Mondays definitely get me down these days, but rainy days have been so few and far between this summer that I can't really say they've gotten me down. But the did present a bit of a challenge this weekend since the sunny season has led us to spend most days out in the yard or at the park.
How to amuse a 2-year-old that is obsessed with the outdoors on a rainy day? Yesterday seemed like the perfect day to whip out that shiny new membership card to the Milwaukee Public Museum.
Note to self: MPM opens at noon on Sundays. So getting there at 11:25 is not helpful.
However, we lucked out. While walking to the Westown Dunkin Donuts for, well, the first time ever, we noticed the firehouse doors were up. Glancing in, we were spotted by a lieutenant who emerged from the office to invite us in and to invite us to sit in the trucks (for the perfect photo op) and to tell us about the newest acquisition, a shiny new ladder truck that extends to 100 feet.
Further note to self: always book hotel rooms at fourth floor or below. And don't watch "The Towering Inferno" on the in-room pay per view.
As we were about to leave my son made eye contact with another firefighter and conversation began anew. If you have a son (and maybe a daughter, I can't say) or were ever a boy (or a girl, again, I can't say), you already know that the firehouse is a guaranteed smile maker. I'm happy to report that's still true.
We made it to Dunkin' Donuts -- which has steps and can't accommodate a stroller and therefore a wheelchair -- and back to the museum in time for the doors to swing open. We marveled at butterflies, strolled through Asia, Central America, Africa and the undersea world, and we made an injection-molded, bright orange triceratops.
And not once did the little one resort to saying, "outside" while pointing to the door. Success.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
