Sixteen inches of snow? Not a problem for partiers across the valley, although you can’t necessarily say that about all their venues:
— When The Blizzard Of The Last Five Years hit, some local haunts closed as early as 5 p.m. because of the bad conditions. There were a couple, though, that generally close prior to actual bar time, but stayed open later than usual, possibly to take a bigger share of what customer traffic there was, (after all it was a Monday night). A couple of guys who I used to hob-nob with at the former Guv’s Place in Houlton, said they ended up at Dick’s Bar because everything in New Richmond and Stillwater was shut down early. Word had it that MnDOT decided not to get its plows out on the interstate until 2 a.m., which of course is bar time, since it wouldn’t be prudent. So much for the last-callers from Minnesota.
— A local guy who considers himself to be somewhat psychic predicted that the Vikings would beat the Eagles 14-10. That falls closely in line with the prediction of sportscaster Mark Rosen. Rosen and 10 make Zen? Guess not. Although I did talk to my quasi-psychic buddy in the middle of the Jacksonville and New England game and he noted the score was, indeed, 14-10 for the southern team in that contest. However, he added there was a whole half to go. Or in the Vikes case, a whole 50 minutes before the end of their huge downfall.
— A couple from Boston called back about our invitation to have them come for Super Bowl week. They noted that they are not big sports fans, and that it probably showed, even though their surname is the Holsteins, so you would think they’d fit right in over here in Minnesconsin, where football is god and cows aren’t far behind. Apparently that situation isn’t automatic or big news, as Alice said, “so what is happening? Are the Vikings playing the Patriots?” At least she won’t have a cow if there is another Deflategate.
As far as such travel situations, people who are dealing with putting people up say their guests have already arrived almost two weeks in advance of the Big Game, just to watch the teams practice. As far as making these arrangements, such companies were very busy with just less than a week before the Super Bowl, as their was a dump of 20,000 more tickets now that the final two teams have been determined, (plus the blizzard to keep their reps from getting around the metro). And people from Philly are standing in line, figuratively, to get such tickets and get over here. If you see someone partying downtown with an Eagles jersey, don’t admit you are a Packer or Viking fan, or you might get slugged!
— Kozy Korner in North Hudson changed its tune and got kozy with the Vikings, in the absence of a Packer Backer playoff possibility. Their sign said simply: “Go Vikings! We believe in you.” Even the following Monday.
— He became a legend, locally, if only in the late night: Around closing at The Village Inn, the bartender across the way from Guv’s Place in the village came over for last call, and part of the conversation revealed that she has a friend who knows Kerry Collins, a retired quarterback who had success in his career, even in the postseason, but not consistently so.
— Its been a long time since I saw a street musician in Hudson, but there was an old graybeard plucking his guitar and singing on a recent weekend night, when the temperatures had warmed. I parked on Locust Street where the old newspaper office was and he was doing his own take on an old pop-ish love song. I got my prescription at Micklesen’s, talked to the pharmacist to the point where I had almost overstayed my welcome, and when walking back the guy was still at it. By this point he had drawn a couple of followers who were listening intently.
— In response to the overwhelming demand for all sorts of craft brews from this region and beyond, Surley Beer out of St. Paul laid off 10 about percent of its workers in late 2017 and cut its production significantly. So, some of the local beers of that type are having an impact beyond just the pallets of their fans.
— The other night I was walking up to the corner of Second and Walnut, when I noticed something odd sitting on the frozen tundra that is currently the curb area. It was an orange, rock solid! This is where the cabbies usually sit, so perhaps the flavorfully frozen fruit of favor would more fittingly be a lemon? (OK, we know that these local drivers have much better equipment than that). More poignant this holiday season might be the beer kegs filled with greenery just up the street, in front of Stone Tap.