On headin’ out on the highway and bridging the gap, often with a party purpose in mind — but not necessarily with cross purposes such as blowing up bridges (a frequent target) with nukes:

— Bartender Sue at the Village Inn is kind of a big bridge junkie, and she said that if not for the need to work her required weeknight shift, would have been traveling the new Stillwater crossing by car herself, just to check it out. But being stationed behind the bar, she had to rely on word of her regulars about the official opening. One of them, named Steve, relayed the information that the rise from the water up to the pavement is indeed much higher than expected, and this coming from a tall man. Meanwhile, the lift bridge was officially closed for traffic, and the last car to pass through was one from a local antique car club, where one of its members drove an auto made back in 1931, the year the lift bridge was erected. After that car went through, the last of about two dozen in the club dating back to 1917, that span was shuttered. A friend of mine said that she knew the couple who, on the other end of things, arrived hours early and were the first to cross the span. All this gives the bridges a bit of intrigue, and I told Sue that if servers had off, they could go back and forth, back and forth, time after time, to maximize their enjoyment. No, I wasn’t talking about sex, rather a bridge junkie’s dream junket between Minnesota and Wisconsin.
— On the Village Liquor sign in North Hudson: “Just relax on this planet ride.” Maybe that’s just like that classic Black Sabbath song, Planet Caravan, which was all the rage when youngsters rode their slow speed up to Somerset for the old metal mega-concerts. Now that OJ is parolled, he just might get another Bronco and join in on the chase, such as it is, as he is familiar with such undertakings.
— Other intriguing messages on signs, these more serious and (possibly) less comedic: On the Kozy Korner marque, reads “Get your water balloons, the end is here.” And even in times of strife, people have to keep a sense of humor about such things. Which is why I told (prompted?) my favorite quipster bartender downtown, that hey, beer sales should be way up, because if you get nuked, even by friendly fire, and your tongue is chiming in at several thousand degrees, something will follow. You’ll really, really want to quench your parched and burned, thirsty throat with a drink or two. To which he suggested, also chug some red hot sauce, as it might be more effective than antibiotics for the medical side of that burn. And as he has said earlier, before the Mexican wall became a mere afterthought because of the scandal of the day, maybe that wall should be built on the Mason-Dixon Line! Funny …
— And one last moment of levity, (a phrase a friend of mine hates): What are the three most difficult jobs in America, not in any particular order — Being a bartender or cocktail waitress, being a maid at a place such as Trump Tower, or just being a Trump apologist. OK, enough of my rant.
— The 93X morning show hosts were saying that they eventually came to understand that you should never wear white underwear, but this late-coming revelation didn’t take sway until the need to do the laundry themselves, they said. Took you that long to figure it out … Maybe that’s why they call themselves the “Half-Assed Morning Show.” And I’m guilty of that “wardrobe malfunction” myself … sorry about the visual.
— For everything there is a season, or maybe more than one. A Leine’s product, called Oktoberfest, is now on tap “seasonally” as says the sign at Pudge’s — does this mean the summer is gone already? This is like the empty downtown Hudson storefront that said a remodel would be done by “spring 2017,” but again summer had already arrived and everything was still shuttered, although the sign remained with similar language. We hope that the new Ellie’s owners, who say a new version of the venue will be ready by fall — again via a sign out front — keep their word. Seems likely, as the front has just now been the site of plywood reconstruction and a dumpster.
— When the border battle came to a head with the Twins blowing out the Brew Crew at a Minneapolis contest, a trio of disappointed Milwaukee fans left early when they saw there was little hope — and turned instead to travel to the local Buffalo Wild Wings to drown their sorrows. The last straw, they lamented, that made them bolt, was a Twins grand slam that made any hope of a comeback unreasonable. So basically, Hudson won.
— This being the time of year for Viking two-a-day drills, it seemed only likely that the local sports-watching mecca, Buffalo Wild Wings, would offer Boneless Twosdays on the day before hump day, the gist being two-for-one wings. They announced this to “hey fans,” starting on Aug. 22 — but wait, by that time two-a-day drills might be done in Mankato forever.
— With persistent rain going on outside, there still were some doings at Dick’s, to dredge up a dollop of fun before closing on a slow night. A man was about to locate his buddies again so they could still make the run to the Turtle Lake casino and get there just before dawn. On the way out he wished a happy birthday to Mackenzie, who was celebrating with her longtime best bud — they both even had the same color fingernails painted for the occasion — pine green.

