Holidays in the Village” continues in Wauwatosa through December 17th.

-Cheer District illuminated trees including Milwaukee’s official Holiday tree continues at the Deer District.

-Milwaukee’s Holiday Lights Festival continues in Cathedral Square, Pere Marquette Park, and Zeidler Union Square.

-MKE Downtown continues “Ornament Trail” along Wisconsin Avenue and Water Street through January 6th.

-“Illuminated Country Christmas” continues at the Ingleside in Pewaukee.

-Milwaukee Public Museum continues “Deck the Streets and Village” with awesome period Holiday decorations through January 22nd and continually presents outstanding educational strolls (great indoor walking!) throughout its three stories of exhibits. Don’t forget about awesome IMAX movies (currently featuring “Blue Whales”) AND indoor stargazing inside the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. There’s even a coffee bar. And who doesn’t love a live butterfly conservatory!

-Discovery World presents “Story Time with Santa”.

-“Christmas Carnival of Lights” continues at Jellystone Park in Caledonia through January 1st.

-Racine Zoo continually presents…awesome animals on a beautiful lakeshore! Great outdoor walking!! Lest I forget, go see the newborn BABY tamarins!!!

-Milwaukee Art Museum continues “Drop-In Tours” (including architectural tours highlighting the incredible Calatrava Bridge and Burke Brise Soleil), and “Story Time in the Galleries”. Lest we forget, there are WAY TOO MANY traveling AND permanent exhibits (and great indoor walking) for me to mention with any level of detail and/or coherence including, but not limited to, “Darrell Ellis: Regeneration” through January 14th, 2024, and “Art, Life, Legacy: Northern European Paintings in the Collection of Isabel and Alfred Bader” through January 28th, 2024, and “50 Paintings” through June 23rd, 2024.

-Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art continues “Love You To Death: Discontented Desire” (through December 23rd), “Capitalism and Extractivism in Latin America from the Colonial Era to Today” (through December 23rd), and “Image in Dispute-Dutch & Flemish Art” (through May 12, 2024). It’s FREE!

-Angelic Roots in Oak Creek presents “Intro to Sound Healing Tools” (noise cancelling headphones 🤷‍♂️?).

-Farmers Market? How ‘bout the Christkindlmarkt at the West Allis Farmers Market? While you’re there how ‘bout checkin’ out West Allis’s tree lighting and Holiday parade?

-Apple Orchard? Brightonwoods Orchard near Burlington extended their season through December 17th. Lots of crazy cool apples!

-A Dare? I dare you to take ten minutes to do some deep breathing. I double dare you to do it twice (I’m not invoking the double or triple…”dog”…dares 😱)!

-Live Music/Comedy? Holy Crap Everywhere! Venues include ComedySportz, Shank Hall, Rave, Cactus Club, Jazz Estate, Ally’s Bistro, Red Rock Saloon, Da Bar, Helene Zelazo, Miller High Life Theater, County Clare, Nashville North, Colectivo, X-Ray Arcade, Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, Bar, Centro, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miramar, Club Girabaldi, Fiserv, Potawatomi, Sugar Maple, Cooperage, Suburban Bourbon, Anodyne, Mad Planet, Blu Milwaukee, Sharon Lynne Wilson, Riverside, Pabst, etc., etc., etc.

Whew! And there you have it!! Please, please, please enjoy your Weekend. And please take care of yourself and your friends. Get out and enjoy all the good that life (and Milwaukee and our beautiful planet) has to offer. Plant seeds of happiness wherever you go. And always know that being still and quiet and relaxing and renewing is ALWAYS an outstanding accomplishment.😊

Best regards and I’m hoping to see you around town.

Doc

PS: The Milwaukee Happy Note will be taking a wellness break from December 11th through January 14th and will return the weekend of January 19th, 20th, and 21st.

PPS: If you like The Milwaukee Happy Note would you consider having it delivered directly to your inbox each week? If so there’s a few things to fill out at the bottom of the page and WordPress will do the rest (I receive zero financial compensation for subscriptions to my blog). Just know, as this is my blog page/creative writing outlet I sometimes post things that are not The Milwaukee Happy Note. Most of the time it’s just boring junk that can be ignored (sometimes I even write and post poetry 😱🤢🤮💩). But who knows, there might just come a time when something I write isn’t just a bunch of boring junk (if anything, my boring junk blog posts might just help folks overcome an overwhelming case of insomnia 🤷‍♂️). Thanks so much for reading and supporting me (BTW, this is a WordPress blog and NOT YouTube therefore I do NOT get any financial anything from people subscribing to my blog…I get the satisfaction of believing that someone somewhere might actually want to read my stuff).😊

Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (paid subscription); Shepherd Express (paid subscription); On Milwaukee (paid subscription); and lotsa websites.