How to Lead the Perfect Life in Nordeast Minneapolis

Talented Friends

2010-01-11T07:07:00.001-08:00

Our buddy Mary C. Matthews visited in early December and, serendipitously, it was the weekend of The Boombah's holiday pageant and the weekend we got our Christmas tree. Many thanks to Mary for creating this wonderful video. It pays to keep talented friends. You could spend a fine afternoon at her vlog: Video Pancakes.

My Favorite 75 Songs of 2009

2009-12-30T09:54:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite Favorite 75 song lists that I've compiled. Click on the song title to hear the song - most are on YouTube so you get a video as a bonus. Click on the artist's name to be whisked away to their website or MySpace page.

Enjoy!

Artist - Song Title
A.C. Newman - Submarines Of Stockholm
Animal Collective - Also Frightened
The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
Band Of Skulls - I Know What I Am
Bat For Lashes - Daniel
The Big Pink - Dominos
Bill Callahan - Eid Ma Clack Shaw
Blitzen Trapper - Silver Moon
Bob Dylan - Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
Brother Ali - Good Lord
Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons - Born Again
The Dead Weather - I Cut Like A Buffalo
The Decemberists - Isn't It A Lovely Night?
The Devil Makes Three - Do Wrong Right
Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is The Move
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - 40 Day Dream
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
Eels - Prizefighter
The Flaming Lips - Silver Trembling Hands
Gentleman Reg - Coastline
Glasvegas - It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry
Gomez - Airstream Driver
Gossip - Love Long Distance
Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
Har Mar Superstar - Tall Boy
Harper Simon - Wishes And Stars
Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions - Suzanne
Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You`Re Naked
Iron and Wine - Love Vigilantes
Jonas Brothers - Paranoid
Julian Casablancas - Ludlow St.
Junior Boys - Parallel Lines
K'naan - Fatima
La Roux - Tigerlily
Lady Gaga - LoveGame
Lady Sovereign - So Human
Lily Allen - The Fear
M. Ward - Never Had Nobody Like You
Madness - We Are London
Mandy Moore - I Could Break Your Heart Any Day of the Week
Maria Taylor - Time Lapse Lifeline
Mason Jennings - Ain't No Friend Of Mine
Melody Gardot - Baby I'm A Fool
Metric - Collect Call
Minotaur Shock - Zookeeper
The Minus 5 - Scott Walker's Fault
Modest Mouse - Autumn Beds
Monsters Of Folk - Say Please
Morrissey - One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
Muse - Uprising
The National - So Far Around The Bend
Neko Case - Don't Forget Me
Thenewno2 - So Vain
Noisettes - Never Forget You
Owl City - Fireflies
Passion Pit - The Reeling Pearl Jam - Just Breathe
Peter Bjorn and John - It Don't Move Me
Phoenix - 1901
Phoenix - Lisztomania
Portugal.The Man - People Say Regina Spektor - The Calculation Robyn Hitchcock - What You Is
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Don't Haunt This Place
Sondre Lerche - Heartbeat Radio
Sondre Lerche - I Guess It's Gonna Rain Today
St. Vincent - Actor Out Of Work
Steve Earle - No Place To Fall
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down - When We Swam
U2 - Unknown Caller
Weezer - (If You Are Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
Wilco - Wilco (the song)
The xx - Crystalised
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
Yonlu - The Boy and the Tiger

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Interesting notes:

Two artists on this list, Harper Simon and Dani Harrison from Thenewno2, are the sons of pop music legends, Paul Simon and George Harrison, respectively.

There are some amazing covers on this list, including Iron and Wine's cover of New Order's "Love Vigilantes," Steve Earle's cover of Townes Van Zandt's "No Place To Fall," and Neko Case's cover of Harry Nilsson's "Don't Forget Me."

Two of the artists on this list, Owl City and Har Mar Superstar, hail from the same small town: Owatonna, Minnesota.

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Movies of the 2000s, cont'd

2009-12-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

My last post featured my Favorite 15 Movies of the 2000s. What follows is an alphabetical list of those movies from the decade that I couldn’t quite call my favorites but that I really enjoyed or find myself thinking of from time to time. Some are quite good but others aren't even what I would call good movies. They do, however, contain some combination of striking images, intriguing themes, great dialogue, memorable performances, or lasting messages. In some cases, they're just good fun, amiable diversions, or great entertainment.

About A Boy
All the Real Girls
Almost Famous
Amelie
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Atonement
The Batman movies
Before Night Falls
Big Fish
Brokeback Mountain
Chopper
The Circle
Cold Mountain
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
Dirty Pretty Things
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Grizzly Man
Half Nelson
The Harry Potter Movies
In America
In the Bedroom
Jesus’s Son
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Lovely and Amazing
Man on Wire
The Man Who Wasn’t There
Match Point
Meet The Parents
Milk
Mulholland Drive
No Country for Old Men
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Once
The Others
Pan’s Labyrinth
Pootie Tang
The Queen
Rabbit-Proof Fence
Rachel Getting Married
Shaun of the Dead
Spellbound
Spider-Man 2
The Squid and the Whale
Under the Sand
Vera Drake
Wallace and Grommit in The Curse of the Wererabbit
Wet Hot American Summer
Wonder Boys

My Favorite 15 Movies of the 2000s

2009-11-19T06:41:00.001-08:00

The period from January 1, 2000 to today represents an unusual era in my personal moviegoing history. First off, when the decade began, I was probably seeing more movies (both rentals and first run moves in the theater) than any other time in my life. Movies were the locus of my entertainment. This changed a little bit when I started spending more time outdoors after we moved to Minnesota in 2001 but the birth of my daughter in 2006 really cemented it. I could count on my fingers the number of movies I've seen in the theater since 2006. So I started the decade watching 2-3 movies a week and end it seeing 1-2 a month.

The birth of my daughter had another effect on my movie watching: I watch more kids movies than ever before. Seriously, I watch more kids movies now than when I was a kid. Probably because kids movies when I was a kid stunk. Kids movies today are much better than kids movies when I was a kid. In fact, the list you're about to read demonstrates how good I think the kids movies of today are.

Also, I should mention that Netflix entered my life this past decade. It too transformed my moviewatching. With no pressure to return the movies on time, I held on to them longer, reducing the total number of movies I saw. Sometimes I even sent/send them back partially or totally unwatched. The dawn of streaming movies on Netflix has put my movie viewing on the upswing lately.

So, while movies no longer hold the top spot in my entertainment repertoire, they still mean a lot to me and when I see a good movie, I get excited and want to tell people about it. You can click on the movie's title to view a trailer for the movie. And, fair warning, I cheated a bit. You'll see what I mean. Now, in alphabetical order...

My Favorite 15 Movies of the Decade

City of God

Children of Men

The Constant Gardener

Finding Nemo

The Incredibles

Lord of the Rings Trilogy

Moulin Rouge

The New World

Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

The Royal Tenenbaums

Sideways

Spirited Away

There Will Be Blood

Whale Rider

Y Tu Mamá También

Note: Three directors,Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men,Y Tu Mamá También,) Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings,) and Fernando Meirelles (City of God, The Constant Gardener) have more than one movie on my list.

Dream

2009-11-12T08:00:00.001-08:00

I don't keep a dream journal. I don't even remember my dreams most of the time. I had the following dream, however, in July 2002, more than a year before my father died, and it was so striking I typed it out the next morning at work.

- - -

We were all (what felt like family) partying, drinking, and having a good time at a cabin in the woods. I was in back of the cabin, I believe by a cauldron (like at Possum Lodge,) when Geoff’s friend walked by with a tall, backed bar stool and said “It looks like your father’s collapsed.” She was bringing in the chair for him and didn’t seem all that concerned.

I went in the cabin and into a bedroom and he was lying in the bed. There was a chest of drawers opposite but facing the bed. There were a lot of people in the room but they were just bodies, not anyone I knew. Dad had an IV in his arm. Someone said that the ambulance had been called. He was still a little “with it” and kept taking the IV needle out of his arm and piercing it back in. I got down alongside the bed and told him to stop doing that. He claimed it was designed for him to do that and kept doing it except he was putting the needle in perpendicular to his arm instead of parallel. The IV bag was running out and I was concerned about that so I kept sticking a needle in it that was attached to a hose and would fill the bag with a jet of liquid. I couldn’t get it to work right and had to try several times. It took me some time to get the hang of it.

There was some commotion and I somehow lost track of Dad in the bed. When I found him he had become very old and drawn. Like a mummy. He wasn’t breathing or was barely breathing. I started performing CPR, pumping his heart, but he somehow disappeared out from under me. Someone (I think Geoff) said “You’re just pumping pillows" and when I looked down it was just a tangle of brown bedsheets and cheap sponge-filled pillows. I started searching for Dad and finally found him face down in the space between the bed and the wall. He was all withered and frail like E.T. was when the older brother found him in the stream. I picked him up and was overjoyed to discover that he was still breathing. I carried him in my arms around the bed. He was incredibly light and easy to carry. Very bony. Again like a mummy, like parchment.

When I asked where the ambulance was someone said that they couldn’t find the place so I decided to get him help myself. We were then at The Land in Door County, WI and I was carrying him down the long driveway through the woods to the road. Next we were in a car and Dad was in the passenger seat while I drove. I wrapped a blanket around him but he was too sick to talk or even move. I thought he was dying right then. I was driving into town and called the ambulance to see where they were and they said they were lost, that they couldn’t find the place. I told them to just meet me on Garret Bay Road, that we would be waiting for them there. They sighed and agreed. I turned the car around and headed back but then realized that Garret Bay Road was the wrong road and that it was far too long for them to find us on.

At this point Dad seemed to be getting better. He was talking and we were laughing. He was still sick and in need of medical attention but he seemed better. We were driving through what looked a little like Sister Bay, WI but exaggerated. I stopped someplace to call the ambulance and I went ballistic. Screaming at them. Telling them that a man was dying. They said there was nothing they could do. I hung up. The people at the place I called from said the closest hospital was in Ephraim, WI. I freaked out because it was so far away. The woman said that her husband could get Dad to the hospital in no time. Dad seemed much better at this point. Next thing I know they have loaded Dad lying down into a little bullet shaped trailer that is being pulled by this man’s motorcycle. Dad seemed comfortable and hopeful. As they pulled away I finally felt hopeful myself about the whole situation. Then, as I watched, the motorcycle had to stop suddenly for some parade (complete with a marching band and everything) and the trailer flipped up and over the motorcycle. It exploded upon contact with the ground with my father in it. I knew that he was dead and I thought to myself “Now he’s dead even after all that. It’s like a John Irving novel.”

146-105

2009-11-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

Golden State Warriors - 146
Minnesota Timberwolves - 105

That's not an overtime score by the way. The Warriors reached that score in regulation. It's not the record but it's sad/impressive all the same.

Hoo boy. Go Wolves.

Taken by Vikings

2009-11-08T06:25:00.001-08:00

It's a rare weekend here in Minnesota. The firearms deer opener actually coincides with the Vikings bye week. Woe to deer statewide. Normally, they are given a 3-4 hour reprieve on the Sunday of deer opener while hunters retire indoors to watch the game. Not this weekend. I wonder if opener harvest numbers will be up, even a smidgen, due to lack of local football on TV? Vikings coach, Brad Childress, talking about the bye week, even (sort of) commented on the fact that Vikings players could participate in deer opener for once if they wanted:

“Whether they are going to sit in a deer stand or sit on the beach or contemplate their navel, whatever it is that they care to do, they are free to do as long as they are back here on Monday,” Childress explained.

Dog v. Cat

2009-11-07T05:21:00.001-08:00

The New York Times published two articles this week: this one on cats and this one on dogs.

The dog article describes a service dog named Jet that can not only anticipate his owner's seizures (and warn her 3-5 minutes before they strike) but he will also "position himself so that his body is under [his owner's] head to cushion a fall" if she does have a seizure. The article goes on to suggest that dogs may be even more intuitive and intelligent than we ever thought.

The cat article entreats owners to keep their domestic cats indoors because they are 1) essentially an invasive species and 2) heartless predators.

Let's review:

Dog = Emotionally intelligent, helpful, and compassionate.
Cat = Invasive, remorseless killer.

The cat article also traces the modern domestic cat's lineage back to African Wildcats or Desert Cats as they are also known.

Can you think of any other desert animal that you would pluck up out of the desert and take home? How about a sweet little Bark Scorpion? Or maybe an adorable Spotted Hyena ? Dontcha just want to take it home!? The Fennec Fox, a tiny, precious desert fox, seems like a good pet candidate at first but then there's this from Wikipedia:

"Its speed and agility (they can jump four times their own body length), along with their natural chase instinct, creates the risk of a Fennec Fox [escaping.] Since it is also an adept digger (it can dig up to 20 feet a night in its natural environment) outdoor pens and fences must be extended several feet below ground. Escaped Fennec Foxes are extremely difficult to recapture."

Hmmm. Does that sound like any other desert animal we currently keep as a "pet?"

I'm not going to drive my point home because a comparison of the aforementioned articles does it for me. I will say, though, that I don't hate cats, per se. I am a birder and so I do wish owners would lock their cats up but there have been many cats in my life that I've liked just fine. I have never had the sense, however, that those cats were tuned into me or even cared much about me. I also had the sense that they would, with malice, rip me to shreds if I ever stood between them and what they wanted.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

Another intensely successful Halloween!

The Wicked Birdus Witch:

With the Good Witch Boombah:

It was a cold night for Trick or Treating on Johnson Street but we endured. We hit the stores and the big Halloween house on Johnson (The Boombah won't soon forget the witch and bouncing ghoul at that house!) and then we headed for a pizza party at our friends Dan and Amy.

I was a vision in red, black, blond, and sequins!

The Boombah is confused:

Even without the wig, the neighbors called the police:

Tastes Like Mystery: Part II

2009-11-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

A mystery...no longer! Thank to Geoff for supplying this little tidbit.

About a month ago I blogged about my Dum Dum Pop-based plan for toilet training The Boombah

Turns out the Mystery Flavor™ is actually a mixture of two flavors. From the FAQ on Spangler Candy's website:

Q: What is the Mystery Flavor™ Dum Dum Pop?

A: The Mystery Flavor™ pop is a mixture of two flavors (the end of one batch of candy meets the beginning of the next batch). Our candy lines are continuous and the switch-over from one flavor to another results in some pops containing one or both flavors.

Large Marge

2009-10-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

My finest hour...back in 2002 I won a day off work with pay for this Marge Simpson costume:

Happy Halloween!

End of Summer

2009-10-27T08:34:00.001-07:00

Sure, it's already snowed a few times and it's been grey, rainy, and cold for (what seems like) weeks, still, I haven't allowed the notion that summer is over to sink past the initial layers of my cerebellum. Yesterday, though, we said goodbye to The Birdus' parents as they leave for their winter nest down in Texas. We most likely won't see them again until May. And as the dark mornings get darker and Daylight Savings Time creeps to an end this weekend I look at the photo below and suddenly and fully apprehend that summer is gone.

This picture (taken by The Birdus) embodies our summer: a cabbage and cucumber from our graden grace the foreground, a tart and icy cocktail with fresh mint and raspberries in the center, African violets in bloom on the right, and in the background, a container with our geocaching medallions and a mug full of bottle caps from our favorite beers.

Bye summer. See you next summer.

Performance Gene?

2009-10-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

Preserve me, I've sired an actress.

I guess it goes to figure.

Immediately upon waking, sometimes before her eyes are open, The Boombah will hand The Birdus or me one of her stuffed animals and say, "Can you make him talk?" Or she will get under the covers and announce, "I'm an egg!" Then, while stroking the egg we have to say, "Oh egg. I love you egg. I'm going to take care of you and keep you warm and protect you until the day that you finally hatch." Often, she'll miss her cue and we'll have to repeat, "...ahem...until the day that you finally hatch." She then starts pipping and dramatically "hatches" from her egg blanket.

She loves putting on voices, especially little baby voices. The best is when she puts on a deep, gruff voice like when she makes our Halloween decorations talk. Sometimes, when she's pretending to be an animal, she'll intersperse her English with bursts of animals sounds. For instance, if she's being a duck while singing "Jingle Bells" it will sound like this:

"Jingle bells *quack*
Jingle bells *quack*
Jingle *quack* all the way *quack*"

It becomes quite a production when a lamb and a duck sing a duet.

Many of The Booms' games start this way:

How about you be...

(choose one)
a) Daddy Warbucks
b) the monster
c) the daddy
d) Miss Clavell
e) the children
f) the teacher
g) the audience
h) the dragon that only talks to ladybugs
i) the cat
j) the doggie

...and I'll be...

(choose one)
a) the baby that doesn't talk
b) the witch
c) Madeline
d) Annie
e) the teacher
f) the mommy
g) the children
h) the dancer
i) the baby dressed as a ladybug
j) the doggie

Right now, I'd say that pretending is defintiely her favorite play activity.

So Meta

2009-10-17T18:00:00.001-07:00

A snapshot of an actual ladybug crawling on the wall next to The Boombah's drawing of a lady bug.

"Look," The Birdus said when she noticed it, "So meta."

Halloween Humor

2009-10-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

Too Early

2009-10-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

The storm windows aren't on yet, in fact, the air conditioners are still in but this past Saturday, October 10, I awoke to...

SNOW

The first snow of the season.

According to this website, this ties the 2nd place earliest snow on record for the Twin Cities set back in 1977. It snowed almost all day on Monday, October 12, leaving quite a bit of accumulation and apparently kicking the behind of the previous record for earliest recorded 1 inch snow depth set on October 13, 1959.

Snow on our red tomatoes.

These trees dropped all of their still-green leaves at once, leaving a carpet of slick leaves over a bed of snow.

Apples, Pumpkins, a Wagon Ride and a Corn Maze

2009-10-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

The Boombah has a little friend at preschool named Hannah and The Birdus and I have always been friendly with Hannah's parents whenever we cross paths so we finally decided to get together and take the girls out to Pine Tree Apple Orchard in White Bear Lake. This was the autumn apple orchard experience I've been looking for. It was cold and rainy when we went but the girls were undaunted and it kept the crowds at bay. We almost had the wagon ride all to ourselves.

The entire place is cut right from a Hudson River School landscape. The wagon ride took us through thousands of trees loaded with a dozen different varieties of apple.

The ride also took us to the highest point in Washington County. The fall colors were nowhere near peak but stunning all the same.

The Boombah had her own ideas about who was going to drive the tractor.

She also got to rustle around in the apple trees a bit.

After the wagon ride we entered the corn maze. There were 7 letters hidden in the maze which, when collected and unscrambled, formed a password that could be exchanged for an apple at the end. Hannah and her dad acted as guides and led us to almost every letter hidden in the maze and we figured out the last two. They also, and perhaps most importantly, led us out of the maze.