Talk of the new Stillwater bridge opening was all the rage at The Next Stop in Houlton in recent days. One older patron, who was relatively new to the area, said he bought his first car, a Model A, at about the time people and politicians alike started talking about such a project to replace the also old and overworked lift bridge.
But for that day, the man and his buddies couldn’t cross the lift bridge right away — it is set to soon be closed for yet another rehab — so they settled for watching traffic while at the Irish pub complete with big patio, less than a football field away from the mechanical apparatus that goes up and down to let boaters through. That’s before settling into a bar stool at The Next Stop.
It is the former kind of viewing that familiarized them with the two-dozen-or-so members of an antique car club that sometimes clog the old lift bridge as they pass into Wisconsin. With the new bridge, they could now be less of a disruption, as they make their way over to Hudson, then cross the Interstate 94 span to get to a Lakeland haunt and revel a little. When doing this on that particular day, they would have seen the big neon traffic sign that goes up now and again to announce the closing of the lift bridge — this time short and sweet, not getting into a lot of dates for closing and reopening.
And lastly, this elderly observer who has done this for awhile noted that it would be good for business for the two taverns in Houlton to offer a cart to truly let people Escape to Wisconsin, going over the lift bridge in a year-or-so when its transformation into only a biking and walking bridge is complete.
— They all start with BR, and that’s not to mean they’re your brother. I teased a new bartender about her name, saying that a new study shows that 27 percent of those in the serving industry go by Brandi, although the spelling beyond the first letters differs radically. Then her somewhat older co-worker and I invoked the names given by Frank Zappa to his children, but the younger of the three of us had no clue about that. At which time I upped the ante, saying that between Brandy and Brittney, 44 percent of those in the trade respond when called that.
— This bit of wisdom from a local bartender, on being tipsy together. After many years of marriage, she and her much heavier hubby have eventually learned drink-versus-drink synchronicity, in other words getting fully toasted at exactly the same moment, one of those things where it’s only a matter of time before you morph into being your spouse. Now take that alike timing to the bedroom … I wasn’t going to go there.
— The late-night national TV news showed a bus in Houston that had burst into flames. Not to make light of that, or the news event I’m about to reference, but this is the ultimate example of a no-brainer great headline. Back in my days with the Hudson Star-Observer, I once took the initiative (bosses usually at least claim to like that), to pull myself off of deadline and take a photo of a stalled Greyhound bus that might or might not have its back end on fire. When arriving on the scene, I saw the typical front-and-center placard of destination — lets just add that its the same as last week’s accident and both are from the same city in Texas. The obvious headline, certain to be recognized by the crew that listen to classic rock? “Houston we have a problem!” When back at the office, and writing a deadline story about every 97 seconds or so, I did still find the time to on two occasions briefly share my I-thought-clever headline with a co-worker, and the now-departed publisher heard it both times and boy was he pissed! Seems he subscribes, or should I say subscribed, to the idea that you should keep your nose to the grindstone every second of every day, somehow find the time to make those extra calls(s) on deadline to get added accident info, and forgot that cup of mocha. But Steve, its all OK now, the fire is out.
— Perhaps this is something that would be even more appreciated in the ladies room. In the guys bathroom at Dick’s Bar and Grill, setting on top of the metal towel cabinet was Frebreeze odor freshener, the variety of flavor chosen simply saying “air.” Would be more impressed if that was the Tropical-Mango-Pumpkin-scented variety.

This weekend’s music lineup is a combination of the very veteran and some more than half their age:
— At The St. Croix County Fair in Glenwood City its the five-piece band Fourth Degree on Thursday night, another five-piece, vintage group in The WhiteSidewalls on Friday night, and a duo celebrating the 30th year of their music and variety show, The Memories, on Saturday night.
— The Smilin’ Moose continues to roll out a changing lineup to their patio acoustic show with Travis Lorentson on Friday evening, and Mark McAllister and Eli Pete on Saturday evening and Sunday, respectively.
— One option is to beat the summer heat, and the other is to revel in it. The Village Inn in North Hudson has a recurring soup special of salsa verde roast pork, and an everyday drink offering of Hell Chicken, which is described as pale ale and Yuzu. And then of course there are the two new chicken wing sauces from the Buffalo Wild Wings “lab” — Mandarin Kick and Scorpian Rum.

