Do the Hustle!

Well, at least it only took me a week to post again. Maybe I'm weening myself back into Blogger Land??

You've missed my wild weekends, haven't you?

Here's what's in store for this weekend - and might I add, in every sense of the term, Thank God it's Friday!! Uggghhh.....what a shitty week at work. Blah.

Anyway, this weekend:

Tonight, wild friend Jess is celebrating her 30th Bday! I don't know if I ever blogged about it, but she moved to Colorado last December to be with her boyfriend, who is now her fee-ants.

Anyway, we're going to Buca di Beppo in stupid Eden Prairie b/c Miss Jess waited until this morning to make reservations for downtown Buca!! Duhhh... I haven't eaten at Buca in a quite a while, so that should be good. Judging by how I feel about everything at the moment and my craving for a good hard drink, however, I'm not sure how much I'll partake in the dining as much as I'll partake in whatever booze they can offer besides wine (not a big wine fan here). I think there are 12 of us going.

THEN - it's off to the Gay '90s in good ol' downtown Minneapolis (or as I sometimes call it, "the hell away from the suburbs"). We're going to boogie the night away a la 1977 at the Retro Bar within this esteemed landmark. All that's played in the Retro Bar is '70s (mostly disco) and '80s music. It's fabulously fun. Nothing like celebrating someone born in 1977 than doing The Hustle at the Retro Room. I thought about dressing up in a leisure suit, but I'll save that for my own 3oth birthday in March...

Saturday - Not sure yet, but at some point, I'll venture over to NE Minneapolis to a little place called Elsie's Bowling Center (I think that's the official name, anyway). It's this place that my brother and his friends kind of adopted as their official group gathering spot. His ex-girlfriend (with whom we're all still friends) is having a going away party....she's moving to Utah to be with her new boyfriend. Maybe I'll have to go visit her so I can see some real polygamists, since Big Love is one of my favorite shows. I guess she's moving to Salt Lake City. All I think about when I think of SLC is The Osmonds and Ted Bundy (I remember watching that TV movie about him called The Deliberate Stranger, and he moved to SLC to continue his killing spree - yikes)!

Anyway - they will all be bowling, as usual, but I'm sure I'll just be sitting at a table with this girl named Rachel gossiping about everyone else! It's kind of a tradition we have. Actually a funny site to see all these 30-year-old yuppies at this neighborhood bar / bowling alley with the locals...Usually a good time, anyway!

Sunday will be my typical day of vegging and drinking Gatorade on the couch.

Liquor-ridden, waste of time & money to some.....but a little piece of heaven type-weekend for me!!


We may do "The Foxy Trot" tonight too...

Second to Last Titanic Survivor Dies

Awwww.....There's only one more Titanic survivor alive in this world (and she was only 2 months old at the time). Poor thing.

The second to last one died recently. Here's the story:

Barbara West Dainton, believed to be one of the last two survivors from the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, has died in England at age 96.
Dainton died Oct. 16 at a nursing home in Camborne, England, according to Peter Visick, a distant relative. Her funeral was held Monday at Truro Cathedral, Visick said Thursday.
Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean of Southampton, England, who was 2 months old at the time of the Titanic sinking, is now the disaster's only remaining survivor, according to the Titanic Historical Society.
The last American survivor, Lillian Gertrud Asplund, died in Massachusetts last year at age 99.
Dainton, born in Bournemouth in southern England in 1911, was too young to remember the night when the huge liner hit an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic in April 1912, killing 1,500 people, including her father, Edwy Arthur West.
He waved farewell as the lifeboat carrying Barbara; her mother, Ada; and her sister, Constance, was lowered into the ocean, according to Karen Kamuda of the Titanic Historical Society in Indian Orchard, Mass. His body was never identified.
The Titanic did not have enough lifeboats for all of 2,200 passengers and crew. Only a small number of those unable to find a place on the boats survived the freezing waters.
Dainton returned to England after the accident. She married in 1952.
She avoided publicity associated with the Titanic and even insisted that her funeral take place before any public announcement of her death, Kamuda said.
"We respected her privacy," Kamuda said. "We're so open with everything and our emotions nowadays, but people at that time, they just didn't talk about it."

I've been oddly fascinated in Titanic since I was a kid - Way before the over-hyped, over-romanticized movie (although I did like that too for the historical aspect). My interest probably stems from its rediscovery on the ocean floor in 1985 (or so). I remember there being quite a few survivors around at that time who would be interviewed - a majority of whom actually remembered being there. Now there's just one left...who was just a baby in 1912.

Apparently, the last American survivor died in 2006 and she was 5 at the time of the sinking, so had memories of it, yet didn't speak publicly about that night, nor her father, twin brother and 2 older brothers who drowned.

Anyway, I'm willing to guess that the last known survivor didn't have a tryst with Leo DiCaprio that night. Nor anyone named Jack, for that matter...

Minnesota Nice? Or Minnesota Ice?

While driving to work the other day, one of our local radio stations ( KQRS ) was the host of a discussion (or debate) about whether Minnesotans should be labeled "Minnesota Nice" or "Minnesota Ice."

