And A Few Other Things....

Some Sunday afternoon thoughts....

1. Jeff George Seeks Comeback With Vikings. Remember Jeff George? George rallied the Minnesota Vikings to an 8-2 finish after replacing the injured Randall Cunningham at quarterback.................in 1999. He is seeking a comeback with the Vikings in.............2009. Jeff George, by the way, is now 41 years old. Here's a quote from the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

"I don't care about my age. I can still do the same things I did when I was 25. I'm so used to throwing against five, six, seven DBs. With Peterson, it's about the running game. Play-action passes will give you all the time to throw.

Then you're one-on-one with (Bernard) Berrian and (Sidney) Rice on the sidelines. How easy is that?"

Yes - just ask Tarvaris Jackson how easy that is. There's more. Jeff George claims he would have led the Vikings to a - get this - Super Bowl championship. Here's another quote from the Pioneer Press:

"There's no doubt about it," George said in an interview with the Pioneer Press on Friday afternoon. "Because of the type of defensive personnel they have, and when you have an Adrian Peterson ... you line him up with a veteran quarterback, who knows where to go with the ball, it's an unstoppable combination."

In a story posted earlier Friday, George told Yahoo.com that, if he were playing for the Vikings, "I guarantee I'd be wearing a ring right now."

Now, for those of you who don't remember Jeff George, he has never suffered from low self-esteem. He was the best quarterback that he ever met. This last quote, by the way, proves George is still delusional because anybody who has been paying attention knows it is cosmically impossible for the Vikings to win a Super Bowl. If Superman played Quarterback for the Vikings they'd finish 9-7 and lose in the first round of the playoffs - and Superman can fly!

I have to admit, however, that I am slightly jealous of Jeff George. It must be nice to have such a glorious (however delusional) self-image. It must be a nice way to go through life.

2. Twins Ballpark Construction Update. For those of you who have had a chance to drive by Target Field, the new ballpark for the Twins, you've probably noticed that it is really starting to take shape. For those of you who haven't had that opportunity, here is an excellent construction video that was posted on the Ballpark Authority web site. There are some pretty cool images and interesting discussion on the progress of the ballpark.

3. Tales From Schnoid-town (Sheboygan, WI). 3 DWI's in 3 days. Now, folks, I realize that DWI's are a very serious matter and I am not bringing this up to make light of the situation. I am simply amazed by this story. Check this out:

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. - A Washington woman arrested for drunken driving three times in three days while vacationing in Wisconsin has been sentenced to a month in jail.

Jo A. Trilling, 60, of Spokane, Wash., was arrested first at 2 p.m. March 11, 2008. A Sheboygan County Sheriff's Department deputy saw her try to drive out of a ditch near the Kohler-Andrae State Park entrance.

She wore only one shoe and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.21, authorities said. The legal driving limit is .08.

Twenty-four hours later, Trilling was arrested after her car got stuck in snow in a park campground that was closed for the winter. Trilling told an officer she had had four or six cups of wine.

Trilling spent 12 hours in jail. She was released and headed west to Cottage Grove in Dane County. She was arrested there a short time later after someone reported her driving "all over the road," according to a police report.

An officer found a partial bottle of wine in her car. She had a blood alcohol-level of 0.16. Court records released Wednesday show Trilling was sentenced last week to 30 days in jail and fined more than $3,000.

Here is the kicker. When stopped by police the second time, here is what the woman allegedly had to say to the police:

"I am still finishing up the box of wine in my car from yesterday," authorities reported she told the officer."

Yep - just finishing up that box of wine from yesterday that I happen to keep right here in the glove compartment! Doesn't everyone? There must be a way to have the tap stick out the key hole for easy pouring. I think what we have here is a "failure to understand the gravity of the situation." Very frightening.

4. Wild Playoff Chances Dwindling. With last night's loss to hated Calgary, the Wild's playoff chances are nearly gone. The proverbial Fat Lady ain't singing yet, but she's walking up to the microphone. A best-case playoff scenario for the Wild seems to be 8th seed and a series against the Detroit Red Wings. Great. It looks like the Wild players can get those golf clubs ready a little early this year.

Jeff

A Few Sports Notes.....

