OK, my mental pictures accompanying this FOXNews story about an ostrich on the run on the Golden Gate Bridge really cracked me up. Especially the part about "the ostrich's butt broke the window. You never would think an ostrich could fit through a little window, but she did."
And then I saw the picture - you should, too, so click on the ostrich image to enlarge the photo.
8.31.2005
The 2005 MN State Fair
The annual state fair, held here almost consecutively since the early 1850's (minus four years for a World Fair and World Wars, for instance), is a great tradition for me. This year I went with my cousins, 
Rachel and Sarah, and enjoyed myself immensely. Perfect weather - 80 degrees, sunny, low humidity and gentle breezes. Of course, food was the main event, but I also enjoyed checking out wood carving statues and voting on them (you can see one of them in the picture, courtesy of the cell phone cam); walking for mile upon mile; seeing my favorite radio personality, beloved Joe Soucheray; watching a bunch of lumberjack guys do their lumberjack thing, followed by watching the Fair parade in all its glory; meeting up with friends; riding the skyglider over the fairgrounds; and taking a gander at some newborn baby animals and the horses (and the bare minimum of grown swine, thrown in for good measure to fully 'enjoy' all the *ahem* smells and sounds of the Fair). Just about the only thing we didn't do was see the Butter Heads as i like to call them - the likenesses of Princess Kay of the Milky Way and her court being carved into 90-pound blocks of butter. Amazingly enough, I did a search and found out that the NY Times had an article on the 2005 Princess. Why New York cares about this, I know not. But we do! Anyway, after walking around for over 8 hours, we were tired and fat from food and didn't bother to go look at the butter heads. There's so much to do at the Fair one could spend from 6am until midnight checking it all out. Good thing I'm not much of a fan of rides, so we skipped the midway, which could conceivably also take a very long time.
As for food: well, I had to go for an old favorite, Fried Cheesecurds! Man, I love those things. So much so that I ate them twice. As for new foods, I did try the spaghetti and meatball on a stick, and it wasn't that great. Fabulous concept in my mind, but the reality wasn't as good
as the hype. Puff Daddy on a Stick from the "Sausage Sister & Me" sisters was fantastic - nice and spicy. Of course this was followed by the traditional naked pickle to cut the grease, something one should do every year in order to pace oneself ("naked" means that it wasn't fried and that it only had a stick in it). Another new fantasy creation I had was pina colada sorbet served in a frozen half-pineapple. Mmmm-mmmmm, nummy. (That's me enjoying the sorbet in this beautific pic. Yes, according to the sign there really is key lime pie on a stick - I've had it and it's good, too.) Other fair foods in which I indulged included mini doughnuts (for a healthy breakfast!), all-you-can-drink milk (and you can mix your own flavor to the white or chocolate milk, including strawberry, cherry, orange, and my personal favorite, caramel, to make it more interesting), lime sno cone, pronto pup (more stick food, of course), fresh-squeezed lemonade, cotton candy, spicy waffle fries, Dippin' Dots, and much, much more. Let me tell you people, the Fair is all about the food, and there is plenty of it on which one may spend lots and lots of $$$. The only thing about which I must complain is the MN Farmers Union Coffee Shop, which was out of the Frozen Mocha on a Stick, not once, but both times I went over there to get one. I was very annoyed to learn there was an hour and a half wait the second time. I hope they rectify the situation of supply and demand by next year.
