While we are weaning ourselves off of Halloween and elections, we still have hunting to be the target of our focus:
— Thanksgiving is here, and it still isn’t exactly a lame duck of a holiday season, as what better way to
celebrate than hitting the woods. Two Tony Blair pheasants, a specialty type shot by the politician while on a
hunting outing in his home England, were express shipped to a North Hudson man and bar patron. He put them in
his freezer at length while debating how to prepare them in an over-the-top way, because this was an over-the-
top situation. The commonality between the two men came about because a relative of the local guy was doing
business with Blair, going back a ways.
— And on the hunting theme this season, I think of the shoot ’em up game at an area bar that’s Wild-themed,
with zombie does to shoot, (harkening to Halloween), and like a bad hunting day, the does rather then bucks just keep
on coming.
— A better bet has been the special featured at the new Next Stop bar in Houlton, which had opened early at 8
a.m. with Mexican tortilla offerings to cater to deer hunters. Has it now been replaced with a venison feed?
— The similar odd bedfellows as far as featured food continued with the hot pizza and cold snow cones at a
late summer party in Lakeland. Right now might be an apt time for such themed appetizers, as we are between
both temperature-based seasons.
— It was all over the regional networks at local sports bars. The Minnesota Wild coaxed out a win while
watching were hundreds if not thousands of hunters wearing blaze orange headgear, even if the rest of the
outfit was usually a standard color. What gives for the idea of only topping it off?
— It was busy everywhere on that Thanksgiving Eve, including at times people with shirtsleeves and even
shorts, (does that cause a wrinkled up turkey-leg-like look when out in the newly fallen snow?) At The Smilin’
Moose, however, security people in the doorway made up the difference with multi-layered sweatshirts. On the
side street was a lime green bus with an X from front to back (could they be from my favorite radio station?)
And out front across the street, a pickup truck from outside Minnesconsin made his own parking space in back of
all the ones that were taken. Leave it to an-out-of-stater times two.
— A restaurant manager I know planned to get off his late-night shift and make a beeline for Pudge’s Bar to
watch with interest the last election results come in. Knowing his politics, I think he might have had to drown
his sorrows, (this was the same guy who exactly eight years ago at the same bar chastised someone who’d had a
2few too many and made the idiotic proclamation: Bush is the environmental president.) Or, the local guy could
just focus on all the Minnesota races that you could find on network TV out of the Twin Cities, (after all, as
far as all things presidential, they basically fired Trump). Meanwhile, at a bar across town, a local musician
was saying this about the ultimate write-in: All things considered, I voted for Jesus.
— Across the street from the Downtown Hudson Party District, the Democratic Party offices are now up for rent
to a new tenant. Maybe The Real Estate Mogul in Chief could help with the arrangements. Or his newly appointed
“king of bankruptcy” to head the Commerce Department. Not that a political party would need such help.
— Oddly, there were virtually no Trump or Clinton masks to be found on Halloween, a matter that was still
being discussed days and days after. Gaining more attention, based on the buildup various people gave, were the
guy-in-the-shower costume, as word spread he’d now done this for 20 straight years and that enabled him to take
home major prizes in contests at both the Village Inn and Pier 500, and possibly others. Also mentioned, as a
model, was a friend of mine who went as a harem girl/genie adorned in not much more than most people wear in
the shower.
— And what do you wear to Paisley Park? All things Prince remain in the news, as do the tales that come from
people who’d had a brush with him. A friend said she partied at the Park going back 20 years. Did she ever get
a chance to actually talk with Prince? “No” came the answer, as people always had to be hush around him.
— Ellie’s on Main officially shut down operations and held a sale of all sorts of assorted merchandise on the
patio back by the alley, not far from their friendly rivals at Dick’s. This was no “short sale,” as a sign out
front listed as examples about a dozen types of stuff they were trying to unload, starting the list with
something called ravioli forms (a specialty) and going down the list to crock pots and the like. Not unlike
when the old Sandbar that was two blocks up lost its lease, and the regulars were invited to a drink-until-its
gone party to get rid of numerous bottles of liquor that no longer served a purpose. The Ellie’s building has
reportedly been purchased by the people behind the Smilin’ Moose, located between the former Ellie’s and former
Sandbar. Maybe that’s why for several days running, the Ellie’s sign remained lit, for as they say at Motel 6,
“we’ll leave the light on for you.”
— People were out in force to root for their favorite World Series team, ‘cuz they don’t get that chance very
often. The numbers were smaller at the Green Mill and Buffalo Wild Wings, but more boisterous. At The Mill,
there were four guys watching with interest, one of whom kept saying in the ninth inning,” we need just one
more. Just one more.” Meanwhile at The Wings, there were seven people at the bar, and more at back tables, who
were watching with keen interest. The three closest to me were soon on their social media devices. Maybe that
had something to do with the rain delay, which occurred right before the Cubbies were crowned the kings of
clout in extra innings.
— And as that goes, overheard about the recent WNBA slight that cost the Twin Cities team another title: “They
screwed the Lynx.” That goes along with a comment from some journalism colleagues back in college days, who
were dating: “She screws like a Lynx.”
— The sign at Kozy Korner said, “Let’s go Big Red,” in reference to Badger football game it would air the next
day. It then added, “we deliver.” Maybe delivering more than some football teams in the region. Then add to
that the Kozy sign that thanked the “Zias” for opening their house to the public for the Tour of Homes. Is that
Zais singular of plural? After all, hubby Tim said it was a ton of work.