The title of this missive was my mother’s description of what her children did . . .
Unless you are a pizza, the answer is yes, I can live without you. ~ Bill Murray
Pizza is like the entire food pyramid!~ Madeline Oles
Ruthie’s sister Rita came to town last week, a week built around where to go to eat . . .
October 8
There’s no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box in your lap. ~ Kevin James
[Rita flew to Minneapolis from Indiana. Ruthie picked her up at the airport and the two of them drove to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, to help clean up and close out Camp Brosius for the season. The following five photos are from her of Elkhart Lake . . . ]
Those pizzas I ate were for medicinal purposes. ~ Amy Neftzger
I’d rather have leftover pizza than leftover feelings. ~ Sarah Burgess
Time is money, money is power, power is pizza, and pizza is knowledge, let’s go! ~ Aubrey Plaza
There’s no “we” in ice cream. ~ Unknown
If we shake out all of the crumbs from all of the keyboards in the world, we can end world hunger. ~ Matthew Dolkart
[While the ladies were off at camp, I prepared the house for its first ever carpet cleaning. We put the babies in the basement while the cleaners and their noisy machinery were here. Afterwards I couldn’t find Laddie for a whole day – we finally discovered that he had been hiding in the basement the whole time . . . ]
October 9
The only thing I like better than talking about food is eating. ~ John Walters
[The day they drove home from camp, stopping for lunch at what they claimed was the highly acclaimed Thorpedo, a restaurant on Thorp, Wisconsin. Rita exhibits the sweatshirt she and Ruthie got for cleaning the camp . . . ]
October 10
In Italy, food is an expression of love. It is how you show those around you that you care for them. Having a love for food means you also have a love for those you are preparing it for and for yourself. ~ Joe Bastianich
[They no longer arrived in Alex, and it was off again to The Harn to visit Jami and Danny. And to get to The Harn one logically drives through Itasca State Park at a lovely time of year . . . ]
Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate. ~ Aland D. Wolfelt
[And a stop at the Mississippi Headwaters Inn, previously a hostel where we enjoyed a couple of Thanksgivings . . . ]
My weaknesses have always been food & men- in that order. ~ Dolly Parton
[The Inn has been upgraded since its hostel days . . . ]
Cooking is like love: it should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well. ~ Virginia Woolf
[Then fun at The Harn . . . ]
Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly. ~ M.F.K. Fisher
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. ~ Charles M. Schulz
October 11
Always serve too much hot fudge sauce on hot fudge sundaes. It makes people overjoyed and puts them in your debt. ~ Judith Olney
[Then it was off to the Garden Bar on Tuesday for Tuesday Nightclub. The group gave notice they weren’t able to performed that night, but we had to share with Rita. The restaurant is undergoing some interior renovations, including this lovely room that comes complete with a model for photo ops . . . ]
There is no sight on earth more appealing than the sight of a woman making dinner for someone she loves. ~ Thomas Wolfe
[Does anybody recognize these people?]
You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food. ~ Paul Prudhomme
It’s okay to play with your food. ~ Emeril Lagasse
Cooking is all about people. Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the world, people eat together. ~ Guy Fieri
[Our server who puts up with our shenanigans every two weeks . . . ]
October 12
I believe it’s a cook’s moral obligation to add more butter given the chance. ~ Michael Ruhlman
[Our first snow . . . ]
What you feel like eating at any given moment is what you should have. ~ Ferran Adria
Initially let your food do the talking. You’ll be surprised how far you go in a short period of time. ~ Gordon Ramsey
[It was Wednesday Fine Dining night. With the closure of the Alex golf clubhouse for the season, we opted for Boulder Tap House where I committed the unpardonable sin of ordering a chocolate malt . . . ]
A party without a cake is really just a meeting. ~ Julia Child
Love, love, and cherish life. Also, just eat the cake. ~ Aaron Paul
Let them eat cake. ~ Marie Antoinette
Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch. ~ Orson Welles
Give me all the bacon and eggs you have. ~ Ron Swanson
Life’s too short. Start with Dessert! ~ Barbra Streisand
The most powerful social media… it is not the internet, it is not Facebook – it is food. This connects all human beings. ~ Alex Atala
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance. ~ Will Durant
September 30
And then it was on to the football game – it was homecoming after all. Our Cardinals were hosting the dreaded Brainerd Warriors. The Cardinals played their best game of the season and held a 14 – 0 lead in the 4th quarter, but Warriors came back and won their 4th straight game, 15 – 14 . . .
Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously. ~ G.K. Chesterton
[Friday night lights (which I have now made my computer desktop background) . . . ]
To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks. ~ A. A. Milne
I went to the 30th reunion of my preschool. I didn’t want to go because I’ve put on, like, a hundred pounds. ~ Wendy Liebman
[Once seated, we noted a continuous stream of cars still coming to the game through the entire first quarter, wending beyond the far side of the stadium to the overflow parking in a grass field. It was like watching the stream of headlights at the end of “Field of Dreams” . . . ]
The highest result of education is tolerance. ~ Hellen Keller
[Fans! Tom wanted to enjoy the whole experience of Hall of Fame day: On the radio in the morning, the luncheon, the parade, and the homecoming game. We only stayed for the first half, he and Pam were leaving early the next morning. We sat on the Brainerd side to have our backs to the wind . . . ]
In high school my sister went out with the captain of the chess team. My parents loved him. The figured any guy that took hours to make a move was okay with them. ~ Brian Kiley
[The Cards first play of the game was a run up the middle for little or no yards . . . ]
A lot of things go on when you’re a kid that you don’t figure out until you’re an adult. Like, I think my kindergarten teacher had a drinking problem, because nap time was every day from 9:00 to 2:30. ~ Janine DiTullio
[And then our quarterback got sacked – an indication it was not going to be a shoot out . . . ]
[Another run . . . ]
[But this one broke past the line of scrimmage . . . ]
[Junior running back, Andrew Flaten (28), did it . . . ]
Nothing I learned in school prepared me for life on any level. My first book should have read, “See Dick balance his checkbook. See Jane leave an unhealthy relationship. Run, Jane, run!” ~ Kate Mason
Don’t go to a school reunion. There’ll be a lot of old people there claiming to be your classmates. ~ Tom Dreesen
People want to take sex education out of the schools. They think sex education causes promiscuity. Hey, I took algebra. I never do math. ~ Elayne Boosler
[Then because the game did develop into a defensive struggle, I thought I should “cover” a defensive play by the Cards. Isaiah Brown (16) is a senior newcomer this year but had to wait a few games for eligibility (moving here from Roseville?). He is the running quarterback but now we know he is also a heckuva defensive end. He can’t be the only reason, obviously, but the Cardinals had not done well against the run this year – until this game. The Brainerd running back, No. 28, ran for over 230 yards the pevious week against Bemidji. The Cards held him to 33 yards on 22 carries . . . ]
In California, some high schools are requiring students to wear uniforms. They say uniforms create a safe, stable environment. Like the post office. ~ Jay Leno
My dad could always find the bright side. Whenever I brought my report card home from school, he’d say, “Well, at least I know you didn’t cheat.” ~ Greg Tamblyn
If it hadn’t been for detention, I would have never done any homework. ~ Melanie White
When I was growing up, my parents told me, ‘Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving.’ I tell my daughters, ‘Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job.’ ~ Thomas Friedman
When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. ~ John Lennon
The real winner at prom isn’t the king or the queen. It’s everyone who didn’t peak in high school. ~ Mizgin
When my son, James, was doing homework for school, he would have five or six windows open on his computer, Instant Messenger was flashing continuously, his cell phone was constantly ringing, and he was downloading music and watching the TV over his shoulder. I don’t know if he was doing any homework, but he was running an empire as far as I could see, so I didn’t really care. ~ Ken Robinson
The first day of school is always a fashion show. The rest of the school year? A pajama party. ~ Unknown
[Our star kicker Daniel Jackson kicked a 25-yard field goal and the Cards had a 3 – 0 lead at the half . . . ]
The unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective. ~ Jon Stewart
[The Homecoming Royalty took the field at halftime . . . ]
If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere. ~ Frank A. Clark
Every year, many, many stupid people graduate from college. And if they can do it, so can you. ~ John Green
Be wise, because the world needs wisdom. If you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise, and then just behave like they would. ~ Neil Gaiman
You are graduating from college. That means that this is the first day of the last day of your life. No, that’s wrong. This is the last day of the first day of school. Nope, that’s worse. This is a day. ~ Andy Samburg
Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated. ~ Gary Trudeau
[The dance team . . . ]
I want my mom. ~ Me (entering kindergarten, high school, and college)
My dear terrified graduates, you are about to enter the most uncertain and thrilling period of your lives. ~ Lin-Manuel Miranda
October 1
The best advice I can give anybody about going out into the world is this: Don’t do it. I have been out there. It is a mess. ~ Russell Baker
[Parting is such sweet sorrow. After a week in town to enjoy Homecoming activities and Tom’s induction into the Education Foundation Hall of Fame, we said goodbye to Tom and Pam this morning as they head back to Texas . . . ]
October 2
And then, the very next day . . .
Anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn’t know the first thing about either. ~ Marshall McLuhan
When I grew up, what was interesting for me was that music was color and life was gray. So music for me has always been more than entertainment. ~ Pete Townshend
[The theme this year was the 1950’s. Accordingly, Jim Pence, president of the Theatre L’Homme Dieu board and a member of the symphony board, did a Marty Robbins with a white sport coat and a pink carnation . . . ]
I didn’t choose a word or anything. I just wrote the song until it stopped. ~ Marty Robbins
What do you actually need? Food, clothing and shelter. Everything else is entertainment. ~ Aloe Blacc
[Jim’s wife Jan peruses the items up for auction . . . ]
Culture relates to objects and is a phenomenon of the world; entertainment relates to people and is a phenomenon of life. ~ Hannah Arendt
[The Grand Hall of Carlos Creek Winery was the venue . . . ]
It’s funny how a chubby kid can just be having fun, and people call it entertainment! ~ Garth Brooks
[And it comes with food . . . ]
Paris is a place where, for me, just walking down a street that I’ve never been down before is like going to a movie or something. Just wandering the city is entertainment. ~ Wes Anderson
To me, music is entertainment – what else can it be? In fact, it’s the only language I know of that’s universal. ~ Ray Charles
I was one of the first generations to watch television. TV exposes people to news, to information, to knowledge, to entertainment. How is it bad? ~ Tom Clancy
We joke about it in the entertainment industry: Every actor wants to be a musician, and every musician wants to be an actor. ~ Lance Bass
[Meanwhile, back on the auction line . . . ]
Nobody with an IQ higher than emergency-room temperature could ever believe that ‘death panels’ would be appointed to nudge the elderly toward euthanasia. Yet for idle entertainment, it’s hard to beat Sarah Palin’s ignorant nattering on the subject. ~ Carl Hiaasen
[And then the music began . . . ]
There’s a difference between art and entertainment. Entertainment is really about forgetting about your life, and art is about remembering your life. ~ Josh Tillman
Although popular entertainment can, over the long run, shape public perceptions, it becomes popular in the first place only if it addresses preexisting hopes, fears, and fascinations. ~ Virginia Postrel
We’re making this as entertainment. But God willing, if this show stays on and people see a woman in that office for a while, I think it will help people become more used to it. It’s certainly about time that we had a few female presidents. ~ Geena Davis
[Just checking on the house . . . ]
I’ve actually gotten so I don’t associate television with entertainment very much. ~ Dick Cavett
Entertainment is needed, and so I do think escapism is needed. ~ Ving Rhames
[Concertmaster Greg Donahue . . . ]
In entertainment, whether it’s movies or television or whatever, I’m a great audience, but I don’t remember the names of the people I’ve seen or the groups that I’ve heard. ~ William Shatner
Maybe entertainment is not supposed to be reality. ~ Victoria Jackson
[Greg concertmastering . . . ]
I believe entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you’re an idiot. ~ Steve Martin
[Maestro Brad Lambrecht . . . ]
Entertainment is about having a blast. ~ Ant McPartlin
Art and mass entertainment and propaganda, they can all be plotted on the same graph, but there is a difference. ~ David Mamet
[Concertmaster Greg with his wife Lesley sitting directly behind him. As the Super is prone to advise, both are IU alums . . . ]
I grew up in the age of radio. That was my main boyhood form of entertainment: lying on the living room floor with my ears affixed to the radio. I loved shows like ‘The Phantom,’ ‘Cisco Kid,’ and even ‘Happy Theater’ when I was younger. ~ George Takei
I figured, ‘Why not go into entertainment?’ I love entertaining people. I always loved being extra loud. ~ Becky G
[Intermission – live auction . . . ]
Well, you know, in this crazy world of entertainment, I would say if you have a dream, you have to pursue it. ~ Caprice Bourret
Others may prefer mindless entertainment, but on Sunday nights, you’ll find me parked right in front of my television, munching popcorn and improving my intellect by watching ‘Masterpiece Classic.’ ~ Teresa Medeiros
[Sandy Susag, who as far as I can tell is involved in every cultural and educational activity in the greater Alexandria metropolitan statistical area. So, super good on her . . . ]
I don’t think people are fools, and I think they deserve a good attitude and smart entertainment. ~ Tatyana Tolstaya
[A poodle skirt and a white sport coat with a pink crustacean . . . ]
I don’t need to do only one thing, you know? Even in the entertainment industry, nobody’s ‘just a singer.’ ~ Jessica Jung
[I thought the orchestra really nailed the second half . . . ]
I think everyone knows the news has become ridiculous. It’s entertainment driven. ~ Adam McKay
It is frustrating to be a Black woman in the entertainment industry. ~ Dionne Warwick
[A fan enjoying her fandom . . . ]
There’s a thin line between narcissism, even if it’s a healthy narcissism, and entertainment. ~ Richard Lewis
It’s important to remember that, first and foremost, if not only, this is entertainment. ‘The West Wing’ isn’t meant to be good for you. ~ Aaron Sorkin
The entertainment industry is terrified of silence. ~ Laura Linney
[We were taking odds as to whether or not Greg’s bow was going to make to the end of the concert . . . ]
That’s entertainment! ~ Judy Garland
[Nicole and John . . . ]
October 4& 5
And then autumn set in . . .
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~ George Eliot
The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools. ~ Henry Beston
Around and around the house the leaves fall thick, but never fast, for they come circling down with a dead lightness that is somber and slow. ~ Charles Dickens
Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall. ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
Autumn! The greatest show of all times! ~ Mehmet Murat Ildan
Autumn…the year’s last, loveliest smile. ~ William Cullen Bryant
Autumn passes and one remembers one’s reverence. ~ Yoko Ono
But now it’s time for me to go, the autumn moon lights my way. ~ Led Zeppelin
But I miss you most of all, my darling, when autumn leaves start to fall. ~ Frank Sinatra
Designers want me to dress like spring, in billowing things. I don’t feel like spring. I feel like a warm red autumn. ~ Marilyn Monroe
Student: Can I borrow a pencil?
Teacher: I don’t know, can you?
Student: Yes. I might add that colloquial irregularities occur frequently in any language, and since you and the rest of our present company understand perfectly my intended meaning, being particular about the distinctions between “can“ and “may“ is purely pedantic and arguably pretentious.
Teacher: True, colloquialism and the judicious interpretation of context help us communicate with nuance, range, and efficiency. And yet, as your teacher, my job is to teach you to think about language with care and rigor. Understanding the shades of difference between one word and another and to think carefully about what you want to say will give you greater power and versatility in your speech and writing.
Student: Point taken. May I have a pencil?
Teacher: No, you may not. We do not have pencils since the state cut funding for education again this year.
We’ll meet again. Don’t know where, don’t know when. But I know we’ll meet again some sunny day. ~ Vera Lynn
And pictures are there to remind us so we never forget. ~ Unknown
High school classmate and long time friend Tom Kiehne of Austin, Texas came to town with his wife Pam for induction into the Alexandria Education Foundation Hall of Fame. While they were here we reintroduced them to the fun and excitement that is Vacationland USA . . .
October 3
[This had nothing to do with Homecoming or the Hall of Fame, simply the day after the hoopla of previous days events – Community Education movies at the Grand Arbor theater. I had the pleasure of hosting these lovely people, here under the auspices of their various parole officers, for “Capital in the 21st Century.” We met after the movie to discuss what we have just seen, or thought we had seen, and then went to dinner together at Longtrees . . . ]
September 27
Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained, and delighted. ~ Dr. Seuss
[First night in town we took Tom & Pam to the Garden Bar for an evening with Tuesday Nightclub. They have been here, and when it was Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale, many times over the years . . . ]
[The usual suspects: Terry, Jim, and Bill . . . ]
The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. ~ B.B. King
[And a surprise guest performer – Annie O’Flynn came to join the boys . . . ]
You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way! ~ Dr. Seuss
[Annie helped the give the scene the feel and sound of a Paris sidewalk cafe . . . ]
What I remember most about high school are the memories I created with my friends. ~ J.J. Watt
But there are advantages to being elected President. The day after I was elected, I had my high school grades classified Top Secret. ~ Ronald Reagan
No wonder the teacher knows so much; she has the book. ~ Edgar Watson Howe
[Tom with Anne Riggs, our high school French teacher and spouse to the evening’s trumpet player . . . ]
September 28
I have never been jealous. Not even when my dad finished fifth grade a year before I did. ~ Jeff Foxworthy
[An effort to keep the chronology going. Tom and Pam ate with us and the group at the golf club this night. But I forgot to take any photos. This photo from May 2022, including Tom & Pam, generally reflects the same idea . . . ]
September 29
Take your risks now. As you grow older, you become more fearful and less flexible. And I mean that literally. I hurt my knee this week on the treadmill, and it wasn’t even on. ~ Amy Poehler
[I’m 75. I wanted a stress test. It worked. I got stressed.]
I look nothing like this in real life. ~ Unknown
[Rancho Viejo was the venue for outside meal #3 with our guests . . . ]
[Tricolor burrito, good for several meals!]
I went to a high school reunion a couple years ago and realized that the kids who were the most unusual in high school are the ones who are the most interesting now and the ones who were popular are dull and boring. ~ Anderson Cooper
[Grin and bare it . . . ]
It’s not where you are in life, it’s who you have by your side that matters. ~ Unknown
[Oh, and we had breakfast at Trav’s. (I think it’s a city ordinance if you grew up here.)]
September 30
Education costs money, but then so does ignorance. ~ Claus Moser
In high school I got voted most likely to get voted for something. Even though I was the only one who voted, it still felt terrific being nominated. ~ Jarod Kintz
[OK, I will admit to nominating Lisa and Tom and would have proudly seconded Terry . . . ]
Most schools have a loud system of loud bells, which startle the students and teachers at regular intervals and remind them that time is passing even more slowly than it seems. ~ Lemony Snicket
Who dat?
Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. ~ Chinese proverb
[Pam shows off “the room”!]
You can never be overdressed or overeducated. ~ Oscar Wilde
[Lookin’ good, Corliss and Dennis . . . ]
We learn 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we discuss, 80% of what we experience, 95% of what we teach others. ~ William Glasser
[An honoree with a fellow Hall of Famer, our senior year high school principal Wayne Elton . . . ]
Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. ~ Albert Einstein
[A fellow Boy of ’65, Greg, with his wife Linda visiting with Tom’s sister Jill . . . ]
You have to stay in school. You have to. You have to go to college. You have to get your degree. Because that’s the one thing people can’t take away from you is your education. And it is worth the investment. ~ Michelle Obama
If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people. ~ Chinese proverb
If the Romans had been obliged to learn Latin, they would never have found time to conquer the world. ~ Heinrich Heine
[Kelli introduces Lisa . . . ]
Sometimes you just have to throw on a crown and remind them who they’re dealing with. ~ Marilyn Monroe
I was homecoming queen. I was star of my basketball team. ~ Marla Maples
[In her senior year, Alex’s girls golf team won the state tournament – by 40 strokes!]
[The swing that made Alexandria famous . . . ]
A well-educated mind will always have more questions than answers. ~ Helen Keller
[As superintendent Terry oversaw the construction of Woodland Elementary School and Alexandria Area High School . . . ]
Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen. ~ Conan O’Brien
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. ~ Nelson Mandela
The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. ~ Sydney J. Harris
[Pam reporting on behalf of the Kiehne table . . . ]
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. ~ Carl Sagan
[Kelli introduces Tom . . . ]
You know what they call the fellow who finishes last in his medical school graduating class? They call him ‘Doctor.’ ~ Abe Lemons
If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you. ~ Zig Ziglar
The only thing that could stop me from taking selfies is a photo of what I look like taking selfies. ~ Unknown
When people call you photogenic, they’re actually trying to tell you that you look uglier than your pics. ~ Ritu Ghatourey
What I remember most about junior homecoming was my date getting sick afterwards. That kinda sucked. Then, senior year, someone got gum in her hair when we were dancing. She had to get one of the chaperones to take her to the office and cut up her hair. I felt really bad for her, but it worked out fine. ~ James Lafferty
You are the dancing queen. ~ ABBA, “Dancing Queen”
[Class of ’71ers, Perry Dyke and Jim Hafdal . . . ]
I went to public school, elementary through high school. I went to homecoming, to football games, pep rallies, I got detention, I got an F. I’ve done it all. ~ Raven-Symone
We all learn by experience but some of us have to go to summer school. ~ Peter De Vries
[The Boys of ’65 . . . ]
First day of school! Wake up! Come on. First day of school. ~ Nemo from Finding Nemo
[Magically inducted into the HOF the same year as Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat . . . ]
[Photo by school photographer Jill Johnson . . . ]
And the Lord said unto John, “Come forth and you will receive eternal life.”
[Ruthie shares a joke with Linda and Greg . . . ]
But John came fifth, and won a toaster.
Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by . . . ~ Frank Loesser (The Four Lads)
[The Homecoming Parade begins at the fairgrounds, goes up 5th Avenue, and turns right onto Broadway (this photo), continues to 17th where it turns left to the college parking lot – I followed every step of the way, pausing along the way for air and candy . . . ]
As truth be told, homecoming never gets old. ~ Hlovate
If you’re not in the parade, you watch the parade. That’s life. ~ Mike Ditka
[Known to occasionally chaperone the Fat Boys Walking Club . . . ]
Leadership involves finding a parade and getting in front of it. ~ John Naisbitt
[The Hall of Fame inductees were the parade grand marshals, with Lisa leading the way . . . ]
I parade in next to no clothes every day. It’s hard not to compare yourself to other people, but I think everyone is different, and that is something we should be celebrating. ~ Cate Campbell
[Driver Colleen Boesen . . . ]
I guess I was one of the popular kids. I played soccer, I was class president – I even dated the homecoming queen. ~ Matthew Morrison
[Tom & Pam . . . ]
There is no answer to the Pythagorean theorem. Well, there is an answer, but by the time you figure it out, I got 40 points, 10 rebounds and then we’re planning for the parade. ~ Shaquille O’Neal
[Driver John Heydt . . . ]
You have brains in your head. you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. ~ Dr. Seuss
[Terry . . . ]
Personality-wise, I like to avoid putting my pride on parade. ~ Hidetaka Miyazaki
[Driver Sandy Susag . . . ]
Usually, homecoming themes are like, ‘A Night Under the Stars’ or ‘An Evening to Remember.’ Ours was simply, ‘Batman.’ ~ Mikey Day
[The Alexandria Cardinals varsity football team . . . ]
Before the Colts arrived in 1947 [I remind you the Boys of ’65 were born in 1947], the best athlete in town was a woman duckpin bowler named Toots Barger. Football? The biggest games in Baltimore had been when Johns Hopkins took on Susquehanna or Franklin & Marshall at homecoming. ~ Frank DeFord
Respect your parents. They passed school without Google. ~ Anonymous
Some of us are like a shovel brigade that follow a parade down Main Street cleaning up. ~ Donald T. Regan
Education can get you the only thing that really matters in today’s world—an assigned parking space. ~ Gene Perret
School is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside. ~ Lon Watters
School bells are ringing loud and clear; vacation’s over, school is here. ~ Winifred C. Marshal
[The high school band . . . ]
School is a lot like toilet paper. You only miss it when it’s gone. ~ Anonymous
I never thought that I would share a hit parade with the Beatles. ~ Vera Lynn
I would enjoy school more if I was allowed to bring a pillow. ~ Unknown
[Boys soccer . . . ]
If you wait for inspiration you’ll be standing on the corner after the parade is a mile down the street. ~ Ben Nicholas
In my house, the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl Game have always been a grand tradition for ringing in the New Year. To serve as Grand Marshal is a dream come true and I look forward to sharing the celebration with all of the fans and viewers worldwide. ~ Paula Deen
Cinderella never asked for a prince. She asked for a night off and a dress. ~ Kiera Cass
[Notice I crossed the street . . . ]
My vision is one of celebrations and banquets, diplomas and banners, rings and parades. ~ John Calipari
[Volleyball team (taller than the boys basketball team of ’65) . . . ]
Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously. ~ G.K. Chesterton
In 1985 I graduated from Deshler High School in Tuscumbia, Alabama, and I was their first African American homecoming queen. You would have thought I won Miss America or Miss U.S.A. (wink), because of my excitement. ~ Cynthia Bailey
[The cross country team . . . ]
In 300 BC Euclid invented geometry, and the grade F. ~ Unknown
[Despite what the background sign says, this did not required a 10-minute change . . . ]
Actors do like watching girls parade down the runway for some reason. ~ Kate Moss
Owning a popular sports team is very different than any other type of business. They don’t throw parades when Apple has the biggest quarter in corporate history. ~ Mark Cuban
Lots of times you have to pretend to join a parade in which you’re not really interested in order to get where you’re going. ~ Christopher Morley
[The trail of worn out running shoes symbolizes the cross country team . . . ]
I can’t stop being in parades. I just love dancing on floats that move really slowly on the city streets in the early morning. ~ Chris Kattan
[The girls soccer team – their record is currently 12 – 1 with 10 shut outs . . . ]
Raining on parades requires no skill or effort on the part of a politician. ~ P. J. O’Rourke
In the subprime mortgage industry, bankers handed out iffy loans like candy at a parade because such loans meant revenue and, hence, bonuses for executives in the here-and-now. ~ Thomas Frank
[You may have wondered, or not, what people are picking up on the street – CANDY. Tossed by the various parade participants. I got one Tootsie Roll . . . ]
The library was one more essential in the parade of rooms in a big 18th-century house – and part of the required kit ever afterwards. The important thing was to have the books, not actually read them. ~ Peter York
[Swim & dive team . . . ]
It’s a nice town, but it’s aggressively quaint. They’ve got a popcorn shop above a waterfall and parades that come through town. It’s all-American. ~ Nick Robinson
[Girls tennis . . . ]
You really do have the license during fashion week to wear the things that you wouldn’t necessarily wear to dinner, because it really is a fashion parade. ~ Brad Goreski
[HOCKEY!!]
On the first day of school, you got to be real careful where you sit. You walk into the classroom and just plunk your stuff down on any old desk, and the next thing you know the teacher is saying, ‘I hope you all like where you’re sitting, because these are your permanent seats.’ ~ Jeff Kinney
An English teacher announced to the class: “There are two words I don’t allow in my class. One is gross and the other is cool.” From the back of the room a voice called out, “Okay, so what are the words?”
Up Next: Part 2, the football game, the symphony, and other stuff!
America is my country and Paris is my hometown. ~ Gertrude Stein
Place is so important to me. The Midwest is like a ghost in my life. It’s present as I look out the window now. I see Texas, but if I close my eyes and look out the same window, I’m back in my hometown in Worthington, Minnesota, and I cherish those values and that diction. ~ Tim O’Brien
It’s not necessary to go far and wide. I mean, you can really find exciting and inspiring things within your hometown. ~ Daryl Hannah
September 15
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
[This was a first time effort. All involved were more than happy at the result . . . ]
This (America) is a land of rich diversity, from the towering skyscrapers of Manhatan all the way to the towering mounds of garbage piled up next to the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan. ~ Dave Barry
[This overhead shot was posted by someone else whose name has fled from my memory . . . ]
Where each man claims his freedom as a matter of right, the freedom he accords to other men is a matter of toleration. ~ Walter Lippmann
[OK, the rest are mine . . . ]
Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. ~ George Bernard Shaw
The true value of a human being can be found to the degree to which he has attained liberation from the self. ~ Albert Einstein
Look within yourself. After self-reflection, one’s eyes may open and see things in an honest light, and view people and things with appreciation for all their natural beauty. ~ Tao Principle
Where do we come from? Who are we? Where are we going? ~ Gauguin
Because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. ~ Anne Frank
We have it all. We have great diversity of people, we have a wonderful land, and we have great possibilities. So all those things combined there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. ~ Bob Rae
When you’ve got too much religion that you can’t mingle with people, that you’re afraid of certain people, you’ve got too much religion. ~ C. L. Franklin
Since my daughter is only half-Jewish, could she go in the water up to her knees? ~ Groucho Marx
When they say come and sing, that’s the medicine. ~ Ella Fitzgerald
Honor diversity in all seasons. ~ Jonathan Lockwood Huie
I’m actually startingto like more and more peoplewho have convictions that are unpopular. ~ Bono
It doesn’t matter how long my hair isor what color my skin is or whether I’m a woman or a man. ~ John Lennon
It’s funny how heterosexuals have lives and the rest of us have “lifestyles.” ~ Sonia Johnson
September 16
Some people, through luck and skill, end up with a lot of assets. If you’re good at kicking a ball, writing software, investing in stocks, it pays extremely well. ~ Bill Gates
[If there can be such a thing as a rebuilding year in high school football, our Cardinals are experiencing it. Our star is a 150 pound sophomore place kicker, Daniel Jackson, whose kickoffs routinely end in touchbacks . . . ]
An ardent supporter of the hometown team should go to a game prepared to take offense, no matter what happens. ~ Robert Benchley
Daniel looks really good and is still the only Class of 2025 kicker on the KW Hot Prospect List. He’s already getting looks from colleges and if he can string together a good volume of kicks in-game this year I think he might snag an early college offer in his sophomore year. He transitioned to a 1″ FG block and 1″ KO tee and should be ready to roll by the start of his HS freshman season. Young prospect with lots of potential. (kickingworld. com)
Tennis was a game invented by a woman named Samantha Tennis in 1839, in the village of Lobsworth, County of Kent, as a diversion for the wealthy and titled Englishmen of the region, who had nothing better to do at the time but drink, belch and wear funny clothes. ~ Dan Jenkins
I would compare kicking to being a closer in baseball. This whole game gets played, or the cake is made in front of you, so to speak, and you have to turn around and put the icing on the cake. ~ Adam Vinatieri
Everything that moved, I was kicking it. You can ask my mum and dad. A stone, a can, whatever. ~ Ashley Young
Field goal kicking is wildly exciting for all the wrong reasons. We regularly interrupt games to go for a ride on the equivalent of Disney’s stomach-in-throat Tower of Terror. ~ Skip Bayless
[His last kickoff in the game looked like it almost split the uprights – a 70-yard field goal?]
September 23
I just received the following wire from my generous Daddy; “Dear Jack, Don’t buy a single vote more than is necessary. I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay for a landslide.” ~ John F. Kennedy
[WE VOTED!]
[Voted on sister-in-law Carolyn’s 70th birthday (legally acquainted with Ruthie’s brother Dan) . . . ]
September 24
TLHD Year End Patio Party!
Saturday, September 24, 2022
3:00 – 4:00 Reception
4:00 Awards / Recognition
4:10 – 6:00 Live Music – Bruce Archer
Complimentary snacks, wine & beer
This party is not open to the public.
People invited have volunteered with us, held 2022 season passes, or donated $250+ in the 2022 calendar year. We have made our best attempt to include everyone. If you hear of someone who was missed on this invitation please let us know asap.
Dear Volunteers, Sponsors, Pass Holders and Donors,
Thanks to you, our 2022 Season was a great success!
Sold out shows
Enhanced environment
The popular new patio
Indoor & outdoor programming
Great shows and great experiences!
We’ve decided to host one last exclusive event for those of you who helped make it happen!
Instead of being presented with stereotypesby age, sex, color, class, or religion,children must have the opportunityto learn that within each range,some people are loathsome and some are delightful. ~ Margaret Mead
Diversity doesn’t mean black and white only. ~ Henry Louis Gates
Minnesota’s diversity should be its greatest strength, but our neglect of nonwhite students has stifled our progress toward growth and equity. ~ Ilhan Omar
It does me no injury for my neighbor to saythere are twenty gods or no God. ~ Thomas Jefferson
[The view from the stage – imagine 272 smiling faces!]
