The PGA meets Hudson with servers who spanned the St. Croix to see the stars slice. That could perchance produce bogies in Blaine:
— You want to revel in all the great happenings that occurred at the historic PGA event in Blaine? Here’s where to go for such banter. But first, the back story. A hangout pal of mine (and yes, I finally have another wingman, or woman), got an invitation to bartend during that landmark tournament, at upwards of $25 an hour BEFORE tips, but couldn’t make it. But a friend of one of her siblings took the bait, and she shared this with another prime pourer, Chad, a primo bartender at Dick’s, who got set up with this secondary gig by a well-connected friend and added: Gee that’s amazing I got a similar offer and worked there. Might the two working grunts — OK much more than that term with the money of pro golf — have crossed paths? Well, she had a cool blonde hairdo. Well, OK, but there were ten essentially VIP tents. And she was wearing all black. Well, chances are not so much so, as that’s what just about everybody wore. For more of the story, ask Chad during one of his shifts — almost every late night at Dick’s until close — and also prompt him to regale you with his joke of the day, as he jokes about having a very small staff of very parttime online researchers, a skeleton staff we are sure. Did you hear the one about the two bony guys at the bar …
— Who needs American Idol? The sign on the door at Emma’s Bar in River Falls says it all about one of their favorite ongoing events, although it has had a good run, just not quite as long as AI: “The new season of trivia at Emma’s.” This year’s version, as always, is being held Monday’s starting at 7:30 p.m. Does Simon Cowell know about this?
— Its bookends at the Smilin’ Moose on their patio. Relative newcomers are another Chad, that being Dillerd, on Friday evening, and Steve Wietecki on late Sunday afternoon. Between them on Saturday is the fitting ultimate Scandinavian, as noted here before, Lars Carlson, flying in from Sweden on the red-eye (just kidding). He might have actually come here from a church choir performance in the Cities, at St. Bridget of Sweden in Lindstrom (OK, we’re even more kidding about that). Friday after a tad, Chad made his way over to Dick’s and set up shop, and stage equipment, to keep the party rolling long after migrating from the Moose.
— Youthful Roberts rockers Contraband hit Big Guys BBQ on Saturday night. They and the much different country act Sunday’s Regret were the ones taken in by a friend and her mom — ouch! — at Pea Soup Days in Somerset in June, and they even got their pictures taken with the band(s).
— And of course, this weekend is River Falls Days. What I am saying about this is scant, as after years taking out a raft of publicity on this site, the fest through the local Chamber of Commerce stood me up for the second year in a row, following suit with some, but not all, other local festivals who won’t spend a dime because of the uncertain economy, which now appears to be retrenching. When the cash register stops ringing, can they triple or more such an investment with me? Of course. But to again quote Iron Maiden, there is big time “Fear of the Dark.” The music is not that groundbreaking anyway, and the River Falls Days night blitz of drinking has always been more about quantity than quality. But there is one cool thing I’d like to note: RF joins Bayport in offering something that’s more entertaining, to close off the event on Sunday, than a guitar string breaking in the middle of a solo. That is the dawdling (rubber) ducky races on the Kinni.
— And the countdown is and was on, five, four, three .. That is the deadline scenario that Bo’s and Mine found themselves under when going down to the last minute and trying to be open and serving for River Falls Days, after a major two-month renovation that is said to have changed everything. That being much more important than the fact they missed hosting a few graduation parties while they were in the lurch. Ironically, Juniors nightclub just down the road found themselves facing the same situation last year, when it came to River Falls Days 2018.