Secrets of the City

Here’s a secret of the city: There is a chapel in the basement of the Music Box Theater where Tammy Faye Backker used to perform Christian puppet shows.

People make fun of the name SOTC, but we spill secrets all day long.

Who performs puppet shows there now?

Are they SOC puppets?

As I hear it, the chapel is always locked. If this universe were even remotely fun, it would also be haunted.

Thursdays? Do you all want me to not make it to work the next day like last time we did it on a school night?

I’ll try and make the one at Barbette, I love that place.

If this universe were even remotely fun, it would also be haunted.

It may be. Tammy Faye has passed on, but perhaps her spirt still plays with puppets in the locked secret chapel. Look for a white sheet with mascara stains.

Poor Tammy Messner. She was a figure of fun for much of her life, but it seems as though she was a genuinely sweet and compassionate woman. When most Evangelical Christians were shunning AIDS victims and calling it a curse from God, she asked for compassion and prayers for PWAs and featured them on her show.

I caught an episode of The Surreal Life with her on it. She actually came across fairly humane, with a bit of a sense of humor as well.

Sadly — for me, but likely happily for a ll y’all, I can make neither date. Oh woe is me…

I would agree about Tammy Faye. I’ve heard very good things about her, too.

It’s a shame she wasn’t little more careful re the men she picked (as well as that famous racoonesque eye makeup) as life partners; and a bit more aware that living in luxury on church donations might not be in God’s plan.

Yeah, I know. The Pope lives pretty well, too.

It has a 3-D Jesus mural. On the wall is a Biblical-times looking landscape; about a foot in front of that is a cut-out half-mural with Biblical characters and animals. Awesome.
It never used to be locked, they just put a couch in front of the door and ignored it.
The place appeared to be connected to the downtown tunnel system.

Tell me that’s not a secret of the city!

When most Evangelical Christians were shunning AIDS victims and calling it a curse from God, she asked for compassion and prayers for PWAs and featured them on her show.

my, how times have changed.

Doesn’t look like I can make it.

I’m having the other half of my wisdom teeth pulled on the morning of the 4th, so I don’t think I’ll make that one. I figure the 11th should be fine!

As for living in luxury– my cousin goes to college at St. Benedict’s/College of Saint John’s and says apparently they’ve had some problems with theft lately. Specifically: some monks getting their plasma TVs/Wiis/etc stolen. Don’t you take an oath of poverty before you go into things like that? These monks are living better than I am.

Sorry to hear that, Sanburg. I had root canal on one of my wisdom teeth today, and it made me useless for the entire day.

I kind of liked it last time, it made mundane things a bit interesting until the novacaine wore off and instead of dribbling water out of the side of my mouth, the whole thing just hurt.

As a relatively newish reader of SOTC (and The Rake/MNSPeak), what’s the deal with the SOC happy hours? Who’s invited, what’s it for? Can I come?

By all means you are welcome to come! It is just a gathering of internet friends (for no particular occassion). The more the merrier!

The ones I’ve gone to have been good times. Anyone can show, but be prepared to match your “not verified” login to your face.

Doniree is a fellow author from Minneapolis Metblogs. She has a very nice looking face.

Unlike me.

OMG, Bob, your Metblog face is totally the Secrets mascot shadow guy. Owen? Is that his name?

I can’t make today. I like my internet face better than my regular face.

Owen is my brother. I rarely talk about him, because I’m jealous. He’s always been more successful than me.

Maybe it’s the fancy suit. Maybe it’s the weird way his shadow is wearing a hat, even when he’s not (that used to freak me our when we were kids in Indiana), or just the whole gay thang.

I don’t know. I just don’t know.

Speaking of fancy suits, I’m planning happy hour on the mall, probably barrio. I’ll be the handsome over-fed salt-and-pepper-coiffed fellow in the Burberry suit surrounded by arm candy. be sure to say hi. we’ll toast the recession with premium tequila and tongue tacos.

I’ll be there. By the way, when looking for grote, keep your eyes open for the pudgy Jew with the funny looking face.

That will be me, and I’ll be sitting next to him.

I’ll be making my customary early stop-and-dash, as I must let the beagle-jack out for a walk.

I will gladly join g_rote in a taste of the agave juice.

It is Bob’s tradition to show up three hours before everybody else, and to leave an hour before anybody else gets there.

Heh. Funny. Also, very true!

I just hate to miss the nightly cocktail hour in Stately Moffitt Manor and the flogging of the servants that follows.

cornguy moves in mysterious ways…much like a corn kernel moves through the digestive tract.

So grote uses male pudgy (which i don’t agree with) jews as arm candy? This really adds a whole new dimension to the man.

Yes, grote, we heard.

i have some work to do before I start producing ethanol from corn.

Learn form the Master, g_rote.

Wait, is Barrio today? What time? I think I can do a Bob-style cameo appearance. I have to be at the U by 6:00 for my class.

Doniree, everyone is welcome. I know it is weird to meet internet strangers, but just show up and you’ll be surprised how nice we are, in a mean, non “Minnesota Nice” way.

4pm Jane.

Great; I can make it! I will have to leave by about 5:20. Since my class is an art class, it is fine if I get blasted beforehand, right? I’ll be taking the bus over from DT, not driving. Maybe DouglasG knows if it is technically against the rule to go to class drunk.

It’s just g_rote, Max and me, so far, right?

I’ll be there at 4 p.m., but can’t stay long, as is my MO and my wont.

Criminy. Do any of you people work? 4 p.m. @ Barbette? I’m jealous of anyone who can skip out of work at 4 p.m. They don’t open my cage and let me leave until 5:30.

I’m start my day at the the office at 6:30 a.m. Also weekends and evenings, as needed.

Maybe DouglasG knows if it is technically against the rule to go to class drunk.

You’re going to an art class and you want to know if it is AGAINST the rules to go drunk?  I would think it would be against the rules to not be under the influence of one chemical or another.  No policy against being drunk in class.

And, no I cannot make it. My busy social calendar just won’t permit it.

Noodleman, Earliest I would be to Barbette would be 6pm…

To clarify for those who may be loosing track of the three different HHs, it’s Barrio, not Barbette, for today’s HH.

Babette is Dec. 4, The Red Stag, Dec. 11.

I’m tempted since I work very close. I usually catch the bus at 4 though and today was the Chili Cookoff Contest so I have the crock pot.

I’ll be at the Barbette one.

I’ll be at the Barbette one too.

Headed to Barrio.

stuck at work. won’t be to barrio until at least 545.

We’re also having a late night happy hour party at The Red Stag on Thursday, December 11th after Gallery Grooves. Peep the deetz HERE.

We were wondering, g_rote. Hey howdy to Jane and Max. Nice chatting with you, as always. Special shout out to max for sharing his chips with me. Yum.

No John Wayne on Barrio’s screen, g_rote. It was “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”

Come to think of it, did that just describe the three SOTCTALKMNSpeakers who showed up early? I call dibs on “Ugly.”

justpbob – thanks for saying i have a nice face, haha! (I just caught up on the comments!) And about that “unverified” thing… how do I verify???

And sad – I think I missed the first SOC HH! Ok, next time, folks! I moved over the weekend and have been sans personal internets since Friday…

Doniree, you just have to register and log in. If you don’t want your real email to be out there, do like I did and create a lame email account on yahoo or hotmail that you check every several weeks b/c nobody ever writes to it anyway.