— They have not been at Dick’s Bar and Grill for a while, although the history goes back years. Good Time Willy, as you might guess a true crowd pleaser, renews the relationship on Friday evening.

The X Games that are being played in Minneapolis have hit Hudson, too. As of Thursday, there wasn’t a motel room to be found here, and on Thursday late night the first of the overflow into the nightlife scene reared its head. There were almost a dozen young adults who looked like skater boyz at Dick’s Bar and Grill right before last call, and a couple of them — male and female — got a little rowdy. And then there was that older guy who is a regular who was sporting a bandana and spiky hair, just to fit in. But the word is that such overflow might hit big time on, say, Saturday night, when some of the big name competitors might escape to Wisconsin, being the next state over the border, to do their partying with their hair let down, being somewhat incognito. Hudson has a history of such party-under-the-radar, which sometimes extends to after-bar celebrations, from rock stars to prominent athletes, and this played out most recently during the Frozen Four national hockey tournament at The X, (that being a different X then the X Games). The Gopher women’s hockey team showed up en masse at Dick’s, and participated in numerous body shots with the bartender. That from one of the bouncers on duty. (Stay tuned to this web site for more news on who showed up in Hudson, whether youthful star participants or scores of fans, as the weekend plays out).

Giving a boost to the music, that’s what The Fourth is for:
— The song that was cranking from the oversize and garage-size, nextdoor man cave as the Hudson fireworks went off, was none other than AC/DC’s Thunderstruck. Fitting. Until the cops drove by and told them to tone down the noise a little bit. Cue in a lower-volume power ballad?
— Out on the Sunday night prior to The Fourth were some people, mostly in a connected group, wearing the Stars and Stripes in a single seamless garment, from head to foot, male and female. My friend Mackenzie broke away from her drink order to tell me excitedly, “I really want that outfit.” One of these male hyper-Patriots also sported very long hair, which a friend braided, producing a look like some of those old colonial types.
— As our crew watched the fireworks in Houlton across from the Next Stop bar, a pickup truck with a big flag stretched out in the payload rumbled past at least three times. And a motorcycle giving Old Glory the same treatment also ran by. Reminds me of that runner-in-the-night Bruce Springsteen song — no, not “Born In The USA” — rather “Blinded By The Light …”
— All hail the hail. That could be the company motto of a worker who hails from North Carolina, doing storm-damage roof repair, and has now spent a few weeks in the Hudson area, longer than what was anticipated. He’s staying in a motel on The Hill, and like so many others before him, needed to make the most of some rare free time, so he popped into Buffalo Wild Wings for a beer. He said that a colleague in the industry, who also comes from North Carolina but by way of New Jersey, is more enthralled by downtown Stillwater. Still, they got together and compared notes about both nightlife areas, and also threw in reference to downtown Hudson.
— The downtown bars were hopping early on the first Friday of Booster Days, not waiting until the headliner band, Rock Godz, wrapped up for the night. When it came time for an encore, a rather small but loyal group of followers took to dancing on the extended stage area provided as something new in front of the band, some wearing Godz T-shirts for the glam ’80s band. A few minutes later, the line to enter The Smilin’ Moose was backed all the way to the corner — just as a short but forceful rain shower hit. As if an encore wasn’t enough, the song playing when I headed north and entered The Village Inn was Don’t Tell Me You Love Me, something that would really seem in the realm of the Godz.
— South of Houlton, there is a new bean(bag) crop as a cash crop, along with other goodies. They’re not in the field, as far as these popular target platforms for bean toss tourneys, but displayed across the length of a ditch in the front yard. And they aren’t used for picking the vegies, but rather funneling them down a hole after lobbing them. So, if you need some additional equipment for the Kozy Korner contest on July 15 …

