Secrets of the City

Back at ya, maxie. Say, what are YOU doing today? I don’t think I heard.

I don’t even know yet. But alcohol will be involved. Oh yes, there will be alcohol.

Full morning sunlight diffused by the haze; nary a ripple on the water. The tops of Summit House piercing the blue silhouette of downtown.

Lake Calhoun is beautiful this morning.

USA! USA!

Wife wants to take the kid to the zoo. I’m a little worried that everyone and their mother will be there.
With weather like this, I’d rather take the kid over to the lake.

So much alcohol was involved last night, I don’t know if I could drink more. You’ll find me by Lake Minnetonka wearing giant sunglasses and ignoring the faint pounding in my head.

Plus, a friend of mine got his rear driver’s side door stolen off his car sometime between 3 am and 8 am today. What the hell do you do with just a door?

Minnetonka? You’re lucky, Fourth of July is one of the only excuses to travel so far from the sustainable urban core.

What’s with the giant sunglasses? My sister and her friends have them, they nearly cover their entire face. Don’t understand.

They keep out more light that way, and there’s something entertaining about looking like a giant bug.

Also, it is really hard these days to find a pair of not gigantic sunglasses.

Unghhh…. no more drinking today. I was also among the Tuesday imbibers (Aaron mixes a mean screwdriver). A nice walk is in order, then I’m just going to kick back at home.

“Plus, a friend of mine got his rear driver’s side door stolen off his car sometime between 3 am and 8 am today. What the hell do you do with just a door? “

What the hell indeed! Maybe someone stole their door of the same make and model of car, and they needed a replacement. I can’t imagine selling a random door would pull much $$. But what do I know? I’m not hip to the chop shop price lists.

Just polished off a Mexican soda (pina!) while reading the paper. Good story in today’s PPress on the rebirth of craft beer brewing in the Cities, i.e. Sully’s and Flat Earth. Going to try to read a couple of chapters of Player Piano before I fire up the grill. The book is even better than I remembered.

Alright. Call me old. I was among the 17,000+ inside the Xcel last night reliving some our youth. It was one big singalong song fest. I had forgotten what a huge impact The Police had on popular music ca. 1979-1983. I thought it was a great show (regardless of what Jon Bream says).

Happy Birthday Josie.

Here I am on another holiday, asking again…

are liquor stores open today?

Mrs. Champs and I got invited to a party at… 10PM last night, so that basically burned through the stash of drinkable beer we’d been building by bringing our own booze to her cousins’ weddings. Having the beverage of your choice available is soooooo much nicer than choosing between rails, Swill, and Swill Light.

It’s on Sunday, so thank you in advance!

And Happy Birthday America. *waves flag*

Looks like they can be open. As a matter of great concern to most MNspeakers, and a question
question matt has already answered, it may as well be a “sticky” on every holiday open thread:

* NOTE – Off-sales may now be open the following days:
a. Election day
b. New Years day
c. 4th of July
d. Labor day
e. Memorial day

not only do i get to work today.
BUT i get to go in an hour earlier than normal

weeeeee!

Perhaps I’ll see you out there Josie. I’m leaving for there shortly. I’ll be the one with nieces and nephews pestering me to no end…

I would like to wish all of you a very DeRusha 4th!

The liquor store down the street from me is open.

Champs, they’re getting married today? Um, weird.

Josie, was the door theft near you or elsewhere?

DeHilarious.

No, we’re not going to any weddings today, I’m just saying that we’ve accumulated a bunch of different leftover beers from different wedding trips (there was an 8 day stretch that had THREE!).

I expect quite a few people were shooting to get married this weekend, though…

I too relived my youth with the Police last night. I can’t believe both Ross and Bream had such harsh words for the show. I loved every minute of it, and yes, I did sing along and danced and bobbed and looked like a typical late 30-something hopped up on goofballs. Sting was his typical arrogant self, but I didn’t expect anything else.

Anyone know of a good secret spot to watch the fireworks tonight without battling 100,000 nutcases downtown? How about a First Evar MNSpeak Fireworks Watching at Secret Spot?

Happy 4th to all of the mnspeakers! Celebrate your freedom of speech.
And thanks. Douglasg, for patriotic dancing derusha.
I have a neighbor who dresses a ceramic goose lawn ornament for every holiday — hey, we’re middle-aged. but I still wish someone would swipe the thing. I’d rather have a holiday-appropriate dancing Jason for the yard. . . there’s a whole untapped mnspeak market for those.

as for watching fireworks, there are west side parks on the bluff, including prospect, where you can see taste, minneapolis and even the maplewood displays. just watch where you park. the west side and west end neighbors like to keep the police busy writing tickets

Stellar work, DouglasG.

So wishing I could’ve seen The Police last night.

Today — Cedar Lake beachery then a little party down by the river.

