Sunday, July 6, 2014

Prairie Home Companion, 40 Years

    Around midday I made it to Macalester College in St. Paul for the 40th anniversary of the public radio show 'Prairie Home Companion'. I took the bus there and when I got off on Snelling. I asked a cop, who was next to a squad car, if everything was fine. I said what I was interested in doing and he helped me cross the street. Even on the last day there was plenty to do and see there. The main stage outside was deserted, and I got a photo of it. There were tents with various things in them, some had food and drink. Others had displays about the show, like how they achieve certain sound effects. This tent also had two vanity plates in reference to the show- 'Guy Noir' and 'Wobegon'. One display had a poster about the movie of the same name, I did see it at theaters. Another showed host Garrison Keillor in various photos, including when he interviewed former Vice President Walter Mondale. I did get a joke book there, and I got annoyed with who sold it to me. She said I missed a lot by making it on the last day, I said I don't like having to deal with crowds if I can help it. I said I was going President Clinton on her and saying 'Depends on your definition of the word'. I got the last laugh, as a community sing-along was happening in the gym. it was where I got a photo of Keillor. Many of the songs performed sounded familiar from attending church. This started with 'Do Lord'. Another was 'Rock of Ages', played at my grandma's funeral. Later on it was 'Home on the Range' and 'Working on the Railroad'. One display was about the upcoming play about the show at the History Theater.
I even was spotted by somebody who recognized me from somewhere, but had to figure out where. It was when I went to a play in May about a photographer at Park Square Theater.
    I got home and I was unsure at first about how to stay occupied before needing to leave again. Well this was no problem at all. One of the souvenirs I got at the event was a postcard, and I wanted to get it into a photo album. I did, but in the process I had to take it off the shelf in my closet. This led to another album falling off and collapsing on the floor. The glass inside shattered as well. This was an album I got at a secondhand store, and judging by the art on it this may have been somebody's wedding photo album. I cleaned it up and then had to move the photos. I did have another album ready that I had bought at a secondhand store, and now it is full.
    The other event I went to today was a movie, 'Violette', at the Edina theater. It was a French subtitled movie about a writer. So there was two reasons why I wanted to see it. The movie was sharing a screen with another movie, so it was down to two showings a day. I knew this meant it wouldn't be around much longer. The movie was more than two hours but it flowed well. I agreed with many of the things said in it, like how the main character saying her life had always been difficult compared to others. And her mentor said she could work through it with her writing. The storyline did get emotional at times, like when she told her mom to shut up. I heard somebody say it was a sad story, well I commented how the bios of writers usually are. I said my story is, and I am a writer. Before the show I went to a nearby Walgreen and got an ice cream sandwich. Two other items I bought were a Minnesota Monthly magazine- from May when they compared Minneapolis against St. Paul-and another pack of 100 baseball cards. I chose the one with a President Kennedy card on the front. There weren't many duplicates, just five, and I destroyed them.
   The movie did touch on many of my emotions, I realized this while still watching it. I thought of some of my writings, like ones I even sent to a physician. Or visual art that was just words, a simple creation from colored pencils. And my college roommate, who now lives in Farmington. He once said to me how surprisingly well-adjusted I am, since he had met my family. Finally there was poetry, like one titled 'Go be a writer!' Can't forget Emerson Hough of course, a big inspiration for me. I know it has helped me with my writing, as expected. One must not turn down the most likely opportunities to be inspired. This continued into the drive home, where I heard two songs in particular I liked. One was 'Peace' by OAR, the other was 'Just give me a reason' by Pink. So it was a good 2-movie weekend, one about comedy and the other about writing.  
    When I got home again I watched two episodes of the Simpsons. Not sure if I had seen those before. One of them seemed familiar, where Bart was adrift in a hot air balloon. And it led to the news anchor finding faith in legitimate news gathering again. When I turned my phone on again I saw a text message waiting for me, it came in on Saturday. It was from an ex-colleague in suburban Chicago, judging by the 847 area code and asking me if I still work for the same company. I responded to it and asked who it was, said I am still with the same company, and visited the area in March. It was sent late in the day so I don't expect a response right away.

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