Revisiting The Bridge.

Today was the day I was scheduled to do my CNN "Everyday Heroes" interview. I had been talking on and off with the segment producer Kathleen Toner since right after August 1st. Again, the agreement was I would tell my experience leading up to and through the 35W bridge collapse and how it related to the actions of Jeremy Hernandez. Jeremy, for those of you who don't know, was the amazing young man who was on that school bus(that fell with the bridge and landed on the roadway behind me) and who sprung immediately into action-getting all the kids off the bus.

A couple weeks back, Kathleen had cautiously broached the subject of exactly where (location-wise) they had hoped to tape my interview. She wanted to shoot me as close as possible to the location it had all happened...the bridge. Because I was to be there honoring Jeremy and his heroics, I immediately agreed. My only conditions were that it been done around my work schedule and I didn't want any onlookers during the interview. She was 100% agreeable and understanding.

Now keep in mind, I declined ALL live and taped interviews and only talked to a handful of journalists about that day. I've never even fully discussed it with family and friends-that, you should know was how this whole blog thing got started(see posts 1 & 2.) So, know that I felt pretty damn strongly about honoring this true young hero.

Today was finally(as of 2 days ago) gonna be the day and I have really made a concerted effort over the last couple weeks-NOT to discuss or even think too long about that day. I just wanted to openly tell the events of that day this one time, as I best remember it. The thought of having to tell this on camera was beginning to feel like having to go to the dentist. I do my best to divert my thoughts and tell myself by this time tomorrow it'll be all done with.

As of last night the shoot was to be done after my workday, around 5:30pm or so. However, Kathleen called and said they were worried about the light, that the sun would be going down and ....could I maybe do it over my lunch break? Knowing that I was going to have a fairly manageable morning at work, I told her I could do it as early as 11:00am. She was flabbergasted and thrilled at the same time, it made me kinda laugh. Kathleen had sent an e-mail marking the intended spot of the taping-it was the River Parkway('River Road')-right were I was that day, along with the bus.

Well, she had scouted the area for the last few days and talked with the powers that be at the bridge and when I called her after work-she said we'd probably shoot from the 10th Avenue Bridge(which parallels the site.) I arrived at around 11:30am and met them at the Red Cross building above the bridge site. Her cameraman and sound guy where in a large black SUV, Kathleen and I road with a MNDOT "media escort" in his small economy car to the 10 Avenue bridge(which has been closed to the public since the collapse.) After clearing all the police check-points we drove to the center of the bridge and set up our shot overlooking the River Road parkway below, 35W and the river.

I had built up nervous energy most of the morning and leading up to meeting. When I got to the side of the bridge and looked through the chain link fence; I saw the entire collapsed span in one clear view...one end to the other. The remnants of the bridge and roadway are now without any vehicles, lying alone along the massive line of destruction. The many pieces of roadway are being deconstructed by an army of construction workers. The area around the bridge now features new sets of wooden stairwells that lead down the riverbanks to the river from the River Road above. Obviously made to handle the constant stream of workers and officials who need easy access to every area of the collapse. On the north/west end of the collapse, down in the Mississippi, they have built a giant sandbar stretching from the river bank to the bridge pieces. The view, still powerful and indescribable, brings back the initial shock of that moment. I grab the 10th Avenue bridge railing tightly with my right hand as I continue to scan the scene below.

After having to wait out planes, helicopters and jackhammers-we filmed the segment. It was strange and uncomfortable in many ways. I was asked to retell certain parts of my experience, 2 or even 3 times because of noise interruptions. Kathleen or even once-the camera guy, fed me general questions to respond to..."Describe how you ended up where you were", "How does it feel to be back here for the first time?" and so on.

I think we wrapped up in under 45 minutes and overall I only had 2-3 emotional moments. I took the opportunity of being in that location to snap a few photos. It really felt good when it was all over and done with, I breathed a big sigh of relief.

The first one looks directly down onto the spot where the bus sat on the broken road(the back side)
and where I had stopped my car. They have jackhammered away the road surface where the bus and semi
had previously sat. There's construction equipment where my car was on River Road.
You can see a set of the new stairs behind that.

The second one looks towards the north end of the bridge.
The new sandbar is on the west side(top) of the north bridge deck.

The final photo is just another view of where I was from the 10th Avenue bridge,
through the chain link fence.

Here are my original photos from that day:

First one-taken from the vantage point of the back of my car, looking east.
You can see the 10th Ave bridge in the background.

Second one looks from where I was on River Road to the north end of the collapse,
across the river. Again you can see the 10th Ave bridge in the background.

Political Hypocrites

Yet again another right wing fanatic, who is out of touch with their own reality, has been caught with their "hand in the cookie jar." I just love how fine upstanding folks like religious zealot Ted Haggard, Merritt Island State Rep. Bob Allen, and Idaho Senator Larry Craig spend their lives spewing endless hatred and misinformation about the GLBT(Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender) community and then get caught participating in same sex activities.

They deny their true sexual identities and continue to live a life of lies and deceit. Meanwhile they work overtime to spin their deviant behavior into something that was somehow forced upon them by the evil gays. Instead of acting like grown mature adults and taking responsibility for their own actions-they desperately try to make themselves out as some sort of victim. They continue their hate parade against the GLBT community and try to somehow convince folks it's all part of some gay conspiracy or some such nonsense.

Because of their high profile deviant behavior the media goes into overdrive and tries to spin it in every possible way-and more often than not try to convince folks that their behavior is indicative of the GLBT lifestyle. Let me assure you here and now, being openly gay myself, this is NOT normal behavior for anyone-let alone someone who is gay!

Cruising bathrooms and picking up prostitutes is deviant behavior-out of the norm! ALL gay people do not randomly cruise for sex in public places, nor do all gay people pay people to have sex with them! We lead normal everyday lives just like heterosexual folks. Just like with straight folks, there are always going to be those who participate in deviant-out of the norm behavior. Yet for some reason, whenever there is a high profile case of some dumb-ass participating in this type of deviant behavior, the media loves to make broad sweeping generalizations about an entire community of people. Why is it when a deviant act is perpetrated among heterosexual people, the media doesn't make the same broad judgements against the heterosexual community at large?!

