Secrets of the City

Spectacular sunrise.

Did anyone else have storm damage in Minneapolis? I had some flashing and a set of storm windows blow off the side of my house in S.Mpls.

It barely even rained in SLP.

BTW, I’m a lobsta…

I used to have friends that lived in Parkersburg, IA. They experienced storm damage!.

Happy Memorial Day Everyone!!!

Stately Moffitt Manor is unscathed, although we did spend some time in the basement. My northern neighbors in Coon Rapids, Blaine and (worst of all) Ham Lake got hit hard. I have a co-worker who lives right next to Bunker Lake Park, I’m going to check on them this morning to see if they are okay.

Yesterday’s storm made me think of the last tornado to hit our region. That one was much closer, destroying several homes just blocks away. You can still see the gaps in the suburban forest were all the large trees went down or were snapped in two by the storm. The arial footage of the damage in Hugo is heartbreaking and awe inspiring. Let’s all hope the local death toll does not rise today as they shift through the debris.

I was down at the Hiawatha golf course and for about three minutes the wind speed tripled and the temp dropped 10 degrees.

I think my high school girls basketball team played Applington-Parkersburg in the state basketball t ournament one year.

On our way home from West St. Paul, the temp dropped almost 20 degrees in as many minutes. My wife thought she saw the beginnings of a spout, but it was turning too slowly.

Two small towns I’ve lived in have been hit by tornadoes. Even so, it is difficult to imagine what the survivors are going through. Our thoughts go out to the family of the child killed in the storms. The pictures of the destruction look eerily similar to those taken of the Algona, IA and Burt, IA tornadoes.

This Memorial Day our family will be thinking of those affected by the storm as well as our fallen heroes.

We took a walk by Victory Memorial Parkway. All the little flags are out. We took pictures; I’m going to compose a blog entry about it.

I was at Azia and had to go inside while the wind whipped madly around, but no rain, and 20 minutes later we went back outside. I guess it rained hard on 94, btwn DT St. P and DT Mpls at that time, but not on 26th & Nic. Capricious.

Does anyone know if SR Harris is open today? I’m guessing not, since no one is answering, but I sure would like to head up there for some curtain fabric.

I was at Azia and had to go inside while the wind whipped madly around

That’s why I eat indoors at restaurants.

What’s the best place for an outdoor patio lunch in Dinkytown or NE? Trying to find a place to go with my coworkers. Because I’m at work today. Yep.

How about Nicollet Island or Boom Island?

I’m at work today too! Only until 2:00pm though, and then it’s drunken bbq times. Hell. Yeah.

Josie, go to the Bulldog NE and grab a table outside. Yum, hot dogs.

Or is anything @ St. Anthony Main open/worth it? Tuggs is standard craptastic bar food, but the deck is cool.

Tuggs has decent burgers. And their deck is nice. The river is starting to smell though. You know that smell.

OOh, that smell. Can’t you smell that smell?

Not a good smell when you’re trying to eat. Alternative? Eat elsewhere, drink @ Tuggs – smells don’t really matter when you’re getting your drink on.

Tuggs used to have AWESOME burgers, but it’s gone downhill. Since you’re close to The Bulldog, why go anywhere else? Say Hi to Andy and Nate for us.

Also, Pracna has good food. And Punch is near there. And there’s that deli I can’t spell. Or grab some cheese and wine at Surdyks and go continental on Nicollet Island.

Cat_ gets 10 demerits for making me hum Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Now we’re having lunch brought in for us, which means I don’t get to go outside, but it is free, so huzzah.

I saw this in Sid Hartman’s column today and couldn’t help but laugh. Does he think this is a scoop?

… State Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Comfrey, the House chief sponsor of the Twins stadium bill, has decided not to run for re-election.

If you’re not convinced, I can independently verify the report.

And here it is. Kind of hard to find that tone that says “I respect what this day means,” without sounding like “and you damned hippies don’t appreciate it, do you? I’m going to go blast some Lee Greenwood music and vote Republican.”

34th and Oakland. I was watching the storm approaching from the northwest and within a minute of deciding to put a few things into the garage all hell broke loose. Wind was swirling in the backyard like a sumbitch and I got everyone into the basement. When we came out, a tree fell across the width of Oakland and trashed three cars. Wild.

“Kind of hard to find that tone that says “I respect what this day means, without sounding like “and you damned hippies don’t appreciate it, do you? I’m going to go blast some Lee Greenwood music and vote Republican.”“

Agree. Being a hippy and a vet I know that whatever I say and however I say it, someone I like and respect will take offense.

A radio talk show has people calling in and talking about sons and daughters others who have been killed in various wars. I always find that depressing. Sad. Such a tragedy.

I put this Memorial Day tribute together to honor our lost submariners. I was attending submarine electronics school at the time the Scorpion went down. Later when I served aboard the USS Patrick Henry, I had a shipmate who was serving on the Scorpion at the time, but was home on emergency leave and thus avoided her fate.

I chose the Crimson Tide theme and clip because the movie is the most accurate representation of life aboard a boomer that I’ve seen and Gene Hackman plays the role of the submarine skipper perfectly. My CO was exactly like that.

Wow, it actually does look like her…

I put this together for my Submarine comrades.

To all those past, present and future Veterans….
THANK YOU.
To all those this might offend….
Oh hell, have a good day.

On two different fronts:

First Hugo: I drove around Hugo today and was unable to traverse Hwy 61 between Hwy 14 and 170th. My wife has a horse at a stable up on 170th, 11 blocks from the real damage. We drove up Centerville and saw an entire farm pretty much demolished. Amazing. I remember 1981(?) when a tornado ripped through St. Anthony Park. It wasn’t anything in comparison to last night’s.