I haven't commented on sports quite as much as in the past, so here are a few notes to make up for that:

1. Joe Mauer sits out with back pain. I am putting my sports hope and faith in the Minnesota Twins this summer because the other Minnesota teams have all been a letdown since the mid-90's. The Twins have a chance to be very competitive this year, but the proverbial elephant in the room continues to be the Joe Mauer injury situation. As you may have heard, Mauer had minor kidney surgery in December and has been experiencing back pain since that time. He hasn't been able to practice in spring training and even though he seems to be feeling better, he will certainly miss some time when the 2009 regular season begins. The rumor seems to be about a month, or roughly 25 games.

The longer Joe Mauer is out, the more the Twins season will be negatively impacted. You don't remove one of the best defensive catchers in the game and a two-time batting champion and not feel the pain. I love Mike Redmond as a back-up catcher, but his skills diminish when forced to play every day. Plus, he hits about a 100 points lower than Mauer. Behind Redmond is all-hit, no-defense Jose Morales and all-defense, no-hit Drew Butera. (By the way, you know you're getting old when a guy you watched play in high school and college has his son playing Major League Baseball. Drew Butera is Sal Butera's son. Sal played pro ball from 1980 to 1988, largely for the Twins). So basically what I am saying is that for each day Joe Mauer misses this season, the Twins chances at winning the AL Central take a hit. And that, folks, is hard-hitting journalism.

2. Vikes could have had Jay Cutler? Tom Powers is reporting today in the St. Paul Pioneer Press that the Vikings could have traded for quarterback Jay Cutler of the Denver Broncos, but the trade was nixed by "some elements in the Minnesota coaching staff (that) weren't entirely sold on Cutler."

That "element," according to Powers, would be Brad Childress.

Now, don't get me wrong. Why would a team with future Hall of Famers Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfelds be looking for a new quarterback? Sounds crazy doesn't it? Here is what Powers had to say:

The Vikings showed interest in trading for Cutler before Tampa Bay became involved in a possible three-way deal involving New England quarterback Matt Cassel, who ultimately was traded to Kansas City, Yahoo.com reported today.

Citing two league sources, Yahoo.com said the Vikings would have traded draft picks to Denver for Cutler, and the Broncos would have acquired Cassel by dealing picks to New England.

"...the deal fell apart early on, after some elements in the Minnesota coaching staff weren't entirely sold on Cutler."

Now, I am not a General Manager, Coach or Owner of an NFL football team, but I do know this - the Minnesota Vikings need to worry about winning games, selling tickets and securing a new stadium, and not necessarily in that order. If this report is true, and Childress nixed this trade, the Vikings head coach has hitched his wagon (and his coaching future) to T-Jack and Sage Rosenfelds. He has possibly hitched Zygi's stadium hopes to that same rickety wagon. T-Jack and Rosenfelds ain't gonna sell tickets. Cutler would spark some interest and ticket sales among the fans and might even win a few more games for the Vikes. But, don't listen to me. I'm just a fan. I'm sure Chilly knows what he is doing, right?

3. Marian Gaborik returns to the Wild. To sum up the Wild's luck this year, they finally get Marian Gaborik back after a 64-game injury hiatus and then, in the very game Gaborik returns, Mikko Koivu (arguably the team's best player) gets injured. Typical. I will say that Gaborik's return has instantly upgraded the offensive ability of this team. He's already scored 3 goals and had a 4-point game in his first 3 games back with the team. It would be interesting to see where the Wild would be if Gaborik would not have injured himself in that fateful hacky-sack game. My guess is that they'd be a 5 or 6 seed in the playoffs rather than most likely missing them all together.

There is some hope that the Wild will be able to retain Gaborik after the season but I personally believe that "bridges have been burned" between he and GM Doug Risebrough. My guess is that Gaborik will sign a short-term contract with a more offensive-minded team (possibly hated Vancouver) to prove he can remain healthy. If he is successful, he'll sign with that team long-term. If this happens, the Wild will receive no compensation for him. And with the Wild's luck, Gaborik will proceed to become the next Wayne Gretzky.

4. The Timberwolves are still playing. Yep. When is the lottery?

5. Gopher Men's Basketball eliminated in NCAA Tourney. Hey, I have to add some positivity to this post. Even though the Gophers were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA tournament this year, I believe Tubby Smith has this team on the right path. With next year's recruits, I see a top-3 finish in the Big Ten and maybe even a couple of victories in the tournament. Small steps, people. Dan Monson had this team at rock-bottom, and it's taken a near biblical-effort by Tubby to get them back this far.

That's all for now.

