Slap Chop Remix

Well, I think it's funny. Watch this, and be prepared to have this song stuck in your head.

"You're gonna be in a great mood all day, cuz you're gonna be slappin your troubles away with the Slap Chop."

Christmas Tree Farms near Madison, Wisconsin

• Summers Christmas Tree Farm
  4610 Rocky Dell Rd., Middleton, WI 53562
  (608) 831-4414
  http://www.summerschristmastreefarm.com/
  Pine, Spruce, and Fir Christmas Trees, wreaths, garland, boughs, Christmas gift shop
  Map
  
  
• Paoli Tree Farm
  6445 Sun Valley Parkway, Belleville, WI 53508
  (608) 424-3936
  Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, Canaan Fir, Norway Spruce, and White Spruce Christmas Trees, Pre-cut or cut-your-own
  Map
  
  
• Hann's Christmas Farm
  848 Tipperary Rd., Oregon, WI 53575
  (608) 835-5464
  http://www.hannschristmasfarm.com/
  Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, and Scotch Pine Christmas Trees, Pre-cut and cut-your-own, Christmas Decorations, Lights, Ornaments, Wreaths, Tree Skirts, Tree Bags, Fresh Holly and Mistletoe
  Map
  
  
• Paul's Tree Farm
  16239 W. Beloit Newark Rd., Brodhead, WI
  (608) 897-2569
  http://www.paulstreefarm.com/
  Scotch Pine, White Pine, Norway Pine, White Spruce, Norway Spruce, Blue Spruce, Serbian Spruce, Balsam Fir, Concolor Fir, Canaan Fir, Fraser Fir, Large Spruce up to 14 ft. Christmas Trees, Pre-cut or cut-your-own, Christmas Ornaments, Handmade Scarves, Wreaths, Snacks,
  Map
  
  
• The Tree Farm
  8454 Highway 19, Cross Plains, WI
  (608) 798-2286
  http://www.thetreefarm.net/
  White Pines, Scotch Pines, Norway Pines, Spruce, Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir, and Douglas Fir Christmas Trees, Cut-your-own
  Map
  
  
• The Bruce Company Garden Center
  2830 Parmenter Street, Middleton, WI 53562
  (608) 836-7041
  http://www.brucecompany.com/
  Map
  
  
• Jensen Trees
  7507 Valley View Road, Verona, WI 53593
  (608)239-3722
  Map
  
  
• Tree City
  5501 W. Beltline Highway, Madison, WI 53711
  (715) 533-0241
  www.tree-city.net/treecity.htm
  Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, White Pine, and Scotch Pine Christmas Trees, Pre-cut
  Map
  
  
• CaPaul's Country Place Christmas Tree Farm
  5895 River Road, Waunakee, WI 53597
  (608) 849-4276
  http://www.capaulschristmastreefarm.com/
  Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, and Scotch Pine Christmas Trees, Cut-your-own, Apple Cider, Christmas Ornaments, Wreaths, Garland
  Map
  
  
• Ridgetop Trees
  8498 County Highway PD, Mount Horeb, WI 53572
  (608) 437-8810 or (608) 692-1297
  http://www.madison-christmas-trees.com/
  White Pine, Scotch Pine, Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir, Colorado Blue Spruce, White Spruce, Black Hills Spruce Christmas Trees, Cut-your-own
  Map
  
  
• Christmas Treeland
  E10861 Terrytown Road, Baraboo, WI 53913
  (608) 356-3307
  www.christmastreeland.com/locationcontactinfo.html
  Balsam Fir, Spruce, Scotch Pine, Norway Pine, White Pine, and Fraser Fir Christmas Trees, Cut-your-own, Wreaths, Holiday Crafts including Stained Glass Decorations, Garland, Hot Apple Cider
  Map
  
  
• Green Thumb Farms Inc.
  S9891 US Hwy 12, Prairie du Sac, WI 53578
  1-800-222-2538
  http://www.gtfarms.com/
  Map
  
  
• Miller's Christmas Trees
  N3763 Otsego Road, Rio, WI 53960
  (920)992-3221
  http://www.treerex.com/
  Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, Canaan Fir, Concolor Fir, Scotch Pine, White Pine, Red Pine, Blue Spruce, White Spruce, and Serbian Spruce Christmas Trees, Pre-cut and cut-your-own Trees, Wreaths, Gifts and Crafts, Stocking Stuffers, Hot Apple Cider, Candy Canes
  Map
  