Next stop was the pumpkin patch where we all selected pumpkins to grace our mantles and front porches as jack-o-lanterns later this month. They mercifully cart the pumpkins down to the parking lot for you and you can pick them up on your way out. We saw someone buy a 70 pound pumpkin while we were there.

The girls had such a fun time running around together and Hannah's parents are super cool. It started to get crowded as we were leaving but I thought Pine Tree was great - friendly and helpful staff, beautiful grounds, and GREAT food. We left with a pecan-apple pie, a dozen apple donuts, and a jar of apple butter. I think I feel a tradition coming on.

Tastes Like Mystery

2009-10-08T09:32:00.001-07:00

Okay. Maybe I'm not parent of the year but some time ago I started giving The Boombah a Dum-Dum Pop lollipop after preschool if she goes the whole day without an accident. I save the wrappers and the idea is that when she has enough she can trade them in for a big reward like a stuffed animal or a visit to Dora the Explorer-land at the Mall of America. Some may see this as bribing their child. I just know that she hasn't had an accident in weeks and asks to go potty when she has to go. Thirty years from now she'll wonder why she craves mango candy every time she goes to the can.

The other day, I fanned out a selection of Dum-Dum Pops in my hand and told The Booms to choose one. She usually goes for coconut, her favorite, or some reliable fruit-flavored stand-by, but this time she chose the mystery pop with a big question mark on the wrapper.

On the way into the house I realized that I forgot to ask The Booms what flavor the mystery pop turned out to be.

"Hey, what flavor is that lollipop by the way?" I asked.

From beneath her umbrella she said, "I don't know.

I pressed her. "Well, what does it taste like?"

She moved the umbrella aside, looked up at me and said, "It tastes like mystery."

After a few additional slurps she added to her original answer, "Mystery lemon."

A Couple of Days at The Dome

2009-10-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota Twins, in the 163rd game of the regular season, just beat the Detroit Tigers in 12 innings to win the AL Central division and clinch the league's final playoff spot. A light cheer even went up from the hipsters around the too-cool-for-school coffee shop I'm currently in.

This win is hot on the heels of the Minnesota Viking's defeat of their hated division rival the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football at the hands of Green Bay's former quarterback - Brett Favre.

Quite a couple of days for the Metrodome!

The Dome doesn't have a good reputation in these parts. Both the Minnesota Gophers and the Minnesota Twins have vacated The Dome for their own outdoor stadiums. Most people I know think it is ugly and a substandard venue for viewing professional sports. I have a co-worker that won't even go there.

These past two days it seems as though The Dome is saying to the entire state of Minnesota, "Look at me guys! I can still bring the magic!" And while I think the writing is on the wall for the Metrodome, we'll always have these two days,

In Praise of the Canine

2009-10-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, a black dog with a white spot on its chest and no tags appeared in our front yard, sporting only a choke chain with a rope tied to it. I instantly thought, "I know that dog!" and proceeded to walk it down to what I thought was its home. Turns out I was wrong, their dog was safe and sound inside. At least I got some closure on that incident.

I walked Dog X home and put him in our fenced backyard with The Retreagle, asking everyone I passed on the way if they recognized the dog and telling them where I lived if they came across anyone looking for him. I fed The Retreagle and Dog X and we sat outside watching them play. As the hour grew late and darkness set in, The Birdus turned to me and said with a smile, "I think we might have acquired another dog." To my surprise, I was a little open to the idea, maybe even- happy -at the thought.

A little while later I heard someone whistling in the distance and noticed that Dog X's ears perked when he heard it. I raced around the neighborhood in the twilight, trying to locate the source and finally found a guy on a bike looking for his dog. We said goodbye to Dog X (actually named Lucky) and the Birdus and I shared an "Oh well" look.

A little while later, we watched the movie Marley and Me which we've wanted to see since our next door neighbor read the book it's based on and told us it reminded him of The Retreagle. It set off an era of Retreagle re-appreciation in our house.

We recently fulfilled our lifelong dream of putting The Retreagle in a tight-fitting shirt:

True enough, The Retreagle is a handful. Like the time he got away from me and ran into a stranger's house and I cornered him in their kitchen. Or the time he swam almost halfway into the Mississippi River and was swept very quickly downriver. I ran along the bank for three quarters of a mile until he washed up on a rock pile. When he acts nuts people always say, "Oh it's alright! He's just a puppy!" I don't tell them that he is actually five years old and the only reason he looks like a yellow lab puppy is because he's part lab and part beagle. In addition, he eats things off the counter if we turn our backs and also, right in front of our eyes. I'm sure there's a German word for the sound The Birdus makes in the morning we she returns to the kitchen to find her perfectly toasted bagel - gone. We live on a corner lot with a lot of foot traffic and he barks at everything that moves. It's the barking that gets to me the most. The vocal quality of his bark is all beagle but with the force and volume of a larger dog. He regularly worked his way past a fence and into our lilac bushes, carving a deep rut down their center with his obsessive back and forth running.

Yet, there are so many things I love about him. People I don't know say hello to him by name when we go for walks. He daintily wiggles his dog lips when I tell him to take treats "gentle." He snores and grunts when he sleeps. He growls ferociously when we kick him off our bed. He lays on our belly's when we have stomach aches. He's insanely protective of us and our home and has twice (we are certain from the evidence) prevented break-ins at our home.

Most of all, though, I love his relationship with The Boombah.

When The Boombah lists the members of her family, she always remembers The Retreagle. When we go somewhere as a family, she always asks if he can come with. She knows the pet store is one of the few stores that allows him entrance. I get the feeling she thinks it's discriminatory that he isn't allowed certain places. She knows he can't talk, so she sticks up for him when she feels it's necessary. "Don't shout at him!" she'll say if I'm being particularly stern about a missing bagel.

Before she was born, we were genuinely concerned for our little girl on account of The Retreagle's high spirits but it has never been an issue. The Retreagle has been gentle, patient, tolerant, caring, and careful around her since the day they met.

He's a good boy, no matter what else I tell you.

My Favorite 15 Albums of 2008

2009-09-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Better Late Than Never...

I managed to get out my Favorite 75 Songs of 2008 on the last day of the year but never got around to writing up my favorite albums of that year. Here they are:

Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons,
You Paint That Shit Gold

Go Minneapolis! An album full of great, memorable songs. Favorite tracks: "You," "Painting," and "Yesterday"

Balmorhea - Rivers Arms

A beautiful instrumental album.

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

A well-polished and tightly produced album. Some good foot-stompers on this one.

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

The Birdus was onto this album way early. Long before I heard it she described Bon Iver as TV on the Radio meets Iron and Wine.

Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid

I love Guy Garvey's voice. Elbow was not the only outfit to play around with prog rock in 2008. I like the trend and this is a good example of how prog can be blended with a more commercial sound.

Estelle – Shine

This album got a LOT of play in our house during the summer of 2008. "American Boy" might be THE song of 2008 for me.

Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

Along with Blitzen Trapper, this album was on permanent rotation during our 2008 ice fishing trip. After two days my buddy Al (not a fan of indie rock) politley asked, "Can we please listen to someone that doesn't sound like they have shit in their mouth?"

MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

I feel like The Current plays a song off this album at least every hour. That's not criticism.

Randy Newman – Harps and Angels

I love Randy's autobiographical story in the song "Potholes" about walking 14 consecutive batters during a little league game and his father's delayed reaction.

The Roots - Rising Down

Favorite tracks: "Criminal," "Rising Up"

Santogold – Santogold

This album makes me MOVE. The song "Creator" is tremendous, as much about her power as an artist and songwriter as it is about her inherent creative power as a woman. Also, plays around God's regard for creation.

She & Him - Volume One

The Birdus isn't a fan but I like this album and gave it more than a couple of listens in 2008.

Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – We Brave Bee Stings and All

The Birdus and I saw Thao in concert at the beginning of the summer of 08. This is an album that recalls summers past - bee stings, swimming pools, and broken hearts.

TV on the Radio - Dear Science

I listened to this album non-stop for about three weeks when it was released and haven't returned much since. "Shout Me Out" is an incredible song.

The Week That Was - The Week That Was

Talk about the return of prog! This album is still accessible (to my ears anyway) as a rock album. Elements of Journey, Styx, Rush, but especially early 80s Genesis - the Abacab era. Of course, it sounds like its own thing too.

BONUS:

Michael Showalter –Sandwiches and Cats

A comedy album. You will never say the words "pants" the same after listening to the track "Berhune Orchards." An audience member that brings a live cat in a crate to Showalter's show inspires a classic moment.

Lowry Avenue Bridge

2009-09-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

There is an animated visit to the future Lowry Avenue Bridge currently posted on the project website.

I love that about 2/3 of the way through the animation you can see Tony Jaros' RiverGarden (Home of the Greenie) on the lower right. If you look very closely you can actually see my buddy Perry regretting his third Greenie.

We were out of town on June 21st, so we didn't get to see or hear the old Lowry Avenue Bridge imploded. Johnny Northside has some great footage of the implosion on his blog though. I'll miss the excitement of driving over the steel mesh of the old bridge but not as much as I'll enjoy non-Broadway Ave access to I-94.

Next Wednesday

2009-09-23T19:19:00.000-07:00

We mistakenly thought today was picture day at The Boombah's preschool so this morning The Booms got all dolled up in the dress The Birdus made for her, only to discover that pictures are actually being taken next Wednesday. The Booms was a little disappointed so she was assured that we would do a personal photo shoot after school.

We then switched places and I became the subject and Booms the photographer. She gave me directions on how to stand and everything. She's actually a halfway decent shot for a three-year-old.

The Booms also started piano lessons today. A landmark day if it becomes a lifelong love or pursuit. She couldn't wait to show me her new skills. First, she showed me the numbers the piano teacher drew on her fingers and then she showed me the corresponding numbered keys on the piano keyboard. She lined up her fingers appropriately and played a few chords. When we got home she immediately asked for her "piano from upstairs." It's actually a Sony SK-1 sampling keyboard but The Boombah was able to bang out a couple of chords on that too. That is before she sampled her name and began playing demo tunes that repeated her name incessantly to a synth beat. The crazy thing was that hearing her name in her own voice but a few notes lower gave me a brief auditory glimpse into what her voice might sound like when she older.

Recent Firsts

2009-09-21T05:06:00.000-07:00

I took the Boombah to Springbrook Nature Center yesterday morning for their monthly Bird Banding event. We've attended before but this was the first time Booms got to release one of the birds herself. She held her hands flat "like a table" and I placed a chickadee right on her palms. The first one flew away immediately, bumping off her face first. The second one sat for a moment to collect itself before bouncing off her face and flying into a nearby tree.

The Booms helped check and dismantle the nets:

The Booms gently holds a bag containing a netted White-breasted Nuthatch:

Also, The Booms had two big firsts the weekend before last during our visit to the beach at Lake Johanna.

First, she held onto the handle of the straight track glider thingee at the playground all on her own. I spotted her and hummed the Indiana Jones theme as she glided from one side to the other.

Second, and most impressive, she put her whole head under the water for the very first time. Full submersion. No coaxing was necessary - no bargaining, no reassuring words - she was begging to do it! So we counted to three together, she took a deep breath and held it, closed her eyes tight, pinched her nose closed...and I dunked her. It was freaky watching her little head disappear under the surface of the lake, even for just a second. She came up startled but ready to go again. We did it one more time and that's all Dad's nerves could take.

The experience is so counter-intuitive, one of the hardest turnabouts for the parental mind. You spend the first three years of a child's life keeping them away from water, dreading the thought of and remaining vigilant against the chance of their head slipping under. Now I'm supposed to completely reverse that and willingly shove her head in the murk.

We did swimming lessons last spring and I think it went a long way toward helping Booms feel more comfortable around water. So much so that she took a run at the deep end of the pool at the North Shore resort we stayed at last May. (Confidence in her abilities has never been a weak spot for The Boombah. Luckily, The Birdus snapped her up before her dash was complete.) I grew up hearing stories of my Uncle Bobby, a strong swimmer, who drowned swimming in the River Thames as a boy. I keenly know that responsibility and comfortability around water and ability in water are paramount, especially in Minnesota where water features prominently not only in the landscape but also our lives. Water is a BIG part of recreation in Minnesota. I'll try to get The Booms swimming on her own before enrolling her in another swimming class this winter.

Uncle Paul

2009-09-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

My Uncle Paul passed away last Tuesday. The Birdus and I quickly coordinated (arranged for Grammy and Grandpa to watch The Boombah, found a sitter for The Retreagle, tied things down at work, etc.) and drove down to suburban Chicago on Thursday morning. We talked non-stop the entire way down. I joked that we had been "conversationally constipated" since these days our discussions are constantly interrupted by barking Retreagles and thirsty Boombahs.

My awesome brother and sister-in-law set up a hotel for us in Glenview. They, of course, had presents for us and The Booms. Unbelievable. When we unpacked I realized that I had not packed my dress pants so a lightning fast trip to Kohl's was required. Actually, two lightning quick trips. Oops.

Despite the circumstances, it was so good to be all together. My mom, nephew, Aunt Kathy, brothers and sister, in-laws, cousins, and niece were all there.

My family and Uncle Paul's family have always been close. We both lived in Illinois and shared countless Thanksgivings and Easters. They would drive down to see me in shows in high school. My brother and I would stay at their house when our parents went out of town. Uncle Paul and his son built a cabin in Ellison Bay, WI in northern Door County with my father and eldest brother. We referred to the site as "The Land." So many of my childhood memories involve "The Land" and Uncle Paul.

My Uncle Paul was a complicated guy. Some of the traits that I'll remember most about him were that he was a tinkerer and a woodworker. He was one of the best joke tellers I ever heard. He liked the Three Stooges. He knew bird calls and constellations. He called me Jay-Pie.

I remember a conversation I had with Uncle Paul once. I was telling him about my recent trip to the Boundary Waters and how the stars had been so beautiful. I told him that I wished I had his expertise with me to explain what I was looking at. He told me that when my father first visited "The Land" in Door County that my father called him from a pay phone in town and said, "Paul, wait'll you see the stars!" Paul went on to say that on his first visit to "The Land," he and my dad hiked to a nearby rock beach at night and looked up at the stars. Knowing that my Uncle Paul knew the night sky inside and out, my dad asked him to point out some of the constellations. At this point Uncle Paul leaned forward in his chair and said, "Jay-Pie, I couldn't pick out a damned thing. There were more stars than I'd ever seen. I couldn't find anything."

I think that's one of the reasons Uncle Paul loved "The Land." It was a challenge, something for him to figure out, and Uncle Paul loved challenges and he loved figuring things out.

I was honored to be a pall bearer for my uncle. It was really a lovely funeral - if there can be such a thing. Good-bye Uncle Paul.

My 10 Favorite Beatles Songs

2009-09-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

Our local public rock station, The Current, is asking listeners to vote for the top 50 Beatles singles by submitting their personal top ten lists. They'll play the listener created top 50 on September 30.

Creating a list of top ten favorite anythings is a contextual exercise. Making them is fun but ultimately folly - especially when ranking Beatles songs. Eula Biss, writing about the pain scale used in medical settings, wrote "This scale applies only to you and your experience." Since you and your experience are dynamic, constantly changing, the best you can hope for is a list of top ten favorites of the moment.

So...here, in alphabetical order, are my Top Ten Favorite Beatles songs of the moment . My comments don't adequately express why I like these songs so much but don't worry, I'll have 10 different favorites next week. You should know that I picked these songs from an alphabetical list of all the Beatles' songs but somehow 8 of the 10 I selected come from the same 3 albums: Revolver, The Beatles [White Album], and Abbey Road. Go figure.

- - - -

* "And Your Bird Can Sing" - Revolver

This is an ebullient song. Incredible, rolling, layered guitar part and soaring harmony. Speaks to the joy of freedom, constancy of love, and the emotional bankruptcy of materialism.

* "For No One" - Revolver

I love this song for the same reason I love The Left Banke's "Walk Away Renee" and The Beach Boys "God Only Knows" - both of which were released only months before "For No One". They are all songs about the fear of losing an important relationship or the fallout from such a loss - not necessarily romantic or even a person. "For No One" is especially poignant and the line "A love that should have lasted years" always touches me.

* "Here Comes the Sun" - Abbey Road

This song could be dretch - a Hallmark card. It is George's repeated use of the term "Little Darling" that elevates it.

* "I Feel Fine" - Past Masters, Vol. 1

The first use of recoded feedback on a rock record. I LOVE the opening guitar. I also like that Sugarloaf uses the same guitar riff in their awesome song "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You". This is my favorite song for pretending to be a Beatle.

* "I've Just Seen a Face" - Help!

I have a thing for songs with a mouthful of lyrics that challenge you to sing along without tripping over your tongue or running out of breath. Songs like Magnetic Field's "Absolutely Cuckoo" or even Barenaked Ladies "One Week" come to mind.

* "Julia" - The White Album

First, my mother's name is Julia. Second, I admire this song on it's own - the fragility of John's voice and the haunting melody - but I especially appreciate it as a counterpoint to another song on the same album. "Julia" follows "I Will" on the White Album and this positioning sets the listener up to feel the full impact of this song's devastation - the childlike yearning, sense of betrayal, and self-loathing for loving something so much that left him behind.

* "Long, Long, Long" - The Beatles [White Album]

This song is almost hiding on the White Album. So beautiful. I love the pounding drums and banging piano when he describes his past estrangement from his love - whether woman or God. Give a listen to Bob Dylan's "Sad Eyed Lady of Lowlands" as George openly admits that this song influenced his composition of "Long, Long, Long"

* "She Said She Said" - Revolver

This song rocks.

* "Tomorrow Never Knows" - Revolver

Again, this song is stunning on its own but especially in relation to other songs on the same album, in particular "Eleanor Ribgy", "Taxman", and "For No One". These songs describe the reality and futility of human existence (loneliness, loss, death, and taxes) while "Tomorrow Never Knows" shows us the way out of that existence. That is unless you choose to "play the game existence till the end." The in-house band at our church played this once. Ya gotta love Unitarian-Universalist church bands.

* "You Never Give Me Your Money" - Abbey Road

This songs has great build. Gentle piano start, great boogie-woogie in the middle, that stair-step guitar riff about two-thirds through, and ending with a nursery rhyme.

More of My Daughter's Creepy Art

2009-09-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

When I asked, she said this was a picture of a movie:

What movie? Children of the Damned?

To be honest, I love this picture and think it's one of her best yet.

Those that know my daughter's real name might be able to decipher it in the lower right corner. Those that don't, good luck.

AAA to the Rescue

2009-09-10T16:51:00.001-07:00

This month is probably the busiest time of the year for me at work. As such, it never fails that some non-work aspect of my life implodes around this time. The furnace breaks down for good, or we're refinancing the house, or buying a new car, or The Retreagle eats a package of peanut butter-flavored adhesive mousetraps and needs a barium enema, etc.

