Minnesota Centennial Show Boat - Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde

Last night we went to Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at the Showboat near Harriet Island in St. Paul.  It was the opening night of the show, put on by University of Minnesota students.  My wife and I had been to the showboat before, to see Dracula but I believe our last visit was in something like 1992, before we were married.  We both remember it being closer to the Minneapolis campus and infested with spiders.

Jekyll and Hyde was performed as a melodrama with olios inbetween.  I'd never heard of an olio, but was pleasantly surprised.  They were hilarious.  The show itself was full of great humor, but the olios really stole the show and "The Calendar Parade" and "The Saga of Two Little Sausages" had me laughing.  All of them were amusing.  I highly recommend the show, but after their opening night they're on hiatus for nine days while the Mississippi River crests.

I was joking with Kyle on Facebook that I sort of felt like I was in Bioshock Infinite.  There was even a barbershop quartet as part of the olio "Marriage a Cinq"  He said if I had to throw a ball at a minority I should get out my skyhook and go to town.


This view, more than most, made me think of Bioshock.  It's like all the empty decks where you're looking for trashcans to pilfer.


Panorama of the river.  The water was speeding along.  At one point, just as it was getting dark, a large tree was going past me as I was standing at the rail, with a noise that sounded like a monster had breeched, the whole thing sudden vanished.  A few minutes later, one limb popped back up above the water.  I would not want to be in the water right now, or in the next week as it crests.


It's a little less Bioshock when Eryn is posing with her umbrella, although if she'd had a dress and could manipulate dimensional barriers, it might have been a different story.


There were two boats on the river pulling in as we went to the play.  I wonder if Tall Brad is up on that bridge somewhere...


Nice picture from the showboat of downtown St. Paul.


The stage before the show.  Almost all the scenery was painted.  There were amusing scenes where someone would pretend like a painting was a 3-dimensional prop.


Intermission.  The cathedral in the dark from the showboat.


There were a number of informational displays about Jekyll and Hyde.  One was about how Hyde was portrayed through the years.  It included Doofenshmirtz's failed attempt to make himself a monster.


The title painting which came down between scenes and after the Monty Python-esque ending.  Wonderful vaudeville and a lot of energy.

77

It was a bit longer of a day than I expected on the bicycle.  This is the only picture I took of the St. Paul Bike Classic, despite doing parts of it twice.  After breakfast at The St. Clair Broiler, I biked up to Dan'l house and saw the last two riders as they passed close to Como Lake, a cop car behind them with its trunk up picking up things.  Then later as I biked home, I passed all the signs, and I was clearly the last person on the route.

So 11.5 miles to the ride.  32 miles on the ride.  11 miles round trip to Dan's.  11.5 miles home.  10 miles of various riding by taking a longer route home around the fairgrounds and getting lost up around Larpenteur and Victoria.  And a mile to the grocery store and back to buy Eryn a good selection of junk food.

Kyle brought her a refurbed Goodwill bike last night before her singing and guitar gig over at Ring Mountain (they paid her in free ice cream, and I scored a leftover quart of Chocolate Chili Pepper someone hadn't claimed), so she rode that over to Cub to try it out.  She likes it, although she's not fond of the slippery seat.  We may try swapping it out with the big seat I used on my old mountain bike.  I gave Kyle the wheels off it last night.  I'm going to just keep stripping down parts for reuse until the only thing left is the broken frame.

Larry, Ming, Alan, and Bjorne all went on the Classic.  Not as a big of a group as we've had in the past, but a good size for a quick ride.

Sunday Breakfast

Yesterday I biked into downtown St. Paul to have breakfast with Ming at the Four Inns.  I had to wait around in front of the federal building for a while because it only took an hour to get there, not the hour and a half I'd allotted myself, so I amused myself by taking photos and reading the news.  This one turned out really well.

When Ming got there he was on the other side of the building and, by the time I caught up with him, he was talking to the cops on the phone about the guy who'd been on the side of the trail with a machete.  Unfortunately, the cop couldn't investigate because he didn't know how to look up bicycling trails on Google.  So there's your piece of advice for the day.  If you're going to commit a crime, commit it on a bike trail and you'll buy yourself hours while the cops try to align it with geography they understand.



This was in the window across the street.  Vote Betty!  The nurses used to have lots of this exact sign when I worked for them back in the 80s and Betty was running for City Council.  I believe she actually came to the office once to talk to the nurses as the association (our district wasn't officially a union) did a lot of political action committee work representing registered nurses and health care in general.