What really angers me about Larry Craig is that he has always been "Mr. Family Values" and yet still today he is not willing to be accountable to his own actions. Yet still today he continues his behavior of lying and deceiving his wife and three children. At the very least, Mr. Craig, show an ounce of respect and maturity towards your very own family and start the healing process within your family. By continuing to put forth the smoke and mirrors-avoiding the truth, you only continue to disrespect and hurt further each member of your own family.

This is Mr. Craig's official statement AFTER he was exposed in the media:
Statement of Senator Craig

Let me just reiterate; the actions of a few do not represent an entire community at large! Be careful in passing broad sweeping judgements when it is only one person who must be accountable for their actions!

For more detailed information on the Senator Craig case check out the following link:
http://www.towleroad.com/2007/08/larry-craig.html

The official response to all this from the National Gay And Lesbian Task Force:
http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0828-04.htm

The Pathetic Little Quick Fix

Senior citizen gone bad:

Finally a good use for cell phones:

These capitalists idiots are "on the road" to hell!:

Karl Rove the cute little cartoon character:

Just another reminder never to travel with more than $10,000:

Open letter to General Pace-"arrest Bush"-now that's a true love letter to us all.

Guns, what are they good for? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!:

OK, it's alright to think it, it's quite another thing to actually act on it!:

Great, just what we need-another reason to fear dentists:


Amy, Amy, Amy!:
Bloody Hell!:

Thank goodness Perez can kiss it and make it better!?:

How To Have Fun At The State Fair: Part Two

And thus, the journey continues. Welcome back to Jay & Kitty at the Fair. Let's pick right back up where we left off inside the Creative Activities Building where we just reveled in Kitty's big cake win. Once you have had time to peruse all the marvels of crafty Minnesotans move on into the "annex" which is filled with a variety of vendors hawking their wares. The first booth you encounter will be that of legendary pitchman Chef Harvey, who demonstrates and sells the Swiss Pro Peeler-a vegetable & fruit peeling wonder to behold. If you're fortunate Chef Harvey himself will be doing the demonstration which extols the wonders of this compact kitchen tool and in the end he'll throw in an assortment of other tools for a "State Fair only" package that will have you rushing the table, cash in hand.

Continue to wander the annex and you'll discover the Gedney Pickles booth, where you can get your free pickle hat. You'll also find the Elvas Jewel Joy Ring Cleaning booth which offers their "no ammonia ring cleaner safe for all jewelry" and to prove it, they will clean any ring for only .25 cents right there on the spot. Now we have stopped by there every year to get our annual ring cleaning done and in years past it has been done by some charming older lady. This last couple years though it has been a young man(see picture) who has a lovely tattoo across his knuckles that spells out the "F-word". Don't let that discourage you though, he is always kind and polite and he does a damn good job getting your jewelry shiny and clean.

The annex will connect you up with our next destination, which is the Education Building. This building, obviously, is all about education in Minnesota and is filled with booths from all the academic institutions around the state as well as government agencies and various non profits. This is your opportunity to get all the free canvas bags, pencils, pens, rulers, stickers, magnets, buttons....you could ever want. Well that and lots of really great information, such as the absolutely free government handbooks on subjects ranging from taxes, rentals & landlords, telemarketing and how to buy your first home. Eventually you'll make it through the frenzied crowd(it does get crazy busy in here) and end up at the far end of the building which features
an expansive length of blue showcases that is filled with artwork done by school children grades "K through 12". This is your first look at the future great artists in our fine state and every single year you will be amazed at some of the talent our schools are putting forth. I must say this year has one of the most prolific group of artists from every single age group, both Kitty and I found ourselves doubling checking the ages of many artists. There are some mighty talented 2nd and 3rd graders out there. This is also a good way for us single folks, without kids, to connect with the younger generation and see what things have influence in their thinking.
Next up The 4-H Building ("Head, Heart, Hands, Health") which proudly extols the wonders of all that is 4-H and offers up a variety of displays showing the various projects the 4-Hers have done through the past year. From crafts and photography to bug collecting, you'll see just how invaluable this organization continues to be to our rural youth community. One highlight each year is the Minnesota 4-H State Art-in Performance stage production which performs 3-4 times each day through the duration of the fair. "For eight days in the beginning of August, 88 youth from all across Minnesota, ranging in age from 15 to 19, come together to create the stage, costumes, the songs and the energy..." which make up the yearly showcase. The show even features a live orchestra which is perched right above the main performance stage(see photo). It is always lively and enjoyable, plus a great way to rest those tired feet and legs. Did I mention it is totally free! Support this great rural youth program, go check it out.

Now it's on to The Fine Arts Building, the fairs showcase to Minnesota's artistic talent of all kinds. This is a juried show, so it represents a pretty broad variety of artwork in every medium possible; painting, photography, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, woodcarving and so on. It's a great place to get out of the elements(sun or rain) and see the artistic spirit of Minnesotans in action. Remember, "art is in the eye of the beholder", so you'll see things you'll love and lots of stuff you probably won't appreciate. But most every year you'll find some true surprises and discover some new talented artists.

The Progress Center Eco Experience is a showcase for cutting age technology and most recently all things ecological; from foods, clothing and building materials to new energy sources. It's a great way to educate yourselves on ways we as individuals can better our lives and the planet at large. Be sure to stop by and say 'hi' to the really stellar folks at Organic Valley Family Of Farms, they'll let you sample some of their fine products and you can meet some of the farmers who help produce them as well.

