Chuckapalooza

Labor Day weekend is upon us, and that means one thing around here.  No, not parades or labor rallies or Jerry Lewis.  It's time for Chuckapalooza!  Chuckapaloza ia a little get together we have here at the house--this year will mark the 20th anniversary.  It will be a good time.

The 'Palooza has quite the varied past.  Like many great events, it didn't even have a name at the start, just a little group of friends sitting around having a couple of beers and some corn on the cob.  Actually was at the old place in Milwaukee the first year.  When we moved to the Falls we decided to keep it going, kind of a celebration to the end of summer.  The Packers also used to open the season on the Sunday before Labor Day, but the NFL screwed that up for us--we've moved on.

Chuckapalooza has evolved through the years.  The Mrs and I had gone to company picnics when we were kids with our and we families, and we decided that was something we wanted our kids to experience.  Lacking companies with picnics, that's what we decided to do with the 'Palooza.  So we invited the neighbors and co-workers and relatives and college friends.  We had piles of kids here, so we had kid games--three legged race, gunny sack, balloon pop, all kinds of stuff.  We had ribbons and other little prizes for the kids, and food--tons of picnic food!  Folks would bring a dish to pass, we'd cook burgers and brats and hot dogs, always a good time.  The Packers would play, we'd have a couple of beers, always a good time.

As the kids got older games changed.   More volleyball, touch football, soccer.  We kept the other stuff as well.  One year we awarded a car as a prize for corn hole.  Sadly the winners didn't claim their prize so we had to donate it to charity.  That's okay.  One year Dave brought a busload of folks from the Rainbow foods--they had a good time!  No more football games, but that just made more time for visiting and eating and dancing and drinking.  More people would show up. Sometimes the local police would even show up for a visit.  We always have good weather and a good time at Chuckapalooza.

People have come and gone over the years.  We've had babies to grandparents.  Folks plans and families changed, and we wouldn't see them for years, only to see them reappear.  That is always a treat.  The kids got older, and their priorities changed.  There were years when we had a couple of hundred people here to years when there were less than 30.  There we a couple of times when we though about ending the 'Palooza, but something has always kept us going.  It's a lot of work, but the memories are great.  From all the little kids who are now grown and in college, to having the local TV station here to talk about the Packers, to friends and relatives we don't see anymore to those who have moved away or passed on. 

So you know where we will be on the Sunday before Labor Day.  If you've been invited once, you are invited for life.  If you know me, you're invited.  If you know someone who knows me, you're invited.  If you're reading this, you're invited.  Only one family has ever been uninvited, and they won't be here---but they will wish they were!  We will have games and food and music and beer.  Throw together a dish to pass, grab the kids or grandkids or grandma, and feel free to stop in for a visit.  We'd love to see you, that's what the Chuckapalooza is really all about.....