Recommendations
Duluth Mommy Blogger needs your vote
There’s an unusual mommy blog out there for the thinking parent looking to find stimulating and educational reading for his or her kids. It’s called Delightful Children’s Books. And it’s the work of a mom right here in Duluth (not me).
The blog has been nominated Parenting Magazine for a Best All-Around Mom Blog. It could use your vote. You just need to hit this link, register and vote.
I wrote a little something about her and her blog at urbangirlinterrupted.blogspot.com or you can just go to her site and learn everything you need to know.
Car Air Conditioning Service – Help!
I’m in search of a remotely cheap air conditioning service and recharge on my 2007 Chevrolet Aveo. It stopped working about a month ago during that one really long, hotter-than-blazes-every-day week in which I had to drive 50+ miles every day … and I’m taking a few trips to the Twin Cities in the next few weeks, so it would be lovely to have working AC again.
I’ve called Midas in West Duluth and Arrowhead Amoco, and they are both charging upwards of $100. Does anyone know of anywhere with good service that would be any cheaper? Thanks in advance!
Book Signing Party for Swinging Doors, A Memoir by Quinlan Michael Hampston
Saturday, Aug. 20, 4 to 6 pm., at R.T. Quinlan’s, 220 W. Superior Street. Easy access and parking at 221 W. Michigan.
Mischief and mishap figure into Quinlan Michael Hampston’s hilarious stories of how a kid who couldn’t read grew up to be a man who would write a book. Funny, yet poignant, Swinging Doors suggests, without apology, that steering a zigzag course can land a guy in a surprisingly good place.
Hampston, an owner of R.T. Quinlan’s, chronicles his life growing up in Duluth, serving in the Navy aboard an aircraft carrier in the Western Pacific, Desert Storm and his life of a barkeep. Along the way, Hampston travels with a goofy but lovable bunch of characters – kids chasing trains and cows, sailors chasing skirts and bar buddies telling tales and chasing their next drink. Read more at swingingdoorsbook.com.
Cookie Temptations
Today, after exiting the lunch buffet at Sala Thai, I stopped in Cookie Temptations.
Think bakery + florist. CT creates sugar cookies that are designed in chocolate, baked in Duluth.
Besides custom cookie orders (that’s the “florist” part as I see it), they sell individually wrapped cookies. One cookie a month is a “benefit” cookie, proceeds to a charity or needy cause.
The young lady behind the counter was awesome, informative, and helpful; the cookie we bought rocked.
Why is the library essential?
I thought about commenting on the post below, but this question deserves a post of its own. It looks like our library’s status is an issue that is going to stick around awhile. Libraries are closing everywhere, even in large metro areas like Chicago, Philadelphia and Charlotte (the first few that come up on a search).
It’s also a question that came up at the Duluth Chamber’s most recent “Forvm” event with city council candidates, and it led to some odd answers. One candidate said something like, “Absolutely we need to support our library.” I take that as meaning he thinks it’s essential. But then he went on, “I haven’t been there since college. It seems everything I need now is on the internet, but I was there all the time in college.”
(more…)
Don’t Feed the Plants: Review of the Duluth Play Ground Production of Little Shop of Horrors
Originally, I hadn’t planned on reviewing Little Shop of Horrors, but I was so tickled by the preview show that I had to recommend it. The show works well with the venue: the intimacy of the Play Ground enhances the campy, B-movie qualities of the musical. Delightfully kitschy costumes, hair and make-up; excellent vocal performances; and palpable chemistry among the cast members make this a fun end-of-the-summer distraction. (more…)
Manifest Destiny Yard Sale — Final Day
We’re headed out west, to Rapid City and surrounds to visit family and see whatever the 2011 Sturgis Rally visitors left behind. To fund this trip we have mounted a massive 4-day yard sale combining the items of Mrs. Goose, the Goslings and my Mother Goose (in-law).
What does that mean for you? Pure gold, folks. Witness this mash-up of schlock here:
Michael Bolton and this rare, near mint VHS of Sheena Easton’s so-bad-it’s-good 1983 TV Special “Act One.” you get them both for a dollar. One greenback, people.
In-wall insulation
Does anyone have a recommendation for a Duluth contractor to add insulation inside walls? I had an energy audit and the auditor recommended adding insulation inside my exterior walls, since there’s no insulation in there right now.
This is the first large project I’ve undertaken in my house and I’m intimidated by the process of picking a contractor. Before anyone suggests it, I did go to an informational class through the Duluth Energy Efficiency Program and submitted my information, but my house is already too efficient for me to have access to those resources.
I’m hoping someone here may have done this recently and has a recommendation for me.
Recommendations for non-profit help
Hi, Wildwoods Rehabilitation is interested in a booth at the Harvest Festival. We have a few questions and wonder whether the PDD community might have some answers.
1. Would an agency who has already exhibited at Harvest Fest be willing to share rough numbers (how many t-shirts, brochures, etc. to bring, how many volunteers to staff the booth)?
2. We’re looking for good rates to produce t-shirts locally. Any recommendations?
3. We’re looking for good rates to produce buttons, magnets, and bumper stickers locally. Suggestions?
We’re also looking for other suggestions of ways to get our organization out into the community. Thanks as always, PDD& community, for giving us a forum to get the word out.
The Wild Party
Renegade Theater Company Presents The Wild Party
Book, Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Directed and Choreographed by Jenna Kase
Welcome to the Roaring Twenties. This is the story of one wild evening in the Manhattan apartment shared by Queenie and Burrs, a vaudeville dancer and a vaudeville clown. In a relationship marked by vicious behavior and recklessness that mirrors the time in which they live, they decide to throw a party to end all parties. As the guests arrive, we meet an assortment of people living on the edge. Queenie and Burrs set out to make each other jealous, but Queenie begins to fall in love with her conquest named Black. After a long night of decadence, Burrs’ jealousy erupts and violence rears its ugly head.