Three days of Booster Days music reveal three different themes:
— When I met up by chance with Booster Days stalwart Holly Schultz last fall, she reveled in all the possibilities that might be offered by fresh new bands as part of their lineups.
The following is what the Boosters came up with for music in Lakefront Park during their three-day, 2017 run starting on Friday:
June 30 — There is a superhero theme with “Licensed to Thrill” from 5-8:15 p.m. and dressed for the part, “Rock Godz” from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
July 1 — It’s all new blood with diversity, including “Hillbilly Science Show” at 1 p.m., then “Karmacide unplugged with Rick Brix” from 2:15-5:45 p.m., “100 watt jones” from 6:15-8:30 p.m., and “70’s Magic Sunshine Band” from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
July 2 — Its back to tried and true music, steering toward classic rock and country, with “The Chubs” from 1:30-4:30 p.m., “Wicked Garden” from 5:15-8:15 p.m. and “Uncle Chunk” from 9 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
For more information, visit hudsonboosters.org and click on the Booster Days tab or look for Hudson Booster Days on Facebook.
— It’s hardly ever that there’s a weekend without a pair of bands at the Willow River Saloon in Burkhardt, but this is one where not even a single act takes the stage. That’s because the staff’s attention is focused on an activity a few miles away, that being Booster Days. The Willow and its accompanying pizzaria, Carbone’s, will be one of three local vendors dishing out their popular hot food, including broasted chicken, all throughout the festival.
— The chef’s special, offered every midweek at the Village Inn in North Hudson, this past week featured the epitome of summer picnic food, which means it just might come around again soon, (or simply to keep people guessing, would that be called chef’s surprise?): Two specialty brats, BBQ baked beans, brown sugar sauerkraut and the staff recommended beer cheese soup plus brat.

So many souls were out to see the new Mayan themed Iron Maiden, playing many a tune from their new CD “Book of Souls,” that there weren’t too many souls to be found around local haunts until around the time of, as could be said evoking a classic song by the metal band, Two Minutes To Midnight. But when they finally got to Hudson, concert-goers had plenty to say.
— The local bars were largely dead on the night of the Iron Maiden concert at The X, with one bouncer saying things wouldn’t heat up locally until 1 a.m. or so. Still, a middle-aged man came into Buffalo Wild Wings an hour prior to that and reported that Maiden, whose T-shirt he proudly wore, did largely songs from their new album (about six from their Mayan decked out stage) and not too many from their storied history (about nine) and there were some very popular ones that were omitted from their set list. One of those was Hallowed Be Thy Name, and my source speculated there was some legal hassle about playing that anthem, since a lesser known band claimed some of the lyrics were lifted. But as usual, the crowd favorite was The Trooper. The guy said lead singer Bruce Dickenson was spot-on, as always despite battling throat cancer, and added he’s always impressed that Dickenson is also a pilot, author and amateur theologian and historian, and succeeds in virtually everything he does. That description could be applied to my old friend Debbie from St. Paul, who’s been trying to fit it into her schedule and again come this way, who also loves the Maiden. Debbie at a youthful age was an Olympic caliber sprinter and also was offered modeling contracts by two of the top agencies in the country. Then, at age 38, she had a photo shoot to appear semi-nude (shown from the back) in a Calvin Klein ad for Vogue. So, there’s hope for us middle-aged people, and maybe unlike Jethro Tull said, we can still sport the Spandex — as that seems to be a theme of the day. Carrying on the Maiden theme, a bartender at The Next Stop in Houlton said that if he were not there, he’d be at the concert. Reminded that it was that evening, he interrupted the jukebox and cut in to a play a song from the vault in their honor — The Flight of Icarus.
— The night later was one of the first of the season for bridemaid’s heaven. In particular, the Smilin’ Moose had a group of young women out for a bachelorette party that were so large in number they were seemingly everywhere. You could tell because of the T-shirts worn that were also an ad for their limo company.
— Then, one more night later, Jeff Loven between songs invoked the that other metal concert that just took place in The Cities, that being Judas Priest (a group that a couple of my go-to-most-every-concert friends originally thought was too hard core). Much like the Next Stop bartender referenced above, Jeff said that he would’ve been at the concert if he didn’t have to “work.” (He also is known for performing with another kind of T-shirt on him, that from an old Iron Maiden concert). I asked Jeff if in honor of the Priest concert we could sing together an on-again, off-again standard, You’ve Got Another Thing Coming. He deferred to our usual tried and true Clash song.
— A photographer was at Buffalo Wild Wings late one afternoon, shooting a promotional picture of a big glass of beer with lemon wedge. (Better to drink it then to have that be your model, I say). He had two big cameras, two big tripods and one more smaller piece of equipment. As if that wasn’t enough, the bartender topped it off by putting something in his drink (no she didn’t roofie him).
— Along those lines, a sign at a downtown antique shop says “no paparazzi.” (Two thoughts: (1) Its a bit arrogant to think anyone would care and (2) damn, there goes my chance).”
— In one of the metro dailies: From Fargo on down, entertainment outlets get wrong the distinction between Eden Prairie and Eden Valley (although far from HudsonWiNightlife to make the same mistake). But it does remind me of all the times I’ve seen the TV news out of the metro wrongly refer to that village in the middle of St. Croix County as Rogers, as in the berg between Minneapolis and St. Cloud. Let me lead the way: It’s actually Roberts, of course. Got that? Roger. (Oh here we go again).
— I was talking with a friend at Dick’s Bar and Grill when he pointed out that someone else he knew, Big Steve, had just walked in, and boy did the guy live up to his nickname, big hair included. We were introduced and it turns out he knew me from days gone by. Meanwhile, at that same time, at the other end of the bar rail was a man who had the hair and chisled jaw of the star “Big” in the TV series Sex In The City, although not quite as tall as either that character or Big Steve. Not that it’s that big a deal …
— As they say, this one’s for you, as in the totally “pimped out” in decore SUVs for beer travel, (parked in an alley in Hudson that heads toward North Hudson), and for other area products such as deli food, flooring, soft drinks and numerous other distributors. That’s during the day. At night you’re more likely to see slightly bigger vehicles decked out as party machines for both Big Guys BBQ Roadhouse and more recently Mallory’s.
— A friend enlisted me, as Mr. Coupon Man, to hunt up one for Azul Tequila and I found a great deal. It said on the coupon that their other location was in Eau Claire. That’s the same two places as Shanghai Bistro, although they have other places in the metro as well. But the whole thing reminds me of seeing some friends on the hill who had worked at the latter estabishment, one of whom said that at their Eau Claire end they had actually tried out Naked Sushi. Could such an offering at Hudson be far behind? Hmm, in hoidy, toidy Hudson? Seems unlikely.