So far, so good (it's early yet) but I did hit one minor snag this morning when I walked out to my car, put the key in the ignition, turned the key, and ....

*snap*

The key broke off in the ignition.

My memory instantly reached back several years to the bearded keymaker at Home Depot who, handing me the newly made key said, "Ya know, these Subaru keys break off in the ignition all the time. It's the thin part right at the base." He pointed to the exact spot that was now the end of my key.

My neighbor that works at the same place as me conveniently happened out around this time and gave me a ride to work. I called AAA and they said they could have a locksmith there when I got home from work. It took the locksmith about 15 seconds to retrieve the broken piece of the key from the ignition and we were set. AAA picked up the whole tab - not the first time they've saved my bacon.

The recovered key:

Labor Day Weekend 2009

2009-09-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

It was a GORGEOUS weekend. Absolutely perfect weather.

We spent the weekend at my in-law's lake home in rural Wisconsin and filled our time geocaching, fishing on the pontoon, making s'mores around a bofire, and eating fried sunfish.

We took The Retreagle on the pontoon for the first time and he was outstandingly well-behaved, even when a deer came down to the shore to drink he just went rigid, pointed, and watched silently. He was utterly uninterested in the fish we caught.

Also, The Boombah got in a nap while The Birdus and I went birding at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area. I see a new species every time I visit Crex (a Green Heron this time) and it is slowly becoming one of my favorite birding destinations.

Three generations (The Birdus, Boombah, & Grammy) enjoy Bomb Pops

My Finest 'Stache

2009-09-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have a special name for this look I sported back in 2003:

The Coach

"I'm afraid you've been cut from the squad, Billy."

Minnesota State Fair 2009

2009-09-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Birdus and I love the State Fair. Now I think we're raising a kid that loves the State Fair...

...or at least a kid that loves Ittibitz:

I worked my employer's booth in the Education Building from 9-1 and met The Birdus and Booms sometime after 2. I was way on the other end of the fair (watching a horning demonstration) when they arrived so I opted to take the Sky Glider to the Hoyt Ave entrance. I waved from my chair in the sky when I finally spotted them and The Boombah laughed and laughed to watch me slowly descend to the ground. What an entrance!

Our trip to the fair this year was a good mix of old favorites and new adventures. One of a our favorite things to do is explore all the various competition award-winners, like these infused vinegars:

We saw a really fun hip-hop dance troupe called Monster Shop Bump'n with these crazy oversized Krofft-style chracters

We also tried lots of food new to the fair: chocolate covered watermelon, peach-glazed pork cheeks, caprese salad on-a-stick. My favorite food item of the day, however, was unexpected: the apple dumpling at Apple Lil's in Heritage Square. Like really good apple pie.

The Booms, of course, always loves her roasted corn best.

The Birdus and Booms displayed their salsa moves at the International Bazaar stage featuring Salsabrosa.

Alos, we love visiting the animals. Especially the Miracle of Life barn and all the baby farm animals:

Another new addition to the fair experience for us was rides.

The Booms and I rode down the Great Slide together:

We even lived to tell the tale:

We closed the day at the Kidsway where The Birdus and Booms rode the Teacups together and then The Booms tried her first solo amusement park ride, along with another brave child.

The Boombah and her new friend in terror size up the situation:

It was crazy to see her riding these big rides all by herself!

For the Love of Christ

2009-09-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

We saw this truck on the highway in Iowa on the way to visit my Mom in June:

My Nights

2009-08-29T19:29:00.000-07:00

Friday night I turned off all the lights in the house, felt my way to the bedroom in the pitch darkness, and went to lay down where I thought the bed was and...

...missed the bed.

I landed with a crash on my knees, thighs, and chest. I should mention that I had not been drinking.

The Birdus asked what happened and from the bedroom floor I moaned, " I just laid down into air." We both died laughing.

Last night, in an unconnected incident, I came down with a low fever, nausea, and severe body aches. (A fat lot of good all those pretend flu shots did me.) I started feeling hot and achy while watching season 4 of Project Runway in bed. At first I thought my body was rejecting Rami's umpteenth draped gown but soon realized it was something worse. The Birdus (just kicking a cold herself) set me up with my favorite remedy, apple cinnamon flavor Theraflu, and 80% convinced me I wasn't dying. She also kept checking The Boombah to make sure she wasn't burning up too.

I feel much better today but I'm still trying to get into a doctor. I'm supposed to work the State Fair tomorrow and I've been looking forward to my Pork Chop on a Stick for a year now.

Chugga Chugga

2009-08-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

The Boombah's school was closed for in-service yesterday so we had a Dad & Booms day.

We spent the morning at the neighborhood cafe where I read the newspaper while The Booms administered multiple pretend "flu shots" to my free arm with her toy hypodermic. If the pretend H1N1 virus hits I should be all set.

We went to Trotter's Cafe for lunch - great place with good, heathy food but they should expand their kid's options and not charge for a 2 oz fruit garnish thank you very much.

Next we went to Choo Choo Bob's Train Shop. What a gem! I've gone by the place many times but never thought to go in until last Wednesday when a fellow parent at Hamline's annual GLS Gatsby Party told me they have six model train sets in the back for kids to play with.

This would be a great rainy day play spot.

The Boombah zoned in on one particular train set that had drawbridges.

She played uninterrupted for at least an hour while I chatted with a retiree (there with his grandson) who grew up in Northeast and whose father used to work at the old Grain Belt brewery.

This shot is for Grampa who worked for Soo Line Railroad for many, many years and then Canadian Pacific Railways after they acquired Soo Line:

Duff Driving

2009-08-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

My friends Jess and Sarah invited me out for my first round of golf in ages. We went to Brightwood Hills and I shot better than I expected - a few missed putts for par and plenty of bogeys/double bogeys. The course was slow so we didn't make it all the way through before it became too dark to see but the managers graciously supplied us with two free rounds for the future.

Stoicism is recommended on the course:

Disaster!

2009-08-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I burned some time inserting my visage into popular images of disasters and dangerous situations. I made probably a dozen and a half of these and just re-discovered them the other day. Here are some of my favorites:

Nordeast or Northeast

2009-08-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

A familiar discussion has resurfaced - ignited by this article and subsequent comments on the Twin Cities Daily Planet. Notice that The Perfect Life was mentioned specifically in the comments. Notice too the headline:

"Nordeast's Hollywood Theater will likely be preserved...but not as a theater"

The Hollywood is an old movie theatre around the corner from my house. It is where my wife saw 9 to 5. I am personally bummed that there is a possibility it may not be a working movie theater again, especially after touring it during Art-A-Whirl - but I digress.

The debate concerns the use of the term "Nordeast" to describe the collection of neighborhoods that make up the northeast corner of the city of Minneapolis.

A friendly version of this debate appeared on the Northeast Beat forums over a year ago. Then, a concerned reader wrote into the City Pages concerning the use of the term "Nordeast" in the headline of this restaurant review. Last weekend, when the arts editor at TC Daily Planet used the term to describe the Hollywood it sparked a comment that claimed the term was "mocking." Since then, the editor of our local newspaper The Northeaster used his second page opinion article to come out in favor of the term "Northeast" but with some understanding for those that continue to use the term "Nordeast". I should mention that the term "Nordeast" is often used by local news media to describe the area - even by respected media outlets such as Minnesota Public Radio.

My blog prominently uses the term "Nordeast" (although I also freely use "Northeast") and I participated in the discussion on the Northeast Beat a year ago. Back then I wrote:

"When I first moved to Minnesota my soon to be father-in-law (a North Dakotan by birth but also a former resident of Northeast) asked if we were looking for a duplex in "Nordeast". I had no idea what he was talking about. Duplex? Nordeast? It had to be explained to me. So I have some affection for the term "Nordeast" but rarely say it myself even though I've lived here for years now."

I've read and considered all the commentary and I've decided that I'm going to continue to use the term "Nordeast" to describe the place I live. Aside from my belief that the term "Nordeast" is innocuous and no more baleful or mocking than the tongue-in-cheek use of "you betcha" or "oof dah" here is the reason I'm sticking with "Nordeast":

I like the sound of it.

"Nordeast" says something about these neighborhoods. Just the sound of it. It says that these neighborhoods were built by immigrants. And sure, the term doesn't encompass the breadth and diversity of the immigrants that built these neighborhoods or those that currently live here and keep it vital - but the term conveys a hint of what was accomplished in Minnesota by determined and tightly-knit communities of people.

Also, "Nordeast" says that these neighborhoods were built by wage earners. One of my neighbors recently confessed to me that the only reason he finished high school was "because all my friends were there." Another works Sunday shifts and I'm often mowing my lawn or shoveling my walk when he returns home. He playfully points to his lawn or sidewalk and shouts, "You missed a spot!" These are the same people that recently banded together to drive out a petty criminal residing in a problem property on our block. That is "Nordeast".

"Nordeast" is a place where immigrants believe they can build a life they couldn't have in their home country, "Nordeast" is a place where shift workers rightly believe they deserve suburban safety and a certain quality of life in their urban homes. "Northeast Minneapolis" just doesn't convey that.

Splash Pad

2009-08-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Boombah and I returned to the Central Park wet deck in Saint Anthony Village yesterday. The jets are timed and The Booms had a lot of fun running from one fountain to the other.

It only took me a few minutes of cajoling to get her to stand on one of the fountain jets.

There's a good playground right next to the wet deck. Perfect for running around to warm up and dry off.

Alert to parents: A patch of concrete on the northeast side of the wet deck (it is discolored brown and easy to spot) is extremely slippery. Some friends called the city about it a few weeks ago but it is still there.

I was going to bring The Retreagle with us but he was busy doing this:

Zoo Story

2009-08-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

We decided to take advantage of our membership with a visit to the Minnesota Zoo today:

We visited some of the newer attractions. The Grizzly Coast exhibit is a real winner and features an overlooked area of the world - the Pacific coast of Russia. The exhibit features a replica of a lava tube, an active geyser and mud-pit, and a sandy playground designed to look like a paleontological excavation. The Boombah got to hang from a mammoth skull:

The Booms even engaged in a little excavation herself:

Next, we played in the new Woodland Adventure playground - replete with a replica of Split Rock Lighthouse. Some empty turtle shells gave The Boombah a chance to wip out her famous turtle impression:

Best of all, we got to feed a giraffe - named Zawadi - at the Africa! exhibit.

It was really marvelous to see these incredible creatures up close.

What a great day.

My Daughter's Creepy Art

2009-08-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

My daughter drew this cheery gem on her dry-erase easel the other day:

Here's a closer look:

It has a Last Judgment feel to it - the line of damned being plunged into hell, etc.

I love it. Keep up the good work Booms.

He's Here.

2009-08-20T08:52:00.001-07:00

I just want to say...I knew it.

Sort of like the 2nd day at Woodstock but with more pulled pork

2009-08-18T20:10:00.001-07:00

A lot of fun in the neighborhood this past weekend. The Boombah got wet twice - once on the wet deck at Central Park in St. Anthony during her friend's birthday party and once in the rain at our neighborhood block party.

One of our neighbors is a member of the Tommy Bentz Band and they set up on his back porch. Another neighbor brought over his harmonicas and started jamming with the band.

Our awesome neighbors across the street made pulled pork sandwiches that I won't soon forget. The party came to an abrupt end, however, when a massive rain shower came through. The band kept playing as we all huddled under a single umbrella.

The Booms was delighted and ran and danced in the rain. She protested going home even when the REALLY heavy stuff started to come down.

Hogs and Piglet

2009-08-17T06:26:00.000-07:00

The Boombah fell in with the wrong crowd outside the Audubon Coffeshop on Saturday.

New Neighbors

2009-08-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

I was walking The Retreagle the other night when a frantic woman approached me looking for her 7-year-old son's lost dog - a black lab named Shadow. I asked if the dog had tags and she held up his collar to show them to me - he was leashed in her backyard and had slipped right out of his collar. The Retreagle and I spent the next 20 minutes looking for Shadow to no avail. Never learned if she found him or not.

Looking for Shadow that evening we walked in a direction we don't usually go (because we have to walk uphill on the way back) and I noticed that the old church on Taylor has been renovated into a beautiful Buddhist monastery.

A Buddhist monastery two blocks from my house right here in Northeast Minneapolis! It is called the Gyuto Wheel of Dharma Monastery. The place looks wonderful with a bright new paint job and Tibetan prayer flags hanging around the exterior. Looks like they intend to do some landscaping as well. Their calendar includes "practice" sessions where all are welcome.

Rambis Love

2009-08-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Booms and I went to the Timberwolves annual open house yesterday. We got to play around on the Target Center court, currently outfitted for Minnesota's WNBA team the Lynx.

We also got to meet Kevin Love. His NBA stats list him as 6'10", 255 lbs. For comparison, I'm about 6'1".

I held The Booms up to deliver her patented "Stinger" high five but Kevin reached right out and grabbed her. He joked, "Look! I'm a politician now. I'm holding babies."

We also got to meet the brand new (2 days) Timberwolves coach and former showtime-era Laker, Kurt Rambis.

Coach Rambis seemed tired to me but he was very kind and took time to answer everyone's questions. Coach Rambis looks very different from the LA Laker Rambis we remember from the 1980's. For comparison:

Coach Rambis is also famous for being violently clotheslined in the 1984 NBA finals by then-Celtic and future Timberwolves GM, coach, and general dufus - Kevin McHale. This hard foul is widely believed to have turned the series in Boston's favor.

My Favorite 75 Songs of 2008

2008-12-31T08:19:00.000-08:00

Click on the artist's name to be whisked away to their MySpace page. The songs with asterisks (*) next to them are currently featured on the artist's site.

Enjoy!

Artist - Song Title
Arthur Russell - I Couldn't Say It To Your Face
Atmosphere - You *
Balmorhea - San Solomon
Barry Adamson - The Beaten Side of Town
Belle and Sebastian - The State I Am In
Bob Mould - The Silence Between Us *
Bon Iver - Skinny Love *
Brian Wilson - Oxygen To The Brain
Calexico - Writer's Minor Holiday
Chairlift - Bruises *
Chris Koza - Straight to Video *
Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart *
DeVotchKa - Along the Way *
Dr. Dog - Hang On *
Eagles Of Death Metal - How Can A Man With So Many Friends Feel So All Alone
Elbow - The Bones Of You *
Emmylou Harris - Hold On *
Erykah Badu - Amerykahn Promise
Estelle - American Boy *
Fleet Foxes - Ragged Wood
Gary Louris - True Blue *
Greg Laswell - Days Go On
Gretchen Wilson - Don't Do Me No Good *
Haley Bonar - Big Star *
The Heavy - That Kind Of Man *
Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor *
Inara George - Oh My Love *
Jenny Lewis - Carpetbaggers *
Jeremy Messersmith - Franklin Avenue *
Joan Baez - Rose of Sharon *
Jonas Brothers - Lovebug *
Juana Molina - Un Dia *
Kasey Chambers - Rattlin' Bones *
Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire *
Lila Downs - Perro Negro
Lily Allen - The Fear *
Lucinda Williams - Real Love *
Marnie Stern - Transformer
Mason Jennings - I Love You And Budda Too
Matt Costa - Mr. Pitiful *
MGMT - Time To Pretend *
Michael Franti - Say Hey (I Love You) *
Of Montreal - For Our Elegant Caste
Pink - So What *
Portishead - The Rip *
Pram - The Silk Road
Pretenders - Boots of Chinese Plastic *
R.E.M. - Living Well Is The Best Revenge
Rafter - zzzpenchant *
Rihanna - Take A Bow *
Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes *
School Of Seven Bells - Wired for Light
She and Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? *
Shearwater - Lost Boys *
Sheryl Crow - Lullaby For Wyatt
Sigur Ros - Vid spilum endalaust *
Sons & Daughters - Chains *
Thao and the Get Down Stay Downs - Bag of Hammers *
The Apples in Stereo - Shine (In Your Mind) *
The Bug - Poison Dart *
The Magnetic Fields - Three-Way *
The Roots - Criminal
The Roots - Rising Up *
The Royal We - All The Rage *
The Submarines - Swimming Pool
The Uglysuit - Happy Yellow Rainbow
The Verve - Rather Be *
The Walkmen - In The New Year *
The Week That Was - The Good Life *
TV On The Radio - Shout Me Out *
Vampire Weekend - M79 *
Vivian Girls - Where Do You Run To
Was (Not Was) - Semi-Interesting Week *
Wolf Parade - The Grey Estates *
Yael Naim - New Soul *

Oregon Trip - October 2008

2008-10-14T07:41:00.001-07:00

ABCs

2008-09-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

Boundary Waters Trip - Aug. 2008

2008-08-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

Online Social Network for Northeast!

2008-05-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Do you live in Northeast Minneapolis?

The online community news source "The Northeast Beat" has transformed itself into a social networking site for Northeast Minneapolis.

Visit The Northeast Beat to join the network. Get to know your neighbors, blog, and share Northeast events, photos, videos and much more.

Many thanks to Dan Haugen for putting this great site together! See you on The Beat.

I think I'd still vote Obama.

2008-03-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

This sign is right next to the Co-Op on Central Avenue. It cracks me and The Birdus up every time we see it or think of it.

If...

2008-03-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

The band Rilo Kiley...

...married the cartoon character Wile E. Coyote...

...then together, they would be:

Rilo and Wile E. Kiley-Coyote

She Speaks!

2008-03-11T07:22:00.001-07:00

The Boom-Bah's Interview:

The Boom-Bah dances with Nicole to The Go! Team:

My Favorite 15 Albums of 2007

2008-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

In no particular order...

* Black Moth Super Rainbow – Dandelion Gum

The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour meets the Blade Runner Soundtrack meets The Banana Splits meets the Deathwish 3 Soundtrack. I’m sure I’m leaving something out here. Oh yes. Everything else in the entire freaking universe.

* Deerhoof – Friend Opportunity

This album is an adventure. When it was over I felt like I had just beaten The Legend of Zelda.

* Dr. Dog - We All Belong

The band with one of the worst names in the business puts out one of the best albums of the year. The rough edges and album-oriented approach here reminds me a little of the Marah album from a few years back. Dr. Dog is cheekier than Marah though - for better or for worse.

* Mary Weiss – Dangerous Game

I include this one to counter all the attention that the Amy Winehouse record/Amy Winehouse herself received this past year. As Mary sings on this album, “Kids...kids don’t know shit.” Albeit, the Winehouse album is good but Mary Weiss is the real deal. She was the lead singer of the Shangri-Las back in the 60s - famous for the teen tragedy song “Leader of the Pack”. Mary is tough but sweet. Or maybe the other way around.

