I am a sucker for themes, especially those where I get to dress up, so let me just say that I am incredibly excited over 80's Night at PJ's Tavern on Friday, January 29th. Anything that involves a costume contest is worth attending, in my opinion. Here are some things that I know about the 80's:
Madonna. Enough said.
On the day I was born, Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" was number 1 on the music charts. I neither take that as a good thing or a bad thing.
Some of the best movies were made in the 80's, such as Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, and The Goonies.
Fashion was big hair, gigantic shirts with shoulder pads, and leggings for the girls, zubaz for the boys. (Ok, zubaz didn't hit big until the 90's, but they were created in 1988 by two Minnesotans named Dan Stock and Bob Truax as a comfortable clothing item to wear while weight lifting. I also realize they were popular with both genders. My zubaz were pink, black, and gold.) And since fashion was so ridiculous, it makes for a good costume contest.
Speaking of hair, sideways ponytails and "crimping" were pretty popular.
Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari rocked wigs and dresses in Bosom Buddies.
In 1985 The Nintendo Entertainment System was introduces to the US, along with Super Mario Brothers, which launched a home video game revolution.
Since the 80's ended when I was six years old, I don't remember all that much. What 80's trivia do you know?
Occasionally WCHS needs help identifying a photograph, and members of the community have been able to do that.
Recently we received an artifact representing part of the history of the Waseca Water &Light Board. It is a handsaw used to trim tree branches that interfere with telephone wires. The saw teeth are slanted in one direction so as not to let the workman lose his balance and footing as he used the saw! And this artifact reminded me of this photograph in our collection--Does someone know who is standing atop this telephone pole? The year is likely sometime between 1910 and 1925. We’re not even sure this is Waseca, but wouldn’t it be great if it is?
Sometimes, Waseca County history . . .is unexpected!
There is good news and bad in the special election to fill the state senate seat of retiring legislator, Dick Day. The good is that we have three candidates who present very different styles and (with some exceptions) competing views on the pertinent issues of the day.
For example, on the budget, the Republican candidate, Mike Parry, hews pretty close to Republican orthodoxy - and will clearly be a feisty advocate for spending cuts (fifteen percent across the board) though he wavers when asked whether that applies to education or any other specific budget category. The Democrat, Jason Engbrecht, refuses to identify any area of current government spending he feels we can do without - despite a huge whole in the state's budget - and advocates "revenue" increases as part of the budget solution. The Independent, Roy Srp, stresses his record as Mayor in keeping the city's budget in the black (without property tax increases) despite state imposed cuts in Local Government Aid - and pledges to bring the same approach to state budgeting. This is just a sample of what we are learning as these three candidates share their views with area voters. Fortunately, because of seven debate forums (all of which have been covered by the local media), we are being given ample opportunity to compare and contrast the candidates.
Here is the bad news. Area voters are also being inundated with robo-calls and mass mailings (some of them negative) all financed with outside money. The two major parties (Republican and Democrat) and their associated interest groups are determined to win this election to advance their own agendas (which in many respects do not align at all with the concerns and needs of area residents). And they are obviously willing to spend whatever it takes to "buy" their candidate a victory. Do your best to ignore this outside influence - and instead make your decision next Tuesday based on what you know about each of these candidates. Here in Waseca, we already know a lot about two of the three contenders, Mayor Srp and former councilman Parry. We have learned more about them and Mr. Engbrecht through the frequent debates. So, vote what you know – not what these outside groups want you to believe.
Hello everyone! I apologize for not writing for such a long time. I have had a bit of writers block! I would compare our time here like the movie, “Groundhogs Day”. I did have a different type of day on Sunday and would like to share it with you.
I was able to sleep in a little on Sunday; it was a nice break from the demanding days in my office. My coworker is on her 2 week leave and it has been crazy without her help! I woke up and took a shower in our shower tents, which have a water heater! (I may have mentioned that in a previous blog). It was great to have a hot shower. Anyways I got to work and started my day off by reviewing a stack or two of paperwork. I review and submit paperwork for things like pay, awards, promotions, evaluations, and other things that are important in the career of a Soldier. Well I did this for most of my morning. I went to eat lunch at our chow hall. I usually eat a microwave meal that was sent to me, but this day I felt it would be good to get out of the office. Well to my surprise they had Chicken Cordon Blue! I love the stuff so much I ate two. I had a nice conversation with my buddies, I am sure it was about our countdown until we leave or something else Military.
