Milwaukee...According To Mitzi...

My colleagues here in Milwaukee have asked me to submit a weekly "Milwaukee...According To Mitzi" column that will be sent in the Wisconsin Avenue Chronicle to the corps members here in Milwaukee.

Here's this week's:

Walk Signals
Before I moved to Milwaukee officially on August 1, I had spent only 8 hours total in the city. During the 5^th hour – I signed my lease on my apartment and the other time was spent on a walking tour of my new neighborhood and a celebratory lunch with friends. So needless to say – I don’t know that much about Milwaukee and so I hope to bring my discoveries (little and big) of this city to you through this weekly column.

It may be weird, but I’m going to say it – the first “city feature” that impressed me the most about Milwaukee is the walk signal. Have you ever noticed that the walk signal flashes on a few seconds before the traffic light turns green? I cannot lie – I’ve done my fair share of jay-walking or walking against the light or running while the orange “don’t walk” hand is flashing, but all in all I try my best to not die while living the life a pedestrian and walk with the walk signal. So when I saw the walk signal flash on before drivers could technically lift up on their break pedal – I thought it was maybe just a glitch in the wiring. However, it kept happening at different intersections and the more I think about this tiny extra amount of time pedestrians get before right- or left-hand turns commence – it seems incredibly smart.

So thank you – City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works – for the extra crossing time, but just so you know I’m still going to look both ways.

make a little birdhouse in your soul...

For some reason the above lyrics from a song by They Might Be Giants came into my head this evening...I know I've thought about the song before - but here by myself, I tend to start think about things in a more philosophical sense...probably more so than anybody really should.

My current take on the lyrics is to let your soul be open (as birdhouse is). I know - pretty deep stuff. But then look at a birdhouse...humans put it up and then some bird claims it in the spring time...and then has to line w/ twigs, leaves, or whatever they line it with...and then they live there, laying and hatching little baby birds...and the and they just take off - no attachment to the house whatsoever...leaving the twigs, leaves, and who knows what behind.

In all honesty - I don't know where I'm going with this...but given recent events in my life - that one line of lyrics seems to make sense. Right now I feel like I just have a lot of twigs, leaves, and who knows what inside me and I think it's time to clean house to make another little birdhouse in my soul.

I'm sure folks with They Might Be Giants are shaking their heads at this post...and I should probably get out more.