* The National – Boxer

Can we all just agree that The National is one of the best bands going? Can we do that? And while we're at it...can we just agree that The National is truly the only band that is successfully both rockin' AND literary. Can we just agree on that? And can we also agree that the reason The National can pull it off is because of the seemingly flat but in fact deeply expressive baritone of lead singer Matt Berninger? Can we just all agree on that?

* The New Pornographers - Challengers

Dan Bejar of Destroyer (who made last year's list) wrote 3 out of the 12 songs on this album. Is that really enough to put this album on my list of favorites for the year? Yes. Yes it is.

* Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Acerbic and impossibly catchy once it gets under your skin. A tough album to like at first. Give it a chance.

* Panda Bear – Person Pitch

A beautiful, hypnotic, and frightening epic. This must be what it sounds like inside Brian Wilson's head.

* Stars of the Lid – And Their Refinement of the Decline

Maybe it was just an ambient year for me. The music of Stars of the Lid has something that the ambient master Brian Eno lacks: sass. The layered sounds on this album transported me to an alien landscape where I was the king of a vast, pink, crystalline kingdom - beautiful and technologically advanced - yet somehow, sad. Then I read the title of the song: “That Finger On Your Temple Is the Barrel of My Raygun”. The band was reminding me, “It’s just drones, my man. Anything you find in these songs, you put it there.”

* Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – Raising Sand

Huh. Who’d’a thunk it?

* The Roches – Moonswept

I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for well-blended voices. I love a great choir...even been in a few. The voices of these sisters meld with computer precision. I'll also admit (it's a little hokey) that on this album written by three middle-aged women I feel like I can hear my daughter's future a bit. Skinned knees, sleep-overs with friends, laughter and tears, good and bad decisions, lost and won loves...it's all here.

* Shearwater – Palo Santo (Extended Edition)

Technically this album came out in 2006 but the "Extended Edition" was released in 2007 with not only bonus songs but completely re-recorded versions of some of the previsouly released material. That makes it new enough for me. I have a visceral reaction to some of the songs on this album, particularly "Red Sea, Black Sea". Dark and frenetic music.

* Tinariwen - Aman Iman: Water Is Life

This group gets lumped in with other African blues artists (like last year's list-maker Ali Farka Toure) but I put that stuff on when I want to chill out or rub The Birdus's shoulders. I would never put Tinariwen on to relax. Make no mistake - they rock. Most western, guitar-driven bands wished they sounded this tight, urgent, and raw at the same time.

* Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

Critics write interminably about Wilco. I’ll keep it short and sweet. If you think this album is a letdown, then you are a douchebag.

* James Yorkston - Year of the Leopard

I included this one instead of Iron and Wine's awesome The Shepherd's Dog because I really want people to listen to this. What a delicate and wonderful album - restrained but not subdued. Yorkston's voice is hushed throughout (he even resorts to spoken word at times) as if he himself is afraid of damaging these fragile songs. "Woozy With Cider" is a standout.

My Favorite 75 Songs of 2007

2008-01-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

Hey gang! I've been away for a bit. 8 months. And while I'm not fully back, I do intend on posting here again from time to time. One of the reasons I started this blog was to serve as a record of my daughter's early days and it's time that I got back to that.

Thanks to all of you that checked this blog over the last 8 months and continued to comment and send e-mails. A friend requested that I post my year end music lists and I can't resist.

Click on the artist's name to be whisked away to either their MySpace page or official website. The songs with asterisks (*) next to them are currently featured on the artist's site.

Enjoy!

Artist - Song Title
Air - - Once Upon A Time
Amy Winehouse - - Rehab *
Andrew Bird - - Imitosis *
Animal Collective - - Peacebone *
Antibalas - - Beaten Metal
The Apples in Stereo - - Same Old Drag *
Arcade Fire - - Black Mirror
Au Revoir Simone - - Fallen Snow *
Balkan Beat Box - - Digital Monkey *
Beastie Boys - - 14th St. Break *
Beirut - - Elephant Gun *
Bjork - - Earth Intruders *
Black Moth Super Rainbow - - Melt Me
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - - All You Do Is Talk *
Blonde Redhead - - 23 *
Bob Brozman - - Lumière De La Mer
Bon Iver - - Skinny Love *
Charlotte Gainsbourg - - Everything I Cannot See
Colbie Caillat - - Bubbly
Deerhoof - - Choco Flight
Deerhunter - - Wash Off
Dr. Dog - - My Old Ways *
Feist - - 1234 *
Flight Of The Conchords - - If You're Into It
Gogol Bordello - - Ultimate
The Good, The Bad And The Queen - - Herculean *
Gretchen Wilson - - If You Want A Mother
Grinderman - - No Pussy Blues *
Gruff Rhys - - Candylion *
Iron & Wine - - Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car *
Jakob Dylan - - Gimme Some Truth
James Yorkston - - 5 a.m.
Jens Lekman - - Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo
Jose Gonzalez - - Down The Line *
Joseph Arthur - - Diamond Ring
Justice - - D.A.N.C.E. *
LCD Soundsystem - - New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down
Levon Helm - - The Girl I Left Behind
Lily Allen - - LDN *
The Loose Salute - - Ballad of the Dumb Angel
Low - - Belarus
Lucinda Williams - - What If
M.I.A. - - Boyz
Mark Ronson - - Oh My God (featuring Lily Allen) *
Mary Weiss - - Break It One More Time
Miranda Lambert - - Dry Town
Miranda Lambert - - Gunpowder and Lead
Modest Mouse - - Missed The Boat
The National - - Mistaken For Strangers *
New Pornographers - - Myriad Harbour *
Norah Jones - - The Sun Doesn't Like You
Of Montreal - - Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse *
Okkervil River - - Savannah Smiles *
Peter Bjorn and John - - Amsterdam *
The Polyphonic Spree - - Section 22: Running Away *
Prince - - A Case of You
Richard Thompson - - Dad's Gonna Kill Me
Rilo Kiley - - Dejalo
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - - Killing The Blues *
The Roches - - No Shoes *
Rupa & the April Fishes - - Poder *
Shearwater - - Red Sea, Black Sea *
The Shins - - Australia *
Spoon - - You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
St. Vincent - - Now, Now *
Stars of the Lid - - Apreludes (in C sharp major)*
Steve Earle - - City Of Immigrants (With Forro In The Dark)*
Suzanne Vega - - New York Is A Woman *
Tegan and Sara - - Back In Your Head *
Tinariwen - - Matadjem Yinmixan
Tom Brosseau - - I Fly Whenever I Go
Tori Amos - - Big Wheel
Vampire Weekend - - APunk *
Vieux Farka Toure - - Dounia
White Stripes - - Icky Thump
Wilco - - Shake It Off
Yoko Ono - - O'Oh (with Shitake Monkey)

Nordeast Winners 2007

2007-04-29T17:49:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to all the Northeast Minneapolis winners of the City Pages Best of the Twin Cities Awards for 2007 that came out last week. What follows is a list of those Nordeast establishments and people that received accolades this year:

- - -

* BEST URINALS - - Stasiu's

Notes: I blogged about these beauties (here) a few months ago. Glad to see they're being further recognized.

- - -

* BEST GOURMET PIZZA - - Pizza Nea

Notes: Last year's winner for BEST PIZZA.

- - -

* BEST HOT DOGS - - Uncle Franky's

Notes: For some reason, The Birdus and I call this place "Uncle Frankdogs". They also have a stand in the Home Depot at the Quarry that has become very handy around lunchtime on a heavy home improvement day.

- - -

* BEST CHEAP EATS - - Bombay 2 Deli

Note: I blogged about this place (here) a few months ago too. I'm so ahead of the game it is frightening. Like Walken in The Dead Zone.

- - -

* BEST QUEER COFFEE SHOP - - Wilde Roast Cafe

Notes: I always forget about this place. Good breakfast.

- - -

* BEST ART GALLERY - - Creative Electric Studio

Notes: I am perhaps happiest about this one. It's a cool gallery and just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the music and food-filled Mill City Cafe and the art and artist-filled California Building. Keep that in mind for Art-A-Whirl. Or for anytime.

- - -

* BEST MIDDLE EASTERN GROCERY - - Holy Land Bakery and Grocery

Notes: Can't they just give this place a lifetime award?

- - -

* BEST HAIRCUT - - Salon Stella

Notes: Second year in a row for Northeast haircuts. Last year's winner was Aveda Institute - a neighborhood institution. Come to Nordeast. Get yer cut on.

- - -

* BEST STAR CHEF EXPERIENCE IN A RESTAURANT - - The Modern's Phillip Becht

Notes: Let me run this brief recommendation for brunch at The Modern Cafe by you: Pot Roast Hash.

- - -

* BEST CAREER MOVE - - Keith Ellison's run for Congress

Notes: I've pointed out before (here) that, when held by a democrat, the Minnesota 5th Congressional District seat has some serious job security. Nice work Keith.

- - -

* BEST LIQUOR STORE - - Surdyk's

Notes: Last year's Reader's Award winner for BEST LIQOUR STORE.

- - -

There you have it. Let me know if I missed any and visit one of these Northeast standouts in the near future!

The Long Weekend

2007-04-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

Whoa! It was a long, beautiful, and active weekend. As befits such a fun-packed three days, this will be a long recap post. Read at your leisure....taking a break if necessary, eating a nice sandwich, and returning as the mood strikes you.

- - -

Friday morning:

The Birdus made a vehicle switch (much easier to just switch vehicles than to uninstall and reinstall the car seat twice) with my mother-in-law at a gas station in rural Minnesota. The Bundle went with Grammy for the night because we had plans!

- - -

Friday night:

On the glowing recommendation of my co-worker Chris, The Birdus and I went to Sea Salt Eatery for dinner. Sea Salt is located in Minnehaha Park just a few short steps away from Minnehaha Falls - the waterfall made famous by Longfellow’s epic poem The Song of Hiawatha. (The restaurant is also a stones throw from The Retreagle’s favorite swimming hole – the Minnehaha off-leash dog park.) There was a decent line when we arrived but we were greeted by a young man very eager to provide us with beers while we waited. Our Summits were empty by the time we reached the counter to order – perfect timing. Fresh seafood is what this place does and The Birdus and I indulged in a crab cake, tilapia tacos, and a shrimp cocktail. The shrimp were shell-on so the cocktail was a bit of work and a few were a tad gritty but their cocktail sauce (more like a paste) is out of sight. The tacos were great (we put the cole slaw right on the tacos) and The Birdus declared the crab cake the best she had ever had – no small praise. We also had half a dozen oysters on the half shell. This was the highlight of the meal for me – I’ve been craving oysters ever since my trip to Boston – and I split the plate between Wash. State and huge California ‘sters. I was very proud of The Birdus for trying a couple. A great overall experience. The weather was perfect for outside dining and The Birdus was looking radiant. I should point out that Sea Salt Eatery was just named Best Seafood Restaurant in the Twin Cities by the City Pages staff. I think they got this one right.

Next, we were off to the Joseph Arthur show at yet another “Best of the Twin Cities” honoree– The Varsity Theater.

Again, I think the City Pages nailed it. The Varsity is a great venue - lots of space, terrific decor and atmosphere, friendly and professional staff, good sound, and in a fun part of town. Despite some monitor problems for both bands (Joseph kicked one over in frustration) it was a great concert.

Stars of Track and Field from Portland, OR were the opener and they started just after we arrived, right around 9pm. They’re a 3-piece dream rock outfit and The Birdus and I both enjoyed their set. “Expansive” is the word I choose to describe their music. And maybe “layered”.

Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts were as great live as I thought they would be. For my money, Joseph Arthur owns one of the best and most distinctive voices in rock n'roll currently. In concert, he gives off a very Ziggy Stardust era David Bowie vibe. Sort of a space age folk troubadour. For the opening number ("Baby's Got A New Friend") he came out and plunked down, legs crossed, in a plush armchair. Some joker in the audience shouted, "Take a seat!" It was immensely cool. You got the feeling right from the get-go that Joseph was holding court. It set the tone for the rest of the night.

The band that he has assembled, The Lonely Astronauts, features Kraig Jarret Johnson on guitar. He's best known as a member of the super-group Golden Smog and he wrote some of my favorite songs on the tremendous Weird Tales album. The band also includes a mad drummer that Joseph referred to as G-Wiz. His histrionics on the last number and the resulting state of his drum kit ensured there would be no encore. How that person in the front row caught that missile of a drum stick I have no idea. The Birdus remarked on how great it is to see two women in a band (Jennifer Turner and Sibyl Buck) that aren't there as a novelty but truly rock. I liked that they switched wigs while Joseph played solo.

The Birdus and I were big fans of Joseph's Nuclear Daydream album last year and the evening was a good mix of stuff from that album and the new one - Let's Just Be.

Another highlight of the concert was the middle aged woman dancing right in front of us. She arrived with a man in a wheelchair who I took to be her husband. The emotive use of her body, seemingly inexhaustible reservoir of energy, complete disregard for the amazed onlookers, and pure love of the groove left all those around her brushing the tears of delight from their faces. I think the band may even have taken notice. If you happen to be reading this dancing lady...you alone were worth the price of admission. Boogie on and you may consider many of your best moves stolen.

- - -

Saturday morning:

The next day The Birdus and I settled in for some serious yard work. We have resigned ourselves to the fact that The Retreagle’s well-traveled paths in our backyard are past the point of salvaging as lawn. We have decided to work with this reality rather than fight it. To this end, we purchased a hundred interlocking stone edgers on sale at Menards for under a hundred bucks. The Schmewes helped transport the edgers back to The Urban Cabin in his Tacoma. (It was the first time since the demise of Little Truck that I had to ask for helping hauling something. * sniff * sniff *) Our plan is to edge off the areas where The Retreagle has trampled the grass and fill those paths with wood chips or mulch. Those areas are basically mud pits in wet weather and dust bowls in dry weather – both of which are not only aesthetically unpleasing but also lead to a very dirty Retreagle. The chips should help. We’ll also chip around the lilacs where The Retreagle does his best policing.

Our progress so far:

We bought and installed a pet barrier for the new vehicle, packed up The Retreagle, and headed out to 'Sconie for an overnight and a mini-birthday party for my father-in-law.

- - -

Saturday afternoon and evening:

The Bundle was very happy to see us.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Lunds and Byerly's provide a free cake for 1st birthdays but we were too late to take advantage of the offer for The Bundle's birthday party. But we weren't about to let a free cake go to waste! So we ordered one up for my father-in-law's 55th birthday. Of course, we had to make a few adjustment's to the cake:

Kudos to The Birdus for her masterful doctoring of the cake with the old pastry bag. Following a taco dinner we put The Bundle to bed and sat up drinking beers, talking, and watching playoff basketball and The Big Gay Sketch Show on TV.

- - -

Sunday morning:

After a hearty breakfast, The Birdus and I went to Crex Meadows Wildlife Area in western Wisconsin for some birding while The Bundle napped. This is a great place for viewing waterfowl and we were both excited to see several pairs of Sandhill Cranes and a very startled Sharp-Tailed Grouse. Now that I know how close this great resource is to my in-laws I will return as frequently as possible. One day, I'd like to reserve a blind and get up early to watch the Sharp-Tails do their courtship dance. Maybe I'll invite the dancing lady from the concert. From what I hear, those grouse could show her a thing or two.

- - -

The Big Gay Sketch Show

2007-04-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

What follows is a shameless plug for a brand spanking new television program called The Big Gay Sketch Show that is currently airing on the new gay and lesbian themed cable network Logo.

The Big Gay Sketch Show features none other than our good friend, maid-of-honor to The Birdus, co-godmother of The Bundle - the multi-talented and super funny Julie Goldman.

Julie is a stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and musician. Her stuff has always been edgy and hilarious. She has boundless energy and while she may not like to see me write it - I think she is cute. She's also married to the coolest grad student that Columbia will ever graduate.

In Northeast Minneapolis, Logo is currently only available via DirectTV on channel 263 as part of their TOTAL CHOICE® PLUS and TOTAL CHOICE® PREMIER packages. Click here to see if Logo is available through the provider in your area. If it is not available, Logo provides a quick and easy form that will e-mail your provider with your request to add Logo to their channel line-up.

Lucky for those of us without cable or with cable but without Logo, the network has thankfully provided full videos, clips, and cast internviews on their website. You can view them here.

You should watch. Very funny stuff here. I love the "When I Knew" segments. When Julie was talking about this show I had no idea it would be this good. Congratulations Julie! You make The Bundle proud. You deserve all the success in the world.

Hot Damn! Hotdish!

2007-04-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

Criminy! I love hotdish.

The HotDish Revolution held this past Saturday (April 21) was great fun and (by all appearances) a great success.

The Birdus really liked the tamale hotdish with the polenta top. The Bundle was more interested in all the firefighting photos and patches in the museum than the hotdish. She will learn. I love the train passing by in the background of this photo.

A friendly accordion player and beer supplied by Grumpy's Northeast helped to soothe down all that ground meat, onions, tater tots, and cream of mushroom soup.

I ate myself silly. (Keep in mind that this was after I went to the Eastside Food Co-op Member's Day event and stuffed myself with free samples.) My favorite hotdish was one based on a reuben sandwich artfully named the "Reubenesque". It is a dream of mine to travel the country consuming reuben sandwiches and writing a book about my experiences. The "Reubenesque" and Hotdish Revolution deserve their own chapter. There was also a spicy jambalya-style hotdish that was outstanding and someone made a blueberry bread pudding that was soooo yummy. There was a veggie tater tot hotdish that set me right as well. I submitted my green ballot with my favorites but I had eaten so many by that time that it was hard to remember them all.

We had to leave early so we weren't able to hear who the winners were. If you know...please post in the comments. I'm dying to see if my neighborhood (Audubon) took home any honors.

Before we left, The Birdus and I both complained to one another that we were uncomfortably full. But the old adage still holds true. There's always room for...

Northeast - Dates of Note

2007-04-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

These days, I leave the heavy hitting to folks like The Northeast Beat and The Northeaster. Make no mistake - this is still a Nordeast blog. That's for certain. But lately I have purposely strayed away from covering Northeast Minneapolis events, businesses, and the like (as I did in the early days of The Perfect Life) because the aforementioned sources just do it better. However, the spring and early summer is a great time to be a Nordeaster and I would be remiss if I did not highlight a few key dates and events that you won't want to miss. Get out your calendars!

This weekend:

* WHAT: Hotdish Revolution
WHEN: Saturday, April 21, 5-9pm
WHERE: Firefighters Hall & Museum
TELL ME MORE: You must attend!

- - -

* WHAT: EFC Earth Day & Member's Day
WHEN: Saturday, April 21, 11am-5pm
WHERE: Eastside Food Co-op
TELL ME MORE: Live music, discounts on bulk foods, and vendor samples.

