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It’s expensive. It’s got elements of Euro-trash. I hate audience interaction. The clowns drive me insane. But somehow I’m completely captivated by Cirque du Soleil…

We saw four traveling shows in the Twin Cities:

• Alegria
• Corteo
• Delirium
• Kooza

We’ve also seen several of the permanent shows:

• La Nouba – Walt Disney World (twice)
• “O” – Bellagio, Las Vegas
• Mystere – Treasure Island, Las Vegas
• ZUMANITY – New York – New York Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
• LOVE – Mirage, Las Vegas

I still have one permanent show to see in Las Vegas (KA at MGM Grand) and I’d like to see my favorite “O” again at some point.

Overall favorite act: the trampoline wall in La Nouba…DK

There are currently several artists that I will go to see every time they are in town:

• Richard Thompson
• The Robert Cray Band
• Suzanne Vega
• David Byrne

I’ve seen Richard Thompson many times at various venues and think he is the best overall guitar player I’ve ever seen live. His lyrics are wonderful and he is very friendly and engaging with audiences, always coming out afterwards to meet with fans after the show. I think he likes it here, too, visiting at least once a year.

The Robert Cray Band is a relatively new find for us. We first saw them open for John Hiatt at the Minnesota Zoo amplitheater, but they stole the show that night. I believe they returned the next year at the same venue, then played two free shows the following year at the Minnesota State Fair.

Suzanne Vega and David Byrne don’t tour much these days, so it’s always a thrill when they show up in the coming events section of the local papers. I’ve only seen them a handful of times, so I hope they return to touring again soon.

Lyle Lovett always seems to play the State Theater when visiting Minnesota and I think I’ve seen him perform there three times. A mix of jazz, alternative rock, gospel and country, it’s hard to tell what kind of audience he will draw, but they always leave happy. The shows with the Large Band are especially fun to watch.

Venues

My favorite place to see live music in Minnesota is the one and only First Avenue. The Fitzgerald in downtown St. Paul is very nice, as was the old Guthrie before the geniuses in charge of the Walker Art Center decided it would make a better parking lot. For classical music, you can’t beat the Ordway…DK

First day covers are envelopes with commemorative stamps on them that are issued and cancelled with a special “First Day of Issue” postmark on the first day a new stamp goes on sale. Usually there is one post office selected to be the first day of issue site for each stamp (related in some way to the topic of the stamp). Much more information can be found on the first day cover entry on Wikipedia.

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000
1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990
1989 | 1988 | 1987 | 1986 | 1985 | 1984 | 1983 | 1982 | 1981 | 1980

One of my uncles gave me a subscription to the Postal Commemorative Society when I was ten years old. A friend of my fathers also collected first day covers and uncut sheets of stamps (which cost too much for me to collect at the time). I’ve maintained my subscription ever since and the collection has grown. I’ve also started collecting sheets on occasion–usually when I see ones I think look cool.

Some of my favorite stamps include the various 50 State releases (flags, birds and flowers, greetings), the original mineral stamps, the bicentennial 1776 multi-stamp set and the 1968 Walt Disney stamp.

One of the problems with collecting stamps is that you get them, they get filed away in a book and sit on a shelf. I decided I wanted to keep track of them online and include pictures so that I can easily view them anytime and make it easier to share with others. This project will take me some time to complete, but I think it will be fun once it’s complete…DK

I’ve been playing golf now for many years, but only started keeping my scores in 1995. My GHIN number is 5690-308 and my handicap has been hovering between 14 and 15 for some time now. I’d like to get that down to single digits, but I’ll probably be running seven minute miles before that happens…DK

What’s in my bag: King Cobra Speed LD F/10.5 driver, Titleist 980F Fairway Woods, Titleist 775 CB irons, Vokey Design Oil Can wedges (52- & 56-degree) and a Scotty Cameron Newport Two putter.

Favorite Places to Play (Public):

• Willinger’s Golf Club
• The Summit Golf Club
• The Wilderness at Fortune Bay
• The Quarry at Giants Ridge
• The Legend at Giants Ridge
• The Classic at Madden’s
• The Preserve Golf Course
• Stone Ridge Golf Club
• Troy Burne Golf Course
• Legends Golf Club
• Chaska Town Course

Favorite Places to Play (Private):

• Interlachen Country Club
• Hazeltine National Golf Club
• Northland Country Club
• White Bear Yacht Club
• Southview Country Club

Courses I’d like to play (in no particular order):

• Pebble Beach
• Cypress Point
• Bandon Dunes
• Olympic Club
• Pine Valley
• Augusta National
• Shadow Creek
• Whistling Straits
• Windsong Farm
• Spring Hill
• Somerset
• Deacon’s Lodge
• Challenge at Manele
• Experience at Koele
• TPC at Sawgrass
• Pumpkin Ridge – Witch Hollow Course
• Las Vegas Paiute – Snow Mountain

We love to watch movies. Lately, though, we watch many more movies at home via Netflix than we do at a real theater. It’s not the prices or the facilities that bother us, it’s the people. Why can’t people shut up for 2 hours? Same problem at concerts lately too…

I really do like two theaters in town: the Uptown and the Lagoon. The audiences there seem to be more serious about movies and tend to be more respectful than the masses at suburban multiplexes.