Rachel and Sarah, and enjoyed myself immensely. Perfect weather - 80 degrees, sunny, low humidity and gentle breezes. Of course, food was the main event, but I also enjoyed checking out wood carving statues and voting on them (you can see one of them in the picture, courtesy of the cell phone cam); walking for mile upon mile; seeing my favorite radio personality, beloved Joe Soucheray; watching a bunch of lumberjack guys do their lumberjack thing, followed by watching the Fair parade in all its glory; meeting up with friends; riding the skyglider over the fairgrounds; and taking a gander at some newborn baby animals and the horses (and the bare minimum of grown swine, thrown in for good measure to fully 'enjoy' all the *ahem* smells and sounds of the Fair). Just about the only thing we didn't do was see the Butter Heads as i like to call them - the likenesses of Princess Kay of the Milky Way and her court being carved into 90-pound blocks of butter. Amazingly enough, I did a search and found out that the NY Times had an article on the 2005 Princess. Why New York cares about this, I know not. But we do! Anyway, after walking around for over 8 hours, we were tired and fat from food and didn't bother to go look at the butter heads. There's so much to do at the Fair one could spend from 6am until midnight checking it all out. Good thing I'm not much of a fan of rides, so we skipped the midway, which could conceivably also take a very long time.As for food: well, I had to go for an old favorite, Fried Cheesecurds! Man, I love those things. So much so that I ate them twice. As for new foods, I did try the spaghetti and meatball on a stick, and it wasn't that great. Fabulous concept in my mind, but the reality wasn't as good
as the hype. Puff Daddy on a Stick from the "Sausage Sister & Me" sisters was fantastic - nice and spicy. Of course this was followed by the traditional naked pickle to cut the grease, something one should do every year in order to pace oneself ("naked" means that it wasn't fried and that it only had a stick in it). Another new fantasy creation I had was pina colada sorbet served in a frozen half-pineapple. Mmmm-mmmmm, nummy. (That's me enjoying the sorbet in this beautific pic. Yes, according to the sign there really is key lime pie on a stick - I've had it and it's good, too.) Other fair foods in which I indulged included mini doughnuts (for a healthy breakfast!), all-you-can-drink milk (and you can mix your own flavor to the white or chocolate milk, including strawberry, cherry, orange, and my personal favorite, caramel, to make it more interesting), lime sno cone, pronto pup (more stick food, of course), fresh-squeezed lemonade, cotton candy, spicy waffle fries, Dippin' Dots, and much, much more. Let me tell you people, the Fair is all about the food, and there is plenty of it on which one may spend lots and lots of $$$. The only thing about which I must complain is the MN Farmers Union Coffee Shop, which was out of the Frozen Mocha on a Stick, not once, but both times I went over there to get one. I was very annoyed to learn there was an hour and a half wait the second time. I hope they rectify the situation of supply and demand by next year. So, to recap, the fair excursion was very successful this year, and now I'm already looking forward to next year and next year's new food on a stick - and the 2005 MN State Fair isn't even over yet!
8.29.2005
In a land of 10,000+ lakes...
...I frequently choose to walk around a man-made one. (At least I think it's man-made. For how nice and structured the pond is, it certainly feels like it.) Anyway. Tonight, I went out with my friend Emily and walked around Centennial Lakes in Edina (see - I *knew* I'd still be going to Edina even after my tirade last week; I'm glad I was still welcomed there and heard no pooh-poohing). Apparently I'm not the only one who had the idea of walking around such a smart little puddle. Lots of other people were there, as usual (especially on such a nice August evening), but the odd part was running into all sorts of people I know, including one I haven't seen in years. 
I guess we Minnesotans just like our bodies of water and tend to congregate around them or something. Take the picture for example. It's a snapshot of Emily and me at Normandale Lake taken earlier this summer. We love our lakes and handy cell phone cams; or at least I love mine when I remember to use them.
I guess we Minnesotans just like our bodies of water and tend to congregate around them or something. Take the picture for example. It's a snapshot of Emily and me at Normandale Lake taken earlier this summer. We love our lakes and handy cell phone cams; or at least I love mine when I remember to use them.
Beach Poll Results
Apparently none of my friends like the beach. Of the two who do, one plays volleyball and the other swims. Those are the results of the August Beach Poll - a nice, even 50-50.
Or maybe my friends just don't like polls. To test that theory, I'm trying a new one this week. What do you like to do over Labor Day weekend? Is it just another day to you, or do you live it up? Feel free to vote, people. And if you dislike polls, also feel free to comment on them.
And enjoy Labor Day while you're at it!
Or maybe my friends just don't like polls. To test that theory, I'm trying a new one this week. What do you like to do over Labor Day weekend? Is it just another day to you, or do you live it up? Feel free to vote, people. And if you dislike polls, also feel free to comment on them.
And enjoy Labor Day while you're at it!
the weekend
Another August weekend has come to an end.
I played in a wedding over the weekend - did the rehearsal on Friday night and the wedding on Saturday afternoon. Gorgeous weather for it, unless you're stuck in a very, very hot organ loft trying to play the violin. Up there, it was just a bit on the sweaty side. However, I did have the pleasure of leaving the organ loft after the prelude and the entrance of the bride, running around the outside of the church with the organist through a very nice breeze, and entering through a back door to make it to the front of the platform in time to play the accompaniment for a vocal duet. It was really exciting when we couldn't get the back door open because someone had placed a music stand in front of the door, and the door kept getting caught on the stand as we tried to open it. I'm more appreciative now of longer wedding messages. And then after the song was sung and the piano and violin played superbly with them, we went back the way we came around the outside and climbed the steps to the top of the organ loft in time for the postlude. I climbed a lot of stairs over the weekend. Organ lofts are never close to the ground floor - they're always off soaring towards the ceiling, and there are lots of steps to cover to get to them. OK, so it doesn't look so bad, but I swear there were a lot of steps to climb to get here. The church is beautiful and has great acoustics and a fabulous organ. It also has an interesting story (used to be the Catholic church, but now Lutherans rent it, and somewhere along the line it was renamed the "Historic Church"; to add to the confusion, the wedding was neither Catholic nor Lutheran).