If we cannot now end our differences,at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. ~ John F. Kennedy
[Volunteer awards – thanks again to all of them . . . ]
Our diversity is our strength. What a dull and pointless life it would be if everyone was the same. ~ Angelina Jolie
[The theatre’s executive Director Nicole Mulder addressed the assembled masses . . . ]
All religions must be tolerated…for every man must get to heaven in his own way. ~ Epictetus
Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. ~ Soren Kierkegaard
Gentleness, self-sacrifice and generosityare the exclusive possession of no one race or religion. ~ Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi
Today’s special guest: Bruce Archer Bruce Archer plays a rollicking combination of blues, bluegrass, country, and folk that doesn’t fit tidily into a single genre. His finger-picking and slide guitar display a level of talent and mastery that can only come from 40-plus years of sifting through musical styles and keeping the bits that resonate with him. He coaxes from his guitar an instrumental voice that is authentically his own.
[As the sign says, Bruce Archer (from Baxter, Minnesota) . . . ]
Statistics show that diversity in the media is pretty dismal. Critical voices from women and people of color are missing from many important conversations. ~ Cameron Russell
At the bottom of enmity between strangers lies indifference. ~ Soren Kierkegaard
There is nobody who is inferior and there is nobody who is superior –there are no distinctions. ~ Osho
Far from idleness being the root of all evil,it is rather the only true good. ~ Soren Kierkegaard
If it tastes funny, don’t eat it. If it looks funny, call a doctor. If it is funny, it must have been something I said. ~ Unknown
[Looking back to the staging area where the drinks and goodies were presented . . . ]
Share our similarities, celebrate our differences. ~ M. Scott Peck
[Hosts of the nonfiction book club and fans of blues music and looking angelic in the glow of the stage lights . . . ]
To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater. ~ Bono
Armageddon is not around the corner. This is only what the people of violence want us to believe. The complexity and diversity of the world is the hope for the future. ~ Michael Palin
[Discovered wandering the grounds looking for recyclables . . . ]
[Deb and Ruthie say, “Vote for Sandy Susag for school board!”]
We must be ready to learn from one another,not claiming that we alone possess all truthand that somehow we have a corner on God. ~ Archbishop Desmond Tutu
You never really understand a personuntil you consider things from his point of view. ~ Harper Lee
As we grow as unique persons, we learn to respectthe uniqueness of others. ~ Robert H. Schuller
We are, at almost every point of our day, immersed in cultural diversity: faces, clothes, smells, attitudes, values, traditions, behaviours, beliefs, rituals. ~ Randa Abdel-Fattah
If giving points to some students to achieve greater diversity is a quota system in violation of the Constitution, how can the awarding of points to the children of a less diverse alumni be upheld? ~ Adam Schiff
The fact that societies are becoming increasingly multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multi-religious is good. Diversity is a strength, not a weakness. ~ Antonio Guterres
September 25
Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music. ~ Ronald Reagan
[A trip to Rolling Forks Vineyards for an afternoon with the Cheese Bots. There was a strong northerly wind that made the visit questionable. The usual performance area faces north – we did not know they had a set up in the winemaking room facing south . . . ]
Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without. ~ Confucius
I love to sing, and I love to drink scotch. Most people would rather hear me drink scotch. ~ George Burns
[Ruthie, inside door #1; the Cheese Bots inside door #2 . . . ]
When a piece gets difficult, make faces. ~ Artur Schnabel
[The Cheese Bots are Lindy (limburger), Jim (fromage du jour), and Marty (longhorn colby) . . . ]
Rock journalism is people who can’t write interviewing people who can’t talk in order to provide articles for people who can’t read. ~ Frank Zappa
Good music is good music, and everything else can go to hell. ~ Dave Matthews
No opera plot can be sensible, for in sensible situations people do not sing. ~ W.H. Auden
A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open. ~ Frank Zappa
My music is best understood by children and animals. ~ Igor Stravinsky
Cause all of me loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections. ~ John Legend
Baby it’s you. You’re the one I love, You’re the one I need, You’re the only one I see. ~ Beyoncé
There are two means of refuge from the misery of life — music and cats. ~ Albert Schweitzer
Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours. ~ Elton John
If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know. ~ Louis Armstrong
The best things in life are free. The second best are very expensive. ~ Coco Chanel
[We did not know upon arrival that Charlie Roth would be following the Bots on stage. We had already been there for 3 1/2 hours and needed to get home for a nap. Sorry, Charlie – catch you next time . . . ]
[Remember winds noted at the beginning that changed the venue? Well, we drove one-mile down hill from the winery and were surprised there weren’t surfers on Lake Minnewaska . . . ]
I’m surfing the giant life wave. ~ William Shatner
Just take your time – wave comes. Let the other guys go, catch another one. ~ Duke Kahanamoku
It’s a wonderful metaphor, catching a wave, for how you can look at other challenges in your life. ~ Jeff Bridges
You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn
There are no facts, only interpretations. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
We have to have a diversity of age represented in Congress, too. ~ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. ~ Benjamin Franklin
When you’re in love it’s the most glorious two and a half days of your life. ~ Richard Lewis
An annual event every year (just checking to see if you caught the redundancy) in mid-September at Carlos Creek Wineryduring which the participants either swelter through a heat wave or wallow in the mud of the field parking lots. This year, everything was surprisingly fine. ~ Me
I am only human, although I regret it. ~ Mark Twain
Cleaning up with children around is like shoveling during a blizzard. ~ Margaret Culkin Banning
You have to remember one thing about the will of the people: it wasn’t that long ago we were swept away by the Macarena. ~ Jon Stewart
If you find it hard to laugh at yourself, I would be happy to do it for you. ~ Groucho Marx
[Saturday morning with Anthony Miltich. Gray skies that later gave way to yet another beautiful afternoon in Vacationland USA . . . ]
I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken. ~ H. Kyle Seale
[The Carlos Creek pickup truck is the backdrop for most group photos . . . ]
If you’re too open-minded; your brains will fall out. ~ Lawrence Ferlinghetti
[Here’s our main guy . . . ]
Anyone can be confident with a full head of hair. But a confident bald man – there’s your diamond in the rough. ~ Larry David
He knows nothing; he thinks he knows everything – that clearly points to a political career. ~ George Bernard Shaw
Confidence is 10% work and 90% delusion. ~ Tina Fey
[It’s always a fun time to practice your artwork, particularly since you have to empty the bottle first . . . ]
My favorite machine at the gym is the vending machine. ~ Caroline Rhea
I wish I were dumber so I could be more certain about my opinions. It looks fun. ~ Scott Adams
[Pretty much a one-eighty panorama shot . . . ]
A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don’t need it. ~ Bob Hope
This is the worst thing to happen to beaches since the Speedo. ~ Bill Maher
[We have run into these folks before who were again kind enough to save a couple seats for us . . . ]
I’m trying to elevate small talk to medium talk. ~ Larry David
I’m not for everyone. I’m barely for me. ~ Marc Maron
[I estimated the afternoon crowd at about 2.35 million. While we had planned to stay with Anthony through his whole program anyway, we didn’t dare leave our seats because vultures were lurking everywhere . . . ]
Everyone has a purpose in life. Perhaps yours is watching television. ~ David Letterman
Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They’re about to announce the lottery numbers. ~ Matt Groening
[A good bullfighter knows how to avoid being gourd . . . ]
There is no such thing as fun for the whole family. ~ Jerry Seinfeld
Money is not the most important thing in the world. Love is. Fortunately, I love money. ~ Jackie Mason
[After Anthony was finished, we serpentined through the crowds to the Grand Hall . . . ]
But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright Brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown. ~ Carl Sagan
A bargain is something you don’t need at a price you can’t resist. ~ Franklin Jones
[We moved into the Grand Hall to catch a bit of Robb Justice and his band . . . ]
I did not climb to the top of the food chain to eat carrots. ~ Ron White
A verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. ~ Samuel Goldwyn
[In the way home, the view from the parking lot . . . ]
Facebook just sounds like a drag, in my day seeing pictures of peoples vacations was considered a punishment. ~ Betty White
[Driving toward the exit . . . ]
All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal or fattening. ~ Alexander Woollcott
I live by my own rules (reviewed, revised, and approved by my wife)… but still my own. ~ Si Robertson
[The Super bought a 7′-long Norwegian vimple at the Stomp and, throwing caution to wind, used it as a replacement for her Peace flag . . . ]
I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering. ~ Steven Wright
Long may she wave . . . ~ Me
I know that there are people who do not love their fellow man, and I hate people like that! ~ Tom Lehrer
I am an early bird and a night owl… so I am wise and I have worms. ~ Michael Scott
Included herein are a few scattered photos of an occasionally exciting life now a surprisingly three quarters of century long . . .
I kept a diary right after I was born. Day 1: Tired from the move. Day 2: Everyone thinks I’m an idiot. ~ Steven Wright
[My sister labeled my high school graduation photo “Tilt” – and yes, that was a fake tie (but everything else was real . . . ]
There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why. ~ William Barclay
To me – old age is always ten years older than I am. ~ Bernard Baruch
[As I’ve previously noted, when it’s the 75th all one can do is grin and bear it . . . ]
My life is better with every year of living it. ~ Rachel Maddow (But there does come a time when a rebuttal will be necessary. ~ Me)
[A present from sister . . . ]
I threw my 20th birthday party at Brown, and I didn’t even have to say to anyone not to put pictures on Facebook. ~ Emma Watson
[The babies had to join in on the celebration, of course . . . ]
There is still no cure for the common birthday. ~ John Glenn
I looked up the names of other September 4 birthdayers. The only one I knew was Beyonce. But she hasn’t called yet? ~ Me
[BAGGED!!]