Most people across the country have probably never even heard the term "Minnesota Nice," but since I live here, it's of interest to me. So deal with it and read on.
Everyone who called in had moved here from the almighty Coasts (whether it be East or West) expecting to be the most popular kid on the block from day one due to their automatic superiority of gracing we Midwestern hicks with their Coastal (or the Midwestern Saving Grace, Chicago) influence -- added to the fact that, upon moving here, they heard something about we natives being "Minnesota Nice."

The story goes that everyone (in general) is "nice" in Minnesota. As in, we treat everyone like a neighbor or friend with a welcoming, friendly "Hi! How ya doin'?" type demeanor. Or that we display the epitome of "giving the shirt off our backs," and "we treat everyone like we live in a small town" type mentality. (Sidenote: I grew up in small town MN with some of the most mean f'ers you can even imagine - seriously, a few of my HS classmates are in prison now).

Being a native of this state, I guess I'm probably biased, but I can see both sides.

I'd say it's fair to say that most people who move anywhere in Minnesota, whether it be from Alaska, Alabama, Seattle....or just from one area of the state to another.... experience more Minnesota Ice than Minnesota Nice. It doesn't matter if you're moving to Minneapolis....or Duluth....or Crookston....or Dodge Center (small town).....the fact is, we're really only "nice" and welcoming if you come up to us first and say hi. THEN we'll be nice to you. But probably won't call you the next day and invite you our next house/garage/apartment/bonfire party.

Reason: We Minnesotans (and I really suspect that everyone around the world is like this) -- We already have, and have had, our own circle of friends established before you moved to this country / state / area / town/city / neighborhood....It takes meeting you a few times before we'll remember to give a damn who you are or invite you to the next social gathering.

Isn't that the same in Chicago....New York....Seattle....Calcutta?!?

Why are we Minnesotans the ones blamed for being icy instead of nicey?? High expectations, perhaps??

SO --- those of you who move here and expect to be "one of the gang" from day one because you've heard we're supposed to be "Minnesota Nice," just toss that idea out the window and remember what you were like in your own comfort zone before you moved here. In your own neck of the woods, did you automatically invite a new member to your little group outings as soon as s/he said hello?? I doubt it.

FURTHER -- if moving here, or moved here already and disappointed by the fact that you weren't elected neighborhood Homecoming Queen upon arrival -- get over the shock and prepare yourself to be the outgoing life of the party (or just willing to put yourself out there and approach others) if you want to become part of a group.

Okay, now my own objective opinion:

First off, let me say that I use to travel a lot for work…and I’ve done a little leisurely travel too…so, I’m not exactly well-traveled like the rest of my Kennedy brethren, but I’ve been to a few places…AND....I have had the experience of moving from MN to Chicagoland (albeit just for an internship) and from out-state MN to the metro area....

FRIENDLY (in my experience): London, England (or England as a whole): Edinburgh, Scotland (or Scotland as a whole), Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.; Hilton Head Isl., SC; Ontario, Can.; Detroit, Mich.; Milwaukee, Wis., Bloomington, Ill; Ocho Rios, Jamaica (the other tourists, not necessarily the locals); La Crosse, Wis.; Madison, Wis.; Winona, Minn.

UNFRIENDLY: Atlanta, Georgia; Dallas, Tex.; Chicago, Ill.; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.; Rochester, Minn.; Springfield, Mass.; and last, but not least, my own hometown of Dodge Center, Minn (well, the whole county).

I don’t need to go into details…it’s just my experience. However, those are the places I’ve been to that come to mind as either being friendly or unfriendly.

I moved to Minneapolis from Rochester, Minn. *gay hell*, in 2004. It really was hard to meet people at first. I even went to bars (gay bars, mind you, where almost everyone thinks they have either a reputation, or an image, or a boyfriend/trick to maintain) alone thinking I might strike up a conversation with someone. Of course, in my mind, I was the semi-cute guy standing there alone. In my former neck of the woods (non-metro, or “out-state” Minnesota), we embraced new-comers with open arms – and maybe more than that – delighted to see a new face in the lonely crowd of small-city gays. I quickly changed my tune. I realized that everyone in Minneapolis / St. Paul already had a group of friends established….and they were all at the bar with them.

So, one night, basically out of frustration, I just started talking to this guy who was standing beside me at the bar waiting for his drink. I declared that all the people (especially gay guys) in Minneapolis sucked. That they were either socially retarded or just plain unfriendly. That led into a conversation….and a hook-up….Anyway, that’s what it took for me to enter the elusive “Minnesota Circle of Friends” cult. After that, this new friend, Bill, and I hung out a few times and I met a few of his friends…and a few of their friends….and a few of their friends. Now, I have my own little group of friends (which includes Bill – as just a friend).

Point being – we can seem unfriendly or cold (or maybe even overtly nice at first), but just like anywhere else in the world…in a new area, you have to make the effort to first, introduce yourself and show your true colors (aka Cyndi Lauper), to enter a new crowd.

And if you’re of the type who’s always lived in the same area, and hung out with the same crowd….Open up your mind and start talking to potential new members of your little clique. You might just have more fun…or get laid….or whatever.

Conclusion --- Fuck Minnesota Nice. We all, as regular people, find it hard to either enter a new comfort zone, or allow someone new into it.

So, there!!