OK, I’ve got a gripe about City Pages and nowhere else to put it:

The story about northside convenience store owners being shut down — unfairly, as CP’s Matt Snyders would have you believe — is way too lenient on the store owners. Ali, the guy who runs (but doesn’t own, as the story suggests) Uncle Bill’s Store, is a nice enough fella, but his business, just down the street from me, is a menace. Snyders could’ve looked up the murder that happened outside the store earlier in November (instead it mentions “gunshots”). He could’ve checked the police log for records about MPD finding a cache of automatic weapons in the upstairs apartment. And he could’ve gone down to City Hall and taken a look at the large pile of Community Impact Statements neighbors made about the violence, harrassment, drug dealing (an undercover cop bought crack INSIDE THE STORE) and prostitution that goes on in and near the store.

Anyone else find this piece a bit lacking?

We northsiders suffer from a lack of good business infrastructure, but as a Willard-Hay resident, I’m glad to have places like Uncle Bill’s shuttered. My family and my neighbors feel more comfortable with the place boarded up.
Fingers crossed the Snow Foods will be next…

Just biked home from Elm Creek Park Reserve after a dip in the kiddie pond and lunch on the beach…FYI, it’s kinda hot out. Also, there are some really nice lake-side neighborhoods in Maple Grove…who knew? Gonna spark up the BBQ tonight & have the cousins over, but I’m skipping the fireworks…wife is taking Kid A to see the SLP ‘works while I stay home with Kid B who’s in bed by 7:30.

Also, there are some really nice lake-side neighborhoods in Maple Grove…who knew?

That’s how it starts. Next thing you know, it’s: “you know, there’s some really nice minivans on the market now. Comfortable.”

Then: You know: I think history is not going judge Bush as harshly as he’s being judged today.

And on and on….

I’m curious, Williard — and in all seriousness — what business should go into the neighborhood? What kind would thrive? What kind would avoid similar troubles?

Aeklund: good question. Touchy-feely as it sounds, how about a food co-op? I mean, the prices at Uncle Bill’s and most N’side corner stores are through the roof, and the food’s not good for you. For lower income people, workshares could be good. The Bean Sc ene has a great business on Penn and Broadway. Maybe a coffeeshop? I really don’t know: a nearby coffeeshop (Tatta Bunna) recently closed; across the street from that, Lucille’s Kitchen couldn’t stay alive. But I do know: I’d rather have no business than the kind of businesses that scare my wife and kill the occasional neighbor. (I realize I’m less than objective on the topic; six teenage boys outside Uncle Bill’s threatened to kill me one time. An idle threat in any other neighborhood, but here it gives a guy pause.)

I tend to agree with you that the business needs to be something that brings people together to allow a neighborhood to be proud of something that’s almost co-created. I’m all for free enterprise. In this case, I think the free enterprise could be better suited as something the community owns — as in real stock that pays dividends. The problem is finding a business or organization that transcends and outlives the community’s problems.

I needn’t go into a garden/weed allegory, but it would fit here.

This is a real case where people need to see that something can be successful. Once that happens, others can have confidence to build around it. I also believe this organization cannot be a chain or franchise because then you have absentee owners who don’t have long view on the operation and can pull up stakes at any time.

There should be an open thread every day. That way people can announce things and ask questions without resorting to thread hijacking or submitting bad posts.

I agree with Bixby.

And the suggestion’s been made previously, like in the big MnSpeak-Feedback thread a couple of weeks ago.

Couldn’t hurt; could only help.

rat…we’ve been driving a minivan for 2 years. I don’t know how we lived without it. Bush will be harshly judged.

Wow, south Minneapolis does not need a whole lot of prompting to shoot off fireworks. A conservative estimate is that I could see 100 fireworks shows from the midtown parking garage, plus all the way to St. Paul.

That being said, the quantity did not overcome the low quality. Powderhorn was especially disappointing as was downtown MPLS. But the sound was quite impressive, echoing off the tin-covered warehouse and giant brick building next door.

Normally, when I see fireworks from my house it means it’s time to lay off the Ambien. Nice to know the explosions are for real, for a change.

Glad to know I didn’t miss much by opting not to hoof it over to Powderhorn then…

Oh, and have I mentioned that I hate firecrackers?

I wish those effin’ things were still illegal!!!

Today was a very cool day, and I’m so bummed that I have to work tomorrow. I’ve learned that Sicko is a fantastic film (Michael Moore is really maturing as a filmmaker and is doing some very sensitive and thoughtful work in this one), Excelsior has a beautiful beach, and the Teddy Bear Graham ice cream at Sebastian Joe’s is top notch.

As far as the car-door-jacking, it occured near Lake Calhoun off of Dean Parkway, and thankfully the victim was finding it all very amusing by the end of the day.

Bush will be harshly judged.

I’m sure you mean it.

“I wish those effin’ things were still illegal!!!”

Which, of course, they are. The neighborhood (illegal) fireworks keep us awake (even with windows closed) and upset our dog (many dogs and cats are terrified by fireworks, some run off and are never recovered).

A more serious side of illegal fireworks is being shown on the regional news, as a kid from North Dakota may loose both eyes to a recent fireworks injury.

Just see the big shows, folks, and leave the explosives in Wisconsin, where they belong.

Watching Wimbledon again…listening to this Swede wine about the umpire is hilarious. Sounds like he’s going to cry.

Fireworks…be careful with them.

while I am making demands. While talking to Teucer and Yepnope, I realized that MNSpeak should have nested comments.

That is all.