The holiday season brought out both the multitudes of the beautiful and the ugly, and the biggest (and the smallest) and brightest.
— The entire downtown Hudson area was hopping on New Year’s Eve, a bit more so than at times in North Hudson, and the Smilin’ Moose reportedly for more than an hour had to turn away patrons because it was at capacity, to the extent that a line formed outside. The exception might have been their specially erected smoking tent on the back patio, which drew only a few people at a time.
— I don’t know if this tie was ugly, as in holiday sweater contests, or just bright. Shane wore one that was positively glowing, with dozens of little lights, and at the bottom an icon that resembled either an upside-down Pac Man or a turned on its ear Packer helmet. Of similar brightness were the ruby-red sparkling pants worn by a female patron, which would have been glowing even for a rock star.
— There were tiaras to be seen all over that proclaimed the new year, and they were of various heights on heads. A woman at Ellie’s took it to another level and had a feather on top that reached another several inches high. Similar headgear was sported at Pudge’s, but in this case it was setting alone on a table, along with a couple of mostly empty glasses and another couple of popcorn containers, with kernels scattered about.
— Also at Ellie’s was the shortest and tiniest skirt I’ve ever seen, enabled to be so by the woman’s very slim hips. It was the size of a dinner napkin, (as in unfolded halfway, not to its full fourfold extent).
— Ellie’s also gets the nod for the coolest holiday hairdo, sported not by a patron, but someone who was cleaning up in the kitchen that was open late enough that revelers might see double and take-in two of this guy. He had bright green hair that in some places was well down his back, but on the sides a toned-down color complete with crewcut.
— One local bartender with strong Minneapolis ties had to work quite late in North Hudson, not knowing when she would be cut. Still, she made plans for after-hours to trek to The Cities to get with some friends, who have a music studio in their abode. So no problem here with having to conform to a closing time. This would seem to be role reversal, as it has the ones from The Cities rather than Wisconsin going the latest.
— Bartender Matt had a new gig (said tongue-in-cheek). He was standing outside a shop just up the street from Agave Kitchen having a smoke, and right in back of him was a sign in a store window for a sofa — 20 percent off. We joked that he was guarding it from the wandering New Year’s Eve people that might have had a few too many and do something dumb. Did that discount mean his bantered-about “commission” was reduced by one-fifth?
— The longest party bus I’ve ever seen was outside the Smilin’ Moose around 2 a.m., being about the length of a typical front-end more than the next biggest to visit.
— At Pudge’s, the renovation had progressed to the point that the entire north wall was now showcasing its original stone. In what was fast becoming a tradition, there wasn’t a New Year’s Eve ball-drop at Pudge’s, at least this time around, because of the placement of some windows as part of their on-going refurbishing, according to owner Michael.
— The north side of North Hudson Party Triangle of bars lived up to its name, as rows of footprints could be seen all through the new snow connecting the three places. Late in the evening, there also was the distinct, burning smell of fireworks throughout that area, as people toasted the new year with something other than champagne.
— Speaking of one of those three bars, the Village Inn, a new friend I encountered there in the wee hours of The Eve, and it was noted that she was wearing very comfortable boots rather than the high heels that were chosen by many others wearing that Little Black Dress. Screw that idea, she said. If going to be up until near dawn, she wanted to put a premium on comfort.
— Some of the latest action was on the gridiron. Woody’s in Bayport had what had to be the most over-the-top, hearty football fare to chow down on during the big Packer-Viking game: Three pounds of buffalo wings for the price of 1.5 pounds. Being a Viking bar, they must have known what was coming as far as an outcome to put out such an offer, and make it stick (to your ribs).
— Dick’s Bar and Grill offered yet another new event, this time a New Year’s Day pajama party from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for those who weren’t so sleepy from the night before that they couldn’t make it in. Two costumes stood out because they were full-body length and could still be seen later in the day. Alice wore what was “supposed to be an owl,” and a cohort sported Superman PJs, complete with a Superman T-shirt underneath. Alice also was in costume, at least as far as headgear, the night before at the Village Inn in North Hudson with a pope-like hat made out of a newspaper. She also helped a friend deck out in a similar way, although he had a Minnesota Wild cap underneath.
— Over the Christmas weekend, dancers at Dick’s were tossing around a big wrapped package as they strutted their stuff. When opened, it was revealed that the box was for a whiskey brand. Might want to save the contents for New Year’s Eve.