It might be hard to believe now, but without tests and papers to work on over the summer, boredom can set in. Sometimes the best cure involves doing something out of the ordinary. Here are a few of ways of combating summer boredom.
Indoors
Test out some of Milwaukee's famous brews without even going to the bar. The Sprecher Brewing Company, 701 W. Glendale Ave., Miller Brewing Company, 4251 W. State St., and Lakefront Brewery, Inc., 1872 N. Commerce St., all offer educational tours in beer making with plenty of taste testing (for those over 21).
Sprecher's tour costs $4 and runs Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 1, 2 and 3 p.m., and Sunday at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. A reservation is required. The tour brings visitors through its famous cellars and demonstrates how it brews beer in true Old World fashion.
Miller offers a free tour that runs about every half hour Monday through Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Highlights of tour include seeing the giant packing center, the caves where Miller first stored its beer to keep it cold, and the Miller Inn where you can gulp Miller and Leinenkugel beer or pop.
Lakefront's tour is the most generous of the three. While the $6 price tag might at first seem hefty, Lakefront gives visitors four beers to taste, a pint glass and a coupon for a free beer good at any one of a number of downtown bars. This small tour lets you drink before, during and after. Lakefront tours run Monday through Thursday at 3 p.m.; Friday 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Outdoors
Quick, before giant Asian Carp make their way to Lake Michigan and irreversibly mess-up the ecosystem, enjoy the beach! Beaches have always been a great way to cool off on a hot summer day. Luckily, Milwaukee has one really big one in Bradford Beach, 2400 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.
May 23 marks the official opening of Bradford Beach. Swim, soak in some rays and dig live music all at the revitalized beach house.
Bradford Beach also hosts a number of men and women's volleyball and soccer leagues. Registration is still available for most leagues by going to bradfordbeachjam.com.
Lazy Day
If you find yourself bored and too lazy to leave the house, try checking out Relapse, out May 15, by Eminem if nothing more than to take a nostalgic ride.
After nearly four years of hiding, Eminem emerges from the hip-hop abyss with his first album since 2004's Encore.
Inspired in part by his own relapse into abusing prescription medicine, Eminem's new record is supposed to be more serious than past ones. If the video for the song "We Made You," is any sign of what the rest of Relapse will be like; serious doesn't seem to be the right word.
In the video, Eminem makes fun of everything pop culture from Bret Michaels to Sarah Palin. It looks like Shady's back.