Matt's Bar and the Original Jucy Lucy

Lisa and I are in Minneapolis for the weekend, and at the recommendation of a co-worker of hers who lives here we had dinner at Matt's Bar.

Dig even casually on the web and you'll find plenty of info on the place.  It was founded in 1954, has been on numerous foodie TV shows, still only accepts cash, offers no ice in your drink, no utensils or plates, and its menu is short and to the point. The atmosphere is casual and fun and not at all rehearsed - it feels very comfortable. 

We got there at just the right time.  While we were seated right away, a line of expectant diners began to form, eventually stretching out the front door. 

Their claim to fame is as the purported creator of the Jucy Lucy - spelled just like that - a burger with the cheese inside.  Take a bite and it literally squirts back out at you. 

I don't eat cheeseburgers, but I was compelled to take a bite of Lisa's, and it was very good. 

Me? I just ordered a burger. 

I don't know what seasoning they use, but OH MY WORD. Every bite was heaven. I honestly think it may just surpass Mazos in my book.  Blasphemy, I know.  But I speak the truth. 

A great meal at a great dive bar.  Visit it when you're in the Twin Cities.

Animal Kingdom Day Three

Animal Kingdom Day Three

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Gallagher

 

Watermelon-smashing prop comedian Gallagher has died at age 76 after "a short health battle." 

I remember watching his Showtime specials as a kid and thinking he was hilarious, but I haven't seen so much as a clip of him in years. 

RIP sir.  Thanks for the laughs. 

This year I’ve taken SO many senior portraits. The yearbook editor to photographer pipeline is real.  - YaYa

Attack of the (ineffective) November Hornets!

It is November 10th, 2022, and I spent my lunch sitting on the patio at work, blissfully enjoying a 74 degree day. 

That alone is remarkable: November, almost mid-November, and it is warm enough in Wisconsin to sit outside without a coat or long sleeves. Wow. 

(Although a cold front is moving in that will restore us to a stereotypical November by this time tomorrow),

Alas, my meal featured numerous attacks by hornets, also a rare sight this late in the year, hornets who seemed as irked by their unusually extended life as I was. 

This guy in the picture was unusually aggressive, refusing multiple efforts to thwart his advance on my drink. In fit of manly courage I swatted him, knocking him to the ground, then stepped on him. Sometimes a 700x size advantage helps. 

Immediately, however, his buddy dive bombed me, looking for payback. I swung my plate at him, meeting him halfway. There was an audible "thonk," like a tennis ball hitting a racket, and no more was seen of the pesky but loyal-to-his-brethren hornet. 

So endeth the tale.

Shady Goodwill, Shady

- YaYa

Go Vote!

Handy Mandy and a Pillow Fight

Watching Handy Mandy on our last morning here.

Taco Night

It's all white ppl taco night n it's delicious.  I like authentic or gringo...all tacos welcome here!  - Lisa

Aaron Carter

Aaron Carter, the pop star of the early aught and the troubled brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, has apparently drowned at his home. He was 34.

Voting

After work today I picked up Junie and the exchange students and headed to the library to cast an early ballot in Tuesday's election. 

While we were there I caught up with an old friend and former coworker and got the exchange students a library card. 

100 Years Ago Today

A century ago today, on November 4th 1922, Howard Carter discovered the long buried tomb of King Tutankhamun.

My Thoughts on No-Hitters

Just to be clear, a combined no- hitter is a no-hitter but not a real No- Hitter. A No-Hitter is a measure of a pitcher's dominance, certifying that for 27 outs he was literally untouchable. It's a personal accomplishment more than it is a statistical milestone. 

To me, a combined no hitter - esp ones where 3 or 4 pitchers were used - is on the batters. It means that for 27 outs the opposing team couldn't piece together a decent swing even when facing arms of differing quality. That's on them, not the pitcher.

Just my opinion. 

Voting

3 generations of early female voters right here.

A Great and Varied Day

While the kids napped Lisa and I took a walk to the arcade, where I earned a free game of pinball (natch) and miraculously beat her at air hockey. 

Then it was on to Hollywood Studio's, where we met three other families from WI. Although we only had ninety minutes to spare before a dinner reservation at Magic Kingdom, the fast passes did the trick.

We bypassed a 50 minute line for Tower of Terror and were rewarded by scaring the bejesus out of LK. Smiley was scared too but refused to scream or admit it. Midway through the ride LuLu yelled out to me in the dark "I love this ride!".

Then on to The Great Movie Ride, where the kids really seemed to soak up the atmosphere. I think a viewing of Raiders of the Lost Ark is on the horizon, and Smiley recognized Alien from the commercials for the new video game.

We did our first Team Slap pics in front of Mickey's hat (more on that later). We then headed over to an all Frozen store (!) where an overwhelmed LK struggled to narrow down her choices before getting an art set, snow globe, and a singing Elsa doll. That doll sang and sang and sang lol. Smiley also got a pin of that snowman character.

While I was there I stopped to check out some black and white photos of 30's-40's era actresses on the wall. An elderly man came up and dared me to name just one of the stars.  I quickly identified all eight of the women, to his pleasant surprise, then spent a minute  mutually talking about old movie stars and lusting over Veronica Lake. Frankly, such movie knowledge should be universal. 

From there it was a rush to the shuttle bus to get to Magic Kingdom, a ride where LK met 2nd grader from Ohio and OJ and I suffered when a rude couple refused to move towards the back of the bus and left us standing and squished up front. They were the first unpleasant people we've encountered here at WDW.

The Light Parade

Watching the light parade at Magic Kingdom

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All Smiles Here

The best part of vacation is that you are divorced from the calendar. If I think about it I can tell you the day of the week or the date, but for all purposes it is simply and wonderfully Day Three.

Fast Passes are the Best!

Just got two Fast Passes, one for Tower of Terror, one for The Great Movie Ride, good until park close, just by stopping at the front desk and asking about it. YAY Disney!