Jeff

Crisis Averted

I spent a few hours Friday night at my neighbor Tito Jackson's house. We relaxed and had a few beers while my kids played with his kids. Things were going well until midway through the evening when my kids dropped a bomb on me that nearly ruined my night. They informed me that The Cookie Monster, arguably the greatest Sesame Street character (some say Grover), has been replaced by something called "The Veggie Monster." My kids informed me that, because cookies are unhealthy, Sesame Street decided to replace the Cookie Monster with another character who has the healthier habit of eating vegetables.

Now, folks, I have to admit that I have been in a rather fragile state lately. I have been dealing with national issues like the sagging economy, threats of terrorism, inflation and Sasquatch doubters. I am also dealing with wearing two contacts in each eye for the first time in my life and adjusting to how they "fit." By the way, I have already lost one of these expensive contacts in the men's bathroom at THE CHECK. I spent two hours looking for the contact while guys took dumps in that God-forsaken bathroom. No luck. Gone. But I digress.

Even though I am in a rather fragile mental state, I feel that I am dealing quite well with these national, international and personal issues. The Cookie Monster being replaced by "The Veggie Monster," however, is something that I was not prepared for. If this news is true, I cannot be held responsible for my actions. Has it come to this? Do we now live in an age in which the lovable Cookie Monster has been made into somthing evil and replaced with a monster who loves vegetables? Everyone loves cookies. Nobody loves vegetables. Let's just face the facts. What would happen if the Girl Scouts sold boxes of vegetables? They would go out of business. Enough said.

I decided it would be a good idea to research the issue before I nearly exploded with rage, . Since I had a good beer buzz at Tito Jackson's, I waited until until morning, when my mind would be clear, to look for the facts. I immediately Googled "Cookie Monster Veggie Monster," hoping nothing would come up. To my horror, pages of articles were available to access. OK - before I go any further, I am going to cut to the chase. I know people are on pins and needles.

It's an internet hoax.

Let's all calm down and take a deep breath. It turns out that Cookie Monster will not be replaced by a horrible Veggie Monster. It was just some ugly rumor perpetuated on the World Wide Web. The rumor caused such a groundswell of worry, however, that a petition was created and sent to PBS, informing them that they are a bunch of jack-asses. PBS responded to the petition by stating that there are no plans to change Cookie's name but he will, indeed, "cut down on the amount of cookies he eats, and enjoy more fruits and vegetables."

OK, so he's not changing his name. But I'm not sure if that last statement made me feel better or worse. It just wouldn't be the same to see the Cookie Monster shoving carrots down his throat. Maybe he'll drop some weight and become a skinnier cookie monster. Wouldn't that be great? Maybe he could go 100% organic! Fun! It truly is amazing we've all lived as long as we have. What, with evil cookies being around all this time.

I'm just glad we've dodged this bullet for now. But if I was Hamburgler, I'd be worried.

Jeff

Blast From The Past #4 - Teenage Fanclub

I have always enjoyed so-called "power pop" music. This type of music combines bubble-gum pop melodies of the '60's and '70's with the harder guitar sounds of today.

The Replacements, my favorite band of all-time, played this type of music, especially on their album "Tim," which they learned while growing up listening to Alex Chilton and Big Star. The early 1990's was a hey day for so-called "power pop," popularized by artists such as Matthew Sweet, The Lemonheads and The Plimsouls.

Nobody, however, perfected the power pop sound in the 1990's like the Scottish band Teenage Fanclub. Teenage Fanclub burst upon the music same around the same time as Nirvana, and a few critics actually claimed thier album "Bandwagonesque" was better than Nirvana's "Nevermind." Well, I don't know about that, but I certainly enjoyed their music back in THE DAY.

In case you haven't heard of these guys, here's a sampling of one of their tunes "Hang On." Enjoy.

Jeff

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here are some great tunes to help celebrate this St. Patrick's Day from one of the best bands to ever call Ireland home - The Pogues. Shane MacGowan certainly had more teeth back then!

By the way, Dools, if you are reading this, I read the article about your pub on Leader-Telegram online - very good stuff. I'll be in EC with Jase (at your pub) on draft day. See you then.

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Jeff

Sight Is A Good Thing

I have worn glasses since I was 7 years old. That's a long time considering Old Man Thompson is now 42 years old. In fact, the last picture of me WITHOUT glasses is the one that you see to the left of this post. It's a damn good thing that I am such a handsome devil in glasses since I have had them for so long. No question. I've always had fairly bad nearsighted vision, and an astigmatism. Those of you who grew up with me know that I have broken dozens of pairs of glasses throughout time while playing sports. This used to drive my mom to the brink of insanity because I always needed a costly replacement pair immediately so I wouldn't be rendered blind.