Sex. Violence. Sin … and Gin. These elements, along with show-stopping choreography and serious vocal fireworks, combine to fuel this bold, bawdy and mesmerizing musical.
August 4-6, 11-13 & 18-20
Tickets on sale now!
Global Goes Local
After 32 years, the founders of Global Village (from Minneapolis) have passed the torch to a long time employee and hometown girl. Friday, we celebrate this new chapter for the old downtown icon and present the Lotus Center, our new community yoga and dance (and more!) studio on the second floor. (more…)
Free Bees
My wife and I are trying to paint the house this year and have discovered a substantial carpenter bee nesting area under the eve. We don’t want to have them exterminated because we love these nice bees. The hive is inside the sofet and are accessible to the right bee charmer.
Can anyone recommend a bee keeper who wants to relocate these pleasant bees?
Wishes Come True, Not Free: Review of Into the Woods
Sondheim’s Into the Woods, with its incorporation of fractured fairy tales, may seem like kid’s stuff at first glance. In reality, it’s anything but.
The first act weaves together a number of familiar fairy tales through a quest narrative that involves a Baker and his wife securing a number of objects (a cape as red as blood, a slipper as pure as gold, etc.) to undo a curse, courtesy of the witch next door, which has left them childless. (more…)
Twist of Noir
Local creative writing enthusiast and editor Chris Grant edits Twist of Noir, a website of noir-style mystery fiction.
Twist of Noir Logo by Walter Conley. Copyright 2011
Chris wants to see stories that are well-written, engaging and interesting crime and noir stories.
My Potato Project – The Importance of “Organic”
[This post originally contained an embedded video that no longer exists at its source.]
The corn analysis made me think of this right away and had to share based on the corn comments. If you haven’t seen this already, it’s worth watching through. In addition to the experiment results, Elise’s scripted narration and awkward pauses are fantastic. She’s not from Duluth, but is from Minnesota and really likes our town.
Duluth Beer Tour 2011
How many different beers are produced in Duluth and commercially available in July 2011? Could you drink a pint of each in one day and not require a stomach pump? (more…)
Sweet Corn Analysis
I just now noticed that “analysis” could be thought of as having a prefix. Anyway, the ears on the left are from the Whole Foods Coop and the ones on the right are from the guy in the Pizza Hut parking lot on Central Entrance.
Co-op price was .99 each (or .89 with my membership). Pizza Hut price was $6/doz or .50 each. (more…)
That 1 Guy at Big Top Chatauqua
Go see him! If you’re not familiar, check out his website. Saw him first at Green Man a few years back and he’s hella fun. Playing a 1-hour matinee at Big Top Chautauqua this Saturday for only $4 and then opening later that night (still at Big Top) for … hold onto your hearts, ladies … Kansas.
Admittedly, we’re skipping the Kansas part, but the matinee should be rad and there are still a bunch of tickets left.
TrollHunter rocks
As I figured, eventually I started to take Zinema 2 for granted, and even to vaguely feel uncool enough for it.
Then, today, I saw TrollHunter.
“The TrollHunter” is the story of a group of Norwegian film students that set out to capture real-life trolls on camera after learning their existence has been covered up for years by a government conspiracy. A thrilling and wildly entertaining film, “The Trollhunter” delivers truly fantastic images of giant trolls wreaking havoc on the countryside, with darkly funny adherence to the original Norwegian folklore.
If you haven’t gone, this is the way to beat the heat!
Who is responsible?
On June 7 a local contractor dug up my home’s sewer line to find that the city’s contractor bored right through it with a gas line. The city says that it is the contractor’s responsibility, and they are out of business and this was 30 years ago so the statute of limitations is up and they are not responsible. The estimated repairs are approximately $20,000.
I say the city is guilty of reckless endangerment since there are homes that have actually blown up in the Cities after a local sewer cleaning company drilled into the gas line and gas leaked into homes. Those cases are in court right now. In 30 years you would think the city would have taken all precautions to scope the lines to be sure this would not happen again, since apparently I am not the first with this issue. Should I contact the Pipeline Safety organization? I know (especially since I am unemployed at the moment) that I do not have funds for a lawyer. WCCO? Local news? City Counselor? Any ideas for rectifying this situation?
Square Dance Input Request
I just attended my first Monday Night Square Dance in Minneapolis and want to build a similar event in Duluth. I am asking PDD for input on location or other thoughts. (more…)
Back to the tundra!
I am heading back to Duluth tomorrow. I have been gone for a little less than a year, is there anything different enough that I should know about it in advance? What has changed? What is exactly the same? Any new restaurants/stores I should check out as soon as I get back? Suggestions for new local bands/upcoming shows?
Bingo!
Someone in PDDland has to know the best place in town to get my bingo on. Help me out here.
Too nice out to work
I’d like to go swimming today but want to avoid the hordes at Park Point. I have two little ones and would like some sand if possible. Any recommendations? I had heard there was a hidden beach somewhere in Knife River but don’t know where.
Duluth Wedding Officiants
Nikki and I are finally shaking off the procrastination and getting down to planning our wedding (late) and looking for an officiant! If anyone knows, or has any recommendations for an officiant, we’d love to hear them! The ceremony is being held in Leif Erikson Park this September and we’re looking for someone who’s either non-denominational or generally open-minded Christian. We’ve emailed a few people from the various directory websites but would be much more comfortable with first-hand experience or recommendations.