My Best Friend's Friends

It comes along with moving to a new place. You meet people. Some will be mere acquaintances while others become more. Some you meet on your own but most of the time you meet new people through someone else. A friend of a friend at first that turn into friendships of their own.

My first visit to Wisconsin came in November last year. It was a short trip up from Oklahoma to see Erin and really to see where I would be moving to the following month. It was also my first introduction to her family and a couple of her friends, Bill and Danni. It's always somewhat awkward the first time you are introduced to new people but this was awkward beyond social norm. I was Erin's new boyfriend and these were friends of Erin and her ex as a couple. Thankfully they were open minded and kind and I am grateful for the hospitality they gave. 

Fast forward and I have come to know and befriend several more people in my short time here. Though I miss my friends in Oklahoma dearly, I have been made to feel very welcome here thanks to Bill and Danni and another great couple, Matt and Rachael. The more people I meet, I know I will have as many Wisconie friends as Okies. 

Saturday a very special event took place here in town. The annual Bicycle Poker Run. I had heard talk of last years so I was excited to be a part of it. Several hundred people, a dozen bars, and an afternoon of shenanigans. 

Showed up early at the starting point and the bikes were already beginning to fill the parking lot.  

Our colorful tie dye clad group

Sara & Eric, Kimberly & Nickolas, Matt, Erin, Danni, Rachael

Cheesing it

Bill & Danni

This guy

Eric & Sara, Matt & Rachael (with Danni jumping in the middle there) and Shawn

Shawn, me, and Matt getting a little handsy.

Finishing where we started, with a kiss.

A great time with a great group of people. Some I already knew and maybe I made a few more new collateral friends. 

As if that doesn't sound awesome enough, on Sunday Erin's mother Karen, of Kareninthewoods fame, and stepfather Steve invited us, along with Erin's other siblings, to a minor league baseball game. What really made it special though was that you could take your dogs along. We met up with them and a group from the Wisconsin Sheltie Rescue.

Bark at the Park.

Getting in some tailgating.

Biscuit soaking up some sun.

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

I love this beautiful woman.

It was a race against the weather though. The wind blew hard all day as we watched the clouds roll in. The 7th inning stretch would have been the perfect time to leave but we missed our window. The sky opened up and we found ourselves running to the car, kids screaming with about as much unneeded drama as they could muster. We were soaked... 

 and Biscuit was not happy anymore.