A commoner drinks (and dines) at Mike’s Horseshoe Bar, Madison, Wis.

In my hometown, when you hear the phrase “horseshoe bar” you probably think of a place where you can build your own open-faced sandwich covered with fries and smothered with cheese sauce.  But in almost every other place in the world, I imagine one would expect a place that has a bar shaped like an actual horseshoe. 

Nailed it (pun intended).

That’s exactly what you'll find inside Mike’s Horseshoe Bar and Grill in Madison, Wis.  And on my search for the best friendly, neighborhood taverns in town, Mike’s was among the best.

Random observations from three months in Greater Cleveland

Imagine my surprise when I recently checked my blog statistics (yes, I actually do that … it’s amazing to learn how many countries I get “hits” from) and discovered it’s been about two months since my last post.

I offer no excuses for my recent blogging blight, but I do have reasons, with working out of state being the prominent one. Fortunately, extended time at any work site gives me the opportunity to learn more in depth about the area I’m temporarily living in every Monday through Friday. Every place has its gems … and its duds.  Here are just a few of my takeaways from approximately three months immersed in the eastern suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio:

A commoner drinks (and dines) at Mickey’s Tavern, Madison, Wis.

While I was working in Madison, Wis., last fall, I was fortunate to discover quite a few great old-fashioned neighborhood taverns and dives.  But in the case of Mickey’s Tavern in particular, I sought it out based on a recommendation from my future wife.  As fate would have it, Punky knew one of the bartenders who worked there, and from all accounts she felt Mickey’s would be my kind of place.  As usual, she was right.

Scenes from the Wurst. Wedding. Ever.

My few faithful followers have probably noticed a scarcity of blog posts in recent months (with the most recent exception of last month’s rant against crappy airline service).  The good news (depending on your point of view, I suppose) is my blogging days are far from over.  On the contrary, I’ve been hoarding ideas for future posts over the past several months.  I’ve simply been a little busy and preoccupied with planning a far more important chapter in my life.  

Yes, as evidence that one should never say never again, The April and I got married.  And, indicative of our collectively warped sense of humor -- as well as a play on our last names -- we dubbed it the Wurst Wedding Ever.