Sometimes I find myself in the right place at the right time. Last night after the Arts District Forum Heidi, Christine and I went to the Ritz for their Fashion Ball dress rehearsal.
Read MoreHarry Belafonte - "Sing Your Song"
Tonight I had the opportunity to go to a screening of the new Harry Belafonte documentary, "Sing Your Song," and it was a fantastic experience.
Read MoreReal-Phonic heads to the Cedar
The third session of Real-Phonic is scheduled for Thursday February 23rd - this time in Minneapolis!
Read MoreGettin' my music nerd on at the Craig Finn in-studio.
I know it's the hip thing to grumble about The Current these days... but I must admit, it's still one of my favorite stations and I think we're pretty lucky to have something like it in the Twin Cities. So when I was invited to go to an In-Studio last weekend for Craig Finn, I jumped at the opportunity.
Read More13 delicious reasons why Northeast Minneapolis is a dangerous place for a foodie.
Little did I know I'd find myself smack dab in the middle of an artistic, immigrant-friendly community complete with a fantastic Indian food store and loads of great restaurants all within walking and biking distance from my home.
Read MoreDo you like Indian Food?
B.Z.A India's Kitchen opened recently in Northeast Minneapolis.
Read More"1968."
1968.
Read MoreThe Buddha Prince at Powderhorn Park
Today I had the awesome opportunity to go see The Buddha Prince, a walking play running at Powderhorn Park. It was a really wonderful, moving experience and I encourage anybody that has time this weekend to go see it - it will only run until Monday.
It begins here, at the southern end of Powderhorn Park.
Over the course of about an hour and a half the play moves around the lake as the story unfolds. The play follows the life of his holiness the Dalai Llama, which a story about humanity, community, compassion and loving kindness almost more than it is about anything else.
You won't feel the same when you come to the other side of the lake. It is a beautiful experience, and is a shining example of everything art and theatre can be in a community.
When: September 17-21, 2009: Weekdays 5:30pm, Weekends 2pm and 5:30pm
Tickets: FREE, with a suggested donation
Friends with little ones: The audience was completely diverse and there were lots of families there (and a few dogs, too.) The more the merrier was the general vibe, and the play took place along the walkway around the lake so strollers and wheelchairs were not a problem.
Website: buddhaprince.org/mission.html
:)
First Time at the Minnesota State Fair
As of two weeks ago I had never been to the Minnesota state fair, even though I've lived here for almost six years now. In my own defense, it was only last year that I learned it was the "quintessential Minnesota experience." So, this year we went. And wow - it definitely is an experience. California friends, this post is also for you. None of the California county fairs come close in size or quality. If you ever visit me, come just before Labor day and I'll happily take you to experience the craziness that is the Minnesota State Fair.
I'm not going to talk about everything we did, just about a few things that stood out to me specifically.
FOOD
It seems for a lot of people one of the biggest reasons to go to the State Fair is all the indulgent food. So, first and foremost, here's a list of what we tried:
CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON!
Though apparently there are 67 things available on a stick, not EVERYTHING comes on a stick. We spent a portion of our day looking for the above, which we found at Famous Dave's. Actually pretty good! Nick said he would have had like 5 of these... but we settled for one batch. Oh, and they call these Pig Lickers. No joke.
The. Best. Corndog. Ever. We got a footlong corndog from the stand attached to the horse barn, and it was awesome.
The cheese curds really are the best. Over the course of the day, we had two helpings.
I tried the "Hotdish on a stick." It was... not as fantastic as I hoped it would be, but I'm glad I tried it. It was a tater tot, a Swedish meatball, a tater tot and another Swedish meatball on a stick and breaded with the same batter they use for corn dogs. They serve it to you with some mushroom-soupy business on the side, and there you go. I definitely prefer regular hotdish - and the Bulldog's is the best, hands-down.
We also ate some awesome roasted corn, beef jerky, and root beer. We also both paid $1 for an all-you-can-drink cup of milk. The gentleman next to us had 9 cups of milk. NINE CUPS, and I know some people can drink way more than that. Where is it going? That's so much freakin' milk.
