Pay for your pleasure

I was going to file this under personal preferences but the more I think about it, the more I realize that it is a much bigger issue than that. The topic is one that divides communities with arguably good people on both sides, for or against. Some think its harmless or even good for people. Some think its a matter of choice and while they may or may not approve, declare that what people do in the privacy of their own home is nobody else's business.

Poppycock!! I probably used to be one of those people but the events of the past year have changed my mind. Now I think its time that laws are enacted and vigorously enforced. If you are going to be involved in this you have to suffer the consequences, you have to go into with full knowledge that it is not victimless, that someone will have to pay for your "pleasure".

I'm talking, of course, of wall paper. As I spend hours scraping wallpaper off the walls of the kitchen, I've been devising all sorts of legislation against wallpaper and the people who insist on putting it up. The fairest I can come up with is that if you put it up, you must agree to take it down. I don't care how cute it looks, how darling it is, how it "makes" the room---all wallpaper has to come down someday and usually the people who put it up are no where to be found. Ha, how convenient.

Alright, I'm done ranting--I obviously didn't give that up for Lent. If you're in town and bored, come on by and help out. I've got plenty of beer and vodka.

It's Almost State Fair Time

It's time to start thinking about the Minnesota State Fair. In a short six months it'll be here. I can almost feel the swaying of the shuttle bus I'll take from the free parking off of Snelling and I-94 and feel the sun on my face as I wait in line for admission ticket. There are two kinds of people in Minnesota--those that hate it and those that love it---and I love the fair.

What's not to love about it--there's great people watching, great food, tons of stuff to see, freebies, stuff to buy, more people watching and more food. I think anyone who goes regularly has a routine or set route they follow and some "gotta haves" in the food department. Our route always takes us through the animal barns, have to see the biggest pig in Minnesota and feel the sheep and marvel at how big the cows and horses are up close (not so exciting for Mr. Wonderful, the former farm boy), to the DNR building, the Fine Arts building where we always wish we had more talent or money and Heritage Square. We aren't too particular on the food other than I need about three or four pronto pups. I like to see what all the vendors are selling in the grandstand though sometimes the heat or crowds will make it too much work to go through all of it.

Every year we run into acquaintances--well, I suppose, since its the Great Minnesota Get Together, all 100,000 are our friends, but I'm talking about people we've actually met before. Some years we go to a show at the Grandstand--the past couple of years we've gone to see A Prairie Home Companion. What a great way to celebrate Minnesota at the Minnesota State Fair.

Tourist Traps

In an earlier posting, I mentioned that there are two types of people in the world (those that like watching the weather reports and those that don't). Now as I get ready to write this posting, I want to divide the people in the world into two groups again. I have a feeling this dividing of people in two groups is going to be happening a lot in the future.

There are two kinds of people; those who love tourist traps and those who hate them. I love them. If you build it and make the sign big enough and flashy enough, I'll find it eventually.

Just a partial list:


the world's largest ball of twine-now there's a hobby

a real marshmallow factory-my mom and sisters were less than thrilled

the Liberace Museum-loved it

Gatorland-saw death with every misstep

the Mark Twain Cave -spelunking without risk, perfect

Bear Country USA-they mean it when they tell you to keep your windows closed

Rubber Rainbow Condom Company-you'll have to ask for details

Storybook Island-kind of odd but...

Ripley's Believe It or Not--oh yes, I believe

and Wall Drug--for us lovers of tourist traps, this is our Taj Mahal

Sometimes I need a quiet, maybe even a lonely, place to restore my equanimity and to bring my social skills up to an acceptable level but most of the time I'm ready to follow the directions on the sign to the next, "not to be missed, fun for all, come and see" roadside attraction. And when I'm there, I'll invariably decide that I have to buy something (except, ironically, not at the Rubber Rainbow Condom Company) and that always adds to my fun. So now, the tourist trap people are happy and I'm happy--how great is that.