It’s that time of year, and like many things, snowflake prominence might depend on how well they are hung:
— Bartender Beth at the Village Inn in North Hudson was making snowflake decorations on kind of slow consecutive weeknights. She was incorporating the eager help of some of her patrons, one of whom said about his intricate creation, “You’ve got to admit, this is totally badass.” Considering the holiday that’s at hand, I don’t know if that last word is one I would choose, but hey … She then dangled her handiwork above a table by the front window and added, “I just wish the sparkly things were (facing) both sides.”
— The Smilin’ Moose has its own snowflake saga. While there are the standard paper creations outside, at some spots indoors are big snowflakes carved out of wood and dangling from the ceiling. That might be what you’d expect from a “lodge” bar and grill that’s heavy on wooden decor.
— A sign you might want to keep in mind while holiday shopping, and knowing this is a season of celebrating and possibly indulging a bit. Outside the Village Liquor store in North Hudson: “No one regifts the gifts from us.”
— Kudos for grill and bar establishments on The Hill, among others, for closing on Thanksgiving, for the benefit of employees. At one of those, Buffalo Wild Wings, a conversation with workers was held where they noted the company would probably have found it lucrative to be open, because of three high-profile pro football games that included Brett Favre’s number being retired by the Packers. However, the high road was taken, in part since a precedent for hours had already been set and consistency was valued.
— With temps dipping below freezing, some late-night shoppers in early December were dressed like it was still early fall when traversing the parking lot. One wore a tight, light-weight T-shirt, then walking the other direction was a woman sporting a lot of bare midrift and a short leather miniskirt. No bah humbug here!
— Speaking of that kind of attire, seen downtown were patrons with dress, hair and overall similar looks to singers Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Pitbull and yes, that guy from the “twenty dollars in my pocket” video. And, a while back at the Green Mill, a bartender said that at the seat I’d taken, just moments ago, was someone who looked just like the songstress Pink. On the other end of the spectrum, longtime Dibbo’s bartender Forrest, when he has a bellhop at a prominent Twin Cities hotel earlier in his career, recalls running into Mick Jagger on an elevator, and rather than strut his stuff, Jagger instructed the local man to turn his head because he had a cold — not something you’d want to catch if you have to take the stage and sing in the evening.
— Lastly, guest singer Jesse got on stage with the one-man band in an infrequent duet and sang a Stone Temple Pilots song in honor of the late Scott Weiland, who was found dead in the tour bus outside such a motel as in the Jagger sighting, this time in Bloomington.