If you trek three minutes up the freeway after crossing the St. Croix River, you can exit to get stuff that goes boom in the night and be back there in the time it takes to play a few favorite songs on the radio — then have your own Capital Fourth either on the water or in other wide open spaces of western Wisconsin.

So if you plan a fireworks display soon, a prime place to consider is the longtime, locally owned and operated Venture Fireworks in the town of Hudson. Whether your party is big or small, celebrating the loud bang or the subtle pop, their staff that’s studious about the many fireworks they sell is waiting to serve you.
Venture is unlike other Hudson fireworks stores in that they have a full staff and are much easier to find, being just a jaunt off the freeway rather then congested miles off of it, and offering a greater volume of choices as well. It is also a cut above, in a different manner, then those further down Interstate 94, as that requires people to trek all the way deeper into Wisconsin for a big box store. As far as gas and convenience, Venture Fireworks gives you more bang for your buck — a mid-summer night’s dream, because you don’t want to wait when there is a feast for your eyes and ears awaiting.
Until July 4, they are open seven days a week until 9 p.m., so if you want to get some fireworks — even close to the last minute — for shortly before dusk, this place is for you. And if you want to get a jump on things, they open at 9 a.m. (After The Fourth, the hours change to 10 a.m.-8 p.m. until Labor Day, after which they are closed until Dec. 26-31, at which time they reopen for New Year’s Eve sales.) And as they say “we offer all the good stuff.”Venture Fireworks is conveniently located just off of Interstate 94, a jog north on Exit 4, just three miles east of the border with Minnesota. That border, a veritable lake of water, can make flashy reflections in summer not unlike the snow-covered glow that is another specialty produced by Venture Fireworks when they open for sales around another holiday — New Years.
Jeff Osbeck of Venture Fireworks is a longtime Hudson resident, so he knows a thing or two about them. He says how they are different from the big box stores for fireworks is the friendly and knowledgeable staff, who will steer you in the right direction to have a fun, safe and hassle-free experience, throughout the middle of the summer.
Osbeck heard such high praise from a couple who recently got married. The wedding gift of fireworks he gave them created memories beyond the usual household items that are typically received. It was such a hit that a phone call was received from a long distance away on the wedding night, to say that the extra visual effect had made their celebration truly extraordinary.
There are military and cash discounts available. Venture Fireworks can be found at 631 Commerce Drive, Hudson, WI 54016, just north of Interstate 94 off Exit 4 in the town of Hudson. Contact them at (715) 386-8757, or at www.venturefireworks.com, or on Facebook. Please mention this article if you patronize Venture Fireworks.