- - -

* WHAT: Earth Day Watershed Clean-Up
WHERE: HQ at Marshall Street NE in front of Gluek Park (1926 Marshall Street)
WHEN: Saturday, April 21, 9:00am-1:30pm
WHY: Help clean-up our "coast" here in Northeast - the shores of the Mississippi River. A 5K run/walk followed by breakfast, live music, team clean-up, a park opening, and birds of prey from the U of MN Raptor Center.

Next Weekend:

* WHAT: The 20th Annual Minneapolis St. Paul Home Tour
WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, April 28-29
WHERE: All over the Twin Cities
TELL ME MORE: Here's a list of Northeast homes on the tour:

818 Main St. NE
2941 Grand St. NE
3026 Lincoln St. NE
2066 St. Anthony Pkwy.
847 Brighton Ave. NE
1618 Polk St. NE

- - -

* WHAT: Northeast Citizen Patrol’s Walking Season Kick-Off
WHEN: Saturday, April 28, 5pm
WHERE: Columbia Grounds
TELL ME MORE: All are welcome - not just volunteers.

Beyond:

* WHAT: Weed It And Reap Neighborhood Clean-Up
WHEN: Thursday-Saturday, May 3-5, 8 am-6 pm
WHERE: HQ at Central and Lowry
TELL ME MORE: Help clean-up NE MPLS. Free t-shirt for participating.

- - -

* WHAT: EFC Plant Sale
WHEN: Saturday & Sunday, May 12-13, 9am-6pm
WHERE: EFC parking lot
TELL ME MORE: You can save money and time by pre-ordering.

- - -

* WHAT: Art-A-Whirl
WHEN: Friday-Sunday; May 18-20
WHERE: Northeast Minneapolis
TELL ME MORE: The event of the season. This one is worth flying in for. Seriously.

- - -

* WHAT: Northeast Block Party
WHEN: Saturday, June 9
WHERE: 509 1st Avenue NE
TELL ME MORE: Just announced. Reportedly, the band Low will be performing there. Sounds like it will be really cool, a new Northeast tradition I think- and you'll be able to say you were at the first one! Keep an eye on The Northeast Beat for more.

- - -

* WHAT: NE Parade
WHEN: Tuesday, June 19, 6:30pm
WHERE: Central Ave starting at 14th Ave
TELL ME MORE: A great event. Head to the EFC parking lot for food and fun beforehand.

April 2007 - Party Log

2007-04-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Date: Saturday, April 14, 2007

Time: 11am - 2pm

Place: The Urban Cabin

Attendees: Grammy & Grandpa; Uncle Ryan with Cousins Charlie & Annie; Em & Li'l Tommy; SPS, Joel, & The Twins; Amy & Dan; Areti; The Birdus & me, The Retreagle, The Bundle (of course!)

Kind: Birthday Party! Buttefly theme.

Reason: In honor of The Bundle's 1st Birthday!

Decorations: Crepe lanterns from the party store. Spring colored paper plates cut into the shape of butteflies, affixed to sticks, and stuck in the window boxes or taped to the windows. The Bundle in a butterfly top.

Music: The Current - 89.3 FM

Menu: We got 4 giant subs from Jersey Mike's. Also fresh fruit, veggies with dip, and a smokey cheese ball with crackers for snacking. Chips with the subs. We confirmed the rumor that Lunds and Byerly's provide a free 9x13 cake for 1st birthdays but alas, we also confirmed that it is a specific cake that must be ordered 48 hours in advance. (Take note new parents!) So instead we made cupcakes.

Only after the party did I realize the charming symmetry between The Bundle's first birthday cupcakes and the cupcakes served at our wedding reception.

Drinks: Iced coolers of juice, soda, water, Summit, and Miller Lite.

Hits and Misses: The Birdus had the great idea of playing "Pin-The-Hair-On-The-Boom-Bah". ("The Boom-Bah" being one of The Bundle's many aliases.) We cut out little tufts of paper to approximate The Bundle's actual hair tuft. The picture of The Bundle that we used for the game was hilarious (see below) and we all had a good laugh playing. Terrific idea!

The submarine sandwiches were low cost, low stress, folks loved 'em, and we ordered just the right amount (26 pieces) for the number of our guests (about 15). We'll definitely go this route again.

Also, we like to keep our parties moving - especially when children are involved. Food and drinks, games, presents (see picture below), cake, etc. No rushing. Just a nice constant flow of events. We stuck to that and all went well.

Guest Portfolio: Family and friends are always an interesting mix. Always a little surreal seeing people from one area of your life talking to someone from another area. It's a good idea to have group activites to get people mingling and talking. The Urban Cabin held up well with six children under the age of four beneath its roof. This gives me confidence as The Bundle starts cruising around.

SPS and The Twins
The Bundle and Cousin Annie Peruse a Book

Other Notes: The Retreagle was very happy outside as we FINALLY had a nice day.

The Bundle Enjoys Her Birthday Cupcake

Photo for Comparison

2007-04-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of talk here on The Perfect Life lately about the startling degree to which my daughter looks like me. And I'm sorry...I just don't see it. Here is a recent photo of me and I really don't see any resemblence:

1-Year-Old Today!

2007-04-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Bundle. You are one-year-old today. Just so you know, you went from this...

...to this...

...in one year! That's the same rug and bunny in both pictures.

I love you so much my dear girl. We had a great day today.

Bye Little Truck

2007-04-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

If only I could figure out how to get Taps to play as you read this. My truck is dead.

The brakes started feeling a little mushy followed shortly by the appearance of the brake light itself - glowing obscenely in the dash. We took her into the garage this past Wednesday and received the news.

“I think it’s time to say goodbye,” the mechanic told me over the phone, gently but with enough resolve so that I new that he meant it.

“That bad, huh?"

“I could start fixing things,” he said, “But I don’t know where I’d stop."

Turns out every brake line was leaking. Needs new calipers, pads, rotors. The frame is nearly rusted through. Various other things wrong with it. We’d be looking at a couple grand easy. Way more then I’m willing to throw into an older vehicle, no matter how good it’s been to me.

“At least the price was right,” I told the mechanic.

The truck was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law about 4 years ago. They just didn’t need it anymore and very generously handed it over to us. My brother Geoff drove it up here from Chicago and took the train back one weekend. Boy, did this vehicle come in handy. Hauling firewood back from the state reserve, taking carpet and other garbage to the dump when we first moved to The Urban Cabin, carting The Bundle to and from daycare and me to and from work. She’s been a good truck. And now, like other vehicles before her, she will be donated to NPR.

Bye little truck.

March 2007 - Party Log

2007-03-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Richard we had to cancel our tentative plans to host an informal February gathering of pals that weekend. So our New Year's aspiration lies unfulfilled but not to worry! We were back in force this month.

- - -

Date: Saturday, March 24, 2007

Time: 8pm

Place: The Urban Cabin

Attendees: Amy, Dan, Bekah, Ben, Smacktastic, The Schmewes, The Birdus, The Retreagle, The Bundle (briefly), me

Kind: Dinner party. “Back in the Good Old U.S. of A.” theme.

Reason: In honor of Bekah and Ben’s return to the states after living in the U.K.

Decorations: Red, white, and blue ribbon tied to the front door and as a table runner. A table elegantly and patriotically set by The Birdus.

Music: New Mary Bue album (for a preview check out The Northeast Beat). Prince bootleg “2nd Show That Night”. Other American favorites.

Menu: Traditional American fare – with a twist. Tomato Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. One was a grilled mozzarella sandwich with spinach and tomato slices on lavash bread. The other was brie, Granny Smith apple slices, and homemade onion chutney grilled on white bread. We also did a salad with Green Mother dressing. Amy brought her delectable Monster Cookies.

Drinks: Guests provided lots of wine (mostly red) and beer. The 10-year Laphroaig scotch whiskey also made a diabolical appearance.

Hits and Misses: The mozz sandwich on lavash was best I thought. Sandwiches in general were a good idea considering the short time we had to throw a meal together for 8 people. The brie sandwich was a little sweet for my taste and the salad needed more. In the future, I will introduce spirits to the party either early or not at all. In addition, the host will not get nearly as drunk at his next dinner party.

Guest Portfolio: A great group. The conversation moved from small groups to whole table topics seemingly by magic. Ben and Amy are veggie which I think makes food preparation easier.

Other Notes: The Bundle slept soundly throughout but again roused around 1am. No problem there. The weather was nice enough to keep The Retreagle on the porch which worked really well. The Birdus created a party rule that turned out to be terrific and had us all laughing and patting each other on the back. Anytime a new drink was poured or a fresh beer opened, that person had to make a toast to something they loved about the “Good Old U.S. of A.” Some of my favorites...

From Ben: “To the fragility of Dick Cheney’s heart.”
From Amy: “To American sized portions.”
From The Schmewes: “To tons of people spending long periods of time commuting to work and they are the only person in the vehicle!”

- - -

Feel free to add your own toast to the “Good Old U.S. of A.” in the comments section below.

Turdus migratorius

2007-03-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

I saw my first American Robin of 2007 in my front yard this past Tuesday, March 20. I saw another one today. It’s 60 degrees outside as I write this. Spring is on its way.

One of the things I love the most about Minnesota is that spring is actually a season here. Growing up in central Illinois I always felt like it went from 35 degrees and rainy to 90 degrees and sweltering overnight. I thought the same was true in New York but to a much lesser degree. Minnesota takes its time with its seasons. I like that. You can watch the ice slowly disappear from the lakes (known as “ice out” to Minnesota anglers) and rest easy knowing that that spring air will be with us for a while.

I don’t kid myself. I know that it will get cold again. I know that it might even snow again. But these early signs of spring have got me positively giddy.

Many Minnesota bloggers commented on the winter weather but I didn’t really get into too much here on The Perfect Life. It was defintely worth noting. It has been a long and trying winter for sure. The severe cold started in mid-January, it warmed up a bit, and then temps plummeted the last two days in January presaging a stretch of 10 consective days of below 0 temperatures in early February. The culmination of this period was February 4th when the high was -5 degrees and February 5th when the low was -17. That’s air temp. It was much colder with the windchill. I remember The Birdus and I waking up that morning, seeing that -17 temperature displayed in the corner of the TV screen, and looking at each other in wonder. Then there was the nearly 2 feet of snow that fell in one week in late February and early March - most of it when I was in Boston. It melted fast but was troublesome while it was here.

So it’s been a test. As usual. And again, while I don’t fool myself that today’s weather is here to stay...I know that those days aren’t far off. I’m looking forward to the day when I hear or see my first Red-Winged Blackbird of 2007 – clutching a cattail and clicking and singing away in the marshes. To me, they are the true symbol of spring’s arrival in Minnesota.

Book 'em Birdo

2007-03-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

I’m waaay behind on catching you up with our family's reading.

Truth is – I haven’t had much time for the reading of anything terribly substantial lately. I’ve stuck with my birding magazines and the Minnesota Conservation Volunteer - both of which I love. I’ve even reverted back to my youth – reading paperback collections of short horror stories with ridiculous covers such as this one that I just finished:

I’ve also taken to re-reading many of the H.P. Lovecraft short stories that I loved and devoured during my misspent youth. The great thing is that many of these are in the public domain and available online. If you’re interested, I recommend The Call of Cthulhu and The Cats of Ulthar.

I also took some time to read the two Persepolis graphic novels by Marjane Satrapi.

According to Marjane’s website, they’re making a movie out of the first Persepolis now. I can’t recommend these books enough. Go to your local comic shop/bookstore and pick them up now. They tell the autobiographical story of a young girl growing up in Iran and her later life alone in Europe. The artwork is simple and affecting. The portrayal of her family is funny and moving.

The Birdus finished Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and by all accounts loved it.

I’ll leave it to her to provide a review in the comments if she feels so inclined. She is now on to her own collection of short stories.

It’s been a while since I finished The American Soul by Jacob Needleman but I’ll provide you with a few of the key bits I took away from it.

Needleman calls for a re-mythologization of several prominent figures in American history in order to understand the underlying spiritual vision that resulted in the founding and continued growth of this country. One by one, he re-evaluates the roles of these individuals and uncovers a hidden but vital role that they played. These roles have great relevance to the current state of American life and political policy. Washington is cast as the model of altruistic service, Franklin as a man with feet planted firmly in both the material and spiritual worlds. Frederick Douglas is presented as an individual that was the conscience of an entire nation and Jefferson a cheerleader for the search for individual truth.

As these hidden roles take shape, the long held definitions of American ideals fall apart and new definitions come forward. For instance, most people nowadays define “liberty” as “I’m free to do, think, or speak however I like.” However, Needleman defines “liberty” as a form of obedience – an obedience to the highest ideals within ourselves and within our community. This obedience can be defined as “reason” which can be understood to be the power within every person to understand essential truth, discern ultimate reality, and embrace universal morality. So when Jefferson listed “liberty” as one of mankind’s “unalienable Rights” he was not referring to our right to do whatever we please but instead our right to pursue ultimate and eternal truths unencumbered by the narrow, enforced morality or perceived reality of another. Doubts are to be embraced. Questions are to be lived.

So you get the gist. It’s pretty esoteric stuff but when it’s clicking it’s fun and rewarding. This book clicks more often than not and Needleman keeps things interesting by weaving in stories from his formative years in Philadelphia. If you’re into this type of thing – you’ll like it.

I’m going to continue reading my short horror stories and outdoors magazines for now. I’ll let you know if I undertake anything special.

The Urban Cabin - Under Attack!

2007-03-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

The attack began a week ago today. The panicked voicemail from The Birdus on my cell phone went something like this, “Jay! I don’t know what to do. There’s a squirrel loose in the house!”

We believe it got in through the chimney. When The Birdus discovered the grey bastard rodent it was sitting on our mantle, running around on the sills of our windows, knocking down our pictures, and scaling the walls. She somehow managed to “shoo” it back into the chimney and barricade the opening with our fireplace grate from Pier One ($20 on clearance) and our heavy marble side tables.

When I got home from work I investigated the scene and set The Retreagle to the work for which thousands of years of evolution had crafted him. He was like a puppy in a squirrel store. Following an exhaustive, snout-led examination of everything in our living room, The Retreagle seemed satisfied that the squirrel had vacated the premises. That was enough for us. But we left the barricade in place just in case.

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning I was all but convinced that the squirrel had found its way out of the same hole in the chimney screen through which it must have gained entry. We went out for coffee, bought some sausages from Kramarczuk’s, went to pick up my luggage, proceeded to our nephew’s 3rd birthday party, came back and took The Bundle and The Retreagle for a family walk on such a gorgeous day. When we returned, we found that this had happened to the woodwork on most of our windows...

That son-of-a-bitch tree rat had managed to slip past our barricade, enter the sacred confines of The Urban Cabin, and set about to clawing and chewing the hell out of our windows in a desperate attempt at freedom. It also pissed all over our couch and rug.

As these actions were not directly related to its quest for freedom I interpreted them as direct attacks on my taste. Needless to say, I was displeased. Now...this was war.

I went and bought a live catch trap at Home Depot for $20 while The Birdus devised her own ingenious homemade contraption of cardboard, tape, and strips of paper that would allow the squirrel to leave through an open window and alert us to its exit. The squirrel tripped the live trap once while we were out but managed to evade capture. Much later, like a rattle reel in an icehouse, the sound of The Retreagle going nuts downstairs told me that we had action. Sure enough, we had bagged the little fucker.

I released the squirrel back into the “wild” and the first thing it did was take a long drink from a puddle. It must have been parched after a couple of days cooped up in our chimney. Also, eating all that wood can make you thirsty.

We now set about the task of seeing if this can be repaired or if we need new windows. Hopefully, our homeowners will cover some of the repair costs if it is really expensive. I suspect that the recent heavy snow may have displaced the chimney screen allowing the squirrel access. Let this be a lesson to those of you with chimneys...call Dick Van Dyke immediately and make sure you’re guarded against animal infestation.

The City on the Hill

2007-03-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post/rant I spent most of the week before last at a conference in the great city of Boston.

The Birdus and many of our good friends (Big Trev, Michelle, Julie, etc.) went to school in Boston (or the area) and I’ve visited several times so I had a couple of good ideas on how to squeeze out some fun while I was there. To be sure - the conference was good. I attended some worthy sessions, learned a lot, met great people, and really enjoyed the closing address given by Bill Moyers. But I also got a chance to tour the city a bit, get to know my super nice colleague and traveling companion a little better, and enjoy some of the local nightlife.

A few of my favorite spots:

Bukowski’s Tavern - - A monster beer selection. My kind of place. I stuck to the local tap specials (a few from the Cambridge Brewing Company) and even got to savor a pint of my beloved Brooklyn Lager.

Top of the Hub - - A bit expensive. We popped in for a martini and the terrific view.

Solas - - A comfy spot conveniently placed right down the street from my hotel and the convention center.

The Black Rose - - A Faneuil Hall area pub with a band that played Grateful Dead covers. Sailors were drinking tall bottles of cider – a recipe for disaster.

Legal Seafoods - - We went to the location right near the convention center. I had the lobster roll (which was good), the clam chowder (served at several presidential inauguration dinners), and the fresh raw oysters (which were GREAT).

Giacomo’s - - The culinary highlight of my trip. If you go to Boston, you MUST visit this restaurant. It’s inexpensive and the food is outstanding. I recommend the calamari and the lobster ravioli. I was told that our server, RoseMarie, was the same server that waited on Rachel Ray when she visited Giacomo’s for her $40 a Day show. Here’s me with Rosie:

The Samuel Adams Brewery - - Super fun and informative.

Our tour guide was a hoot.

At the end of the tour we got to sample a few Sam Adams beers available only at the brewery – a porter and a pilsener. I also got a coveted quick lick of the strongest beer ever brewed – Sam Adam's Utopias. Sam Adams has a special place in my heart since it is sort of my fall back beer. Lots of places carry it and I can always rely on it being a satisfying.

Doyle’s - - A pub in Jamaica Plain down the way from the Sam Adams brewery - the brewery tour purported Doyle’s to be the first bar to carry Sam Adams on tap. Scenes in the movie Mystic River were shot here also.

* * *

A walk around Boston on a 40 degree day was a real treat.

Note the sailors. The aircraft carrier JFK was in port. The city was swarming with sailors.

The weirdest reason for raising a monument that I have ever seen. Located in the Boston Public Garden.

I stayed at The Copley Square Hotel. It’s an older hotel and it shows but the accommodations were fine, it’s conveniently located, and I got a great deal. My real gripe with them is that they lost my luggage. Check out time was noon and my flight wasn’t until 6pm so I checked my suitcase with the bellman so that I wouldn’t be lugging it around all day. When I returned it was gone. I was forced to leave without it and later found out that they had mistakenly loaded it into another guest’s van. Said guest then drove my suitcase to a ski lodge in Vermont. The staff was so flustered at the time that I remained pretty calm - I just wanted them to keep in contact with me, which they did. They finally got my bag to me in Minneapolis but since I live in a signature only zone I had to pick it up in Plymouth, MN this past Saturday.

