Milwaukee's Spectacular Lakefront Fireworks

Beach Wedding in Destin, FL

John's New Website

Greetings from Cheezland:

John's new website, http://www.wiscountdown.com/, includes a really cool countdown clock to the smoking ban in Wisconsin, July 5, 2010. It also has a list of non-smoking restaurants, details about the new smoking ban law, an open thread blog (pro & con), plus info about stop smoking programs. John will also be adding more content later.

John & I are very allergic to smoke which makes our eyes & throats burn, noses run, etc. We are tired of having to change seats in bars when smokers start puffing away next to us. We enjoy visiting bars for drinks, food & entertainment. It is a pleasure for us to dine in bars & restaurants in states like Illinois, CA, AZ & FL.

Wisconsin is particularly bad with many smoking addicts & bar owners fighting the ban. We are pleasantly surprised that the smoking ban was finally approved by the Wisconsin state legislature, but we will have to wait until July of next year in order to get it passed. The Wisconsin Tavern League has been bitterly fighting the ban.

Until then, over 14 months, Wisconsin will continue to be the "Ash tray of the Midwest", but at least we can look forward to the ban.

We were invited to Governor Jim Doyle's bill signing event today, but the night owls were not able to make the early morning event. John did get to talk to Jim at a recent Milwaukee World Trade Association meeting where he presented a photo copy of the Wisconsin Smoking Ban Countdown clock's home page. The governor liked the idea, and thanked John for his efforts.

The Cheezheads, Robin & John

Wildlife Cruise in San Diego

Instead of going to SeaWorld in San Diego to see the sea life, we went out into the Pacific Ocean to see it in the wild. We observed whales breaching & waving their flukes (tails) along with cormorant, pelican, & seagull rookeries, plus numerous seal, sea lion & elephant seal colonies and numerous birds, ducks & dolphins along the beautiful coastline. We even observed a blue footed booby chick perched on a rock. Some photos of our cruise to the Los Coronado Islands, a few miles off the coast of Mexico, are attached. It cost only $45 per person (with our discount coupons) to take the 5 hour Nature Cruise from San Diego vs. $60 per person for admission to SeaWorld!!