LLAMAS!
This may have been the highlight for me. We saw alpacas and so many llamas.
This guy was my fave, and he was a totally camera whore.
Can you believe there was a llama costume contest that just HAPPENED to be the day we were there? I think Nick secretly planned that. Way to go, Nick! I normally don't like dressing animals up in clothing but something about how absolutely off the top ridiculous this contest was made it a must-see. There were about 10 contestants with some rather elaborate get-ups.
This girl-and-llama set was one of my faves. I love clowns AND llamas. WIN!
I think the following photo might come back to haunt this boy facebook-style in a few years. Boy groom and llama bride? His first girlfriend has a pretty high bar to rise to, eh?
This last pair won the contest. That wee beast is wearing GLOVES AND SHOES! It was also the most well behaved, chill animal of the group. Gotta love alpacas!
I'll end my llama section with this absolutely adorable baby llama. So cute you almost forget he's sleeping on a blanket of dirt and poo.
The Rides
There are a TON of rides at the fair, but we only went on a few.
We of course went on Ye Old Mill, a 96 year-old water ride. It as kind of what you'd expect in a old tunnel of love or something like that - mostly dark with occasional really awful displays and bright blue water. 100% awesome.
We also went on the Sky Ride from one end of the fairgrounds to the other, which gives one a really cool bird's eye picture of the event. In other words, you can really see just how many gobs of people there really are swarming around. 110,931 on the Wednesday we were there, to be precise.
The Exhibitions
The exhibitions may have been my favorite. Wait, weren't the llamas my favorite? No, the corn dog was. Ohhhh, I can't decide.
The exhibitions were absolutely fantastic, even for non artsy-folk. I will return each year if and only if to see the Art exhibit. Quite a few Ae artists had work on display and I was tickled to even see a few works we've shown at the gallery before. Minnesota in no way lacks for talent, creativity or expression. Lots of amazing artwork in the Fine Arts building and there was also some also amazing craftsmanship in the Creative Activities exhibit.
The Eco-experience was also pretty awesome, even if you're not a pinko commie liberal. We also got a free reusable grocery bag by posing for the following picture. You were supposed to write a little reason on the card. I wanted to write "I love bag" but Nick said I should add "& the earth." So I did.
The Great Minnesota Get Together
They call the State Fair "The Great Minnesota Get Together" and they are right when they say you cant go to the fair without running into at least a few folks you know. Even though there was over 100,000 people there we still saw quite a few friends out and about, also enjoying the craziness.
So... that about sums up my first State Fair experience. I had an awesome time and will probably go again.
You should come with me. We can share cheese curds.
A Whole New Mind
Read one of the most practical and enjoyable books I've read since reading Emotional Intelligence... A Whole New Mind.
It was suggested reading for my summer class, but I brought it to the cabin to read over the weekend and couldn't put it down once I started.
If I could, I would buy one for everybody on the board at Ae. Instead I'll have to pass around my copy.
Artistic friends: read this book. It will boost your self esteem and give you practical advice on how to sell your creative skills.
Analytic friends: read this book for ideas on how to encourage and stimulate your creative side.
Whole-minders: read this book and rejoice with me as we take over the world. ;)
A brief writeup from Daniel Pink's Site:
"Lawyers. Accountants. Computer programmers. That's what our parents encouraged us to become when we grew up. But Mom and Dad were wrong. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind. The era of "left brain" dominance, and the Information Age that it engendered, are giving way to a new world in which "right brain" qualities-inventiveness, empathy, meaning-predominate. That's the argument at the center of this provocative and original book, which uses the two sides of our brains as a metaphor for understanding the contours of our times.
In this insightful and entertaining book, which has been translated into 18 languages, Daniel H. Pink offers a fresh look at what it takes to excel. A Whole New Mind reveals the six essential aptitudes on which professional success and personal fulfillment now depend, and includes a series of hands-on exercises culled from experts around the world to help readers sharpen the necessary abilities. This book will change not only how we see the world but how we experience it as well. "