Starting from Labor Day, also known as Monday, September 1:
- We start at Sunday, August 31, which was my last of four days at The Minnesota State Fair. I noticed that did not get too many of the new foods because, like I said in a previous blog post, there wasn't a consensus new food (well, besides the soft serve beer, which may not be a food) that I would wait for hours to try. (And by the way, the lines to the soft serve beer were non-existent. It was hyped all over the place, as I did in that same previous blog post, but did it make enough money that justified a return on investment?) There was that ube lumpia that I waited in line for, but it was getting late and the line didn't seem to move, so I bailed. What I did get were the Maple Cream Nitro Cold Press Coffee from the Farmers Union; Granny's Green Apple Sucker Ice Cream; the new Aegean Dream beer from Dino's; a Cider Freeze, that iced apple juice in a plastic tube considered to be the cheapest Fair food you can find for many, many years; a corn dog (not a pronto pup, a corn dog, and it's the first time I've ever had a corn dog, I think); and an Aloha Pineapple Haze that was being sold only from the eating establishments inside the Warner Coliseum. All told, I spent: $40.50.
- And Father paid me for getting Powerball tickets for him. It's an Infusion of: $10.
- Saturday the 30th was the start of my alma mater's football season, and I'm glad they kicked ass. This place upcharges for credit cards, and since the State Fair was replete with vendors that also did that, plus the Powerball being where it is right now, and I have used cash like I haven't since before the pandemic. And this is a good thing because I should want to avoid giving away money if I don't have to, right? With tip I paid: $32.
- Friday the 29th was my third trip to the Fair. Had the yuzu meringue Croffle Cloud; the Bama! Lemon Sweet Tea mocktail; the Cherry Bigfoot Limeade Float from Tasti-Whip; the newest apple creation from the University of Minnesota, the First Kiss; a Bee-Nana Pie, one of the stalwarts of last year's rookie class of new foods; and the second time I had that Soft Serve Royal Raspberry Beer from West End Brews. Total: $54.
- Tuesday, August 26 -- Father, paying me back for Powerball tickets, an Infusion of: $10.
- And I went to my game-watching bar to make sure everything was set for Saturday. With tip I shelled out: $15.
- Monday the 25th: Father paid me back for Powerball, but I'm sure he didn't exactly pay me back on this date; I just put it here because I used cash on this day and I have a rule that if you are using one form of currency to pay for something, you need to use it again so it won't be lonely. Anyway, this is an Infusion of: $50.
- To Sunday, August 24 ... I spent the evening going to Palmer's Bar, presumably for the last time, so I could see Cornbread Harris play as part of his longstanding Sunday night residency. It'll end after three more Sundays because one of the owners stole from the century-old bar to pay for his drug addiction, and the other owners could not make up for that deficit, so they sold them the bar and, I assume, the land beneath it. Fucking shame. I tried to see Cornbread Harris play, but instead of the riser at the back of the bar, he just played on the floor at the front. That meant there was a sea of people just standing in front of me, basically blocking my view of Mr. Harris for the whole two hours. I was able to fight toward the band as other groups, who were talking to each other and not really there to see Cornbread, backed off. But I got the feeling that in such a busy environment, everyone had the right to get close to the music as possible, so I cycled myself away, grabbed a second beer, sat outside and just drank through the end of the first set, intermission, and the beginning of the second set. Not quite what I expected when my friend said we should go (she didn't join me), but I'm glad to have heard Mr. Harris and to be in that Minneapolis institution one final time. Minneapolis Cider plus tip, tips for the band, and a mild polish sausage from a cart vendor who was just outside Palmer's: $17.
- Oh, before I took the light rail to Palmer's I dove into this, er, really clean downtown bodega called the Players Club. I got Powerball tickets there totalling: $12.
- On Saturday the 23rd I went to The Great Minnesota Get-Together for the second time, primarily to see the Grandstand concert which was Atmosphere & Friends. I wish I got the Somali Street Fries, but I had no idea at the time that the reviews would be nearly unanimous in their praise for it. But I did go out on a limb and purchased the Sweet Squeakers (as well as a trusty small blueberry basil lemonade) from the Blue Barn; a frozen Blu from West End Brews (which I think is just LuLu's); and a Cherry Bigfoot Limeade Float. Total damage: $44.75
- Thursday, August 21 ... went to the opening day (actually evening) of the State Fair since I got out of work at a decent hour to put in a properly long visit. I usually go during the first day to knock off the mainstays I want to eat; my plan, even though I didn't really follow it this year, was to devote other visits to the new foods. So, I got a pina colada from Manny's Tortas; the cheese curds from Mouth Trap; a honey lemonade (with tip) from the honey exhibit in the Agriculture-Horticulture Building; fried pickles; that soft-serve beer for the first time; a Minnecookiedough Pie; and a lychee colada from Union Hmong Kitchen at which I believe I got fucked out of six cents due to a combination of the owner not differentiating between cash and charge prices, the owner not getting dimes or nickels or pennies for change, and a really, really shitty cashier. They had a new food for the Fair, but I stayed the hell away from them because I was upset. Anyway, I notice that I usually get my fill of Fair food and drink once I cross the $50 threshold. On this first day, I blew way, way past that: $72.75.
