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Just a few degrees colder Minnesota and this would be a whole lotta snow


@kingsbury tweeted April 28, 2014


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Burnt Sugar at the Walker

Posted April 27, 2014

Social media can sometimes freak me out a bit. I posted on Twitter that I didn’t know what to expect from Burnt Sugar at the Walker on Saturday night. Just before the show started, my phone vibrated – their official Twitter account favored my tweet. I posted a pic from the show to Instagram (and Twitter) and that tweet got re-tweeted, followed by a personal reply too. You never know who’s in charge of their account, but it’s a whole new world in fan interaction, that’s for sure.

Colleen purchased tickets to this show after she read that Living Color guitarist Vernon Reid would be the conductor. I was initially reluctant to go, since the last time she bought tickets to the Walker (Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche), it was just plain weird. Living Color was the first band we ever saw live at First Avenue, but when you read the intro on the Burnt Sugar web site, it makes you wonder exactly what you will see:

BURNT SUGAR THE ARKESTRA CHAMBER is a terri­tory band, a neo-tribal thang, a commu­nity hang, a society music guild aspir­ing to the condi­tion of all that is molten, glacial, racial, spa­cial, oceanic, mythic, antiphonal and telepathic.

There was really nothing to worry about – this was just a group of very talented musicians interpreting the songs of Steely Dan (read more in this Star Tribune preview article). I was never a big Steely Dan fan growing up, so I’m not sure if all the songs they did were covers, but the big hits like Deacon Blues and Kid Charlemagne jumped right out as songs from my 70s childhood.

I loved reading the program notes and the bios of all the performers. There are some serious Kevin Bacon connections going on with this group: V. Jef­frey Smith played saxophone on all the big Billy Ocean songs, bass player Jared Michael Nickerson recorded and toured with Bernie Worrell and Freedy Johnston, while trombonist Dave Smith was listed as being on the cast of Treme.

Vernon Reid was a very enthusiastic group leader – both of the band and of the audience. He unfortunately played very little guitar over the course of the evening, but the other musicians more than made up for that. The vocalists were all very strong and it was fun to see Leon Gruen­baum play the “Sam­chillian Tip Tip Tip Cheeepeeeee.”

Still trying to figure out what a freak-a-phone is, though…


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Is Adrian Dater a giant? @Russostrib looks tiny next to him


@kingsbury tweeted April 27, 2014


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Nice to see Jason today at Caribou in Eagan


@kingsbury tweeted April 27, 2014


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Chocolate awesomeness

Pic posted April 27, 2014

The Diane Yang contribution to the Stetson benefit, Amsterdam Hall


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Top shelf help tonight

Pic posted April 27, 2014

Chef Klein (Meritage) at the Stenson benefit, Amsterdam Hall, St. Paul


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Dan Wilson at the Stenson benefit @ Amsterdam Bar and Hall


@kingsbury tweeted April 27, 2014


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Post-race recovery included sleeping in until 11:30 and waking up to thunderstorms


@kingsbury tweeted April 27, 2014


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All those dayglow freaks who used to paint the face, they’ve joined the human race…

— Kid Charlemagne

Quote posted April 26, 2014


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Minneapolis chicken and waffles

Pic posted April 26, 2014

Boneyard, Uptown


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Late night chicken and waffles @ Boneyard Kitchen & Bar


@kingsbury tweeted April 26, 2014


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Burnt Sugar was pretty awesome – full review later


@kingsbury tweeted April 26, 2014


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Wonder how long it will take for my Arctic Monkeys hat to arrive from London?


@kingsbury tweeted April 26, 2014


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Get in Gear 2014

Posted April 26, 2014

Thirteen years in a row! Minnesota’s Annual Rite of Spring, the Get in Gear races at Minnehaha Park, just keep getting better and better – well organized, the best running value of the year, a scenic course and believe it or not, decent weather for two years straight. Well, OK, today’s easterly 17MPH wind was not so nice coming across the Lake Street Bridge (and up the dreaded hill near St. Thomas), but otherwise it was pretty great running weather – especially compared to the rest of 2014.

After setting a PR last year of 44:40, I was really nervous about trying to repeat anything close to that time. I’m at least ten pounds heavier and another year into the masters category, so there were two strikes against me right off the bat. Throw in the crappy winter for outdoor training and I had no idea what would happen. I started the race with a 6:55 first split, which seemed way too fast and made me panic a little about finishing without having to stop and walk. I was breathing harder than normal and my calf muscles were very sore. The rest of the splits were all in the sevens – 7:23, 7:41, 7:41, 7:37 and 7:32.

My Garmin said the first mile was way off from where the sign was located, but the rest of the course was pretty much spot on. I felt pretty good coming across the Ford Bridge, but knew my final time wasn’t going to be close to last year. The final stretch went OK, but I finished with a watch time of 46:34 (almost two minutes slower than last year).

Some other stats from the results page:

  • Official time of 46:35 (7:30 pace)
  • Overall: 374 out of 3014
  • Men: 281 out of 1338 Males
  • Age Group: 25 out of 160 Males in the M45-49 Age Group

The finish area had water and Gatorade this year and the food was back in the main pavilion again. Does it get any better than Great Harvest raisin bread, salted nut rolls, bananas and chocolate milk? There was also a yogurt vendor with peanut butter spread samples, but my hands were full by the time I made it to their table. The shirt was technical again (cotton is dead and gone forever, it seems) and the bags were super nice (with an innovative design).

Up next: TC 1 Mile on May 8 (guessing that PR will be tough to beat too)


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Never thought this would happen

Pic posted April 26, 2014

I was seriously beginning to wonder if they ever awarded the jackpot…


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Not sure what to expect tonight from the Burnt Sugar thing at the Walker – Vernon Reid can’t get too crazy, right?


@kingsbury tweeted April 26, 2014


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Finally time for lunch @ Mac’s Fish / Chips / Strips


@kingsbury tweeted April 26, 2014


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The original Mac’s

Pic posted April 26, 2014

Fish and chips in St. Paul


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My Buddy Don

Pic posted April 26, 2014

Como Zoo primate house, St. Paul, Minnesota


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Feed Me Seymour

Pic posted April 26, 2014

Como Park Conservatory


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Bonsai!

Pic posted April 26, 2014

Ordway Japanese Gardens, Como Park


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Baby E

Pic posted April 26, 2014

Walk for bubbies, Como Park


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Triple G

Pic posted April 26, 2014

Walk for bubbies, Como Park


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Walking for Babies @ Como Park Zoo & Conservatory


@kingsbury tweeted April 26, 2014


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Too fat and old to PR this year – ran the Get in Gear 10K in a watch time of 46:34 (nearly two minutes slower than 2013)


@kingsbury tweeted April 26, 2014


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