Dresses, ties, shrimp and cocktails.

No, I'm not going to a wedding. I'm going to an Ole Miss football game. What a difference from a University of Wisconsin game where we would wear jeans and Badger red-- or the craziest outfit you could find, complete with a red and white mohawk. At the University of Mississippi, I've been told, football games are more of a social than a sporting event. It's an excuse to mingle in the Grove, sip cocktails and grill delicious items you would never find at a typical Midwestern tailgate.

I'm really excited to venture down south in a few weeks to experience a completely different kind of college football.

{Second photo is via my friend Hannah}

Root, root, root for... Clint

Friday night my two sisters, cousin and I headed to Miller Park to cheer on the Milwaukee Brewers... and one Houston Astro. You see, years and years ago, the shortstop for the Astros, Clint Barmes, played for the Kenosha Kroakers, a collegiate summer baseball league. During his summers in Kenosha, Clint stayed with my aunt, uncle and cousins and remains pretty close to the family. We went to the game on Friday to cheer on Clint. Unfortunately, he hit into the last out of the game. My cousin Janine made a joke of it though, "Look Clint, they're all cheering for you!"

Even though Clint did not win {I wasn't cheering for the Astros anyway}, it was a great night. We spent hours before the game tailgating, playing games and cracking each other up in the parking lot. And the laughing most definitely continued throughout the game. I love those ladies!

They got the good seats for the Saturday and Sunday games...

my two baseball loves

Today, I had the pleasure of watching my two favorite baseball teams play each other... from only 13 rows behind homeplate. My friend won two tickets from a raffle at work and he {a Brewers fan} decided to take me {a Cubs fan}. It was the closest I've even been able to watch a game. Up close, able to see the sweat dripping down the brow of the pitcher on the mound... that's how baseball should be watched. It was tough deciding which team to root for though. The Cubs are my favorite team, with the Brewers a close second, but they are no longer contenders so I figured that I may as well root for the Brewers. And they won. Either way, it would have been a fantastic afternoon.

Did you see how close those seats are? I need to get those again.

Hot day at Wrigley

Can you think of a better place to spend a summer day than Wrigley? Because I can't. This afternoon, my friend and I headed to Wrigley Field to cheer on my lovable losers. As an owner of two Culvers restaurants, Mish got us free tickets for Culvers' Day at Wrigley. {OK, what could possibly be better than free baseball tickets?!} Before the game, Culvers threw a little party for all of the owners and served some delicious ballpark food and some not-so-delicious beer {read: Bud Light}.

The day turned out to be wicked hot but it was still so much FUN. The only thing that could possibly have made it better would have been a win. The Cubbies fell to the Marlins 11-3. Sad, but honestly, it didn't even look like they were putting much effort into the game. As a Cubs fan, I'm going to blame that on the heat, but I don't think that's really what it was.

Also, enjoy a delicious lunch at a Chicago-area Culvers today! {wink, wink}

Fourth of July

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the Fourth of July than tailgating at a Brewers game with friends. It was quite possibly the hottest, sunniest day of the summer yet, but it was a great time. The day was filled with friends, laughter, games {including a Jenga game made out of two-by-fours and a homemade bags game}, baseball and the most-delicious burgers I’ve ever had while tailgating.

Annual golf outing

This morning my extended family gathered at our favorite golf course for our annual Fourth of July golf outing. This outing has been going on for as long as I can remember. And for as long as anyone else can remember for that matter. My Dad guessed it's been somewhere around 20 years. I loved listening to my Dad and his cousins reminiscing about the antics on the golf course in years passed. Apparently, my Grandpa used to sit with a cooler on the other side of the fence from the course and would pass beer over to family as they completed that hole. How funny is that? And how cool is my Grandpa?

My golf game wasn't as good as a few days ago, but I did OK. I had fun, especially spending time with family in the beautiful weather.

This was the best shot of the day. We joked that my Dad's imaginary friend Wally would have taken the shot...but my sister kicked the ball out from behind the tree instead.

My favorite thing about summer? Baseball.

On Friday, a few friends and I tailgated and cheered on the Brewers at Miller Park as they took on the Minnesota Twins. We had crappy weather all week so I was pleasantly surprised at the beautiful weather on Friday. We gathered at a friend's house outside of Milwaukee, played some games {baseball, baggo, smoke the pole}, ate delicious food and jumped on a bus headed toward Miller Park. With the exception of accidentally losing a friend at the game {whom we found after}, it was a great night. And the Brewers ended up pulling off a win!