Alright, alright-let's get some food! You are now in the area of the fairgrounds known as The North Woods, there are no woods per say, but there is fun things to see and GREAT things to eat! One of our absolute favorite food stops is Giggles Campfire Grill, offering truly delicious
food and I must say-at excellent prices. They are THE place to come if you want Walleye! They have fresh walleye fries, walleye cakes and a foot-long walleye sandwich which is pretty dang tasty. Other offerings include Big game bratwurst (elk, buffalo, pork), elk burgers, salmon wrap, chicken tenders, salmon on-a-stick, breaded and fried chicken on-a-stick, porcupine meatballs on-a-stick (wild rice and ground pork), chocolate covered fruit in a boat, watermelon sherbet, raspberry sherbet and a fine assortment of beverages. The food is cooked fresh all day, every day and they have numerous picnic tables for you to sit and enjoy. Kitty went with the walleye cakes and I chose the coconut encrusted chicken tenders on a stick (which included a small side of papaya)-YUMMY! Most entree' items will only set you back $5-7, a supreme bargain even outside the fair for such delectable food items.

Things to see and do in the "north woods" include the IRONJACK Timber Team show, yes handsome burly men and strappin' cute gals demonstrate their lumberjack skills. Ron Schara's Minnesota Bound gives you the opportunity to meet the host of the television outdoors show as well as his beloved and adorable sidekick Raven. They also have a fully stocked gift shop where you can buy your very own Raven t-shirts and they do a couple daily performances which are totally free.

More food you say? Well look no further than the one, the only, the now legendary Carl's Gizmo Sandwiches. Gizmo sandwiches are loose beef and pork in a hoagie bun, topped with red sauce, mozzarella cheese and then baked...gooey, delicious nirvana! They also offer a loose meat burger and hot dogs...but be sure to try the Gizmo! They will gladly offer you a plastic knife so you can cut it in two and share it with a friend.

From here we reach the north end of the fairgrounds, home to the Twins Experience-all things Minnesota Twins(batting, pitching, a glimpse of the new ballpark and of course the pro-shop for all Twins merchandise needs.) Also this year is the Baseball American Game Fan Fest tent which features displays of vintage uniforms and photographs, as well as batting and pitching cages.

The Minnesota Pet Center is also located on the north end and here you can check out specific breeds of dogs and cats, see them in action and even watch some live pet surgeries(not recommended on a stomach full of fair food.)

In the west corner of the north end you will come across the X-Zone skate park, this is hosted each year by the 3rd Lair Skate Park and features Minnesota's finest skateboarders and BMXers doin' their thing. Unfortunately it was pouring down rain when we got there, so there was no show going on. 3rd Lair also has a gigantic storefront set up for all your skateboarding needs; t-shirts, shoes, stickers, boards and accessories. Great group-check 'em out!!

Heading back down the fairgrounds you enter Machinery Hill(though I don't think the fairgrounds formally calls it that anymore), which is filled with all things...well machinery. You'll find the latest in all-terrain vehicles, tractors, trucks, cars, tools and the like. Kitty and I like to select what vehicles we'd buy if we had endless financial resources and a huge country home. In days gone by, this area used to be the showcase for all things related to farming; tractors, combines, thrashing machines, silos and such...but with the decline in our family farms-this area has diversified to offer more gentrified machinery needs for the general public.

Throughout the fairgrounds you will find representation from every TV and radio outlet in the area. Each offering up their airwave personalities, usually broadcasting live and generally an assortment of wares for sales. Our favorite is FM107 which is a local talk radio station. They have an eclectic array of both local and syndicated personalities that truly appeal to the common folk, usually without all the heavy political or sports talk. From the endearing husband and wife team of Ian and Margery to the "drive-time divas"-gossip extraordinaries Lori and Julia(love 'em!) and even our own national celebrity and foodie Andrew Zimmern (host of Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel) along with his endlessly talented co-host Colleen Kruse (one of the all-time funniest local comedians and super babe!) These areas are another great way to give your barkin' dogs a break and take in some idle conversation, again for the very reasonable price of FREE!

Be sure to share the highlights of your day and just say "hi" to friends and family by sending your very own State Fair postcard. You can find official postcards at the various State Fair gift shops-the best of which is located at Visitors Plaza. The "plaza" is a great resting and meeting spot near the center of the fairgrounds and offers not only the gift shop, but also a full service post office and banking facilities(ATMS.) Once you purchase your postcards fill 'em out on the spot, address them to your lucky recipient and take them into the post office, where once stamped they will give it the official state fair postmark! It's a cheap, fun way to put a smile on someones face who couldn't be there with you.

Just across the street from the "plaza" is the Butterfly House (the former home to the legendary classic arcade-now sadly dismantled), which allows the visitors to interact in a room filled with butterflies. Sorry, not my "cup of tea" and both Kitty & I still hold a grudge against the Fair Association for kicking out the arcade folks and all their classic arcade games and fortune telling machine. Just behind the butterflies in the same building is a tiny remnant of the former arcade which features a hand full of classic photo booths and for only $3 you can capture your joy & excitement on a beautiful strip of 4 black & white photos. A MUST DO!!

What would a fair be without the midway! The MN State Fair offers not one but THREE separate midways; The Kidway is just below Machinery Hill and caters to the younger fairgoers. A family friendly assortment of kiddie rides that will thrill and delight the young ones-it's also a wonderful place to sit and watch the endless smiles and laughter. Then further south and west is the Carousel Park/Adventure Park which host-but of course a carousel along with an assortment of "extreme rides"-you know the "skyScaper", the "Sling Shot", a bungy jump thing and other devices sure to help you purge and scream at the top of your lungs.

Still further west is The Mighty Midway-the original midway, with all it's thrilling rides and beckoning barkers hawking there carnival games-it's the place of our childhood. Now it's been gentrified over the years; there are no more "adult show" stripper tents and the "freak shows" of human oddities and natural deformities are all long gone. But the midway still holds that magic charm that brings back the kid in all of us and you just can't help but smile as you walk along it's adorned pathways. At the far end of the midway, there is the new generation sideshow-World Of Wonders Palace Of Illusions, featuring amazing feats of "wonder" & "illusion"-sword swallowing, fire eating and the immortal strongman are but a few of it's offerings. I truly love their use of the classic sideshow painted banners, it really brings back such terrific memories; I can remember snake lady(a womans head with a snake body) or the frozen iceman like it was yesterday.