Since I was a friend of the bride's family, I also ended up going to the groom's dinner and the wedding reception. Both were very nice, but I was exhausted. And I wasn't even in the bridal party! I can't imagine how much more tired they were after all that - plus pictures and stuff.
Tomorrow is the State Fair day. I'm going with my two cousins. The new food this year includes spaghetti and meatballs on a stick. I'm very curious about that one, and will have to try it...
I played in a wedding over the weekend - did the rehearsal on Friday night and the wedding on Saturday afternoon. Gorgeous weather for it, unless you're stuck in a very, very hot organ loft trying to play the violin. Up there, it was just a bit on the sweaty side. However, I did have the pleasure of leaving the organ loft after the prelude and the entrance of the bride, running around the outside of the church with the organist through a very nice breeze, and entering through a back door to make it to the front of the platform in time to play the accompaniment for a vocal duet. It was really exciting when we couldn't get the back door open because someone had placed a music stand in front of the door, and the door kept getting caught on the stand as we tried to open it. I'm more appreciative now of longer wedding messages. And then after the song was sung and the piano and violin played superbly with them, we went back the way we came around the outside and climbed the steps to the top of the organ loft in time for the postlude. I climbed a lot of stairs over the weekend. Organ lofts are never close to the ground floor - they're always off soaring towards the ceiling, and there are lots of steps to cover to get to them. OK, so it doesn't look so bad, but I swear there were a lot of steps to climb to get here. The church is beautiful and has great acoustics and a fabulous organ. It also has an interesting story (used to be the Catholic church, but now Lutherans rent it, and somewhere along the line it was renamed the "Historic Church"; to add to the confusion, the wedding was neither Catholic nor Lutheran).
Since I was a friend of the bride's family, I also ended up going to the groom's dinner and the wedding reception. Both were very nice, but I was exhausted. And I wasn't even in the bridal party! I can't imagine how much more tired they were after all that - plus pictures and stuff.
Tomorrow is the State Fair day. I'm going with my two cousins. The new food this year includes spaghetti and meatballs on a stick. I'm very curious about that one, and will have to try it...
8.26.2005
goose bumps
the other day, I was kind of cold. Evening was descending and temperatures had dropped, and I shivered a bit. I noticed I had goose bumps. What are goose bumps, really? Are they not the skin's version of a race to find warmth, a la musical chairs? Your flesh is hightailing it to warmer territory, leaving the few cells that were slower than the others out in the cold. This continues until you are one large, shivering goose bump, when you, too, go in search of warmth because your brain is catching up to what your skin already knows. Baby, it's cold outside. (I say this because I got cold when it was a mere 74 degrees the other day.)
8.25.2005
8.23.2005
What do D.C., Target and Edina have in common?
Nothing, really. I just wanted to cover some of my day in one post.
It's amazing how such silly things amuse me. For instance, take the following nugget from today: I was driving through Edina, that culturally snobby, high ground of vast prosperity of the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities, and there was a Lexus in the lane next to me with D.C. plates. I just had to laugh because all I saw was "Taxation Without Representation" at the bottom of the plate, and that pretty much sums up my frequent opinions of D.C. Doesn't it feel like our representation is hardly present or representative? And yet, taxes do seem to be rawther high. (OK, so you're probably thinking that was not even a nugget of aluminum, let alone gold. It was, however, at least in the category of hard, crusty dirt nugget.)
So, whilst I was in Edina, I visited Target. I love Target. I don't go there all the time, mainly because I don't always have money to buy anything and therefore shopping can be both a waste of time & depressing, but sometimes it's just fun to wander through and see what they have there. It's a nicely inexpensive store, and I refer not only to the products but also to the cost of the entertainment to be had while exploring it. Seriously, you could make a day of it. Check out some kitchen appliances and handy gadgets, shake the light bulbs, try on some shoes. See what's new in automotive. If you get tired, lounge around on the furniture and read one of their books. They have a restaurant-type feature along with aisles of junk food if you're feeling peckish, and then restrooms after that. You can play with the toys and ride the bikes around for speedy access to other areas of the store. You can catch the sample movie while you browse the latest in DVDs and CDs. Buy something and then immediately grab one of those ticket things to get in line to return it. If you get sleepy and need a nap, pilfer a pillow and a blanket from the bedding area and head for the tents. The camping department always comes in handy during a hard day of Targeting. Try on all the clothes and sunglasses. In the summer, rearrange the patio sets; in winter, redecorate the Christmas trees. You can choose some film, test out the cameras, snap some pictures of your Target day and you get your film developed right there. While you wait One Hour, go chat it up with the nice old folks who are getting their prescriptions filled in the pharmacy. Why not live it up? Get your blood pressure checked with that comfy cuff. When you've got the glossies back, you can go find the scrapbooking and office materials in order to complete your documentation of your trip to Target. And that's just the regular Target. Think of how much more time could be spent looking at groceries in the Superstores?