My Current Top 10 Movie List

• Life is Beautiful (1997)
• National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
• Pulp Fiction (1994)
• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
• Reservoir Dogs (1992)
• Spirited Away (2001)
• The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
• The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
• The Princess Bride (1987)
• The Usual Suspects (1995)

Honorable Mention: Fletch, Caddyshack, Fargo, Unforgiven, The Wizard of Oz, The Professional, Lost in Translation, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Stop Making Sense, Star Wars and Sling Blade.

Our CD music collection grew and grew over the years, but now it seems to have slowed as we started to buy music through iTunes. I’ve decided that I prefer to have the original CDs, though, as the restrictions placed on songs purchased online become too much of a pain compared to the alternative. On the other hand, it is really convenient to purchase songs online, so I’ll probably have a combination of both going forward. Here are some of my favorite artists:

Beastie Boys Belly Ben Folds Bjork Cake Chris Isaak Cirque Du Soliel David Bowie David Byrne Freedy Johnston G. Love & Special Sauce Garbage

Golden Smog Gorillaz Jayhawks Kate Bush Kristen Hersh Lyle Lovett Mike Doughty Neil Young Peter Gabriel Radiohead Richard Thompson Robert Cray Band

Son Volt Soul Coughing Suzanne Vega Talking Heads Tanya Donelly They Might Be Giants Throwing Muses Tori Amos U2 Uncle Tupelo Wilco

Recent Songs Played in iTunes

I’ve always loved to read, but as school ended and my career changed, I’ve moved away from full-length books and now read more magazines, online stories and technical manuals. Here are the magazines I currently subscribe to:

• The Economist
• Newsweek
• Golf Digest
• Golf Week
• Runner’s World
• National Geographic
• Ski Magazine

Here are some magazines I don’t have subscriptions to, but like to read when I can find copies:

• Q Magazine (UK)
• Conde Nast Traveller
• National Geographic Traveler
• Architectural Digest
• Communication Arts

I currently read only one printed newspaper:

• Cook County News-Herald

I do have a large pile of longer books to read in my office, but I never seem to get any finished…DK

I started running in high school, where I lettered in both cross country and track. I was never very fast at either, but I found that when I was in running shape, I was in generally good health overall. I use that as an excuse to put up with the tedious parts.

My yearly routine has included several 5K and 10K races, one half marathon and two full marathons per year. I’m now up to fourteen marathons completed:

• Twin Cities 1995 – 4:42:52 (10:49 Minute Miles)
• Grandma’s 1997 – 5:05:43 (11:41 Minute Miles)
• Walt Disney World 2000 – 4:44:14 (10:52 Minute Miles)
• Grandma’s 2003 – 5:26:54 (12:30 Minute Miles)
• Chicago 2003 – 5:20:04 (12:12 Minute Miles)
• Grandma’s 2004 – 5:07:48 (11:46 Minute Miles)
• Twin Cities 2004 – 5:06:30 (11:42 Minute Miles)
• Grandma’s 2005 – 4:51:46 (11:22 Minute Miles)
• Twin Cities 2005 – 5:28:44 (12:33 Minute Miles)
• Twin Cities 2006 – 5:09:32 (11:48 Minute Miles)
• Twin Cities 2008 – 4:13:19 (9:40 Minute Miles) – PR
• Walt Disney World 2009 – 5:07:49 (11:46 Minute Miles)
• Grandma’s 2009 – 4:21:46 (10:06 Minute Miles)
• Twin Cities 2009 – 4:36:19 (10:33 Minute Miles)

Here are my Heart of the City Half Marathon results:

• 2004 – 2:21:41 (10:50 Minute Miles)
• 2005 – 2:25:52 (11:09 Minute Miles)
• 2006 – 2:35:41 (11:54 Minute Miles)
• 2007 – 2:18:50 (10:37 Minute Miles)
• 2008 – 2:08:40 (9:49 Minute Miles)
• 2009 – 2:10:37 (9:58 Minute Miles)

Here are my Monster Half Marathon results:

• 2008 – 1:51:42 (8:32 Minute Miles)
• 2009 – 1:39:15 (7:35 Minute Miles) – PR

And here are my Get in Gear 10K results:

• 1999 – 1:01:15 (09:53 Minute Miles)
• 2002 – 1:07:04 (10:48 Minute Miles)
• 2003 – 1:00:32 (09:45 Minute Miles)
• 2004 – 0:55:41 (08:58 Minute Miles)
• 2005 – 0:57:43 (09:17 Minute Miles)
• 2006 – 0:55:28 (08:56 Minute Miles)
• 2007 – 1:07:49 (10:55 Minute Miles)
• 2008 – 58:30 (9:25 Minute Miles)
• 2009 – 49:02 (7:54 Minute Miles) – PR

Getting closer to the 7 Minute Miles target…DK

I started skiing when I was nine years old. For the first three years, I skied at one place only–Schweitzer Basin in Sandpoint, Idaho. With a mother working for Northwest Airlines and an uncle who lived in Spokane, Washington, it was a great way to be introduced to the sport. Midwest “hills” just don’t compare to western mountains.