Chris Cornell lives on, through his music (even if its on cable) and the tears of local residents:

— As news of the circumstances behind Chris Cornell’s death spreads, I know of multiple instances where a bartender friend — representing both downtown Hudson and North Hudson — said a friend of theirs was moved to tears by his passing, at the same time as local musicians say they are quickly learning his darker songs as a tribute (see below). And another friend said she initially had her reservations about Cornell’s band, Soundgadten, like myself, but that changed when she got to know him. And, as the irony continues, I couldn’t help but notice that the late singer for Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog was the one who composed the deliciously dark but short on “the days” music for part of a recent around-the-clock cable TV Bond-athon. His music was noteworthy on the most recently-portrayed version of that hero, the Daniel Craig-based character, as he competing with tunes played on the jukebox, as The World Is Not Enough. (It also showed a particular James, his predecessor, being interrogated by a Bond girl, Electra, who has an amazing resemblance to a former prominent-model/bartender-at-Pudges — filmed around the years she was putting in her shifts. But that tidbit about she of long and lovely straight dark hair, Bree Burgy, is for another story. Bree is from northern Wisconsin, initially, so the skiing scene where they meet as James is chased by bombers fits. Also fitting from my days with the Hudson Star-Observer was handling (editing?) a wedding announcement for none other than a local man by the name of — you guessed it — James Bond. It seems someone bagged the ultimate bachelor.
— Can I get an appetizer on the side? The “shoot zombie does” deer hunting game at local bars has added some new twists and turns, in particular firing at frogs sliding down a zip-line by their tongues. The game even says if you’re short on cash, you can pay by credit card. All for an updated version of a pinball game? (The gist is that if you’ve spent your paper money on booze, you can always put an order of frog legs on the tab, to make it worth the while.) Just kidding. And the game can even have you shoot a group of Venus Fly Traps, complete with big tongues, although that isn’t appetizing at all. Despite that, the Pierce County players of this national game have come up big, according to the machine’s lsiting.
— Seen at the entryway to the Buffalo Wild Wings parking lot, were the missing lighted letters to the Citizens State Bank sign, meaning that it read simply Zen’s Bank. In light of all the celeb sightings we have in Hudson, does that mean that famed NBA coach Phil Jackson will be visiting soon?
— Another sign, this one at Dairy Queen that was glowing into the night, had letters juggled sideways rather than being straight-on when advertising their corn dogs. Makes one think of the band Korn, and how they might spell out such a pitch.
— The annual golf tournament at Dick’s Bar and Grill offered a lot of amenities for its $65 a person entry fee, among them “brat, chips and a pickle on the course (of course).” It you took with you three hotties to round out the four person scramble format, and promised them steak and lobster, you just might be in a pickle (or well worth it).