I also returned to about 3 feet of snow in Minnesota and spent the entire morning of Sunday the 3rd digging us out. Nonetheless, I was happy to get back to my family and back to Minnesota.

I Hate to Fly

2007-03-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

So I was in Boston for a conference most of last week and into the weekend. The conference was great and Boston is a terrific city...more on that later.

I hate to fly.

And it’s not just the possibility of hurtling to a fiery demise as I sit horrified and powerless with my head between my knees – although that prospect doesn’t exactly enhance my love of flying. I dislike the whole experience of airplane travel...packing, getting to the airport on time, lugging your stuff around, going through security, delays, cancellations, waiting, lines, being stuffed into the bird, being uncomfortable for hours, being abjectly subject to the decisions of others who can waste your time and money on a whim. I hate it all.

I only mention this because getting to Boston last week was no small trick. My colleague and I were on the same Northwest Airlines direct flight from Minneapolis to Boston that was canceled due to “aircraft maintenance.” The NWA representative I got on the phone was bored, unaccomodating, and unhelpful. After being told that there were no more direct flights that day I booked a connecting flight – Minneapolis to Detroit to Boston – only to find out from my colleague that there were two direct flights later that day. I decided to stick with my plans since they got me into Boston earlier. I also asked the NWA rep if I could get an exit row seat without having to pay the extra $15 (I’m about 6’2”) since I had an aisle seat on the canceled flight and there were only middle seats left on my new flights. “No – we don’t do that,” was the answer.

My flight from Minneapolis to Detroit was delayed over an hour. I was all geared up to run to catch my connecting flight in Detroit when I learned that it too had been canceled. I was booked on the last flight to Boston that day and rumors swirled around the gate about it being canceled due to weather in Detroit. Luckily, it took off as planned and I finally made it into Boston about 12:30am. My original flight got me around 3pm.

When I got to the hotel the guy behind the desk took one look at me and said, “Are you Jason?” I confirmed his suspicions. “You look like you need a drink,” was his appraisal.

Richard

2007-02-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

It all started last Thursday. The Birdus rang me up as I was leaving work and said that daycare called - The Bundle had thrown up 3-4 times, three kids had already been sent home with the same thing, and they wanted us to come pick her up. No problem as I was already on my way. The Bundle threw up twice at the daycare just in the amount of time that I was there and she was definitely not her normal, cheery self. The daycare staff said that the symptoms first presented themselves that morning in a really sweet little boy with skinny legs named Richard. The Bundle didn’t have a fever but couldn’t hold anything down – not Pedialyte, not breast milk, nothing. After throwing up, she would just lie there listless with her arms outstretched. We called our clinic up the road and spoke to the on-call doctor (who also just happens to be my doctor and knows The Bundle) and he told us that this was going around. We said to go with small amounts of fluid administered frequently. Two hours, another phone call, several bouts of vomiting, and one blast of diarrhea later we were on our way to the childrens hospital at the U. It was The Bundle’s first trip to the ER in her whole life.

We got in right away, they checked her vitals, made sure that she was breathing okay, had no fever, etc. There was a great painting on the wall in the room of the 50 states with all their capitals and the state flowers, birds, and animals of each state. I knew The Bundle wasn't feeling well when she couldn’t remember that Carson City was the capital of Nevada. (Everyone knows that!)

They prescribed a suppository (something by definition she cannot throw up) that would combat the nausea and help her keep fluids down. It worked like a charm. We got four ounces of non-flavored Pedialyte in her within an hour and half and headed home. She went to bed within an hour of hitting her crib.

It gets better…

The Bundle was feeling a little better by Friday morning with some fluids in her but nowhere near one hundred percent. It was around 9:30 that same morning when The Birdus began to exhibit symptoms of what we were now calling "the Richard”. Before long, The Birdus was glued to the bathroom and I was taking care of my two sick girls. One time, after The Birdus threw up I heard her say a single word...Richard.

I had just put The Bundle and The Birdus down for a nap around 1:00 pm on Saturday afternoon when I went upstairs to watch some college basketball, eat a sandwich, and have a beer. I was just setting the sandwich down when with no warning - my guts nearly fell out. I ran downstairs to the bathroom and released jet after frothy jet of liquid feces from my chapped ass. No less than 14 gallons. For the next 24 hours my ass was essentially a faucet. I threw up no less than a dozen and a half times. After each event, I hissed his terrible name into the bowl...Richard. It was horrible.

The recovery has been slow but we're all on the mend now. I won't be posting over the next few days so look for me to be back early next week. See you then.

What An Icehole - Part II

2007-02-21T14:58:00.000-08:00

Four Men, Eight Lines, One 26-inch Walleye

February 15-18

It has become an annual event. Longtime readers of The Perfect Life may remember our first “What An Icehole” group ice fishing expedition that took place back in January of 2006. This year, returning anglers (me, my brother Geoff, and our buddy Perry) went back to Lake Mille Lacs for another go at those elusive winter walleyes. Perry’s brother Adam was unable to join us this time out – so our great friend Trevor snapped up his spot.

We went low-rent at Brandt’s last year but this year we went deluxe. We reserved a 10 hole, 12’ x 24’ icehouse from Mac’s Twin Bay. Here it is:

Brothers and sisters, this was the Taj Mahal of icehouses - a gas heated palace of wood paneling resting on 28 inches of hard water. Admittedly, it was pretty expensive for 4 guys but in my opinion it was worth it. We were in the lap of luxury out there. As the pictures attest, it was clean and spacious. There were comfortable sleeping arrangements, a nice long table for eating and playing cards, a heated indoor porta-john, and everything was newer and in great working condition.

All the rattle reels were already set to depth and ready to go when we arrived. If you’re considering an ice fishing getaway on Mille Lacs and you’re thinking about bringing the kids, or a first-timer, or you just want to pamper yourself – I highly recommend Mac’s.

Now let’s get down to brass tacks. The fishing was for shit. Last year, we had at least a brief window where we pounded perch. Not so this year. The biggest excitement came at 5 am Saturday morning when I got up to check the lines. My heart leapt when I realized I had a fish on. The hook was set so I started pulling in the line hand over hand. It felt big. Suddenly, one of the rattle reels started going. “Fish on! Fish on!” I shouted still pulling in my line and pointing at the rattle reel. Perry jumped up and tended the reel and it was then that the horrible truth set in. Our lines were tangled. The panicked fish had swum in a wide circle, tangling every line we had in the water - all eight. It took the four of us an hour of untangling, pulling in extraneous line, determining that the fish was not on this line, carefully cutting line, etc. just to get the fish up to the ice. By the time we had her out of the water, we had no idea whose line was whose anymore. So we decided we all caught it.

It really was a group effort getting the fish into the icehouse so it only seemed fair to share the credit. We figure we each caught 6.5 inches of it.

Everyone’s favorite dirty mother-effer, the eelpout, also made an appearance.

As usual, the camaraderie and conversation was the best. I haven’t laughed as much or as long in quite a while. These are the best guys I know.

We brought lots of great food and Big Trev treated us to a delicious 10-year Laphroaig Scotch whiskey (perfect with just a splash of cold water) and introduced us to the Czechoslovakian taste sensation of Becherovka which we kept packed in snow out on the ice and drank neat.

A few extra notes:

* It got very cold at night and the ice was the loudest I have ever heard it. For those that don’t know, as the temperature changes out on a frozen lake the ice expands and contracts and makes loud “booming” and cracking sounds. It was so loud this time out that it woke me up several times in the night and a few boomers were positively cannon-like. One made the whole icehouse shudder.

* For some reason, we spent a lot of time hand-feeding Perry.

* Some guy named Rick visited our icehouse right around dusk and announced his entrance by shouting, “Game Warden! Pull your pants up!” He then proceeded to tell us how slow the fishing had been and that he spent the entire previous night in his icehouse watching pornography and pleasuring himself. This was after he had shaken all of our hands. “Don’t worry,” he reassured us, “I’ve washed my hand since then.” You meet some real weirdos out on the ice.

* Trevor (who has appeared on this blog before) has decided to run for governor of the state of Minnesota on the Hoover-esque platform of a “Pout in Every Pot.”

* For the record, I love Minnesota and I love sharing Minnesota with other people.

It could happen to you!

2007-02-21T13:40:00.000-08:00

I never thought that I would live to see this headline in the newspaper.

It's a beautiful world.

The Minnesota Dream

2007-02-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

Just returned from my second annual ice fishing adventure up at Lake Mille Lacs. Regarding the photo above, that's a 26 inch walleye I hold in my hands. More to come in a subsequent post.

The drums! THE DRUMS!

2007-02-15T08:34:00.000-08:00

I hate the fucking steel drums. Far and away, my most hated musical instrument. I’ve hated the steel drums for as long as I can remember but my hatred really developed and took flight when I lived in New York and there was this guy that played the steel drums on the subway platform. God how I despised him and that bright, tinny, ebullient sound!

I saw on the KARE 11 “What’s Cool in Our School” segment a few weeks ago that Middle School kids in Wayzata have formed a steel drum band. It’s part of an effort to introduce unique instruments to young musicians while teaching them about other cultures. I think that’s a great idea but couldn’t they have at least chosen a cooler instrument?

I personally like this African drumming program led by Marc Anderson. He taught a group of kids at our church and the results were amazing and moving. I'm smiling thinking about it. Another African instrument that I think is super cool is the thumb piano - also known as the kalimba or mbira. They can be amplified too – like the folks in Konono No 1 do – and that’s when the kalimba becomes outrageously cool. Not to mention, thumb pianos are cheap. The teacher in the KARE 11 piece said that each “voice” (I assume that means drum) is about 2 grand a piece! Kim Insley toward the end there said that they have to fly a guy out to tune them every now and again. Jeez. I’ll bet with some instruction the kids could probably even build their own kalimba.

Now there’s an idea! Kids build their own unique or experimental instruments from various cultures and learn to play them. Guest teachers could be invited. Imaginations could be explored. Students could create their own Native American rattles, drums, and flutes. They could make their own Aquaggaswack – click here for an audio sample. Or how about a Cigar Box Guitar? Tell me you wouldn’t love to see a middle school jug band. I know I would.

I’ve caught the “Cool in Our School” segment before and in general I’m left annoyed. This is the stuff that is considered revolutionary and “cool” in our public schools? Kids fill out a job application to “work” at the school. Kids get some money and pay bills - just like in real grown up life. Holy puke. I asked The Birdus this morning why these segments annoy me. How could I possibly be bothered by these seemingly fun and beneficial school programs? Her response was great. “Maybe because what is really being taught to these kids is that their worth is wrapped up in their work.”

I don’t mean to knock the Cool School segment because I have seen some neat stuff on there too. I don’t even mean to knock Minnesota public schools or these programs specifically. I just think that there’s far too much emphasis on success and responsibility and results in our society. I’ve read a couple of blogs lately written by people that are struggling with the feeling that their lives have lost direction, fighting the feeling that they are failures, and desperately trying to find happiness. I really believe this all starts when we’re young when so many expectations for the future are placed on us - many of which, I’m sorry, are quite simply either irrelevant, impossible to realize, or not worth the effort. It gets so that you spend so much time looking toward the results that you forget about that little life you happen to be leading right now - this minute.

In short, I don’t want The Bundle filling out a “job” application at age 9 completing the sentence, “I would make a good employee for the business because...?” There’s plenty of time for that. At age 9, I want her playing the kalimba.

Horning In

2007-02-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

I played the trombone from about 4th grade to my freshman year in high school. I was decent. I probably could have been better but I never practiced. As it was, I skated by on whatever natural ability I had for the instrument.

In addition, I was a cantor at my Catholic church (also known as a precentor or songleader) and I loved to sing. However, with the exception of the kids who went to my church, no one at my high school knew I could sing. Until one day someone (I forget who) heard me at church and asked me to sing a song at the all-school Ash Wednesday mass. I was comfortable with singing solo in front of large groups by that time so it wasn’t really any big thing for me, although I remember that the person who asked me expected me to say no and seemed sort of nervous for me. The next morning at band practice the only other trombonist, Kathy Penning, turned to me and said, “I didn’t know you could sing!” She was playing the part of Marion Paroo in our high school’s production of The Music Man. She said that they needed guys who could sing for the cast and to come to rehearsal the next night – I wouldn’t have to audition or anything.

Since I was 14 years old at the time and didn’t have my driver's license, my older brother Geoff drove me to the rehearsal and I was assigned the part of Jacey Squires – one of the River City businessmen that goes on to sing tenor in the barbershop quartet.

My brother would come to pick me up after rehearsal and at some point he too was asked to join the production. He played one of the traveling salesmen at the beginning of the show that discusses their trade in time with the chugging of the train they’re riding on. We had a great time and I think it's incredibly special that we first experienced the thrill of working on and performing in a live theater production together. Our family moved to a suburb of Chicago that summer and my brother was off to college the following fall. But it was my experience in The Music Man (among other things) that led me to take acting classes at my new high school. I went on to study theatre in college and my while I haven't been on a stage in years, my brother is quite active in theatre and just closed his most recent productions a few weeks ago.

A few years after The Music Man, I was taking discounted, private voice lessons at my new suburban Chicago high school. My teacher was the conductor of a local oratorio society and he thought it would be good for me to go to their rehearsals. “It’ll be great practice and there are a lot of terrific, older singers there that you can learn from,” he said.

I had my license by then but no car of my own so my dad would drop me off and pick me up at practice. After I while, I noticed that he was getting there earlier and earlier to pick me up. And then we would stay later and later as he chatted to oratorio members and the conductor about music, singing, this and that. Sure enough, before long he was standing next to me in the choir. We bought used tuxedos from a rental store to wear for the concerts. We sang Ernest Bloch, Mozart, and many others. I have a picture of my father in his tuxedo on my mantle. I can still clearly hear his baritone in my right ear - just beside me.

It may be that there is nothing more detrimental to one's happiness than the notion that something belongs to you exclusively.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Million Dollar Chompers

2007-02-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

The first couple of weeks in February are one of a few busy periods for me at work. My job is very cyclical which in some ways is nice because you know what to expect but in other ways is not so nice because expectation can quickly turn to dread. I should qualify my use of the word “busy”. These “F” adjectives will probably help: frantic, frenzied, and furious. It’s pretty much nonstop from the moment I walk in to the moment I leave. And then I tend to think about and remember issues that came up even when I’m not at the office. Stuff I have to do the next day, stuff I didn’t get to that day, etc. I’m not whining. I like my job and these periods are pretty much what my whole job is about – making sure that they go as smooth as possible. This period has been better (knock on wood) than past ones thanks to some changes we’ve made but I’m sure it will heat up again early next week. Just thought my family, friends, and readers might like to know why I drop off the face of the planet from time to time.

This was also the first week at the new day care for The Bundle. She took it like a champ and has in fact been thriving. We could see the difference immediately. Not that we didn’t like the old day care because we did – especially The Bundle’s teacher Rachel who clearly made a special connection with our little one. We live in Northeast (obviously), I work in St. Paul, and the old day care is in Roseville. The commute just got to be incredibly draining and expensive. Man alive, the traffic in those northern St. Paul suburbs can get bad!

Also, The Bundle didn’t seem to be getting enough sleep. The cribs at the old day care were in the same room as the play area. This seems good on the surface because the teachers can keep an eye on the sleeping kids while playing with the critters that are still awake. But what we found is that The Bundle had a tough time both getting to sleep and staying asleep because of the extraneous noise in the room. The new day care has a separate room for the cribs and The Bundle has been taking long naps in the mornings and 2-plus hour naps in the afternoon this week. It’s obvious that the separate sleeping room has made the difference. She’s been coming home much better rested and happier. You new parents this is something to consider if you’re looking at day cares: are the cribs in the same or a separate room? It can make a big difference. Plus the new day care is a LOT closer to home and more diverse which we like. The Bundle has made such a smooth transition that The Birdus and I have been patting ourselves on the back all week for making such a good decision.

I also went to the dentist this week for my first cleaning in 7 years and learned that I have gum disease. Apparently, my teeth are strong and in great shape but the gums that hold them in place are slowly retreating into my skull. I can’t reverse the effects of this disease, only impede its advance, which I will accomplish through vigilant oral hygiene including brushing with the proper technique twice a day and a fluoride rinse and flossing once a day. While fiddling around in my mouth the dentist said, “Well, if you were 12 years old I’d recommend some orthodonture but...” and then he just trailed off. He obviously did not read this article of which I am living proof. I am the very picture of self-esteem and look at these chompers:

Fine Times

2007-02-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

The Birdus and I had a great anniversary weekend and thanks to all of you that sent well-wishes and congratulations.

My in-laws took The Bundle on Friday night, leaving The Birdus and I free to attend our first movie in the theater since I think Walk The Line at The Heights nearly a year ago. We started the night with drinks and a small supper at The Sample Room. It was cold out and that buttery Carrot and Shrimp Bisque really hit the spot. Mmm-mmm. My recent birthday brought me a coupon for a medium drink and a buy-one-get-one-free ticket to the Crown movie theater at Block E so we went there and saw Children of Men. What a picture to see on our return to the movie house! It’s a terrific film and some of the imagery and mood from the movie has even managed to insinuate itself into a few of my dreams since seeing it. Highly recommended.

We slept in a bit the next morning and then went for breakfast at the Town Talk Diner - which has literally been the talk of the town lately. The Birdus had a chorizo scramble special that did not skimp on the manchego cheese. I had the (in)famous Fried Egg Sandwich with 2 eggs, ham, bacon, and cheddar cheese on Texas toast. Really outstanding – especially when washed down with a glass of champagne. (Thanks to Trevor for introducing me to champagne with breakfast – all those years ago.) We really liked Town Talk – the food and atmosphere were great. My only criticism is that its address should end in “NE”. While Northeast already boasts a few, it could always use more unique eat spots like Town Talk.

I’ll leave you today with a news story about one of my favorite animals in the world – the sloth. Some scientists in Germany were attempting to study the movement of these mysterious creatures. The only problem was that their test subject, a sloth named Mats, refused to move...for three fucking years!

This story resonates with me. I love that the scientists tried to tempt it but that the sloth held to his values. He would not be their guinea pig – for he is a sloth. I also love that the fundamental nature of this animal is what frustrated the scientists. It is a sloth after all. I imagine the scientists (in a vain attempt to get the sloth to cooperate) gradually switching from a soothing and sweet tone of voice to a frustrated and angry one. Their frustration and anger quickly turns to rage and soon they are shouting “Ficken dies!” and throwing the spaghetti at the wall. They go through a short period of shame and guilt - pacing around the room, massaging their temples, and sighing deeply - before gathering up the spaghetti and returning once again to their experiment and their original sweet and soothing tone of voice. All the while the sloth is thinking, “Fuck you assholes. I can sit here all year.”