Schweitzer became a spring skiing tradition that continues for me today. Here are some of the other areas I’ve visited over the years:

• Mt. Spokane, Washington
• Breckenridge, Colorado
• Copper Mountain, Colorado
• Keystone Resort, Colorado
• Dartmouth Skiway, New Hamshire
• Lutsen Mountain, Minnesota
• Wild Mountain, Minnesota
• Trollhaugen, Wisconsin
• Welch Village, Minnesota
• Buck Hill, Minnesota
• Afton Alps, Minnesota
• Powder Ridge, Minnesota
• Spirit Mountain, Minnesota
• Winter Park, Colorado
• Big Sky, Montana

I raced slalom in high school at an area in Wisconsin called Birch Park, which is now a golf course and housing development. We also raced at Trollhaugen and Welch Village, if I recall correctly.

My favorites runs used to be steep and bumpy, but as I’ve grown older, I now prefer the steeper groomed cruisers. I’m very old school when it comes to skiing–no snowboards and no shaped skis for me. I have two pairs of long, traditional Rossignols that I’ll ski until they break.

A few places I’d like to get to eventually: Jackson Hole, Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek, Whistler and the Swiss Alps…DK

Ever since my first Walkman, Trinitron TV and Apple II, I’ve had a thing for technology and gadgets. Apple and Sony have always been favorites of mine, despite some rough times with both here and there. I’m actually somewhat conflicted when it comes to technology–I like to use it, but I also enjoy my time away from it too.

From a professional standpoint, I’ve always felt that you need to use the right tool for the job, no matter who makes it or what it costs. You get what you pay for and good gear always seems to pay for itself.

Here are my current tools:

• Portable Computer: 17-inch MacBook Pro (2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 500GB Drive)
• Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6.2
• Music Players: 8GB iPhone, 4GB iPod nano
• Development Environment: Apache, PHP and MySQL
• Apps Always Open: Mail, Safari, Tweetie, NetNewsWire, iCal, Address Book, Photoshop, iTunes, Terminal, Coda

I’m not very good at it, but I love digital photography. I hope to take classes sometime in the future (photography and graphic design), but for now I just take a whole lot of shots and see what turns out.

My current camera of choice is the Nikon D70 and I’m experimenting with several lenses. Sample shots can be found in the 7MM Photo Gallery.

When it comes to audio and video, other priorities have taken the money in our budget lately. We did finally get an HD television, though (Sony, of course).

I love it when people say they don’t watch television. How is that even possible these days? It’s true you may have to dig a little to find something good, but there are some real gems out there if you know where to look. And with Tivo and other DVRs (I use El Gato’s EyeTV 200 box), it’s even easier to find what you want. I’m also impressed with Comcast’s digital OnDemand service–it almost makes the cost worth it.

We haven’t had premium cable for a while, but we liked watching Entourage, Weeds, Dexter and The Wire.

As for regular broadcast TV, here are the shows I try to catch each week:

• The Simpsons (Fox)
• Family Guy (Fox)
• The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
• The Office (NBC)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS)
• South Park (Comedy Central)
• Survivor (CBS)
• Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Private Practice (ABC)
• Modern Family (ABC)
• Scrubs (NBC)
• Community (NBC)
• Nip/Tuck (FX)
• 24 (Fox)
• Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (CBS)
• The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
• Glee (Fox)

RIP: Futurama, Beavis and Butthead, Kids in the Hall, Chappelle’s Show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Father Ted, The Vicar Of Dibley, Blackadder, Ballykissangel, The Sopranos, Deadwood

There is lots of other programming I watch here and there: poker on multiple channels, sports on Fox Sports Net and ESPN, Las Vegas shows on the Travel Channel, various shows on the Discovery Channel and TLC, Golf Central on the Golf Channel and British shows on BBC America…DK

I was lucky to grow up in a family that valued travel and had access to cheap airfare and other discounts. While I don’t have access to the cheap stuff anymore, I still try to travel as much as I can.

39 out of 50 states so far:

Airport codes were a fun way for me to learn my letters–here are the airports I have visited at least once (how many do you know?):

MSP	GEG	HNL	MCO	LAX
DTW	DCA	LGA	LGW	NRT
SIN	HKG	AMS	DEN	ORD
BOS	DIA	FAR	YYZ	YWG
SEA	ATL	GFK	MSN	VIE
CDG	ITO	OGG	PDX	SJC
SNA	MKE	LAS	PHX	SFO
MDW	ANC	TPA	AUS	DFW
HOU	SAN

Unlike electronics, I’ve never really developed any brand loyalty to any one chain of hotels. I usually like specific hotels in a given spot, such as the St. Francis in San Francisco, the Sainte Claire in downtown San Jose, the W Lakeshore in Chicago and my all-time favorite, the Bellagio in Las Vegas. When cheap and clean is the goal, I usually stay at an AmericInn, where available.

As for airlines and car rentals, I’m a Sun Country fan and I’ve had an Emerald Aisle card with National Car Rental for as long as I’ve been old enough to rent a car. Haven’t really tried much else…DK