After lunch I went back to my office and heard some singing outside. I remembered it was the first “Afghan Idol” competition. I went out to enjoy the sounds of 6 groups of Soldiers battle out their karaoke skills. A Staff Sergeant from our company got second place! It was good to see some enjoyment happening. It was a bit different not seeing karaoke being sung in a bar, but we make due. It takes a lot of courage to get up in front of people and sing a song without some help!
After these festivities I went over to our Maintenance section and joined a group of faithful Vikings fans gathering for a grill and conversation. One of the guys downloaded a recent episode from KFAN and we all listened to the people on the show having a great time. A couple of our extremely talented grill chefs cooked up some delicious chicken and steak. It was a great escape from our daily life here.
A dedicated group of 40 or so of us stayed up until 10:30 pm our time to watch the Vikings stomp the Cowboys! It was well worth it to stay up until 2:00 am to see how amazing the Vikings have become. I told a guy recently that as much as I did not want to admit it, Bret Favre made me a football fan.
My next day started again at 6:00 am, but with the pride of our state flowing through many of us, it was a great day. Happy New Year everyone! Be sure to welcome home the men and women who are returning home, remember the ones who are still here or are leaving their families soon, and never forget the ones who have given their lives.
Jim Kozan has a great smile which can be found at Waseca Music Store or on stage at many of the local watering holes and wedding/celebrations. Kozy is a performer! One week in 1967 while at Waseca Sacred Heart HS, Jim scored 47 points in one varsity game and 41 points the next game in the same week! Kozy was a left handed scoring machine! Jim enjoyed his playing time and was a great teammate on and off the court! The smile you see today was on the court back then as well The next time you need entertainment for your family celebration call Kozy, but then ask him about scoring 47 points in one HS basketball game his senior year! Wow!
High School sports are great aren't they? I watch HS athletes work their tails off on the mat, court, field, rink etc. They are enjoying one of the great times in their lives, the fellowship, the goal setting and achievement, the training and the results are life long memories.
The Waseca area has had great HS players, not many have made it to the big stage but the action has been memorable. Remember the the Edwards boys? Eustice boys? The Kelly's, the McLoone's, the Glynn's, the Dufault's, and others? What family has made the biggest impression on HS sports around Waseca for you? Records books for all Waseca area sports are dotted with names, who in your mind stands out?
Hey everyone, how was your New Year's Eve? I had an awesome time and caught the first set of The Schmoejoes over at Barden's Bar. More about that later. I just hope everyone stayed safe and had a great time. How many of you used the free taxi service? I actually did not, because alcohol is expensive, but the entertainment was free, so I just caught the show and moved on.
This Saturday, January 9th, Arrows at Dawn are playing at Club 57 at 9:30p.m. They've been working on an album that should be out any day now, so keep your eye on them! They're a rocking local act that perform original music, and they've been quickly establishing themselves in the southern Minnesota music scene. Check them out if you can!
Also, has anyone been over to PJ's Tavern lately? I saw that they've got their new sign up, and the renovations seem to be coming along nicely. I'll have to get over there sometime soon and see what other changes have been made. They're going to have DJs on Friday, January 8th and Saturday, January 9th. Apparently they also have a new wine selection, and if they have Mamertino, I may have to investigate that as well.
Up at Gilligan's Bar and Grill in Waterville, Kozy Lil' Duo is playing on Friday, January 8th from 6-10p.m. They play mostly covers from the 60's onward, but they do also offer up some originals.
I'm sure something's going on this weekend at Katie O'Leary's, but I have not had time this week to check out their posters to see who's playing. Did anyone catch The Blue Ringers when they played out at Katie's last month?
Well, that's all I've got for this weekend. Be sure to check out wasecaentertainmentreview.blogspot.com where you can find my New Year's Eve review of Barden's Bar, as well as a little bit of audio from The Schmoejoes (which isn't the best quality, so it's best to listen to at a lower volume).