5 Year Anniversary

2007-02-02T10:32:00.000-08:00

It's our 5 Year Anniversary today!

Let's do 100 more my sweet Birdus.

Float On

2007-01-31T16:58:00.000-08:00

I insist that you read this wonderful article. I’ll give you second before I continue…

…

I’ve been lucky enough to work with one of the Kesselring daughters mentioned in this article and let me tell you – a brighter, harder-working, sweeter, more dedicated and inquisitive person you would be hard pressed to find. She has mentioned her father in conversation before and clearly loves and admires him. This article was very inspiring to me. Knowing the tremendous effect a father can have on his daughter is humbling, nerve-racking, and terribly exciting. I can’t wait to pass on my enthusiasm for life and the outdoors to The Bundle. I’m definitely going to do something like this with my girl.

So look for me and The Bundle in 13 years and 2 months! She’ll be the one with blue eyes in the front of the canoe.

Lions and Tigers and...

2007-01-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

Bears

I grew up in Central Illinois. The 1985 Chicago Bears reside in near mythic proportions in my mind. Was The Fridge real? Or did I dream him? He lives in the same part of my brain as Obi Wan Kenobi. The '85 Bears were sort of the closest thing to real, living superheroes I ever encountered. I bought the Superbowl Shuffle on cassette at Walgreens. My own mother knew the names of both safeties. (Duerson and Fencik, by the way.) It was a magical time. And a meaningful time – the ’85 Bears had a working class image and played for a working class town and state. That attitude struck a chord. While I firmly believe that you switch your team allegiance when you move, when the Bears return to the Superbowl this Sunday I’ll be thinking back to 1985 and for a split second, I may even be a little jealous of those sad, lucky fucks that live in Illinois.

T-Wolves

A tremendous win for the Timberwolves last night - led by an uncharacteristic 44 points from KG. The T-Wolves handed the Phoenix Suns their first loss of the new year and not only snapped the Suns’ stunning 17-game winning streak but achieved their second straight win following their disheartening 6-game losing streak. Since this game was broadcast on FSN and we no longer have cable and it was certain to be a blowout I neither saw the game on TV nor listened to it on the radio. Instead, I watched the 1935 version of Anna Karenina with Great Garbo and Fredric March on DVD. For sale soon on Ebay - my balls.

Real Wolves

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it is taking the western Great Lakes population of Gray Wolves off of the endangered species list. I don't know why I feel weird about this. Despite several trips to the North Woods of Minnesota (including trips where others have seen them) I have never seen a wolf in the wild. It is a dream of mine.

Ninjas

Something else I've never seen live and in the wild: a ninja. Apparently, I don't hang out at the Lund's in Richfield enough.

January 2007 - Party Log

2007-01-29T10:58:00.000-08:00

The Birdus and I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. We make New Year’s aspirations. In other words, specific things we’d like to do or goals we’d like to achieve over the emerging year. One such aspiration was to host at least one dinner party a month this year. Since the arrival of The Bundle in April of 2006 we realized that we don’t really get out as a couple as much as we used to. That’s fine of course - we all love family cozy time in The Urban Cabin. But we figured that if we wanted to see our friends and knock back a few – we’d have to bring them to us.

Following the advice of Amy Sedaris in her very funny and surprisingly instructive guide to home entertaining “I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence” (a birthday gift to The Birdus) I am going to keep a “Party Log” for 2007. Our January gathering was small, only 2 guests.

- - -

Date: Saturday, Jan. 27, 2007

Time: 8pm

Place: The Urban Cabin

Attendees: Amy, Dan, The Birdus, The Retreagle, The Bundle (briefly), me

Kind: Spur of the moment get-together. No (declared) theme.

Reason: Been too long.

Decorations: A clean home. A fire in the fireplace. No further ornamentation.

Music: Lots - The Current; Xavier Cugat, Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald on vinyl; others

Menu: Tofu Chili with Tortilla Chips

Drinks: Guests provided a brown grocery bag full of Hamms and Miller Lite cans and a 12 pack of Summit Winter. We provided a 12 pack of Bass Ale, chocolate martinis, and hot buttered rum.

Hits and Misses: The chili was great - perfect for a small group, tasty, easy to make, vegan, and can be thrown together ahead of time. The recipe is from the Whole Foods website. The hot buttered rum sounded like a good idea at the time but it was a terrible mistake. After chili, beer, and martinis...I fear I may have ruined hot buttered rum for Dan for life.

Guest Portfolio: Amy and Dan (recently betrothed and Northeast star residents) are the perfect guests. They brought a game to play but the conversation was so good and flowed so easy that we didn’t even crack it. No need for fripperies or gimmicks with these two.

Other Notes: 8 o’clock was a good start time. The Bundle was already asleep, The Retreagle was winding down, and folks were hungry! The Bundle roused around 1am but other wise slept soundly.

- - -

Bye Casey

2007-01-26T08:49:00.000-08:00

I guess I had better comment on this disgraceful turn of events. On January 23 rd, the Timberwolves fired the team’s head coach Dwayne Casey. My take? I’m disappointed, frustrated, I think they fired the wrong guy. At this point, I’m prepared to state that the Timberwolves front office and Operations Staff is the current worst in the league (sorry Knicks and Philly) and probably among the most inept in NBA history. High on the list of humpers in this gang of monkeys fucking footballs is NBA Hall-of-Famer and T-Wolves VP of Basketball Operations, Kevin McHale. How this guy keeps his job is beyond me. The litany of his operational blunders is long and well documented so I won’t go into it. Suffice to say that I’m not alone here. There is an entire website - FireMcHale.com - that is devoted to his exit and even sells T-shirts. KFAN's Dan Barreiro went completely apeshit on the air upon news of Casey's firing. And this Star Tribune poll clearly indicates that the majority of Timberwolves fans lay the blame for our team’s lack of success firmly at the feet of Frankenstein’s son himself – Kevin McHale.

Do you remember that episode of Seinfeld where George discovers that every decision he has made his whole life has been wrong so he resolves to do the opposite of every thing he would normally do? It’s the episode where he first meets George Steinbrenner and gets his job with the Yankees. I imagine that a meeting between myself and Kevin McHale would be quite similar to the Georges’ first exchange on that episode:

Kevin McHale: Nice to meet you.

Jason: Well, I wish I could say the same. But I must say, with all due respect, I find it very hard to see the logic behind some of the moves you have made with this fine organization. In the past 13 years you have caused myself, and the city of Minneapolis, a good deal of distress, as we have watched you take our beloved Timberwolves and reduced them to a laughing stock, all for the glorification of your massive ego!

Sometimes I wish that Crunch were a real giant wolf that would eat the entire Timberwolves management (except Fred Hoiberg!) and we could just start over. I want them to go to the playoffs so bad this year. Go Wolves!

Central Avenue Plan (CAP) Update

2007-01-25T10:13:00.000-08:00

For those interested, I have a post up over at The Northeast Beat that sums up the recent (Jan. 23) meeting on the update to the Making Central Avenue Great Plan, also know as the Central Avenue Plan or CAP.

It was an informative and spirited meeting. I encourage anyone that is interested in the future of the Central Avenue corridor in Northeast Minneapolis (and who isn't?!) to check out the report and jump in on the discussion. This might be interesting for non-Nordeasters (Minneapolitan and otherwise) to see how a community is trying hard to work together to revitalize and preserve their neighborhood.

Video Pancake Supper

2007-01-22T14:46:00.000-08:00

I want to bring your attention to some recent additions to my blogroll. Take a look and click away. There's good reading there.

I strongly recommend that you visit this really terrific video blog (a vlog, if you will) produced by our friend Mary called Video Pancakes. Mary is incredibly creative and funny. Her vlog (like Mary herself) is unique and charming.

Enjoy!

Our North Shore Getaway

2007-01-18T19:18:00.000-08:00

The Birdus and I recently returned from a long weekend spent on the North Shore of our lovely home state, Minnesota. While many of you know that Minnesota is the "Land of 10,000 Lakes" it is often forgotten that Minnesota also provides a significant amount of shore to one really big fucking body of water - Lake Superior.

The Birdus and I originally planned on doing something tropical to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary on Feb. 2nd (02-02-02). Unfortunately, the forced replacement of our old, asbestos-covered gravity furnace pretty much shot those plans straight to shit. So on the spur of the moment we decided to go back to the super fun and romantic North Shore resort Bluefin Bay in Tofte, MN where we honeymooned nearly half a decade ago. We found a great last minute deal on the room, threw our snowshoes in the car, passed off The Bundle and The Retreagle to Grammy and headed north.

Once you hit Duluth, the drive is a real stunner. Scenic State Highway 61 follows Lake Superior right up the northeast shore of Minnesota into Canada - passing by cliffs and low mountains, stone beaches, dense inland forests, a famous lighthouse, several state parks, rivers and waterfalls, and of course - the ever present great lake. This roadway may sound familiar to Bob Dylan fans. He named his 1965 album Highway 61 Revisited after it.

Here's some pictures from our getaway:

This was the view out the large picture window of our room. Those are the stone ruins of an old dock.

Here is a picture of the same view in the 1920s. The village of Tofte was an important port on the North Shore back in the day. The ship was a passenger vessel that went from Isle Royale to Duluth, making a few stops in between. Do those stone supports from the picture above look familiar?

Perhaps the most exciting part of our getaway was our dog-sledding adventure! The Birdus and I have always wanted to go dog-sledding and tried to on our honeymoon five years ago but there was no snow. Lucky for us, there was plenty of inland snow this time around.

The Birdus with our dogs. All Alaskan Huskies - incredibly efficient and fast sled dogs. Some of these dogs have competed in the 411-mile John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon from Duluth to Grand Portage.

Mush!

The view never changes unless you're the lead dog.

Digging in on an uphill. Watching these dogs work first hand was a priveledge.

The happy couple cozy in our sled.

We managed to get in a couple great hikes too. The temperature was 3 degrees one day with a windchill of -13.

The frozen Hidden Falls on the Cascade River.

Bluefin is chock full of amenities. Not the least of which is an outdoor spa. There's nothing better after a subzero hike than slinking into a hot tub and enjoying a couple beers under the frozen stars. Sure, your head and chest hair freezes while you sit there. And getting out ain't exactly a treat . But while you're in there...

Ahhhhhh.....

My 75 Favorite Songs of 2006

2007-01-12T07:36:00.000-08:00

Get out your iPod (or other such like digital audio player) and warm up the iTunes (or other such like digital media application) and download my 75 Favorite Songs of 2006. I've put them in alphabetical order for easy reference but when shuffled up this is one of the best and most eclectic mixes I've ever composed. Thanks mostly to the nature of the music itself.

Musically, 2006 was unusual. I can't quite put my finger on why but I think Bob Boilen, the host of NPR's All Songs Considered, touched on it during their best music of 2006 broadcast when he said,

"This year [2006] seems so different from the past. Never before have I seen such a wide range of artists. It all seems so fractured. There's less consensus, more variety, more bands people can call their own."

To be sure, there were no prevailing currents or musical shifts in 2006. Yeah...I mentioned in a previous post that some old farts were making good music again (add to the list Tom Waits, Lindsey Buckingham, Bob Dylan, and Yusuf Islam) but that doesn't really constitute a real musical trend.

I remember when I was growing up whole genres of music dominated pop. There was very little variety. The largest division in pop music in 1989 was whether you thought Kip Winger was a douchbag or not. (I voted douchebag.) You really had to seek out something that was a little off the beaten path. Not so today.

Anyways...here's my list. Look at the variety on this mother! Again, a click on the artist's name takes you to their MySpace page where you can hear songs for free. The songs with asterisks (*) next to them are currently featured on the artist's MySpace page. The mix is up on Rhapsody if you subscribe and are so inclined. If anyone does end up making this into a mix let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Artist - Song Title
Ali Farka Toure - - Erdi
Art Brut - - Formed a Band (Original) *
Band Of Horses - - The Funeral *
Beach House - - Apple Orchard
Beck - - Think I'm In Love *
Beirut - - Mount Wroclai (Idle Days) *
Belle and Sebastian - - Sukie In The Graveyard
The BellRays - - Tell The Lie *
Ben Kweller - - Run
Beyoncé - - Ring The Alarm *
The Black Angels - - The First Vietnamese War
Bob Dylan - - Thunder on the Mountain *
Built To Spill - - Goin' Against Your Mind *
Califone - - The Orchids *
Camera Obscura - - Lloyd, Im Ready to be Heartbroken *
Cat Power - - Lived in Bars
Christina Aguilera - - Ain't No Other Man *
CSS - - Alala
David Gilmour Featuring David Bowie - - Arnold Layne
The Decemberists - - Sons and Daughters
Destroyer - - Looters' Follies
Eagles Of Death Metal - - I Want You So Hard (Boys Bad News) *
Fergie - - London Bridge *
The Flaming Lips - - Mr. Ambulance Driver
Fujiya & Miyagi - - Collarbone *
Gnarls Barkley - - Who Cares?
Guillemots - - Who Left The Lights Off, Baby?
Guillemots - - Trains To Brazil (EP Version) *
A Hawk and a Hacksaw - - In The River *
Hem - - Not California *
The Hold Steady - - First Night
Hot Chip - - Boy From School (Single) *
Howe Gelb - - But I Did Not *
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - The Charging Sky *
Joanna Newsom - - Sawdust and Diamonds
Johnny Cash - - If You Could Read My Mind
Joseph Arthur - - Too Much To Hide
Juana Molina - - La Verdad
Justin Timberlake - - Sexyback *
Klee - - This is for everyone *
The Knife - - Silent Shout *
Lambchop - - Paperback Bible *
Lily Allen - - Smile (Single) *
Lindsey Buckingham - - Not Too Late
Love Is All - - Busy Doing Nothing *
Lupe Fiasco - - Hurt Me Soul
M. Ward - - Magic Trick
Michael Brook - - StrangeProcession
The Mountain Goats - - Woke Up New
Neko Case - - Margaret vs. Pauline
Nelly Furtado - - Maneater *
Paul Simon - - Beautiful
The Pipettes - - Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me
Prince - - Black Sweat
The Raconteurs - - Intimate Secretary
Ray Davies - - Next Door Neighbor
Ray LaMontagne - - Empty *
Regina Spektor - - Fidelity *
Richard Buckner - - The Tether and the Tie
Scissor Sisters - - I Can't Decide
Sean Lennon - - Parachute
Sia - - Breathe Me *
Silversun Pickups - - Lazy Eye *
Smoosh - - Find A Way *
The Streets - - The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living
Sufjan Stevens - - Adlai Stevenson
The Sword - - Freya *
Tapes 'n Tapes - - The Iliad
Tender Forever - - Make Out *
Tom Waits - - Bottom Of The World *
TV On The Radio - - I Was A Lover
TV On The Radio - - Province *
The Walkmen - - Don't Forget Me
Wolfmother - - White Unicorn *
Yo La Tengo - - Mr. Tough *
Yusuf Islam - - The Beloved

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There they be. I'd like to point out that a song titled "Lazy Eye" has made my favorites two years running, recorded by vastly different artists. What's with that?

I'll be posting one more (much smaller) 2006 music-related post and then I'm done. Also, I won't be back on the blog until middle of next week so I'll see you back here then!

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The New Year's Ladies

2007-01-11T10:42:00.000-08:00

That's my Mom on the left. The one on the right is my Aunt Mary.

- - - -

God, I love this picture. For so many reasons. On so many levels. Thanks for snapping this one Cindy.

Best of the Rest - Albums 2006

2007-01-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

You've seen my 15 Favorite Albums of 2006. Now here's the best of the rest from that illustrious year. The list is long, so take your time, and feel free to leave and come back if you need a break. There are links to the MySpace pages of all the artists if you click on their names. The same is generally true for my Favorite 15. I vigorously urge you to click over to a few and listen to some of their songs. They're all worthy of your time in my opinion and you're sure to have a really fun time. Enjoy!

* Juana Molina - Son

Wanna fall in love? Listen to this album. Totally unique. I got hooked on this late so it didn’t make my Favorite 15 but it should have. This album is awesome! God I love animal sounds in my music. Pleasepleaseplease listen to this album.

* Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope

I really tried to like Regina’s first two albums - to no avail. This album, I didn’t have to try. “Fidelity” is one of the best songs of the year.

* Hem - Funnel Cloud

Imagine the summer is your young daughter. These are the lullabies you would sing to her once she’s safely tucked in bed. These songs are as welcome, hopeful, elegiac, and elusive as a warm breeze in October.

* Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock & Roll

Hilarious. So much fun.

* Yusuf Islam - An Other Cup

Formerly known as Cat Stevens. I think his music was sweeter and more interesting sung in the persona of a spiritual troubadour. But I’ll be darned if it isn’t just plain nice to hear his voice singing pop songs again. Plus, this album is essentially the outcome of all that searching. You wouldn’t watch a movie and leave before seeing the ending...

* Ray Davies – Other People’s Lives

Not a perfect album –and as a whole, maybe even a mess. But the individual songs are incisive and a little wicked. With the exception of maybe Randy Newman (note the New Orleans connection) no one writes songs about the everyday lives of regular folks better than Ray Davies. I’d rather listen to Ray sing about his next door neighbor than hear most other musicians sing about topics of “substance”.

* Lindsey Buckingham – Under the Skin

A technically perfect album, I imagine that guitar players and sound engineers all over the world are listening to this and drooling in envy. (Remember that when Lindsey left Fleetwood Mac that it took 2 guitarists to replace him.) As the title suggests, this album is all about what’s going on under the surface. Lots of whispery vocals, layers, and effects make for a varied and moody outing. All from the guy that gave us “Holiday Road” from the National Lampoon’s Vacation Soundtrack.

* Beck – The Information

C’mon. It’s fucking Beck.

* Belle and Sebastian – The Life Pursuit

They’re back and when B&S are in form (and not writing for Todd Solondz movies) their clever lyrics and bouncy melodies never fail to make me smile. Took me a bit to warm up to this one even so.

* Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury

Wow. This is a rough album. A stark look into the world of serious cocaine dealing. Brutal. Heartbreaking. Not the type of thing you throw on at a dinner party. Moving and brilliant nonetheless. The track "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)" has a constant, annoying buzz that runs beneath the whole song. It really bothered me until I figured out what it was. A cell phone or pager, buzzing incessantly. Addicts endlessling calling their delears. Told you it was rough. Because I'm me I chose the more contemplative and (comparatively) optimistic Lupe Fiasco album for my Favorite 15. In the long run though this might be the record people look back on. Also, for the record: I love the accordion on hip-hop albums.

* Smoosh - Free To Stay

This is not a novelty album. It’s a solid pop record. Simple but sly. Overall bubbly but dark at times too. When you sing along you’ll attempt to imitate the childlike voice of the lead singer. “Childlike” maybe isn’t the right word. I think she’s only 14.

