Cruising through the Star Tribune, I came across this gem from the police blotter:

Theft. A 69-year-old man from the 10600 block of 6th Street NE. called police to report that about five or six years ago his neighbor was coming to his home to hypnotize him. According to police reports, the man alleges that while he was under hypnosis, the neighbor stole his valuable coins and sold them to a coin dealer in Anoka. The man says the neighbor also orders books and has them delivered to him, but he returns them. The man called police back a short time later and wanted to withdraw the complaint because he fears the suspect has connections to the mafia.

It’s days like this I realize why I love Minneapolis

..But not the restaurants! WCCO is reporting:

A large fire broke out at a popular retail block in south Minneapolis on Thursday afternoon.

According to crews, the fire began in the ceiling of one of the shops on 50th Street South and Bryant Avenue.

Among the shops on the block are Patina, Blackbird Cafe, Heidi’s Minneapolis and The Malt Shop.

It was not immediately clear which building or buildings were being affected by the fire.

Firefighters at the scene were battling the flames, but it appeared the would be forced to let the building in question burn.

Here are some pics from Powderhorn Park’s Art Sled Rally last weekend. I didn’t know this before, but there were no prizes for competitors… everyone raced solely for the glory of the sledding. A favorite sled of the day was a Pacman themed one (no pics of that one though–my fingers got too cold to take them out of my coat). Props to the creativity of the sleds and courage of the riders. P.S. No sledders were injured in the following crashes…

Bathtub?

Join the 3rd annual Art Sled Rally tomorrow (Saturday) at 2pm at Powderhorn Park, or better yet, build your own artistic sled and come at 1pm to register.

From the Art Sled Rally’s founders, South Sixteenth High Jinks:

“We believe part of a healthy existence is being outside a little bit at all times of year, and part of a healthy community is getting together as often as possible, especially during the coldest and most isolating parts of the year.

We chose to create a mass sledding spectacle, in part, for the history of mass winter events at Powderhorn Park that began around a hundred years ago.You will find pictures of incredible pageantry, throngs of people and fantastically sculptured luge tracks in Powderhorn from the early 1900s on up through the sixties. We would like to see this organized enthusiasm for winter activities continue.”

Nothing more enthusiastic than cardboard bathtubs racing down snow-covered hills! Join the fun! Should be a little warmer tomorrow.

At midnight the Triple Rock Social Club taps the insanely hoppy Bell’s Hopslam!  It is a limited release beer so get it while you can because it’s tasty and absolutely perfect for winter.  21+ of course, no cover.

The triple rock is located at 629 Cedar Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454.

So many people live vicariously through their virtual “Farmville” farms on Facebook but now is the time to learn more about a real Urban Farm project in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood.  Frogtown Farm is a vision for a real working 13-acre farm in the unused former Wilder Foundation space at Victoria and Van Buren. With community gardens, picnic space and more it could be a shining light for urban St. Paul, as well as a model for other city neighborhoods.

So join a Facebook group with a real purpose and join the group for Frogtown Farm on Facebook and attend their upcoming meeting at Thursday, January 14 from 6-8 PM at The Rondo Community Outreach Library on the southwest corner of the Dale Street and University Avenue in Saint Paul. Parking is free in the underground lot below the library, accessible off University Avenue.

For more information on the Frogtown Farm go to the Frogtown Gardens website or please contact Patricia Ohmans at 651-757-5970, or frogtownfarm@gmail.com.

The Mulleavy sisters, Kate and Laura, are fashion favorites for their inventive draping, creative use of textures and the works of art they call garments. But the price of these gorgeous creations is astronomical … I can only dream of owning their fantastic leather jackets and delicate slipdresses.

Until now. Our beloved Target has stepped in and recruited the Rodarte girls to be their latest installment in the hugely popular Go! International line. It’s out Dec. 20, and Vogue just did a lovely little feature about it. I’ll be staking out local Targets to get the pieces I want, so please, stay out of my way. Here’s the Vogue spread and a few peeks at the collection, courtesy nitrolicious.