- To Wednesday the 20th, where I had the day off and spent the afternoon going to get my car washed. I charged the wash, so I used cash for the tip: $5.
- I then got a shave from the learning school close by. With tip: $14.
- Father paid me back for Powerball tickets, but I doubt he paid me back on this exact date. An Infusion of: $20.
- On Tuesday, August 19 I fucked ***i*. And thank Buddha inflation hasn't hit with her: $120.
- Monday the 18th ... I needed money to buy lottery tickets, so I stopped by the bank to get money. I then walked over to Caribou to get a small mocha with oak milk, and I thought I might as well pay with cash instead of through the app. I was shocked at how pricey it was. Well, mochas these days are expensive, but I thought that oat milk for me was going to be free. Turns out oat milk is free only if purchasing through the application; otherwise, it's a buck extra. Well, shit, good to know. But at least I got the trivia question right. With tip: $7.03.
- Went to Hooters after work to use a calendar coupon. Hooters also upcharges if you use your credit card, so I now primarily pay with moolah when at Hooters. With tip: $32.
- Saturday, August 16 -- after watching the MNUFC Match I moseyed on over to the Midway Saloon. I had a ton of beer that day, but I was thirsty, so I just bought a Coke. With tip: $5.50.
- Father paid me back for Powerball tix, but I'm sure he didn't pay me back on this exact day. Still, an Infusion of: $20.
- To Tuesday the 12th, where I went to my alumni game-watching bar to make sure 1) the bar was still standing and 2) that they would still welcome us. With tip: $14.
- Father paid me back for Powerball tix, but I'm sure he didn't pay me back on this exact day. Still, an Infusion of: $20.
- On Monday, August 11 I wanted to go to the Heights Theater to see Waiting For Guffman, which I have heard many great things about. It's OK; it has those quotable lines ("I hate you, and your ass face!"), but otherwise it has that cringe mockumentary approach that I find somewhat condescending. Paid money for the ticket, a small pop and popcorn, and tips for concessions and the organ player: $30.
- Back to Saturday, July 26 ... Palmfest was at Palmer's Bar. It's a weekend-long festival of local bands just, you know, playing, which was Palmer's total reason to exist, and that reason was mover than enough. Cover, an orange Jameson slushie, a Fulton 300, and tips for those two drinks came out to: $29.
- Wednesday the 23rd: Went to A Bar Of Their Own to watch a Women's EURO Semifinal. It was raining cats and dogs out there, damn. With tip I paid: $28.
- Father paid me back for Powerball tickets, and then some. I think he paid me on this exact date. An Infusion of: $20.
- Monday the 21st was the last week where **y said she could accommodate my, uh, carnal needs because her daughter was in class. I hadn't been serviced by her in a long, long time. Partly it was because of the distance, partly because she had people staying with her for an extended period. But it was worth the wait because, like I said when I (kind of) blog posted about her, she bit my pee-pee. Goddamn, that was glorious! Total: $150.
- **y and I talked for a little bit, to catch up on old times. She only went topless, but she put her bra and shirt on while I was laying on her daughter's bad, completely naked with my legs open. But I had to leave, unfortunately. Not only did she need to pick up her daughter, I had to go meet a friend who was only going to be in town until the next afternoon. So I had to drive all the way from the south metro to the north to pick her up and decide to have a quick beer at this place I have never been to that's kind of close to where we both live. She used her credit card for the both of us, so I paid her back for the drink and soup I got: $23.
- Finally, back on Saturday, July 19, after an alumni function, I made my (now annual) tradition of going to Tongue In Cheek to eat. I was going to go for the steak, but because the guy sitting next to me did, I opted, for the second year in a row, for the ramen. I think I was there a long time because I remember intently scrolling through my phone. Anyway, with tip I paid a very, very expensive: $76.
And once again I say to myself I have to do these more often. Good through September 1.