Let's go just north of the Mighty Midway and get a taste of the fair history by visiting the History Museum in Heritage Square. Heritage Square is a nostalgic little area that features vendors selling homemade soaps, leather goods, candles & woodwork alongside roasted nuts, turkey legs and kettlecorn popcorn. You should also patronize the Watkins booth, a Winona Minnesota company that has produced a wide array of home products since 1868. You'll find a great selection of both home baking and cleaning products alongside personal care products-all made from the finest ingredients and best of all you support a wonderful small town Minnesota company whose town was recently ravaged by the rain storms and floods. This area is also home to The History Museum-a must-see for all fairgoers. Most of it is housed in old railroad cars and it features a wide array of fair history & artifacts; from photos, pieces of exhibits and carnival rides, side-show artifacts, costumes and skates from the lavish ice shows that used to perform at the fair and wonderful insight in how the fair has changed and evolved over the years. DO NOT MISS IT!

There is also a small performance stage that showcases country, polka, folk and "old timey" music-check the daily schedule for list of performers. Also this year, there is a small tent that houses a traveling exhibit called the Honky-Tonk Hall Of Fame And Rock-N-Roll Roadshow. It features authentic stage clothing, instruments, awards and hand written letters and notes from recording artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and others. It's small & cramped but filled with interesting memorabilia and once again totally FREE.

Now what visit to the Minnesota State Fair would be complete without a visit to the Empire Commons Building to see the immortal butterhead sculptures. Yes, every year all the various princesses crowned at the fair are immortalized in butter-12 in all. In 1965, the American Dairy Association of Minnesota began its tradition of having the likenesses of dairy princesses sculpted in butter. For 36 of those years Linda Christensen has been creating these sculptures for the Minnesota Dairy Association at the fair. "Each sculpture is carved from a 90-pound block of Grade A butter. The butter blocks are produced at AMPI in New Ulm exclusively for this activity at the State Fair. They are packaged and transported to the fair in specially made containers." The temperature inside the rotating glass booth is kept at 38°F, thus the need for each princess to wear winter clothing during her 6-8 hour sitting. We were very fortunate to witness the first of the 12 sculptings, that being the one of Princess Kay Of The Milky Way-Ann Miron(waving to us in the picture.) You'll notice the other butter blocks on the outer ring showing the picture of the other princesses waiting to be immortalized.
What becomes of the sculptures after the fair? Well, each princess gets to take them home and most use them for community events (like a pancake feed) or even at their own wedding receptions. I don't know, having friends and even complete strangers hacking into your butter likeness kinda creeps me out. But such is the life of a Minnesota princess.

Also inside the Empire Building you'll find the Minnesota Dairy Association ice cream stand(as it were), which offers a very tasty selection of soft serve cones, sundaes and malts. Nothing like a chocolate malt on a hot summer day.

Beyond all the midway rides are a few State Fair only classics you must indulge in:
>The Giant Yellow Slide: This one is a true blast from the past that every single person, young or old should partake in. It is of course a giant yellow and green metal slide that you ride down on burlap sacks. At only a few bucks-you are guaranteed a quick thrill and a broad smile!

>The Skyride: This is a classic gondola ride which takes you over a couple different sections of the fairgrounds in either a fully enclosed gondola(the classic shown to the left) or the newer section that has a ski-lift type seat. I'd recommend the classic version as it goes over the area in front of the Grandstand and ends up at either Heritage Square or the Agriculture/Horticulture Building(depending on which starting point you choose.) The newer version takes you across Machinery Hill. It's a great way to get from "point a to point b" and gives you a nice view of the crowd below.

>Space Tower: Get a birds eye view of the Twin Cities with a ride on the Space Tower, you might remember seeing similar rides popular at fairs and expos in the 70's. It's basically a 340 foot high tower with a revolving platform that has two enclosed floors for seating. Once seated, the platform gently and slowly revolves around and up the giant metal pole and gives you a beautiful view of the landscape surrounding the fairgrounds. No seat is a bad seat as the entire platform revolves completely around going up and coming down.

>Ye Old Mill: Those looking for the immortal "tunnel of love" look no further, for 92 years this serene little boat ride has been enchanting folks in the heart of the fairgrounds. It's little red boats will gently take you through a long dark tunnel, accentuated only occasionally by small lighted dioramas of garden gnomes or some inane thing. This is perfect for young and old looking for a quiet moment of solace to cuddle, smooch and perhaps even sneak a little kiss.

>Other Stuff: Other attractions you'll find each year at the fair include; The Haunted House, River Raft Ride, Pirate Tag(an air gun target game above the River Raft ride), Robot Combat(a fighting robots arena show), Go Carts(new this year), Little Farm Hands(a hands-on children's exhibit to help children learn about farming), The DNR Building(an interactive exhibit about Minnesota nature and the outdoors-features an immense fish pond), International Bazaar(a wide variety of international vendors-food & products), The Grandstand (home to not only the big live shows, but inside is a giant expo featuring a WIDE variety of vendors hawking their wares), The Miracle Of Birth Center(go see little baby farm animals and sometimes even live birth), plus don't forget the variety of live entertainment stages-a daily schedule is available at the various information booths throughout the fairgrounds.

Food Wonderful Food!: Here's some quick little food recommendations
every fair goer should take to heart.

>Bring a big bottle of water with you, it will help keep you hydrated and save you some money on beverages so you can spend it on the important stuff-FOOD.

>Pronto Pups are the original corn dog at the fair-corn dogs, really-need I say more.

>Grilled Corn-on-the-Cob-the absolute best is near the grandstand-next to that gator place. Hey it's a vegetable after all, right?!

>Nitro Ice Cream located inside the Food Building has delicious-made on the spot(with the use of liquid nitrogen) vanilla ice cream and they offer a delicious choice of cones made either from chocolate chip cookie dough or a pretzel version which is de-licious!

>Wild Rice Gourmet Burgers also located in the food building offers a freshly grilled cheeseburger that is made with Minnesota wild rice-out of this world tasty.