Even if I wasn't breaking glasses, I would still need a new pair of glasses with a stronger prescription every so often because my eyes got weaker with age, Nothing odd there. This continued over the years and I never thought much about it. Then, in my late 30's, my vision started to change in a different way. I was very sensitive to light, especially sunlight. My vision would blur and I'd often see "double" when looking at the text on road signs and such. I chalked this up to old age. The problem, however, was that new glasses were not correcting the problem. I'd get new glasses, and the problems would persist, which really sucked. I'd blame the Optometrists for being incompetent and try and find a second opinion. This continued until I was referred to Kennedy Eye Associates in Roseville, MN by a co-worker at THE CHECK.

Now, those of you that know me realize that I am petrified of doctors of any kind. Medical, Dental and Optometrists. Petrified. You see, when Jeff Thompson goes to visit any of these individuals, I find out something that I didn't know about myself (see "cholesterol").

The day I went to Kennedy Eye Associates in Roseville, MN, half-expected to get another bunk prescription, and half-expected to find out that I have a disease that will cause my eyes to explode. After a vision test that revealed my vision sucked, the doctor shined a flashlight in my eyes and declared "something is not right here." I was then put me through every test imaginable (including some space-age contraption that was devised in Ireland, of all places). You can imagine my mental state at this time. I thought we were leaning towards the "eyes will soon explode" determination. After a few minutes, which seemed like a decade, the doctor returned to the office and declared:

"You have Keratoconus."

OK - what? What the hell is Keratoconus, and when will my eyes explode? This was certainly not helping with my fear of doctors. Well, it turns out that Keratoconus is is a vision disorder that occurs when the normally round cornea becomes thin and irregular (cone) shaped. This abnormal shape prevents the light entering the eye from being focused correctly on the retina and causes distortion of vision. Here is a link to a web site that describes the malady and has a good video with images of what sight with Keratoconus is like. (Mine is not quite as bad as the video, by the way). The doctor that this this has affected both of my eyes for the last 10 years. I also found out that the best way to treat a person with Keratoconus is with special gas-permeable, hard contact lenses. These contact lenses help re-shape the eye to is normal position, and allow the patient to see.

Well, to make a long story tedious, after a few more trips to the eye doctor, it was determined that the best course of action for me, Old Man Thompson, would be to first place soft contact lenses in each eye for comfort and a hard contact lens over the soft for vision. Two contacts in each eye for a guy who has never wore a contact before. I have to admit that I was sort of bummed out by this news even though Keratoconus is not a terminal issue. People do not go blind from it. And, while there is not a "cure," there is relief. I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity for a few days, however. I finally decided that there are people 10 zillion times worse off then me, however, and that I should shut up.

To make a long story even more tedious, I found out that I am a quick learner when it comes to putting contact lenses in my eyes. I found out that two contact lenses in each eye can actually be quite comfortable. And most importantly, I found out that I have crystal-clear vision with the contacts. Thank the Lord! And Kennedy Eye Associates in Roseville, MN, of course. I am like a kid in the candy store with these things. Giddy. I am seeing things that I never saw before - it's absolutely unreal. (quick side note - I found out that one of the soft contact lenses had a rip in it and has to be special-ordered. So, right now, I'm wearing my bullshit glasses that provide crappy vision for me. Oh well, 3 to 5 business days and they'll be back in).

So, I guess that I am lucky. A few decades back, this technology would not have existed and I would have simply suffered with bad vision. And, on top of it all, I look even more like Brad Pitt when I have my contacts in (no question). Yep, I'm really lucky.

But I still hate going to doctors, dentists and optometrists.

Peace and good sight.

Jeff

Metrodome Memories Commemorative Print......Probably Won't Buy It

I was browsing the Minnesota Twins web site and came across an offer for a Metrodome Memories Commemorative Print. As you may have heard, 2009 will be the Twins last year in the Metrodome as they will move into their new outdoor ballpark, Target Field, next year. These prints range in price from the $975 autographed-edition (Lenny Faedo's signature?) to the $100 paper edition. I am going to go out on a limb and say I probably will NOT purchase one of these prints, but the advertisement got me thinking about the Dome, my own memories of the stadium, and the fact that it really is the team's last year there.