It's amazing the quality of the Targets, though. There is one that is probably a mile away from the Edina Target - over the freeway and in Bloomington - and it is just like the sale-out-of-the-back-of-a-rental-truck in comparison. Why is that? One mile and the same chain takes such a dive. There's never any good merchandise, you can't find what you want because nothing's where it should be, and the selection of what merchandise there is is more sparse than a monk's closet. I guess we're just back to the Edina thing - that culturally snobby, high ground of vast prosperity where there is no wrong side of the tracks. (I'm sure the wrong side of the tracks probably just refers to the neighboring suburbs. That's probably why I take such offense; I live in one of the neighboring suburbs and I'm tired of being pooh-poohed. Well, not that anyone has ever literally said that to me, but you must by now get the idea that I'm annoyed with Edina tonight for absolutely no good reason.) The only great thing I've noticed lately about the Target in Bloomington is that the Bloomington store has a brand new Starbucks inside. I guess that'll show them! But probably not. As if there isn't a Starbucks on every corner anyway, the Edina residents are probably thinking that Bloomington is finally catching up (though that's far from true) and even then we couldn't get a stand-alone Starbucks. However, the residents of Bloomington know that Edina is just jealous since we have the largest mall in America in our 'burb and they don't.
I really have no idea why I'm ripping on Edina tonight - I used to work there at this store in this location, and I still live next door, and I will continue to visit often. So on that note, I'll just end this odd little tirade of mine before get in too deep and swear off Edina forever, or some resident reads this and pooh-poohs me the next time I drive through.
It's amazing how such silly things amuse me. For instance, take the following nugget from today: I was driving through Edina, that culturally snobby, high ground of vast prosperity of the southern suburbs of the Twin Cities, and there was a Lexus in the lane next to me with D.C. plates. I just had to laugh because all I saw was "Taxation Without Representation" at the bottom of the plate, and that pretty much sums up my frequent opinions of D.C. Doesn't it feel like our representation is hardly present or representative? And yet, taxes do seem to be rawther high. (OK, so you're probably thinking that was not even a nugget of aluminum, let alone gold. It was, however, at least in the category of hard, crusty dirt nugget.)
So, whilst I was in Edina, I visited Target. I love Target. I don't go there all the time, mainly because I don't always have money to buy anything and therefore shopping can be both a waste of time & depressing, but sometimes it's just fun to wander through and see what they have there. It's a nicely inexpensive store, and I refer not only to the products but also to the cost of the entertainment to be had while exploring it. Seriously, you could make a day of it. Check out some kitchen appliances and handy gadgets, shake the light bulbs, try on some shoes. See what's new in automotive. If you get tired, lounge around on the furniture and read one of their books. They have a restaurant-type feature along with aisles of junk food if you're feeling peckish, and then restrooms after that. You can play with the toys and ride the bikes around for speedy access to other areas of the store. You can catch the sample movie while you browse the latest in DVDs and CDs. Buy something and then immediately grab one of those ticket things to get in line to return it. If you get sleepy and need a nap, pilfer a pillow and a blanket from the bedding area and head for the tents. The camping department always comes in handy during a hard day of Targeting. Try on all the clothes and sunglasses. In the summer, rearrange the patio sets; in winter, redecorate the Christmas trees. You can choose some film, test out the cameras, snap some pictures of your Target day and you get your film developed right there. While you wait One Hour, go chat it up with the nice old folks who are getting their prescriptions filled in the pharmacy. Why not live it up? Get your blood pressure checked with that comfy cuff. When you've got the glossies back, you can go find the scrapbooking and office materials in order to complete your documentation of your trip to Target. And that's just the regular Target. Think of how much more time could be spent looking at groceries in the Superstores?