>Blue Moon Dine In Theater is one of the most clever and well done dining experiences at the fair. Not only does it feature a killer breakfast menu(can you say Belgium waffles!), an assortment of hot dogs(they even have a "peanut butter hot dog" this year-hmmm), hamburgers, popcorn chicken(served with popcorn) and a fab drink menu(hello cherry limeade!)...BUT, the dining area is made up of old car seats all facing a giant movie screen where they show old movies, cartoons and shorts all day. Great food, perfect place to rest and relax.

>Well there are so, so many other things to eat yourself silly around the fairground; cheese curds, Sweet Marthas cookies, kool-aid soaked pickles, mac n' cheese on a stick, sloppy joes on a stick, cream puffs, pork chops on a stick....endless are the choices, but choose well, pace yourself and DON'T forget the antacids!

That wraps up our little tour of the great Minnesota State Fair. Don't forget to take advantage of the many information booths throughout the fairgrounds they will offer free guides to daily events, deals drawings & giveaways as well as free maps and advice. ENJOY!

How To Have Fun At The Fair: Part One

The opening of the Minnesota State Fair is a big darn deal for my sister Kitty & I-we go opening day every year. Kitty has even started entering a cake into the fair baking competition every year, but we'll get to that later.

Each year we have a certain routine we generally follow; places we go and in what order. So I'd like to offer you Kitty & my version of visiting the Minnesota State Fair-a guide if you will. For those who have been before-it might open your eyes to things perhaps you've never seen. For those of you who have not gone & plan to-this should help you get the most out of your experience. To all others-just live vicariously through us and enjoy the mental journey.

This year, for the first year, I took some digital pictures to help illustrate the journey. Unfortunately I missed some shots and will fill in more pictures over the next few days.

OK, the best thing to do is go early in the morning as you'll have a little more breathing room and stuff will be clean and fresh. Plus there are many great breakfast options:

• There are numerous church dining halls serving good old fashioned full breakfasts for a reasonable price. Don't over-eat right away though!
  
• There are also many sit down fast food options, the best being The Blue Moon Dine In Theater(more on them later.)
• But nothing quite beats a great cup of coffee on a cool fair morning, along with a bag of mini donuts. There are two classic donut vendors; Tiny Tim Miniature Donuts and our personal favorite Tom Thumb Donuts. As for coffee, again many choices-our favorite is The Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop. They have a full range of coffee house coffees. use fair trade products and the staff is always stellar. Plus their prices are as good as any coffee shop outside the fairgrounds.

Once you have some fuel in you-it's time to get your day goin'. First stop, The Administration Building. Just walk in and right inside the door you'll find a receptionist's desk which will have a galvanized bucket filled with this years State Fair pin-grab one(they're totally FREE!), pin it on and away we go!

Our next stop is the Agriculture And Horticulture Building where we visit the Crop Art Show. This is a classic exhibition of artwork created by the use of seeds grown in Minnesota. For many years Lillian Colton was the matriarch of the show-she was the quintessential artisan of crop art and her many works lined the walls as she gave live demonstrations of the process. This past March Lillian passed away, ninety something years old, and the fair has assembled a wonderful photo tribute showing her in her home which was basically one large crop art studio. A sampling of her original works also still hangs on the wall. But you can certainly miss her presence at the demonstration table. Her legacy lives on each year with a new batch of amateur crop artists(young & old), who immortalize a wide variety of subjects in the craft she perfected.

Another area of this same building is the bee & honey section-here you'll find the Honey Candy stand, home to the honey stick. The honey stick is a plastic "pixie stick" like tube that contains a delicious serving of pure honey, available in a variety of flavors. For $1 you can get 5 tubes of your choosing, from sour cherry, cinnamon, watermelon...to root beer-these are tasty little pick-me ups you can have during the day ahead. The honey section of the bulding also sells every variety of locally produced honey available(you can get taste samples!) and makes a homemade honey ice cream and lemonade that is outta this world!

Feel free to tour the other sections of the Agriculture and Horticulture building; flower arranging, apple competitions, scarecrows, Christmas trees, Minnesota produced products, wine competition as well as vegetables and other agie-horticultural oriented things.

Now comes Kitty's most anticipated stop of the day, The Creative Activities Building. Home to all the "creative activities" you can think of, woodworking, knitting, sewing, crafts...and of course the baking activities. As mentioned before, Kitty started entering the "cakes with shortening" baking competition-more specifically the "white with egg whites" category. Each specific category gets any number of entry's by any number of people. They have a giant, multi-shelved, cooler that features a select number of the top cakes in each category; Usually the four ribbon winning cakes(1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th), plus one or 2 runner-ups. Now the very first year-Kitty didn't get a ribbon, but had her cake displayed in the case. The second year, she actually placed 4th-won a ribbon and got $5(yes five)! The third-last year...well, she was sad the rest of the day-she didn't even make the case. This year....well, can you say Kitty has the 2nd best white cake with shortening and egg whites" in the entire state of Minnesota?! The cakes are displayed with their ribbons, but no names(you must look at the posted winners list at the front of the building)-so at first she didn't think she had even made the case, but I swore the '2nd place winner is yours!' We ran and checked the list, "2nd place Kitty Danz"! Let's just say many pictures were taken and she floated the rest of the day. Oh yea, she got a dark red ribbon and $7(seven)! AND BRAGGING RIGHTS FOR A WHOLE YEAR!

Well kids, it's super late and I am very tired. So I'm sorry to say we will have to put the great State Fair journey on hold until tomorrow.
But check back 'cause there's lot's more fun to come!

Celebrating the last days of summer with "Concrete and Grass"

What could be better than free music on what will be some of the last days of summer?! For those of you still scared of St Paul, DON"T BE! Our streets are paved and it's an easy exit off of 94 east onto 7th Street-so pick your butts up off of the couch and come down and get to know downtown St Paul and your neighbors across the river. The website has complete directions & maps(just click this postings headline.)