A gift, with a kind countenance, is a double present. ~ Thomas Fuller
[When it’s momentous birthday, like the 75th, it should be celebrated in a unique and special way – like a road trip with the roof down to Battle Lake, with its famed restaurant row, on a beautiful day . . . ]
[My first ever visit with a deer (c. 1949) . . . ]
It was on my fifth birthday that Papa put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Remember, my son, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.’ ~ Sam Levenson
[Country roads, take me . . . to Battle Lake . . . ]
I was forced to live far beyond my years when just a child, now I have reversed the order and I intend to remain young indefinitely. ~ Mary Pickford
The worst part about celebrating another birthday is the shock that you’re only as well as you are. ~ Anne Lamott
If I could be doing anything, I’d be laying on the floor in my birthday suit eating junk food and watching something dumb on TV. ~ Anita Baker
[Approaching Battle Lake . . . ]
I intend to live forever. So far, so good. ~ Steven Wright
[Arriving Battle Lake, some 38 miles from home . . . ]
[Empire State Building (c. 1988) . . . ]
My policy on cake is pro having it and pro eating it. ~ Boris Johnson
[Stella’s, on Battle Lake’s main street , Main Street . . . ]
Every year, I think you earn the right to eat cake on your birthday. ~ Bret Hart
[Joined by Helen and John Etnier, friends from Ashby . . . ]
I decided if you’re lucky enough to be alive, you should use each birthday to celebrate what your life is about. ~ Mary Steenburgen
[An award received for never once getting lost on the way to work (c. 1990’s) . . . ]
He said the government was always listening and that anything you had to say you should say in person. ~ Jess Lourey
[If you’re a fan of Jess Lourey’s Murder-by-Month mysteries, you know Battle Lake is the venue for the series. This is Prospect House, prominently featured in one of her novels . . . ]
The woman rolled her eyes so loud I could hear it. ~ Jess Lourey
Don’t go in there. Basements are where men hide their secrets. ~ Jess Lourey
[With grandson Tom (1994) . . . ]
He watched a lot of TV. I guess many people did. Maybe like him, they preferred their lives delivered to them in a box. ~ Jess Lourey
My head was just circling things, so I had to pull out all those squirming thoughts and nail ’em to the paper. ~ Jess Lourey
[And this is Chief Wenonga, prominently featured in many of Jess’s novels . . . ]
My eyes were scratchy with middle-sleep. ~ Jess Lourey
His accent was coarse, pure backcountry Minnesotan. If he had to string together more than five words, we’d hear the “I seen it” and “can you borrow me some” that my parents said were the signs of ignorance. ~ Jess Lourey
[Obert plates, always ISO . . . ]
I suddenly realized how much I loved her when we attended Alfred Hitchcock’s 75th birthday party last August. There was something magical about that night, and it made me see how much she really meant to me. ~ Rod Taylor
I’d been thirteen, not stupid, though a lot of people confuse the two. ~ Jess Lourey
[The waterfront of the town of Battle Lake overlooks West Battle Lake (the lake), which at 5,565 acres is the equivalent size of Lake Miltona, the biggest lake in the Alexandria area . . . ]
I enjoyed my own company enough that I didn’t feel the need to socialize with people who exhausted me. ~ Jess Lourey
There’s about a hundred shades of green in a Minnesota summer, light like celery, deep like emeralds. You wouldn’t think one color could have so many different flavors. ~ Jess Lourey
Brilliantly lit from stem to stern, she looked like a sagging birthday cake. ~ Walter Lord
[My first ever visit to Clitherall, population 109 . . . ]
Handmade presents are scary because they reveal that you have too much free time. ~ Douglas Coupland
[Lake Clitherall is a substantial 2,500 acres . . . ]
As I approach my 88th birthday, it’s become apparent to me that my eyes and ears, among other appurtenances, aren’t quite what they used to be. The prospect of long flights to wherever in search of whatever are not quite as appealing. ~ Mike Wallace
I was fired by ‘America’s Next Top Model’ on my birthday. ~ Paulina Porizkova
[With Goldy at Carlos Creek Winery (2003) . . . ]
As I approached my 95th birthday, I was burdened to write a book that addressed the epidemic of ‘easy believism.’ There is a mindset today that if people believe in God and do good works, they are going to Heaven. ~ Billy Graham
[Downtown Clitherall . . . ]
I’m most comfortable in my birthday suit. ~ Amanda Seyfried
[Vining’s, population 41, famous sculpture garden . . . ]
[With Dennis Murphy at Carlos Creek Winery (c. early 2000’s) . . . ]
Don’t judge me. I made a lot of money. ~ Samantha Bee
[This is Urbank, population 52. On the way to Battle Lake, the whole town was blocked off. It must have been Urbank Days, or something. Everybody in the whole county must have been there . . . ]
With my wife I don’t get no respect. I made a toast on her birthday to ‘the best woman a man ever had.’ The waiter joined me. ~ Rodney Dangerfield
I hate birthdays. I thought that I only hated my own birthday, and then I realized that I hate my children’s birthdays too. ~ Samantha Bee
I wanted to be a priest, but when they told me I could never have sex, not even on my birthday, I changed my mind. ~ Johnny Vegas
[Alexandria Golf Club, a new golf shirt fell apart while being worn. Crazy Dave, who lives close to the 7th green, rushed out with the yellow shirt so I could finish the round without being arrested for indecent exposure (2008) . . . ]
About astrology and palmistry: they are good because they make people vivid and full of possibilities. They are communism at its best. Everybody has a birthday and almost everybody has a palm. ~ Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
[Ebenezer Lutheran Church at the confluence of County Roads 5 & 6 in Douglas County . . . ]
Let them eat pizza. ~ Me
[Party time at Carlos Creek Winery with known acquaintances and musical accompaniment from Anthony Miltich . . . ]
Let them eat cake. ~ Marie Antoinette
I quit high school on my birthday. It was my senior year and I didn’t see the point. This was 1962, and I was ready to make music. ~ Barry White
[Promoting the Beavers at Carlos Creek Winery (2013) . . . ]
One of the shocks of a 50th birthday is realizing the fundamental fact that your youth is irrevocably over. ~ Marianne Williamson (Try 75, Marianne!!)
[Anthony . . . ]
In 1993 my birthday present was a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. ~ Annette Funicello
I remember when the candle shop burned down. Everyone stood around singing ‘Happy Birthday.’ ~ Steven Wright
[Dancing with the lovely Olga, the Governor’s House, Yaroslavl, Russia (2018) . . . ]
I gave a funny speech at my wife’s birthday party, and I’m thinking, ‘Hey, I’ve still got it.’ ~ Larry David
[The group at Jack’s Pub at the winery . . . ]
Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words. ~ Plautus
[My first (and last) ever Big Mac (2020) . . . ]
I wrapped my Christmas presents early this year, but I used the wrong paper. See, the paper I used said ‘Happy Birthday’ on it. I didn’t want to waste it so I just wrote ‘Jesus’ on it. ~ Demetri Martin
It’s odd the things that people remember. Parents will arrange a birthday party, certain it will stick in your mind forever. You’ll have a nice time, then two years later you’ll be like, ‘There was a pony there? Really? And a clown with one leg?’ ~ David Sedaris
[Cub reporting, the early years. Soon to be back to that size as a recent physical exam revealed that I am now two inches shorter than when I was just a kid of 70?]
I love a card. You know, cards? At birthdays? I collect them. ~ Adele
It takes a long time to become young. ~ Pablo Picasso
We all have special numbers in our lives, and 4 is that for me. It’s the day I was born. My mother’s birthday, and a lot of my friends’ birthdays, are on the fourth; April 4 is my wedding date. ~ Beyonce
When someone asks if you’d like cake or pie, why not say you want cake and pie? ~ Lisa Loeb
[Thanks again to Paul Trumm, who roasts his own . . . ]
This is a wonderful way to celebrate an 80th birthday… I wanted to be 65 again, but they wouldn’t let me – Homeland Security. ~ Art Buchwald
If Congress can move President’s Day, Columbus Day and, alas, Martin Luther King’s Birthday celebration for the convenience of shoppers, shouldn’t they at least consider moving Election Day for the convenience of voters? ~ Andrew Young
Up Next: No doubt something as equally compelling . . .
* No TV or radio time outs for ads making it, for me, the only football worth watching . . .
[Well, except for the 1960 Minnesota Golden Gophers . . . ]
September 2
I’m pure old-school Cardinals fan. ~ Mark Consuelos
First of all the name, and the color purple, I think those two things distinguish the Vikings as much as anything. You go anywhere in the country and say ‘Vikings,’ they know exactly where you are. You say ‘Cardinals,’ well, Cardinals who? There are a dozen Cardinals teams in the country in professional and amateur sports. ~ Bud Grant
[A beautiful evening for the first football game of the season . . . ]
We have all, at one time or another, been performers, and many of us still are – politicians, playboys, cardinals and kings. ~ Laurence Olivier
She used to be a teacher but she has no class now. ~ Fred Allen
[It was parents’ night . . . ]
There is nothing on earth intended for innocent people so horrible as a school. ~ George Bernard Shaw
[That’s Mark Ripley in the white shirt and shorts. He’s the school photographer. I think this night made it the 1,342nd consecutive Cardinal football game he has attended. That means drives home from such places as Bemidji in December in sub-zero temperatures and blizzards . . . ]
The fans know and the Cardinals know that I want to be a Cardinal for my whole career. I love this city. The way that this city has embraced me and my family. ~ Albert Pujols
Accomplishing the impossible means only the boss will add it to your regular duties. ~ Doug Larson
[My main thought as we basked in yet another 75-degree day was that it was 50 degrees cooler than Death Valley . . . ]
We all learn by experience but some of us have to go to summer school. ~ Peter De Vries
[The blank scoreboard indicated things were not going to go well. The gentleman sitting next to me said it wasn’t working for the girls soccer game a few days before. It’s brand new this season, but it’s off to a tough start. But even worse, while it has large billboard advertising, the digital part offering up such useful things at the time, the score, and down and distance are so small I had to squint from the other end of the field once they got it up and running later in the first quarter . . . ]
[Stuff happens. The first game of the season for the Cards hosted Hutchinson, the defending state champions. The Cardinals graduated all their playmakers from last year. New players at a lot of positions, including a sophomore quarterback starting his first varsity game. This is the first play of the game, an incomplete pass that was then ruled a lateral and recovered by Hutchinson, who scored a couple runs later. The Cardinals had a good kickoff return, but went 3 and out. The snap to the punter went over his head and he fell on it inside the 10 yard line. Hutchinson again scored and led 16-0 before the Cardinals even had one positive yardage pay. In the immortal words of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., “So it goes.”]
I never did very well in math—I could never seem to persuade the teacher that I hadn’t meant my answers literally. ~ Calvin Trillin
I said school starts tomorrow. I didn’t say I was going to be there. ~ Kim Harrison
School means work and work means death. Let’s all go take a nap. ~ Emma Shannon
[This is our sophomore quarterback, 6’7″ Chase Thompson, whose 7′ tall brother Treyton is on the Minnesota Gopher basketball team. Chase will be very good, already a topnotch basketball player, but until this last Cardinal series right before the half we were down 32-0 and had not yet attained a single first down. Chase led us down the field for a Cardinal touchdown with 4 seconds left in the half . . . ]
But, yeah, I definitely want to get a Cardinals tattoo. ~ Tyrann Mathieu
School bells are ringing loud and clear; vacation’s over, school is here. ~ Winifred C. Marshal
Run, Chase run . . .