The Four Inns had good food.  The pancakes were particularly tasty.  This guy loomed over us throughout breakfast.


And she stared at us from the corner.  She reminds me of art I'd see at work.


After breakfast, we noticed a bag under a bench right up against the building.  So we tried to find a security guard who could help us, but when we got on the elevator and pushed the button to the 10th floor, it just turned itself off again.  There was no one immediately available on a Sunday morning.  After taking a closer look I could just see inside to see it was empty, so I popped the top open so it was obvious nothing was inside for anyone else who might be worried about a bomb scare.  Given the current nonsense about physically implanting bombs in people, I wonder how they'd have reacted to me calling in the authorities to look at a lunch box with a big chunks of metal in my hip and a scar.  Guess it depends on whether they brought a metal sniffing dog as it doesn't show below the edge of my bike shorts.

Lilydale has had a lot of work done since I last pedaled into St. Paul.  They're routing the trail along the wetlands a little further south, and this is going up.  Very nice looking as long as you don't peek around the corner and see what seems to be a homeless tent city hidden in the woods.

I raced a couple of road bikers here just to make them work.  They never like getting passed by my hybrid/sport bike.  It's a good reason not to accept Ming's mirror - I'd only use it to mess with people.


The panoramic view.  You can see it better at the [Original].
 

Some recent geocaching...

I recently downloaded the geocaching.com app to my iPhone.  This gives me the ability to geocache about whenever I want, as long as my battery doesn't die.  Most important realization about caching?  Cliffs and scary terrain don't scare me at all.  Teenagers wandering around in the woods as a pack result in me vacating almost immediately.  Not because I feel like some forest-dwelling perv, although that occurred to me.  But because I don't trust why they're out there, so I don't see the need to be anywhere in their vicinity.

Mr. Geocaching Cowboy is from a trail near my house that I didn't even know existed.  There are a number of lakes in the neighborhood you can't see, and the trail wraps around them.  Some serious work on the bike.

I gave Colin a whole bag full of geocaching dinosaurs and animals tonight.  And at least one soldier.  But I think I still have the cowboy.


I think you can see the cache in this picture if you think about it.  But only because the hiding place broke and it's a little more obvious.  Still took me a few minutes to figure out what I was looking for.


This is a camo style in Call of Duty.  It was very hard to see in the tree.


There was a cache across the street, although I think it had been muggled.  There were so many cars and pedestrians going by that I just couldn't spend much time really looking around.  But this hardware store was pretty cool.  If I had a business (one with a building, that is...well, a building that's not rental property...I mean, not rental property for half a dozen people...who were in a family...you know what the hell I mean), I'd like it to be big enough that it has it's own sculpture park.


Near the high bridge.  Uppertown.  I didn't sit in the chair.  It was REALLY cold despite our recent weather.  It just happened to be between breakfast with Erik at the Day to Day and home.


Klund has the Pearly Gates.  Uppertown has this.  I'm not sure who wins.  Both have a cache nearby.


Cool sculpture in the Uppertown park.  Looks sort of dragonish.


The cache in the Uppertown park. My fingers were numb after getting it open.

Lots of Things to Do!

It's shaping up to be a busy month. I'm pondering this as my itinerary:

• It's already too late for Minneapolis Oktoberfest, Kielbasa fest, and the Granite City Oktoberfest. Next year!
• Friday, September 17. Devil, by M. Night Shyamalan, just so I can ruin it for Ming by telling him the plot. I have part of the work day reserved to go. Anyone interested?
• Saturday, September 18, breakfast at Junior's followed by board gaming at my house. Primarily Eurogaming as Troy won't be around. You're all invited. To both events. Gaming at 10:00 a.m. Breakfast is usually around 8:30.
• Sunday, September 19, breakfast at the Capital View Cafe. I have $6 off. You're all invited. I'll spread the $6 amongst the guests. Probably as a tip.
• Sunday, September 19 again - Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter Oktoberfest...Kyle? Is this kid friendly, do you suppose? Eryn would probably enjoy traveling to Wisconsin to an Oktoberfest. Wait...what sort of lame Oktoberfest is noon to 6 p.m.? An "all ages welcome" Oktoberfest. Woo hoo! I can take the family and drink. Twofer.
• Friday, September 24 - the 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins at CTC.
• Saturday, September 25 - Tater Tour, NHCC - you're all invited. I'm doing the 25 mile version
• Saturday, September 25 - Decadent Weimar Republic Kabarett Night at the Black Forest with Le Cirque Rouge.
• Sunday 26 - Mom's birthday, better send her a present
• Tuesday 28 - Home Brew Night as part of the Oktoberfest at Black Forest.
• Saturday, October 2 - Chilifest - you must be 6'2" or taller to attend. I will be attendings this rather than the Dallas, Wisconsin, Oktoberfest: http://www.vikingbrewing.com/ofest.htm
• Sunday, October 3 - Drain the Keg night at the Black Forest.
• October 8 or 9 - Twin Cities Oktoberfest at the State Fair grounds. The important part is the coupon for a free beer: http://www.twincitiesoktoberfest.com/index.php/admission.html. And the beer server with the large chest and small outfit.
• October 8 or 9 - Gasthoff Oktoberfest in north Minneapolis. This is an either/or with the Twin Cities Oktoberfest. Maybe. Could always do both in one night. That would be some serious Oktoberfest-ing.
• October 22 - Soap Factory Haunted Basement. Ming's going too. CRAP! That's the same day as the CTC Robin Hood play. Grr...that's what I get for not sending myself all the dates ASAP. We'll have to move the play.
• Saturday, October 30, Rosemount Halloween Haunted Trial as Eryn wants to go to something sort of spooky. We might visit Ming and his neighbor for a spooky garage as well.
• Sunday, October 31 - Halloween! Someone might be going as Hermione Granger again this year.
• Somewhere in that mix, I need to schedule a geocaching day with Kevin. Maybe a week day, as I have a lot of vacation left.

Glam Shot

Eryn posing at the park in downtown St. Paul:

Sidewalk Closed

Wouldn't it have just been faster to lay the new piece of sidewalk immediately? And is the sign really necessary?

Poker Advice for Kyle's Dad

Kyle...did you know that according to St. Paul city law it's illegal to sell, barter, or give away baby chicks unless you're dealing in lots of 12? This would really screw up your Dad's baby chicks and brandy poker game unless the minimum bid was 12 chicks. We should keep that in mind in case we're playing poker at Dan'l's house again sometime soon.

And my sister should take note. I assume there are equivalent laws across the river in Minneapolis, and if she's intent on raising Urban Chickens, she better buy them in batches of 12. And once again, I include a law pertaining to the trapping of any animals, including squirrels. Just in case she's still up to her squirrel-related shenanigans.

Chapter 197. Sale of Baby Chicks

Sec. 197.01. Prohibition.

No person, firm or corporation in the City of Saint Paul shall sell or offer for sale, barter or give away baby chicks, less than one (1) month in age, in lots of less than twelve (12) in number.

(Code 1956, § 330.01)

Trapping-related:

Sec. 196.01. Trapping prohibited.

Except as may be otherwise provided in this chapter, it shall be unlawful to set traps or engage in trapping in the City of Saint Paul.

(Code 1956, § 323A.01)

Bike Classic 2009

It was a somewhat lonely St. Paul Bike Classic this year, relatively speaking. No LissyJo or Dad. No Mean Mr. Mustard (plantar fasciitis - but he did volunteer, so we stopped at the first rest stop for the first time ever to see him helping out and to ask him whether Eryn's snotty napkin belonged in the compost container...it did). No Kyle (elbow nerve). No Ming and Logan (work - unfortunate release). No Christy (unknown). No Sandy (no Christy, among other things). No Brady (probably hanging with Ming at the unfortunate release). No Erik (riding later with his new friends). No Doug (bike stolen after RAGBRAI). No Dan (he never rides with us, he does the 30+15). And a few others.

The sole attendees were Alan, Brian (new this year, works in the same row as me at work, and biked all the way up from Eagan and back), me and Eryn on the tagalong. The problem with that setup is that there was no one slow to regulate my speed, and I just try to keep up or set a brisk pace. So by the time we were done with the ride I had an average speed of 12.5 mph. If I was on a flat or slight downhill, that might be ok, but hauling a tagalong and six year old behind a mountain bike up the river bluffs of St. Paul, that's about 2.5 mph faster than is advisable. After breakfast at the St. Clair Broiler, I went home, inspected the heat rash developing on my arms and sides, and promptly fell asleep for two hours.

So this year, no pictures of people exiting toilets, no videos of crazy old dancing ladies, no stories about thongs. Just a few nice pictures of us on the ride.