* Ben Kweller – Ben Kweller

Ben Kweller does what that other Ben (Folds) can only dream about - makes lovesick pop music without winking.

* Guillemots – From The Cliffs

OK. Technically, this is an EP and not an album. (I remember The Flaming Lips being sort of flummoxed when they were nominated for some “Best Album” award for their Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell EP.) But the songs on this sucker are so strong it really deserves mention. The beats on this one will have you jumping all over the room.

* Joseph Arthur – Nuclear Daydream

The Birdus really likes this album. Arthur gets lost in comparisons...Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, Michael Stipe, Neil Young, Coldplay, Bob Dylan, etc. etc. I myself hear a lot of Lou Reed on this album. All these comparisons are stupid really because the truth is that Arthur is a skilled and literate musician who has incorporated into his songs elements from virtually every pop style from the 60s forward.

* Califone – Roots and Crowns

These guys are borrowing from everywhere these days. I love that they’re not just happy experimenting musically – with unusual beats and instrumentation – but that they’re crazy with the engineering too. This album is as brave and visionary as some of the great and legendary Beatles studio productions like Revolver.

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Imprimis!

2007-01-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

I'm back after a short New Year's sojourn spent with my family.

Some more pictures of this adventure will follow.

Here's a few items I've been saving up for you:

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My leanest movie-going year since...well...probably since birth...was 2006. I have not seen a movie in the theater since the arrival of The Bundle almost 9 months ago. Without question this has been the longest that I have gone without seeing a movie in the theater. Truly amazing when you consider that in my early to mid twenties I saw 2-3 movies a week. Considering that I didn’t see many of the movies that came out in 2006, it didn’t seem fair to put out a list of my favorite movies of the year. So instead I am providing you with a list of everything I watched in 2006 and rated 4 or more stars. This seemed like a just compromise. So here they are, in no particular order:

Pride and Prejudice: Vol. 1 & 2
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Akeelah and the Bee
United 93
The Matador
Six Feet Under: Season 5
Match Point
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
The Squid and the Whale
Junebug
Sky High
Grizzly Man
Me and You and Everyone We Know
Prenatal Yoga *

* While The Birdus thought that the yoga on this DVD was lame there is a whole section on light, prenatal massage. (For the mom of course, not the fetus.) Expectant Dad's should check this one out.

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Planetary scientist Ellen R. Stofan likened the surface of Titan (the largest moon of Saturn) to Minnesota in a recent interview.

The discovery team concluded that the radar images, made on a close pass of the moon in July, “provide definitive evidence for the presence of lakes on the surface of Titan.”

When the spacecraft conducted its first radar search above 70 degrees north latitude, Ellen R. Stofan, leader of the team, said in an interview, “We saw a huge swath of the surface just covered with lakes, like Minnesota.”

Granted they’re lakes of liquid methane...but the idea of a Minnesota planet (or Minnesota moon as it were) is very appealing to me. I wonder how big walleye grow in methane?

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For a lot of the wrong reasons, the swearing in of former Minnesota State Rep. Keith Ellison as U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison continues to make national headlines this week. Ellison is a Muslim (the first ever elected to the U.S. Congress) and he requested to be sworn in using a Quran rather than a Bible. The Quran they used was once owned by Thomas Jefferson and currently resides in the Library of Congress. I was actually quite moved when I heard this, especially after reading the Needleman book (see above and to the right) that calls for a re-mythologizing of the founders core intentions. I am as proud that Minnesota is sending the first Muslim to Congress and our first female U.S. Senator (Amy Klobuchar) as I am embarrassed that we sent that batshit creepazoid Bachmann. Go Minnesota! Baaaaaaad Minnesota!

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Say! Whatcha doin'? Really?! That's awesome! Know what? You should stop doing that and go right now and eat at Bombay 2 Deli on Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis. The Birdus and I ate there on Saturday and it's freaking great. Terrific food, super friendly and helpful service, and seriously inexpensive.

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The Timberwolves set a franchise record and tied and NBA record yesterday by winning their 3rd straight overtime game against the Houston Rockets. They're on a 4 game winning streak and at the risk of being a jinx - I'm going to go ahead and state that they're looking better these days. We're a distant 2nd in our division but we've moved up in the conference. Playoffs this season? Please let it be so.

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The Birdus is onto a new book (see to the right) and she's really enjoying it. A review will follow. Likewise, I'll provide a review of the Needleman book.

Where'd That Year Go?

2006-12-28T07:04:00.000-08:00

You know how frustrating it is when you can’t find the single loose or bad bulb that is causing an entire string of Christmas lights to not work? Imagine trying to find it on a string of 60,000 lights. I mentioned the Christmas tree in Rice Park in a recent post and apparently some feisty squirrels or mice have been causing headaches for those trying to keep the tree alight. How'dja like to have that job?

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The Perfect Life turns 1 year old this month. (My blog is older then my daughter!) Hard to believe. With over 80 posts and close to 4000 visits under my belt now I can sincerely state that I’m happy I started this little thinger-dinger. It’s a load of fun. I’m going to keep at it so you keep reading and stick with me through the lean patches.

In honor of my anniversary, I’m trying something new: a video clip of my own filming. It is of The Bundle’s favorite Christmas gift and I call it “KG Pop!” It's grainy and I’m no Truffaut...but enjoy. I’ll be taking about a week off from the blog for New Years so I’ll see you back here in 2007. Have a great holiday and be safe!

What's Wrong With You Now, Prince Charming?

2006-12-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

I’m sick.

I’ve been sick for about a week. One of those stuffy head, cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue, and general body ache type things. My favorite part? The ear congestion. Luckily, I think I’m finally on the mend. (Knock wood.)

While I am not the happiest of campers at the moment, I can at least be thankful that I don’t have that stomach flu/norovirus thing that every third person seems to be getting lately. The list of victims includes my sister-in-law, blogger Bad Art Global (a while ago) and most of the San Antonio Spurs organization. This vile bug also kept “friend of the family” and Timberwolves starter Trenton Hassell from playing against the Indiana Pacers this past Saturday night – a game we won.

The Timberwolves' dramatic win against the Bulls last night was courtesy of rookie Randy Foye who knocked down a game winner with 1.8 seconds left on the clock. Not bad for a guy whose internal organs are on the wrong side of his body. I shit you not. The guy’s internal organs are on the wrong side of his body. I just learned about it this morning. You know how your heart resides and beats on the left side of your chest? Randy’s resides and beats on his right. It’s a rare condition called situs inversus where your heart and other vital organs are in the reverse position. Freaky. Apparently, it does not prevent you from playing in the NBA...or from dropping difficult running shots off the inbound pass over multiple defenders with 1.8 seconds left on the clock. Way to go Randy.

The Bundle's 1st Christmas

2006-12-25T15:54:00.001-08:00

Peace + Joy to Everyone.

Long Winter Nights

2006-12-21T14:53:00.000-08:00

Today is the Winter Solstice. It was dark this morning as I drove The Bundle to daycare. I “ooo’d” and “ahh’d” and pointed as I drove by the grounds of the Roseville City Hall - aglow with over 115,000 white lights.

It was still dark a little while later when I drove by Rice Park in downtown St. Paul (on my way to the courthouse to have a speeding ticket removed from my record). The park is fully decked out in holiday decor with sculptures and white lights and one 75 foot tree smothered in 60,000 red and green lights.

In my pre-coffee haze I couldn’t help but reflect on the solstice, the winter, and the presence of all those beautiful lights. It seems like humans have been trying to figure out darkness, night, and winter for a long time. Take for example Newgrange, a prehistoric passage-tomb in Ireland. It’s older than Stonehenge, older than the Great Pyramid of Giza even.

Newgrange is a large earthen mound which contains a passageway that leads to a cross-shaped chamber deep within the mound. For a few days a year, right around the winter solstice, the early morning sun shines through a specially built opening in the roof and illuminates the passage and chamber for about 17 minutes. Ancient carvings that sit in darkness for over 8500 hours are visible by daylight for just around an hour and a half once a year. The message to me is pretty straightforward: even when it’s darkest – there will be light. It’s a potent and worthy message.

I’ve been listening to the Joanna Newsom “Ys” record quite a bit lately and these lyrics have jumped out at me:

From the song “Sawdust and Diamonds”:

So enough of this terror
We deserve to know light
And grow evermore lighter and lighter

From the song “Cosmia”:

But though I tried so hard, my little darling
I couldn't keep the night from coming in

I drove in the dark and I looked at those lights and I thought of those lyrics...and my mind turned to the people I love in my life. My beautiful wife, my family...people that I want to protect and keep from harm and fear. I think about my daughter in particular. It’s difficult because I look at her and I know that bad stuff will happen in her life. There’s nothing I can do about that. I can’t “keep the night from coming in.” There will be times in her life when she will be surrounded by darkness and it breaks my heart to think about it. I can’t even tell her (in good conscience) that there’s no reason to be scared because, truth is, some things are worth being afraid of.

But what I can do is teach her to own her fear. I can teach her that even when it’s darkest – there will be light. And lucky for me there are reminders on every street corner this time of the year. Think about this: In one simple drive from Minneapolis to St. Paul on the darkest day of the year I encountered literally hundreds of thousands of lights. This timeworn symbol of the season reminds me that despite my existential torment - built on the knowledge that everyone born is bound to suffer and eventually die - that despite “this terror...we deserve to know light.” It's important to know that there will always be light to dispel the darkness.

Happy Solstice Everyone!

Northeast Beat

2006-12-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

This past weekend The Birdus and I had some real good times in the old Northeast. My mother-in-law came over on Saturday and agreed to watch The Bundle while he jumped out for some dinner, holiday shopping, and perhaps a movie. Only the dinner actually happened.

We first went to the new Punch Neapolitan Pizza on Hennepin Ave in Northeast. I know there’s been a lot of debate surrounding the quality of the wood-fired ‘za at this location. Much discussed also is the size, strip-mall-like feel, and non-intuitive buying/finding-a-seat/getting-your-order process at the new Hennepin branch. Personally, I admit that I like the pizza and service at the original Cleveland Ave location better. I don’t mind the charred crust around the edge (some do) but the mushy center does get to me a bit. Still - all in all – a fine experience. We got there at 5:45pm and the line was small, our order came up quick (a minute and a half!), we got seats easily, the pizza was hot, the flavors were good, and there's some cool artwork on the walls to boot.

Next, we went to a preview party for a (as yet unnamed) new supper club that will be opening in Northeast in the spring. This place is brought to us courtesy of the owner of Barbette and Bryant Lake Bowl in Uptown Minneapolis. You can read more about the event here. It’s a terrific space (still very raw) and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. That East Bank area of Northeast (which includes Nicollet Island thank you very much) is really coming together.

I suppose this moment is as good as any to shamelessly plug a new blog/neighborhood journal affectionately called:

The Northeast Beat

Plip-plop this bad mamma-jamma on your favorites and visit often. Yours truly is a contributing author (although I have yet to contribute) and there’s already lots of great Northeast news and discussion happening. For instance, I learned about that preview party from The Northeast Beat and the printable invitation they supplied even got us into the event for free. Keep an eye on The Beat for more must-attend Northeast happenings!

All Good Curses

2006-12-18T11:29:00.000-08:00

Some longtime readers may remember a largely unsuccessful feature that I introduced to The Perfect Life many months ago called the NMBS (pronounced “nimbus”) for short, NMBS being an acronym for “Northeast Minneapolis Business Spotlight”.

What I should have called it was the KOFD (pronounced “coughed”) for short, KOFD being an acronym for “Kiss of Fucking Death”.

Two of the four Northeast Minneapolis businesses that I actually got around to featuring on The Perfect life have since closed their doors – permanently.

Nice record, huh? 2 for 4. My apologies in advance to Holy Land and Rewind when your businesses inexplicably divebomb into the shitbox. To my readers, I promise I won’t stop recommending Northeast Minneapolis businesses but I am retiring the short-lived concept of the NMBS.

Actually, there’s been a rash of businesses changing hands in Northeast lately. Mill City got new owners in October, Mayslacks in September, and Stasiu's earlier this month. I won't speculate on how the March 2005 city wide smoking ban (which I support) may have led bar owners to run screaming from diminished receipts. Instead, I’ll just wish the new owners the best of luck. Maybe some readers that have visited these hotspots since the transfers of ownership can comment on whether the changes (if any) have been positive?

Speaking of Stasiu’s...I’m often heard extolling the virtues of their antique urinals to The Birdus and to be sure they’re among the finest I’ve seen. Judge for yourself:

Who wouldn’t want to relive themselves in one of those beauties?! To state the obvious, Stasiu’s makes peeing fun. Oddly enough, the first time ere I saw the urinals at Stasiu’s I was arrested by the shock of recognition.

“These are just like the urinals at Macy’s!” I exclaimed.

And as you can see from the photo below, while they are not exact matches to be sure, they are quite similar:

Thanks to urinal.net for the photos. All this talk about peeing is making me have to...

Graceful Exits & Elfamorphosis

2006-12-16T07:25:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to a get-together at Nye's for a friend that is leaving a job that by all accounts she had grown to despise. It's so great to see someone freeing themselves from something that has become a drudgery. There's an aura around such a person that I think is healthy to be near. Also, I got to meet a really nice couple that live just a couple of houses away from The Urban Cabin. They were VERY familiar with The Retreagle.

Speaking of The Retreagle, take a look at this little gem that The Birdus put together. I made this one. You can create your own as well and send them to all your friends!

Rowwwr Shalom!

2006-12-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Hanukkah from everyone's favorite Wookie rabbi.

Jewbacca

My 15 Favorite Albums of 2006

2006-12-13T14:02:00.000-08:00

Where have I been? Putting together my lists of favorites from 2006 of course!

It's been a long and arduous process but I know that you've all been looking forward to this. Over the next few weeks or so I'll be posting some of my favorite stuff from throughout the year.

Here today we have, in no particular order, my...

15 Favorite Albums of 2006

* Joanna Newsom – Ys

The most challenging, complex, rewarding, and beautiful album of the year. Newsom’s songs describe a world as detailed and fascinating as any imagined by Tolkein, Yeats, Prokofiev, or Twain. A monumental achievement. An album of scope. Deeply moving and labyrinthine.

* TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

The most courageous album of 2006. These guys didn’t throw away the rule book, they apparently didn’t know one existed. “I Was a Lover” contains the “Call Me Ishmael” of song openings.

* The Decemberists - The Crane Wife

The second album this year that reminded me of “Peter and the Wolf”. This is a catchy and wonderful work. Great songwriting here: clever lyrics, jaunty melodies, and playful arrangements. As a Yes and early Genesis fan, I personally love the nods to Prog Rock.

* Beirut - Gulag Orkestar

Holy shit I love this album. Beirut uses traditional instruments not to reconstruct traditional sounds but as a device to create unique music with a built-in vocabulary. Great live show too.

* Destroyer – Destroyer’s Rubies

The type of verdant and audacious rock record you just don’t hear these days. A lot like 70s Bowie (the auteur days) with as many good ideas and as much distinctive style as you can stand. Pretension galore, but the sort you kind of envy.

* Paul Simon – Surprise

Okay. Maybe it’s because I’m a new father. And to a daughter no less. But this album hit me just right this year. I would never have placed Brian Eno with Paul Simon together but they’re a terrific team. There’s some great songs on here and screw anybody that disparages Simon’s lyrics.

* Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor

Lupe is observant. Good for him, right? Better yet, he thinks about what he sees and hears. Super, huh? Better still, he makes judgments and spins and integrates them into the freshest sounding hip-hop that is happening right now. All while maintaining an ear on the musical past. Great stuff.

* Howe Gelb - ‘Sno Angel Like You

A visit to the best church you’ve never been to. Inspiration and redemption served up like you’ve never had it. This guy’s voice and phrasing in front of a gospel choir is bordering on laughable. How this album works is part of it’s allure.

* Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

Neko finds her stride. Telling stories with a distant but caring and hopeful eye suits her songwriting. This collection of modern musical fables are lovingly delivered by a smart and ginger-haired Mother Goose.

* Lambchop - Damaged

This album sneaks up on you. Literally. You can’t discern a note of the opening track (Paperback Bible) until about 15 seconds in and the song doesn’t start in earnest until about the 50 second mark. Sublime. Ineffable. Give it a listen and see what it does to you.

* Cat Power - The Greatest

Quiet and powerful. Like the Neko Case record, there’s some great storytelling going on here. Also, reminds me of the Lambchop album. And certain Joni Mitchell stuff. None of these comparisons are fair though as this album is it’s own thing, incorporating elements of soul, Memphis blues, and jazz.

* Gnarls Barkely - St. Elsewhere

This might be the most accessible album of 2006. Maybe of the decade so far. So easy to listen to and love. It’s the Merlot of pop music.

* Bob Dylan - Modern Times

You know what I like best about this album? Bob finally sounds like one of the timeworn masters that he’s always emulated. A surprisingly warm, buttery, and radiant album from a fesity and mischievous old codger.

* A Hawk and a Hacksaw - The Way the Wind Blows

If George Harrison went to Romania instead of India, I think he might have come back with songs similar to these. (That’s a huge compliment coming from a big time Harrison fan like myself.) Another great live show.

* Ali Farka Toure - Savane

It figures. I just discover and artist I REALLY like...and they die. We lost Toure back in March and this is his final album. I’m not sure what to say about it other than that it’s superb.

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Well, there they are folks. Feel free to share your favorites (doesn't have to be 15) of the year.

One Week Left

2006-10-31T10:07:00.000-08:00

A week from today – Tuesday, November 7th – the 2006 midterm elections will be held.

Words alone cannot express the importance of these elections - they may in fact be the most important in which I have taken part. I urge you all to be informed and prepared.

Your state’s Board of Elections or Secretary of State’s office provides valuable election information – how to register, where to go, who’s on the ballot, etc. In Minnesota, you can obtain vital election information by visiting the Secretary of State website. In a few simple steps you can find your polling place (where to vote, maps, and directions), districts for your precinct (including maps), and a convenient list of candidates and questions on the ballot. Information on registering to vote in Minnesota can be found here.

The Star Tribune has a really neat little online feature called myVote where in a few clicks you can view candidates on your ballot and a little bio/blurb that the candidates have provided the paper about themselves.

Pro and con information on the ballot question regarding the Minnesota Transportation Amendment (proposed state constitutional amendment regarding the use of motor vehicle sales tax) can be viewed here.

If you live in Minneapolis, there is also a ballot question about adopting Instant Runoff Voting for the city of Minneapolis elections. More info here.

Now then. Let me editorialize a bit.

Michele Bachmann is completely batshit.

If you live in the 6th Congressional District in Minnesota I beg of you...Do NOT vote that bigoted theocrat, Michele Bachmann, into national office. She is an embarrassment to this awesome state.

Get out and vote!

Dump Michele Bachmann

Michele Bachmann Video Blog