  
• Smokey Hollow Farm
  N3056 Smokey Hollow Road, Poynette, WI 53955
  (608) 635-2046
  http://www.smokeyhollowfarm.com/
  Fraser Fir, and Balsam Fir Christmas Trees, Pre-cut, Gift Baskets, Ornaments, Potpourri, Holiday Candles,
  Map
  
  
• Swan Lake Tree Farm
  W6892 Breneman Road, Pardeeville, WI 53954
  (608) 429-3176
  www.gorsetr.com/Swan_lake/Swan_lake.html
  Colorado Blue Spruce and White Spruce Christmas Trees, Pre-cut or cut-your own trees
  Map
  
  
• The Paint Farm
  W6958 King Road, Poynette, WI 53955
  (608) 635-8037
  Fraser Fir Christmas Trees, Cut-your-own trees, Wreaths, Mistletoe, Specialty Shaped Wreaths, Garland, Tree Stands, and Tree Bags
  Map
  
  
• Winterberry Christmas Trees
  N8220 Smith Road, Brooklyn, WI 53521
  (608) 455-2040
  Pre-cut and cut-your-own Christmas Trees, Wreaths, Boughs
  Map

8 Best Neighborhoods in Madison, WI!

Madison Magazine is awesome. I found this article in the August 2009 issue and had to share it. For more Madison news visit http://www.madisonmagazine.com/.

Eight Great Neighborhoods

By Neil Heinen, Brennan Nardi, Shayna Miller, and Katie Vaughn

Home is where the heart is, as the saying goes. And you could definitely fall for these eight beautiful, friendly, charming, historic, quirky – and, yes, great – Madison ‘hoods.

1. Williamson-Marquette
   Year Established: 1857 – oldest home in the neighborhood
   
   Icons & Landmarks: Yahara River bridges, Marquette and O’Keeffe schools, Machinery Row, Orton Park. Brick wall advertisements: Gardner’s Purity Bread, King Midas Flour, Madison Candy Company. Festivals: Waterfront, La Fete de Marquette, Orton Park, Willy Street. Retail: The Kitchen Gallery, Rick’s Olde Gold, MadCat. Restaurants: Eldorado Grill, Weary Traveler, Jolly Bob’s, Lao Laan-Xang, Willy Street Co-Op.
   
   Why It’s So Special: Known affectionately as “Wil-Mar,” the Williamson-Marquette neighborhood is a “forever ‘60s” kind of place. With one sandal-clad foot firmly in the past and the other in the present, Wil-Mar has established itself as more than a crunchy ‘hood. Whether you’re a young, hip urbanite or an old hippie, festivals invite everyone to celebrate, and residents depend on them to support the community. While we all love Wil-Mar for its eccentricities worn as badges of honor, businesses you won’t find anywhere else – Hempen Goods, Grampa’s Gun Shop, A Woman’s Touch, and Ford’s Gym – are weathering a shaky economy, proving that funky or not Wil-Mar marches to a healthy, here-to-stay beat. –SM
   
   
   
2. Westmorland
   Year Established: 1916 – the first subdivision plat filed
   
   Icons & Landmarks: Beatty & Strang International Style House, Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Usonian House, Glenway Golf Course, J.H. Findorff & Sons’ “Lustron” steel-built homes, Midvale Community Lutheran Church, Midvale School and Community Gardens, Queen of Peace Catholic Church, Sequoya Commons, Stone Pillars at Westmorland Blvd. and Mineral Point Rd., Otto Toepfer House, Village Bar, the annual “Weed Feed” invasive species recipe fest, Westmorland Park.
   
   Why It’s So Special: The new library at Sequoya Commons, a condo and retail complex that woke up the sleepy west-side neighborhood, is the busiest branch in the city, and residents are fully engaged in community, environmental stewardship and revitalization. With a neighborhood association that goes back almost seventy years, there’s a deep-rooted sense of appreciation and belonging that crosses generations whether it’s eco-volunteering, attending social events, enjoying the bike path, donating to the neighborhood health charity fund that raises $12,000 annually, or simply gathering with friends in the park or coffee shop. –BN
   
   
   
3. University Heights
   Year Established: 1893 – annexed by the city of Madison in 1903
   
   Icons & Landmarks: Olin House, home to the UW-Madison chancellor, the Gilmore House by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Bradley House by Louis Sillivan, the Elliott House by George Maher, Randall School, First Congregational Church.
   