Eryn at Indian Mound Park. She was excited to learn that the people way down on the road below us (where the river is) were bicycling where we had been before climbing up the ridge. She was more excited when we went down the big hill before the park, topping out at about 30 mph. She loves the speed.


Eryn and I at about the midway point.


Alan and Brian, probably waiting for me to get back on my bike.

Long Weekend Bicycling - Bunker Hills, Hugo, St. Paul

I spent a sizable chunk of my weekend on my bike. Not the majority, mind you, I'm not on a cross country 20 hour a day road trip, but more time than doing almost any other activity (and yet I did go to both Terminator Salvation [eh], and Night at the Museum Battle for the Smithsonian [good, if you have a six year old]). Saturday, Eryn and I took a late trip into St. Paul, covering about 26.7 miles down into the valley with a hard push back out to give me some hill climbing practice and make it to Chipotle and home before dark. Eryn liked the water fountain at the park that the kids had set open so they could play in a little lake, and walking up next to the Mississippi River.

I liked, in no particular order, a.) the two women singing "You Cut Me Open" a capella by the river, with the frequent break to take a long drag off a cigarette. I know, from Facebook, that it's one of Ming's favorite songs, so perhaps he could head down there to join in, b.) the little kid - age 2 or so - whose grandpa said, "Don't go in the water", and who then ran over and jumped in shoes and all. At that point grandpa told him the day was over. When he took off to do something else, grandpa said, "no, you're all wet and it's over", at which point the kid whacked him with his plastic shovel. Time seemed to stop. I compliment grandpa on his patience. He took the shovel, and the plastic water bottle that could have doubled as a secondary weapon, and pointed him at the car. A complete jumping all out fit followed, but I think grandpa considered anything after the shovel tolerable. c.) the large woman straddling her boyfriend next to the family trying out their model rocket at the park. It would have been inappropriate if it ended there, but the 40% visibility on the red thong took it to a whole new level.

Sunday, Ming and I went riding the Sunrise Trail from Hugo to North Branch and back, about 48.7 miles. The most exciting development was a new place to eat breakfast at the end of the trail in North Branch, just to the right of the trail. The last two years we had to settle for a coffee shop and find some old guys who could direct us to the Lone Oak restaurant. They picked a good summer location. There were a number of cyclists eating there, including a guy who was on mile #700 of a tour around Minnesota, and a former-coworker turned contractor still working at our company who was on a ride with his 12 year old son.

I didn't take many pictures as I've documented that ride to death, but I found the idea that this place would soon be "Eden" amusing.


And today, Eryn and I went up to Grandpa and Grandma's to pick up some keys and went for a bike ride around Bunker Hills while we were there. She was tired, so we only went about 10 miles, but that was probably enough to remind my legs that they better buck up and worry about doing a few days of hills in a row.

The bad thing about Bunker Hills is that the wildlife is vicious. I've been told to stay away from hippos, but I didn't realize they might try to attack you in a Minnesota park.


Eryn took it calmly. I was much more frightened. Perhaps because I know that hippos have nasty flukes. Ick. I realize you usually have to be on the other end to be near the flukes, but I was still concerned.


It was Memorial Day, so Bunker Hills had their flags at their memorial at half mast. I looked at their main monument and thought, "Wow, Coon Rapids lost almost 10,000 soldiers in World War II? That's huge!" Then I realized it was the number for the VFW Post. It was a nice monument, and although no one was there when we were there, there had obviously been a ceremony with a floral wreath.


That is the front end of a tank in the last picture. Here it is more fully. Eryn chose that position herself. I did not encourage her in any way whatsoever. Pooteewheet pointed out that she's been to that tank before, as a girl scout! E.g. when she was younger, not in some little twisted fetish game of ours.


Here I am on the tank. I picked the pose. Eryn did not encourage a particular pose or choose it for me in any way whatsoever. I was sort of struck by either how big I am, or how small a World War II tank was. I would have been very uncomfortable in that thing. It's also surprising how small it is compared to a modern NATO tank of the sort that almost ran over Dan'l's van in Canada in the middle of the night in 1987. This tank was a bit bigger than a van. That NATO tank towered over his van.


Tank drivers are slobs.


My latest artistic endeavor. Reenacting famous photos, but with my bike. Here I recreate the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. You have to admit it's a step up from the hippo photo, or the many photos of me touching animal statues inappropriately.

I Shoe Malaysia

This is primarily for Ming. You have to get home. Now. Not your home here in Minnesota, but the home where your parents live. You have to save them! They're in dire danger!


AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!