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. ~ Aristotle
But if there’s a school bus, there needs to be a school! ~ Fred Rogers
It’s my first day of high school. I have seven new notebooks, a skirt I hate, and a stomach ache.~ Laurie Halse Anderson
It’s been two weeks. That’s like a decade in high school years. ~ Rob Thomas
[Chase really does look the part in the pocket . . . ]
What I hate most about school is that my mom can’t read me my bedtime stories. ~ Dan Houser
[Kelly Johnson (10), a senior receiver, who was the favorite target all night with 7 catches for 116 yards . . . ]
Ain’t no registration / Ain’t no student loan / You may not learn to read or write / But you will surely learn to roll dem bones / Get on back to school. ~ Jimmy Buffett
The 5 most common words heard by a school principal: ‘Have you got a minute?’ ~ John Blaydes
[The bane of the amateur sports photographer – the accidental photo bombers . . . ]
Respect your parents. They passed school without Google. ~ Anonymous
Education can get you the only thing that really matters in today’s world—an assigned parking space. ~ Gene Perret
School is a building which has four walls with tomorrow inside. ~ Lon Watters
First day of school, make sure that you know your locker combination. ~ Jordan Francis
[A completion to senior Jaxon Schoenrock (3), also a key player on the basketball team . . . ]
School is a lot like toilet paper. You only miss it when it’s gone. ~ Anonymous
[The catch . . . ]
[The TD pass, in the air, looks like it’s heading to Schoenrock (3) . . . ]
High school looks so much cooler on TV. ~ Unknown
[But it was to Johnson (10) behind him who finished the play for a 16-yard TD . . . ]
I would enjoy school more if I was allowed to bring a pillow. ~ Unknown
If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people. ~ Chinese proverb
[The Cards have a first rate place kicker, sophomore Daniel Jackson (9), who converted 3 PAT’s and had two kickoffs for touchbacks . . . ]
Don’t try so hard to fit in, and certainly don’t try so hard to be different…just try hard to be you. ~ Zendaya
[I left at the half – it was past my bedtime. The Cards settled down and played the Tigers even in the 2nd half. The final score was 46 – 21. I see a future the Cards, but the crystal ball is still a tad murky . . . ]
Before broadcasting for 50-some years, I did TV, played 10 years in the big leagues, won a world championship – and played a big part in that, too, letting the Cardinals inject me with hepatitis. Takes a big man to do that. ~ Bob Uecker
In America, one sure sign of success is the presence of an unnecessary waterfall in a person’s yard. ~ Demetri Martin
As we move from summer music and theatre to fall high school events . . .
Nature has a myriad of weapons to combat human arrogance. ~ Wayne Gerard Trotman
Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. ~ Mary Oliver
August 26
This was the last program of the season for Theatre L’Homme Dieu. I heard from several people it was the best season ever. I have no reason to contest those opinions . . .
Bluegrass is wonderful music. I’m glad I originated it. ~ Bill Monroe
It seems like bluegrass people have more great stories to tell than other musicians. ~ Dan Fogelberg
Members Nate Sipe: Mandolin, Fiddle Kevin Kniebel: Banjo J Lenz: Acoustic Guitar Justin Bruhn: Upright Bass Matt Cartier: Clogs & Fiddle
Discography 2005 – Live: Just Outside of Sandstone 2007 – Up and Down The River 2008 – Needle & Thread 2009 – Out On A Spree 2011 – Paradise Hop 2013 – Ship of Fools 7” 2014 – The Hardest Part of Leaving 2016 – Discovery of Honey
I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it. ~ William Shakespeare
[Early arrivers, the Super took our blue chairs out on the lawn to claim our usual in-theatre spots – row E, seats 1 & 2 . . . ]
All theatre, by virtue of its being a cultural construct and therefore ideologically inscribed, is political. ~ Mark S Weinberg
A hotel room all to myself is my idea of a good time. ~ Chelsea Handler
[The stage is being set . . . ]
[We ran into Robb Justice, a regular performer on the local music scene . . . ]
It’s music [bluegrass] that finds its way deep into your soul because it’s strings vibrating against wood and nothing else. ~ Alison Krauss
I think the singer/songwriter genre is going to be like bluegrass and jazz. You can make a living at it, but it’s not part of the musical mainstream anymore. ~ Steve Earle
[From behind the stage with the lodge and cabins in the background . . . ]
It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression, ‘As pretty as an airport’. ~ Douglas Adams
People like bluegrass. It’s had a following amongst a lot of hip and young people. A lot of college kids like bluegrass. ~ Dolly Parton
Because the blues is the basis of most American music in the 20th century. It’s a 12-bar form that’s played by jazz, bluegrass and country musicians. It has a rhythmic vocabulary that’s been used by rock n’ roll. It’s related to spirituals, and even the American fiddle tradition. ~ Wynton Marsalis
Bluegrass has a very, very strict musical form. Once you start to dilute it, it disappears. ~ Emmylou Harris (whom my brother once roadied for)
The grand old lady of bluegrass? Well, wouldn’t that be a wonderful title to have? I hope I do enough to earn it some day. ~ Alison Krauss
[A new theatre board member was caught slinking away after grabbing a couple stage front photo ops . . . ]
Bluegrass is in my blood and in my ears. ~ Charlie Haden
It was so much fun playing simple American bluegrass. I got to meet Doc Watson. ~ Dan Fogelberg
There’s Americana, there’s Bluegrass, there’s some rock, there’s some really George Jones-style stuff on it, slow-style Ray Price country elements, there’s some modern country, a little of this and a little of that. ~ Cody Johnson
Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world, and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that. ~ Steve Earle
I wanted to use some kind of name so people would know where I was from. So I took the name “bluegrass.” There is not a prettier name in the whole world. ~ Bill Monroe
[The actual view from our seats . . . ]
Herb and I met each other forty years ago when we were both eighteen years old, playing bluegrass, and that’s what drew me into music, and I enjoyed every particular part of my career. ~ Chris Hillman
Although it was hard to tell, with bluegrass, wether or not they were supposed to sound like geese. ~ Sarah McCarry
. . . Or a group ofbluegrass musicians who’d be playing the most raucous tunes imaginable, looking around at each other with bemused expressions that seemed to say where’s all that racket comin from? ~ Carolyn Jourdan
The guitar is such an incredible instrument; it plays classical, flamenco, jazz, country, bluegrass, rock, acid, blues. You’ll never see a clarinet playing Black Sabbath. But you will see a guitar in a clarinet band playing rhythm. It is the most popular instrument in the world; it is the one everybody loves. ~ Randy Bachman
I was in a bluegrass band. I made two records with a band called the SteelDrivers. ~ Chris Stapleton
I love nature, I just don’t want to get any of it on me. ~ Woody Allen
[As the daylight began to wither . . . ]
Terry Kennedy was in the house. Terry and I can jointly claim, before we knew each other and likely in the 80’s, we saw The Seldom Seen perform at the legendary Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. ~ Me
Soon the Boov was in the ghost suit and Pig was in the car, which would be a good lyric for a bluegrass song, now that I think of it. ~ Adam Rex
[Time for a stroll around the venue . . . ]
I feel good about being able to take bluegrass on to television like ‘Letterman’ and ‘The View,’ and I’ve heard nice things about being able to do that. ~ Steve Martin
I had some good teachers. One of the greatest teachers I’ve had is bluegrass music: going back and listening to Bill Monroe’s music, the Stanley Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs. ~ Ricky Skaggs
It’s true that bluegrass is a virtuosic form and asks that of its performer. ~ Ketch Secor
[From behind the control booth . . . ]
The reason why you don’t eat Kentucky bluegrass or crabgrass is because it tastes sour and bitter. ~ Homaro Cantu
I got to sing with Placido Domingo … I got to sing with Aaron Neville, who is one of my favorites. Got to sing with Brian Wilson, one of the great high tenors. And Ricky Skaggs, a bluegrass tenor. I’m also proud of my musical friendship with Emmylou Harris. ~ Linda Ronstadt
By the time I made the bluegrass record … I’m more impressed with myself when I push the envelope musically than I am when I push it literality. ~ Steve Earle
The Irish came over with their fiddles in hand, and you can hear it in the bluegrass and rockabilly. I love it when music from different countries combine. ~ Imelda May
Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise. ~ George Washington Carver
[The theatre campus . . . ]
Like, I do sort of an acoustic version of ‘Purple Haze’ that has some bluegrass licks in it. ~ Eugene Chadbourne
Once all the power goes out, there will still be human beings standing together around a campfire, playing acoustic guitars. ~ Jim James
[A couple of guys were dancing in the vicinity of the stage. One kicked out a power cord; the place scrambled for resolution. It was determined they were overcome by bluegrass . . . ]
Mike Compton knows more about Bill Monroe style mandolin than the Father of Bluegrass himself. ~ John Hartford
[It’s over . . . ]
I always loved bluegrass, but there was so much I didn’t know about American country music in respect to the origins of this country. It was interesting to see the evolution of it. ~ Clare Bowen
[Well, until the encores . . . ]
I just hope bluegrass entertainers take care of their music and take care of their fans. If you don’t practice, the man next door who is practicing will beat you. ~ Bill Monroe
[Good night, and thank you boys! Get down, get funky!]
[Kudos again to TLHD’s executive director, Nicole Mulder, and to the board’s president and first lady, Jim and Jan Pence (left background). See you all again next year!]
August 27
The setup: We haven’t attended many sporting events over the last couple years – something to do with COVID protocols and, if not, personal health protocols. Last year our football Cardinals made the state tournament, so I revisited (thanks to YouTube) our great section semifinal game against Moorhead. Our three main skill positions (aren’t they all skill positions?) – quarterback, running back, and wide receiver – were all seniors last year. That’s a lot to replace. When I arrived at the scrimmage it was like the good old days at the hockey arena where the “older” fans were the folks I called the “guys on the rail” who stood for the whole game above the seating area. Well, there was another group of football “guys at the rail” when I arrived, one of which attended freshmen games last year and liked the 6’6″ now-sophomore, likely the starting quarterback this year. So, we all kibitzed each other for the whole scrimmage . . .