   Why It’s So Special: Strolling through this neighborhood is literally a walk through Madison’s architectural heritage. Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, George Maher, Frank Riley, Alvan Small, and others made their mark here, popularizing the Prairie style and also furthering the Queen Anne, Georgian revival, Tudor and International traditions. And look no further than the street signs – marking roads such as Van Hise and Bascom – for proof that the neighborhood developed in tandem with UW-Madison in the early twentieth century. –KV
   
   
   
4. Dudgeon-Monroe
   Year Established: How about 1909 when Madison’s first gasoline filling station was built at Spooner and Monroe streets? The Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood Association was established in 1973.
   
   Icons & Landmarks: Budd’s Auto Repair, Edgewood College (and the Pleasure Drive that runs behind it), the Southwest Bike/Pedestrian Path (or Bicycle Beltline to the locals), the “mini-arboretum,” Blessed Sacrament, Temple Beth El and the Friends House, David Maraniss, the real Arboretum, Mallatt’s and Neuhauser’s pharmacies, Michael’s Frozen Custard and the Laurel, Orange Tree Imports, and Parman’s.
   
   Why It’s So Special: Are you kidding? Frozen custard, trustworthy car care, walkable, bikeable, pretty, practical, and politically active with a football stadium on one end and the home of the Madison Opera on the other. You’re surrounded by Vilas, Nakoma, and a cemetery with your own golf course. (Okay, you share the golf course.) You’ve got a good mix of businesses, outdoor recreation, restaurants, coffee shops, property tax bills and little red flags to help you get across Monroe Street. Life is good in Dudgeon –Monroe. –NH
   
   
   
5. First Settlement
   
   
   Year Established: 1837 – Madison’s first residential settlement
   
   Icons & Landmarks: The Progressive magazine, the Isthmus newspaper, Essen Haus, Lake Monona, the State Capitol building, Café Continental, the Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co. (formerly the Fess Hotel), the Majestic Theatre, Marina condo building.
   
   Why It’s So Special: Whether it’s at the top of the Marina condos, a sidewalk table at Café Continental, or even the Capitol rotunda, the First Settlement ‘hood has some of the most amazing views in the city – all different, all special. Cosmopolitan in some parts and residential in others, this downtown neighborhood has one of the most urban slices of the city within its confines. Walking down King Street, it’s a bustling cityscape with high-end men’s shop Context, live band venue the Majestic Theatre, stellar sushi place Muramoto, cheeky gay sports bar Woof’s, and chic cocktail haven Opus. Walk a block or two east and find peaceful, tree-lined residential streets with lake views and a beautiful bike path thrown in. –SM
   
   
   
6. Tenny-Lapham
   Year Established: 1850 – the year the first building was constructed in the area
   
   Icons & Landmarks: Annual Art Walk, Avenue Bar, Christ Presbyterian Church, 1909 Prairie-style City Market converted into apartments, East Johnson business district, Gate of Heaven public meeting house, James Madison Park, Lapham School and Community Gardens, Reynolds Park, Tenny Park and Locks, Tour de Coops, Yahara River Parkway.
   
   Why It’s So Special: From mansions on Lake Mendota to two- and three-story flats along the busy Johnson and Gorham thoroughfares, you’ll find historic and contemporary housing stock of all kinds and people of all ages living in this close-knit community that organized its first annual neighborhood festival this summer. Residents are also raising $1.6 million for a beautiful new Tenny Park Shelter that hopes to open in time for the 2010 ice-skating season. –BN
   
   
   
7. Vilas
   Year Estabilished: 1889 and 1896 – annexed by the city of Madison in 1903
   
   Icons & Landmarks: Vilas Park, Henry Vilas Zoo, Bear Mound Park (also known as Vilas Circle), Lake Wingra, Edgewood College and Monroe Street lie along the neighborhood’s borders
   
   Why It’s So Special: What kid wouldn’t want to grow up amid forests, houses painted in a rainbow of colors, a lake, parks, and a zoo? Indeed, Vilas has been a family-friendly neighborhood since developing as one of the city’s original “suburbs” as the electric streetcar line extended out from the isthmus at the turn of the century. Nestled in between the Edgewood and UW campuses, the neighborhood often finds students commuting by food or bike through the tree-lined streets. But an even more common sight is residents walking dogs, pushing strollers, or toting kids past tidy bungalows and lovingly tended gardens to Vilas Park or the adjacent zoo. –KV
   
   
   
8. Schenk-Atwood
   Year Established: 1999 – Give or take a hundred years. The Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara Neighborhood Association was established ten years ago. Fred Schenk opened his general store at the intersection of Atwood and Winnebago about ninety years before that.
   