The Pathetic Little Quick-Fix tm

Amy Quits Rehab:


Amy Cancels Tour:


Macalester College In St Paul Named Most Gay Friendly:


Janeane Garofalo To Join '24':


More Fun With Products From China-"Poison Pajamas":


13th victim finally recovered from bridge collapse:


Beware Naked Women With Hammers:


Silly Man-Ninja Stars Are Not For Kids:


Gosh, Do You Think He's Got Something To Hide?:


No "Green Screen" This Time Bub:


Would Someone Please Drop Pete Off Of The "End Of The Earth" & Be Done With Him Already?!

Lily Allen Hates George Bush...Wow-Who Doesn't:

Troubled bridge over water: Part three-The bureaucracy

This is true bureaucracy at it's finest. A very disturbing inside look at just who's in charge & the inner workings of our local transportation infrastructure.

Click on this postings title heading to be taken directly to the article in the Sunday Star Tribune.

American artists do Picasso-last call

This is your last call to see the remarkable Picasso and American Art exhibition at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. The show comes to a final conclusion on September ninth.

"The walker will offer extended hours during the last four full days of the exhibition:

Due to popular demand, Picasso and American Art will have extended hours for its final four days.

Thursday - Saturday, September 6-8, 10am - 10pm
Sunday, September 9, 10am - 6pm"

It is the first truly profound exhibition the Walker has had in many, many years. The show, organized by The Whitney Museum of American Art, features ..."30 works by Picasso as well as a wide-ranging display of works by nine American artists: Max Weber, Stuart Davis, Arshile Gorky, John Graham, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, David Smith, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jasper Johns. Each will be represented by approximately 10 artworks spanning their careers. In addition, works by Marsden Hartley, May Ray, Louise Bourgeois, Jan Matulka, Robert Motherwell, Andy Warhol, and Claes Oldenburg, among others, will be on view."

Anyone with even the most remote interest in art needs to see this stunning show. Besides being surrounded by so many Picasso works, the Jackson Pollock paintings were striking and unique to most of the work we generally associate with him. The entire show will have you spellbound from one piece of work to the next.

Coming soon: Frida Kahlo October 27-Jan 20, 2008
Walker Art Center
This will be the premiere showing of the 100th anniversary touring exhibit, organized by the Walker in association with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Damn! Is the Walker finally getting it's shit together and returning to it's former glory days of being a ground breaking art facility?! Perhaps they are beginning to realize that they have alienated so many former rabid supporters(i.e.-ME!) by building such a horribly thought-out new building and the unforgivable destruction of the world renowned theater space-the old Guthrie. Well the afore mentioned exhibits are a good start....but they still have a lot of ground to make up in my book.

Getting their immortal head outta their asses and losing the inflated egos would be a great place to start. There is a whole new generation of remarkable artists out there in this big old world and it would be great if the Walker started supporting some of them.

One week until State Fair bliss!

In just one week, the Minnesota State Fair will open it's gates to the throngs of fair goers anxious to celebrate the last days of summer. Well that and eating ourselves silly!

In the past week however, the fairgrounds were slammed by two intense back-to-back storms and quite a bit of damage was inflicted throughout the grounds. From downed trees, flipped over food booths to roofs being torn from both the grandstand and the legendary Ye Old Mill (a fixture of the fairgrounds since 1913)-it was a harsh blow to everyone working hard to get things ready for opening day. But fair officials assure us "YES!! We will be ready and open at 6 a.m. on Aug. 23rd!" Crews have been working overtime this past week to remove fallen trees and get as much of the repair work done to the various structures affected by the storm as they can.

My sister Kitty and I have made it a yearly tradition to be there on opening day-when everything is new and clean. It's certainly the best day to go as gate admission is $3 off and the crowds are generally a tad bit smaller. Kitty will also be entering her now famous white cake with butter cream frosting, her cake actually made it into the display case one year and won a ribbon to boot! I definitely see a first place blue ribbon in her future.

The fair represents the end of summer, but what a great way to celebrate it's demise! There are a ton of things to see and do, the array of food offered for consumption is legendary and the people watching is unparalleled.

I will give you a full report next week on all the best things to do, see and of course eat.

To get more information-just click on this post's heading and it will take you directly to the official state fair site.

Troubled bridge over water: Part Two

There are still four known victims with the rubble/river of the 35W bridge collapse, their family and friends must still deal every day with not only their loss-but that they are still missing. Their information is listed in the post below-please, keep their family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

Yesterday, Tuesday August 14th, MN/DOT unveiled the preliminary plans to rebuild the 35W bridge(click this post heading to see their plans.)

First of all, please again take note that there are still four known victims missing. I would very politely request of MN/DOT to please, table this discussion until we have completely finished ALL recovery efforts. Table ALL public discussion, retract current press release(s) and hold off on ALL future press releases regarding the re-building efforts until such a time ALL victims families are given closer. That does not mean you cannot continue to work on rebuilding efforts behind closed doors. That does not mean you cannot continue to work with any of the companies that have put forth a rebuilding proposal to carefully analyze what each is proposing to do.

It does mean you should publicly be more respectful of the ongoing recovery efforts!

As much as I would love to jump into this discussion about what you put forth as your rebuilding proposal-it is not the right time. As much as your proposal caused me to toss and turn last night and ultimately cost me valuable sleep-it is not the right time.

I'll just say this in summary; do not act in haste. I realize we have a severed major artery & lifeline in regards to transportation within the Twin Cities right now and we need to make that reconnection. However, it must be done right the first time. It must be rebuilt with great consideration to both our current and future transportation needs. Most importantly, it must reflect who we are as a community and it must not take lightly the great loss we have suffered because of this tragedy.

The people that make up the fabric of this community are strong and we will do what it takes to get by for now. Yes, traffic is a mess-all roadways are even more congested than before-it is a HUGE inconvenience to many, many people...but we will make the best of it for now. We all want to be part of this rebuilding, but only when the time is right to move forward and only if we take the time to think it through clearly and do it right.

Still missing

As of this date, they are reporting the following known victims of the 35W bridge collapse are still missing:










Greg Jolstad










Scott Sathers










Christina Sacorafas










Vera Peck

Please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers.