Just had a family wedding! What does that have to do with sports? Well, the majority of invites were made to sport friends and relatives. Choir was a main stay but most relatives and friends were established or nurtured within the confines of an athletic field! Great people in sport, most are fans of their own children as well and appreciate the good times and success in the past. Many sport contacts last because we find that the instant gratification leads to a true friendship down the road, we care for the person who ONCE was an athlete! Pretty neat actually! In hindsight there are many great sport friends who could have been invited but......... Sports are great but family is the best and to have the kids home was special! My daughter Stephie married Joe and he loves sports! Life is good! See you at a ball game, become a fan again if you have not been.
We found this phrase on another museum website recently. It’s simplicity and directness impressed me, and because of our current success with our doll house exhibit, the fun part rang true.
Sometimes museums spend so much time gathering the facts, and the whole story, that we forget to just have a good time. We, on the staff of WCHS are passionate about Waseca County history and family and community relationships inherent in our work; but this fun exhibit has brought a lot of people together at YOUR museum for the pure pleasure of remembering our childhoods and our opportunities to just play.
It's a "feel good" experience at a time in which it is sorely needed. So many of our visitors, young and old, continue to appreciate the artistry, craftsmanship and great care these doll houses exhibit. And we are all grateful for the sharing . . . Happy New Year!
My 14 year old invited me to play SIMS with her the other night. OK, I thought, computer games are not my thing, but she loves it.
She told me we would first create our family in SIMS. Fascinating stuff, really. First you pick the age and gender, then the facial features, then things like glasses, hairstyles and clothing (although the part where you pick their style of underwear was a bit creepy).
So we are creating her sister Annie and she says "should she have glasses?" I felt she should as she wears them in real life. Meagan reminded me this was NOT real (as if I might have forgotten). Now I was confused, she told me we were creating our family in SIMS and yet they need not look like us? Who should they look like?
Things went fine for a while, we created Jeff, myself (thinner version with a fabulous hairstyle) and several of the children. Then she told me we could not create the last four children. I asked her why, she told me SIMS considered anything more than six children irresponsible. I started laughing as I realized SIMS had probably figured out something I had not. Technology is scary.
So the game goes on with just the eight of us. Meagan then informs me that we now will have serious problems affording a house that will fit the family. I am feeling smart now as I figured THAT one out YEARS before the SIMS. Not very often do I get to feel superior to technology.
Then something happened. Meagan informed me this would not be a problem after all as she had a "code" that would give the family and endless budget. I was speechless, incredulous. Sure enough, she swiftly enters a few keystrokes, and there it is, MILLIONS of dollars in our bank account!
I demanded to know why she had never told me this before. She looked confused, at best. I had lots of questions, who do I bring this code to? Shall I bring it to Roundbank? The IRS? Who shall I bring this marvelous code to and WHY would she keep it a secret?
That girl rolled her eyes at me.
Meagan tells me we must choose and furnish a home as well as a location for the house. I liked the idea of a small plot of land just outside of town, perhaps we could do some organic gardening? Meagan allowed my selection and we began furnishing the house. Things were peaceful for a bit, but Meagan quickly became frustrated with me again. I wanted a center island in the kitchen, Meagan felt that request was unreasonable, but granted it, reminding me that this was NOT real. I know it's not real, that's why I get a nice kitchen, DUH! She became very frustrated when I told her a kitchen sink had been forgotten. I felt that a sink was rather rudimentary to a kitchen, but she disagreed. I DID get the sink, but quickly realized I had better be less brazen with my requests.
So the game goes on and we are planning the yard. She chooses a swingset, nice idea. She then informs me we will need a fence the entire perimeter of the property with a locking gate. She seems frustrated when I ask her why on earth we would do this, we live on beautiful property at the edge of town, with a large yard for her siblings to play in . I will never forget what she told me next....."if you do not secure your property the neighbors will come in". And that would be bad because............? "Because they don't just stop over, they come in whenever they want, eating all of your food, using your shower and stealing your children'. Now I thought she was pulling my leg. So she demonstrated. Sure enough, here come the neighbors, and they DID! They just wandered in any time, day or night eating our food, using our shower and taking the children, much like when your grown children stop by the house. I demanded to move to a better neighborhood. That girl rolled her eyes at me again.
I am not sure when we will play SIMS again, while I enjoyed the time with my daughter I found the parameters of the game frustrating at best. Meagan found my requests frustrating, at best.
I will however be contacting my personal banker, Pam, on Monday morning. I am sure she can help me set my new code on the checking account. She is always so helpful, and never rolls her eyes at me.
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