[Up at the crack of dawn the next day for the first high school football scrimmage of the season. Our Cardinals (red pants) were hosting, to the best of our knowledge, Fergus Falls, Albany, and Big Lake. Each team would rotate to scrimmage each other team . . . ]
I got the shakes that’ll make you quake. I got the fries that’ll cross your eyes. I got the burgers that’ll…I just got burgers. ~ Cheeseburger Eddie, The Longest Yard (2005)
[Our first look at the new, hypersonic scoreboard . . . ]
Football is an incredible game. Sometimes it’s so incredible, it’s unbelievable. ~ Tom Landry
[Big Lake on offense against our defense . . . ]
I’m the football coach around here and don’t you remember it. ~ Bill Peterson
[Our first look at 6’6″ sophomore quarterback, Chase Thompson . . . ]
Having two weeks off gives family, friends, and the media more time to get on your nerves. ~ Deion Sanders
[It’s a handoff . . . ]
It’s ridiculous for a country to get all worked up about a game—except the Super Bowl, of course. Now that’s important. ~ Andy Rooney
[And now a rollout pass . . . ]
The next MVP of the Super Bowl is just as likely to have been a full-time grocery store bagger last year as a Heisman Trophy winner. ~ Hunter S. Thompson
It’s an unprecedented precedent. ~ Clark Carlisle
[It’s another handoff . . . ]
Cancel the Super Bowl? That’s like canceling Christmas! ~ Thomas Harris
[Into the hole . . . ]
In life, as in football, you won’t go far unless you know where the goalposts are. ~ Arnold H. Glasow
[This, and remaining photos, are all shot on “burst,” a/k/a continuous shooting. Those displayed herein are at about 5-photo intervals . . . ]
When I played at Minnesota, Green Bay, those northern cities, Buffalo, they wanted to have those championship games at home. It was going to be an advantage to be there with their fans and the cold weather and all that. ~ Tony Dungy
[The running back is in the scrum somewhere. Absent programs for this, we couldn’t identify individual players . . . ]
This helicopter flies overhead, probably taking pictures, and McMahon just moons it. He mooned the helicopter from the field. ~ William “The Refrigerator” Perry
[And he pops out the other side . . . ]
Cheerleading isn’t easy if it was more guys would be in it. ~ Tucky, Brownsville, TX, USA
Not every girl can be a cheerleader, it takes a special kind. Cheerleaders are full of life and a little bit out of their mind. ~ Jennifer, Tennessee, USA
Now I lay me down to sleep, megaphone and pom poms at my feet! ~ Mo, The Sunshine State
[Young Mr. Thompson showed off some nice skills. I think people at the next level will have an eye on him . . . ]
All Grange can do is run. And all Caruso can do is sing. ~ Bob Zuppke
The shoulder surgery was a success. The lobotomy failed. ~ Mike Ditka
He couldn’t spell cat if you spotted him the C and the T. ~ Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson
I don’t know whether I prefer Astroturf to grass. I never smoked Astroturf. ~ Joe Namath
I’ve been big ever since I was little. ~ William “The Refrigerator” Perry
I resigned as the Broncos coach because of illness and fatigue. The fans were sick and tired of me. ~ John Ralston
If cheerleading was any easier it would be called football. ~ Kim, Bristol, Maine, USA
You got one guy going boom, one guy going whack, and one guy not getting in the endzone. ~ John Madden
I’m a light eater. As soon as it’s light, I start to eat. ~ Art Donovan
When it’s third and ten, you can take the milk drinkers and I’ll take the whiskey drinkers every time. ~ Max McGee
I always used to put my right boot on first, and then obviously my right sock. ~ Barry Venison
In high school, when I played football I got no respect. I shared a locker with a mop. ~ Rodney Dangerfield
Up Next: Cardinal football hosts Hutchinson, the defending state champions, on Friday. The Cardinal girls soccer team is already 3 – 0 by a combined score of 17 – 0!
I’m at a place in my life when errands are starting to count as going out. ~ Anonymous
If truth be told, this photo was taken on Friday . . .
A good rule to remember for life is that when it comes to plastic surgery and sushi, never be attracted by a bargain. ~ Graham Norton
Alexandria Golf Club
If truth be told, the rest of the photos were all taken on Sunday . . .
[Another beautiful day in Vacationland USA. We enjoyed a 2-hour breakfast at the golf club with close personal friends. The club championships were ongoing so it was a breakfast buffet in the lower patio level. Unfortunately, it was the last breakfast of the season at the club – mostly a matter of staffing . . . ]
[Something about a beautiful day once again inspired me to take garden photos . . . ]
I’m not feeling very well – I need a doctor immediately. Ring the nearest golf course. ~ Groucho Marx
The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course. ~ Billy Graham
There’s a reason so many new retirees, freed from the treadmill of work, promptly keel over on the golf course: Work fulfills us. It keeps us going. ~ Ben Shapiro
Exercise? I get it on the golf course. When I see my friends collapse, I run for the paramedics. ~ Red Skelton
I learned one thing from jumping motorcycles that was of great value on the golf course, the putting green especially: Whatever you do, don’t come up short. ~ Evel Knievel
I don’t like going to the mall. I’m not really like the other girls. I just like to go out on the golf course and play. Golf is fun and feels really good. ~ Michelle Wie
You don’t go to Palm Springs in the summer unless you’re building a golf course. ~ Arnold Palmer
Women in pro-ams are always telling me about all the business deals they’ve struck on the golf course playing with their male work colleagues. ~ Paula Creamer
If I played golf, I’d be on the golf course every day, but I just can’t wear those dumb pants. ~ Elvis Duran
I wasn’t a silver-spoon kid on the golf course growing up. ~ John Daly
[It’s always nice to run across one’s nickname spray painted on a cart path . . . ]
[Can you spot the pollinators?]
There’s definitely been some looks throughout history on the golf course that would make people say, ‘woah, what’s this guy wearing?!’ if they were to walk into a restaurant. ~ Justin Rose
Rolling Forks Vineyards
Does it disturb anyone else that ‘The Los Angeles Angels’ baseball team translates directly to ‘The The Angels Angels’? ~ Neil DeGrasse Tyson
[After a buffet-style breakfast, one must retreat home for a multi-hour nap prior to attempting any further activities. After doing such, we were good to go for an afternoon with the Cheese Bots at Rolling Forks Vinyard . . . ]
[A quick survey by the National Archives, it appears we have not seen the Bots since March 2020. The blame for that could likely be placed on COVID, student loan debt, or PBS Passport . . . ]
I’m not superstitious, but I am a little stitious. ~ Steve Carrell (The Office)
[The usual suspects were again at the scene . . . ]
There’s nothing wrong with you that an expensive operation can’t prolong. ~ Graham Chapman (Monty Python)
[Two of the three Bots . . . ]
[Once a member of the U. S. Air Force Band, now a practioner of Melrose Soul . . . ]
[The Bots in their entirety . . . ]
[Marty “Longhorn Colby” Sarlette . . . ]
[Jim “Fromage du Jour” LaRocque . . . ]
[Lindy “Limburger” Pederson . . . ]
[Photos ops abounded in the beautiful setting overlooking Lake Minnewaska . . . ]
[And food, don’t forget the food!]
[This is where the Super stepped into the action and took the photos of the day!]
I walk around like everything’s fine, but deep down, inside my shoe, my sock is sliding off. ~ Anonymous
[The group photo by the Super . . . ]
We interrupt this program for a brief history lesson. DiAnn Ness, founder of Sixth Avenue Wine & Ale (SAWA), was sitting at a table just off the right side of this photo (her daughter Traci is visible in the photo on the far right). The first time we saw the Cheese Bots was at SAWA, so I asked DiAnn how she “discovered” them. She said Marty Sarlette, the saxophone player who had performed at SAWA with Funky Gumbo Trio, asked her if a new group he had formed with his college buddies could perform at SAWA. And then SAWA was the first place the group Cheese Bots ever performed . . .
Here’s a sample of the Funky Gumbo Trio from 2011. The guys in the video are Mike Gill (saxophone, vocals), Craig Sandberg (bass, vocals), Spencer Christensen (guitar) & Bill Engebretsen (drums, leader of the pack):
I have no photos of Marty playing with Funky Gumbo but here’s a couple of him playing with Components at SAWA . . .
Truth hurts. Maybe not as much as jumping on a bicycle with a seat missing, but it hurts. ~ Leslie Nielson (Lt. Frank Drebin)
And here’s a sample video of the Cheese Bots, playing the Super’s favorite:
DiAnn would have to be considered the Barry Gordy, Jr. or Clive Davis of Alexandria. Here’s a list of the performers we saw at SAWA (which closed December 31, 2016) over the years, :
AAHS Carolers
Adam Astrup, Kirby Karpan, and Paul Meland
Andrew Walesch
BAT
Cheese Bots
Christine Rosholt
Components (Dave Strom, Bill Engebretson, Marty Sarlette & Bryan Poyzer or Craig Peterson on bass)
Components w/ Sami Steidl
Craig & Jamie Sandberg
Dan Mahar
Djangleville
Emergency Stop
Enterprise
Erik Schultz and Greg & Lesley Donahue
Erik Schultz & Mary Lou Thunselle Finestra (Wally Warhol, Arlyn Swenson & Jay Johnson)
Funky Gumbo Trio (Luke Skrove (trumpet), Mike Gill (saxophone, vocals), Craig Sandberg (bass, vocals), Spencer Christensen (guitar) & Bill Engebretsen (drums, leader of the pack))
Harper’s Chord
Kevin Klimek
Lisa Lynn
Matt & Julie Velline
Mel Lamar Trio w/ Mary Lou Thunselle MOTU (Dave Strom, Bill Engebretson & Wally Warhol)
Patchouli
Paul Drinkwine
Paul Meland & Adam Astrup
Salty Dogs
Sami Steidl w/ Jeff Montoya
Tuesday Nightclub
Uncle Willie’s Gut Bucket Blues Band
Waybacks
[And the day was considered a wrap when the aforementioned DiAnn Ness took a shot of the whole group with Ruthie’s camera . . . ]
Until next time. ~ Me
If I’m not back in five minutes, just wait longer. ~ Jim Carrey (Ace Ventura)
OK, this photo is just meant to be a Facebook (which always posts the first photo) attention grabber. I took this at the Final Four in Atlanta in 2002 or 2007, who remembers such things . . .
There are “cameo” appearances at the end of this post by half of the Salty Dogs and Tuesday Nightclub . . .
Editor’s note: This is my 6th and last year on the theatre board. It was fun and entertaining, and I have nothing but optimism for TLHD’s future. Here’s a look back to thoughts five years ago:
“Whoever neglects the arts when he is young has lost the past and is dead to the future.”Sophocles said that. I never met the man, but I think he was on to something. One should always lead off a discussion about the arts with a quote from Sophocles anyway. None of his quotes ever went viral, however, because he never put them on Facebook. Which leads me, of course, to Theatre L’Homme Dieu (TLHD).
THLD is in its 57th year of existence, the longest running summer stock theater in Minnesota. While growing up in the Ozzie and Harriet-ness of Alexandria’s Victoria Heights, I recall attending TLHD in the early 60’s. I was not a theater devotee, so my only memories of the theater then of are the mosquitoes. And it seemed to be a very long ride from our Victoria Heights cocoon. Then I went away for almost 40 years. The theater somehow continued on without me. After we retired back to Alex, the theater went through a major transition going independent after a long affiliation with St. Cloud State University. Now TLHD is doing better than ever through associations with various professional theater companies from around the state. And they love performing here.
I recognize not everyone is a fan of live theater. But you can say that about anything – except bacon. It is important to recognize the role it plays in the arts in general, and how important the arts are to quality of life. Think of it, if nobody is producing entertainment, there would be no need to invent devices to disseminate it. An iPad or television would be useless without anything to listen to or watch on them. It’s hard to imagine a life without the Beatles, or “Seinfeld,” or “Hollywood Squares,” for Pete’s sake. Live theater is where it all began.
In its quintessential Minnesota lakes area setting, the drive into the TLHD’s campus produces an excitement rush in its own right. So for a couple of months each summer, go out occasionally and grab one of the 272 available seats (I think I counted that right?) for any or all of the six plays, performed six days a week, plus some special events. And at the end of an event, if the spirit so moves you, stand and applaud, shout “Bravo,” and remind yourself you have just had a wonderful life experience. ~ Me
August 11
Please note this was a production of Theatre L’Homme Dieu. Many thanks and kudos to Nicole Mulder, the artistic staff, and the technical crew for a rousing season finale . . .