I’ll let you know as soon as I find it in stores. Word to the wise? It always launches a few days early.

Christmas Music Savant, that’s what my friends call me. Maybe it was from my mum’s extensive vinyl collection and the fact that we sat around the piano singing every holiday or that I worked 20 years of retail or that I am a fine Welsh lass and my people are well known for our love of singing, but I love, L-O-V-E holiday tunes, all of them. 

Well, maybe not all of them.  No offense, but I would be happy if I never heard “Feliz Navidad“, especially the Jose Feliciano version,ever again.  But that one song aside, I start listening to Christmas music and holiday tunes at the start of November and stop after the twelve days of Christmas are over on January 5th (where do you think “Twelfth Night” came from folks?).

My moniker came from my days working at Dayton’s/Field’s/Macy’s and every time a song came on the Muzak I could name not only the song but singer in just a few notes, Bill Cullen would be proud.

I can tell the difference between Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Tony Bennett and Perry Como singing the exact same song.  Now with all the modern & country singers jumping into the holiday music pool it has become more difficult and my skills have begun to wane, especially since I no longer work retail, but my holiday music collection will still rival many.

Combined cassette, vinyl and CD there are over 200 albums in the collection. Perhaps the most prized is the “Merry Christmas with the Brady Bunch” Original Vinyl (we three sisters wore similar robes). You haven’t heard anything until you have heard Cindy Brady sing “Frosty the Snowman” with a lisp.

Then there is the Fred Waring Singers with Frank Sinatra & Bing Crosby 12 Songs of Christmas with my favorites “Go tell it on the Mountain” & a fantastic duet “We wish you the Merriest” with Frank & Bing.  Then there is the Columbia Records “Magic of Christmas” 3- record boxed set which I loved,  and all the Dean Martin Christmas albums, those are mum’s, but we kept the old Soundesign stereo turntable just so we could still play them.  And get this, we even still have a Bing Crosby White Christmas 8-Track somewhere! 

As for modern CD’s I think I like the Barenaked Ladies “Bare Naked for the Holidays” (includes some Hanukkah songs) and Harry Connick Jr’s “Harry for the Holidays” or his more recent “”What a Night.”  Brian Setzer Orchestra’s “Boogie Woogie Christmas” or “Dig that Crazy Christmas” are the two I own but he has also released several more including a live two CD set “Christmas Extravaganza.”

Leonard Slatkin Conducted Minnesota Orchestra Nutcracker Suite

If you’ve always wanted to hurl a frozen turkey at a set of bowling pins, this Wednesday is your lucky day. Metromix Twin Cities is hosting this one-of-a-kind event in the courtyard of the Chambers Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis.  

To participate you can either bring a non-perishable food item or make a $5 donation to the Emergency Foodshelf Network.   

Turkey tossers can practice from 4-9 p.m before the championship round at 9:30.  Further details can be found at the metromix website.

This activity is rather bizarre to me.  I understand that turkeys are a part of the Thanksgiving tradition, but I can’t think of anyone I know who would want to touch a dead frozen one.  

What do you think?

I hate Black Friday. I was born on Black Friday, 1987 –probably a precursor to my penchant for purchasing. However, Black Friday sends moms into a frenzy for doorbuster deals and leaves me cold. I’d rather do my holiday shopping somewhere a bit less crowded, a little bit less JCPenney.

What I’m thinking is the Northeast Holiday Boutique Crawl on Saturday. Ten boutiques, from Parc to I Like You, are participating in this day-long event. Register to win a $500 shopping spree, get 20% off purchases, you know the deal. We know we’re supposed to shop as part of our civic duty — so says the president and Anna Wintour. Why not do it locally?

(P.S. Here’s a hint. Follow Parc Boutique on Twitter for more boutique crawl incentives.)