Recently in Partying Category

Madison is a great town. I love living here. Long ago it was voted the best by Money Magazine, and then its greatness reconfirmed when neighboring Middleton was picked in the top ten. (All of the amenities listed for Middleton are in Madison.) Part of Madison's charm is the downtown and the UW-Madison campus. To make things great, there must be things that aren't so great.

Downtown crime has been on the rise. From home break-ins, to late night assaults, and even unsolved murders, there is concern that Madison isn't so great. Many point the finger to the number of alcohol licenses in bars and restaurants in the downtown. So the City developed a plan to limit the number of licenses and reduce the bar density. The plan freezes the new licenses in a one-mile area downtown and hopes to reduce the number of existing licenses. Proponents cited less crime, safer students, and law-enforcement cost savings. Opponents argued that bars will be over crowded, house parties will increase and become more dangerous, and enforcement costs will increase. Despite a year-long debate, the plan was approved in a 2-1 margin earlier this fall. (Official ordinance)

Fast forward to last night. The Alcohol Licensing Review Committee (originators of the plan) approved a large sports bar and restaurant within the square mile outlined in the density plan. It's in a new development, on a site that had a popular bar in it (Madhatter's). This bar is to be located on the other end of the block, away from the State Street area. But that brings it one block closer to the two largest student dorms on campus, directly across the street from their dining hall. The restaurant will have two floors and have a 550-person capacity. Original plans had an 800-person capacity. Also part of the development is student housing for 1,000 residents. So that means that more than half of the students living directly above the bar will be able fit in the restaurant.

The best part is the closing line of the Badger Herald article:

...[the restaurant's] license was unanimously approved under a few provisions, with several committee members wishing the Brinks good luck.

For those of you in the know, here's The Tour. For those not in the know and in Madison, follow the schedule and look for the green T-shirts. We'll take a picture together.

Update: The Tour was a success, and I've posted my best 70 of 225 pictures. Enjoy.

We visited my sister in Eau Claire before her graduation a while back. There, with her roommates, she reintroduced me to the "Circle of Death." As scary as it sounds, it's wicked fun for the whole family. Or, a really simple excuse to drink heavily. A regular deck of playing cards is the only thing necessary, but think about increasing the number of decks as your party grows. (We had six of us on one deck.) Then, you can make up rules for each card in the deck. Ours are listed below:

According to USAToday.com, there's been a decline in the numbers of people and the length of their New Year's Eve celebrations. Whether or not that this is another sign that Baby Boomers are getting older or reinforcement that the economy is down, I plan on having a good time with friends. I won't get all gussied up, but I won't be sitting at home watch Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve, either.

Kristin threw a great birthday bash of bowling fun. With all sorts of hijinks (stink bombs, disappearing ink, etc.) around, many pictures were taken. more...

Kristin, upon inspiration from Martha, invited us to her birthday celebration with the coolest invitation ever.

I posted more pics of last night on the pics page. It was Jess's birthday. A great time had by all.