Troubled bridge over water

Talk amongst yourselves.

Sleep on it.

We'll talk tomorrow.

I've been Simsonized!

In case you've been livin' in a cave, The Simpsons Movie is in a theater near you & I can't recommend it enough! It is nothing ground breaking, basically it's a big screen-extended length version of The Simpsons TV show and it is a blast.

There are tons and tons of promotions out there to promote the movie and one of the most unique concepts is Burger Kings "Simpsonizer". Go to the following link and upload a photo of yourself (see the sight for the required photo specifics) and within minutes your picture will come back "Simpsonized!."

http://simpsonizeme.com/

My friend Irma did the one of me you see here, a darn good rendering if you ask me, the t-shirt rocks (though she forgot my soul patch.) Doh!

Thinking out loud: Locker room mysteries

Several years ago I did a very wise thing, I joined a local gym. It has taken a few years to get myself into a regular routine, but I've gotten pretty good about going at least 3-5 times a week. My goal is simple-just maintain my body; I don't have any desire to bulk up & take a bunch of pills and powders, I just want to fend off the immortal beer belly and keep things from sagging as I age.

There are a couple things about the gym experience that both annoy and quite frankly perplex me. First; why is it that the more out of shape/sagging, hairy or later in years you are-the more likely you are to hang out in the locker room completely and utterly naked? Every single day I enter the locker room there is at least one or more unsightly exhibitionists going about there entire locker room routine sans towel and completely naked. Shaving, brushing their teeth, drying their hair...they prance around without a care in the world. Now, I'll give 'em credit for being so utterly comfortable with their appearance-they don't worry about what anyone else thinks, but what about everyone else? Shouldn't they care about our comfort level? It's very disconcerting and uncomfortable, VERY!

Keep in mind our gym also clearly posts, in several places throughout the locker room, signs that say "all members must wear at least a towel at all times while in the locker room area." Yet I have never seen anyone enforcing that rule-and I'm sure as hell not comfortable in confronting the exhibitionists! All I can do is look away and hope the image is soon burned from my memory.

The second thing that just drives me CRAZY in the locker room-are these guys who use these "body sprays." Let me preface this by saying that yes, I am very sensitive/allergic to heavy perfumes and colognes-including the "body sprays." Regardless, why is it OK to spray these things with wild abandon in this type of setting, with other people sharing the same space?! First of all, I have yet to smell one of these sprays that actually accentuates a persons odor-they all smell like aerosol deodorant; like some sort of aluminum based chemical or even a household cleaning product. Yet these guys obviously buy into those marketing campaigns that claim it will drive women wild-that they will take one wiff and immediately pounce on you. It's complete and utter nonsense!

You most certainly can identify anyone using a body spray, they reek of the stuff and I mean smell BAD! I seriously would love to talk with anyone who finds this attractive in any way. How about perhaps, I don't know, using SOAP and WATER?! Please, stop the madness!

End of an era: Part Two

I'd also like to take this time to recognize another legendary talk show host, whom we also lost recently:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/arts/television/30cnd-snyder.html?ex=1187064000&en=9a61702d185721de&ei=5070

Once again I can vividly remember watching this show with my mom, staying up late on a school night so I could watch The Plasmatics. "The Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder". Wendy did the interview with her classic look; electrical tape over her nipples. I just remember looking at the TV and glancing back at my mom-she was so cool under pressure, she never let me see her disgust and horror. She sat there calmly and very coy.

I loved Tom because he never compromised in my book, he was who he was; every time-all the time. Keep doin' your thing Tom.

Sophia & Alexander: Little siblings, big hearts

A really touching picture and article.

There's hope for this world yet.

http://www.startribune.com/218/story/1355645.html

End of an era: Part One

We have lost yet another classic personality from my generation, an icon of the entertainment industry and a hugely successful businessman. I remember watching his daytime talkshow with my mom when I was very little, he was pretty damn cool in his day.
http://www.merv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=122

Hope they give you lots of fancy linings in your suit coats up there Merv.

Part Two: The day after; 'I don't know what to say, I don't know how to act'

After the initial barrage of phone calls from friends and various media outlets, I decide it best to plug in my answering machine and turn off the ringer. 'This is Jay, I can't take your call right now-but I want you to know I'm OK. Please leave a message.' The message was somber and straight forward.

I watched about an hour of the media coverage, flipping from one channel to the next-trying to get the broadest view of what had happened before my eyes just a few short hours ago. I need to go to bed, I have to work at 6am...I can't possibly sleep right now, my mind is still spinning. I'm amazed at the parade of people, who where either there on the bridge or in the general vicinity when it happened, standing before the lights and cameras-able to give their account of the tragedy...so soon. Most were calm and somewhat articulate, a few tears flowed...but most were calm. I would be in complete hysterics if I tried to relate my point of view right now...how can they do it? Why would they want to do it?...It's too soon, too raw...they all seem to grasp the events that have transpired...I still don't understand...there is no common logic to describe and justify it....I don't know how to put it in clear concise words yet....it's still too much too grasp....

I shut off the TV and walk out to my back porch, as I pass my answering machine in the kitchen I can hear it click into action-recording yet another message...the number listed as "private call" on my caller ID. I look at the message count-12...I hear it click into action yet again...13....

I sit on my darkened porch, smoking cigarette after cigarette-staring blankly into the night outside. It's probably somewhere around 11:30pm or so...I'd usually be in bed by 9-10pm on a work night. I try to sort through all the details swirling madly through my head, to put some order to the events...figure out what I saw, what I did...what had happened. The whole bridge just fell...it only took seconds, SECONDS...I close my eyes over and over again-trying to get a grasp on the images, trying to gain some order to the events. It's useless, it's all just a giant jumble...I have all the pieces...I'm just not sure the correct order.

I find myself sobbing silently over and over again. Each time I would gain composer a new image would appear and I would again find myself sobbing...at times crying aloud.