Now, those of you that know me realize that I am an outdoor stadium zealot. The Twins pursuit of a new ballpark probably took about 10 years off of my life. I'm glad that is over, and I'm glad the Twins won. I'll be honest with you that if I had a dollar for every time I have uttered the words "I Hate The Dome," I'd be a zillionare living on my own island in the Caribbean. I have not been a fan of indoor baseball, plastic grass or the plastic baggie in right field. I can hardly wait for outdoor baseball.

While I will not miss the Metrodome, I have to admit that I do have a fondness in my heart for the place. Kind of the same way I have a fondness for my 1979 Chevy Chevette with a hole in the floor, as I have mentioned before. The Dome kept baseball in the Twin Cities in the early '80's. It provided Twins fans with two - two! - world championships and many, many Division championships. Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Frank Viola, Bert Blyleven, Torii Hunter, Joe Mauer, Johan Santana, Gary Gaetti, Jeff Reardon, and many other great players have called The Dome home. I, myself, have attended easily over 100 games at the stadium with friends and family. I took all three of my kids to their first professional baseball games in the Dome. I even witnessed Cal Ripkin's 3000th hit there with my oldest son. Those were great times. I saw some outstanding baseball and experienced pennant races. I also experienced Ron Davis, but that is a story for another post.

I only have faint memories of attending Twins games at the old Met in Bloomington, because I was pretty young when the Twins played there. The Metrodome, like it or not, is the stadium I grew up with. The print got me thinking that my children will probably grow up with faint memories of the Dome and will consider, later in life, Target Field the stadium they grew up with. They are lucky for that.

I don't intend this to be my "ode to the Dome" post - I will write that later this summer. My memories of the Dome are good enough, however, that I have already purchased tickets for me and my family for the last regular season game to be played there - Sunday, October 4th against Kansas City.

I don't think I'll shed a tear, but it is definitely the end of a good era of baseball in my life.

Jeff

Gambling Funds To Pay For Viking Stadium? It'll Never Happen (?)

From a story in Friday's StarTribune:

Two hot-button issues at the State Capitol -- gambling and a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings -- came together Thursday in new legislation that proposed using revenue from a new Twin Cities metro casino to build the much-discussed stadium.

Saying his constituents were adamant about not wanting the Vikings to leave Minnesota, Rep. Tom Hackbarth, R-Cedar, said his plan would propose a constitutional amendment, asking voters in 2010 whether revenues from a new casino should be used to finance a new stadium.

"Let's let the voters decide," said Hackbarth, who acknowledged he had not spoken to the Vikings and had floated a similar proposal five years ago that gained little political traction. "I think this is a perfect solution" because there would not be a general tax increase, he said.

I have as much chance at being elected Pope as this idea becoming reality. (I'm Lutheran, you see. Thus, the irony). We've been down this road before. Building a Twins stadium with gambling money was tossed around the capital and eventually defeated. The problem with this idea is that both sides of the political aisle are dead-set against it.

On The Right, many conservative Republicans are against using gambling funds being used for a stadium because gambling is sinful, evil and we'd all end up in hell. The would be what The Right calls "an expansion of gambling." More evil. You see, a person has to look really hard to find gambling in Minnesota. It's not like there are casinos located in the four corners of the state, and lottery and scratch-off tickets are available in all gas stations. Oh wait - there ARE casinos located in the four corners of the state, and lottery and scratch-off tickets ARE available in all gas stations. Hmmmmm.

On The Left, many Democrats oppose gambling funds being used for a stadium because a privately owned casino would compete against the many Native American casinos and (no question) put them out of business. You see, Native American casino = GOOD, Private Casino = BAD. Why? Because the Native American lobby is a huge financial contributor to the DFL party in Minnesota, and that kills any chance of a Democratic politician voting for this type of bill. (by the way - I am not trying to come across as racist with these these statements. I simply believe casinos are either bad for everybody or good for everybody - not just certain segments of society. Just like everything else.) Voting against one of your biggest financial contributors is not a politically sound move. When this is brought up, I have heard a lot of DFL responses such as "well......um, no.......I.......simply couldn't vote for......EXPANSION OF GAMBLING!"