Second, I second the thanks to veterans. I don’t think about them often enough, to be perfectly honest. Today when I passed Ft. Snelling I was moved. Most of these kids are looking for an honest way to serve their country, put some well earned money in their pockets and hopefully get home safely. Unfortunately, thousands haven’t but many thousands have. We always need to remember to thank those who serve even when criticism towards war from their commanders is warranted. And we must never confuse the two.

Yeah, I will echo the thanks to the true veterans who have served their country; some of whom aided mine not so long ago.

We always need to remember to thank those who serve even when criticism towards war from their commanders is warranted. And we must never confuse the two.

You’ve confused the two, Andrew.

If you can’t make a simple statement without injecting politics, just don’t say anything at all.

Wow, that cat *does* look like Christina Ricci. Crazy!

It’s interesting how few MNspeakers are veterans. Other than Maz and myself, any others? Lurkers, sound off!

In other military/the Star Tribune is a pale immitation of its former self news, this tidbit from today’s Daily Glean:

The Strib misses a chance to localize an interesting AP story on a military bullets that are too small to “bring down an enemy decisively, and that puts troops at risk.” No one suggests the M855 rounds are poorly manufactured, just poorly deployed, but who operates the Army plant that makes the M855? You’d never know from the story; it’s Eden Prairie’s own Alliant Techsystems.

Indeed, this ammo, similar to the M16 rounds I used back in the day, is remarkably small — it makes an entry hole not much larger than a .22 caliber bullet. The exit hole — if it does exit — is another matter. About the size of a baseball, at least on the water-filled ammo cans they fired at on the first day on the rifle range. Impressive demonstration, to say the least.

We still had some heavier hitting ammo in the 1st AD back then — the always reliable .45 sidearm, and the simple yet effective “grease gun,: a relic from WW II we still packed in tanks then.

wow, someone asked about good patio eating in&around dinkytown and no one mentioned annie’s?

STRIKE ONE, MNSPEAK!

I have yet to taste a good patio in this town, and believe me, I’ve eaten them all.

I’m not a vet, Bob, but about half of the men in my family are. My uncle is currently on his 4th tour in Iraq and my dad was there about a year ago.

I’m the only male in my family that hasn’t done some kind of stint in the military… but I was a Vista volunteer. That has to count for something. What, it doesn’t? OK.

I have yet to taste a good patio in this town, and believe me, I’ve eaten them all.

He’ll eat all the new ones, too, just so you can’t smoke on ‘em!

I don’t know many people who have ever been in the armed forces under the age of 40. In fact, I could only come up with 5 total, two of which where kicked out. Two I knew in high school and don’t know now. One is my friend’s husband. And that’s out of hundreds of people.

Yes, I remember you mentioning that before, aliecat. May they remain safe and return home soon. Thank you for reminding us of the military families as well.

Until recently, I had not realized how many in my family — and my wife’s — were in once in uniform. I have a step brother and cousin in now. Including me and my wife, both of our fathers served (as well as my grandfather), all of my uncles and at least five cousins were in the military. All in all, we have been remarkably lucky through five wars — only one Moffitt died in combat, in Vietnam.

Peacetime national service counts in my book, Kurtis. Thanks!

It may be because I grew up in a less-affluent, red state, kc. In fact, I just recently learned that Indiana has more residents serving in Iraq and Afganistan than any other state. Most are members of the National Guard.

It’s interesting how few MNspeakers are veterans. Other than Maz and myself, any others?

“I had other priorities.”

No, actually, they never would have accepted me.

I did receive a flurry of calls from recruiters after they got a hold of my ASVAB results, never heard from the same one twice, and it lasted about 2-3 weeks.

I do know 5 or 6 guys that I went to school with that attended the various service academies, and several others that have been or are in the active, reserves, or guard.

I imagine most minnesotans in the typical age demographic of mnspeak’s audience who are in the military are probably STILL in Iraq.

Air Force 87′ – 94′

Son currently serving in the Air Force, security. My brother was Army and served in the first Gulf War. Three uncles served in Army, Navy and Air Force in Viet Nam. Family rumor has it that we had soldiers on the Brit and German sides during WWI. Don’t know about WWII.

Family rumor has it that we had soldiers on the Brit and German sides during WWI

So did the King George the V of England. Kaser Wilhelm II was his cousin.

Kurtis: I cannot be held responsible for what is in my head at any given moment and therefore I should not be penalized.

One of the bros has done what seems like a bajillion tours: Afghanistan, Gulf, and 2 in Iraq – one which was extended. It has taken a toll on him and his family.
The loss of those who have served and died is painful. What’s heartbreaking is to watch those who come back, but never really come back.

One of the bros has done what seems like a bajillion tours: Afghanistan, Gulf, and 2 in Iraq – one which was extended. It has taken a toll on him and his family.
The loss of those who have served and died is painful. What’s heartbreaking is to watch those who come back, but never really come back.

Absolutely. My uncle’s (who’s on his 4th tour) marriage was basically destroyed by extended deployments, one cousin came back from the Gulf War and became a drug addict, the other cousin who was in the Gulf retired from the Army due to disillusionment with his superiors and possibly the sickness that everyone denies happening, a close family friend came back from Vietnam an alcoholic drug addict to the point where he was put in nursing care at age 50. We should remember and care for our vets every day of the year, not just in May.

Catz, I really can’t complain when this has been going through my head nonstop for the last several days.

Sing it, Alie! I feel for your family – that so many have been hurt by war.

Kurtis: SEE? And now this is what is in my head