   Icons & Landmarks: Becky Steinhoff and the Goodman Atwood Community Center, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, The Harmony Bar, community gardens, Absolutely Art, United Way of Dane county headquarters, public murals and sculptures, Circle Park, the bike path, the Starkweather Solstice Celebration, Studio Paran, Bad Dog Frida, the Barrymore Theatre.
   
   Why It’s So Special: When a young woman sustained a serious injury that restricted her mobility, her neighbors, including some she barely knew, simply stepped up and built a ramp to her home. This is a special place, aptly described in the neighborhood association brochure as a “diverse, friendly, and human scale village.” Schenk-Atwood has a chic urban hipness with a friendly, inviting warmth, punctuated by gardens, little parks, and one well-known river. And the mix works because people care, plain and simple. -NH

Real Estate Humor

Ha!

Where to Buy Fresh Turkeys in Madison, Wisconsin

Are you having friends or family over for a big Thanksgiving feast? If so, bake your loved ones a FRESH, NEVER FROZEN turkey this Thanksgiving!

Here is a quick list of grocers in the Madison Area that have fresh turkeys. But call ahead now! Many of these stores require you to reserve a fresh turkey ahead of time!

• Jenifer Street Market
  2038 Jenifer St.
  Madison, WI 53704
  (608) 244-6646
  
  
• Miller & Sons Super Market
  210 S. Main St.
  Verona, WI 53593
  (608) 845-6478
  
  
• Main Street Market
  1050 Main St.
  Stoughton, WI 53589
  (608) 873-8944
  
  
• Regent Street Market
  2136 Regent St.
  Madison, WI 53726
  
  
• Sentry Supermarket
  726 N. Midvale Blvd.
  Madison, WI 53705
  (608) 236-2030
  
  
• Willy Street Co-Op
  1221 Williamson St.
  Madison, WI 53703
  (608) 251-6776
  
  
• Stoddards Market
  205 E. Cottage Grove Rd.
  Cottage Grove, WI 53527
  (608) 839-4228

(Information from http://www.bellandevans.com/)

It's That Time of Year Again: Winter Parking Rules in Madison, Wisconsin

This morning I got in my car and noticed a folded piece of paper under my windshield wiper. I was in a bit of a rush, like every morning, so I pulled into traffic and rolled down my window. I turned my windshield wipers on and, steering with my right hand, stuck my left arm out the window and reached for the dirty piece of paper as it went back and forth under the wipers. You have to time these things right, you know. I got it on the second wiper wipe, and I think only one lady saw me flailing out the window. Not bad.

So anyway, the piece of paper had some pretty relevant information on it. Do you ever park on the street overnight in Madison like I do? As of November 15th, you and I will have to pay attention to which side we park on.

• The Rules:
  
  Vehicles must be parked on the even house numbered side of the street from 1am until 7am on even numbered days, and on the odd house numbered side of the street from 1am until 7am on odd numbered days.
  
  Madison's alternate side parking rules are in effect from November 15th through March 15th. The rules are in effect for most of Madison seven days a week regardless of weather conditions.
  
  A Snow Emergency will be declared whenever it becomes necessary to plow streets. During a Snow Emergency, you may park on the designated alternate side as usual, but off-street parking would be best. If you're downtown during a Snow Emergency, you can park for free in the cashiered sections of city-owned parking ramps from 9pm to 7am. A Snow Emergency will remain in effect for a minimum of 48 hours to give crews an opportunity to clear both sides of the streets.

You can get a text whenever a Snow Emergency is declared by signing up at my.cityofmadison.com. However, you know you'll mess this up at least once:

• The Fines:
  
  In the Alternate Side Parking Zone, the parking violation will remain at $20 unless there is a Declared Snow Emergency in which case the parking violation will be increased to $60.
  
  If you get towed during a Snow Emergency (it's happened to the best of us), you'll get a $60 alternate side parking violation ticket, plus a $50 towing fee.

So....Happy Holidays!

If you want to know more, go to www.cityofmadison.com/winter

Barack Obama Speaks at Wright Middle School in Madison, WI

Barack Obama visited Wright Middle School in Madison last week, and spoke to students about the importance of Education.