Now, oddly enough, even the Vikings themselves are cool to the proposed deal calling for the use of gambling funds. Vikings lobbyist and spokesman Lester Bagley, who is not known for turning down any offer of money (except from Anoka County), had this to say: "We're not advocating for a gaming situation," said Lester Bagley, a spokesman for the Vikings, who have been searching unsuccessfully for a way to kick-start debate on a stadium at the Legislature. "[But] if that's what the state leaders want to use," Bagley added, "then let's sit down. At least someone is thinking creatively."

The one entity that might actually accept this stadium funding option, however, is the Minnesota public. Countless polls have shown that using gambling funds to build stadiums tends to be more popular with the public than the use of tax money. If Representative Hackbarth's bill was put to a vote in 2010, it would be interesting to see what the result would be. Particularly if the Vikings were assured of moving to Los Angeles if the vote failed.

Now, I must say that I can't stand gambling myself. I find casinos depressing, and gambling (to me) is like burning money. It has the same effect. I also have to admit that building a stadium by using gambling funds seems a little smarmy to me. It reeks of Bad Karma. Geez, I'd hate to ruin the Good Karma that the Vikings currently are experiencing! So, I guess my only point to this entire post is that Hackbarth's plan has no chance.

Unless it's actually put to a vote on the ballot.......

Jeff

It Took Awhile, But The Blog Works Again

From today's St. Paul Pioneer Press:

Niklas Backstrom didn't become an unrestricted free agent, but he did choose the team he wants to play for: the Minnesota Wild.

Backstrom today signed a four-year, $24 million contract to remain with the team that plucked him out of the Finnish Elite league and made him an NHL all-star.

"I don't know if it was my last chance to look around, but it's one of them," Backstrom said. "I believe this team has a really good chance to get up there and fight for a (Stanley) Cup."

The blog works again! Although I don't know what took Doug Risebrough so long to sign Backstrom. I wrote about this back on February 7th, for Cliff's sake.

Good move - hockey teams that can't score need a good goalie!

Jeff

Old Fart Gigs?

I wasn't planning on saying much about the Gary Louris/Mark Olson concert that I attended last weekend (which was excellent, by the way). First of all, I wrote a review of the album. Second, while the music was great, it wasn't what I'd call an exciting concert worthy of a blog post. Let's just say it wasn't the same experience as attending a Flaming Lips concert. I really didn't think people would want to hear that much about it.

Well, I wasn't going to mention it again, until I came across a quote by Chris Riemenschneider, music columnist for the StarTribune, in one of his recent columns. Riemenschneider wrote a story about how the economy (it's poor, in case you haven't heard) was affecting concert ticket sales in the Twin Cities. Here is the aforementioned quote:

"The venues that host touring acts are generally finding it harder to sell advance tickets, but crowds often still show up in the end -- especially for shows with college-age fans.

Old-fart gigs are still packing them in, if they're beloved acts at a reasonable price. Proof was in last weekend's sold-out shows by the Pretenders and Gary Louris and Mark Olson, both of which were worth the $22-$35 ticket prices."

Wait a minute - OLD FART GIGS? Is he referring to the gig that I attended and thought I was hip? What the hell does that punk Riemenschneider mean by that? Is this what it has come to? Wasn't I (we) the one who drank a thousand beers and went to countless Soul Asylum gigs? Remember Jase? The Replacements, Husker Du and The Suburbs? Why, that was only...........20-some years ago.

Now wait, I've seen some cool bands lately. A few years back, my neighbor and I saw Shane McGowan and the Popes at First Avenue. We we're hung over for a couple of days after that, though. Hey - we saw Wilco at Northrop. I took the next day off from THE CHECK so I wouldn't be tired - I'm no dummy! And, to top things off, CR, Dave M., and I recently attended the Hold Steady/Drive By Truckers show at First Avenue. We took the bus, man. (Can't be too careful, you know!)

This brings us to the supposed "Old Fart Concert" that Riemenschneider is referring to - Mark Olson and Gary Louris. These guys came from The Jayhawks, one of the coolest alt-country bands of all-time. My brother and sister in-law came into town for that show. We arranged for a baby-sitter for the kids, drove down to The Varsity in his mini-van, and stayed for the ENTIRE SHOW - both encores! One thing that kind of sucked was that all of the chairs and couches were taken by time we got there so we had to stand. Kind of hurt the lower back after awhile. It was cool, though, because the show was finished by 9:45, which allowed us to get home by 10:30 so the babysitter could go home.

So who's calling who an Old Fart?????

Peace,

Jeff