At around 4:30 am I decide to begin my new day as normally as possible, I start my morning routine; make coffee, brush my teeth, shave, shower, dress for work. I have to go about my normal routine or I won't get through this...I have to keep moving forward. I pass the answering machine in the kitchen-57 messages, I start to assemble a normal breakfast; cereal, juice, toast, vitamins, allergy pills....I hope nobody at work saw my name in the paper...I just want to get through the morning as normally as possible. I go to the front porch and retrieve the morning paper, I quickly scan the front page...second column, bottom left...Jay Danz, 45, of St. Paul was on his way to the Metrodome...tears begin streaming down my face, I can feel my body shaking just a bit more than it has for the last 11 hours...Crap!...I really don't want to talk about it...I just want a normal day...crap!.

I manage to get through the morning with only brief comments about my experience. Those who know, see the hurt in my eyes and don't pursue further questioning.

As I arrive back home, Kitty(my younger sister with whom I share a duplex) is waiting for me on the front porch-she had been at work all night. We embrace and both immediately break down into sobbing babies. We walk into the apartment, I take her into the kitchen to show her the answering machine...91 messages. I press play "...this is Mary from Fox News...." -beep- "...this is Jenny from Fox News..." -beep- "...this is Ann from The Washington Post...." -beep- "...this is Stephannie from Fox News...." -beep- "...this is...from USA Today...." -beep- "this is Catherine from the Daily Telegraph..." -beep- "...this is Mary from Fox News again..." -beep- "...this is Kelly from ABC News..." -beep- "...this is John from NBC..." -beep- ........it goes on and on, I'm offered spots on almost every show Fox News has to offer, ABC said I can be on Good Morning America with Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer...I get calls from major news radio stations, public radio, local morning drive time shows in Boston, Los Angeles, New York and even Fargo, ND...most every major newspaper has called and even the Readers Digest wants my story....I keep the answering machine on.

I have no desire to be the face of this horrific tragedy and I know I would have a hard time clearly articulating the details without completely becoming a blubbering idiot. I truly don't know what to say or how I'm supposed to act. The phone continues to ring for the next few days, slowly dwindling to a few calls here and there, I'm relived when I can finally plug my regular phone back in and actually answer it myself. I did carefully choose a couple newspapers to tell my story, The Washington Post and The Daily Telegraph as I felt they had the broadest reach and everyone else could just steal it from the A.P. wires. I refused to do any live broadcast interviews or any on camera...I just would have felt...well 'icky' for lack of a better word. Fox News finally gave up on me.

I continued to keep to my daily routine; work, gym, read the paper, watch some TV...my friends and family were all very considerate of not asking me about it. They gave me the time to sort it out and find the best way to communicate the details to them. That is the ultimate purpose of this blog right now, this is the best way I can explain it to my family and friends. This allows me to help sort it all out in my head as best I can-this allows me to only have to really say it once.

Earlier in the week I had made plans to go shoot pool Friday night with one of my best friends, David, I hadn't spoke with him since the incident...I knew he wouldn't have been there as he works and lives in a different area of Minneapolis. I really needed to get out of the house and participate in a social activity, pool is one of my favorite things to do on the weekends. I met him at the bar at the previously agreed time, he made some idle chit chat about the bridge collapse-I just let him talk as I listened. We began our game of pool, conversation turned to the usual things; music, work, life in general.....he hadn't read the paper-he didn't know I was there...I can have a NORMAL evening out! I still haven't mustered up the courage to talk with him about it, but I do want to let him know just how great it was to have a NORMAL evening out...to not have to tell my story one more time. I'll probably send him the link to this blog, along with a heartfelt thank you.

CNN had initially approached me to be on a special segment they do about everyday heroes-they wanted to feature me and others who helped at the scene as "heroes." I stated that I was greatly humbled that they would even use the word "hero" to describe my actions, but carefully explained I did what I did because that's what my parents taught me, it's how any human being should react. I told them the real hero of that school bus was Jeremy Hernandez, the young man who was on that bus-who went through the same horrifying experience as all those children, yet sprung into action instantaneously-getting the back door open and getting everyone off that bus. He is the one who motivated me to spring into action, to lend a hand to the kids. He is the person they should truly honor and I would be happy to speak in honor of his heroism. 'We need more young people like Jeremy, we need to hold him up as a remarkable example to the youth of today...' They eventually agreed and plan to put together a formal tribute in the next few weeks.

I know if I had played the media game, that I too could have been part of the presidential photo ops and I too could revel in the attention and admiration of complete strangers from around the world...but that's just not me. I've never been one for attention, I am the classic "wall flower"...a true introvert. I'm more than happy to let others tell their stories and take the spotlight away from me.

One week to the day after the bridge collapse I received a call from an F.B.I agent, I had called and given my name to the N.T.S.B. as a witness to the collapse-as they had instructed in the local paper. He made it clear to me right away that the F.B.I. was only "...assisting the N.T.S.B. with the investigation as they were short handed and needed help with eye-witness interviews...nothing more..." It was pretty heady stuff to have an agent come to my door and show me his I.D.-like in the movies. I don't know how much I helped, I could only tell him what my mind could discern from the events of that day-it's still kinda convoluted and unclear. All and all he was very professional, kind and considerate to my situation and the aftereffects it has had on me.

The only reason I write my story in this blog today is so I don't have to verbalize these words, so those close to me who want to know-can. The healing process for me is to keep moving forward, to bring back as much normality to my everyday life as I can. I will never be the same person I was before this all happened, but I will use this to make me stronger-I will use this to better understand just how fragile the world around me can be. Yet how amazing my fellow man is when it comes to helping one another in the face of such horrific tragedy...how selfless so many people really are.

I intend to keep this blog active, as I had said before-it was something I had wanted to do previously. From this point on it will be about my daily observations about life in general, the things that inspire me, thrill me, irritate me...just general musings from one lowly guy who shares an enormous planet with billions of people. This will be my personal therapy, a way to work it all out in my head-to give myself a forum to simply vent about living life.

Please keep those people and families directly affected in your thoughts and prayers.

Talk to you soon.