These are indeed dark days, if you are a Chris Cornell fan, or cover his songs:
— In honor of the late Chris Cornell, Garret told fellow singer Jeff Loven that he’d quickly made it a point to learn a Soundgarden song to perform. He chose, fittingly, Fell on Black Days, which many concert-goers at Cornell’s last performance, at a Detroit venue that also was noted for hosting another recently departed icon, Prince, said was one of his best of the night. Or, Jeff replied, Garret could have picked Black Hole Sun? Garret said he’d learned early-on that Cornell, who hung himself recently in a motel room, had been taking large doses of anti-anxiety medication. Given that history, and the fact that Cornell seemed off his game at that last concert, one has to wonder if the pressure of having to give stellar performances night in and night out, even if not feeling well — and then having to face up to possible bad reviews the next day — led up to his demise.
— A Brazilian sometimes-model who hung around the Village Inn in North Hudson for awhile, has two more reasons to celebrate. Her friend Drake cleaned up at the Billboard Music Awards, winning more of the honors then anyone else ever had. Also, a fellow plus-size model became the first of her weight to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
— At least a handful of the audience members at the Phipps Center for the Arts went out to other nightspots after taking in the Dueling Pianos show, and said that it was fun, entertaining and that the performers even trekked out into the audience. Hmm … how do they have an instrument as big as a piano and still venture into the crowd, without laboring? I just have to say this: “Get the piano off your back!”
— Signs aplenty around town spoke of specials — eat and drink — for mom on her day, and one at Kozy Korner even offered a free drink to all mothers. Heard they had some people who looked scarier then mom, all decked out in leather and tattoos, who came in and asked for the special, saying “I’m a badass mutha!” (Just kidding).
— On its Party Zone show, KDWB had an ad where a couple was flustered about where they could get off-sale liquor on a Sunday, then of course decided to head for the border, that being Wisconsin, complete with the obligatory Cheesehead joke. So what was being sold here? The ad, you find out near the end, was for an auto sales place that goes by the name of Hudson, and says you could get a vehicle from them no matter what your credit. All this despite the fact that after the reversal, finally, of an antiquated law, Minnesota will begin allowed such off-sale starting the Sunday following July 5. Word has it that the auto offer expires the day before. (Just kidding).
— Jackson Raley has for months been doing some rapping at Dick’s Bar and Grill during Sunday set breaks of the one-man-band, rifling out words at light speed, without ever a stumble. The still quite young man says he’s also done many such solo gigs over in the Twin Cities, some of them original songs, but that he still needs to overcome a significant case of nervousness every time he goes on. Much like Chris Cornell?
— Out late and want a change in wardrobe? You could go into the all-night Freedom Value Center in North Hudson and get a slinky dress! Such summer dresses have been on sale, right as you walk in the door, for basically a baker’s dozen dollars. They’re right next to the Hostess snack cakes, but don’t buy both or you might not fit into that dress.
— Ever want to get away, because of something you said, since by the time you caught yourself, it was too late to take it back? At another 24-hour place, Kwik Trip, I stopped in to get a late-night hot dog, but a worker was putting some of the accompaniments into the heated drawers below. So I said, “do you mind if I grab one of your buns?” Ouch … Just like when I pulled into town and started work with the Hudson Star-Observer, and saw a couple of female co-workers walking past me on the dike road, which was a whole new thing to me and not at the forefront of my mind. So I said to the one nearest to me, “I you enjoying the dike?” Again, ouch …
— What would she do as a big part of her job? She would sit, and sit, and sit … I renewed aquaintances the other day with someone with whom I’d had a few late night conversations — while she was sitting. To explain, the woman was a driver for one of the several late-night taxi companies that “sit” outside of the area near the Agave Kitchen and wait at length for fares to show, mostly people who had been drinking and essentially needed a sober cab. She had seen it all and got tired of the scene and started a business of her own. Maybe see you out later, outside of the cab connection, as you’re walking into Dick’s, she added with a chuckle.
At that same function, at the Village Inn, I reconnected other old ties, namely some women who I’d run into most notably when a photographer for the Hudson Star-Observer, and took their picture as they were out and about on their annual dress-up Sex And The City party. They never thought the photo would make it into the paper, but it did, (got it past my editor, which wasn’t too tough to do).
— Later, at Dick’s, two female dancers did the bump and grind in a tricky way. The one in front was doing a handstand. Kinda like something I saw at the old Ellie’s, where a woman did a similar handstand while cutting the rug — with her feet pasted against the wall a few feet from the deejay booth.
— The night before, a bartender asked a friend — both male — if he wanted to use his token for another drink. To which the latter said, “stop staring at my wood!”
— The doorman, as such, pointed me to the entry and said their would be another staffer inside Dick’s to take my dollar for cover charge. So I said to them, mimicking a popular TV ad, that this would make the outside guy a “doorman monitor,” not an actual doorman, God forbid a bouncer!
— Overheard at the new, upstairs Pudge’s, at around 1:30 a.m. One woman said to another, “So what are you doing tonight?” Considering the late hour, they’d better decide soon. Then in the bathroom, one guy said to another, “I can’t figure out how this hand dryer works.” It’s not rocket science buddy, just lay off the mixology.
— That same night, I saw a splittin’ image of the Karate Kid, dressed much the same including the bandana. He was followed in by a guy with a funky mustache. Just recalling, might that have been his black belt mentor? And how does that, being in a bar, fit with the idealism of rejecting certain worldly ways?
— Signs of the times at Casanova Historic Liquors and the Village Inn. The latter, on their lighted bulletin board, said now that you’ve dealt with the winter weight, you must focus on “spring rolls.” And at Casanova, the marquee said that you could get your summer six-pack there, as an option to hitting the gym to spruce up your abs. Coincidence?