It's amazing the quality of the Targets, though. There is one that is probably a mile away from the Edina Target - over the freeway and in Bloomington - and it is just like the sale-out-of-the-back-of-a-rental-truck in comparison. Why is that? One mile and the same chain takes such a dive. There's never any good merchandise, you can't find what you want because nothing's where it should be, and the selection of what merchandise there is is more sparse than a monk's closet. I guess we're just back to the Edina thing - that culturally snobby, high ground of vast prosperity where there is no wrong side of the tracks. (I'm sure the wrong side of the tracks probably just refers to the neighboring suburbs. That's probably why I take such offense; I live in one of the neighboring suburbs and I'm tired of being pooh-poohed. Well, not that anyone has ever literally said that to me, but you must by now get the idea that I'm annoyed with Edina tonight for absolutely no good reason.) The only great thing I've noticed lately about the Target in Bloomington is that the Bloomington store has a brand new Starbucks inside. I guess that'll show them! But probably not. As if there isn't a Starbucks on every corner anyway, the Edina residents are probably thinking that Bloomington is finally catching up (though that's far from true) and even then we couldn't get a stand-alone Starbucks. However, the residents of Bloomington know that Edina is just jealous since we have the largest mall in America in our 'burb and they don't.
I really have no idea why I'm ripping on Edina tonight - I used to work there at this store in this location, and I still live next door, and I will continue to visit often. So on that note, I'll just end this odd little tirade of mine before get in too deep and swear off Edina forever, or some resident reads this and pooh-poohs me the next time I drive through.
8.22.2005
goings-on
Been quite busy lately; sending out resumes, attending weddings (or portions of them, but that's another tale...), celebrating friends' birthdays, all sorts of good things.
I saw a DVD ("I Walked on the Moon") of an extremely amusing comedian the other night. I highly recommend catching Brian Regan if you get the chance.
More music and weddings. I'm done with Kenwood Symphony and enjoyed playing in the parks with them. Next up is the wedding I'm playing in this weekend. Rehearsals for the fall begin after Labor Day.
And, yes! The MN State Fair begins on Thursday. I love the Fair and will be going this year, as usual, to test out the food, take a gander at all the contraptions and baby animals and such, see my favorite radio personalities broadcast from the fairgrounds, maybe take a ride on the midway, and then eat some more. There's a lot of eating involved. That suits me just fine.
I saw a DVD ("I Walked on the Moon") of an extremely amusing comedian the other night. I highly recommend catching Brian Regan if you get the chance.
More music and weddings. I'm done with Kenwood Symphony and enjoyed playing in the parks with them. Next up is the wedding I'm playing in this weekend. Rehearsals for the fall begin after Labor Day.
And, yes! The MN State Fair begins on Thursday. I love the Fair and will be going this year, as usual, to test out the food, take a gander at all the contraptions and baby animals and such, see my favorite radio personalities broadcast from the fairgrounds, maybe take a ride on the midway, and then eat some more. There's a lot of eating involved. That suits me just fine.
8.16.2005
electric cicadas
When I was little, I used to think that the sound of cicadas was actually the sound of electricity screaming through the wires to bring power to our house. (Apparently we only had power a few months out of each year; it never dawned on me that there was no noise in winter, and yet we still had electricity.) This year the cicadas are out again, and I fondly remember my childhood and the odd thoughts I had when I was a kid.
8.13.2005
butter pecan ice cream
I have often stated my general dislike for ice cream made with nuts. Adding the nuts yourself is fine; I just don't like the ice cream manufacturers to make that particular decision for me. That said, however, I really like the idea of butter pecan ice cream. It tastes nice. As the name implies, though, there are nuts already in there. So, is it weird of me to wish that ice cream makers would just make butter flavor ice cream? Probably.
8.11.2005
sounds
As some of you may know, I like good sounds: Car doors that sound like vaults shutting upon closing them; a basketball swishing through a new net; etc.
Well, I finally got to open the new canister of tennis balls on Tuesday evening. Like I said before, I was really looking forward to opening it. I have to admit, the anticipation was great, and the sound that the lid made as I peeled it off was a great pop that filled me with glee. I am very easily amused. Then, when you hit the ball just right off the racquet, oh, what a sound.
I'm getting sore from all the tennis I'm playing. If only soreness were an indication of improvement; alas, I'm afraid that that's not really a reliable gauge. Tuesday night with Em. Last night with my dad. Tomorrow with Betsy. And - I hope - all over again next week.
Well, I finally got to open the new canister of tennis balls on Tuesday evening. Like I said before, I was really looking forward to opening it. I have to admit, the anticipation was great, and the sound that the lid made as I peeled it off was a great pop that filled me with glee. I am very easily amused. Then, when you hit the ball just right off the racquet, oh, what a sound.
I'm getting sore from all the tennis I'm playing. If only soreness were an indication of improvement; alas, I'm afraid that that's not really a reliable gauge. Tuesday night with Em. Last night with my dad. Tomorrow with Betsy. And - I hope - all over again next week.
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