[The following photos were taken about an hour before an evening performance of the play. In fact the audience was starting for their seats as we were wrapping this up. Jenna Nowak, of the technical crew and regular theatre staff, set the scene for each shot – the actors posed and I hit the shutter button. The quotes with the photos generally do not match the scene (for reasons of time and convenience) . . . ]
But this is ridiculous. If he were such a patriotic American, why didn’t he just report us to the authorities? ~ Mr. Green
He decided to put his information to good use and make a little money off of it. What could be more American than that? ~ Wadsworth
I was in the hall. I know because I was there. ~ Wadsworth
When once your point of view is changed, the very thing which was so damning becomes a clue to the truth. ~ Arthus Conan Doyle
Who was the real Hitchcock? I interviewed him once and haven’t a clue. ~ Roger Ebert
With ‘The Simpsons,’ people didn’t know what they were gonna see. They didn’t have a clue. ~ Sam Simon
Oh, who ever it is, they gotta go away or they’ll be killed. ~ Mrs. Peacock
This is war, Peacock. Casualties are inevitable. You can not make an omelet without breaking eggs, every cook will tell you that. ~ Colonel Mustard
I haven’t a clue what’s going to happen next, and I can’t wait to find out. ~ Mandy Patinkin
Where is it? ~ The Motorist
What? The body? ~ Wadsworth
The phone. What body? ~ The Motorist
If you think America is great, remember that every person telling you otherwise may carry a clue to making it greater. ~ Anand Giridharadas
‘Clue’ was a big flop when it came out, but it became a… It’s a movie that almost everyone references with me, now, when I run into people. ~ Michael McKean
That’s not six. ~ Miss Scarlett
One plus two plus two plus one. ~ Wadsworth
Why has the car stopped? ~ Miss Scarlett
It’s frightened. ~ Professor Plum
Husbands should be like Kleenex. Soft, strong, and disposable. ~ Mrs. White
Being killed is pretty final, wouldn’t you say? ~ Mrs. White
It’s a matter of life after death, now that he’s dead I have a life. ~ Mrs. White
Oh my! Nobody can get into THAT position. ~ Mrs. White
Sure they can. Let me show you. ~ Professor Plum
Get off me! ~ Mrs. White
He was always a stupidly optimistic man. I mean, I’m afraid it came as a great shock when he died but he was found at died at home his head had been cut off and, um, so had his, umm… you KNOW. ~ Mrs. White
A double negative! ~ Wadsworth
Double negative? You mean you have photographs? ~ Colonel Mustard
How many husbands have you had? ~ Colonel Mustard Mine or other women’s? ~ Mrs. White
But he was your second husband. Your first husband also disappeared. ~ Wadsworth
But that was his job. He was an illusionist. ~ Mrs. White
But he never reappeared. ~ Wadsworth
He wasn’t a very good illusionist. ~ Mrs. White
Frankly, Scarlett, I don’t give a damn. ~ Wadsworth
So it was you. I was going to expose you. ~ Mr. Green
I know. So I choose to expose myself. ~ Wadsworth
Please, there are ladies present. ~ Colonel Mustard
There’s one thing I don’t understand. ~ Mr. Green
One thing? ~ Professor Plum
And are you the host? ~ Colonel Mustard
Me, sir? No, I’m just the humble butler. ~ Wadsworth
And what exactly is it you do here? ~ Colonel Mustard
I buttle, sir. ~ Wadsworth
Communism was just a red herring. ~ Wadsworth
Uh, is there a little girl’s room in the hall? ~ Mrs. Peacock
Oui oui, Madame. ~ Yvette
No, I just have to powder my nose. ~ Mrs. Peacock
Yvette, could you attend to the Colonel and give him anything he requires? Within reason, that is. ~ Wadsworth
I have something to say. I’m not going to wait for Wadsworth here to unmask me. I work for the State Department, and I’m a homosexual. I feel no personal shame or guilt about this, but I must keep it a secret, or I will lose my job on security grounds. ~ Mr. Green
See? Just like the Mounties, we always get our man. ~ Wadsworth
Mrs. Peacock was a man? ~ Mr. Green
You lure men to their deaths like a spider with flies. ~ Colonel Mustard Flies are where men are most vulnerable. ~ Mrs. White
Are you a cop? ~ Mrs. White No, I’m a plant. ~ Mr. Green A plant? I thought men like you were usually called a fruit. ~ Miss Scarlett
I am your singing telegram. ~ Singing telegram girl
What room is this? ~ Colonel Mustard
Search me. ~ Miss Scarlett
All right. ~ Colonel Mustard
Get your mitts off me. ~ Miss Scarlett
Do you like Kipling, Miss Scarlett? ~ Colonel Mustard
Sure, I’ll eat anything. ~ Miss Scarlett
Everything all right? ~ Mrs. Peacock
Yup, two corpses, everything’s fine. ~ Colonel Mustard
Are you trying to make me look stupid in front of the other guests? ~ Colonel Mustard You don’t need any help from me, sir. ~ Wadsworth That’s right! ~ Colonel Mustard
In your hands, you each have a lethal weapon. If you denounce me to the police, you will also be exposed and humiliated. I’ll see to that in court. But, if one of you kills Wadsworth now, no one but the seven of us will ever know. He has the key to the front door, which he said would only be opened over his dead body. I suggest we take him up on that offer. The only way to avoid finding yourselves on the front pages is for one of you to kill Wadsworth. NOW. ~ Mr. Boddy
Over my dead body. ~ Wadsworth
He couldn’t have been dead. ~ Mr. Green
He was. At least I thought he was, but what difference does it make now? ~ Professor Plum
Makes quite a difference to him. ~ Ms. Scarlett
And to make a long story short. ~ Wadsworth
Too late. ~ All
They all did it. But if you wanna know who killed Mr. Boddy, I did. In the hall. With the revolver. All right, Chief, take’em away. I’m gonna go home and sleep with my wife. ~ Mr. Green
Oh, you’re a doctor? ~ Mrs. White I am, but I don’t ptactice. ~ Professor Plum Practice makes perfect. Ha! I think most men need a little practice, don’t you Mrs. Peacock? ~ Miss Scarlett
Maybe there is life after death. ~ Miss Scarlett Life after death is as improbable as sex after marriage! ~ Mrs. White
This is war Peacock. Casualties are inevitable. You can not make an omelette without breaking some eggs, every cook will tell you that. ~ Colonel Mustard
But look what happened to the cook. ~ Mrs. Peacock
It’s a free country, don’t you know that? ~ Cop
I didn’t know it was THAT free. ~ Wadsworth
Three murders? This is getting serious. ~ Wadsworth
[The whole cast and crew . . . ]
I’ll run into somebody, and of all the movies I’ve done, they may say something about ‘Back to the Future’ or whatever, but then they make reference to ‘Clue’ very favorably. ~ Christopher Lloyd
[The whole cast, crew, and theatre staff . . . ]
Professor Plum, you were once a professor of psychiatry specializing in helping paranoid and homicidal lunatics suffering from delusions of grandeur. ~ Wadsworth
Yes, but now I work for the United Nations. ~ Professor Plum
So your work has not changed. ~ Wadsworth
Bon decor. But it is dark upstairs, and I am frightened of ze dark. Will anyone go wiz me? ~ Yvette
I will. ~ Professor Plum
I will. ~ Colonel Mustard
No, thank you. ~ Mr. Green
[The funny cast and crew . . . ]
Why should the police come? Nobody’s called them. ~ Wadsworth
You mean– Oh, my God! Of course! ~ Mrs. Peacock
So why shouldn’t we get away with it? We’ll stack the bodies in the cellar, lock it, leave quietly one at a time, and forget that any of this ever happened. ~ Wadsworth
What are you afraid of, a fate worse than death? ~ Professor Plum No, just death, isn’t that enough? ~ Mrs. Peacock
‘Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, . . .
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.’ . . .
August 14
[The quarterly wine pick up party at Carlos Creek Winery, driving past the Alexandria Golf Club where we enjoyed breakfast a couple hours earlier . . . ]
[The party for the first time was being held in the brewery, behind the roadside buildings . . . ]
[A “backyard” view . . . ]
[As is this . . . ]
[The Super driving her VW convertible up the hill for parking . . . ]
[The roadside buildings from behind . . . ]
[Beer, beer, beer, beer . . . ]
[And then back out front for the entertainment: Greg Donahue on the fiddle and Erik Schultz on the guitar and voice . . . ]
“’I’m forty-two,’ he said. ‘That’s eighty-four in musician years.’” ~ Monica Wood
Life can’t be all bad when for ten dollars you can buy all the Beethoven sonatas and listen to them for ten years. ~ William F. Buckley, Jr.
I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair. ~ Sandi Thom
Where words fail, music speaks. ~ Hans Christian Andersen
Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music. ~ Ronald Reagan
[Still striving for nirvana . . . ]
I love to sing, and I love to drink scotch. Most people would rather hear me drink scotch. ~ George Burns
Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without. ~ Confucius
August 16
[Tuesday night at the Garden Bar with Tuesday Nightclub . . . ]
[The regulars, l-r: Terry Kennedy, Jim Faber, Bill Riggs, and Al Lieffort . . . ]
When a piece gets difficult, make faces. ~ Arthur Schnabel
Brass bands are all very well in their place – outdoors and several miles away. ~ Thomas Beecham
[And on this night Dale White on flugelhorn sat in with the boys . . . ]
Hell is full of musical amateurs. ~ George Bernard Shaw
I always make sure that the lid over the keyboard is open before I start to play. ~ Arthur Schnabel
It would be interesting if Elvis were reincarnated as an Elvis impersonator. ~ Demetri Martin
Composers shouldn’t think too much – it interferes with their plagiarism. ~ Howard Dietz
I always hate it when people watch a musical and they go, ‘Oh, it’s so unrealistic, no one just breaks into song in the middle of their day.’ Yeah, they do- if they’re me. ~ Zachary Levi
Jazz came to America three hundred years ago in chains. ~ Paul Whiteman
Give me a laundry list and I’ll set it to music. ~ Gioachino Rossini
Nothing soothes me more after a long and maddening course of pianoforte recitals than to sit and have my teeth drilled. ~ George Bernard Shaw
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche
Why waste money on psychotherapy when you can listen to the B Minor Mass? ~ Michael Torke
I don’t know anything about music. In my line you don’t have to. ~ Elvis Presley
People never ask people doing serious music, ‘Do you ever think about doing funny music?’ ~ Al Yankovic
If anyone has conducted a Beethoven performance, and then doesn’t have to go to an osteopath, then there’s something wrong. ~ Simon Rattle
All the shopping malls and restaurants and airports are riddled with low-fidelity loudspeakers, which apparently have developed the ability to reproduce by themselves; these are all connected to a special programming service called Music That Nobody Really Likes, and you cannot get away from it. ~ Dave Barry
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