Saturday was my birthday. It was a big one, a milestone, a new decade, a new city. This is what we did.
Yoga, of course. Down in the Third Ward is Lululemon Athletica. Lululemon is a huge Canadian yoga apparel company. Describing a Canadian company as huge in the context of the US marketplace makes me somewhat proud, in a capitalist, consumer sort of way. Anyway, Lululemon offers a free yoga class (good marketing or what….) every Saturday morning. Each week they feature a different teacher from a local studio.
Meg Galarza, the owner of YogaOne in Cedarburg was our teacher. If you are into yoga and you haven’t been to one of Meg’s classes you really should. She knows her stuff. Meg is supportive, friendly and clearly loves teaching. She will make you sweat, shake and smile, all at the same time. I know Cedarburg is a bit of a trek, but seriously, if you love yoga, Meg will make you love it even more.
After class it was on to the best part of Saturday morning yoga, breakfast at City Market. City Market is such a great hangout. Every Saturday we see the same group of ‘older’ men sitting around the big table at the back. Every Saturday we see the same group of slightly younger men sitting up front ‘checking out’ the people coming in. We sit somewhere near the middle and toast, egg scrambler, a coffee and the Shepard Express completely rounds out our Saturday morning.
My birthday afternoon included a walk. I have a dog, Ani-moos (which means dog, in Ojibwa) and I’m always looking for good places to walk her. Menominee River Parkway is one of my favorites. The paved path which meanders alongside the road providing occasional glimpses of the river is nice but what’s even better is crossing over to the other side. The wooded trail on the other side of the river is the best. I can unleash Ani and let her chase the squirrels. Now, I’ve heard that this trail is a little unsavory and the amount of broken glass on one section definitely indicates the trail is not only used by dog walkers and bikers. However, during the day I have never felt uncomfortable. There are always other people about and a wooded trail in the city is just too hard to pass up. It’s a gem. Get out and walk it. And if you do, consider doing what Jim and I have done a couple of times, take a bag and some rubber gloves and spend 10 minutes picking glass. Paws and bike tires will be forever grateful.
The last part of my birthday came ‘off the chalkboard’; it was a steak dinner at Bartolotta’s. Yes, I am a yogi, but I’m not so yogi that I don’t enjoy a good steak and a good steak is what I got. I understand now, why the parking lot, even on weekdays is always full. Eating at Bartolotta’s is extreme dining. Each course is richer and creamier than the last and you need stamina to maintain the pace. Cream of spinach soup, fillet and scallops, and carrot cake with cream cheese and white chocolate, yes, white chocolate icing ….. Happy Birthday to me!