Mallards Duck Blind

We celebrated one of my good friends' birthday this weekend at a Madison Mallards baseball game. We {semi-}watched the game from a picnic table in the Duck Blind. In the Duck Blind, you can watch the baseball game while enjoying all-you-can-eat brats, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, cheeseburgers and fries and all-you-can-drink beer and pop. Delicious!

This was my first Mallards game and I absolutely loved it! It was just baseball should be... all about the game and having a good time with friends. I can't wait to go back again. Maybe the next time I'll watch a little more of the game too.

The birthday boy was very excited to be celebrating at a Mallards game!

The best part of the night: the good beer. A few of my favorites at the Duck Blind... Goose Island 312, New Belgium Somersault, Magic Hat No. 9, Great Dane Mallards Cream Ale, Great Dane Old Glory and Great Dane Crop Circle Wheat {my favorite}. The Great Dane brews some fantastic beer. If you're ever in Madison, Wisc., you should stop in for a drink.

Fantasy Team

My friends and I held our fantasy football draft just a few days ago and overall, I'm happy with my team.

Aaron Rodgers QB

Rashard Mendenhall RB

Reggie Wayne WR

Pierre Thomas RB

Dallas Clark TE

Chad Ochocinco WR

Matt Forte RB

Clinton Portis RB

Ricky Williams RB

Santana Moss WR

Carson Palmer QB

Owen Daniels TE

Steelers D/ST D/ST

Nate Kaeding K

Devery Henderson WR

David Garrard QB

Steve Breaston WR

I drafted Aaron Rodgers #1 in our draft. {I got a lot of flak for that, but I decided to pick him over Chris Johnson. It was a tough choice.} My friends were actually teasing me later that I was trying to pick all Green Bay Packers. {I was to some extent.} Now I just have to remember to check when players have byes and replace them. I don't have a good history of doing that.

fantasy football

are you ready for some... fantasy football? it's that time of the year again. for the past three years, the same group of friends and i have created a fantasy football league. it's pretty fun, though i only did really well one of those years. {i blame that i don't put winning first, like everyone else does. but more on that later.}

some of the guys in the league take it very seriously. to them fantasy football means bets, trash-talking, watching every game and lots and lots of studying before the draft. my way of preparing for the draft is slightly different than them though. yes, i read the charts and compare players based on basic athletic ability, but when i comes down to it, i pick the players i like the most. {sometimes regardless of football skills.}

for example, as a die-hard green bay packer fan, i would never ever draft a current or former minnesota viking. {i HATE the vikings more than any other professional sports team.} also, players like randy moss, tom brady or jeremy shockey wouldn't make my team because i just don't like them. {just because you're a professional athlete it doesn't mean you have to be arrogant or a jerk.}

i'm glad some of my favorite players are ranked pretty high- like aaron rodgers- and would actually help my fantasy scores. in an ideal world though, my team would be all packers {and maybe a few former packers} and i would win my league because the players are so good that they also won the superbowl. in an ideal world.

well, i should start looking a bit at those charts.

Brewers vs. Giants

My family and I went to Miller Park for a Brewers game a few nights ago. They were slaughtered by the Giants, the score was something like 15 to 4, but it was still a great night.

My favorite part during games at Miller Park, the racing sausages:

I swear Hart was looking directly at me for this one. Weird.

chicago celebrations

today chicago celebrates. thousands of blackhawks faithful will line wacker dr. to cheer for their stanley cup champions. there will be cheering, screaming, chanting and probably a few tears.

boy, do i wish i could be there. unfortunately, i will be at work, probably checking the chicagoist and chicago tribune for updates and photos. this season has been absolutely incredible. from the start, it was clear we {yes, we} had a shot at the cup with the amazing talent of jonathan toews, patrick sharp, patrick kane, dustin byfuglien, marian hossa {jury's finally in on the ex-wing: he's ok in my book}, kris versteeg and the ridiculous defensive pair of brent seabrook and duncan keith. i'm forgetting to name so many other amazing players. i mean, c'mon, the hawks had 6 olympians and 4 of them were medalists.

point is, they're a young team and they play with amazing heart. you have to respect and admire that.

game 6 ended in probably the most anti-climatic stanley cup win {kane slipped the puck in, but no one seemed to know for sure except him}. it was sort of "yeah, we won! did we win? what... yeah, we won!" i don't care how it happened, it happened. for the first time since 1961.

this season, and more importantly, this stanley cup playoffs run has severly damaged my nerves. the games were so good, so close, so incredibly exciting that i may invest in a defibrillator for next season. but, boy do those deserve the cup. good job blackhawks and happy celebrating, chicago!

also, adam burish, it's good to see a badger with the cup!

{image via chicagoblackhawks}